Devotion to the Shoulder Wound of Christ

Devotion to the Shoulder Wound of Christ

I will grant thee whatsoever thou dost ask through its virtue and merit. And in regard to all those who shall venerate this Wound, I will remit to them all their venial sins, and will no longer remember their mortal sins.~Jesus

St. Bernard asked our Lord which was His greatest unrecorded suffering, and Our Lord answered: "I had on My Shoulder, while I bore My Cross on the Way of Sorrows, a grievous Wound, which was more painful than the others, and which is not recorded by men. Honor this wound with thy devotion, and I will grant thee whatsoever thou dost ask through its virtue and merit. And in regard to all those who shall venerate this Wound, I will remit to them all their venial sins, and will no longer remember their mortal sins."

 

Daily Prayer

O Loving Jesus, meek Lamb of God, I miserable sinner, salute and worship the most Sacred Wound of Thy Shoulder on which Thou didst bear Thy heavy Cross, which so tore Thy flesh and laid bare Thy Bones as to inflict on Thee an anguish greater than any other wound of Thy Most Blessed Body. I adore Thee, O Jesus most sorrowful; I praise and glorify Thee, and give Thee thanks for this most sacred and painful Wound, beseeching Thee by that exceeding pain, and by the crushing burden of Thy heavy Cross to be merciful to me, a sinner, to forgive me all my mortal and venial sins, and to lead me on towards Heaven along the Way of Thy Cross. 

Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, I love you, save souls, take care of everything, especially our prayers and the whole world joins us. 

​Amen.

HOW LONG DO SOULS REMAIN IN PURGATORY

HOW LONG DO SOULS REMAIN IN PURGATORY?

The length of time souls are detained in Purgatory depends on:

a) the number of their faults;

b) the malice and deliberation with which these have been committed;

c) the penance done, or not done, the satisfaction made, or not made for sins during life; 

d) Much, too, depends on the suffrages offered for them after death

What can safely be said is that the time souls spend in Purgatory is, as a rule, very much longer than people commonly imagine.

We will quote a few of the many instances which are recounted in the lives and revelations of the Saints.

St. Louis Bertrand's father was an exemplary Christian, as we should naturally expect, being the father of so great a Saint. He had even wished to become a Carthusian monk until he learned that it was not God's will for him. When he died, after long years spent in the practice of every Christian virtue, his saintly son, fully aware of the rigors of God's Justice, offered many Masses and poured forth the most fervent supplications for the soul he so dearly loved. 

A vision of his father still in Purgatory forced him to intensify a hundredfold his suffrages. He added most severe penances and long fasts to his Masses and prayers. Yet eight whole years passed before he obtained the release of his father.

St. Malachy's sister was detained in Purgatory for a very long time, despite the Masses, prayers and heroic mortifications the Saint offered for her!

It was related to a holy nun in Pampluna, who had succeeded in releasing many Carmelite nuns from Purgatory, that most of these had spent there terms of from 30 to 60 years!

Carmelite nuns in Purgatory for 40, 50 and 60 years! What will it be for those living amidst the temptations of the World and with all their hundreds of weaknesses?

St. Vincent Ferrer, after the death of his sister, prayed with incredible fervor for her soul and offered many Masses for her release. She appeared to him at length and told him that had it not been for his powerful intercession with God, she should have remained an interminable time in Purgatory.

In the Dominican Order it is the rule to pray for the Master Generals by name on their anniversaries. Many of these have been dead several hundred years! They were men especially eminent for piety and learning. This rule would not be

approved by the Church were it not necessary and prudent.

We do not mean to imply that all souls are detained equally long periods in the expiatory fires. Many have committed lesser faults and have done more penance.  Therefore, their punishment will be much less severe. 

Still, the instances we have quoted are very much to the point, for if these souls who enjoyed the intimacy, who saw the example and who shared in the intercession of great Saints during their lives and were aided by their most efficacious suffrages after death were yet detained for such a length of time in Purgatory, what may happen to us who enjoy none of these wonderful

privileges? 

- Fr. Paul O. Sullivan, O.P.

Prayer for Financial Help to Our Mother of Perpetual Help

Prayer for Financial Help to Our Mother of Perpetual Help

O dear Mother of all,

you who are the perpetual help,

not only in spiritual

but also in temporal needs,

we ask you to help us in the present

because of financial worries.

Due to unavoidable circumstances

that have arisen in our lives,

we are in great financial need

and shame has taken over our home,

as we are unable to meet our debts.

We are not asking, O dear Mother of

Perpetual Help, for wealth

if it is not in accordance with God’s will.

We are simply asking for divine

assistance to help us resolve our

present day obligations.

We believe, dear Holy Mother of God,

that you are extremely kind and

generous to all your loving

and dedicated children.

We therefore beg you, dear Mother,

to grant us the help we urgently need.

We are trying very hard to solve

our problem(s) with all our

humanly possible strength,

but we believe that with your

powerful intercession

with the Lord, Jesus Christ,

your Son and our Redeemer,

you can relieve us of these burdens.

Through our Lord Jesus Christ, Amen.

The Divine Mercy Chaplet: How to Recite

How to Recite the Chaplet

The Chaplet of Mercy is recited using ordinary Rosary beads of five decades. The Chaplet is preceded by two opening prayers from the Diary of Saint Maria Faustina Kowalska and followed by a closing prayer.

For the sake of His sorrowful Passion, have mercy on us and on the whole world.

8. Repeat for the remaining decades

Saying the "Eternal Father" (6) on the "Our Father" bead and then 10 "For the sake of His sorrowful Passion" (7) on the following "Hail Mary" beads.

9. Conclude with Holy God (Repeat three times)

Holy God, Holy Mighty One, Holy Immortal One, have mercy on us and on the whole world.

10. Optional Closing Prayers

Eternal God, in whom mercy is endless and the treasury of compassion — inexhaustible, look kindly upon us and increase Your mercy in us, that in difficult moments we might not despair nor become despondent, but with great confidence submit ourselves to Your holy will, which is Love and Mercy itself.

O Greatly Merciful God, Infinite Goodness, today all mankind calls out from the abyss of its misery to Your mercy — to Your compassion, O God; and it is with its mighty voice of misery that it cries out. Gracious God, do not reject the prayer of this earth's exiles! O Lord, Goodness beyond our understanding, Who are acquainted with our misery through and through, and know that by our own power we cannot ascend to You, we implore You: anticipate us with Your grace and keep on increasing Your mercy in us, that we may faithfully do Your holy will all through our life and at death's hour. Let the omnipotence of Your mercy shield us from the darts of our salvation’s enemies, that we may with confidence, as Your children, await Your [Son’s] final coming — that day known to You alone. And we expect to obtain everything promised us by Jesus in spite of all our wretchedness. For Jesus is our Hope: through His merciful Heart, as through an open gate, we pass through to heaven (Diary, 1570).

PRAYER FOR THE CONVERSION OF YOUR FAMILY

PRAYER FOR THE CONVERSION OF YOUR FAMILY 

“In the Name of the Father, and of the Son,

and of the Holy Spirit,

through the Immaculate Heart of Mary.

Amen.”

Eternal Father,

I offer You the Most Precious Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity

of Your Son Jesus,

in atonement for my sins and the sins of my family.

May the Blood and Water from the pierced Heart of Jesus

cleanse my family line of every stain of sin,

and remove every evil influence.

Amen.

Immaculate Mother Mary,

Please crush the head of the serpent

in the life of each member of my family,

and work your miracles of grace in each soul.

Please hold each member of my family (and me)

in your Immaculate Heart.

Amen.

Precious Blood of Jesus, wash over us.

Precious Blood of Jesus, wash over my family.

Precious Blood of Jesus, wash over me.

Eternal Father,

In the Name of Jesus,

please create an opening

in the soul of each member of my family.

And please give each member of my family

the graces of True Repentance

and Conversion to Your Son Jesus.

Please give each member of my family

the grace to experience Your Love,

and be transformed by It.

Amen.

Eternal Father,

In the Name of Your Son Jesus,

please send an honor guard of angels to surround,

protect, defend, guide, guard, assist and minister to

each member of my family (and me)

today, and everyday.

Amen.

Angels from heaven, direct my path.

Saints in heaven, pray for us.

“In the Name of the Father, and of the Son,

and of the Holy Spirit,

through the Immaculate Heart of Mary.

Amen.”