Blessing of the Home and Household on Epiphany

The traditional date of Epiphany is January 6, but in the United States it is celebrated on the Sunday between January 2 and January 8.

Traditionally, Catholics bless their home and those who live in their household on the Feast of the Epiphany each year.

It’s not difficult to do and we highly recommend you give it a try! Here’s how:

What You’ll Need To Bless Your Home On The Epiphany

Prayers
Chalk
A doorway
A ladder or chair

Meaning of the Blessing 20 + C + M + B + 23
The letters C, M, B have two meanings. They are the initials of the traditional names of the three magi: Caspar, Melchior, and Balthazar. They also represent the Latin words “Christus mansionem benedicat” which means “May Christ bless the house.” The “+” signs symbolize the cross and the 20 and the 23 represent the year, 2023.

Prayers for the Epiphany Home Blessing 

(Simple Way)

Lord God of heaven and earth, you revealed your only-begotten Son to every nation by the guidance of a star. Bless this house

and all who inhabit it. Fill them (us) with the light of Christ, that their (our) concern for others may reflect your love. We ask this through Christ our Lord.

R/. Amen.

The leader concludes the rite by signing himself or herself with the sign of the cross and saying:

May Christ Jesus dwell with us, keep us from all harm, and make us one in mind and heart, now and forever.

R/. Amen.

Blessing of the Home and Household on Epiphany
(Complete Version)

When all have gathered, a suitable song may be sung. The leader makes the sign of the cross, and all reply, “Amen.”

The leader greets those present in the following words:

Let us praise God, who fills our hearts and homes with peace.
Blessed be God forever.
R/. Blessed be God forever.

In the following or similar words, the leader prepares those present for the blessing:

The Word became flesh and made his dwelling place among us. It is Christ who enlightens our hearts and homes with his love. May all who enter this home find Christ’s light and love.

One of those present or the leader reads a text of sacred Scripture, for example, Luke 19:1-9:

Listen to the words of the holy Gospel according to Luke:
Jesus came to Jericho and intended to pass through the town. Now a man there named Zacchaeus, who was a chief tax collector and also a wealthy man, was seeking to see who Jesus was; but he could not see him because of the crowd, for he was short in stature. So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore tree in order to see Jesus, who was about to pass that way.> When he reached the place, Jesus looked up and said to him, “Zacchaeus, come down quickly, for today I must stay at your house.” And he came down quickly and received him with joy. When they all saw this, they began to grumble, saying, “He has gone to stay at the house of a sinner.” But Zacchaeus stood there and said to the Lord, “Behold, half of my possessions, Lord, I shall give to the poor, and if I have extorted anything from anyone I shall repay it four times over.” And Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house because this man too is a descendant of Abraham.”

The intercessions are then said:

Leader: The Son of God made his home among us. With thanks and praise let us call upon him.
R/. Stay with us, Lord.
Leader: Lord Jesus Christ, with Mary and Joseph you formed the Holy Family: remain in our home, that we may know you as our guest and honor you as our Head.
We pray:
R/. Stay with us, Lord.
Leader: Lord Jesus Christ, you had no place to lay your head, but in the spirit of poverty accepted the hospitality of your friends: grant that through our help the homeless may obtain proper
housing.
We pray:
R/. Stay with us, Lord.
Leader:Lord Jesus Christ, the three kings presented their gifts to you in praise and adoration: grant that those living in this house may use their talents and abilities to your greater glory.
We pray:
R/. Stay with us, Lord.

After the intercessions the leader invites all present to say the Lord’s Prayer.
The leader says the prayer of blessing with hands joined:

Lord God of heaven and earth,
you revealed your only-begotten Son to every nation
by the guidance of a star.
Bless this house
and all who inhabit it.
Fill them (us) with the light of Christ,
that their (our) concern for others may reflect your love.
We ask this through Christ our Lord.
R/. Amen.

The leader concludes the rite by signing himself or herself with the sign of the cross and saying:

May Christ Jesus dwell with us,
keep us from all harm,
and make us one in mind and heart,
now and forever.
R/. Amen.

It is preferable to end the celebration with a suitable song, for example, “O Come, All Ye Faithful” or “We Three Kings.”


Source: Catechism of the Catholic Church 

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

---

HOW TO FULFILL THE FIVE FIRST SATURDAYS DEVOTION

THE FIVE FIRST SATURDAYS DEVOTION



May we offer this first Saturday in love to Our Lady even without the chance for confession and communion



By Fr Richard Heilman May 6, 2016

HOW TO PRECISELY FULFILL THE FIVE FIRST SATURDAYS DEVOTION

AS REQUESTED BY OUR LADY OF FATIMA

Our Lady of Fatima Promises all the Graces Necessary for Heaven if a Catholic Finishes the Five First Saturdays Devotion:

“Whether the world has war or peace depends on the practice of this devotion, along with the consecration to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. This is why I desire its propagation so ardently, especially because this is also the will of our dear Mother in Heaven.” -Sr. Lucy (March 19, 1939)

During her July apparition at Fatima, Our Lady said to Lucia,

“I shall come to ask… that on the First Saturday of every month, Communions of reparation be made in atonement for the sins of the world.” Although she made no further mention of this devotion at Fatima, on December 10, 1925, our Blessed Mother again appeared to Lucia at Pentevedra, Spain, where the seer had been sent to the Dorothean Sisters to learn to read and write. It was there Our Lady completed her request for the Five First Saturdays and gave her great promise.

Appearing with the Queen of Heaven in that apparition was the Infant Jesus, Who said to Lucia:

“Have pity on the Heart of your Most Holy Mother. It is covered with thorns with which ungrateful men pierce it at every moment, and there is no one to remove them with an act of reparation.”

Our Lady then spoke:

“See, my daughter, my Heart encircled by thorns with which ungrateful men pierce it at every moment by their blasphemies and ingratitude. Do you, at least, strive to console me. Tell them that I promise to assist at the hour of death with the graces necessary for salvation all those who, in order to make reparation to me, on the First Saturday of five successive months, go to confession, receive Holy Communion, say five decades of the Rosary, and keep me company for a quarter of an hour, meditating on the fifteen mysteries of the Rosary.”

The elements of this devotion, therefore, consist in the following four points, all of which must be offered in reparation to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. One should make this intention before carrying out Our Lady’s requests. A renewal of the actual intention at the time is best; however, if such an intention is made now, it will fulfill the requirements if, for instance, the actual intention is forgotten at the time of confession.

Confession: This confession can be made before the First Saturday or afterward, provided that Holy Communion be received in the state of grace. In 1926, Christ in a vision explained to Lucia that this confession could be made a week before or even more, and that it should be offered in reparation.

Holy Communion: Before receiving Holy Communion, it is likewise necessary to offer it in reparation to Our Lady. Our Lord told Lucia in 1930, “This Communion will be accepted on the following Sunday for just reasons, if my priests allow it so.” So if work or school, sickness, or another just reason prevents the Communion on a First Saturday, with this permission it may be received the following Sunday. If Communion is transferred, any or all of the other acts of the devotion may also be performed on Sunday if the person so desires.

Rosary: The Rosary is a vocal prayer said while meditating upon the mysteries of Our Lord’s life and Passion and Our Lady’s life. To comply with the request of our Blessed Mother, it must be offered in reparation and said properly while meditating.

15-minute meditation: Also offered in reparation, the meditation may embrace one or more mysteries; it may include all, taken together or separately. This meditation should be the richest of any meditation, because Our Lady promised to be present when she said “…those who keep me company….”

To those who faithfully follow Our Lady’s requests for the Five First Saturdays, she has made a wonderful promise which she, as Mediatrix of All Graces, will certainly fulfill: “I promise to assist at the hour of death with the graces necessary for salvation.” This means that our Blessed Mother will be present at the hour of death with the actual grace of final perseverance, (which after the gift/grace of Faith), is the most important grace.

After completing the Five First Saturdays, one may continue the devotion simply to console the Immaculate Heart of Our Lady. A tender love of our Blessed Mother will lead one to do all he can to make reparation for the sins which pierce her Immaculate Heart. Let us remember, too, that although Our Lady made this promise to those who would observe five such First Saturdays in succession, in her July apparition she asked simply that Communions of reparation be made on every First Saturday to atone for the sins of the world.

A Prayer to Saint Claire For Healing

A PRAYER TO ST. CLARE FOR HEALING

O Blessed Saint Clare, your life shines like a beacon and casts its light down the ages of the Church to guide the way to Christ. Look with compassion on the poor and humble who call on you for help. As you bow before your Eucharistic Lord in Heaven, speak to Him of my afflicted body and my broken spirit. Ask Him to heal me and to wash away my sins in his precious blood.

Holy and beloved saint, teach me to believe, as you did, that in the Blessed Eucharist I will find Jesus, who has only to say the word that I may be healed.

(Pause and reflect on the power of Jesus to heal us.)

Great servant of Christ, remember the needs of my family and all those I pray for. Defend us from everything that would threaten our Holy Catholic Faith. Hear the cry of the poor and make it a song of intercession rising from your pure heart to the Eucharistic Heart of Jesus, our healer, our Saviour, and our Lord.

Clare of Assisi

I Come, O Lord

I come, O Lord, unto Your sanctuary to see the life and food of my soul. As I hope in You, O Lord, inspire me with that confidence which brings me to Your holy mountain. Permit me, Divine Jesus, to come closer to You, that my whole soul may do homage to the greatness of Your majesty; that my heart, with its tenderest affections, may acknowledge Thine infinite love; that my memory may dwell on the admirable mysteries here renewed every day, and that the sacrifice of my whole being may accompany Thine.

Blessing

What you hold may you always hold.

What you do, may you always do and never abandon.

But with swift pace, light step and unswerving feet,

so that even your steps stir up no dust,

Go forward, the spirit of our God has called you.

Behold, Hold and Enfold

I behold the Lord.

I see His outstretched hands.

I see the blood from His wounds.

I see the love in the eyes of Jesus.

I see His gracious acceptance of me.

Image of St Clare of Assisi

Jesus has come out of the tomb –

He still has the scars, but now they are glorious, with the glory of heaven.

Still looking at the Lord, I reach out and touch Him.

I hold the Lord – and I am held in His love.

Love enfolds.

It is no longer I that live, but Christ that lives in me.

I am secure in the Lord.

I can look out, now, through the Lord’s eyes.

I can see the world as He created it, in His mercy,

I can see my sisters and brothers with His love,

and I can worship the Father through the eyes of the Son in the Love of the Holy Spirit.

(Prayers of St Clare of Assisi)

… St Clare of Assisi, Pray for Us …

O Glorious Saint Clare

God has given you the power of working miracles continually, and the favor of answering the prayers of those who invoke your assistance in misfortune, anxiety, and distress; we beseech you, obtain for us from Jesus, through Mary, His Blessed Mother, what we beg of you so fervently and hopefully, if it be for the greater honour and glory of God and for the good of our souls. Amen.

Saint Clare: Pray For Us

Be Our Light

Blessed Saint Clare, whose very name means light, illumine the darkness of our minds and hearts so that we might see what God wishes us to do and perform it with a willing and joyful heart. Before your birth, a Heavenly voice foretold that you would be a light illuminating the world. Be a light to us in the sorrows and anxieties of this earthy life, and lead us into the eternal light of our home in Heaven. Amen.

Intercession

God of mercy, You inspired Saint Clare with the love of poverty. By the help of her prayers may we follow Christ in poverty of spirit and come to the joyful vision of Your glory in the Kingdom of heaven. We ask this through Our Lord Jesus Christ, Your Son, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever. Amen.

Healing

O Blessed Saint Clare,

your life shines like a beacon

and cast its light down the ages of the Church

to guide the way of Christ.

Look with compassion on the poor and humble

who call on you for help.

As you bow before your Eucharistic Lord in Heaven,

speak to Him of my afflicted body and my broken spirit.

Ask Him to heal me and to wash away my sins

in His precious Blood.

Great Servant of Christ,

remember the needs of my family

and all those I pray for.

Defend us from everything

that would threaten our Holy Catholic faith.

Hear the cry of the poor

and make it a song of intercession,

rising from your poor heart

to the Eucharistic Heart of Jesus, our Healer,

our Savior, and our Lord.  Amen.

(Monasterio De Santa Clara)

… St Clare of Assisi, Pray for Us …

SAINT RITA, THE SAINT OF THE IMPOSSIBLE

Are you faced with a difficult problem? Does it seem insurmountable? The prayer to St. Rita of Cascia (1381-1457) shown below might help. After all, St. Rita, is known as the “Saint of the Impossible.”

 Early in life, she had a strong desire to be a nun, but got married instead, following her parents’ wishes. By all accounts, her husband was Mr. Wrong, an abusive man with whom she bore two sons of similar temperament. Apparently she had the patience of a saint because she prayed for them all and tried to be a dutiful wife and mother! After 18 years of marriage, her husband was murdered and her sons died of natural causes the following year. After that, St. Rita finally got her wish and was admitted to the convent of Augustinian nuns at Cascia.

Tradition has it that the nuns there initially refused to let St. Rita join because she was a widow. One night Saint John the Baptist, St. Augustine and St. Nicholas of Tolentino opened gates that had been bolted shut and left her in the chapel of the convent. When the nuns found St. Rita there the next morning they understood God’s designs for her and accepted her unanimously.

Talk about prayer opening doors! Many other miracles were attributed to St. Rita, both during her life and after her death. As an example, her devotion to Jesus in His Passion was such that a thorn from the crucifix in her room pierced her forehead one day while she was praying!

The prayer to St. Rita also touches on that miracle: Holy Patroness of those in need, Saint Rita, so humble, pure and patient, whose pleadings with thy Divine Spouse are irresistible, obtain for me from thy Crucified Christ my request (mention it here). Be kind to me, for the greater glory of God, and I promise to honor thee and to sing thy praises forever. Oh glorious St. Rita, who didst miraculously participate in the sorrowful Passion of our Lord Jesus Christ, obtain for me the grace to suffer with resignation the troubles of this life, and protect me in all my needs. Amen 

Weeping with love, St. Rita had asked to share in Our Lord’s suffering and her request was granted in this literally striking way! She bore the painful wound with typical dignity and grace, imitating our crucified Lord. The prayer to St. Rita, like her miracles, helps remind us indeed that “all things are possible with God,” as Jesus said in Mark’s gospel (10:27).

 Roses are her symbol. Her feast day is May 22nd.

THE SHOULDER WOUND OF JESUS

THE SHOULDER WOUND OF 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."

Recent scientific examiners of the Shroud of Turin reported that there are marks and blood spots which show that the person in the shroud carried the Patibulum, the crossbar of the cross on his shoulders. The Patibulum was thought to weigh about 75 pounds and that weight on the shoulders alone was capable of inflicting shoulder wounds in a fall as described by Saint Bernard.

Pope Eugenius III, at the earnest request of St. Bernard, has granted three thousand years Indulgence to all who with a contrite heart, recite the Lord's Prayer and Hail Mary 3 times, in honor of the Wound on the Shoulder of Our Blessed Redeemer.

"He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness.

By his wounds you have been healed."

(1Peter 2:24)

The Prayer to the Shoulder Wound of Christ:

Saint Bernard of Clairvaux, 1090-1153

"Most loving Jesus, meek Lamb of God, I, a 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. Amen."

ADVENT CANDLES AND THEIR MEANING

Candle  for Advents and their meaning

What is an Advent?

Advent, which begins the Church’s liturgical year, began on Sunday, December 3. Advent encompasses the four Sundays and weekdays leading up to the celebration of Christmas.

The Advent season is a time of preparation for our hearts and minds for the anniversary of the Lord’s birth on Christmas.

The use of the wreath and candles during Advent are a longstanding Catholic tradition that was originally adopted by Christians in the Middle Ages as part of their spiritual preparation for Christmas

Types of Candles for Advent:

The four candles represent the four weeks of Advent. One candle is lit each Sunday. Three of the candles are purple because the color violet is a liturgical color that signifies a time of prayer, penance, and sacrifice.

The first candle, which is purple, symbolizes hope. It is sometimes called the “Prophecy Candle” in remembrance of the prophets, especially Isaiah, who foretold the birth of Christ. It represents the expectation felt in anticipation of the coming Messiah.

The second candle, also purple, represents faith. It is called the “Bethlehem Candle” as a reminder of Mary and Joseph’s journey to Bethlehem.

The third candle is pink and symbolizes joy. It is called the “Shepard’s Candle,” and is pink because rose is a liturgical color for joy. The third Sunday of Advent is Gaudete Sunday and is meant to remind us of the joy that the world experienced at the birth of Jesus, as well as the joy that the faithful have reached the midpoint of Advent.

On the fourth week of Advent, we light the final purple candle to mark the final week of prayer and penance as we wait for the birth of our Savior. This final candle, the “Angel’s Candle,” symbolizes peace. It reminds us of the message of the angels: “Peace on Earth, Good Will Toward Men.”

PRAYER TO SAINT RITA FOR IMPOSSIBLE CASES

WHO IS SAINT RITA?

Born: 1381, Roccaporena, Italy

Died: 22 May 1457, Cascia, Italy

Full name: Margherita Lotti

Feast: May 22

Saint Rita of Cascia was an Italian widow and Augustinian nun venerated as a saint in the Roman Catholic Church. Rita was a child bride, married before the age of 12. She wanted to be a nun but she was encouraged to marry at a young age.After her husband and her sons unfortunately died she tried to become a nun but she was turned away at first because she was a widow. However, after some time they allowed her to join. She was a very holy person and was very prayerful and giving. She received a partial stigmata while praying in front of the cross with a wound on her forehead as if from a thorn of Jesus’ crown of thorns. Weeping with love, St. Rita had asked to share in Our Lord’s suffering and her request was granted in this literally striking way! She bore the painful
wound with typical dignity and grace, imitating our crucified Lord.

She is the patron saint of impossible cases,sterility, abuse victims, loneliness, marriage difficulties, parenthood, widows, the sick, bodily ills, and wounds. Rita's body, which has remained incorrupt over the centuries, is venerated today in the shrine at Cascia, which bears her name. Roses are her symbol.

The prayer to St. Rita, like her miracles, helps remind us indeed that “all things are possible with God,” as Jesus said in Mark’s gospel (10:27).

The Prayer To St. Rita

Holy Patroness of those in need, Saint Rita, so humble, pure and patient, whose pleadings with thy Divine Spouse are irresistible, obtain for me from thy Crucified Christ my request (mention it here). Be kind to me, for the greater glory of God, and I promise to honor thee and to sing thy praises forever.

Oh glorious St. Rita, who didst miraculously participate in the sorrowful Passion of our Lord Jesus Christ, obtain for me the grace to suffer with resignation the troubles of this life, and protect me in all my needs. Amen

Prayer to St. Rita in Special Need

O powerful St. Rita, rightly called Saint of the Impossible, I come to you with confidence in my great need. You know well my trials, for you yourself were many times burdened in this life. Come to my help, speak for me, pray with me, intercede on my behalf before the Father. I know that God has a most generous heart and that he is a most loving Father. Join your prayers to mine and obtain for me the grace I desire (here mention your request). You who were so very pleasing to God on earth and are so much so now in heaven, I promise to use this favor, when granted, to better my life, to proclaim God's mercy, and to make you more widely known and loved. Amen.

Please  Like and SHARE to spread the blessings of  God and to inspire others...

Pope Francis Prayer Intention

Each year, the Holy Father asks for our prayers for a specific intention each month. You are invited to answer the Holy Father's request and to join with many people worldwide in praying for this month's intention. From time to time, the Holy Father may add a second prayer intention related to current events or urgent needs, like disaster relief. The second prayer request will help mobilize prayer and action related to the urgent situation.

Pope Francis Prayer Intention for June 2019

The Mode of Life of Priests

That priests, through the modesty and humility of their lives, commit themselves actively to a solidarity with those who are most poor.

When disciples of Christ are transparent in heart and sensitive in life, they bring the Lord’s light to the places where they live and work. – Pope Francis

You will gain a special Papal Blessing everytime you make a Catholic know about the Pope's monthly intention. SHARE this prayer to others... 

Saint Michael the Archangel Prayer

 

Prayer to Saint Michael the Archangel

Pope Leo XIII wrote the Saint Michael prayer, printed below, in 1884, after supposedly seeing a frightening vision: evil spirits, trying to fulfill Satan’s boast to destroy our Lord’s Church within a century, were engaging in fierce attacks against it.


Although the Pontiff also saw St. Michael casting Satan (also known as the devil) and his demons back into Hell in his vision, he was so horrified by what he had seen he felt compelled to help defend our faith in this struggle.

In the Saint Michael prayer he throws down the gauntlet to “the father of lies” as Jesus calls the devil in John’s Gospel (8:44), by enlisting the help of a very special Archangel:

St. Michael the Archangel,

defend us in battle.

Be our defense against the wickedness and snares of the Devil.

May God rebuke him, we humbly pray,

and do thou,

O Prince of the heavenly hosts,

by the power of God,

thrust into hell Satan,

and all the evil spirits,

who prowl about the world

seeking the ruin of souls.

Amen.

Prayer to Break the Curse of Poverty

Prayer to Break the Curse of Poverty

Father, I come in the Name of Jesus to repent for the sins and transgressions of my ancestors. I repent for all disobedience of Your commands by turning away and listening to the enemy or to other people. Father, I receive the redemption from the curse by the Blood of Jesus and ask you to break off all curses of poverty upon my family line and upon me. I declare that the blood of Jesus has broken every curse.

Lord, I repent for anyone in my family line who offered sacrifices that were not favourable and right. I repent for any withholding of the first fruits and the best portions; I repent for all wrong motives and attitudes of hearts. I repent for anger, resentment and bloodshed of my brother. Lord, please forgive any bloodshed and bring peace to the blood that cries out.

Lord, please break all Canaanite curses against me, as today I declare, I am my brother’s keeper! Lord, please restore the ground to me and please restore Your promise of blessings and fruitfulness. Lord, please remove any marks on me and break the curse of wandering. Father, please allow my family to come into Your presence again as a chosen covenant people.

I repent for all my ancestors who denied justice to the poor, for all who held on to ill will, and for all who withheld forgiveness to a brother. I repent for shutting my ears to the poor, for exploitation of the poor, and for crushing them in court. I repent for all who did not forgive, but held grudges and became bitter against those who unjustly exploited them or crushed them.

Lord, please break all curses others have spoken against my ancestors or me because of the guilt of our sins and transgressions. Lord, please remove any curses that have put up walls of separation between You and me. Hear my prayers again and please open my eyes, ears, and heart.

I repent for any generational dishonesty, even the smallest hidden, accepted, or self-justified dishonesty.

I repent for any of my ancestors who would not forgive debts in the Lord’s timing and who ignored the poor. I repent for all hardheartedness, tightfistedness, and unforgiveness. Lord, please restore mercy and cheerful giving in my family line. Please bless me as You promised in Your Word.

Lord, I repent for generational idolatry, for disobedience, and for not following Your commands. I repent for not serving You joyfully and gladly in my time of prosperity.

Lord, please break all curses against us that send locusts and worms, Lord, please break all skies of bronze and ground of iron. Please release any captive sons or daughters and stop the destruction. Lord, please remove all iron yokes, all blindness, oppression, and spirits of robbery. Lord, please break the curses of hunger, nakedness, dire poverty, and slavery.

Lord, I repent for any of my ancestors who were unfaithful, greedy, disobedient, thieves or liars. I repent for breaking the covenant and coveting or keeping the things of the pagans and not totally destroying them as commanded.

Lord, please break any curses that have come on my family for the evil they did, especially the curse of destruction by fire.

I repent for all ancestors who were evil and tried to control and frustrate the poor. Lord I repent for any in my family line who put up security or pledges for another. Lord, please forgive any unfulfilled debts. I break all ungodly covenants, oaths, and alliances. Lord, please remove all traps or snares from the words of my mouth. Please break all sluggish and slumbering spirits from me and restore wisdom and ambition.

I repent for all my ancestors who unduly withheld from others and for all who trusted in riches rather than in God. I repent for all who ignored discipline and correction. I repent for all greed, bribes, and for idle talk and boasting. I repent for inaction, nonperformance, and not keeping my word.

Lord, please break all curses of injustice and shunning and please break any walls between me and others and between me and You. Please restore honour to our family.

Lord, I repent for myself and for all my ancestors for being liars, hasty, proud, arrogant, selfish and lovers of the world and its pleasures. I repent for our lack of diligence, oppression of the needy, exploitation, and favouritism. I repent for all rejection of God and any cursing or blasphemy of God.

Lord, I repent for all my family’s sluggishness, laziness, neglect, and lack of judgment; I repent for anyone in my family who charged exorbitant interest. I repent for any and all family concealed sins. I repent for spiritual pride in those who would not repent.

I repent for any ancestors who chased fantasies because they were stingy and greedy. I repent for all who did not fight injustice, were unfair, and closed their ears to the cries of the poor and needy.

Lord, please break all poverty curses off of me and change my heart.

Lord, I repent for myself and anyone in my family who followed deceptive words and relied on social or religious identity for salvation. I repent for injustice, for oppressing the aliens, widows and the fatherless. I repent for any idolatry, for all ungodly sacrifices and worship, all innocent bloodshed, and for stealing, adultery, perjury and murder for myself and my family line. I repent for all our backsliding, rebellion, disobedience, pride, and spiritual pride. Lord, please break all connections and control that the evil spirits has on my family and please restore in me wholeheartedness. Please make my heart pure, noble, faithful, and sensitive to You.

Lord, I repent for all generational idolatry and ask You to remove any spirit of prostitution in my heart. I repent for all corruption, guilt, sin, arrogance and unfaithfulness. Lord, I repent for all illegitimacy in my line.

Lord, please set me free from the spiritual enemies of righteous finances: moths, rot, lions, sickness, and sores. Please restore Your covenant as promised.

Lord, I repent for all my ancestors who were boastful and proud of their position, standing, and authority. I renounce all love of sin or iniquity. I repent for myself and for all in my family line who became comfortable, selfish hoarders and trusted in their wealth. I repent for all who sold their righteousness, for all who enslaved others, and for all who trampled the poor. I repent for all who were stingy and controlling of wealth.

Lord, please remove any curse that keeps me from enjoying the fruit of my labor. Please break off from me any poverty curses that have been passed on through my generational line, from Adam to me. Lord, please break off from me all curses “that there will never be enough.” Lord, please restore to me a new purse without any holes. Please break off from me all curses of lack, shrinking, theft, loss, blight, mildew, and hail.

Lord, I repent for myself and for all those in my family line for being controlling, deceptive, and for putting ungodly burdens on others. I repent for trying to please man rather than God and for accepting praise, honour, worship, or ungodly authority and titles from men. I renounce all religious spirits, legalistic spirits, self-exaltation and hypocrisy. I repent for myself and my generational line for not entering the door to heaven and for shutting it on others. I repent for being a blind guide, and I ask You, Lord, to break all ungodly oaths, covenants, pledges, dedications, and alliances. I repent for all ungodly and insincere sacrifices or for any sacrifice on an unholy altar. I repent for being unjust, merciless, unfaithful, greedy, and self-indulgent. I repent for harbouring sin or wickedness. I repent for myself and my family line for rejecting, mocking, cursing, or killing the prophets and the messengers from God. I renounce any spiritual pride that rebels against repentance, and I apply the blood of Jesus to all the roots of iniquity. I repent for all my ancestors who would not believe or declare that Jesus was Lord.

Lord, please give me the mind of Christ in the matters of finance.

I repent for myself and my ancestors who committed adultery with the queen of Babylon and enjoyed or benefited from her luxuries. Lord, please break all ungodly ties and connections with the queen of Babylon. I repent for myself and for those in my family line who did not come out of the queen of Babylon. Lord, please remove all consequences and plagues that were a result of any alliances with the queen of Babylon. Please remove all plagues of death, mourning, famine, and judgment fire.

Lord, please guide me by Your Spirit and Your word in the godly use of wealth and teach me to be a faithful servant.

Sourced from: ASLANSPLACE.COM

Saint Francis of Asisi

 October 4 is the Memorial of Saint Francis of Assisi, friar and preacher!

1. St. Francis came from a wealthy family but he gave up luxurious living, and live a life of  poverty and total dependence on the good God, after hearing the Lord’s voice who commanded him to rebuild the Christian church. No one else in history was as dedicated as him in imitating the life and carrying out the work of Christ in Christ’s way. He was the first to receive the stigmata, the wounds of Christ in his hands and feet.

2. He established the Franciscan Order of friars known as street preachers with no possessions, and the women's Order of the Poor Ladies. He composed the “Rule of life” for the Franciscans.

3. He preached to people about the life of Jesus Christ. With his evangelical zeal, consecration to poverty, charity, and  his incredible charisma, he drew thousands of followers. He practised true equality by showing utmost respect and love to every person regardless of their status in life. He helped and cared for the sick, the poor, and even lepers. He had great veneration for the Eucharist and respect for the priests who carried out the sacraments.

4. He was the first to set up the nativity scene.

5. He recognized creation as manifestation of the beauty of God. He loves nature and can communicate with animals. He persuaded a wolf by making the sign of the cross to stop attacking the people and their livestock. 

6. St. Francis’ response to God’s grace and calling in his life was remarkable. He is a shining example of carrying out the great commission equipped with boldness and grace by the Holy Spirit. Through his obedience, sacrifice, and humility, his love for God and service for others, he has left a legacy that serves as inspiration to all.

PRAYER

Oh Lord, You imprinted the sacred marks of Thy Passion on the body of blessed father Francis, mercifully grant that by his merits and prayers, may we find relief in the current difficulties the world is experiencing.

Beloved Saint Francis, obtain for us and for our families, relatives, and friends the blessings, providence, healing, mercy, and protection of God now and always. 

Saint Francis of Assisi, pray for us and the whole world. Amen!

The Blessed Virgin Mary’s Hymn of Praise to the Lord

                        

                        THE MAGNIFICAT 
                     (The Canticle of Mary)

The Magnificat 
is taken from Luke’s Gospel (1:46-55), is the Blessed Virgin Mary’s hymn of praise to the Lord. It is also known as the Canticle of Mary in the Liturgy of the Hours, a special collection of scripture readings, psalms, and hymns that constitute what is known as the prayer of the church. (Priests and other religious are required to pray sections from the Liturgy of the Hours each day.)

Mary proclaims the Lord’s greatness with characteristic humility and grace here.

My soul magnifies the Lord
And my spirit rejoices in God my Savior;
Because He has regarded the lowliness of His handmaid;
For behold, henceforth all generations shall call me blessed;
Because He who is mighty has done great things for me,
and holy is His name;
And His mercy is from generation to generation
on those who fear Him.
He has shown might with His arm,
He has scattered the proud in the conceit of their heart.
He has put down the mighty from their thrones,
and has exalted the lowly.
He has filled the hungry with good things,
and the rich He has sent away empty.
He has given help to Israel, his servant, mindful of His mercy
Even as he spoke to our fathers, to Abraham and to his posterity forever.

The Magnificat provides great material for meditation on the Visitation, the second Joyful Mystery of the Rosary, pictured above. When the angel Gabriel informs Mary that she is to be the Mother of God, he also tells her of her relative Elizabeth’s pregnancy with John the Baptist.

TRUST IN THE POWERUL INTERCESSION OF OUR LADY

Since we are so little (incapable, incompetent . . . really: nothing), we are in need of help. Thankfully, we have been given free access to all the help we need. We have been given the wondrous gift of a Mother who is completely kind, ever merciful, and all-powerful with God. God clearly foresaw our ineptitude to walk on the Way (which is Christ) to our Goal (our Father in Heaven), and so He has given us His Mother to be our own Mother, so that she (who is so filled with the Holy Spirit) may embrace us in our weakness and carry us along. Truly, she is the Mediatrix of all Graces, mediating the Grace of God to us her little ones.

Perhaps an analogy could help this truth to sink deeper into our hearts. In my growing up family, my dad was the “breadwinner.” My mom, though, was completely free—and even encouraged—to withdraw from their joint bank account any amount she wanted, for whatever purpose she wanted.

“If you ever feel distressed during your day—call upon our Lady—just say this simple
 prayer: ‘Mary, Mother of Jesus, please be a mother to me now.’ I must admit—this 
prayer has never failed me.”   —Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta"

 My father trusted her completely; they were a team. We could apply this to our Lord and our
 Blessed Mother Mary. They are “co-signers” on the “Heavenly Bank Account” (the Graces of Redemption). Our Lady is free—and even encouraged by our Lord—to “withdraw” and distribute Graces and Blessings as she sees fit, to help us on our journey to our true Home: Heaven. And
the Grace she is most particularly pleased to grant, to those who humbly request it of her, is a
deeper union and a closer intimacy with the Sacred Heart of her Son Jesus, who is truly present
in the Eucharist.

Sweet Blessed Virgin Mary, I turn to you as your very poor little child, weak and wounded in 
many ways, asking your compassionate assistance. I trust that our Merciful Lord will not 
deny you anything . . . especially since you never denied Him anything! Therefore, I 
humbly yet confidently lay before you all my needs and concerns. In particular, I give 
you this burden which weighs so heavily upon my heart: ________________. Thank 
you in advance, dear Mother, for hearing this prayer and answering it. Please help me to 
continue to grow in my trust in your powerful intercession, and the Lord’s tender Love, 
which is manifested in a particular way through the gift He gave us of YOU!

—By Fr. Francis of the Redeemer

PRAYER TO THE IMMACULATE HEART OF MARY

PRAYER TO THE IMMACULATE HEART OF MARY

O Mary, Virgin most powerful and Mother of mercy, Queen of Heaven and Refuge of sinners, we consecrate ourselves to thine Immaculate Heart.

We consecrate to thee our very being and our whole life; all that we have, all that we love, all that we are. To thee we give our bodies, our hearts and our souls; to thee we give our homes, our families, our country. We desire that all that is in us and around us may belong to thee, and may share in the benefits of thy motherly benediction. And that this act of consecration may be truly efficacious and lasting, we renew this day at thy feet the promises of our Baptism and our first Holy Communion.

We pledge ourselves to profess courageously and at all times the truths of our holy Faith, and to live as befits Catholics who are duly submissive to all the directions of the Pope and the Bishops in communion with him. We pledge ourselves to keep the commandments of God and His Church, in particular to keep holy the Lord's Day. We likewise pledge ourselves to make the consoling practices of the Christian religion, and above all, Holy Communion, an integral part of our lives, in so far as we shall be able so to do.

Finally, we promise thee, O glorious Mother of God and loving Mother of men, to devote ourselves whole-heartedly to the service of thy blessed cult, in order to hasten and assure, through the sovereignty of thine Immaculate Heart, the coming of the kingdom of the Sacred Heart of thine adorable Son, in our own hearts and in those of all men, in our country and in all the world, as in heaven. so on earth.

SHARE TO YOUR FAMILY AND FRIENDS 

Say this Consecration Prayer to the Immaculate Heart of Mary so that all that is in us and around us may belong to her and may share in the benefits of her motherly benediction

CONSECRATION TO THE IMMACULATE HEART.
By Saint Padre Pio

O MARY, Virgin most powerful and Mother of mercy, Queen of heaven and Refuge of sinners, we consecrate ourselves to your Immaculate Heart. We consecrate to you our very being and our whole life; all that we have, all that we love, all that we are. To you we give our bodies, our hearts and our souls; to you we give our homes, our families, our country. We desire that all that is in us and around us may belong to you, and may share in the benefits of your motherly benediction.

And that this act of consecration may be truly efficacious and lasting, we renew this day at your feet the promises of our Baptism and our first Holy Communion. We pledge ourselves to profess courageously and at all times the truths, of our Holy Faith,and to live as Catholics who are duly submissive to all the directions of the Pope and the Bishops in communion with him. We pledge ourselves to keep the commandments of God and His Church, in particular to keep holy the Lord’s day. We likewise pledge ourselves to make the consoling practices of the Christian religion, and above all, Holy Communion, an integral part of our lives, in so far as we shall be able to do so.

Finally, we promise you, O glorious Mother of God and loving Mother of all, to devote ourselves whole-heartedly to your service, in order to hasten and assure, through the sovereignty of your Immaculate Heart, the coming of the kingdom of the Sacred Heart of your adorable Son, in our own hearts and in the hearts of all, in our country and in all the world, as in heaven, so on earth.
Amen.