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

Novena for Pope Benedict XVI - Knights of Columbus

The Knights of Columbus have started a Novena for Pope Benedict XVI in honor of the 5th year of his Papacy, and to assist the Church in Her defense against the evil that is attacking Her in the current abuse scandals.

The Novena actually started yesterday, Divine Mercy Sunday, and will run until April 19. The link on the K of C website is: Papal Novena

You can also print prayer cards to hand out to others for eas of use here: Papal Novena - Printable Prayer Card

The more people that join in on this Novena the better. Prayer is a powerful weapon we have against evil. The Pope needs are prayer now more than ever. These are difficult times, but nothing is too difficult for the Lord. Committing ourselves to prayer for the Pope and for Church is the most effective thing we can do at this time.

Or if you just want to pray it yourself here is the prayer:

Lord, source of eternal life and truth,
give to your shepherd, Benedict, a spirit
of courage and right judgment, a spirit
of knowledge and love. By governing
with fidelity those entrusted to his care,
may he, as successor to the Apostle
Peter and Vicar of Christ, build your
Church into a sacrament of unity, love
and peace for all the world. Amen.
V/ Let us pray for Benedict, the pope.

R/ May the Lord preserve him, give him a long life,

make him blessed upon the earth,

and not hand him over to the power of his enemies.

V/ May your hand be upon your holy servant.

R/ And upon your son, whom you have anointed.

Our Father… Hail Mary… Glory Be…

More on the Divine Mercy Novena

As many of you know, I am working on the Divine Mercy Novena. It started on Good Friday, and is a very POWERFUL and promising devotion. In fact, this coming Sunday is DIVINE MERCY SUNDAY and there is a Plenary Indulgence attached to its celebration. Most Churches celebrate the feast and fulfill the devotion at 3:00pm on Divine Mercy Sunday.

The problem with Novenas is that I often post about them a day or two before they start and many folks don't realize they have started until it is "too late." I have never really done much with the Divine Mercy devotion until this year. The more I learn, the more important I think the devotion is. So I was trying to think of a way to get others to join in on the Novena now, in the midst of the nine days, so as to prepare for this Sunday... and I couldn't find the words. That is until I found this at Abbey Roads:

If you haven't started the novena, begin now, having confidence in the Divine Mercy. Remember the parable of the laborers in the vineyard [Matt. 20:1-16]; those who were hired late received the same compensation as those who were hired early in the day. Confidence - trust - is the essence of this devotion.

Of course... confidence and trust in the Mercy of Christ. It isn't about the formula, but about Mercy. So devote yourself to the mercy. Submit and sink in this prayer not for the promise or the reward, but because the reason for the reward is CHRIST, and he wants that reward for you... more than you want it for yourself.

 So start tonight... in fact start now... Click Here for the Novena

Divine Mercy Novena - Starts Today (CDO)

Catholic Dads Online (CDO) - a website that more of you dads need to frequent [and not just because I post there occasionally] has a great post about the Divine Mercy Novena up. The Novena begins today and will end on "Divine Mercy Sunday" or the Sunday after Easter.

This is an excellent opportunity for us as husbands and fathers to pray for the Mercy of Christ through the "Easter Octave." We can form a group of solidarity in this endeavor of prayer.

Please visit the blog and give them some "hits"; here is the link:
Catholic Dads - Divine Mercy Novena

St. Joseph Novena - March 10 - March 19

Today is 9 days before the feast of St. Joseph. Therefore it is the day to start a St. Joseph Novena if you plan on doing one. As is traditional with most Novenas, the day to start one is 9 days before the feast day, or special day upon which it is supposed to end.

Brian - the other blogger here, and I have decided to say this Novena for a couple reasons. First, as we are new fathers, this will be the first St. Joseph's day that we celebrate as father's. Second, we are trying to discern our vocation as lawyers in terms of the areas we would like to practice in, the location, and whether we as friends are supposed to live and work in the same community together with our families.

I would ask that you pray for us, and if you too are searching for work, direction as a father or husband, or just in need of some extra prayer on your behalf - I would ask that you pray it with us.

Here is a link to the EWTN.com version of the Novena:
St. Joseph - Novena - ETWN

Here is Day 1 of that Novena to help you get started:

Day One

FOSTER-FATHER OF JESUS

Saint Joseph, you were privileged to share in the mystery of the Incarnation as the foster-father of Jesus. Mary alone was directly connected with the fulfillment of the mystery, in that she gave her consent to Christ's conception and allowed the Holy Spirit to form the sacred humanity of Jesus from her blood. You had a part in this mystery in an indirect manner, by fulfilling the condition necessary for the Incarnation -- the protection of Mary's virginity before and during your married life with her. You made the virginal marriage possible, and this was a part of God's plan, foreseen, willed, and decreed from all eternity.

In a more direct manner you shared in the support, upbringing, and protection of the Divine Child as His foster-father. For this purpose the Heavenly Father gave you a genuine heart of a father -- a heart full of love and self-sacrifice. With the toil of your hands you were obliged to offer protection to the Divine Child, to procure for Him food, clothing, and a home. You were truly the saint of the holy childhood of Jesus -- the living created providence which watched over the Christ-Child.

When Herod sought the Child to put Him to death, the Heavenly Father sent an angel but only as a messenger, giving orders for the flight; the rest He left entirely in your hands. It was that fatherly love which was the only refuge that received and protected the Divine Child. Your fatherly love carried Him through the desert into Egypt until all enemies were removed. Then on your arms the Child returned to Nazareth to be nourished and provided for during many years by the labor of your hands. Whatever a human son owes to a human father for all the benefits of his up-bringing and support, Jesus owed to you, because you were to Him a foster-father, teacher, and protector.

You served the Divine Child with a singular love. God gave you a heart filled with heavenly, supernatural love -- a love far deeper and more powerful than any natural father's love could be.

You served the Divine Child with great unselfishness, without any regard to self-interest, but not without sacrifices. You did not toil for yourself, but you seemed to be an instrument intended for the benefit of others, to be put aside as soon as it had done its word, for you disappeared from the scene once the childhood of Jesus had passed.

You were the shadow of the Heavenly Father not only as the earthly representative of the authority of the Father, but also by means of your fatherhood -- which only appeared to be natural -- you were to hide for a while the divinity of Jesus. What a wonderfully sublime and divine vocation was yours -- the loving Child which you carried in your arms, and loved and served so faithfully, had God in Heaven as Father and was Himself God!

Yours is a very special rank among the saints of the Kingdom of God, because you were so much a part of the very life of the Word of God made Man. In your house at Nazareth and under your care the redemption of mankind was prepared. What you accomplished, you did for us. You are not only a powerful and great saint in the Kingdom of God, but a benefactor of the whole of Christendom and mankind. Your rank in the Kingdom of God, surpassing far in dignity and honor of all the angels, deserves our very special veneration, love, and gratitude.

Saint Joseph, I thank God for your privilege of having been chosen by God to be the foster-father of His Divine Son. As a token of your own gratitude to God for this your greatest privilege, obtain for me the grace of a very devoted love for Jesus Christ, my God and my Savior. Help me to serve Him with some of the self-sacrificing love and devotion which you had while on this earth with Him. Grant that through your intercession with Jesus, your foster-Son, I may reach the degree of holiness God has destined for me, and save my soul. (*Say Novena Prayer following Daily Meditation)

*NOVENA PRAYER
*(prayer to be said at the end of each day's devotion)

Saint Joseph, I, your unworthy child, greet you. You are the faithful protector and intercessor of all who love and venerate you. You know that I have special confidence in you and that, after Jesus and Mary, I place all my hope of salvation in you, for you are especially powerful with God and will never abandon your faithful servants. Therefore I humbly invoke you and commend myself, with all who are dear to me and all that belong to me, to your intercession. I beg of you, by your love for Jesus and Mary, not to abandon me during life and to assist me at the hour of my death.

Glorious Saint Joseph, spouse of the Immaculate Virgin, obtain for me a pure, humble, charitable mind, and perfect resignation to the divine Will. Be my guide, my father, and my model through life that I may merit to die as you did in the arms of Jesus and Mary.

Loving Saint Joseph, faithful follower of Jesus Christ, I raise my heart to you to implore your powerful intercession in obtaining from the Divine Heart of Jesus all the graces necessary for my spiritual and temporal welfare, particularly the grace of a happy death, and the special grace I now implore:

(Mention your request).

Guardian of the Word Incarnate, I feel confident that your prayers in my behalf will be graciously heard before the throne of God. Amen.

MEMORARE
Remember, most pure spouse of Mary, ever Virgin, my loving protector, Saint Joseph, that no one ever had recourse to your protection or asked for your aid without obtaining relief. Confiding, therefore, in your goodness, I come before you and humbly implore you. Despise not my petitions, foster-father of the Redeemer, but graciously receive them. Amen.

-Posted by: Joe