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Monday, February 1, 2016

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, 2016

#PopeFrancis "The destiny of that holiness which God gives to his children..." #Homily on Humility - Text - Video

At Mass at Santa Marta, Pope Francis said humility is the path to holiness  - OSS_ROM
At Mass at Santa Marta, Pope Francis said humility is the path to holiness - OSS_ROM
01/02/2016 12:13



(Vatican Radio)  Humility is the way of holiness. That’s what Pope Francis said in his Homily at Monday morning’s Mass at the Casa Santa Marta. The Pope focused on the story of King David who, aware of his own sin, accepts humiliation in a spirit of trust in the Lord. While God forgives sin, the Pope observed, “the wounds of corruption are difficult to heal."
Listen to this report by Tracey McClure:
 
King David "is one step away from corruption," says the Pope - but the prophet Nathan, sent by God, makes him understand the evil he has done. David, adds Francis, is a "sinner, but holy."
The wounds of corruption are difficult to heal
Though he is a sinner, David is not corrupt - the Pope notes - because "the corrupt do not realize that they are:"
"It takes a special grace to change the heart of a corrupt person. And David who had a noble heart, said: 'Oh, it's true: I have sinned!'  He acknowledges his guilt. And what does Nathan say? 'The Lord forgives your sin, but the corruption that you have sown will grow. You killed an innocent man to hide adultery. The sword shall never depart from your house.'  God forgives the sin; David converts but the wounds of corruption are difficult to heal. We see this in many parts of the world."
David finds his son Absalom has become corrupt, waging war on him. But the king gathers his men and decides to leave the city, allowing the Ark to return. He does not call on God to defend him. He leaves "to save his people." And this, Pope Francis reveals, “is the way of holiness that David, after that moment of corruption, begins to follow."
King David entrusts himself to God and so passes from sin to holiness
David, with covered head and weeping, leaves the city amid the jeers of some.  Among these, Shimei calls him "murderous" and curses him. David accepts this because, the Pope says, if he is cursed, it is the Lord’s doing:
"Then David said to his servants: 'My own son, who came forth from my loins, is seeking my life:’ Absalom.  And then, ‘let this Benjaminite go on cursing since it was the Lord who ordered him to.’ David knows how to see the signs: it is his moment of humiliation, it is the moment in which he is paying for his guilt. 'Perhaps the Lord will look upon my affliction, and make it up to me with benefits for the curses he is uttering this day.’ And he puts himself in the hands of the Lord. This is the path of David, from the moment of corruption to this entrusting of himself into the hands of the Lord. And this is holiness. This is humility.”  
“I think all of us, if somebody says something bad to us, would immediately say that it’s not true." Or we do as Shimei does: "We offer an even uglier response."
May Christians have the grace of humility
"Humility,”  the Pope stresses, “can only get into the heart via humiliation. There is no humility without humiliation, and if you are not able to put up with some humiliations in your life, you are not humble." It’s simply "mathematical," the Pope stresses:
"The only way to humility is through humiliation. David’s destiny, which is holiness, comes through humiliation. The destiny of that holiness which God gives to his children, gives to the Church, comes through the humiliation of his Son, who allows himself to be insulted, who allows himself to be placed on the cross - unjustly ... And this Son of God who humbles himself, this is the way of holiness. And David, through his behavior,  prophesizes  this humiliation of Jesus. Let us ask the Lord for the grace of humility for each of us, for the whole Church - but also for the grace to understand that humility cannot be achieved without humiliation. "

Relationship between Mission and Mercy - #Reflection on the #Jubilee


In his Jubilee Audience given on January 30th, Pope Francis speaks of “the close relationship between mercy and mission”. This connection is not unique to a New Testament world, although as Pope Francis rightly remarks: “we are called to be missionaries of the Gospel”. However, missionaries of mercy are seen throughout the Old Testament (since the dawn of time) and are the precursor to what Christ Jesus will sanctify as our mission as Christians in the New Covenant.


We can first look at how we are formed with the natural law written on our hearts. We maintain that echo of the supernatural gifts from the Garden (although wounded by the Original Sin) which remind us constantly in our conscience of what is right and what is wrong, to seek the good to which we are ultimately called. It sparks in us a compassion for others, if properly regarded; we are keenly aware, even without the Gospel that our life and the lives of others are precious. A beautiful example of this in the Old Testament is when Abraham pleads to God for mercy on the city of Sodom (cf. Gen 18: 16-33). It is his mission in conversation with God to show his own level of compassion for the people of the city, and to be their voice before God. In turn, his plea is heard and honored. Another example of manifold mercy is that of Joseph when he was sold into slavery in Egypt. He is shown compassion when he interprets Pharaoh’s dream and is given a position in Egyptian leadership as a result; he then turns to his brothers who are seeking food because of famine in Israel – those same brothers who schemed, sold him into slavery and lied to his father about his death – tests them and then shows them mercy and forgiveness; in the end, Pharaoh shows mercy to the entire family and establishes for them a place of comfort and prestige in Egypt (cf. Gen 37- 45). The instances of mercy in the Old Testament are too numerous to list, but each begins and ends with the person being moved by a desire to do the will of God even if it wasn't immediately apparent that this motivation was the impetus to the act of mercy.

In the coming of Christ Jesus and His teachings throughout His public ministry, it is clear that we are to deepen this natural inclination to show mercy toward others. Jesus brings that echo from the Garden into full resolution. He teaches us Two Great Commandments upon which the Ten Commandments are ultimately based:
You shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the greatest and the first commandment. The second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. The whole law and the prophets depend on these two commandments (Mt 22:37-40).
The whole law, the prophets depend on these. Everything is established in these two commandments. Mercy is based on these commandments. When Jesus commissions the apostles to forgive sins, to make disciples in every nation, there is at the heart of this a need to show mercy and compassion (cf. Jn 20:23Mt 28:19-20). They would not be well received, they were changing centuries of thought and belief and were contradicting social norms in every culture. This mission of mercy could not happen without the grace that came from the Passion, Death and Resurrection of Jesus.

Pope Francis reminds each of us in his teaching:
For the mercy we receive from the Father is not given solely for our benefit, but for the good of all, by transforming us into instruments, missionaries of mercy. By being such missionaries, we come to experience more deeply the gift of mercy in our own lives.
To be a missionary of mercy, then, is to recognize that first we have the law written on our hearts – that natural inclination to do good and avoid evil – then, we receive the grace to do share the Gospel message with others, showing them mercy and forgiveness, by virtue of Christ Jesus and his commissioning. Pope Francis entreats each of us to embrace that we are “bearers of Christ”. 
By : Kathy DiNovis Vestermark - Professor at CDU - Mother of 6 - US Correspondant for JCE Catholic News World 

Latest #News of #Vatican Information Service and #PopeFrancis at #HolySee - SHARE


01-02-2016 - Year XXII - Num. 20 

Summary
- The Church and the world await your prophecy, closeness and hope, says the Pope to the participants in the Jubilee of Consecrated Life
- Pope Francis' prayer intentions for February
- Pope's video message for the closure of the International Eucharistic Council in the Philippines: the Eucharist teaches us to act with integrity
- Angelus: the only privilege in the eyes of God is not having privileges
- The Pope: be instruments of peace
- First Jubilee audience: mercy and mission
- The Pope reiterates the importance of protecting workers' health
- Presentation of the book "Witnesses of the Resurrected"
- Archbishop Zimowski, Pope's special envoy to the World Day of the Sick
- Audiences
- Other Pontifical Acts
The Church and the world await your prophecy, closeness and hope, says the Pope to the participants in the Jubilee of Consecrated Life
Vatican City, 1 February 2016 (VIS) – The Year of Consecrated Life, convoked by Pope Francis at the end of 2014 and which began with a prayer vigil in November of the same year in the Roman basilica of St. Mary Major, closes tomorrow with a solemn Mass celebrated by the Holy Father in St. Peter's Basilica. Along the way there have been events, seminars, chains of prayer in monasteries around the world, and an encounter between consecrated persons of different Christian confessions which, the Pontiff affirmed, is an initiative that it would be useful to continue.
 This morning in the Paul VI Hall the Pope received in audience the participants in the Jubilee of Consecrated Life, the final event of the Year. He addressed some extemporaneous remarks to those present, setting aside the text previously prepared for the occasion, extensive extracts of which are reproduced below:
"One day Jesus, in His infinite mercy, addressed each one of us and told us personally, 'Come'. If we are here it is because we answered 'yes', at times with an adhesion full of enthusiasm and joy, at other times more difficult, perhaps uncertain", but always "with generosity, letting ourselves be guided along paths that we would not even have imagined", learning from Christ "the relationship with the Father, receiving His Spirit, learning to love the poor and sinners. We have followed Him together, learning service, acceptance, forgiveness and fraternal charity from Him. Our consecrated life has meaning because staying with Him and taking Him with us along the streets of the world, conforms us to Him, makes us Church, a gift for humanity".
"The Year that is coming to an end, but our commitment to staying faithful to the call we have received and to growing in love, giving and creativity, continues. Therefore I would like to leave you with three words. … The first word is prophecy, characteristic of consecrated life. … You are called, first and foremost, to proclaim with your life, before your words, the reality of God: to say God. If at times He is denied or marginalised or ignored, we must ask ourselves if perhaps we have not allowed His face to be transparent, instead showing our own. The face of God is that of a Father, 'merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love'".
The second word is closeness. "God, in Jesus, comes close to every man and every woman: He has shared in the joy of the spouses in Cana of Galilee and the anguish of the widow of Nain; He enters into the house of Jairus, touched by death, and the house of Bethany, perfumed with nard; He took upon Himself illness and suffering, to the point of giving His life in ransom. Following Christ means going where He went; taking upon onself, like the good Samaritan, the wounded we encounter along the road; going in search of the lost sheep. To be, like Jesus, close to the people; sharing their joys and pains, showing with our love the paternal face of God and the maternal caress of the Church. May no-one ever feel distant, detached, closed or barren. Each one of you is called upon to serve your brothers, following your own charism: with prayer, with catechesis, with teaching, with the care of the sick or the poor, announcing the Gospel, or performing the various works of mercy. The important thing is not to live for yourselves, just as Jesus did not live for Himself, but for the Father and for us".
Finally, hope: bearing witness to God and His merciful love, consecrated men and women can inspire hope in our humanity, "marked by so anguish and fear, and at times tempted to be discouraged. You can enable the renewing force of the beatitudes to be felt; of honesty and compassion, the value of goodness, of the simple life, essential and full of meaning. And you can nurture hope in the Church too. I think for example of ecumenical dialogue. The charismatic and prophetic witness of consecrated life in the variety of its forms can help us to acknowledge ourselves as more united and can promote full communion".
"In your daily apostolate, do not let yourselves be conditioned by your age or number. What counts is the capacity to repeat the initial 'yes' to the call from Jesus that continues to be heard, in an ever new way, in every season of life. His call and our response keep our hope alive. Prophecy, closeness, hope. Living in this way, you will have joy in your heart, the distinctive sign of Jesus' followers and, in particular, of consecrated persons".
Pope Francis' prayer intentions for February
Vatican City, 1 February 2016 (VIS) – The Holy Father's universal prayer intention for February is: “That we may take good care of creation – a gift freely given – cultivating and protecting it for future generations”.
His intention for evangelisation is: “That opportunities may increase for dialogue and encounter between the Christian faith and the peoples of Asia”.
Pope's video message for the closure of the International Eucharistic Council in the Philippines: the Eucharist teaches us to act with integrity
Vatican City, 1 February 2016 (VIS) – Yesterday, 31 January, with the Holy Mass presided by Cardinal Charles Maung Bo, S.D.B., archbishop of Yangon, Myanmar, the pontifical legate closed the 51st International Eucharistic Council, which began on 24 January in Cebu, Philippines, on the theme "Christ in you, our hope of glory: the Eucharist, source and goal of the Church's mission".
Following the Eucharistic celebration, a video message from Pope Francis was broadcast, in which he emphasises that the theme of the Congress "reminds us that the risen Jesus always lives and is present in His Church, above all in the Eucharist, the Sacrament of His Body and Blood. Christ’s presence among us is not only a consolation, but also a promise and a summons. It is a promise that everlasting joy and peace will one day be ours in the fullness of his Kingdom. But it is also a summons to go forth, as missionaries, to bring the message of the Father’s tenderness, forgiveness and mercy to every man, woman and child".
The Holy Father invites reflection on two gestures of Jesus at the Last Supper: table fellowship and the washing of feet. With regard to the former, he recalls how important it was for Jesus to share meals with his disciples, but also, and especially, with sinners and the outcast. "Sitting at the table, Jesus was able to listen to others, to hear their stories, to appreciate their hopes and aspirations, and to speak to them of the Father’s love. At each Eucharist, the table of the Lord’s Supper, we should be inspired to follow His example, by reaching out to others, in a spirit of respect and openness, in order to share with them the gift we ourselves have received".
This is especially important in Asia, where the Church is committed to "respectful dialogue with the followers of other religions" and where "this prophetic witness most often takes place, as we know, through the dialogue of life". Through the testimony of "lives transformed by God’s love, we best proclaim the Kingdom’s promise of reconciliation, justice and unity for the human family. Our example can open hearts to the grace of the Holy Spirit, Who leads them to Christ the Saviour".
The other gesture, the washing of feet, is "a sign of humble service, of the unconditional love with which He gave his life on the Cross for the salvation of the world. The Eucharist is a school of humble service. It teaches us readiness to be there for others. This too is at the heart of missionary discipleship". The Pope gives the example of the aftermath of the typhoon that brought immense devastation to the Philippines, yet it also brought in its wake an immense outpouring of solidarity, generosity and goodness. "People set about rebuilding not just homes, but lives. The Eucharist speaks to us of that power, which flows from the Cross and constantly brings new life. It changes hearts. It enables us to be caring, to protect the poor and the vulnerable, and to be sensitive to the cry of our brothers and sisters in need. It teaches us to act with integrity and to reject the injustice and corruption which poison the roots of society".
Pope Francis concluded by announcing that the next International Eucharistic Congress will take place in 2020 in Budapest, Hungary.
Angelus: the only privilege in the eyes of God is not having privileges
Vatican City, 31 January 2016 (VIS) – At midday today the Pope prayed the Angelus with the pilgrims and faithful in St. Peter's Square. Beforehand he commented on the day's Gospel reading, which "like last Sunday leads us to the synagogue of Nazareth, the village of Galilee where Jesus grew up in His family and was known to all. He had left shortly before to begin His public life, but returns for the first time and presents Himself to the community, gathered on the Sabbath in the synagogue. He reads the passage from the prophet Isaiah, who speaks about the future messiah, and at the end declares: 'Today this Scripture passage is fulfilled in your hearing'. His fellow townspeople, at first surprised and admiring, began to sneer and murmur among themselves, and to say, 'why does this man who claims to be the Consecrated of the Lord not repeat here the works and miracles that He did in Capernaum and the other nearby towns?'. Jesus then declares, 'No prophet is accepted in his own native place', and recalls the great prophets of the past, Elijah and Elisha, who worked miracles for the pagans in order to denounce the lack of faith of their people. At this point, those present are offended, they rise in indignation, they drive Jesus out of the town and want to throw Him over a precipice. But He, with the strength of His peace, 'passed through the midst of them and went away'. His hour had not yet come".
 The Pope explained that this account of the Evangelist Luke is not simply the story of a community dispute, as can sometimes happen in our own neighbourhoods too, caused by envy and jealousies, but also brings to light a temptation that a religious person is always vulnerable to — we are all vulnerable to it — and which we must certainly avoid. … It is the temptation to consider religion as a human investment and thus to 'negotiate' with God, seeking our own interests. Instead, true religion is receiving the revelation of a God Who is the Father and Who cares for every one of his creatures, even the smallest and least significant in the eyes of man. This is precisely what Jesus’ prophetic ministry consists of: announcing that no human condition can be a motive for exclusion … from the heart of the Father, and that the only privilege in the eyes of God is that of not having privileges. The only privilege in the eyes of God is that of not having privileges, of not having protectors, of abandoning oneself in His hands".
“The 'today' proclaimed by Christ that day applies to every day; it resonates for us in this Square too, reminding us of the current importance of and need for salvation brought by Jesus to humanity. God goes out towards the men and women of all times and places in the concrete situations in which they find themselves. He also comes out towards us. He is always the one Who takes the first step. He comes to visit us with His mercy, to lift us from the dust of our sin; He comes to extend His hand to lift us from the abyss in which our pride has caused us to fall, and He invites us to welcome the consoling truth of the Gospel and to walk the paths of righteousness. He always comes to find us, to seek us".
Francis concluded by invoking Our Lady, explaining that the situation was a foretaste of what she would suffer below the Cross, seeing her Son in the synagogue, "first admired, then challenged, then insulted, and threatened with death. In her heart, filled with faith, she conserved all these things".
The Pope: be instruments of peace
Vatican City, 31 January 2016 (VIS) – Following today's Marian prayer the Pope greeted all the pilgrims gathered in St. Peter's Square and mentioned that today is World Leprosy Day. "This illness, although in regression, unfortunately still afflicts the poorest and most marginalised people. It is important to keep alive our solidarity with these brothers and sisters who are incapacitated by this disease. We assure them of our prayers and of our support to those who assist them. Well done to these laypeople, these nuns, these priests".
The Holy Father also dedicated some words to a group of young people from Catholic Action of the diocese of Rome, who have come to the end of their Caravan of Peace. He encouraged them to be instruments of peace and mercy among their peers, so that this year their "witness of peace, inspired by faith in Jesus, may be even more joyful and aware, enriched by the gesture of passing through the Holy Door". A group of young people read the Message aloud and released balloons in the square as a symbol of peace.
First Jubilee audience: mercy and mission
Vatican City, 30 January 2016 (VIS) – Pope Francis dedicated the first of his Jubilee audiences to the theme "Mercy and Mission". The Jubilee audiences are an initiative of the Holy Father during the Holy Year, enabling those who are unable to attend the Wednesdaygeneral audiences to participate in his catechesis. On this occasion more than 22,000 people were present in St. Peter's Square.
"Day by day we enter into the life of this Holy Year of Mercy. With His grace, the Lord guides our steps as we cross the Holy Door and comes towards us so as to stay always with us, despite our shortcomings and our contradictions. Let us never tire of asking His forgiveness, as when we are weak His closeness makes us stronger and allows us to live our faith with greater joy".
Referring to the close link between mercy and mission, Francis underlined that as Christians we have the responsibility to be missionaries of the Gospel. "When we receive good news or have a good experience it is natural that we wish to communicate it to others. … The joy we feel inspires us to do so. It should be the same when we encounter the Lord. Indeed, the concrete sign we have truly encountered Jesus is the joy we feel in communicating this to others too. This is not proselytism, but rather it is a gift: I give you what makes me joyful. Reading the Gospel we see that this was also the experience of the first disciples. … Encountering Jesus is the same as encountering His love. This love transforms us and makes us able to transmit to others the strength that it gives us".
"We could say that the day of our Baptism each one of us is given another name alongside the one we receive from our mother and father, and this name is 'Christopher', which means 'Christ-bearer'. The name of our approach, as bearers of Christ's joy and mercy", remarked the Holy Father. "The Christian is a bearer of Christ. … But the mercy we receive from the Father is not given to us as a private consolation, but rather makes us instruments to enable others to receive the same gift. There is a wonderful circularity between mercy and mission".
"Living mercy makes us missionaries of mercy, and being missionaries enables us increasingly to grow in God's mercy. So, let us take seriously the fact of being Christians, and let us commit ourselves to living as believers, because only in this way may the Gospel touch the people's hearts, opening them to receive the grace of love", concluded the Holy Father.
The Pope reiterates the importance of protecting workers' health
Vatican City, 30 January 2016 (VIS) – Following his catechesis the Pope greeted, among others, the Italian faithful including members of the National Association of Maimed and Injured Workers (ANMIL), whose presence offered the Holy Father the opportunity to reiterate the importance of protecting workers' health and safety and defending human life, a gift from God, especially when it is at its weakest and most fragile.
He also addressed the managers and employees of Rome's transport agency, ATAC, encouraging them in their work as today, he said, "the quality of social life depends greatly on the quality of transport". He expressed his hope for increased efforts to reduced pollution and thanked ATAC employees for their service to pilgrims, especially during the Jubilee Year.
Finally, he greeted the young, the sick and newly-weds. "Tomorrow we commemorate St. John Bosco, the apostle of youth. Look to him, dear young people, as an exemplary educator. You, dear sick people, may learn from his spiritual experience always to trust in the crucified Christ. And you, dear newly-weds, ask his intercession so as to take on your conjugal mission with generous commitment".
Presentation of the book "Witnesses of the Resurrected"
Vatican City, 1 February 2016 (VIS) – This morning a press conference was held in the Holy See Press Office to present the book "Witnesses of the Resurrected", the proceedings of the annual formation course for new bishops organised by the Congregation for Bishops, edited by the Vatican Publishing House (LEV). The speakers were Cardinal Marc Ouellet, P.S.S., prefect of the Congregation for Bishops; Archbishop Ilson de Jesus Montanari, secretary of the same Congregation, and Archbishop Francesco Cacucci of Bari-Bitonto, rapporteur of the Course.
"This experience began from afar", said Cardinal Ouellet. "Indeed, the Synods held during the last decades have shown that there is a need for the formation of all those who form part of the Church: laypeople, priests, men and women religious, and also bishops. … In the light of these declarations, the Congregation for Bishops, after careful discernment, began its experience of the course for new bishops. The first event, coordinated by the then-prefect, Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, was carried out in late June and early July 2001. The next will therefore be the sixteenth edition. Bishops from all over the world will travel to Rome for this initiative, under the patronage of the Congregation for Bishops, in collaboration with the Congregation for the Oriental Churches and, occasionally, the Congregation for the Evangelisation of Peoples".
"This means that more than 1500 bishops have started their pastoral mission via this experience of eight or nine days of cohabitation, fraternal exchange, conferences, debates and, above all, encounters with the Holy Father and representatives of the Curia Romana and the episcopate worldwide. The content shared in this course is published in this book and made available to the public, to allow observations and suggestions to be made that may be useful for improving the experience".
Archbishop Francesco Cacucci explained that "in a moment of hyperactivity and fragmentation, the bishop is called upon today more than ever to be a man of synthesis and to help priests, "brothers and friends", to share the essential. … The Congress of Italian Churches, held in Florence last November, was encouraged by the Holy Father to live an effective synodality. Walking together (synod) with priests, consecrated persons and laypeople may be tiresome but it is an expression of love, of the communion in the Church. It may be said, after St. Augustine, that when one loves, even hardship is beloved. Therefore, to be a 'witness of the Resurrecetd', the bishop is called upon to be a man of prayer, especially of prayer for intercession".
Archbishop Ilson de Jesus Montanari added that during these sixteen years the number of bishops participating has always been more than a hundred, and explained that after the first meetings, the Congregation for Oriental Churches joined in the experience, sending more bishops. "This presence has enabled us to obtain a better knowledge of the situation of these churches, which often face problems or are in minority situations, so as to strengthen fraternal relations with them", he concluded.
Archbishop Zimowski, Pope's special envoy to the World Day of the Sick
Vatican City, 30 January 2016 (VIS) – In a letter published today, written in Latin and dated 12 January, the Holy Father appoints Archbishop Zygmunt Zimowski, president of the Pontifical Council for Health Care Workers (for Health Pastoral Care) as his special envoy at the celebration of the World Day of the Sick, to be held in Nazareth on 11 February 2016.
Audiences
Vatican City, 1 February 2016 (VIS) – The Holy Father received in audience:
- Bishop Marcelo Daniel Colombo of La Rioja, Argentina;
- Bishop Hugo Nicolas Barbaro of San Roque de Presidencia Roque Saenz Pena, Argentina;
- Mother Zulema Nelly Zayas, superior general of the "Hijas del Divino Salvador" congregation.
On Saturday 30 January the Holy Father received in audience Cardinal Marc Ouellet, P.S.S., prefect of the Congregation for Bishops.
Other Pontifical Acts
Vatican City, 30 January 2016 (VIS) – The Holy Father has appointed:
- Fr. Virgilio Do Carmo Da Silva, S.D.B., as bishop of Dili (area 4,750, population 595,000, Catholics 562,000, priests 133, permanent deacons 1, religious 502), East Timor. The bishop-elect was born in Venilale, East Timor in 1967, gave his religious vows in 1997 and was ordained a priest in 1998. He has served in a number of pastoral roles including formator of novices, bursar of the House of Formation in Venilale and parish vicar, master of novices, and director of the House of Salesians and the Don Bosco Technical School in Fatumaca. He is currently provincial of the Salesians.
- Fr. Carlos Alberto Salcedo Ojeda, O.M.I., as auxiliary of Huancayo (area 4,750, population 595,000, Catholics 562,000, priests 133, permanent deacons 1, religious 425), Peru. The bishop-elect was born in Comas, Peru in 1960, gave his religious vows in 1993 and was ordained a priest in 1996. He has served in a number of pastoral roles, including parish vicar, parish priest, counsellor of the delegation of Oblate Missionaries of Mary Immaculate in Peru, director of the pre-novitiate "St. Eugene Mazenod" in Lima, secretary of the O.M.I. team for the formation of the Latin America region and assistant to the master of novices of the international novitiate in Asuncion, Paraguay. He is currently episcopal vicar in the archdiocese of Huancayo, parish priest, and coordinator of the Commission for Justice, Peace and Integrity of the Oblate Delegation in Peru.

Today's Mass Readings and Video : Mon. February 1, 2016


Monday of the Fourth Week in Ordinary Time
Lectionary: 323


Reading 12 SM 15:13-14, 30; 16:5-13

An informant came to David with the report,
“The children of Israel have transferred their loyalty to Absalom.”
At this, David said to all his servants
who were with him in Jerusalem:
“Up! Let us take flight, or none of us will escape from Absalom.
Leave quickly, lest he hurry and overtake us,
then visit disaster upon us and put the city to the sword.”

As David went up the Mount of Olives, he wept without ceasing.
His head was covered, and he was walking barefoot.
All those who were with him also had their heads covered
and were weeping as they went.

As David was approaching Bahurim,
a man named Shimei, the son of Gera
of the same clan as Saul’s family,
was coming out of the place, cursing as he came.
He threw stones at David and at all the king’s officers,
even though all the soldiers, including the royal guard,
were on David’s right and on his left.
Shimei was saying as he cursed:
“Away, away, you murderous and wicked man!
The LORD has requited you for all the bloodshed in the family of Saul,
in whose stead you became king,
and the LORD has given over the kingdom to your son Absalom.
And now you suffer ruin because you are a murderer.”
Abishai, son of Zeruiah, said to the king:
“Why should this dead dog curse my lord the king?
Let me go over, please, and lop off his head.”
But the king replied: “What business is it of mine or of yours,
sons of Zeruiah, that he curses?
Suppose the LORD has told him to curse David;
who then will dare to say, ‘Why are you doing this?’”
Then the king said to Abishai and to all his servants:
“If my own son, who came forth from my loins, is seeking my life,
how much more might this Benjaminite do so?
Let him alone and let him curse, for the LORD has told him to.
Perhaps the LORD will look upon my affliction
and make it up to me with benefits
for the curses he is uttering this day.”
David and his men continued on the road,
while Shimei kept abreast of them on the hillside,
all the while cursing and throwing stones and dirt as he went.

Responsorial PsalmPS 3:2-3, 4-5, 6-7

R. (8a) Lord, rise up and save me.
O LORD, how many are my adversaries!
Many rise up against me!
Many are saying of me,
“There is no salvation for him in God.”
R. Lord, rise up and save me.
But you, O LORD, are my shield;
my glory, you lift up my head!
When I call out to the LORD,
he answers me from his holy mountain.
R. Lord, rise up and save me.
When I lie down in sleep,
I wake again, for the LORD sustains me.
I fear not the myriads of people
arrayed against me on every side.
R. Lord, rise up and save me.

Alleluia LK 7:16

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
A great prophet has arisen in our midst
and God has visited his people.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

GospelMK 5:1-20

Jesus and his disciples came to the other side of the sea,
to the territory of the Gerasenes.
When he got out of the boat,
at once a man from the tombs who had an unclean spirit met him.
The man had been dwelling among the tombs,
and no one could restrain him any longer, even with a chain.
In fact, he had frequently been bound with shackles and chains,
but the chains had been pulled apart by him and the shackles smashed,
and no one was strong enough to subdue him.
Night and day among the tombs and on the hillsides
he was always crying out and bruising himself with stones.
Catching sight of Jesus from a distance,
he ran up and prostrated himself before him,
crying out in a loud voice,
“What have you to do with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God?
I adjure you by God, do not torment me!”
(He had been saying to him, “Unclean spirit, come out of the man!”)
He asked him, “What is your name?”
He replied, “Legion is my name. There are many of us.”
And he pleaded earnestly with him
not to drive them away from that territory.

Now a large herd of swine was feeding there on the hillside.
And they pleaded with him,
“Send us into the swine. Let us enter them.”
And he let them, and the unclean spirits came out and entered the swine.
The herd of about two thousand rushed down a steep bank into the sea,
where they were drowned.
The swineherds ran away and reported the incident in the town
and throughout the countryside.
And people came out to see what had happened.
As they approached Jesus,
they caught sight of the man who had been possessed by Legion,
sitting there clothed and in his right mind.
And they were seized with fear.
Those who witnessed the incident explained to them what had happened
to the possessed man and to the swine.
Then they began to beg him to leave their district.
As he was getting into the boat,
the man who had been possessed pleaded to remain with him.
But Jesus would not permit him but told him instead,
“Go home to your family and announce to them
all that the Lord in his pity has done for you.”
Then the man went off and began to proclaim in the Decapolis
what Jesus had done for him; and all were amazed.

Saint February 1 : St. Bridgid of Ireland : Patron of #Babies; #Children of unwed parents; #Fugitives; #Ireland; Midwives; Poets

Information: Feast Day: February 1 Born: 451 or 452 at Faughart, County Louth, Ireland Died:
1 February 525 at Kildare, Ireland Patron of:
babies; blacksmiths; boatmen; cattle; chicken farmers; children whose parents are not married; dairymaids; dairy workers; fugitives; infants; Ireland; mariners; midwives; milk maids; newborn babies; nuns; poets; poultry farmers; poultry raisers; printing presses; sailors; scholars; travellers; watermen
VIRGIN, PATRONESS OF IRELAND
Born in 451 or 452 of princely ancestors at Faughart, near Dundalk, County Louth; d. 1 February, 525, at Kildare. Refusing many good offers of marriage, she became a nun and received the veil from St. Macaille. With seven other virgins she settled for a time at the foot of Croghan Hill, but removed thence to Druin Criadh, in the plains of Magh Life, where under a large oak tree she erected her subsequently famous Convent of Cill-Dara, that is, "the church of the oak" (now Kildare), in the present county of that name. It is exceedingly difficult to reconcile the statements of St. Brigid's biographers, but the Third, Fourth, and Fifth Lives of the saint are at one in assigning her a slave mother in the court of her father Dubhthach, and Irish chieftain of Leinster. Probably the most ancient life of St. Brigid is that by St. Broccan Cloen, who is said to have died 17 September, 650. It is metrical, as may be seen from the following specimen:
Ni bu Sanct Brigid suanach Ni bu huarach im sheire Dé, Sech ni chiuir ni cossens Ind nóeb dibad bethath che.
(Saint Brigid was not given to sleep,
Nor was she intermittent about God's love; Not merely that she did not buy, she did not seek for The wealth of this world below, the holy one.)
Cogitosus, a monk of Kildare in the eighth century, expounded the metrical life of St. Brigid, and versified it in good Latin. This is what is known as the "Second Life", and is an excellent example of Irish scholarship in the mid-eighth century. Perhaps the most interesting feature of Cogitosus's work is the description of the Cathedral of Kildare in his day: "Solo spatioso et in altum minaci proceritate porruta ac decorata pictis tabulis, tria intrinsecus habens oratoria ampla, et divisa parietibus tabulatis". The rood-screen was formed of wooden boards, lavishly decorated, and with beautifully decorated curtains. Probably the famous Round Tower of Kildare dates from the sixth century. Although St. Brigid was "veiled" or received by St. Macaille, at Croghan, yet, it is tolerably certain that she was professed by St. Mel of Ardagh, who also conferred on her abbatial powers. From Ardagh St. Macaille and St. Brigid followed St. Mel into the country of Teffia in Meath, including portions of Westmeath and Longford. This occurred about the year 468. St. Brigid's small oratory at Cill- Dara became the centre of religion and learning, and developed into a cathedral city. She founded two monastic institutions, one for men, and the other for women, and appointed St. Conleth as spiritual pastor of them. It has been frequently stated that she gave canonical jurisdiction to St. Conleth, Bishop of Kildare, but, as Archbishop Healy points out, she simply "selected the person to whom the Church gave this jurisdiction", and her biographer tells us distinctly that she chose St. Conleth "to govern the church along with herself". Thus, for centuries, Kildare was ruled by a double line of abbot-bishops and of abbesses, the Abbess of Kildare being regarded as superioress general of the convents in Ireland. Not alone was St. Bridget a patroness of students, but she also founded a school of art, including metal work and illumination, over which St. Conleth presided. From the Kildare scriptorium came the wondrous book of the Gospels, which elicited unbounded praise from Giraldus Cambrensis, but which has disappeared since the Reformation. According to this twelfth- century ecclesiastic, nothing that he had ever seen was at all comparable to the "Book of Kildare", every page of which was gorgeously illuminated, and he concludes a most laudatory notice by saying that the interlaced work and the harmony of the colours left the impression that "all this is the work of angelic, and not human skill". Small wonder that Gerald Barry assumed the book to have been written night after night as St. Bridget prayed, "an angel furnishing the designs, the scribe copying". Even allowing for the exaggerated stories told of St. Brigid by her numerous biographers, it is certain that she ranks as one of the most remarkable Irishwomen of the fifth century and as the Patroness of Ireland. She is lovingly called the "Queen of the South: the Mary of the Gael" by a writer in the "Leabhar Breac". St. Brigid died leaving a cathedral city and school that became famous all over Europe. In her honour St. Ultan wrote a hymn commencing: Christus in nostra insula Que vocatur Hivernia Ostensus est hominibus Maximis mirabilibus Que perfecit per felicem Celestis vite virginem Precellentem pro merito Magno in numdi circulo. (In our island of Hibernia Christ was made known to man by the very great miracles which he performed through the happy virgin of celestial life, famous for her merits through the whole world.) The sixth Life of the saint printed by Colgan is attributed to Coelan, an Irish monk of the eighth century, and it derives a peculiar importance from the fact that it is prefaced by a foreword from the pen of St. Donatus, also an Irish monk, who became Bishop of Fiesole in 824. St. Donatus refers to previous lives by St. Ultan and St. Aileran. When dying, St. Brigid was attended by St. Ninnidh, who was ever afterwards known as "Ninnidh of the Clean Hand" because he had his right hand encased with a metal covering to prevent its ever being defiled, after being he medium of administering the viaticum to Ireland's Patroness. She was interred at the right of the high altar of Kildare Cathedral, and a costly tomb was erected over her. In after years her shrine was an object of veneration for pilgrims, especially on her feast day, 1 February, as Cogitosus related. About the year 878, owing to the Scandinavian raids, the relics of St. Brigid were taken to Downpatrick, where they were interred in the tomb of St. Patrick and St. Columba. The relics of the three saints were discovered in 1185, and on 9 June of the following year were solemnly translated to a suitable resting place in Downpatrick Cathedral, in presence of Cardinal Vivian, fifteen bishops, and numerous abbots and ecclesiastics. Various Continental breviaries of the pre-Reformation period commemorate St. Brigid, and her name is included in a litany in the Stowe Missal. In Ireland today, after 1500 years, the memory of "the Mary of the Gael" is as dear as ever to the Irish heart, and, as is well known, Brigid preponderates as a female Christian name. Moreover, hundreds of place-names in her honour are to be found all over the country, e.g. Kilbride, Brideswell, Tubberbride, Templebride, etc. The hand of St. Brigid is preserved at Lumiar near Lisbon, Portugal, since 1587, and another relic is at St. Martin's Cologne. Viewing the biography of St. Brigid from a critical standpoint we must allow a large margin for the vivid Celtic imagination and the glosses of medieval writers, but still the personality of the founder of Kildare stands out clearly, and we can with tolerable accuracy trace the leading events in her life, by a careful study of the old "Lives" as found in Colgan. It seems certain that Faughart, associated with memories of Queen Meave (Medhbh), was the scene of her birth; and Faughart Church was founded by St. Morienna in honour of St. Brigid. The old well of St. Brigid's adjoining the ruined church is of the most venerable antiquity, and still attracts pilgrims; in the immediate vicinity is the ancient mote of Faughart. As to St. Brigid's stay in Connacht, especially in the County Roscommon, there is ample evidence in the "Trias Thaumaturga", as also in the many churches founded by her in the Diocese of Elphim. Her friendship with St. Patrick is attested by the following paragraph from the "Book of Armagh", a precious manuscript of the eighth century, the authenticity of which is beyond question: "inter sanctum Patricium Brigitanque Hibernesium columpnas amicitia caritatis inerat tanta, ut unum cor consiliumque haberent unum. Christus per illum illamque virtutes multas peregit". (Between St. Patrick and St. Brigid, the columns of the Irish, there was so great a friendship of charity that they had but one heart and one mind. Through him and through her Christ performed many miracles.) At Armagh there was a "Templum Brigidis"; namely the little abbey church known as "Regles Brigid", which contained some relics of the saint, destroyed in 1179, by William Fitz Aldelm. It may be added that the original manuscript of Cogitosus's "Life of Brigid", or the "Second Life", dating from the closing years of the eighth century, is now in the Dominican friary at Eichstätt in Bavaria. (Taken from Catholic Encyclopedia)

Sunday, January 31, 2016

#BreakingNews Millions at #Eucharistic Congress in Philippines at Amazing Procession - SHARE

Jesus will Lead Us! God's love lights Cebu and the World...These were the captions for these images that are going Viral in Catholic spheres on the Internet. The 51st Eucharistic Congress was held in the Philippines and ended with an Amazing procession with Millions taking part. Watch it on the Video Below and then, Please SHARE the Love of Jesus!

#PopeFrancis Prayer Intentions for February "That we may take good care of creation..." SHARE

February
UniversalCare for Creation
That we may take good care of creation–a gift freely given–cultivating and protecting it for future generations.
EvangelizationAsia
That opportunities may increase for dialogue and encounter between the Christian faith and the peoples of Asia.

#Novena to the Holy Face of Jesus - #Prayers to SHARE to the #HolyFace - Pre- #Lent

Novena of the Holy Face

This novena prayer may be said at any time, but especially in the nine days leading up to the Feast of the Holy Face on Shrove Tuesday - i.e. starting two Sundays before the start of Lent.

THE HOLY FACE OF JESUS

"I firmly wish that my face reflecting the intimate pains
of my soul, the suffering and love of my heart, be more
honoured! Whoever gazes upon me already consoles me."
(Our Lord Jesus Christ to Sister Pierina)

DAILY PREPARATORY PRAYER

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 abandon-
ment.
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. (Start novena)

NOVENA IN HONOR OF THE MOST
HOLY FACE OF JESUS

"All those who, attracted by my love, and venerating my
countenance, shall receive, by virtue of my humanity, a
brilliant and vivid impression of my divinity. This splendour
shall enlighten the depths of their souls, so that in eternal
glory the celestial court shall marvel at the marked likeness
of their features with my divine countenance." (Our Lord
Jesus Christ to St. Gertrude)

FIRST DAY

(Console Holy Face and recite Daily Preparatory Prayer).(p. 1)
Psalm 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.
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.
(St. Augustine)
Pray one (1) Our Father, three (3) Hail Mary's, one (1)
Glory Be.
O Bleeding Face, O Face Divine, be every adoration Thine.
(Three times)


SECOND DAY

(Console Holy Face and recite Daily Preparatory Prayer), (p. 1)
Psalm 51,5-6a.
My offences 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.
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 he ever inflamed with love of God and neighbour,
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 Saviour. Jesus Christ, to whom with the
Father and Thee be honour and glory forever. Amen.
Pray one (1) Our Father, three (3) Hail Mary's, one (1)
Glory Be.
O Bleeding Face, O Face Divine, be every adoration Thine.
(Three times)


THIRD DAY

(Console Holy Face and recite Daily Preparatory Prayer).(p. 1)
Psalm 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 vigour neces-
sary 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.
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 for an increase of your joy and
honour, we offer Him the most Holy Face and gentle Heart
of Jesus. Pray that we may become formed according to the
heart of God. Amen.
Pray (1) Our Father, three (3) Hail Mary's, one (1) Glory
Be.
O Bleeding Face, O Face Divine, be every adoration Thine.
(Three times)

FOURTH DAY

(Console Holy Face and recite Daily Preparatory Prayer).(p. 1)
Psalm 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 fea-
tures. 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 Thy precious blood and your Holy
Face, O Jesus, grant us our petition.................. Pardon
and mercy.
Prayer in Honour of the Dolours 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 Dolours 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 favour 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.
Pray one (1) Our Father, three (3) Hail Mary's, one (1)
Glory Be.
O Bleeding Face, O Face Divine, be every adoration Thine.
(Three times)

FIFTH DAY

(Console Holy Face and recite Daily Preparatory Prayer).(p. 1)
Psalm 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.
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 Sacra-
ment, 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 favourable judgment from Jesus, our merciful
Saviour. Amen.
Pray one (1) Our Father, three (3) Hail Mary's, one (1)
Glory Be.
O Bleeding Face, O Face Divine, be every adoration Thine.
(Three times)

SIXTH DAY

(Console Holy Face and recite Daily Preparatory Prayer).(p. 1)
Psalm 51,12-13.
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.
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
honour and glory we all owe to God, as well as for the promo-
tion 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. (St. Aloysius)
Pray one (1) Our Father, three (3) Hail Mary's, one (1)
Glory Be.
O Bleeding Face, O Face Divine, be every adoration Thine.
(Three times)

SEVENTH DAY

(Console Holy Face and recite Daily Preparatory Prayer).(p.l)
Psalm 51,14-15.
Give me again the joy of your help,
with a spirit of fervour 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, 0
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.
Prayer in Honour 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, 0
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
favour 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. (St. Grignon de Montfort)
Pray one (1) Our Father, three (3) Hail Mary's, one (1)
Glory Be.
O Bleeding Face, O Face Divine, be every adoration Thine.
(Three times)

EIGHTH DAY

(Console Holy Face and recite Daily Preparatory Prayer).(p. 1)
Psalm 51,16-17.
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 endeavour 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.
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 honoured 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 coun-
sels and may be obedient to all her precepts, in order to be
able here on earth to enjoy a peace that is sure and undis-
turbed, and to attain one day in heaven to everlasting happi-
ness. Amen.
Pray one (1) Our Father, three (3) Hail Mary's, one (1)
Glory Be.
O Bleeding Face, O Face Divine, be every adoration Thine.
(Three times)

NINTH DAY

(Console Holy Face and recite Daily Preparatory Prayer).(p.l)
Psalm 51,18-21.
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 favour 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.
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 con-
template you face to face, in the perfect possession of you
forever in paradise. Amen.
Pray one (1) Our Father, three (3) Hail Mary's, one (1)
Glory Be.
O Bleeding Face, O Face Divine, be every adoration Thine.
(Three times)
Recite Act of Consecration on the following page.

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 protec-
tion 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, 0
Divine Saviour, 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.