Pray with me this day:
St. Gertrude’s Prayer of Petition (Based on promises given to her by Our Lord.)
O most sweet Lord Jesus Christ, I praise, extol, and bless Thee, in union with that heavenly praise which the Divine persons of the Holy Trinity mutually render to each other, and which thence flows down upon Thy sacred humanity, upon the Blessed Virgin Mary, and upon all the angels and saints. And I give Thee thanks for all the graces Thou didst lavish upon Thy beloved spouse St. Gertrude. I thank Thee especially for that ineffable love where with Thou didst pre-elect from all eternity, didst enrich her so highly, didst draw her so sweetly to thyself by the strongest bonds of love, didst unite her so blissfully to thyself, dwell with such delight in her heart, and crown her life with so blessed an end. I recall to Thee now, O most compassionate Jesus, the promise Thou didst make to thy beloved spouse, that Thou would most assuredly grant the prayers of all who come to Thee through her merits and intercession, in all matters concerning their salvation. I beseech Thee by the most tender love, grant me the grace ________________ which I confidently expect. Amen
Art appeals to the heart on a level that challenges complacency and awakens awe. Hidden in His humility, He in proclaimed by those whose hearts beat with His, and are thus moved to reveal Him in their God- inspired creativity.
In speaking of Evangelization, Cardinal Arinze said:
“It is one thing to impose our Faith. It is quite another matter to propose our Faith. The first we should not do. The second, we should do. That is we should propose our Faith. Our Faith is not a black market article. It is not a contraband good. It is not a forbidden atticle. It is not poison. It is the best news on earth. It is good news. Indeed, the word ‘evangelium’, ‘gospel’, is ‘good news’. So why keep all the good news for yourself? You really believe that Jeaus Christ saved all of us? You really believe that He inaugurated the Kingdom of God and you don’t want to share it with anybody?! You want to go to Heaven, just you,yourself, alone! Certainly not! ….We are going to aim at nothing short of sharing the good news of Jesus Christ with as many people as would be willing to accept it. We impose it on nobody, but we propose it because it’s good news. It’s good news! ”
Sent from my iPod
From the Life of Saint Casimir written by a contemporary
By fulfilling the commands of the Most High he stored up treasure for himself
By the power of the Holy Spirit, Casimir burned with a sincere and unpretentious love for almighty God that was almost unbelievable in its strength. So rich was his love and so abundantly did it fill his heart, that it flowed out from his inner spirit toward his fellow men. As a result nothing was more pleasant, nothing more desirable for him, than to share his belongings, and even to dedicate and give his entire self to Christ’s poor, to strangers, to the sick, to those in captivity and to all who suffer. To widows, orphans and the afflicted, he was not only a guardian and patron but a father, son and brother. One would have to compose a long account to record here all his works of love and dedication for God and for mankind. Indeed, it is difficult to imagine or to express his passion for justice, his exercise of moderation, his gift of prudence, his fundamental spiritual courage and stability, especially in in a most permissive age, when men tended to be headstrong and by their very natures inclined to sin.
Daily he urged his father to practice justice throughout his kingdom and in the governance of his people; and whenever anything in the country had been overlooked because of human weakness or simple neglect, he never failed to point it out quietly to the king.
He actively took up the cause of the needy and unfortunate and embraced it as his own; for this reason the people called him the patron of the poor. Though the son of a king and descendant of a noble line, he was never unapproachable in his conversation or dealings with anyone, no matter how humble or obscure.
He always preferred to be counted among the meek and poor of spirit, among those who are promised the kingdom of heaven, rather than among the famous and powerful men of this world. He had no ambition for the power that lies in human rank and he would never accept it from his father. He was afraid the barbs of wealth, which our Lord Jesus Christ spoke of as thorns, would wound his soul, or that he would be contaminated by contact with worldly goods.
Many who acted as his personal servants or secretaries are still alive today; these men, of the highest integrity, who had personal knowledge of his private life, testify that he preserved his chastity to the very end of his life.
A young woman called into Immaculate Heart Radio,hesitantly asking the host, how to return to the Catholic Church. She had stopped going to church after the sixth grade in Catholic school. The caller described her life as, “let’s say a miserable life.” She had been thinking a lot about returning to the Church but had no idea how to proceed. The woman had had an abortion which now bothers her a great deal. “But, obviously, she said, “I can’t bring that life back.” All she wanted to know was could she come back and what was the way back?
Sweet Confession! Jimmy Akin, the host, gently described how to go about making her confession including the possibility of writing down what she couldn’t bring herself to say out loud. Impressed by his thoroughness and great compassion, I thought, wouldn’t it be wonderful if everyone thinking of coming close to God again could find a helping hand as well as the courageous this young woman found to take the first step.
H/T Anchoress for March 1st – to Confession.
The Archdiocese of New York , in a move that will be replicated in many Diocese throughout the country, will be offering ’round the clock confession on March 5-6.
A well-publicized 24-hour period of confessions has proved to be an effective invitation to the sacrament, and there are always big “turn-outs,” which some might find surprising. As I am swamped today (in a good way) I wanted to direct you to Deacon Greg’s very personal, thoughtful and inspiring story of his owntransformative experience of a confession, which occurred when his lukewarmness was giving away to renewed love for the sacraments and fervor for the Mercy of Christ ( more.)
Be Holy! 