Beautiful and on point! Re blog via Elijah’s Breeze
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Originally from Fr. Paul Pecchie
Novena to St Peter
St Peter, now that we are aware of the pressures the priests and bishops, cardinals and The Holy Father of Mother Church are under, I ask that you hear my prayer for you to send protection, guidance, support and encouragement to them, not forgetting the seminaries and the Brides Of Christ. The devil has been strong in recent times, not least in the last century and the beginning of this one. I ask that you intercede and ask St Michael and the archangels to fight the battle which needs to be fought for them. The Devil hides within holes throughout the centuries and I ask that you help the angels to find the places no matter how well hidden where he lurks and meddles from.
I know you shall not fail for my having asked you and I know that my prayers will be answered. The devil so often commands the moment. We are blessed to know that the eternal is the essential and we place our faith and knowledge in The Truth that our faith blesses us to know.
For the love of Jesus and the loving balme of the Holy Mother, help Mother Church to save Human Dignity. AmenI pledge to pray this every day for nine days – (or 54 days) and network this so that all Catholics are made aware of its existence.
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I have compiled just a few prayers for our Priests. I ask you to please keep them in your daily prayers. If you do a quick internet search, you can find many great prayers for them, on other Roman Catholic outlets. Pray for them always.
Daily Prayer for Priests
Prayer of St. Thérèse of the Child Jesus
O Almighty, Eternal God, look upon the Face of Your
Son and for love of Him, who is the Eternal High Priest,
have pity on Your priests. Remember, O most compassionate
God, that they are but weak and frail human beings.
Stir up in them the grace of their vocation which
is in them by the imposition of the bishop’s hands. Keep
them close to You, lest the enemy prevail against them,
so that they may never do anything in the slightest degree
unworthy of their sublime vocation.O Jesus, I pray for Your faithful and fervent priests;
for Your unfaithful and tepid priests; for Your priests laboring
at home or abroad in distant mission fields; for
Your tempted priests; for the lonely and desolate priests;
for Your young priests; for Your dying priests; for the
souls of Your priests in purgatory.But above all, I commend to you N. and all the
priests dearest to me, the priest who baptized me, the
priests who have absolved me from my sins, the priests
at whose Masses I have assisted and who have offered
me Your Body and Blood in Holy Communion, the
priests who have taught and instructed me or helped
and encouraged me, and the priests to whom I am
indebted in any other way.O Jesus, keep them all close to Your Heart, and bless
them abundantly in time and in eternity. Amen.
Chaplet of Reparation for PriestsThis chaplet of reparation and intercession is meant to be prayed on an ordinary five decade rosary.Incline (+) unto my aid, O God; O Lord, make haste to help me.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit;
As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.
Alleluia. (After Septuagesima: Praise be to Thee, O Lord, King of eternal glory.)On the Our Father beads:Eternal Father, I offer Thee
the Precious Blood of Thy Beloved Son,
our Lord Jesus Christ,
the Lamb without blemish or spot (1 Peter 1:19)
in reparation for my sins
and for the sins of all Thy priests.On the Hail Mary beads:By Thy Precious Blood, O Jesus, purify and sanctify Thy priests.In place of the Glory be to the Father:O Father, from whom all fatherhood in heaven and on earth is named (Ephesians 3:14), have mercy on all Thy priests, and wash them in the Blood of the Lamb._____________________________________________Prayer by St. Faustina
O my Jesus, I beg you on behalf of the whole Church:
Grant it love and the light of your Spirit, and give power to the words of priests so that hardened hearts might be brought to repentance and return to you, O Lord.
Lord, give us holy priests; you yourself maintain them in holiness.
O Divine and Great High Priest, may the power of your mercy accompany them everywhere and protect them from the devil’s traps and snares which are continually being set for the souls of priests.
May the power of your mercy, O Lord, shatter and bring to naught all that might tarnish the sanctity of priests, for you can do all things.
From the Diary of St. Faustina, 1052
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“Be angry but do not sin; do not let the sun set on your anger, and do not leave room for the devil.” – Ephesians 4:26-27
Is right and just to be angry about the latest church scandal? YOU BET!
Is it right and just to take your anger out on anyone who speaks to you on social media? Not even a little bit!
Is it right and just to place the blame for EVERYTHING on the laity, Priests, Nuns, Sisters Brothers, Bishops and others who had no clue this was taking place and who heard about this when you did? ABSOLUTELY NOT!
Is it right and just to assume everyone is a suspect? NO!
You and I are called to see the GOOD in one another, and in all the events taking place.
Who is the father of lies & chaos? Do not leave room for him.
Ponder for a moment, please:
Then Jesus said to him, “Put your sword back into its sheath, for all who take the sword will perish by the sword. Do you think that I cannot call upon my Father and he will not provide me at this moment with more than twelve legions of angels?”- Matt 26:52-53
Remember our Lords agony in the garden. Stay awake and pray with Him. Do not find yourself chanting “Crucify, crucify him!” to the wheat, who you may pluck out with the weeds.
Stay awake and pray. Grow in humility and love for one another. Use this moment to clean your own home first. Remembering that we all, one day will stand in front of the Just Judge and give an account.
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A most blessed Solemnity of the Assumption of Mary to all.
Memorare
Remember, O most gracious Virgin Mary, that never was it known that anyone who fled to thy protection, implored thy help, or sought thy intercession was left unaided. Inspired with this confidence, we turn to thee,
O Virgin of virgins, our Mother. To thee we come, before thee we stand, sinful and sorrowful. O Mother of the Word Incarnate, do not despise our petitions, but in thy mercy hear and answer us. Amen.
Below you will find the link to the declaration, of this splendid and beautiful day, which is not only thought provoking, but timeless.
APOSTOLIC CONSTITUTION OF
POPE PIUS XII -
As all the news is breaking today, some of it old, some new, a friend posted a link on my Facebook page and asked me if I had heard about it…
“Lay woman’s saga illustrates clerical sexual abuse of adults”
Yes. Lived through it not only as a rape survivor, but as seeing the fallout from when it takes place in the church. I do share in this woman’s sufferings. The hardest part is trying to explain it all to my children who knew him, who also received the sacraments from him. I didn’t and still don’t need to know the details. He was removed and our LORD remains.
The days that followed after we met our FORMER pastor, my daughters handed him a gift. It was a gift of Sacred Heart purificators and a corporal. I told him, it was a gift to my children’s Shepherd.
Fast forward to a few weeks ago, as I was helping our Sacristan, I had noticed they were still there, in the Sacristy, feet away from the Tabernacle to be used. As I ponder this gift, I come to understand that it was and is, a gift to our true Shepherd. Our Lord Jesus Christ.
Lets go deeper. My parish, my priest. No matter the location, no matter the Priest, we are all in this together, as you parish, is my parish. Your Priest is my priest. That is our Lord. “Persona Christi”. The Church is our spiritual home.
I forgave him a long time ago in my heart, but some who have never heard, don’t know that the exposing of all this, is best for all of us. Its truly a cleansing we must not be embarrassed about, but rather take and understand that as our Lord said, unless a gran of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains just a grain of wheat. Change for the better comes through death of the old self, and rebirth of the new. No fears of what will the neighbors say. But rather understanding that the neighbors too, one day will have to come to grips with it also. This exposing of abuse is GOOD NEWS.
No matter what may come, our Lord has already prevailed. Cling to Him.
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My heart takes rest in our Lord, and His Word. I pray for the perseverance of all.
All the abuse, in general, is all the ugliness of a hideous wound that NEEDS to heal. The only way to heal a wound, is to expose it (uncover it completely) to get the proper Medicine in to replace it.
As Catholics, we must not place another bandage over it, or anything which causes us harm, and hope it just goes away. It needs serious care. A wound as this, requires “nulla per os”, but requires strict action taken with fasting, praying, repenting, time in Adoraiton with our Lord, confession and total focus on our Lord. In other words, 24 hours a day, living our faith with Christ our Lord as the Shepherd of the entirety of our lives. Word and deeds.
John 6:68 – Simon Peter answered him, “Master, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.
Repent and believe. -
I have seen some lately, painting with a broad brush, in regards to the sex abuse in the Catholic Church. Most of which are bundling ALL Catholics together as being evil and pedophiles. To those who refuse to see the big picture in regards to this being a much bigger problem and not just Catholic, but being a serious offence in every walk of life, taking place in every institution, I offer you my prayers.
Do you know why a leopard hangs around the well? For an easy meal. It is not there to help anyone but itself to those who do not see it camouflaged before it kills. It preys on the “least”.
A leopard doesn’t change its spots. It uses them for camouflage. If one states they are a teacher, coach, priest preacher, father, mother etc, but makes a decision to use that profession as a mask for evil to sin, they are not a teacher, coach priest etc, but simply a predator in a mask, like a leopard at the well seeking another meal.
To those who say “Once a priest, always a priest” I answer you, yes. But never forget, what our Lord demanded of “The True Disciple.”
To the “leopards”, He sees you – REPENT. Only He can change your spots.
Notice the rope for the “leopard”. As long as it stays a “leopard”, it can not climb to escape.
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I know my blog is about my pondering, but I ask my readers this time, to ponder…
Something to ponder when you feel overwhelmed by what is taking place in this world. When you hear words like “I will never forgive __________” , or this or that is unforgivable, or we should round them all up, kick them out and kill them. Ponder also when we say these things ourselves and think about how many others live this way, unable to forgive for anything. Ponder how some souls in your own life, who you love dearly, refuse to forgive you and how it makes you feel.
Now, look at our Lord on the cross, and remember His words:
“Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing.”
How can we expect or demand peace, in such an unforgiving world?
By forgiving and keeping our focus on what is above.
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“True humility consists in our being satisfied with what is given us”
– St. Teresa of Avila
Prayers are so much more than words. They are directions for the soul to follow in the footsteps of our Lord, when we have lost sight of Him. I am reminded of our Holy Mothers words to the servants at the wedding: “Do whatever he tells you.”
To “do” is to perform the action. To practice the action being requested of our Lord.
Thus, a map. Try it always, as you pray it.
Litany of Humility
O Jesus! meek and humble of heart, Hear me.
From the desire of being esteemed,
Deliver me, Jesus.From the desire of being loved…
From the desire of being extolled …
From the desire of being honored …
From the desire of being praised …
From the desire of being preferred to others…
From the desire of being consulted …
From the desire of being approved …
From the fear of being humiliated …
From the fear of being despised…
From the fear of suffering rebukes …
From the fear of being calumniated …
From the fear of being forgotten …
From the fear of being ridiculed …
From the fear of being wronged …
From the fear of being suspected …That others may be loved more than I,
Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.That others may be esteemed more than I …
That, in the opinion of the world,
others may increase and I may decrease …
That others may be chosen and I set aside …
That others may be praised and I unnoticed …
That others may be preferred to me in everything…
That others may become holier than I, provided that I may become as holy as I should…Rafael Cardinal Merry del Val (1865-1930),
Secretary of State for Pope Saint Pius X -
Teresa Benedict of the Cross Edith Stein (1891-1942)
nun, Discalced Carmelite, martyrTomorrow is the feast of Saint Teresa Benedicta of the Cross (Edith Stein). I am very fond of her for many reasons, most of which I can not put into words. She is a much needed Saint for our times! From today:
Pope Francis Invokes Edith Stein’s Prayer to Protect Europe
Quote below from St. Pope John Paul II, on her Canonization:
HOMILY OF JOHN PAUL II
FOR THE CANONIZATION OF EDITH STEINSunday, 11 October 1998
6. St Teresa Benedicta of the Cross was able to understand that the love of Christ and human freedom are intertwined, because love and truth have an intrinsic relationship. The quest for truth and its expression in love did not seem at odds to her; on the contrary she realized that they call for one another.
In our time, truth is often mistaken for the opinion of the majority. In addition, there is a widespread belief that one should use the truth even against love or vice versa. But truth and love need each other. St Teresa Benedicta is a witness to this. The “martyr for love”, who gave her life for her friends, let no one surpass her in love. At the same time, with her whole being she sought the truth, of which she wrote: “No spiritual work comes into the world without great suffering. It always challenges the whole person”.
St Teresa Benedicta of the Cross says to us all: Do not accept anything as the truth if it lacks love. And do not accept anything as love which lacks truth! One without the other becomes a destructive lie.
St Teresa Benedicta of the Cross, in these times when Truth is not taken as the Truth by so many, pray for us to our Lord and King, help us as the lost can not see, that your martyrdom was born from the same loss of reality, freedom and Truth, by the same world at odds with our Lord, Jesus Christ, Our Father and the Holy Spirit. Amen
For more on this beautiful Carmelite Saint, please see:
Elijah’s Breeze
Association Of Hebrew Catholics
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This morning, I had seen a post on Facebook by a wonderful priest, with a hashtag’s #Confession #IGotNervousToo
I felt compelled to write about my return to the Sacrament of Confession after not having gone for 30 years, with a photo of the Church I had attended, which was Sts. Peter and Paul, Cary IL. I will share the story below:
My first time going to confession after years, I didn’t know I was even going to confession. Something in my heart told me go to the church. SO I did. It had been about 30 years. I walked into an empty Church. No one there but a woman turning off the lights. I began to cry sitting there thinking about how miserable of a life I had been living and would never even be accepted here. I got a tap on the shoulder and it was a Priest. He sat with me for about a good hour. 20 minutes of which we just talked. Then he asked me if I would like to confess my sins. I didn’t even know what I was doing. I said yes. July 1998. It was a rocky road at first, but now? I make sure to go at least every other week. #IGotNervousToo#Confession
Tonight as I was pondering my Carmelite Lectio Divina, I was struck with awe. From the time I had returned, I had always thought that my old Parish, looked very similar to a tent on the inside. I loved that Parish and the Priest who heard my confession. It was a welcome home that I would never forget. I have written a lot in this blog about the struggles and suffering I have faced for the past 20 years, which drew me to leave there and head out on a journey, in which ever day, brought me through many sufferings but into the arms of our Lord, in a way I could never deny.
I had to go back to my post on Facebook to add:
Oh my goodness! I had always thought that this Church looked like a tent! As I pondered my Lectio Divina tonight – “Peter wants to build three tents, because it was the sixth day of the feast of tents. This was a very popular feast of six days that celebrated the gift of the Law of God and the forty years spent in the desert. ” – How I wish I could have stayed in this parish! I loved it so! But our Lord was not finished with me!
Praise be to our LORD Back then, I couldn’t yet, understand the Cross.
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“Again I say to you, it is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for one who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.” Matt 19:24
As many of you have heard, California lawmakers have passed a law making it a crime, banning the distribution or sale of plastic straws, to help combat the ocean of plastic garbage which is putting all God’s creatures in danger.
In my humble opinion, this law and many like it being imposed on American citizens, may help as much as tossing a lounge chair off the Titanic so as to avoid sinking. We in this nation, have an infrastructure to handle the recycling of plastics, aluminum and other items, in such a way, it has become an industry in of itself. Most if not all city’s and municipality’s have trash pick up along with recycle pick up, that we place at the curb, making tons of money off the process. Which not only keep our towns and city’s much cleaner, but manage to put many souls to work, creating jobs for people all over this nation.
Who is tossing out all this garbage? We are. We, being human beings across the world. The problem is NOT overpopulation. The problem is not the use of plastics. The problem IS not providing for the needs of the least among us. Our brothers and sisters living in conditions in areas of the world that have never known any other way.
Now, lets look at the number one problem of the worlds plastic garbage issues which IS killing our Lords creatures…
CLICK HERE for the video
River of Garbage in the Indian capital of Delhi
CLICK HERE for the video of the
A River of Plastic Waste in Guatemala
Have we helped any nation to build an infrastructure as this? Have we provided for the needs of our brothers and sisters in third world nations where trash is simply tossed out the front door? Have we educated children and adults on the subject, in other nations in regards to how we all share this planet that our Lord has made? Or have we just been hoping and praying someone else will take care of it?
The reality is folks, If you seek to clean and care for the environment, you MUST care for the needs of human beings first. If we seek to save the sea turtle and the dolphin, for it to be a success, we must strive to save the human being first and foremost. It is we who save them.
Place God first, and all else falls into place..
Never forget that our Lord was Crucified in a garbage dump.
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Is your house built on sand? Or is your house built on Rock?
All through my blog, I have mentioned that, my children, I have been given by our Lord, are not mine to keep. They will one day, also be called back to our Lord. Therefore, they belong to Him. I am but a steward and must raise them with our faith in knowing this fact. Life is a gift.
Also, tanking into account, the 50 anniversary of the release Humanae Vitae was yesterday, I feel a deep need to share again, a fact of my conversion back home to our Lord and our Catholic faith, being in the form of a question that was asked yesterday via twitter to #AskTheQuestion
Along with the sex abuse scandal again making the news, this time in the form of one of our Cardinals (SEE HERE), its a good time to build. Build up souls again to understand our faith in not in the beauty of the buildings, the members of the Church, the Priests, the Nuns, or anyone else. Our faith is in our Lord, Jesus Christ. Who is the High Priest of all of us. When we place our faith in anyone but our Lord, we fail and collapse.
“The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone” (Ps 118:22).
“He is ‘the stone rejected by you, the builders, which has become the cornerstone’”. (Acts 4:11).
“Therefore, thus says the Lord GOD: See, I am laying a stone in Zion, a stone that has been tested, A precious cornerstone as a sure foundation; whoever puts faith in it will not waver.” (Is 28:18)
“…as it is written: ‘Behold, I am laying a stone in Zion that will make people stumble and a rock that will make them fall, and whoever believes in him shall not be put to shame.’” (Rom 9:33)There is an excellent video that I must share… Please take time to watch, and listen.
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Look at yourself. Are you gnashing your teeth? Foaming at the mouth at everything? Snarling and growling. Lashing out at everyone, even those close to you? Feel a need to destroy everyone who doesn’t agree with you? Do you accuse others of every phobia known to man? Do you thirst for vengeance and retribution?
It seems our nation and many others have a bad case of Rabid Politics. Political Hydrophobia. Its very contagious and knows no boundaries. All suffer for it.
The cure is simple. Return to your first Love and drink again from the streams of eternal life.
Repent and believe.
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When we move closer to our Lord, we do rest in Him. To rest in Him, is to grasp with both hands that fact, Jesus Christ is Lord. Do we seek Him or justice now?
The Spiritual Battle is real.
When soldiers are moving forward on the battlefield, in the heat of battle, they do not stop to cry, or condemn the fallen. They keep moving forward. The forgiveness of our Lord allows us to do this in the Spiritual realm as those who fail & fall, are left to repent as we continue to love & pray for them. Hoping they stand again and are not overcome.
Does this mean forgive and forget? In some ways yes, and no.
Please read my post: The Power Of Forgiveness.
When we choose freely not to forgive, we become entangled in the despair of the sins others have committed. along with our own. When we freely choose to forgive them, we continue on placing our hope in our Lord and can freely continue on through no matter what this world throws at us, remembering the answer to a very pivotal math problem 70 X 7.
If you look around this world with eyes of faith, you can see plainly and clearly, how the lack of forgiveness has crippled so many. So many stuck in yesterday, two weeks ago, a hundred years ago, a thousand years ago, because they forgot how to forgive one another. We see this playing out every day in the media, how so & so 20 years ago said this and that. Forgetting that so & so may not be the same person they were 20 years ago.
The lack of forgiveness is like ripping off a scab from a wound that is trying to heal. If you pick at it, it becomes infected and becomes much worse than the initial wound itself. That is not to say that the person against the sin has been committed can not do this to receive healing in the first place. If we do not know that a wound has been received, than we can not help one another to heal. For this reason, we call the Medic in the battle, and we all advance as one.
The choice is there. Do we move past it, or do we stay in it.
I forgive Cardinal McCarrick. I pray for the others who have also committed this sin and still remain hidden. I pray for souls who have falsely accused many of this crime. May our Lord cast His light in the darkness and look upon us all with His merciful gaze bringing these souls to true repentance. I forgive all who covered it up. I pray for the souls of all who have been harmed, and for the souls of all who hindered. I pray for all. I love you.
Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy on us all.
‘Forgive one another, as Christ has forgiven you’ (Ephesians 4:32).
quaedam iustitiae plenitudo
Guilty or not.
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As I was sitting with our Lord in Adoration, I found myself praying for all the “Rock Stars” I idolized as a kid. Most of whom are no longer with us now. I’m not sure why this all came up in Adoration as I simply wanted to spend time with our Lord. But the subject of false idols has been heavy on me lately, in regards to how much so many place their trust on and in the worlds “stars”, be in musical, acting, political etc, rather than on how much in need they are also, as we all are, of healing, mercy and our Lord.
False idols are made from the same clay as you & I. Glits & glam is an illusion. Scratch the surface, and you see the same faults, flaws, deep yearnings and misdeeds (sins) as everyone else. What makes the difference between a false idol and a model, is when we choose the fill the void we have, with our Lord and not money, drugs, women, men, sex nor any lesser creature or creation. Every one of us, is a broken pot, seeking to be placed back together, in need of our Creator to do so.
Our Lord is the Author of all creation. The gifts and talents we receive come directly from Him. Should we not use them to give Him glory?
For the past few days, I had been listening to the old music I did once upon a time, digging through live performances and documentary’s. I was struck by the simplicity of those whom I thought were so great, and could see the same struggles that I faced in my lifetime. A deep longing to be loved. Not as the world loves, and rather than turning to our Lord, taking a road seldom ever return. Taking everything but our Lord and trying to recreate that Love, to shove into the soul to fill the void of who I was truly missing.
As I said above, I found myself praying for all the performers who had passed away. Deeply, asking our Lord to have mercy on all of us. As my time was done, and I left, getting into my car and turning on the key, a song had began to play called “Friend of the Devil” by the Grateful Dead. I rolled my eyes as changed the station and drove away thinking about how so many think that guy is a “friend”, who our Lord himself called the Gospel of John 8:44 “You belong to your father the devil and you willingly carry out your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning and does not stand in truth, because there is no truth in him. When he tells a lie, he speaks in character, because he is a liar and the father of lies.”. How we often blame our Lord for everything that goes wrong, for the chaos, turmoil and all else that is not gratifying to what we deem is.
Pondering deeper, what a sad song from such a sad soul. I was never a Dead fan, nor cared very much for Jerry Garcia or the entire dead head fan base ideology. What went through my mind was simply “ick”. Disgust for hearing that song when I was leaving our Lord in prayer. Disgust for the fact a song like that was playing or was ever written. I came to the stop sign and what immediately caught my heart was a billboard.
I sat for a few moments in awe at this “sign” and knew in my heart exactly what our Lord was saying to me. I began to ask for fogginess for all those whom I did not follow, did not like, did not idolize and did not admire. Also, teaching me never to assume the worst of anyone, but continue to hope in our Lord. All of us are lost at one time or another. May it not be, nor ever be for all eternity.
“Forgiving men, taking pity on them, is a greater work than the creation of the world”. – St. Thomas Aquinas
Prayer for the Poor Souls in Purgatory
English
V. Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord.
R. And let the perpetual light shine upon them.And may the souls of all the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace. Amen.
Latine
V. Requiem aeternam dona eis, Domine.
R. Et lux perpetua luceat eis.Fidelium animae, per misericordiam Dei, requiescant in pace. Amen.
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News from Nicaragua, is not good. Tomorrow is the Carmelite Solemnity of the Prophet Saint Elijah. May he intercede for Nicaragua and the entire world, where our Lord has been forgotten.
Please pray for the souls who committed this sacrilege against our Lord and His Church. Also, pray for an end to the violence and deteriorating situation in this country, and around the world. Lord have mercy on us all.
“My God, I believe, I adore, I hope and I love Thee! I ask pardon for those who do not believe, do not adore, do not hope and do not love Thee.”
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On this beautiful feast of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, I find myself pondering Communism, Socialism and our beautiful Mothers hand in revealing it all, even today.
As I scan social media, the US Summit with Russia fills my news feed. I pray for all, as many point fingers at each other as “Communists” or “Socialists”, forgetting what they truly are. I see many frightened by the thought of the US Government being infiltrated by either. I pray for everyone.
Below you will find, just a few Encyclicals on both Communism and Socialism, written by Blessed Pious IX and Pope Leo XIII, Benedict XV, Saint John XXIII, Pope Paul VII and a few others. I encourage you to read and ponder them, and how both ideology are poisons to any society.
Thank you Our Lady of Mount Carmel, and my sister in Carmel, Lúcia de Jesus Rosa dos Santos, O.C.D., for prayers answered.
PIUS IX (1846-1878):
“Overthrow [of] the entire order of human affairs”
“You are aware indeed, that the goal of this most iniquitous plot is to drive people to overthrow the entire order of human affairs and to draw them over to the wicked theories of this Socialism and Communism, by confusing them with perverted teachings.” (Encyclical Nostis et Nobiscum, December 8, 1849)Encyclical Nostis et Nobiscum, December 8, 1849
Encyclical Humanum Genus, April 20, 1884, n. 27
Encyclical Quod Apostolici Muneris, December 28, 1878
Encyclical Libertas Praestantissimum, June 20, 1888
Encyclical Graves de Communi Re, January 18, 1901, n. 21
Encyclical Ad Beatissimi Apostolorum, November 1, 1914, n. 13
Encyclical Quadragesimo Anno, May 15, 1931, n. 111
That We, in keeping with Our fatherly solicitude, may answer their petitions, We make this pronouncement: Whether considered as a doctrine, or an historical fact, or a movement, Socialism, if it remains truly Socialism, even after it has yielded to truth and justice on the points which we have mentioned, cannot be reconciled with the teachings of the Catholic Church because its concept of society itself is utterly foreign to Christian truth.” (Ibid. n. 117)
Catholic Socialism, a contradiction“[Socialism] is based nevertheless on a theory of human society peculiar to itself and irreconcilable with true Christianity. Religious socialism, Christian socialism, are contradictory terms; no one can be at the same time a good Catholic and a true socialist.” (Ibid. n. 120)
Encyclical Mater et Magistra, May 15, 1961, n. 34
Apostolic Letter Octogesima Adveniens, May 14, 1971, n. 31
Saint Pope John Paul II
(1978-2005):
Socialism: Danger of a “simple and radical solution”
“It may seem surprising that ‘socialism’ appeared at the beginning of the Pope’s critique of solutions to the ‘question of the working class’ at a time when ‘socialism’ was not yet in the form of a strong and powerful State, with all the resources which that implies, as was later to happen. However, he correctly judged the danger posed to the masses by the attractive presentation of this simple and radical solution to the ‘question of the working class.’” (Encyclical Centesimus Annus − On the 100thanniversary of Pope Leo XIII’s Rerum Novarum, May 1, 1991, n. 12)Fundamental error of socialism: A mistaken conception of the person
“Continuing our reflections, … we have to add that the fundamental error of socialism is anthropological in nature. Socialism considers the individual person simply as an element, a molecule within the social organism, so that the good of the individual is completely subordinated to the functioning of the socio-economic mechanism. Socialism likewise maintains that the good of the individual can be realized without reference to his free choice, to the unique and exclusive responsibility which he exercises in the face of good or evil. Man is thus reduced to a series of social relationships, and the concept of the person as the autonomous subject of moral decision disappears, the very subject whose decisions build the social order. From this mistaken conception of the person there arise both a distortion of law, which defines the sphere of the exercise of freedom, and an opposition to private property.” (Ibid, n. 13)
Encyclical Deus Caritas Est, December 25, 2005, n. 28
Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI –
“We do not need a State which regulates and controls everything”
“The State which would provide everything, absorbing everything into itself, would ultimately become a mere bureaucracy incapable of guaranteeing the very thing which the suffering person − every person − needs: namely, loving personal concern. We do not need a State which regulates and controls everything, but a State which, in accordance with the principle of subsidiarity, generously acknowledges and supports initiatives arising from the different social forces and combines spontaneity with closeness to those in need. … In the end, the claim that just social structures would make works of charity superfluous masks a materialist conception of man: the mistaken notion that man can live ‘by bread alone’ (Mt 4:4; cf. Dt 8:3) − a conviction that demeans man and ultimately disregards all that is specifically human.” (Encyclical Deus Caritas Est, December 25, 2005, n. 28)
I pray for all, who continue to look to Communism and Socialism as a means of salvation for avoiding any suffering that we all encounter every day in what is simply life in exile from our eternal home with our Lord. May we grow closer to our Lord Jesus Christ, through Our Lady of Mount Carmel, to learn how to carry our crosses, together, in love, dignity and humility with the realization that our Lord Jesus Christ is the only Way, Truth and Life which brings us to Our Father.
As I finished up writing this post, my middle daughter came to me, and handed me a holy card she found in her room. This being the one. She then preceded to ask me to pray the rosary so she and my youngest could go to bed.
My God, I believe, I adore, I hope and I love Thee! I ask pardon for those who do not believe, do not adore, do not hope and do not love Thee.
Most Holy Trinity – Father, Son and Holy Spirit- I adore Thee profoundly. I offer Thee the most precious Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity of Jesus Christ, present in all the tabernacles of the world, in reparation for the outrages, sacrileges, and indifference’s whereby He is offended. And through the infinite merits of His Most Sacred Heart and the Immaculate Heart of Mary, I beg of Thee the conversion of poor sinners.
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Adam and Eve banished from the Garden of Eden by an angel, Illustration Gustave Doré That moment you see.
Banished to where? Exile. Why? To save you because I love you.
As I was reading tweets tonight, one came across from Mark Heart:
“So many of us are so ashamed of what we we’ve done that we hide our face from God.”
Without hesitation, I responded: “And He asks still: Where are you? Not to condemn, but to help us fix the problem.”
I therefore, found myself being pulled in to ponder the scripture of Genesis 3. As I read and pondered the text, although read it thousands of time, what jumped out to me was verse 22.
22 Then the LORD God said: See! The man has become like one of us, knowing good and evil! Now, what if he also reaches out his hand to take fruit from the tree of life, and eats of it and lives forever?
It was in that moment, the love our Lord has for us peaked in my heart. If Adam and Eve were allowed to stay, in the state they were in, having already disobeyed our Lord, and had eaten the fruit from the tree of Life, disobeying again, would it then have made them unsaveable? I am reminded of the words, I’m doing this for your own good.
You can read the same Scripture passage a 1000 times, and only in His time, are you able to see what He has been saying and doing, all along. It was after the fall of Adam and Eve, after our Lord asks, “Where are you” and before Adam & Eve are banished. He protected them from eating of the tree of Life in the fallen, out of grace state they were in. And the plan of Salvation was spoken. The plan of Salvation of our Lord Jesus Christ, as John wrote:
– “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God and the Word was God.” –John 1:1
Going further to verse 14:
And the Word became flesh
and made his dwelling among us,
and we saw his glory,
the glory as of the Father’s only Son,
full of grace and truth.As I continue to ponder this and pray, 1 Corinthians 11 – Tradition of the Institution becomes even more paramount for us all, taking into consideration, we have the gifts of the Sacrament of Reconciliation, which is detrimental, to use, to repent and to use, as so not to receive in a manner unworthy, the Body and Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ, which if we did so, would keep us hiding and ashamed. So when our Father asks us: “Where are you?”, He already knows where we are. He wants to know if we know where we are, as we are not where we belong. That being with Him.
Be not afraid to answer Him, do not continue to hide from Him, or to bring all your shame from sin to Him. He is there for you to help you fix it all because He loves you so.
“Go and announce the Kingdom of Heaven is close at hand”.
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7/12/14 I was received into Carmel, back then being the Feast of Saint Veronica and the Holy Face, and yesterday, July 12th was the Feast day chosen by the Church for Louis and Zelie Martin parents of St. Therese. Thank you for the roses Little Flower. Thank you my Sister and my Mother, Our Lady of Mount Carmel, for the protection of your beautiful Mantle.
Only now can I see, the religious calling going way back into my childhood. On the road back home to our Lord, we encounter many devious voices which discourage us. Most of which fill us with doubt about our calling. This has been no different from what I have encountered. I never thought I was good enough and had a very skewed idea of what a Religious Calling was. A Nun? Right. They would toss me out quicker than the morning trash. Back in the 90’s, I heard that call again and I had actually looked deeper this time, and contacted a Monastery about what was required of me. Of course, Nuns and Sisters didn’t have biological children, so once again, I thought like the worldly in thinking this was just another voice pushing me to do something that was not the voice of our Lord. But this time, I longed to be one. I longed to be good. I didn’t want to be what I was living, as a very sinful worldly woman. I was in pain and the way I was living, was causing pain to others. On this date in 2001, I became a rape survivor. The spiritual war is real. Every deterrent known in hell, is thrown at a soul seeking our Lord and our Lord overcomes them all.
That seed in my heart, planted by our Lord at baptism, was beginning to sprout. Over the years, that sprout kept growing without much attention by me. Until it became so big, it could no longer be ignored. I heard the call in my heart from our Lord in a voice I became familiar with. And over time, His voice became the only one I could hear and I longed to be with Him always. He is the Light in the darkness. He lead me to healing, serving, repenting, and loving. Going even so far as to renounce my secular marriage and bring my husband into the Sacrament of Marriage. See HERE
I looked again at what I thought was a Religious Vocation during that time of deep repentance, and realized almost twenty years later, there is the Third Order of Carmel. As a wife and a mother, the Third Order became the gateway for Living Water, that my soul so deeply longed for to live in. There are no coincidences, as today we celebrate the Sainthood of these beautiful parents, who inspire many, to reach their own children, through “Little Ways”.
I am eternally grateful to our Lord! And the journey has only just begun.
St. Louis and St. Zelie Martin, along with St. Therese, the “Little Flower”, pray for who are parents, in need of healing, in need of growing close to our Lord, so as to bring His peace to us all.
Our Lady of Mount Carmel, pray for us.
Thank you Lord Jesus Christ. Thank you Abba Father. Thank you most kind and loving Holy Spirit. I love You too. Have mercy on us all.
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Yesterday, I noticed a strange looking bud on one of the cactus I have. I wasn’t aware of what species the cactus was, nor was I even curious as to its species, until something different began to happen.
How we creatures take so much for granted every day, as we become accustom to the way things are. Until something is no longer the same. Something becomes different.
I had not been able to do much with this latest bout of back and neck issues. Least of all, pay attention to my plants. This particular one, has sat on my front stoop for about 8 months. As I would walk by it, any water from my water bottle I had, I would dump in the pot, on my way up to the door after a day of work. I didn’t admire it. I didn’t spend any time caring for it. It just existed as it was. Much as our faith life does the same way.
At the very least, that occasional watering, lead to a beautiful discovery. This cactus, is a Night Blooming Cereus, Queen of The Night. The flowers are very short lived, and some only bloom for one night and are gone before the next morning. I hear this is a highly celebrated plant in some circles, and a very rare sight to see, actually open and blooming. Please see the article below:
One Night a Year, This Cactus Flower May Surprise You
The night progressed, and the beauty of the cactus, abounded, unnoticed by most, but I. I found myself deeply moved to share the photos of this beautiful flower on social media as it was opening. In the dark she blooms, as only our Lord can see.
In the dark she blooms
for only our Lord can seeThis morning, she is still in bloom, for all to see.
As the story of yesterdays discovery progressed, I find myself deeply pondering this beautiful opening, in correlation with the words of St. John of the Cross, Dark Night of the Soul…
STANZAS OF THE SOUL
1. One dark night,
fired with love’s urgent longings
— ah, the sheer grace! —
I went out unseen,
my house being now all stilled.2. In darkness, and secure,
by the secret ladder, disguised,
— ah, the sheer grace! —
in darkness and concealment,
my house being now all stilled.3. On that glad night,
in secret, for no one saw me,
nor did I look at anything,
with no other light or guide
than the one that burned in my heart.4. This guided me
more surely than the light of noon
to where he was awaiting me
— him I knew so well —
there in a place where no one appeared.5. O guiding night!
O night more lovely than the dawn!
O night that has united
the Lover with his beloved,
transforming the beloved in her Lover.6. Upon my flowering breast
which I kept wholly for him alone,
there he lay sleeping,
and I caressing him
there in a breeze from the fanning cedars.7. When the breeze blew from the turret,
as I parted his hair,
it wounded my neck
with its gentle hand,
suspending all my senses.8. I abandoned and forgot myself,
laying my face on my Beloved;
all things ceased; I went out from myself,
leaving my cares
forgotten among the lilies. -
Saturday, July 7th 2018, is the first day for the Novena to our Lady of Mount Carmel.
If you would like to pray along, please go to the Carmelite Website HERE
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In honor of Independence Day, I give you this, as I pray for peace.
Please join the call to prayer for a Pro-life Supreme Court justice to be nominated and confirmed. HERE
Letter to the Roman Catholics
March 15, 1790
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End the American Holocaust now.
Via EWTN
***PLEASE HELP US SPREAD THIS CALL TO PRAYER!***
According to reports, President Trump will announce his nominee for Supreme Court Justice on July 9.
TODAY we are imploring you to begin a novena to three pro-life American saints, that the selected nominee may be a steadfast pro-life advocate, unwavering in their desire to protect life from conception until natural death.
HERE: A Novena to Three American Saints for Life
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“My child, give me your heart” (Proverbs 23:26)
Freely, I give my heart to you O Lord, through the Immaculate Heart of Mary as it is totally yours O Lord.
Today is the feast of St. Louis de Monfort. It is also a day to start a Marian consecration, which will end on the Visitation.
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Is to see to it, that euthanasia and abortion are not only illegal, but unthinkable. For the love of the next generations..
The problem today is average souls have been brainwashed to believe that just because someone has a degree, they are right and just. They are just human as you and I. If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong…
To the Bishops
Priests and Deacons
Men and Women religious
lay Faithful
and all People of Good Will
on the Value and Inviolability
of Human Life -
Pray for us lil Alfie.
Alfie Evans, May 9, 2016 – April 28, 2018
Praying for little Alfie Evans and his family, along with the final end of the culture of death, by conversion of hearts, which seeks to push for nothing but death, through euthanasia and abortion.
This picture is called “Escorting Souls to Heaven” by Howard David Johnson.By praying for the dying, we are in fact walking that soul as far as we can home, to our Lord..
A few months ago, I was with a good friend who was passing on from this world, to eternal life. I sat at his bedside and through our Lord, managed to break the selfish bonds I had attached to him. I started to pray. There were a few souls in the room with him at this time who were conversing about the old days when our friend was in better shape and spirits. Rather then continue in the small talk, I listened to the voice telling me to get to work. In doing so, quickly recruited them to pray with me.
I opened my purse and grabbed the rosary given to me that belonged to my…
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Have you ever taken the time to look at the designs, and the details of ancient Liturgical Vestments? Or, have you ever thought to yourself, after seeing the intricate details, how and who made this?
My grandmother used to make folk costumes for her native town in Slovakia. She made her own lace, and embroidered her own cloth. She brought that talent of her’s with her, when she immigrated to the US. Unfortunately, her talent and techniques were not passed on to the next generation and the mystery of how she did it, making her fabric artwork, is gone with her. I do however have a full folk costume she had made along with some doll clothing, which were made for dolls to be given to all her grandchildren girls.
The detail in her work is amazing (photo above). The time she took to make her own lace alone, to add to the beautiful ribbons and fabric, created a work of art that no mass production assembly line could ever dream of recreating. I do remember the time, when my doll was being worked on. My mom told me that my grandma was getting older and her hands couldn’t do the work like she used to. Grandma stopped the production of her work, and reluctantly turned to local fabric stores as the source of materials for her design. I never really thought about it at the time, but as I see it clearly now, it truly was the end of an era as the Artist was putting down her brushes for good. Little did I know, that my grandmother would hand down to me, the love in her heart for the beautiful attention put into this art and the spark to see these same details created in love, it in our Church, in the Priests Sacred Vestments.
There is a story out, about how the Vatican has lent the Met in New York, some of our Churches Sacred Vestments to be on exhibit entitled The Met and Heavenly Bodies.
Here is a snip from the Met
The Costume Institute’s spring 2018 exhibition—at The Met Fifth Avenue and The Met Cloisters—will feature a dialogue between fashion and medieval art from The Met collection to examine fashion’s ongoing engagement with the devotional practices and traditions of Catholicism.
I wasn’t exactly sure how to take this story. My thoughts drifted to the child in me. When we love, we seek to protect. Its often been the case, in which anything Catholic these days hits the circuit that it ends up getting the same treatment as that child in JR High, constantly being picked on by the school bullies. The Fashion Industry bully wants to see my prized toy? Well okay, but don’t break it. A lot of this insecurity came from false media reports, about how the “evil Vatican” is lending vestments for UN-ORTHODOX people to design vestments for WOMAN. Also, one other false story, stating they will be used for a fashion show. Spare us O Lord.
I am so happy to say, my initial idea as to how this is taking place, is a little selfish. Why not share the beauty and details of the sacred Vestments? Its art. Sacred Art that draws souls in and doesn’t push away. Igniting the soul to ponder.
Peg Pondering Again 