A picture is worth a thousand words

When it's peace of mind you're seeking,
And from worldly problems you must depart
To the Old White Church on the hill ,
Where you bring a weary and troubled heart.

It is there that biblical words are flowing
Like the rays of the early dawn's light,
Bringing soothing comfort to your restless soul,
And reassurance and composure back in sight.

You'll find strength and courage to face the future,
And thankful for the lessons learned this day.
The solace of the Old White Church will remain,
But your faith will be restored in a glorious way.

( by Joseph T. Renaldi )

my other journal about this day feast : Our Lady of Guadalupe



"Hear me and understand well, my son the least, that nothing should frighten or grieve you. Let not your heart be disturbed. Do not fear that sickness, nor any other sickness or anguish. Am I not here, who is your Mother? Are you not under my protection? Am I not your health? Are you not happily within my fold? What else do you wish? Do not grieve nor be disturbed by anything."
— Our Lady to Juan Diego

Let us pray and meditate , through the Chaplet of Our Lady of Guadalupe :

Crucifix ~~ Mystical Rose Prayer
One Our Father.
Four Hail Marys in honor of her four apparitions to Blessed Juan Diego.
Glory Be.

First Apparition: Our Lady of Guadalupe appears to Blessed Juan Diego.
Our Lady requests a temple in her honor.
One Our Father.

Meditation: Our Lady of Guadalupe, my Queen and my Mother, "I thank thee for thy first apparition to Blessed Juan Diego when thou didst reveal that thou art the Most Pure Virgin, Mary, Mother of the True God and Mother of all mankind. I thank thee for requesting a temple to be built where thee stood, to bear witness to thy love, thy compassion, thy aid and thy protection for all who would love thee, trust thee, and invoke thy help.

Three Hail Marys, Glory be.

Second Apparition: Our Lady of Guadalupe gives Blessed Juan Diego encouragement after his return from the Bishop's house.
One Our Father.
Meditation: Our Lady of Guadalupe, my Queen and my Mother, I thank thee for thy second apparition to Blessed Juan Diego when, upon his return from the Bishop's house, he knelt in humiliation and defeat before thee since he was unable to accomplish thy mission. I thank thee for the courage and encouragement thou gavest to Blessed Juan Diego to make a second appeal to the Bishop.

Three Hail Marys, Glory be.

Third Apparition: Our Lady of Guadalupe promises a sign to Blessed Juan Diego for the Bishop.
One Our Father.
Meditation: Mother, I thank thee for thy third apparition to Blessed Juan Diego when, after this unsuccessful attempt to have a temple built, thou didst say to him, "So be it, son. Return tomorrow in order that thou mayest secure for the Bishop the sign for which he hath asked. When this is in thy possession, he will believe thee; he will no longer doubt thy word and suspect thy good faith. Be assured that I shall reward thee for all that thou hast undergone."

Three Hail Marys, Glory be.

Fourth Apparition: Our Lady of Guadalupe fulfills her promise by showing herself on the tilma of Blessed Juan Diego.
One Our Father.
Meditation: Our Lady of Guadalupe, my Queen and my Mother, I thank thee for thy fourth apparition to Blessed Juan Diego when thou didst order him to pick the roses he would find on the summit of the hill and bring them to thee. I thank thee for arranging them in his tilma when didst say, "This cluster of roses is the sign that thou shalt take to the Bishop. Thou art to tell him, in my name, that in this he will recognize my will and that he must fulfill it. Thou wilt be my ambassador, wholly worthy of my confidence. Only in the presence of the Bishop shalt thou unfold thy mantle and disclose that which thou doth carry." I thank thee for thine image printed on the tilma which appeared when the roses were released.

Three Hail Marys, Glory be and Memorare

Litany against Darkness and Modern Ills

Good Lord Jesus deliver us



From propaganda, fads, frivolity , untruthfulness , darkenss of spirit :
Good Lord, deliver us.

From arrogance, narrowness and meanness, from stupidity and pretence:
Good Lord, deliver us.

From the hunger and unemployment, and from forced eviction:
Good Lord, deliver us.

From unjust sentences and unjust wars:
Good Lord, deliver us.

From neglect by parents, neglect by children, and neglect by callous
institutions:
Good Lord, deliver us.

From cancer and stroke, ulcers, madness and senility:
Good Lord, deliver us.

From famine and epidemic, from pollution of the soil, the air, and the
waters:
Good Lord, deliver us.

From segregation and prejudice, from harassment, discrimination and
brutality:
Good Lord, deliver us.

From the concentration of power in the hands of ignorant, threatened or
hasty leaders:
Good Lord, deliver us.

From boredom, apathy and fatigue, from lack of conviction, from fear,
self-satisfaction and timidity:
Good Lord, deliver us.

From the consequences of our own folly:
Good Lord, deliver us.

From resignation and despair, from cynicism and manipulation:
Good Lord, deliver us.

Through all unmerciful suffering, our own and that of others:
Good Lord, deliver us.

Through the unending cry of all peoples for justice and freedom:
Good Lord, deliver us.

Through all concern and wonder, love and creativity:
Good Lord, deliver us.

In our strength and in our weakness, in occasional success and eventual
failure:
Good Lord, deliver us.

Alone and in community, in the days of action and the time of our dying:
Good Lord, deliver us.

Deliver us, Good Lord, by opening our eyes and unstopping our ears, that we
may hear Your Word and do Your Will:
Good Lord, deliver us. Amen.

Even soon is Holy Christmas ,

evil one is not sleeping . Latest malefic creation : Golden Compass . Precisely before Christmas .
I'm joining to all who unmask and put in the right light the movie based on the book written by the atheist writer Philip Pullman ( the trilogy His Dark Materials ) , books intended for children .
Without going into the review of the movie (that you will be able to access at MovieGuide.org , it is important to understand what's wrong with children seeing "The Golden Compass."
The role model for children in this movie is the heroine, Lyra. Lyra is immediately established as pugnacious, willful, rebellious, lawbreaking and deceitful. A witch tells Lyra that she is the fulfillment of a prophecy about a girl messiah who will overthrow authority, especially the Magisterium, a thinly cloaked reference to the Catholic Church.
What's bad is that it creates a heroine who is selfish, willful and stubborn to such a degree that she does not express love, kindness, joy, peace or any of those other wonderful virtues that make us put others before ourselves. The Good News of the Gospel is a message of love and forgiveness, not a message of control. It is a personal relationship with a living God, Jesus Christ, who loves us so much that He has laid down his life for us and has given us new life where we can experience real joy, real happiness and real fulfillment.
Finally, the world portrayed in "The Golden Compass," the book and the movie, is a mean and vicious world. It is too violent and too cruel for children and will plant hateful scripts of behavior in the minds of susceptible youths.
Beyond that, in the interest of self-satisfaction, it motivates children to seek to be joined with occult, demonic powers and principalities to get their own way. The official website has an area where children can meet their own daemon. It says:
"To discover your very own Daemon, look into your heart, and answer the following 20 questions openly and honestly. Your true character and the form of your Daemon will be revealed."
How "The Golden Compass" could have become a popular novel is amazing. Why people are interested in this story that is so destructive of their own happiness is a profound mystery about the human condition.
There are great movies in the theater right now, like "Bella" and Disney's delightful comedy "Enchanted," and there are great movies for rent and sale.
Let the Light of Christmas shine over our houses and families , far away of evil's creations , destinated to pervert innocent world of childhood .

Today Feast of the Translation of Holy House of Loreto : December 10

Our illustrious Pontiff Benedict XIV, speaking, in his beautiful work on the feasts of Mary, of this Holy House of Loreto, calls it 'the dwelling in which the Divine Word assumed human flesh, and which was translated by the ministry of Angels.' He then adds, that 'its authenticity is proved as well by ancient monuments and unbroken tradition as by the testimony of Sovereign Pontiffs, the common consent of the faithful, and the continual miracles which are there worked even to the present day.' In fact Tursellin, in his History of the House of Loreto, asserts that nearly all the Popes after Pius II, have spoken of its miraculous translation; and Sixtus V, in the year 1583, instituted an order under the auspices of our Blessed Lady of Loreto.

Is true that the authenticity of the Holy House does not constitute a dogma of faith. However, it is considered a historical fact and as such has been recognized by the sovereign pontiffs over the centuries even as other miraculous events have been acknowledged by the Church. As such there is valid reason in such instances for Catholics to respect and accept these rulings of the Church. The Church has always been cautious in its pronouncements. Many years passed before the Church officially accepted Lourdes and Fatima as supernatural events worthy of credence by all Catholics.

The story of the Holy House is a tale of unequaled wonder written in the stars. 700 years ago, after two prior angelic relocations, the tiny 3-sided structure was carried to its final resting place in Loreto, Italy by God's Holy Angels. As incredulous as this may sound to unbelievers, Anconan shepherds tending their flocks in coastal fields and a local monsignor were privileged eyewitnesses to this holy event.

The angelic flight of the Holy House from Nazareth across the Mediterranean via Yugoslavia to the Adriatic sea town of Loreto is known as "The Translation". It mirrors the flight of the Holy Family into Egypt and fulfills God's Will, that this heavenly sanctuary be preserved from Saracen invaders.

Beneath a narrow roof and within the hallowed walls of this humble stone abode, Jesus, Mary and Joseph once ate, confided and prayed.

Throughout the centuries, innumerable nobility, dignitaries, saints and popes have pilgrimaged to the Holy House. Tradition claims that Saint Francis of Assisi foresaw its arrival, and indicated the hilltop where it would come to rest to some of his friars. The King of Austria, ruler of the Holy League that defeated the Turks in the battle of Lepanto in 1517, brought his troops to Loreto before their history-changing victory. Upon her journey to the Holy Shrine, Saint Therese of Lisieux wrote, that if she were to live in Loreto she would surely die of joy.

The sick and infirmed from throughout Europe, Africa and the Middle East come to the Holy House to pay homage to the childhood tabernacle of Christ, the place where the Archangel Gabriel appeared to the Ever-Virgin Mary and our exalted Blessed Mother proclaimed her, "Yes!" to God and accepted the profound mystery of the Incarnation. "And the Word became flesh" within her womb, within this tiny chamber.

During the Renaissance, many renowned artists came to Loreto. Mozart wrote his "Litany of Loreto" inspired by the beauty of the shrine and the faithful attending its presence. Long used as a chapel to celebrate the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, today the Holy House is encased within marble statuary the envy of Rome, perfectly positioned in the Basilica's center formed at the holy crossing of apse and naves, beneath a dome vaulting hearts and spirits to thoughts of the Fatherland. Within its present adornment, the Holy House of Loreto represents over 100 years of loving artistic, intellectual and spiritual achievement. It is considered a principal wonder of the Golden Era of mankind.

But far more important than all the surrounding architectural and artistic glory is the sense of "DIVINE PRESENCE" that imbues the hardest of hearts the instant they pass through its portals. Inside the Holy House, on any given day, many a soul can be found deep in contemplation and prayer. Apart from Holy Mass and the privacy of silent meditation on and with God, the only sound one hears is the gentle pressing of Rosary beads between thumbs and forefingers and the cadence of pilgrims softly rubbing and kissing rough walls hewn smooth as glass from centuries of devotion.

The first place Pope john Paul II pilgrimaged after becoming our Shepherd was Loreto. Wise to and moved by its irresistible graces, he has called Loreto, the place in which God became man, the "holiest place on earth."

May every blessing of the Holy Family be upon all who discover these pages. May the Holy Angels of Loreto carry you far from harm as they did our holy role models.

This litany to the Blessed Virgin Mary was composed during the Middle Ages. The place of honor it now holds in the life of the Church is due to its faithful use at the shrine of the Holy House at Loreto. It was definitely approved by Sixtus V in 1587, and all other Marian litanies were suppressed, at least for public use. Its titles and invocations set before us Mary's exalted privileges, her holiness of life, her amiability and power, her motherly spirit and queenly majesty.

The principle that has been followed in their interpretation is the one enunciated by the same Pius IX: "God enriched her so wonderfully from the treasury of His divinity, far beyond all angels and saints with the abundance of all heavenly gifts, that she . . .should show forth such fullness of innocence and holiness, than which a greater under God is unthinkable and which, beside God, no one can even conceive in thought."

Hence, whatever virtue and holiness is found in angels and saints must be present in Mary in an immeasurably higher degree. Reflection on the titles of the litany will unfold before us the grand picture of our heavenly Mother, even though we know only little about her life. We will also come to see why Mary's example, guidance, and help is the need of the hour.

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.

Mother of Christ, pray for us.
Mother of the Church, pray for us.


Mother of divine grace, pray for us.
Mother most pure, pray for us.
Mother most chaste, pray for us.
Mother inviolate, pray for us.
Mother undefiled, pray for us.
Mother most amiable, pray for us.
Mother most admirable, pray for us.
Mother of good counsel, pray for us.
Mother of our Creator, pray for us.
Mother of our Savior, pray for us.

Virgin most prudent, pray for us.
Virgin most venerable, pray for us.
Virgin most renowned, pray for us.
Virgin most powerful, pray for us.
Virgin most merciful, pray for us.
Virgin most faithful, pray for us.

Mirror of justice , pray for us.
Seat of wisdom , pray for us.
Cause of our joy , pray for us.
Spiritual vessel , pray for us.
Vessel of honor , pray for us.
Singular vessel of devotion , pray for us.
Mystical rose , pray for us.
Tower of David , pray for us.
Tower of ivory , pray for us.
House of gold , pray for us.
Ark of the covenant , pray for us.
Gate of heaven , pray for us.
Morning star , pray for us.

Health of the sick, pray for us.
Refuge of sinners, pray for us.
Comforter of the afflicted, pray for us.
Help of Christians, pray for us.

Queen of Angels, pray for us.
Queen of Patriarchs, pray for us.
Queen of Prophets, pray for us.
Queen of Apostles, pray for us.
Queen of Martyrs, pray for us.
Queen of Confessors, pray for us.
Queen of Virgins, pray for us.
Queen of all Saints, pray for us.
Queen conceived without original sin, pray for us.
Queen assumed into heaven, pray for us.
Queen of the most holy Rosary, pray for us.
Queen of the Family, pray for us.
Queen of Peace, pray for us.

Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world,
spare us, O Lord.
Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world,
graciously hear us O Lord
Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world,
have mercy on us.

V. Pray for us, O holy Mother of God.
R. That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.

LET US PRAY
Grant, we beseech Thee, O Lord God, unto us Thy servants, that we may rejoice in continual health of mind and body; and, by the glorious intercession of Blessed Mary ever Virgin, may be delivered from present sadness, and enter into the joy of Thy eternal gladness. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

This second week of Advent we shall celebrate this liturgical feasts :

10 Dec . Saint Melchiades , Saint Eulalia , Translation of the Holy House of Loretto
11 Dec . Saint Damasus
12 Dec . Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe
13 Dec . Saint Lucy
14 Dec . St. John of the Cross , Saint Nicasius and his companions martyrs
15 Dec . Saturday of Advent , Saint Virginia Centurione Bracelli , Blessed Mary Frances Schervier , Blessed John the Discalced , Saint Maximin
16 Dec . Third Sunday of Advent ( Today is Day One of the Christmas Novena )

I wish you all a most blessed Christmas season

Celebrating Immaculate Conception

We greet you and call upon you with the angel’s words: “full of grace” Luke 1:28, the most beauti­ful name that God himself has called you from eternity. “Full of grace” are you, Mary, full of divine love from the very first moment of your existence, providentially predestined to be Mother of the Redeemer and inti­mately connected to him in the mystery of salvation.
In your Immaculate Conception shines forth the vocation of Christ’s disciples, called to become with his grace, saints and immaculate through love (see Ephesians 1:4 ). In you shines the dignity of every human being who is always precious in the Creator’s eyes. Those who look to you, All Holy Mother, never lose their serenity, no matter what the hardships of life. Although the experience of sin is a sad one since it disfigures the dig­nity of God’s children, anyone who turns to you discovers the beauty of truth and love and finds the path that leads to the Father’s house.
Full of grace are you, Mary, who, welcoming with your Yes the Creator’s plan, opened to us the path of salvation. Teach us also at your school to say our Yes to the Lord’s will. Let it be a Yes that joins with your own Yes, without reser­vations or shadows, a Yes that the Heavenly Father willed to have need of in order to beget the new Man, Christ, the one Savior of the world and of history.
Give us the courage to say No to the deceptions of power, money, pleasure; to dishonest earnings, cor­ruption and hypocrisy, to selfish­ness and violence; No to the evil one, the deceitful prince of this world; to say Yes to Christ, who alone destroys the power of evil with the omnipotence of Love. We know that only hearts converted to Love, which is God, can build a better future for all.
Full of grace are you, Mary! For all generations your name is a pledge of sure Hope. Yes! Because as the great poet, Dante, wrote, f or us mortals you are “a source of living hope” (Paradise, 12). Let us come once again as trusting pil­grims to draw faith and comfort, joy and love, safety and peace from this source, the wellspring of your Immaculate Heart.
Virgin full of grace show yourself to be a tender and caring Mother to those who live in this city of yours, so that the true Gospel spirit may enliven and guide their conduct; show yourself a Mother and watchful guardian of Italy and Europe, so that people may draw from their ancient Christian roots fresh vigor to build their present and their future; show yourself a a provident and merciful Mother to the whole world so that, by respect­ing human dignity and rejecting every form of violence and exploita­tion, sound foundations may be laid for the Civilization of Love.
Show yourself a Mother, espe­cially to those most in need: the defenseless, the marginalized and outcasts, to the victims of a society that all too often sacrifices the human person for other ends and interests. Show yourself, 0 Mary, a Mother of all, and give us Christ, the Hope of the world!

Monstra te esse Matrem, 0 Virgin Immaculate, full of grace! Amen!

Meditation on the Immaculate Conception ( By blessed Padre Pio )

Blessed Padre Pio meditation on the Immaculate Conception .
and The life of Padre Pio

Blessed Be Christ The King
Eternal Love, Spirit of Light and Truth, make a way into my poor mind and allow me to penetrate as far as it is possible to a wretched creature like myself, into that abyss of grace, of purity and of holiness, that I may acquire a love of God that is continually renewed, a love of God Who, from all eternity planned the greatest of all the masterpieces created by His hands: the Immaculate Virgin Mary.

From all eternity Almighty God took delight in what was to be the most perfect work of His hands, and anticipated this wonderful plan with an outpouring of His Grace.

Man, created innocent, fell by disobeying Him; the mark of original sin remained engraved on his forehead and that of his progeny who will bear its consequences until the end of time.

A woman brought ruin, and a woman was to bring salvation. The one, being tempted by a serpent, stamped the mark of sin on the human race; the other was to rise through grace, pure and immaculate. She would crush the head of the serpent who was helpless before her and who struggled in vain under her heel; for she was conceived without sin, and through her came grace to mankind.

Protected with Grace by Him Who was to be the Savior of Mankind that had fallen into sin, she escaped all shadow of evil. She sprang from the mind of God as a pure ray of light, and will shine like a morning star over the human race that turns to her. She will be the sure guide who will direct our steps toward the Divine Sun which is Jesus Christ. He makes her radiant with divine splendor and points to her as our model of purity and sanctity. No creature surpasses her, but all creation defers her through the Grace of Him Who made her immaculate. He Whom she was to carry in her womb was the Son of God participating with the Father and the Holy Spirit in the glory of her conception.

Clothed in light from the moment of her conception, she grew in grace and comeliness. After Almighty God, she is the most perfect of creatures; more pure than the angels; God is indeed well pleased in her, since she most resembles Him and is the only worthy repository of His secrets.

In the natural order she preceded her Divine Child, Our Lord, but in the divine order Jesus, the Divine Son, arose before her, and she received from Him all grace, all purity and all beauty.

All is darkness compared to the pure light that renews all creation through Him Whom she bore in her womb, as the dew on the rose.

The Immaculate Conception is the first step in our salvation. Through this singular and unique gift Mary received a profusion of Divine Grace, and through her cooperation she became worthy of absorbing infinitely more.

My most pure Mother, my soul so poor, all stained with wretchedness and sin cries out to your maternal heart. In your goodness deign, I beseech you, to pour out on me at least a little of the grace that flowed into you with such infinite profusion from the Heart of God. Strengthened and supported by this grace, may I succeed in better loving and serving Almighty God Who Filled your heart completely, and Who created the temple of your body from the moment of your Immaculate Conception.

The Three Divine Persons imbue this sublime creature with all her privileges, her favors and her graces, and with all of her holiness.

The Eternal Father created her Pure and Immaculate and is well pleased in her for she is the worthy dwelling of His only Son. Through the generating of His Son in His bosom from all eternity, He forecasts the generation of His Son as Man in the pure womb of this mother, and He clothed her from her conception in the radiant snowy garment of grace and of most perfect sanctity; she participates in His perfection.

The Son Who chose her for His Mother poured His Wisdom into her that from the very beginning, by infused knowledge, she knew her God. She loved and served Him in the most perfect manner as He never until then had been loved and served on this earth.

The Holy Ghost poured His Love into her; she was the only creature worthy or capable of receiving this love in unlimited measure because no other had sufficient purity to come so near to God; and being near to Him could know and love Him ever more. She was the only creature capable of containing the stream of love which poured into her from on high. She alone was worthy to return to Him from Whom came that love. This very love prepared her for that "Fiat" which delivered the world from the tyranny of the infernal enemy and overshadowed her, the purest of doves making her pregnant with the Son of God.

Oh my Mother, how ashamed I feel in your presence, weighted down as I am with faults! You are most pure and immaculate from the moment of your conception, indeed from the moment in eternity when you were conceived in the mind of God.

Have pity on me! May one compassionate look of yours revive me, purify me and life me up to God; raising me from the filth of this world that I may go to Him Who created me, Who regenerated me in Holy Baptism, giving me back my white stole of innocence that original sin had so defiled. Dear Mother, make me love Him! Pour into my heart that love that burned in yours for Him. Even though I be clothed in misery, I revere the mystery of your Immaculate Conception, and I ardently wish that through it you may purify my heart so that I may love your God and my God. Cleanse my mind that it may reach up to Him and contemplate Him and adore Him in spirit and in truth. Purify my body that I too may be a tabernacle for Him and be less unworthy of possessing Him when He deigns to come to me in Holy Communion. Amen.

We too, redeemed by Holy Baptism, are corresponding to the grace of our vocation when in imitation of our Immaculate Mother we apply ourselves incessantly to the knowledge of God in order that we may ever learn better to know Him, to serve Him and to love Him.