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Sunday, May 15, 2016

Catholic News World : Pentecost Sunday May 15, 2016 - SHARE

What is Pentecost? 10 Things to Know and SHARE - #HolySpirit




1. The Jewish name for Pentecost is Shavuot, or the Feast of Weeks (Leviticus 23:16), a feast in the calendar of Israel celebrating the giving of the Law on Sinai. This feast is still celebrated in Judaism as Shavuot. According to Jewish tradition, Pentecost commemorates God giving the Ten Commandments at Mount Sinai fifty days after the Exodus.
2. Pentecost is a Christian Feast Day remembering the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. Pentecost is from the Greek word 'Pentekostos', which means 'fifty' after Easter.  In some places the Church celebrated it as Whitsun – 'White Sunday'. This was a day for baptisms and those being baptised would wear white.  Pentecost was when God poured out the wisdom of the Spirit. 
4.Pentecost is the fulfilment of promises.  Jesus said he would send another Counsellor, the Spirit of truth (John 16: 5-15). There are Seven Gifts of the sanctifying category; they are: wisdom, understanding, knowledge, counsel, fortitude, piety and fear of the Lord.
3. The Apostles and the Blessed Virgin Mary were in the Upper room when the Holy Spirit entered. The biblical passages describes three distinct experiences.
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4. A violent wind filled the house or breath as a symbol of the Spirit of God a fire or a single flame that separates and symbolically rests on each of them (Book of Acts)
“When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place.Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. 
6. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them.” ~ Acts 2:1-4
7. The story links back to the Old Testament story, in Genesis 11, when the people begin to build the huge Tower of Babel. God confused their language so they could no longer understand each other. At Pentecost, this Babel confusion is reversed.
8. Pentecost is the birthday of the Church. It marks the beginning of Christianity as a purposeful movement and a new community. 
9. When Peter preached immediately afterwards, around 3,000 people believed and were baptised.  
"Peter replied, 'Repent and be baptized. every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.'" ~Acts 2:38 "Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day." ~ Acts 2:41 - 
10. You can obtain a Plenary Indulgence on Pentecost by Praying the Hymn Veni Creator Spiritus
Veni, creator Spiritus,
mentes tuorum visita,
imple superna gratia,
quae tu creasti pectora.
Come, Holy Ghost, Creator, come
from thy bright heav'nly throne;
come, take possession of our souls,
and make them all thine own.
Qui diceris Paraclitus,
donum Dei altissimi,
fons vivus, ignis, caritas,
et spiritalis unctio.
Thou who art called the Paraclete,
best gift of God above,
the living spring, the living fire,
sweet unction and true love.
Tu septiformis munere,
dextrae Dei tu digitus
tu rite promissum Patris,
sermone ditans guttura.
Thou who art sevenfold in thy grace,
finger of God's right hand;
his promise, teaching little ones
to speak and understand.
Accende lumen sensibus,
infunde amorem cordibus,
infirma nostri corporis
virtute firmans perpeti.
O guide our minds with thy blest light,
with love our hearts inflame;
and with thy strength, which ne'er decays,
confirm our mortal frame.
Hostem repellas longius
pacemque dones protinus;
ductore sic te praevio
vitemus omne noxium.
Far from us drive our deadly foe;
true peace unto us bring;
and through all perils lead us safe
beneath thy sacred wing.
Per te sciamus da Patrem
noscamus atque Filium,
te utriusque Spiritum
credamus omni tempore.
Through thee may we the Father know,
through thee th'eternal Son,
and thee the Spirit of them both,
thrice-blessed three in One.
Amen.
Amen.

Top Hymns to the Holy Spirit for #Pentecost to SHARE - Wow #Breathtaking Music

These are some of the Most Beautiful Hymns to the Holy Spirit for Pentecost. Please SHARE but also comment below with other Music you would add to this List. God bless you!
1. Come Holy Spirit, Creator Blest (Veni, Creator Spiritus)
 Come, Holy Spirit, Creator blest, and in our souls take up Thy rest; come with Thy grace and heavenly aid to fill the hearts which Thou hast made.
 O comforter, to Thee we cry, O heavenly gift of God Most High, O fount of life and fire of love, and sweet anointing from above.
 Thou in Thy sevenfold gifts are known; Thou, finger of God's hand we own; Thou, promise of the Father, Thou Who dost the tongue with power imbue.
 Kindle our sense from above, and make our hearts o'erflow with love; with patience firm and virtue high the weakness of our flesh supply.
 Far from us drive the foe we dread, and grant us Thy peace instead; so shall we not, with Thee for guide, turn from the path of life aside.
 Oh, may Thy grace on us bestow the Father and the Son to know; and Thee, through endless times confessed, of both the eternal Spirit blest.
 Now to the Father and the Son, Who rose from death, be glory given, with Thou, O Holy Comforter, henceforth by all in earth and heaven. Amen.

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2. Veni, Creator Spiritus (Come Holy Spirit, Creator Blest)

One of the most widely used hymns in the Church, Veni, Creator 
Spiritus, is attributed to Rabanus Maurus; (776-856). It is used 
at Vespers, Pentecost, Dedication of a Church, Confirmation, and 
Holy Orders and whenever the Holy Spirit is solemnly invoked. A 
partial indulgence is granted to the faithful who recite it. A 
plenary indulgence is granted if it is recited on January 1st or 
on the feast of Pentecost. 

Veni, Creator Spiritus, mentes tuorum visita, imple superna gratia
quae tu creasti pectora.

Qui diceris Paraclitus, altissima donum Dei, fons vivus, ignis, caritas,
et spiritalis unctio.

Tu, septiformis munere, digitus paternae dexterae, Tu rite promissum Patris,
sermone ditans guttura.

Accende lumen sensibus: infunde amorem cordibus:infirma nostri corporis
virtute firmans perpeti.

Hostem repellas longius, pacemque dones protinus:ductore sic te praevio
vitemus omne noxium.

Per te sciamus da Patrem, noscamus atque Filium; Teque utrisque Spiritum
credamus omni tempore.

Deo Patri sit gloria, et Filio, qui a mortuis surrexit, ac Paraclito,
in saeculorum saecula.
Amen. 


3. Breathe On Me, Breath of God
Text: Edwin Hatch, 1835-1889
Music: Robert Jackson, 1842-1914
Tune: TRENTHAM, Meter: SM

1. Breathe on me, Breath of God, fill me with life anew,
that I may love what thou dost love, and do what thou wouldst do.

2. Breathe on me, Breath of God, until my heart is pure,
until with thee I will one will, to do and to endure.

3. Breathe on me, Breath of God, till I am wholly thine,
till all this earthly part of me glows with thy fire divine.

4. Breathe on me, Breath of God, so shall I never die,
but live with thee the perfect life of thine eternity. 

4. Come down, O love divine,
Words: Bi­an­co of Si­e­na (?-1434) (Di­scen­di, Amor san­to);  trans­lat­ed from Ital­ian to Eng­lish by Ri­chard F. Lit­tle­dale in The Peo­ple’s Hymn­al, 1867.
Music: Down Amp­ney, Ralph Vaughn Will­iams, 1906
Come down, O love divine, seek Thou this soul of mine,
And visit it with Thine own ardor glowing.
O Comforter, draw near, within my heart appear,
And kindle it, Thy holy flame bestowing.

O let it freely burn, til earthly passions turn
To dust and ashes in its heat consuming;
And let Thy glorious light shine ever on my sight,
And clothe me round, the while my path illuming.

Let holy charity mine outward vesture be,
And lowliness become mine inner clothing;
True lowliness of heart, which takes the humbler part,
And o’er its own shortcomings weeps with loathing.

And so the yearning strong, with which the soul will long,
Shall far outpass the power of human telling;
For none can guess its grace, till he become the place
Wherein the Holy Spirit makes His dwelling.



4.Veni Sancte Spiritus, sometimes called the "Golden Sequence," is a sequence prescribed in the Roman Liturgy for the Masses of Pentecostand its octave.
Latin text
Veni, Sancte Spiritus, et emitte caelitus lucis tuae radium.
Veni, pater pauperum, veni, dator munerum,veni, lumen cordium.
Consolator optime, dulcis hospes animae,dulce refrigerium.
In labore requies, in aestu temperies,in fletu solatium.
O lux beatissima, reple cordis intima tuorum fidelium.
Sine tuo numine, nihil est in homine, nihil est innoxium.
Lava quod est sordidum, riga quod est aridum, sana quod est saucium.
Flecte quod est rigidum, fove quod est frigidum, rege quod est devium.
Da tuis fidelibus, in te confidentibus, sacrum septenarium.
Da virtutis meritum, da salutis exitum, da perenne gaudium.
6. O Holy Spirit, by whose breath
Author: Rabanus Maurus (776-856)

O Holy Spirit, by whose breath,
life rises vibrant out of death;
come to create, renew, inspire;
come, kindle in our hearts your fire.

You are the seeker's sure resource,
of burning love the living source,
protector in the midst of strife,
the giver and the Lord of life.

In you God's energy is shown,
to us your varied gifts make known.
Teach us to speak, teach us to hear;
yours is the tongue and yours the ear.

Flood our dull senses with your light;
in mutual love our hearts unite.
Your power the whole creation fills;
confirm our weak, uncertain wills.

From inner strife grant us release;
turn nations to the ways of peace.
To fuller life your people bring
that as one body we may sing;

Praise to the Father,
Christ, his Word, and to the Spirit: God the Lord,
to whom all honor, glory be
both now and for eternity.

St. Dymphna : Virgin and Martyr : Patron of #Mental Illness and Incest - #Novena Prayers and Litany to SHARE


(Also known as Dympna and Dimpna). Virgin and martyr.
Patron of : mental disorders, neurological disorders, runaways, victims of incest, depression
The earliest historical account of the veneration of St. Dymphna dates from the middle of the thirteenth century. Under Bishop Guy I of Cambrai (1238-47), Pierre, a canon of the church of Saint Aubert at Cambrai, wrote a "Vita" of the saint, from which we learn that she had been venerated for many years in a church at Gheel (province of Antwerp, Belgium), which was devoted to her. The author expressly states that he has drawn his biography from oral tradition.
According to the narrative, Dymphna — the daughter of a pagan king of Ireland — became a Christian and was secretly baptized. After the death of her mother, who was of extraordinary beauty, her father desired to marry his own daughter, who was just as beautiful, but she fled with the priest Gerebernus and landed at Antwerp. Thence they went to the village of Gheel, where there was a chapel of St. Martin, beside which they took up their abode. The messengers of her father however, discovered their whereabouts; the father betook himself thither and renewed his offer. Seeing that all was in vain, he commanded his servants to slay the priest, while he himself struck off the head of his daughter. The corpses were put in sarcophagi and entombed in a cave where they were found later. The body of St. Dymphna was buried in the church of Gheel, and the bones of St. Gerebernus were transferred to Xanten.
This narrative is without any historical foundation, being merely a variation of the story of the king who wanted to marry his own daughter, a motif which appears frequently in popular legends. Hence we can conclude nothing from it as to the history of St. Dymphna and the time in which she lived. That she is identical with St. Damhnat of Ireland cannot be proved. There are at Gheel fragments of two simple ancient sarcophagi in which tradition says the bodies of Dymphna and Gerebernus were found. There is also a quadrangular brick, said to have been found in one of the sarcophagi, bearing two lines of letters read as DYMPNA. The discovery of this sarcophagus with the corpse and the brick was perhaps the origin of the veneration. In Christian art St. Dymphna is depicted with a sword in her hand and a fettered devil at her feet. Her feast is celebrated 15 May, under which date she is also found in the Roman martyrology.
From time immemorial, the saint was invoked as patroness against insanity. The Bollandists have published numerous accounts of miraculous cures, especially between 1604 and 1668. As a result, there has long been a colony for lunatics at Gheel; even now there are sometimes as many as fifteen hundred whose relatives invoke St. Dymphna for their cure. The insane are treated in a peculiar manner; it is only in the beginning that they are placed in an institution for observation; later they are given shelter in the homes of the inhabitants, take part in their agricultural labours, and are treated very kindly. They are watched without being conscious of it. The treatment produces good results. The old church of St. Dymphna in Gheel was destroyed by fire in 1489. The new church was consecrated in 1532 and is still standing. Every year on the feast of the saint and on the Tuesday after Pentecost numerous pilgrims visit her shrine. In Gheel there is also a fraternity under her name. Text: Catholic Encyclopedia
Prayers Below are from the National Shrine of St. Dymphna
LITANY IN HONOR OF ST.DYMPHNA
 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, Virgin and Mother of God,  conceived without sin,  pray'for'us. 
St. Dymphna,  pray'for'us. 
St.Dymphna,noble by birth but more noble in virtue, pray'for'us. St.Dymphna,docile to the lessons of your pious mother, pray'for'us. St.Dymphna,obedient to your saintly confessor, Gerebran, pray'for'us. St.Dymphna,who abandoned the court of your father, to escape the  danger of impurity, pray'for'us. St. Dymphna,who chose a life of poverty on earth so that you might lay up Treasure in Heaven, pray'for'us. St.Dymphna, who sought consolation in prayer and devout attendance of Holy Mass, pray'for'us. St.Dymphna, brilliant example of Christian youth, pray'for'us. St. Dymphna,who died a martyr, beheaded by your own father, pray'for'us. So that we may carefully preserve the virtue of chastity according to our  state by avoiding all dangerous occasions of sin. pray'for'us. So that we may persevere in our Faith, pray'for'us. So that we may learn to have confidence in the Lord during our afflictions, pray'for'us. So that we may obtain the spirit of prayer, the source of all graces, pray'for'us. So that we may love our Lord and God with all our hearts and above all  things, pray'for'us. So that we may receive the grace of final perseverance, pray'for'us. St.Dymphna, Patroness of Gheel, pray'for'us. St.Dymphna,Protectressagainst all nervous disorders, pray'for'us. St. Dymphna, renowned for many miracles,particularly in Gheel, pray'for'us. In monents of emptation, pray'for'us. In times of contagious diseaseds, in time of war and persecution against  the faith, pray'for'us. In our last illness, pray'for'us. At the hour of death, pray'for'us. Lamb of God, who takest away the sins of the world,  Spare'us,'O'Lord. 
Lamb of God, Who takest away the sins of the world, Graciously'hear'us,'O'Lord
 Lamb of God, Who takest away the sins of the world, Have'mercy'on'us. 
Christ hear us, Christ'graciously'hear'us. 
Lord have mercy on us,  
Christ'have'mercy'on'us, 
Our Father Who art  in heaven,hallowed be Thy name;Thy kingdom come; Thy Will be done on earth as  it  is  in heaven. Give us  this day  our  daily  bread;  and  forgive  us  our  trespasses  as  we  forgive  those  who trespass against us; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver  us from evil. Amen.
 Pray for us, St. Dymphna, That'we'may'be'made'worthy'of'the'promises'of'Christ. 
Let Us Pray O God, Who gave St. Dymphna to the infant Church in Brabant as a model  perfect  in  all  virtues,  and  Who ordained  that  Thy  handmaid  should  seal  with her innocent blood and with numerous miracles the teachings of the Gospels for the spread of the true faith, grant we beseech Thee that those  especially who honor the Holy Relics may continue to enjoyher powerful  protection so that being fortified in faith and gratefully imitating her other  virtues  may  be able  to  gain   new  glory  from  Thy  infinite  and  supreme  majesty, through Christ our Lord. Amen. 
9 Day NOVENA to St. Dymphna
First Day Intention ~ Faith O God, Source of our salvation, Who in  the midst of a pagan people didst  enlighten  St. Dymphna  by  the  faith,  which  she  professed  under  the  guidance  of  her  holy  confessor,  Gereberne,  with  such constancy  that  she  suffered  martyrdom,  we  beseech  Thee  through  the  intercession  of  these  two  saints  that  Thou wouldst  deign  to  strengthen  our  faith  which  Thou  hast  given  to  us  so  that  by  wisely  subjecting  our  souls  to  Thy Supreme  Authority and by faithfully regulating our lives by our faith we may honor  Thee with  our whole  heart and  soul until  the  hour  of  our  death,  through  Jesus Christ, Our Lord. Amen. Five"times:"Our"Father,"Hail"Mary,"Glory"be"to"the"Father ~~~~~ 
Second Day Intention ~ Hope O Almighty and Infinitely Good God, Who hast promised eternal salvation  to  those  who obey  Thy Commandments  and  profit  by  Thy  grace,  we  beseech Thee, through the intercession of St. Dymphna, who fled from the  danger of sin by quitting the palace of her father and who hoping thereby  to gain eternal  salvation  fled  to Brabant  to live in  poverty, grant  that we  also who are striving for eternal happiness may overcome all obstacles in  the pathway  of  virtue  and  may  attain  eternal  salvation  through  Jesus  Christ, Our Lord. Amen. Five"times:"Our"Father,"Hail"Mary,"Glory"be"to"the"Father 
Third Day Intention ~ Charity O  God  of  Love,  Most  Perfect  Being,  Creator  of  All  That  is  Good  and  Beautiful, deign to help us by Thy powerful grace through the intercession  of St. Dymphna, who in her youth loved Thee above all Creatures and loved  her neighbor as herself for Thy Sake as the Image and Likeness of Thee, as  the  price  of  the  Blood  of Jesus  and  as  coheir  of  heaven,  so  that  we  may  faithfully  adhere  to  the  two  great  commandments  of  charity  not only  in  word, but in action and in truth, through Jesus Christ, Our Lord. Amen. Five"times:"Our"Father,"Hail"Mary,"Glory"be"to"the"Father ~~~~~ 
Fourth Day Intention ~ Piety O  God,  Our  Creator  and  Supreme  Master,  we  beseech  Thee  through  the  intercession of St. Dymphna, who served Thee with great zeal even in her  childhood,  hearing  Thy  word  with  great  delight,  assisting at  Holy  Mass  with  great  respect,  and  receiving  Holy  Communion  from  the  hand  of  St.  Gerebran with tender devotion that Thou wouldst grant us the same virtue  of piety so that having honored Thee during this life as our Creator we may  possess Thee hereafter as our final reward through Jesus Christ, Our Lord.  Amen Five"times:"Our"Father,"Hail"Mary,"Glory"be"to"the"Father
 Fifth Day Intention ~ Prudence O  God,  Ruler  of  the  universe,  Who  allowed  St.  Dymphna  to  discover  an efficacious means of avoiding the criminal intentions of her father, deign to  grant through the merits of Thy Holy  servant, that we may become simple  as doves and wise as serpents so  that  through prudent advice and sound  judgment we may perceive that which is to be avoided and that which is to  be  followed  in  order  to  happily  achieve  the  great  work  of  our salvation  through Jesus Christ, Our Lord. Amen. Five"times:"Our"Father,"Hail"Mary,"Glory"be"to"the"Father ~~~~~ 
Sixth Day Intention ~ Justice O  God,  Source  of  eternal  justice,  we  supplicate  Thee  through  the  intercession of St. Dymphna, who in order to render to Thee that which is  Thine,  fled  from  her  country  and  her  father,  that  Thou wouldst  deign  to  make  us  seek  after  justice  so  that  we  may  perform  rightly  our  duties  toward Thee as we see them, through Jesus Christ, Our Lord.  Amen. Five"times:"Our"Father,"Hail"Mary,"Glory"be"to"the"Father ~~~~~ 
Seventh Day Intention ~ Fortitude O  God,  rewarder  of  those  who  remain  firm in  their  good  resolutions,  we beseech  Thee  through  the meditation  of  the merits  of  St. Dymphna,  who  through love of virtue had the courage to suffer privation, persecution and  even  martyrdom,  that  Thou  wouldst  grant  us  fortitude  so  that  we  may courageously  and  perseveringly  overcome  ourselves  and  finally  conquer  the enemy of our salvation through Jesus Christ, Our Lord.  Amen. Five"times:"Our"Father,"Hail"Mary,"Glory"be"to"the"Father 
Eighth Day Intention ~ Temperance O  God,  who  hast  made  St.  Dymphna  resplendent  in  the  virtue  of  temperance so that she mastered sensual inclination and tempered the use  of earthly goods, uniting with this the beautiful virtues of modesty, docility  and humility which is called  the  foundation of all virtue because humility  banishes  from  the  soul pride  which  is  an  obstacle  to  grace,  we  beseech  Thee through the intercession of St. Dymphna that Thou wouldst deign to  guide and direct us so that being preserved from all nervous disorders we  may  come  to   happy  end in  the good  counsels  Thou  hast given  through  Jesus Christ, Our Lord. Amen Five"times:"Our"Father,"Hail"Mary,"Glory"be"to"the"Father ~~~~~ 
Ninth Day Intention ~ Chastity O  God,  Lover  of  innocent  souls,  Who  gave  to  St.  Dymphna  the  virtue  of  angelic purity which rendered her reserved in all her actions, so modest in  her dress, so attentive in her conversation, so circumspect in her bearing  that she shed her blood to preserve this precious virtue, we beseech Thee  that  Thou  bestow upon  us  the  virtue  of  chastity  so  that  we  may  enjoy  peace  of  conscience  in  this  life  and  the  pure  eternal  joys  of heaven  hereafter through Jesus Christ Our Lord. Amen. Five"times:"Our"Father,"Hail"Mary,"Glory"b

Saint May 15 : St. Isidore the Farmer - Patron of #Farmers

St. Isidore the Farmer
PATRON OF SPANISH FARMERS, MIRACLE WORKER
Feast: May 15


Information:
Feast Day:May 15
Born:1070 at Madrid, Spain
Died:15 May 1130
Canonized:12 March 1622 by Pope Gregory XV
Patron of:farmers; day laborers
It is a misfortune which deserves to be lamented with floods of tears, that ignorance, obstinacy, and vice should so often taint a country life, the state which of all others is most necessary and important to the world; the most conformable to a human condition and to nature; the state which was sanctified by the example of the primitive holy patriarchs, and which affords the most favorable opportunities for the perfect practice of every virtue and Christian duty. What advantageous helps to piety did the ancient hermits seek in the deserts, which the circumstances of a country laborer do not offer? The life of St. Isidore is a most sensible proof of this assertion. He was born at Madrid, of poor but very devout parents, and was christened Isidore from the name of their patron, St. Isidore of Seville. They had not the means to procure him learning or a polite education; but, both by word and example, they infused into his tender soul the utmost horror and dread of all sin, and the most vehement ardor for every virtue, and especially for prayer. Good books are a great help to holy meditation; but not indispensably requisite. St. Irenaeus mentions whole nations which believed in Christ, and abounded in exemplary livers, without knowing the use of ink or paper. Many illustrious anchorets knew no other alphabet than that of humility and divine charity. The great St. Antony himself could not so much as read the Greek or Latin languages: nay, from the words of St. Austin, some doubt whether he could read even his own barbarous Egyptian dialect. Yet in the science of the saints, what philosopher or orator ever attained to the A B C of that great man? Learning, if it puffs up the mind, or inspires any secret self-sufficiency, is an impediment to the communications of  the Holy Ghost: simplicity and sincere humility being the dispositions which invite him into the soul. By these was Isidore prepared to find him an interior instructor and comforter. His earnestness in seeking lessons and instructions of piety made him neglect no opportunity of hearing them; and so much the more tender and the deeper were the impressions which they left in his soul, as his desire was the stronger and the more pure. His patience in bearing all injuries and in overcoming the envy of fellow-servants by cordial kindnesses, his readiness to obey his masters, and in indifferent things to comply with the inclinations of others, and humbly to serve every one, gave him the most complete victory over himself and his passions. Labor he considered as enjoined him by God in punishment of sin, and for a remedy against it. And he performed his work in a spirit of compunction and penance. Many object that their labors and fatigues leave them little time for the exercises of religion. But Isidore, by directing his attention according to the most holy motives of faith, made his work a most perfect act of religion. He considered it as a duty to God. Therefore he applied himself to it with great diligence and care, in imitation of the angels in heaven, who in all things fulfil the will of God with the greatest readiness and alacrity of devotion. The more humbling and the more painful the labor was, the dearer it was to the saint, being a means the more suitable to tame his flesh, and a more noble part of his penance. With the same spirit that the saints subdued their bodies by toils in their deserts, Isidore embraced his task. He moreover sanctioned it by continual prayer. While his hand held the plough, he in his heart conversed with God, with his angel guardian, and the other blessed spirits; sometimes deploring the sins of the world, and his own spiritual miseries, at other times in the melting words of the royal prophet, raising his desires to the glory of the heavenly Jerusalem. It was chiefly by this perfect spirit of prayer, joined with, or rather engrafted upon a most profound humility and spirit of mortification, that St. Isidore arrived at so eminent a degree of sanctity as rendered him the admiration of all Spain. In his youth he was retained servant by a gentleman named John de Vargas of Madrid, to till his land and do his husbandry work. The saint afterwards took a most virtuous woman to wife, named Mary Toribia. Those who call her de la Cabeza were deceived by a chapel to which that name is given, because her head is kept in it. After the birth of one child, which died young, the parents, by mutual consent, served God in perfect continency.

St. Isidore continued always in the service of the same master. On account of his fidelity, he could say to him as Jacob did to Laban,1 that, to guard and improve his stock, he had often watched the nights, and had suffered the scorching heats of summer, and the cold of winter; and that the stock, which he found small, had been exceedingly increased in his hands. Don John de Vargas, after long experience of the treasure he possessed in this faithful ploughman, treated him as a brother, according to the advice of Ecclesiasticus,2 Let a wise servant be dear to thee as thy own soul. He allowed him the liberty of assisting daily at the public office of the church. On the other side, Isidore was careful by rising very early, to make his devotions no impediment to his business, nor any encroachment upon what he owed to his master. This being a duty of justice, it would have been a false devotion to have pretended to please God by a neglect of such an obligation; much less did the good servant indulge his compassionate charity to the poor, by relieving them otherwise than out of his own salary. The saint was sensible that in his fidelity, diligence, and assiduous labor consisted, in great part, the sanctification of his soul; and that his duty to his master was his duty to God. He also inspired his wife with the same confidence in God, the same love of the poor, and the same disengagement from the things of this world: he made her the faithful imitatrix of his virtues, and a partner in his good works. She died in 1175, and is honored in Spain among the saints. Her immemorial veneration was approved by pope Innocent XII. in 1697. See Benedict XIV., de Canoniz. 1. 2, c. 24, p. 246.
St. Isidore being seized with the sickness of which he died, foretold his last hour, and prepared himself for it with redoubled fervor, and with the most tender devotion, patience, and cheerfulness. The piety with which he received the last sacraments drew tears from all that were present. Repeating inflamed acts of divine love, he expired on the 15th of May, 1170, being near sixty years of age. His death was glorified by miracles. After forty years, his body was removed out of the churchyard into the church of St. Andrew. It has been since placed in the bishop's chapel, and during these five hundred years remains entire and fresh, being honored by a succession of frequent miracles down to this time. The following, among others, is very well attested. Philip III., in his return from Lisbon, was taken so ill at Casarubios del Monte, that his life was despaired of by his physicians. Whereupon the shrine of St. Isidore was ordered to be carried in a solemn procession of the clergy, court, and people, from Madrid to the chamber of the sick king. The joint prayers of many prevailed. At the same time the shrine was taken out of the church, the fever left the king; and upon its being brought into his chamber, he was perfectly cured. The year following the body of the saint was put into a new rich shrine, which cost one thousand six hundred ducats of gold. St. Isidore had been beatified a little before by Paul V., in 1619, at the solicitation of the same king. His solemn canonization was performed, at the request of king Philip IV., on the 12th of March, 1622; though the bull was only made public by Benedict XIII. See the life of St. Isidore, written by John of Madrid, one hundred and forty years after his death; and Card. Lambertini, de Canoniz. SS. t. 3.


SOURCE: Lives of the Saints by Alban Butler

#PopeFrancis "....the gift of the Son and the Holy Spirit, frees us" FULL TEXT Homily - Pentecost Mass Video


Here is the full text of Pope Francis' homily for Pentecost Sunday 2016: 

Pope Francis

Homily during Mass for Pentecost Sunday

“I will not leave you orphans” (Jn 14:18).
The central purpose of Jesus' mission, which culminated in the gift of the Holy Spirit, was to renew our relationship with the Father, a relationship severed by sin, to take us from our state of being orphaned children and to restore us as his sons and daughters.
The Apostle Paul, writing to the Christians in Rome, says: “For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the spirit of sonship, which enables us to cry out, ‘Abba, Father’” (Rom 8:14-15). Here we see our relationship renewed: the paternity of God is re-established in us thanks to the redemptive work of Christ and the gift of the Holy Spirit.
The Spirit is given to us by the Father and leads us back to the Father. The entire work of salvation is one of “re-generation”, in which the fatherhood of God, through the gift of the Son and the Holy Spirit, frees us from the condition of being orphans into which we had fallen. In our own day also, we see various signs of our being orphans: in the interior loneliness which we feel even when we are surrounded by people, a loneliness which can become an existential sadness; in the attempt to be free of God, even if accompanied by a desire for his presence; in the all-too-common spiritual illiteracy which renders us incapable of prayer; in the difficulty in grasping the truth and reality of eternal life as that fullness of communion which begins on earth and reaches full flower after death; in the effort to see others as “brothers” and “sisters”, since we are children of the same Father; and other such signs.
Being children of God runs contrary to all this and is our primordial vocation. We were made to be God’s children, it is in our DNA. But this filial relationship was ruined and required the sacrifice of God’s only-begotten Son in order to be restored. From the immense gift of love which is Jesus’ death on the cross, the Holy Spirit has been poured out upon humanity like a vast torrent of grace. Those who by faith are immersed into this mystery of regeneration are reborn to the fullness of filial life.
“I will not leave you orphans”. Today, on the feast of Pentecost, Jesus’ words remind us also of the maternal presence of Mary in the Upper Room. The Mother of Jesus is with the community of disciples gathered in prayer: she is the living remembrance of the Son and the living invocation of the Holy Spirit. She is the Mother of the Church. We entrust to her intercession, in a particular way, all Christians, families and communities that at this moment are most in need of the Spirit, the Paraclete, the Defender and Comforter, the Spirit of truth, freedom and peace.
The Spirit, as Saint Paul says, unites us to Christ: “Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him” (Rom 8:9). Strengthening our relationship of belonging to the Lord Jesus, the Spirit enables us to enter into a new experience of fraternity. By means of our universal Brother – Jesus – we can relate to one another in a new way; no longer as orphans, but rather as children of the same good and merciful Father. And this changes everything! We can see each other as brothers and sisters whose differences can only increase our joy and wonder at sharing in this unique fatherhood and brotherhood.

Novena to the Holy Spirit for Pentecost to SHARE - #HolySpirit Prayers


ACT OF CONSECRATION TO THE HOLY GHOST

On my knees before the great multitude of heavenly witnesses I offer myself, soul and body to You, Eternal Spirit of God. / I adore the brightness of Your purity the unerring keenness of Your justice and the might of Your love. You are the Strength / and Light of my soul. In You I live and move and am. I desire never to grieve You by unfaithfulness to grace and I pray with all my heart! To be kept from the smallest sin against You. Mercifully guard my every thought and grant that I may always watch for Your light: and listen to Your voice and follow Your gracious inspirations. I cling to You and give myself to You and ask You / by Your compassion to watch over me in my weakness. Holding the pierced Feet of Jesus and looking at His Five Wounds / and trusting in His Precious Blood and adoring His opened Side and stricken Heart / I implore You / Adorable Spirit I Helper of my infirmity, so to keep me in Your grace that I may never sin against You. Give me grace O Holy Ghost, Spirit of the Father and the Son to say to You always and everywhere / "Speak Lord for Your servant heareth." Amen.


PRAYER FOR THE SEVEN GIFTS OF THE HOLY GHOST

O Lord Jesus Christ Who, before ascending into heaven did promise to send the Holy Ghost to finish Your work in the souls of Your Apostles and Disciples deign to grant the same Holy Spirit to me that He may perfect in my soul / the work of Your grace and Your love. Grant me the Spirit of Wisdom that I may despise the perishable things of this world and aspire only after the things that are eternal the Spirit of Understanding to enlighten my mind with the light of Your divine truth / the Spirit on Counsel that I may ever choose the surest way of pleasing God and gaining heaven, the Spirit of Fortitude, that I may bear my cross with You I and that I may overcome with courage all the obstacles that oppose my salvation the Spirit of Knowledge that I may know God find know myself and grow perfect in the science of the Saints the Spirit of Piety that I may find the service of God sweet and amiable / the Spirit of Fear that I may be filled with a loving reverence towards God and may dread in any way to displease Him. Mark me, dear Lord with the sign of Your true disciples / and animate me in all things with Your Spirit. Amen.

9th DAY OF THE NOVENA

Thou, on those who evermore Thee confess and Thee Adore, in Thy sevenfold gift, Descend; Give Them Comfort when they die; Give them Life with Thee on high; Give them joys which never end. Amen 
The Fruits of the Holy Spirit 
The gifts of the Holy Spirit perfect the supernatural virtues by enabling us to practice them with greater docility to divine inspiration. As we grow in the knowledge and love of God under the direction of the Holy Spirit, our service becomes more sincere and generous, the practice of virtue more perfect. Such acts of virtue leave the heart filled with joy and consolation and are known as Fruits of the Holy Spirit. These Fruits in turn render the practice of virtue more attractive and become a powerful incentive for still greater efforts in the service of God, to serve Whom is to reign.
Prayer
Come, O Divine Spirit, fill my heart with Thy heavenly fruits, Thy charity, joy, peace, patience, benignity, goodness, faith, mildness, and temperance, that I may never weary in the service of God, but by continued faithful submission to Thy inspiration may merit to be united eternally with Thee in the love of the Father and the Son. Amen. 

(Our Father and Hail Mary ONCE. Glory be to the Father 7 TIMES. Act of Consecration, Prayer for the Seven Gifts) 

Novena Day 1 http://jceworld.blogspot.ca/2013/05/novena-to-holy-spirit-day-1-pentecost.html
Day 2 http://jceworld.blogspot.ca/2013/05/holy-spirit-novena-day-2-for-pentecost.html
Day 3 http://jceworld.blogspot.ca/2013/05/holy-spirit-novena-day-3-for-pentecost.html
Day 4 http://jceworld.blogspot.ca/2013/05/novena-to-holy-spirit-day-4-for.html
Day 5 http://jceworld.blogspot.ca/2013/05/novena-to-holy-spirit-day-5-for.html
Day 6 http://jceworld.blogspot.ca/2013/05/novena-to-holy-spirit-day-6-for.html
Day 7 http://jceworld.blogspot.ca/2013/05/novena-to-holy-spirit-day-7-for.html
Day 8 http://jceworld.blogspot.ca/2013/05/novena-to-holy-spirit-day-8-for.html

#Pentecost Sunday Mass Online : Sun. May 15, 2016 - Readings and Video


Pentecost Sunday
Mass during the Day
Lectionary: 63


Reading 1ACTS 2:1-11

When the time for Pentecost was fulfilled,
they were all in one place together.
And suddenly there came from the sky
a noise like a strong driving wind,
and it filled the entire house in which they were.
Then there appeared to them tongues as of fire,
which parted and came to rest on each one of them.
And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit
and began to speak in different tongues,
as the Spirit enabled them to proclaim.

Now there were devout Jews from every nation under heaven
staying in Jerusalem.
At this sound, they gathered in a large crowd,
but they were confused
because each one heard them speaking in his own language.
They were astounded, and in amazement they asked,
“Are not all these people who are speaking Galileans?
Then how does each of us hear them in his native language?
We are Parthians, Medes, and Elamites,
inhabitants of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia,
Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia,
Egypt and the districts of Libya near Cyrene,
as well as travelers from Rome,
both Jews and converts to Judaism, Cretans and Arabs,
yet we hear them speaking in our own tongues
of the mighty acts of God.”

Responsorial PsalmPS 104:1, 24, 29-30, 31, 34

R. (cf. 30) Lord, send out your Spirit, and renew the face of the earth.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Bless the LORD, O my soul!
O LORD, my God, you are great indeed!
How manifold are your works, O LORD!
the earth is full of your creatures;
R. Lord, send out your Spirit, and renew the face of the earth.
or:
R. Alleluia.
May the glory of the LORD endure forever;
may the LORD be glad in his works!
Pleasing to him be my theme;
I will be glad in the LORD.
R. Lord, send out your Spirit, and renew the face of the earth.
or:
R. Alleluia.
If you take away their breath, they perish
and return to their dust.
When you send forth your spirit, they are created,
and you renew the face of the earth.
R. Lord, send out your Spirit, and renew the face of the earth.
or:
R. Alleluia.

Reading 21 COR 12:3B-7, 12-13

Brothers and sisters:
No one can say, “Jesus is Lord,” except by the Holy Spirit.

There are different kinds of spiritual gifts but the same Spirit;
there are different forms of service but the same Lord;
there are different workings but the same God
who produces all of them in everyone.
To each individual the manifestation of the Spirit
is given for some benefit.

As a body is one though it has many parts,
and all the parts of the body, though many, are one body,
so also Christ.
For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body,
whether Jews or Greeks, slaves or free persons,
and we were all given to drink of one Spirit.

OrROM 8:8-17

Brothers and sisters:
Those who are in the flesh cannot please God.
But you are not in the flesh;
on the contrary, you are in the spirit,
if only the Spirit of God dwells in you.
Whoever does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him.
But if Christ is in you,
although the body is dead because of sin,
the spirit is alive because of righteousness.
If the Spirit of the one who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you,
the one who raised Christ from the dead
will give life to your mortal bodies also,
through his Spirit that dwells in you.
Consequently, brothers and sisters,
we are not debtors to the flesh,
to live according to the flesh.
For if you live according to the flesh, you will die,
but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body,
you will live.

For those who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God.
For you did not receive a spirit of slavery to fall back into fear,
but you received a Spirit of adoption,
through whom we cry, “Abba, Father!”
The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit
that we are children of God,
and if children, then heirs,
heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ,
if only we suffer with him
so that we may also be glorified with him.

Sequence - Veni, Sancte Spiritus

Come, Holy Spirit, come!
And from your celestial home
Shed a ray of light divine!
Come, Father of the poor!
Come, source of all our store!
Come, within our bosoms shine.
You, of comforters the best;
You, the soul’s most welcome guest;
Sweet refreshment here below;
In our labor, rest most sweet;
Grateful coolness in the heat;
Solace in the midst of woe.
O most blessed Light divine,
Shine within these hearts of yours,
And our inmost being fill!
Where you are not, we have naught,
Nothing good in deed or thought,
Nothing free from taint of ill.
Heal our wounds, our strength renew;
On our dryness pour your dew;
Wash the stains of guilt away:
Bend the stubborn heart and will;
Melt the frozen, warm the chill;
Guide the steps that go astray.
On the faithful, who adore
And confess you, evermore
In your sevenfold gift descend;
Give them virtue’s sure reward;
Give them your salvation, Lord;
Give them joys that never end. Amen.
Alleluia.

Alleluia

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Come, Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful
and kindle in them the fire of your love.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

GospelJN 20:19-23

On the evening of that first day of the week,
when the doors were locked, where the disciples were,
for fear of the Jews,
Jesus came and stood in their midst
and said to them, “Peace be with you.”
When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side.
The disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord.
Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you.
As the Father has sent me, so I send you.”
And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them,
“Receive the Holy Spirit.
Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them,
and whose sins you retain are retained.”

OrJN 14:15-16, 23B-26

Jesus said to his disciples:
“If you love me, you will keep my commandments.
And I will ask the Father,
and he will give you another Advocate to be with you always.

“Whoever loves me will keep my word,
and my Father will love him,
and we will come to him and make our dwelling with him.
Those who do not love me do not keep my words;
yet the word you hear is not mine
but that of the Father who sent me.

“I have told you this while I am with you.
The Advocate, the Holy Spirit whom the Father will send in my name,
will teach you everything
and remind you of all that I told you.”

#PopeFrancis “the love which unites the Father and the Son, and proceeds from them,” #Pentecost Regina Coeli - FULL Video - Text

Pope Francis at the Regina Coeli. - ANSA
Pope Francis at the Regina Coeli. - ANSA
15/05/2016 12:45

(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis focused on the Feast of Pentecost during his remarks before the Regina Coeli prayer on Sunday.
The day’s liturgy, he said, “invites us to open our minds and our hearts to the gift of the Holy Spirit . . . the first and principle gift that He has obtained with His Resurrection and Ascension into Heaven.”
In the Gospel, Jesus says to His disciples, “If you love me, keep my commandments. And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Paraclete to be with you always.” These words, the Pope said, “remind us above all that love for a person, and also for the Lord, is shown not with words but with facts.” The command to keep and observe the commandments must likewise be understood in such a way that they affect our whole life. In fact, the Pope said, “being Christians does not primarily mean pertaining to a certain culture or adhering to a certain doctrine, but rather, joining one’s very life, in every aspect, to the person of Jesus, and, through Him, to the Father.” It is precisely for this reason that Jesus promises to send the Holy Spirit: it is through the gift of the Spirit, “the love which unites the Father and the Son, and proceeds from them,” that we are able to live the very life of Jesus.
But “the Holy Spirit also exercises a function of teaching and memory.” Pope Francis explained that the Holy Spirit does not bring a teaching different from that of Jesus, but helps make Jesus’ teaching present and active in our lives.
The Holy Father concluded his remarks with the prayer that the Blessed Virgin Mary “might obtain for us the grace of being strongly animated by the Holy Spirit, that we might bear witness to Christ with evangelical frankness, and open ourselves more and more to the fullness of His love.”

Free Catholic #Recipe for #Pentecost - Holy Spirit Cake - SHARE

DIRECTIONS Scald and allow to cool two-thirds of a cup of milk. Sift sugar, flour and baking powder together three times. Add scalded milk gradually, beating constantly. Add to egg whites cream of tartar, salt, and vanilla, and beat 1 -1/2 to 2 minutes, or until the egg whites refuse to slip when the bowl is tipped. 

    INGREDIENTS

  • 2/3 cups milk scalded
  • 1 cups sugar
  • 1-1/3 cups flour sifted
  • 3 teaspoons baking powder
  • 2 egg whites
  • 1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla Frosting
  • 15 large strawberries
  • 1-1/2 cups confectioner's sugar
  • 2 Tablespoons soft butter or margarine
  • Sugar to taste
 Fold into floured mixture. Bake in an ungreased seven-inch tube pan in a moderate oven (350° F.) for forty-five minutes or until the cake is golden brown and firm to the touch. Invert the cake on a rack until cool. Meanwhile, hull and clean 15 large strawberries. Crush 8 with a fork, and sweeten to suit. Make a frosting of 1-1/2 cups of confectionery sugar, 2 tablespoons of soft butter or margarine, and 1-1/2 tablespoons approximately of crushed strawberries in juice. 
Put the butter and sugar into a bowl, add crushed berries and juice, beating well with a fork. Add only enough to make a mixture of consistency to spread easily. Frost the cake and top with seven whole strawberries as a reminder of the gifts of the Holy Spirit. Recipe Source: Family Customs: Easter to Pentecost by Helen McLoughlin, The Liturgical Press, Collegeville, Minnesota, 1956
Image source 4RealForums

#Novena to the Holy Spirit for Pentecost to SHARE


ACT OF CONSECRATION TO THE HOLY GHOST
On my knees before the great multitude of heavenly witnesses I offer myself, soul and body to You, Eternal Spirit of God. / I adore the brightness of Your purity the unerring keenness of Your justice and the might of Your love. You are the Strength / and Light of my soul. In You I live and move and am. I desire never to grieve You by unfaithfulness to grace and I pray with all my heart! To be kept from the smallest sin against You. Mercifully guard my every thought and grant that I may always watch for Your light: and listen to Your voice and follow Your gracious inspirations. I cling to You and give myself to You and ask You / by Your compassion to watch over me in my weakness. Holding the pierced Feet of Jesus and looking at His Five Wounds / and trusting in His Precious Blood and adoring His opened Side and stricken Heart / I implore You / Adorable Spirit I Helper of my infirmity, so to keep me in Your grace that I may never sin against You. Give me grace O Holy Ghost, Spirit of the Father and the Son to say to You always and everywhere / “Speak Lord for Your servant heareth.” Amen.
PRAYER FOR THE SEVEN GIFTS OF THE HOLY GHOST
O Lord Jesus Christ Who, before ascending into heaven did promise to send the Holy Ghost to finish Your work in the souls of Your Apostles and Disciples deign to grant the same Holy Spirit to me that He may perfect in my soul / the work of Your grace and Your love. Grant me the Spirit of Wisdom that I may despise the perishable things of this world and aspire only after the things that are eternal the Spirit of Understanding to enlighten my mind with the light of Your divine truth / the Spirit on Counsel that I may ever choose the surest way of pleasing God and gaining heaven, the Spirit of Fortitude, that I may bear my cross with You I and that I may overcome with courage all the obstacles that oppose my salvation the Spirit of Knowledge that I may know God find know myself and grow perfect in the science of the Saints the Spirit of Piety that I may find the service of God sweet and amiable / the Spirit of Fear that I may be filled with a loving reverence towards God and may dread in any way to displease Him. Mark me, dear Lord with the sign of Your true disciples / and animate me in all things with Your Spirit. Amen.

DAY 8 OF NOVENA 
Bend the stubborn heart and will, melt the frozen warm the chill. Guide the steps that go astray!
The Gift of Wisdom
Embodying all the other gifts, as charity embraces all the other virtues, Wisdom is the most perfect of the gifts. Of wisdom it is written "all good things came to me with her, and innumerable riches through her hands." It is the gift of Wisdom that strengthens our faith, fortifies hope, perfects charity, and promotes the practice of virtue in the highest degree. Wisdom enlightens the mind to discern and relish things divine, in the appreciation of which earthly joys lose their savor, whilst the Cross of Christ yields a divine sweetness according to the words of the Saviour: "Take up thy cross and follow me, for my yoke is sweet and my burden light.
Prayer
Come, O Spirit of Wisdom, and reveal to my soul the mysteries of heavenly things, their exceeding greatness, power and beauty. Teach me to love them above and beyond all the passing joys and satisfactions of earth. Help me to attain them and possess them for ever. Amen.
(Our Father and Hail Mary ONCE. Glory be to the Father 7 TIMES. Act of Consecration, Prayer for the Seven Gifts)


Novena Day 1 http://jceworld.blogspot.ca/2013/05/novena-to-holy-spirit-day-1-pentecost.html
Day 2 http://jceworld.blogspot.ca/2013/05/holy-spirit-novena-day-2-for-pentecost.html
Day 3 http://jceworld.blogspot.ca/2013/05/holy-spirit-novena-day-3-for-pentecost.html
Day 4 http://jceworld.blogspot.ca/2013/05/novena-to-holy-spirit-day-4-for.html
Day 5 http://jceworld.blogspot.ca/2013/05/novena-to-holy-spirit-day-5-for.html
Day 6 http://jceworld.blogspot.ca/2013/05/novena-to-holy-spirit-day-6-for.html
Day 7 http://jceworld.blogspot.ca/2013/05/novena-to-holy-spirit-day-7-for.html
Day 8 http://jceworld.blogspot.ca/2013/05/novena-to-holy-spirit-day-8-for.html
Day 9 http://jceworld.blogspot.ca/2013/05/novena-day-9-to-holy-spirit-for.html

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