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CATHOLIC SPIRITUAL  DIRECTION
 

Immaculate Heart of Mary

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

 

 
THE LITANY OF THE
IMMACULATE HEART OF MARY
[Say your prayer request]

Immaculate Heart of Mary,
Pray for our dear country.

Immaculate Heart of Mary,
Sanctify our clergy.

Immaculate Heart of Mary,
Make our Catholics more fervent.

Immaculate Heart of Mary,
Guide and inspire those who govern us.

Immaculate Heart of Mary,
Cure the sick who confide in thee.

Immaculate Heart of Mary,
Console the sorrowful who trust in thee.

Immaculate Heart of Mary,
Help those who invoke thine aid.

Immaculate Heart of Mary,
Deliver us from all dangers.

Immaculate Heart of Mary,
Help us to resist temptations.

Immaculate Heart of Mary,
Obtain for us all we lovingly ask of thee.

Immaculate Heart of Mary,
Make our family life holy.

Immaculate Heart of Mary,
Help those who are dear to us.

Immaculate Heart of Mary,
Bring back to the right road our erring brothers.

Immaculate Heart of Mary,
Give us back our ancient fervor.

Immaculate Heart of Mary,
Obtain for us pardon of our manifold sins and offenses.

Immaculate Heart of Mary,
Bring all men to the feet of thy Divine Child.

Immaculate Heart of Mary,
Obtain peace for the world.

Let Us Pray:

O God of infinite goodness and mercy,
fill our hearts with a great confidence
in our Most Holy Mother,
whom we invoke under the title of
the Immaculate Heart of Mary,
and grant us by her most powerful intercession
all the graces, spiritual and temporal,
which we need.
Through Christ Our Lord.

Amen.


INDEX:
 Mass Reading for Today

Saint for Today or Festival

Today's Mass --EWTN
8am,12 Noon, 7pm

Immaculate Heart of Mary

Wars are a punishment for sins of mankind_Virgin Mary

World War 2 and annilation of Warsaw punishment for sin of abortion

Virginia father investigated for Sainthood

NEW Study on The Abortion Pill Reveals Significant Risks to Women

Saint Joseph

Our Lady of the Rosary

PRAYING FOR PREGNANT WOMEN

Voting Pro-choice

Graces derived from going to Mass

Litany of Our Lady of Victory

Need a prayer answer, say Divine Mercy Chaplet

Stations of the Cross, Promises

Introduction to Devout Life, Saint Francis de Sales

Pope Leo's Intentions

Our Lady of Good Remedy Prayer

Prayer to Mary Untier of knots

 
MASS READINGS FOR TODAY
Tuesday, August 12, 2026
Wednesday of the Nineteenth Week in Ordinary Time

Reading 1
Ezekiel 9:1-7; 10:18-22
The LORD cried loud for me to hear:
Come, you scourges of the city!
With that I saw six men coming from the direction
of the upper gate which faces the north,
each with a destroying weapon in his hand.
In their midst was a man dressed in linen,
with a writer’s case at his waist.
They entered and stood beside the bronze altar.
Then he called to the man dressed in linen
with the writer’s case at his waist, saying to him:
Pass through the city, through Jerusalem,
and mark a “Thau” on the foreheads of those who moan and groan
over all the abominations that are practiced within it.
To the others I heard the LORD say:
Pass through the city after him and strike!
Do not look on them with pity nor show any mercy!
Old men, youths and maidens, women and children–wipe them out!
But do not touch any marked with the “Thau”; begin at my sanctuary.
So they began with the men, the elders, who were in front of the temple.
Defile the temple, he said to them, and fill the courts with the slain;
then go out and strike in the city.

Then the glory of the LORD left the threshold of the temple
and rested upon the cherubim.
These lifted their wings, and I saw them rise from the earth,
the wheels rising along with them.
They stood at the entrance of the eastern gate of the Lord’s house,
and the glory of the God of Israel was up above them.
Then the cherubim lifted their wings, and the wheels went along with them,
while up above them was the glory of the God of Israel.

Responsorial Psalm
Psalm 113:1-2, 3-4, 5-6
R. (4b) The glory of the Lord is higher than the skies.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Praise, you servants of the LORD,
praise the name of the LORD.
Blessed be the name of the LORD
both now and forever.
R. The glory of the Lord is higher than the skies.
or:
R. Alleluia.

From the rising to the setting of the sun
is the name of the LORD to be praised.
High above all nations is the LORD;
above the heavens is his glory.
R. The glory of the Lord is higher than the skies.
or:
R. Alleluia.

Who is like the LORD, our God, who is enthroned on high,
and looks upon the heavens and the earth below?
R. The glory of the Lord is higher than the skies.
or:
R. Alleluia.


Alleluia
2 Corinthians 5:19
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ,
and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.


Gospel
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."

 
https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings
 https://levangileauquotidien.org/main.php
https://dailygospel.org/AM/gospel
https://vangelodelgiorno.org/main.php
 
SAINT FOR TODAY OR MEDITATION
 August 12

Saint Jane Frances de Chantal
Foundress of the
Order of the Visitation
of The Blessed Virgin Mary
(1572-1641)


At the age of sixteen, Jane Frances de Fremyot, already a motherless child, was placed under the care of a worldly-minded governess. In this crisis she offered herself to the Mother of God, and secured Mary's protection for life. When a Protestant sought her hand in marriage, she steadily refused to marry an enemy of God and His Church. Later, as the loving and beloved wife of the noble Baron de Chantal, she made her house the pattern of a Christian home. But God had marked her for something higher than domestic sanctity. Two children and a dearly beloved sister died, and then, in the full tide of their prosperity, her husband's life was ended by an accident, through the innocent hand of a friend, when a small group went hunting in the forest.

For seven years the sorrows of her widowhood were increased by ill usage from servants and inferiors, and the cruel importunities of those who urged her to marry again. Harassed almost to despair by their entreaties, she branded on her heart the name of Jesus, and in the end left her beloved home and children, to live for God alone. It was on the 19th of March, 1609, that Madame de Chantal bade farewell to her family and relatives. Pale and with tears in her eyes, she passed around the large room, sweetly and humbly taking leave of each one. Her son, a boy of fifteen, used every entreaty, every endearment, to induce his mother not to leave them, and finally flung himself passionately across the doorsill of the room. In an agony of distress, she passed over the body of her son to the embrace of her aged and disconsolate father. The anguish of that parting reached its height when, kneeling at the feet of the venerable old man, she sought and obtained his last blessing, promising to repay his sacrifice in her new life by her prayers.

Well might Saint Francis de Sales call her the valiant woman. She founded under his direction and patronage the great Order of the Visitation. Sickness, opposition and want beset her, and the deaths of children, friends, and of Saint Francis himself followed, while eighty-seven houses of the Visitation rose under her hand. Nine long years of interior desolation completed the work of God's grace in her soul. The Congregation of the Visitation, whose purpose was to admit widows and persons of fragile health, not accepted elsewhere, was canonically established at Annecy on Trinity Sunday of 1610. The Order counted thirteen houses already in 1622, when Saint Francis de Sales died; and when the Foundress died in her seventieth year, there were eighty-six. Saint Vincent de Paul saw her soul rise up, like a ball of fire, to heaven. At her canonization in 1767, the Sisters in 164 houses of the Visitation rejoiced.

Reflection: Profit by the successive trials of life to gain the strength and courage of Saint Jane Frances, and difficulties will become stepping stones from earth to heaven.

Little Pictorial Lives of the Saints, a compilation based on Butler's Lives of the Saints and other sources by John Gilmary Shea (Benziger Brothers: New York, 1894); The Catholic Encyclopedia, edited by C. G. Herbermann with numerous collaborators (Appleton Company: New York, 1908).

 
Saint Jane Frances de Chantal, pray for us.


 

 

IMMACULATE HEART OF MARY

 

Veneration and devotion to the Immaculate Heart of Mary

[Source:  Wikipedia.org]


Veneration of the Heart of Mary is analogous to worship of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. It is, however, necessary to indicate a few differences in this analogy, the better to explain the character of Roman Catholic devotion to the Heart of Mary. Some of these differences are very marked, whereas others are barely perceptible. Devotion to the Heart of Jesus is especially directed to the "Divine Heart" as overflowing with love for humanity, presented as "despised and outraged". In the devotion to the Mary, on the other hand, the attraction is the love of this Heart for Jesus and for God. Its love for humans is not overlooked, but it is not so much in evidence nor so dominant.

A second difference is the nature of the devotion itself. In devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, the Roman Catholic venerates in a sense of love responding to love. In devotion to the Heart of Mary, study and imitation hold as important a place as love. Love is more the result than the object of the devotion, the object being rather to love God, and Jesus better by uniting themselves to Mary for this purpose and by imitating her virtues. It would also seem that, although in the devotion to the Heart of Mary the heart has an essential part as symbol and sensible object, it does not stand out as prominently as in the devotion to the Heart of Jesus; devotion focuses rather of the thing symbolized, of love, virtues, and sentiments, of Mary's interior life.


 History of devotion
 The history of the devotion to the Heart of Mary is connected on many points with that to the Heart of Jesus. The attention of Christians was early attracted by the love and virtues of the Heart of Mary. The Gospels recount the prophesy delivered to her at Jesus' presentation at the temple: that her heart would be pierced with a sword. This image (the pierced heart) is the most popular representation of the Immaculate Heart. The Gospels further invited attention to Mary's heart with its depictions of Mary at the foot of the cross at Jesus' crucifixion. St. Augustine said of this that Mary was not merely passive at the foot of the cross; "she cooperated through charity in the work of our redemption".

Another Scriptural passage to help in bringing out the devotion was the twice-repeated saying of Saint Luke, that Mary kept all the sayings and doings of Jesus in her heart, that there she might ponder over them and live by them. A few of Mary's sayings, also recorded in the Gospel, particularly the Magnificat (the words Mary is reported to have said to describe the experience of being pregnant with Jesus), disclose new features in Marian psychology. Some of the Church Fathers also throw light upon the psychology of Mary, for instance, Saint Ambrose, when in his commentary on The Gospel of Luke he holds Mary up as the ideal of virginity, and Saint Ephrem, when he poetically sings of the coming of the Magi and the welcome accorded them by the humble mother. Some passages from other books in the Bible are interpreted as referring to Mary, in whom they personify wisdom and her gentle charms. Such are the texts in which wisdom is presented as the mother of lofty love, of fear, of knowledge, and of holy hope. In the New Testament Elizabeth proclaims Mary blessed because she has believed the words of the angel who announced that she would become pregnant with Jesus, although she was still a virgin; the Magnificat is an expression of her humility. In answering the woman of the people, who in order to exalt the son proclaimed the mother blessed, Jesus himself said: "Blessed rather are they that hear the word of God and keep it." The Church Fathers understood this as an invitation to seek in Mary that which had so endeared her to God and caused her to be selected as the mother of Jesus, and found in these words a new reason for praising Mary. St. Leo said that through faith and love she conceived her son spiritually, even before receiving him into her womb, and St. Augustine tells us that she was more blessed in having borne Christ in her heart than in having conceived him in the flesh.

It is only in the twelfth, or towards the end of the eleventh century, that slight indications of a regular devotion are perceived in a sermon by St. Bernard (De duodecim stellis), from which an extract has been taken by the Church and used in the Offices of the Compassion and of the Seven Dolours. Stronger evidences are discernible in the pious meditations on the Ave Maria and the Salve Regina, usually attributed either to St. Anselm of Lucca (d. 1080) or St. Bernard; and also in the large book "De laudibus B. Mariae Virginis" (Douai, 1625) by Richard de Saint-Laurent. Penitentiary of Rouen in the thirteenth century. In St. Mechtilde (d. 1298) and St. Gertrude (d. 1301) the devotion had two earnest adherents. A little earlier it had been included by St. Thomas Becket in the devotion to the joys and sorrows of Mary, by Blessed Hermann (d.1245), one of the first spiritual children of Saint Dominic, in his other devotions to Mary, and somewhat later it appeared in St. Bridget's "Book of Revelations". Johannes Tauler (d. 1361) beholds in Mary the model of a mystical, just as St. Ambrose perceived in her the model of a virginal soul. St. Bernardine of Siena (d.1444) was more absorbed in the contemplation of the virginal heart, and it is from him that the Church has borrowed the lessons of the Second Nocturn for the feast of the Heart of Mary. St. Francis de Salthis heart, the model of love for God, and dedicated to it his "Theotimus".

During this same period one finds occasional mention of devotional practices to the Heart of Mary, e.g. in the "Antidotarium" of Nicolas du Saussay (d.1488), in Julius II, and in the "Pharetra" of Lanspergius. In the second half of the sixteenth century and the first half of the seventeenth, ascetic authors dwelt upon this devotion at greater length. It was, however, reserved to Saint Jean Eudes (d. 1681) to propagate the devotion, to make it public, and to have a feast celebrated in honor of the Heart of Mary, first at Autumn in 1648 and afterwards in a number of French dioceses. He established several religious societies interested in upholding and promoting the devotion, of which his large book on the Coeur Admirable (Admirable Heart), published in 1681, resembles a summary. Jean Eudes' efforts to secure the approval of an Office and feast failed at Rome, but, notwithstanding this disappointment, the devotion to the Heart of Mary progressed. In 1699 Father Pinamonti (d. 1703) published in Italian a beautiful little work on the Holy Heart of Mary, and in 1725 Pere de Gallifet combined the cause of the Heart of Mary with that of the Heart of Jesus in order to obtain Rome's approbation of the two devotions and the institution of the two feasts. In 1729 his project was defeated, and in 1765 the two causes were separated, to assure the success of the principal one.

In 1799 Pius VI, then in captivity at Florence, granted the Bishop of Palermo the feast of the Most Pure Heart of Mary for some of the churches in his diocese. In 1805 Pius VII made a new concession, thanks to which the feast was soon widely observed. Such was the existing condition when a twofold movement, started in Paris, gave fresh impetus to the devotion. The two factors of this movement were first of all the revelation of the "miraculous medal" in 1830 and all the prodigies that followed, and then the establishment at Notre-Dame-des-Victoires of the Archconfraternity of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, Refuge of Sinners, which spread rapidly throughout the world and was the source of numberless alleged graces. On July 21, 1855, the Congregation of Rites finally approved the Office and Mass of the Most Pure Heart of Mary without, however, imposing them upon the Universal Church.

During the third apparition at Fatima, Portugal on July 13, 1917, the Blessed Virgin Mary said that "God wishes to establish in the world devotion to Her Immaculate Heart" in order to save souls from going into the fires of hell and to bring about world peace. She also asked for the consecration of Russia to Her Immaculate Heart. On March 25, 1984, Pope John Paul ll fulfilled Our Lady's request when he made the solemn act of consecration of the world and implicitly, Russia to the Immaculate Heart of Mary before the miraculous statue of Our Lady of Fatima brought to Saint Peter's Square in the Vatican for the momentous occasion. Sister Lucia, (then) the only surviving visionary of Fatima confirmed that the request of Our Lady for the consecration of Russia to the Immaculate Heart of Mary was accepted by Heaven and therefore, was fulfilled. Again on October 8, 2000, Pope John   

THE LITANY TO THE
IMMACULATE HEART OF MARY # 1.

[Composed by Venerable Cardinal John Henry Newman.]

 
 
 
 

SAINT JOSEPH

Spouse of the Blessed Virgin and Patron of the Universal Church.

 

ST. JOSEPH was by birth of the royal family of David, but was living in humble obscurity as a carpenter when God raised him to the highest sanctity, and fitted him to be the spouse of His Virgin Mother, and foster-father and guardian of the Incarnate Word. Joseph, says the Holy Scripture, was a just man; he was innocent and pure, as became the husband of Mary; he was gentle and tender, as one worthy to be named the father of Jesus; he was prudent and a lover of silence, as became the master of the holy house; above all, he was faithful and obedient to divine calls. His conversation was with angels rather than with men. When he learned that Mary bore within her womb the Lord of heaven, he feared to take her as his wife; but an angel bade him fear not, and all doubts vanished. When Herod sought the life of the divine Infant, an angel told Joseph in a dream to fly with the Child and His Mother into Egypt. Joseph at once arose and obeyed. This sudden and unexpected flight must have exposed Joseph to many inconveniences and sufferings in so long a journey with a little babe and a tender virgin, the greater part of the way being through deserts and among strangers; yet he alleges no excuses; nor inquires at what time they were to return. St. Chrysostom observes that God treats thus all His servants, sending them frequent trials to clear their hearts from the rust of self-love, but intermixing seasons of consolation. "Joseph," says he, "is anxious on seeing the Virgin with child; an angel removes that fear. He rejoices at the Child's birth, but a great fear succeeds: the furious king seeks to destroy the Child, and the whole city is in an uproar to take away His life. This is followed by another joy, the adoration of the Magi; a new sorrow then arises: he is ordered to fly into a foreign unknown country, without help or acquaintance." It is the opinion of the Fathers that upon their entering Egypt, at the presence of the child Jesus, all the oracles of that superstitious country were struck dumb, and the statues of their gods trembled and in many places fell to the ground. The Fathers also attribute to this holy visit the spiritual benediction poured on that country, which made it for many ages most fruitful in Saints. After the death of King Herod, of which St. Joseph was informed in another vision, God ordered him to return with the Child and His Mother into the land of Israel, which our Saint readily obeyed. But when he arrived in Judea, hearing that Archelaus had succeeded Herod in that part of the country, and apprehensive that he might be infected with his father's vices, he feared on that account to settle there, as he would otherwise probably have done for the education of the Child; and therefore, being directed by God in another vision, he retired into the dominions of Herod Antipas, in Galilee, to his former habitation in Nazareth. St. Joseph, being a strict observer of the Mosaic law, in conformity to its direction annually repaired to Jerusalem to celebrate the Passover. Our Saviour, now int the twelfth year of His age, accompanied His parents thither. Having performed the usual ceremonies of the feast,they were returning with many of their neighbors and acquaintance towards Galilee; and never doubting but that Jesus was with some of the company, they travelled on for a whole day's journey before they discovered that He was not with them. But when night came on and they could hear no tidings of Him among their kindred and acquaintance, they, in the deepest affliction, returned with the utmost speed to Jerusalem. After an anxious search of three days they found Him in the Temple, discoursing with the learned doctors of the law, and asking them such questions as raised the admiration of all that heard Him, and made them astonished at the ripeness of His understanding; nor were His parents less surprised on this occasion. When His Mother told Him with what grief and earnestness they had sought Him, and asked, "Son, why hast Thou thus dealt with us? Behold Thy Father and I sought Thee in great affliction of mind," she received for answer, "How is it that you sought Me? Did you not know that I must be about My Father's business?" But though thus staying in the Temple unknown to His parents, in all other things He was obedient to them, returning with them to Nazareth, and there living in all dutiful subjection to them. As no further mention is made of St. Joseph, he must have died before the marriage of Cana and the beginning of our divine Saviour's ministry. We cannot doubt that he had the happiness of Jesus and Mary attending at his death, praying by him, assisting and comforting him in his last moments; whence he is particularly invoked for the great grace of a happy death and the spiritual presence of Jesus in that hour.

 

Reflection.  -St. Joseph, the shadow of the Eternal Father upon earth, the protector of Jesus in His home at Nazareth, and a lover of all children for the sake of the Holy Child, should be the chosen guardian and pattern of every true Christian family.

[MENTION YOUR PRAYER REQUEST]
[Ask Saint Joseph to end all abortions world-wide and for the end of war in Ukraine]
[Mention your own prayer]
 
Lord, have mercy on us.
Christ, have mercy on us.

Lord, have mercy on us. Christ, hear us.
Christ, graciously hear us.

God the Father of Heaven,
Have mercy on us.

God the Son, Redeemer of the world,
Have mercy on us.

God the Holy Spirit,
Have mercy on us.

Holy Trinity, One God,
Have mercy on us.

Holy Mary, spouse of St. Joseph,
Pray for us.

Saint Joseph, confirmed in grace,
Pray for us.

Saint Joseph, guardian of the Word Incarnate,
Pray for us.

Saint Joseph, favorite of the King of Heaven,
Pray for us.

Saint Joseph, ruler of the family of Jesus,
Pray for us.

Saint Joseph, spouse of the ever-blessed Virgin,
Pray for us.

Saint Joseph, foster father to the Son of God,
Pray for us.

Saint Joseph, example of humility and obedience,
Pray for us.

Saint Joseph, mirror of silence and resignation,
Pray for us.

Saint Joseph, patron of innocence and youth,
Pray for us.

Saint Joseph, exited with Christ into Egypt,
Pray for us.

Saint Joseph, intercessor for the afflicted,
Pray for us.

Saint Joseph, advocate of the humble,
Pray for us.

Saint Joseph, model of every virtue,
Pray for us.

Saint Joseph, honored among men,
Pray for us.

Saint Joseph, in whom is the union of all Christian perfections,
Pray for us.

Lamb of God, Who takest away the sins of the world,
Spare us, O Lord.

Lamb of God, Who takest away the sins of the world,
Graciously hear us, O Lord.

Lamb of God, Who takest away the sins of the world,
Have mercy on us.

V. Pray for us, O holy Saint Joseph,
R. That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.

Let Us Pray.

Assist us, O Lord,
we beseech Thee,
by the merits of the spouse
of Thy most holy Mother,
that what our unworthiness cannot obtain,
may be given us by his intercession with Thee,
Who livest and reignest with God the Father
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, world without end.

Amen.

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


 

Our Lady of the Rosary, also known as Our Lady of the Most Holy Rosary, is a title of the Blessed Virgin Mary in relation to the Rosary. The Feast of Our Lady of the Rosary is on October 7, the anniversary of the decisive victory of the combined Christian fleet in 1571 at the Battle of Lepanto, defeating an Ottoman fleet off western Greece. It was formerly sometimes known as the Feast of Our Lady of Victory.

FROM CATHOLIC ENCYLOPEDIA:

Apart from the signal defeat of the Albigensian heretics at the battle of Muret in 1213 which legend has attributed to the recitation of the Rosary by St. Dominic, it is believed that Heaven has on many occasions rewarded the faith of those who had recourse to this devotion in times of special danger. More particularly, the naval victory of Lepanto gained by Don John of Austria over the Turkish fleet on the first Sunday of October in 1571 responded wonderfully to the processions made at Rome on that same day by the members of the Rosary confraternity. St. Pius V thereupon ordered that a commemoration of the Rosary should be made upon that day, and at the request of the Dominican Order Gregory XIII in 1573 allowed this feast to be kept in all churches which possessed an altar dedicated to the Holy Rosary. In 1671 the observance of this festival was extended by Clement X to the whole of Spain, and somewhat later Clement XI after the important victory over the Turks gained by Prince Eugene on 6 August, 1716 (the feast of our Lady of the Snows), at Peterwardein in Hungary, commanded the feast of the Rosary to be celebrated by the universal Church. A set of "proper" lessons in the second nocturn were conceded by Benedict XIII. Leo XIII has since raised the feast to the rank of a double of the second class and has added to the Litany of Loreto the invocation "Queen of the Most Holy Rosary". On this feast, in every church in which the Rosary confraternity has been duly erected, a plenary indulgence toties quoties is granted upon certain conditions to all who visit therein the Rosary chapel or statue of Our Lady. This has been called the "Portiuncula" of the Rosary.

 

THE FIFTEEN PROMISES OF MARY TO CHRISTIANS WHO RECITE THE ROSARY

These promises were given by the Blessed Mother to Saint Dominic and Blessed Alan.
 1. Whoever shall faithfully serve me by the recitation of the rosary, shall receive signal graces.

2. I promise my special protection and the greatest graces to all those who shall recite the rosary.

3. The rosary shall be a powerful armour against hell, it will destroy vice, decrease sin, and defeat heresies.

4. It will cause virtue and good works to flourish; it will obtain for souls the abundant mercy of God; it will withdraw the hearts of men from the love of the world and its vanities, and will lift them to the desire of eternal things. Oh, that souls would sanctify themselves by this means.

5. The soul which recommends itself to me by the recitation of the rosary, shall not perish.

6. Whoever shall recite the rosary devoutly, applying himself to the consideration of its sacred mysteries shall never be conquered by misfortune. God will not chastise him in His justice, he shall not perish by an unprovided death; if he be just he shall remain in the grace of God, and become worthy of eternal life.

7. Whoever shall have a true devotion for the rosary shall not die without the sacraments of the Church.

8. Those who are faithful to recite the rosary shall have during their life and at their death the light of God and the plentitude of His graces; at the moment of death they shall participate in the merits of the saints in paradise.

9. I shall deliver from purgatory those who have been devoted to the rosary.

10. The faithful children of the rosary shall merit a high degree of glory in heaven.

11. You shall obtain all you ask of me by the recitation of the rosary.

12. All those who propagate the holy rosary shall be aided by me in their necessities.

13. I have obtained from my Divine Son that all the advocates of the rosary shall have for intercessors the entire celestial court during their life and at the hour of death.

14. All who recite the rosary are my sons, and brothers of my only Son Jesus Christ.

15. Devotion of my rosary is a great sign of predestination.
 

HOW TO SAY THE ROSARY

 

LIVE ROSARY, RELEVANT RADIO AT 7 pm, Central Time, with Father Rocky

 

 

 
 
PRAYING FOR PREGNANT WOMEN AND THE UNBORN 
From the Book: DIARY: Divine Mercy in My Soul, the writings of Saint Maria Faustina

 Jesus on one occasion asked Saint Faustina to suffer for "the souls murdered in the wombs of wicked mothers."NOTEBOOK IV:  Section 1276:   September 16, 1937.  I wanted very much to make a Holy Hour before the Blessed Sacrament today, but God's will was otherwise.  At eight o'clock I was seized with such violent pains that (31) I had to go to bed at once.  I was convulsed with pain for three hours; that is, until eleven o'clock at night.  No medicine had any effect on me, and whatever I swallowed I threw up.  At times, the pains caused me to lose consciousness.  Jesus had me realize that in this way I took part in His Agony in the Garden, and that He himself allowed these sufferings in order to offer reparation to God for the souls murdered in the wombs of wicked mothers.  I have gone through these sufferings three times now.  They always start at eight o'clock in the evening and last until eleven.  No medicine can lessen these sufferings.  When eleven o'clock comes, they cease by themselves, and I fall asleep at that moment.  The following day, I feel very weak. This happened to me for the first time when I was at the sanatorium.  The doctors couldn't get to the bottom of it, and no injection or medicine helped me at all (32) nor did I myself have any idea of what the sufferings were about.  I told the doctor that never before in my life had I experienced such sufferings, and he declared he did not know what sort of pains they are.  But now I understand the nature of these pains, because the Lord himself as made this known to me... Yet when I think that I may perhaps suffer in this way again, I tremble.  But I don't know whether I'll ever again suffer in this way; I leave that to God.  What it pleases God to send, I will accept with submission and love.  If only I could save even one soul from murder by means of these sufferings! Section 1277:  On the day after these sufferings, I can sense the condition of souls and their disposition towards God; I am pervaded with true knowledge. **************** LITANY OF DIVINE MERCY


(SAY THIS PRAYER FOR UNBORN CHILDREN)
Divine Mercy, gushing forth from the bosom of the Father, I trust in You.
Divine Mercy, greatest attribute of GOD, I trust in You.
Divine Mercy, incomprehensible mystery, I trust in You.
Divine Mercy, fountain gushing forth from the mystery of the Most Blessed Trinity, I trust in You.
Divine Mercy, unfathomed by any intellect, human or angelic, I trust in You.
Divine Mercy, from which wells forth all life and happiness, I trust in You.
Divine Mercy, better than the heavens, I trust in You.
Divine Mercy, source of miracles and wonders, I trust in You.
Divine Mercy, encompassing the whole universe, I trust in You.
Divine Mercy, descending to earth in the Person of the Incarnate Word, I trust in You.
Divine Mercy, which flowed out from the open wound of the Heart of JESUS, I trust in You.
Divine Mercy, enclosed in the Heart of JESUS for us, and especially for sinners, I trust in You.
Divine Mercy, unfathomed in the institution of the Sacred Host, I trust in You.
Divine Mercy, in the founding of Holy Church, I trust in You.
Divine Mercy, in the Sacrament of Holy Baptism, I trust in You.
Divine Mercy, in our justification through JESUS CHRIST, I trust in You.
Divine Mercy, accompanying us through our whole life, I trust in You.
Divine Mercy, embracing us especially at the hour of death, I trust in You.
Divine Mercy, endowing us with immortal life, I trust in You.
Divine Mercy, accompanying us every moment of our life, I trust in You.
Divine Mercy, shielding us from the fire of hell, I trust in You.
Divine Mercy, in the conversion of hardened sinners, I trust in You.
Divine Mercy, astonishment for Angels, incomprehensible to Saints, I trust in You.
Divine Mercy, unfathomed in all the mysteries of GOD, I trust in You.
Divine Mercy, lifting us out of every misery, I trust in You.
Divine Mercy, source of our happiness and joy, I trust in You.
Divine Mercy, in calling us forth from nothingness to existence, I trust in You.
Divine Mercy, embracing all the works of His hands, I trust in You.
Divine Mercy, crown of all of god's handiwork, I trust in You.
Divine Mercy, in which we are all immersed, I trust in You.
Divine Mercy, sweet relief for anguished hearts, I trust in You.
Divine Mercy, only hope of despairing souls, I trust in You.
Divine Mercy, repose of hearts, peace amidst fear, I trust in You.
Divine Mercy, delight and ecstasy of holy souls, I trust in You.
Divine Mercy, inspiring hope against all hope, I trust in You.
 
 Eternal GOD, in whom mercy is endless and the treasury of compassion inexhaustible, look kindly upon us and increase Your mercy in us, that in difficult moments we might not despair nor become despondent, but with great confidence submit ourselves to Your holy will, which is Love and Mercy itself. Amen.

  
 
 
 
 
 
"Thou shalt not kill."
 
When people vote for a prochoice candidate because they want women to be to obtain abortions whenever they choose, they violate the fifth commandment and become accessories to the crime of murder.  Part of obeying the Fifth Commandment means to protect innocent life.
 
What is considered an accessory to murder?
A person who aids a murder offender before or after the crime is  referred to as an accessory to murder. They are never at the scene of the crime itself.
 
 
Article from National Catholic Register
Joseph Pronechen Joseph Pronechen is staff writer with the National Catholic Register-October 13, 2019
Sr. Lucia of Fatima revealed that Our Lady told her if the consecration had not been made by John Paul II, there would have been a nuclear war.
(photo: Alexander Antropov/Pixabay/CC0)
Joseph Pronechen Blogs
October 13, 2019
On Sept. 1, 1983, flying from Anchorage to Seoul, a Korean Air Lines Boeing 747 with 269 people on board strayed off its planned route and flew over an island that violated Soviet air space. Quickly, a Russian fighter plane shot down.
The outrageous action prompted five Western European countries including Great Britain and Germany to okay accepting United States medium-range missiles beginning in November of that year.
With their military advantage rapidly shrinking, the Soviets were readying for war.
Then 205 days later, On March 25, 1984, St. John Paul II consecrated the world to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. He invited all the bishops in the world to join him for this ceremony closing the Holy Year of Redemption. He did the consecration at St. Peter’s in Rome as he knelt before the statue of Our Lady of Fatima brought there from Fatima.
Less than two months later in 1984, on May 13, the 67th anniversary of the first apparition of Fatima, catastrophe hit the Russia fleet at the Severomorsk naval base located near Finland on the Barents Sea.
A fire, believed caused by a cigarette, turned catastrophic. Like a spark in a huge fireworks factory, it triggered the explosion of a huge stockpile of missiles.
Of 900 anti-aircraft missiles, 580 were destroyed. Of 400 surface-to-surface missiles able to carry nuclear warheads, 320 were obliterated. Upwards of 300 military personnel died.
It devastated the Soviet Union’s Northern Fleet.
Years later, Sr. Lucia wrote: “Everyone knows perfectly well that we went through one of the most critical moments in human history, when the great, mutually hostile powers planned a nuclear war that would have destroyed the world, if not the whole world, then the greater part of it. And what would have remained? What chances of survival? And who could have dissuaded those arrogant people, surrounded by their war plans…? Who, if not God.”
Grzegorz Gorny and Janusz Rosikon record this in Fatima Mysteries.
The following year, 1985, during an apparition in her convent, Sr. Lucia would reveal that Our Lady told her if that consecration had not been made by John Paul II, there would have been a nuclear war. Because of the consecration this didn’t happen. There was an undeniable link between it and the m
Sr. Lucia would later tell this to Cardinals Antony Padiyara of India and Ricardo Vidal of the Philippines when they visited her in her convent.
A Preview in 1983?
A year earlier, there was also a major near-miss of nuclear war between Russia and the United States. Surely Our Lady of Fatima must have had a hand in preventing this horrendous possibility in 1983 because the year before, on May 13, 1982, in Fatima, John Paul II also made that Act of Entrustment of the world but it didn’t completely fulfill the requests of Our Lady because it wasn’t done in union with all the bishops in the world. He intended to do it that way, but the letters informing the bishops were sent too late. They result? They were unable to join him that time.
This event appeared to reflect what happened in 1942 during World War II. On Oct. 31 that year, Venerable Pius XII consecrated the world and Russia to the Immaculate Heart of Mary as Our Lady of Fatima had requested. But the consecration wasn’t done in union with all the bishops of the world either. It was a critical time in the war as the enemy was making major advances. Yet Sr. Lucia would say Our Lord showed his “delight” even though the consecration was incomplete and promised an end soon to the war. Shortly after, the tide turned as the Allies began to win key battles.
Similarly, John Paul II’s 1982 entrustment, even without all the bishops of the world, must have had the same effect when we consider what could have happened during that 1983 event to follow.
A year earlier, there was also a major near-miss of nuclear war between Russia and the United States. Surely Our Lady of Fatima must have had a hand in preventing this horrendous possibility in 1983 because the year before, on May 13, 1982, in Fatima, John Paul II also made that Act of Entrustment of the world but it didn’t completely fulfill the requests of Our Lady because it wasn’t done in union with all the bishops in the world. He intended to do it that way, but the letters informing the bishops were sent too late. They result? They were unable to join him that time.
This event appeared to reflect what happened in 196 he was brought to New York for an award from the Association of World Citizens and in 2013 given the Dresden peace prize.
But on May 19, 2017 when he died at age 77 from pneumonia in his small town, nobody knew until four months later when a foreign journalist started inquiring about him.
There is one piece of the story that has rarely been mentioned. And it surely seems to reflect indirectly on what Sr. Lucia said she was told in 1985.
We know the Soviets were atheists. Of course that included the military. But we have to wonder if that applied to Stanislav Petrov when we look at what he said in 2004 during an interview with Christian Science Monitor. He affirmed, “I wish I could say there is no chance of [an accidental nuclear launch today]. But when we deal with space — when we [play] God — who knows what will be the next surprise?”
Our Lady of Fatima had the answer and directions. It’s up to mankind to stop playing God and follow them.

 
 
 
GRACES DERIVED FROM GOING TO MASS


 Note:  In the Catholic Church, "assisting at Mass" means actively participating in and worshipping at the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, rather than just passively attending. It involves being spiritually, emotionally, and physically present, and engaging with the liturgy through attentive listening, responses, singing, and offering oneself to God through Christ.

1. The Mass is Calvary continued.
2. Every Mass is worth as much as the sacrifice of our Lord's life, sufferings and death.
3. Holy Mass is the most powerful atonement for your sins.
4. At the hour of death the Masses you have heard will be your greatest consolation.
5. Every Mass will go with you to judgment and plead for pardon.
6. At Mass you can diminish more or less temporal punishment due to your sins, according to your fervor.
7. Assisting devoutly at Holy Mass you render to the sacred humanity of Our Lord the greatest homage.
8. He supplies for many of your negligences and omissions.
9. He forgives the venial sins which you have not confessed. The power of Satan over you is diminished.
10. You afford the souls in Purgatory the greatest possible relief.
11. One Mass heard during life will be of more benefit to you than many heard for you after your death.
12. You are preserved from dangers and misfortunes which otherwise might have befallen you. You shorten your Purgatory.
13. Every Mass wins for you a higher degree of glory in Heaven.
14. You receive the priest's blessing which Our Lord ratifies in Heaven.
15. You kneel amidst a multitude of holy angels, who are present at the adorable Sacrifice with reverential awe.
16. You are blessed in your temporal goods and affairs.
In eternity, we shall fully realize that it was certainly worthwhile to have assisted at Holy Mass daily. PRAY FOR PRIESTS THAT THEY MAY OFFER THE MASS WITH HOLY LOVE AND REVERENCE.

"WHY Should I Go To Mass Every Day?"
"The Mass is the most perfect form of prayer!"
For each Mass we hear with devotion, Our Lord sends a saint to comfort us at death. (revelation of Christ to St. Gertrude the great).
Padre Pio, the stigmatic priest, said, the world could exist more easily without the sun than without the Mass.
The Cure'd' Ars, St. Jean Vianney said, if we knew the value of the Mass we would die of joy.
A great doctor of the Church, St. Anselm, declares that a single Mass offered for oneself during life may be worth more than a thousand celebrated for the same intention after death. St. Leonard of Port Maurice supports this statement by saying that one Mass before death may be more profitable than many after it.
"The Holy Mass would be of greater profit if people had it offered in their lifetime, rather than having it celebrated for the relief of their souls after death." (Pope Benedict XV).
Once, St. Teresa was overwhelmed with God's Goodness and asked Our Lord, "How can I thank you?" Our Lord replied, "ATTEND ONE MASS".

 

 
Litany of Our Lady of Victory
Lord, have mercy on us.
Christ, have mercy on us.
Lord, have mercy on us.
Christ, hear us.
Christ, graciously hear us.
God, the Father of Heaven,
Have mercy on us.
God, the Son, Redeemer of the World,
Have mercy on us.
God, the Holy Ghost,
Have mercy on us.
Holy Trinity, one God,
Have mercy on us.
Our Lady of Victory,
Pray for us.
Triumphant Daughter of the Father,
Pray for us.
Triumphant Mother of the Son,
Pray for us.
Triumphant Spouse of the Holy Ghost,
Pray for us.
Triumphant Choice of the Most Holy Trinity,
Pray for us.
Triumphant in Thy Immaculate Conception,
Pray for us.
Triumphant in Crushing the Head of the Serpent,
Pray for us.
Triumphant Over All the Children of Adam,
Pray for us.
Triumphant Over All Our Enemies,
Pray for us.
Triumphant in the Embassy of the Angel Gabriel,
Pray for us.
Triumphant in Thy Espousal to St. Joseph,
Pray for us.
Triumphant at the Scene of Bethlehem,
Pray for us.
Triumphant in Thy Flight Into Egypt,
Pray for us.
Triumphant in Thy Exile,
Pray for us.
Triumphant in Thy Humble Dwelling at Nazareth,
Pray for us.
Triumphant in Finding Thy Divine Child in the Temple,
Pray for us.
Triumphant in the Earthly Life of Our Lord,
Pray for us.
Triumphant in His Passion and Death,
Pray for us.
Triumphant in the Resurrection,
Pray for us.
Triumphant in the Ascension,
Pray for us.
Triumphant in the Descent of the Holy Ghost,
Pray for us.
Triumphant in Thy Sorrows,
Pray for us.
Triumphant in Thy Joys,
Pray for us.
Triumphant in Thy Entrance into the Heavenly Jerusalem,
Pray for us.
Triumphant in the Angels Who Remained Faithful,
Pray for us.
Triumphant in the Felicity of the Blessed,
Pray for us.
Triumphant in the Graces of the Just,
Pray for us.
Triumphant in the Announcement of the Prophets,
Pray for us.
Triumphant in the Desires of the Patriarchs,
Pray for us.
Triumphant in the Zeal of the Apostles,
Pray for us.
Triumphant in the Light of the Evangelists,
Pray for us.
Triumphant in the Wisdom of the Doctors,
Pray for us.
Triumphant in the Crowns of the Confessors,
Pray for us.
Triumphant in the Purity of the Numerous Bands of Virgins,
Pray for us.
Triumphant in the Triumph of the Martyrs,
Pray for us.
Triumphant in Thy All-Powerful Intercession,
Pray for us.
Triumphant under Thy Many Titles,
Pray for us.
Triumphant at the Hour of Our Death,
Pray for us.
Lamb of God, Who taketh away the sins of the world, 
Spare us, O Lord.
Lamb of God, Who taketh away the sins of the world, 
Graciously hear us, O Lord.
Lamb of God, Who taketh away the sins of the world, 
Have mercy on us, Lord.
V. Pray for us, O Blessed Lady of Victory! 
R. That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ. 
Let Us Pray.

 
O Victorious Lady! Thou who has ever such powerful influence with Thy Divine Son, in conquering the hardest of hearts, intercede for those for whom we pray, that their hearts being softened by the rays of Divine Grace, they may return to the unity of the true Faith, through Christ, our Lord. Amen

 

 

Memorare
Remember, O most gracious Virgin Mary,
that never was it known that anyone who,
fled to Thy protection, 
implored Thy help, 
and sought Thy intercession, 
was left unaided. 
Inspired with this confidence, 
I fly unto Thee, O Virgin of virgins, my Mother. 
To Thee I come; before Thee I stand, sinful and sorrowful. 
O Mother of the Word Incarnate! despise not my petitions, 
but in Thy mercy hear and answer me. Amen. 

 

 
 
 
NEED A PRAYER ANSWERED, NEED A MIRACLE, PRAY THE DIVINE MERCY CHAPLET
From the DIARY, DIVINE MERCY IN MY SOUL, BY Saint Maria Faustina Kowalska.
NOTEBOOK III, Section 1128:
"May 22, 1937. The heat is so intense today that it is difficult to bear.  We are all thirsting for rain, and still it does not come.  For several days the sky has been overcast, but there is not rain.  When I looked at (35) the plants, thirsting for the rain, I was moved with pity, and I decided to say the chaplet until the Lord would send us rain.  Before supper, the sky covered over with clouds, and a heavy rain fell on the earth.  I had been saying this prayer without interruption for three hours.  And the Lord let me know that everything can be obtained by means of this prayer." 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  

Whoever will recite it will receive great mercy – Jesus

Pray the Divine Mercy Chaplet with thousands of Catholics at Relevant Radio, the Drew Mariani Show, at 4pm Eastern Time, for Spiritual help and healing of sickness and the end of abortion:
 
The Chaplet of Divine Mercy is a prayer of intercession prayed on ordinary rosary beads in as little as ten minutes, yet its prayerful recitation comes with a plethora of graces and promises.  Jesus instructed Saint Faustina,
My daughter, encourage souls to say the chaplet which I have given you.  It pleases Me to grant everything they ask of Me by saying the chaplet. (Diary, 1541)
If the Lord is saying “It pleases Me to grant everything they ask of Me by saying the chaplet,” shouldn’t we take every opportunity to recite this prayer with intentions for our country, our neighbors, our world?
As are many of us today, St. Faustina was greatly concerned for all mankind.  Her lamentations then sound remarkably familiar to what one might hear today.  She records in Diary passage 929:
When I had rested near His sweetest Heart, I told Him, “Jesus, I have so much to tell You.”  And the Lord said to me with great love, “Speak, My daughter.”  And I started to enumerate the pains of my heart; that is, how greatly concerned I am for all mankind, that “they all do not know You, and those who do know You do not love You as You deserve to be loved.  I also see how terribly sinners offend You; and then again, I see how severely the faithful, especially Your servants, are oppressed and persecuted.  And then, too, I see many souls rushing headlong into the terrible abyss of hell.  You see, Jesus, this is the pain that gnaws at my heart and bones.  And, although You show me special love and inundate my heart with streams of Your joys, nevertheless, this does not appease the sufferings I have just mentioned, but rather they penetrate my poor heart all the more acutely.  Oh, how ardently I desire that all mankind turn with trust to Your mercy.  Then, seeing the glory of Your name, my heart will be comforted.”
How kindly and tenderly Jesus deals with her outpourings.  What a consolation for us who share St. Faustina’s heart.  St. Faustina continues:
Jesus listened to these outpourings of my heart with gravity and interest, as if He had known nothing about them, and this seemed to make it easier for me to talk.  And the Lord said to me, My daughter, those words of your heart are pleasing to Me, and by saying the chaplet you are bringing humankind closer to Me.  After these words, I found myself alone, but the presence of God is always in my soul.
The Lord asked St. Faustina to pray the chaplet for many causes as outlined below.  Let us pray the Chaplet of Mercy as often as possible for all the things St. Faustina prayed for and more.  Seek her intercession.  Ask her to pray each chaplet with you thankful for the goodness and generosity of the Lord.

Promises of the Chaplet for all Things

I desire to grant unimaginable graces to those souls who trust in My mercy.  (687)
My daughter, encourage souls to say the chaplet which I have given to you.  It pleases Me to grant everything they ask of Me by saying the chaplet.  (1541)

Promises of the Chaplet to Appease God’s Anger

This prayer will serve to appease My wrath.  (476)
When this chaplet is said by the bedside of a dying person, God’s anger is placated.  (811)
This chaplet mitigates God’s anger, as He Himself told me.  (1036)
It [the chaplet] appeases the anger of God.  (1565)

Promises of the Chaplet for Sinners

Priests will recommend it to sinners as their last hope of salvation.  Even if there were a sinner most hardened, if he were to recite this chaplet only once, he would receive grace from My infinite mercy.  (687)
When hardened sinners say it, I will fill their souls with peace, and the hour of their death will be a happy one.  (1541)

Promises of the Chaplet for Storms

Today I was awakened by a great storm.  The wind was raging, and it was raining in torrents, thunderbolts striking again and again.  I began to pray that the storm would do no harm, when I heard the words:  Say the chaplet I have taught you, and the storm will cease.  I began immediately to say the chaplet and hadn’t even finished it when the storm suddenly ceased, and I heard the words:  Through the chaplet you will obtain everything, if what you ask for is compatible with My will.  (1731)
When a great storm was approaching, I began to say the chaplet.  Suddenly I heard the voice of an angel:  “I cannot approach in this storm, because the light which comes from her mouth drives back both me and the storm.”  Such was the angel’s complaint to God.  I then recognized how much havoc he was to have made through this storm; but I also recognized that this prayer was pleasing to God, and that this chaplet was most powerful.  (1791)

Promises of the Chaplet for the Faithful

The souls that say this chaplet will be embraced by My mercy during their lifetime and especially at the hour of their death.  (754)
While I was saying the chaplet, I heard a voice which said, Oh, what great graces I will grant to souls who say this chaplet; the very depths of My tender mercy are stirred for the sake of those who say the chaplet.  O what a great multitude of souls I see!  They worshiped the Divine Mercy and will be singing the hymn of praise for all eternity.  (848)

Promises of the Chaplet for the Dying

I realize more and more how much every soul needs God’s mercy throughout life and particularly at the hour of death.  This chaplet mitigates God’s anger, as He Himself told me.  (1036)
At the hour of their death, I defend as My own glory every soul that will say this chaplet; or when others say it for a dying person, the pardon is the same.  When this chaplet is said by the bedside of a dying person, God’s anger is placated, unfathomable mercy envelops the soul, and the very depths of My tender mercy are moved for the sake of the sorrowful Passion of My Son.  (811)
 
 
 
 
 
 
Stations of the Cross, Promises
THE PROMISES MADE BY OUR LORD TO THOSE WHO HAVE DEVOTION TO THE WAY OF THE CROSS.~Jesus to Brother Estanislao


 I promise eternal life to those who pray, from time to time, the Way of the Cross.

 I promise them my greatest graces.

 I will deliver the faithful from purgatory on the first Tuesday or Friday after their death.

 I promise them a special glory in Heaven.

 I will grant them everything they ask through praying the Way of the Cross with faith.

 I will grant them the remission of all their sins, even if they be as scarlet; if they be more than the grains of sand on the seashore and the stars in the heavens, all of them will be erased by the Way of the Cross.

 I will preserve them from sudden death.

 I promise them my special protection; my hands will always be open to protect them.

 I will bless them at each Way of the Cross and my blessing will follow them everywhere on earth, and after their death, in Heaven for all eternity.

 They will be assured of being joined to the Supreme Choir Of Angels.

 I will give them the grace never again to commit a mortal sin for I will give them the grace never again to separate themselves from me.

 I will lift all power from the devil at the hour of death that they may repose tranquilly in my arms

 I will make of each one of them a living ciborium in which it will please me to pour my graces

 I will give them a special drought from the fountain of My Deity.

 As I am nailed to the cross, so also will I always be with those who honour me in making the Way Of The Cross frequently.


BROTHER ESTANISLOA

Brother Estanisloa was born in 1903. At an early age, he entered the Christian schools of charity in Bugedo, Spain. Here he took vows of regularity, perfection and pure love. In October 1926 he offered himself to Jesus through Mary. Soon after this heroic donation he fell ill and was obliged to rest. He died in the odor of sanctity in March, 1927 of tuberculosis. According to the master of novices he was a privileged soul who received messages from heaven. Confessors and theologians recognize these supernatural facts. His spiritual director asked him to write down the promises made by Our Lord to those who have devotion to the Way of the Cross as written here.


Best Time to Pray the Stations is on Friday at 3pm if possible as Jesus told St. Faustina,

At three o'clock, implore My mercy, especially for sinners; and, if only for a brief moment, immerse yourself in My Passion, particularly in My abandonment at the moment of agony. This is the hour of great mercy. ... In this hour I will refuse nothing to the soul that makes a request of Me in virtue of My Passion (Diary,1320).

As often as you hear the clock strike the third hour, immerse yourself completely in My mercy, adoring and glorifying it; invoke its omnipotence for the whole world, and particularly for poor sinners; for at that moment mercy was opened wide for every soul. In this hour you can obtain everything for yourself and for others for the asking; it was the hour of grace for the whole world — mercy triumphed over justice. ...

My daughter, try your best to make the Stations of the Cross in this hour, provided that your duties permit it; and if you are not able to make the Stations of the Cross, then at least step into the chapel for a moment and adore, in the Most Blessed Sacrament, My Heart, which is full of mercy; and should you be unable to step into chapel, immerse yourself in prayer there where you happen to be, if only for a very brief instant (1572). 
STATIONS OF THE CROSS, written by Saint Francis of Assisi
 

 
 
Saint Francis of Sales Bishop and Prince of Geneva
 
SAINT FRANCIS DE SALES
Feast Day: January 24th
(1567-1622)
Bishop of Geneva, Switzerland and a Doctor of the Church
 FRANCIS was born of noble and pious parents, near Annecy, A.D. 1567, and studied with brilliant success at Paris and Padua. On his return from Italy he gave up the grand Career which his father had marked out for him in the service of the State, and became a priest. He studied at Annecy, Paris, France and Padua, Italy.  He received a doctorate in law at the age of twenty-four. He was ordained a priest in 1593. When the Duke of Savoy had resolved to restore the Church in the Chablais, Francis offered himself for the work, and set out on foot with his Bible and breviary and one companion, his cousin Louis of Sales. It was a work of toil, privation, and danger. Every door and every heart were closed against him. He was rejected with insult and threatened with death. But nothing could daunt or resist him, and ere long the Church burst forth into a second spring. It is stated that he converted 72,000 Calvinists. He was then compelled by the Pope to become Coadjutor Bishop of Geneva, and succeeded the see A.D. 1602. At times the exceeding gentleness with which he received heretics and sinners almost scandalized his ends, and one of them said to him, " Francis of Sales will go to Paradise, of course; but I am not so sure of the Bishop of Geneva: I am almost afraid his gentleness will play him a shrewd turn."  "Ah," said the saint, " I would rather account to God for too great gentleness than for too great severity. Is not God all love? God the Father is the Father of mercy; God the Son is a Lamb; God the Holy Ghost is a Dove, that is, gentleness itself. And are you wiser than God ?"   He became an outstanding confessor and spiritual director and spiritually guided Blessed Marie Acarie and St. Jane Francis de Chantal.  He founded several schools.  He was gifted in spiritual writing and wrote the spiritual classics:  Introduction to the Devout Life and the Treatise on the Love of God.  In union with St: Jane Frances of Chantal he founded at Annecy the Order of the Visitation, which soon spread over Europe. Though poor, he refused provisions and dignities, and even the great see of Paris.  He died at Avignon, A.D. 1622. He was canonized in 1653 and declared a Doctor of the Church in 1877.
REFLECTION.-"You will catch more flies," St. Francis used to say, " with a spoonful of honey than with a hundred barrels of vinegar. Were there any thing better or fairer on earth than gentleness, Jesus Christ would have taught it us ; and yet he has given us only two lessons to learn of him—meekness and humility of heart."
 
 
Excerpt from Saint Francis de Sales' book, Introduction to the Devout Life:
CHAPTER XVII.
NINTH MEDITATION.
On the Choice upon to you between Heaven and Hell.
Preparation.
1. PLACE yourself in the Presence of God. 2. Humble yourself before Him, and ask His inspiration.
Considerations.
1. Imagine yourself alone with your good angel (46) in an open plain, as was Tobit on his way to Rages. Suppose the Angel to set before you Paradise, full of delights and joys; and on the other hand Hell, with all its torments. Contemplate both, kneeling in imagination before your guardian Angel. Consider that you are most truly standing between Hell and Paradise, and that both the one and the other are open to receive you, according to your own choice.
2. Consider that the choice you make in this life will last for ever in the next.
3. Consider too, that while both are open to receive you according to your choice, yet God, Who is prepared to give the one by reason of His Justice, the other by reason of His Mercy, all the while desires unspeakably that you should select Paradise; and your good Angel is urging you with all his might to do so, offering you countless graces on God's part, countless helps to attain to it.
4. Consider that Jesus Christ, enthroned in Heaven, looks down upon you in loving invitation: "O beloved one, come unto Me, and joy for ever in the eternal blessedness of My Love!" Behold His mother yearning over you with maternal tenderness--" Courage, my child, do not despise the Goodness of my Son, or my earnest prayers for thy salvation." Behold the Saints, who have left you their example, the (47) millions of holy souls who long after you, desiring earnestly that you may one day be for ever joined to them in their song of praise, urging upon you that the road to Heaven is not so hard to find as the world would have you think. "Press on boldly, dear friend,"--they cry. "Whoso will ponder well the path by which we came hither, will discover that we attained to these present delights by sweeter joys than any this world can give."
The Choice.
1. O Hell, I abhor thee now and for ever; I abhor thy griefs and torments, thine endless misery, the unceasing blasphemies and maledictions which thou pourest out upon my God;--and turning to thee, O blessed Paradise, eternal glory, unfading happiness, I choose thee for ever as my abode, thy glorious mansions, thy precious and abiding tabernacles. O my God, I bless Thy Mercy which gives me the power to choose--O Jesus, Saviour, I accept Thine Eternal Love, and praise Thee for the promise Thou hast given me of a place prepared for me in that blessed New Jerusalem, where I shall love and bless Thee for ever.
2. Dwell lovingly upon the example set before you by the Blessed Virgin and the Saints, and strive to follow where they point you. Give (48) yourself up to your guardian Angel, that he may be your guide, and gird up your courage anew to make this choice.
 
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"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
 
 
FEAST DAY:  OCTOBER 19TH
PETER, while still a youth, left his home at Alcantara in Spain, and entered a convent of Discalced Franciscans. He rose quickly to high posts in the Order, but his thirst for penance was still unappeased, and in 1539, being then forty years old, he founded the first convent of the "Strict Observance." The cells of the friars resembled graves rather than dwelling-places. That of St. Peter himself was four feet and a half in length, so that he could never lie down ; he ate but once in three days; his sackcloth habit and a cloak were his only garments, and he never covered his head or feet. In the bitter winter he would open the door and window of his cell that, by closing them again, he might experience some sensation of warmth. Amongst those whom he trained to perfection was St. Teresa. He read her soul, approved of her spirit of prayer, and strengthened her to carry out her reforms. St. Peter died, with great joy, kneeling in prayer, October 18th, 1562, at the age of sixty-three.

REFLECTION.-If men do not go about barefoot now, nor under-go sharp penances, as St. Peter did, there are many ways of trampling on the world; and our Lord teaches them when He finds the necessary courage.

MORE ON SAINT PETER FROM
BUTLER'S LIVES OF THE SAINTS
 
INTERCESSORY PRAYER:  Saint Teresa of Avila said concerning Saint Peter of Alcantara that, "The Lord once told me that no one should ask Him for anything in his name and not be heard."
Saint Peter of Alcantara, please pray for us today [state your prayer request.]
 
 
 
POPE LEO PRAYER INTENTIONS FOR 2026
THE HOLY FATHER’S PRAYER INTENTIONS

JANUARY 2026
For prayer with the Word of God.
Let us pray that praying with the Word of God be nourishment for our lives and a source of hope in our communities, helping us to build a more fraternal and missionary Church.

FEBRUARY 2026
For children with incurable diseases.
Let us pray that children suffering from incurable diseases and their families receive the necessary medical care and support, never losing strength and hope.

MARCH 2026
For disarmament and peace.
Let us pray that nations move toward effective disarmament, particularly nuclear disarmament, and that world leaders choose the path of dialogue and diplomacy instead of violence.

APRIL 2026
For priests in crisis.
Let us pray for priests going through moments of crisis in their vocation, that they may find the accompaniment they need and that communities may support them with understanding and prayer.

MAY 2026
That everyone might have food.
Let us pray that everyone, from large producers to small consumers, be committed to avoid wasting food, and to ensure that everyone has access to quality food.

JUNE 2026
For the values of sports.
Let us pray that sports be an instrument of peace, encounter, and dialogue among cultures and nations, and that they promote values such as respect, solidarity, and personal growth.

JULY 2026
For respect for human life.
Let us pray for the respect and protection of human life in all its stages, recognizing it as a gift from God.

AUGUST 2026
For evangelization in the city.
Let us pray that in large cities often marked by anonymity and loneliness we find new ways to proclaim the Gospel, discovering creative paths to build community.

SEPTEMBER 2026
For the care of water.
Let us pray for a just and sustainable management of water, a vital resource, so that everyone may have equal access to it.

OCTOBER 2026
For mental health ministry.
Let us pray that the mental health ministry be established throughout the Church, helping to overcome the stigma and discrimination of persons with mental illnesses.

NOVEMBER 2026
For the proper use of wealth.
Let us pray for the proper use of wealth, that not succumbing to the temptation of selfishness, it may always be put at the service the common good and solidarity of those who have less.

DECEMBER 2026
For single-parent families.
Let us pray for families experiencing the absence of a mother or father, that they may find support and accompaniment in the Church, and help and strength in the Faith during difficult times.

 
 
 
OUR LADY OF GOOD REMEDY

PRAYER
Queen of Heaven and earth,
most Holy Virgin,
we venerate thee.
Thou art the beloved daughter
of the Most High God,
the chosen mother of the
Incarnate Word,
the immaculate spouse of
the Holy Spirit,
the sacred vessel of the
 Most Holy Trinity.
O Mother of the Divine Redeemer,
who under the title of
Our Lady of Good Remedy
comes to the aid of all
who call upon thee,
extend thy maternal protection to us.
We depend on thee,
dear Mother,
as helpless and needy children
depend on a tender and caring mother.

Pray the Hail Mary...


O Lady of Good Remedy,
source of unfailing help,
grant that we may draw
from thy treasury of graces
in our time of need.
Touch the hearts of sinners,
that they may seek
reconciliation and forgiveness.
Bring comfort to
the afflicted and the lonely;
help the poor and the hopeless;
aid the sick and the suffering.
May they be healed in body
and strengthened in spirit
to endure their sufferings
with patient resignation
and Christian fortitude.

Pray the Hail Mary...


Dear Lady of Good Remedy,
source of unfailing help,
thy compassionate heart knows a remedy
for every affliction and misery
we encounter in life.
Help me with thy prayers and intercession
to find a remedy for my problems and needs,
especially for...

(Mention your personal intention)


On my part,
O loving Mother,
I pledge myself to a more intensely Christian lifestyle,
to a more careful observance of the laws of God,
to be more conscientious
in fulfilling the obligations of my state in life,
and to strive to be a source of healing
in this broken world of ours.

Dear Lady of Good Remedy,
be ever present to me,
and through thy intercession,
may I enjoy health of body and peace of mind,
and grow stronger in the faith
and in the love of thy Son, Jesus.

Pray the Hail Mary...


V. Pray for us, O Holy Mother of Good Remedy,
R. That we may deepen our dedication to thy Son,
and make the world alive with His Spirit.

 

 

 

 
Unfailing Novena To The Virgin Mary Untier of Knots

 Prayer to Mary, Undoer of Knots
Virgin Mary, Mother of fair love, Mother who never refuses to come to the aid of a child in need, Mother whose hands never cease to serve your beloved children because they are moved by the divine love and immense mercy that exists in your heart, cast your compassionate eyes upon me and see the snarl of knots that exist in my life. You know very well how desperate I am, my pain, and how I am bound by these knots. Mary, Mother to whom God entrusted the undoing of the knots in the lives of his children, I entrust into your hands the ribbon of my life. No one, not even the Evil One himself, can take it away from your precious care. In your hands there is no knot that cannot be undone. Powerful Mother, by your grace and intercessory power with Your Son and My Liberator, Jesus, take into your hands today this knot.[Mention your request here]I beg you to undo it for the glory of God, once for all. You are my hope. O my Lady, you are the only consolation God gives me, the fortification of my feeble strength, the enrichment of my destitution, and, with Christ, the freedom from my chains. Hear my plea. Keep me, guide me, protect me, o safe refuge!
Mary, Undoer of Knots, pray for me.