CONSECRATION OF OUR FAMILIES TO THE MOST SACRED HEART OF JESUS

 CONSECRATION OF OUR FAMILIES TO THE MOST SACRED HEART OF JESUS 

O most Sacred Heart of Jesus, Thou didst reveal to the blessed Margaret Mary Thy desire to rule over Christian families. Behold, in order to please Thee, we stand before Thee this day, to proclaim Thy full sovereignty over our family. 

We desire henceforth to live Thy life, we desire that the virtues, to which Thou hast promised peace on earth, may flower in the bosom of our family; we desire to keep far from us the spirit of the world, which Thou hast condemned. Thou art King of our hearts by our love of Thee alone, with which our hearts are on fire and whose flame we shall nourish by frequent reception of the Holy Eucharist.

 Be pleased, O Sacred Heart, to preside over our gathering together, to bless our spiritual and temporal affairs, to ward off all annoyance from us, to bless our joys and comfort our sorrows. 

If any of us has ever been so unhappy as to fall into the misery of displeasing Thee, grant that he may remember, O Heart of Jesus, that Thou art full of goodness and mercy toward the repentant sinner. 

And when the hour of separation strikes and death enters our family circle, whether we go or whether we stay, we shall all bow meekly before Thine eternal decrees. This shall be our consolation, to remember that the day will come, when our entire family, once more united in heaven, shall be able to sing of Thy glory and Thy goodness forever. 

May the immaculate Heart of Mary and the glorious Patriarch Saint Joseph vouchsafe to offer Thee this our act of consecration, and to keep the memory thereof alive in us all the days of our lives.

Glory to the Heart of Jesus, our King and our Father! 

Amen.

Share and be blessed 

Novena Prayer to Saint Joseph Over The Years Of 1900

 

Prayer to St. Joseph over 1900 years old

Oh, St. Joseph whose protection is so great, so strong, so prompt before the throne of God, I place in you all my interests and desires. Oh , St. Joseph do assist me by your powerful intercession, and obtain for me from your divine Son all spiritual blessings through Jesus Christ, Our Lord; So that having engaged here below your Heavenly power I may offer my thanksgiving and homage to the Loving of Fathers. Oh St. Joseph, I never weary contemplating you and Jesus asleep in your arms. I dare not approach while He reposes near your heart. Press him to my name and kiss His fine Head for me, and ask Him to return the Kiss when I draw my dying breath. St. Joseph, Patron of departing souls, pray for us. Amen

Say for nine consecutive mornings for anything you may desire. It has seldom been known to fail.

(This prayer was found in the fiftieth year of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. In 1505 it was sent from the Pope to Emporer Charles, when he was going into battle. Whoever shall read this prayer or hear it, or keep it about themselves, shall never die a sudden death or be drowned, nor shall poison take effect on them; neither shall they fall into the hands of the enemy, or shall be burned in any fire or shall be overpowered in any battle.

Say for nine mornings in a row for anything you may desire. It has never been known to fail.

Imprimatur: September 25, 1950

Hugh C. Boyle, Bishop of Pittsburgh)

This beautiful prayer to the Sacred Heart of Jesus is a blessing to incude as part of your Daily Family Prayer

 

Consecration of the Family to the Sacred Heart of Jesus


Here is a beautiful Prayer of “Consecration of the Family to the Sacred Heart of Jesus”. It is good to include this Prayer as part of your Daily Family Prayer.

Sacred Heart of Jesus, you have revealed your desire to reign in every Christian family. Today, we come to ask that you take complete possession of our home. We greatly desire that through sincere fidelity to you, our home becomes fragrant with love, peace and joy.

Keep far from us all that can turn us away from You. Drain off feelings of strife; replace our bitterness with forgiveness; do not allow resentments and hurts to dictate what we rule or say. May the flame of sincere and understanding love burn brighter each day through our frequent participation of the Eucharist and the habit of daily family prayer.

Sacred Heart of Jesus, preside over all our gatherings and events; be with us in all our joys and sorrows. If any of us should stray away from you and from us, may your merciful heart bring him or her back to obedience to You and to union with us. May each member of our family be a committed Christian, faithful to the way of life you have taught by word and example.

And, at the end, when death comes to take any one of us away, may we accept it with submission and with joyful hope in the resurrection and the final reunion of our family in heaven, where your own hand will wipe away every tear from our eyes.

Mary, Mother of Jesus, be the mother of this family. St. Joseph, take care of each member of this family as you looked after the Holy Family of Nazareth.

May the grace and blessing of the Sacred Heart of Jesus be on us; the peace of the Sacred Heart envelope us; the merits of the Sacred Heart plead for us; the love of the Sacred Heart strengthen us; the zeal of the Sacred Heart animate us; the virtues of the Sacred Heart shine forth in our words and deeds; and may the beatific vision of the Sacred heart be our eternal joy.

Sacred Heart of Jesus, be the King of our home. In our home, be glorified today and forever. 

Amen. 

If you are attacked by the devil,say this Powerful Deliverance Prayer for Protection: ORIGINAL PRAYER TO ST MICHAEL THE ARCHANGEL

 ORIGINAL PRAYER TO ST MICHAEL THE ARCHANGEL

O Glorious Archangel St. Michael, Prince of the heavenly host, be our defense in the terrible warfare which we carry on against principalities and powers, against the rulers of this world of darkness, and spirits of evil.

Come to the aid of man, whom God created immortal, made in His own image and likeness, and redeemed at a great price from the tyranny of the devil. Fight this day the battle of the Lord, together with the holy angels, as already thou hast fought the leader of the proud angels, Lucifer, and his apostate host, who were powerless to resist Thee, nor was there place for them any longer in heaven. That cruel, that ancient serpent, who is called the devil or Satan, who seduces the whole world, was cast into the abyss with his angels.

Behold, this primeval enemy and slayer of men has taken courage. Transformed into an angel of light, he wanders about with all the multitude of wicked spirits, invading the earth in order to blot out the name of God and of His Christ, to seize upon, slay and cast into eternal perdition souls destined for the crown of eternal glory. This wicked dragon pours out, as a most impure flood, the venom of his malice on men; his depraved mind, corrupt heart, his spirit of lying, impiety, blasphemy, his pestilential breath of impurity and of every vice and iniquity. These most crafty enemies have filled and inebriated with gall and bitterness the Church, the Spouse of the Immaculate Lamb, and have laid impious hands on her most sacred possessions. In the Holy Place itself, where has been set up the See of the most holy Peter and the Chair of Truth for the light of the world, they have raised the throne of their abominable impiety, with the iniquitous design that when the Pastor has been struck, the sheep may be scattered.

Arise then, O invincible Prince, bring help against the attacks of the lost spirits to the people of God, and give them the victory. They venerate Thee as their protector and patron; in Thee Holy Church glories as her defense against the malicious power of hell; to Thee has God entrusted the souls of men to be established in heavenly beatitude. Oh, pray to the God of peace that He may put Satan under our feet, so far conquered that he may no longer be able to hold men in captivity and harm the Church. Offer our prayers in the sight of the Most High, so that they may quickly conciliate the mercies of the Lord; and beating down the dragon, the ancient serpent who is the devil and Satan, do Thou again make him captive in the abyss, that he may no longer seduce the nations. Amen.

• Behold the Cross of the Lord; be scattered, hostile powers.

• The Lion of the tribe of Judah has conquered, the root of David.

• Let Thy mercies be upon us, O Lord

As we have hoped in Thee.

• O Lord, hear my prayer.

And let my cry come unto Thee

LET US PRAY

God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, we call upon Thy holy name, and we humbly implore Thy clemency, that by the intercession of Mary, ever Virgin Immaculate and our Mother, and of the glorious Archangel St. Michael, Thou wouldst deign to help us against Satan and all other unclean spirits, who wander about the world for the injury of the human race and the ruin of souls.

Amen.

Deliverance Prayer

 DELIVERANCE PRAYER

+ Jesus, my Savior, my Lord and my God, my God and my all, You who redeemed us by Your sacrifice of the Cross and overthrew the power of Satan, I beseech You to deliver me from the presence of all evil, and from every influence of the Evil One.

I beseech You, grant me this favor in Your Name;

I beseech You, grant me this favor by Your Wounds;

I beseech You, grant me this favor by Your Blood;

I beseech You, grant me this favor by Your Cross;

I beseech You, grant me this favor through the intercession of Mary; Immaculate and sorrowful.

May the Blood and Water that gushed from Your side descend upon me and cleanse me, deliver me and heal me. Amen.

Spirit of our God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, Most Holy Trinity, Immaculate Virgin Mary, angels, archangels, and saints of heaven, come to my aid.

Purify me, Lord, mold me, fill me with Yourself, use me.

Banish all the forces of evil from me, destroy them, vanquish them, so that I can be healthy and do good deeds.

Banish from me all spells, witchcraft, black magic, black masses, superstitions, addictions, curses, ties, malefice, maledictions, and the evil eye; demonic infestations, oppressions, possessions; all that is evil and sinful, jealousy, perfidy, envy; physical, psychological, moral, spiritual, diabolical ailments. Burn all these evils in hell, that they may never again touch me or any other creature in the entire world.

By the power of almighty God, in the name of Jesus Christ our Saviour, through the intercession of the Immaculate Virgin Mary, I command and bid all the powers who molest me to leave me forever, and to be consigned into the everlasting hell, where they will be bound by Saint Michael the Archangel, Saint Gabriel, Saint Raphael, our guardian angels. May they be crushed under the feet of the most Holy Immaculate Virgin. Amen. +

Saint Frances of Rome, Patroness of Widows

 March 9. Saint Frances of Rome is a good example of what Vatican II hoped for—an active laity who take their baptismal vow in action. 

Reflection

Looking at the exemplary life of fidelity to God and devotion to her fellow human beings which Frances of Rome was blessed to lead, one cannot help but be reminded of Saint Teresa of Calcutta, who loved Jesus Christ in prayer and also in the poor. The life of Frances of Rome calls each of us not only to look deeply for God in prayer, but also to carry our devotion to Jesus living in the suffering of our world. Frances shows us that this life need not be restricted to those bound by vows.

St. Frances of Rome Novena

St. Frances of Rome was an Italian saint who lived in the 1300s-1400s. 

She was a wife and a mother, as well as a mystic.

 She also did a lot of charitable work, and she founded a women’s lay religious order called the Oblates of Mary.  

 St. Frances of Rome was known for her quiet manner and her piety. You can use this novena to seek intercession from this holy saint in your life! About St. Frances of Rome  

St. Frances of Rome was born in 1384 in Rome. 

Her parents were members of the nobility, and they were wealthy. As a child, she was very devout. 

She decided at age eleven to become a nun.

 Frances’ father told her that she was too young to make such a decision, and that he had already promised her in marriage to someone. 

Frances was very upset at this prospect. 

She prayed continually for God to stop the marriage, until her confessor pointed out to her that it seemed she was upset that God wouldn’t do her will.

 Frances reluctantly agreed to marry. 

Her betrothed was named Lorenzo Ponziani, and he was a good man who genuinely cared for her. 

But he was also a member of the nobility and his family was prominent in the social life of their society

. Frances was very shy by nature, so the parties that surrounded their wedding were torture for her.

 Frances was so overwrought with social anxiety that she collapsed and remained bedridden for months. 

She was not able to eat or move. Near the point of death, Frances had a vision of St. Alexis. 

 St. Alexis told her that God was giving her an important choice: she could choose to recover, or not to recover.

 Though she would have preferred to die, Frances said, “God’s will in mine.” St. Alexis then told her that she would live, and that by doing so she would glorify God.  

Frances immediately recovered completely. But her problems did not disappear, as her mother-in-law still expected her to entertain and participate in social events. 

 Soon, Frances discovered that her sister-in-law had also wished to enter religious life. 

The two of them became close friends and planned how they might carry out holy practices together.

 Frances soon gave birth to a son, Battista. 

Then, her mother-in-law died and most of the household duties fell to Frances.

 She eventually gave birth to two more children, another boy and a girl. 

 When disease and famine came to Rome, Frances and her sister-in-law served the poor and sick.

 Her father-in-law was furious at Frances for giving away the family’s stores of food, but when their stores were miraculously replenished, he relented.

 Frances sold her jewels and expensive clothes, giving the money to the poor.

 As wars and armed conflicts raged, Frances suffered the loss of her son who was taken as a hostage. 

But he was returned to her after she entrusted his life to the Blessed Virgin. 

Frances later lost her younger two children to the plague. 

Her house was also demolished. 

Despite these sufferings, she turned her home into a hospital. 

 When the wars were over, her husband returned home. He was injured physically and mentally, but Frances cared for him and helped heal him. 

Frances soon started an order of Benedictine lay women called the Oblates of Mary. 

This order of women lived in the world but pledged to serve God and the poor.

 When her husband died, she moved into the house for widowed Oblates and was made superior. She died four years later.

 St. Frances of Rome’s Feast Day: March 9th 

 Why Pray the St. Frances of Rome Novena?

 St. Frances of Rome is the patron saint of widows. You can seek her intercession if you are a widow, or for someone you know who is a widow. 

St. Frances of Rome is also the patron saint of Benedictine Oblates. You can ask her for prayers if you are a Benedictine Oblate, if you are discerning a call to the Benedictine Oblates, or for a Benedictine Oblate you know. 

 Additionally, St. Frances of Rome is a great saint to seek prayers from if you suffer from social anxiety, since she suffered severely from social anxiety as a young woman. 

You can pray the St. Frances of Rome Novena for any intention!

 St. Frances of Rome Novena Prayers 

St. Frances of Rome Novena - Day 1

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

Dear Lord, we thank You for giving us St. Frances of Rome as an example of holiness.

 Help us to imitate the love of You she showed by choosing to follow Your will for her life over her own. St. Frances of Rome, you desired to serve God in a wholehearted way from the time you were a child. 

You wanted to serve Him in religious life, but it soon became clear to you that this was not God’s will.

 Please bring my petitions before God Whom you longed to serve so devotedly! 

Your confessor helped you to see that it was you who wanted religious life, but that God was calling you to something else. 

You humbly chose to follow God’s call to marriage. Pray for me, that I may be open to God’s will in my life.

 Pray that I may be submissive and willing to do whatever He calls me to do. 

Please also pray for (mention your intentions here). 

St. Frances of Rome, pray for us! 

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

  Amen.

 St. Frances of Rome Novena - Day 2

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

 Dear Lord, we thank You for giving us St. Frances of Rome as an example of holiness. 

Help us to imitate the devotion to You she showed in choosing to marry and have a family, as You called her to. St. Frances of Rome, you did not want to marry and have a family, but you realized that this was God’s will for your life.

 Though it was initially very difficult for you, you did your best to faithfully carry out the duties of your vocation as a wife and mother.

 Please faithfully bring my petitions before the throne of God! 

Though your familial life was filled with many sufferings, you persevered in your duties and continued to serve God.

 Pray for me, that I may never allow any difficulties to deter me from serving God faithfully. 

Pray that I may carry out the duties of my state in life faithfully, for the love of God. 

Please also pray for (mention your intentions here). 

St. Frances of Rome, pray for us!

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

 Amen. 

St. Frances of Rome Novena - Day 3

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

 Dear Lord, we thank You for giving us St. Frances of Rome as an example of holiness.

 Help us to imitate the virtue she showed in choosing to serve You despite her sufferings. St. Frances of Rome, you suffered from severe social anxiety in your life as a young engaged and married woman. 

Despite your sufferings, you chose to submit yourself to God’s will and serve Him. 

Please bring my petitions before God Whom you served! You suffered so greatly that you were near the point of death.

 When God gave you a choice between ending your suffering through death or recovering, you chose to follow God’s will and to bring glory to Him through recovering.

 Pray for me, that I may never allow any sufferings to deter me from doing God’s will.

 Pray that I may persevere in serving Him, no matter what difficulties I might face. 

Please also pray for (mention your intentions here). 

St. Frances of Rome, pray for us!

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

 Amen.

 St. Frances of Rome Novena - Day 4

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.  Amen. Dear Lord, we thank You for giving us St. Frances of Rome as an example of holiness. Help us to imitate the love of You she showed in the holy practices and charitable works she undertook together with her sister-in-law. St. Frances of Rome, you faced many trials in your life as a married woman of society. When you discovered that your sister-in-law had longed for the convent like you, the two of you purposefully set out to serve God together. Please bring my petitions before the throne of God! With your sister-in-law, you began devotional practices and charitable works. You continued on this path of prayer and holy service throughout the rest of your life.

 Pray for me, that I may serve God as devotedly as you did. 

Pray that I may accept the help on the path to holiness that God gives me through others.

 Please also pray for (mention your intentions here). 

St. Frances of Rome, pray for us!

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

  Amen.

 St. Frances of Rome Novena - Day 5

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

 Dear Lord, we thank You for giving us St. Frances of Rome as an example of holiness.

 Help us to imitate the virtue she showed in caring for the poor and the sick around her.

 St. Frances of Rome, you suffered a lot during your life from anxiety, illness, famine, and war.

 Despite your own sufferings, you looked for ways to serve God through service to your suffering brothers and sisters in Christ. Please bring my petitions before God Whom you served so devotedly! 

You gave generously to the poor from your family’s own supplies. 

When your home was demolished during war, you salvaged what you could to turn it into a hospital.

 Pray for me, that I may grow in my charity towards those around me who are suffering.

 Pray that I may be eager to serve God through service to my suffering brothers and sisters in Christ.

 Please also pray for (mention your intentions here). 

St. Frances of Rome, pray for us! 

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

St. Frances of Rome Novena - Day 6

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

 Dear Lord, we thank You for giving us St. Frances of Rome as an example of holiness. 

Help us to imitate the devotion to You she showed through her deep trust in You.

 St. Frances of Rome, you endured a lot of suffering as wars raged around you.

 But even when your oldest son was demanded as a hostage, your deep trust in God never wavered.

 Please bring my petitions before God Whom you trusted so deeply! 

You entrusted the life of your captured son to the Blessed Virgin Mary, and God rewarded your trust in Him by bringing your son back to you.

 Pray for me, that I may trust in God as unwaveringly as you did.

 Pray that my trust in God will never falter, even in the midst of sufferings and trials.

 Please also pray for (mention your intentions here). 

St. Frances of Rome, pray for us!

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

 St. Frances of Rome Novena - Day 7

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

 Dear Lord, we thank You for giving us St. Frances of Rome as an example of holiness.

 Help us to imitate the love of You she showed throughout her faithfulness in time of suffering from war. St. Frances of Rome, you lived in a time of great conflicts in society. As wars raged around you, you did not waver in faithfulness to God or in your desire to serve Him.

 Please bring my petitions before God with such faithfulness! 

Your husband returned from the war suffering terrible injuries in both his body and his mind. 

Though it was not easy for you, you cared for your husband and helped return him to health. 

Pray for me, that I may never miss the opportunity to serve God through service to those around me who are suffering. 

Pray that I may remain faithful to God amidst all sufferings and trials.

 Please also pray for (mention your intentions here).

 St. Frances of Rome, pray for us!

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

 Amen.

 St. Frances of Rome Novena - Day 8

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

Dear Lord, we thank You for giving us St. Frances of Rome as an example of holiness.

 Help us to imitate the virtue she showed in faithfully carrying out the duties of her vocation in marriage. 

St. Frances of Rome, you did not initially think that you were called to married life.

 When your confessor helped you to see that marriage was God’s will for you, you chose to serve God in this vocation, despite many difficulties. 

Please bring my petitions before God Whom you chose to serve!

 You were a faithful wife and mother for many years.

 When your husband returned from war injured in mind and body, you cared for him and nursed him back to health.

 Pray for me, that I may carry out the duties of my vocation faithfully each day.

 Pray that I may serve God faithfully in my vocation even when it is very difficult.

 Please also pray for (mention your intentions here).

 St. Frances of Rome, pray for us! 

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

 St. Frances of Rome Novena - Day 9

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

 Dear Lord, we thank You for giving us St. Frances of Rome as an example of holiness. 

Help us to imitate the devotion to You she showed in her desire to enter religious life.

 St. Frances of Rome, you desired to serve God in religious life from the time you were a young girl. 

But you came to realize that He was not calling you to serve Him in this way yet, so you submitted yourself to His will. Please bring my petitions before God Whom you served so devotedly! 

You were a faithful wife and mother for many years. Later in life, you established a lay religious order.

 You served God wholeheartedly through this order for the rest of your life.

 Pray for me, that I may respond generously to whatever God might call me to do in my life.

 Pray that I may strive to be submissive to His will. Please also pray for (mention your intentions here).

 St. Frances of Rome, pray for us!

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

 Amen.

What is Lent /Prayers for the Season of Lent

Lent is a solemn religious observance in the Christian liturgical calendar that begins on Ash Wednesday and ends approximately six weeks later, the night before Easter Sunday. Wikipedia

Lent is a 40 day season of prayer, fasting, and almsgiving that begins on Ash Wednesday and ends at sundown on Holy Thursday. It's a period of preparation to celebrate the Lord's Resurrection at Easter. During Lent, we seek the Lord in prayer by reading Sacred Scripture; we serve by giving alms; and we practice self-control through fasting. We are called not only to abstain from luxuries during Lent, but to a true inner conversion of heart as we seek to follow Christ's will more faithfully. We recall the waters of baptism in which we were also baptized into Christ's death, died to sin and evil, and began new life in Christ.

Many know of the tradition of abstaining from meat on Fridays during Lent, but we are also called to practice self-discipline and fast in other ways throughout the season. Contemplate the meaning and origins of the Lenten fasting tradition in this reflection. In addition, the giving of alms is one way to share God's gifts—not only through the distribution of money, but through the sharing of our time and talents. As St. John Chrysostom reminds us: "Not to enable the poor to share in our goods is to steal from them and deprive them of life. The goods we possess are not ours, but theirs." (Catechism of the Catholic Church, no. 2446).

In Lent, the baptized are called to renew their baptismal commitment as others prepare to be baptized through the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults, a period of learning and discernment for individuals who have declared their desire to become Catholics.

Lent Prayers

Prayers for Lent observed beginning on Ash Wednesday and ends after six weeks before the celebration of Easter. 

Invite Us Deeper

Almighty and ever living God,

you invite us deeper into your world, your people, your Lent.

May this time be one of outward focus;

seeking you in those we often ignore.

Help us live a Lent focused on freedom, generosity, and encounter.

Give us hearts hungry to serve you

and those who need what we have to give.

- Author Unknown

Let Us Fast

While fasting with the body,

brothers and sisters,

let us also fast in spirit.

Let us lose every bond of iniquity;

let us undo the knots of every contact made by violence;

let us tear up all unjust agreements;

let us give bread to the hungry

and welcome to our house

the poor who have no roof to cover them,

that we may receive mercy from Christ our God.

- Byzantine Vespers

---

A Lenten Prayer

Look with favor, Lord,

on your household.

Grant that,

though our flesh be humbled

by abstinence from food,

our souls, hungering after you,

may be resplendent in your sight.

- Pope Pius V

---

Come, My Light

Come, my Light,

and illumine my darkness.

Come, my Life,

and revive me from death.

Come, my Physician,

and heal my wounds.

Come, Flame of divine love,

and burn up the thorns of my sins,

kindling my heart

with the flame of thy love.

- Dimitrii of Rostov

---

From the Beginning of Time

Jesus,

you have known us from the beginning of time,

you have known us in the depths of our dreams and in the darkness of our shame,

you know us as your beloved.

Help us to own that core identity more and more in this season of repentance and mercy.
Give us the rock-solid assurance of your unwavering faith in us
as we seek the same in you.

Amen.

- Author Unknown

---

The Fast Life

Fast from judging others;

Feast on Christ dwelling in them.

Fast from fear of illness;

Feast on the healing power of God.

Fast from words that pollute;

Feast on speech that purifies.

Fast from discontent;

Feast on gratitude.

Fast from anger;

Feast on patience.

Fast from pessimism;

Feast on hope.

Fast from negatives;

Feast on encouragement.

Fast from bitterness;

Feast on forgiveness.

Fast from self-concern;

Feast on compassion.

Fast from suspicion;

Feast on truth.

Fast from gossip;

Feast on purposeful silence.

Fast from problems that overwhelm;

Feast on prayer that sustains.

Fast from anxiety;

Feast on faith.

- Author Unknown

---

Devotion to the Holy Face of Jesus

 

THE HOLY FACE DEVOTION

Devotion of St. Therese of Lisieux

PRAYERS OF REPARATION TO THE HOLY FACE OF JESUS

...As requested by Our Lord Jesus Christ. These prayers are to be said on Sundays and the Holy Days of Obligation, publicly (if possible), and preferably before the Blessed Sacrament or before the picture of the Holy Face.

    Dear Lord, through the Sorrowful and Immaculate Heart of Mary, I (we) offer You these prayers in reparation for the sins which offend God the most in these modern times--the sins of BLASPHEMY and the PROFANATION OF SUNDAY and Your Holy Days of Obligation:

One Our Father, Hail Mary, 

and Glory Be To The Father 

 

LITANY OF THE HOLY FACE OF JESUS

    I salute Thee, I adore Thee and I love Thee, O adorable Face of Jesus, my Beloved, noble Seal of the Divinity! Outraged anew by blasphemers. I offer Thee, through the heart of Thy blessed Mother, the worship of all the Angels and Saints, most humbly beseeching Thee to repair and renew in me and in all men Thy Image disfigured by sin. 

    O adorable Face which was adored, with profound respect, by Mary and Joseph when they saw Thee for the first time, have mercy on us. 

    O adorable Face which did ravish with joy, in the stable of Bethlehem, the Angels, the shepherds and the magi, have mercy on us. 

    O adorable Face which did transpierce with a dart of love in the Temple, the saintly old man Simeon and the prophetess Anna, have mercy on us. 

    O adorable Face which filled with admiration the Doctors of the law when Thou didst appear in the Temple at the age of twelve years, have mercy on us. 

    O adorable Face which possesses beauty always ancient and always new, have mercy... 

    O adorable Face which is the masterpiece of the Holy Ghost, in which the Eternal Father is well pleased, have mercy on us. 

    O adorable Face which is the ineffable mirror of the divine perfection, have mercy on us.

    Adorable Face of Jesus which was so mercifully bowed down on the Cross, on the day of Thy Passion, for the salvation of the world! Once more today in pity bend down towards us poor sinners. Cast upon us a glance of compassion and give us Thy peace.

     O adorable Face which became brilliant like the sun and radiant with glory, on the Mountain of Tabor, have mercy on us. 

    O adorable Face which wept and was troubled at the tomb of Lazarus, have mercy on us. 

    O adorable Face which was rendered sad at the sight of Jerusalem, and shed tears on that ungrateful city, have mercy on us. 

    O adorable Face which was bowed down to the ground in the Garden of Olives, and covered with confusion for our sins, have mercy on us. 

    O adorable Face which was covered with the sweat of blood, have mercy on us. 

    O adorable Face which was struck by a vile servant, covered with a veil of shame, and profaned by the sacrilegious hands of Thy enemies, have mercy on us. 

    O adorable Face which by Its divine glance, wounded the heart of St. Peter with a dart of sorrow and love, have mercy on us.

    Be merciful to us, O my God! Do not reject our prayers, when in the midst of our afflictions, we call upon Thy Holy Name and seek with love and confidence Thy adorable Face.

    O adorable Face which was washed and anointed by Mary and the holy women and covered with a shroud, have mercy on us. 

    O adorable Face which was all resplendent with glory and beauty on the day of the Resurrection, have mercy on us. 

    O adorable Face which is hidden in the Eucharist, have mercy on us. 

    O adorable Face which will appear at the end of time in the clouds with great power and great majesty, have mercy on us. 

    O adorable Face which will make sinners tremble, have mercy on us. 

    O adorable Face which will fill the just with joy for all eternity, have mercy on us. 

    O adorable Face which merits all our reverence, our homage and our adoration, have mercy on us. 

    O Lord, show us Thy Face, and we shall be saved! 

    O Lord, show us Thy Face, and we shall be saved! 

    O Lord, show us Thy Face, and we shall be saved! 

Note: The Litany of the Holy Face above, and the same Litany in our pamphlets, is the abridged version, as the full version is quite lengthy. Here is the full-length Litany of the Holy Face.

PRAYER TO OFFER THE HOLY FACE OF JESUS TO GOD THE FATHER TO APPEASE HIS JUSTICE AND DRAW DOWN MERCY UPON US

    Almighty and Eternal Father, since it has pleased Our Divine Savior to reveal to mankind in modern times the power residing in His Holy Face, we now avail ourselves of this Treasure in our great need. Since our Savior Himself promised that by offering to You His Holy Face disfigured in the Passion we can procure the settlement of all the affairs of our household, and that nothing whatsoever will be refused to us, we now come before Your throne. 

    Eternal Father, turn away Your angry gaze from our guilty people whose face has become unsightly in Your eyes. Look instead upon the Face of Your Beloved Son; for this is the Face of Him in whom You are well pleased. We now offer You His Holy Face covered with blood, sweat, dust, spittle and shame, in reparation for the worst crimes of our age, which are atheism, blasphemy, and the desecration of Your holy days. We thus hope to appease Your anger justly provoked against us. The All-Merciful Advocate opens His mouth to plead our cause; listen to His cries, behold His tears, O God, and through the merits of His Holy Face hearken to Him when He intercedes for us poor miserable sinners.

Novena to Our Lady of Lourdes :Day 9

NOVENA TO OUR LADY OF LOURDES (February 3-11)

OPENING PRAYER

Be blessed, O most pure Virgin, for having vouchsafed to manifest your shining with life, sweetness and beauty, in the Grotto of Lourdes, saying to the child, St. Bernadette: 'I am the Immaculate Conception. ' A thousand times we congratulate you upon your Immaculate Conception. And now, O ever Immaculate Virgin, Mother of mercy, Health of the sick, Refuge of sinners, Comforter of the afflicted, you know our wants, our troubles, our sufferings deign to cast upon us a look of mercy.

By appearing in the Grotto of Lourdes, you were pleased to make it a privileged sanctuary, whence you dispense your favors, and already many have obtained the cure of their infirmities, both spiritual and physical. We come, therefore, with the most unbounded confidence to implore your maternal intercession. Obtain for us, O loving Mother, the granting of our request.

(state your request)

Through gratitude for your favors, we will endeavor to imitate your virtues, that we may one day share your glory. 

Our Lady of Lourdes, Mother of Christ, you had influence with your divine son while upon earth. You have the same influence now in Heaven. Pray for us; obtain for us from your Divine Son our special requests if it be the Divine Will. Amen.

Our Lady of Lourdes, pray for us.

Saint Bernadette, pray for us.

DAY 9

O glorious Mother of God, to you we raise our hearts and hands to implore your powerful intercession in obtaining from the benign Heart of Jesus all the graces necessary for our spiritual and temporal welfare, particularly for the grace of a happy death. O Mother of our Divine Lord, as we conclude this novena for the special favor we seek at this time.

(make your request)

We feel animated with confidence that your prayers in our behalf will be graciously heard. O Mother of My Lord, through the love you bear to Jesus Christ and for the glory of His Name, hear our prayers and obtain our petitions.

O Brilliant star of purity, Mary Immaculate, Our Lady of Lourdes, glorious in your assumption, triumphant in your coronation, show unto us the mercy of the Mother of God, Virgin Mary, Queen and Mother, be our comfort, hope, strength, and consolation. Amen.

Our Lady of Lourdes, pray for us.

Saint Bernadette, pray for us.

Our Lady of Lourdes: February 11 Feast Day

 OUR LADY OF LOURDES 

Also called as: Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception

Feast Day: 11 February

Location: Lourdes, France

Date: 

February 11 to July 16, 1858

Witness: Saint Bernadette Soubirous

Type: Marian apparition

Approval: 

January 18, 1862

Bishop Bertrand-Sévère Laurence 

Diocese of Tarbes

Shrine

Sanctuary of Our Lady of Lourdes, Lourdes, France

Patronage:

Lourdes, France, Quezon City, Tagaytay City, Barangay Granada of Bacolod, Daegu, South Korea, Tennessee, Diocese of Lancaster, Bodily ills, Sick people, Protection from diseases

___________________________________

Our Lady of Lourdes

In 1858, 14-year-old Bernadette Soubirous told her friends that a beautiful young lady was appearing to her in a rock formation on the outskirts of her small town of Lourdes. A friend asked Bernadette to do her a favor—to take her rosary along the next time she knelt before the beautiful young lady. Bernadette obliged. Later, Bernadette told her friend how the lady had reacted: the lady had noticed that Bernadette was not holding her own rosary, said that she was not there to make relics, and told Bernadette to return next time with her own rosary, not someone else’s.

Bernadette’s unvarnished recounting of the lady’s reaction was blunt, but reasonable and, more importantly, authentic. This plainspokenness fit a pattern. Over and over again, whenever little, uneducated Bernadette was asked about the beautiful young lady she saw in the grotto, her answers never changed and also included startling but authentic details. Bernadette reported that when she and the lady prayed the rosary together, the lady only said the Our Father and the Glory Be. Mary didn’t pray the Hail Mary. How could she pray to herself? Would she say “Hail Me?” Bernadette reported that the lady spoke to her in the Lourdes’ dialect which Bernadette herself grew up with, slightly different from standard French. Bernadette stated that a golden rose rested on each of the lady’s feet. Of course! And when Bernadette respectfully asked the lady her name, she didn’t understand the big words in the response: “I am the Immaculate Conception.”

In addition to the miraculous cures associated with the healing waters of Lourdes, the very character of Bernadette, as well as the tone and content of her accounts, removed all doubt that the beautiful young lady she saw was indeed the Virgin Mary. Our Lady of Lourdes is perhaps the most powerful and prolific physical healer in the history of the Church after Christ himself. Through her intercession, and through the waters that flow in her magnificent shrine, many thousands have been cured of their infirmities, as medical records prove beyond any doubt. Holy Mary has appeared at various times and in various places, but mostly to the simple and mostly in the country. She loves the faith of the simple, and speaks to them in simple language. In this, Mary reflects the words of her Son Jesus. He speaks plainly. His message is clear. And Mary’s simple words always point to the simple words of her own Son.

God is like the sun whose fiery brilliance scorches the eyes of all who look right at Him. Get too close and you’ll be burned. Like the sun, the Creator of the world can be distant, mysterious, and intimidating. But Mary is like the moon, bathed in a soft, pleasant glow. She’s close to us, and easy on the eyes. The sun’s heat and light may make life possible, but the sun itself is dangerous and remote. But Mary can be approached by man. And like the moon, she doesn’t produce her own light, but just reflects in a softer tone the powerful rays of the enormous star whose light generates life itself.

Ctto: Image used

Text: Wikipedia and mycatholiclife.org