SAINT JOHN OF THE CROSS

 

SAINT JOHN OF THE CROSS

-a great lover of Mary

A young John de Yepes y Álvarez, aged 4, had fallen in a pond while throwing sticks in it. As he was trying to get out of the water, a "beautiful lady" – whom he later acknowledged to be the Virgin Mary – held out her hand to help him. John refused to grab her hand because his were covered with sludge. A laborer who was walking by pulled him out of the water with his goad.




Later, his mother, a poor widow, sent him to a school of Christian doctrine. There, he fell into the well of a waterwheel. The people who rescued him marveled that he hadn't drowned or wasn't hurt. John said he was under the protection of the Virgin Mary.




He chose the order of the Carmelites, out of love for Mary. The Carmelite brothers helped him to attend the University of Salamanca, where he received a rigorous, broad education.




The year of his novitiate, in Medina, John of the Cross wrote a poem (now lost) called: "In thanksgiving for the grace which (the Lord) has given him to make him worthy to belong to the said order (the Carmel), under the protection of His most Blessed Mother.”




Chosen by Saint Teresa of Avila and sent by the apostolic vicar, John of the Cross became the confessor of the Carmel of Avila and the reformer of the order. After that he founded several Carmelite monasteries for men. Although he was younger than her, Saint Teresa of Avila called him her spiritual father.




His brothers of Andalusia gave the following testimony, around the years 1585-1588:




"Father John of the Cross was so devoted to Our Lady that he recited the office of Our Lady each day, on his knees... In all his homilies and conversations, he talked about the Blessed Sacrament and the Most Blessed Virgin, Our Lady."




On December 7, 1591, John received the last rites. He died at midnight on the following Friday, at the beginning of the office of matins, on a Saturday, a day especially dedicated to the Virgin 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.

WAYS TO PRAY FOR THE SOULS IN PURGATORY.

SOME WAYS TO PRAY FOR THE SOULS IN PURGATORY.

1. Pray the Novena to the Holy Souls.

2.  Offer up Holy Communion for Souls in Purgatory.

3.  Have Masses said for your departed loved ones, especially on the anniversary of his/her death.

4. Pray the Way of Cross for the Souls in Purgatory.

5. Pray the Rosary specially for Holy Souls.

6.  Obtain indulgences: indulgences reduce or cancel the temporal punishment that we incur through sin.

7. Give alms to the poor.

8. Pray the Divine Mercy Chaplet.

9. Prayer of St. Gertrude.

10. Sprinkle holy water on the ground for the spiritual benefit of the suffering souls.

11. When passing by a cemetery, or at any time pray the short "Eternal Rest prayer: Eternal rest grant unto them, Oh Lord. And let the perpetual light shine upon them. And may the souls of all the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace, Amen."(It carries partial indulgence)

12. Repent, go to Confession: Confessing your own sins makes prayers for Souls more effective.

13.  Eucharist Adoration: make reparation to the Sacred Heart of Jesus for those in Purgatory.

14.  Sacrifices: practice acts of self_denial and offer these penances up for the poor Souls.

15.  Pray the Liturgical Prayers for the Souls.

16.  Ask for the intercession of saints who were great friends of the Holy Souls during their lifetime.

17.  Throughout your day,  offer up short and spontaneous prayers for the holy souls.

18.  Spread devotion to the Holy Souls: Make others aware of the great need these suffering souls have for our prayers.

 

SAINT LUCY OF SYRACUSE

 

Saint Lucy of Syracuse, Virgin and Martyr-Memorial December 13

St. Lucy (283-304) was born in Syracuse, Sicily, where she also died. She was of a noble Greek family, and was brought up as a Christian by her mother, who was miraculously cured at the shrine of St. Agatha in Catania. Lucy made a vow of virginity and distributed her wealth to the poor. This generosity stirred the wrath of the unworthy youth to whom she had been unwillingly betrothed and who denounced her to Paschasius, the governor of Sicily. When it was decided to violate her virginity in a place of shame, Lucy, with the help of the Holy Spirit, stood immovable. A fire was then built around her, but again God protected her. She was finally put to death by the sword. Her name appears in the second list in the Canon.

Saint Lucy's Day, also called the Feast of Saint Lucy, is a Christian feast day celebrated on 13 December in Advent, commemorating Saint Lucy, a 3rd-century martyr under the Diocletianic Persecution, who according to legend brought "food and aid to Christians hiding in the catacombs" using a candle-lit wreath to "light her way and leave her hands free to carry as much food as possible. Her feast once coincided with the Winter Solstice, the shortest day of the year before calendar reforms, so her feast day has become a Christian festival of light. Falling within the Advent season, Saint Lucy's Day is viewed as an event signaling the arrival of Christmastide, pointing to the arrival of the Light of Christ in the calendar, on Christmas Day.

Saint Lucy's Prayer:

Saint Lucy, you did not hide your light under a basket, but let it shine for the whole world, for all the centuries to see. We may not suffer torture in our lives the way you did, but we are still called to let the light of our Christianity illumine our daily lives. Please help us to have the courage to bring our Christianity into our work, our recreation, our relationships, our conversation -- every corner of our day. Amen

PRAYER TO OUR LADY OF GUADALUPE

 

Prayer to Our Lady of Guadalupe



Our LADY OF GUADALUPE, who blessed Mexico and all the Americas by your appearance to Juan Diego, intercede for the holy Church, protect the pope, and help everyone who invokes you in their necessities.



O mystical rose, hear our prayers and our petitions, especially for the particular one we are praying for at this moment (mention your request).



Since you are the ever Virgin Mary and Mother of the true God, obtain for us from your Most Holy Son the grace of keeping our faith, sweet hope in the midst of the bitterness of life, burning charity, and the precious gift of final perseverance as we pray in the DIVINE WILL. Amen.🙏

OUR LADY OF GUADALUPE

OUR LADY of GUADALUPE

(FEAST DAY- December 12)

"Hear me and understand well, my son the least, that nothing should frighten or grieve you. Let not your heart be disturbed. Do not fear that sickness, nor any other sickness or anguish. Am I not here, who is your Mother? Are you not under my protection? Am I not your health? Are you not happily within my fold? What else do you wish? Do not grieve nor be disturbed by anything."

— Our Lady to Juan Diego




In the winter of 1531, a poor, 57-year-old Aztec Indian living five miles outside of Mexico City encountered a miraculous happening on his way to morning Mass. First he heard strange music coming from Tepeyac Hill, and then he heard a woman's voice calling his name. Juan Diego climbed the hill and encountered a young woman, appearing to be of his own people in physical appearance and dress. The woman identified herself as the Virgin Mary, and told Juan Diego to ask the bishop of Mexico City to build a church on the hill to assist in the conversion of the nation and be a source of consolation to the people.

Juan Diego obeyed the request, but the bishop was skeptical regarding the message, even though he perceived that Juan was a humble, and well meaning Catholic. Juan reported the bishop's doubt to Our Lady at Tepeyac Hill, and she asked him to return to the bishop once again, bearing the same message. The bishop once again heard the story, and told Juan Diego to ask Our Lady for a sign that it was indeed herself that wished for the church to be built.

When he returned to the hill, Mary gave Juan Diego such a sign. Miraculously, roses appeared on the hill in the middle of winter, and Juan gathered them in his tilma, or cloak. Our Lady arranged the roses in his tilma with her own hands, and Juan returned to the bishop's presence. When Juan released the tilma, allowing the flowers to fall to the floor, it was revealed that a miraculous image of Our Lady had imprinted itself on his tilma.

The bishop immediately fell to his knees, and came to believe in Juan Diego's message. A church was built on the spot of the apparition, as Mary had requested, and 8 million people converted to Catholicism in a short period of time upon hearing of or viewing the miraculous image of Our Lady.

The tilma of Juan Diego has been the subject of much modern research. The tilma, woven out of coarse cactus fiber, should have disintegrated after 20 years, but although over 500 years have passed the tilma is still in perfect condition. The pupils of Mary in the picture reflect the Indians and clergy present at the time of the first revelation of the image. No paint was used, and chemical analysis has not been able to identify the color imprint. Additionally, studies have revealed that the stars on Mary's mantle match exactly what a Mexican would have seen in the sky in December of 1531.

LITANY OF INTERCESSION TO OUR LADY OF MOUNT CARMEL

 

LITANY OF INTERCESSION TO OUR LADY OF MOUNT CARMEL




🌹Lord, have mercy.

Christ, have mercy.

Lord, have mercy.

Christ, hear us. Christ, graciously hear us.

God the Father of Heaven, have mercy on us.

God the Son, Redeemer of the world,

God the Holy Ghost,

Holy Trinity, One God, have mercy on us.

Holy Mary, pray for us sinners.

Our Lady of Mount Carmel, Queen of heaven,

Our Lady of Mount Carmel, vanquisher of Satan,

Our Lady of Mount Carmel, most dutiful Daughter,

Our Lady of Mount Carmel, most pure Virgin,

Our Lady of Mount Carmel, most devoted Spouse,

Our Lady of Mount Carmel, most tender Mother,

Our Lady of Mount Carmel, perfect model of virtue,

Our Lady of Mount Carmel, sure anchor of hope,

Our Lady of Mount Carmel, refuge in affliction,

Our Lady of Mount Carmel, dispenser of God's gifts,

Our Lady of Mount Carmel, tower of strength against our foes,

Our Lady of Mount Carmel, our aid in danger,

Our Lady of Mount Carmel, road leading to Jesus,

Our Lady of Mount Carmel, our light in darkness,

Our Lady of Mount Carmel, our consolation at the hour of death,

Our Lady of Mount Carmel, advocate of the most abandoned sinners, pray for us sinners.




🌹For those hardened in vice, with confidence we come to thee, O Lady of Mount Carmel.

For those who grieve thy Son,

For those who neglect to pray,

For those who are in their agony,

For those who delay their conversion,

For those suffering in Purgatory,

For those who know thee not, with confidence we come to thee, O Lady of Mount Carmel.




🌹Lamb of God, Who takest away the sins of the world, spare us, O Lord.

Lamb of God, Who takest away the sins of the world, graciously hear us, O Lord.

Lamb of God, Who takest away the sins of the world, have mercy on us.

Our Lady of Mount Carmel, Hope of the Despairing, intercede for us with thy Divine Son.




🌹Let us pray.

Our Lady of Mount Carmel, glorious Queen of Angels, channel of God's tenderest mercy to man, refuge and advocate of sinners, with confidence I prostrate myself before thee, beseeching thee to obtain for me [insert your request here]. In return I solemnly promise to have recourse to thee in all my trials, sufferings, and temptations, and I shall do all in my power to induce others to

love and reverence thee and to invoke thee in all their needs. I thank thee for the numberless blessings which I have received from thy mercy and powerful intercession. Continue to be my shield in danger, my guide in life, and my consolation at the hour of death.

 

Act of Consecration to Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal

O Virgin Mother of God,
Mary Immaculate,
we dedicate and consecrate ourselves to you
under the title of Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal.
May this Medal be for each one of us
a sure sign of your affection for us
and a constant reminder of our duties towards you.
Ever while wearing it,
may we be blessed by your loving protection
and preserved in the grace of your Son.
O most powerful Virgin,
Mother of our Saviour,
keep us close to you every moment of our lives.
Obtain for us,
your children,
the grace of a happy death;
so that, in union with you,
we may enjoy the bliss of heaven forever.

Amen.

O Mary, conceived without sin,
pray for us who have recourse to you.

O Mary, conceived without sin,
pray for us who have recourse to you.

O Mary, conceived without sin,
pray for us who have recourse to you. 

About the History of the Miraculous Medal 

Source: Wikipedia 

The Miraculous Medal (French: Médailleō miraculeuse), also known as the Medal of Our Lady of Graces, is a devotional medal, the design of which was originated by Saint Catherine Labouré following her apparitions of the Blessed Virgin Mary[2] in Rue du Bac, Paris, France. It was made by goldsmith Adrien Vachette.[3]

Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal
The Miraculous Medal design was executed by Adrien Vachette based on Saint Catherine Labouré's visions.
Location	Paris, France
Date	18 July 1830 27 November 1830
Witness	Saint Catherine Labouré
Type	Marian apparition
Approval	1836[1] Archbishop Hyacinthe-Louis de Quélen Archdiocese of Paris
Shrine	Chapel of Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal, Paris, France
Patronage	Special graces, architects, miners, prisoners

The Chapel of Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal in Paris

According to the teaching of the Catholic Church, the use of sacramentals such as this medal[4] prepares people to receive grace and disposes them to cooperate with it. 

More information on the Miraculous Medal, click here 

ADVENT ADORATION BLESSINGS

 

Advent blessings!

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The Divine Praises

Blessed be God.

Blessed be His Holy Name.

Blessed be Jesus Christ, true God and true man.

Blessed be the name of Jesus.

Blessed be His Most Sacred Heart.

Blessed be His Most Precious Blood.

Blessed be Jesus in the Most Holy Sacrament of the Altar.

Blessed be the Holy Spirit, the Paraclete.

Blessed be the great Mother of God, Mary most holy.

Blessed be her holy and Immaculate Conception.

Blessed be her glorious Assumption.

Blessed be the name of Mary, Virgin and Mother.

Blessed be Saint Joseph, her most chaste spouse.

Blessed be God in His angels and in His Saints.

May the heart of Jesus, in the Most Blessed Sacrament, be praised, adored, and loved with grateful affection, at every moment, in all the tabernacles of the world, even to the end of time. Amen.

Prayer for the Feast of the Immaculate Conception

 FEAST OF THE IMMACULATE CONCEPTION

December 8 

O most pure Virgin Mary conceived without sin, from the very first instant, you were entirely immaculate. O glorious Mary full of grace, you are the mother of my God – the Queen of Angels and of men. I humbly venerate you as the chosen mother of my Savior, Jesus Christ.

The Prince of Peace and the Lord of Lords chose you for the singular grace and honor of being His beloved mother. By the power of His Cross, He preserved you from all sin. Therefore, by His power and love, I have hope and bold confidence in your prayers for my holiness and salvation.

May your prayers give me the grace to imitate your holiness and submission to Jesus and His Divine Will.

Queen of Heaven, I beg you to pray to Jesus my Savior to grant me these requests… (Mention your intentions)

My Holy Mother, I know that you were obedient to the will of God. In making this petition, I know that God’s will is more perfect than mine. So, grant that I may receive God’s grace with humility as you did.

As my final request, I ask that you pray for me to increase in faith, hope and love in our risen Lord Jesus! 

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.

Immaculate Conception - December 8

 

December 8th, is the feast of the Immaculate Conception. It celebrates an important point of Catholic teaching, and it is a holy day of obligation.


The Immaculate Conception is a doctrine of the Roman Catholic church that states that the Virgin Mary was free of original sin from the moment of her conception.


CONSECRATION PRAYER TO OUR LADY OF THE IMMACULATE CONCEPTION


The Immaculata prayer is a Traditional Catholic Marian prayer composed by Saint Maximillian Kolbe.


It is a prayer of consecration to the Immaculata, i.e. the immaculately conceived Virgin Mary.


The consecration prayer is as follows:


O Immaculata, Queen of Heaven and earth, refuge of sinners and our most loving Mother, God has willed to entrust the entire order of mercy to you. I, (name), a repentant sinner, cast myself at your feet, humbly imploring you to take me with all that I am and have, wholly to yourself as your possession and property. Please make of me, of all my powers of soul and body, of my whole life, death and eternity, whatever most pleases you.
If it pleases you, use all that I am and have without reserve, wholly to accomplish what was said of you: "She will crush your head," and "You alone have destroyed all heresies in the whole world." Let me be a fit instrument in your immaculate and merciful hands for introducing and increasing your glory to the maximum in all the many strayed and indifferent souls, and thus help extend as far as possible the blessed kingdom of the most Sacred Heart of Jesus. For wherever you enter you obtain the grace of conversion and growth in holiness, since it is through your hands that all graces come to us from the most Sacred Heart of Jesus.
V. Allow me to praise you, O Sacred Virgin
R. Give me strength against your enemies
AMEN.


A shorter version of the prayer can be used for the daily renewal of the consecration:


Immaculata, Queen and Mother of the Church, I renew my consecration to you for this day and for always, so that you might use me for the coming of the Kingdom of Jesus in the whole world. To this end I offer you all my prayers, actions and sacrifices of this day.