Month the Holy Rosary. Pope's Intentions

SANCTIFYING THE MONTH

 http://home.earthlink.net/~mysticalrose/month.html  

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+J.M.J+
As with the weekly devotions discussed in the last article, popular Western Catholic custom has assigned a specific devotion to each month:

January - The Infant Jesus
February - The Blessed Trinity
March - Saint Joseph
April - The Death and Resurrection of Christ (for Lent and Easter)
May - The Blessed Virgin Mary
June - The Sacred Heart of Jesus
July - The Precious Blood of Jesus
August - the Immaculate Heart of Mary
September - The Holy Cross (or The Seven Sorrows of Mary)
October - The Holy Rosary
November - The Holy Souls in Purgatory
December - The Coming of Christ (Advent, Second Coming, etc.)

The Spiritual Meaning of Birthstones
Long before the modern "New Age" interest in "crystal power", medieval Christians believed that gemstones had certain "virtues", that is, the ability to strengthen the body and fight disease. Marbod of Rennes, an eleventh century Bishop, wrote a work called De Lapidibus ("the Book of Gems"), which described properties allegedly present in sixty different gemstones. Saint Hildegard of Bingen, a twelfth century visionary, dedicated a whole section to her work Natural History on the healing power of certain stones. Medieval lapidaries, such as the Physiologus, often drew spiritual lessons from the characteristics of precious and semi-precious stones.
In the spirit of such lapidaries, the following is a list of traditional birthstones and their spiritual symbolism:

January - Garnet = Perseverance
"Whoever perseveres to the end shall be saved" -Matthew 10:22February - Amethyst = Peace of Mind
"Peace I leave with you, my peace I give to you" -John 14:27
March - Bloodstone = Spiritual Virtue
"Who shall ascend to the mountain of the Lord...
The one with clean hands and a pure heart" -Psalm 24:3-4
April - Diamond = Purity
"Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God" -Matthew 5:8
May - Emerald = Faithfulness
"But the fruit of the Spirit is...faithfulness" -Galatians 5:22
June - Pearl = Faith
"The kingdom of heaven is like a merchant seeking fine pearls who,
finding one of great price went and sold all he had and bought it" -Matthew 13:45-46
July - Ruby = Devotion to Duty
"Let us not grow weary in doing good,
for in due time we shall reap if we do not lose heart" -Galatians 6:9
August - Sardonyx = Doing the Will of God
"If you love me, keep my commandments" -John 14:15
September - Sapphire = Divine Love and Mercy
"Be merciful, as your Father in heaven is merciful" -Luke 6:36
October - Opal = Hope
"Christ in you, the Hope of Glory" -Colossians 1:27
November - Topaz = Abandonment to Divine Providence
"Your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven" -Matthew 6:10
December - Turquoise = Spiritual Fervor
"I delight to do your will, O my God, your law is within my heart" -Psalm 40:8

Apostleship of Prayer.
Pope's Intention:

October

• Peace. That the Lord may grant peace to those parts of the world most battered by war and violence.
• World Mission Day.  That World Mission Day may rekindle in every believer zeal for carrying the Gospel into all the world.     
•                                 http://www.apostleshipofprayer.org/2014english.html

October: Month of the Rosary

 

Holy Land Franciscans

246

326 views

Published on 19 Sep 2013

October has been declared the month of the Rosary. Father Jason Welle, OFM, explains to us the history of this tradition.

Fw: Donald 

sent you a video: "October: Month of the Rosary"  

Sancta Maria Abbey: http://www.nunraw.com.uk (Website)    Blogspot :http://www.nunraw.blogspot.co.uk   domdonald.org.uk 

On Tuesday, 30 September 2014, 11:06, YouTube <noreply@youtube.com> wrote:

Donald has shared a video with you on YouTube            October: Month of the Rosary by Holy Land Franciscans October has been declared the month of the Rosary. Father Jason Welle, OFM, explains to us the history of this tradition.

Shoulder Wound of Christ: Saint Bernard

     

Prayer to the Wound on the Shoulder of Christand
Splinters from the Cross 

http://www.catholictradition.org/Christ/holy-wounds3.htm

+  +  +  +  +

Saint Bernard of Clairvaux
It is related in the annals of Clairvaux that St. Bernard asked Our Lord which was His greatest unrecorded suffering, and He answered: "I had on My Shoulder while I bore My Cross on the Way of Sorrows, a grievous Wound which was more painful than the others, and which is not recorded by men.  Honour this Wound with thy devotion, and I will grant thee whatsoever thou does ask through its virtue and merit.  And in regard to all those who shall venerate this wound, I will remit to them all their venial sins, and will no longer remember their mortal sins"
Prayer to the Shoulder Wound of Christ:

Most loving Jesus, meek Lamb of God, I, a miserable sinner, salute and worship the most Sacred Wound of Thy Shoulder on which Thou didst bear Thy heavy Cross which so tore Thy flesh and laid bare Thy Bones as to inflict on Thee an anguish greater than any other wound of Thy Most Blessed Body.  I adore Thee, O Jesus most sorrowful; I praise and glorify Thee, and give The thanks for this most sacred and painful Wound, beseeching Thee by that exceeding pain, and by the crushing burden of Thy heavy Cross to be merciful to me, a sinner, to forgive me all my mortal and venial sins, and to lead me on towards Heaven along the Way of Thy Cross. Amen.³

(Imprimatur: +Thomas D. Beven, Bishop of Springfield.)

SPLINTERS FROM THE CROSS 

Little headaches, little heartaches 

Little griefs of every day, 

Little trials and vexations, 

How they throng around our way! 

One great Cross, immense and heavy, 

So it seems to our weak will, 

Might be borne with resignation, 

But these many small ones kill, 

Yet all life is formed of small things, 

Little leaves, make up the trees, 

Many tiny drops of water 

Blending, make the mighty seas. 

Let us not then by impatience 

Mar the beauty of the whole, 

But for love of Jesus bear all 

In the silence of our soul. 

Asking Him for grace sufficient 

To sustain us through each loss, 

And to treasure each small offering 

As a splinter from His Cross. 

http://home.earthlink.net/~mysticalrose/index.html

Pope Francis: The angels defend us

Pope Francis: The angels defend us

Posted: Monday, September 29, 2014 2:58 pm

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Pope Francis focussed on the feast of the Archangels Michael, Gabriel and Raphael during his homily this morning at Casa Santa Marta. The angels battle Satan for the destiny of mankind and they win. They defend and protect the greatest mystery of the Church, God-made-Man. Today’s readings present us with very strong images: the vision of the glory of God described by the prophet Daniel with the Son of Man, Jesus Christ, before the Father: the archangel Michael and his angels fighting against "the great dragon, the ancient serpent, he who is called the devil" and "seduces all of inhabited earth," but who is defeated, as affirmed by the Book of Revelation; and the Gospel in which Jesus says to Nathanael: "You will see heaven opened and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of man". Pope Francis speaks of "the struggle between God and the devil". "This struggle takes place after Satan seeks to destroy the woman about to give birth to a child. Satan always tries to destroy man: the man that Daniel saw there, in glory, and whom Jesus told Nathanael would come in glory. From the very beginning, the Bible speaks to us of this: Satan’s use of seduction to destroy. Maybe out of envy. We read in Psalm 8: 'Thou hast made ​​man superior to the angels,' and that angel of great intelligence could not bear this humiliation, that a lower creature was made superior to him; thus he tried to destroy it". Satan, therefore, seeks to destroy humanity, all of us: "So many projects, except for one's own sins, but many, many projects for mankind’s dehumanization are his work, simply because he hates mankind. He is astute: the first page of Genesis tells us so, he is astute. He presents things as if they were a good thing. But his intention is destruction. And the angels defend us. They defend mankind and they defend the God-Man, the superior Man, Jesus Christ who is the perfection of humanity, the most perfect. This is why the Church honors the Angels, because they are the ones who will be in the glory of God – they are in the glory of God - because they defend the great hidden mystery of God, namely, that the Word was made flesh". "The task of the people of God - the Pope said - is to safeguard man: the man Jesus” because "He is the man who gives life to all men". Instead, in his plans for destruction, Satan has invented "humanistic explanations that go against man, against humanity and against God": "This struggle is a daily reality in Christian life, in our hearts, in our lives, in our families, in our people, in our churches ... If we do not struggle, we will be defeated. But the Lord has given this task mainly to the angels: to do battle and win. And the final song of Revelation , after this battle, is so beautiful: Now have salvation and power come, and the kingdom of our God and the authority of his Anointed. For the accuser of our brothers is cast out, who accuses them before our God day and night”. Pope Francis concluded urging those present to pray to the archangels Michael, Gabriel and Raphael, and "recite the ancient but beautiful prayer to the archangel Michael, so he may continue to do battle and defend the greatest mystery of mankind: that the Word was made Man, died and rose again. This is our treasure. That he may battle on to safeguard it".  Source: Vatican Radio and thanks from ICN

YES AND NO;,Mass Homily (Mt. 21: 28-32). Fr. Raymond. - Archangels Michael, Gabriel and Raphael Monday 29 Sept.

Fw: The Daily Gospel

Sancta Maria Abbey: http://www.nunraw.com.uk (Website)   Blogspot :http://www.nunraw.blogspot.co.uk,  domdonald.org.uk    

On Saturday, 27 September 2014, 17:06, DGO <noreply@evzo.org> wrote:   

Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Matthew 21:28-32.

Jesus said to the chief priests and the elders of the people: "What is your opinion? A man had two sons. He came to the first and said, 'Son, go out and work in the vineyard today.'
He said in reply, 'I will not,' but afterwards he changed his mind and went. 
The man came to the other son and gave the same order. He said in reply, 'Yes, sir,' but did not go. 
Which of the two did his father's will?" They answered, "The first." Jesus said to them, "Amen, I say to you, tax collectors and prostitutes are entering the kingdom of God before you.
When John came to you in the way of righteousness, you did not believe him; but tax collectors and prostitutes did. Yet even when you saw that, you did not later change your minds and believe him.

YES AND NO

Homily by Fr. Raymond

In The gospel story today the first son says ‘no’, but does go to work in his father’s vineyard, and the second son says ‘yes’ but doesn’t go to work in his father’s ‘ vineyard.  Jesus is obviously comparing the first son with the gentile peoples who at first don’t keep God’s laws but who, on hearing the teaching of Jesus are led to obey their true Father, God.  On the other hand he is comparing the original people of God, the Jews, to the second son because they are the first to acknowledge the true God but fail to obey his Messiah when he finally comes. If we are to learn anything from this parable there is not much point in just applying it to the Jews as though it were just a history lesson.  We must learn to apply it to ourselves, each and every one of us, in our daily lives.  We must realise how often there is this ‘yes and no’ in our own lives as we face so many daily choices between what we know very well to be our duty before God and what is our own convenience in one way or another.  To ‘go to the vineyard’ means, for each of us, to do what we well know we ought to do.  We say always say ‘yes’ to our conscience and we should always carry out that ‘yes’.  It is so easy to put off the execution of our good intentions for a thousand and one reasons, or even for no reason at all.  And finally we forget to carry them out altogether. It’s not only for others that we should be true to our word.  The first person to whom we owe our sincerity in what we promise is our own selves.  The more we let others down, the more we let our own selves down. The more we let others down, the more we lose not only the respect and confidence of others but also our own respect and confidence for ourselves.  Trust is one of the most essential elements of human life.  The whole of human society is built on trust.  Where there is no sense of reliability and trust in others there can only chaos and fear.  All commerce is based on it.  All education is based on it.  Marriage and the family itself are based on it.  Our very hope in God is base on it.  The very climax of the passion of Christ was not the pain of the scourging and the nails, but the last desperate ploy of Satan to deprive Jesus of his trust in his heavenly Father;  a temptation that forced from him that terrible cry of ‘My God my God, why have your forsaken me’.  St Paul teaches us that we can always trust the promises of God:  Christ is the great ‘Yes’ of God to Mankind.

Feast of Sts. Michael, Gabriel, and Raphael, Archangels ...

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Daily Readings for: September 29, 2014 (Readings on USCCB website)

The following day, Monday 29 September,

Fr. Raymond was Presiding the Mass. 

He began the introduction by reciting the Archangel Prayer learned by heart as he knew at the Low Mass some time past. (Pope Leo XIII 1903).

Short Prayer to St. Michael the Archangel

The well-known short version of this prayer follows in English and Latin. The Pope ordered this prayer to be recited daily after Low Mass in all the churches throughout the Catholic world. However this practice was almost completely swept away in the 1960s by liturgical changes made in the wake of Vatican Council II.

Saint Michael the Archangel, defend us in battle, be our protection against the malice and snares of the devil. May God rebuke him we humbly pray; and do thou, O Prince of the Heavenly host, by the power of God, thrust into hell Satan and all evil spirits who wander through the world for the ruin of souls. Amen.

Sáncte Míchael Archángele, defénde nos in proélio, cóntra nequítiam et insídias diáboli ésto præsídium. Ímperet ílli Déus, súpplices deprecámur: tuque, prínceps milítiæ cæléstis, Sátanam aliósque spíritus malígnos, qui ad perditiónem animárum pervagántur in múndo, divína virtúte, in inférnum detrúde. Ámen

ICN:  Posted: Sunday, September 28, 2014 12:09 am

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Saint of the day: 29th September

Archangels Michael, Gabriel and Raphael

The name Michael means 'He who is like unto God'. The archangel engages in a great cosmic battle with the Devil. In the Book of Jude, he contends with the Devil over the body of Moses, rebuking the Evil One in God's name. The imagery reveals that with the triumph of Jesus, evil no longer reigns throughout the cosmos, but remains on earth as the enemy of those who seek to follow God's will.

In the New Testament Michael is twice represented as the helper of God's chosen people.

Gabriel (his name means man of God) is an archangel who assists Daniel, helping him to understand his visions. Gabriel has a special role in the New Testament. To Zachariah the father of John the Baptist, he announces the birth of the future prophet. He brings the message to the Virgin Mary that she is to be the Mother of God.

Raphael appears in the Book of Tobit as one of the seven archangels who stand in God's presence. Tobit presents him as hearing our prayers and bring them to God. Raphael means 'God heals'.

All three archangels appear in later Christian writings many times, with Michael often seen as the receiver of souls of the departed - as in the spiritual Michael Row the Boat Ashore.

OCSO General Chapter Assisi 2014

 

Br Lawrence Morey

27 September 2014

Published on 27 Sep 2014

Every three years, the Order of the Cistercians of the Strict Observance (the OCSO, commonly known as the Trappist Order) meets for its General Chapter. Abbots and abbesses from all over the world gather to discuss the business of the Order. The state of each abbey is reviewed and decisions are made regarding legislation, among other things. There are over 200 participants in the Chapter.

The General Chapter was instituted from the very beginning of the Order, in the early 12th century. It remains the main authority of the Order. This year's Chapter is historic in that it is the first chapter in the history of the Order which has combined its male and female branches into a single Chapter with a single voice.

The wonderful flute music was improvised especially for this video by Mother Marie Gratia, abbess of the community of Maria Frieden in Germany. We thank her for her contribution, not only to this video, but to the liturgy of the entire Chapter.

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OZ23k6C_zno

St Vincent de Paul 27 September

San_Vincenzo_de_Paoli_V

Mass NT,
Fr. Nivard, presiding
[Fr. Nivard more frequent celebrant, with the Abbot attending to the General Chapter at Assisi].

 Fw: St Vincent de Paul

Sancta Maria Abbey: http://www.nunraw.com.uk (Website)  Blogspot :http://www.nunraw.blogspot.co.uk, domdonald.org.uk 

On Saturday, 27 September 2014, 

Nivard > wrote:  

www.dailyscripture.net, adapted Copyright © 2014 Servants of the Word

25 Sat 27 Sept 2014 

Lk 9 43b-45 Astonished at God’s majesty

They were astonished at the majesty of God ...

 

  Do you know the majesty of God?

 

 When we ascribe majesty to someone, we acknowledge great-nests in that person. We voice our respect for it.

 

  The miracles of Jesus revealed the awesome power and majesty of God.    

 

  They show his love and blessing - especially towards the lowly and humble of heart.

   St Vincent de Paul was a faithful  disciple of Jesus. He spent his life helping the poor both spiritually and temporarily.  

 

 Father in heaven, May we never fail to see your glory and victory in the cross, through Christ our Lord.

'Spark' from Gabrielle Bossis: Jesus said, 

"Place your soul, silent and still, before my loving gaze, I repair". 

St. Vincent de Paul, A Person of the 17th Century ... - YouTube

► 6:45► 6:45

www.youtube.com/watch?v=zrwez_neJT4

16 Jan 2012 - Uploaded by Mission and Values DePaul University

Rev. Edward Udovic, C.M. Sr. Executive for University Mission at DePaul University, reads his short essay on the ...

General Chapter September 26th. Assisi

The Delegates

 O.C.S.O. GC – 2014 Assisi

Homepage >September 26th, 2014 -Day Unknown

September 26th, 2014 -Day Unknown

26/09/2014 22:46

Writing this blog at 8:00 at night, it feels like the end of a long, hard day. A lot was accomplished in the aula, but looking back at the day I am having a hard time remembering everything we did, but some things stand out.

The main work of the morning was to handle the questions coming back from ordinary procedure. That's when four of the fourteen commissions study an issue to develop an opinion and this opinion is delivered to the whole chapter for a vote. Typically these issues are about the resignation of an abbot or communities with particularly difficult situations or the transfer of paternity for a community.

Even though these votes are public and will be available in the minutes of the chapter, it would be appropriate to be sensitive to the communities about which the votes were taken, and the manner in which they hear about them. It would not be good to read on the internet that your abbot's resignation was accepted or not accepted before you hear from the abbot himself. Additionally in presenting just the results, the full complexity (and the discussion were complex) would be lost.

At the end of the day we started discussing one of the main topics on our agenda, the fragility of houses in the order. People are asking for guidelines and principles to lead us through the process of what needs to happen as a house declines. The purpose of such a document would be to achieve consensus and understanding, and not just a vote of the house's conventual chapter to make a decision. Like many discussions at the chapter, pastoral concern is the main impetus behind the discussion.

After the end of the afternoon sessions the delegates had a meeting to discuss their evaluation of the chapter. Attached is a group photo of them, as well as a group of six American capitulants sitting the back of the aula..

A group of six American capitulants

Read more: http://o-c-s-o-gc-2014-assisi7.webnode.es/news/september-26th-2014-day-unknown/

Prayer by Br. Patrick

Chapter Sermon

Patrick Br.

Wednesday Community Chapter Talk 24 September 2014

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PRAYER

We know from Scripture that Christ’s relationship with His Church and with the faithful individual soul is a spousal one. When a young couple meet and are drawn together they talk a great deal in the phase of getting to know each other, but gradually as their relationship deepens, their communication becomes less verbal until, when they are an elderly married couple, they are content to be in each other’s company with precious few words spoken and yet their relationship is much stronger into the deep.

Jesus invited Simon Peter to put out into the deep. What can we understand and learn from this invitation? I would suggest it is an invitation to put out into the deep “of prayer”, not only for ourselves but for others, to contemplate the face of Christ.

Water has been used as the theme or symbol for taking a risk in our search for deeper union with God, a letting go and letting God. We often talk of being in deep water when we are in some kind of trouble, being swept away by powers greater than our own, or of jumping in at the deep end, which can sometimes be an act of faith when we speak of prayer without words or images and no apparent fruit. This type of prayer is like facing the sun as it shines on us. It is sun that tans our skin and whether we see it or not, we are changed.

Simon Peter’s net reminds us of the enormous catch of fish that he cught after he had faithfully cast out into the deep and the Gospel of Luke goes on to tell us how God will give us good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over and poured into the lap, when we give generously.

We recall that Jesus also invited Peter to put out into the deep when He asked to come to Him across the water of prayer. Christ also wants us to come to Him across the water of prayer. Water and desert are both silent, vast and lonely places. They are profound symbols for entering into the depths of prayer, which can also be silent, empty and lonely for we are entering deep and unknown territory. Water and desert are used throughout the Old and New Testaments to signify the call to live and act in faith, to turn to God so that he might fill us with an overflowing measure of love. With regard to water, we can think of Noah’s ark setting forth upon the mighty waters of the flood, negotiating uncharted waters, relying entirely on faith that God would eventually bring him to safety as promised. Likewise, when we go into the darkness of contemplation, we too must trust that God will guide us.

Ezekiel speaks of the cedar tree which he tells us has grown tall, nourished by the deep springs of water. We can understand this to mean that our lives are enriched by the nourishment of prayer, that our faith can grow tall. The man wading through the water up to his knees is also part of Ezekiel’s vision of the river which makes the land fruitful.

In the life of Jean Vanier by Kathryn Spink, she tells of Jean’s brother  who became a Cistercian monk of Orval and had the reputation of great holiness. She suggests that he was the powerhouse of prayer behind Jean’s immensely fruitful apostolate, breaking completely new ground, with mentally disabled and handicapped. Jean’s parents lives are in the process of being examined with a view to possible canonisation. I don’t think Jean’s apostolate would have been as successful without that backing.

It was said recently that a comparison can be made between the mystics and antiaircraft guns. The mystics have the range to contact the enemy planes which are out of range of the others. What power must have gone out from that little Carmelite convent of Lisieux. Talking about wars it was revealed to a seer that was the prayers of Teresa of Avila that saved Spain from involvement in the last war. I’ll finish with a quote from the recent letter of the Father General. It is essential to recover the mystic dimension of the heart, or rather at the source of our vocation. Mystical does not mean escape from reality but being aware of the total reality and consequently placing the centre of our life and heart a relationship, an experience of God.