What is life?
...etching your way through the stardust of being, in a way no one else can....in a way no one else ever has....or ever will again.
July is the Month of The Most Precious Blood of Christ!
[Edited since original posting]
Sorry this post is a little late. I was having computer problems-I do like to get this out the first of the month. There is a prayer from the Litany of the Most Precious Blood on our Home page-please have a look! May we honor Our Lord’s Precious Blood this month in whatever ways we can. May we always defend His Most Sacred Body and Blood. In this culture of “tolerance,” we must never tolerate sacrilege, which tragically, abounds in today’s world. What does this mean in practical terms? Pray about it and the Holy Ghost will enlighten your mind. The culture is so bad, we must all submit to martyrdom in some fashion. Don’t expect things to get any easier any time soon. Bite the bullet and win your heavenly reward! What is love if it is never tested?
Here are some interesting feasts of this month. Since we are preppers around here, I like to provide the feasts of saints who are invoked for particular needs which may be relevant in times of distress (Saint Camillus and Saint Pantaleon are both invoked for disease and the medical profession). We will soon need them more than ever! And if you don’t understand why, you are not paying attention...on that note, may we exercise penance over this 4th of July weekend for our beautiful and ailing United States of America….and for the babies in the womb she has abandoned. O Mary, Patroness of the United States, pray for us! Pray for the little ones! May we never forget them!
Have a most holy and blessed month of July!
7/1-Most Precious Blood
7/2-The Visitation
7/3-Saint Thomas-Apostle, Martyr
7/4-Our Lady of Refuge (non-standard)
7/6-Saint Maria Goretti-Virgin, Martyr
7/12-Saint Veronica of the Veil (non-standard)
7/16-Our Lady of Mount Carmel (wear the Brown Scapular-it is very powerful!)
7/18-Saint Camillus de Lellis-Priest, Founder, Patron of the sick & nurses
7/19-Saint Vincent de Paul-Priest, Founder of Vincentians, Patron of Charitable Societies
7/22-Saint Mary Magdalen-Patron of Repentant Sinners
7/25-Saint James the Greater-Apostle, Martyr/Saint Christopher-Martyr, Patron of Travelers
7/26-Saints Joachim & Anne-Parents of the Blessed Virgin Mary
7/27-Saint Pantaleon-Martyr, Patron of Lung Disease, Doctors & Medical Profession
7/29-Saint Martha-Virgin, Sister of Lazarus & Mary , Patron of Cooks
7/31-Saint Ignatius of Loyola-Priest, Founder of Jesuits, Patron of Spiritual Retreats
(this blog provides both new and old feasts-non-standard refers to local or “historical” feasts)
A New Prayer to Saint Joseph!
I was thinking of Saint Joseph on Fathers Day, yesterday. In honor of him, the Father of Fathers, the one man from the human race that our Heavenly Father chose to raise His beloved only Son, here is a brand new prayer. I wrote this prayer 11 years ago, felt embarrassed by it, and stuck it in a drawer. As I was considering what I should post today, I thought of this prayer and wondered if I could find it. I found it right away. I know I wrote it 11 years ago because it was written on a donation envelope for the 2005 "Catholic Ministries Appeal." I've edited it very slightly. I've learned something in the past 11 years: Life is too short to worry about perfection....or, as Leonard Cohen put it, "Forget your perfect offering, there is a crack in everything, that's how the light gets in." I'm getting too old to care. I just want to do my work, good or bad, and at least I can say I tried. In writing this prayer, I was going for the "Hail Mary" of Saint Joseph. I thought there should be such a prayer-easy to remember, short and to the point......
O Saint Joseph
O Saint Joseph, Guardian of Our Lord and Our Lady, intercede for us before the Divine Majesty. O holy and humble carpenter, pray for God's children in all our great need. We pray this in the Name of the Christ Child, once held in your loving arms. Amen.
Feasts of June....
Here are some of the interesting and wonderful feastdays coming up this month....let's not forget to honor Our Lord's Sacred Heart...Saint Margaret Mary, pray for us!
6/8-Mary, Mediatrix of All Graces-non-standard feast
6/9-The Eucharistic Heart of Jesus-non-standard feast
6/13-Saint Anthony of Padua, Priest & Doctor of the Church-Patron of the poor, invoked for lost objects (it really works!)
6/15-Saints Vitus, Modestus & Crescentia, Martyrs-St. Vitus invoked against storms
6/16-Saint John Francis Regis, Priest-Patron of Kansas City, Missouri-non-standard feast
6/20-Our Lady of Consolation-non-standard feast
6/22-Saint Thomas More, Martyr-Patron of Lawyers/Saint Paulinus of Nola, Bishop-invoked against demons
6/23-Vigil of the Nativity of Saint John the Baptist
6/24-Nativity of Saint John the Baptist
6/27-Our Lady of Perpetual Help-non-standard feast
6/28-Vigil of Saints Peter & Paul
6/29-Saints Peter & Paul, Apostles & Martyrs, St. Peter the First Pope
6/30-Commemoration of Saint Paul, Apostle & Martyr/First Martyrs of the Holy Roman Church
(this blog provides both new and trad feasts)
Feast of the Immaculate Heart of Mary!
In my last post, I mentioned yesterday's feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, but I forgot to mention that it is followed (in the new calendar) by the Immaculate Heart of Mary! How great to have these two wonderful back-to-back feasts. Here is the closing prayer of the Litany of the Immaculate Heart of Mary:
O most merciful God, Who, for the salvation of sinners and the refuge of the miserable, wast pleased that the Most Pure Heart of Mary should be most like in charity and pity to the Divine Heart of Thy Son, Jesus Christ, grant that we who commemorate this sweet and loving Heart may, by the merits and intercession of the same Blessed Virgin, merit to be found like to the Heart of Jesus, through the same Christ Our Lord. Amen.
(John Henry Cardinal Newman)
June is the Month of the Sacred Heart of Jesus!
I said in my previous post that you would hear from me again when I could catch my breath. Actually, I haven't caught my breath yet. My son came home from college for the summer and its been hectic. I'm also planning a few trips and just juggling a lot right now. So I thank you for your patience. There is nothing I like better than writing blog posts, because I love to hear myself talk, but sometimes the duties of the Long Island housewife must take precedence. I'm pretty swamped for the next 2 weeks, then I do expect I'll be able to catch my breath again.
I always post the interesting (according to me) feasts of the month on the first day of the month. I don't have time right now to do this, though I'll get to it within the next few days. It is the month of the Sacred Heart...please take note that this Friday, June 3rd, is the feast of the Sacred Heart, a solemnity (Friday penance is not required), in both the new and old calendars. Let us give the Sacred Heart of Our Lord, burning with love for the whole world, special honor this Friday and during the coming month in as many ways as we can....use your creativity (or, as I like to say to my son, "Use the brain God gave you!")....:) I also always post a special prayer related to the theme of the month on the Home page, usually from a novena...please have a look! Sacred Heart of Jesus, have mercy upon us!
April Showers Have Brought.....
This is a bouquet I made for our Heavenly Mother, with flowers from my yard, along with a few of my own Mothers Day roses. Just wanted to share:)
Ascension Thursday
Yes, I proclaim the joyful news that "Ascension Thursday" is still celebrated in the province under Cardinal Dolan of New York! It remains a Holy Day of Obligation here, along with many of the surrounding provinces. Sadly, for most of the US, this is not the case. Ascension Thursday is an endangered holyday and may eventually be altogether extinct, unless we fight for it by contacting our archbishops to express our concern. In an age when people have no problem texting for an entire hour every day, it is considered too difficult to spend one hour at Mass to celebrate one of the most important events in human history.....a key event in the Gospels, one of the Glorious Mysteries of the Holy Rosary, an article of the Creed.....
"And the third day He rose again according to the Scriptures. And ascended into heaven, and sitteth at the right hand of the Father."
Why is Ascension Thursday so important to me? Because my only child was born on that day. I went in the hospital the day before to deliver him, but the labor was unproductive and he came the next day as I was strapped down, my arms extended like Christ's on the Cross, praying the rosary on purple plastic rosary beads, fully-conscious, bringing life into the world through the shedding of my own blood....Check out my thread on this topic at "Catholic Answers Forums:" Ascension Thurs: Is it a Holy Day of Obligation in your Diocese?
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I know I said I was off for a few weeks, but I felt inspired to write today.....I have this crazy idea to write a litany.....my first one, so please don't be too harsh on me.....this litany is based on the format of the Litany of the Most Holy Name of Jesus (Nomen Christi) and the traditional Mass for the Ascension.
A New Litany for an Endangered Holyday......
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.
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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,
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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.
Update....
Saint Joseph the Workman, pray for us!
I have been taking a break from blogging due to temporary personal circumstances. I will resume in about 2 weeks. Thanks for your support and spread the word! CFM
PS Please review the feastdays of May (below) and many blessings in this month dedicated to the Mother of God!
May-Month of Our Lady, the Blessed Virgin Mary
The Feast of Our Lady of Fatima is May 13th, the date she first appeared to the three children in 1917....next year is the 100th anniversary of this historic event! Nomen Christi Apostolate is dedicated to Our Lady of Fatima. Our Lady of Fatima, pray for us!
Probably the most common celebration of May as the Month of Our Lady, is the May Crowning, which is done in many parishes and Catholic schools. A wreath of flowers is placed upon the head of a statue of Our Lady and is accompanied by prayer and song. If your parish or school is not doing this, why not be the first to initiate it? It does not matter which day in May you choose and the format of the Crowning does not matter either, as long as you are expressing love and reverence for the Mother of God. It is also a wonderful activity to do at home with your children, either indoors or outdoors. There are many other ways to give Our Lady special honor during the month of May....your imagination is the limit...learning more about the extraordinary events at Fatima, Portugal and Our Lady's requests would be a great benefit to us all. Please see prayer in honor of the Holy Name of Mary, on our Home Page.
Some features of the coming month....we have the Rogation AND the Ember Days, similar days of fasting and prayer for God's mercy and blessings upon the coming season....each Sunday is a special and wonderful feast...please take note!
5/1-Saint Joseph the Workman-invoked for employment under this title
5/2 to 4-Rogation Days
5/4-Vigil of the Ascension/Feast of the Holy Shroud (non-standard feast)
5/5-Ascension Thursday-Holy Day of Obligation in some dioceses
5/8-Ascension of Our Lord (new)
5/10-Saint Solange, Virgin & Martyr-invoked for drought
5/13-Our Lady of Fatima
5/14-Vigil of Pentecost-trad meat at one meal
5/15-Pentecost Sunday/Saint Isidore the Farmer-patron of farmers
5/16-Saint Simon Stock-seer of Our Lady of Mount Carmel & the Brown Scapular (one of the requests of Our Lady of Fatima is to wear the Brown Scapular)
5/18, 20, 21-Ember Days after Pentecost (trad Sat meat at one meal)
5/22-Trinity Sunday
5/24-Our Lady Help of Christians (non-standard feast)
5/26-Corpus Christi (trad)
5/29-Corpus Christi (new)
5/31-The Visitation/Queenship of the Blessed Virgin Mary
Image courtesy https://www.catholiccompany.com/getfed/five-prayers-taught-at-fatima-by-mary-the-angels/