Feast of the Sacred Heart!

I have blogged about this before, once, a long long time ago (or so I think ..) It's about this very very moving hymn you can sing anywhere you are, anytime you want.. =)

Well here goes:

God of Mercy and Compassion
Au sang qu’un Dieu

1. God of mercy and compassion,
Look with pity upon me,
Father, let me call Thee Father,
‘Tis Thy child returns to Thee.

Refrain
Jesus, Lord, I ask for mercy;
Let me not implore in vain;
All my sins,
I now detest them,
Never will I sin again.

2. By my sins I have deserved
Death and endless misery,
Hell with all its pains and torments,
And for all eternity.

3. By my sins I have abandoned
Death and endless misery,
Where the saints rejoice forever
In a boundless sea of love.

4. See our Saviour, bleeding, dying,
On the cross of Calvary;
To that cross my sins have nail’d Him,Yet He bleeds and dies for me.

Sing it, if you know the tune. I'll try to run some music on this page, and if I manage to do it, those of you who don't know the tune can listen to this hymn. =)

It made me cry again today. And I wanted to cry like a baby.

Meditate on the few words of each verse.

It sort of sums up the relationship between God and human-kind. It sums up why HE came down to earth, just to save us, redeem us. It sums up the reason why HE is GOD.

Deus caritas est - God is Love.

Without His Love, we are NOTHING. Nothing and meaningless.

Life is worth NOTHING, if not for Him and

Without Him dying on the Cross, to save us from our sins, our iniquity.

You can read Isaias chapter 53, from the Old Testament.

(I'll paste it here, taken from www.drbo.org - the D-R Bible Online)

Latin Vulgate

Douay-Rheims Bible
Isaias 53:

Prophecy Of Isaias

< prev Chapter 53 next >

A prophecy of the passion of Christ.

1 Who hath believed our report? and to whom is the arm of the Lord revealed?

2 And he shall grow up as a tender plant before him, and as a root out of a thirsty ground: there is no beauty in him, nor comeliness: and we have seen him, and there was no sightliness, that we should be desirous of him:

3 Despised, and the most abject of men, a man of sorrows, and acquainted with infirmity: and his look was as it were hidden and despised, whereupon we esteemed him not.

4 Surely he hath borne our infirmities and carried our sorrows: and we have thought him as it were a leper, and as one struck by God and afflicted.

5 But he was wounded for our iniquities, he was bruised for our sins: the chastisement of our peace was upon him, and by his bruises we are healed.

6 All we like sheep have gone astray, every one hath turned aside into his own way: and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.

7 He was offered because it was his own will, and he opened not his mouth: he shall be led as a sheep to the slaughter, and shall be dumb as a lamb before his shearer, and he shall not open his mouth.

8 He was taken away from distress, and from judgment: who shall declare his generation? because he is cut off out of the land of the living: for the wickedness of my people have I struck him.

9 And he shall give the ungodly for his burial, and the rich for his death: because he hath done no iniquity, neither was there deceit in his mouth.

10 And the Lord was pleased to bruise him in infirmity: if he shall lay down his life for sin, he shall see a long-lived seed, and the will of the Lord shall be prosperous in his hand.

11 Because his soul hath laboured, he shall see and be filled: by his knowledge shall this my just servant justify many, and he shall bear their iniquities.

12 Therefore will I distribute to him very many, and he shall divide the spoils of the strong, because he hath delivered his soul unto death, and was reputed with the wicked: and he hath borne the sins of many, and hath prayed for the transgressors.
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Deus caritas est. It's because of His infinite Love, that's why He is of infinite mercy, and because He is of infinite mercy, He is of INFINITE JUSTICE. It's so logical, so simple!! - Why didn't I think about this a long long time ago?? Deo gratias! for finally making me understand.

Help me to understand you better, to Know, Love and Imitate You.

For you, and only you are the only way to Happiness.

I realised this during the 5-day silent retreat we had at the start of June.

Deo gratias!

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O my Dearest Lord, I am most heartily sorry if I have ever offended you, by the plenitude of my sins, my rubbish you have had to endure for my sake. You had to die to save us, and it is only now that I realise the plenitude of graces you have had in store for us, through your Blessed Mother. I detest all my sins, because I dread the loss of heaven and the pains of hell, but most of all because they offend Thee, O my dearest, dearest God, who art all good and deserving of all my love. I firmly resolve, with the help of Thy grace, to confess my sins, to do penance and to amend my life.

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Hell exists! and it's a fact.

God is infinite MERCY,

and because he is infinite MERCY, He has to be of infinite JUSTICE.

God is also infinite JUSTICE.

Infinite EVERYTHING.

God is OMNIPRESENT - HE is everything and is FOUND everywhere ,

God is OMNIPOTENT - the creating and driving force of everything in the universe without exception.

Here's something from St. Thomas Aquinas, Doctor of the Church, one of the best philosophers of all the ages (until today), reflect on it (I've posted on this before too .. haha but no harm putting it up again right):

If God loves us so, if He is so provident a Father, why does He let us commit sin? The answer is that He is God, reverently respectful of His children, and He has made us men. Why, since He knows from eternity which of us will lose our souls, did He make us at all? The question is a coward's complaint against his humanity and the share of divinity given to men. If we are to have a chance at heaven, we must run the risk of hell; no men is in hell who did not have time after time, the chance of taking heaven in his grasp. Heaven is worth the risk of hell; God is worth the risk of the devil. It is dangerous to be a man lifted up to the heights of God; dangerous, but a danger well justified by the goals that are open to us. The shared power of God that is ours does not destroy His omnipotence, nor does His eternal knowledge destroy our freedom: we are men and He is God, and we can live that divine life with Him forever, if we will, or we can start our hell on earth and preserve it for all of an eternity.

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Dear God, I love you! This seems so lame, blogging about this, BUT I sincerely do. Thank you so much for everything and yet again, give me strength! For I am greatly in need of Thy mercy and love.

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Here's a link you can go to read more about this most sacred feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus.

I'll copy and paste some of the parts:

ORIGIN OF THIS FESTIVAL

After many devout souls had venerated the Sacred Heart of Jesus, with sincere devotion, in the solitude of quiet life, as is seen in the lives of SS..Augustine, Bernard, Bonaventura, Thomas of Aquin, Francis de Sales, Ignatius, Clara, Gertrude, Mechtild, Catharine of Sienna, Theresa, and others, our divine Saviour willed that His heart's infinite love should be recognized by all men, and be kindled in cold hearts by a new fire of love. For this end He made use of a feeble, obscure instrument, that all the world might know that the devotion to His loving heart; previously almost entirely unknown, was His own work. This instrument, disregarded by the world, was one who shone before God in all 'the radiance of the most sublime virtues; the nun Margaret Alacoque of the order of the Visitation of Mary, at Paray, in Burgundy. In the year 1675, whilst she was one day in prayer before the Blessed Sacrament; our Lord appeared to her, and pointing to His heart which He showed to her, surrounded with flames, surmounted by the cross, encircled with a crown of thorns, and pierced with a gaping wound, He said to her: "Behold this heart, which has loved mankind so much, and which receives only ingratitude and coldness in return for its love. My desire is that you should make reparation to my heart for this ingratitude, and induce others also to make reparation." Our Lord then designated the Friday after the Octave of Corpus Christi as the special day for this duty. In several subsequent apparitions our divine Lord repeated this injunction, and made the most unbounded promises in favor' of all who would apply themselves to this office of reparation to His Sacred Heart. The following are some of His promises;

1.I will give them all the graces necessary for their state of life.
2.I will establish peace in their families.
3.I will console them in all their pains and trials.
4.I will be their assured refuge in life, and especially in death.
5.I will shed abundant blessings upon all their undertakings.
6.Sinners shall find in my Heart an infinite ocean of mercy.
7.Lukewarm souls will be rendered fervent.
8.Fervent souls shall rise rapidly to greater perfection.
9.I will bless those houses where the image of my heart shall be exposed and honored.
10.I will give to priests the gift of moving the hardest hearts.

Persons who propagate this devotion,. shall have their names inscribed on my heart, never to be effaced from it.

Margaret obeyed, but found everywhere the greatest opposition, actual sneers and persecution, even from her Sisters in religion, until finally, with the aid of her divine spouse, she succeeded as mistress of novices, in bringing her young charges to the veneration of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. But this did not content her zeal; although opposition continued, she strove to fulfil the command of Jesus, who assisted her by at last changing the hardened hearts of the nuns and inflaming them with the same love of His Sacred Heart. This devotion soon spread from the convent throughout the adjoining dioceses, where confraternities in honor of the Sacred Heart of Jesus arose, and Pope Clement, XIII., after causing the strictest investigation to be made, commanded?the Festival of the Sacred Heart of Jesus to be observed throughout the Catholic Church on the first Friday after the octave of Corpus Christi.

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read more from the link given above. =) This post is long enough as it is. Oh Yes! .. one more thing.. I know alot of people all HAPPY today .. haha you all know who you are. I'm Glad for all then =)

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[An indulgence of one hundred Days is gained by saying this prayer with true contrition, before a picture of the sacred heart of Jesus, and a plenary indulgence by saying it every day for a month, an,Àã receiving the Sacraments of Penance and Communion, and Praying for the Church.]

O Jesus, most worthy of love! I gratefully offer Thee my heart in compensation for my great unfaithfulness,and consecrate myself wholly and forever toThy service, purposing, with Thy grace, no more to offend Thee. Amen

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God Bless!

In Christo et Mariae et Joseph et Anna et Thérèse!

(Hahaha, I hope I got the Latin correct ...)

Vincit Veritas!

The Passion + JMJA!

Imagine our Saviour's sufferings, His Agony, His Scourging, the Coronation with THORNS, the carrying of His Cross (loaded with our sins, our iniquities) and his ultimate crucifixion, His PASSION. Contemplate His love, His infinite love, His infinite majesty, His infinite Divinity.

Contemplate the moment in time, after the Kiss of Judas, when He said,

EGO SUM

(It is I)

and exactly at that moment, everyone fell down onto the ground.

Look at this detail.

(you can watch the excellent movie, the Passion of the Christ by Mel Gibson)

Why did everyone fall down?

Jesus was trying to say, Listen! Listen! it's because I want to accept it that's why you fall!

Jesus could have said I don't want to do it. But He didn't!

He wanted to do it.

Now, notice this point, from the Most Holy Mass.

Now is the hour of darkness!

This IS THE MASS.

The priest (and only the priest) consecrates and raises the host.

Father, take these people to heaven, I will take the punishment.

HOC EST ENIM CORPUS MEAM.

Immediately, the host becomes the MOST HOLY BODY OF CHRIST.

IT really IS HIM, His SOUL, His DIVINITY.

Then, immediately, after the 1st consecration, comes the 2nd consecration of Blood.

There's blood after the acceptance.

-->Peter then cuts the ear of Malchus, the Chief Priest's servant. etc. etc.

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(more later)

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PAX.

In Christo et Mariae!

Time and Eternity. It's all up to you.

For Time is ETERNITY.

Once LOST its gone FOREVER ...

stare at the time and remember the time.

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Now, look at the time again.. notice this absolute fact: you cannot bring back the time.

This certainly is a little lame...

(more later)

PS: today's the feast day of St. Anthony of Padua, Confessor and Doctor of the Church - III Class.

From the 1962 Roman Catholic Daily Missal, here's an excerpt on the Saint:

One of the greatest Franciscan Saints, St. Anthony was a profound theologian, a brillant preacher, a formidable foe to heresy, and a terror to heretics, through the supernatural forces which seemed always at his command. He was born in Lisbon, but laboured chiefly in Italy, where he died in 1231.

(Please see the drawing as posted in the previous post)

O yes and please see this link... haha =) -thanks royston ...

Saint Anthony of Padua and his Fishes

Hello one and all!! before I leave for this week here's something to make you laugh.. here's a drawing done by one of my friends over in church.. its about ... haha I think you can guess .. its Saint Anthony! with his Fishes! ~ historical note: St. Anthony of Padua - a Franciscan, very famous Saint. Will add more about the Saint when I get back.

PAX!

In Christo et Mariae!

-rachanne-

Psalm 17

hello one and all! I'll be away for some time, but rest assured I'll come back refreshed! ~ in approximately 1 week's time. =)

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Douay-Rheims Bible

Psalms 17

Book Of Psalms

Diligam te, Domine. David's thanks to God for his delivery from all his enemies.

1 Unto the end, for David the servant of the Lord, who spoke to the Lord the words of this canticle, in the day that the Lord delivered him from the hands of all his enemies, and from the hand of Saul. [2 Kings 22]

2 I will love thee, O Lord, my strength:

3 The Lord is my firmament, my refuge, and my deliverer. My God is my helper, and in him will I put my trust. My protector and the horn of my salvation, and my support.

4 Praising I will call upon the Lord: and I shall be saved from my enemies.

5 The sorrows of death surrounded me: and the torrents of iniquity troubled me.
6 The sorrows of hell encompassed me: and the snares of death prevented me. 7 In my affliction I called upon the Lord, and I cried to my God: And he heard my voice from his holy temple: and my cry before him came into his ears. 8 The earth shook and trembled: the foundations of the mountains were troubled and were moved, because he was angry with them. 9 There went up a smoke in his wrath: and a fire flamed from his face: coals were kindled by it. 10 He bowed the heavens, and came down: and darkness was under his feet.
11 And he ascended upon the cherubim, and he flew; he flew upon the wings of the winds. 12 And he made darkness his covert, his pavilion round about him: dark waters in the clouds of the air. 13 At the brightness that was before him the clouds passed, hail and coals of fire. 14 And the Lord thundered from heaven, and the highest gave his voice: hail and coals of fire. 15 And he sent forth his arrows, and he scattered them: he multiplied lightnings, and troubled them.
16 Then the fountains of waters appeared, and the foundations of the world were discovered: At thy rebuke, O Lord, at the blast of the spirit of thy wrath. 17 He sent from on high, and took me: and received me out of many waters. 18 He delivered me from my strongest enemies, and from them that hated me: for they were too strong for me. 19 They prevented me in the day of my affliction: and the Lord became my protector. 20 And he brought me forth into a large place: he saved me, because he was well pleased with me.
21 And the Lord will reward me according to my justice; and will repay me according to the cleanness of my hands: 22 Because I have kept the ways of the Lord; and have not done wickedly against my God. 23 For till his judgments are in my sight: and his justices I have not put away from me. 24 And I shall be spotless with him: and shall keep myself from my iniquity. 25 And the Lord will reward me according to my justice; and according to the cleanness of my hands before his eyes.
26 With the holy, thou wilt be holy; and with the innocent man thou wilt be innocent. 27 And with the elect thou wilt be elect: and with the perverse thou wilt be perverted. 28 For thou wilt save the humble people; but wilt bring down the eyes of the proud. 29 For thou lightest my lamp, O Lord: O my God enlighten my darkness. 30 For by thee I shall be delivered from temptation; and through my God I shall go over a wall.
31 As for my God, his way is undefiled: the words of the Lord are fire tried: he is the protector of all that trust in him. 32 For who is God but the Lord? or who is God but our God? 33 God who hath girt me with strength; and made my way blameless. 34 Who hath made my feet like the feet of harts: and who setteth me upon high places. 35 Who teacheth my hands to war: and thou hast made my arms like a brazen bow.
36 And thou hast given me the protection of thy salvation: and thy right hand hath held me up: And thy discipline hath corrected me unto the end: and thy discipline, the same shall teach me. 37 Thou hast enlarged my steps under me; and my feet are not weakened. 38 I will pursue after my enemies, and overtake them: and I will not turn again till they are consumed. 39 I will break them, and they shall not be able to stand: they shall fall under my feet. 40 And thou hast girded me with strength unto battle; and hast subdued under me them that rose up against me.
41 And thou hast made my enemies turn their back upon me, and hast destroyed them that hated me. 42 They cried, but there was none to save them, to the Lord: but he heard them not. 43 And I shall beat them as small as the dust before the wind; I shall bring them to nought, like the dirt in the streets. 44 Thou wilt deliver me from the contradictions of the people: thou wilt make me head of the Gentiles. 45 A people, which I knew not, hath served me: at the hearing of the ear they have obeyed me.
46 The children that are strangers have lied to me, strange children have faded away, and have halted from their paths. 47 The Lord liveth, and blessed be my God, and let the God of my salvation be exalted: 48 O God, who avengest me, and subduest the people under me, my deliverer from my enemies. 49 And thou wilt lift me up above them that rise up against me: from the unjust man thou wilt deliver me. 50 Therefore will I give glory to thee, O Lord, among the nations, and I will sing a psalm to thy name.
51 Giving great deliverance to his king, and shewing mercy to David his anointed: and to his seed for ever.

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PAX

In Christo et Mariae.

-rachanne-