Monday, September 30, 2013

Quotes of St. Thérèse of Lisieux

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St. Thérèse of Lisieux, Poem: My joy is to love suffering, I smile shedding tears, I accept with gratitude, the thorns mixed with the flowers.

St. Thérèse of Lisieux, Letter to Her Sister Caroline: Time is but a shadow, a dream; already God sees us in glory and takes joy in our eternal beatitude. How this thought helps my soul! I understand then why He lets us suffer...

St. Thérèse of Lisieux, The Story of a Soul: Much later, when I understood what perfection was, I realized that to become a saint one must suffer a great deal, always seek what is best, and forget oneself. I understood that there were many kinds of of sanctity and that each soul was free to respond to the approaches of Our Lord and to do little or much for Him — in other words,to make a choice among the sacrifices He demands. Then, just as when I was a child, I cried: “My God, I choose all. I do not want to be a saint by halves. I am not afraid to suffer for You. I fear only one thing — that I should keep my own will. So take it, for I choose all that You will.”


 

Sunday, September 29, 2013

Litany to the Archangels Michael, Gabriel and Raphael

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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, Creator of every spirit, have mercy on us!
God, the Son, Redeemer of the world, 
on whom the angels desire to gaze, have mercy on us!
God, the Holy Spirit, felicity of the blessed spirits, have mercy on us!
Holy Trinity, one God, glory of the holy angels, have mercy on us!

Holy Mary, Queen of the heavenly spirits, pray for us!
St Joseph, guided by the angel in your dreams, pray for us! 

St Michael, prince of the celestial host, pray for us!
Chief of the angels of peace, pray for us!
Most strong in combat, pray for us!
Conqueror of the ancient serpent, pray for us!
Defender at all times of the people of God, pray for us!
Who did expel Lucifer and his confederates from Heaven, pray for us!
Who receives souls at their departure, and conducts them to Paradise,
pray for us!
Solace of the faithful, pray for us!
Protector of those who are devoted to you, pray for us!

St Gabriel, who revealed to Daniel divine secrets, pray for us!
Who declared the birth and ministry of St John the Baptist, pray for us!
Who announced the Incarnation of the Word, pray for us!
Guardian of the Holy Virgin, pray for us!
Attendant of the infancy of the Saviour, pray for us!
Who consoled Christ in his last agony, pray for us!
Faithful minister of Christ, pray for us! 

St Raphael, angel of health, pray for us!
St Raphael, one of the seven spirits who stand before the Throne, 
pray for us!
Faithful conductor of Tobias, pray for us!
Who did compel the devil to flee, pray for us!
Offerer of our prayer before the Lord, pray for us!
Curer of blindness, pray for us!
Helper in tribulation, pray for us!
Consoler in necessities, pray for us!
Making joyful your devoted clients, pray for us!

Holy Michael, Gabriel and Raphael, pray for us!

Christ Jesus, beatitude of the angels, spare us! 
Christ Jesus, glory of the heavenly spirits, hear us!
Christ Jesus, splendor of the celestial armies, have mercy on us!

Let us pray: O God, who did render blessed Michael, your archangel,victorious over the proud Lucifer and the wicked spirits,we beseech you that combating under the Cross,and ever adopting his maxim ‘Who is like God?’ we may be victorious over all our enemies,and delivered from all impediments; regulate our lives according to your will and commandments.Through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.

Let us pray: O God, the lover of the salvation of mankind,who did commission blessed Gabriel,assisting before Your throne,to announce to the ever glorious Virgin, the mystery of Your blessed Son’s becoming man,we beseech You,that recurring to his intercession,we may be helped in all our wants,spiritual and temporal.Through Jesus Christ, Our Lord. Amen.

Let us pray: O God, who in your ineffable goodness has rendered blessed Raphael the conductor of your faithful in their journeys,we humbly implore You that we may be conducted by him in the way of salvation,and experience His help in the maladies of our souls. Through Jesus Christ, Our Lord. Amen.

Tuesday, September 24, 2013

Blessed Pope John Paul II & St Joseph


Blessed Pope John Paul II:  The patronage of St. Joseph must be invoked, and it is always necessary for the Church, not only to defend it against dangers ceaselessly cropping up, but also and above all to support it in those fearful efforts at evangelizing the world, and spreading the new evangelization among nations where the Christian religion and life were formerly the most flourishing, but are now put to a difficult test…. May St. Joseph become for all a singular master in the service of the saving mission of Christ that is incumbent on each and every one of us in the Church: To spouses, to parents, to those who live by the work of their hands or by any other work, to persons called to the contemplative life as well as to those called to the apostolate.


Friday, September 20, 2013

St Joseph: Young and Chaste


St. Josemaria Escrivá: You don't have to wait to be old or lifeless to practice the virtue of chastity. Purity comes from love; and the strength and gaiety of youth is no obstacle for noble love. Joseph had a young heart and a young body when he married Mary, when he learned of the mystery of her divine motherhood, when he lived in her company, respecting the integrity God wished to give the world as one more sign that he had come to share the life of his creatures. Anyone who cannot understand a love like that knows very little of true love and is a complete stranger to the Christian meaning of chastity.