NOVENA TO ST. JOSEPH- DAY 4

 

DAY 4 - NOVENA TO ST. JOSEPH

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.

Amen.

Saint Joseph, you are the faithful protector and intercessor of all who love and venerate you. You know that I have confidence in you and that, after Jesus and Mary, I come to you as an example for holiness, for you are especially close with God. Therefore, I humbly commend myself, with all who are dear to me and all that belong to me, to your intercession. I beg of you, by your love for Jesus and Mary, not to abandon me during life and to assist me at the hour of my death.

Glorious Saint Joseph, spouse of the Immaculate Virgin, pray for me to have a pure, humble, charitable mind, and perfect resignation to the divine Will. Be my guide, my father, and my model through life that I may die as you did in the arms of Jesus and Mary.

Loving Saint Joseph, faithful follower of Jesus Christ, I raise my heart to you to implore your powerful intercession in obtaining from the Divine Heart of Jesus all the graces necessary for my spiritual and temporal welfare, particularly the grace of a happy death, and the special grace I now implore:

(Mention your request)

Guardian of the Word Incarnate, I feel confident that your prayers on my behalf will be graciously heard before the throne of God.

St. Joseph Most Strong, Pray for us!

Amen.

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.

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.

Amen.

All reaction

PRAYER TO SAINT JOSEPHFOR A SPECIAL INTENTION

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.

Amen.

Saint Joseph, you are the faithful protector and intercessor of all who love and venerate you. You know that I have confidence in you and that, after Jesus and Mary, I come to you as an example for holiness, for you are especially close with God. Therefore, I humbly commend myself, with all who are dear to me and all that belong to me, to your intercession. I beg of you, by your love for Jesus and Mary, not to abandon me during life and to assist me at the hour of my death.

Glorious Saint Joseph, spouse of the Immaculate Virgin, pray for me to have a pure, humble, charitable mind, and perfect resignation to the divine Will. Be my guide, my father, and my model through life that I may die as you did in the arms of Jesus and Mary.

Loving Saint Joseph, faithful follower of Jesus Christ, I raise my heart to you to implore your powerful intercession in obtaining from the Divine Heart of Jesus all the graces necessary for my spiritual and temporal welfare, particularly the grace of a happy death, and the special grace I now implore:

(Mention your request)

Guardian of the Word Incarnate, I feel confident that your prayers on my behalf will be graciously heard before the throne of God.

St. Joseph Most Prudent, Pray for us!

Amen.

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.

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.

Amen.

PRAYERS TO ARCHANGEL MICHAEL, GABRIEL AND RAPHAEL FOR PROTECTION,HEALING AND MESSAGE OF GOD'S WILL IN OUR LIVES

PRAYERS FOR PROTECTION,HEALING, AND GOD'S DIRECTION

HEAVENLY KING, You have given us archangels to assist us during our pilgrimage on earth.  SAINT MICHAEL is our protector. I ask him to come to my aid, fight for all my loved ones, and protect us from danger.  SAINT GABRIEL is a messenger of the Good News; I ask him to help me clearly hear Your voice and to teach me the truth. SAINT RAPHAEL is the healing angel; I ask him to take my need for healing and that of everyone I know, lift it up to Your throne of grace and deliver us back to the gift of recovery.

Help us, O Lord, to realize more fully the reality of Your Holy Archangels and their desire to serve us.

ARCHANGELS MICHAEL, GABRIEL AND RAPHAEL, we invoke your powerful intercession before the throne of God in heaven. By your spiritual assistance, protect us from harm, heal us of our infirmities, and convey to us God’s will for our lives.

HOLY ARCHANGELS, I BESEECH YOU TO KEEP AWAY FROM ME THE ENEMIES THAT SURROUND ME, THE DEFAMERS, TRAITORS and ENVIOUS PETTY INDIVIDUALS.  I PLEAD THAT YOU REPEL FROM ME ANYONE FROM ME SEEKING TO HARM ME WITH WORDS and ACTIONS. DELIVER US FROM ACCIDENTS, DANGERS AND DISASTERS, GRANTING US SAFE JOURNEY IN ALL OUR ENDEAVORS. YOUR PROTECTION IS OURS IN MOMENTS OF DANGERS AND FEARS. GUARD OUR HOMES, OUR FAMILIES AND EVERYTHING THAT IS VALUABLE TO US, WHETHER MATERIAL OR SPIRITUAL.  AMEN.

A Prayer to Saint Claire For Healing

A PRAYER TO ST. CLARE FOR HEALING

O Blessed Saint Clare, your life shines like a beacon and casts its light down the ages of the Church to guide the way to Christ. Look with compassion on the poor and humble who call on you for help. As you bow before your Eucharistic Lord in Heaven, speak to Him of my afflicted body and my broken spirit. Ask Him to heal me and to wash away my sins in his precious blood.

Holy and beloved saint, teach me to believe, as you did, that in the Blessed Eucharist I will find Jesus, who has only to say the word that I may be healed.

(Pause and reflect on the power of Jesus to heal us.)

Great servant of Christ, remember the needs of my family and all those I pray for. Defend us from everything that would threaten our Holy Catholic Faith. Hear the cry of the poor and make it a song of intercession rising from your pure heart to the Eucharistic Heart of Jesus, our healer, our Saviour, and our Lord.

Clare of Assisi

I Come, O Lord

I come, O Lord, unto Your sanctuary to see the life and food of my soul. As I hope in You, O Lord, inspire me with that confidence which brings me to Your holy mountain. Permit me, Divine Jesus, to come closer to You, that my whole soul may do homage to the greatness of Your majesty; that my heart, with its tenderest affections, may acknowledge Thine infinite love; that my memory may dwell on the admirable mysteries here renewed every day, and that the sacrifice of my whole being may accompany Thine.

Blessing

What you hold may you always hold.

What you do, may you always do and never abandon.

But with swift pace, light step and unswerving feet,

so that even your steps stir up no dust,

Go forward, the spirit of our God has called you.

Behold, Hold and Enfold

I behold the Lord.

I see His outstretched hands.

I see the blood from His wounds.

I see the love in the eyes of Jesus.

I see His gracious acceptance of me.

Image of St Clare of Assisi

Jesus has come out of the tomb –

He still has the scars, but now they are glorious, with the glory of heaven.

Still looking at the Lord, I reach out and touch Him.

I hold the Lord – and I am held in His love.

Love enfolds.

It is no longer I that live, but Christ that lives in me.

I am secure in the Lord.

I can look out, now, through the Lord’s eyes.

I can see the world as He created it, in His mercy,

I can see my sisters and brothers with His love,

and I can worship the Father through the eyes of the Son in the Love of the Holy Spirit.

(Prayers of St Clare of Assisi)

… St Clare of Assisi, Pray for Us …

O Glorious Saint Clare

God has given you the power of working miracles continually, and the favor of answering the prayers of those who invoke your assistance in misfortune, anxiety, and distress; we beseech you, obtain for us from Jesus, through Mary, His Blessed Mother, what we beg of you so fervently and hopefully, if it be for the greater honour and glory of God and for the good of our souls. Amen.

Saint Clare: Pray For Us

Be Our Light

Blessed Saint Clare, whose very name means light, illumine the darkness of our minds and hearts so that we might see what God wishes us to do and perform it with a willing and joyful heart. Before your birth, a Heavenly voice foretold that you would be a light illuminating the world. Be a light to us in the sorrows and anxieties of this earthy life, and lead us into the eternal light of our home in Heaven. Amen.

Intercession

God of mercy, You inspired Saint Clare with the love of poverty. By the help of her prayers may we follow Christ in poverty of spirit and come to the joyful vision of Your glory in the Kingdom of heaven. We ask this through Our Lord Jesus Christ, Your Son, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever. Amen.

Healing

O Blessed Saint Clare,

your life shines like a beacon

and cast its light down the ages of the Church

to guide the way of Christ.

Look with compassion on the poor and humble

who call on you for help.

As you bow before your Eucharistic Lord in Heaven,

speak to Him of my afflicted body and my broken spirit.

Ask Him to heal me and to wash away my sins

in His precious Blood.

Great Servant of Christ,

remember the needs of my family

and all those I pray for.

Defend us from everything

that would threaten our Holy Catholic faith.

Hear the cry of the poor

and make it a song of intercession,

rising from your poor heart

to the Eucharistic Heart of Jesus, our Healer,

our Savior, and our Lord.  Amen.

(Monasterio De Santa Clara)

… St Clare of Assisi, Pray for Us …

DEDICATION OF A FAMILY TO MARY by Saint Alphonsus Liguori

DEDICATION OF A FAMILY TO MARY 

by Saint Alphonsus Liguori 

OH BLESSED AND IMMACULATE VIRGIN MARY, our Queen and Mother, Refuge and Consolation of all those who are in misery, I, prostrate before thy throne with all my family, choose thee for my Lady, Mother, and Advocate with GOD. I, with all who belong to me, dedicate myself forever to thy service, and pray thee, oh Mother of GOD, to receive us into the number of thy servants, taking us all under thy protection, aiding us in life, and still more, at the hour of our death. Oh Mother of Mercy, I choose thee Lady and Ruler of my whole house, of my relatives, my interests, and all my affairs. Do not disdain to take care of them; dispose of them all as it pleases thee. Bless me, then, and all my family, and do not permit that any of us should offend thy Son. Do thou Defend us in temptations, Deliver us from dangers, Provide for us in our necessities, Counsel us in our doubts, Console us in afflictions, Be with us in sickness, and especially in the agonies of death. Do not permit the devil to glory in having in his chains any of us who are now Consecrated to thee; but grant that we may come to thee in heaven to thank thee, and together with thee to praise and love our Redeemer JESUS CHRIST for all eternity. AMEN, thus may it be.

HAIL MARY FULL OF GRACE…

Pray the Saint Michael Chaplet! Together, let us call upon the angels for their intercession.

The Chaplet of St. Michael is a wonderful way to honor this great Archangel along with the other nine Choirs of Angels.  St. Michael promised that whoever would practice this devotion in his honor would have, when approaching Holy Communion, an escort of nine angels chosen from each of the nine Choirs. In addition, for thoseT who would recite the Chaplet daily, he promised his continual assistance and that of all the holy angels during life, and after death deliverance from purgatory for themselves and their relations.

THE CHAPLET OF ST. MICHAEL THE ARCHANGEL

L: O God, come to my assistance.

R: O Lord, make haste to help me.

L: Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.

R: As it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen.

[Say one Our Father and three Hail Marys after each of the following nine salutations in honor of the nine Choirs of Angels.]

Salutation 1: By the intercession of St. Michael and the celestial Choir of Seraphim may the Lord make us worthy to burn with the fire of perfect charity. Amen.

Our Father..., Hail Mary... (3x).

Salutation 2: By the intercession of St. Michael and the celestial Choir of Cherubim may the Lord grant us the grace to leave the ways of sin and run in the paths of Christian perfection. Amen.

Our Father..., Hail Mary... (3x).

Salutation 3: By the intercession of St. Michael and the celestial Choir of Thrones may the Lord infuse into our hearts a true and sincere spirit of humility. Amen.

Our Father..., Hail Mary... (3x).

Salutation 4: By the intercession of St. Michael and the celestial Choir of Dominations may the Lord give us grace to govern our senses and overcome any unruly passions. Amen.

Our Father..., Hail Mary... (3x).

Salutation 5: By the intercession of St. Michael and the celestial Choir of Virtues may the Lord preserve us from evil and falling into temptation. Amen.

Our Father..., Hail Mary... (3x).

Salutation 6: By the intercession of St. Michael and the celestial Choir of Powers may the Lord protect our souls against the snares and temptations of the devil. Amen.

Our Father..., Hail Mary... (3x).

Salutation 7: By the intercession of St. Michael and the celestial Choir of Principalities may God fill our souls with a true spirit of obedience. Amen.

Our Father..., Hail Mary... (3x).

Salutation 8: By the intercession of St. Michael and the celestial Choir of Archangels may the Lord give us perseverance in faith and in all good works in order that we may attain the glory of Heaven. Amen.

Our Father..., Hail Mary... (3x).

Salutation 9: By the intercession of St. Michael and the celestial Choir of Angels may the Lord grant us to be protected by them in this mortal life and conducted in the life to come to Heaven. Amen.

Our Father..., Hail Mary... (3x).

Say one Our Father in honor of each of the following leading Angels: St. Michael, St. Gabriel, St. Raphael and our Guardian Angel.

CONCLUDING PRAYERS:

O glorious prince St. Michael, chief and commander of the heavenly hosts, guardian of souls, vanquisher of rebel spirits, servant in the house of the Divine King and our admirable conductor, you who shine with excellence and superhuman virtue deliver us from all evil, who turn to you with confidence and enable us by your gracious protection to serve God more and more faithfully every day.

Pray for us, O glorious St. Michael, Prince of the Church of Jesus Christ, that we may be made worthy of His promises.

Almighty and Everlasting God, Who, by a prodigy of goodness and a merciful desire for the salvation of all men, has appointed the most glorious Archangel St. Michael Prince of Your Church, make us worthy, we ask You, to be delivered from all our enemies, that none of them may harass us at the hour of death, but that we may be conducted by him into Your Presence. This we ask through the merits of Jesus Christ Our Lord. Amen.

A Lenten Prayer to Begin Each Day

Dear Lord,

As this day dawns along my Lenten journey, open my eyes to how I can follow you more closely along the road of love and self-sacrifice. Give me a heart that’s grateful so as to recognize your countless blessings and generosity so as to share all I have with others.

May I comfort you in your Holy Passion by comforting others in distress I meet along my daily road — especially the poor and forgotten. May I show true sorrow for my failings with a sincere resolution to overcome my faults with the help of your infinite mercy.

I entrust all this to you through your loving Mother, whose tender love I trust will guide my steps to lasting hope and eternal joy found only in you.

AMEN

A Prayer for a Lately Deceased Person

A Prayer for a Lately Deceased Person

Absolve, we beseech Thee, O Lord,

the soul of Thy servant N...,

from every bond of sin,

that being raised in the glory of the resurrection,

he may be refreshed among the Saints and Elect.

Through Christ our Lord.

Amen.

Consecration Prayer to Our Lady of Fatima.

Consecration Prayer to 

Our Lady of Fatima

Holy Mary, Virgin of Fatima, with renewed gratitude for your maternal presence, we join our voice to that of all the generations who call you blessed. We celebrate in you the works of God, who never tires of looking down with mercy upon humanity, afflicted with the wounds of sin, to heal it and save it. Accept with the benevolence of a Mother, the Act of Consecration, that we perform today, with confidence, before the image of you, that is so dear to us. We are certain that each one of us is precious in your eyes and that nothing of all that lives in our hearts is unknown to you. We let ourselves be touched by your most sweet regard and we welcome the consoling caress of your smile. Hold our life in your arms. Bless and strengthen every desire for good. Revive and nourish faith; sustain and lighten hope. Awaken and animate charity. Guide all of us to a life of holiness. Teach us your preferential love for the little and the poor, for the excluded and the suffering for the sinners and the downtrodden. Bring everyone to your protection and entrust everyone to your Beloved Son, Our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.

Saint Giles Patron of the Disabled and Poor Feasday September 1

 

Saint Giles
Monk

Description
Saint Giles, also known as Giles the Hermit, was a hermit or monk active in the lower Rhône most likely in the 6th century. Revered as a saint, his cult became widely diffused but his hagiography is mostly legendary. Wikipedia
Born: 650 AD, Athens, Greece
Died: 710 AD, Saint-Gilles, France
Full name: Giles
Place of burial: Abbatiale Saint-Gilles du Gard, Saint-Gilles, France
Feast: 1 September
Canonized: Pre-Congregation
Attributes: arrow; crosier; hermitage; hind

PRAYER

Grant, we beseech You, O Lord, that the prayers of Your holy Abbot, St. Giles, may commend us unto You. May we, who have no power to help ourselves, by his advocacy, find favor in Your sight. We pray for healing for all those who struggle with disability and discomfort of any kind, as well as for the homeless, beggars, and outcasts of this world. Through the intercession of St. Giles, stretch forth Your hand and bring them the healing, peace, and joy of Your Kingdom, where the last shall be first. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen. (September 1st is the Feast Day of St. Giles, the Patron Saint of the disabled and poor.)

Prayer by a Sick Person for Healing to Infant Jesus

Prayer by a Sick Person for Healing

to Infant Jesus

O most dear and sweet Infant Jesus, behold me, a poor suffering person who, sustained by a lively faith, invokes your divine aid to cure my infirmity. I put all my trust in you. I know that you can do all things and that you are most merciful, indeed you are yourself Infinite Mercy. O great little Infant, for the sake of your divine virtue and the immense love you bear for all the suffering, the oppressed and the needy, hear me, bless me, help me, console me.

Amen.

Glory Be (three times).

Annunciation Novena

Annunciation Novena

(March 16 to 24)

I greet you,

Ever-blessed Virgin,

Mother of God,

Throne of Grace,

miracle of Almighty Power!

I greet you,

Sanctuary of the Most Holy Trinity

and Queen of the Universe,

Mother of Mercy

and refuge of sinners!

Most loving Mother,

attracted by your beauty and sweetness,

and by your tender compassion,

I confidently turn to you,

miserable as I am,

and beg of you to obtain for me

from your dear Son

the favor I request in this novena:

(mention your request here).

Obtain for me also,

Queen of heaven,

the most lively contrition for my many sins

and the grace to imitate closely

those virtues which you practiced so faithfully,

especially humility,

purity and obedience.

Above all,

I beg you to be my Mother and Protectress,

to receive me into the number of your devoted children,

and to guide me from your high throne of glory.

Do not reject my petitions,

Mother of Mercy!

Have pity on me,

and do not abandon me during life

or at the moment of my death.

Amen.

SAINT OF THE DAY St. John Ogilvie (Feast Day: March 11)

SAINT OF THE DAY

St. John Ogilvie

(Feast Day: March 11)

Pray for us!

Saint John Ogilvie’s Story

John Ogilvie’s noble Scottish family was partly Catholic and partly Presbyterian. His father raised him as a Calvinist, sending him to the continent to be educated. There, John became interested in the popular debates going on between Catholic and Calvinist scholars. Confused by the arguments of Catholic scholars whom he sought out, he turned to Scripture. Two texts particularly struck him: “God wills all men to be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth,” and “Come to me all you who are weary and find life burdensome, and I will refresh you.”

Slowly, John came to see that the Catholic Church could embrace all kinds of people. Among these, he noted, were many martyrs. He decided to become Catholic and was received into the Church at Louvain, Belgium, in 1596 at the age of 17.

John continued his studies, first with the Benedictines, then as a student at the Jesuit College at Olmutz. He joined the Jesuits and for the next 10 years underwent their rigorous intellectual and spiritual training. At his ordination to the priesthood in France in 1610, John met two Jesuits who had just returned from Scotland after suffering arrest and imprisonment. They saw little hope for any successful work there in view of the tightening of the penal laws. But a fire had been lit within John. For the next two and a half years he pleaded to be placed there as a missionary.

Sent by his superiors, he secretly entered Scotland posing as a horse trader or a soldier returning from the wars in Europe. Unable to do significant work among the relatively few Catholics in Scotland, John made his way back to Paris to consult his superiors. Rebuked for having left his assignment in Scotland, he was sent back. He warmed to the task before him and had some success in making converts and in secretly serving Scottish Catholics. But he was soon betrayed, arrested, and brought before the court.

His trial dragged on until he had been without food for 26 hours. He was imprisoned and deprived of sleep. For eight days and nights he was dragged around, prodded with sharp sticks, his hair pulled out. Still, he refused to reveal the names of Catholics or to acknowledge the jurisdiction of the king in spiritual affairs. He underwent a second and third trial but held firm.

At his final trial, he assured his judges: “In all that concerns the king, I will be slavishly obedient; if any attack his temporal power, I will shed my last drop of blood for him. But in the things of spiritual jurisdiction which a king unjustly seizes I cannot and must not obey.”

Condemned to death as a traitor, he was faithful to the end, even when on the scaffold he was offered his freedom and a fine living if he would deny his faith. His courage in prison and in his martyrdom was reported throughout Scotland.

John Ogilvie was canonized in 1976, becoming the first Scottish saint since 1250.

HOW CAN WE BE SAINTS -BY SAINT JOSEMARIA ESCRIVA

 To Become a Saint

"If we struggle daily to become Saints, each of us in his own situation in the world... I assure you that God will make us into instruments that can work miracles.."

---Saint Josemaria Escriva 

Josemaría Escrivá de Balaguer y Albás was a Spanish Roman Catholic priest. He founded Opus Dei, an organization of laypeople and priests dedicated to the teaching that everyone is called to holiness by God and that ordinary life can result in sanctity. Wikipedia

Born: January 9, 1902, Barbastro, Spain

Died: June 26, 1975, Rome, Italy

Patronage: Opus Dei; People with diabetes

Feast: 26 June

Siblings: Santiago Escriva

Parents: María de los Dolores Albás y Blanc, José Escrivá y Corzán

 

Prayer for the Intercession of St. Josemaria Escriva

O God, through the mediation of Mary our Mother,

you granted your priest Saint Josemaria countless graces,

choosing him as a most faithful instrument to found Opus Dei,

a way of sanctification in daily work and in the fulfillment

of the Christian’s ordinary duties.

Grant that I too may learn to turn all the circumstances

and events of my life into occasions of loving you

and serving the Church, the Pope and all souls

with joy and simplicity, lighting up the pathways

of this earth with faith and love.

Deign to grant me, through the intercession of Saint Josemaria,

the favor of … (make your request). Amen.

Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory be to the Father.

SAINT OF THE DAY -St John of God- Feast Day: March 8

 SAINT OF THE DAY

 St  John of God 

Feast Day: March 8

Pray for us! 

Patron: Hospitals, the Sick, Nurses, Booksellers, Printers, those with Heart Disease

HEALING PRAYER TO SAINT JOHN OF GOD


Saint John of God, I honor thee as the Patron of the Sick, especially of those who are afflicted by heart disease. I choose thee to be my patron and protector in my present illness. To thee I entrust my soul, my body, all my spiritual and temporal interests, as well as those of the sick throughout the world. To thee I consecrate my mind, that in all things it may be enlightened by faith above all in accepting my cross as a blessing from God; my heart, that thou doth keep it pure and fill it with the love for Jesus and Mary that burned in thy heart; my will, that like thine, it may always be one with the Will of God.




Good Saint John, I honor thee as the model of penitents, for thou didst receive the grace to give up a sinful life and to atone for thy sins by untiring labors in behalf of the poor and sick. Obtain for me the grace from God to be truly sorry for my sins, to make atonement for them and never again offend God. Aid me in mastering my evil inclinations and temptations, and in avoiding all occasions of sin. Through thine intercession may I obtain the grace from Jesus and Mary to fulfill faithfully all the duties of my state of life and to practice those virtues which are needful for my salvation. Help me to belong to God and Our Lady in life and in death through perfect love. May my life, like thine, be spent in the untiring service of God and my neighbor.




Since Holy Mother Church also invokes thee in her prayers for the dying, I beg thee to be with me in my last hour and pray for me. As thou didst die kneeling before a crucifix, may I find strength, consolation and salvation in the Cross of my Redeemer, and through His tender mercy and the prayers of Our Lady, and through thine intercession, attain to eternal life.

Amen.

THE LIFE OF SAINT JOHN OF GOD

Religious

(1495-1550)

         Nothing in John's early life foreshadowed his future sanctity. He ran away as a boy from his home in Portugal, tended sheep and cattle in Spain, and served as a soldier against the French, and afterwards against the Turks.

        When about forty years of age, feeling remorse for his wild life, he resolved to devote himself to the ransom of the Christian slaves in Africa, and went thither with the family of an exiled noble, which he maintained by his labor. On his return to Spain he sought to do good by selling holy pictures and books at low prices.

        At length the hour of grace struck. At Granada a sermon by the celebrated John of Avila shook his soul to its depths, and his expressions of self-abhorrence were so extraordinary that he was taken to the asylum as one mad. There he employed himself in ministering to the sick.

        On leaving he began to collect homeless poor, and to support them by his work and by begging. One night St. John found in the streets a poor man who seemed near death, and, as was his wont, he carried him to the hospital, laid him on a bed, and went to fetch water to wash his feet. When he had washed them, he knelt to kiss them, and started with awe: the feet were pierced, and the print of the nails bright with an unearthly radiance. He raised his eyes to look, and heard the words, "John, to Me thou doest all that thou doest to the poor in My name: I reach forth My hand for the alms thou givest; Me dost thou clothe, Mine are the feet thou dost wash." And then the gracious vision disappeared, leaving St. John filled at once with confusion and consolation.

        The bishop became the Saint's patron, and gave him the name of John of God. When his hospital was on fire, John was seen rushing about uninjured amidst the flames until he had rescued all his poor.

        After ten years spent in the service of the suffering, the Saint's life was fitly closed. He plunged into the river Xenil to save a drowning boy, and died, 1550, of an illness brought on by the attempt, at the age of fifty-five.

OUR LADY OF THE MIRACULOUS MEDAL November 27 (Feast day)

 

OUR LADY OF THE MIRACULOUS MEDAL

November 27 (Feast day)

In 1830, during the apparitions in the chapel on Rue du Bac in Paris, the Holy Virgin presented the Miraculous Medal to Saint Catherine Labouré: “Those who wear it, blessed, around their neck will receive great graces. The graces will be abundant for those who wear it with confidence.” Catherine explained the entire series of apparitions to her confessor, and she worked through him to carry out Mary’s instructions. She also took a vow of silence, sharing only the instructions of the Blessed Mother with her confessor. She did not reveal that she received the Medal until soon before her death 46 years later.

With approval of the Church, the first Medals were made in 1832 and were distributed in Paris. Almost immediately the blessings that Mary had promised began to shower down on those who wore her Medal. The devotion spread like wildfire. Marvels of grace and health, peace and prosperity, followed in its wake. Before long people were calling it the “Miraculous” Medal. However, no one else was told who the recipient of the visions was. Even the Mother Superior at Saint Catherine’s convent did not know that the miraculous visions were occurring within her own convent walls. In 1836, a canonical inquiry undertaken at Paris declared the apparitions to be genuine.

St. Catherine further wrote about her visions of Our Blessed Mother, in one entry saying:

"Oh, how beautiful it will be to hear it said: Mary is Queen of the universe. That will be a time of peace, joy and happiness which will be long... She will be borne like a banner and will make a tour of the world.” The Virgin foretold that this time would come only after “the entire world will be in sadness... Afterwards, peace.”

"The whole world will be overwhelmed by misfortunes of all kinds... All will seem lost, but I shall be with you,” the Holy Virgin promised Saint Catherine, who repeated this prophecy till the end of her life. The rays coming from Our Lady’s hands symbolize the graces she obtains for everyone who prays to her with confidence.

Prayer:

IMMACULATE VIRGIN MARY, mother of our Lord Jesus and our mother, we have confidence in your powerful and never-failing intercession, manifested often through the Miraculous Medal. We your loving and trustful children, ask you to obtain for us the graces and favors we ask during this novena if they will be for the glory of God and the salvation of souls.

You know, O Mary, how often our souls have been the sanctuaries of your Son who hates iniquity. Obtain for us then a deep hatred of sin and that purity of heart which will attach us to God alone so that our every thought, word, and deed may tend to his greater glory. Obtain for us also a spirit of prayer and self-denial that we may recover by penance what we have lost by sin and at length attain to that blessed abode where you are the queen of angels and of men. AMEN.

O Mary, conceived without sin, 

pray for us who have recourse to thee, 

and for those who do not have recourse to thee, 

especially the enemies of the Church 

and those recommended to thee, 

Amen.

HOW TO PRAY THE HOLY ROSARY

* If you do not know the prayers of the Rosary, you will find them in the Rosary Diagram.

1. Holding the crucifix of the Rosary with your right hand, make the Sign of the Cross and then kiss the crucifix.
2. It is good to begin your Rosary by offering it for some intention.
   Example: “I offer this Rosary for all my spiritual needs and those of my family, for the conversion of sinners, in reparation for my sins and those of all sinners, for world peace and the triumph of Mary's Immaculate Heart.”
3. On the crucifix, pray the Apostles’ Creed.
4. On the first single bead after the crucifix, pray an Our Father.
5. On each of the next three beads, which are grouped together, pray a Hail Mary.
6. After the three Hail Marys, pray the Glory be. Now this is where the “decades” begin.
7. On the next single bead, announce the decade and then pray an Our Father. (Example: “The First Joyful Mystery, the Annunciation. Our Father, Who art...”)
8. On each of the ten beads that follow, pray a Hail Mary while reflecting upon the mystery assigned to this decade (see list of mysteries below). Some people find that looking at a picture depicting each mystery helps them meditate on the mystery.
9. After the ten Hail Marys, pray the “Glory be” and “O my Jesus...”
10. Repeat steps 6 and 7 until you have prayed all 5 decades.
11. Many Catholics also pray the “Hail Holy Queen,” the Prayer to St. Michael, and the Litany of the Blessed Virgin at the end of the Rosary.
    

More About the Holy Rosary

The diagram above at the right shows a five-decade Rosary such as those most commonly used by Catholics. The purpose of the beads is to keep track of the prayers, especially the sets of 10 Hail Marys. As seen in the chart, the single beads are the Our Fathers, while the group of three beads and the five groups of ten beads are the Hail Marys. As we pass each bead through our fingers, we pray the appropriate prayer, and then move to the next one. By doing this, we simply work our way around the Rosary, beginning at the Crucifix and ending at the centerpiece.

It is best to use a Rosary that has been blessed by a priest, but this is not absolutely necessary, although there are extra indulgences attached to praying on a blessed Rosary. In times of persecution, for example, Catholics have been known to use stones or pebbles, or even their fingers or toes to count the Hail Marys.

The Rosary should be prayed in a reverent position of the body. For example, we are encouraged to kneel before an image of our Blessed Mother or the Crucifix, or in a church or chapel before the Blessed Sacrament while praying the Rosary, but this is not mandatory. Kneeling is a sign of reverence and it also helps the mind stay alert and free from distraction during prayer. Some people, however, are not physically able to kneel, at least for the entire Rosary, and it is certainly acceptable to sit in a reverent, alert position. The Rosary may also be prayed while walking, whether in procession or on a simple walk alone or with others. The sick may pray it while lying in bed, and many Catholics pray extra decades until they fall asleep in bed at night.

A very important point is that the heart of the Rosary is not the repetition of these prayers, but our meditation upon the mysteries of the lives of Jesus and Mary during each decade. As we pray each set of Hail Marys, we should meditate upon the event in the lives of Jesus and Mary assigned to that decade, and on the grace or virtue manifested in that mystery, praying humbly for the grace to imitate Their example in our lives.

The mysteries are divided into three groups:

The Joyful Mysteries: (Mondays, Thursdays)*
1st Mystery: The Annunciation (Luke 1:26-38)
2nd Mystery: The Visitation (Luke 1:39-56)
3rd Mystery: The Birth of Our Lord (Luke 2:1-21)
4th Mystery: The Presentation (Luke 2:22-38)
5th Mystery: The Finding in the Temple (Luke 2:41-52)

The Sorrowful Mysteries (Tuesdays, Fridays, Sundays in Lent)*
1st Mystery: The Agony in the Garden (Matt. 26:36-56)
2nd Mystery: The Scourging at the Pillar (Matt. 27:26)
3rd Mystery: The Crowning with Thorns (Matt. 27:27-31)
4th Mystery: The Carrying of the Cross (Matt. 27:32)
5th Mystery: The Crucifixion (Matt. 27:33-56)

The Glorious Mysteries (Wednesdays, Saturdays, Sundays)*
1st Mystery: The Resurrection (John 20:1-29)
2nd Mystery: The Ascension (Luke 24:36-53)
3rd Mystery: The Descent of the Holy Ghost (Acts 2:1-41)
4th Mystery: The Assumption of Our Lady
5th Mystery: The Coronation of Our Lady

* These days are suggested for praying these sets of mysteries, but they can be prayed any day. Those who are able are encouraged to pray all 15 decades every day.

THE PRAYERS OF THE ROSARY

The Sign of the Cross
IN THE NAME of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Amen. (When you say “of the Father, ” touch your forehead; when you say “of the Son,” touch your breastbone; when you say “of the Holy Ghost,” touch your left shoulder and then your right shoulder.

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 Ghost, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate; was crucified, died, and was buried. He descended into hell. The third day He rose again from the dead. He ascended into Heaven, and sits at the right hand of God, the Father almighty, from thence He shall come to judge the living and the dead. I believe in the Holy Ghost, the holy Catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and life everlasting. Amen.

The Our Father
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.

The Hail Mary
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.

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

O My Jesus
(Requested by Our Lady at Fatima in 1917; pray after each decade)
O MY JESUS, forgive us our sins, save us from the fires of hell, lead all souls to Heaven, especially those who have most need of Thy mercy.

Concluding Rosary Prayer
O GOD, Whose only begotten Son, by His life, death and resurrection has purchased for us the rewards of eternal life, grant, we beseech Thee, by meditating upon these mysteries of the Most Holy Rosary of the Blessed Virgin Mary, that we may imitate what they contain and obtain what they promise, through the same Christ our Lord. Amen.

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 valley of tears. Turn then, most gracious advocate, thine eyes of mercy toward us, and after this our exile, show unto us the blessed fruit of thy womb, Jesus. O clement, O loving, O sweet Virgin Mary!

Prayer to St. Michael the Archangel
St. Michael the Archangel, defend us in battle, be our defense against the malice and wickedness of the devil. May God rebuke him, we humbly pray, and do thou, O Prince of the heavenly host, by the power of God, thrust into hell Satan and the other evil spirits who prowl about the world for the ruin of souls. Amen.