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Sunday, February 22, 2015

Catholic News World : Sunday February 22, 2015 - SHARE

2015

True Story of Courage - Sophie Scholl and friends killed by Nazis - Free Oscar winning Movie - SHARE

On February 22nd we remember the heroic deaths of 3 young souls who courageously spoke against the Nazi regime. Hans and Sophie Scholl and Christof Probst were executed on February 22, 1943 by guillotine in Stadelheim Prison, Munich.Sophia Magdalena Scholl was born on 9 May 1921 she was a German student and active in the White Rose, a non-violent resistance group in Nazi Germany. She was convicted of high treason after distributing anti-war leaflets at the University of Munich with her brother Hans. They were then both executed by guillotine. The Scholls were brought up as Lutherans. Sophie and Hans both asked to be received into the Catholic Church an hour before they were executed but were dissuaded by their pastor who argued that such a decision would upset their mother, a Lutheran lay preacher. Sophie and her brother were influenced by the works of John Henry Newman, she gave her boyfriend, Fritz Hartnagel two volumes of Cardinal John Henry Newman's sermons. The White Rose was founded after Scholl and others read a anti-Nazi sermon by Clemens August Graf von Galen, the Roman Catholic Bishop of Münster. The members initially included Hans Scholl (Sophie's brother), Willi Graf, and Christoph Probst. In early summer 1942, this group of produced six anti-Nazi political resistance leaflets.  Sophie Scholl last words were: "How can we expect righteousness to prevail when there is hardly anyone willing to give himself up individually to a righteous cause. Such a fine, sunny day, and I have to go, but what does my death matter, if through us, thousands of people are awakened and stirred to action?"  Fritz Hartnagel later married Sophie's sister Elisabeth. In mid-1943, Allied forces dropped over Germany millions of copies of the tract from White Rose, now retitled The Manifesto of the Students of Munich.  The Geschwister-Scholl-Institut ("Scholl Siblings Institute") for Political Science at the Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich (LMU) is named in honour of Sophie Scholl and her brother Hans.  Over 190 local schools as well as countless streets and squares in Germany have been named after Scholl and her brother. In February 2005, a movie about Scholl's last days, Sophie Scholl – Die letzten Tage (Sophie Scholl: The Final Days), with actress Julia Jentsch was made and won an Oscar. It draws on interviews with survivors and transcripts hidden in East German archives until 1990. (from various sources)

Novena to the Holy Face of Jesus - Litany Prayers - Promises and FREE Medal to SHARE


Please SHARE these Powerful Prayers of the Holy Face of Jesus- so needed to bring Peace to the World - and a wonderful Sacrifice for the Lenten Season

A Litany of the Holy Face in Reparation 

 This Litany was composed by Sister Mary of St. Peter, and approved by Mgr. Morlot, Archbishop of Tours, in 1847. His Holiness Pope Pius IX grants to all who recite, with a contrite heart, these prayers in honor of the Holy Face of Jesus Christ an indulgence of 100 days for each time; applicable to the souls in Purgatory.

Lord, have mercy on us.
Christ, have mercy on us.
Lord, have mercy on us.
Christ, hear us.
Christ, graciously hear us.
Holy Virgin Mary, pray for us.

(After each of the following phrases, say "have mercy on us")

O adorable Face, which was adored with profound respect by Mary and Joseph when they saw Thee for the first time, have mercy on us.
O adorable Face, which in the Stable of Bethlehem didst ravish with joy the angels, the shepherds and the Magi,
O adorable Face, which in the Temple didst transpierce with a dart of love the saintly old man Simeon and the prophetess Anna,
O adorable Face, which was bathed in tears in Thy holy infancy,
O adorable Face, which, when Thou didst appear in the Temple at twelve years of age, didst fill with admiration the Doctors of the law,
O adorable Face, white with purity and ruddy with charity,
O adorable Face, more beautiful than the sun, more lovely than the moon, more brilliant than the stars,
O adorable Face, fresher than the roses of spring,
O adorable Face, more precious than gold, silver, and diamonds
O adorable Face, whose charms are so ravishing, and whose grace is so attractive,
O adorable Face, whose every feature is characterized by nobility,
O adorable Face, contemplated by angels,
O adorable Face, sweet delectation of the Saints,
O adorable Face, masterpiece of the Holy Ghost, in which the Eternal Father is well pleased.
O adorable Face, delight of Mary and Joseph,
O adorable Face, ineffable mirror of the Divine perfections,
O adorable Face, whose beauty is always ancient and always new,
O adorable Face, which appeasest the wrath of God,
O adorable Face, which makest the devils tremble,
O adorable Face, treasure of graces and of blessings,
O adorable Face, exposed in the desert to the inclemencies of the weather,
O adorable Face, scorched with the heat of the sun and bathed with sweat in Thy journeys, O adorable Face, whose expression is all divine,
O adorable Face, whose modesty and sweetness attracted both the just and sinners,
O adorable Face, which gavest a holy kiss to the little children, after having blessed them,
O adorable Face, troubled and weeping at the tomb of Lazarus,
O adorable Face, brilliant as the sun, and radiant with glory on the Mountain of Tabor,
O adorable Face, sorrowful at the sight of Jerusalem, and shedding tears on that ungrateful city,
O adorable Face, bowed down to the earth, in the Garden of Olives, and covered with confusion for our sins,
O adorable Face, bathed in a bloody sweat,
O adorable Face, kissed by the traitor Judas,
O adorable Face, whose sanctity and majesty smote the soldiers with fear and cast them to the ground,
O adorable Face, struck by a vile servant, shamefully blindfolded, and profaned by the sacrilegious hands of Thine enemies,
O adorable Face, defiled with spittle, and bruised by innumerable buffets and blows,
O adorable Face, whose Divine look wounded the heart of Peter, with a dart of sorrow and love,
O adorable Face, humbled for us at the tribunals of Jerusalem,
O adorable Face, which didst preserve Thy serenity when Pilate pronounced the fatal sentence,
O adorable Face, covered with sweat and blood, and falling in the mire under the heavy weight of the Cross,
O adorable Face, worthy of all our respect, veneration and worship,
O adorable Face, wiped with a veil by a pious woman on the road to Calvary,
O adorable Face, raised on the instrument of most shameful punishment,
O adorable Face, whose brow was covered with Thorns,
O adorable Face, whose eyes were filled with tears of blood,
O adorable Face, into whose mouth was poured gall and vinegar,
O adorable Face, whose hair and beard were plucked out by the executioners,
O adorable Face, which was made like to that of a leper,
O adorable Face, whose incomparable beauty was obscured under the dreadful cloud of the sins of the world,
O adorable Face, covered with the sad shades of death,
O adorable Face, washed and anointed by Mary and the holy women and wrapped in a shroud,
O adorable Face, inclosed in the sepulchre,
O adorable Face, all resplendent with glory and beauty on the day of the Resurrection, O adorable Face, all dazzling with light at the moment of Thy Ascension,
O adorable Face, hidden in the Eucharist,
O adorable Face, which will appear at the end of time, in the clouds, with great power and great majesty,
O adorable Face, which wilt cause sinners to tremble,
O adorable Face, which wilt fill the just with joy for all eternity,
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 takes away the sins of the world, have mercy on us.


Found in the Manual of the Archconfraternity of the Holy Face (1887), pg 150.
The Golden Arrow(as dictated by Our Lord to Sister Marie of St. Peter)

May the most holy, most sacred, most adorable, most incomprehensible and ineffable Name of God be forever praised, blessed, loved, adored and glorified in Heaven, on Earth, and under the Earth by all the creatures of God and by the Sacred Heart of Our Lord Jesus Christ in the Most Holy Sacrament of the Altar. Amen.

Eternal Father, I offer Thee the adorable Face of Thy Beloved Son for the honour and glory of Thy Name, for the conversion of sinners and the salvation of the dying. Amen.
Promises of our Lord Jesus Christ
to those
Devoted to His Holy Face 

  1. I will grant them contrition so perfect that their very sins shall be changed, in My Sight, into jewels of precious gold.

  2. None of these persons shall ever be separated from Me.

  3. In offering My Face to My Father, they will appease His anger, and they will purchase, as with celestial coin, pardon for poor sinners.

  4. I will open My mouth to plead with My Father to grant all the petitions that they will present to Me.

  5. I will illuminate them with My Light. I will consume them with My Love, and I will render them fruitful of good works.

  6. They will, as the pious Veronica, wipe My Adorable Face outraged by sin, and I will imprint My Divine Features in these souls.

  7. At their death, I will renew in them the image of God effaced by sin.

  8. By resemblance to My Face, they will shine more than many others in eternal life and the brilliancy of My Face will fill them with joy.
To Obtain of Free Medal with the Holy Face of Jesus 
Please send a self-addressed, double-stamped envelope to one of our addresses below:

Canada
Holy Face Association
P.O. Box 310, Station B, Montreal, Quebec  H3B 3J7

USA
Holy Face Association
P.O. Box 821, Champlain, New York 12919-0821
Novena to the Holy Face of Jesus
Repeat this prayer for nine days... O Most Holy and Blessed Trinity, through the intercession of Holy Mary, whose soul was pierced through by a sword of sorrow at the sight of the passion of her Divine Son, we ask your help in making a perfect Novena of reparation with Jesus, united with all His sorrows, love and total abandonment. We now implore all the Angels and Saints to intercede for us as we pray this Holy Novena to the Most Holy Face of Jesus and for the glory of the most Holy Trinity, Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Amen. 
 Proceed to the prayer of the day... DAY ONE Daily Preparatory Prayer "For I know my transgressions, and my sin is ever before me. Against You, You alone, have I sinned, and done what is evil in Your sight, so that You are justified in Your sentence and blameless when You pass judgment." [Ps. 51:3-4] Have mercy on me, O God in your goodness, in your great tenderness wipe away my faults; wash me clean of my guilt, purify me from my sin. O most Holy Face of Jesus, look with tenderness on us who are sinners. You are a merciful God, full of love and compassion. Keep us pure of heart, so that we may see Thee always. Mary, our Mother, intercede for us. Saint Joseph, pray for us. Through the merits of your precious blood and your Holy Face, O Jesus, grant us our petition, pardon and mercy... State your intention here... Prayer to Our Almighty Father Almighty Father, come into our hearts, and so fill us with your love that forsaking all evil desires, we may embrace you, our only good. Show us, O Lord our God, what you are to us. Say to our souls, I am your salvation, speak so that we may hear. Our hearts are before you; open our ears; let us hasten after your voice. Hide not your Face from us, we beseech you, O Lord. Open our hearts so that you may enter in. Repair the ruined mansions, that you may dwell therein. Hear us, O Heavenly Father, for the sake of your only Son, Our Lord Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever . Amen. [Prayer of St. Augustine] Recite the following prayers... 1 Our Father... 3 Hail Mary... 1 Glory Be... Repeat three times... O Bleeding Face, O Face Divine, be every adoration Thine. DAY TWO Daily Preparatory Prayer "Indeed, I was born guilty, a sinner when my mother conceived me. You desire truth in the inward being;" [Ps. 51:5-6a] My offenses truly I know them; My sin is always before me. Against you, you alone, have I sinned; What is evil in your sight I have done. Most Holy Face of Jesus, we are truly sorry that we have hurt you so much by constantly doing what is wrong; and for all the good works we have failed to do. Immaculate Heart of Mary, Saint Joseph, intercede for us, help us to console the Most Holy Face of Jesus. Pray that we may share in the tremendous love Thou hast for one another, and for the most Holy and Blessed Trinity. Amen. Through the merits of your precious blood and your Holy Face, O Jesus, grant us our petition, pardon and mercy... State your intention here... Prayer to the Holy Spirit Come, Holy Spirit, Sanctifier, all powerful God of love, Thou who didst fill the Virgin Mary with grace, Thou who didst wonderfully transform the hearts of the apostles, Thou who didst endow all Thy martyrs with a miraculous heroism, come and sanctify us, illumine our minds, strengthen our wills, purify our consciences, rectify our judgments, set our hearts on fire and preserve us from the misfortune of resisting Thine inspirations. We consecrate to Thee our understanding, our heart and our will, our whole being for time and for eternity. May our understanding be always submissive to Thy heavenly inspirations and to the teachings of Thy Holy Catholic Church, of which Thou art the infallible guide; may our heart be ever inflamed with love of God and neighbor; may our will be ever conformed to the Divine will, and may our whole life be a faithful imitation of the life and virtues of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, to whom with the Father and Thee be honor and glory forever. Amen Recite the following prayers... 1 Our Father... 3 Hail Mary... 1 Glory Be... Repeat three times... O Bleeding Face, O Face Divine, be every adoration Thine.DAY THREE Daily Preparatory Prayer "Therefore teach me wisdom in my secret heart. Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow." [Ps. 51:6b-7] You are just when you pass sentence on me, blameless when you give judgment. You know I was born guilty, a sinner from the moment of conception. Prayer of Pope Pius IX O Jesus! Cast upon us a look of mercy; turn your Face towards each of us as you did to Veronica; not that we may see it with our bodily eyes, for this we do not deserve, but turn it towards our hearts, so that, remembering you, we may ever draw from this fountain of strength the vigor necessary to sustain the combats of life. Amen. Mary, Our Mother, and Saint Joseph, pray for us. Through the merits of your precious blood and your Holy Face, O Jesus, grant us our petition, pardon and mercy... State your intention here... Prayer of Saint Francis All highest, glorious God, cast your light into the darkness of our hearts, give us true faith, firm hope, perfect charity and profound humility, so that with wisdom, courage and perception, O Lord, we may do what is truly your holy will. Amen. To the Angels and Saints We salute you, through the Holy Face and Sacred Heart of Jesus, O all you Holy Angels and Saints of God. We rejoice in your glory, and we give thanks to our Lord for all the benefits which He has showered upon you; we praise Him and glorify Him, and offer you for an increase of your joy and honor, the most Holy Face and gentle Heart of Jesus. Pray that we may be formed according to the heart of God. Amen. Recite the following prayers... 1 Our Father... 3 Hail Mary... 1 Glory Be... Repeat three times... O Bleeding Face, O Face Divine, be every adoration Thine. DAY FOUR Daily Preparatory Prayer "Let me hear joy and gladness; let the bones that you have crushed rejoice. Hide your face from my sins, and blot out all my iniquities." [Ps. 51:8-9] Indeed you love truth in the heart; then in the secret of my heart teach me Wisdom. O purify me, then I shall be clean; O wash me, I shall be whiter than snow. O Lord Jesus, who has said, learn of me for I am meek and gentle of heart, and who did manifest upon Thy Holy Face the sentiments of Thy divine heart, grant that we may love to come frequently and meditate upon Thy Divine features. We may read there Thy gentleness and Thy humility, and learn how to form our hearts in the practice of these two virtues which Thou desires to see shine in Thy servants. Mary our Mother and Saint Joseph help us. Through the merits of your precious blood and your Holy Face, O Jesus, grant us our petition, pardon and mercy... State your intention here... Prayer in Honour of the Dolors of the Blessed Virgin O Most Holy and afflicted Virgin, Queen of Martyrs! Who stood beneath the cross, witnessing the agony of your dying Son, look down with a mother’s tenderness and pity on us as we kneel before you to venerate your Dolors, and place our requests, with filial confidence, in the sanctuary of your wounded heart. Present them on our behalf to Jesus, through the merits of His most sacred Passion and Death, together with your sufferings at the foot of the cross, and through the united efficacy of both, obtain the favor which we humbly ask. To whom shall we go in our wants and miseries if not to you. O Mother of Mercy, who having so deeply drunk of the chalice of your Son, graciously alleviate the sufferings of those who still sigh in this land of exile. Amen. Prayer to the Souls in Purgatory My Jesus, by the sorrows you suffered in your agony in the garden, in your scourging and crowning with thorns, in the way to Calvary, in your crucifixion and death, have mercy on the souls in Purgatory, and especially on those that are most forsaken. Deliver them from the dire torments they endure. Call them and admit them to your most sweet embrace in Paradise. Amen. Recite the following prayers... 1 Our Father... 3 Hail Mary... 1 Glory Be... Repeat three times... O Bleeding Face, O Face Divine, be every adoration Thine. DAY FIVE Daily Preparatory Prayer "Create in me a clean heart, O God, and put a new and right spirit within me. Do not cast me away from your presence, and do not take your Holy Spirit from me. [Ps. 51:10-11] Make me hear rejoicing and gladness, that the bones you have crushed may revive. From my sins turn away your Face, and blot out all my guilt. Holy Face of Jesus, Sacred Countenance of’ God, how great is your patience with humankind, how infinite your forgiveness. We are sinners, yet you love us. This gives us courage. For the glory of your Holy Face and of the Blessed Trinity, hear and answer us. Mary our Mother, intercede for us. Saint Joseph, pray for us. Through the merits of your precious blood and your Holy Face, O Jesus, grant us our petition, pardon and mercy... State your intention here... Prayer to Saint Joseph Dear Saint Joseph! Adopt us as thy children, take charge of our salvation; watch over us day and night; preserve us from occasions of sin; obtain for us purity of body and soul, and the spirit of prayer, through thy intercession with Jesus, grant us a spirit of sacrifice, of humility and self-denial; obtain for us a burning love for Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament, and a sweet, tender love for Mary, our Mother. Saint Joseph, be with us in life, be with us in death and obtain for us a favorable judgment from Jesus, our merciful Savior. Amen. Recite the following prayers... 1 Our Father... 3 Hail Mary... 1 Glory Be... Repeat three times... O Bleeding Face, O Face Divine, be every adoration Thine. DAY SIX Daily Preparatory Prayer "Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and sustain in me a willing spirit. Then I will teach transgressors your ways, and sinners will return to you." [Ps. 51:12-3] A pure heart create for us O God, put a steadfast spirit within us. Do not cast us away from your presence nor deprive us of your Holy Spirit. May our hearts be cleansed, O Lord, by the inpouring of the Holy Spirit, and may He render them fruitful by watering them with His heavenly dew. Mary, the most chaste spouse of the Holy Spirit, intercede for us. Saint Joseph, pray for us. Through the merits of your precious blood and your Holy Face, O Jesus, grant us our petition, pardon and mercy... State your intention here... Prayer to Saint Michael the Archangel O Victorious Prince, most humble guardian of the Church of God and of faithful souls, who with such charity and zeal took part in so many conflicts and gained such great victories over the enemy, for the conservation and protection of the honor and glory we all owe to God, as well as for the promotion of our salvation, come, we pray Thee, to our assistance, for we are continually besieged with such great perils by our enemies, the flesh, the world and the devil; and as Thou wast a leader for the people of God through the desert, so also be our faithful leader, and companion through the desert of this world, until Thou conduct us safely into the happy land of the living, in that blessed fatherland from which we are all exiles. Amen. [Prayer of St. Aloysius] Recite the following prayers... 1 Our Father... 3 Hail Mary... 1 Glory Be... Repeat three times... O Bleeding Face, O Face Divine, be every adoration Thine. DAY SEVEN Daily Preparatory Prayer "Deliver me from bloodshed, O God, O God of my salvation, and my tongue will sing aloud of your deliverance. O Lord, open my lips, and my mouth will declare your praise." [Ps. 51:14-5] Give me again the joy of your help, with a spirit of fervor sustain me, that I may teach transgressors your ways and sinners may return to you. Lord Jesus! After contemplating Thy features, disfigured by grief, after meditating upon Thy passion with compunction and love, how can our hearts fail to be inflamed with a holy hatred of sin, which even now outrages Thy Adorable Face! Lord, suffer us not to be content with mere compassion, but give us grace so closely to follow Thee in this Calvary, so that the approbrium destined for Thee may fall on us, O Jesus, that thus we may have a share, small though it may be, in expiation of sin. Amen. Mary, our Mother, intercede for us. Saint Joseph, pray for us. Through the merits of your precious blood and your Holy Face, O Jesus, grant us our petition, pardon and mercy... State your intention here... Prayer in Honor of Mary Hail Mary, Daughter of God the Father! Hail Mary, Mother of God the Son! Hail Mary, Spouse of the Holy Spirit! Hail Mary, Temple of the Most Holy Trinity! Hail Mary, our mistress, our wealth, our mystic rose, Queen of our hearts, our Mother, our life, our sweetness and our dearest hope! We are all Thine, and all we have is Thine. O Virgin blessed above all things, may Thy soul be in us to magnify the Lord; may Thy spirit be in us to rejoice in God. Place Thyself, O faithful Virgin, as a seal upon our hearts, that in Thee and through Thee we may be found faithful to God. Grant, most gracious Virgin, that we may be numbered among those whom Thou art pleased to love, to teach and to guide, to favor and to protect as Thy children. Grant that with the help of Thy love, we may despise all earthly consolation and cling to heavenly things, until through the Holy Spirit, Thy faithful spouse, and through Thee, His faithful spouse, Jesus Christ, Thy Son, be formed within us for the glory of the Father. Amen. [Prayer of St. Grignon de Montfort] Recite the following prayers... 1 Our Father... 3 Hail Mary... 1 Glory Be... Repeat three times... O Bleeding Face, O Face Divine, be every adoration Thine. DAY EIGHT Daily Preparatory Prayer "For your have no delight in sacrifce; if I were to give a burnt offering, you would not be pleased. The sacrifice acceptable to God is a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise." [Ps. 51:16-7] O rescue me, God my helper, and my tongue shall ring out your goodness. O Lord, open my lips, and my mouth shall declare your praise. Most merciful Face of Jesus, who in this vale of tears was so moved by our misfortunes to call yourself the healer of the sick, and the good Shepherd of the souls gone astray, allow not Satan to draw us away from you, but keep us always under your loving protection, together with all souls who endeavor to console you. Mary, our Mother, intercede for us. Saint Joseph, pray for us. Through the merits of your precious blood and your Holy Face, O Jesus, grant us our petition, pardon and mercy... State your intention here... Prayer to Saint Peter O glorious Saint Peter, who in return for thy lively and generous faith, thy profound and sincere humility and thy burning love, was honored by Jesus Christ with singular privileges, and in particular, with the leadership of the other apostles and the primacy of the whole church, of which thou was made the foundation stone, do thou obtain for us the grace of a lively faith, that shall not fear to profess itself openly in its entirety and in all of its manifestations, even to the shedding of blood, if occasion should demand it, and to the sacrifice of life itself in preference to surrender. Obtain for us likewise a sincere loyalty to our Holy Mother the Church. Grant that we may ever remain most closely and sincerely united to the Holy Father, who is the heir of thy faith and of thy authority, the one true visible head of the Catholic Church. Grant, moreover, that we may follow, in all humility and meekness, the Church’s teaching and counsels and may be obedient to all her precepts, in order to be able here on earth to enjoy a peace that is sure and undisturbed, and to attain one day in heaven to everlasting happiness. Amen. Recite the following prayers... 1 Our Father... 3 Hail Mary... 1 Glory Be... Repeat three times... O Bleeding Face, O Face Divine, be every adoration Thine. DAY NINE Daily Preparatory Prayer "Do good to Zion in our good pleasure; rebuild the walls of Jerusalem, then you will delight in right sacrifices, in burnt offerings and whole burnt offerings: then bulls will be offered on your altar." [Ps. 51:18-9] For in sacrifice you take no delight, burnt offering from me you would refuse, my sacrifice a contrite spirit. A humbled, contrite heart you will not spurn. In your goodness, show favor to Zion; rebuild the walls of Jerusalem. Then you will be pleased with lawful sacrifice, holocausts offered on your altar, Sacred Face of our Lord and our God, what words can we do to express our gratitude? How can we speak of our joy? That you have deigned to hear us, that you have chosen to answer us in our hour of need. We say this because we know that our prayers will be granted. We know that you, in your loving kindness, listened to our pleading hearts, and will give, out of your fullness, the answer to our problems. Mary, our Mother, thank you for your intercession on our behalf. Saint Joseph, thank you for your prayers. Through the merits of your precious blood and your Holy Face, O Jesus, grant us our petition, pardon and mercy... State your intention here... Prayer to the Holy Trinity Most Holy Trinity, Godhead indivisible, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, our first beginning and our last end. Since you have made us after your own image and likeness, grant that all the thoughts of our minds, all the words of our tongues, all the affections of our hearts and all our actions may be always conformed to your most Holy Will, so that after having seen you here on earth in appearances and in a dark manner by the means of faith, we may come at last to contemplate you face to face, in the perfect possession of you forever in paradise. Amen. Recite the following prayers... 1 Our Father... 3 Hail Mary... 1 Glory Be... Repeat three times... O Bleeding Face, O Face Divine, be every adoration Thine.Act of Consecration O Lord Jesus, we believe most firmly in You, we love You. You are the Eternal Son of God and the Son Incarnate of the Blessed Virgin Mary. You are the Lord and Absolute Ruler of all creation. We acknowledge You, therefore, as the Universal Sovereign of all creatures. You are the Lord and Supreme Ruler of all mankind, and we, in acknowledging this Your dominion, consecrate ourselves to You now and forever. Loving Jesus, we place our family under the protection of Your Holy Face, and of Your Virgin Mother, Mary most sorrowful. We promise to be faithful to You for the rest of our lives and to observe with fidelity Your Holy Commandments, We will never deny before men, You and Your Divine rights over us and all mankind. Grant us the grace to never sin again; nevertheless, should we fail, O Divine Savior, have mercy on us and restore us to Your grace. Radiate Your Divine Countenance upon us and bless us now and forever. Embrace us at the hour of death in Your Kingdom for all eternity, through the intercession of Your Blessed Mother, of all Your Saints who behold You in Heaven, and the just who glorify You on earth, O Jesus, be mindful of us forever and never forsake us; protect our family. O Mother of Sorrows, by the eternal glory which you enjoy in Heaven, through the merits of your bitter anguish in the Sacred Passion of your Beloved Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, obtain for us the grace that the Precious Blood shed by Jesus for the redemption of our souls, be not shed for us in vain. We love you, O Mary. Embrace us and bless us, O Mother. Protect us in life and in death. Amen. Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen.

21 Coptic Christians Killed by Terrorists Martyrs of the Coptic Church

(Icon of the 21 Coptic Holy New Martyrs Written by Tony Rezk)
The Coptic Orthodox Church accepted that the killing of the 21 Egyptian Christians by ISIS in Libya will be part of their Church calendar. Pope Tawadros II announced the names of the 21 murdered will be inscribe in the Coptic Synaxarium, This a type of Roman Martyrology for the Coptic Christians and means that they are canonized. Terrasanta.net, said that the martyrdom of the 21 Christians will be celebrated on the 8th Amshir of the Coptic calendar, or February 15th of the Gregorian calendar. Their murder was recorded on a video entitled “A Message Signed in Blood to the Nation of the Cross”. The terrorists beheaded the Christian men, while some called “Lord Jesus Christ” before their death.  This killing has strengthened the faith of the Coptic Christians in Egypt. A brother of 2 Copts killed, Beshir Kamel, said, “ISIS gave us more than we asked when they didn’t edit out the part where they declared their faith and called upon Jesus Christ. ISIS helped us strengthen our faith.” Kamel said his mother forgave the killer, "My mother, an uneducated woman in her sixties, said she would ask [him] to enter her house and ask God to open his eyes because he was the reason her son entered the kingdom of heaven,” .

New FREE App for #Lent from #Bishop Fisher of #Australia

Archbishop Anthony Fisher OP Launches Digital Lent Calendar And App

Catholic Communications, Sydney Archdiocese,
20 Feb 2015

Archbishop holding iPad with Lent Calendar
This year the Archdiocese of Sydney's social network xt3 has released it's digital Lent Calendar and App featuring a unique Indigenous Australian theme.
Archbishop Anthony Fisher launched the calendar and App on Ash Wednesday.
During the season of Lent, Xt3's Lent Calendar will provide daily inspiration through videos, podcasts and reflections, as well as beautiful images of our Catholic faith through the eyes and artworks of Indigenous Australians.
By working closely with the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Catholic Council (NATSICC), the Xt3 team selected images from around the country that tell the Lenten story with an Indigenous Australian voice.
The Lent Calendar and App will also feature the Aboriginal Stations of the Cross series of artworks painted by Richard Campbell in 2001, which now adorn the walls of the Reconciliation Church at La Perouse in Sydney.
It will also include a special Easter message from the Archbishop.
Other content will include podcast reflections from various Australian consecrated men and women as we celebrate the Year for Consecrated Life, short video reflections from international author and speaker Fr Jacques Philippe on the topics of prayer and spiritual life, short Catechesis videos created by Xt3.com, reflections on saints' feast days, a narration of the Stations of the Cross by Australia's Missionaries of God's Love sisters, as well as a series of Youth Ministry videos, created especially for the Xt3 2015 Lent Calendar.
Xt3 will also be providing a number of Indigenous Australian-themed reflections including Saint John Paul II's speech to Aboriginal Australians, an interview with Indigenous Australian artist Shirley Purdie, notable for winning the 2007 Blake Prize for religious art, as well as a Good Friday video reflection featuring Richard Campbell's Aboriginal Stations of the Cross.
In 2014, Xt3's Lent Calendar App reached 9,309 downloads, and with this year's theme it is expected to be even more popular and will create wide-spread interest both in Australia and internationally.
On each day of Lent, a new image and reflection will be revealed on the Calendar.  The free App will continue to run for one week after Easter up to Divine Mercy Sunday, and will conclude with a World Youth Day 2016 feature as the youth of Australia begin their preparations for Krakow.

Lent calendar 2015
This is the Ash Wednesday reflection by the Archbishop of Sydney, the Most Rev Anthony Fisher:
Each Ash Wednesday the priest says "Remember you are dust and to dust you shall return", or similar words, marking an ashen cross on the person's forehead.
As a schoolboy, I remember feeling solemn and proud to receive that sign of my Catholic identity and to wear it for the rest of the day for all the world to see.
Friday abstinence from meat and fasting on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday were additional tokens of our heroism and Catholic identity which our non-Catholic friends had to cope with if we were at dinner with them on Fridays! And there were extra) prayers like Stations of the Cross to do in Lent for the more earnest.
But are Ash Wednesday and Lent just about external show? No: Lent is first and foremost about turning back to God; saying we're sorry for what we've done wrong and resolving, with God's help, to do better. That's a rather private matter, invisible to the world. Ashes, fasting and the rest are tangible signs of that spiritual renewal.
Which is not to say we should give up on such Lenten practices: quite the opposite! Fasting, such as giving up meat on Fridays (or, dare I suggest, giving up sms-texting and Facebook for Lent!) disciplines the body and purifies the spirit, showing our unruly desires who's boss. In a sense, then, fasting brings us closer to ourselves.
Extra prayer, such as weekday Mass, and especially THE Lenten prayer, Confession, brings us closer to God.
Charitable giving, such as Project Compassion or visiting a lonely person, brings us closer to our neighbours.
So these Lenten practices are not just for external show: they bring us closer to our God, neighbours and selves and that allows a genuine, internal, spiritual renewal.
God bless you with a really fruitful Lent this year, so that come Easter you can rise from the tomb with Christ to new life!
To view Xt3's 2015 Lent Calendar, visit www.xt3.com/lent, or download the App by searching for "Xt3 Lent" in the Google Play or App store. 
Shared from Archdiocese of Sydney

#PopeFrancis #Lent - Daily choice “between good and evil, between worldliness and the Gospel..." Angelus


Pope Francis holding up the booklet at his Angelus address - REUTERS
22/02/2015 13:


(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis said Lent is a time where we struggle against the temptations of Satan and worldliness.  His words came at his Sunday Angelus address at the end of which he announced the distribution of 50,000 free copies of a pocket-sized booklet called “Safeguard your Heart” containing reflections on Jesus’ teachings.  Many of those distributing the booklets to the pilgrims present in St Peter’s Square were homeless people. In his Angelus address the Pope recalled how Jesus went into the solitude of the wilderness for 40 days where he successfully overcame temptations in “a hand-to-hand combat” with Satan. And through his victory over Satan, he said, “we have all triumphed but we need to protect this victory in our daily lives.”  
He went on to explain how in the wilderness we can listen to God’s voice and that of the tempter. And we listen to God’s voice through his words and that why it’s important to read the Holy Scriptures because otherwise we’re unable to resist the lure of the evil one.  The Pope said it was for this reason that he wanted to renew his advice to the faithful to read the Gospel every day and reflect on its meaning, even for just 10 minutes and carry around a copy in one’s pocket or bag every day. The Lenten wilderness, he continued, “helps us to say ‘no’ to worldliness, to “idols”, it helps us to make courageous choices in line with the Gospel and to strengthen our solidarity with our brothers and sisters.”
He concluded by reminding those present that he and other members of the Roman Curia would be beginning their spiritual retreat later on Sunday.  Pray for us, he urged, so that in this “wilderness” of the spiritual exercises "we can hear Jesus’ voice and also correct the many defects that we all have and thereby overcome the temptations that attack us every day.”
In his address following the recitation of the Angelus, Pope Francis announced a personal initiative of his which was the distribution of 50,000 free copies of a small booklet to those present in St Peter’s Square.  Holding up the pocket-sized booklet which is entitled “Safeguard your Heart,” the Pope explained that it contains several key “teachings of Jesus and the essential tenets of our faith.” These included, he said, "the seven sacraments, the gifts of the Holy Spirit, the 10 commandments, the virtues and works of charity."
Pope Francis said a group of  volunteers, including many homeless people, were distributing it to the pilgrims present in St. Peter’s Square.  He urged everybody to take a copy of the booklet and carry it around with them to help in their conversion and spiritual growth which always comes from the heart. It’s there, he stressed, that we play out the daily choice “between good and evil, between worldliness and the Gospel, between indifference and sharing.” “Humanity needs justice, peace and love and we can have this only by returning with our hearts towards God who is the source of all this.”

Sunday Mass Online : February 22, 2015 - 1st Sunday of Lent Mass - B


First Sunday of Lent
Lectionary: 23

Reading 1GN 9:8-15

God said to Noah and to his sons with him:
“See, I am now establishing my covenant with you
and your descendants after you
and with every living creature that was with you:
all the birds, and the various tame and wild animals
that were with you and came out of the ark.
I will establish my covenant with you,
that never again shall all bodily creatures be destroyed
by the waters of a flood;
there shall not be another flood to devastate the earth.”
God added:
“This is the sign that I am giving for all ages to come,
of the covenant between me and you
and every living creature with you:
I set my bow in the clouds to serve as a sign
of the covenant between me and the earth.
When I bring clouds over the earth,
and the bow appears in the clouds,
I will recall the covenant I have made
between me and you and all living beings,
so that the waters shall never again become a flood
to destroy all mortal beings.”

Responsorial PsalmPS 25:4-5, 6-7, 8-9.

R. (cf. 10) Your ways, O Lord, are love and truth to those who keep your covenant.
Your ways, O LORD, make known to me;
teach me your paths,
Guide me in your truth and teach me,
for you are God my savior.
R. Your ways, O Lord, are love and truth to those who keep your covenant.
Remember that your compassion, O LORD,
and your love are from of old.
In your kindness remember me,
because of your goodness, O LORD.
R. Your ways, O Lord, are love and truth to those who keep your covenant.
Good and upright is the LORD,
thus he shows sinners the way.
He guides the humble to justice,
and he teaches the humble his way.
R. Your ways, O Lord, are love and truth to those who keep your covenant.

Reading 21 PT 3:18-22

Beloved:
Christ suffered for sins once,
the righteous for the sake of the unrighteous,
that he might lead you to God.
Put to death in the flesh,
he was brought to life in the Spirit.
In it he also went to preach to the spirits in prison,
who had once been disobedient
while God patiently waited in the days of Noah
during the building of the ark,
in which a few persons, eight in all,
were saved through water.
This prefigured baptism, which saves you now.
It is not a removal of dirt from the body
but an appeal to God for a clear conscience,
through the resurrection of Jesus Christ,
who has gone into heaven
and is at the right hand of God,
with angels, authorities, and powers subject to him.

Verse Before The GospelMT 4:4B

One does not live on bread alone,
but on every word that comes forth from the mouth of God.

GospelMK 1:12-15

The Spirit drove Jesus out into the desert,
and he remained in the desert for forty days,
tempted by Satan.
He was among wild beasts,
and the angels ministered to him.

After John had been arrested,
Jesus came to Galilee proclaiming the gospel of God:
“This is the time of fulfillment.
The kingdom of God is at hand.
Repent, and believe in the gospel.”

Saint February 22 : Feast of the Chair of St. Peter the Apostle



Information:
Feast Day:February 22
St Peter having triumphed over the devil in the East, pursued him to Rome in the person of Simon Magus. He who had formerly trembled at the voice of a poor maid now feared not the very throne of idolatry and superstition. The capital of the empire of the world, and the centre of impiety, called for the zeal of the prince of the apostles. God had established the Roman empire, and extended its dominion beyond that of any former monarchy, for the more easy propagation of his gospel. Its metropolis was of the greatest importance for this enterprise. St. Peter took that province upon himself; and repairing to Rome, there preached the faith and established his episcopal chair, whose the bishops of Rome have been accounted in all ages. That St. Peter founded that church by his < preaching> is expressly asserted by Caius, a priest of Rome under Pope Zephyrinus; who relates also that his body was then on the Vatican Hill, and that of his fellow-labourer St. Paul on the Ostian Road. That he and St. Paul planted the faith at Rome, and were both crowned with martyrdom at the same time, is affirmed by Dionysius, Bishop of Corinth, in the second age. St. Irenaeus, who lived in the same age, calls the church at Rome "the greatest and most ancient church, founded by the two glorious apostles, Peter and Paul." Eusebius, in several places, mentions St. Peter's being at Rome, and the several important translations of this apostle in that city. Not to mention Origen, Hegesippus, Arnobius, St. Ambrose, St. Austin, St. Jerome, St.  Optatus, Orosius, and others on the same subject. St. Cyprian calls Rome the < chair> of St. Peter (as Theodoret calls it his ), which the general councils and ecclesiastical writers, through every age and on every occasion, repeat. That St. Peter at least preached in Rome, founded that church, and died there by martyrdom under Nero are facts the most incontestable by the testimony of all writers of different countries who lived near that time; persons of unquestionable veracity, and who could not but be informed of the truth in a point so interesting, and of its own nature so public and notorious, as to leave them no possibility of a mistake. This is also attested by monuments of every kind; also by the prerogatives, rights, and privileges which that church enjoyed from those early ages in consequence of this title.
It was an ancient custom, as Cardinal Baronius and Thomassin show by many examples, observed by churches to keep an annual festival of the consecration of their bishops. The feast of the chair of St. Peter is found in ancient Martyrologies, as in one under the name of St. Jerome, at Esternach, copied in the time of St. Willibrord, in 720. Christians justly celebrate the founding of this mother-church, the centre of catholic communion, in thanksgiving to God for his mercies on his church, and to implore his future blessings.
Christ has taught us, in the divine model of prayer which he has delivered to us, that we are bound to recommend to him, before all other things, the exaltation of his own honour and glory, and to beg that the kingdom of his holy grace and love be planted in all hearts. If we love God above all things, and with our whole hearts, or have any true charity for our neighbour, this will be the centre of all our desires, that God be loved and served by all his   creatures, and that he be glorified, in the most perfect manner, in our own souls. By placing this at the head of our requests, we shall most strongly engage God to crown all our just and holy desires. As one of his greatest mercies to his church, we most earnestly beseech him to raise up in it zealous pastors, eminently replenished with his Spirit, with which he animated his apostles.


source: http://www.ewtn.com/saintsHoly/saints/F/feastofthechairofstpetertheapostle.asp#ixzz1n7QwMYb1