I beseech Thee...
"I beseech Thee, most sweet Lord Jesus Christ, to grant that Thy Passion may be to me a power by which I may be strengthened, protected and defended. May Thy wounds be to me food and drink, by which I may be nourished, inebriated and overjoyed. May the sprinkling of Thy blood be to me the washing away of all my sins. May Thy death prove to me life eternal, Thy cross be to me an everlasting glory. In these be my refreshment, my joy, my preservation and sweetness of heart. Who livest and reignest for ever and ever. Amen." (1962 Roman Missal, Prayers after Communion)
Blessed be God.
Sunday, 6 April 2014
Saturday, 5 April 2014
Saturday of the Fourth Week in Lent
Tomorrow is Passion Sunday, if you attend the Latin Mass/observe the older Church calendar, or the Fifth Sunday in Lent, if you attend what I call the English Mass.
To prepare for the next two weeks as the Passion, Death and Resurrection of Our Lord approach, some strong yet reassuring words from St Francis de Sales out of my Lent with the Saints booklet:
"Prayer brings the mind into the brightness of divine light and the will to the warmth of divine love. Nothing else so purges the mind of ignorance, and the will of wrong inclinations. It is a fountain that revives our good desires and causes them to bring forth fruit; it washes away the stains of our weaknesses and calms the passions of the heart. Above all, I recommend the prayer of the heart in meditating of the life and Passion of Our Lord. Then, your soul will be filled with Him, you will learn His expression and frame your actions according to His example. He is the light of the world and, through Him and for Him, we must be enlightened and illuminated. If we remain close to Him and heed His words, we shall learn to speak, to act, and to will like Him."
Blessed Be God.
To prepare for the next two weeks as the Passion, Death and Resurrection of Our Lord approach, some strong yet reassuring words from St Francis de Sales out of my Lent with the Saints booklet:
"Prayer brings the mind into the brightness of divine light and the will to the warmth of divine love. Nothing else so purges the mind of ignorance, and the will of wrong inclinations. It is a fountain that revives our good desires and causes them to bring forth fruit; it washes away the stains of our weaknesses and calms the passions of the heart. Above all, I recommend the prayer of the heart in meditating of the life and Passion of Our Lord. Then, your soul will be filled with Him, you will learn His expression and frame your actions according to His example. He is the light of the world and, through Him and for Him, we must be enlightened and illuminated. If we remain close to Him and heed His words, we shall learn to speak, to act, and to will like Him."
Blessed Be God.
Tuesday, 25 March 2014
The Feast of the Annuciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary
The Angelus prayer, traditionally said at 6am, Noon and 6pm, and holds special significance today...
The Angel of the Lord declared unto Mary.
And She conceived of the Holy Spirit.
Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee; blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of they womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death. Amen.
Behold the handmaid of the Lord.
Be it done unto me according to thy word.
Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee; blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of they womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death. Amen.
And the Word was made flesh.
And dwelt among us.
Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee, blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of they womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death. Amen.
Pray for us, O Holy Mother of God.
That we may be made worth of the promises of Christ.
Let us pray....
Pour forth, we beseech thee, O Lord, Thy grace into our hearts, that we, to whom the Incarnation of Christ Thy Son, was made known by the message of an Angel, may be brought, by His Passion and cross, to the glory of His resurrection. Through the same Christ our Lord. Amen.
Blessed be God.
The Angel of the Lord declared unto Mary.
And She conceived of the Holy Spirit.
Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee; blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of they womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death. Amen.
Behold the handmaid of the Lord.
Be it done unto me according to thy word.
Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee; blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of they womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death. Amen.
And the Word was made flesh.
And dwelt among us.
Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee, blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of they womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death. Amen.
Pray for us, O Holy Mother of God.
That we may be made worth of the promises of Christ.
Let us pray....
Pour forth, we beseech thee, O Lord, Thy grace into our hearts, that we, to whom the Incarnation of Christ Thy Son, was made known by the message of an Angel, may be brought, by His Passion and cross, to the glory of His resurrection. Through the same Christ our Lord. Amen.
Blessed be God.
Monday, 24 March 2014
The Feast of the Archangel Gabriel
Archangel Gabriel was chosen by God to announce to Mary that she was to be the Mother of Christ. In preparation for the Feast of the Annunciation tomorrow; these are some quotes from the Mass readings of today:
Psalm 102. 20 (Vulgate):
'Bless the Lord, all ye His Angels; you that are mighty in strength, and execute His word, hearkening to the voice of His orders. Bless the Lord O my soul, and let all that is within me bless His Holy Name.'
'O God, who from among all the Angels didst choose the Archangel Gabriel to announce the Mystery of Thine Incarnation: mercifully grant that we who keep his feast on earth may feel the effect of his patronage in heaven.'
Amen.
This following prayer is part of one attributed to St Augustine;
'St Gabriel, St Raphael, Holy Angels and Archangels, come to my aid. Choir of Virtues, be my help and my strength, that no enemy may be able to injure me either by water or fire, or while journeying; protect me from a sudden and unprovided death, and grant that I may be freed from all danger. Amen.'
Blessed be God.
Psalm 102. 20 (Vulgate):
'Bless the Lord, all ye His Angels; you that are mighty in strength, and execute His word, hearkening to the voice of His orders. Bless the Lord O my soul, and let all that is within me bless His Holy Name.'
'O God, who from among all the Angels didst choose the Archangel Gabriel to announce the Mystery of Thine Incarnation: mercifully grant that we who keep his feast on earth may feel the effect of his patronage in heaven.'
Amen.
This following prayer is part of one attributed to St Augustine;
'St Gabriel, St Raphael, Holy Angels and Archangels, come to my aid. Choir of Virtues, be my help and my strength, that no enemy may be able to injure me either by water or fire, or while journeying; protect me from a sudden and unprovided death, and grant that I may be freed from all danger. Amen.'
Blessed be God.
Friday, 21 March 2014
The Feast of St Benedict
St Benedict's feast day, according to the 1962 Roman Missal, is today. The Italian saint is often referred to as the Patriarch of western monasticism and for hundreds of years monks and nuns have been following his rule, as well as those in lay communities looking for spiritual guidance. He died on March 21, 543 or 547, at Monte Cassino, south of Rome, where he had established his first monastery.
There is so much information on the web and in books about St Benedict, I found it hard to know what to write...so plenty more to talk about in other posts.
However one story jumped out at me. My shortened version: when the abbot of a nearby monastery had died the monks from that community begged St Benedict to become their abbot, he eventually agreed but was unsure of them. His instincts proved right, because some monks decided to poison him, first in his drink, but when he said a blessing over the cup, it shattered. Then with his bread, but when he said a blessing before eating, a raven flew in and carried the loaf away.
This reminds me of other stories about holy men and ravens - God seems to like to use his small creatures to help his people: St Benedict being saved from poisoned bread by a raven, Elijah in 1 Kings 17 was fed bread and meat by ravens after God commanded the Prophet to hide before the drought, St Paul the First Hermit who was given bread by ravens every day while he lived in a cave in Egypt before his death c. 343.
Blessed be God.
There is so much information on the web and in books about St Benedict, I found it hard to know what to write...so plenty more to talk about in other posts.
However one story jumped out at me. My shortened version: when the abbot of a nearby monastery had died the monks from that community begged St Benedict to become their abbot, he eventually agreed but was unsure of them. His instincts proved right, because some monks decided to poison him, first in his drink, but when he said a blessing over the cup, it shattered. Then with his bread, but when he said a blessing before eating, a raven flew in and carried the loaf away.
This reminds me of other stories about holy men and ravens - God seems to like to use his small creatures to help his people: St Benedict being saved from poisoned bread by a raven, Elijah in 1 Kings 17 was fed bread and meat by ravens after God commanded the Prophet to hide before the drought, St Paul the First Hermit who was given bread by ravens every day while he lived in a cave in Egypt before his death c. 343.
Blessed be God.
Wednesday, 19 March 2014
The second week of Lent - The Feast of St Joseph, Spouse of the Blessed Virgin Mary
Today is the Feast of St Joseph, and from the Gospel of Matthew we learn the ancestry of Christ, of how he came in to the world to save us.
"An angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said: 'Joseph, descendant of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife. She has conceived by the Holy Spirit, and now she will bear a son. You shall call him Jesus for he will save his people from their sins. All this happened in order to fulfil what the Lord had said through the prophet: The virgin will conceive and bear a son, and he will be called Emmanuel, which means: God with us."
Some powerful prayers to the Guardian of the Holy Family from one of my favourite prayer books, St Anthony's Treasury;
"O blessed St Joseph, whose life was passed in toil and prayer, obtain the grace I beseech you, to sanctify my work by purity of intention, by remembrance of God's presence and by frequent prayer. Teach me to be contented with my lot and if the temptation comes to me to envy those who are above me, or richer than myself, obtain for me the grace to despise it and remembering only your life of humble toil, to desire to imitate you in the company of Jesus and Mary. Amen."
Invocations for a happy death:
Jesus, Mary and Joseph, I give you my heart and soul.
Jesus, Mary and Joseph, assist me in my last agony.
Jesus, Mary and Joseph, may I breath forth my soul in peace with you. Amen.
Some of the many virtuous titles given to St Joseph in his litany, include; obedient, faithful, chaste, prudent, mirror of patience, lover of poverty, hope of the sick. If I could manage to progress further in virtue in even a small way, with St Joseph as my model and intercessor, how much closer to God I would feel. I pray St Joseph can intercede for all who are struggling to maintain their Lenten promises of fasting, abstinence and alms. God have mercy on us. St Joseph, Spouse of the Mother of God, Foster Father of the Son of God, pray for us.
Blessed be God.
"An angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said: 'Joseph, descendant of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife. She has conceived by the Holy Spirit, and now she will bear a son. You shall call him Jesus for he will save his people from their sins. All this happened in order to fulfil what the Lord had said through the prophet: The virgin will conceive and bear a son, and he will be called Emmanuel, which means: God with us."
Some powerful prayers to the Guardian of the Holy Family from one of my favourite prayer books, St Anthony's Treasury;
"O blessed St Joseph, whose life was passed in toil and prayer, obtain the grace I beseech you, to sanctify my work by purity of intention, by remembrance of God's presence and by frequent prayer. Teach me to be contented with my lot and if the temptation comes to me to envy those who are above me, or richer than myself, obtain for me the grace to despise it and remembering only your life of humble toil, to desire to imitate you in the company of Jesus and Mary. Amen."
Invocations for a happy death:
Jesus, Mary and Joseph, I give you my heart and soul.
Jesus, Mary and Joseph, assist me in my last agony.
Jesus, Mary and Joseph, may I breath forth my soul in peace with you. Amen.
Some of the many virtuous titles given to St Joseph in his litany, include; obedient, faithful, chaste, prudent, mirror of patience, lover of poverty, hope of the sick. If I could manage to progress further in virtue in even a small way, with St Joseph as my model and intercessor, how much closer to God I would feel. I pray St Joseph can intercede for all who are struggling to maintain their Lenten promises of fasting, abstinence and alms. God have mercy on us. St Joseph, Spouse of the Mother of God, Foster Father of the Son of God, pray for us.
Blessed be God.
Wednesday, 12 March 2014
The Lenten Life: Reading
"The life of monastics ought always to be a Lenten observance. However, since such virtue is that of few, we advise that during these days of Lent they guard their lives with all purity and at the same time wash away during these holy days all the shortcomings of other times."
The Rule of St Benedict, 49: 1-3
The Lent and Easter Wisdom from St Benedict (Ligouri publishers) is one of my reading companions during Lent, each daily meditation includes a teaching from The Rule, a passage from Scripture, a prayer and an encouragement to look closely at our actions during the next five and a half weeks. St Benedict is proving to be an inspired choice as a spiritual guide. The Italian saint's Rule has a small section called The Observance of Lent, which in one neat paragraph manages to sum up what can be accomplished during this time, for Christ. St Benedict talks of giving ourselves to "tearful prayer, to reading, to heartfelt sorrow and to abstinence." He continues to encourage: "In these days of Lent, therefore, let us of our own accord add something to our usual yoke of service, such as private prayer, abstinence from food and drink."
Another book I am reading, is a small Catholic Truth Society booklet called Lent with the Saints, which has lots of meditations including this one I like from St Thomas Aquinas:
"And pray in this way, always reading the Book of Life, that is the life of the God-Man, Jesus Christ, whose life consisted of poverty, pain, contempt and true obedience. Imagine and meditate on all the ways of the Passion and the Cross. Even if you cannot do this from the heart, at least do it earnestly and carefully with your lips, because when a thing is said often, in the end it imparts warmth and fervour to the heart."
Blessed be God.
The Rule of St Benedict, 49: 1-3
The Lent and Easter Wisdom from St Benedict (Ligouri publishers) is one of my reading companions during Lent, each daily meditation includes a teaching from The Rule, a passage from Scripture, a prayer and an encouragement to look closely at our actions during the next five and a half weeks. St Benedict is proving to be an inspired choice as a spiritual guide. The Italian saint's Rule has a small section called The Observance of Lent, which in one neat paragraph manages to sum up what can be accomplished during this time, for Christ. St Benedict talks of giving ourselves to "tearful prayer, to reading, to heartfelt sorrow and to abstinence." He continues to encourage: "In these days of Lent, therefore, let us of our own accord add something to our usual yoke of service, such as private prayer, abstinence from food and drink."
Another book I am reading, is a small Catholic Truth Society booklet called Lent with the Saints, which has lots of meditations including this one I like from St Thomas Aquinas:
"And pray in this way, always reading the Book of Life, that is the life of the God-Man, Jesus Christ, whose life consisted of poverty, pain, contempt and true obedience. Imagine and meditate on all the ways of the Passion and the Cross. Even if you cannot do this from the heart, at least do it earnestly and carefully with your lips, because when a thing is said often, in the end it imparts warmth and fervour to the heart."
Blessed be God.
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