'Pray for the gift of love', Our Lady

COMMENT:

Month of Rosary marker...

 "All the month of the rosary, call My mother 'Our Lady of Love' and say, 'Our Lady of Love, give me love."  

 

For all Our Lady's messages

On Sunday, 3 November 2013, 17:44, Sr Maria ...  <co.uk> wrote:

The Medjugorje Web

November 02, 2013 Message to Mirjana

"Dear children; anew, in a motherly way, I am calling you to love, to
continually pray for the gift of love, to love the Heavenly Father above
everything. When you love Him you will love yourself and your neighbor. This
cannot be separated. The Heavenly Father is in each person. He loves each
person and calls each person by name. Therefore, my children, through prayer
hearken to the will of the Heavenly Father. Converse with Him. Have a
personal relationship with the Father, which will deepen even more your
relationship as a community of my children - my apostles. As a mother I
desire that through the love for the Heavenly Father, you may be raised
above earthly vanities, and may help others to gradually come to know, and
come closer to the Heavenly Father. My children, pray, pray, pray for the
gift of love because 'love' is my Son. Pray for your shepherds that they may
always have love for you as my Son had, and showed by giving His life for
your salvation. Thank you."

For all Our Lady's messages: http://www.medjugorje.org/messagesall.htm
For our 2013/2014 Pilgrimages to Medjugorje:
http://www.medjugorje.org/medjugorje-pilgrimages.htm
For items from Medjugorje: http://www.medjugorje.org/ccart/index.php
To Help Support our Ministry: http://www.medjugorje.org/donations.htm

OUR LADY OF SORROWS AND HER SEVEN DOLORS Feast: September 15

4 Sept 2013 On the main stairs of the Guesthouse, it was an opportune occasion to take down the 7 painting of the Seven Sorrows of Mary, and scan the pictures to keep them for archive.
The future days of the Guesthouse are at the moment in question.

Scanned the irreplaceable  7 Dolors of Mary from 1946(?) Guesthouse,

now where to?

One friend suggests the 7 Pillars on one of the Cloisters.

 I wish if we could find the name of the artist, it may be possible  to replace the bleached prints from the early sun window. 

SALVATION OF THE WORLD

Welcome to the La Pieta homepage dedicated to saving many souls through prayer and devotion to the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Immaculate Heart of Mary

http://lapieta.tripod.com/seven.html  

Seven Dolours (Sorrows) of Mary

This is a devotion instituted in the course of the thirteenth century, in honor of the sorrows of the Blessed Virgin Mary, endured by her in compassion for the suffering and death of her Divine Son.

   1. Prophecy of Simeon - reflect on and sympathize in the sorrow of our Blessed Lady, when she presented her Divine Child in the Temple, and heard from the aged Simeon that a sword of grief should pierce her soul on His account.
Our Father, Seven Hail Mary's

   
2. Flight into Egypt - reflect on her sorrow when, to escape the cruelty of King Herod, she was forced to fly into Egypt with St. Joseph and her beloved Child.
Our Father, Seven Hail Mary's


 

 3. Three-day Separation from Jesus in Jerusalem - reflect on her grief, when, in returning from Jerusalem she perceived that she had lost her dear Jesus, whom she sought sorrowing during three days.
Our Father, Seven Hail Mary's


 

   4. Meeting Christ on the Road to Calvary - reflect on her meeting her Divine Son, all bruised and mangled, carrying His cross to Calvary, and seeing Him fall under His heavy weight.
Our Father, Seven Hail Mary's

   5. Crucifixion and Death of Jesus Christ - reflect on her standing by when her Divine Son was lifted up on the cross, and the blood flowed in streams from His sacred wounds.
Our Father, Seven Hail Mary's

 6. Our Lord is Taken Down from the Cross (Pieta) - reflect on her sorrow, when her Divine Son was taken down from the cross, and she received Him into her arms.
Our Father, Seven Hail Mary's

    7. Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ is Buried in the Tomb - contemplate her following His sacred body, as it was borne by Joseph of Arimathea, and Nicodemus, to the sepulchre, enclosed there, and hidden from her sight.
Our Father, Seven Hail Mary's


3 Hail Mary's in honor of the Sorrowful tears of Our Lady
V. Pray for us, O most Sorrowful Virgin
R. That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ
Let us pray:

Lord Jesus, we now implore, both for the present and for the hour of our death, the intercession of the most Blessed Virgin Mary, Thy Mother, whose holy soul was pierced at the time of Thy Passion by a sword of grief. Grant us this favor, O Saviour of the world, Who livest and reignest with the Father and the Holy Ghost for ever and ever. Amen.

+ + + 

References of the New Testament:

The First Sorrow of Mary: The Prophecy of Simeon at the Presentation in the Temple (Lk 2:22-35)

 The Second Sorrow of Mary: The Flight into Egypt (Mt 2:13-21)

The Third Sorrow of Mary: The Loss of Jesus in the Temple (Lk 2:41-50)

The Fourth Sorrow of Mary: Mary Encounters Jesus on the Way of the Cross (John 19:1; Luke 23:26-32)

The Fifth Sorrow of Mary: Jesus Dies on the Cross (Mark 15:22; John 19:18, 25-27; Mark 15:34; Luke 23:46)

The Sixth Sorrow of Mary: Jesus Is Taken Down From the Cross (John 19:31-34, 38; Lam 1:12)

The Seventh Sorrow of Mary: Jesus is Laid in the Tomb (Matthew 27:59; John 19:38-42; Mark 15:46; Luke 27:55-56)

Return to main page

www.piercedhearts.org

This page is the work of the Servants of the Pierced Hearts of Jesus and Mary

Our Lady's Birthday 8th September 2013

The 8th September, the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, has been the traditional date for being received members of the community at Nunraw Abbey.

"Turn to Mary for help. Mt. 1:1-16. 18-23".

Icon of the Nativity of the Mother of God, egg tempera on wood, Central Russia, mid-1800's.

(Photo © Slava Gallery, LLC; used with permission.)

History:

The Feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary was celebrated at least by the sixth century, when St. Romanos the Melodist, an Eastern Christian who composed many of the hymns used in the Eastern Catholic and Eastern Orthodox liturgies, composed a hymn for the feast. The feast spread to Rome in the seventh century, but it was a couple more centuries before it was celebrated throughout the West.

The source for the story of the birth of the Blessed Virgin Mary is the Protoevangelium of James, an apocryphal gospel written about A.D. 150. From it, we learn the names of Mary's parents, Joachim and Anna, as well as the tradition that the couple was childless until an angel appeared to Anna and told her that she would conceive. (Many of the same details appear also in the later apocryphal Gospel of the Nativity of Mary.)

The traditional date of the feast, September 8, falls exactly nine months after the feast of the Immaculate Conception of Mary. Perhaps because of its close proximity to the feast of the Assumption of Mary, the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary is not celebrated today with the same solemnity as the Immaculate Conception. It is, nonetheless, a very important feast, because it prepares the way for the birth of Christ.

   http://catholicism.about.com/od/holydaysandholidays/p/Birth_of_Mary.htm   

Saturday of Our Lady 7 Sept. 2013

http://www.crossroadsinitiative.com/library_article/335/Mary_and_the_Church__Isaac_of_Stella.html

Mary and the Church Isaac of Stella This excerpt from a sermon of Blessed Isaac of Stella (Sermo 51: PL 194, 1862-1865) is used in the Roman Catholic Office of Readings for Saturday of the Second Week of Advent with the accompanying biblical reading being taken from Isaiah 29:1-8).

7 Sept. 2013 Saturday of Our Lady

A Reading about Mary and the Church, and the Soul,
from a Sermon by Isaac of Stella.

The Son of God is the first-born of many brothers.

Although by nature he is the only-begotten, by grace he has joined many to himself and made them one with him.

For to those who receive him he has given the power to become the sons of God.

He became the Son of man and made many men sons of God, uniting them to himself by his love and power, so that they became as one.

In themselves they are many by reason of their human descent, but in him they are one by divine rebirth.

The whole Christ and the unique Christ – the body and the head – are one: one because born of the same God in heaven, and of the same mother on earth.

They are many sons, yet one son. Head and members are one son, yet, many sons.

In the same way, Mary and the Church are one mother, yet more than one mother; one virgin, yet more than one virgin.

Both are mothers, both are virgins.

Each conceives of the same Spirit, without concupiscence.

Each gives birth to a child of God the Father, without sin.

Without any sin, Mary gave birth to Christ the head for the sake of his body.

By the forgiveness of every sin, the Church gave birth to the body, for the sake of its head.

Each is Christ’s mother, but neither gives birth to the whole Christ without the cooperation of the other.

In the inspired Scriptures, what is said in a universal sense of the virgin mother, the Church, is understood in an individual sense of the Virgin Mary.

And what is said in a particular sense of the virgin mother Mary is rightly understood in a general sense of the virgin mother, the Church.

When either is spoken of, the meaning can be understood of both, almost without qualification.

In a way, every Christian is also believed to be a bride of God’s Word, a mother of Christ, his daughter and sister, at once virginal and fruitful.

These words are used in a universal sense of the Church, in a special sense of Mary, in a particular sense of the individual Christian.

They are used by God’s Wisdom in person, the Word of the Father.

This is why Scripture says: I will dwell in the inheritance of the Lord.

The Lord’s inheritance is, in a general sense, the Church; in a special sense, Mary; in an individual sense, the Christian.

Christ dwelt for nine months in the tabernacle of Mary’s womb.

He dwells until the end of the ages in the tabernacle of the Church’s faith.

He will dwell forever in the knowledge and love of each faithful soul.

Isaac of Stella (1100-1169): Sermon 51: PL 194, 1862-1863.1865 from the Office of Readings for Saturday of the Second  Week of Advent @ Crossroads Initiative.

Isaac of Stella. The ecclesiology of Isaac has its roots in the theology of Saint Augustine. He sees the mystery of Christ as dynamic and ever present today, for the mysteries of Christ's life are continued in the mystery of the Church. The divine motherhood of Mary may be compared with the motherhood of the Church.

[Alternative Translation by Lancelot C. Sheppard in Henri de Lubac, S.J. Catholicism, London 1950, 249-260].

Our Lady's August 02, 2013 Message

Subject: Medjugorje - Our Lady's August 02, 2013 Message to Mirjana

Peace to all! Below, please find the English translation of Our Lady's

August 02, 2013 message given to Mirjana  

 

Our next mailing will be Our Lady's August 25, 2013 message given to Marija.

God Bless!

Steve and Ana Shawl
The Medjugorje Web
http://www.medjugorje.org
---------------------------------

Medjugorje - Our Lady's August 02, 2013 Message to Mirjana

"Dear children, If only you would open your hearts to me with complete
trust, you would comprehend everything. You would comprehend with how much
love I am calling you; with how much love I desire to change you, to make
you happy; with how much love I desire to make you followers of my Son and
give you peace in the fullness of my Son. You would comprehend the
immeasurable greatness of my motherly love. That is why, my children, pray
because through prayer your faith grows and love is born, the love along
which even the cross is not unendurable because you do not carry it alone.
In union with my Son you glorify the name of the Heavenly Father. Pray, pray
for the gift of love, because love is the only truth: it forgives
everything, it serves everyone and it sees a brother in everyone. My
children, my apostles, great is the trust that the Heavenly Father has given
you through me, His handmaid, to help those who do not know Him, that they
may reconcile with Him and follow Him. That is why I am teaching you love,
because only if you have love will you be able to respond to Him. Again I am
calling you to love your shepherds and to pray that, at this difficult time,
the name of my Son may be glorified under their guidance. Thank you."

For all Our Lady's messages: http://www.medjugorje.org/messagesall.htm

The Month of August is Dedicated to the Immaculate Heart of Mary

Sunday, July 29, 2012

Traditional image of the Sacred (or Immaculate) Heart of Mary.

http://childrensrosary.blogspot.co.uk/2012/07/the-month-of-august-is-dedicated-to.html

The Month of August is Dedicated to the Immaculate Heart of Mary

Important Marian Dates During the Month of August:

August 5th Dedication of the Church of St. Mary Major.

August 13th Fourth Apparition of Our Lady of Fatima

August 15 The Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

August 21 Feast of Our Lady of Knock (Ireland)

August 22 Queenship of Mary-Octave of the Assumption

August 26 Feast of Our Lady of Czestochowa (Poland)

Ways to Honor the Immaculate Heart of Mary this Month:

Devotion to the Immaculate Heart of Mary

Consecration Prayer to the Immaculate Heart of Mary

Novena to the Immaculate Heart of Mary
Litany to the Blessed Virgin Mary

Holy Father’s Prayer Intention for the Month of August:

General Intention: That prisoners may be treated with justice and respect for their human dignity 
Missionary Intention: Youth Witness to Christ. That young people, called to follow Christ, may be willing to proclaim and bear witness to the Gospel to the ends of the earth. 

Feast of Our Lady of Aberdeen 9th July 2013

Aberdeen's grey stone buildings have earned it
the nickname of 'The Granite City'

On the Feast of Our Lady of Aberdeen, the Cantor selected the Night Office Optional Reading, from the Common of the BVM, by St. Aelred.
The theme could be described as "in the infirmity of old age"
Following the Mass Deacon referred to Our Lady of Good Success.
Aelred says;
Scripture says, 'Praise the Lord in his saints'. If our Lord is to be praised in those saints through whom he performs mighty works and miracles, how much more should he be praised in her in whom he fashioned himself, he who is wonderful beyond all wonder.
Again such such wonderful relationships.

COLLECT (Magnificat)

Grant we pray, almighty God,

that this your Holy Church in Scottlan,

gather in your name to honour

Our lady of Aberdeen,

may shine forth with that fire of faith and charity

which the Spirit dwelling in her set ablaze.

Thro...

Our Lady of Aberdeen
http://www.carmelite.org/index.php?nuc=news&func=view&item=844

 

Alternative           Sermon 20

A reading from the sermons of  St. Aelred of Rievaulx

Mary, our Mother

Let us come to his. bride, let us come to his - mother, let us come to the best of his handmaidens. All of these descriptions fit Blessed Mary.

But what are we to do for her.? What sort of gifts shall we offer her? O that we might at least repay to her the debt we owe her ! We owe her honour, we owe her devotion, we owe her love, we owe her praise. We owe her honour because she is the Mother of our Lord. He, who does not honour the mother, will without doubt dishonour the son. Besides, scripture says: 'Honour your- father and your mother.'

What then shall we say, brethren? Is she not our mother? Certainly, brethren, she is in truth our mother. Through her we are born, not to the world but to God.

We all, as you believe and know, were in death, in the infirmity of old age, in darkness, in misery. In death because we had lost the Lord; in the infirmity of old age, because we were in corruption; in darkness because we had lost the light of wisdom, and so we -had altogether perished.

But through Blessed Mary we all underwent a much better .birth than through Eve, inasmuch as Christ was born of Mary. Instead of the infirmity of age we have regained youth, instead of corruption incorruption, instead of darkness light.

She is our mother, mother of our life, of our incorruption, of our light. The Apostle says of our Lord, ‘Whom God made our wisdom, our righteousness, our sanctification and redemption.

She therefore who. -is the mother of Christ is the mother of our wisdom, mother of our righteousness, mother of our sanctification, mother of our redemption. Therefore she is more our mother than the mother of our flesh. Better therefore is our birth which we derive from Mary, for from her is our holiness, our wisdom; our righteousness, our sanctification, our redemption.

Scripture says, 'Praise the Lord in his saints'. If our Lord is to be praised in those saints through whom he performs mighty works and miracles, how much more should he be praised in her in whom he fashioned himself, he who is wonderful beyond all wonder.

RESPONSORY

R/ Blessed is the holy Virgin Mary, and most worthy of all praise; * through her has risen the Sun of, Justice, Christ our God, by whom we are saved and redeemed.

V/ Let us joyfully celebrate this feast of the Blessed Virgin Mary.* Through her has risen ...

Immaculate Heart of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Breviary  

Cloister ICON donated by Sacred Heart Convent, Craiglockart.

  

Saturday, 8 June 2013 

The Immaculate Heart of the Blessed Virgin Mary

SECOND READING

From a sermon by Saint Laurence Justinian, bishop
(Sermo 8, in festo Purificationis B.M.V.: Opera, 2, Venetiis 1751, 38-39)

Mary stored up all these things in her heart

While Mary contemplated all she had come to know through reading, listening and observing, she grew in faith, increased in merits, and was more illuminated by wisdom and more consumed by the fire of charity. The heavenly mysteries were opened to her, and she was filled with joy; she became fruitful by the Spirit, was being directed toward God, and watched over protectively while on earth.

So remarkable are the divine graces that they elevate one from the lowest depths to the highest summit, and transform one to a greater holiness. How entirely blessed was the mind of the Virgin which, through the indwelling and guidance of the Spirit, was always and in every way open to the power of the Word of God. She was not led by her own senses, nor by her own will; thus she accomplished outwardly through her body what wisdom from within gave to her faith.

It was fitting for divine Wisdom, which created itself a home in the Church, to use the intervention of the most blessed Mary in guarding the law, purifying the mind, giving an example of humility and providing a spiritual sacrifice.

Imitate her, O faithful soul. Enter into the deep recesses of your heart so that you may be purified spiritually and cleansed from your sins. God places more value on good will in all we do than on the works themselves.

Therefore, whether we give ourselves to God in the work of contemplation or whether we serve the needs of our neighbor by good works, we accomplish these things because the love of Christ urges us on. The acceptable offering of the spiritual purification is accomplished not in a man-made temple but in the recesses of the heart where the Lord Jesus freely enters.

RESPONSORY

O pure and holy virgin,
how can I find words to praise your beauty?
– The highest heavens cannot contain God whom you carried in your womb.

Blessed are you among women,
and blessed is the fruit of your womb.
– The highest heavens cannot contain God whom you carried in your womb.

CONCLUDING PRAYER  

Nunraw, Icon on west cloister

  

Let us pray.

Father,
you prepared the heart of the Virgin Mary
to be a fitting home for your Holy Spirit.
By her prayers
may we become a more worthy temple of your glory.
Grant this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever.
– Amen.

Visitation - St. Bede the Venerable

The House of the Virgin - Guillaume Dubufe

Friday, 31 May 2013

Visitation Ein Karem

 EIGHTH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME Friday, May 31 

FEAST OF THE VISITATION OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY 

For the Night Office this morning we had a choice from or five weighty Patristic Readings.
The Venerable Bede writes with a simplicity and warmth.
Even if he travelled beyond his own country he has been classified among the Fathers of the Holy Land. His words are touching with a sense of closeness and intimacy with the geographical place.

Luke 1:39-56 

Reading A sermon by St Bede the Venerable Mary proclaims the greatness of the Lord working in her soul My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my saviour. With these words Mary first acknowledges the special gifts she has been given. Then she recalls God’s universal favours, bestowed unceasingly on the human race. When a man devotes all his thoughts to the praise and service of the Lord, he proclaims God’s greatness. His observance of God’s commands, moreover, shows that he has God’s power and greatness always at heart. His spirit rejoices in God his saviour and delights in the mere recollection of his creator who gives him hope for eternal salvation. These words are often for all God’s creations, but especially for the Mother of God. She alone was chosen, and she burned with spiritual love for the son she so joyously conceived. Above all other saints, she alone could truly rejoice in Jesus, her saviour, for she knew that he who was the source of eternal salvation would be born in time in her body, in one person both her own son and her Lord. For the Almighty has done great things for me, and holy is his name. Mary attributes nothing to her own merits. She refers all her greatness to the gift of the one whose essence is power and whose nature is greatness, for he fills with greatness and strength the small and the weak who believe in him. She did well to add: and holy is his name, to warn those who heard, and indeed all who would receive his words, that they must believe and call upon his name. For they too could share in everlasting holiness and true salvation according to the words of the prophet: and it will come to pass, that everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. This is the name she spoke of earlier: and my spirit rejoices in God my saviour. Therefore it is an excellent and fruitful custom of holy Church that we should sing Mary’s hymn at the time of evening prayer. By meditating upon the incarnation, our devotion is kindled, and by remembering the example of God’s Mother, we are encouraged to lead a life of virtue. Such virtues are best achieved in the evening. We are weary after the day’s work and worn out by our distractions. The time for rest is near, and our minds are ready for contemplation.

Ein Karem Village Visitation of Mary to Elizabeth  (courtesy of www.goisrael.com) Nestled in the terraced hills southwest of Jerusalem is thevillage of Ein Karem, where picturesque lanes lead you to the traditional spot whereElizabeth “felt life” when she met her kinswoman Mary, and where John the Baptist was born and raised. Luke 1:39 tells us that after the annunciation, Mary hurried to “a town in the hill country of Judah” to visit Elizabeth, who was also pregnant. Centuries ago, Christians began to mark Elizabeth’s hometown at Ein Karem, whose name means “spring of the vineyard.” Though just a short drive fromJerusalem’s modern neighborhoods, once you arrive you can leave the everyday world behind and step back in time. You’ll still find the spring, where no doubt Elizabeth drew water for her household. If you arrive in the waning of winter you’ll see the almond trees rejoicing in their pink and white blossoms; in summer the grapevines on their terraces still bear fruit. As you watch children at play in the little village park, it’s easy to imagine John as a young boy clambering across these very slopes. Ein Karem was less than a day’s walk from the Temple inJerusalemto which Zechariah, John’s father, would be called to his duties as a priest. It was while serving at the altar of incense in the Temple that Zechariah saw the angel Gabriel, who informed him that his aged wife Elizabeth would give birth after years of barrenness. The shock must have caused Zechariah to forget his manners at angelic meetings! He immediately questioned the angel’s words, and so was struck voiceless until the naming ceremony at his son’s circumcision. In the cool, restful interiors of Ein Karem’s churches you can see where ancient Christians marked the site of Mary’s visit toElizabeth, and where Mary uttered her great praise poem that begins with the words “My soul glorifies the Lord...” (Luke 1:46). Keep your Bibles open to Luke’s Gospel here, because in the gardens, quiet corners and courtyards you can also pause over the story of Elizabeth’s naming of John (Luke 1:59-60) and Zechariah’s own poem of praise and prophecy (Luke 1:67-79). Many tradtitions surround John’s early years. One tells of his miraculous survival of the murder of the innocents by King Herod. John was only a few months older than Jesus and thus, when the order came from Herod to kill all the boys “in Bethlehem and the vicinity” (Matt. 2:16), John, too, was in mortal danger. It is said that Elizabeth managed to conceal her son in a cave (still shown to visitors) and though the soldiers came close, they unknowingly passed over his hiding place.