Ask a Marian – Sports Edition. Hear Fr. Chris Alar explain the Church’s teaching on sports and whether it is sinful or virtuous. What about sports on Sundays, is that discouraged by the Church? Fr. Chris Alar explains what you need to know about sports in this amusing video. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BOyuOF2Yq9Y
Meet the extraordinary people who claim to receive open wounds of the stigmata from Jesus Christ’s crucifixion. A fascinating documentary examining evidence from people claiming to receive the open wounds of the stigmata – the wounds of Christ’s Crucifixion which appear physically on the hands, feet and side of a rare and, some would say, chosen few. The programme features stigmatics from around the world, including the three from the UK, and throughout history – from St Francis to Padre Pio. It covers the various theories that have been put forward to explain this mysterious phenomenon: multiple personality disorder, self-infliction of wounds, and the possible psychosomatic reproduction of traumatic injuries years after the event. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wViL_uSdrCk
hymn from the Roman Brieviary, 5th century O Christ, whose glory fills the heaven, our only hope, in mercy given; Child of a Virgin meek and pure; Son of the Highest evermore: Grant us Thine aid Thy praise to sing, as opening days new duties bring; that with the light our life may be renewed and sanctified by Thee. The morning star fades from the sky, the sun breaks forth; night’s shadows fly: O Thou, true Light, upon us shine: our darkness turn to light divine. Within us grant Thy light to dwell: and from our souls dark sins expel; Cleanse Thou our minds from stain of ill, and with Thy peace our bosoms fill. To us strong faith forever give, with joyous hope, in Thee to live; That life’s rough way may ever be made strong and pure by charity. All laud to God the Father be; All praise, Eternal Son, to Thee; All glory, as is ever meet, to God the Holy Paraclete. Aeterna caeli gloria, beata spes mortalium, celsi Parentis Unice, castaeque proles Virginis: Da dexteram surgentibus, exsurgat et mens sobria. flagrans et in laudem Dei grates rependat debitas. Ortus refulget lucifer, ipsamque lucem nuntiat, cadit caligo noctium, lux sancta nos illuminet. Manensque ostris sensibus noctem repellat saeculi omnique fine temporis purgata servet pectora. Quaesita iam primum fides radicet altis sensibus, secunda spes congaudeat, tunc4 maior exstat caritas. Sit, Christe, rex piissime, tibi Patrique gloria, cum Spiritu Paraclito, in sempiterna saecula. Amen.
As the Church teaches, the Blessed Virgin Mary is the greatest of all God’s creatures. She is the one who was chosen by God to bring His only Son into the world, and her role in salvation history is unparalleled. But what is Our Lady’s greatest glory? In the history of humanity, there have been many moments of triumph and honour. But according to an exorcist, Father Chad Ripperger, one moment stands above all others. During an exorcism, Fr Ripperger encountered a demon who admitted that he had been the angel created by God to head the hierarchy of angels meant to serve Our Lady as Queen of Heaven. This demon had been reduced to tears when Father pointed out that his name would never be written in Heaven next to Our Lady’s. It was the Feast of the Assumption, and upon the demon denying Father’s assertion that the Assumption is Our Lady’s greatest glory, Father Ripperger commanded him to reveal the truth: What is Our Lady’s greatest glory? Why isn’t it her Assumption into Heaven, free from the stain of sin? The demon explained that our Lady’s Assumption into Heaven is her greatest triumph. She was taken from this life into the next, having completed her life absolutely sinless. She entered Heaven as the Queen of Angels, perfectly pure and holy. Assumed body and soul into Heaven, she now reigns with her Son as Queen of Heaven and Earth. To get back to our question… Could it be her Crowning as Queen of Heaven and Earth perhaps? No. According to the demon, Our Lady’s Coronation is the moment of her greatest honour. It is the recognition of her excellence by which God drew attention to her perfections. The crowning also has a very specific meaning in spiritual warfare. “It means that she rules, and whenever she asks for something, she gets it because she never offended God and always did everything to please Him. As a result of that, He will never deny her anything.” “We’ve all offended (God) to some degree or another,” says Fr. Ripperger, “and as a result of that, His level of trust in us is only proportionate to how much He knows He can trust us.” But Our Lady never hurt Him. Everything she did was purely for Him. The demon revealed that never once did she count the personal cost of any of her sacrifices, and that was because, as Spouse of the Holy Ghost, her pure love for Him consumed her. This relationship with God is unique to Our Lady and gives her a powerful intercessory role as a warrior for God. But there’s more. Mary’s crowning also makes her powerful against demons. In spiritual warfare, demons are terrified of her, for they know that she is their greatest adversary. She is the one who was chosen to crush the head of the serpent, and she has been given the power to defeat him and all his minions. Indeed, the demon was forced to reveal that Our Lady’s most glorious moment was something else entirely… The most glorious moment, in all of history in fact, aside from Christ’s Passion is when Our Lady stood in perfect virtue at the foot of the Cross. It was there that she participated in her Son’s redemption of mankind. It was there that she united her sufferings to His, and it was there that she became our Mother. She intercedes for us and protects us from the devil. Her standing at the Cross shows us the depth of her love for us and her willingness to suffer for our salvation. This moment has been etched in the hearts of believers for centuries, and it continues to inspire us to this day. “What do we mean by glorious?” Father explains. “Saint Thomas defines glory as the manifestation of excellence. And just by looking at Our Lady at Calvary, we see the manifestation of the greatest excellence in all of creation, aside from Christ.” Our Lady’s standing at the foot of the Cross is powerful and profound as she models for us what it means to love God with every fibre of our being… what it means to be a true disciple of Christ. Our Lady’s Assumption, crowning, and standing at the foot of the Cross are all important aspects of her glory. Each reveals a different facet of her perfection and her love for God and for us. Let us turn to her in times of need and ask for her intercession. She is Our Lady, Our Mother, and Our Queen. Let us remember this moment of glory. Let us remember the sacrifice that Our Lady made for us. Let us honour her as Queen of Heaven and Earth and let us strive to follow her example of perfect virtue and pure love for God. Join us in praying to Our Lady and experiencing her powerful intercession against the forces of evil. Immaculate Heart of Mary, pray for us! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ylHbccuHkTo
favored by Pope Pius IX Kneeling at thy holy feet, O gracious Queen of Heaven, we offer thee our deepest reverence. Thou art the daughter of the eternal Father, the mother of the Divine Word, and the spouse of the Holy Ghost. Full of grace, of virtue, and of heavenly gifts thou art the chaste temple of God’s mercies. Thy loving heart is filled with charity, sweetness, and tender compassion for poor sinners, and we call thee Mother of Holy Pity. With the utmost trust I come to thee in my sorrow and distress. Give me confidence in thy love, and grant me what I ask if it be God’s will, and for the welfare of my soul. Cast thine eyes of pity upon me and upon all with whom I am in any way connected. Shield me from the attacks of the world, the flesh and the devil. Remember, O fondest of mothers, that I am thy child, purchased with the precious blood of thy Divine Son. Pray without ceasing that the adorable Trinity may give me the grace ever to triumph over the devil, the world and my passions. I ask this, O most pure Virgin, through the infinite bounty of the Most High, through the merits of thy Divine Son, by the care with which thou didst nourish Him, by the devotion with which thou didst serve Him, by the love with which thou didst cherish Him, by thy tears and anguish in the days of thy pilgrimage. Obtain that the whole world may be made one people and one Church, which shall give thanks, praise and glory to the most Holy Trinity, and to thee who art its mediator. May the power of the Father, the wisdom of the Son and the virtue of the Holy Ghost grant us this blessing. Amen
My dear family, beloved children of God, and ‘apostles of these last times’, As I was praying on where to begin, this message from Our Lady to Fr. Stefano Gobbi pierced my heart at such a profound depth. It was as if She spoke directly to me, and Her comforting voice rose from deep within my heart… “The moment has come for you to come out from your hiddenness in order to go and shed light upon the earth.” As soon as I read those words, I knew that it was true – it was time. For a while now, my heart has longed to share the messages from Heaven, and I believe this was the affirmation I needed to begin. It is after much prayer and discernment on whether or not to write, how I would do so, and to whom I should direct my writings, that Our Lady seems to have orchestrated everything perfectly – as She always does. And while I now feel the call to “go and shed light upon the earth” as the message exhorts, another prompting presses upon my heart – to keep my identity hidden for the time being. Sounds like a contradiction, right? To spread Heaven’s messages and to write spiritual reflections on them for the world, while simultaneously keeping my identity hidden from the same world? That doesn’t seem to make sense. However, it is what I feel called to do at this present time. I believe that this may change in the future, if that is the Lord’s Divine Will, but for now I hold a deep conviction on two things: It is time for my messages to be shared with the world. My personal identity must remain hidden for the time being. As for why I believe that my identity must remain hidden for now, I cannot yet reveal. However, what I do ask with utmost humility, is for your prayers and fasting. I desire to remain faithful to the Divine Will of God, and remaining hidden is a way for me to do that. Here is a thought that came to me as I write this introductory reflection: Jesus remained hidden for the first 30 years of His life. It was only the final three years of His earthly journey where His identity was revealed to the world, and where He began His “public ministry”. There was a reason why His identity was kept private for so long. It was God’s will. Since my identity must remain hidden for the time being, I thought that a pseudonym would be fitting. I began to think of what would be appropriate, but I was having some difficulty. The ones that came to mind felt forced, they didn’t seem genuine, natural, or from God. Finally after much brainstorming, one struck me, and it’s what I intend to use – Heaven’s Harbinger. What is a “harbinger” you may ask? There are varying definitions and etymological explanations, but the one I relate with the most, and the one which is the motivation for my selection is, “a person or thing that announces or signals the approach of another; a forerunner of something.” The idea of being Heaven’s Harbinger really resonated with my soul. The more I pondered the possibility of using it, the more peace prevailed within me. What does it mean to be a harbinger of Heaven? It means to announce the coming of God’s Kingdom on earth as it is in Heaven; it means to proclaim the promised triumph of the Immaculate Heart and the reign of the Sacred Heart; it means to prepare oneself and others for the glorious Era of Peace; it means to share Heaven’s “Harbingers” (the messages, warnings, instructions, and promises) to a humanity that is depending upon them. That’s what it means to be a harbinger of Heaven. If it is the Lord’s Divine Will, I long to be a forerunner of the forthcoming “Second Pentecost”, of the “New Advent”, and of the Church’s “most beautiful springtime” in her history. Heaven has told us countless times that what awaits us is the most glorious period of the Church in her entire existence! Saints of old have long wished they could live in the times that we have been given. The times we are living in are unlike anything ever experienced, and the times ahead of us are beyond imagination – they are the fulfillment of the Lord’s prayer, the greatest prayer ever made. As I hope to be Heaven’s Harbinger, I will strive to live in the Divine Will, to proclaim that Will to the ends of the earth, and to prepare the world for the coming of God’s Kingdom. I pray that my writings will speak to your souls, offer you peace and hope, inspire you to grow in holiness, encourage you to remain in the faith, embolden you to rely on the Lord’s plan, help you to trust in His divine mercy, and ultimately to assist you in living in the Divine Will of God. Join me in praying for the coming of God’s Kingdom and for His Divine Will to be done “on earth as it is in Heaven.” For the triumph of the Immaculate Heart, and for the reign of the Sacred Heart, – Heaven’s Harbinger
by St. John Bosco Most Holy Virgin Mary, Help of Christians,how sweet it is to come to your feetimploring your perpetual help.If earthly mothers cease not to remember their children,how can you, the most loving of all mothers forget me?Grant then to me, I implore you,your perpetual help in all my necessities,in every sorrow, and especially in all my temptations.I ask for your unceasing help for all who are now suffering.Help the weak, cure the sick, convert sinners.Grant through your intercessions many vocations to the religious life.Obtain for us, O Mary, Help of Christians,that having invoked you on earth we may love and eternally thank you in heaven. Amen
According to the Bible, the story of Satan’s fall from heaven is described in the book of Isaiah and the book of Revelation. It is said that before the creation of humanity, there was a rebellion in heaven led by the archangel Lucifer, who was one of the most beautiful and powerful angels. He became proud and arrogant, desiring to be worshiped like God himself, and sought to overthrow God and take His throne. But God, who is all-knowing and all-seeing, knew of Lucifer’s rebellion and cast him out of heaven along with a third of the angels who followed him. They were banished to the earth, where Lucifer became known as Satan, which means “adversary” or “enemy.” Satan and his followers continued to rebel against God, tempting and deceiving humanity in an attempt to turn them away from God and towards evil. But God promised to send a savior who would conquer Satan and redeem humanity, and this promise was fulfilled through the coming of Jesus Christ. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yK3zumP2W3s&t=139s
Mary the dawn, Christ the Perfect Day;Mary the gate, Christ the Heavenly Way! Mary the root, Christ the Mystic Vine;Mary the grape, Christ the Sacred Wine! Mary the wheat, Christ the Living Bread;Mary the stem, Christ the Rose blood-red! Mary the font, Christ the Cleansing Flood;Mary the cup, Christ the Saving Blood! Mary the temple, Christ the temple’s Lord;Mary the shrine, Christ the God adored! Mary the beacon, Christ the Haven’s Rest;Mary the mirror, Christ the Vision Blest! Mary the mother, Christ the mother’s SonBy all things blest while endless ages run.
O eternal God and Ruler of all creation, You have allowed me to reach this hour. Forgive the sins I have committed this day by word, deed or thought. Purify me, O Lord, from every spiritual and physical stain. Grant that I may rise from this sleep to glorify You by my deeds throughout my entire lifetime, and that I be victorious over every spiritual and physical enemy. Deliver me, O Lord, from all vain thoughts and from evil desires, for yours is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, now and ever, and forever. Amen