November 23, 2024

Nine First Fridays Devotion of Reparation to The Sacred Heart of Our Lord |12 Promises of the Sacred Heart

Mother & Refuge111 mins

At the end of the 17th century Our Lord appeared to St. Margaret Mary Alocoque (1647-1690) and asked her to spread devotion to His Most Sacred Heart. In a letter written to her Mother Superior in May 1688, St. Margaret Mary set out what is called The Great Promise Our Lord made regarding the Nine First Fridays and what we must do to earn it: “On Friday during Holy Communion, He said these words to His unworthy slave, if I mistake not: ‘I promise you in the excessive mercy of My Heart that Its all-powerful love will grant to all those who receive Holy Communion on nine first Fridays of consecutive months the grace of final repentance; they will not die under My displeasure or without receiving their sacraments, My divine Heart making Itself their assured refuge at the last moment.’” First Friday Requirements: To meet the requirements for the First Friday Devotion a person must, on each First Friday for nine consecutive months: 1. Attend Holy Mass2. Receive Communion3. Go to Confession The Promises of the Sacred Heart of Jesus to St. Margaret Mary (1) “I will give them all the graces necessary in their state of life. (2) I will establish peace in their homes. (3) I will comfort them in all their afflictions. (4) I will be their secure refuge during life, and above all, in death. (5) I will bestow abundant blessings upon all their undertakings. (6) Sinners will find in my Heart the source and infinite ocean of mercy. (7) Lukewarm souls shall become fervent. (8) Fervent souls shall quickly mount to high perfection. (9) I will bless every place in which an image of my Heart is exposed and honored. 10) I will give to priests the gift of touching the most hardened hearts. (11) Those who shall promote this devotion shall have their names written in my Heart. (12) I promise you in the excessive mercy of my Heart that my all-powerful love will grant to all those who receive Holy Communion on the First Fridays in nine consecutive months the grace of final perseverance; they shall not die in my disgrace, nor without receiving their sacraments. My divine Heart shall be their safe refuge in this last moment.” The devotions attached to these promises are: 1. Receiving Communion frequently 2. First Fridays: going to Confession and receiving the Eucharist on the first Friday of each month for nine consecutive months. Many parishes will offer public First Friday devotions; if they do, you must perform First Fridays publicly. If it isn’t so offered in your parish, you can do this privately, going to Confession, receiving the Eucharist, and offering your prayers for the intention of the Holy Father. 3. Holy Hour: Eucharistic Adoration for one hour on Thursdays. (“Could you not watch one hour with me?”) Holy Hour can be made alone or as part of a group with formal prayers. 4. Celebrating of the Feast of the Sacred Heart The Friday that follows the Second Sunday after Pentecost is the Feast of the Sacred Heart which brings to mind all the attributes of His Divine Heart mentioned above. Many Catholics prepare for this Feast by beginning a Novena to the Sacred Heart on the Feast of Corpus Christi, which is the Thursday of the week before. On the Feast of the Sacred Heart itself, we can gain a plenary indulgence by making an Act of Reparation to the Sacred Heart. Act of Reparation to the Sacred Heart Most sweet Jesus, whose overflowing charity for men is requited by so much forgetfulness, negligence and contempt, behold us prostrate before Thee, eager to repair by a special act of homage the cruel indifference and injuries to which Thy loving Heart is everywhere subject. Mindful, alas! that we ourselves have had a share in such great indignities, which we now deplore from the depths of our hearts, we humbly ask Thy pardon and declare our readiness to atone by voluntary expiation, not only for our own personal offenses, but also for the sins of those, who, straying far from the path of salvation, refuse in their obstinate infidelity to follow Thee, their Shepherd and Leader, or, renouncing the promises of their baptism, have cast off the sweet yoke of Thy law. We are now resolved to expiate each and every deplorable outrage committed against Thee; we are now determined to make amends for the manifold offenses against Christian modesty in unbecoming dress and behavior, for all the foul seductions laid to ensnare the feet of the innocent, for the frequent violations of Sundays and holydays, and the shocking blasphemies uttered against Thee and Thy Saints. We wish also to make amends for the insults to which Thy Vicar on earth and Thy priests are subjected, for the profanation, by conscious neglect or terrible acts of sacrilege, of the very Sacrament of Thy Divine Love; and lastly for the public crimes of nations who resist the rights and teaching authority of the Church which Thou hast founded. Would that we were able to wash away such abominations with our blood. We now offer, in reparation for these violations of Thy divine honor, the satisfaction Thou once made to Thy Eternal Father on the Cross and which Thou continuest to renew daily on our Altars; we offer it in union with the acts of atonement of Thy Virgin Mother and all the Saints and of the pious faithful on earth; and we sincerely promise to make recompense, as far as we can with the help of Thy grace, for all neglect of Thy great love and for the sins we and others have committed in the past. Henceforth, we will live a life of unswerving faith, of purity of conduct, of perfect observance of the precepts of the Gospel and especially that of charity. We promise to the best of our power to prevent others from offending Thee and to bring as many as possible to…

Read More

The Fifteen Prayers of St. Bridget | Jesus made 21 promises to anyone who recited these Prayers for a whole year!

Mother & Refuge022 mins

As St. Bridget for a long time wanted to know the number of blows Our Lord received during His Passion, He one day appeared to her and said: “I received 5480 blows on My Body. If you wish to honour them in some way, say 15 Our Fathers and 15 Hail Marys with the following Prayers (which He taught her) for a whole year. When the year is up, you will have honoured each one of My Wounds.” He made the following promises to anyone who recited these Prayers for a whole year: I will deliver 15 souls of his lineage from Purgatory. 15 souls of his lineage will be confirmed and preserved in grace. 15 sinners of his lineage will be converted. Whoever recites these Prayers will attain the first degree of perfection. 15 days before his death I will give him My Precious Body in order that he may escape eternal starvation; I will give him My Precious Blood to drink lest he thirst eternally. 15 days before his death he will feel a deep contrition for all his sins and will have a perfect knowledge of them. I will place before him the sign of My Victorious Cross for his help and defence against the attacks of his enemies. Before his death I shall come with My Dearest Beloved Mother. I shall graciously receive his soul, and will lead it into eternal joys. And having led it there I shall give him a special draught from the fountain of My Deity, something I will not for those who have not recited My Prayers. Let it be known that whoever may have been living in a state of mortal sin for 30 years, but who will recite devoutly, or have the intention to recite these Prayers, the Lord will forgive him all his sins. I shall protect him from strong temptations. I shall preserve and guard his 5 senses. I shall preserve him from a sudden death. His soul will be delivered from eternal death. He will obtain all he asks for from God and the Blessed Virgin. If he has lived all his life doing his own will and he is to die the next day, his life will be prolonged. Every time one recites these Prayers he gains 100 days indulgence. He is assured of being joined to the supreme Choir of Angels. Whoever teaches these Prayers to another, will have continuous joy and merit which will endure eternally. There where these Prayers are being said or will be said in the future God is present with His grace. The Fifteen Prayers of St. Bridget THE FIRST PRAYER Our Father, Hail Mary      O Jesus Christ! Eternal Sweetness to those who love Thee, joy surpassing all joy and all desire, Salvation and Hope of all sinners, Who hast proved that Thou hast no greater desire than to be among men, even assuming human nature at the fullness of time for the love of men, recall all the sufferings Thou hast endured from the instant of Thy conception, and especially during Thy Passion, as it was decreed and ordained from all eternity in the Divine plan. Remember, O Lord, that during the Last Supper with Thy disciples, having washed their feet, Thou gavest them Thy Most Precious Body and Blood, and while at the same time thou didst sweetly console them, Thou didst foretell them Thy coming Passion. Remember the sadness and bitterness which Thou didst experience in Thy soul as Thou prayed:  “My Soul is sorrowful even unto death.” Remember all the fear, anguish and pain that Thou didst suffer in Thy delicate Body before the torment of the Crucifixion, when, after having prayed three times, bathed in a sweat of blood, Thou wast betrayed by Judas, Thy disciple, arrested by the people of a nation Thou hadst chosen and elevated, accused by false witnesses, unjustly judged by three judges during the flower of Thy youth and during the solemn Paschal season. Remember that Thou wast despoiled of Thy garments and clothed in those of derision; that Thy face and eyes were veiled, that Thou wast buffeted, crowned with thorns, a reed placed in Thy hands, that Thou was crushed with blows and overwhelmed with affronts and outrages. In memory of all these pains and sufferings which Thou didst endure before Thy Passion on the cross, grant me before my death true contrition, a sincere and entire confession, worthy satisfaction and the remission of all my sins. THE SECOND PRAYER Our Father, Hail Mary      O Jesus! True Liberty of Angels, Paradise of Delights, remember the horror and sadness which Thou didst endure when Thy enemies, like furious lions, surrounded Thee, and by thousands of insults, spits, blows, lacerations and other unheard-of cruelties, tormented Thee at will.  In consideration of these torments and insulting words, I beseech Thee, O my Saviour, to deliver me from all my enemies, visible and invisible, and to bring me, under Thy protection, to the perfection of eternal salvation.  THE THIRD PRAYER Our Father, Hail Mary      O Jesus! Creator of Heaven and earth Whom nothing can encompass or limit, Thou Who dost enfold and hold all under Thy loving power, remember the very bitter pain Thou didst suffer when the Jews nailed Thy sacred hands and feet to the cross by blow after blow with big blunt nails, and not finding Thee in a pitiable enough state to satisfy their rage, they enlarged Thy Wounds, and added pain to pain, and with indescribable cruelty stretched Thy body on the cross, pulled Thee from all sides, thus dislocating Thy limbs.  I beg of Thee, O Jesus, by the memory of this most loving suffering of the cross, to grant me the grace to fear Thee and to love Thee.   THE FOURTH PRAYER Our Father, Hail Mary      O Jesus! Heavenly Physician, raised aloft on the Cross to heal our wounds with Thine, remember the bruises which Thou didst suffer and the weakness of…

Read More

Have you heard of “Our Lady of Old Silverware”?

Mother & Refuge03 mins

By Aleteia Aplaster statue of Our Lady is on display in Thérèse’s bedroom at Les Buissonnets, the Martin family home in Lisieux. Today, this representation of the Mother of God is known as “Our Lady of the Smile.” However, it’s merely a reproduction of the statue to which the young woman from Lisieux attributed her recovery on May 13, 1883. Thérèse, whose mother had already died, had been sick since her older sister Pauline entered the Carmelite convent. The 10-year-old child was lying in bed when she saw the statue smiling beside her, and her illness went away. The original statueFor a long time now, the “real” statue of the miracle has been located in a niche on the wall behind Thérèse’s casket at the Carmelite convent and shrine in Lisieux. Also made of plaster, an elderly woman from Alençon had given it to the still-bachelor Louis Martin. The family kept it for many years. Eventually it accompanied the ailing Carmelite nun to the infirmary of her convent, where she died on October 1, 1897. But that statue too is, in fact, a reproduction. We have to go back more than a century before these events to Paris to find the original (now lost) model of the famous statue. In the mid-1700s, the parish priest of St. Sulpice wanted to adorn the axial chapel (behind the main altar) with a beautiful representation of the Mother of God, worthy of the still unfinished but monumental edifice. Having called on the sculptor Edme Bouchardon, who was to create much of the church’s statuary, he also needed to find a material worthy of the Virgin Mary. Read more…

Read More

Down in Adoration Falling |Tantum Ergo by St. Thomas Aquinas

Mother & Refuge01 mins

Down in adoration falling,Lo, the sacred Host we hail;Lo, o’er ancient forms departing,Newer rights of grace prevailFaith for all defects supplying,Where the feeble senses fail. To the everlasting FatherAnd the Son who reigns on high,With the Spirit still proceedingAge to age eternally,Be salvation, honor, blessing,Might and endless majesty. Tantum ergo SacramentumVeneremur cernuiEt antiquum documentumNovo cedat ritui;Praestet fides supplementum,Sensuum defectui. Genitori GenitoqueLaus et jubilatio,Salus, honor, virtus quoqueSit et benedictio:Procedenti ab utroqueCompar sit laudatio. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Swns4Kjzc9E

Read More

Add to Your Bookmarks| Daily Prayer to the Sacred Heart

Mother & Refuge04 mins

O Sacred Heart of Jesus, mercifully accept the prayer which I now make to You for help in the moment of my death, when at its approach all my senses shall fail me. When, therefore, O kind and merciful Jesus, my weary and downcast eyes can no longer look up to You, be mindful of the loving gaze which I now turn to You, and have mercy on me, a sinner. When my parched lips can no longer kiss Your most sacred wounds, remember that hour those kisses which I now imprint on You, and have mercy on me, a sinner. When my cold hands can no longer embrace Your cross, forget not the affection with which I embrace it now, and have mercy upon me, a sinner. When my swollen and lifeless tongue can no longer speak, remember that I called upon You now, Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, to you I commend my soul. O Sacred Heart of Jesus, filled with infinite love, broken by my ingratitude and pierced by my many sins and yet loving you still, accept this act of consecration that I make to You of all that I am and all that I have. Take every faculty of my soul and body, draw me day by day near and nearer to Your Sacred Heart, and there, as I can bear the lesson, teach me Your blessed way. O Sacred Heart of Jesus, Incarnate Son of God, Who for our salvation did vouchsafe to be born in a stable, to pass Your life in poverty, trials, and misery, and to die amid the sufferings of the cross, I entreat You, in the hour of my death to say to Your divine Father, “Father forgive him”; Say to my soul, “This day you to shall be with Me in Paradise.” My God, my God forsake me not in that hour. “I thirst” — truly, my God, my soul thirsts after You, Who are the fountain of living waters. My life passes like a shadow; yet a little while and all will be consummated. Wherefore, my adorable Saviour, from this moment, and for all eternity, “into Your hands I commend my spirit.” Lord Jesus, receive my soul. O Queen of the Holy Rosary and most kind and loving Mother of Perpetual Help, in memory of your Seven Sorrows, intercede for us with your divine Son and beg Him, in honor of His Precious Blood and sacred passion and death upon the cross, to forgive our sins and grant us the grace of a holy and happy death. Our Father, Hail Mary, and Glory Be

Read More

Explanation of Mother of Unity and Hope Image

Mother & Refuge09 mins

By Yves Jacques  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” The Symbols of the Image. Alpha and Omega.Impressed upon the Most Holy Eucharist, which brings Heaven and earth together, are the signs of the Alpha and Omega. In all languages, these symbols are universal. They represent God in the Most Holy Trinity, fully combined with the Dove (Holy Spirit) and Jesus upon the Cross. It shows that with the Alpha and Omega that His plan is to reunite His children with Himself, is completed through Jesus’s sufferings upon the cross. These symbols, the Alpha and Omega and Jesus upon the cross, represent all that mankind knows of God through Holy Mother Church and scripture. The Alpha and Omega represent God in the beginning and in the end. It is He who is and will always be. It also signifies that God from the beginning had a fatherly plan for the salvation of mankind. Our Mother says, “It signifies the end of evil, the completion of His plan.” The Dove.The Holy Spirit represents the creation of the universe, of mankind and the angels and all things created good. It is radiant as it expresses God’s love for His children. It was through the workings of the Holy Spirit that Holy Mother Church began and grew. The Dove represents His sending forth His love since the beginning of time. The Dove (Holy Spirit) was sent into the world to teach mankind of God in the Most Holy Trinity. All is done now through the Holy Spirit. He is the entire essence of God’s Trinity. The Holy Spirit issued out from the Father’s heart and gave birth to Jesus, our Savior. He is the presence of God manifested in the flesh and in all His children. “All is connected”, our Mother says. Our Mother says, “These images of the Alpha and Omega and the Dove are embedded in the Most Holy Eucharist, the true presence of Jesus, your food from God, your life and your love.” The Crucifix.The crucifix at the center reminds every soul of the mercy and sacrifice Jesus gave for all. Jesus upon the cross signifies the redemption of mankind, God’s plan from the beginning of time. All radiance and love was sent from the beginning, always issuing forth for mankind. It is unending and salvific. The remembrance of Jesus’s love and sacrifice shall always be seen and commemorated for all eternity. It shall never be forgotten and thus remains upon the image for all eternity. The Golden Ring.The golden ring around the Eucharist represents mankind’s unity with the Most Holy Trinity. It represents the unity of Holy Mother Church on earth from the foundation of the four Gospels which have reached the four corners of the earth. The ring represents God’s children, the Holy Family of God which encircles the Triune God. The Holy Family is gathered around the Most Holy Trinity (Alpha and Omega). The circle of the Eucharist and golden encasement represent complete union, an unending circle where all people are united under one faith and one Triune God. The Golden circle represent our true inheritance. The Rays of Light.The rays of light represent God’s love for mankind as it was from the beginning of time to the present, and for all eternity. These rays not only represent the mercy that God has given to man through the sacrifice of His only Son, but the entire glory of God as the Word made flesh reunites Him with His children. Radiance flows from the heart of Jesus expressing the love of your Father for you. The cataclysm of creation was God’s love, poured out establishing the universe, the angels, and His creatures. At the birth of His beloved Son, the Father’s heart was the brilliant star illuminating the night, drawing the faithful to the stable were He lay. Upon the crucifixion and death of His Son, Jesus’s heart was pierce allowing the love of the Trinity to pour forth in love and mercy. As these rays issue out, they too are at the same time, drawing you back through the heart of Jesus, fulfilling the scripture passage “No one comes to the father except through Me.” Read more…

Read More

O Glory of Virgins by St. Venantius Fortunatus

Mother & Refuge02 mins

Where troops of virgins follow the LambThrough the streets of the golden city,Who is she walks in the lily throngClothed with the sunHer mantle flowing like an azure waveTo the jewel pavement?High in her arms for all to adoreShe holds a Man-Child.She leads the mystic song that swells and soarsLike the noise of many waters,With the voice of her own Magnificat.The glory of virgins is she, a maiden mother.O Mary, where your Jesus leads, you follow,The first of pearl-pure human souls.The prize that reckless Eve has tossed away,You stretch a generous hand to give again,And draw the earth’s sad exilesTo their promises land of joy.O doorway of the mighty King!O radiant threshold of His light!Life-giving Virgin!Nations redeemed praise you with jubilation.Jesus, Son of Mary,Father and loving Spirit,Glory to You forever and ever. Amen.

Read More

Prayer to the Sacred Heart of Jesus by St. Gertrude the Great

Mother & Refuge11 mins

O Sacred Heart of Jesus, fountain of eternal life, Your Heart is a glowing furnace of Love. You are my refuge and my sanctuary. O my adorable and loving Savior, consume my heart with the burning fire with which Yours is aflamed. Pour down on my soul those graces which flow from Your love. Let my heart be united with Yours. Let my will be conformed to Yours in all things. May Your Will be the rule of all my desires and actions.

Read More

Prayer to the Heavenly Father(This prayer is to be said with arms extended in the form of a cross whenever possible.)

Mother & Refuge01 mins

Our Father Who art in heaven! Send Jesus to us quickly! Send Him soon, we pray Thee, with Faith, with Love, with an ardent desire, we humbly beseech Thee to grant us this favour. Let Jesus come quickly, we implore Thee, that He may rescue so many sheep that are going astray on the way of perdition. Oh, Heavenly Father, we, Thy poor children here on earth, implore Thee! We supplicate Thee! We confidently hope to obtain this favor from Thee.

Read More

Must Watch Video| Palestinian Christians- The First Christians Since Pentecost

Mother & Refuge01 mins

Christianity was born in Palestine two thousand years ago. From there it spread throughout the Middle East and to the rest of the world. Yet many are unaware Christians still live in the land. For more than 60 years the Palestinians, Christians and Muslims, have suffered displacement, expulsion, wars, occupation and oppression. The voices of Palestinian Christians have all too often been drowned out in the turmoil of events. This is their story, in their voices, from the Nakba of 1948 until today. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pWPijzzinKg

Read More