February 18, 2025

catholic blog

Titanic priest a ‘saint’

Mother & Refuge02 mins

TERMED the “Titanic priest”, Fr Thomas Byles – who rather than save his life stayed on the sinking ship to pray with passengers – could be made saint. According to survivors, the priest refused a lifeboat seat two times, and instead prayed with second and third-class passengers on the sinking ship, reported Metro.co.uk Sunday. As the passengers realised the boat was sinking, he prayed with passengers, heard confessions, and held a service. Fr Thomas Byles had been rector of St Helens’ in Chipping Ongar, Essex for eight years, before meeting his death. He had been educated in Fleetwood, Lancashire and at Oxford. On April 15, 1912, the priest died onboard the Titanic along with 1500 others when it sank off the Atlantic Coast. He had been travelling to America to officiate at his brother’s wedding and to attend his younger brother’s funeral in New York. At least two “miracles” attributed to a person are required for sainthood. Pope Pius X praised Father Byles’ actions. St Helens’, where Fr Byles was rector, has launched a campaign to advance his cause for sainthood.  

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A Prayer for Daily Neglects

Mother & Refuge01 mins

Eternal Father, I offer Thee the Sacred Heart of Jesus, with all its love, all its sufferings and all its merits. First, to expiate all the sins I have committed this day and during all my life. Glory be. . . Second, to purify the good I have done poorly this day and during all my life. Glory be. . . Third, to supply for the good I ought to have done, and that I have neglected this day and all my life. Glory be. . . A Poor Clare, who just died, appeared to her Abbess who was praying for her, and said to her: “I went straight to heaven, for, by means of this prayer, recited every evening, I paid all my debts.”

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Powerful Prayer to the Holy Magi (to be said with faith three times. For spiritual and financial intercession.)

Mother & Refuge03 mins

O Almighty God, we raise our voices to You, that You may hear and have pity on us. You can assist us in a wonderful manner. God of sanctity, God of strength, immortal God, have pity on us. We implore You through the merits of Jesus Christ, through the intercession of the Blessed Virgin, Saint Joseph, of the Holy Magi Kings, Kasper, Melchior, and Baltassar, and all Your Angels and Saints, to grant us here below, temporal blessings, and above, the blessings of eternal life. Amen    Below is one another prayer, part of a longer novena to the Magi that is often said in preparation for the feast of Epiphany. O Holy Magi, you were living in continual expectation of the rising of the Star of Jacob, which would announce the birth of the true Son of justice; obtain for me an increase of faith and charity, and the grace to live in continual hope of beholding, one day, the light of heavenly glory and eternal joy.(Share your request …)Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. AmenPrayer to the Infant Jesus:Infant Jesus, meek and mild,look on me a little child.Pity mine and pity me,suffer me to come to Thee.Heart of Jesus, I adore Thee.Heart of Mary, I implore Thee.Heart of Joseph, pure and just.In these three hearts, I put my trust.Help us Joseph in our early strife,ever to lead a pure and blameless life.O, Holy Magi, Pray for Us (Source:Aleteia)

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Holy Name Prayer from ‘the Rural Life Prayerbook’

Mother & Refuge01 mins

LORD JESUS, we humbly pray You to give us all a great reverence and respect for Your most holy name. Forgive us for ever having used the name of Jesus in vain, or without due respect. Help us remember how reverently and lovingly Your Mother Mary used the name of Jesus, and how humbly Saint Joseph called You and spoke to You by name. Your name, dear Jesus, is above every other name in heaven or on earth, because You are Jesus, the Savior of all men. You have saved us, and You have told us to ask God anything in Your name, and it would be granted. We ask You, humbly and confidently, to bless us and our work, and give us the rich treasures of Your divine grace, without which we cannot even so much as pronounce the name of Jesus.

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Miraculous Prayer to Our Lady of Manaoag for Urgent Needs

Mother & Refuge04 mins

According to recorded history, the Augustinians came to Pangasinan in 1575 and established the missions of Lingayen, Bagnotan (which is now called Dagupan), and Santa Monica (now called Manaoag) as part of their evangelization efforts.   Because the Pangasinenses prefer to believe in paganism, the missionaries decided to leave. But this was just the start of the evangelization of the missionaries in the province. In fact, there were also undocumented missionaries serving in Pangasinan.   In addition, the Franciscans made an effort to spread the gospel across the region. However, their efforts were in vain, since they were unable to convert the residents of Pangasinan. The Dominican Missionaries built a mission at Binalatongan (now called San Carlos) in 1587, under the patronage of its founder, Saint Dominic De Guzman.   The town of Mangaldan, which is nine (9) kilometers from Santa Monica, was a “visita” for the Augustinian monastery of Lingayen. It is also the place where the Dominicans began their missionary work.   Given that Lingayen was 30 kilometers from the Augustinian convent of Santa Monica, the Augustinians were happy to give up its care to Bishop Diego de Soria, OP, who gave it to Fr. Juan de San Jacinto, OP, Vicar of Mangaldan. As a result, Fr. de San Jacinto had the idea of creating a chapel dedicated to Our Lady of the Most Holy Rosary when he accepted this post in 1605.   The apparition of the Blessed Virgin Mary Manaoag got its name from a story about an appearance of the Blessed Virgin Mary to a farmer on a treetop, according to local lore.   The story goes that the Virgin of the Most Holy Rosary and her most pious Son, the Child Jesus, arrived in the middle of a cloud. She stated her desire for a shrine to be built in her honor in the same location so that her followers might travel there in the future and ask for her maternal protection.   This apparition of the Virgin of the Rosary became famous in other parts of the globe. People from all over the world would go to the spot where the apparition occurred to see it for themselves. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7DhBGanrA08

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Lovely Lady Dressed in Blue

Mother & Refuge01 mins

Lovely Lady dressed in blue-Teach me how to pray!God was just your little boy,Tell me what to say! Did you lift Him up, sometimes,Gently on your knee?Did you sing to Him the wayMother does to me? Did you hold His hand at night?Did you ever tryTelling stories of the world?O! And did He cry? Do you really think He caresIf I tell Him things-Little things that happen? AndDo the Angels’ wings Make a noise? And can He hearMe if I speak low?Does He understand me now?Tell me- for you know? Lovely Lady dressed in blue-Teach me how to pray!God was just your little boy,And you know the way.

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Orthodox Church of Ukraine Decides to Celebrate Christmas on December 25 as per Gregorian Calendar

Mother & Refuge04 mins

The autocephalous Orthodox Church of Ukraine (OCU) has charted history by deciding to celebrate Christmas on Dec. 25 as per the Gregorian Calendar like the Roman Catholics. This decision was taken by the Council of Bishops on May 24 in an apparent act of defiance towards the Russian Orthodox Church. The Council almost unanimously voted to follow the Gregorian calendar for the Solemnity of the Birth of our Lord instead of celebrating it on January 7 like many other Orthodox communities while Easter and other major feasts like the Feast of the Trinity will be celebrated as per the old Julian calendar. The new changes will come into effect as of September 1 which marks the onset of the new ecclesiastical year. Orthodox believers in the war-torn nation belong to the autocephalous OCU and the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate, which is loyal to the Russian Church. As per the Gregorian calendar, the Orthodox feast of St Nicholas the wonderworker will be observed on December 6 and OCU believers will join their Catholic brethren in celebrating the feast of Epiphany on January 6. The council of bishops of the OCU said in a decree that the decision to switch calendars regarding the celebration of Christmas was made because the Julian calendar is of secular origin and has no spiritual importance. It is also a powerful reminder of the association with the Russian Orthodox Church. “In the modern realities of the existence of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine in Ukrainian society, especially in connection with the aggressive Russian war against Ukraine, the demand for a change in the calendar increased significantly,” they said. However, the prelates said that for centuries the Julian calendar was the symbol of resistance to the Latinization efforts and after the communist takeover, it was a sign of resistance. But with the socio-cultural change in Ukraine, it is time for a revamp, they said. The bishop said that these days, people consider the Julian calendar as being a vestige of the Russian connection rather than a symbol of Ukrainian nationality and culture. Therefore, it was a timely decision to affirm Ukraine’s spiritual identity by switching to the Gregorian calendar while preserving the traditional Easter. Read more…

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