December 25, 2024

Catholic Motivation

Prayer for Conversion of Relative or Friend

Mother & Refuge01 mins

(If the prayer is for a woman, use the feminine pronoun where necessary.) O Mary, Queen of the Angels and of men, behold me an unworthy servant and listen to my prayerin behalf of (Name) who remains separated from the Churchestablished by thy Divine Son. My Mother, dispensatrix of grace, strip from (Name)the bands of prejudice and ignorance that hold him captive,and let the true light of Faith enlighten his mind and quicken his will. Gently draw him my Mother, into the fold of Christ, that his salvations may be better secured and that theKingdom of God upon earth may grow stronger overthe infernal enemy. Amen

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The Last Prayer Written by St. John Paul II

Mother & Refuge02 mins

By Philip Kosloski Many are familiar with the last words of St. John Paul II, which he mumbled in Polish, “Let me go to the house of the Father.“ However, he also penned a final prayer that would have been recited at the Regina Caeli address on Sunday, April 3, 2005. His address was directed to Divine Mercy Sunday, a feast that he dearly loved and instituted based on the private revelations of St. Faustina. St. John Paul II included a short prayer, which was likely the last prayer that he ever wrote: Lord, who reveal the Father’s love by your death and Resurrection, we believe in you and confidently repeat to you today: Jesus, I trust in you, have mercy upon us and upon the whole world.   He also ended his address with an Easter exclamation, “Alleluia!“ It is fitting that he ended his pontificate praying “Jesus, I trust in you,” reciting the prayer that was revealed to St. Faustina. St. John Paul II firmly trusted in God and strove to highlight God’s mercy and love to the whole world. We can learn from his example and pray the same words every day, saying, “Jesus, I trust in you!”  

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Method of Reciting the Rosary for the Poor Souls in Purgatory

Mother & Refuge05 mins

By Aleteia Any prayer for the souls in Purgatory is sure to be heard, but there are certain special devotions that have developed through the centuries for these beloved members of the Church. There is a prayer that St. Gertrude received from Our Lord: Eternal Father, I offer You the most precious blood of thy Divine Son, Jesus, in union with the Masses said throughout the world today, for all the Holy Souls in Purgatory, for sinners everywhere, for sinners in the universal Church, for those in my own home, and in my family. Amen. Besides St. Gertrude’s Prayer for the Souls in Purgatory there are other distinct methods of reaching out to help the Faithful Departed.   There is this Chaplet of the Holy Souls. And there is a Rosary for the Holy Souls, which is a bit more detailed and can be used to offer prayers for everyone from our parents, grandparents, and children, down to those who suffered heart attacks, died suddenly in car accidents, or even those who died without receiving the Last Rites of the Church. How to Pray the Rosary for the Holy Souls: Begin with this prayer Let us pray: May the prayer of Your suppliant people, we beseech You, O Lord, benefit the souls of Your departed servants and handmaids, that You both deliver them from all their sins and make them partakers of Your redemption. Amen. Sign of the Cross + V. O Lord, open my lips.R. And I shall praise your name. V. O God, come to my aid.R. O Lord, make haste to help me. V. Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.R. As it was in the beginning… Now We Pray for Specific Souls in Purgatory: O Jesus, You suffered and died that all mankind might be saved and brought to eternal happiness. Hear our pleas for further mercy on the souls of: (Mention by name each soul; choose all those you wish to pray for: parents, grandparents or spouse, brothers and sisters and other near relatives, teachers, priests, convicts, cancer patients, and on and on, including those who have wronged you and those who were your enemies.) Response to each name is: Jesus, have mercy! Using your rosary, begin as customary with the Apostles’ Creed. Pray the decades of the Sorrowful Mysteries: After the decade we pray: Lord, Jesus Christ, through Your five Holy Wounds and through all of Your Sacred Blood that You shed, we ask You to have mercy on the Holy Souls in Purgatory, and in particular on our parents, spouses, relatives, spiritual guides and benefactors. Complete the healing of their purification and let them enjoy and participate fully in Your Salvation. Amen. After the customary concluding prayers (Hail Holy Queen or Memorare), add this modified traditional prayer for the departed: Grant them eternal rest, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon them with your Saints forever more, because You are gracious. May the divine assistance remain always with us. And may the souls of the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace. Amen.

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ST.RAFQA | THE LEBANESE MARONITE NUN

Mother & Refuge014 mins

1- RAFQA in Himlaya (1832 – 1859) She is like the lily of HimlayaGrown as a bud in the land of JrabtaAnd will grow thanks to the sky 1. The idea of Saint Rafqa’s basilica Saint Rafqa was born in Himlaya, one of the villages of Northern Metn near Bikfaya, on June 29, 1832. She was the only child of Saber El-Choboq Al Rayess and Rafqa Gemayel.On July 7, 1832, she was baptized and named Boutroussieh. Her parents taught her to love God and pray daily. At the age of seven, she suffered her first great loss with the death of her mother. In 1843, her father experienced financial difficulties and sent her to work as a domestic servant for four years in Damascus in the house of Assaad Al-Badawi, of the Lebanese Nationality. Rafqa became a beautiful, pleasant, humorous young woman, pure and tender with a serene voice. In 1847, she came back home to find that her father had remarried. His new wife wanted Rafqa to marry her brother. A conflict developed when her aunt tried also to arrange a marriage between her son and Rafqa. Rafqa asked God to help her and clear her thoughts. Thus, her decision, to devote her life to Jesus Christ and to become a nun was her greatest joy. 2- RAFQA in the Congregation of the Mariamettes (1859 – 1871) At that time, Rafqa felt drawn to the religious life and asked God to help her achieve her desire. She decided to go to the convent of Our Lady of Deliverance in Bikfaya. There, she joined the Mariamette Order, founded by Father Joseph Gemayel. When she entered the convent church, she felt deep joy and happiness. One look at the icon of Our Lady of Deliverance was enough to confirm God’s voice who told her to enter the religious life: “You will become a nun”. The Mother Superior accepted Rafqa with no questions asked. Rafqa entered the convent, and refused to go back home with her father and his wife, when they came to discourage her from becoming a nun. Following her postulate, Rafqa wore the congregation’s robe of novice on the feast of St. Joseph on March 19, 1861. A year later and at the same date, she pronounced her temporary vows. She was sent to the seminary in Ghazir to take charge of the kitchen services. Among the seminarians were Elias Howayek, who became a Patriarch, and Boutros El- Zoghbi, who became an Archbishop. Rafqa studied in her free time Arabic, calligraphy and arithmetic and also helped aspiring girls to join her congregation. In 1860, Rafqa was sent to Deir El Qamar to teach catechism. There, she witnessed the bloody clashes that occurred in Lebanon during that period. On one occasion, she risked her own life by hiding a child under her robe and saving him from death. After a year in Deir El Qamar, Rafqa returned to Ghazir. In 1863, she was sent to teach in a school of her congregation in Byblos. One year later, she was transferred to the village of Maad. There, with another nun, she spent seven years establishing a new school for girls, this was made possible through the generosity of Mr. Antoun Issa. 3- RAFQA in the Lebanese Maronite Order: In the Monastery of St. Simon El Qarn in Aito (1871 – 1897). While living in Maad and following a crisis in her congregation, Rafqa asked God to guide her to the right decision. Entering at St. George Church, to pray for help, she heard the Lord’s voice telling her: “You will remain a nun.” In that same night, she saw in her dreams St. George, St. Simon the Stylite and St. Anthony the Great, the Father of monasticism. St. Anthony the Great told her: “Join the Lebanese Maronite Order.” Her trip from Maad to the Maronite Monastery of St. Simon El Qarn in Aito was facilitated by the generosity of Mr. Antoun Issa. She was immediately admitted in the Order. She wore the novice robe on July 12, 1871, and pronounced her solemn vows on August 25, 1872 and chose the name “Sister Rafqa,” after her mother. She spent 26 years in the monastery of St. Simon and was a role model to the other nuns in her observation of the rules and her devotion to prayer and silence. Her life was full of sacrifice and austerity. On the first Sunday of October 1885, she entered the monastery’s church and began to pray asking Jesus to permit her to experience some of the sufferings He endured during His Passion. Her prayer was immediately granted: Unbearable pain began in her head and moved to her eyes. Her Superior insisted that she undergoes a medical treatment. After all local attempts to cure her had failed, she was sent to Beirut for treatment. Passing by St. John-Marcus Church in Byblos, her companions learned that an American doctor was in the area. So, they took her to him. He ordered an immediate surgery for her right eye. St. Rafqa refused anesthesia. In the course of the surgery, the doctor uprooted by mistake her eye which fell on the floor. Rafqa did not complain and told him: “For Christ’s Passion, God bless your hands and may God pay you back.” Within a short time, the disease struck the left eye. For the next 12 years she continued to experience intense pain in her head. As always, she remained patient and uncomplaining, praying in joy for the gift of sharing in Jesus’ suffering. In Saint Joseph Monastery Al Dahr in Jrabta, Batroun (1897 – 1914).. At Saint Simon’s monastery, lived sister Ursula Doumit who suffered from arthritis. Her doctors advised her to live near the coast. Sister Ursula’s brother, Fr. Ignatius Doumit decided to found a monastery for nuns in Jrabta in the district of Batroun. Fr. John Basbous, donated the land for the project. On November 3, 1897, six nuns, led by Mother Ursula Doumit, were…

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Mama Antula: A new Argentinean saint who inspires the Church

Mother & Refuge07 mins

Pope Francis authorized a miracle attributed to the intercession of Blessed Maria Antonia of St. Joseph, better known as Mama Antula. After the due processes were completed, the Dicastery for the Causes of Saints promulgated the decree allowing her canonization. The ceremony will take place on February 11, 2024.   The miracle for the canonization The miracle attributed to her intercession which has made possible her canonization is the healing of a person who suffered an ischemic stroke with hemorrhagic infarction in several areas. The empirical evidence collected after the patient’s admission to an intensive care unit in a coma shows the seriousness of his condition. The effects of the stroke were inexplicably reversed after his family, and many other people as well, turned to Blessed Mama Antula’s intercession on his behalf. The first Argentine saint Mama Antula was born in 1730 in Santiago del Estero, which at that time was part of the territory of the Viceroyalty of Peru (but which today is in northern Argentina). She was baptized under the name María Antonia de Paz y Figueroa. In addition to being the first saint to have been born and died on what is today Argentinean soil, Mama Antula, a consecrated laywoman, is considered by some as a true founder of the Argentinean nation. It’s not because of political activity, but because of her tireless proclamation of the gospel that left its mark on the religious and cultural identity of the Argentines. Promoting the spiritual exercises Coming from a prestigious family, from her youth she dedicated herself to assist the Jesuits both in the promotion of 10-day spiritual retreats and in the realization of charitable works. She lived with other women committed to the cause of God, although they did not opt for convent life. The local indigenous Quechua communities gave her the nickname of Antula.     Among other things, she was also responsible for keeping alive the flame of the spiritual exercises during the time when the Jesuits were exiled from Argentina (1767-1836). She also universalized their scope, calling absolutely everyone to participate, regardless of social class, profession, or any other difference. Mama Antula dedicated herself fully to this mission, and traveled through towns and cities, sometimes even walking barefoot, calling people to participate. Eventually she arrived in Buenos Aires, where she founded the House of Spiritual Exercises. Her influence and prestige was such that the bishop of Buenos Aires consulted with her before ordaining any candidate to the priesthood. Indeed, no one could receive holy orders without first passing through her House of Spiritual Exercises. Her relevance today Bishop Santiago Olivera was the vice postulator of the cause of Mama Antula and is the bishop delegate for the cause of saints of the Argentine Episcopal Conference. Speaking with Aleteia, he explained that despite being a saint of the 18th century, even today Mama Antula’s life and testimony can teach us about Christian life and about life in the Church: Saints are those who have (…) incarnated the Gospel. (…) And for this reason, the saints, who are beacons and light, are also models and who are always relevant and valid. Mama Antula was born in 1730 and died in 1799, and today we are talking about her with the joy and happiness of knowing of her holiness. (…) She reminds us that we must all walk towards holiness. It’s a primary vocation to which we are all called. By offering Mama Antula as an example, he said, the Church “reminds us of that important pastoral work of being an instrument, a bridge, so that people can meet Jesus through the spiritual exercises, which is her fundamental work.” He compares it to the Gospel passage when a group of friends lower a paralyzed man down through the roof in front of Jesus. “When we bring people to the Spiritual Exercises, we make every effort to put them in front of a gaze that cures, a gaze that heals, restores and loves, Jesus’ gaze, so that the men and women of our time may encounter Him.”   Read more…

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Exclusive! Latest Update on Fr. MICHEL RODRIGUE with Xavier Ayral

Mother & Refuge04 mins

“My dear children, The time you live now is a gift to allow all those of good will to celebrate the birth of my Son Jesus. I have opened this space for you in order to give comfort to your hearts and to allow you to respond, through your faith, to the Love of Jesus who took flesh to save you. On this day of the Holy Family, may all the families of the earth be blessed who welcome my beloved Son in hope. Take the Holy Family into your home, It alone will protect you in these coming times. Remember, I already told you: “the punishment will stop for the houses where the Holy Family is exposed and prayed with respect. » Yes, the Love of my Son who suffered for you, born from the virginal purity of my daughter Mary and protected by the very pure and powerful love of the just and loyal Joseph, is your protection. Hold your heart ready and awaken! Have what you need to nourish your body and treat it with the remedies that I have already given to many of my saints to protect you. Use holy water regularly to chase away the bad angels who lurk near your homes. It is not a coincidence that the last day of this year falls on the feast of the Holy Family. She is the sign to remind you of everything I told you. It is the sign of your protection. It is not in vain that the Church celebrates the motherhood of Mary, Mother of my Son Jesus on the first of the year. Because, in this time of yours, her Immaculate Heart will triumph. This year, which begins tomorrow, is a year of pure faith. All the signs have been given. John, the apostle, lifted the veil. Blinded are those who do not believe, deaf are those who do not hear, and dumb are the lukewarm. The spirit of a spiritual amaurosis invades humanity: there is no longer any vision, no understanding, no sense. Humanity does not see what is coming. My children will not be affected by this darkness. Events will speak. Blessed are those who hear the Word of God! Yes, dedicate yourself to my Most Holy Family; to Jesus my Son, to Mary his Mother and my Daughter, to Joseph my son whom Jesus called father on earth. Consecrate yourself for the fidelity of my Church. Everything will be accomplished and not one iota of what my Son Jesus taught and which the Church has solemnly declared will be lost. Amen! Your heavenly Father who loves you!“.

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This is what pleases Jesus best, according to St. Faustina

Mother & Refuge03 mins

hose who do not pray to Jesus in his Passion,” wrote the poet priest Gerard Manley Hopkins, “pray to God, but scarcely to Christ.” We pray with passion when we meditate on the Lord’s Passion.  How crucial to keep the cross at the center of our prayer. St. Leo the Great assures us that “through the cross the faithful receive strength from weakness, glory from dishonor, life from death.” In her Diary, St. Faustina relates:  Jesus told me that I please him best by meditating on his sorrowful Passion, and by such meditation much light falls upon my soul. He who wants to learn true humility should reflect upon the Passion of Jesus. When I meditate upon the Passion of Jesus, I get a clear understanding of many things I could not comprehend before. We can approach Christ’s Passion in prayer with hope and great peace. In the words of Joseph Ratzinger, “What looks down at us from the cross is a goodness that enables a new beginning in the midst of life’s horror.” And St. John Paul II adds, “The cross is like a touch of eternal love upon the most painful wounds of man’s earthly existence.” One practical way to meditate on the Lord’s Passion is to pray before a crucifix, for “the human heart is converted by looking upon him whom our sins have pierced” (CCC 1432). The Imitation of Christ tells us, “If you do not know how to meditate on heavenly things, direct your thoughts to Christ’s Passion and willingly behold his sacred wounds.” Also, of course, is prayerfully meditating on the Sorrowful Mysteries of the Rosary.   Read more…

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