Oh, St. Joseph, whose protection is so great, so strong, so prompt before the throne of God. I place in you all my interests and desires. Oh, St. Joseph, do assist me by your powerful intercession, and obtain for me from your devine Son all spiritual blessings, through Jesus Christ, our Lord. So that, having engaged here below your heavenly power, I may offer my thanksgiving and homage to the most loving of Fathers.
Oh, St. Joseph, I never weary of contemplating you, and Jesus asleep in your arms; I dare not approach while He reposes near your heart. Press Him in my name and kiss His fine head for me and ask him to return the Kiss when I draw my dying breath. St. Joseph, Patron of departing souls - Pray for me.
This prayer was found in the fiftienth year of Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. In 1505 it was sent from the Pope to Emperor Charles when he was going into battle. Whoever shall read this prayer or hear it or keep it about themselves, shall never die a sudden death, or be drowned, not shall posion take effect of them; neither shall they fall into the hands of the enemy; or shall be burned in any fire, or shall be overpowered in battle.
Say for nine mornings for anything you may desire. It has never been known to fail, so be sure you really want what you ask.
Let James Martin, S.J. author of "My Life with the Saints," introduce you to his favorite saints in the exciting new DVD Who Cares about the Saints? Loyola Productions proudly releases this DVD which combines Fr. Martins lively commentary along with dramatic photos and artwork that brings to life the lives of the saints.
The DVD features twelve 6-10 minute chapters on the lives of Dorothy Day, Thomas Merton, Joan of Arc, Francis of Assisi, Mother Teresa, Ignatius Loyola, Bernadette Soubirous, Pope John XXIII, Therese of Liseux, Joseph, Peter, and Mary, Mother of Jesus. The DVD also includes insights from Fr. Martin on how to use the saints today.
Emotions run high at a Covington meeting where a group of nuns fought for the right to continue their charity work. In 2006, the city of Covington rezoned the entire city to place all social services in one area.
Under that rezoning the nuns who operate the Rose Garden Home Mission were recently denied a permit to continue their work. The mission argued it does not provide social services, but rather counseling. Mother Seraphina Marie says, "Theres no case work, there's no tracking of people, there's no follow up."
The mission does give out maternity clothes, food, and medical services when needed by the people who come there. One neighbor told the Board of Adjustments, "Does the city have this many people in need or do we attract the folks in need? I live a block from the place. There are long lines to give out turkeys and stuff which I can really appreciate, my church does the same thing. But I seen cars with Ohio license plates, double, tripled parked, up and down and stuff and so I'm wondering where do they all come from."
The mission argued that when they moved to their current location from another, smaller building a few blocks away, they were told by the city that zoning would not be a problem.
In the end, Board of Adjustments allowed them to stay, saying their mission can be defined as a "place of religious assembly" because there is prayer. Mother Seraphina Marie told Local 12, "I can't say that I am surprised. God is in charge, he's the one who put this together, he's my boss so God's will be done."
Benedict XVI told young people today that they give him consolation and hope since "your age is the springtime of life."
The Pope said this at the end of the general audience -- the first of the season to be held outdoors in St. Peter's Square.
He went on to encourage the young people, "Be always faithful to the love that God has for you."
The Holy Father continued his traditional greeting to the sick and newlyweds.
"When we suffer, all the reality in us and around us seems to darken but, in the depth of our heart, this must not extinguish the consoling light of faith," he told the ill. "Christ with his cross sustains you in your trial. "
And you, dear newlyweds, whom I greet cordially, be grateful to God for the gift of the family. Counting always on his help, make of your existence a mission of faithful and generous love."
"Humility, generosity, unconditional devotion, enlivened by a genuine spirit of service, living in poverty, absolute obedience and chastity, all these virtues that distinguish St. Joseph, which the Church celebrates on March 19, are so relevant for men today." This is how a Beijing priest encouraged his flock during the Lenten retreat that started today, on the eve of the Solemnity of the Patron Saint of the Universal Church and Patron of the Mission in China.
According to information received by Fides, across China, especially in parishes dedicated to the Saint, the faithful are living the month of March intensely, focusing on St. Joseph, in the spirit of Lent. These include, for example, the Parish of St. Joseph in downtown Beijing, dating back to the church built by the two Jesuit missionaries, successors of Fr. Matteo Ricci: Fr. Louis Buglio and Fr. Gabriel de Magallanes. To mark the 400th anniversary of the death of Fr. Ricci, the parish has tried to unite the many spiritual aspects of the circumstance with the figure of St. Joseph. The diocesan religious congregation in Beijing that is dedicated to St. Joseph is preparing the final vows of the sisters to be held tomorrow, the day of the festival.
Since St. Joseph is also patron of workers, the priests also wanted to highlight the reality of Chinese immigrant workers, inviting them to celebrate it tomorrow with the Chinese community with this invitation: "Dear brothers and sisters, workers, the Church is your home, where you are received and where you breathe spiritual oxygen not only in the days of the Feast of St. Joseph, but all year."
In the Chinese Catholic world, fervent devotion to the Spouse of Mary and the guardian of the Child Jesus has a long tradition and history. Each year, the Solemnity of St. Joseph is a moment of great celebration, with prayers, novenas, Eucharistic Adoration, give great honor to the most humble Saint. For this reason, the Chinese faithful harbor a special affection for him, as evidenced by the many churches and ecclesial structures (seminaries and national and diocesan congregations), charitable institutions (orphanages, homes for the elderly), and Catholic schools that are dedicated to him and bear his name. Also, St. Joseph is also patron of a "good death", and this is resonant with the great Chinese tradition, which is very attentive to the spiritual aspects that affect life and death.
Happy Saint Patrick's Day! Everyone can be Irish today and celebrate! Maybe we can all imitate the holiness and zeal of St. Patrick as well! The following comes from the catholic.org site:
St. Patrick of Ireland is one of the world's most popular saints. Apostle of Ireland, born at Kilpatrick, near Dumbarton, in Scotland, in the year 387; died at Saul, Downpatrick, Ireland, 17 March, 461.
Along with St. Nicholas and St. Valentine, the secular world shares our love of these saints. This is also a day when everyone's Irish.
There are many legends and stories of St. Patrick, but this is his story. Patrick was born around 385 in Scotland, probably Kilpatrick. His parents were Calpurnius and Conchessa, who were Romans living in Britian in charge of the colonies.
As a boy of fourteen or so, he was captured during a raiding party and taken to Ireland as a slave to herd and tend sheep. Ireland at this time was a land of Druids and pagans. He learned the language and practices of the people who held him.
During his captivity, he turned to God in prayer. He wrote "The love of God and his fear grew in me more and more, as did the faith, and my soul was rosed, so that, in a single day, I have said as many as a hundred prayers and in the night, nearly the same." "I prayed in the woods and on the mountain, even before dawn. I felt no hurt from the snow or ice or rain."
Patrick's captivity lasted until he was twenty, when he escaped after having a dream from God in which he was told to leave Ireland by going to the coast. There he found some sailors who took him back to Britian, where he reunited with his family. He had another dream in which the people of Ireland were calling out to him "We beg you, holy youth, to come and walk among us once more."
He began his studies for the priesthood. He was ordained by St. Germanus, the Bishop of Auxerre, whom he had studied under for years. Later, Patrick was ordained a bishop, and was sent to take the Gospel to Ireland. He arrived in Ireland March 25, 433, at Slane. One legend says that he met a chieftain of one of the tribes, who tried to kill Patrick. Patrick converted Dichu (the chieftain) after he was unable to move his arm until he became friendly to Patrick. Patrick began preaching the Gospel throughout Ireland, converting many. He and his disciples preached and converted thousands and began building churches all over the country. Kings, their families, and entire kingdoms converted to Christianity when hearing Patrick's message. Patrick by now had many disciples, among them Beningnus, Auxilius, Iserninus, and Fiaac, (all later canonized as well).
Patrick preached and converted all of Ireland for 40 years. He worked many miracles and wrote of his love for God in Confessions. After years of living in poverty, traveling and enduring much suffering he died March 17, 461. He died at Saul, where he had built the first church.
We have destroyed the us of the Christian community, we have divided the only way into many ways, and now we experience the sin that does not allow us to drink from the same chalice or be together around the altar. However, today we are here praying together to the Lord, the only One who can grant us unity. With these words, Benedict XVI ended his homily on Sunday, March 14th, during the evening worship service of the Lutheran community in Rome. Invited to the Christuskirche, the Church of Christ, on the Via Sicilia in Rome -- 27 years after John Paul IIs visit, the first papal visit to a Lutheran church -- Benedict XVI was welcomed by Pastor Jens-Martin Kruse and the communitys 350 members
Every virtue in your soul is a precious ornament which makes you dear to God and to man. But holy purity, the queen of virtues, the angelic virtue, is a jewel so precious that those who possess it become like the angels of God in Heaven, even though clothed in mortal flesh.
Presiding over the mid-day Angelus prayer in St. Peter's Square on Sunday, Pope Benedict XVI reflected on the day's Gospel that presents the parable of the prodigal son. He explained that “only experiencing forgiveness, recognizing ourselves loved by a free love, greater than our misery, but also our justice, can we finally enter into a truly filial and free relationship with God.”
In his address before the Angelus on this fourth Sunday of Lent, the Holy Father asked, “What would our culture, art and, more generally, our civilization be without this revelation of a Father God, full of mercy? The parable never stops moving us and every time we hear it or read it, it is capable of suggesting new meanings to us.”
Benedict XVI stated that “this evangelical text has the power to speak to us about God, to show us his face, better yet, his heart. After Jesus spoke to us of the merciful Father, things are no longer as they were, now we know God. He is our Father that out of love made us free and endowed us with a conscience, (one) that suffers if we get lost and rejoices if we return.”
For this, continued the Pope, “the relation with Him is built through a history, similarly to what happens with each child and their parents: in the beginning he depends on them, later he claims his own autonomy and finally – if there is positive development – reaches a mature relationship, based on recognition and true love.
“In these stages we can also read moments of the path of man in his relationship with God,” the Pope taught.
“There can be a phase that is like childhood: a religion marked by necessity, dependence. Little by little man grows and emancipates himself, he wants to free himself of this submission and become liberated, adult, capable of regulating himself on his own and making his own choices autonomously, thinking even to be able to do so without God.”
The Holy Father later cautioned that “exactly this phase is delicate, and can lead to atheism, but it also often hides the need to discover the true face of God.”
“Fortunately,” he assured, “God never let's go of his loyalty, and although we distance ourselves and get lost, he continues with his love, forgiving our mistakes and speaking interiorly to our conscience to reclaim us for himself.”
In the parable, explained the Pope, “the two sons behave in opposite ways: the younger falls ever lower, while the older remains at home, but also he has an immature relationship with the Father, in fact, when the brother returns, the older of the two is not happy like the Father, instead he becomes angry and does not want to enter the house.”
“The two sons,” he said, “represent two immature ways of relating with God: rebellion and infantile obedience. Both forms are overcome through the experience of mercy. Only experiencing forgiveness, recognizing ourselves loved by free love, greater than our misery, but also our justice, can we finally enter into a truly filial and free relationship with God.”
The Pope concluded by urging meditation on this parable by identifying ourselves in the sons, “and let's especially contemplate the heart of the Father. Let's throw ourselves into his arms and let ourselves be regenerated by his merciful love. May the Virgin Mary, Mother of Mercy, help us in this.”
The Producer San Jose has released a video-documentary on the life of the Italian-Argentine Salesian brother, Blessed Artemide Zatti, showing where this 'Good Samaritan' worked, as well as other unique and previously unpublished facts.
Fasting and weeping, the priests shall pray: Spare thy people, Lord, and give not thy heritage over to destruction. Between the porch and altar, the priests shall pray: Spare thy people. Hear my prayer, O Lordand let my crying come unto thee.
The wicked man forsakes his ways, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; and let him return unto the Lord, and He will have mercy upon him: for the Lord our God is gracious and merciful, and ever ready to relent when he threatens disaster.
Attributed to Pope St. Gregory the Great (540-604). In the Roman Breviary this hymn is used at Vespers during Lent for both Sundays and the ferial Office from the first Sunday in Lent until the Friday before Passion Sunday. In the Liturgia Horarum it is used at Vespers for the Sunday Office from the first Sunday until the Saturday before Holy Week.
AUDI, benigne Conditor, nostras preces cum fletibus, sacrata in abstinentia 1 fusas quadragenaria. Scrutator alme cordium, infirma tu scis virium; ad te reversis exhibe remissionis gratiam. Multum quidem peccavimus, sed parce confitentibus, tuique laude nominis 2 confer medelam languidis. Sic corpus extra conteri dona per abstinentiam, ieiunet ut mens sobria a labe prorsus criminum. 3 Praesta, beata Trinitas, concede, simplex Unitas, ut fructuosa sint tuis haec parcitatis munera. Amen.
O Jesus, meek Savior and Prince of Peace, implant in me the virtues of gentleness and patience. Let me curb the fury of anger and restrain all resentment and impatience so as to overcome evil with good, attain your peace, and rejoice in Your love.
O Jesus, Model of humility, divest me of all pride and arrogance. Let me acknowledge my weakness and sinfulness, so that I may bear mockery and contempt for Your sake and esteem myself as lowly in your sight.
O Jesus, Teacher of abstinence, help me to serve You rather than our appetites. Keep me from gluttony - the inordinate love of food and drink and let me hunger and thirst for Your justice.
O Jesus, Lover of purity, remove all lust from my heart, so that I may serve You with a pure mind and a chaste body.
O Jesus, Father of the poor, help me to avoid all covetousness for earthly goods and give me a love for heavenly things. Inspire me to give to the needy, just as You gave Your life, that I might inherit eternal treasures.
O Jesus, Exemplar of love, keep me from all envy and ill-will. Let the grace of Your love dwell in me that I may rejoice in the happiness of others and bewail their adversities.
O Jesus, zealous Lover of souls, keep me from all sloth of mind or body. Inspire me with zeal for your glory, so that I may do all things for You and in You.
O Jesus, my Merciful Redeemer, my Loving Savior, my Divine Healer, all this I humbly pray and ask in confidence, and filled with faith, hope and trust, in Your Holy and Mighty name, Amen.
There is no just ordering of the state that eliminates the service of charity. Whoever wants to eliminate charity is preparing to eliminate man. "
This was stressed today by Pope Benedict XVI when he spoke to the volunteers of the Italian Civil Protection Department.
The Pope drew a parallel between the Good Samaritan and the organization. He said the role of protection is two-fold: one must "protect persons and their dignity in the tragic case of emergencies and disasters", and also help return things to normal.
He said, like in the parable, some people will avert their gaze or look at those affected with contempt, but there are also those who look on others with the expression of love.
Fr. Barron speaks about the Seven Deadly Sins, those great spiritual blocks that inhibit our flourishing in relationship with God and one another. Based on Dantes writings, the seven deadly sins correspond to the seven stories of Dantes Mt. Purgatory. Pride, envy, anger, sloth, gluttony, avarice and lust are all presented as patterns of dysfunction within us that lead to unhappiness. Father Robert Barron tells us how to counteract these seven sinful patterns through a conscious process of opposition, which are the Seven Lively Virtues. The Seven Lively Virtues offer antidotes to each sin and help set us on the right path to healing and happiness.
About 100 traditionalist Anglican parishes across the United States have decided to convert en masse to the Roman Catholic Church, it emerged yesterday.
They have voted to take up the offer made by Pope Benedict XVI in November that permits vicars and their entire congregations to defect to Rome while keeping many of their Anglican traditions, including married priests.
By issuing the apostolic constitution Anglicanorum coetibus (on groups of Anglicans) the Pope was accused of attempting to poach Anglicans unhappy about decisions taken in their Church to ordain women and sexually-active homosexuals as priests and bishops.
But the Vatican insisted that the move to create self-governing "personal ordinariates", which resemble dioceses in structure, came as a result of requests from at least 30 disaffected Anglican bishops around the world for "corporate reunion" with the Catholic Church.
The Anglican Church in America (ACA) will now enter the Catholic Church as a block, bringing in thousands of converts along with their own bishops, buildings and even a cathedral.
They will worship according to Anglican rubrics, and use the Book of Common Prayer, but they will be in communion with the Pope, recognising him as their leader.
The decision was taken by the House of Bishops of the ACA during a meeting in Orlando, Florida, earlier this week. The bishops said in a brief statement afterwards that they had agreed to formally "request the implementation of the provisions of the Apostolic Constitution Anglicanorum coetibus in the United States of America by the (Vatican's) Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith".
The ACA belongs to the Traditional Anglican Communion, which broke from the Anglican Communion nearly 20 years ago because of its drift from orthodox Christian doctrines.
Unlike 77 million Anglicans worldwide, it is not in communion with the much larger US episcopal church nor does it recognise Dr Rowan Williams, the Archbishop of Canterbury, as the head of the church but still considers itself Anglican in its origins.
Its decision to rejoin the Catholic Church represents the second group of Anglican churches to take up the Pope's offer.
The first was the Australian branch of Forward in Faith, a traditionalist group in communion with the Church of England and other mainstream Anglican churches, which last month directed its governing council to take the first steps needed for the mass conversion of 16 parishes to Catholicism.
The UK branch of Forward in Faith is also considering mass conversion but has delayed a decision until July at the earliest – though its leaders are known to be holding secretive meeting with high-ranking Vatican officials.
In the meantime Forward in Faith UK has set up a "Friends of the Ordinariate" group to help to gauge the level of support for conversion among rank-and-file worshippers.
If they decide to take the path to Rome, Britain will see unprecedented numbers of conversions, possibly involving in the region of 200 Anglican congregations, which would amount to thousands of converts.
John Broadhurst, the Anglican Bishop of Fulham and chairman of Forward in Faith, said mass conversion was a real prospect. "We have a thousand priest members in my organisation and there are many others who agree with us," he said last year. "The main issue for many Anglican priests is now the ownership of parish churches."
In preparation for an influx of converts the Catholic bishops of England and Wales have established a commission which is expected to look at the possibility of church-sharing and also the chances of taking out 100-year leases of some Anglican parishes.
An early conversion came last month, however, when it emerged that Paul Robinson, the former assistant Anglican Bishop of Newcastle, converted just weeks after stepping down from his post.
The 63-year-old was received into the Catholic Church in January and is now a regular worshipper at St George's Roman Catholic Cathedral in Southwark, following a move to London.
'It's really a journey I've been on for some time,' he said. 'It's just like coming home.'
Last summer, Mr Robinson claimed that the dramatic fall in church marriages and baptisms was an indication that Britain was no longer a Christian nation.
He has predicted the demise of the Church of England as the established religion within a generation.
Pope Benedict will visit Britain in September to attend the beatification of Cardinal John Henry Newman, a high-profile Anglican cleric who shocked Victorian England by converting to the Catholic faith.
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