Pope John Paul Il present in the chapel of Reuilly on May 31,1980 prays to Mary

Let us listen to the teachings of our unforgettable Pope John Paul II

Mary, conceived without sin
Pray for us who have recourse to you
Mary, such was the prayer that you inspired in Saint Catherine Labouré, in this same place, now, one hundred fifty years ago; and this invocation, thereafter engraved on the Medal is now worn and recited by so many faithful throughout the whole world! You are blessed among all women!
Blessed are you who believed!
The Almighty has done marvels for you!

The marvel of your Divine maternity!
And,in view of it,
The marvel of your Immaculate Conception!
The marvel of your fiat!
You have been so intimately associated with the work
of our Redemption,
associated with the cross of Our Saviour; your heart was transpierced by it, along side his heart. And now, in the glory of your Son you intercède continuously for us, poor sinners.
You watch over the Church, of which you are the Mother. You watch over each one of your children.
You obtain for us, from God, all these graces which the rays of light radiating from your open hands symbolize,
With the one condition that we dare ask you for them, and that we draw near to you with the confidence and the simplicity of a child.
And it is, in this way, that you lead us constantly towards your Son Jesus.

The message of Our Lady,how we can perceive the Medal

A message of Faith

We find there, in brief, the essentiel beliefs of Christianity.
The Son of God became man to save us by His Death and Resurrection.
Into the world, the work of God, entered "sin", the work of man. Christ saves us by His cross.
The Church is the "People of God":
The Church, founded upon Peter and the Apostles (twelve stars), is on its way to the Kingdom where all human beings, without distinction, are invited to enter.
Mary has a privileged place in this Divine plan:
She was conceived without sin.
She is inséparable from Jesus whom she gives us and to whom she leads us (M).
She suffered with Him for us (transpierced heart).
She appeared to us in her Glory,
·as a pre-eminent effect of the Redemption 1 saw her beautiful and in the perfection of her beauty").
·as interceding for us (rays).

A message of Hope

In reality, Hope is:
The virtue of Christ's growth in us:
Amid all our sorrows, we live in joy and radiate joy: "The persons who wear this Medal will receive great graces."
Our Hope is Christ, and through Mary's hands, we place ourselves in Christ's hands: "We have recourse to You."
The virtue of prayer, and especially the prayer of petition:
Mary is Mother of "ardent Love, of holy Hope" and instructs us on the object of our prayer: the reign of God within us.
Mary, totally under the influence of God, also tells us what must be the "driving force" of our prayer: the Spirit of Christ.
0 Mary, Mother of God and Mother of ail humankind, you know our earthly needs and you know Gods plan for us, teach us to conform our desires and our actions to the will and the love of your Son.

A message of Charity

The "Miraculous Medal" tells us again of:
The Love of God, our Father, for us:
He bestows on us his innumerable graces: "Come to the foot of this altar; there, graces will be poured out on you."
The Heart of Christ, pierced by the lance and crowned with thorns, is the very source of this Love.
The love which God expects of us in return:
The Medal was given to us at the dawn of a scientific age and an epoch of dechristianization.
It reminds us that, in this technological world, we must never lose sight of the divine destiny of humanity:
"You have hidden these things from the wise and the prudent, and you have revealed them to the humble."
The love which we should have for one another:
In Jesus Christ, we are all sons and daughters of the same Father and have Mary as Mother.
Mary, who is only interested in our good and our salvation, teaches us to "carry each other's burdens."
The great obligation we have to be Apostles:
The Medal is a catechesis within everyone's reach, a privileged instrument for the apostolats. It should be distributed with faith and love.
To wear the Medal is to confide ourselves to Mary knowing that she intercèdes for us and always leads us to our Lord.

28 November : Feast of Saint Catherine Labouré

Saint Catherine Labouré Daughter of Charity, Servant of the Poor
"I was only an instrument,it was not for me that the Blessed Virgin appeared.If She chose me,who knows nothing,it was so that we could not doubt her."
Sister Catherine Labouré

Who was the seer the Blessed Mother entrusted with such a great revelation? At the time of the apparitions, Catherine Laboure was a simple, devout French peasant girl of 24 who had been in the novitiate of the Daughters of Charity in Paris for only three months. There seemed to be nothing remarkable about her. When she had entered the Order as a postulant seven months earlier, she could barely read, and it was only because a sympathetic sister undertook to tutor her that she became literate.
Catherine had been born in a tiny village near Dijon, France, on May 2, 1806, the ninth of eleven children. Her father was a prosperous farmer who had once studied for the priesthood. Her mother was a former schoolmistress. When Catherine was only nine years old, her mother died; in the midst of her terrible grief, Catherine turned to Our Lady. Climbing up on a chair one day, she reached for a statue of the Blessed Virgin that stood high on a shelf in her mother's bedroom and throwing her arms around it cried, "Now, dear Blessed Mother, you will be my mother." That incident, with its hint of irrevocable dedication, symbolic of the eventual turning of humanity towards Mary, might be seen as the real beginning of the Marian Age.
At the age of 12, Catherine had to take over the running of her father's household, then comprising six family members and 14 hired men. She carried out her heavy responsibilities capably while finding time for her spiritual life. Every morning she walked six miles to Mass in the predawn darkness, and throughout the day she managed to slip away to the village chapel across the lane form her home, there to pray before a weatherworn old painting of the Annunciation.
When she was 18 she had her first mystical experience, a dream in which an elderly priest beckoned to her and told her that God had plans for her life. In her dream, Catherine, fearful, ran away from the priest. Some time late, while visiting a hospice run by the Daughters of Charity, Catherine saw a portrait of St. Vincent de Paul, the Order's founder, and recognized him as the priest in her dream. She knew then that God wanted her to enter the Daughters of Charity. When Catherine was 22, having turned down several marriage proposals, she asked her father for permission to enter the religious life. At first her father refused, even sending her to Paris to work in her brother's cafe to dissuade her, but two years later he relented.
In the novitiate Catherine began to have a number of extraordinary experiences- visions of the heart of St. Vincent de Paul and of Our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament. She reported these mystical experiences to the confessor, who advised her to keep silent about them.
Then on July 18, 1830, the Eve of the feast of St. Vincent she saw the Blessed Mother for the first time. Just before midnight Catherine was awakened by an angel resplendent with light, who appeared as a young child. She followed him to the chapel, where all the torches and tapers were burning brightly. The angel led her to the sanctuary and announced, "Here is the Blessed Virgin; here she is!" There was a rustle of silk and suddenly Catherine saw a beautiful lady seating herself in the blue velvet chair reserved for the director of the sisters. When the angel said again in a loud voice, "Here is the Blessed Virgin," Catherine immediately fell to her knees on the altar steps, and resting her hands on the Virgin's lap, looked up into her eyes. For the next two hours, the sweetest moments of her life she later wrote, Catherine and the Blessed Mother had an intimate conversation. Catherine was told about her mission and about future events, some to take place very soon, some many years off. The times were evil, she was told, and great sorrows would befall France and the whole world. The French throne would be overturned; there would be religious persecution. "But come to the foot of the altar," she was encouraged. "There graces will be shed upon all, great and small, who ask for them."
A week after this apparition Charles X, the King of France, was deposed, the palace of the Archbishop of Paris sacked, and priests and bishops beaten and killed.
Four months later, on November 27, 1830, Catherine was praying in the chapel with the community when Blessed Virgin appeared for the second time. Clothed all in white, she stood in the sanctuary near a painting of St. Joseph, holding a small golden globe surmounted by a cross. Her feet rested on a white globe, around which was coiled a serpent, green in color with yellow spots. Brilliant rays radiated from gemstone rings on her fingers. Her face was of indescribable beauty.
Catherine had an inner locution, an explanation of the vision. The globe represented the entire world, especially France, and it also represented each person in particular. The rays of light streaming form her hands represented the graces Our Lady sheds on those who ask for them, Some of the rings gave no light, however, representing graces that people neglected to ask for.
Suddenly the globe in the Virgin's hands disappeared and she lowered her hands, brilliant rays still streaming from them. An oval frame formed around her, within which was written in letters of gold: "O Mary, conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee."
Catherine heard interiorly the direction to have a medal made on this model. Then the tableau seemed to turn and Catherine saw the reverse of the medal, the M, the Cross, and the two hearts.
Suddenly the vision disappeared from Catherine's sight, "like a candle blown our," she later wrote. Then began Catherine's lifelong task of fulfilling her mission while guarding her identity, for she understood that in giving the medal to the world, she herself was to remain unknown.
After the apparitions finished, Catherine lived out her life quietly and humbly as a Daughter of Charity at a hospice for elderly men outside of Paris. She worked in the kitchen, washed and repaired clothes, nursed and saw to the spiritual needs of the men. During the forty-six years that Catherine worked at the hospice, not one of her charges died without receiving the last sacraments.
Although there was some suspicion in the community that Catherine might be the "sister of the apparitions," the seer just laughed at such suggestions when they were brought up. She performed many daily duties humbly and obediently.
In describing her prayer life during those years she related that each day she put herself before the Lord saying, "Lord, here I am. Give me what you wish." If He gave her something, she was happy and thanked Him. If He gave her nothing, she thanked Him still. She would then tell Him all that came into her mind, her sorrows and her joys; then she would listen.
In 1876, a few months before her death, Catherine- knowing she had not much time left on earth and following the Virgin's instructions- admitted to her superior that she indeed was the "sister of the apparitions." Up to that time she had told no one except her confessor.
Catherine died peacefully on December 31, 1876. She was buried in a small chapel at the hospice. When her body was exhumed in 1933 as part of her beatification process, it was found to be incorrupt. Today Catherine Laboure's body, still beautifully preserved, can be seen and venerated in the chapel of the Daughters of Charity at 140 Rue de Bac in Paris.
Catherine Laboure was canonized on July 27, 1947, by Pope Pius XII, who declared her the "saint of silence and the duties of her state." Her feast day is November 28. The preceding day, November 27, is the feast of the Miraculous Medal, which received liturgical approbation when a Mass and Office were assigned in its honor in 1895, one of only three sacramentals in the history of the Church to be thus liturgically honored. (The others are the Rosary and Brown Scapular.)
There are two theological doctrines associated with the Miraculous Medal apparition. The first, Mary as Mediatrix of All Graces, has not yet been defined by the Church but is considered certain by many theologians.

The second, the Immaculate Conception, was infallibly defined by Pope Pius IX on December 8, 1854, twenty-four years after the apparitions. The definition of the doctrine, which had been developing over many centuries, was most certainly hastened by the Miraculous Medal revelation- specifically the words Catherine Laboure saw encircling the image of Our Lady in 1830: "O Mary conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee." Indeed, the Pope himself asserted that the impetus for his pronouncement came from France. In "Defining the Dogma of the Immaculate Conception," Pius IX decreed:
We declare, pronounce, and define that the doctrine which holds that the most Blessed Virgin Mary, in the first instant of her conception, by a singular grace and privilege granted by Almighty God, in view of the merits of Jesus Christ, the Savior of the human race, was preserved free from all stain of original sin, is a doctrine revealed by God and therefore to be believed firmly and constantly by all the faithful.
Four short years after Pope Pius IX's pronouncement, the dogma of the Immaculate Conception would be confirmed by the Blessed Mother herself in apparition to St. Bernadette of Lourdes

27 November : Feast of the Miraculous Medal

The Miraculous Medal comes directly from the Most Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of God and our Mother; it is a gift from Heaven which has never ceased to effect marvels of grace throughout the entire world. This medal is a very simple and very efficacious means to benefit from the protection of Mary in all our necessities, both spiritual and temporal.

On November 27, 1830, in a residence of the Daughters of Charity, at the Chapel of the Rue du Bac in Paris, the Most Blessed Virgin appeared to Saint Catherine Labouré (1806-1876) for the second time. On this day the Queen of Heaven was seen with a globe under Her feet and holding in Her hands, at the level of the heart, another smaller globe, which She seemed to be offering to Our Lord in a gesture of supplication .

First apparition : In 1830 Catherine was blessed with the apparitions of Mary Immaculate to which we owe the Miraculous Medal. The first apparition came on the eve of the feast of St. Vincent, July 19. The mother superior had given each of the novices a piece of cloth from the holy founder's surplice. Because of her extreme love, Catherine split her piece down the middle, swallowing half and placing the rest in her prayer book. She earnestly prayed to St. Vincent that she might, with her own eyes, see the Mother of God. That night, a beautiful child awoke her from her sleep, saying: "Sister Labouré, come to the chapel; the Blessed Virgin is waiting for you." When Catherine went to the chapel, she found it ablaze with lights as if prepared for Midnight Mass. Quietly, she knelt at the Communion rail, and suddenly heard the rustle of a silk dress. The Blessed Virgin, in a blaze of glory, sat in a chair like that of Saint Anne's. Catherine rose, then went over and knelt, resting her hands in the Virgin's lap, and felt the Virgin's arms around her, as she said: "God wishes to charge you with a mission. You will be contradicted, but do not fear; you will have the grace. Tell your spiritual director all that passes within you. Times are evil in France and in the world." A pained expression crossed the Virgin's face. "Come to the foot of the altar. Graces will be shed on all, great and little, especially upon those who seek them. Another community of sisters will join the Rue du Bac community. The community will become large; you will have the protection of God and Saint Vincent; I will always have my eyes upon you." (This prediction was fulfilled when, in 1849, Fr. Etienne received Saint Elizabeth Seton's sisters of Emmitsburg, MD, into the Paris community. Mother Seton's sisters became the foundation stone of the Sisters of Charity in the United States.) Then, like a fading shadow, Our Lady was gone.

Four months passed until Our Lady returned to Rue du Bac. Here are Catherine's own words describing the apparition:

"On the 27th of November, 1830 ... while making my meditation in profound silence ... I seemed to hear on the right hand side of the sanctuary something like the rustling of a silk dress. Glancing in that direction, I perceived the Blessed Virgin standing near St. Joseph's picture. Her height was medium and Her countenance, indescribably beautiful. She was dressed in a robe the color of the dawn, high-necked, with plain sleeves. Her head was covered with a white veil, which floated over Her shoulders down to her feet. Her feet rested upon a globe, or rather one half of a globe, for that was all that could be seen. Her hands which were on a level with Her waist, held in an easy manner another globe, a figure of the world. Her eyes were raised to Heaven, and Her countenance beamed with light as She offered the globe to Our Lord.

"As I was busy contemplating Her, the Blessed Virgin fixed Her eyes upon me, and a voice said in the depths of my heart: ' This globe which you see represents the whole world, especially France, and each person in particular.'

"There now formed around the Blessed Virgin a frame rather oval in shape on which were written in letters of gold these words: ' O Mary conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to Thee.' Then a voice said to me: ' Have a medal struck upon this model. All those who wear it, when it is blessed, will receive great graces especially if they wear it round the neck. Those who repeat this prayer with devotion will be in a special manner under the protection of the Mother of God. Graces will be abundantly bestowed upon those who have confidence.'

"At the same instant, the oval frame seemed to turn around. Then I saw on the back of it the letter 'M', surmounted by a cross, with a crossbar beneath it, and under the monogram of the name of Mary, the Holy Hearts of Jesus and of His Mother; the first surrounded by a crown of thorns and the second transpierced by a sword. I was anxious to know what words must be placed on the reverse side of the medal and after many prayers, one day in meditation I seemed to hear a voice which said to me: ' The 'M' with the Cross and the two Hearts tell enough.' "

Sister Catherine faithfully accomplished the mission Heaven had entrusted to her. In 1832 the medal was struck and immediately underwent a extraordinary diffusion throughout the world, accompanied by unceasing prodigies of cures, protection and conversion. Thus it came to be known as the Miraculous Medal.

Let us wear this medal of the Most Blessed Virgin with respect, and often repeat with confidence and love, the invocation by which Our Heavenly Mother desires that we implore favors:

O Mary, conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to Thee.

God bless you all abundantely . Amen

Daily inspiration and reflection : Proverbs 3:25-26

Be not afraid of sudden fear, neither of the desolation of the wicked, when it cometh. For the LORD shall be thy confidence, and shall keep thy foot from being taken.

With Jesus as our confidence, we have nothing to fear. The Lord has command over all things and promises to keep us from being taken out of His hand.

Lord, I thank you for Your love that keeps me securely in Your hands! Help me to depend on You when evil comes to tempt me. Thank You that I have nothing to fear, for You are always with me.

25 November : Feast Christ the King

Today the Church celebrates the end of the liturgical year with the feast of Christ the King.

Christ the King Sunday used to be celebrated on the last Sunday of October, but in 1969 the church calendar was reformed and now it is celebrated on the last Sunday of Ordinary Time, which is the Sunday before Advent, which is today.

It is an appropriate time to remember that Christ is king as we begin the journey into Advent and the Christmas seasons. Jesus isn’t born with a silver spoon in his mouth, but rather he is placed in a manger in a dirty cave used to house animals during the cold nights. And Jesus doesn’t reign from a gilded throne, but rather from a cross used to execute criminals.

These seasons of the church year and its festivals and feast days are meant to remind us that God doesn’t operate the way that we expect people to operate. Shepherds were hired hands out to make a buck and earn the best living they could afford. And pagan kings that were meant to willingly go to sacrifice and appease the gods for the good of the people often dressed up slaves and criminals in royal robes to take their places.

But Jesus is king because He is the good shepherd who gathers the flock together and offers them safety. And Jesus is king because He willingly goes to the cross as a sacrifice for our sins.

Just as Pious XI instituted this special day in 1925 so that Christians could remember that Jesus was the true ruler of our lives we should remember that Christ is the ultimate ruler not because he received the most votes or because he staged a successful coup or because he inherited a crown, but because he is the one who gathers us in safety and judges us with righteousness, justice, and forgiveness.

Meditation for Feast of Christ The King

Paul’s letter to the Colossians 1:11-20 gives an affirmation of God’s love and caring for every person on the face of the earth and the earth itself.

“The Father who has made it possible for you to join the saints and with them to inherit the light. Because that is what he has done: he has taken us out of the power of darkness and created a place for us in the kingdom of the Son that he loves, and in him, we gain our freedom, the forgiveness of our sins. He is the image of the unseen God and the first-born of all creation, for in him were created all things in heaven and on earth: everything visible and everything invisible, Thrones, Dominations, Sovereignties, Powers – all things were created through him and for him. Before anything was created, he existed, and he holds all things in unity. Now the Church is his body, he is its head. As he is the Beginning, he was first to be born from the dead, so that he should be first in every way; because God wanted all perfection to be found in him and all things to be reconciled through him and for him, everything in heaven and everything on earth, when he made peace by his death on the cross."

The kingdom that Christ reigns over is not of this world, but is the everlasting kingdom to which we are called after living in this material world. The kingdom is a spiritual kingdom where peace and harmony and elation of being with the angels and saints and most especially the Trinity, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, abounds.As King, Christ has the ultimate say on who will and will not be welcomed into this kingdom.

The Gospel from Luke 23:35-43, “Above him there was an inscription: ‘This is the King of the Jews’. One of the criminals hanging there abused him. ‘Are you not the Christ?’ he said. ‘Save yourself and us as well.’ But the other spoke up and rebuked him. ‘Have you no fear of God at all?’ he said. ‘You and I received the same sentence as he did, but in our case we deserved it: we are paying for the crimes we committed. But this man has done nothing wrong. Jesus,’ he said ‘remember me when you come into your kingdom.’ ‘Indeed, I promise you,’ he replied ‘today you will be with me in paradise.”, strengthens the concept that Christ is the power through which we gain eternal life in the paradise that is the Kingdom of Heaven.

In First Chronicles 29:11 we read this statement “Lord, you are great and powerful. Glory, majesty and beauty belong to you. Everything in heaven and on earth belongs to you. Lord, the kingdom belongs to you. You are honored as the One who rules over all.” and in Matthew 5:19 we read these words of advice as to how we can gain entrance to the Kingdom for which Christ is king; "Anyone who breaks one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever practices and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven.”The Commandments we have been called to live by are simple according the Christ; as found in Matthew 22: 38-39

“Love the Lord, your God, with your whole heart, mind, soul and body and the second is like unto it, Love your neighbor as you love yourself”, and in Christ’s Sermon on the Mount where he gave us the Beatitudes telling us the way to treat our fellow humans.

As we are about to enter into the time of preparing to celebrate the birth of Christ, the season of Advent, it is a excellent time for us to make an evaluation of how well we are doing in our daily lives preparing for our admittance into the Kingdom of Christ, Heaven, when our time here on God’s earthly plain is over.Are we mindful of the needs of others, are we caring and accepting of all of God’s children not just those we consider acceptable because they conform to our way of thinking? Do we discriminate against others because of Race, creed, marital condition, sexual orientation or political party? Christ gave us the example, He did not reject anyone who came to Him and neither should we. In this time where people are thinking of giving gifts to their family and friends let us acknowledge the gifts God, our father, has given us and use them to the benefit of all especially those who have not been so blessed.By doing this we can not only show our love and respect for the King of Kings and Lord of Lords but build up our treasures in the Kingdom to come .

Amen

Feast of Presentation of Mary , Holy Mother of God

The memoria of the presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary was originally a feast of the dedication of a church of Our Lady in Jerusalem. The Apocryphal writings relate that St. Joachim and St. Anne brought their 3-year-old daughter Mary to the Temple in Jerusalem in fulfillment of their vow, so that she might be educated there together with other girls, consecrated to God’s service.

Our Lady herself once confided to St. Bridget that it was the virtues of humility, charity and obedience which she practiced in the temple that granted her grace and with great effort on her part i.e. constant prayers, ardent longing, tears and mortifications.

St. Augustine’s sermon taken from the Office of Reading, give rise to reflection. He says, Mary was ‘by Christ created that Christ in her might be created…She did the Father’s will…and it is a greater thing for her that she was Christ’s disciple than that she was His mother.’

We pray that we may imitate Mary by becoming detached from all earthly things and present ourselves today without reserve thus being a disciple who does the will of God the Father.

The Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary; that dedication of herself, reminds us of the ‘YES’ Mary made to God. Her ‘Yes’ at the Annunciation entailed many other ‘Yes-es’, sometimes in obscurity, sometimes in situations totally unexpected and reached its climax at the foot of the cross.

Prayer is saying ‘Yes’.
When we pray and keep on praying, our ‘Yes’ moves in the direction of Jesus’ ‘Yes’.
Saying ‘Yes’ means committing ourselves to all that Jesus stood for: love, truth, justice, life, human dignity.

With the ‘Yes’ we are sure to face challenges, we realize that only through our ‘Yes’ can God continue His saving work in our world; in repeating our ‘Yes’ and living it, we joyfully experience how his power triumphs in our weakness.

The Christian can make his own choice of his favourite among the four days of the year which are feast days of the Virgin Mary. These are the Birth of the Blessed Virgin Mary on September 8, the Presentation of the Virgin Mary on November 21, the Annunciation of the Virgin Mary on March 25, and the Dormition of the Virgin Mary on August 15. On the calendar of the Church, all four of these days are of equal importance. The world sees the Virgin Mary much as Michelangelo did when he carved out his famous Ficta in which a youthful looking Mary is holding the lifeless body of her crucified Son. Nowhere is she seen as an old woman, at least not at the age of a woman who is the mother of a thirty-three year old son.

* Among the Holy Land's most sacred shrines is the one at the base of the Garden of Gethsemane, the site of the agony of Christ. This shrine is dedicated to the Virgin Mary and her parents. After a descent down a cement stairway of about fifty steps, the tomb of Joachim is on the left and on the right of the tomb of his wife Anna. Some fifty steps below this is the empty tomb of the Virgin Mary since, like the Son of God, she ascended into heaven. Stories abound about the Virgin Mary but the truthful one that clings and shall do so forever is that in being the mother of the Son of God, she is the mother of the world. For this reason November 21 is one of Christianity's holiest feast days.

Under Mary’s inspiration, let us renew our ‘Yes’ and thus help to build the Kingdom of God.

For the Solemnity of Christ the King ( 25 November )

Solemnity of Christ the King is one of the most glorious in the Church’s calendar. The Feast of Christ the King was instituted not all that long ago, by Pope Pius XI in the early part of the twentieth century. In his encyclical document instituting this great feast, the Holy Father spoke of the sad fact that “manifold evils” had come into the world, because “the majority of men had thrust Jesus Christ and his holy law out of their lives”.
In the beginning of the twentieth century, Jesus and His rule “had no place either in private affairs or in politics”, and the Pope was intent on reminding the Church that “as long as individuals and states refused to submit to the rule of our Savior, there would be no really hopeful prospect of a lasting peace among nations” – ultimately, “Men must look for the peace of Christ in the Kingdom of Christ.”

As we prepare to celebrate this great feast , let us join in praying novena and let us remember our place as servants of our Master and King. Let us clean our souls in Confession and receive the Eucharist in joy. May Christ the King reign in all of us. For His dominion is not just of the earth, sky, and cosmos. His dominion is also in our souls.

Christ the King Novena

Pray 1 Our Father, 1 Hail Mary and 1 Glory Be each day followed by the Novena Prayer:

O Lord our God, You alone are the Most Holy King and Ruler of all nations.
We pray to You, Lord, in the great expectation of receiving from You,
O Divine King, mercy, peace, justice and all good things.
Protect, O Lord our King, our families and the land of our birth.
Guard us we pray Most Faithful One.
Protect us from our enemies and from Your Just Judgment
Forgive us, O Sovereign King, our sins against you.
Jesus, You are a King of Mercy.
We have deserved Your Just Judgment
Have mercy on us, Lord, and forgive us.
We trust in Your Great Mercy.
O most awe-inspiring King, we bow before You and pray;
May Your Reign, Your Kingdom, be recognized on earth.

Amen.

Almighty and merciful God, You break the power of evil and make all things new in Your Son Jesus Christ, the King of the Universe. May all in Heaven and Earth acclaim Your glory and never cease to praise You.

We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, Your Son, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

I wish you all passing through my catholic journal one blessed and awesome weekend ( with the help of video created by my YouTube friend Charles28 )

Liturgical year : St. Elizabeth of Hungary

Today is the Feast of St. Elizabeth of Hungary

After the early death of her husband (in 1227 while on a crusade led by Emperor Frederick II), Elizabeth laid aside all royal dignities in order to serve God more freely. She put on simple clothing, became a tertiary of St. Francis, and showed great patience and humility.

All her strength and care were now devoted to the poor and the sick, while she obtained the few things she needed by spinning. Young in years but rich in good works, she slept in the Lord in 1231, only twenty-four years old.

All her life she follow the word of God and practised Corporal and Spiritual Works of Mercy .

The Divine command is set forth in the most stringent terms by Christ, and the failure to comply with it is visited with the supreme penalty of eternal damnation (Matthew 25:41): "Then he shall say to them also that shall be on his left hand: Depart from me, you cursed, in everlasting fire which was prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry, and you gave me not to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave me not to drink. I was a stranger, and you took me not in; naked, and you covered me not; sick and in prison, and you did not visit me",

Here it is true there is mention directly and explicitly of only the corporal works of mercy.

May we all of us follow Saint Elisabeth of Hungary example and all our acts shall be true Corporal and Spiritual Works of Mercy :

Corporal works of mercy are as follows:
*To feed the hungry;
*To give drink to the thirsty;
*To clothe the naked;
*To harbour the harbourless;
*To visit the sick;
*To ransom the captive;
*To bury the dead.

The Spiritual works of mercy are:
*To instruct the ignorant
*To counsel the doubtful
*To admonish sinners
*To bear wrongs patiently
*To forgive offences willingly
*To comfort the afflicted
*To pray for the living and the dead

God bless you all !

Evening Devotion ( Psalm 68:28 )

"Strengthen, O God, that which thou hast wrought for us." —Psalm 68:28

It is our wisdom, as well as our necessity, to beseech God continually to strengthen that which He has wrought in us.

It is because of their neglect in this, that many Christians may blame themselves for those trials and afflictions of spirit which arise from unbelief. It is true that satan seeks to flood the fair garden of the heart and make it a scene of desolation, but it is also true that many Christians leave open the sluice-gates themselves, and let in the dreadful deluge through carelessness and want of prayer to their strong Helper.

We often forget that the Author of our faith must be the Preserver of it also. The lamp which was burning in the temple was never allowed to go out, but it had to be daily replenished with fresh oil; in like manner, our faith can only live by being sustained with the oil of grace, and we can only obtain this from God Himself.

He who built the world upholds it, or it would fall in one tremendous crash; He who made us Christians must maintain us by His Spirit, or our ruin will be speedy and final.

Let us, then, evening by evening, go to our Lord for the grace and strength we need.

We have a strong argument to plead, for it is His own work of grace which we ask Him to strengthen—"that which Thou hast wrought for us." Think you He will fail to protect and sustain that? Only let your faith take hold of His strength, and all the powers of darkness, led on by the master fiend of hell, cannot cast a cloud or shadow over your joy and peace. Why faint when you may be strong? Why suffer defeat when you may conquer? Oh! take your wavering faith and drooping graces to Him who can revive and replenish them, and earnestly pray, "Strengthen, O God, that which thou hast wrought for us."

This day Psalm 139

Guide me, Lord, along the everlasting way.

O LORD, you have probed me and you know me;
you know when I sit and when I stand;
you understand my thoughts from afar.
My journeys and my rest you scrutinize,
with all my ways you are familiar.

Guide me, Lord, along the everlasting way.

Even before a word is on my tongue,
behold, O LORD, you know the whole of it.
Behind me and before, you hem me in
and rest your hand upon me.
Such knowledge is too wonderful for me;
too lofty for me to attain.

Guide me, Lord, along the everlasting way.

Where can I go from your spirit?
From your presence where can I flee?
If I go up to the heavens, you are there;
if I sink to the nether world, you are present there.
Guide me, Lord, along the everlasting way.
If I take the wings of the dawn,
if I settle at the farthest limits of the sea,
Even there your hand shall guide me,
and your right hand hold me fast.

Guide me , My Lord , along the everlasting way

Behold. I stand at the door and knock...( Rev. 3:20 )

"Jesus is God,
therefore His love, His Thirst, is infinite.
He the creator of the universe,
asked for the love of His creatures.
He thirsts for our love...
These words: 'I thirst'
do they echo in our souls?"

-Mother Teresa

It is true. I stand at the door of your heart, day and night. Even when you are not listening, even when you doubt it could be Me, I am there. I await even the smallest sign of your response, even the least whispered invitation that will allow Me to enter.

And I want you to know that whenever you invite Me, I do come always without fail. Silent and unseen I come, but with infinite power and love, and bringing the many gifts of My Spirit. I come with My mercy, with My desire to forgive and heal you, and with a love for you beyond your comprehension, a love every bit as great as the love I have received from the Father.

"As much as the Father has loved me, I have loved you." (Jn. 15:10)

I come-longing to console you and give you strength, to lift you up and bind all your wounds. I bring you My light, to dispel your darkness and all your doubts. I come with My power, that I might carry you and all of your burdens; with My grace, to touch your heart and transform your life; and My peace I give to still your soul.

I know you through and through - I know everything about you. The very hairs of your head I have numbered. Nothing in your life is unimportant to Me. I have followed you through the years, and I have always loved you - even in your wanderings. I know every one of your problems. I know your needs and your worries. And yes, I know all your sins. But I tell you again that I love you not for what you have or haven't done - I love you for you, for the beauty and dignity My Father gave you by creating you in His own image. It is a dignity you have often forgotten, a beauty you have tarnished by sin. But I love you as you are, and I have shed My Blood to win you back. If you only ask Me with faith, My grace will touch all that needs changing in your life, and I will give you the strength to free yourself from sin and all its destructive power.

I know what is in your heart - I know your loneliness and all your hurts - the rejections, the judgments, the humiliations. I carried it all before you. And I carried it all for you, so you might share My strength and victory. I know especially your need for love - how you are thirsting to be loved and cherished. But how often have you thirsted in vain, by seeking that love selfishly, striving to fill the emptiness inside you with passing pleasures-with the even greater emptiness of sin. Do you thirst for love?

"Come to Me all you who thirst..." (Jn 7:37).

I will satisfy you and fill you. Do you thirst to be cherished? I cherish you more than you can imagine - to the point of dying on a cross for you.

I thirst for you. Yes, that is the only way to even begin to describe my love for you: I THIRST FOR YOU. I thirst to love you and to be loved by you-that is how precious you are to Me. I THIRST FOR YOU. Come to Me, and I will fill your heart and heal your wounds. I will make you a new creation, and give you peace, even in all your trials. I THIRST FOR YOU. You must never doubt My mercy, My acceptance of you, My desire to forgive, My longing to bless you and live My life in you. I THIRST FOR YOU. If you feel unimportant in the eyes of the world, that matters not at all. For Me, there is no one any more important in the entire world than you. I THIRST FOR YOU. Open to Me, come to Me, thirst for Me, give Me your life-and I will prove to you how important you are to My heart.

Don't you realize that MY Father already has a perfect plan to transform your life, beginning from this moment? Trust in Me. Ask Me every day to enter and take charge of your life-and I will. I promise you before My Father in heaven that I will work miracles in your life. Why would I do this? Because I THIRST FOR YOU. All I ask of you is that you entrust yourself to me completely. I will do all the rest.

Even now I behold the place My Father has prepared for you in My Kingdom. Remember that you are a pilgrim in this life, on a journey home.

Sin can never satisfy you, or bring the peace you seek. All that you have sought outside of Me has only left you more empty, so do not cling to the things of this life.

Above all, do not run from Me when you fall. Come to Me without delay. When you give Me your sins, you give Me the joy of being your Savior. There is nothing I cannot forgive and heal, so come now, and unburden your soul.

No matter how far you may wander, no matter how often you forget Me, no matter how many crosses you may bear in this life, there is one thing I want you to always remember, one thing that will never change: I THIRST FOR YOU-just as you are. You don't need to change to believe in My love, for it will be your belief in My Love that will change you. You forget Me, and yet I am seeking you every moment of the day -
standing at the door of your heart, and knocking. Do you find this hard to believe? Then look at the cross, look at My Heart that was pierced for you. Have you not understood My cross? Then listen again to the words I spoke there-for they tell you clearly why I endured all this for you:

"I THIRST..." (Jn 19:28)

Yes, I thirst for you - as the rest of the psalm- verse I was praying says of Me:

"I looked for love, and I found none..." (Ps 69:20)

All your life I have been looking for your love-I have never stopped seeking to love you and be loved by you. You have tried many other things in your search for happiness; why not try opening your heart to Me, right now, more than you ever have before.

Whenever you do open the door of your heart, whenever you come close enough, you will hear Me say to you again and again, not in mere human words but in spirit: "No matter what you have done, I love you for your own sake. Come to Me with your misery and your sins, with your troubles and needs, and with all your longing to be loved. I stand at the door of your heart and knock-Open to Me, for I THIRST FOR YOU..."

Roses for all christians

"The Son of God has come to seek and save the lost."(Luke 19: 10 )

Jesus died to save all men. This is something that should bring joy to our hearts for, often times, we cut ourselves off from God because of the bad choices we have made. Let us remember that we are included in the plan and purpose of god, not matter what.

God sees us among the crowds. He knows the efforts we make to be good. He is aware of our weakness, too. Yet, like Zaccheus, He comes to us today. Let us receive Him with joy and thanksgiving.

Lord, I know I am not lost or far from Your reach. May I find You always and every day. Thank You for saving me.

The Gospel is from St. Luke 19: 1-10. Zacchaeus's interest in seeing what Jesus was like was caused by something more than idle curiosity. Unknown to him, the grace of God was working within him. He thought that he just wanted to see what Jesus was like. Jesus knew already what Zacchaeus was like and intended to see him and save him from his downward rush after earthly wealth. He would offer him eternal riches. This is exactly what happened. Jesus entered the home and heart of Zacchaeus that day, and not only the home and heart of Zachaeus, but of his whole household. From that day Jesus had devoted followers in Jericho, and Christianity had a strong foothold in that ancient city.

We cannot have the slightest doubt that God wants us all in heaven. Neither can we doubt that he is sending out calls to us when we wander foolishly off the right road. Unfortunately for ourselves, we can refuse to listen to these calls. We can turn a deaf ear to God's offer of mercy and grace. If we do, one of our greatest sources of sorrow and regret in our future life, will be that, while we still had a chance to repent, our stupid stubbornness made us refuse to listen to our loving Father's calls to repentance.

Zacchaeus was not so stubborn or so foolish. The story of his conversion is put before us today, not as a matter of historical interest, but as a matter of vital spiritual interest. We are all sinners to a greater or lesser degree. Jesus is approaching each one of us today by means of this very lesson which we have read.

Let each one of us try to see what Jesus is like. He is a loving brother who died that we might live, a fellowman who suffered tortures that we might have eternal joy. He was also the Son of God, the God of infinite Love. At the same time, let Jesus see us as we really are. Let us expose and confess to him all our earthly weaknesses and injustices against God and neighbor. He will find a remedy for us. He will put us back once more on the straight road to heaven. Today, salvation will come to us and to our house. We will become again true sons of Abraham, true heirs to heaven.

Wishing you all a blessed and full of peace Weekend

Saint Martin de Porres

Today the Church celebrates the optional memorial of St. Martin de Porres, religious, who lived a life of fasting, prayer and penance as a Dominican lay brother.

Martin inherited the features and dark complexion of his mother, and for that reason his noble father eventually turned the boy out of his house. After a turn as a surgeon's apprentice, the young man joined the Dominicans as a laybrother and was put in charge of the infirmary of a friary in Lima. Soon he was caring for the sick of the city and the slaves brought to Peru from Africa — not to mention the animals with which he is often pictured. Martin had the gift of miracles; and although he had no formal training, he was often consulted on theological questions by great churchmen of his day. St. Rose of Lima and Bl. John Massias were among his close friends.

He is unofficially called the patron of social justice.

Prayers for the Souls in Purgatory ( pray and light a candle )

O Jesus, Thou suffered and died that all mankind might be saved and brought to eternal happiness.
Hear our pleas for further mercy on the souls of:

(*My Jesus Mercy!)

My dear parents and grandparents,*
My brothers and sisters and other near relatives,*
My godparents and sponsors of Confirmation,*
My spiritual and temporal benefactors,*
My friends and neighbors,*
All for whom love or duty bids me pray,*
Those who have suffered disadvantage or harm through me,*
Those who are especially beloved by Thee,*
Those whose release is near at hand,*
Those who desire most to be united with Thee,*
Those who endure the greatest sufferings’*
Those whose release is most remote,*
Those who are least remembered,*
Those whose are most deserving on account of their services to the Church,*
The rich, who are now the most destitute,*
The mighty, who are now powerless,*
The once spiritually blind, who now see their folly,*
The frivolous, who spent their time in idleness,*
The poor, who did not seek the treasures of heaven,*
The tepid, who devoted little time to prayer,*
The insolent, who neglected to perform good works,*
Those of little faith, who neglected the frequent reception of the Sacraments,*
The habitual sinners, who owe their salvation to a miracle of grace,*
Parents who failed to watch over their children,*
Superiors who were not solicitous for the salvation of those entrusted to them,*
Those who strove for worldly riches and pleasures,*
The worldly-minded, who failed to use their wealth and talents in the service of God,*
Those who witnessed the death of others, but would not think of their own*
Those who did not provide for the life hereafter,*
Those whose sentence is severe because of the great things entrusted to them,*
The popes, kings and rulers,*
The bishops and their counselors,*
My teachers and spiritual advisers,*
The deceased priests of this diocese,*
The priests and religious of the Catholic Church,*
The defenders of the holy faith,*
Those who died on the battlefield,*
Those who fought for their country,*
Those who were buried in the sea,*
Those who died of apoplexy,*
Those who died of heart attacks,*
Those who suffered and died of cancer,*
Those who died suddenly in accidents,*
Those who died without the last rites of the Church,*
Those who shall die within the next twenty-four hours,*
My own poor soul when I shall have to appear before Thy judgement seat.*

Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon them: Forevermore with Thy Saints, because Thou art gracious.
P. The Lord be with you.
S. And with thy spirit.
May the prayer of Thy suppliant people, we beseech Thee, O Lord, benefit the souls of Thy departed servants and handmaids: that Thou mayest both deliver them from all their sins, and make them to be partakers of Thy redemption. Amen.
Eternal rest grant to them, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon them. Amen. May their souls and the souls of all the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace. Amen.

All Souls Day

It is during November that the Church meditates on the Communion of Saints, which is the charitable link with the faithful who have already reached heaven (Church Triumphant), the faithful departed who are still expiating their sins in Purgatory (Church Suffering) and of the pilgrim faithful here on earth (Church Militant). "In this wonderful exchange, the holiness of one profits others, well beyond the harm that the sin of one could cause others. Thus recourse to the communion of saints lets the contrite sinner be more promptly and efficaciously purified of the punishments for sin." (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1475).

The Church, after rejoicing yesterday with those of her children who have entered the glory of heaven, today prays for all those who, in the purifying suffering of purgatory await the day when they will be joined to the company of saints. By virtue of the consoling doctrine of the communion of saints the merits and prayers of each one are able to help all; and the Church is able to join her prayer with that of the saints in heaven and supply what is wanting to the souls in purgatory by means of the Mass, indulgences and the alms and sacrifices of her children.

The Church teaches us that the souls of the just who have left this world with traces of venial sin remain for a time in a place of expiation, where they suffer whatever punishment may be due to their offenses. Even if pardon has been obtained for our sins, satisfaction must be made to God, our Creator, in this world or in the next; for His sanctity has been, as it were, insulted by the self-will of one of His ignoble creatures. The more noble the person offended, the more serious the offense, even according to human laws. It is a dogma of our faith that the suffering souls are relieved by the intercession of the Saints in heaven and by the prayers of the faithful upon earth. To pray for the dead is therefore an act of charity and of piety, certainly obligatory for a Christian who professes to have charity in his heart. We read in Holy Scripture: “It is a holy and wholesome thought to pray for the dead, that they may be loosed from their sins.” (II Maccabees 12:46)

A partial indulgence, applicable only to the souls in purgatory, can be obtained when the Eternal Rest (Requiem aeternam) is prayed. This is a good prayer to recite especially during the month of November:

Requiem aeternam dona ei (eis), Domine, et lux perpetua luceat ei (eis). Requiescat (-ant) in pace Amen.
Eternal rest grant to them, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon them. May the souls of the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace. Amen.

Many families add to the "Prayer Before Meals" the second half of the "Eternal Rest" prayer:
Bless us, O Lord, and these thy gifts, Which we are about to receive, from Thy bounty, through Christ, our Lord, Amen. And may the souls of the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace. Amen.