The 1st Sunday of Advent

Sacred Heart of Jesus, Have Mercy on us,

Immaculate Heart of Mary, Pray for us.

Saint Joseph, Pray for us.

Saint Ignatius receiving the Spiritual Exercises From the Immaculate Virgin Mary

As we embark on this new Catholic year, the whole liturgical year starts today, with the 1st Sunday of Advent, with the whole advent period also known as "the second lent" as we prepare for the greatest gift of our redemption, the birth of our Lord and Saviour, Dearest Jesus, I thought I did like to post something up, to ask for your continual prayers, especially as in the post as stated on the feast of St. Catherine of Alexandria and also for the men's retreat that is now, even as I'm typing here, just beginning for a group of men from the Singapore priory.

My daddy, uncle clement and kenneth are there now, having their retreat together with 5 other men, let us all remember them in our prayers as they embark on their journey, as a few others of us did in June this year (for the ladies - picture in the flickr badge at the sidebar of this blog). A very important time in their Catholic lives, as it sincerely was for the ladies =), the silent retreat according to the Spiritual Exercises of Saint Ignatius as given to St Ignatius by our Dearest Blessed Mother in the year 1521-1522 A.D. (as per the picture as above). Let's say a Veni Creator for them.

Angeline and I were just saying how we wished we were the ones going for the retreat!

(as we waved the men away at the ferry terminal, nisey was at her fencing competition)

I haven't blogged much about the retreat we had from 4th to 9th of June 2006, so I will elaborate a little here: My first Ignatian Retreat and also the 1st retreat of my entire life, it was the most beautiful and touching moment of my life, the time of my life when it actually turned around and the event that helped me turn my whole life around. It really helps to center your life, "catholically", and make you think straight, especially in this chaotic times we live in now. (not a case of presentism)

It will help you in making decisions that will change your life, as in a previous post, on how it will help in helping you with your Catholic life and regarding the state of your life, especially for young adults. Please pray for me. =) Everything according to God's will! but one thing I'm sure is that I will be very happy because I will be making Jesus happy if I do His will. =D

=) and I'm only a few days to the end of this semester's exams, I cannot wait, but still, I must run this final lap, with 2 heavy papers on the 6th. Do pray for me, and I will pray for all my blog readers too! and do let us all also pray for the Dear Holy Pope, His Holiness Benedict XVI, to give him the strength for all his decisions, that he must remember that he is the Vicar of Christ, the most powerful man on earth now at this very moment in time, that he will have the strength to do the right things, May the Blessed Virgin Bless Him and Protect Him! =D p/s: do read the latest news from dici.org, the million rosaries bouquet has passed the 1 million mark! (its 2.5 million if I read correctly) Deo gratias et Mariae!

Let us continue to "Storm the Heavens"!

and, here's something really very interesting from this morning's sermon by Fr. Pfeiffer (i think that's how his name is spelt) who is preaching the men's retreat together with Fr. Couture:

(you can find it here =D)

O yes, here's something written by Pope Pius XI in 1925 in his encyclical Mens Nostra recommending the Spiritual Exercises of Saint Ignatius:

Now it is recognized that among all the methods of "Spiritual Exercises"
which very laudably adhere to the principles of sound Catholic asceticism one
has ever held the foremost place and adorned by the full and repeated
approbation of the Holy See and honored by the praises of men, distinguished for
spiritual doctrine and sanctity, has borne abundant fruits of holiness during
the space of well nigh four hundred years; we mean the method introduced by St.
Ignatius of Loyola, whom we are pleased to call the chief and peculiar Master of
"Spiritual Exercises" whose "admirable book of "Exercises" ever since it was
solemnly approved, praised, and commended by our predecessor Paul III of happy
memory, already to repeat some words we once used, before our elevation to the
Chair of Peter, already we say "stood forth and conspicuous as a most wise and
universal code of laws for the direction of souls in the way of salvation and
perfection; an unexhausted fountain of most excellent and most solid piety; as a
most keen stimulus, and a well instructed guide showing the way to secure the
amendment of morals and attain the summit of the spiritual life."

And in very deed, the excellence of spiritual doctrine altogether free from the perils and
errors of false mysticism, the admirable facility of adapting the exercises to
any order or state of man, whether they devote themselves to contemplation in
the cloisters, or lead an active life in the affairs of the world, the apt
co-ordination of the various parts, the wonderful and lucid order in the
meditation of truths that seem to follow naturally one from another; and lastly
the spiritual lessons which after casting off the yoke of sin and washing away
the diseases inherent in his morals lead a man through the safe paths of
abnegation and the removal of evil habits up to the supreme heights of prayer
and divine love; without doubt all these are things which sufficiently show the
efficacious nature of the Ignatian method and abundantly commend the Ignatian
meditations.

God Bless All!

Deo gratias et Mariae!

In Christo et Mariae!

Jesus, Mary, I love Thee, Save Souls! =)