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From: Ezekiel 34:1-11

Oracle against the shepherd of Israel

[1] The word of the Lord came to me: [2] “Son of man, prophesy against the
shepherds of Israel, prophesy, and say to them, even to the shepherds, Thus
says the Lord God: Ho, shepherds of Israel who have been feeding yourselves!
Should not shepherds feed the sheep? [3] You eat the fat, you clothe yourselves
with the wool, you slaughter the fatlings; but you do not feed the sheep. [4] The
weak you have not strengthened, the sick you have not healed, the crippled you
have not bound up, the strayed you have not brought back, the lost you have not
sought, and with force and harshness you have ruled them. [5] So they were
scattered, because there was no shepherd; and they became food for all the wild
beasts. [6] My sheep were scattered, they wandered over all the mountains and
on every high hill; my sheep were scattered over all the face of the earth, with
none to search or seek for them.

[7] “Therefore, you shepherds, hear the word of the Lord: [5] As I live, says the
Lord God, because my sheep have become a prey, and my sheep have become
food for all the wild beasts, since there was no shepherd; and because my shep-
herds have not searched for my sheep, but the shepherds have fed themselves,
and have not fed my sheep; [9] therefore, you shepherds, hear the word of the
Lord: [10] Thus says the Lord God, Behold, I am against the shepherds; and I
will require my sheep at their hand, and put a stop to their feeding the sheep; no
longer shall the shepherds feed themselves. I will rescue my sheep from their
mouths, that they may not be food for them.

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

34:1-31. In some Sumerian and Egyptian texts the image of the shepherd is
sometimes applied to leading men and gods. In the Bible it is often applied to
kings (1 Kings 22:17), perhaps because David began life as a shepherd (1 Sam
17:34; Ps 78:70-72), and to the Lord (cf. Ps 23:1-6; 80:2-3). The prophets, par-
ticularly Jeremiah, use the image when talking about rulers, be they kings or
priests (cf Jer 2:8; 10:21; 25:34-36; Zech 11:4-17). In this first address to the ex-
iles, Ezekiel talks about bad shepherds, that is, the evil rulers who led the peo-
ple into the disaster of the exile (vv. 1-10) — and, by contrast, he speaks of the
Lord, the supreme shepherd who takes over the reins of government to rule his
people without intermediaries (vv. 11-22), and of the new messiah-ruler whom
God himself will place at their head: he will be their new shepherd, David, who
will lead his flock to the best pastures (vv. 23-31).

Jesus found this a very appropriate image for explaining his role as Messiah and
Saviour (in 10:1-18) and as Judge at the end of time (cf. Mt 25:31-46). Moreover,
he confirmed his words by actions. When, at the multiplication of the loaves, he
gathers those who have followed him (they are “like sheep without a shepherd”:
Mk 6:34: cf. Ezek 34:5), and nourishes them with bread and with the word of his
teaching, he is fulfilling this prophecy of Ezekiel which promises a new king, a
true shepherd, and a new Covenant. Jesus is, then, the shepherd who assem-
bles all mankind to lead it to salvation: “He is the one who has gathered toge-
ther into one flock all the holy sheep from all the nations under heaven, without
neglecting any of the peoples of the earth: he carries out every day what he once
promised, when he said: ‘There are other sheep, that are not of this flock, and
these too I will tend, and they will listen to my voice, and there will be one flock,
and there will be one shepherd’” (St Leo the Great, Sermones, 63, 7). And as
Bl. John Paul II teaches: “The figure of Jesus Christ as shepherd of the Church,
his flock, takes up and represents in new and more evocative terms the same
content as that of Jesus Christ as head and servant. Fulfilling the prophetic pro-
clamation of the Messiah and saviour joyfully announced by the psalmist and
the prophet Ezekiel (cf. Ps 22-23; Ezek 34:11ff), Jesus presents himself as ‘the
good shepherd’ (Jn 10:11, 14), not only of Israel but of all humanity (cf. Jn 10:16).
His whole life is a continual manifestation of his ‘pastoral charity’” (Pastores da-
bo vobis, 22).

34:1-10. As is usual in condemnatory oracles, the charges are mentioned first
(vv. 2 6) and then comes the sentence, which begins with the usual “Therefore”
(vv. 7-10). The rulers of the people (cf. 23:23-31), that is, the princes, priests, el-
ders and professional prophets, have exploited the people and sought their own
gain. What Ezekiel says here carries a message for those who hold office in
Christian communities: “In the Church of Christ, everyone is obliged to make a
tenacious effort to remain loyal to the teaching of Christ. No one is exempt. If
the shepherds do not themselves strive to acquire a sensitive conscience and
to remain faithful to dogma and moral teaching — which make up the deposit of
faith and the inheritance of all — then the prophetic words of Ezekiel will be borne
out: ‘Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel, prophesy, and say
to them, even to the shepherds, thus says the Lord God: Ho, shepherds of Israel
who have been feeding yourselves! [...] This is a strong reproof, but the offence
against God is even worse when those who have received the task of promoting
the spiritual welfare of everyone abuse souls instead, depriving them of the crys-
tal water of baptism, which regenerates the soul; of the soothing oil of confirma-
tion, which strengthens it; of the tribunal which pardons; of the food which gives
eternal life” (St Josemaria Escrivá, Christ Is Passing By, 81).

*********************************************************************************************
Source: “The Navarre Bible: Text and Commentaries”. Biblical text from the
Revised Standard Version and New Vulgate. Commentaries by members of
the Faculty of Theology, University of Navarre, Spain.

Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock, Co. Dublin, Ireland, and
by Scepter Publishers in the United States.

From: Matthew 20:1-16

The Parable of the Laborers in the Vineyard

[1] “For the Kingdom of Heaven is like a householder who went out early in the
morning to hire laborers for his vineyard. [2] After agreeing with the laborers for
a denarius a day, he sent them into his vineyard. [3] And going out about the
third hour he saw others standing idle in the market place; [4] and to them he
said, ‘You go into the vineyard too, and whatever is right I will give you.’ So they
went. [5] Going out again about the sixth hour and the ninth hour, he did the
same. [6] And about the eleventh hour he went out and found others standing;
and he said to them, ‘Why do you stand here idle all day?’ [7] They said to him,
‘Because no one has hired us.’ He said to them, ‘You go into the vineyard too.’
[8] And when evening came, the owner of the vineyard said to his steward, ‘Call
the laborers and pay them their wages, beginning with the last, up to the first.’

[9] And when those hired about the eleventh hour came, each of them received
a denarius. [10] Now when the first came, they thought they would receive more;
but each of them also received a denarius. [11] And on receiving it they grumbled
at the householder, [12] saying, ‘These last worked only one hour, and you have
made them equal to us who have borne the burden of the day and the scorching
heat.’ [13] But he replied to one of them, ‘Friend, I am doing you no wrong; did
you not agree with me for a denarius? [14] Take what belongs to you, and go; I
choose to give to this last as I give to you. [15] Am I not allowed to do what I
choose with what belongs to me? Or do you begrudge my generosity? [16] So
the last will be first, and the first last.”

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

1-16. This parable is addressed to the Jewish people, whom God called at an
early hour, centuries ago. Now the Gentiles are also being called — with an equal
right to form part of the new people of God, the Church. In both cases it is a mat-
ter of a gratuitous, unmerited, invitation; therefore, those who were the “first” to
receive the call have no grounds for complaining when God calls the “last” and
gives them the same reward — membership of His people. At first sight the labo-
rers of the first hour seem to have a genuine grievance—because they do not rea-
lize that to have a job in the Lord’s vineyard is a divine gift. Jesus leaves us in
no doubt that although He calls us to follow different ways, all receive the same
reward — Heaven.

2. “Denarius”: a silver coin bearing an image of Caesar Augustus (Matthew 22:
19-21).

3. The Jewish method of calculating time was different from ours. They divided
the whole day into eight parts, four night parts (called “watches”) and four day
parts (called “hours”)—the first, third, sixth and ninth hour.

The first hour began at sunrise and ended around nine o’clock; the third ran to
twelve noon; the sixth to three in the afternoon; and the ninth from three to sun-
set. This meant that the first and ninth hours varied in length, decreasing in au-
tumn and winter and increasing in spring and summer and the reverse happe-
ning with the first and fourth watches.

Sometimes intermediate hours were counted—as for example in verse 6 which
refers to the eleventh hour, the short period just before sunset, the end of the
working day.

16. The Vulgate, other translations and a good many Greek codices add: “For
many are called, but few are chosen” (cf. Matthew 22:14).

*********************************************************************************************
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

Ezekiel 34:1-11 ©

The word of the Lord was addressed to me as follows: ‘Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel; prophesy and say to them:

‘“Shepherds, the Lord says this: Trouble for the shepherds of Israel who feed themselves! Shepherds ought to feed their flock, yet you have fed on milk, you have dressed yourselves in wool, you have sacrificed the fattest sheep, but failed to feed the flock. You have failed to make weak sheep strong, or to care for the sick ones, or bandage the wounded ones. You have failed to bring back strays or look for the lost. On the contrary, you have ruled them cruelly and violently. For lack of a shepherd they have scattered, to become the prey of any wild animal; they have scattered far. My flock is straying this way and that, on mountains and on high hills; my flock has been scattered all over the country; no one bothers about them and no one looks for them.

‘“Well then, shepherds, hear the word of the Lord. As I live, I swear it – it is the Lord who speaks – since my flock has been looted and for lack of a shepherd is now the prey of any wild animal, since my shepherds have stopped bothering about my flock, since my shepherds feed themselves rather than my flock, in view of all this, shepherds, hear the word of the Lord. The Lord says this: I am going to call the shepherds to account. I am going to take my flock back from them and I shall not allow them to feed my flock. In this way the shepherds will stop feeding themselves. I shall rescue my sheep from their mouths; they will not prey on them any more.”

‘For the Lord says this: “I am going to look after my flock myself and keep all of it in view.”’

Psalm

Psalm 22:1-6 ©

The Lord is my shepherd: there is nothing I shall want.

The Lord is my shepherd;

there is nothing I shall want.

Fresh and green are the pastures

where he gives me repose.

Near restful waters he leads me,

to revive my drooping spirit.

The Lord is my shepherd: there is nothing I shall want.

He guides me along the right path;

he is true to his name.

If I should walk in the valley of darkness

no evil would I fear.

You are there with your crook and your staff;

with these you give me comfort.

The Lord is my shepherd: there is nothing I shall want.

You have prepared a banquet for me

in the sight of my foes.

My head you have anointed with oil;

my cup is overflowing.

The Lord is my shepherd: there is nothing I shall want.

Surely goodness and kindness shall follow me

all the days of my life.

In the Lord’s own house shall I dwell

for ever and ever.

The Lord is my shepherd: there is nothing I shall want.

Gospel Acclamation

Ps118:135

Alleluia, alleluia!

Let your face shine on your servant,

and teach me your decrees.

Alleluia!

Or	Heb4:12

Alleluia, alleluia!

The word of God is something alive and active:

it can judge secret emotions and thoughts.

Alleluia!

Gospel

Matthew 20:1-16 ©

Jesus told this parable to his disciples: ‘The kingdom of heaven is like a landowner going out at daybreak to hire workers for his vineyard. He made an agreement with the workers for one denarius a day, and sent them to his vineyard. Going out at about the third hour he saw others standing idle in the market place and said to them, “You go to my vineyard too and I will give you a fair wage.” So they went. At about the sixth hour and again at about the ninth hour, he went out and did the same. Then at about the eleventh hour he went out and found more men standing round, and he said to them, “Why have you been standing here idle all day?” “Because no one has hired us” they answered. He said to them, “You go into my vineyard too.” In the evening, the owner of the vineyard said to his bailiff, “Call the workers and pay them their wages, starting with the last arrivals and ending with the first.” So those who were hired at about the eleventh hour came forward and received one denarius each. When the first came, they expected to get more, but they too received one denarius each. They took it, but grumbled at the landowner. “The men who came last” they said “have done only one hour, and you have treated them the same as us, though we have done a heavy day’s work in all the heat.” He answered one of them and said, “My friend, I am not being unjust to you; did we not agree on one denarius? Take your earnings and go. I choose to pay the last comer as much as I pay you. Have I no right to do what I like with my own? Why be envious because I am generous?” Thus the last will be first, and the first, last.’

Perpetual Novena for the Nation (Ecumenical)

Prayers for The Religion Forum (Ecumenical)

Psalm 23: The Lord is my Shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.

WONDERFUL words.
Always read at a funeral.

7 Powerful Ways to Pray for Christians Suffering in the Middle East

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.

August Devotion -- The Immaculate Heart [of Mary]

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

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

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

INVOCATIONS

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

Sweet heart of Mary, be my salvation.

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

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

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

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

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

Prayer Source: Prayer Book, The by Reverend John P. O'Connell, M.A., S.T.D. and Jex Martin, M.A., The Catholic Press, Inc., Chicago, Illinois, 1954

Sacred Heart Of Jesus

Sacred Heart Of Jesus image

Immaculate Heart of Mary

Immaculate Heart of Mary image

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

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

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

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

The Salutation to the Heart of Jesus and Mary

An Offering of the Hearts of Jesus and Mary

Novena Prayer to Sacred Heart of Jesus

Prayer to the Wounded Heart of Jesus

Act of Consecration to the Sacred Heart

Meditation & Novena Prayer on the Sacred Heart

Beads to the Sacred Heart

Novena Prayer to the Immaculate Heart of Mary

A Solemn Act of Consecration to the Immaculate Heart of Mary

The Daily Offering to the Immaculate Heart of Mary

Exaltation of the Immaculate Heart of Mary

Prayer to the Blessed Virgin

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

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

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

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

— St. John Eudes

On the Critics of Pope Francis’ Consecration to the Immaculate Heart (Catholic Caucus)
Pope consecrates world to immaculate heart of Mary
Pope at Mass: Learning from Mary to keep the Word of God
Today: Immaculate Heart of Mary [DEVOTIONAL]

The Immaculate Heart of Mary [Devotional] Catholic/Orthodox Caucus
Devotion to the Immaculate Heart of Mary [Catholic/Orthodox Caucus]
Saturdays and the Immaculate Heart of Mary [Catholic/Orthodox Caucus]
The Brown Scapular (Catholic Caucus)
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Homilies preached by Father Robert Altier on the Feast of the Immaculate Heart of Mary
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Always

Other psalms are sung at funerals.

My funeral will be The Lord is my Light and my Salvation

August 2014
Pope's Intentions
Universal: That refugees, forced by violence to abandon their homes, may find a generous welcome and the protection of their rights.
For Evangelization: That Christians in Oceania may joyfully announce the faith to all the people of that region.

Daily Gospel Commentary

Wednesday of the Twentieth week in Ordinary Time

Commentary of the day
Saint Augustine (354-430), Bishop of Hippo (North Africa) and Doctor of the Church
Sermon 87,1.4-6 ; PL 38, 530-533 (trans. ©Friends of Henry Ashworth)

The reward is eternal life

The earliest righteous people like Abel and Noah, called as it were at the first hour, will receive the joy of resurrection at the same time as we do. So also will others who came later, Abraham Isaac, and Jacob, and those contemporary with them, called as we may say at the third hour; Moses and Aaron and those called with them at the sixth hour; and after them the holy prophets, called at the ninth hour.

At the end of the world all Christians called at the eleventh hour, will receive the joy of resurrection together with those who went before them. All will be rewarded at the same time, but the first comers will have had the longest to wait Therefore, if they receive their reward after a longer period and we after a shorter one, the fact that our reward is not delayed will make it seem as though we were receiving it first even though we all receive it together.

In that great reward, then, we shall all be equal — the first to the last and the last to the first. For the denarius stands for eternal life.

Always
Other psalms are sung at funerals.
My funeral will be The Lord is my Light and my Salvation

That's a good one.
I hope your funeral is a l-o-n-g, l-o-n-g, l-o-n-g, l-o-n-g way off!

Look at that clever calumniator! He begins by fetching a deep sigh, he affects to be humble, and puts on a modest look, and with a voice choking with sobs tries to gloss over the slander which is on the tip of his tongue One would fancy that he expressly assumed a calm and easy demeanor; for when he speaks against his brother, it is in a tender and compassionate tone. I am really hurt, says he, to find that our brother has fallen into such a sin; you all know how much I love him, and how often I have tried to correct him. It is not today that I have noticed his failing; for I should always be on my guard to speak of others, but others have spoken of it too. It would be in vain to disguise the fact; it is only too true, and with tears in my eyes I tell it to you. This poor unfortunate brother has talent, but it must be confessed that he is very guilty, and however great may be our friendship for him, it is impossible to excuse him.

-- Saint Bernard of Clairvaux from a sermon on The Canticles

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