November 22, 2024

The Lamb’s High Banquet We Await |from the Roman Breviary, 6th century

Mother & Refuge03 mins

THE Lamb’s high banquet we await in snow-white robes of royal state: and now, the Red Sea’s channel past, to Christ our Prince we sing at last. Upon the Altar of the Cross His Body hath redeemed our loss: and tasting of his roseate Blood, our life is hid with Him in God. That Paschal Eve God’s arm was bared, the devastating Angel spared: by strength of hand our hosts went free from Pharaoh’s ruthless tyranny. Now Christ, our Paschal Lamb, is slain, the Lamb of God that knows no stain, the true Oblation offered here, our own unleavened Bread sincere. O Thou, from whom hell’s monarch flies, O great, O very Sacrifice, Thy captive people are set free, and endless life restored in Thee. For Christ, arising from the dead, from conquered hell victorious sped, and thrust the tyrant down to chains, and Paradise for man regains. We pray Thee, King with glory decked, in this our Paschal joy, protect from all that death would fain effect Thy ransomed flock, Thine own elect. To Thee who, dead, again dost live, all glory Lord, Thy people give; all glory, as is ever meet, to Father and to Paraclete. Amen. Ad cenam Agni providi, stolis salutis candidi, post transitum maris Rubri Christo canamus principi. Cuius corpus sanctissimum in ara crucis torridum, sed et cruorem roseum gustando, Dei vivimus. Protecti paschae vespero a devastante angelo, de Pharaonis aspero sumus erepti imperio. Iam pascha nostrum Christus est, agnus occisus innocens; sinceritatis azyma qui carnem suam obtulit. O vera, digna hostia, per quam franguntur tartara, captiva plebs redimitur, redduntur vitae praemia! Esto perenne mentibus paschale, Iesu, gaudium et nos renatos gratiae tuis triumphis aggrega. Iesu, tibi sit gloria, qui morte victa praenites, cum Patre et almo Spiritu, in sempiterna saecula. Amen.

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PRAYER OF REPENTANCE | Receive Forgiveness of Sins from GOD

Mother & Refuge06 mins

(Make a decision to be reconciled with the people in your life. Resolve to set them free, and set yourself free. Life is too short and too precious to waste being trapped and bound in the chains of unforgiveness. Let it go, today. You won’t be sorry. Forgiveness begins with a decision; the emotions will follow.) Loving Father, I choose to forgive everyone in my life, including myself, because You have forgiven me. Thank you, Lord, for this grace. I forgive myself for all my sins, faults and failings, especially _____________________. I forgive myself for not being perfect, I accept myself and make a decision to stop picking on myself and being my own worst enemy. I release the things held against myself, free myself from bondage and make peace with myself today, by the power of the Holy Spirit.I forgive my MOTHER for any negativity and unlove she may have extended to me throughout my life, knowingly or unknowingly, especially _________________. For any abuse of any sort I do forgive her today. For any way she did not provide a deep, full, satisfying mother’s blessing I do forgive her today. I release her from bondage and make peace with her today.I forgive my FATHER for any negativity and unlove he may have extended to me throughout my life, knowingly or unknowingly, especially ___________________. For any and all abuses, unkind acts, hurts, and deprivations I do forgive him today. For any what that I did not receive a full, satisfying father’s blessing I forgive him today. I release him from bondage and make peace with him today.I forgive my SPOUSE for and negativity and unlove extended throughout our time together, especially __________________________. For all the wounds of our relationship I do forgive my spouse today. I release my spouse from bondage and make peace between us today.I forgive my CHILDREN for any hurts, especially ______________________. I release them from bondage and make peace with them today. Bless them. Lord.I forgive my SISTERS and BROTHERS for any negativity and unlove especially ___________________. I forgive my BLOOD RELATIVES for any abuses, especially ________________________. I forgive my ANCESTORS for any negative actions that affect my life today and make it harder for me today to live in the freedom of a child of God. I release them from bondage and make peace with them today, in Jesus’ name.I forgive FRIENDS for any actions of negativity and unlove, especially __________________________. For any time they abused our relationship or led me astray. I do forgive them. I release them from all bondage, and pray a blessing on them today, in Jesus’ name.I forgive all SCHOOL TEACHERS for any negative, abusive actions, especially ___________________.I forgive LAWYERS, DOCTORS, NURSES, and other professionals, especially ___________________. I forgive CLERGY and all representatives of the church especially _____________________________. I release them all, in Jesus’ name.I forgive every member of SOCIETY who has hurt me in any way; those who have hurt me by criminal action or who have harmed my family. I forgive all in public life who have passed laws opposing Christian values. I forgive all the unfair, anonymous sources of pain and annoyance in my life.Heavenly Father I now ask for the grace to forgive the ONE PERSON IN LIFE WHO HAS HURT ME THE MOST. The one who is the hardest to forgive, I now choose to forgive, though I may still feel angry and hurt. I also make peace with the one family member, the one friend and the one authority figure who has hurt me the most.Lord, is there anyone else I need to forgive?Thank You, Father, for setting me free.I now pray a blessing on those who have hurt me. Lord, do something special for each of them today. Thank You, Lord. I praise You. Amen.(Our Father)

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Prayer To the Holy Archangel Who Strengthened Our Lord in His Agony

Mother & Refuge01 mins

I salute thee, holy Angel who didst comfort my Jesus in His agony, and with thee I praise the most holy Trinity for having chosen thee from among all the holy Angels to comfort and strengthen Him who is the comfort and strength of all that are in affliction. By the honor thou didst enjoy and by the obedience, humility and love wherewith thou didst assist the sacred Humanity of Jesus, my Savior, when He was fainting for very sorrow at seeing the sins of the world and especially my sins, I beseech thee to obtain for me perfect sorrow for my sins; deign to strengthen me in the afflictions that now overwhelm me, and in all the other trials, to which I shall be exposed henceforth and, in particular, when I find myself in my final agony.

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Nurturing the Soul in the Advent Glow – A Nine-Day Christmas Novena

Mother & Refuge07 mins

Catholic popular devotion began praying the “Christmas Novena” on Dec. 16. “Novenas” are nine days of prayer for a particular intention. They were very common in popular Catholicism before Vatican II (e.g., many parishes had Miraculous Medal or St. Jude novenas) but their origin is biblical: the first novena was made by the Apostles with the Blessed Virgin Mary in the Jerusalem Cenacle, where they waited from Ascension Thursday until the Holy Spirit arrived on Pentecost. General Prayer As we advance toward Christmas, the birth of Jesus in human flesh, I pray to Our Lord and to his Mother Mary, to help me to use this time well. Just as you awaited with joy the fruit of your womb, help me, O Mary, to welcome your Son within me. Just as you grew in your Mother’s womb like every human being, O Jesus, help me to value and be a witness to the sanctity of life before birth that even You — creator of the Universe — shared with all human beings. I ask you, my Lord and my Mother Mary, to grant me this special intention, for which I pray, if it be Your Will. (Here mention your intention). I thank You, Lord, for all the blessings You have given me — most of all for Coming to me — and pray that you make me more worthy to celebrate this Christmas, Amen. (Variable Prayer below.) Variable Prayers Dec. 16: Your Coming to be conceived, O Lord, was announced by your angel and met your Mother’s loving acceptance. Help all mothers to welcome the life that You give them in their wombs. Dec. 17: By this time, Your Sacred Heart was already beating with love for every human being in this world. Help us to reverence the sacredness of every beating heart in every child before birth, a sign of humanity and a sign of love. Dec. 18: In this third month, like all unborn children, Your sacred hands and feet are already developed, hands and feet You will one day extend on the cross out of love for me. Help us to defend your unborn brothers and sisters, most of whom are killed at this stage by dismemberments as cruel as your Crucifixion and forgive us for what we have done to these least of our brothers and sisters. Your cousin, John, welcomed you at this stage: help us to welcome your gift of life. Dec. 19: In this fourth month, like all unborn children, Your hair was in place, hair one day to bear a crown of thorns for our sins. Help us to purge from our own heads the cruelty of killing our brothers and sisters and thereby to console You who foresaw these deeds. Dec. 20: Like all unborn children, Your Mother probably began to feel the joy of You moving, even though You have been with her for five months. Move our hearts to love, and fill them with joy for, our brothers and sisters as they quicken in the womb, knowing You have already given them life. Dec. 21: As You grow and develop, You enjoyed the safety of Mary’s womb. At this stage of life, there are those who still defend the right to kill at this light term. Melt their hearts of stone to love the life growing beneath those hearts. Dec. 22: By this seventh month, like all unborn children, Your hearing is fully developed. Could You hear Your Mother singing to You? Could You feel her love? Heal those mothers who still are ambivalent about their children, and help them to hear Your Word of life. Dec. 23: As you ready to be born, have you sensed the concern of Mary and Joseph, needing to travel and carry You far away to be counted? Be with parents in whatever their worries, and help us all to realize that life is not something to be counted or priced, but valued. Dec. 24: Soon You will come into the world. Soon many children will come into the world, and some of them will be killed, abandoned, or neglected while being born, especially if they are not “perfect.” Your foster father, St. Joseph, was told there was “no room” for You and Your Mother. Help us, today, always to have room for every Mother and Child. Help me, this Christmas Eve, to make room in my heart for You. Read more…  

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Book of Heaven Volume 1 5 – December 8,1922

Mother & Refuge018 mins

On the Immaculate Conception of Most Holy Mary I write to Obey, and I Offer everything to my Sweet Jesus, Uniting myself to the Sacrifice of His Own Obedience, in Order to Obtain Grace and Strength to Do it as He Wants… And now, oh my Jesus, Give me Your Holy Hand and the Light of Your Intelligence, and write/read With me. I was thinking of the Great Portent of the Immaculate Conception of my Queen and Celestial Mama, and in my interior I heard Jesus say: “My daughter, the Immaculate Conception of my Beloved Mama was Prodigious and Fully Marvelous; So Much So, that Heaven and earth were Astonished, and made Feast. The Three Divine Persons Competed with each other: the Father made an Immense Sea of Power Overflow; I, the Son, an Infinite Sea of Wisdom, and the Holy Spirit, an Immense Sea of Eternal Love, which, Converging into One, Formed One Single Sea. And in the Middle of this Sea the Immaculate Conception of this Virgin was Formed, Chosen among the Chosen. Therefore, the Divinity Administered the Substance of this Conception, and not only was this Sea the Center of Life of this Admirable and Unique Creature, but it was Around Her, not only to Defend Her from anything which might shadow Her, but to Give Her In Every Instant New Beauties, New Graces, New Power, New Wisdom, New Love, New Privileges, and so on. Therefore, her little nature was Conceived in the Center of this sea, and was Formed and Grew under the Influence of these Divine Waves; So Much So, that the Divinity did not want to wait as It usually does with other creatures: as Soon as this Noble and Unique Creature was Formed, It Wanted Her Embraces, the Return of Her Love Her Kisses, and to Enjoy Her Innocent Smiles. Therefore, as Soon as Her Conception was Formed, I Gave Her the Use of Reason, I Provided Her With All Sciences, I made Her Aware of Our Joys and Our Sorrows with regard to Creation. And even from her Maternal Womb, She came into Heaven, at the foot of Our Throne, to Give Us Her Embraces, the Return of Her Love, Her tender Kisses. Throwing Herself into Our Arms, She Smiled at Us with such Delight of Gratitude and Thanksgiving as to snatch Our Smiles. Oh, how Beautiful it was to see this Innocent and Privileged Creature, Enriched with All of the Divine Qualities, coming into Our midst, All Love, All Trust, Without Fear, because Only sin is what puts distance between Creator and creature, breaking love, dissolving trust, and striking fear. So, She came into Our midst as Queen, Who, with her Love, Given by Us, Drew Us to her Volition, Enraptured Us, put Us in Feast, and Captured yet More Love. And We let Her Do – Enjoying the Love that Enraptured Us, and Constituting Her Queen of Heaven and earth. Heaven and earth Exulted and made Feast Together With Us, in having their Queen after So Many Centuries… The sun smiled in its light, and considered itself fortunate in having to Serve its Queen by Giving Her light. The heavens, the stars, and the whole Universe smiled with joy and made Feast, because they were to delight their Queen, showing Her the harmony of the spheres and of their beauty. The plants smiled, which were to Nourish their Queen; and the earth too, smiled and felt Ennobled in having to provide the residence for its Empress and to be trodden by Her steps. Only hell cried and felt itself to be losing strength by the Dominion of this Sovereign Lady. But do you know what was the First Act of this Celestial Creature when She found Herself before Our Throne for the first time? She Recognized that all of the evil for man had been the split between his human will and That of his Creator, and She trembled; without a moment’s hesitation She bound her human will to the foot of My Throne, without ever wanting to know it; and My Will Bound Itself to Her and became the Center of Her Life, to the extent that All of the currents, All of the relations, All of the communications were Opened between Us and Her, and there was not one secret which We did not Entrust to Her. This was precisely the Most Beautiful, the Greatest, the Most Heroic Act She did – to place her human will at Our feet– an act which made Us, Enraptured, Constitute Her Queen of All. Do you See then, what it means to Bind oneself to My Will and to not know one’s own human will? The Second Act was to Offer Herself for Anv Sacrifice, for Love of Us. The Third Act, to render Us the Honor, the Glory of the whole Creation, which Adam had taken away from Us by Doing his own human will. Even from her Maternal Womb She Cried For Love of Us, in Seeing Us Offended, and Cried With Sorrow over guilty man… Oh, how these Innocent Tears moved Us, and Hastened Redemption, so Longed For! This Queen Dominated Us, Bound Us, and Extracted Infinite Graces From Us. She made Us Bend toward mankind; So Much So, that We could Not Resist, Nor did We Know how to Resist Her Repeated Petitions. But where did So Much Power come from, and So Much Influence over the Divinity Itself? Ah, you have Understood: it was the Power of Our Divine Will Acting In Her, which, while Dominating Her, Rendered Her Dominator of God Himself. Moreover, how could We resist So Innocent A Creature, Possessed by the Power and Sanctity of Our Divine Will? It would be as though resisting Ourselves. We could See Our Divine Qualities In Her; like Waves did the Reflections of Our Sanctity Flow Over Her – Reflections of Divine Manners, of Our Love, of Our Power, and so forth; and Our Divine Will, Which was their Center, Attracted All the Reflections of Our Divine Qualities, and made Itself Crown and defense of the Divinity Dwelling Within Her. If…

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Explanation of Mother of Unity and Hope Image

Mother & Refuge13 mins

Bishop Roman Danylak, former bishop of the Ukrainian Catholic Diocese of Toronto, Canada, approved this image. A priest from the Vatican called the image a “complete theology”, and had it blessed by Pope Benedict XVI. Summoning her children with an intensity found throughout the messages given to a privileged soul, Our Mother of Unity and Hope is calling us to “come home in confidence to your Father’s family.” She is inviting her children into her Immaculate Heart to bring us closer to Jesus through her call to unity. “Have no fear,” she says “for unity is you harbor in the storm.” To simplify the message, the following is a summation and explanation of the image, along with an outline of the symbols that Our Mother asked to be depicted in the image. In the message, Our Mother of Unity and Hope said that she is revealing the image as a sign of hope for mankind. The image she tells us, represents the full essence and understanding of her call to unity. Our hope, she says, is found in our complete union with the Most Holy Trinity, with her and with Holy Mother Church, including our brothers and sisters on earth and the angels and saints in Heaven. This image she says is given to us now from the Father “to reaffirm you in hope since its fulfillment is near” https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=367&v=ulO87oowyik&embeds_referring_euri=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.heartsoftheholyfamily.org%2F&embeds_referring_origin=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.heartsoftheholyfamily.org&source_ve_path=Mjg2NTksMjM4NTE&feature=emb_title

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Meditations for Advent| Meditation I- The Heart of the Infant Jesus, Our Coming Light

Mother & Refuge08 mins

“Behold, the Lord cometh, and all His saints with Him; and in that day there shall be a great light.” All. Ant. at Lauds. “And the light of the moon shall be as the light of the sun, and the light of the sun shall be sevenfold, as the light of seven days, in the day when the Lord shall bind up the wound of His people, and shall heal the stroke of their wound.” (Is. xxx. 26.) 1st Prelude. – Represent to yourself the Heart of the Infant Jesus in the womb of Mary as a flame of clear and beautiful light coming to enlighten all nations. Represent also to yourself the terrible light of the second coming, which will be open and manifest to all. 2nd Prelude. – Pray that you may be so enlightened by the light of the first coming, that you may not be terrified by the light of the second coming. 1st Point. – Look at the Heart of the Infant Jesus. It lies hidden in the womb of Mary, even as his blessed Humanity will be hidden hereafter in the tabernacle. Oh, what a holy, beautiful, peaceful light is the light of the Infant Heart of Jesus! How it longs to come forth and manifest itself to all, to console, to instruct, to illuminate! Are we, also, longing to receive this light? Are we praying with our whole hearts that it may come to us, and that we may be prepared to receive it? However great our spiritual enlightenment may be, we are still, in some measure, “sitting in darkness and in the shadow of death.” But the light is coming; already we can see the dawn upon the mountain. When Mary was born, the first ray of light tinged the eastern sky; when Jesus was born, the light of this mystic moon was as the light of the true sun, because of her perfect union with Him; and the light of the sun was sevenfold, as the light of seven days. The light was sevenfold; that is, the light was perfect, for it was the light of God. 2nd Point. – Let us beseech the Infant Jesus to enlighten us in that particular way in which we most need light. We are all “born blind” through the sin of our parents; and, unhappily, though we have obtained light in the waters of baptism, we too often, by our own fault, relapse into blindness more or less intense. Sometimes we do not wish to see the sin we should forsake, or the virtue we should practise, because it would cost us something to act upon this light; sometimes we profit so little by the light, that it is withdrawn from us, or it is not imparted in the fullness and brightness with which more faithful souls are favoured. There are souls in whom the light of God shines so brightly, that they cannot commit the shadow of an imperfection without perceiving it immediately; there are souls in whom that light shines so resplendently, that they see even the shadow of an imperfect motive in the best action they perform. Why should we not be thus favoured? It is not because the light is unwilling to come, but because we are unwilling to receive it. 3rd Point. – What shall we do to obtain this great grace? Let us go to Mary. Let us devote our Advent to Mary. Let us consecrate every thought, word, and action to Mary during this holy season; and then, on the blessed Christmas morning, she will herself place her Infant in our arms; nay, rather, she will lay Him down to rest in our hearts; and He is so obedient to His sweet mother, that He will never stir from the heart wherein she places Him, unless she comes to take Him away. Surely we will not oblige her to do so? Advent should be a time of special devotion to Mary. Jesus again lies mystically in her womb. Again she pleads unweariedly for her people, as she pleaded in that blessed Advent when He took flesh of her flesh, and bone of her bone. Oh, let us kneel before her now as we would have knelt before her then, and implore her to intercede for us with Jesus, to obtain for us that He may indeed be our light, and that we may never be of the number of those who prefer darkness. Then, indeed, may we hope that the light of His second coming will be a light of glory to us, and not a light of condemnation. Aspiration. – Come and enlighten us, O sweet Infant Jesus. Form your resolution, and place it in the Heart of the Infant Jesus. Examen of Meditation.

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Powerful Repentance Prayer ‘O my God! reject me not, as I deserve. . .’

Mother & Refuge02 mins

by St. Alphonsus Maria de Liguori from ‘The Great Means of Salvation and Perfection’ O my God! reject me not, as I deserve, for I will amend. I know well that so negligent a life as mine cannot satisfy Thee. I know that I have myself, by my lukewarmness, shut the door against the graces which Thou didst desire to bestow upon me. O Lord! do not yet abandon me, continue to be merciful towards me; I will rise from this miserable state. I will for the future be more careful to overcome my passions, to follow Thy inspirations, and never will I through slothfulness omit my duties, but I will fulfil them with greater diligence. In short, I will, from this time forward, do all I can to please Thee, and I will neglect nothing which I may know to be pleasing to Thee. Since thou, O my Jesus! hast been so liberal with Thy graces towards me, and hast deigned to give Thy blood and Thy life for me, there is no reason I should act with such reserve towards Thee. Thou art worthy of all honor, all love, and to please Thee one ought gladly to undergo every labor, every pain. But, O my Redeemer! Thou knowest my weakness, help me with Thy powerful grace; in Thee I confide. O Immaculate Virgin Mary! thou who hast helped me to leave the world, help me to overcome myself and to become a Saint. Amen

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Act of Love from the Augustinian Manual

Mother & Refuge05 mins

O my Lord and my God, true and only lover of my soul, what more canst Thou do to make me love Thee! Oh, immensity of love! Incomprehensible and infinite love! A God gives himself to me! A God – Ah, my God! I love Thee above all things. I love Thee more than myself, more than my life; and I delight to love Thee, because Thou art so deserving of my love. Begone from my soul, ye earthly affections, and give place to the love of God. Since Thou, O dear Jesus, wilt this morning give Thyself entirely to me, it is just that I also should give myself wholly to Thee. I offer myself entirely and unreservedly to Thee; my senses, my powers, my desires, my affections, my whole self. I solemnly declare before heaven and earth that I no longer wish to live but for Thee; to work, to speak, to breathe, only for Thee, in Thee, and with Thee. Oh, that my heart were all tenderness for Thee, and could pine away for love of Thee! Would that it could be moved by transports of devotion such as those with which thy affectionate mother burned when she pressed Thee to her bosom! Oh, that I could see Thee loved by all! Oh, that I had power to cause all creatures to love Thee as Thou deservest! Alas! good Jesus, grant that I may be a perfect victim to thy holy love. O most amiable Redeemer, how I grieve for having so much offended Thee during my past life! Thou hast even died for my salvation, and I have despised Thy grace and Thy love. Ungrateful, thankless creature that I am! I repent, and grieve from my heart for having so outrageously offended Thee. I hope that Thou hast already pardoned me; but if not, oh, forgive me now before I receive Thee in this Divine Sacrament! Have pity and receive me into thy favour, whilst I prepare for Thee in my heart a suitable abode. Behold, O Jesus, I approach to feed on thy divine flesh. But who am I? Who art Thou? Thou art the Lord Supreme, the source of all purity and perfection; and I am but a worm of the earth, denied by sin and corruption. And dare I purpose to receive Thee in the Holy Communion? The seraphim are not sufficiently pure in thy sight; and shall I, who am but dust and ashes, misery and sin, receive Thee upon my tongue, unite Thee to my heart, and clasp Thee to my bosom? I, who by my sins am unworthy to remain in thy divine presence, and deserve only to be cast into hell, and to be for ever separated from Thee? Ah, my God! My unworthiness is too great. But since by thy goodness I am called to receive Thee, behold I come humbled and confused on account of the great displeasure which I have given Thee; but my only trust is in thy goodness, and in the love which Thou bearest to me. Come, then, O deal Jesus, come into my soul, which longs after Thee. Amen

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