4th Week of Advent from "Advent of the Heart" with PDF

ADVENT OF THE HEART

+   Fourth Week of Advent   +

Fr. Alfred Delp, German Martyr

Let us view these writings through the lens of our own times…

Opening of the Tridentine Mass (the Mass Fr. Delp would have celebrated):

“Drop down dew, ye heavens, from above, and let the clouds rain the Just: let the earth be opened and bud forth a Savior.  The heavens show forth the glory of God: and the firmament declareth the work of His hands.”

Fr. Delp’s homily, Munich, 1941, Fourth Sunday of Advent:

“Advent has already called man three times.  It called through the shaking; it called to authenticity; and it called to confession of faith.  And now Advent calls a fourth time.  Without this fourth call, the other three are not possible…It is an old term, a forgotten word, and a forgotten value: fear of God…Man must learn again…to reckon with God as the ultimate category of reality, as the decisive judgment of all that exists…the person who has seen God, is so totally different, so totally other, because our God is totally Other…Further, someone who observes the otherness of the believer will be changed by it…”

Fr. Delp’s homily, Munich, 1942, Pre-Christmas Reflection:

“We need to celebrate holy days in three ways.  First, by recalling a historical event…there is always a clearly defined event connected to the mystery, a clear statement intended, a fact.  This brings us to the second point.  Within all of the foregoing, a great mystery, the Mysterium, is hidden…These two points are followed by the third way, in which we must consider the feast to be serious and important…we should not come to Midnight Mass as if we do not live in the year 1942 [or 2024?].  The year must be redeemed along with everything else.  And from the Gloria, we have to take with us the peace and faith in the glory of God…and we are the last refuge for the homeless people who do not know anything about the Lord anymore.”

From Tegel Prison, Berlin, 1944, Fourth Sunday of Advent:

“Our life has become hard and harmful to an extent that far exceeds the natural measure of hardship and distress that were always part of life.  The liberation must begin with the great conversion…which, gathering itself to a mighty strength, will break through the frost-encrusted ground of adversity overnight…[Man] overlooks exterior signs of reality, and dulls his senses with daily routine until the avalanche of life drives him out of the cozy homes and well-tended gardens into the streets of distress and wandering…Life brings greater burdens and bears a richer cargo than we can cope with, comprehend, or manage alone…The great outcry to God must begin and not let up…The time of the great intercessors has come…Prepare the way.  This is a call to enter into history.”

PDF Printable Fourth Sunday of Advent

(For church or home use, or distribution.)

3rd Week of Advent from "Advent of the Heart" with PDF

Sorry a bit late on this, I’ve been researching the world situation much of my time…mysterious drones, looming world war and an incoming new US administration, it all interrelates in a deeply concerning way.

ADVENT OF THE HEART

+   Third Week of Advent   +

Fr. Alfred Delp, German Martyr

Let us view these writings through the lens of our own times.  All quotes below pertain to Gaudete Sunday, when we are called to be glad…

Opening of the Tridentine Mass (the Mass Fr. Delp would have celebrated):

“Gaudete in Domino Semper!”

“Rejoice in the lord always: again I say, rejoice.  Let your modesty be known to all men: for the Lord is nigh.  Be nothing solicitous: but in every thing by prayer let your petitions be made known to God.  Lord, Thou hast blessed Thy land: Thou hast turned away the captivity of Jacob.”

Fr. Delp’s homily, Munich, 1941:

“Someone facing the Ultimate will not be apathetic, not just accept everything simply because it is, and because it does not change, and because it goes on and on, and because it is happening everywhere…every overstepping of boundaries, every boundary violation and every usurping of power leads the whole thing to disaster.  Look at how these great leaders were shattered and how their work was shattered: Alexander, Caesar Augustus, Napoleon…It came when they were not content with the laurel wreath of greatness, but wanted to take the diadem of the Messiah.”

Fr. Delp’s homily, Munich, 1942:

“…we read this wonderful Epistle:

Brethren, rejoice in the Lord…and the peace of God that passes all understanding preserve your hearts and thoughts in Christ Jesus, our Lord.

Are these not images of the promise, and longing, and great questions of Advent?  Are they not images of what should be fulfilled when the veils fall, when the Lord reigns over the land?  Do we not seek a life in which joy would have a place once again?”

From Tegel Prison, Berlin, 1944:

“The great deception begins, the time of noise and crowds, organized feeding-frenzies, and massive festivities.  Until suddenly the earth quakes and the subterranean thunder, which one wanted to drown out with screaming, because one failed to understand it, breaks forth fully and mightily and fills the day with its call to judgment…Only one thing will help, and that is to hear the call of John the Baptist…The view for connections and content will be reopened to life, and the earth will be fruitfully flooded again by the streams of mission, confirmation, and mastery.  These are the streams that still carry the ship of life and lead it onward.  This is the first meaning of Gaudete in Domino.  Separated from the Lord, the whole thing atrophies!  We must keep telling people this.  It is the most important announcement of these days.  And we must know it and visibly live it as examples.”

*** PDF Printable Third Week Advent ***

The Ten Warnings Based on the Ten Commandments

I             A people who worship false gods shall be ruled by the godless.

II            A people who take the Holy Name of God in vain shall become nameless.

III           A people who profane the Sabbath Day shall have no rest.

IV           A people who dishonor their elders shall be dishonored by their own children.

V            A people who kill the innocent shall themselves be killed.

VI           A people who dishonor their own bodies shall be subject to all manner of bodily harm.

VII          A people who steal from God and man shall be left with nothing.

VIII        A people who deceive shall be deceived by those more powerful.

IX           A people who covet the things of the flesh shall live in deprivation.

X            A people who covet the things of the world shall become enslaved. 

WANT TO PRINT THIS? HERE’S THE PDF!

2nd Week of Advent from "Advent of the Heart" with PDF

ADVENT OF THE HEART

+   Second Week of Advent   +

Fr. Alfred Delp, German Martyr

Let us view these writings through the lens of our own times.  All quotes below pertain to the Second Sunday of Advent…

Opening of the Tridentine Mass (the Mass Fr. Delp would have celebrated):

“People of Sion, behold the Lord shall come to save the nations: and the Lord shall make the glory of His voice to be heard, in the joy of your heart.  Give ear, O Thou that rulest Israel: Thou that leadest Joseph like a sheep.”

Fr. Delp’s homily, Munich, 1941:

“ To this message about being deeply shaken, the Second Sunday of Advent adds a new word, a message about man’s authenticity.  Someone who encounters the Ultimate, who knows about the end, must let go of every compromise.  In the presence of the Ultimate the only thing that survives is what is authentic.  All compromise shatters there.  All cheap negotiating shatters there.  All half-truths, and all double-meanings, and all masks, and all poses shatter there.  The only thing that stands the test is what is authentic.” 

Fr. Delp’s homily, Munich, 1942:

“A variety of responsibilities will be imposed from this time forth…it is our responsibility to make a disturbance in the world that is strong enough in itself to tear this chaos out of its cycle and to lead the world back to its source.  Christians bear the responsibility to generate an authentic unrest within creation, through our existence, our word, and our work…We are obliged to be concerned about the destiny of the world.  Moreover, we must know that we gamble away our own individual salvation if we don’t play, or, to word it better, if we don’t fight, for salvation and order in the world…May we stand in this world, not as people in hiding, but as those who help prepare the way of the only-begotten Son of God.”

From Tegel Prison, Berlin:

“The great historical and personal hours of grace will always mean some form of awakening and return to a true order of reality.  This is also the meaning of Advent: not only promise, but rather conversion and transformation.  Plato would say, ‘orientation to a capability for truth.’  John the Baptist put it more simply, ‘Repent.’  The prayers and message of Advent push man out beyond every surface and bring him to a consciousness of the full sculptural dimensions and drama of his situation…A person filled with confidence in God will profit from this time and stand up to the test…May God break open the narrowness that confines us within ourselves, and make us capable of Him, and capable of His mission.”

SECOND WEEK OF ADVENT FR. DELP PDF PRINTABLE

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1st Week of Advent from "Advent of the Heart" with PDF

Advent of the Heart

+   First Week of Advent   +

Fr. Alfred Delp, German Martyr

Let us view these writings through the lens of our own times.  Fr. Delp’s theological genius is nothing short of breathtaking.  All quotes below pertain to the First Sunday of Advent…

Opening Psalm of the Tridentine Mass (the Mass Fr. Delp would have celebrated):

“To Thee have I lifted up my soul: in Thee, O my God, I put my trust, let me not be ashamed: neither let my enemies laugh at me: for none of them that wait on Thee shall be confounded. Show, O Lord, Thy ways to me: and teach me Thy paths.”

Fr. Delp’s homily, Munich, 1941:

“Much of what is happening today would not be happening if people were in that state of inner movement and restlessness of heart in which man comes into the presence of God the Lord and gains a clear view of things as they really are.  [Fr. Delp changes to the past tense, displaying his distanced vantage point from this world.]  Then man would have let go of much that has thrown all our lives into disorder one way or another and has thrashed and smashed our lives.  He would have seen the inner appeals, would have seen the boundaries, and could have coordinated the areas of responsibility.  Instead, man stood on this earth in a false pathos and a false security, under a deep delusion in which he really believed he could single-handedly fetch stars from heaven; could enkindle eternal lights in the world and avert all danger from himself; that he could banish the night, and intercept and interrupt the internal quaking of the cosmos, and maneuvered and manipulated the whole thing into the conditions standing before us now.  That is the first Advent message: before the end, the world will be set quaking.”

Fr. Delp’s homily, Munich, 1943:

“People who fail to live out of the center can be alienated from themselves so easily by outside influences.  Other values of secondary importance impose themselves, making life inauthentic and bringing it under an alien law and an alien paradigm.  Are we living out of the center of our being?”

From Tegel Prison, Berlin, 2 months before Delp’s martyrdom, struggling to write while in handcuffs.  These were smuggled out at great risk.  Do not take these words for granted:

“Light the candles wherever you can, you who have them.  They are a real symbol of what must happen in Advent, what Advent must be, if we want to live.”

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September is the Month of Our Lady of Sorrows

Concluding prayers from the 3 litanies of Our Lady of Sorrows:

We beseech Thee, O Lord Jesus Christ, let Thy Mother, the Blessed Virgin Mary, whose holy soul was pierced by a sword of sorrow at the hour of Thy Passion, implore Thy mercy for us, both now and at the hour of our death, Who livest and reignest, world without end.

Imprint, O Lady, thy wounds upon my heart, that I may read therein sorrow and love, sorrow to endure every sorrow for thee, love to despise every love for thee.

O Lord Jesus Christ, God and Man, grant, we beseech Thee, that Thy dear Mother Mary, whose soul the sword pierced in the hour of Thy Passion, may intercede for us, now, and in the hour of our death, through Thine own merits, O Saviour of the world, Who with the Father and the Holy Spirit livest and reignest, God, world without end.

Amen.

This is the second month of Nomen Christi Apostolate’s “Marian Triad of the Months,” when we are contemplating the Mariology of her Immaculate Heart, her 7 Sorrows and the Holy Rosary.  How can we honor her sorrows this month?  We can pray the litanies mentioned above, the 7 Sorrows Chaplet and also celebrate the feast of Our Lady of Sorrows on the 15th.  This feast is in both the trad and new calendars.  In terms of meditation, we may ask ourselves the following questions:  “How do our Heavenly Mother’s sorrows relate to our own times?”  “How can we appeal to her during these times?”  “Why did God allow her to suffer?”  “How can we derive consolation from her own Passion, inextricably linked to Our Lord’s?” 

We also honor the Mother of God’s nativity on the 8th, her holy name on the 12th  and Our Lady of Ransom the 24th.  The feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross is on the 14th.  The Ember Days of Autumn always proceed the following week on Wednesday, Friday and Saturday (Wed and Sat meat at one meal and of course, the usual Friday penance).  See “Ember Days” topic to the right>>>  Other notable feasts this month:

Saint Gregory the Great/Saint Pius X-3rd

Saint Teresa of Calcutta-5th

Saint Matthew, Apostle-21st

Saint Pio-23rd

Saint Vincent de Paul-27th

The Three Archangels, Michael, Gabriel & Raphael-29th

Our Lady of Sorrows Prayers from the Tridentine Mass with PDF

July is the Month of the Most Precious Blood

Litany of the Most Precious Blood of Jesus

Lord, have mercy on us.
Christ, 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 Ghost,
Have mercy on us.
Holy Trinity, One God,
Have mercy on us.

Blood of Christ, only-begotten Son of the Eternal Father,
Save us.
Blood of Christ, Incarnate Word of God,
etc.
Blood of Christ, of the New and Eternal Testament,
Blood of Christ, falling upon the earth in the Agony,
Blood of Christ, shed profusely in the Scourging,
Blood of Christ, flowing forth in the Crowning with Thorns,
Blood of Christ, poured out on the Cross,
Blood of Christ, price of our salvation,
Blood of Christ, without Which there is no forgiveness,
Blood of Christ, Eucharistic drink and refreshment of souls,
Blood of Christ, river of mercy,
Blood of Christ, Victor over demons,
Blood of Christ, courage of martyrs,
Blood of Christ, strength of confessors,
Blood of Christ, bringing forth virgins,
Blood of Christ, help of those in peril,
Blood of Christ, relief of the burdened,
Blood of Christ, solace in sorrow,
Blood of Christ, hope of the penitent,
Blood of Christ, consolation of the dying,
Blood of Christ, peace and tenderness of hearts,
Blood of Christ, pledge of Eternal Life,
Blood of Christ, freeing souls from Purgatory,
Blood of Christ, most worthy of all glory and honor,

Lamb of God, Who takest away the sins of the world,
Spare us, O Lord!
Lamb of God, Who takest away the sins of the world,
Graciously hear us, O Lord!
Lamb of God, Who takest away the sins of the world,
Have mercy on us, O Lord!

Thou hast redeemed us, O Lord, in Thy Blood.
And made of us, a Kingdom for Our God.

Let Us Pray

Almighty and Eternal God, Thou hast appointed Thine only-begotten Son the Redeemer of the world, and willed to be appeased by His Blood. Grant we beg of Thee, that we may worthily adore this Price of our salvation, and through Its power be safeguarded from the evils of the present life, so that we may rejoice in Its fruits forever in Heaven. Through the same Christ our Lord. Amen.

Litany of the Precious Blood ~ PDF Printable

(Print for your family or church group:)

On this Independence Day, please pray for the United States of America, especially for the restoration of respect for all human life from conception to natural death. Pray the Laws of God will once again be honored and practiced in this once great country. Consider exercising penance today such as prayer, abstinence and fasting. Until we see a restoration in this nation, there is nothing to celebrate. The Covid disaster is proof we no longer have freedom. We are being invaded from without and from within, from all sides and in every possible way. Mourning is the only option….and don’t forget about the “X” Eclipse.

May peace reign in the USA and throughout the world! O Immaculate Conception, Patroness of the United States, pray for us! O God, do not forget the blood of saint isaac jogues and his companions! May the Sacred Heart of Jesus be adored and glorified from pole to pole!

Ascension Thursday of Our Lord with Meditation and Litany

"And the third day He rose again according to the Scriptures.  And ascended into heaven, and sitteth at the right hand of the Father." 

Ascension Thursday, an endangered holyday, is very special to me, since my only child was born on this feast.  I have previously written a Rosary Meditation on this Mystery, as well as a Litany.  This litany is based on the format of the Litany of the Most Holy Name of Jesus and the traditional Mass for the Ascension.  Please see below and pray with your family tonight!  There is also a PDF of the Litany at the bottom. 

We should also keep in mind, novenas to the Holy Ghost are often said during the 9 days between Ascension Thursday and Pentecost.  Catholic Online states:  “This is the prototype of all novenas. It commemorates the nine days between the Ascension of Our Lord and the Descent of the Holy Ghost on the first Pentecost Sunday. During this time Our Lady and the twelve Apostles prayed in the Cenacle for the coming of the Paraclete. Our Lord Himself instituted this novena, and it is celebrated every year by the whole Church.”  The Novena to the Holy Spirit for the Seven Gifts is well-known, quite beautiful, and there are indulgences attached.   

Meditation on the Ascension of Our Lord 

Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior, has risen triumphantly from the dead, but the Story is not over yet.  He appeared to his Mother and the Apostles for forty days, preparing them to cross the threshold, the establishment of the Kingdom of Heaven on Earth through the One Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church.  When this task was sufficient, as the Apostles looked on, "He was raised up: and a cloud received Him out of their sight." (Acts 1:9)  The Ascension of Our Lord is paralleled only by His Coming at the End of Time, wholly unique events in human history, singular in glory, majesty and wonder.  In the Old Law, the Father condescends to come to earth, as when He speaks to Moses in the Burning Bush and the institution of the Ten Commandments.  Now the Son, establishing the New Law, rises up, showing us how real and attainable Heaven is.  Our Lord opened access to Heaven on the Holy Cross and in His Ascension, He makes the leap Himself.  He wants us to follow Him there-that was the whole purpose of His life on earth and the whole purpose of our own lives.  To ensure we get there, He creates the physical, visible bridge to Heaven, the One Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church. 

A number of the Mysteries of the Holy Rosary involve the meeting of Heaven and earth.  The Ascension, the Assumption and the Crucifixion each traverse the distance from earth to Heaven.  The Descent of the Holy Ghost, the Annunciation, the Baptism of Our Lord and the Transfiguration each involve Heaven coming down to earth.  Heaven also meets earth in the miracles and apparitions of the Church.  Lourdes is unique in that the miraculous water stays with us to this day and Fatima was unique in the witnessing of the "Miracle of the Sun" by thousands.  Our Holy Church calls down the powers of Heaven in every sacrament.  Our Lord's Ascension was His final sign that we are free to enter Heaven with Him, through the Church that could be built only upon His departure. 

Heaven and earth are not just places.  They represent the relationship between God and His children.  As any parent/child relationship, it is bound to be difficult.  It’s difficult for the child to see the wisdom of the parent and it’s difficult for the parent to let the child go when it is time.  We can easily see the similarity here in how we perceive God.  But can we see how God perceives us?  As much as we love our own children and grieve over their absence, how much more does the Father love and grieve over us?  So much, that He sent His only Son to die for us.  The wrenching a parent feels when setting the child free, is only a faint hint of what the Father feels over one lost soul.  That is why He cannot leave us alone.  That is why He keeps interfering.  From the manna in the desert to the Bread of Life, He cannot bear to leave His children starving.  How much longer will He allow the innocent to spiritually starve in this corrupt culture?  The Ascension tells us there is another world He has prepared for us, that Heaven is our true home, sainthood our natural state. 

Though our Blessed Lord rose away from earth on that day when the Apostles saw him lifted up to the sky, He remains with us always.  He has established His perennial Presence in the Holy Eucharist, residing in every tabernacle throughout the world.  He has built His Church, preserving all His precepts.  What more could He have done for us?  The Gospel of Saint Matthew ends with these words:  "...teach ye all nations; baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.  Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and behold I am with you all days, even to the consummation of the world." (Matt 28:18-20)  The angels say, "This Jesus who is taken up from you into Heaven, shall so come, as you have seen Him going into Heaven," foretelling the Second Coming at the End of Time. (Acts 1:11)  Dearest Jesus, Who ascended in glory to show me Heaven, may I always trust that Thou remain with me in this world, even in my most difficult moments.  Amen. 

Litany of the Ascension of Our Lord 

Lord, have mercy on us.  Christ, have mercy on us.

Lord, have mercy on us.  Lord, hear us.  Lord, 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 Ghost, have mercy on us.

Holy Trinity, One God, have mercy on us. 

+     +     + 

Lord, Ascended to the right Hand of the Father, have mercy on us.

Lord, Ascended forty days after Thy Resurrection, etc.

Lord, Ascended in the company of angels,

Lord, Ascended in the company of Thy Holy Mother,

Lord, Ascended in the company of Thine Apostles,

Lord, Ascended before us, where we are to follow,

Lord, Ascended with a shout and the sound of a trumpet,

Lord, Ascended with great song,

Lord, Who shall so come as we have seen Thee going up,

Lord, Who calls us to mindfulness of heavenly things,

Lord, Who sent Thine Apostles to the uttermost part of the earth,

Lord, Who was raised up into a cloud,

Lord, Who led captivity captive,

Lord, Who saves the believer and the baptized,

Lord, Who condemns the unbeliever,

Lord, Who glorifies Thy children,

Lord, Who protects Thy children,

Lord, Who mercifully grants Everlasting Life,

Lord, Who mounts above the Heaven of Heavens to the east, 

+     +     + 

Be merciful, spare us, O Lord.

Be merciful, graciously hear us, O Lord.

Lamb of God, Who takes away the sins of the world, spare us, O Lord.

Lamb of God, Who takes away the sins of the world, graciously hear us, O Lord.

Lamb of God, Who takes away the sins of the world, have mercy on us, O Lord.

Lord, hear us.  Lord, graciously hear us. 

Let Us Pray 

O Lord Jesus Christ, Who said:  "Go ye into the whole world and preach the Gospel to every creature," grant we beseech Thee, to wage a fearless war for souls, ever defending the truth of the Good News, that we may one day follow Thee to the place of Thine Ascension, beyond the clouds.  May we keep this vision before us always, making all our burdens light, all the darkness of this present life bearable.  Make us, O Lord, to reverence and keep pure, our sacred bodies, a reflection of which ascended in glorified form to the Father, Who lives and reigns, world without end.  Amen.

 Printable Version

"Eclipse Pilgrimage of Mercy" Supplemental Prayers

Here are a few extra prayers you may wish to add to your Divine Mercy Novena or Pilgrimage Rosary. This is a 2-page PDF and includes the following prayers:

Traditional Catholic Prayer for the United States of America (By Archbishop John Carroll, the first bishop of the USA)

Prayer of the 2024 Nine-Month Novena to Our Lady of Guadalupe (By Raymond Leo Cardinal Burke)

Canticle of Brother Sun & Sister Moon (By Saint Francis of Assisi)

Brother Sun, Sister Moon (Poem by CF Mathews)

Nomen Christi Apostolate Prayer (By CF Mathews)

Eclipse Pilgrimage of Mercy Supplemental Prayers PDF Printable

Cardinal Burke's 9 Month Novena-Starts March 12th!

Raymond Leo Cardinal Burke’s Novena overlaps significantly, IMHO, with the upcoming Total Solar Eclipse we have been discussing. This Novena is dedicated to Our Lady of Guadalupe and she seems to keep coming up in relation to the eclipse (we will discuss this further in another post). Burke sees the polycrises in the world and understands we must flee to Our Lady. That is what our Eclipse Pilgrimage of Mercy is doing as well, fleeing to Our Lord in the Divine Mercy Novena and also Our Lady in the Holy Rosary…and for the same reasons.

A Worldwide Call to Prayer: Return to Our Lady

From the website:

“Sign up for this 9 month novena, which begins March 12 and culminates in a consecration to Our Lady of Guadalupe for her feast day on December 12.

Each month, you'll receive emails from his Eminence with encouragement and spiritual direction along the journey of this novena, leading up to the feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe.

There is real, miraculous, and transformative peace in the protection of Mary’s Mantle. To this end, Cardinal Burke is calling upon all Catholics to join him in a significant novena seeking Our Lady’s intercession. Those who sign up to accompany the Cardinal in this urgent effort can expect short video reflections from his Eminence each month, in addition to regular written reflections and prayers.

When Juan Diego opened his tilma and roses poured out, a miracle was set into motion. The miracle continues with our participation in this historic prayer event to Our Lady. Join the world in prayer.

Beginning March 12, we will pray daily for Our Lady's intercession. Cardinal Burke has composed a prayer specifically for this novena.”

If you’re late in joining the Novena, or if you fail to say the prayer each day, don’t be discouraged! Keep at it!

PDF Printable ~ Nine-Month Novena to Our Lady of Guadalupe