Category: Catholic Saints

Consecration to Saint Joseph and the Holy Family

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“Saint Joseph will come with the Child Jesus, to give peace to the world.”

This was the promise of Our Lady of the Rosary on August 19, 1917 in her fourth visit to the little saints of Fatima at Valinhos.  In this visit, we see Our Lord Jesus Christ and His Blessed Mother welcoming us into the safety and security of their own Holy Family. Let’s make use of this blessing! Note here, however, that devotion to this great saint is best expressed in conjunction with devotion to the Sacred and Immaculate Hearts. Let us not be misled.

CONSECRATION  TO  ST. JOSEPH  AND  TO  THE  HOLY  FAMILY

(For Private use)
O Jesus, sweetest and most adorable Savior! True God and true man, I adore Thee profoundly in the most Holy Trinity during eternity; and I adore Thee also in the virginal bosom of Mary, Thy most immaculate Mother, and in the arms of St Joseph, Thy virginal Father.

I give Thee thanks that Thou hast delivered me from the cruel slavery of the devil. On earth, Thou didst submit Thyself to Mary and Joseph in all things; grant that I may be Thy faithful slave through humble submission to them. My sweet Jesus, I have failed Thee many times, but now I beg Thee the grace to submit myself in all things to Thy foster father St. Joseph and to Thy most pure and merciful Mother.

Oh most tender and sweet Mother; I love thee with my whole soul and my whole strength. I leave in thy pure hands all that I possess and shall possess – my heart, my soul, my merits, my acts, thoughts and desires; even my defects and my sins. All is thine and always will be thine, my most dear Mother. Love thou Jesus on my behalf and intercede for me. Alas, dearest, sweetest Mother, I have failed thee often in the past, but now I beseech thee to direct my heart and my mind to consecrate myself this day to thy most chaste spouse St. Joseph, that I might love thee through him; console thee through him; repair the offenses against thine Immaculate Heart through him; so that once I am living in his arms he may offer on my behalf all that I have given to thee, and all that I have not been able to give thee.

Oh my dear Father St. Joseph! To thee do I turn, asking thee to take thy child, this poor sinner, under the protection of thy most chaste heart; I entrust to thee my Consecration to the Immaculate Heart of Mary, thy beloved Spouse and my consecration to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, thy Son, my Savior. I am but a weak and foolish sinner, but I trust in thee, for I am thy child as well, dear Father.

I deliver and consecrate to thee, as thy slave, my body and soul, my goods, both interior and exterior, and even the value of all my good actions, past, present and future; leaving to thee the entire and full right of disposing of myself and of all that belongs to me, without exception, according to thy good pleasure, for the greatest glory of God and the greatest joy of the Blessed Virgin Mary, in time and in eternity.

Receive, O Virgin Father, this little offering of my slavery, in honor of and in union with that subjection which our Lord and Savior deigned to have to Mary and to thee, in homage to the power which this thy Holy Family has over this poor sinner, and in thanksgiving for the privileges with which the Holy Trinity has favored thee and thy Immaculate Spouse. I declare that I wish henceforth, as thy true slave, to seek thine honor and to obey thee in all things.

O most loving Father, preserve me from all blight of error and corruption. Protect me from the powers of darkness. Shield me ever under thy patronage, that, imitating thine example and strengthened by thy help, I may lead a holy life, die a happy death, and attain to everlasting bliss in Heaven. Amen.

†.  †.  †

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Seven Words to the Cross

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SEVEN WORDS TO THE CROSS

Our Lord spoke seven words from the Cross; but there were also seven words spoken to Our Lord on the Cross.

THE FIRST WORD TO THE CROSS

Some never remain near the Cross long enough to absorb the mercy which flows from the Crucified. They are known as the “passers-by.”
The passers-by blasphemed against Him, tossing their heads; Come now, they said,
Thou who wouldst destroy the temple and build it up in three days, rescue Thyself; come down from that cross, If Thou art the Son of God. (Matt. 27:39, 40)

The Lord was no sooner on the Cross than they asked Him to come down. “Come down from the Cross” is the most typical demand of an unregenerate world in the face of self-denial and abnegation: a religion without a Cross.

As He, the Son of God, was praying for the executioners, “Father forgive,” they sneered: “If Thou art the Son of God.” If He had obeyed their taunt “Come down,” in whom would they believe? How could Love be Love if it costs not the Lover?

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St Francis de Sales in Lent

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PREVIOUSLY Posted on by peregrine

A reader’s comment mentioned St. Francis de Sales,  and that set me to looking  through our draft archives. Sure enough, I found this unfinished post which  may not be all that it could have been , but hope it will suffice:

I was won over to St. Francis de Sales when I obtained a battered paperback copy of his “Introduction to the Devout Life” for 25 cents in the parish church thrift shop many  years ago, and recently have been reading an ebook of his as part of my Lenten reading.  “The Saint Francis de Sales Collection, 16 Books”, by Catholic Way)

Here are some excerpts from this great Saint:

A Time of Fear

What words can oppose the flood of thoughts troubling your heart? Do not attempt to stop them; that will only make the pain worse. Do not try to conquer the temptations; the effort will only make them stronger. Disdain them, and do not dwell on them. Bring to mind an image of Jesus Christ crucified and say, “Here is my hope; here is the flowing fountain of my happiness. Here is the heart of my soul and the soul of my heart.” Hear our Lord say to Abraham and to you: “Be not afraid; I am your protector” (cf. Gen. 15:1). What is it that you seek upon the earth other than your God? And you already possess Him.

Be firm in your resolutions. Stay in the boat. Let the storm come. While Jesus lives, you will not die. He is sleeping, but He will awaken to calm the storm at the right time (Matt. 8:24-26). St. Peter, the Scriptures tell us, saw the great storm and was afraid, and as soon as he was afraid, he began to sink and drown. Whereupon he cried out, “O Lord, save me!” And our Lord took him by the hand and said to him, “O man of little faith, why did you doubt?” (Matt. 14:29-31). See this great apostle: he walked with dry feet upon the water, protected from wind and wave, but the fear of the wind and the wave would have killed him had not his Master relieved him.

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Desire and Contrition in Lent, 2023

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previously posted on : february 22, 2021 posted by : evensong

Saint Catherine of Siena and the Message of Fatima

The Dialogue of the Seraphic Virgin, St. Catherine of Siena has much to avail us in this current conflict: By reading it prayerfully, we come to understand the overwhelming need for charity to motivate our penances and prayers for sinners, especially our priests and bishops who have fallen into error, and many have lost the faith. Yet we are called to pray for them without ceasing.

How finite works are not sufficient for punishment or recompense without the perpetual affection of love.

Leave all to Him, let go of yourself.
Lose yourself on the cross, and you will find yourself entirely.

Then, the Eternal Truth seized and drew more strongly to Himself her desire, doing as He did in the Old Testament, for when the sacrifice was offered to God, a fire descended and drew to Him the sacrifice that was acceptable to Him; so did the sweet Truth to that soul, in sending down the fire of the clemency of the Holy Spirit, seizing the sacrifice of desire that she made of herself, saying:

“Do you not know, dear daughter, that all the sufferings, which the soul endures, or can endure, in this life, are insufficient to punish one smallest fault, because the offense, being done to Me, who am the Infinite Good, calls for an infinite satisfaction? However, I wish that you should know, that not all the pains that are given to men in this life are given as punishments, but as corrections, in order to chastise a son when he offends; though it is true that both the guilt and the penalty can be expiated by the desire of the soul, that is, by true contrition, not through the finite pain endured, but through the infinite desire; because God, who is infinite, wishes for infinite love and infinite grief. Infinite grief I wish from My creature in two ways:

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The Value of Little Souls

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previously posted on March 28, 2020 by evensong

“It is God’s Will that in this world souls shall dispense to each other,
by prayer, the treasures of Heaven”
(Saint Thérèse of Lisieux )

Saint Thérèse of Lisieux has practical advice for us; a welcome remedy for the jarring cacophony of voices clamoring to be heard today. One of the many dangers of this time is that the devil foments discord among us. But Saint Thérèse, the Little Flower of Carmel shows us how to foil satan and turn criticism and other causes of dissension into channels of grace.

The Autobiography of St. Thérèse of Lisieux
The Imperfect Soul

“That you should be found imperfect is just what is best. Here is your harvest. . . . Should earthly creatures think you devoid of holiness, they rob you of nothing, and you are none the poorer: it is they who lose. For is there anything more sweet than the inward joy of thinking well of our neighbor? . . .“As for myself I am glad and rejoice, not only when I am looked upon as imperfect, but above all when I feel that it is true. Compliments, on the contrary, do but displease me.” . . . “Honors are always dangerous. What poisonous food is served daily to those in high positions! What deadly fumes of incense! A soul must be well detached from herself to pass unscathed through it all.”

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Designs of Mercy, Part IV, Jacinta’s Last Days

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Previously Posted on February 20, 2020

Today’s post honors Saint Jacinta of Fatima on the  anniversary of her death in Lisbon, Portugal. Saint Jacinta died as Our Lady of the Rosary had promised, alone in a hospital far from home and her loved ones, but comforted by Our Lady who cradled this pure soul in her own immaculate arms and carried her to be a beautiful flower, placed by her before the throne of Jesus, her one true Love.

Herein we chronicle the final stage in little Saint Jacinta’s brief life on earth. Our last post brought Jacinta’s life up til the end of July, 1918 with Jacinta suffering greatly from the lingering influenza, pleurisy and a large draining abscess in the side of her chest. The decision had been made – Jacinta had no choice but must leave her family and Lúcia to be treated in yet another hospital. Frère Michel continues the narrative:

“Poor Holy Father! We must pray much for him!”

 
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From evensong with love, 2023

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an earlier version of this post appeared in december, 2016 and in subsequent years in various versions.

In this twilight of our Christian era, the darkness gathers. Eventually it will bring a purifying chastisement and a rebirth of the Faith.

“Time ill spent is lost forever and what degree of love we have achieved at the time of our death is what we shall have throughout eternity.”
(Sister Carmela of the Holy Spirit, O.C.S.)

My daily readings are from “Divine Intimacy“, by Father Gabriel of St. Mary Magdalen, O.C.D. In his reading titled, ”Let Us Make Good Use of Time.” Father Gabriel reminds us that time ill spent is lost forever and that what degree of love we have achieved at the time of our death is what we shall have throughout eternity.

He then quotes Sister Carmela of the Holy Spirit, O.C.D. , who was under his spiritual direction, “We must give every moment its full amount of love, and make each passing moment eternal, by giving it value for eternity.” We do that by love, by doing every smallest task entrusted to us, with all the love of which we are capable. Friends, this is the way of spiritual childhood, the way forward for us in this challenging new year, 2017 that awaits us. Let us read Father Gabriel’s writing now through the eyes of St. Thérèse of the Child Jesus.
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Archbishop Sheen’s Prophecy on Errors of Russia

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previously posted December 18, 2014 by evensong

In 1950, Archbishop Fulton Sheen foretold the events which seem to be happening now, as the Chastisement of Fatima continues to unfold, with the present occupant of the See of Peter.

In his book, Communism and the Conscience of the West, here is what (then) Father Sheen said:

We are living in the days of the Apocalypse, the last days of our era. The two great forces-the Mystical Body of Christ and the Mystical Body of the anti-Christ are beginning to draw battle lines for the catastrophic contest.

The False prophet will have a religion without a cross. A religion without a world to come. A religion to destroy religions. There will be a counterfeit Church.

Christ’s Church the Catholic Church will be one; and the false Prophet will create the other.
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Saint John Bosco’s Feast Day, 2023

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previously posted January 31, 2020 by evensong

Today is the feast day of good Saint John Bosco, a favorite of mine and so we have a few of his prophecies which are quite apt for this especial time. To introduce them, another brief quote, this time from Apocalypse (Chapter 6, 9-14).

“When he had opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of them that were slain for the word of God, and for the testimony which they held. And they cried with a loud voice, saying: How long, O Lord (holy and true) dost thou not judge and revenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth?

“And white robes were given to every one of them one; and it was said to them, that they should rest for a little time, till their fellow servants, and their brethren, who are to be slain, even as they, should be filled up.

“And I saw, when he had opened the sixth seal, and behold there was a great earthquake, and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair: and the whole moon became as blood: And the stars from heaven fell upon the earth, as the fig tree casteth its green figs when it is shaken by a great wind: And the heaven departed as a book folded up: and every mountain, and the islands were moved out of their places.”

The above is something to think about. For more than 10 years I have written about it but few give heed. And now for St. John Bosco; first, his Dream (vision) of the Two Pillars.
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Christmas Sermon of Saint Jean-Marie Vianney

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O, when we come to the crib, let us bring our Saviour a childlike, repentant heart, and pray to Him that we may be as little children; that we, as children, may walk in the purity of our hearts, that we may be humble before God and men.

For Christmas time this year, we share with you a Christmas sermon by St. Jean Vianney from a book I recommend, Sermons of the Curé of Ars, by KIC.

THE NATIVITY OP OUR LORD ~GOD WITH US~

“And His name shall be called Emmanuel.” —Is. vii. 14. Beloved brethren, assembled in the name of Jesus Christ: On the plains of Bethlehem, the angels of heaven brought to the shepherds and to us a wonderful message of joy. “Behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, that shall be to all the people: For this day is born to you a Saviour, who is Christ the Lord, in the city of David” (Luke ii. 10, 11). Since the world was made no such message of joy had ever been brought to men. Men bring one another messages of joy. How many joyful sounds have already been heard upon earth, how many days of happiness are arranged, how many joyful messages are brought; but the sounds of joy are carried away on the air, to leave behind only slight remembrances, like faint lights; joyful days pass away, and days of visitation follow days of blessing, and joyful chimes are often changed to chimes of mourning. How often is the joy of one the sorrow of the other! How often does it happen that what to one is a cause of jubilation to another is an occasion for tears! And even if the curse of inconstancy and the reverse of earthly happiness did not sadden man’s joyful message, it would still be incapable of making the heart of man happy in its deepest depths; it does not send its rays right down to the bottom of the heart; it is hardly able to gild the walls of our soul with its feeble, caressing light.

But the angels’ message on the plains of Bethlehem was of quite another kind; it did not come from the palaces of earthly kings, or from the halls of pleasure, from the markets of the earth; it came from heaven, bringing with it heavenly flowers, heavenly blessings, and heavenly graces. The angels, messengers from the choirs of blessed light, bring it on lips overflowing with jubilation; pure and undefiled, without shadow of deception and sorrow, rings out the jubilee down upon the earth, laden with sin, and it reaches into our innermost hearts.

It is announced, not to one or the other, but to the beggar and the king, the child and the old man, the poor and the rich. The angels announced to the shepherds that it should be made known to all people, in the east and the west, in the north and the south; it shall ring forth and make joyful through all the ages; it shall never cease, not even when the world shall keep its vigil, and the book of humanity will be closed, and then it will ring on in eternity: a Saviour is born to you, who is Christ the Lord. Oh, who can depict the joy of a Christmas festival! Over our altars floats the joy of this joyful message, from the plains of Bethlehem it sinks into our hearts and breathes consolation and hope into our souls.
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