HOLY FATHER RECEIVES
PRESIDENT OF UN GENERAL ASSEMBLY
Vatican City, 15 June 2012 (VIS) - The Holy See Press Office released the following communique at midday today: (IMAGE SOURCE: RADIO VATICANA)
"This morning the Holy Father received in audience Nassir Abdulaziz al-Nasser, president of the sixty-sixth session of the General Assembly of the United Nations. The president subsequently went on to meet with Cardinal Secretary of State Tarcisio Bertone S.D.B. who was accompanied by Archbishop Dominique Mamberti, secretary for Relations with States.
"The central theme of the cordial discussions was the role of the United Nations Organisation, and especially of the General Assembly, in conflict resolution. Particular consideration was given to the conflicts currently affecting various regions of the world, especially Africa and the Middle East, and to the serious humanitarian emergencies they provoke.
"Attention then turned to the Catholic Church's contribution to peace and development, and to the importance of cooperation between religions and cultures".
AUDIENCES
Vatican City, 15 June 2012 (VIS) - The Holy Father today received in audience twelve prelates from the Episcopal Conference of Colombia, on their "ad limina" visit:
- Archbishop Ruben Salazar Gomez of Bogota.
- Bishop Hector Luis Gutierrez Pabon of Engativa.
- Bishop Luis Antonio Nova Rocha of Facatativa.
- Bishop Juan Vicente Cordoba Villota S.J. of Fontibon.
- Bishop Hector Julio Lopez Hurtado S.D.B. of Girardot.
- Bishop Daniel Caro Borda of Soacha.
- Bishop Fabio Suescun Mutis, military ordinary.
- Archbishop Ismael Rueda Sierra of Bucaramanga.
- Bishop Camilo Fernando Castrellon Pizano S.D.B. of Barrancabermeja.
- Bishop Victor Manuel Ochoa Cadavid of Malaga-Soata.
- Bishop Carlos German Mesa Ruiz of Socorro y San Gil.
- Bishop Luis Albeiro Cortes Rendon of Velez.
This evening he is scheduled to receive in audience Cardinal William Joseph Levada, prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith.
OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS
Vatican City, 15 June 2012 (VIS) - The Holy Father:
- Appointed Bishop Valery Vienneau of Bathurst in Canada, Canada, as metropolitan archbishop of Moncton (area 12,000, population 223,000, Catholics 116,400, priests 48, permanent deacons 1, religious 265), Canada. He succeeds Archbishop Andre Richard C.S.C., whose resignation from the pastoral care of the same archdiocese the Holy Father accepted, upon having reached the age limit.
- Appointed Bishop Jean-Yves Riocreux of Pontoise, France, as bishop of Basse-Terre et Pointe-a-Pitre (area 1,780, population 460,000, Catholics 384,000, priests 56, permanent deacons 11, religious 183), France (Antilles).
- Appointed Bishop Pascal Roland of Moulins, France, as bishop of Belley-Ars (area 5,554, population 591,365, Catholics 352,600, priests 177, permanent deacons 14, religious 287), France. He succeeds Bishop Guy Bagnard, whose resignation from the pastoral care of the same diocese the Holy Father accepted, upon having reached the age limit.
- Appointed Fr. Harry Entwistle as the first ordinary of the Personal Ordinariate of Our Lady of the Southern Cross. The Ordinariate was today erected on the territory of the Australian Catholic Bishops' Conference by the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, under the terms of the Apostolic Constitution "Anglicanorum coetibus".
Vatican City, 15 June 2012 (VIS) - The Holy See Press Office released the following communique at midday today: (IMAGE SOURCE: RADIO VATICANA)
"This morning the Holy Father received in audience Nassir Abdulaziz al-Nasser, president of the sixty-sixth session of the General Assembly of the United Nations. The president subsequently went on to meet with Cardinal Secretary of State Tarcisio Bertone S.D.B. who was accompanied by Archbishop Dominique Mamberti, secretary for Relations with States.
"The central theme of the cordial discussions was the role of the United Nations Organisation, and especially of the General Assembly, in conflict resolution. Particular consideration was given to the conflicts currently affecting various regions of the world, especially Africa and the Middle East, and to the serious humanitarian emergencies they provoke.
"Attention then turned to the Catholic Church's contribution to peace and development, and to the importance of cooperation between religions and cultures".
AUDIENCES
Vatican City, 15 June 2012 (VIS) - The Holy Father today received in audience twelve prelates from the Episcopal Conference of Colombia, on their "ad limina" visit:
- Archbishop Ruben Salazar Gomez of Bogota.
- Bishop Hector Luis Gutierrez Pabon of Engativa.
- Bishop Luis Antonio Nova Rocha of Facatativa.
- Bishop Juan Vicente Cordoba Villota S.J. of Fontibon.
- Bishop Hector Julio Lopez Hurtado S.D.B. of Girardot.
- Bishop Daniel Caro Borda of Soacha.
- Bishop Fabio Suescun Mutis, military ordinary.
- Archbishop Ismael Rueda Sierra of Bucaramanga.
- Bishop Camilo Fernando Castrellon Pizano S.D.B. of Barrancabermeja.
- Bishop Victor Manuel Ochoa Cadavid of Malaga-Soata.
- Bishop Carlos German Mesa Ruiz of Socorro y San Gil.
- Bishop Luis Albeiro Cortes Rendon of Velez.
This evening he is scheduled to receive in audience Cardinal William Joseph Levada, prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith.
OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS
Vatican City, 15 June 2012 (VIS) - The Holy Father:
- Appointed Bishop Valery Vienneau of Bathurst in Canada, Canada, as metropolitan archbishop of Moncton (area 12,000, population 223,000, Catholics 116,400, priests 48, permanent deacons 1, religious 265), Canada. He succeeds Archbishop Andre Richard C.S.C., whose resignation from the pastoral care of the same archdiocese the Holy Father accepted, upon having reached the age limit.
- Appointed Bishop Jean-Yves Riocreux of Pontoise, France, as bishop of Basse-Terre et Pointe-a-Pitre (area 1,780, population 460,000, Catholics 384,000, priests 56, permanent deacons 11, religious 183), France (Antilles).
- Appointed Bishop Pascal Roland of Moulins, France, as bishop of Belley-Ars (area 5,554, population 591,365, Catholics 352,600, priests 177, permanent deacons 14, religious 287), France. He succeeds Bishop Guy Bagnard, whose resignation from the pastoral care of the same diocese the Holy Father accepted, upon having reached the age limit.
- Appointed Fr. Harry Entwistle as the first ordinary of the Personal Ordinariate of Our Lady of the Southern Cross. The Ordinariate was today erected on the territory of the Australian Catholic Bishops' Conference by the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, under the terms of the Apostolic Constitution "Anglicanorum coetibus".
AMERICA : WATCH US BISHOPS SPRING ASSEMBLY
SCROLL DOWN IN WINDOW AND HIT PLAY
AUSTRALIA : BISHOP PORTEOUS ON MARRIAGE
ARCHDIOCESE OF SYDNEY RELEASE:
Catholic Communications, Sydney Archdiocese,
15 Jun 2012
The public
debate on same-sex marriage has been ramped up with the release this weekend of
a pastoral letter by the Archdiocese of Sydney.
The letter says legislating for same-sex marriage will change the meaning of marriage for everyone and radically reshape the cultural and social structures of our country.
It also says instead of removing discrimination and injustice, it will cause them.
Released by the Archbishop of Sydney, Cardinal George Pell and the auxiliary bishops, Bishops Julian Porteous, Terry Brady and Peter A.Comensoli, the letter is designed to Present a clear understanding of the Catholic Church's stand on marriage.
Called "Marriage: One Man and One Woman in a Covenant of Love and Life, the letter will be available to all parishioners on Sunday.
Bishop Porteous also hopes every parish priest will read the letter at the Sunday Masses.
An accompanying bookmark with a series of frequently asked questions and answers will also be available.
"Many people, with the current debate, are confused about marriage," Bishop Porteous said.
"Marriage is more than having one's love for another legally recognised.
"It has been protected and supported by the law because governments have recognised its contribution to the good of society. The family based on strong, happy marriages plays a unique role in generating children and ;providing the best environment in which children can be nurtured and educated. It helps to ensure the future and wellbeing of society," he said.
With many supporters of same-sex marriage claiming discrimination if same-sex legislation is not passed, the Archdiocese has set out very clearly the church's position and the reasons why with this letter.
The Q&A bookmark also answers many of the current questions in the debate and provides some further resources.
Bishop Porteous is also alerting people to an event on 10 July at Parliament House in Sydney called "Redefining Marriage...the implications" with Special Counsel Barrister, John Fernon.
This will address the implications for our laws, culture and religious liberty and will be part of SCENE 2012: the Sydney Congress on the New Evangelisation.
Meantime a parliamentary committee on same-sex marriage will report on Monday. The House of Representative committee looked at two bills, one from Labor's Stephen Jones and the other a joint effort by Independent Andrew Wilkie and Australian Greens deputy leader Adam Bandt.
SHARED FROM ARCHDIOCESE OF SYDNEY
Catholic Communications, Sydney Archdiocese,
15 Jun 2012
Bishop Julian Porteous
The letter says legislating for same-sex marriage will change the meaning of marriage for everyone and radically reshape the cultural and social structures of our country.
It also says instead of removing discrimination and injustice, it will cause them.
Released by the Archbishop of Sydney, Cardinal George Pell and the auxiliary bishops, Bishops Julian Porteous, Terry Brady and Peter A.Comensoli, the letter is designed to Present a clear understanding of the Catholic Church's stand on marriage.
Called "Marriage: One Man and One Woman in a Covenant of Love and Life, the letter will be available to all parishioners on Sunday.
Bishop Porteous also hopes every parish priest will read the letter at the Sunday Masses.
An accompanying bookmark with a series of frequently asked questions and answers will also be available.
"Many people, with the current debate, are confused about marriage," Bishop Porteous said.
"Marriage is more than having one's love for another legally recognised.
"It has been protected and supported by the law because governments have recognised its contribution to the good of society. The family based on strong, happy marriages plays a unique role in generating children and ;providing the best environment in which children can be nurtured and educated. It helps to ensure the future and wellbeing of society," he said.
With many supporters of same-sex marriage claiming discrimination if same-sex legislation is not passed, the Archdiocese has set out very clearly the church's position and the reasons why with this letter.
The Q&A bookmark also answers many of the current questions in the debate and provides some further resources.
Bishop Porteous is also alerting people to an event on 10 July at Parliament House in Sydney called "Redefining Marriage...the implications" with Special Counsel Barrister, John Fernon.
This will address the implications for our laws, culture and religious liberty and will be part of SCENE 2012: the Sydney Congress on the New Evangelisation.
Meantime a parliamentary committee on same-sex marriage will report on Monday. The House of Representative committee looked at two bills, one from Labor's Stephen Jones and the other a joint effort by Independent Andrew Wilkie and Australian Greens deputy leader Adam Bandt.
SHARED FROM ARCHDIOCESE OF SYDNEY
AFRICA : KENYA : RIP SR. REDENTA NABEI OF CONSOLATA COMMUNITY
CISA REPORT:
NAIROBI, June 15, 2012 (CISA) -A somber mood
engulfed the Consolata Community in Kenya as they buried one of their own,
Sister Redenta Maree Nabei in a requiem mass held at the Flora Hostel Chapel in
Nairobi on Wednesday June 13.
The late Sr Nabei died on Friday June 8, 2012 at the Nairobi Hospital.
The mass was celebrated by His Lordship Bishop Giorgio Bertini of Djibouti where Sr Redenta was doing her missionary work with Caritas.
In his homily, Bishop Bertini described Sr Redenta as a dutiful Christian loved by her family, congregation, and community. “She was beautiful when she was smiling. Her smile was enlightening. Our hearts are broken at her loss,” he said.
Sr Anna Paqui, Superior General of Consolata sisters in Djibouti, described Sr Redenta as an ever peaceful and smiling sister. “She was generous and welcoming to people in the apostolate and the sisters. She always took time to listen to people,” she said.
Her brother Richard Loyale referred to her as an “intimate friend at all times who was frank and sincere.”
In attendance were nuns and priests from the Consolata Community, family, friends, and other faithful including Fr Rodento, the parish priest of her native Baragoi Parish. “Sr Redenta has showed us the way of living a Christian missionary life,” said Fr Rodento.
Sr Redenta was born in Baragoi, Samburu County on March 27, 1971. She made her perpetual vows on March, 2008.
SHARED FROM CISA NEWS AFRICA
The late Sr Nabei died on Friday June 8, 2012 at the Nairobi Hospital.
The mass was celebrated by His Lordship Bishop Giorgio Bertini of Djibouti where Sr Redenta was doing her missionary work with Caritas.
In his homily, Bishop Bertini described Sr Redenta as a dutiful Christian loved by her family, congregation, and community. “She was beautiful when she was smiling. Her smile was enlightening. Our hearts are broken at her loss,” he said.
Sr Anna Paqui, Superior General of Consolata sisters in Djibouti, described Sr Redenta as an ever peaceful and smiling sister. “She was generous and welcoming to people in the apostolate and the sisters. She always took time to listen to people,” she said.
Her brother Richard Loyale referred to her as an “intimate friend at all times who was frank and sincere.”
In attendance were nuns and priests from the Consolata Community, family, friends, and other faithful including Fr Rodento, the parish priest of her native Baragoi Parish. “Sr Redenta has showed us the way of living a Christian missionary life,” said Fr Rodento.
Sr Redenta was born in Baragoi, Samburu County on March 27, 1971. She made her perpetual vows on March, 2008.
SHARED FROM CISA NEWS AFRICA
EUROPE : OFFICIAL PRAYER FOR EUCHARISTIC CONGRESS
IEC RELEASE:
The prayer draws its inspiration from the Gospel story of the two disciples on the road to Emmaus (Lk 24) and from the words of the prophet Micah:
Below is a video reflection on the new Eucharistic
Congress prayer. The prayer was recently introduced by Archbishop Diarmuid
Martin who invites you to support the Congress by praying this prayer on a daily
basis if possible. To download the
prayer please click here.
The prayer draws its inspiration from the Gospel story of the two disciples on the road to Emmaus (Lk 24) and from the words of the prophet Micah:
“This and only this is what the Lord God asks of
you: to act justly, to love tenderly, and to walk humbly with your God” (Micah
6:8).
The prayer for the 50th International Eucharistic
Congress draws inspiration from a number of sources offering a rich tapestry of
faith and of hope.
The prayer begins by addressing Jesus as
Lord, acknowledging Him as the apostle of the Father – sent to bring
communion to all, drawing all into one.
It offers the briefest synopsis of Jesus’ ministry
and invites us to contemplate one of the best well known images of the post
Resurrection experience of His disciples - taken from the story of the
two disciples on the road to Emmaus Jesus presents Himself as companion
on the road (Lk 24:15). This journey and the gathering at the table in Emmaus is
referred to again in the prayer, recognising that through the presence and
activity of the Holy Spirit in our lives we too can experience
communion with Christ and with one another fully.
Recognising the unity of the whole Christian
family in faith, we reflect on the lifestyle inspired by the Gospel and
the Breaking of Bread – summed up in the well known verse from the
Prophet Micah (6:8) – ‘What does the Lord ask of you but to do justice, to love
kindness, and to walk humbly with your God’, with the added awareness that we
are witnesses to the fullness of the Christian message. We are
reminded that through Christian Initiation that we are the Body of Christ, and
that our participation in Eucharist inspires our daily living and our outreach
to those in need with an authentic commitment to social justice. This is the
kingdom of God in our midst as expressed in Lumen Gentium 3: The
Church, or, in other words, the kingdom of Christ now present in mystery, grows
visibly through the power of God in the world.
The prayer concludes with an invocation of
Mary, the Theotokos (Mother of God), with an invitation to see
ourselves within a loving relationship – that of Mother and child (adult
children too). The Johannine image of Jesus entrusting us to the spiritual
support of the Mother of God is a source of encouragement on our pilgrim
way.
This leads us into a final doxology offered in the
Spirit, through whom, as St. Paul reminds us, we call God ‘Abba’ Father. (Rm
8:15). Our praise of the Father is offered by the whole Church,
both on earth and already in the house of the Father – the ultimate goal of our
earthly pilgrimage (Tertio Millennio Adveniente 49).
This prayer text lends itself both to silent
reflection and to vocal prayer. It is hoped that it will be a source of personal
and community enrichment, and of assistance to all who seek to understand the
Eucharist and embrace it as communion with Christ and with one another.
SHARED FROM IEC
ASIA : PHILIPPINES : HUNDREDS AT RALLY AGAINST TRAFFICKING
UCAN REPORT:
Rally
organizers hope event will kick-start govt action on exploitation
People take part in the 'Walk for Freedom' against
human trafficking in Makati, in Manila. (Photo by Jolly Lais)
Hundreds of people joined a “Walk for Freedom” in
Manila today to call for government action against child labor, sex tourism,
debt bondage and domestic servitude.
“The Walk for Freedom is our stand against trafficking and slavery,” said Cecilia Flores-Oebanda, executive director of Visayan Forum, a non-governmental organization known for “innovative” work against human trafficking and exploitation.
The group had said it was expecting at least 10,000 people to attend but only several hundred turned up for the early morning event in Makati, the central business district.
“This is a full force action from different sectors of society to show that we Filipinos will not tolerate slavery in any form,”
Flores Oebanda said.
She hoped the protest would “set in motion a national social movement that will challenge a prevailing sense of apathy and helplessness against this type of social illness.”
The Visayan Forum says thousands of the country’s people have been victimized by traffickers.
Latest data from the International Labor Organization show that women and children from the Philippines and Indonesia figure highly among an estimated 9.5 million victims of forced labor in the Asia-Pacific region, over three-quarters of the global total of 12.3 million victims.
Women and children from the Philippines and Indonesia are reportedly trafficked for sex in countries such as China, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan and Australia.
There are also problems at home with abuses being committed against workers as a result of repressive working practices, substandard conditions, lack of a minimum wage and denial of other working privileges.
But Visayan Forum says the future shows promise.
“Over the years, the fight against trafficking has become more intense and has brought sufficient returns,” Visayan Forum said in a statement earlier this week.
SHARED FROM UCAN NEWS
“The Walk for Freedom is our stand against trafficking and slavery,” said Cecilia Flores-Oebanda, executive director of Visayan Forum, a non-governmental organization known for “innovative” work against human trafficking and exploitation.
The group had said it was expecting at least 10,000 people to attend but only several hundred turned up for the early morning event in Makati, the central business district.
“This is a full force action from different sectors of society to show that we Filipinos will not tolerate slavery in any form,”
Flores Oebanda said.
She hoped the protest would “set in motion a national social movement that will challenge a prevailing sense of apathy and helplessness against this type of social illness.”
The Visayan Forum says thousands of the country’s people have been victimized by traffickers.
Latest data from the International Labor Organization show that women and children from the Philippines and Indonesia figure highly among an estimated 9.5 million victims of forced labor in the Asia-Pacific region, over three-quarters of the global total of 12.3 million victims.
Women and children from the Philippines and Indonesia are reportedly trafficked for sex in countries such as China, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan and Australia.
There are also problems at home with abuses being committed against workers as a result of repressive working practices, substandard conditions, lack of a minimum wage and denial of other working privileges.
But Visayan Forum says the future shows promise.
“Over the years, the fight against trafficking has become more intense and has brought sufficient returns,” Visayan Forum said in a statement earlier this week.
SHARED FROM UCAN NEWS
TODAY'S MASS ONLINE : SACRED HEART FRIDAY JUNE 15, 2012
| John
19: 31 - 37
| |
| 31 | Since it was the day of Preparation, in order to prevent the bodies from remaining on the cross on the sabbath (for that sabbath was a high day), the Jews asked Pilate that their legs might be broken, and that they might be taken away. |
| 32 | So the soldiers came and broke the legs of the first, and of the other who had been crucified with him; |
| 33 | but when they came to Jesus and saw that he was already dead, they did not break his legs. |
| 34 | But one of the soldiers pierced his side with a spear, and at once there came out blood and water. |
| 35 | He who saw it has borne witness -- his testimony is true, and he knows that he tells the truth -- that you also may believe. |
| 36 | For these things took place that the scripture might be fulfilled, "Not a bone of him shall be broken." |
| 37 | And again another scripture says, "They shall look on him whom they have pierced." |
SACRED HEART OF JESUS - SOLEMNITY - NOVENA - LITANY - PRAYER
Devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus has been
evident for many centuries under different forms. However, Margaret Mary
Alacoque (1647-1690), a Visitation Nun of the
monastery of Paray-le-Monial, France received visions of the Sacred Heart and
spread its devotion with this feast. Jesus appeared asking for a devotion of expiatory love and frequent
Communion, Communion on the First Friday of the
month, and the observance of the Holy Hour.
In 1856, Pope Pius IX extended the feast of the Sacred Heart to the universal Church. On 11 June, 1899, by order of Pope Leo XIII, all peoples were solemnly consecrated to the Sacred Heart. It is annually celebrated on the Friday 19 days after Pentecost.
12 Promises of Jesus given in the Vision
4. They shall find in My Heart an assured refuge during life and especially at the hour of death.
5. I will pour abundant blessings on all their undertakings.
6. Sinners shall find in My Heart the source and infinite ocean of mercy.
7. Tepid souls shall become fervent.
8. Fervent souls shall speedily rise to great perfection.
9. I will bless the homes in which the image of My Sacred Heart shall be exposed and honored.
10. I will give to priests the power to touch the most hardened hearts.
11. Those who propagate this devotion shall have their name written in My Heart, and it shall never be effaced.
12. I promise thee in the excess of the mercy of My Heart, that its all-powerful Love will grant to all those who shall receive Communion on the First Friday of Nine consecutive months the grace of final repentance; they shall not die under My displeasure, nor without receiving the Sacraments; My Heart shall be their assured refuge at that last hour.
Lord Jesus Christ, we consecrate ourselves to You today, each one of us, and all of us together as a family. Your Sacred Heart, the heart of your crucified and risen Body, is the ever living source of mercy and grace, hope and love for all of us. We desire to pledge ourselves and our lives to You in return.
Teach us to be always united with You, through Your Holy Spirit in mind and heart, in all our thoughts, words, deeds, joy and sufferings. Grant that we may ever know You more clearly, love You more dearly, and follow You more nearly.
We wish to share in Your redeeming work in our world: that your Father's will may truly be done on earth as it is in heaven, that the civilization of justice and love may thus be built up in our land.
Heart of Jesus, help us to keep sin away from our lives. Help us to keep loving, serving and forgiving each other. Live in our hearts and in our homes always, Make us wholly Yours.
With Your Mother's Immaculate Heart, we renew our consecration to Your Sacred Heart, for the ever greater glory of the Father in Heaven, Amen.
Jesus, Mary and Joseph, be with us and bless us now and at the hour of our death, Amen.
Padre Pio's Sacred Heart Novena
I. O my Jesus, You said "verily I say to You, ask and you shall receive, seek and you shall find, knock and it shall be opened to you", behold I knock, I seek and I ask for the grace of...
Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory be to the Father. Sacred Heart of Jesus I put all my trust in Thee.
II. O my Jesus, You said, "verily I say to You, whatsoever you shall ask the Father in My name, He will give it to you", behold in your name I ask the Father for the grace of...
Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory be to the Father. Sacred Heart of Jesus I put all my trust in Thee.
III. O my Jesus, You said, "verily I say to You, heaven and earth shall pass away but My words shall not pass away", behold I encouraged by your infallible words, now ask for the grace of...
Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory be to the Father. Sacred Heart of Jesus I put all my trust in Thee.
O sacred Heart of Jesus, to whom one thing alone is impossible, namely, not to have compassion on the afflicted, have pity on us miserable sinners and grant us the grace which we ask of Thee through the Sorrowful and Immaculate Heart of Mary, your and our tender Mother.
Say the Salve Regina (Hail Holy Queen) and add, St. Joseph, foster father of Jesus, pray for us
In 1856, Pope Pius IX extended the feast of the Sacred Heart to the universal Church. On 11 June, 1899, by order of Pope Leo XIII, all peoples were solemnly consecrated to the Sacred Heart. It is annually celebrated on the Friday 19 days after Pentecost.
12 Promises of Jesus given in the Vision
1. I will give them graces necessary for their state in life.
2. I will give peace in their families.
3. I will console them in all
their troubles. 4. They shall find in My Heart an assured refuge during life and especially at the hour of death.
5. I will pour abundant blessings on all their undertakings.
6. Sinners shall find in My Heart the source and infinite ocean of mercy.
7. Tepid souls shall become fervent.
8. Fervent souls shall speedily rise to great perfection.
9. I will bless the homes in which the image of My Sacred Heart shall be exposed and honored.
10. I will give to priests the power to touch the most hardened hearts.
11. Those who propagate this devotion shall have their name written in My Heart, and it shall never be effaced.
12. I promise thee in the excess of the mercy of My Heart, that its all-powerful Love will grant to all those who shall receive Communion on the First Friday of Nine consecutive months the grace of final repentance; they shall not die under My displeasure, nor without receiving the Sacraments; My Heart shall be their assured refuge at that last hour.
CONSECRATION
TO THE SACRED HEART
FOR INDIVIDUAL FAMILIES
FOR INDIVIDUAL FAMILIES
Lord Jesus Christ, we consecrate ourselves to You today, each one of us, and all of us together as a family. Your Sacred Heart, the heart of your crucified and risen Body, is the ever living source of mercy and grace, hope and love for all of us. We desire to pledge ourselves and our lives to You in return.
Teach us to be always united with You, through Your Holy Spirit in mind and heart, in all our thoughts, words, deeds, joy and sufferings. Grant that we may ever know You more clearly, love You more dearly, and follow You more nearly.
We wish to share in Your redeeming work in our world: that your Father's will may truly be done on earth as it is in heaven, that the civilization of justice and love may thus be built up in our land.
Heart of Jesus, help us to keep sin away from our lives. Help us to keep loving, serving and forgiving each other. Live in our hearts and in our homes always, Make us wholly Yours.
With Your Mother's Immaculate Heart, we renew our consecration to Your Sacred Heart, for the ever greater glory of the Father in Heaven, Amen.
Jesus, Mary and Joseph, be with us and bless us now and at the hour of our death, Amen.
Padre Pio's Sacred Heart Novena
This powerful prayer was recited every day by
Padre Pio for all those who recommended themselves to his
prayers:
I. O my Jesus, You said "verily I say to You, ask and you shall receive, seek and you shall find, knock and it shall be opened to you", behold I knock, I seek and I ask for the grace of...
Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory be to the Father. Sacred Heart of Jesus I put all my trust in Thee.
II. O my Jesus, You said, "verily I say to You, whatsoever you shall ask the Father in My name, He will give it to you", behold in your name I ask the Father for the grace of...
Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory be to the Father. Sacred Heart of Jesus I put all my trust in Thee.
III. O my Jesus, You said, "verily I say to You, heaven and earth shall pass away but My words shall not pass away", behold I encouraged by your infallible words, now ask for the grace of...
Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory be to the Father. Sacred Heart of Jesus I put all my trust in Thee.
O sacred Heart of Jesus, to whom one thing alone is impossible, namely, not to have compassion on the afflicted, have pity on us miserable sinners and grant us the grace which we ask of Thee through the Sorrowful and Immaculate Heart of Mary, your and our tender Mother.
Say the Salve Regina (Hail Holy Queen) and add, St. Joseph, foster father of Jesus, pray for us
TODAY'S SAINT : JUNE 15 : ST. GERMAINE COUSIN
St. Germaine Cousin
MYSTIC
Feast: June 15
 Information:
|
|
Born in 1579 of humble
parents at Pibrac, a village about ten miles from Toulouse; died in her native
place in 1601. From her birth she seemed marked out for suffering; she came into
the world with a deformed hand and the disease ofscrofula, and, while yet an
infant, lost her mother. Her father soon married again, but his second wife
treated Germaine with much cruelty. Under pretence of saving the other children
from the contagion of scrofula she persuaded the father to keep Germaine away
from the homestead, and thus the child was employed almost from infancy as a
shepherdess. When she returned at night, her bed was in the stable or on a
litter of vine branches in a garret. In this hard school Germaine learned early
to practise humility and patience. She was gifted with a marvellous sense of the
presence of God and of spiritual things, so that her lonely life became to her a
source of light and blessing. To poverty, bodily infirmity, the rigours of the
seasons, the lack of affection from those in her own home, she added voluntary
mortifications and austerities, making bread and water her daily food. Her love
for Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament and for His Virgin Mother presaged the saint.
She assisted daily at the Holy Sacrifice; when the bell rang, she fixed her
sheep-hook or distaff in the ground, and left her flocks to the care of
Providence while she heard Mass. Although the pasture was on the border of a
forest infested with wolves, no harm ever came to her flocks. She is said to have practised many austerities as a reparation for the sacrileges perpetrated by heretics in the neighbouring churches. She frequented the Sacraments of Penance and the Holy Eucharist, and it was observed that her piety increased on the approach of every feast of Our Lady. The Rosary was her only book, and her devotion to the Angelus was so great that she used to fall on her knees at the first sound of the bell, even though she heard it when crossing a stream. Whenever she could do so, she assembled the children of the village around her and sought to instil into their minds the love of Jesus and Mary. The villagers were inclined at first to treat her piety with mild derision, until certain signs of God's signal favour made her an object of reverence and awe. In repairing to the village church she had to cross a stream. The ford in winter, after heavy rains or the melting of snow, was at times impassable. On several occasions the swollen waters were seen to open and afford her a passage without wetting her garments.Notwithstanding her poverty she found means to help the poor by sharing with them her allowance of bread. Her father at last came to a sense of his duty, forbade her stepmother henceforth to treat her harshly, and wished to give her a place in the home with the other children, but she begged to be allowed to remain in thehumbler position. At this point, when men were beginning to realize the beauty of her life, God called her to Himself. One morning in the early summer of 1601, her father finding that she had not risen at the usual hour went to call her; he found her dead on her pallet of vine-twigs. She was then twenty-two years of age. Her remains were buried in the parish church of Pibrac in front of the pulpit. In 1644, when the grave was opened to receive one of her relatives, the body of Germaine was discovered fresh and perfectly preserved, and miraculously raised almost to the level of the floor of the church. It was exposed for public view near the pulpit, until a noble lady, the wife of François de Beauregard, presented as a thanks-offering a casket of lead to hold the remains. She had been cured of a malignant and incurable ulcer in the breast, and her infant son whose life was despaired of was restored to health on her seeking the intercession of Germaine. This was the first of a long series of wonderful cures wrought at her relics. The leaden casket was placed in the sacristy, and in 1661 and 1700 the remains were viewed and found fresh and intact by the vicars-general of Toulouse, who have left testamentary depositions of the fact. Expert medical evidence deposed that the body had not been embalmed, and experimental tests showed that the preservation was not due to any property inherent in the soil. In 1700 a movement was begun to procure the beatification of Germaine, but it fell through owing to accidental causes. In 1793 the casket was desecrated by a revolutionary tinsmith, named Toulza, who with three accomplices took out the remains and buried them in the sacristy, throwing quick-lime and water on them. After the Revolution, her body was found to be still intact save where the quick-lime had done its work. The private veneration of Germaine had continued from the original finding of the body in 1644, supported and encouraged by numerous cures and miracles. The cause of beatification was resumed in 1850. The documents attested more than 400 miracles or extraordinary graces, and thirty postulatory letters from archbishops and bishops in France besought the beatification from the Holy See. The miracles attested were cures of every kind (of blindness, congenital and resulting from disease, of hip and spinal disease), besides the multiplication of food for the distressed community of the Good Shepherd at Bourges in 1845. On 7 May, 1854, Pius IX proclaimed her beatification, and on 29 June, 1867, placed her on the canon of virgin saints. Her feast is kept in the Diocese of Toulouse on 15 June. She is represented in art with a shepherd's crook or with a distaff; with a watchdog, or a sheep; or with flowers in her apron. |
SOURCE: http://www.ewtn.com/saintsHoly/saints/G/stgermainecousin.asp#ixzz1xrahwM2e
TODAY'S SAINT : JUNE 15 : ST. VITUS
St. Vitus
MARTYR
Feast: June 15
 Information:
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According to the legend,
martyrs under Diocletian; feast, 15 June. The earliest testimony for their
veneration is offered by the "Martyrologium Hieronymianum" (ed. De
Rossi-Duchesne, 78: "In Sicilia, Viti, Modesti et Crescentiae"). The fact that
the note is in the three most important manuscripts proves that it was also in
the common exemplar of these, which appeared in the fifth century. The same
Martyrologium has under the same day another Vitus at the head of a list of nine
martyrs, with the statement of the place, "In Lucania", that is, in the Roman
province of that name in Southern Italy between the Tuscan Sea and the Gulf of
Taranto. It is easily possible that the same martyr Vitus in both cases, because
only the name of a territory is given, not of a city, as the place where the
martyr was venerated. This testimony to the public veneration of the three
saints in the fifth century proves positively that they are historical martyrs.
There are, nevertheless, no historical accounts of them, nor of the time or the
details of their martyrdom. During the sixth and seventh centuries a purely
legendary narrative of their martyrdom appeared which was based upon other
legends, especially on the legend of Poitus, and ornamented with accounts of
fantastic miracles. It still exists in various versions, but has no historical
value. According to this legend Vitus was a boy seven years of age (other versions make him twelve years old), the son of a pagan senator of Lucania. During the era of the Emperors Diocletian and Maximilian, his father sought in every way, including various forms of torture, to make him apostatize. But he remained steadfast, and God aided him in a wonderful manner. He fled with his tutor Modestus in a boat to Lucania. From Lucania he was taken to Rome to drive out a demon which had taken possession of a son of the Emperor Diocletian. This he did, and yet, because he remained steadfast in the Christian Faith, he was tortured together with his tutor Modestus and his nurse Crescentia. By a miracle an angel brought back the martyrs to Lucania, where they died from the tortures they had endured. Three days later Vitus appeared to a distinguished matron namedFlorentia, who then found the bodies and buried them in the spot where they were. It is evident that the author of the legend has connected in his invention three saints who apparently suffered death in Lucania, and were first venerated there. The veneration of the martyrs spread rapidly in Southern Italy and Sicily, as is shown by the note in the "Martyrologium Hieronymianum". Pope Gregory the Great mentions a monastery dedicated to Vitus in Sicily ("Epist.", I, xlviii, P.L., LXXXVII, 511). The veneration of Vitus, the chief saint of the group, also appeared very early at Rome. Pope Gelasius (492-496) mentions a shrine dedicated to him (Jaffé, "Reg. Rom. Pont.", 2nd ed., I, 6 79), and at Rome in the seventh century the chapel of a deaconry was dedicated to him ("Liber Pont.", ed. Duchesne, I, 470 sq.). In the eighth century it is said that relics of St. Vitus were brought to the monastery of St-Denis by Abbot Fulrad. They were later presented to Abbot Warin of Corvey in Germany, who solemnly transferred them to this abbey in 836. From Corvey the veneration of St. Vitus spread throughout Westphalia and in the districts of eastern and northern Germany. St. Vitus is appealed to, above all, against epilepsy, which is called St. Vitus's Dance, and he is one of the Fourteen Martyrs who give aid in times of trouble. He is represented near a kettle of boiling oil, because according to the legend he was thrown into such a kettle, but escaped miraculously. The feast of the three saints was adopted in the historical Martyrologies of the early Middle Ages and is also recorded in the present Roman Martyrology on 15 June. |
source: http://www.ewtn.com/saintsHoly/saints/V/stvitus.asp#ixzz1xraWQ4DY
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