THE GREAT SAINT WHO HAD THE GIFTS OF VISIONS, MIRACLES AND PROPHECY

Saint Gertrude The Great

Saint Gertrude was born January 6, 1256 in Germany. By 1261 as a student at the Benedictine abbey at Helfta in Saxony she had been placed in the care of the Abbey, Gertrude. The nuns of Helfta described Gertrude as a loveable and quick-witted. At the age of 15 or 16 she entered the Benedictine community as a novice, where she eventually became a teacher at the school. Gertrude was not very pious as a nun. She began to find the routine of the Benedictine community tiresome. By 1280 she had become depressed and withdrawn.

Shortly after her 25 birthday Jesus spoke to Gertrude. She tells us that she heard Christ say to her, "Do not fear. I will save you and set you free." This was the first in a series of visions that transformed her life. From then on, she spent many hours reading the bible and writing essays on the word of God. When she was asked to write about her experiences, she claimed that it would serve no purpose. When she was told that her words would encourage others, Gertrude agreed to write spiritual autobiography. Only the first 24 chapters of this book, THE HERALD OF GOD'S LOVING-KINDNESS, is her writing. The remainder has been added by members of the community to which she belonged. Gertrude also wrote her SPIRITUAL EXERCISES, a book of prayers, hymns and reflections. St. Gertrude is one of the leading women religious writers of the late 13th century. Outwardly, she appeared to be a the simple Benedictine nun. She had a great devotion to the Holy Souls in purgatory. Her raptures were frequent and so absorbing that she was insensible to what passed around her. She had the gift of miracles well as that of prophecy.

During one of her visions Jesus told ST. Gertrude that the following prayer would release

1000 souls from purgatory each time it is said:

'Eternal Father, I offer Thee the most precious blood of thy Divine Son, Jesus, in union with the Masses said throughout the world today, for all the Holy Souls in Purgatory, for sinners everywhere, for sinners in the universal church, those in my own home and within my family’

RELEASE SOULS FROM PURGATORY THROUGH THIS POWERFUL PRAYER

CHAPLET OF SAINT GERTRUDE

If one prays the entire St. Gertrude Chaplet (see below), which is said on an ordinary rosary, Our Lord releases 50,000 souls from purgatory each time it is said!

How easy it would be to empty out purgatory if we each prayed this form of the rosary just once a day!

 How to pray the Chaplet of Saint Gertrude

The Chaplet of Saint Gertrude is prayed on an ordinary Rosary.

Beginning at the Cross, pray the "Apostle's Creed".

This is followed by 1 "Our Father", 3 "Hail Mary" and 1 "Glory be".

Starting on the Medal and then on the 4 large beads between each decade (sets of 10 beads), pray the "Our Father."

On each of the small beads (in the sets of 10 beads), say the following prayer:

"Eternal Father,

I offer Thee the Most Precious Blood of Thy Divine Son, Jesus,

in union with the Masses said throughout the world today,

for all the holy souls in Purgatory,

for sinners in the universal Church,

those in my own home,

and within my family.

Amen."

At the end of each set of 10 beads, say the following prayers:

"Most Sacred Heart of Jesus,

open the hearts and minds of sinners

to the truth and light of God, the Father."

"Immaculate Heart of Mary,

pray for the conversion of sinners and the world."

and 1 "Glory be."

Then on the next large bead start again with the "Our Father".

Repeat above to the end of the Rosary.

THE DIVINE MERCY CHAPLET THROUGH THE ROSARY

The Divine Mercy Chaplet is a relatively recent but very popular devotion revealed by Our Lord to St. Maria Faustina Kowalska, a Polish nun. On Good Friday 1937, Christ appeared to Saint Faustina and asked her to recite this chaplet for nine days, starting on Good Friday and ending on the Octave of Easter (the Sunday after Easter Sunday), now known as Divine Mercy Sunday.

The chaplet is most often recited during those nine days, but it can be prayed at any time of the year, and Saint Maria Faustina recited it almost unceasingly.

A standard rosary can be used to recite the chaplet, and the entire devotion takes just 20 minutes—about the time it takes to pray the rosary.

Step 1

Make the Sign of the Cross

Step 2

Pray the opening prayers. There are two opening prayers; the second is repeated three times:

First Prayer
You expired, Jesus, but the source of life gushed forth for souls, and the ocean of mercy opened up for the whole world. O Fount of Life, unfathomable Divine Mercy, envelop the whole world and empty Yourself out upon us.

Second Prayer
O Blood and Water, which gushed forth from the Heart of Jesus as a fount of mercy for us, I trust in You! (repeat three times)

Step 3

Pray the Our Father

Step 4

Pray the Hail Mary

Step 5

Say the Apostles' Creed

Step 6

Pray the prayer "Eternal Father." On the Our Father bead before each decade, pray the following prayer:

Eternal Father
Eternal Father, I offer You the Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity of Your dearly beloved Son, Our Lord Jesus Christ, in atonement for our sins and those of the whole world. Amen.

Step 7

Pray the prayer "For the Sake of His Sorrowful Passion" 10 times. On each of the Hail Mary beads in each decade, pray the following prayer:

For the Sake of His Sorrowful Passion

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

Step 8

Repeat steps 6 and 7: On each of the next four decades of the Chaplet, repeat steps 6 and 7 (pray the "Eternal Father," followed by 10 "For the Sake of His Sorrowful Passion")

Step 9

After you have prayed all five decades of the Chaplet, pray "Concluding Doxology," which is repeated three times:

Holy God, Holy Mighty One, Holy Immortal One, have mercy on us and on the whole world." (repeat three times)

Step 10 

After the doxology, pray the Closing Prayer:

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. Amen.

Step 11

End With the Sign of the Cross

EUCHARISTIC MIRACLE OF CHIRATTAKONAM

Eucharistic Miracle of Chirattakonam
This Eucharistic Miracle took place recently, on May 5, 2001 at Trivandrum, India. In the consecrated Host, the face of a man resembling Christ crowned with thorns appeared. Father Johnson Karoor, pastor of the church where the Miracle occurred, recounts in his report: “On April 28, 2001, in the parish church of St. Mary at Chirattakonam, we began, as we do each year, our Novena to St. Jude Thaddeus. At 8:49 in the
morning, I exposed the Blessed Sacrament in the monstrance and began
a time for public adoration.

After a few minutes, I saw three marks on the Holy Eucharist. At that point, I stopped praying and began to look at the monstrance, inviting the faithful also to wonder at the three marks. I then asked the faithful to remain praying and then put the monstrance back inside the tabernacle. On April 30, I celebrated Holy Mass and the day after I departed for Trivandrum. After returning, on May 5, 2001, I opened the church for the regular Masses, I prepared myself and I went to open the tabernacle to see what had happened to the Eucharistic host of the monstrance, and I at once noticed in it a figure resembling a human face. I was very moved and asked the faithful to kneel down and begin to pray. I thought that it was only I who had seen the face, and
then I asked the altar boy what he observed in the monstrance. He
answered, ‘I see the figure of a man.’ I noticed that the rest of the faithful also gazed intently at the monstrance.
We began the Adoration and as the minutes passed by, the figure of the manbecame more clearly defined. I did not have the courage to say anything, and I began to cry.
During the time of adoration, we had the custom of reading a passage from Sacred Scripture.The passage which fell upon me that day was the one from Chapter 20 of St. John’s Gospel,which recounts the episode when the Risen Jesus appeared to St. Thomasand asked him to look upon His wounds. I managed to say only a few words in my homily, and as I had to celebrate

Holy Mass at the neighboring parish of Kokkodu, I arranged for a photographer to come at once to take a picture of the Holy Eucharist with the human face inside it. The photographs were developed in two hours, and in every photo, the face appeared ever more clear.”
His Blessedness Cyril Mar Baselice, Archbishop of Trivandrum, wrote regarding this Miracle:
“[…] For us believers, what we saw is something we have always believed […] If Our Lord is speaking to us by giving us this sign, this most surely requires a response on our part.” The monstrance containing the Miraculous Host is still preserved in the church.

THE POWER OF BROWN SCAPULAR

The Brown Scapular special sign of salvation

The Brown Scapular shall be a special sign of salvation, a protection in danger, and a pledge of peace. Whosoever dies wearing this Scapular shall not suffer eternal fire.”

The apparition of Our Lady Of Mount Carmel

Our Lady appeared to St. Simon Stock, a Carmelite and handed him a brown woolen scapular, in the year 1251, in the town of Aylesford in England.

Simple devotion

By simply wearing the Scapular, we can tell to Our Lady, every moment of the day that we venerate her, love her and trust in her protection.

The Scapular Is a Silent Prayer

When we use the scapular as a prayer, Our Lady draws us to the Sacred Heart of Her Divine Son. It is good, therefore, to hold the scapular in the hand. A prayer offered while holding the Scapular is as perfect as a prayer can be. It is especially in time of temptation that we need the powerful intercession of God’s Mother. The evil spirit is utterly powerless when the wearer of a scapular faces temptation, calling upon the Holy Virgin in this silent Devotion. 

The Rosary and the Scapular Are Inseparable

In order to obtain the graces and promises recieved from wearing the Scapular, one should wear it devoutly. In other words, under the usual conditions, i.e. state of grace (Go to Confession regularly!!), be properly invested/enrolled by a Catholic priest, pray either the Little Office of the Blessed Virgin Mary or 5 decades of the Most Holy Rosary daily. Novenas to Our Lady of Mt. Carmel are optional but highly recommended to show the Mater Dei that we Her most lowly and undeserving servants have faith in Her most powerful protection and intercession.

Three amazing miracles

Amongst the myriad of miracles attributed to the Brown Scapular, there are a few more famous occurrences:

1- In May 1957, in Westenboden, Germany, an entire row of houses had caught fire. The inhabitants of one of the houses fixed a scapular to the front door of their home. Five hours later, 22 homes on the block had burnt to the ground. Yet amidst the destruction, the home with the scapular attached to it stood unharmed. This miracle was witnessed by hundreds of people.

2- Three holy men devoted to the scapular, Pope Bl. Gregory X, St. Alphonsus Liguori,and St. John Bosco, all died wearing the scapular. When their graves were opened years later, the bodies and vestments had decayed but their scapulars remained perfectly intact.

3- In November of 1955, a plane carrying 27 passengers crashed in Guatemala. All the passengers died except for one young girl. She related that when the plane was going down, she clutched her scapular and cried out to Our Lady for help. She was burnt and her clothes were tattered and burnt as well, but the girl was overall unharmed and her scapular free from any burns.

 Prayer for Protection 

O my God, in union with the Immaculate Heart of Mary, I offer Thee the Precious Blood of Jesus from all the altars throughout the world, joining with It the offering of my every thought, word and action of this day.

With loving provident care, O Mother Most Admirable, you covered us with your Scapular
as a shield of defence against the Evil One.
Through your assistance, may we bravely struggle against the powers of evil, always open to your Son Jesus Christ.
(pause and mention petitions)

Precious Blood of Jesus, save us! Immaculate Heart of Mary, pray for us! Sacred Heart of Jesus, have mercy on us!

Amen

URGENT NOVENA TO OUR BLESSED VIRGIN MARY

       POWERFUL EMERGENCY NOVENA TO OUR LADY VIRGIN MARY
                When needing an answer to prayers quickly and without delay

When needing an answer to our prayers quickly and without delay, Mother Teresa of Calcutta famously prayed a "Flying" novena. This is a simple and quick way to pray a 'novena' when you don't have a full nine days!
How do you pray this novena? Well, Mother Teresa would pray the 'Memorare Prayer' nine times in a row rather than praying it once a day for nine days. Her religious sisters, The Missionaries Of Charity, continue this practice today.
Of course, you can pray it either way.

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen

Mention your personal intentions now...

MEMORARE NOVENA
Remember, O most gracious Virgin Mary that never was it known that anyone who fled to your protection, implored your help was left unaided.
 Inspired with this confidence, I fly unto you O Virgin of virgins, my mother.
To you I come, before You I stand, sinful and sorrowful.
O Mother of the Word incarnate, despise not my petitions, but in Your clemency, hear and answer me. Amen

Repeat the prayer  9 times.
Then pray the Hail Mary 3 times

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.

PRAYER FOR PROTECTION

Dear Lord Jesus, please surround me (my family/friends/home) with a perimeter of Your Love and Protection throughout the day today and every day a hundred yards in all directions.

Lord Jesus, render any demons that are here or should try to come, deaf, dumb, and blind. Strop them of all weapons, illusions, armor, power, and authority.

Disable them from communicating or interacting in any way. Bind, sever, and separate them, sending them directly to the foot of Your Cross, without manifestation or harm, to us or to anyone, to be dealt with by you Jesus as you see fit.

May Your Precious Blood cover us, the Holy Spirit fill us, Mary’s mantle of love and protection surround us, St. Joseph guide us, the Holy Angels and Saints guard and protect us from all unfortunate events. Protect us from fire, theft, vandalism, flood, storms, ailments and accidents of every sort, distress, hardship, curse, and all untoward things. I ask this all in your Name Jesus, through Mary’s intercession, now. Amen!

St. Michael, St. Joseph, St. Padre Pio, St. John Paul II, and Mother Mary, pray for us!

Amen!!!

ACT OF CONSECRATION TO YOUR GUARDIAN ANGEL

Holy Guardian Angel, you were given to me at the beginning of my life as a protector and companion. Poor sinner that I am, I, (name) want to consecrate myself to you today in the presence of my Lord and God, Mary, my Celestial Mother, and all the angels and saints.
I want to unite myself to you today and never more be separated from you.

United intimately with you, I promise to be faithful and obedient to my Lord and God and the holy Church.
I promise to always proclaim Mary as my Queen and Mother and to make her life be a model for mine.

I promise to proclaim my faith in you, my holy protector, and zealously promote the devotion to the holy angels as being, in a special way, protection and help during this time of spiritual struggle for the Kingdom of God.

I ask you, holy Angel of the Lord, all the strength of divine love so that I may be inflamed by it; I ask that my union with you may be for me a protecting shield against the enemy’s assaults.

Finally, I ask you, my holy Guardian Angel, for the most holy Virgin’s grace of humility to preserve me from all dangers so that guided by you I may reach the Heavenly Homeland.
Amen.

OUR CONNECTION TO OUR DECEASED LOVED ONES - THE EUCHARIST

While death can seem like a wide separation, those who died in grace are closer to us than they were on earth.

The death of a close relative or friend can hit us hard. We cherished their presence when they were alive and their death leaves an unfortunate void in our lives.

However, while death separates us in a physical way, it’s not the end. There is hope found in the Eucharist.

The Catechism of the Catholic Church explains why we call the Eucharistic celebration “holy communion.”

Holy Communion, because by this sacrament we unite ourselves to Christ, who makes us sharers in his Body and Blood to form a single body. (CCC 1331)

Furthermore, the Catechism goes on to expand on this reality, stating that the “Eucharist is celebrated in communion with the whole Church in heaven and on earth, the living and the dead.”

The worthy reception of Holy Communion at Mass unites us to Jesus Christ, and by doing so, unites us to everyone who is in union with him. This includes all the saints in heaven, not simply the “canonized” ones recognized by the Church, but all the deceased individuals who have been purified by Christ’s love.

Jan Wakelin at Catholic Answers explains this dimension of the Eucharist.

The Eucharist also unites heaven and earth. Many who have lost a loved one may experience closeness to that person after receiving Communion or while in adoration of the Blessed Sacrament. These feelings may be a result of a deep theological awareness that those who died in grace are alive in Christ; thus our nearness to Christ in the Eucharist brings us nearer to them as well.

On this side of the veil, we do not know for certain if a beloved relative or friend is united with Christ in Heaven. They may have had to experience a period of purgation in the afterlife, before being able to walk through the gates of Heaven. Others we know may have led a virtuous life and died a beautiful death, united to the cross of Jesus Christ.

Regardless of who is in Heaven, in the Eucharist we are united in a spiritual way to countless people who have died. In this way, we are closer to them then we would have been when they were alive. It is a mysterious theological truth, but one that can give us comfort in this “vale of tears.”

The Eucharist is a foretaste of that heavenly banquet, when we will be united to Jesus and those in Heaven in a way that we cannot fathom here on earth. It gives us hope that one day, we will be reunited with our beloved friend, parent, spouse or child.

Death does not have the final say. Jesus has conquered death and has provided a place for us and our loved ones to live in love and peace for all eternity.