CATHOLIC SPIRITUAL DIRECTION

"Holy Communion is the shortest and safest way to Heaven."      Saint Pope Pius X

Twenty-third Sunday in Ordinary Time

Gospel for Sunday
Matthew 18:15-20

Jesus said to his disciples: “If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have won over your brother. If he does not listen, take one or two others along with you, so that ‘every fact may be established on the testimony of two or three witnesses.’ If he refuses to listen to them, tell the church. If he refuses to listen even to the church, then treat him as you would a Gentile or a tax collector. Amen, I say to you, whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. Again, amen, I say to you, if two of you agree on earth about anything for which they are to pray, it shall be granted to them by my heavenly Father. For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.”
_______________
 

ALL THE MASS READINGS

SPIRITUAL DIRECTION FOR TODAY

[The works of a well known Catholic Spiritual Director will be featured in this space each week.]

 SPIRITUAL DIRECTION FROM: SAINT FRANCIS DE SALES, INTRODUCTION TO A DEVOUT LIFE  

PART II.

CONTAINING SUNDRY COUNSELS AS TO UPLIFTING THE SOUL TO GOD IN PRAYER AND THE USE OF THE SACRAMENTS.

CHAPTER III.

Invocation, the Second Point of Preparation.

INVOCATION is made as follows: your soul, having realised God's Presence, will prostrate itself with the utmost reverence, acknowledging its unworthiness to abide before His Sovereign Majesty; and yet knowing that He of His Goodness would have you come to Him, you must ask of Him grace to serve and worship Him in this your meditation. You may use some such brief and earnest words as those of David: "Cast me not away from Thy Presence, and take not Thy Holy Spirit from me." (a) "Shew me Thy Ways, O Lord, and teach me Thy paths." (b) "Give me understanding, and I shall keep Thy Law: yea, I shall keep it with my whole heart." (c) "I am Thy servant, O grant me understanding." (d) Dwell too upon the thought of your guardian Angel, and of the Saints connected with the special mystery you are considering, as the Blessed Virgin, S. John, the Magdalene, the good thief, etc., if you are meditating in the Passion, so that you may share in their devout feelings and intention,--and in the same way with other subjects.

a. Ps. li. 11.
b. Ps. xxv. 4.
c. Ps. cxix. 34.
d. Ps. cxix. 125.

_____

TO SEE THE WHOLE BOOK: INTRODUCTION TO A DEVOUT LIFE

 

PRAYER TO SAVE THE LIVES OF UNBORN CHILDREN

Christian prolifers who have spent time counseling in front of abortion clinics have often observed the power of prayer to save the lives of unborn children.  God pours out special graces to save the lives of unborn children when His followers petition Heaven to redirect women away from having abortions.  Your prayers today can save a life.  Prayers said to the Virgin Mary can prevent abortion from taking place. 

    According to a recent news story from the Associated Press a record number of babies were born in the United States in 2007.  A total of  4,315,000 children were born in 2007. That's about 15,000 more births than the peak time of the baby boom in 1957. These figures were recorded by the National Center for Health Statistics which compiled the data from provisional birth certificate registrations at state health departments.

But there were 1,287,000 abortions done in the United States in 2007.  This means the people of United States in 2007 aborted approximately 1 out of every 5 babies.

 During each day, offer up three Hail Mary's several times each day asking the Blessed Mother to redirect women throughout the world away from the abortion clinics and toward giving birth to their children.  If you want to say rosaries  each day to save unborn children; this is also recommended.

Say Three Hail Mary's now to protect the lives of unborn children:

Hail Mary full of grace, the Lord is with Thee.  Blessed art Thou amongst women and Blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus.  Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death.  Amen!

Then ask the Blessed Mother, "Please save today, the lives of unborn children."

PROTECT THE LIVES OF UNBORN CHILDREN IN 2008. 

IN 2007 OVER 1.2 MILLION  ABORTIONS WERE PERFORMED IN THE U.S., 1 OUT OF EVERY 5 BABIES WERE ABORTED.

AROUND 50 MILLION BABIES HAVE BEEN PUT TO DEATH SINCE 1973.

 SENATOR JOHN S. MC CAIN HAS SAID THAT ROE VS. WADE SHOULD BE OVERTURNED.  VOTE PROLIFE.


VOTE FOR SENATOR JOHN S. MC CAIN FOR PRESIDENT. 

 THE LIVES OF OVER A MILLION BABIES A YEAR DEPEND UPON YOUR VOTE..

PROTECT AMERICA; END THE ABORTION HOLOCAUST.

SEE SENATOR JOHN S. MC CAIN'S WEB SITE:    
                                        
http://www.johnmccain.com/

 In 1993, John McCain and his wife, Cindy, adopted a little girl from   Mother Teresa's orphanage in Bangladesh. She has been a blessing to the McCain family and helped make adoption advocacy a personal issue for the Senator. --From Senator John S. Mc Cain's Web site.

Senator John McCain is a war hero, who was shot down over Hanoi, Vietnam on October 26, 1967.  He was brutally beaten and tortured by his Vietnamese jailers and did his utmost to withhold information from his captors who repeatedly tortured him.  He  spent over five years of his life in a Vietnamese prison in Hanoi and was finally released on  March 14, 1973.  See the movie on Senator John McCain's life, "Faith of My Fathers".  John McCain spent nearly 23 years in his naval career serving our country. 

See the history of Senator John McCain at: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Senator_John_McCain

Senator John McCain was a congressman for the state of Arizona from 1982 through 1986.  John McCain became a U.S. Senator in January of 1987 and has retained his senatorial seat through 2008.  He has 26 years of service in Congress. Senator John McCain is 71 years of age.  Moses was eighty years of age when he was called by God to lead and free the Jewish people from the tyranny of Pharaoh and the Egyptians.  The picture to the right shows  John McCain returning from 5˝ years of captivity in a North Vietnamese prison  to meet President Nixon.

 

  
GOD WILL NOT BLESS THIS COUNTRY IF WE CONTINUE TO KILL OUR UNBORN BROTHERS AND SISTERS.

"Woe unto the wicked!  it shall be ill with him:  for the reward of his hands shall be given him."  Isaiah 5:15

Mother Teresa said that "the fruits of abortion are nuclear war."   When Mother Teresa said this she was indicating that the complete disrespect for life, especially the lives of the unborn, would bring about a nuclear war.

____________

 

Senator Barack Obama has 3˝ years of service in the Congress.  He announced his candidacy for President  after being a U.S. Senator for just 2 years and 2 months.

From an article in the Washington Post by columnist, Michael Gerson, April 2, 2008:

"But Obama's record on abortion is extreme. He opposed the ban on partial-birth abortion -- a practice a fellow Democrat, the late Daniel Patrick Moynihan, once called "too close to infanticide." Obama strongly criticized the Supreme Court decision upholding the partial-birth ban. In the Illinois state Senate, he opposed a bill similar to the Born-Alive Infants Protection Act, which prevents the killing of infants mistakenly left alive by abortion. And now Obama has oddly claimed that he would not want his daughters to be "punished with a baby" because of a crisis pregnancy -- hardly a welcoming attitude toward new life."

  Senators Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama both have  supported keeping Partial Birth Abortion (late term abortion) legal.

Diagram of how the abortionist performs a Partial Birth Abortion.  Senator Barack Obama wanted to keep this type of abortion legal.  The U.S. Supreme Court ruled that this form of abortion should be illegal because of the excessive brutality the unborn child would have to suffer.

Senator Barack Obama supports the civil union of homosexual couples — he says it's ok for two men or two women to live together in the mortal sin of homosexuality. Obama  told CNN's Larry King, "I don't think that homosexuals are immoral any more than I think heterosexuals are immoral."  This means he does not even recognize the seriousness of people living in complete violation of God's laws.  Holy Scripture says: "You know perfectly well that people who do wrong will not inherit the kingdom of God:  People of immoral lives, idolaters, adulterers, catamites, sodomites, thieves usurers, drunkards, slanderers and swindlers will never inherit the kingdom of God."  1 Corinthians 6: 9

Senator Joseph Biden has said that Roe vs. Wade should not be overturned; abortion should remain legal.  He is a Catholic and he is in direct violation of Catholic teaching which states that the lives of unborn children should be protected by the law from the the murderous crime of abortion. Senator Biden was elected to the Senate in November 1972.  The Supreme Court decision legalizing abortion was given January 22, 1973.  Senator Biden did nothing to try to reverse Roe vs. Wade in all his years of being a U.S. Senator. Year after year he has supported Roe vs. Wade. More than 48 million babies have died since Roe vs. Wade and Senator Biden, who was in a key position in the Senate to try to stop it, went along with the massive murder of unborn children. Biden should be put behind bars for life for doing this; he does not belong in the White House.  God does not want us to discriminate against the unborn child, saying that the unborn child is subhuman and does not deserve legal protection from wicked doctors.  See Senator Biden's voting history.

"Make a tree sound and its fruit will be sound; make a tree rotten and its fruit will be rotten.  For the tree can be told by its fruit.  Brood of vipers, how can your speech be good when you are evil?  For a man's words flow out of what fills his heart.  A good man draw good things from his store of goodness; a bad man draw bad things from his store of badness."  Matthew 12: 33-35

When Presidential candidates support abortion, they are being very wicked and they do not know or love God enough.  If they do not know or love God, they cannot possibly lead a nation.

 ___________

 PRAYER FOR SENATOR JOHN S. MC CAIN FOR SUCCESS IN HIS RUN FOR PRESIDENT

PRAYER TO SAINT JOSEPH

O Saint Joseph who's protection is so great, so strong, so prompt before the throne of God, we place in thee all our interests and desires. O thou Saint Joseph, do assist us by thy powerful intercession, and obtain for us from thy divine Son all spiritual blessings, through Jesus Christ, Our Lord; so that, having engaged here below thy heavenly power, we may offer our thanksgiving and homage to the most loving of fathers. O Saint Joseph, we never weary contemplating thee, and Jesus asleep in thy arms; we dare not approach while He reposes near thy heart. Press Him in our name and kiss His fine head for us, and ask Him to return the kiss when we draw our dying breath. Saint Joseph,  pray for us. Amen!

 

PRAYER FOR PHYSICAL AND SPIRITUAL HEALING

THE CONSTANT PRAYER OF SAINT CATHERINE OF SIENA
PRECIOUS BLOOD, ocean of divine mercy:  Flow upon us!
Precious Blood, most pure offering: Procure us every grace!
Precious Blood, hope and refuge of sinners: Atone for us!
Precious Blood, delight of holy souls: Draw us! Amen.

 

PURPOSE OF WEB SITE: Welcome to this Catholic Spiritual Direction Web Site.   It is the intention of this page to help Catholics develop a closer relationship with God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit through the promotion of prayer and Christian teaching which will enable Christians to adhere to the straight and narrow path Jesus speaks of in the Gospels.  Included in these web pages are the Douay-Rheims Bible and the works of Saint John of the Cross, Thomas ŕ Kempis and Saint Louis de Montfort, and the works of other saints of the Catholic faith,   all of whose teachings on spiritual direction have been followed by priests, ministers, clergymen, Popes and Saints. These teachings adhere to the teachings of the Catholic Church.   This site is dedicated to Blessed Anne Catherine Emmerich (Biography) (1774-1824) Mystic, Stigmatist,  Prophet, and Great Visionary, a saintly Augustinian nun from Flamske, Germany.  Her highly descriptive visions of the crucifixion of Jesus Christ, The Sorrowful Passion of Our Lord Jesus Christ, are presented here.   In time more works from the Saints of the Catholic Church will be added to these pages.

 INTERCESSORY PRAYER AND PRAYER CHAPLET TO BLESSED ANNE CATHERINE EMMERICH

PRAYER TO PROTECT ALL MILITARY TROOPS  FIGHTING FOR PEACE

Oh, Lord God, we ask in the name of your precious Son, JESUS, for the protection of all military troops fighting against terrorism.  Secondly, in the name of JESUS, we ask for the apprehension of all hostile terrorist leaders and their followers. "Whatever you ask in my name I will do, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son.  If you ask me anything in my name, I will do it." John 14: 13-14

 

PRAYER TO SAINT MICHAEL THE ARCHANGEL

Glorious St. Michael,
Prince of the heavenly hosts,
who standest always ready to give assistance
to the people of God;
who didst fight with the dragon,
the old serpent,
and didst cast him out of heaven,
and now valiantly defendest the Church of God
that the gates of hell may never prevail against her,
I earnestly entreat thee to assist me also,
in the painful and dangerous conflict
which I have to sustain against the same formidible foe.
Be with me, O mighty Prince!
that I may courageously fight
and wholly vanquish that proud spirit,
whom thou hast by the Divine Power,
so gloriously overthrown,
and whom our powerful King,
Jesus Christ, has,
in our nature,
so completely overcome;
to the end that having triumphed
over the enemy of my salvation,
I may with thee and the holy angels,
praise the clemency of God who,
having refused mercy
to the rebellious angels after their fall,
has granted repentance
and forgiveness to fallen man.

Amen

_____________

U.S. FATALITIES IN IRAQ AND AFGHANISTAN

 

HAVE MASSES SAID FOR SOLDIERS THAT HAVE DIED

 

EVENING PRAYER:

Jesus gave us the very essence of spiritual direction in the Bible:  "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.  This is the first and great commandment." Matthew 22:37-38

Each evening we should reflect on the good things and on the bad things we did during the day and ask God to help us to improve in the future.  It is good if we say an Act of Contrition each evening to help us acknowledge our imperfections and to ask God to give us the graces to improve.

ACT OF CONTRITION

O my God, I am heartily sorry for having offended Thee, and I detest all my sins, because of Thy just punishments, but most of all because they offend Thee, my God, who art all-good and deserving of all my love. I firmly resolve, with the help of Thy grace, to sin no more and to avoid the near occasions of sin. 

 "At the evening of life, you will be examined in love. Learn to love as God desires to be loved and abandon your own ways of acting."   Saint John of the Cross

External Catholic Links

Today's Saint

 Daily Mass Readings

Live
Eucharistic
Adoration

Masses said  for Souls
in Purgatory

Vatican Web Site

Google Custom Search


 

 

The works of Joseph Ratzinger, now
Pope Benedict XVI

 

 

EMAIL:

 

PRAYER REQUESTS

 

 

 


Web Counter

Counter  

 

 

COLLEGE
FOOTBALL
TICKETS