By the way, discussing these topics for each of the 12 Days is a wonderful activity for the whole family…click the link!
The 6th Day of Christmas
The 5th Day of Christmas
The 12 Days of Christmas: Days 1-4
[I am recycling last year’s “12 Days of Christmas,” which I had a lot of fun doing. Here it is!]
Click the links…
christ the one savior
the two testaments
the three magi
the four canonical gospels
Regarding EctoLife...and another update...
So apparently this all started with a YouTube video which appears to be a promotion/advertisement for a new artificial womb facility, I am not sure where. My assessment with admittedly, very little research, is that this is a deceptive presentation. It is very dense and there is much that can be said about it. But at the end of the day, how much time do we really want to give to Satan and his designs, when we could be building a new world…not the “Brave New World” depicted here. So, don’t get too upset, keep calm and carry on! The Kingdom of Heaven is at hand!
Posts will be brief and possibly badly written for the foreseeable future, as my traumatic brain injury is seriously affecting my ability to be on any electronics…thank you for your understanding.
Some of the Advent Content on this Blog...
1) Click on the Advent category above
2) Have a look at the fascinating topic of Fr. Alfred Delp, martyred by the Nazi regime (this link is flaky, try it several times if it doesn’t work)
3) “5 Ways to Keep Christ in Christmas”…print it out, consider distributing!
PRINTABLE VERSION: PDF COLOR
PRINTABLE VERSION: PDF BLACK
Advent / Month of December: Divine Infancy & Immaculate Conception
I am sorry my friends but for some reason the concussion symptoms after 4 months have taken a dramatic turn for the worse and I must stay off electronics as much as possible right now. Christmas blessings to all! Advent blessings! I know you don’t really need my advice, so I would simply encourage all to pray to be holier by the end of the Christmas Season. Our celebrant at Mass suggested the Rosary, a good confession and weekday Mass. All good ideas! Will see you in a few weeks or so. I know this is all in God’s wise plan. -CF
Plenary Indulgences This Week!
From Fr. John Hardon's Modern Catholic Dictionary:
PLENARY INDULGENCE
An indulgence that can remove all the temporal punishment due to forgiven sin. No one but God knows for certain when a plenary indulgence is actually gained, because only He knows whether a person's dispositions are adequate. One norm for such dispositions is that "all attachment to sin, even venial sin, be absent." If these dispositions are in any way less than complete, the indulgence will only be partial. The same provision applies to the three external conditions necessary to gain a plenary indulgence: sacramental confession, Eucharistic Communion, and prayer for the intentions of the Pope. If these conditions are not satisfied, an otherwise plenary indulgence becomes only partial. These conditions may be satisfied several days before or after the performance of the prescribed work, though preferably Communion should be received and the prayers offered for the Pope on the same day as the indulgenced work. A plenary indulgence can be gained only once a day.
From the Priestly Fraternity of Saint Peter’s Holy Cross Chaplaincy:
Six General Rules for Obtaining a Plenary Indulgence
State of grace…when performing the indulgenced act
Complete detachment from sin, even venial sin
Confession (20 days before or after the indulgenced act)
Communion (20 days before or after the indulgenced act)
Prayers for the Supreme Pontiff (20 days before or after the indulgenced act)
Indulgenced Act: a special good work with…conditions of place and time
Indulgenced Acts to be Performed for Obtaining a Plenary Indulgence for the Poor Souls of Purgatory
From November 1 to 8: visit of a cemetery with mental prayer for the poor souls
On November 2: visit of a church or an oratory with one Our Father and one Creed being recited
Requiem aeternam dona eis, Domine, et lux perpetua luceat eis. Requiescant in pace. Amen.
Eternal rest grant to them, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon them. May they rest in peace. Amen.
November is the Month of the Holy Souls
We remember the Holy Souls in Purgatory this month. There are many ways to do so. Please find some devotion that resonates with you!
(Sorry this post is very short this month.)
Marian Triad of the Months / Triduum of Death
The last 3 months of the Church’s dedications have been reserved for Our Lady. We can see this as a type of “triad,” a group of 3. From August to October, we honor the Immaculate Heart, Our Lady of Sorrows and Our Lady of the Rosary. This triad is interesting to note and study. I have never heard it mentioned before, and have decided to give it the title of “Marian Triad of the Months.”
How are these associations with the Mother of God linked? First, we contemplate her most pure heart, immaculate because it was conceived without Original Sin. Our Lady’s love, emanating from this heart, has existed since her creation, in perfect love for God and humanity. We are called into this abyss of perfection, a privilege we are unworthy of, yet Christ gave us His Mother from the Holy Cross. Next, we are called to reflect on a particular aspect of this heart, her many sorrows. Like Lent, this can be a difficult undertaking, but many graces and joys result. Finally, the Holy Rosary, a devotion uniting all the Body of Christ, is a meditation upon the many aspects of her Immaculate Heart…her joys, her pride in her Son, her sorrows and glories. We become immersed in the Gospels, the events in the life of Our Lord. Next time your Protestant friend argues with you about the Rosary, say that 90% of it comes directly from the Gospels. It is a Bible study!
The Immaculate Heart is a consolation, a privilege, a joy, in the midst of life’s difficulties. Holy Church in her love and wisdom, guided by the Holy Ghost, gives us this heart towards the end of the Liturgical Year, ushering us into another group of 3, the 3 days of the Triduum of Death….
All Hallows Eve
All Saints Day
All Souls Day
“Triduum of Death” is a term we don’t hear too much anymore, perhaps because people think it sounds negative. However, we must realize that this triple feast is one of great joy! All Hallows Eve anticipates the feast of All Saints, when we honor those who have succeeded in winning the Heavenly reward, just as we hope to. The Holy Souls have also won it, though they remain in Purgatory, in need of our prayers. Surely, on All Souls Day, due to the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, in addition to prayers all over the world, many souls pass through that glorious Gate to behold the Triune God! What a truly wonderful day! What a wonderful Triduum we now celebrate!