November 23, 2024

catholic news

“I Was in Hell: My Illumination of Conscience!” Testimony of Fabienne Guerrero

Mother & Refuge053 mins

Based on the testimony of “I Was in Hell: My Illumination of Conscience“ Fabienne’s testimony is powerful. It shows the boundless sadness that takes hold of a life lived apart from God. But even more, it reveals the spiritual source of this ill-being that only an experience of Divine Mercy and Love allows us to know. What surge of light and sweetness penetrates one’s soul when it lets itself be touched by mercy and enters the life of the sacraments! We should never forget the sadness of our contemporaries who live far from God. A Christian can think with a certain levity that those who give in to their disordered passions or build their life upon uncertain and obscure beliefs can be happy. The truth is quite different. They carry within themselves a profound sadness, and in the flow of their life, they are prey to the power of the evil spirits that manipulate their freedom. The joy they display comes from their survival instinct. It is artificial but does not reveal itself as such until light enters their heart. Nothing is more powerful than the testimony of somebody who entered into the light after having known such darkness. A single gaze upon the Sacred Heart (this painting where Jesus points to the wound of His Heart, from which rays burst out) and the life of Fabienne, thirsting for love and chained to her passions, takes a flip. Jesus leads her to the source of liberation and healing that are the sacraments of Confession and of the Eucharist. Oh, if we could listen to this testimony! We could understand what liberations and illuminations the Sacrament of Reconciliation brings about. As a priest, I saw hundreds of lives turn from darkness to light in one single confession. That does not exclude that you need time to progressively consent to not returning to the slavery of sin that reactivates our links to the evil spirits. Those who share in the ill-being of Fabienne’s previous life will discover here the hidden face of many practices that they deemed innocent. It is not necessarily, the practices in themselves that are bad but, being deprived of a real relationship with God, they are built into a false religion. There are many gates through which the evil spirits take possession of the soul, and thus mistrust progressively ties it up by removing its freedom. We must always have mistrust of practices which we do not clearly know what is manifested through them. We rightfully label them as occult practices, in the sense that they serve as a cover. In reality, behind these “covers”, are spirits with evil intentions, hiding and working. Impersonal forces do not exist. God is a Person – light, sweetness, and tenderness. He has a face. Every face that hides itself is suspected of putting on a suspicious grin. We can only invite people who will read these lines to mistrust any relation with the spirits, hiding behind the facade of religious practice. What is actually hidden behind the spirits or the dead that speak through the voice of mediums? What mediation do these so-called mediums practice? The testimony of Fabienne expresses that to us. Often, behind these false manifestations of the dead that speak to the living, there are hidden evil spirits. In the long or short term, these “consultations” bring out that which Fabienne expressed very well for having lived it out: an evil being which carries with it an unbearable confusion for the soul. These evil spirits weave links that progressively limit freedom. This testimony reaches each one of us by showing the hidden face not only of our sins, but also of these troubling practices that invade our society and substitute themselves for the true religion. They promise the abatement of the ill-being that gnaws at our heart, wounded and thirsting for love, but they immerse us into an indefinable ill-being. The more we seek to free ourselves, the more we feel bound and prey to sadness. When the Mercy of Jesus entered the heart of Fabienne, she, in fact, discovered the flip side of the decor. First of all, she acknowledged her own responsibility – very important and very present in this testimony – and then the role of the evil spirits that sought to take her freedom and creep into her soul so as to possess her nearly totally. She became conscious of the ignorance in which she found herself and began to taste true freedom, the light that enlightens the heart and especially the infinite tenderness of God. In the great love of Jesus,−Father Jean Eudes Doctor of Theology My Illumination of Conscience— The peace of Jesus be with you! Beloved brothers and sisters, I come to witness today that Christ brought me back to life! My parents had me baptized a few days after my birth. I followed all the catechism classes, and I made my First Communion. My mother, a holy woman, taught me to pray every night. However, after my First Communion, I no longer attended the Catholic Church until 1996, when Jesus came to save me. I was 32 years old. I will tell you a bit about the life that I led all those years, far from Jesus. Searching for Love As soon as I turned 15, my life took a reversal. I began to smoke, frequented filthy bars, participated in card readings, practiced numerology, and wrote to astrologers. When I finished my studies in school, I spent all the weekends in discotheques, smoking hashish and drinking alcohol. I wore miniskirts and designer clothes. Without guilty feelings, I frolicked with the men I met. I was searching for Love with a capital L. Satan kept me bound and prevented me from turning towards the love of Christ. He blinded me with what men could give me: pleasure of the flesh, money, wellbeing, and the world. I was under his hellish bindings. I needed somebody to take much care of me….

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An ancient Irish litany to the Blessed Virgin Mary

Mother & Refuge25 mins

It is likely that this litany was used at the monastery of Clonsast around the year 725 and was later translated into Latin. Here below is an English translation of the original Irish from the 8th century. O GREAT Mary, [pray for us]Mary, greatest of Marys,Most great of women,Queen of the angels,Mistress of the heavens,Woman full and replete with the grace of the Holy Spirit,Blessed and most blessed,Mother of eternal glory,Mother of the heavenly and earthly Church,Mother of love and indulgence,Mother of the golden light,Honor of the sky,Harbinger of peace.Gate of heaven,Golden casket, Couch of love and mercy,Temple of the Divinity,Beauty of virgins,Mistress of the tribes,Fountain of the gardens,Cleansing of sins,Washing of souls,Mother of orphans,Breast of the infants,Refuge of the wretched,Star of the sea,Handmaid of God,Mother of Christ,Abode of the Godhead,Graceful as the dove,Serene like the moon,Resplendent like the sun,Destruction of Eve s disgrace,Regeneration of life,Perfection of women,Chief of the virgins,Garden enclosed,Fountain sealed,Mother of God, Perpetual Virgin,Holy Virgin,Prudent Virgin,Serene Virgin,Chaste Virgin,Temple of the Living God,Throne of the Eternal King,Sanctuary of the Holy Spirit,Virgin of the root of Jesse,Cedar of Mount Lebanon,Cypress of Mount Sion,Crimson rose in the land of Jacob,Fruitful like the olive,Blooming like the palm,Glorious son-bearer,Light of Nazareth,Glory of Jerusalem,Beauty of the world,Noblest born of the Christian people,Queen of life,Ladder of Heaven, Hear the petition of the poor; spurn not the wounds and the groans of the miserable. Let our devotion and our sighs be carried through thee to the presence of the Creator, for we are not ourselves worthy of being heard because of our evil deserts. O powerful Mistress of heaven and earth, wipe out our trespasses and our sins. Destroy our wickedness and depravity. Raise the fallen, the debilitated, and the fettered. Loose the condemned. Repair through thyself the transgressions of our immorality and our vices. Bestow upon us through thyself the blossoms and ornaments of good actions and virtues. Appease for us the Judge by thy prayers and thy supplications. Allow us not, for mercy s sake, to be carried off from thee among the spoils of our enemies. Allow not our souls to be condemned, but take us to thyself for ever under thy protection. We, moreover, beseech and pray thee, holy Mary, to obtain, through thy potent supplication, before thy only Son, that is, Jesus Christ, the son of the living God, that God may defend us from all straits and temptations. Obtain also for us from the God of Creation the forgiveness and remission of all our sinsand trespasses, and that we may receive from Him further, through thy intercession, the everlasting habitation of the heavenly kingdom, through all eternity, in the presence of the saints and the saintly virgins of the world; which may we deserve, may we enjoy, for ever and ever. Amen.

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3PM HOUR OF MERCY PRAYER

Mother & Refuge014 mins

3PM HOUR OF MERCY PRAYER   V: You expired Jesus, but the source of life gushed forth for souls, and the ocean of mercy opened up for the whole world.  All: O Fountain of Life, unfathomable Divine Mercy, envelop the whole world and empty Yourself out upon us.  V: O Blood and Water which gushed forth from the Heart of Jesus as a fount of Mercy for us, All: I trust in You. V: Mary, Mother of Mercy and our Mother, All: Pray for us. V: Saint Faustina and Saint John Paul II All: Pray for us. (3x)   — ACT OF ENTRUSTMENT OF THE DESTINY OF THE WORLD — All: O God, merciful Father, Who has revealed Your love in Your Son, Jesus Christ, and has poured it out upon us in the Holy Spirit, the Comforter. We entrust to You today the destiny of the world and of every man and woman. Bend down to us sinners, heal our weaknesses, conquer all evil, and grant that all the inhabitants of the earth may experience Your mercy. May they always find the source of hope in You, the Triune God. Eternal Father, for the sake of the sorrowful Passion, and the Resurrection of Your Son, have mercy on us and on the whole world. Amen. (Saint John Paul II entrusted the destiny of the world to the Divine Mercy on August 17, 2002 in Kraków Łagiewniki) — PRAYER FOR THE GRACE TO BE MERCIFUL TO OTHERS — (Diary 163) V: O Most Holy Trinity! As many times as I breathe, as many times as my heart beats, as many times as my blood pulsates through my body, so many thousand times do I want to glorify Your mercy. All: I want to be completely transformed into Your mercy and to be Your living reflection, O Lord. May the greatest of all divine attributes, that of Your unfathomable mercy, pass through my heart and soul to my neighbor. V: Help me, O Lord, that my eyes may be merciful, so that I may never suspect or judge from appearances, but look for what is beautiful in my neighbors’ souls and come to their rescue. All: Help me, that my ears may be merciful, so that I may give heed to my neighbors’ needs and not be indifferent to their pains and moanings. V: Help me, O Lord, that my tongue may be merciful, so that I should never speak negatively of my neighbor, but have a word of comfort and forgiveness for all. All: Help me, O Lord, that my hands may be merciful and filled with good deeds, so that I may do only good to my neighbors and take upon myself the more difficult and toilsome tasks.  V: Help me, that my feet may be merciful, so that I may hurry to assist my neighbor, overcoming my own fatigue and weariness. My true rest is in the service of my neighbor. All: Help me, O Lord, that my heart may be merciful so that I myself may feel all the sufferings of my neighbor. I will refuse my heart to no one. I will be sincere even with those who, I know, will abuse my kindness. And I will lock myself up in the most merciful Heart of Jesus. I will bear my own suffering in silence. May Your mercy, O Lord, rest upon me. V: You Yourself command me to exercise the three degrees of mercy. The first: the act of mercy, of whatever kind. The second: the word of mercy — if I cannot carry out a work of mercy, I will assist by my words. The third: prayer — if I cannot show mercy by deeds or words, I can always do so by prayer. My prayer reaches out even there where I cannot reach out physically. All: O my Jesus, transform me into Yourself, for You can do all things. Amen. — PRAYER FOR PRIESTS — All: O Jesus, I pray for your faithful and fervent priests; for your unfaithful and tepid priests; for your priests laboring at home or abroad in distant mission fields; for your tempted priests; for your lonely and desolate priests; for your young priests; for your dying priests; for the souls of your priests in Purgatory. But above all, I recommend to you the priests dearest to me: the priest who baptized me; the priests who’ve absolved me from my sins; the priests at whose Masses I’ve assisted and who’ve given me Your Body and Blood in Holy Communion; the priests who’ve taught and instructed me; all the priests to whom I am indebted in any other way. O Jesus, keep them all close to your heart, and bless them abundantly in time and eternity. Amen   — LITANY — Lord, have mercy on us; Lord, have mercy on us. Christ, have mercy on us; Christ, have mercy on us. Lord, have mercy on us: Lord, have mercy on us. Christ, hear us; Christ, graciously hear us. God, the Father of heaven, have mercy on us. God, the Son, Redeemer of the world, have mercy on us. God, the Holy Spirit, have mercy on us. Holy Trinity, One God, have mercy on us. Lamb of God, who take away the sins of the world, Spare us, O Lord, Lamb of God, who take away the sins of the world, Graciously hear us, O Lord, Lamb of God, who take away the sins of the world, Have mercy on us. I fly to Your mercy, Compassionate God, Who alone are good. Although my misery is great and my offenses are many, I trust in Your mercy because You are the God of Mercy, and it has never been heard of in all ages, nor do heaven or earth remember, that a soul trusting in Your mercy has been disappointed. (Diary 247) With complete trust, let us bring our prayers before the Lord. Let’s take a moment of silence and offer…

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The Road to Easter | Guide From Benedictine Daughters of Divine Will

Mother & Refuge02 mins

  We’ve heard it said that the forty days of fasting during Lent are meant to prepare us for the fifty days of feasting during the Easter season.  At the surface, this seems to simply imply that we deprive ourselves so that we can eventually indulge.  But the exact opposite is actually true.  We deprive ourselves, we enter into a greater acknowledgement of our littleness, and we open ourselves to a deeper conversion of heart not to fall back into our old ways, but to enjoy the glorious freedom of the children of God.  We are called to live the redemption Christ won for us to the fullest!  As St. Paul says, it is “for freedom that Christ has set us free” (Gal 5:1).  This is not a freedom to indulge ourselves, but a freedom to choose the good and to love.  It is a freedom to become a gift to God and our neighbor.  It is the freedom we need to give the Divine Will free reign in our lives.  Powered By EmbedPress

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If You Are in Fear Of Death! Make friends with Sister Death -St Francis of Assisi

Mother & Refuge01 mins

St. Francis of Assisi closes his beautiful praise of God’s creation with a prayer addressed through Sister Death. When we meet her and recognize her as our sister, we can prepare ourselves to be ready when she welcomes us home. From Canticle of the Creatures (St. Francis of Assisi) All praise be yours, my Lord, through Sister Death,From whose embrace no mortal can escape.Woe to those who die in mortal sin!Happy those she finds doing your will!The second death can do them no harm.Praise and bless my Lord, and give him thanks.And serve him with great humility. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GnIvygf0BQA

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Where did St. Joseph die?

Mother & Refuge03 mins

By Aleteia St. Joseph is widely known as the patron saint of a “happy death,” but do we even know where he died? The Bible does not give us much information about St. Joseph, aside from a few verses that explain what he did in Jesus’ early childhood. After Jesus’ childhood, it is not certain what happened to St. Joseph, or the precise date when he died. Location of St. Joseph’s death Most scholars believe that St. Joseph died before Jesus’ public ministry, as he is absent from all of the events that occur during the last three years of Jesus’ life on earth. With this in mind, most scholars point to Nazareth as the location of St. Joseph’s death.    While the precise location is not known, there does exist a church in Nazareth dedicated to St. Joseph. The Franciscans in the Holy Land describe the local traditions of Nazareth on their website: In the 17th century, Father Francesco Quaresmi describes a place “that the locals call Joseph’s House and Workshop where, for a time, there was a beautiful church dedicated to Saint Joseph.”  Furthermore, “The apocryphal ‘Story of Joseph the Carpenter’ narrates the death and interment of Jesus’ foster father, describing how Jesus himself helped and comforted him at the moment that he passed out of this life.“ All of this places St. Joseph’s death in the family home in Nazareth, and possibly in the arms of the Blessed Virgin Mary and their son, Jesus. His body is not located in any particular tomb, though there are some traditions that say he was “assumed” into Heaven, similar to the Blessed Virgin Mary. Whether or not that actually happened is difficult to pinpoint, but many saints claim it is true. Read more…

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What Happened at Venerable Fulton J. Sheen’s Last Day?

Mother & Refuge06 mins

‘I want to see the Lord. I have spent hours before Him in the Blessed Sacrament. … [N]ow I want to see Him face-to-face.’   God lavished many gifts upon Venerable Archbishop Fulton Sheen, including a brilliant mind, a remarkable memory, a magnificent voice, and enviable oratorical skills. He transcended the parish and the diocese. He was, as Thomas Reeves stated in the title of his masterful biography, “America’s Bishop.” Archbishop Sheen made is easy for Catholics to be openly proud of their faith and others to want to imitate it. The Italian phrase comes to mind: Natura il fence, poi rupee lo stampo (“Nature made him and then broke the mold”). Would there ever be another Bishop Sheen? The Jesuit magazine America called him “the greatest evangelist in the history of the United States.” Another journalist remarked, “No Catholic bishop has burst upon the world with such power as Sheen wields since long before the Protestant Reformation.” Despite his gifts and immense popularity, Archbishop Sheen always deflected praise. “I am only a porter who opens the door,” he said. “It is the Lord who walks in and does the carpentry and the masonry and the rebuilding on the inside.” He dismissed publicity, stating that it was “as artificial as rouge on the cheek. Doing the job is the important thing, even if you’re a street cleaner.” Sheen frequently spoke of his death, much to the consternation of his friends. “It is not that I do not love life; I do,” he would assure them. “It is just that I want to see the Lord. I have spent hours before Him in the Blessed Sacrament. I have spoken to Him in prayer, and about Him to everyone who would listen, and now I want to see Him face-to-face.” In his chapel was a painting of Christ on the cross, done by Dr. Simon Stertzer, a cardiologist whom Archbishop Sheen credits with saving his life. In the painting, there is a concentration on Christ’s eyes that shows both pity and love. For the archbishop, the crucifix is not just something that happened but is something that continues to happen by everyone who commits a sin. The second year after his open-heart surgery, Bishop Sheen was confined to his bed for many months due to overwork. During that time, he instructed four converts and validated two marriages. As he quipped, “The horizontal apostolate may sometimes be just as effective as the vertical.”   Overwork was the story of his life. His typical working day was 19 hours. In 1946 alone he was writing between 150 and 200 letters a day. In the early 1950s, his television show was generating between 15,000 and 25,000 letters per day. He answered as many as his working schedule allowed. His demanding schedule, however, was his way of responding in gratitude for the gifts God bestowed on him. But “the greatest gift of all,” he confesses in his autobiography, “may be His summons to the Cross, where I found His continuing disclosure.” On the morning of Dec. 9, a young couple was with Archbishop Sheen at Mass and listened as he practiced part of a Christmas homily he was to deliver at midnight Mass at St. Patrick’s Cathedral. That same day he wrote a letter to a certain Ann O’Connor, thanking her for a blanket she sent. “My heart must be elastic,” he wrote, “otherwise it would break in gratitude for you friendship and gifts during the year.” Read more…

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Three Egyptian Coptic monks killed in S.Africa, Coptic Orthodox Church says

Mother & Refuge01 mins

Three Egyptian Coptic monks have been tragically killed in what’s described as a “criminal assault” within a monastery in South Africa, according to the Christian Coptic Orthodox Church of Egypt. The incident is under investigation by South African authorities as a triple murder. The church spokesman stated on Facebook, “Three monks were subjected to a criminal assault inside our Coptic monastery,” while a police spokesperson confirmed the discovery of the victims with stab wounds and noted that the motive remains unclear The surviving monk alleged being attacked with an iron rod before escaping. The incident highlights the ongoing challenges of violence in South Africa, with the Egyptian embassy in Johannesburg notified of the situation.

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Photos | Incorrupt hand of St Theresa of Avila

Mother & Refuge02 mins

Catholic tradition has long venerated the remains of saints. Don’t confuse veneration, which is honoring a saint; with worship, which is given to God alone. After the death of a particularly saintly person, the physical remains and personal effects are preserved (relics). The vessel which holds such relics is called a reliquary. The ornate metal encasement which contains the hand (relic) of St. Teresa of Avila is a reliquary. When this particular reliquary is rotated, palm side towards the viewer, it is possible to see her actual hand through some of the transparent areas. In the palm you see the mark of the wounds of Christ, referred to as stigmata. When St. Teresa of Avila died the sisters in her convent buried her, hoping to preserve her within their order. Nine months later, when her coffin was opened, her body was found to be incorruptible (intact and undecayed). Before it was re-interred, her hand was removed. That is the source of the relic referred to in this story. Relatively recently, 1939-1976, following the end of the Spanish Civil War, this relic of St Teresa was removed from the convent by General Franco, a devout Catholic. Rumor is he kept it in his sleeping quarters while he was ruler of Spain. It is said, that at the time of his death, he had it beside him on his pillow. After his death in 1976, the Discalced Carmelites of Ronda requested and were granted the return of the relic.

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