Nativity of the Blessed Virgin

Happy Birthday Mary... Queen of Angels.

The Assumption

A reflection prayer...

•··°··•

On this Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, let us not forget Mary's fiat. 

Let us remember to say yes to the Lord, and let us strive to be sinless, not for our good, but for His good and His Will.

O' Mary, conceived without sin, ever virgin, and assumed into Heaven, pray for us to our Lord.

Pray that we may say yes to His will in the face of our desires; and allow us to do that which pleases Him most.

Pray that we may move away from sin and towards a more glorious love of God.

Intercede for us and pray that we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ. 

•··°··•

Dogma of the Assumption (Link to Fr. Acervo)

The Job of a Priest

Fr. Longenecker, of Standing on my Head wrote about his first homily at his new parish. He conveyed a message that I haven't heard since I was back in Michigan listening the likes of Fr. Acervo and Fr. Ricardo.

His post talked about the Cross, what a parish is for, and the role of a parish priest. You can read his full post here: "The Way of the Cross"


The most telling part for me was how he views the role of a parish priest:

Just completed my first Sunday as the new parish priest at Our Lady of the Rosary Parish. Got a very warm welcome and we're off to a flying start. The homily was about what a parish is for, and therefore what a parish priest's job is.

I spoke about the cross being made up of the vertical beam and the horizontal. The vertical represents our worship of God and fulfills the first commandment to Love God. Therefore the first priority of the church is not social work or pastoral concern or political change or being nice people or even education or catechesis, but worship, devotions, prayer and the sacramental life. Therefore the parish priest's first job is to lead the people to "worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness, bow down before him his praises proclaim." Part of that job at OLR is going to be to build a new church. Plans are well underway and you can follow the progress of that exciting project here.

I wish more priests would take this view. What separates us from other Christian denominations are the Sacraments and our devotion to Mary, the Angels and Saints.  If they are not our focus... then are we really, truly Catholic?

I wonder what a pastoral lay leaders first job is... since they have different "abilities" and limitations?
Is that why some parishes struggle?
Could a strong and very orthodox lay leader do the same as a priest?

I wonder?

Maybe that is why Jesus set things up the way He did...


... He sure was smart wasn't He?


.

Prayer Intention.

Please pray for me, and my family. Especially those doing the Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Novena.

I wear a scapular, probably don't deserve to, but did not participate this year... for a multitude of reasons.

I probably should have.

The intention is personal, but it involves our future, where we will/should live, and careers.

The night seems quite dark. They say it is always darkest before the dawn... let us hope so.

Our Lady of Mt. Carmel ~ Ora Pro Nobis

Feast of Our Lady of Perpetual Help - June 27

Our Lady of Perpetual Help

Feastday - June 27

~

Ora Pro Nobis

June 27th is the Feast of Our Lady of Perpetual Help. For a wonderful devotion regarding this feast please read Adoro Te Devote's post from a few years ago: Feast of Our Lady of Perpetual Help

Immaculate Mary... [Month of Mary]

Immaculate

Ever Virgin

Ever Sinless

Total Assumption

...

Totus Tuus...

Ave Maris Stella

Ave, Maris Stella,

Dei Mater alma,

Atque semper virgo,

Felix coeli porta.

Sumens illud Ave

Gabrielis ore,

Funda nos in pace,

Mutans Evae nomen.

Solve vincia reis

Profer lumen caecis,

Mala nostra pelle,

Bona cuncta posce.

Monstra te esse Matrem,

Sumat per te preces

Qui pro nobis natus,

Tulit esse tuus.

Virgo singularis,

Inter omnes mitis,

Nos culpis solutos

Mites fac et castos.

Vitam praesta puram,

Iter para tutum;

Ut videntes Jesum

Semper collaetemur.

Sit laus Deo Patri,

Summo Christo decus,

Spiritui Sancto,

Tribus honor unus. Amen.

Hail, thou Star of ocean,

Portal of the sky !

Ever Virgin Mother

Of the Lord most high !

Oh ! by Gabriel's Ave,

Uttered long ago,

Eva's name reversing,

Stablish peace below.

Break the captive's fetters ;

Light on blindness pour ;

All our ills expelling,

Every bliss implore.

Show thyself a Mother ;

Offer Him our sighs,

Who for us Incarnate

Did not thee despise.

Virgin of all virgins !

To thy shelter take us :

Gentlest of the gentle !

Chaste and gentle make us.

Still, as on we journey,

Help our weak endeavor ;

Till with thee and Jesus

We rejoice forever.

Through the highest heaven,

To the Almighty Three,

Father, Son, and Spirit,

One same glory be. Amen.

Alaskan Catholics: Faith & Reason Apostolate - May Meeting

The Faith & Reason Apostolate

Kenai Peninsula Alaska

"Marian Devotions"

May Meeting - Friday May 14th

7:00 pm - Don Joses in Soldotna

We are going to talk about Marian Devotions.

So if you have any special Marian devotions or prayers please share them with us.

If you have any questions please just email me at:

angelsdefendus@gmail.com

A Crown of 12 Stars - May: The Month of Mary

Now a great sign appeared in heaven: a woman, robed with the sun, standing on the moon, and on her head a crown of twelve stars. - Revelation 12:1

The Month of Mary

As it is May... many Catholics celebrate this month as the "Month of Mary." Therefore... at random I will be making various posts about Mary in various fashions. Everything from Marian Apologetics to Marian pictures.

So to kick things off:

Remember to ask the Blessed Mother for intercession with her Son, our Lord.

I ask for your prayers on this day...

... today I am in need of your prayers.

I would appreciate any extra prayers or spiritual offerings that you could afford to spare. I appreciate it.

I myself will of course be appealing to Our Lady and St. Michael, but in a special way I will be asking Ven. Solanus Casey for his intercession.

Polish Tragedy - Our Lady of Czestochowa Pray for them

***UPDATE***:
The Anchoress has a well put together post on this. Being in Alaska, I am 4 hours behind the east coast, let alone Poland, so I am far behind on this.
Read her post with lots of links here: Prayers for Poland

What a tragedy in Poland... essentially the entire presidential leadership team and key executive officials including the head of the army and the national bank president were killed in a plane crash.

Read here: Polish Plane Crash - Daily Mail

There are obvious major political implications that are far reaching. The deceased president, Lech Kaczynski, and his wife, were killed. Based on the Polish laws governing a situation such as this, his rival and the man that would likely of been his political opponent in the upcoming election will now take power.

We must pray for this strong Catholic nation and political and military ally of the United States.

Our Lady of Czestochowa, pray for Poland, pray for us.

***UPDATE***:
Sancte Pater has a photo post... that proves pictures are sometimes speak, when words can't.

The Solemnity of the Annunciation

Mary said... "Yes."

So too, must we say "Yes."

Be our protection...

A quick thought...

What if *after* Mass we as individuals or families, quietly recited a prayer guiding us through the week? Do you pray after Mass, even briefly? If the Mass is the SUMMIT of our week, then why not depart the Mass seeking protection, guidance, or help?

What if we all took the extra 30 seconds or minute to pray these, quietly aloud after Mass? Imagine if hundreds and thousands appealed to St. Michael or the Blessed Virgin for protection and guidance throughout the week?

At one time, after any Low Mass, certain prayers were a part of the Mass... maybe those would be good. [For more on the Leonine Prayers see: Sancta Missa - Leonine Prayers] My wife and I have started doing this... and some have commented how they miss this tradition.

Here are some suggestions:

Prayer to Saint Michael:

Saint Michael the Archangel,

defend us in battle;

be our protection against the wickedness and snares of the devil.

May God rebuke him, we humbly pray:

and do thou, O Prince of the heavenly host,

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.

Salve Regina

Hail, holy Queen, Mother of Mercy,
our life, our sweetness and our hope.
To thee do we cry, poor banished children of Eve;
to thee do we send up our sighs,
mourning and weeping in this valley of tears.

Turn then, most gracious advocate,
thine eyes of mercy toward us;
and after this our exile,
show unto us the blessed fruit of thy womb, Jesus.
O clement, O loving, O sweet Virgin Mary.

V./ Pray for us O holy Mother of God,
R./ that we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.

-Posted by: Joe

Wedding Feast of Cana - Catena Aurea Commentary

If you attend the Novus Ordo Missae (The Ordinary Form of the Mass) this Sunday, you will hear the "Wedding Feast at Cana" Gospel as it is the 2nd Sunday of Ordinary Time. The commentary of the Catena Aurea is below and my comments in red:

Gospel: John 2:1-11

1 On the third day there was a wedding at Cana in Galilee. The mother of Jesus was there,
2 and Jesus and his disciples had also been invited.3 And they ran out of wine, since the wine provided for the feast had all been used, and the mother of Jesus said to him, 'They have no wine.'
4 Jesus said, 'Woman, what do you want from me? My hour has not come yet.'
5 His mother said to the servants, 'Do whatever he tells you.'
6 There were six stone water jars standing there, meant for the ablutions that are customary among the Jews: each could hold twenty or thirty gallons.
7 Jesus said to the servants, 'Fill the jars with water,' and they filled them to the brim.
8 Then he said to them, 'Draw some out now and take it to the president of the feast.'
9 They did this; the president tasted the water, and it had turned into wine. Having no idea where it came from -- though the servants who had drawn the water knew -- the president of the feast called the bridegroom
10 and said, 'Everyone serves good wine first and the worse wine when the guests are well wined; but you have kept the best wine till now.'
11 This was the first of Jesus' signs: it was at Cana in Galilee. He revealed his glory, and his disciples believed in him.

Catena Aurea Verses 1-4:

Aug.:  Let the proud man blush to see the humility of God. Lo, among other things, the Son of the Virgin comes to a marriage; He who, when He was with the Father, instituted marriage.

BEDE. His condescension in coming to the marriage, and the miracle He wrought there, are, even considering them in the letter only, a strong confirmation of the a faith. Therein too are condemned the errors of Tatian, Marcion, and others who detract from the honor of marriage. For if the undefiled bed, and the marriage celebrated with due chastity, partook at all of sin, our Lord would never have come to one. Whereas now, conjugal chastity being good, the continence of widows better, the perfection of the virgin state best, to sanction all these degrees, but distinguish the merit of each, He deigned to be born of the pure womb of the Virgin; was blessed after birth by the prophetic voice of the widow Anna; and now invited in manhood to attend the celebration of a marriage, honors that also by the presence of His goodness.

CHRYS. But how came it into the mother's mind to expect so great a thing from her Son? for he had done no miracle as yet: as we read afterwards This beginning of miracles did Jesus. His real nature, however, was beginning now to be revealed by John, and His own conversations with His disciples; besides that His conception, and the circumstances of His birth, had from the first given rise to high expectations in her mind: as Luke tells us, His mother kept all these sayings in her heart. Why then did she never ask Him to work a miracle before? Because the time had now come that He should be made known. Before He had lived so much like an ordinary person, that she had not had the confidence to ask Him. But now that she heard that John had borne witness to Him, and that He had disciples, she asks Him confidently.

Verses 5-11:

CHRYS. Although He had said, Mine hour is not yet come, He afterwards did what His mother told Him, in order to show plainly, that He was not under subjection to the hour. For if He was, how could He have done this miracle before the hour appointed for it? In the next place, He wished to show honor to His mother, and make it appear that He did not go counter to her eventually. He would not put her to shame in the presence of so many; especially as she had sent the servants to Him, that the petition might come from a number, and not from herself only; His mother said to the servants, Whatsoever He says to you, do it.

AUG. But see the mysteries which lie hid in that miracle of our Lord. It was necessary that all things should be fulfilled in Christ which were written of Him: those Scriptures were the water. He made the water wine when He opened to them the meaning of these things, and expounded the Scriptures; for thus that came to have a taste which before had none, and that inebriated, which did not inebriate before.

BEDE; As if she said, Though He appear to refuse, He will do it nevertheless. She knew His pity and mercifulness. And there were set there six waterpots of stone, after the manner of the purifying of the Jews, containing two or three firkins apiece. Hydriae are vessels to hold water: hydor being the Greek for water. 

This is one of my favorite Gospel readings because there is soooo much that it conveys and teaches. Volumes of books could be written about this passage alone. The symbolism of Mary, her understanding and guidance of Jesus. Not that He needed it, but instead allowed it and submitted to it. The wedding and its importance to Jesus, and the symbolism of what He did here at Cana as compared to His eternal wedding with the Church. The miracle that He performed, and the various miracles and how this appears to be the first that was written about. One could go on and on explaining it. Just read the Catena Aurea.


-Posted by: Joe

Faith Tested By Fire

For my first post, I was going to write a generic "Hello," but recent events in Haiti have changed my mind. It got me thinking about when we as Catholics are tested in our faith. There is no doubt that everyday we must strive to live out our faith, and as St. Francis said "when necessary, use words." However, there are some instances where we must go above and beyond. For Catholics (and others) in Haiti, they are doing that as this moment.

As this is being written, the rescue efforts in Haiti are just beginning. There is talk about "substantial" casualties. Many buildings, including the US Embassy have been completely destroyed. It is at this moment, that many of the good people of that country will be tested in their faith, and love for their neighbor. Because Haiti is such a poor country there isn't an organized rescue effort, and many people are risking their lives to find others in the rubble.

Many of those ordinary citizens turned rescuers are Catholic. I really believe that as this all plays out the world will see how the people of this economically downtrodden country will pull together to give aid to their neighbor. And it is no better testament to the faith and goodness of people to risk their own lives saving others.

So while we pray for those killed and injured in the earthquake in Haiti, let us also remember in our prayers the rescuers and relief workers who will be risking their lives over the next few days to save those in need.

Our Lady Of Lourdes, Ora Pro Nobis!


-Posted by: Brian