Recta Ratio

Merciful Mother, in union with the Church Triumphant in heaven, I beg of thee, pray for the souls in purgatory. Be mindful of thy motherly love for them and beg of Jesus the merits of His eternal love for them. May they be freed from their suffering to soon enjoy eternal peace and happiness. Oh Mary, thank thee for interceding for the grace of perseverance for the faithful departed.

Loving Savior, Jesus Christ, Thou ate the King of Kings in the land of eternal bliss. I beg of Thee, in Thy mercy hear my prayer and set free the holy souls in purgatory, especially (Name).... Lead them from the prison of darkness to the light and freedom of the children of God in the Kingdom of Thy glory. Loving Savior, I thank Thee for having redeemed the poor souls with Thy most Precious Blood and saved them from eternal death.
Amen.

Labels: Our Blessed Lady

Lord, Almighty God, through the Sacred Blood that Thy Divine Son shed from His Hands and Feet while on the beam of the Cross, I ask of Thee to free the souls in Purgatory, in particular the one for whom I must pray the most. Do not let that one stay there any longer due to my fault so that he may praise and glorify Thee in eternity.
Amen.

Pray 1 Our Father, 1 Hail Mary; Lord, grant them eternal peace.

Labels: Friday At the Foot Of the Cross

My tribute to those who have served.

Thank you for your sacrifices!

Labels: American Patriotism Is Not A Sin, Annual Cycles

Today the Church celebrates Saint Martin of Tours, one of the most important saints in western Christendom.

Martin was born in Pannonia around 325, and entered the Roman army's elite cavalry at an early age. Encountering a beggar while was stationed at Amiens, he divided his cloak with him. According to legend, the beggar revealed himself to be Christ himself.

Shortly after age 20, he was baptized and left the army, becoming an exorcist under the direction of Saint Hilary of Poitiers. He lived as a hermit on the island of Gallinaria, and returned to Gaul where he founded a monastery at Liguge, the first important monastery in the West. His monastery followed the Rule of Saint Basil.

In 371, he was forcibly carried off to become bishop of Tours. He had hidden from the delegation from Tours, but his hiding place, it is said, was revealed by a goose, hence the custom of eating goose on Martinmas.

He ruled the see of Tours for 26 years. In that time, he made numerous conversions in Berry, Touraine, Anjou, Beauce, Dauphiny, Paris, Luxembourg, Trier, and Sennonais. Wherever he went, he cast down idols, built churches, and left priests and monks to carry out his work.

In 397, worn out, he lay dying at Candes. His followers begged him to live. He struggled to say, "If God finds that I can still be of use to His people, I do not at all refuse to work and to struggle longer." He died with his face turned to Heaven.

He became almost immediately, the most popular saint in Chistendom. In France alone, 4,000 churches are dedicated to him, and over 500 villages are named for him.

Martinmas in Europe corresponds to the traditional time for slaughtering animals not intended to be kept alive through the winter. It also signals the time that the new vintage of wine is ready for drinking. Fresh beef and Beaujolais Noveau have traditionally meant feasting in Europe. So Martinmas has traditionally been a jolly time, a last opportunity to enjoy God's bounty before the fast of Advent starts.

Here is what Fisheaters has on Martinmas and its customs.

Labels: Annual Cycles, Our Saintly Brethern

1-8 Nov.:

Visit a cemetery


An indulgence, applicable only to the Souls in Purgatory, is granted to the faithful, who devoutly visit a cemetery and pray, even if only mentally, for the departed.

The indulgence is plenary each day from the 1st to the 8th of November; on other days of the year it is partial.

Pray for the Poor Souls!

Labels: Hallowmas