Prayer to Jesus in the Manger

Prayer to Jesus in the Manger

O divine redeemer Jesus Christ, prostrate before thy crib, I believe thou art the God of infinite majesty, even though I do see thee here as a helpless babe. I humbly adore and thank thee for having so humbled thyself for my salvation as to will to be born in a stable. I thank thee for all thou didst wish to suffer for me in Bethlehem, for thy poverty and humility, for thy nakedness, tears, cold and sufferings.

Would that I could show thee that tenderness which thy virgin mother had toward thee, and love thee as she did. Would that I could praise thee with the joy of the angels, that I could kneel before thee with the faith of St. Joseph, the simplicity of the shepherds. Uniting myself with these first adorers at the crib, I offer thee the homage of my heart, and I beg that thou wouldst be born spiritually in my soul. Make me reflect in some degree the virtues of thy admirable nativity. Fill me with that spirit of renunciation, of poverty, of humility, which prompted thee to assume the weakness of our nature, and to be born amid destitution and suffering.Grant that from this day forward, I may in all things seek thy greater glory, and may enjoy that peace promised to men of good will.

- Author Unknown

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.🙏