PRAYER FOR CHILDREN TO THE HOLY FAMILY

O LORD JESUS CHRIST, only-begotten Son of the ETERNAL FATHER, well-beloved Son of the Blessed Virgin and foster Child of St. Joseph, we most fervently implore Thee, through Mary and Joseph, take our children under Thy special charge and Enclose them in the Love of Thy SACRED HEART. They are the children of Thy FATHER in Heaven, created after His own image; they are Thy possession, for Thou hast purchased them with Thy PRECIOUS BLOOD; they are temples of the HOLY SPIRIT, Who sanctified them in Baptism and implanted in their hearts the virtues of Faith, Hope and Charity. 

O most loving JESUS, Rule and Guide them, that they may live according to the holy Catholic Faith, that they may not waver in their confidence in Thee and that they may ever remain faithful to Thy Love. 

O MOST HOLY VIRGIN MARY, Blessed Mother of JESUS, grant to our children a place in thy pure maternal Heart! Spread over them thy protecting mantle when danger threatens their innocence; keep them firm when they are about to stray from the path of virtue; and should they have the misfortune of falling into mortal sin, oh, then raise them up again, reconcile them with thy Divine Son and restore them to Sanctifying Grace. 

And thou, O holy foster father SAINT JOSEPH, do not abandon our children! Protect them from the assaults of the wicked enemy and deliver them from all dangers of soul and body. 

O dear Parents of the Holy Child JESUS! Intercede for us parents also, that we may bring up our children in the love and fear of GOD and one day attain with them the Beatific Vision. Amen.

Apostles Creed

Click this video for the recitation of the prayer and pray along

 with it for a solemn act of prayer

ABOUT THE APOSTLES CREED

The Apostles' Creed is one of the most ancient and widely recognized statements of Christian faith in the Catholic tradition. It serves as a concise summary of the core beliefs held by Catholics and many other Christian denominations. This prayer is named after the apostles, as it is believed to reflect the essential teachings they handed down to the early Christian community.

The Apostles' Creed typically goes as follows:

"I believe in God, the Father Almighty, Creator of heaven and earth. I believe in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried; He descended to the dead. On the third day He rose again; He ascended into heaven, He is seated at the right hand of the Father, and He will come to judge the living and the dead. I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen."

This prayer is a declaration of faith, emphasizing key aspects of Catholic belief:

Belief in the Triune God: It begins with a declaration of faith in the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—the three persons of the Holy Trinity.

The Incarnation: It affirms the belief that Jesus Christ, the Son of God, took on human form through the Virgin Mary and suffered for the salvation of humanity.

The Crucifixion and Resurrection: It acknowledges Christ's crucifixion, death, and burial, followed by His resurrection on the third day, which is central to Christian salvation.

The Ascension and Second Coming: It highlights Christ's ascension to heaven and His future role as the judge of the living and the dead.

Belief in the Holy Spirit: It affirms faith in the Holy Spirit, who guides and empowers believers in their Christian journey.

The Church and Communion of Saints: It acknowledges the importance of the universal Christian Church and the unity of all believers, both living and deceased.

Forgiveness of Sins: It underscores the belief in the forgiveness of sins through faith in Christ.

Resurrection and Eternal Life: It expresses the hope in the resurrection of the body and eternal life with God.

The Apostles' Creed is often recited in Catholic liturgical settings, such as during Mass, and is a fundamental expression of Catholic doctrine and belief, serving as a unifying statement of faith for Catholic Christians worldwide.

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.