Christmas & New Year's Meditation

We celebrate Christmas on December 25 and then New Year's day on January 1.  This may not seem like a big deal, but if we think about it then it is.  The birth of Christ is celebrated at the end of the year since December is the last month of the year. This celebration runs into the New Year with the commemoration of Mary the Mother of God,  the Holy Family, the Epiphany and then the Baptism of the Lord.  I have always meditated on this and Revelation 1:8 comes to mind.  In Revelation 1:8, Jesus tells John, “I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty.”  Do you see the connection?

We celebrate Jesus' birth at the end of the year; He is the Omega or the End.  This celebration continues into the New Year beginning with the one who gave birth to Him, Mary.  This continuation of the celebration of Christmas into the New Year shows us that Christ is also the Alpha, or the Beginning.  Mary as usual is in the middle of this temporal manifestation of the Divine. This is why she is appropriately called the "Theotokos" or God-bearer.  Christ is the Lord of space and time.  This is why we use AD (Anno Domini - Year of Our Lord) to designate time.  Jesus is the beginning and the end, the alpha and the omega.      

Prayer For the Dead

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. Source:  https://www.ewtn.com/faith/teachings/purgb3.htm

Litany of the Saints

Lord, have mercy on us.

CHRIST, have mercy on us.

LORD, have mercy on us.

CHRIST, hear us.

CHRIST, graciously hear us.

GOD, THE FATHER OF HEAVEN, have mercy on us.

GOD THE SON, REDEEMER OF THE WORLD, have mercy on us.

GOD THE HOLY GHOST, have mercy on us.

HOLY TRINITY, ONE GOD, have mercy on us.

HOLY MARY, pray for us.

HOLY MOTHER OF GOD, pray for us.

HOLY VIRGIN OF VIRGINS, pray for us.

ST. MICHAEL, pray for us.

ST. GABRIEL, pray for us.

ST. RAPHAEL, pray for us.

ALL YE HOLY ANGELS AND ARCHANGELS, pray for us.

ALL YE HOLY ORDERS OF BLESSED SPIRITS, pray for us.

ST. JOHN THE BAPTIST, pray for us. ST. JOSEPH, pray for us.

ALL YE HOLY PATRIARCHS AND PROPHETS, pray for us.

ST. PETER, pray for us.

ST. PAUL, pray for us.

ST. ANDREW, pray for us.

ST. JAMES, pray for us.

ST. JOHN, pray for us.

ST. THOMAS, pray for us.

ST. JAMES, pray for us.

ST. PHILIP, pray for us.

ST. BARTHOLOMEW, pray for us.

ST. MATTHEW, pray for us.

ST. SIMON, pray for us.

ST. THADDEUS, pray for us.

ST. BARNABAS, pray for us.

ST. LUKE, pray for us.

ST. MARK, pray for us.

ALL YE HOLY APOSTLES AND EVANGELIST, pray for us.

ALL YE HOLY DISCIPLES OF OUR LORD, pray for us.

ALL YE HOLY INNOCENTS, pray for us.

ST. STEPHEN, pray for us.

ST. LAWRENCE, pray for us.

ST. VINCENT, pray for us.

SS. FABIAN AND SEBASTIAN, pray for us.

SS. JOHN AND PAUL, pray for us.

SS. COSMOS AND DAMIAN, pray for us.

SS. GERVASE AND PROTASE, pray for us.

ALL YE HOLY MARTYRS, pray for us.

ST. SYLVESTER, pray for us.

ST. GREGORY, pray for us.

ST. AMBROSE, pray for us.

ST. AUGUSTINE, pray for us.

ST. JEROME, pray for us.

ST. MARTIN, pray for us.

ST. NICHOLAS, pray for us.

ALL YE HOLY BISHOPS AND CONFESSORS, pray for us.

ALL YE HOLY DOCTORS, pray for us.

ST. ANTHONY, pray for us.

ST. BENEDICT, pray for us.

ST. BERNARD, pray for us.

ST. DOMINIC, pray for us.

ST. FRANCIS, pray for us.

ALL YE HOLY PRIEST AND LEVITES, pray for us.

ALL YE HOLY MONKS AND HERMITS, pray for us.

ST. MARY MAGDALEN, pray for us.

ST. AGATHA, pray for us.

ST. LUCY, pray for us.

ST. AGNES, pray for us.

ST. CECILIA, pray for us.

ST. CATHERINE, pray for us.

ST. ANASTASIA, pray for us.

ALL YE HOLY VIRGINS AND WIDOWS, pray for us.

ALL YE MEN AND WOMEN, SAINTS OF GOD, make intercession for us.

BE MERCIFUL, spare us, O Lord!

BE MERCIFUL, graciously hear us, O Lord!

FROM ALL EVIL, O Lord, deliver us.

FROM ALL SIN, O Lord, deliver us.

FROM THY WRATH, O Lord, deliver us.

FROM A SUDDEN AND UNPROVIDED DEATH, O Lord, deliver us.

FROM THE DECEITS OF THE DEVIL, O Lord, deliver us.

FROM ANGER, HATRED, AND ALL ILL WILL, O Lord, deliver us.

FROM THE SPIRIT OF FORNICATION, O Lord, deliver us.

FROM LIGHTNING AND TEMPEST, O Lord, deliver us.

FROM THE SCOURGE OF EARTHQUAKE, O Lord, deliver us.

FROM PESTILENCE, FAMINE, AND WAR, O Lord, deliver us.

FROM EVERLASTING DEATH, O Lord, deliver us.

THROUGH THE MYSTERY OF THY HOLY INCARNATION, O Lord, Deliver us.

THROUGH THY COMING, O Lord, deliver us.

THROUGH THY NATIVITY, O Lord, deliver us.

THROUGH THY BAPTISM AND HOLY FASTING, O Lord, deliver us.

THROUGH THY CROSS AND PASSION, O Lord, deliver us.

THROUGH THY DEATH AND BURIAL, O Lord, deliver us.

THROUGH THY HOLY RESURRECTION, O Lord, deliver us.

THROUGH THINE ADMIRABLE ASCENSION, O Lord, deliver us.

THROUGH THE COMING OF THE HOLY GHOST, THE PARACLETE, O Lord, deliver us.

IN THE DAY OF JUDGMENT, We Sinners beseech Thee, hear us.

THAT THOU WOULDST SPARE US, We beseech Thee, hear us.

THAT THOU WOULDST PARDON US, We beseech Thee, hear us.

THAT THOU WOULDST VOUCHSAFE TO BRING US TO TRUE PENANCE, We Beseech Thee hear us.

THAT THOU WOULDST VOUCHSAFE TO GOVERN AND PRESERVE THY HOLY CHURCH.... We beseech Thee, hear us.

THAT THOU WOULDST VOUCHSAFE TO PRESERVE OUR APOSTOLIC PRELATE AND ALL ECCLESIASTICAL ORDERS IN HOLY RELIGION. We beseech Thee, hear us.

THAT THOU WOULDST VOUCHSAFE TO HUMBLE THE ENEMIES OF THY HOLY CHURCH, We beseech Thee, hear us.

THAT THOU WOULDST VOUCH SAFE TO GIVE PEACE AND TRUE CONCORD TO CHRISTIAN KINGS AND PRINCES, We beseech Thee, hear us.

THAT THOU WOULDST VOUCHSAFE TO GRANT PEACE AND UNITY TO ALL CHRISTIAN PEOPLE, We beseech Thee, hear us.

THAT THOU WOULDST VOUCHSAFE TO BRING BACK TO THE UNITY OF THE CHURCH ALL THOSE WHO HAVE STRAYED AWAY, AND LEAD TO THE LIGHT OF THE GOSPEL ALL UNBELIEVERS, We beseech Thee, hear us.

THAT THOU WOULDST VOUCHSAFE TO CONFIRM AND PRESERVE US THY HOLY SERVICE, We beseech Thee, hear us.

THAT THOU WOULDST LIFT UP OUR MINDS TO HEAVENLY DESIRES, We beseech Thee, hear us.

THAT THOU WOULDST RENDER ETERNAL BLESSINGS TO ALL OUR BENEFACTORS, We beseech Thee, hear us.

THAT THOU WOULDST DELIVER OUR SOULS AND THOSE OF OUR BRETHREN, RELATIVE, AND BENEFACTORS FROM ETERNAL DAMNATION, We beseech Thee, hear us.

THAT THOU WOULDST VOUCHSAFE TO GIVE AND PRESERVE THE FRUITS OF THE EARTH, We beseech Thee, hear us.

THAT THOU WOULDST VOUCHSAFE TO GIVE ETERNAL REST TO ALL THE FAITHFUL DEPARTED, We beseech Thee, hear us.

THAT THOU WOULDST VOUCHSAFE GRACIOUSLY TO HEAR US, We beseech Thee, hear us.

SON OF GOD, We beseech Thee, hear us.

LAMB OF GOD, WHO TAKEST AWAY THE SINS OF THE WORLD, Spare us, O Lord.

LAMB OF GOD, WHO TAKEST AWAY THE SINS OF THE WORLD, Graciously hear us, O Lord.

LAMB OF GOD, WHO TAKEST AWAY THE SINS OF THE WORLD, Have mercy on us.

CHRIST, HEAR US.......

CHRIST, GRACIOUSLY HEAR US.......

LORD, HAVE MERCY ON US.......

CHRIST, HAVE MERCY ON US.......

LORD, HAVE MERCY ON US.......

Our Father, etc, (In Secret.)

V- And Lead Us Not Into Temptation.

R- But Deliver Us From Evil.

Psalm LXIX

Incline unto my aid, O God.

O Lord, make haste to help me.

Let them be confounded and ashamed that seek my soul.

Let them be turned backward and blush for shame that desire evils to me.

Let them be presently turned away blushing for shame that say to me, "Tis well, 'tis well."

Let all that seek Thee rejoice and be glad in Thee; and let such as love Thy salvation say always, The Lord be magnified. But I am needy and poor: O God, help me.

Thou art my helper and my deliverer; O Lord, make no delay.

Glory Be To The Father, etc.

V- Save Thy servants.

R- Trusting in Thee, O my God.

V- Be unto us, O Lord, a tower a strength.

R- From the face of the enemy.

V- Let not the enemy prevail against us.

R- Nor the son of iniquity have power to hurt us.

V- O Lord, do not deal with us according to our sins.

R- Neither reward us according to our iniquities.

V- Let us pray for our chief bishop: (name)

R- The Lord preserve him, and give him life, and make him blessed upon the earth, and deliver him not up to the will of his enemies.

V- Let us pray for our benefactors.

R- Vouchsafe, O Lord, for Thy name's sake, to reward with eternal life all those who do us good.

V- Let us pray for the faithful departed.

R- Eternal rest give unto them, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon them.

V- May they rest in peace.

R- Amen.

V- For our absent brethren.

R- Save Thy servants who hope in Thee, O my God.

V- Send them help, O Lord, from Thy holy place.

R- And from Sion protect them.

V- O Lord, hear my prayer.

R- And let my cry come unto Thee.

LET US PRAY:

O God, Whose property is always to have mercy and to spare, receive our petition, that we and all Thy servants who are bound by the chain of sin, may, by the compassion of Thy goodness, mercifully be absolved.

Hear, we beseech Thee, O Lord, the prayers of Thy supplicants, and pardon the sins of those who confess to Thee, that, in Thy bounty, Thou mayest grant us both pardon and peace.

In Thy clemency, O Lord, show Thy unspeakable mercy to us, that so Thou mayest both loose us from all our sins and deliver us from the punishments which we deserve for them.

O God, who by sin art offended and by penance pacified, mercifully regard the prayers of Thy people, who make supplication to Thee, and turn away the scourges of Thine anger, which we deserve for our sins.

O almighty and eternal God, have mercy on Thy servant (N)., our chief bishop, and direct him according to Thy clemency, in the way of everlasting salvation, that, by Thy grace, he may desire the things that are pleasing to Thee, and perform them with all his strength.

O God, from Whom are all holy desires, righteous counsels, and just works, give to Thy servants that peace which the world cannot give; that, our hearts being disposed to keep Thy commandments, and the fear of enemies taken away, the times, by Thy protection, may be peaceful.

Inflame, O Lord, our reins and hearts with the fire of the Holy Spirit; that we may serve Thee with a chaste body, and please Thee with a clean heart.

O God, the Creator and Redeemer of all the faithful, give to the souls of Thy servants departed the remission of all their sins, that through pious supplications they may obtain the pardon they have always desired.

Direct, we beseech Thee, O Lord, our actions by Thy holy inspirations, and carry them on by Thy gracious assistance; that every prayer and work of ours may always begin from Thee, and through Thee be happily ended.

O almighty and eternal God, Who hast dominion over the living and the dead, and art merciful to all who Thou foreknowest will be Thine by faith and good works: we humbly beseech Thee that they for whom we have purposed to offer our prayers, whether this present world still detains them in the flesh or the next world hath already received them divested of their bodies, may, by the intercession of Thy saints and the clemency of Thy goodness, obtain pardon and full remission of all their sins. Through Our Lord Jesus Christ, Thy Son, Who liveth and reigneth with Thee in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, world without end.

R- Amen.

V- O Lord, hear my prayer.

R- And let my cry come unto Thee.

V- May the almighty and merciful Lord graciously hear us.

R- Amen.

V- And my the souls of the faithful departed throught the mercy of God, rest in peace.

R- Amen.

Prayer for the Protection of Marriage

We ask you Lord to bestow your blessings upon all marriages and families throughout the globe.  Today they are under attack by the enemy.  The sacred institution of Marriage is being targeted because from it springs forth life and human stability.  Societies begin when marriage takes place and families are born.  

The enemy is using sophism to confuse many into believing that a marriage can be anything man invents as long as love is mentioned to justify it.  The enemy is cunning and knows how to manipulate.  He is a liar!  His time is running out so he is trying all to destroy the family and the human race.  

We trust in you Lord that you will not give us anything that we cannot handle. We trust that you are the victor in this despite facing losses in courts and mockery from those who are anti-marriage.  Only you can bring forth light in this dark world.  You can bring forth truth that will dispel the sophism and lies propagated by the enemy.  

We ask you to defend this sacred institution and restore the social order to the natural norm from which you established it having male and female as the sole union that complements love and connects the biological reality of both genders.  

Give strength, wisdom and courage to our leaders in the Church, to our leaders in government so that they can defend marriage and restore it as the sole union between one man one woman against a tyrannical minority bent on mocking your ways.  We ask this through Christ our Lord who has already won against the enemy and his lies.  Amen 

Prayer to Our Lady of Fatima

Prayer to Our Lady of Fatima

O Most Holy Virgin Mary, Queen of the most holy Rosary, you were pleased to appear to the children of Fatima and reveal a glorious message. We implore you, inspire in our hearts a fervent love for the recitation of the Rosary. By meditating on the mysteries of the redemption that are recalled therein may we obtain the graces and virtues that we ask, through the merits of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Redeemer.

Prayer of Saint John XXIII to Our Lady

Holy Immaculate Mary, help all who are in trouble. Give courage to the faint-hearted, console the sad, heal the infirm, pray for the people, intercede for the clergy, have a special care for nuns; may all feel, all enjoy your kind and powerful assistance, all who now and always render and will render, you honor, and will offer you their petitions. Hear all our prayers, O Mother, and grant them all. We are all your children: Grant the prayers of your children.
Amen forever.

My thoughts on Holy Week

My thoughts on Holy Week

Holy Week is one of the most busiest times in the Catholic Church.  I use the word "busy" to describe the many events or liturgies that take place during the week.

The Catholic Church does an excellent job in presenting the redemptive act of Christ in a powerful sensual manner.  From Palm Sunday to Easter Sunday, each of these liturgies offers so much stimuli to the human mind.  So much is going on that one has no choice but to absorb each detail in.

I have always been a philosopher since I could remember.  Thinking about thinking has been a hobby of mine that has sometimes driven my friends and relatives to drink (joking).  I love to think about things and contemplate them.  Here are some thoughts that came to mind while serving at Holy Week's liturgies.  


Palm Sunday
On this day, the visual of the people with palms brings about a reflection of that day when the people in Jerusalem praised their King Christ.  I was reminded of how hypocritical we all can be.  We praise God and then offend Him with our sins. God is indeed patient with each of us.  He calmly rides into our lives only to be rejected by us every time we sin.


Chrism Mass
During chrism Mass, the bishop consecrates the oils that will be used to celebrate the sacraments throughout his diocese.  The display of the oils brought to mind something that we often take for granted - cooking.  Most of us use oil to cook in our homes.  Oil in a sense is the first ingredient in most meals.  It is not strange that oil would be the first "ingredient" to prepare us for the banquet that are the Sacraments of the Church.

Holy Thursday
During Holy Thursday, we commemorate the Last Supper of Christ.  Christ gathered His disciples and had the Passover seder.  Priests also renew their promises during this Mass.  During this Mass, the washing of the feet takes place.  This brings about many thoughts for meditation.  I visualize Christ, the Son of God and second person of the Blessed Trinity washing the feet of men who are sinners.  This is a powerful image and one that is unique to religion in general.  The gods of other religions have man as the slave of the deity.  In Christianity, God is the servant.  This is a very powerful image.  The transference of the Blessed Sacrament to the Altar of Repose is another powerful image.  It literally feels like Christ was arrested and taken away from us.  The mood is a somber one that brings about the reflection of what life is without God.  We are alone, sad, and hopeless.

Good Friday
Good Friday's Liturgy of the Passion is one that while being long, brings about many instances for reflection.  The reading of the Word and the participation of the people makes the Passion come alive in the church.  You get the sense of actually being there and watching Jesus before Pilate.  The unveiling of the wood of the Cross is another instance of reflection.  The mystery of the Cross is something we often wrestle with.  Why did God have to die?  Why on a Cross?  The unveiling reminds us of this mystery.  The sight of an empty church with statues and images covered, no crucifixes, the Tabernacle open and no candle light, not even from the Sanctuary lamp is a reflection in itself.  Without Christ, the Church is nothing.  The Church loses its beauty without Him.
Some Latino and Italian parishes have processions where people dress up like the main persons in the Passion.  They reenact the Stations of the Cross vividly that you actually feel like you're there 2000 years ago.  Each station brings about a reflection.  The ones that stood out to me were the times Jesus fell.  I began to think, Jesus fell 3 times.  Once for the past, present and future.  He took on the sins of each time period, but they did not keep Him down.  Christ stood back up.  The stations of Simon the Cyrene and Mary, Christ's mother approaching Christ are also powerful images to reflect on.  Mary embracing her son is a very powerful images.  Sometimes, kids get ashamed of being around their moms.  Here we have Mary embracing her Son, a grown man.  This image shows the importance of the love between parents and children.  Jesus was not ashamed or embarrassed of having His mom around.  Also, the mere fact that Mary could embrace God in such a way is awesome.  Furthermore, God does not need anyone, yet Simon helps Him carry His cross.  When we grow in grace and get closer to Christ, we alleviate His suffering just like Simon approached Christ and helped him carry the Cross.

Easter Vigil
The Easter vigil has so many instances for reflection.  The priest lights fire outside of the Church and prepares the Paschal candle.  The fire reminds us that Christ is the light.  Without light, nothing can survive in this world.  If the Sun were to turn off one day, our world would become a dark frozen wasteland.  Similarly, without Christ, we become nothing more than animals acting out our instinctual habits.  The image of a darken Church shows this.  Without Christ, the Church is dark and lonely.  It is a useless building just there on a street block.  The procession with the Paschal candle reminds us that Christ is the light.  With the small flame of this candle, we are able to see the Church's inside.  The visual of the people lighting their candles from the Paschal candles is awesome.  It shows Christ's light being transferred to each of us.  As each candle is lit, its owner's face becomes visible.  We are no longer dark images in a dark Church.  We have our image restored to us via the light of Christ and rightfully so since we are made in God's image.  The gloria and the ringing of the bells shows us the joy the church has knowing that Christ has risen.  The catechumens are received into the church showing that the Church has new life in the risen Christ.


Easter Sunday
The Church looks beautiful again.  It has flowers, the statues and images are uncovered, the Blessed Sacrament is there.  The Church has life once again.  It is not an empty dark building.  Similarly, we have new life in Christ.  We all renew our Baptism promises.


Holy Week is indeed Holy.  If you have not participated in the above liturgies.  I recommend that you do next year.  The Liturgies for this week are so rich in symbolism and visuals.              

Prayer for Pope Francis

Today is the anniversary of the election of Cardinal Jorge Bergoglio to the Papacy.  He took the name Francis and asked all of us to pray for him after Benedict XVI retired.  Let us pray:

Heavenly Father, we ask you to bestow your grace and blessings upon Pope Francis whom you entrusted with the care of your Son's Catholic Church as His Vicar on Earth.  Give Francis the graces needed to do his Petrine ministry which is no easy task.  Give him the wisdom and knowledge to tackle today's errors and irrational ways of thinking.  Give him the strength to continue despite the stresses that will try to bring him down.

He has just completed one year on the journey as Pope and has done much in your name by making humility and poverty relevant again within the Church, reaching out to atheists, gays and others who are in defiance of you due to ignorance; as well as calling for renewal and Christian unity.  Continue to give him the grace that will allow him to bring more to the fold. To reach out to those far from you as he casts his net into the deep like St. Peter did as a fisherman.

We ask this through Christ our Lord.  Amen


*Pray 3 Hail Mary's asking for Our Lady of Lujan to pray for her Argentinian son.



      

Prayer to End Abortion

Prayer to End Abortion



Lord God, I thank you today for the gift of my life,
And for the lives of all my brothers and sisters.

I know there is nothing that destroys more life than abortion,
Yet I rejoice that you have conquered death
by the Resurrection of Your Son.

I am ready to do my part in ending abortion.
Today I commit myself
Never to be silent,
Never to be passive,
Never to be forgetful of the unborn.

I commit myself to be active in the pro-life movement,
And never to stop defending life
Until all my brothers and sisters are protected,
And our nation once again becomes
A nation with liberty and justice
Not just for some, but for all.

Through Christ our Lord. Amen!

Source - http://www.priestsforlife.org/prayers/praytoendabortion.htm

Prayer for Benedict XVI

Almighty God, please bestow your grace and blessings upon Benedict XVI, Pope Emeritus.  Give him good health of mind and body as he takes upon a new ministry in the Church.  Give him the wisdom and knowledge to engage the world via written word.  We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ your Son.  Amen

Sacerdotus Radio

People always have told me that my big mouth would get me somewhere... well it has.  I am not only Social networks, but also on the radio.

I will be hosting a 30 min. long program where I will discuss all kinds of topics just like I do here on my blog.

There will be a number for callers to call in and join the discussion and ask questions; also a chat room.  I will also invite guests and co-hosts to join me.

I'm hoping that this will be a great success and that listeners will enjoy it and have fun at the same time.

Please donate to my blog if you can so that in the future, I can expand the time to 2 hours or more.


The radio program can be listened to on my blog, facebook or here:

Atheist Confession III

• How do you know?
• Why is that?
• Can you provide evidence for that?

These are common questions atheists, agnostics and skeptics in general ask when one discusses topics that are "extraordinary" such as religion, God, philosophy, UFO's/aliens, other dimensions/multiverses etc.  These questions are not bad if asked sincerely.  It is important for us to ask questions.  God would not have given us the ability to inquire if He did not want us to ask.  Jesus Himself said to ask and seek. (Matthew 7:7)

As an atheist first learning about the saints, I questioned a lot.  I remember aggravating a Franciscan brother with questions surrounding St. Francis' stigmata and vision of a naked lady on the field.  My curiosity was there, but doubts joined it as well.  The look on the brother's face was a "kodak moment" when I suggested that maybe St. Francis acquired leprosy from lepers and the medieval Church mistook it for the stigmata.  Moreover, I even proposed that perhaps St. Francis was having visions on the field due to his lack of proper nutrition.  Starvation can cause hallucination and delirium.

In any event, my questions helped me learn more.  It allowed my mind to objectively absorb whatever I read and was told on the matter I asked about.  Catholics should not be afraid of questions, nor should they be afraid to ask questions.  They should verify what they believe and learn the reasoning behind it.  This can help enrich their faith and help them defend it when it is challenged.  In today's world where truth is being watered down to a mere cultural opinion; it is important for Catholics to be well educated and own Catholicism, not only spiritually, but intellectually.  Atheism and skepticism aided me in learning more about God and Catholicism.   

Prayer to St. Joseph

To you, blessed Joseph, we come in our tribulation and after pleading for assistance to your Most Holy Spouse, we implore your help, too. In the charity that kept you united to the Immaculate Virgin Mary, Mother of God and in the paternal love you embrace the Child Jesus, we humbly beg of you to turn benignly your eyes to the heirs that with His blood bought Jesus Christ and that with your power and help assist them in their needs. 

Protect, provident guardian of the Divine family, the chosen descendants of Jesus Christ; remove from us all mark of error and corruption, assist us propitiously from heaven, mighty liberator, in this fighting against the power of darkness; and as in other times you liberated the Child Jesus from the impending danger of His life, defend God's holy Church from the lurking of its enemies and from all adversity, and protect each one of us with your continuous help so that, taking example from you and sustained by your aid we could live saintly, die piously and reach in heaven the eternal bliss. Amen.  (Pope Leo XIII)

Catholic Witness

In this Year of Faith, Catholic witness is important.  Not only are we called to grow in faith; we are also called to be witnesses of Christ in the world.  We must show the world via our lives why it is worth it to be Catholic.  In today's world where doubt is growing; citing Scripture, Church dogmas etc, will not do much to sway harden hearts and minds.  When the Christian life is lived publicly, then this will sway many.

Human beings are wired to learn visually.  This is why it is important for children to use blocks and other objects that stimulate tactile and visual experience.  It is by this that we learn about the external world.  In child psychology, we learn that from about ages 2-4, children become "scientists."  They study everything and do their own experiments by testing how things work.  It is by this exploration that children begin to learn about the world and how they relate to it.

This does not end at childhood.  We still continue to learn in this manner.  Children learn the abc's and 123's faster with instruments that present these visually than by simply verbalizing them.  If I tell a child "A" or "1," my doing this will not guarantee that the child will learn what these are.  However, if I show them the letter A and number 1, then these images will remain in his/her brain and from there, he/she will be able to achieve mapping and encoding with them. 

Similarly, preaching the Word of God can only go so far unless we present it to people in a visual and tangible way. If I preach about love, then that message will come alive when those I preach to see me loving others.  If I preach about truth, then that message will come alive when people that I preach to see me telling the truth always.  If I preach about poverty and helping others, then this will come alive if people I preach to see me detached from material goods and see me provide for those in need.

This is why Pope Francis chose the name "Francis."  He wanted to imitate St. Francis who preached the Gospel not only with words, but through action.  Pope Francis has made it a mission to speak nearly daily on Christian behavior.  From saying not to be hypocritical, to having "funeral faces;" to recently stating that we must watch our tongues and how we talk about others; Pope Francis is reminding us the important of Christian witness.

As St. Francis is believed to have said: "Wherever you go, preach the gospel, and if necessary, use words."      

For God and Country

The phrase, "For God and Country" is often found inscribed on the corner stones of Catholic schools in the United States of America and perhaps other nations.  Its origin is found in Johan Salla, a commander in the Royal Forces of Alfonso the Chaste. 

As I was walking by a school, I noticed this phrase and began to think.  What does "For God and Country" really mean? 

In today's America where some polls claim that the majority of Catholics are for contraception, gay marriage and abortion when the mother's life is in danger; this got me thinking.  If these polls are indeed accurate, then this only means that American Catholics are losing their vision.  They are becoming blind to secular matters and have forgotten God.  They are focusing on the country part and setting aside God.

The nation is being placed before God.  The saying places God first and rightfully so.  Catholics cannot support secular rhetoric that opposes the Church's teaching.  One cannot be Catholic and be for contraception, abortion and/or gay marriage.  One of the most important factors of being Catholic is being counter-cultural.  Being a Catholic does not mean that a Catholic must obey all the social norms of the society he/she lives in especially when they are contrary to the Church's teachings.  We are called to transform nations into the image of Christ.  We are called to evangelize our nations, not conform to their ideas, especially when those ideas are contrary to God and His Church's teachings. 

While patriotism is fine and dandy, it should not become idolatrous.  It is OK to be proud of one's nationality; however, our nation of birth is just land and nothing more.  The people make the nation.  As Catholics, our true country - our true nation is Heaven. (Philippians 3:20; Hebrews 11:16) 

Nations will come and go, but God's Word will always remain.  Greece and Rome fell, Egypt fell, the empires of Spain and Britain fell, eventually the United States will fall.  We must not rely on man-made nations, but focus on our true nation: Heaven.  In order to make our current nations better, we must be faithful to Christ and His Church by promoting the teachings and defending life, marriage and the true meaning of sexual relations as a channel to bring new life to the world. 

Catholics wake up!  You cannot be Catholic and support abortion, contraception and gay marriage.

In His Presence

We have just celebrated the Solemnity of the Body and Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ.  Pope Francis had the first ever global Eucharistic adoration. 

Adoration is an act that all believers in God must do.  Our Lord awaits us in the Blessed Sacrament.  He is present in the Blessed Sacrament Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity.  There is no better gift that to have direct access to the Creator in every Catholic Church and chapel throughout the world.

There is no reason why Catholics should skip spending time before the Blessed Sacrament.  Jesus asked His Apostles if they could watch for one hour. (Mark 14:37-38 )  They fell asleep instead of praying.  Our faith should not be asleep.  Every Catholic should try to make time to spend before Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament.  Most parishes have separate adoration chapels where Catholics can come and visit Our Lord and spend time in adoration.

I'm sure Catholics can relate to this:  When I go to adoration, this sensation of peace and tranquility enters my heart.  The stresses of the day disappear.  Sometimes time seems to be suspended and I may find myself spending more than an hour before the Blessed Sacrament.

Jesus is truly there!  I invite you to go visit Him daily or as often as you can.  The Eucharist is a gift that our separated brothers and sisters in the Protestant faith deprive themselves of.  Catholics have it easy - God is among us in our Churches.    

Lukewarm Catholics

So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth -Revelation 3:16

We live in a world today that is rapidly falling to relativism.  Relativism is the idea that no absolutes exist.  Every knowledge we possess is subjective and based on culture, circumstances and experience.  In other words, ideas such as what makes a male - a male, or right and wrong come from a particular culture's way of interpreting it and those ideas are not universal or truth.  Relativism is very dangerous to society as a whole.  It presents a confusion that brings society to a halt.  Truths that are solid as rock are questioned to the point of being labeled absurd.  Relativism allows for the ideas of abortion, homosexuality, euthanasia, etc to exist.

• When we convince ourselves that human life is life whenever we say it is, then we can kill it at any stage, unborn or born when convenient.  
• When we convince ourselves that marriage is nothing but a contract developed by men, then we can allow strange unions such as same-sex ones or even multiple partner ones.  
• When we convince ourselves that there is no such thing as "male" or "female," then we can create all kinds of genders that please our desires even if our bodies and genetics clearly define sex.  

Unfortunately, many Catholics have fallen prey to relativism.  They question the Church's teachings, label them as archaic because of it.  These lukewarm Catholics do great harm to the Church, themselves and society.  Christ is all about truth, not lies.  Truth exists.  Truth is not based on popular opinion nor can it be molded to fit our needs, wants or desires.

Catholics who are lukewarm must be heated with the flames of the Holy Spirit.  They must wake up and stop being hypnotized by the world's lies.