The Seven Offerings of the Most Precious Blood
Eternal Father, I offer Thee the merits of the Most Precious Blood of Jesus, Thy Beloved Son and my Divine Redeemer, for the propagation and exaltation of my dear Mother the Holy Church, for the safety and prosperity of her visible Head, the Holy Roman Pontiff, for the cardinals, bishops and pastors of souls, and for all the ministers of the sanctuary. Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen. Blessed and praised forevermore be Jesus Who hath saved us by His Precious Blood! Amen. Eternal Father, I offer Thee the merits of the Most Precious Blood of Jesus, Thy Beloved Son and my Divine Redeemer, for the peace and concord of nations, for the conversion of the enemies of our holy faith and for the happiness of all Christian people. Glory be, etc. Eternal Father, I offer Thee the merits of the Most Precious Blood of Jesus, Thy Beloved Son and my Divine Redeemer, for the repentance of unbelievers, the extirpation of all heresies, and the conversion of sinners. Glory be, etc. Eternal Father, I offer Thee the merits of the Most Precious Blood of Jesus, Thy Beloved Son and my Divine Redeemer, for all my relations, friends and enemies, for the poor, the sick, and those in tribulation, and for all those for whom Thou willest I should pray, or knowest that I ought to pray. Glory be, etc. Eternal Father, I offer Thee the merits of the Most Precious Blood of Jesus, Thy Beloved Son and my Divine Redeemer, for all those who shall this day pass to another life, that Thou mayest preserve them from the pains of hell, and admit them the more readily to the possession of Thy Glory. Glory be, etc. Eternal Father, I offer Thee the merits of the Most Precious Blood of Jesus, Thy Beloved Son and my Divine Redeemer, for all those who are lovers of this Treasure of His Blood, and for all those who join with me in adoring and honoring It, and for all those who try to spread devotion to It . . . Glory be, etc. Eternal Father, I offer Thee the merits of the Most Precious Blood of Jesus, Thy Beloved Son and my Divine Redeemer, for all my wants, spiritual and temporal, for the holy souls in Purgatory, and particularly for those who in their lifetime were most devoted to this Price of our redemption, and to the sorrows and pains of our dear Mother, most Holy Mary . . . Glory be, etc. Blessed and exalted by the Blood of Jesus, now and always, and through all eternity.
3 Powerful Sacramentals to Have in Your Home
the Catholic Church. Even if they have been part of the Church’s life from the very beginning, they are commonly (and mistakenly) viewed as some sort of superstition. This is largely due to the fact that many Catholics over the centuries have used sacramentals in a superstitious way as they were not taught how to use them properly. Instead of using them with faith, some Catholics used them as magic charms, rather than instruments of grace. This is unfortunate, as sacramentals are meant to enrich the spiritual lives of believers, not hinder them. They have been instituted by the Church to draw us into a deeper relationship with Christ and are focused on sanctifying every part of our lives. Sacramentals are extensions of the seven sacraments and bring the grace of God into everything that we do. 1 HOLY WATER Holy water has a double meaning of reminding us of our baptism as well as a symbol of spiritual cleansing. Holy water is said to have great power over the devil as the devil cannot stand this “clean” water, since he is entirely unclean for all eternity.It is a reminder of the water that flowed out of Christ’s side, which is a symbol of Baptism, and brings to mind the day of the devil’s defeat (that is, Christ’s crucifixion). It is an ancient custom to have what are called “holy water stoups” or “holy water fonts” on the walls of a home. They are elaborate or simple cups that hold holy water, which can then be used to bless oneself throughout the day. It is especially helpful to have them at the doors that lead outside the house as well as in the bedrooms of family members. That way we keep ourselves always fixed on Christ and remind ourselves to remain pure. It also keeps the holy water handy when needed to ward off any influence of the Evil One. 2 BLESSED SALT If possible, it is also good to have a small container of blessed salt in your home. You would have to specifically ask your parish priest to provide that for you and odds are likely that your parish priest would not be familiar with it. This is one sacramental that is often neglected and is not typically used in parishes. However, it is a powerful weapon against evil as can be seen by the following portion of the blessing said by the priest found in the Roman Ritual. Almighty and everlasting God, we humbly implore you, in your immeasurable kindness and love, to bless (+) this salt which you created and gave to the use of mankind, so that it may become a source of health for the minds and bodies of all who make use of it. May it rid whatever it touches or sprinkles of all uncleanness, and protect it from every assault of evil spirits. Through Christ our Lord. 3 CRUCIFIX Another very powerful sacramental that is more typically found in our homes is the crucifix. Not only does a crucifix remind us of the great love that God had for us, but it also is a strong deterrent to spiritual enemies. The crucifix is the bane of Satan’s existence and is the sign of everything that he despises. It is beneficial to have a crucifix in every room in your house (or apartment) so that you can frequently meditate on Jesus’ great sacrifice of love as well as have an image to remind you what you need to focus on during times of temptation. Read more…
Prayer for Pope Francis
O God, shepherd and ruler of all the faithful,look favorably on your servant Francis,whom you have set at the head of your Church as her shepherd; Grant, we pray, that by word and examplehe may be of service to those over whom he presidesso that, together with the flock entrusted to his care,he may come to everlasting life. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,who lives and reigns with you in theunity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
The Lamb’s High Banquet We Await |from the Roman Breviary, 6th century
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.
PRAYER OF REPENTANCE | Receive Forgiveness of Sins from GOD
(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)
Prayer To the Holy Archangel Who Strengthened Our Lord in His Agony
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.
Nurturing the Soul in the Advent Glow – A Nine-Day Christmas Novena
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…
Book of Heaven Volume 1 5 – December 8,1922
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…
