Saturday, December 08, 2007
Our Blessed Lady's Saturday: The Immaculate Conception
From Dom Prosper Gueranger's The Liturgical Year.
Prayer For the Immaculate Conception by Pope Pius XII
Enraptured by the splendor of thy heavenly beauty, and impelled by the anxieties of the world, we cast ourselves into thine arms, O Immacuate Mother of Jesus and our Mother, Mary, confident of finding in thy most loving heart appeasement of our ardent desires, and a safe harbor from the tempests which beset us on every side.
Though degraded by our faults and overwhelmed by infinite misery, we admire and praise the peerless richness of sublime gifts with which God has filled thee, above every other mere creature, from the first moment of thy conception until the day on which, after thine assumption into Heaven, He crowned thee Queen of the Universe.
O crystal fountain of faith, bathe our minds with the eternal truths! O fragrant Lily of all holiness, captivate our hearts with thy heavenly perfume! O Conqueress of evil and death, inspire in us a deep horror of sin, which makes the soul detestable to God and a slave of Hell!
O well-beloved of God, hear the ardent cry which rises up from every heart. Bend tenderly over our aching wounds. Convert the wicked, dry the tears of the afflicted and oppressed, comfort the poor and humble, quench hatreds, sweeten harshness, safeguard the flower of purity in youth, protect the holy Church, make all men feel the attraction of Christian goodness. In thy name, resounding harmoniously in Heaven, may they recognize that they are brothers, and that the nations are members of one family, upon which may there shine forth the sun of a universal and sincere peace.
Receive, O most sweet Mother, our humble supplications, and above all obtain for us that, one day, happy with thee, we may repeat before thy throne that hymn which today is sung on earth around thine altars: Thou art all-beautiful, O Mary! Thou art the glory, thou art the joy, thou art the honor of our people!
Amen.
From Saint Alphonsus Liguori's The Glories of Mary
Saint Maximilian Kolbe on the dogma of the Immaculate Conception
Novena For the Immaculate Conception, Day 8
Invocation (to be Said Every Day of the Novena):
Thou art all fair, O Mary,
The Original Stain is not in thee.
Thou art the glory of Jerusalem,
Thou, the joy of Israel,
Thou, the great honor of our people
Thou, the advocate of sinners.
O Mary,
O Mary,
Virgin most prudent,
Mother most merciful,
Pray for us,
Intercede for us with our Lord Jesus Christ.
O Mary, Mother of God and Mother of us, thou who by a singular privilege, in virtue of the foreseen death of our Redeemer, wast redeemed from the first moment of thy conception and preserved immune from every spot of Original Sin, we firmly believe in this thy privilege and we proclaim it aloud, saying: "Thou art all fair, O Mary, and in thee there is no stain"; thou art the Immaculate; thy raiment is white as snow; thy face shines like the sun; in thee we marvel at the brightness of eternal light and the spotless mirror of Divine beauty. Like the Divine Redeemer, thou art wholly and utterly fair, for in Him there can be no stain and thou art His most perfect reflection.
We all rejoice in the Lord, as we celebrate the feast that recalls this singular privilege of thine, O Mary, Mother of God and our Mother, and we unite ourselves to thee in magnifying and thanking Our Lord, Who through thee hath done such wondrous deeds, and hath given us in thee good cause for rejoicing.
We would be ever worthy to love thee and to sing thy glories, O Mary, our Immaculate Mother, but we are by nature sons of wrath, and only by grace can we become thy children
and acceptable unto thee. From thee we hope for assistance in obtaining the pardon of our sins, the strength to overcome our wicked passions, and to escape the snares. laid for us by the world and the devil. Wherefore, O Immaculate Mother, Mary, inspire in us an intense hatred of sin, perfect contrition for the sins we have committed, and a lively fear of falling again into sin; make our hearts and our bodies immaculate, lest we be confounded forever; and so, being cleansed of sin, with our passions under control, and the enemies of our salvation overcome, with pure hearts burning with love of thee, may we be able to sing to thee with unfaltering voices: "Thou art all fair, O Mary, and in thee there is no Original Stain; thou art our glory, thou art our joy."
Glorious things are spoken of thee, O Mary; for He that is mighty hath done great things unto thee.
Hail Mary...
Novena For the Immaculate Conception, Day 9
Invocation (to be Said Every Day of the Novena):
Thou art all fair, O Mary,
The Original Stain is not in thee.
Thou art the glory of Jerusalem,
Thou, the joy of Israel,
Thou, the great honor of our people
Thou, the advocate of sinners.
O Mary,
O Mary,
Virgin most prudent,
Mother most merciful,
Pray for us,
Intercede for us with our Lord Jesus Christ.
Salutation of Saint Francis to the Virgin Mary
Hail, holy Lady, most holy Queen! Mother of God, Mary ever-Virgin! Chosen by the most holy Father of Heaven, and by Him, with His most holy and beloved Son and the Spirit Paraclete, consecrated! Thou in whom was and is all the fullness of grace and of goodness! Hail, thou, His palace! Hail, thou, His tabernacle! Hail, thou, His home! Hail, thou, His vesture! Hail, thou, His handmaid! Hail, thou, His Mother! And hail, too, all ye holy virtues which, by the grace and light of the Holy Ghost, are poured into the hearts of the faithful, to make them from faithless ones, faithful children of God.
Consecration to Our Blessed Mother
My Queen, my Mother! I give myself entirely to thee, and to show my devotion to thee I consecrate to thee this day, my eyes, my ears, my mouth, my heart, my whole being without reserve, Wherefore, good Mother, as I am thine own, keep me, guard me, as thy property and possession.
Amen.
O God, Who by the Immaculate Conception of the Virgin didst prepare a worthy dwelling place for Thy Son, we entreat Thee, Who didst preserve Her from all stain of sin by the Death of that same Son, foreseen by Thee, to grant that through Her intercession, we also may be made clean, and so may come to Thee, through the same Christ Our Lord.
Amen.
Hail Mary...
Labels: Restorationists
Friday, December 07, 2007
Friday At the Foot Of the Cross
Saint Alphonsus Liguori, from The Passion and Death of Jesus Christ.
O Savior of the world, O Lover of souls, O Lord, most lovely of all beings! You by the Passion came to win our hearts to Yourself by showing us the immense love You bore us in Redemption, which has brought us a sea of blessings but which cost You a sea of pains and ignominies. It was principally for this purpose that You instituted the most holy sacrament of the altar, in order that we might have a perpetual memorial of Your Passion. Saint Paul said it well: "Every time, then, you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the death of the Lord" (1Corinthians 11:26).
O my Jesus, I pray You make me always remember Your Passion, and grant that I, overcome at last by so many devices of Your love, may return love for You and, by my poor love, show You some sign of gratitude for Your excessive love for me.
And you, O Mary, who had so great a part in the Passion of your Son, obtain for me I beg you, the grace to experience a taste of that compassion which you felt at the death of Jesus, and obtain for me a spark of that love which wrought all the martyrdom of your afflicted heart.
Amen.
Labels: Restorationists
Novena For the Immaculate Conception, Day 7
Invocation (to be Said Every Day of the Novena):
Thou art all fair, O Mary,
The Original Stain is not in thee.
Thou art the glory of Jerusalem,
Thou, the joy of Israel,
Thou, the great honor of our people
Thou, the advocate of sinners.
O Mary,
O Mary,
Virgin most prudent,
Mother most merciful,
Pray for us,
Intercede for us with our Lord Jesus Christ.
Most holy Virgin, who, being predestined to become the Mother of God, wast preserved by a singular privilege from Original Sin and filled with grace, confirmed in grace and enriched with all the gifts of the Holy Ghost, do thou accept, we pray, the homage of our most lively admiration and of our most profound veneration, the expression of our intense and reverent affection.
Beholding in thee a relic of the earthly paradise that was lost to man, purer and more spotless than the snowy splendor of mountain tops bathed in light, in that magnificent act of treading upon the proud head of the infernal serpent, the Heavens exulted, earth was filled with joy, and Hell trembled with fear. With thee came the bright dawn of man's redemption from sin, and when the children of men, having for centuries anxiously scanned the horizon in expectation of a fairer day, raised their heads, they discovered thee on high like a radiant vision of paradise and saluted thee with a cry of holy enthusiasm: "Thou art all fair, O Mary, and in thee there is no Original Stain."
At our feet, O Mary, the muddy torrent of lust did not halt, as it did before thine, that torrent that still flows across the world and threatens continually to submerge our souls also. We bear about within us and perceive around us countless deadly incentives that cease not to urge us on to savor the foul pleasures of sensual passion. O good Mother, enfold us under thy mantle, protect us from the snares of the infernal enemy, renew in us our love of the angelic virtue, and grant that, by ever keeping vivid in our hearts the reflections of thy heavenly brightness, we may be able one day to sing to thee a hymn of love and glory in the world to come.
O Mary, conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee.
Hail Mary...
Thou art all fair, O Mary,
The Original Stain is not in thee.
Thou art the glory of Jerusalem,
Thou, the joy of Israel,
Thou, the great honor of our people
Thou, the advocate of sinners.
O Mary,
O Mary,
Virgin most prudent,
Mother most merciful,
Pray for us,
Intercede for us with our Lord Jesus Christ.
Most holy Virgin, who, being predestined to become the Mother of God, wast preserved by a singular privilege from Original Sin and filled with grace, confirmed in grace and enriched with all the gifts of the Holy Ghost, do thou accept, we pray, the homage of our most lively admiration and of our most profound veneration, the expression of our intense and reverent affection.
Beholding in thee a relic of the earthly paradise that was lost to man, purer and more spotless than the snowy splendor of mountain tops bathed in light, in that magnificent act of treading upon the proud head of the infernal serpent, the Heavens exulted, earth was filled with joy, and Hell trembled with fear. With thee came the bright dawn of man's redemption from sin, and when the children of men, having for centuries anxiously scanned the horizon in expectation of a fairer day, raised their heads, they discovered thee on high like a radiant vision of paradise and saluted thee with a cry of holy enthusiasm: "Thou art all fair, O Mary, and in thee there is no Original Stain."
At our feet, O Mary, the muddy torrent of lust did not halt, as it did before thine, that torrent that still flows across the world and threatens continually to submerge our souls also. We bear about within us and perceive around us countless deadly incentives that cease not to urge us on to savor the foul pleasures of sensual passion. O good Mother, enfold us under thy mantle, protect us from the snares of the infernal enemy, renew in us our love of the angelic virtue, and grant that, by ever keeping vivid in our hearts the reflections of thy heavenly brightness, we may be able one day to sing to thee a hymn of love and glory in the world to come.
O Mary, conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee.
Hail Mary...
Labels: Restorationists
Pearl Harbor Anniversary
Saint Ambrose
The Catholic Encyclopedia
The Golden Legend
This prayer of his is a weekly part of my prayer life, as I pray it before Mass, even though I only communicate sacramentally 2-3 times per year.
Saint Ambrose's Prayer Before the Most Blessed Sacrament
O loving Lord Jesus Christ, I a sinner, presuming not on my own merits, but trusting in Thy mercy and goodness, with fear and trembling approach the table of Thy most sacred banquet. For I have defiled both my heart and body with many sins, and have not kept a strict guard over my mind and my tongue. Wherefore, O gracious God, O awful Majesty, I, awretched creature, entangled in difficulties, have recourse to Thee the fount of mercy; to Thee do I fly that I may be healed, and take refuge under Thy protection, and I ardently desire to have Him as my Saviour, whom I am unable to face as my Judge.
To Thee, O Lord, I show my wounds, to Thee I lay bare my shame. I know that my sins are many and great, on account of which I am filled with fear. But I trust in Thy mercy, of which there is no end. Look down upon me, therefore, with the eyes of Thy mercy, O Lord Jesus Christ, eternal King, God and Man, crucified for men. Hearken unto me, for my hope is in Thee; have mercy on me, who am full of misery and sin, Thou who wilt never cease to let flow the fountain of mercy.
Hail, Victim of Salvation, offered for me and for all mankind on the gibbet of the cross! Hail, Noble and Most Precious Blood, flowing from the wounds of my crucified Lord Jesus Christ and washing away all the sins of the whole world! Remember, O Lord, Thy creature, whom Thou hast redeemed by Thy Most Precious Blood.
I am grieved because I have sinned. I desire to make amends for what I have done. Take away from me therefore, O most merciful Father, all my iniquities and sins, that, being purified both in soul and body, I may worthily partake of the Holy of Holies. Grant that my reception of Thy Body and Blood, which I purpose, unworthy though I am, may bring to me pardon for my sins, the perfect cleansing of my faults, the expulsion of all evil thoughts, and the renewal of pure feelings, the health and efficacy of good works, pleasing unto Thee, and a most strong protection both in soul and body against the snares of my enemies.
Amen.
Labels: Restorationists
Thursday, December 06, 2007
Saint Nicholas
Today is the feast of probably the most popular saint in Christendom, the patron of children, young people, poor people, prisoners, thieves, murderers, pawnbrokers, and those seeking marriage, Saint Nicholas of Myra.
This is what The Golden Legend has to say about him.
The Saint Nicholas Center is your go-to resource on Good Saint Nicholas.
Wilson's Almanac also has a great deal of good material.
On the surface, the modern Dutch Sinterclaas looks more like the original bishop of Myra. That despite the fact that the Dutch are perhaps the most post-Christian culture in Europe.
Thomas Nast's 19th century American rendition.
Twentieth Century American artist Haddon Sundblom, working for the Coca Cola Company, helped establish the modern image of Saint Nicholas, or Santa Claus.
As did Norman Rockwell, working mostly for the Saturday Evening Post.
Efforts are made from time to time to update Saint Nicholas' garb and image, but they are rejected by children themselves. Ironically, the young are the ones who insist that Santa looks like this, and nothing else. You can put black boots on him, rather than brown (but they have to be the same style). You can put a strip of white fur down the front of his coat. Sometimes he can wear a harness with sleigh bells. And you can give him green mittens. But changes beyond that are rejected by children out of hand as unbecoming to Jolly Old Saint Nicholas.
Maybe Nast's/Sundblom's/Rockwell's vision has so much staying power because it is anchored in tradition. The red and white coat is an adaptation of a bishop's robes. The miter has become a fur hat.
Happy Saint Nicholas' Day!
Saint Nicholas, pray for us!
This is what The Golden Legend has to say about him.
The Saint Nicholas Center is your go-to resource on Good Saint Nicholas.
Wilson's Almanac also has a great deal of good material.
On the surface, the modern Dutch Sinterclaas looks more like the original bishop of Myra. That despite the fact that the Dutch are perhaps the most post-Christian culture in Europe.
Thomas Nast's 19th century American rendition.
Twentieth Century American artist Haddon Sundblom, working for the Coca Cola Company, helped establish the modern image of Saint Nicholas, or Santa Claus.
As did Norman Rockwell, working mostly for the Saturday Evening Post.
Efforts are made from time to time to update Saint Nicholas' garb and image, but they are rejected by children themselves. Ironically, the young are the ones who insist that Santa looks like this, and nothing else. You can put black boots on him, rather than brown (but they have to be the same style). You can put a strip of white fur down the front of his coat. Sometimes he can wear a harness with sleigh bells. And you can give him green mittens. But changes beyond that are rejected by children out of hand as unbecoming to Jolly Old Saint Nicholas.
Maybe Nast's/Sundblom's/Rockwell's vision has so much staying power because it is anchored in tradition. The red and white coat is an adaptation of a bishop's robes. The miter has become a fur hat.
Happy Saint Nicholas' Day!
Saint Nicholas, pray for us!
Labels: Restorationists
Novena For the Immaculate Conception, Day 6
Invocation to be Said Every Day of the Novena:
Thou art all fair, O Mary,
The Original Stain is not in thee.
Thou art the glory of Jerusalem,
Thou, the joy of Israel,
Thou, the great honor of our people
Thou, the advocate of sinners.
O Mary,
O Mary,
Virgin most prudent,
Mother most merciful,
Pray for us,
Intercede for us with our Lord Jesus Christ.
O God, Who by the Immaculate Conception of the Virgin didst make ready a fitting habitation for Thy Son, we beseech Thee that Thou who didst keep her clean from all stain by the precious death of the same Thy Son, foreseen by Thee, mayest grant unto us in like manner to be made clean through her intercession and so attain unto Thee. Through the same Christ our Lord.
Amen.
By thine Immaculate Conception, O Mary, make my body pure and my spirit holy.
Hail Mary...
Thou art all fair, O Mary,
The Original Stain is not in thee.
Thou art the glory of Jerusalem,
Thou, the joy of Israel,
Thou, the great honor of our people
Thou, the advocate of sinners.
O Mary,
O Mary,
Virgin most prudent,
Mother most merciful,
Pray for us,
Intercede for us with our Lord Jesus Christ.
O God, Who by the Immaculate Conception of the Virgin didst make ready a fitting habitation for Thy Son, we beseech Thee that Thou who didst keep her clean from all stain by the precious death of the same Thy Son, foreseen by Thee, mayest grant unto us in like manner to be made clean through her intercession and so attain unto Thee. Through the same Christ our Lord.
Amen.
By thine Immaculate Conception, O Mary, make my body pure and my spirit holy.
Hail Mary...
Labels: Restorationists
Wednesday, December 05, 2007
Excellent Points!
About the Holy Family over at Dymphna's Road!
They were not dirt poor. Joseph was a skilled artisan, and probably the only carpenter in Nazareth. They could afford to give Jesus an excellent rabbinical education, something maybe one in a hundred Jewish inhabitants at the time could do. Joseph probably was well-off enough to employ workers in his shop. Maybe not servants in the home, but workers in the shop. Gosh, I guess that makes them middle-class!
Maybe St. Joseph was an excellent choice for the guardian of the Holy Family not only because he was outstandingly pious and holy, filled with fortitude, patience, understanding, and prudence, but because he was also moderately well off.
They were not homeless. They had a home in Nazareth, and were important enough to have to go to Bethlehem to register for the census. The very poor did not.
At the time, there was no way to call ahead for a room reservation. They had to take their chances, and were out of luck. They were stuck in a bind, until someone told them about a warm stable.
As Dymphna points out, they were not illegal immigrants. They were living in the Roman Empire. I wouldn't necessarily go so far as to suggest that they had the status of Roman Citizens. That might be a little too far. But they lived in the Roman Empire, and were probably from that vast class of people just below Roman Citizens in status. While its various provinces had some level of autonomy at the time, they were not separate nations. Therefore, they did not illegally cross any borders. Freedom of travel and commerce within the Empire was assured.
And they did not try to get on the Egyptian welfare system, or demand that the Egyptians they encountered speak Aramaic to them. And their stay was only a matter of days, as they were back in Jerusalem by Candlemas.
They were not dirt poor. Joseph was a skilled artisan, and probably the only carpenter in Nazareth. They could afford to give Jesus an excellent rabbinical education, something maybe one in a hundred Jewish inhabitants at the time could do. Joseph probably was well-off enough to employ workers in his shop. Maybe not servants in the home, but workers in the shop. Gosh, I guess that makes them middle-class!
Maybe St. Joseph was an excellent choice for the guardian of the Holy Family not only because he was outstandingly pious and holy, filled with fortitude, patience, understanding, and prudence, but because he was also moderately well off.
They were not homeless. They had a home in Nazareth, and were important enough to have to go to Bethlehem to register for the census. The very poor did not.
At the time, there was no way to call ahead for a room reservation. They had to take their chances, and were out of luck. They were stuck in a bind, until someone told them about a warm stable.
As Dymphna points out, they were not illegal immigrants. They were living in the Roman Empire. I wouldn't necessarily go so far as to suggest that they had the status of Roman Citizens. That might be a little too far. But they lived in the Roman Empire, and were probably from that vast class of people just below Roman Citizens in status. While its various provinces had some level of autonomy at the time, they were not separate nations. Therefore, they did not illegally cross any borders. Freedom of travel and commerce within the Empire was assured.
And they did not try to get on the Egyptian welfare system, or demand that the Egyptians they encountered speak Aramaic to them. And their stay was only a matter of days, as they were back in Jerusalem by Candlemas.
Labels: Restorationists
Novena For the Immaculate Conception, Day 5
Invocation to be Said Every Day of the Novena:
Thou art all fair, O Mary,
The Original Stain is not in thee.
Thou art the glory of Jerusalem,
Thou, the joy of Israel,
Thou, the great honor of our people
Thou, the advocate of sinners.
O Mary,
O Mary,
Virgin most prudent,
Mother most merciful,
Pray for us,
Intercede for us with our Lord Jesus Christ.
O God, Who by the Immaculate Conception of the Virgin didst make ready a fitting habitation for Thy Son, we beseech Thee that Thou who didst keep her clean from all stain by the precious death of the same Thy Son, foreseen by Thee, mayest grant unto us in like manner to be made clean through her intercession and so attain unto Thee. Through the same Christ our Lord.
Amen.
By thine Immaculate Conception, O Mary, make my body pure and my spirit holy.
Hail Mary...
Thou art all fair, O Mary,
The Original Stain is not in thee.
Thou art the glory of Jerusalem,
Thou, the joy of Israel,
Thou, the great honor of our people
Thou, the advocate of sinners.
O Mary,
O Mary,
Virgin most prudent,
Mother most merciful,
Pray for us,
Intercede for us with our Lord Jesus Christ.
O God, Who by the Immaculate Conception of the Virgin didst make ready a fitting habitation for Thy Son, we beseech Thee that Thou who didst keep her clean from all stain by the precious death of the same Thy Son, foreseen by Thee, mayest grant unto us in like manner to be made clean through her intercession and so attain unto Thee. Through the same Christ our Lord.
Amen.
By thine Immaculate Conception, O Mary, make my body pure and my spirit holy.
Hail Mary...
Labels: Restorationists
Tuesday, December 04, 2007
What's the Matter With the Patriots???
Yes, they won again this week, making them 12-0, but they had to come from behind with a dramatic finish to beat a Baltimore Ravens team they should have trounced by 3 touchdowns or more! And last week, they had a dreadful time with the almost equally dreadful Philadelphia Eagles. They crushed the Cowboys and they beat the Colts handily. But they are having a devil of time with these weak sisters of the NFL. Are they not prepping hard enough for these games? I know, a win is a win, but these last two games against patsies have been too close!
And while we are on the topic of football, Saturday's Boston College loss to Virginia Tech for the ACC title has landed them in the Toilet Bowl, er, I mean the Champs Sports Bowl, Dec. 28 in Orlando, Fla.,against Michigan State. Very disappointing after such a good start. We had a major bowl in our grasp Saturday morning, and ending up in a third-rate bowl is a heck of a kick in the groin. Any bowl known by its sponsor's name ain't worth a bucket of cold, stale p-ss. Orange, Rose, Cotton, Sugar, Liberty. That is where it is at.
And while we are on the topic of football, Saturday's Boston College loss to Virginia Tech for the ACC title has landed them in the Toilet Bowl, er, I mean the Champs Sports Bowl, Dec. 28 in Orlando, Fla.,against Michigan State. Very disappointing after such a good start. We had a major bowl in our grasp Saturday morning, and ending up in a third-rate bowl is a heck of a kick in the groin. Any bowl known by its sponsor's name ain't worth a bucket of cold, stale p-ss. Orange, Rose, Cotton, Sugar, Liberty. That is where it is at.
Labels: Football Weekend Report
Saint Barbara
The Golden Legend on this virgin and martyr.
She is the patron of artillerists, and the gunners usually have a special dinner in her honor on this night.
Labels: Restorationists
Novena For the Immaculate Conception, Day 4
Thou art all fair, O Mary,
The Original Stain is not in thee.
Thou art the glory of Jerusalem,
Thou, the joy of Israel,
Thou, the great honor of our people
Thou, the advocate of sinners.
O Mary,
O Mary,
Virgin most prudent,
Mother most merciful,
Pray for us,
Intercede for us with our Lord Jesus Christ.
O pure and immaculate and likewise blessed Virgin, who art the sinless Mother of thy Son, the mighty Lord of the universe, thou who art inviolate and altogether holy, the hope of the hopeless and sinful, we sing thy praises. We bless thee, as full of every grace, thou who didst bear the God-Man: we all bow low before thee; we invoke thee and implore thine aid. Rescue us, O holy and inviolate Virgin, from every necessity that presses upon us and from all the temptations of the devil. Be our intercessor and advocate at the hour of death and judgment; deliver us from the fire that is not extinguished and from the outer darkness; make us worthy of the glory of thy Son, O dearest and most clement Virgin Mother.
Thou indeed art our only hope most sure and sacred in God's sight, to whom be honor and glory, majesty and dominion for ever and ever world without end.
Amen.
In thy Conception, O Virgin Mary, thou wast immaculate; pray for us to the Father whose Son Jesus, after He was conceived by the Holy Ghost, thou didst bring forth into the world.
Hail Mary...
The Original Stain is not in thee.
Thou art the glory of Jerusalem,
Thou, the joy of Israel,
Thou, the great honor of our people
Thou, the advocate of sinners.
O Mary,
O Mary,
Virgin most prudent,
Mother most merciful,
Pray for us,
Intercede for us with our Lord Jesus Christ.
O pure and immaculate and likewise blessed Virgin, who art the sinless Mother of thy Son, the mighty Lord of the universe, thou who art inviolate and altogether holy, the hope of the hopeless and sinful, we sing thy praises. We bless thee, as full of every grace, thou who didst bear the God-Man: we all bow low before thee; we invoke thee and implore thine aid. Rescue us, O holy and inviolate Virgin, from every necessity that presses upon us and from all the temptations of the devil. Be our intercessor and advocate at the hour of death and judgment; deliver us from the fire that is not extinguished and from the outer darkness; make us worthy of the glory of thy Son, O dearest and most clement Virgin Mother.
Thou indeed art our only hope most sure and sacred in God's sight, to whom be honor and glory, majesty and dominion for ever and ever world without end.
Amen.
In thy Conception, O Virgin Mary, thou wast immaculate; pray for us to the Father whose Son Jesus, after He was conceived by the Holy Ghost, thou didst bring forth into the world.
Hail Mary...
Labels: Restorationists
Monday, December 03, 2007
Saint Francis Xavier
Novena For the Immaculate Coneption, Day 3
Invocation to be Said Every Day of the Novena:
Thou art all fair, O Mary,
The Original Stain is not in thee.
Thou art the glory of Jerusalem,
Thou, the joy of Israel,
Thou, the great honor of our people
Thou, the advocate of sinners.
O Mary,
O Mary,
Virgin most prudent,
Mother most merciful,
Pray for us,
Intercede for us with our Lord Jesus Christ.
Immaculate Mother of God, Queen of Heaven, Mother of mercy, Advocate and Refuge
of sinners, behold, I, enlightened and inspired by the graces obtained for me abundantly from the Divine treasury through thy maternal affection, resolve this day and always to place my heart in thy hands to be consecrated to Jesus.
To thee, therefore, most Blessed Virgin, in the presence of the nine choirs of Angels and all the Saints, I now give it. Do thou, in my name, consecrate it to Jesus; and out of the filial confidence which I hereby make profession of, I am certain that now and always thou wilt do all thou canst to bring it to pass that my heart may ever wholly belong to Jesus, and may imitate perfectly the example of the Saints, and in particular that of Saint Joseph, thy most pure Spouse. Amen.
Blessed be the holy and Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of God.
Hail Mary...
Thou art all fair, O Mary,
The Original Stain is not in thee.
Thou art the glory of Jerusalem,
Thou, the joy of Israel,
Thou, the great honor of our people
Thou, the advocate of sinners.
O Mary,
O Mary,
Virgin most prudent,
Mother most merciful,
Pray for us,
Intercede for us with our Lord Jesus Christ.
Immaculate Mother of God, Queen of Heaven, Mother of mercy, Advocate and Refuge
of sinners, behold, I, enlightened and inspired by the graces obtained for me abundantly from the Divine treasury through thy maternal affection, resolve this day and always to place my heart in thy hands to be consecrated to Jesus.
To thee, therefore, most Blessed Virgin, in the presence of the nine choirs of Angels and all the Saints, I now give it. Do thou, in my name, consecrate it to Jesus; and out of the filial confidence which I hereby make profession of, I am certain that now and always thou wilt do all thou canst to bring it to pass that my heart may ever wholly belong to Jesus, and may imitate perfectly the example of the Saints, and in particular that of Saint Joseph, thy most pure Spouse. Amen.
Blessed be the holy and Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of God.
Hail Mary...
Labels: Restorationists
Sunday, December 02, 2007
Novena For the Immaculate Coneption, Day 2
Invocation to be Said Every Day of the Novena:
Thou art all fair, O Mary,
The Original Stain is not in thee.
Thou art the glory of Jerusalem,
Thou, the joy of Israel,
Thou, the great honor of our people
Thou, the advocate of sinners.
O Mary,
O Mary,
Virgin most prudent,
Mother most merciful,
Pray for us,
Intercede for us with our Lord Jesus Christ.
O Virgin Immaculate, Mother of God and my Mother, from thy sublime height turn upon me thine eyes of pity. Filled with confidence in thy goodness and knowing full well thy power, I beseech thee to extend to me thine assistance in the journey of life, which is so full of dangers for my soul. And in order that I may never be the slave of the devil through sin, but may ever live with my heart humble and pure, I entrust myself wholly to thee. I consecrate my heart to thee for ever, my only desire being to love thy Divine Son Jesus. Mary, none of thy devout servants has ever perished; may I too be saved. Amen.
O Mary, thou didst enter the world without stain; do thou obtain for me from
God, that I may leave it without sin.
Hail Mary...
Thou art all fair, O Mary,
The Original Stain is not in thee.
Thou art the glory of Jerusalem,
Thou, the joy of Israel,
Thou, the great honor of our people
Thou, the advocate of sinners.
O Mary,
O Mary,
Virgin most prudent,
Mother most merciful,
Pray for us,
Intercede for us with our Lord Jesus Christ.
O Virgin Immaculate, Mother of God and my Mother, from thy sublime height turn upon me thine eyes of pity. Filled with confidence in thy goodness and knowing full well thy power, I beseech thee to extend to me thine assistance in the journey of life, which is so full of dangers for my soul. And in order that I may never be the slave of the devil through sin, but may ever live with my heart humble and pure, I entrust myself wholly to thee. I consecrate my heart to thee for ever, my only desire being to love thy Divine Son Jesus. Mary, none of thy devout servants has ever perished; may I too be saved. Amen.
O Mary, thou didst enter the world without stain; do thou obtain for me from
God, that I may leave it without sin.
Hail Mary...
Labels: Restorationists
First Sunday Of Advent
From The Liturgical Year, by Abbot Prosper Gueranger, OSB:
Station Church: Saint Mary Major
THIS Sunday, the first of the ecclesiastical year, is called, in the chronicles and charts of the middle ages, Ad te levavi Sunday, from the first words of the Introit; or, Aspiciens a longe, from the first words of one of the responsories of Matins.
The Station {The Stations marked in the Roman missal for certain days in the year, were formerly processions, in which the whole clergy and people went to some given church, and there celebrated the Office and Mass. This usage, which dates from the earliest period of the Roman Church, and of which St. Gregory the Great was but the restorer, still exists, at least in a measure; for the Stations are still observed, though with less solemnity and concourse of people, or, all the days specified in the missal.} is at St. Mary Major's. It is under the auspices of Mary---in the splendid basilica which possesses the crib of Bethlehem, and is therefore called, in ancient documents, St. Mary's ad Præsepe that the Roman Church, recommences, each year, the sacred cycle. It would have been impossible to select a place more suitable than this for saluting the approach of the divine birth, which is to gladden heaven and earth, and manifest the sublime portent of a Virgin Mother. Let us go in spirit to this august temple, and unite in the prayers which are there being offered up: they are the very ones we also use, and which we will now explain.
In the night Office, the Church commences the reading of the Book of Isaias, who, of all the Prophets, has the most distinctly and explicitly foretold the Messias; and she continues this same Book until Christmas day inclusively. Let us strive to enter into the teaching of the holy prophet, and let the eye of our faith affectionately recognize the promised Saviour in the descriptions, sometimes consoling and sometimes terrifying, under which Isaias depicts Him.
The Saviour, then, who is coming to us is the clothing which we are to put on over our spiritual nakedness. Here let us admire the goodness of our God, who, remembering that man hid himself after his sin, because he was naked, vouchsafes Himself to become man's clothing, and to cover with the robe of His Divinity the misery of human nature. Let us, therefore, be on the watch for the day and the hour when He will come to us, and take precautions against the drowsiness which comes of custom and self-indulgence. The light will soon appear; may its first rays be witness of our innocence, or at least of our repentance. If our Saviour is coming to put over our sins a covering which is to hide them for ever, the least that we, on our part, can do, is to retain no further affection for those sins, else it will be said of us that we refused our salvation. The last words of this Epistle are those which caught the eye of St. Augustine, when, after a long resistance to the grace which pressed him to give himself to God, he resolved to obey the voice which said to him: `Tolle lege; take and read.' They decided his conversion; he immediately resolved to abandon the worldly life he had hitherto led, and to put on Christ Jesus. Let us begin this very day, and imitate this saint. Let us long for that dear and glorious clothing with which the mercy of our heavenly Father is so soon to cover us; and let us say with the Church these touching words, which we cannot repeat too often during this time of the year ...
Thou art to come, then, O Jesus, in all the terror of the last judgement, and when men least expect Thee. In a few days Thou art coming to us to clothe our misery with the garment of Thy mercy; a garment of glory and immortality to us; but Thou art to come again on a future day, and in such dread majesty that men will wither away with fear. O my Saviour! condemn me not on that day of the world's destruction. Visit me now in Thy love and mercy; I am resolved to prepare my soul. I desire that Thou shouldst come and be born within me, so that when the convulsions of nature warn me of Thy coming to judge me, I may lift up my head, as Thou biddest Thy faithful disciples do, who, when the rest of men shall tremble at the thunder of Thy judgement, will have confidence in Thee, because they have Thee in their hearts.
Labels: Restorationists
