Saturday, September 29, 2007

The Feast of the Dedication of St. Michael the Archangel

Today's the Feast of the Dedication of St. Michael the Archangel. On this day, the Basilica was consecrated to St. Michael by Boniface II on the site of the Roman circus.

Also, it's towards the end of September, now moving on to October (in 1 day) - which will be the month of the Holy Angels =D with the feast day of the Holy Guardian Angels on Oct 2 and my dearest patron, Sancte Therese on Oct 3! So today's Feast day of St. Michael is in preparation for the month of October, the month of the dearest Angels, all the dearest Angels, the nine choirs of whom we know only 3 names of the greatest angels that are: St Michael (Who Is Like God), St Gabriel (Strength of God) and St Raphael (Medicine of God), who see the face of God and that help and guide us along our pathway, our journey towards eternity in this earthly life. :)


"And obviously great is the mystery of godliness: Which was manifested in the flesh, was justified in the spirit, appeared to the angels, was preached to Gentiles, believed in the world, taken up in glory."

-The First Epistle of St. Paul to Timothy 3:16-

From the Hymn at Vespers today:

O Thou, the Father’s glorious Might,
Jesus, true life of every heart,
Thee do we praise amid Angels bright
Whose hope and light alone Thou art.

A thousand thousand hosts, for Thee,
Of glorious warriors, battle wage;
But Michael waves Thy standard free,
Salvation’s cross and victory’s gage.

The dragon fierce with stubborn crown
He hurls to lowest depths of hell;
The rebel crew, their prince overthrown,
He thrusts from heaven’s high citadel.

The prince of pride may we, too, fight,
And follow this, our captain true,
That so the crown with glory dight
By Jesus given, may be our due.

Glory be to God the Father,
Who protects by His Angels,
Those whom the Son redeemeth
And the Holy Ghost anointeth. Amen.

V. The Angel stood by the altar of the temple.
R. Holding in his hand a censer of gold.

Beautiful! :)

From the Antiphon at the Magnificat of First Vespers today:

While John was beholding the sacred mystery, the Archangel Michael sounded a trumpet. Forgive us, O Lord our God, Thou who openest the book, and loosest the seals thereof. Alleluia.

Deus propitius esto mihi peccatori.

Jesus, Mary, I love Thee; Save Souls!

Jesu mitis et humilis corde, Fac cor nostrum secundum Cor tuum. (ter)

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Thursday, September 27, 2007

A Wondrous Exchange




"A Wonderous Exchange"

Jesus is the Holy Eucharist, the Holy Eucharist is Jesus, [Jesus (Body,Blood,Soul,Divinity) =Holy Eucharist]

There's no other way to better describe what is the Holy Eucharist, the greatest love residing, so devoid of the majesty that He is supposed to get, all for love of us. Dearest Sacred and Eucharistic Heart of Jesus, Have Mercy on us!

Excerpts from Alone with God by Fr. J Heyrman S.J. and The Holy Eucharist by St. Alphonsus Ligouri

At Holy Mass, something happens which can be compared to a commercial transaction - but Holy Mass is so so so much more than just a commercial transaction. :) It is the actual sacrifice on Calvary, repeated daily, at every Mass, by the hands of a consecrated man, the very important priest.

We offer ourselves as holocausts, a humble offering of ourselves (our whole lives, all that we have, all that we are, heart to Heart) to the Almighty. But what do we get in exchange? We get, by Faith, the Body and the Blood of His Son, Our Lord Jesus Christ, all present Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity in the Most Holy Eucharist.

This exchange is out of proportion. Totally.

It is an utterly unequal, a wondrous, a divine exchange: through the Consecration Jesus has been made present under the appearances of bread and wine, and through the hands of the priest He offers Himself to the Father; and the Father gives us back our oblation, which is now Christ Himself. as a sacrificial banquet in Holy Communion.

It is a sublime exchange resulting in a most awe-inspiring and most ineffable union: "He that eateth my flesh and drinketh my blood abideth in me, and I in Him" (John 6:57).

By Faith we know that this is true and real; we know it with a certitude, surpassing all human certitude, yet a certitude wrapped in the darkness of faith.

Taught by Christ, the Church maintaineth
That the Breath its substance changeth
Into Flesh, the wine to Blood.
Doth it pass thy comprehending?
Faith, the law of sight transcending,
Leaps to things not understood.

But in order to grasp the truth, our proud spirit must renounce its conceit and humbly bow before the power of God "with whom no word shall be impossible".

I believe all the Son of God has spoken,
Than truth’s own word, there is no truer token.

"Ego autem non contradico." - Isa. I.5 (And I do not resist). Jesus in the Most Holy Sacrament remains there without moving Himself; HE allows Himself to be placed where men will, be it for exposition in the remonstrance, or to be enclosed in the tabernacle. He allows himself to be carried wheresoever He is borne, be it in houses or through the streets; He allows Himself to be given in Holy Communion to whomsoever He is administered, be they just or sinners. St. Luke says that whilst He dwelt on earth He obeyed the Most Blessed Virgin Mary and St. Joseph; but in this Sacrament, he obeys as many creatures as there are priests on earth: and I do not resist. Amor amorum - the Love of all Love.

As St. Thomas Aquinas so beautifully puts it in the Adoro Te Devote

Jesus, whom for the present veiled I see,What I so thirst for, oh! vouchsafe to me:That I may see Thy countenance unfolding,And may be blest Thy glory in beholding.

From the Holy Mass, we can see the beauty of the priesthood, what a priest really is! The priesthood exists solely for the continuation of the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass.

"Holy Orders, however, not only bestows on the priest the graces which he will require to perform his priestly functions fittingly, but imprints upon his soul an indelible seal (the character) by which he receives the power to accomplish sublime acts of worship and of sanctification (the Mass and the Sacraments) with a power almost divine."

Here's what Archbishop Lefebvre spoke about, on the true nature of the Priesthood. From the Apologia pro Marcel Lefebvre, Vol. 3, Chapter LV. What is the Priesthood?

O Mary, Queen of the Clergy, Pray for us and send us many and Holy Priests! (ter)

The Golden Arrow

May the most holy, most sacred, most adorable, most mysterious and unutterable Name of God be always praised, blessed, loved, adored and glorified in heaven on earth and under the earth, by all the creatures of God, and by the Sacred Heart of our Lord Jesus Christ in the most Holy Sacrament of the altar.

This prayer was revealed by Our Lord to a Carmelite Nun of Tours in 1843 as a reparation for blasphemy.

"This Golden Arrow will wound My Heart delightfully." He said, "and heal the wounds inflicted by blasphemy."

Deus propitius esto mihi peccatori

Jesus, Mary, I love Thee; Save Souls!

Jesu mitis et humilis corde, Fac cor nostrum secundum Cor tuum. (ter)

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Sunday, September 23, 2007

The Seven Sorrows of Our Dearest Mother

See the Passion and the Compassion, the greatest Love and the greatest Pain, contemplate the two most beautiful and sorrowful hearts in the world: the most Sacred Heart of Jesus and the most Immaculate and Sorrowful Heart of Mary.

Here is THE Most Beautiful Seven Sorrows of Our Dearest Mother:

Exercises and Prayers

In Honour of Our Lady of Seven Dolours

Taken from "The Servite Manual: BEHOLD THY MOTHER" pages 169-176

The CROWN or ROSARY of the SEVEN DOLOURS OF OUR LADY

An Act of Contrition

Oh my most loving Saviour, behold me before Thy divine presence, full of confusion for the many offences I have committed against Thee. I repent of them from my whole heart, and detest them above all evils, because they offend Thine infinite goodness; and I firmly purpose to wash my soul in the Sacrament of Penance, and never to offend Thee again. Forgive me, my crucified Svaiour, in Thine infinite mercy. And thou, most tender Virgin, Refuge of Sinners, do thou, by thy bitter pains, obtain for me the pardon of all my sins, and grace never to crucify thy Son again.

Come, O Holy Ghost, fill the hearts of Thy faithful and inkindle in them the fire of Thy love.

V. Send forth Thy Spirit and they shall be created.

R. And Thou shalt renew the face of the Earth.

V. Remember Thy congregation.

R. Which THou hast possessed from the beginning.

V. O Lord, hear my prayer.

R. And let my cry come unto Thee.

Let us pray.

Enlighten our minds, we beseech Thee, Oh Lord, with thelight of Thy brightness, that we may see what we ought to do, and be able to do what is right. Through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

I. The First Sorrow of our Blessed Lady was when, having presented Jesus, her Divine Son, in the Temple, she heard the words of holy Simeon, "Thy own soul a sword shall pierce;" by which he foretold the Passion and Death of her Son Jesus.

Our Father ... Hail Mary ... V. Virgin most sorrowful, R. Pray for us.

II. The Second Sorrow of our Blessed Lady was when she was obliged to flee into Egypt, because King Herod was seeking the Child to destroy Him.

Our Father ... Hail Mary ... V. Virgin most sorrowful, R. Pray for us.

III. The Third Sorrow of our Blessed Lady was when, returning from Jerusalem after the feast of the Pasch, she lost her beloved Son Jesus and for three days, with St. Joseph, sought Him sorrowing.

Our Father ... Hail Mary ... V. Virgin most sorrowful, R. Pray for us.

IV. The Fourth Sorrow of our Blessed Lady was when she met on the way to Calvary her dear Son Jesus, carrying on His bruised shoulders a heavy cross, whereon He was to be crucified for our salvation.

Our Father ... Hail Mary ... V. Virgin most sorrowful, R. Pray for us.

V. The Fifth Sorrow of our Blessed Lady was when she saw her Divine Son nailed to the cross, shedding blood from all parts of His sacred body, and after three hours' agony beheld Him die.

Our Father ... Hail Mary ... V. Virgin most sorrowful, R. Pray for us.

VI. The Sixth Sorrow of our Blessed Lady was when a soldier with a spear opened the sacred Side of Jesus, and when His sacred body, being taken down from the cross, was laid on her most pure bosom.

Our Father ... Hail Mary ... V. Virgin most sorrowful, R. Pray for us.

VII. The Seventh Sorrow of our Blessed Lady was when she saw the most sacred Body of her Son Jesus laid in the sepulcher.

Our Father ... Hail Mary ... V. Virgin most sorrowful, R. Pray for us.

In honor of the tears which our Lady shed in her Dolors, that we may obtain a true sorrow for our sins and gain the holy indulgences.

Hail Mary ...

Optional:

The Stabat Mater

V. Pray for us, most sorrowful Virgin.

R. That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.

Let us pray.

Grant, we beseech Thee, Oh Lord Jesus Christ, that the most blessed Virgin Mary, Thy Mother, whose most holy soul was pierced with the sword of sorrow in the hour of Thy Passion, may intercede for us before the throne of Thy mercy, now and at the hour of our death. Through Thee, Jesus Christ, Savior of the world, who, with the Father and the Holy Ghost, livest and reignest world without end. Amen.

In honor of the Seven Holy Founders, who were so devoted toour Blessed Lady.

Our Father ... Hail Mary ... Glory be to the Father ...

For our benefactors, living and dead, and for those whopractice this devotion.

Hail Holy Queen ...

For the Sovereign Pontiff, the wants of Holy Church, andfor all our necessities, spiritual and temporal.

V. Virgin most sorrowful, R. Pray for us.

V. May the sorrowful Virgin Mary

R. Bless us with her loving Child.

Deus propitius esto mihi peccatori

Jesus, Mary, I love Thee; Save Souls!

Jesu mitis et humilis corde, Fac cor nostrum secundum Cor tuum. (ter)

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Wednesday, September 19, 2007

Ember Wednesday

Today's Sept 19, Ember Wednesday in the month of September (Month of the Seven Dolours [sorrows] of Our Lady) and also the blessed Feast day of St. Januarius and Companions, Martyrs. What is most beautiful and miraculous about St. Januarius is that his blood, which is preserved in a phial liquifies on this, his feast day, every year. The church where his phial is kept is a church dedicated to the Assumption of Our Lady, located in Naples, Italy.

Below is a picture of the Reliquary with the Blood of St. Januarius taken from the District of Asia's (SSPX) Rome Pilgrimage in 2000. (The link can be found here, please see the entry for Day 3: Monday, August 7 St Cajetan, Confessor)

Today, while resting from school work, I was flipping through a beautiful book I received as a Christmas present last year, The Raccolta. I found this really beautiful prayer of St. Thomas Aquinas to obtain the grace of a devout life. It was so beautiful, I could not resist not putting it up for your perusal, thus here goes:


A Prayer to Obtain the Grace of A Devout Life

Grant me, O merciful God, to desire eagerly, to investigate prudently, to acknowledge sincerely, and to fulfil perfectly those things that are pleasing to Thee, to the praise and glory of Thy holy Name.

Do Thou, my God, order my life; and grant that I may know what Thou wilt have me to do; and give me to fulfil it as is fitting and profitable to my soul.

Grant me, O Lord, my God, the grace not to faint either in prosperity or adversity, that I be not unduly lifted up by the one, nor unduly cast down by the other. Let me neither rejoice nor grieve at anything, save what either leads to Thee or leads away from Thee. Let me not desire to please anyone, nor fear to displease anyone save only Thee.

Let all things that pass away seem vile in my eyes, and let all things that are eternal be dear to me. Let me tire of that joy which is without Thee, neither permit me to desire anything that is outside Thee. Let me find joy in labour that is for Thee; and let all repose that is without Thee be tiresome to me.

Give me, my God, the grace to direct my heart towards Thee, and to grieve contiually at my failures, together with a firm purpose of amendment.

O Lord, my God, make me obedient without gainsaying, poor without despondency, chaste without stain, patient without murmuring, humble without pretense, cheerful without dissipation, serious without undue heaviness, active without instability, fearful of Thee without abjectness, truthgul without double-dealing, devoted to good works without presumption, ready to correct my neighbour without arrogance, and to edify him by word and example, without hypocrisy.

Give me, Lord God, a watchful heart which shall be distracted from Thee by no vain thoughts; give me a generous heart which shall not be drawn downward by any unworthy affection; give me an upright heart which shall not be led astray by any perverse intention; give me a stout heart which shall not be crushed by any hardship; give me a free heart which shall not be claimed as its own by any unregulated affection.

Bestow upon me, O Lord my God, an understanding that knows Thee, diligence in seeking Thee, wisdom in finding Thee, a way of life that is pleasing to Thee, perseverance that faithfully waits for Thee, and confidence that I shall embrace Thee at the last. Grant that I may be chastised here by penance, that I may make good use of Thy gifts in this life by Thy grace, and that I may partake of Thy joys in the glory of heaven: Who livest and reignest God, world without end. Amen.

(St. Thomas Aquinas)

An indulgence of 3 years once a day.

A plenary indulgence on the usual conditions, provided that the daily recitation of this prayer be continued for a month (S.C. Ind., Jan.17, 1888; S.P.Ap., July 31,1936).

Deus propitius esto mihi peccatori

Jesus, Mary, I love Thee; Save Souls!

Jesu mitis et humilis corde, Fac cor nostrum secundum Cor tuum. (ter)

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Saturday, September 15, 2007

Mater Dolorosa



What words can ever describe the unspeakable anguish that rent the sacred heart of Mary as she looked upon her Divine Son hanging on the cross! Every wound in Jesus' body was also a wound in the heart of Mary: every fiber, every nerve throbbing in agony, every pang He suffered re-echoed in her heart. She endured by her compassion a share in all the anguish of His Passion. Why did Mary suffer all this? That she might be our Mother, the Mother of mankind. She who brought forth her Divine Son without a pang suffered many a piercing pang when from the cross her dying Son commended to her the sinful sons of men. It was indeed a motherhood of sorrow that she suffered for our sins: for mine.


- As taken from the 1962 Roman Catholic Daily Missal.


More on the The Seven Sorrows of Our Lady: An Introduction Part I of Behold Thy Mother.

Alone with God
By Fr. J. Heyrmann S.J.

OUR LADY OF DOLOURS

15th September

Although the feast of our Lady of Dolours, which used to be kept on this Friday (Friday of Passion Week), has been suppressed, yet we deem it fit to meditate on this subject, because Mary, more than any one else had a share in the bitter and saving passion of her Son. Jesus willed that His Mother should be in a very special manner connected with the work of our salvation, even, in a way, associated with it.

1. Mary stands near the cross and hears Jesus saying to her, “Woman, behold thy son! … and to the disciple, Behold thy mother” (John 19:26,27).

2. Petition: The grace to be given a share in the sufferings of Mary, the grace to understand better her motherhood of men.

I. Mary’s Via Dolorosa

By her unconditional Fiat at the time of the visit of the Angel, Mary had accepted whatever was implied in being the Mother of the Redeemer. This would be gradually revealed to her and experienced by her.

Gabriel had said that her Son “would be great, the Son of the Most High, seated on the throne of David …” But much had happened to her since that moment: Old Simeon had told her that her Child, who was to reign in the house of Jacob for ever, “was set for the fall and the resurrection of many in Israel, and for a sign which shall be contradicted” and “thy own soul a sword shall pierce …” Her destiny will therefore be closely linked with that of her Son, which will be a tragic one. These forebodings she surely has kept in her heart, pondering over them.

During the years of the public ministry Mary remains in the background. That He is “a sign which is contradicted”, she learns soon enough, in her own neighbourhood, and from her own kith and kin. Again and again she hears reports of the hostility of the Pharisees; she is aware of the violence of their hatred; she knows they are plotting to take her Son’s life. Mary accepts it all, maintaining her Fiat, though the sword ever enters deeper into her heart.

These things are not mentioned in the Gospel. Was there any need to mention them? “The Evangelists supposed that we have common sense” is St. Ignatius’ annotation in connection with the meager details found in the Scriptures concerning Mary. All the more precious, then, to us are the details which St. John supplies in his account of the Passion.

During those days before the Passover Mary was at Jerusalem, and she would thus be a witness of the great tragedy. Did she, after the arrest of our Lord, follow from a distance all the proceedings? Did she hear the mad yells of the mob, “Not this man, but Barrabas” … “Crucify him!”? If so they were so many torturing thrusts of the sword penetrating ever more deeply into her soul. Did Jesus meet His Mother along the Via Dolorosa? … These are devout surmises to supplement the sober Gospel account.

But one thing is absolutely certain: Mary, in the company of John, of Mary Cleophas and of Mary Magdalen, went up to Mount Calvary and stood by the Cross of her dying Son. It has all the appearance of a summons from God Himself: When the Word was made Flesh to dwell among us, she had by her Fiat called Him down and welcomed Him. The sacrifice whereof that was the beginning is now about to be consummated: she ought, therefore, to be present at its completion too, and by her ultimate Fiat to be associated with its final oblation.

II. Christ’s Creative Words

“When Jesus therefore had seen His Mother and the disciple standing whom He loved, He said to His Mother, Woman, behold thy son. After that He said to His disciple, Behold Thy Mother. And from that hour the disciple took her to his own” (John 19:26,27). Words most painful to hear, but how “blessed” too!

St. Bernard has pointed out to us in burning accents how soul-torturing they must have been for Mary. “What an exchange! In the place of Jesus thou receivest John, the servant in stead of the Lord, the disciple in place of the Master, the son of Zebedee to replace the Son of God, a mere man in exchange for the true God. How is it impossible that at the hearing of those words thy soul should not have been pierced through, since the mere remembrance of them breaks our hearts of stone and steel?”

Painful words to Mary, but how full of solace to us, nay creative words, according to the opinion of many theologians and exegetes. By these simple words, quietly spoken, now that “His hour is come”, Jesus in the fullness of His power solemnly appoints Mary Mother of all those who, like John, will believe in Him. Thus in sorrow and pain Mary becomes the Mother of all the living. And so she is for ever associated in a unique manner with her Son in the work of redemption, becoming the Mediatrix of all graces.

Just as, “from that moment, the disciple took her to his own”, i.e. took her into his house as the Mother of Jesus and his own Mother, so will we give to Mary in our lives the place that is her due as the Mother of Jesus and our own Mother.

III. Mary Unites Her Sacrifice with That of Her Son

At no other moment did Mary feel, live, and suffer so closely in union with her divine Son as when He, utterly surrendering Himself to the Father, consummated His work of salvation. By a most sublime Fiat she associated herself with and acceded to, the Sacrifice which achieved our and her own redemption. “As Jesus, with arms stretched out on the cross, and His Body naked, offered Himself to the Father a willing victim for our sins, so that nothing remained in Him which was not entire offered in sacrifice” (4 Imitation of Christ 8:1), so also Mary, standing by the Cross, offered herself to the Father, together with her Son and through Him, with all her powers and desires, a pure and holy sacrifice. Consummatum est. It is consummated.

Prayer: O God, at whose Passion, as Simeon had prophesied, the most gentle soul of Mary, Thy Virgin Mother, was pierced with a sword of sorrow; mercifully grant through the glorious merits and intercession of all the Saints who loyally stood around Thy Cross, that we, who devoutly recall to mind her transfixion and sorrows, may attain to the happiness won for us by Thy Passion; Who livest and reignest world without end.
(Collect of today’s Mass).

Deus propitius esto mihi peccatori

Jesus, Mary, I love Thee; Save Souls!

Jesu mitis et humilis corde, Fac cor nostrum secundum Cor tuum. (ter)

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Friday, September 14, 2007

The Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross

Here's the link to last year's post on the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross, it is again very amazing to me how time flies and how it just slips by you in a twinkling.


Time, we must grab it, use every moment of it intelligently, smartly. Time, once lost, is gone forever. But, there's one thing good about time, as the years go by, the months, the weeks, the days, the hours, the minutes and the seconds go by, by the time past, we are, seconds, minutes, hours, days, weeks, months and years ... closer and closer to Him, closer and closer to attaining that one, only most important aim/goal of this life - to go to Heaven, to be with Him who is the only Way, the Truth and the Life. To go to Heaven, to be with dearest Mother Mary and all the beautiful Angels and wonderful Saints. To love and to be loved in return, love for Love, life for Life, heart for Heart, (what the Heart of my Jesus and your Jesus too! has to offer to all souls). O how beautiful it is!

Time flies, the deathbed awaits,
The frail human heart falters and stumbles.

But the Cross, O how it heals!
The wounds of the frail human heart.
Now the heart, with each beat, the strength renews.
By the Cross, death is conquered.

Death, ah, death, the bane of mankind,
But Death, O what is death?

The Stain of Sin
- it is life's only true Death.

Please do forgive me, if I start to sound a little funny, writing about death and such. :) But, death, it is something very important. It is something that we all have to think about and face, whether now, tomorrow or when the day comes. For earthly life is but only a pilgrimage, and your deathbed is when the most important moment of your life comes.

As this prayer of St. Pius X to St. Joseph, puts it very very beautifully:

O glorious St. Joseph, model of all who are devoted to labour, obtain for me the grace: To work in a spirit of penance, for the expiation of my many sins; To work conscientiously, putting the call of duty above my inclinations; To work with gratitude and joy, considering it an honour to employ and develop by means of labour, the gifts received from God; To work with order, peace, moderation, and patience, never shrinking from weariness and trials; To work, above all, with purity of intention, and with detachment from self, having ever before my eyes the hour of death and the account I must give of time poorly spent, talents unused, good omitted, and vain complacency in success. All for Jesus, all through Mary; all after thy example, O Patriarch Joseph; such shall be my watchword in life and in death. Amen.

The Holy Eucharist, the Most Blessed Sacrament, is most beautifully explained by this song, O Esca Viatorum. The first few phrases when loosely translated to English from the Latin goes: O Food on our Journey, O Bread of the Angels, O Bread of Heaven! We have Him with us, right here, on earth, the King of kings! To help us along this journey, to aid us, as our human heart is frail and which cannot sustain us fully, as we tred the thorny paths of this earth, yearning for the one and only End - Heaven for all eternity. What a beautiful aspect and most sublime (to me :D) aspect of our Faith!

It was said by a servant of God, If anything could shake my faith in the Eucharist, it would not be the doubt as to how the bread could become flesh, or how Jesus could be in several places and confined into so small a space, because I should answer that God can do everything; but if I were asked how he could love men so much as to make himself their food, I have nothing else to answer but that this is a mystery of faith above my comprehension. O love of Jesus, do Thou make Thyself known to men and do Thou make Thyself loved!

"If Our Lord has shown us the example of suffering, then on the
contrary, we should almost have the desire to suffer with Him, the desire to
sacrifice ourselves with Him! And when the thorn of pain pierces us, we should
be happy, and find in this sacrifice our joy, our happiness, in associating
ourselves - as God wants us to associate ourselves - to the Passion of His Son
for the redemption of the world and for the redemption of our sins. Is this not
but another mark of love from God, His desire that we be united in suffering
with Our Lord Jesus Christ?

...

How beautiful it is, this Christian, this Catholic doctrine!
How completely it transforms our life! How completely it transforms our life
here below! And it is that which prepares us for life eternal "O crux, ave,
spes nostra!"
We refer to the Cross as our hope, for in fact, the Cross is
only a road, a way: the way to eternal life, to glory.
But it is necessary to
pass by way of the Cross! One must take up the Cross and bear it after Our Lord to arrive at eternal life. This via crucis should be ours throughout the course of our life so as to arrive at life eternal."

- Excerpts taken from a Sermon by Archbishop Lefebvre on the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross in 1975 at the Seminary in Ecône.

And here, is an excerpt from the Epistle of St. Paul to the Philippians, a beautiful piece of writing on his sentiments regarding death, how he longs to be with Jesus and yet at the same time, to stay on with the souls he so dearly loves, for the salvation of more souls for Jesus.

"For to me to live is Christ and to die is gain. But if to live
in the flesh is my lot, this means for me fruitful labour, and I do not know
which to choose. Indeed I am hard pressed from both sides - desiring to depart
and to be with Christ, a lot by far the better; yet to stay on in the flesh is
necessary for your sake. And with this conviction I know that I shall stay on
and continue with you all for your progress and joy in the faith, that your
rejoicing in my regard may abound in Christ Jesus through my coming to you
again.

...

Only let your lives be worthy of the gospel of Christ; so that,
whether I come and see you, or remain absent (St. Paul was hoping to be able
to visit them soon, this epistle was written from Rome in the year 63 A.D.)
, I may hear about you, that you are steadfast in one spirit, with one mind
striving together for the faith of the gospel. Do not be terrified in any way by
the adversaries; for this is to them a reason for destruction, but to you for
salvation, and that from God. For you have been given the favour on Christ's
behalf - not only to believe in him but also to suffer for him, while engaged in the same struggle in which you have seen me and now have heard of me."

-Phil. 1:21-30

And thus writes St. Paul, so beautifully... :)

O beautiful Cross of my Jesus!

-------

A picture speaks a thousand words. Along the same lines, many pictures will do the trick. Therefore, many pictures will speak many many a thousand words ... :) haha :D ...

Today's the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross, and here are some beautiful beyond beautiful pictures taken from this beautiful book, The Sign of the Cross by Msgr. Jean-Joseph Gaume, published by the Desert Will Flower Press, the Traditional, Trans-Alpine Redemptorists.

And the Cross is never complete, without remembering the other person who suffered just as much for our Salvation ... Her whose Blessed Feast of the Seven Dolors is tomorrow, Dearest Mother Mary:



St. Thérèse of the Child Jesus and Holy Face, my dearest patron saint, a Carmelite, must have ate like this too? on Good Friday, in the Carmel at Lisieux ... :) very beautiful.



Read the caption that accompanies the picture, so wonderfully written I think:

To Create is to love; to conserve is to love; to Redeem is to love; to Sanctify is to love; to Glorify is to love. All Charity comes from the heart. God is, then, a heart. Do you know a Name more delightful? And this Name the Sign of the Cross repeats to us every time we make it.




And here's something to read on Quo vadis...


ECCE CRUCEM DOMINE
FUGITE, PARTES ADVERSAE,
VICIT LEO DE TRIBU JUDA,
RADIX DAVID, ALLELUIA.

-St. Anthony's Brief

Deus propitius esto mihi peccatori

Jesus, Mary, I love Thee; Save Souls!

Jesu mitis et humilis corde, Fac cor nostrum secundum Cor tuum. (ter)


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Wednesday, September 12, 2007

The Most Holy Name of Mary + Visit to Mother Mary IV

Today's the Feast of the Most Holy Name of Mary, a beautiful feast, because the name of dearest Mother Mary, O is sincerely very beautiful, most amiable and lovely =).

From the book The Holy Eucharist by Saint Alphonsus Ligouri:

O My Jesus, when shall I really love Thee?

A Visit to Mother Mary IV :)
Here's the link to Visit number III.

My most sweet Queen, how pleasing to me is that beautiful name by which thy devout clients address thee: "Most amiable Mother!" (Mater amabilis) Yes, my Lady, thou art truly and indeed amiable. Thy beauty has captivated thy Lord himself: And the King shall greatly desire thy beauty. (Concupivit Rex speciem tuam. - Ps. xliv.12) St. Bernard says that thy very name is so amiable to thy lovers, that when they pronounce ot hear it they are inflamed with a fresh desire to love thee: "O sweet, O pious, O exceedingly amiable Mary! Thou canst not be named without inflamming, neither can thy name be heard without enkindling, the affections of those who love thee. It is, then, reasonable, my most amiable Mohter, that I should love thee. But I am not satisfied with only loving thee: I desire in the first place on earth, and then in heaven, to be, after God, thy greatest lover. If my desire is presumptuous, it is thou thyself who art to blame, on account of thy amiability, and the special love which thou hast shown me. If thou wert less amiable, my desire to love thee would be less. Accept, then, O Lady, this my desire; and in token that thou hast accepted it, do thou obtain me from God this love for which I ask thee, since he is so well pleased with the love which is borne thee.

Ejaculatory prayer: My most amiable Mother, I love thee much!

A Prayer of St. Damian


O Mother of God! cast upon us one look of compassion. I know that thou art full of goodness, and that thou lovest us in a measure that surpasses all other love. How often dost thou appease the anger of our Judge, when the hand of his justice is raised to strike us? All the treasures of mercy are in thy hands, and thou seekest every opportunity to save miserable sinners and to make them partakers of thy glory. Ah! never cease to interest thyself in our regard, that we may one day arrive at the happiness of seeing Thee in heaven; as the greatest good that we can enjoy, next to that of seeing God, is to see thee, to love thee, and to be under thy protection. Since thy Son desires to honour thee by refusing nothing that thou askest, hear our prayer, and intercede in our behalf.

Ejaculatory prayer: O Mary! I love thee as the most amiable of the works of God, and place my confidence in thee.

Deus propitius esto mihi peccatori

Jesus, Mary, I love Thee; Save Souls!

Jesu mitis et humilis corde, Fac cor nostrum secundum Cor tuum. (ter)

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Sunday, September 09, 2007

Le Sacré-Coeur de Jésus

This is most, most beautiful:

The Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, present in all the tabernacles of the world, to Saint Magaret Mary at Paray-le-Monial:

"Behold the Heart which has so loved men! I can no longer contain the love which I am consumed for them. I have come ot ask them love for Love, life for Life, heart for Heart. I am sad, they forget Me, they outrage Me! I desire to be consoled. I ask that reparation be give Me by the establishment of a universal feast in honour of My Divine Heart. I claim for It a triumphal homage, for it is by My Heart that I will reign.

Come, keep Me company in reparatory adoration. Come, convert the world by the Holy Hour. Come, above all, to communicate fervently. Come! I thirst to be adored and loved in the Holy Sacrament of the altar.

Win souls for Me, many souls. Introduce Me into their homes. Bring Me neart to hearts that suffer, near to the death bed of hardened sinners, and then you will see the glory and the wonders of My love.

Take and receive My divine Heart. I give It to you in the Holy Eucharist. It belongs to you. Let It be yours entirely. Love this divine Heart. O love It and permit It to reign by love."

Thus spoke Jesus at Paray-le-Monial, and He continues to speak the same language.

O my Jesus, I am Thine own, entirely. I love Thee!

Jesus, Mary, I love Thee; Save Souls!

Jesu mitis et humilis corde, Fac cor nostrum secundum Cor tuum. (ter)

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Saturday, September 08, 2007

Happy Birthday Dearest Mamma Mary! =D

From the Antiphon at the Magnificat of today's Vespers:

Thy Nativity, O Virgin Mother of God, was the herald of joy to the whole world: since from thee arouse the Sun of Justice, Christ our God, Who, destroying the curse, bestowed the blessing, and, confounding death, brought us the gift of life everlasting.

Nativitas tua, Dei Genitrix Virgo, gaudium annuntiavit universo mundo: ex te enim ortus est sol justitiae, Christus Deus noster: qui solvens maledictionem, dedit benedictionem, et confundens mortem, donavit nobis vitam sempiternam.
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Today's the birthday of a person very very dear to me, whom I love alot :D and I am also very sure, also very dear to many others too! :)

YAY!

and, I am all hers! :)

Here's a link to my post on Mammma Mary's birthday last year ... time really flies and how fast!

A Prayer to Mother Mary, taken from the prayer said after The Little Crown of the Blessed Virgin Mary which is also another prayer:

Hail, Mary, Daughter of God the Father; Hail, Mary, Mother of God the Son; Hail, Mary, Spouse of the Holy Ghost; Hail Mary, Temple of the Most Holy Trinity; Hail, Mary, my Mistress, my treasure, my joy, Queen of my heart; my Mother, my life, my sweetness, my dearest hope - yea, my heart and my soul! I am all thine and all that I have is thine, O Virgin blessed above all things! Let thy soul be in me to magnify the Lord; let thy spirit be in me to rejoice in God. Set thyself, O faithful Virgin, as a seal upon my heart, that in thee and through thee I may be found faithful to God. Receive me, O gracious Virgin, among those whom thou lovest and teachest, whom thou leadest, nourishest and protectest as thy children. Grant that for love of thee I may despise all earthly consolations and ever cling to those of Heaven until, through the Holy Ghost, thy faithful Spouse, and through thee, His faithful spouse, Jesus Christ, thy Son, be formed in me for the glory of the Father. Amen.

and

Since this September month is dedicated to our Dearest Mother of Sorrows or Mater Dolorosa as in the picture on the left, here's more about devotion to her Sorrowful Heart. :D

Notice that in this picture of Mother Mary, she appears looking older than in her other representations, in her other pictures (e.g. like the picture above, known as the Immaculate Heart of Mary, how Mother Mary appeared to the 3 children at Fatima). This is precisely because she is the Mother of Sorrows and as St. Bernardine of Sienna says, "So great were the sorrows of the Most Holy Virgin that if they had been divided among all the creatures on earth, they would have killed all of them in an instant."

See Mother Mary's dearest Heart, pierced with 7 swords, representing the 7 Dolors or 7 Sorrows of our Blessed Mother.

See Mother's hands and arms, one, holding the precious Crown of thorns, the other holding the 3 nails that nailed her Son, my Jesus, to the Cross. Notice the heavenly look on her face even amidst so much anguish, so much sorrow, showing such great resignation to the Will of the Almighty.

So Beautiful! and O so Painful!

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September, the month dedicated to Our Mother of Sorrows

J.M.J.

Taken from: "The Servite Manual: BEHOLD THY MOTHER - a Collection of Devotions Chiefly in Honor of Our Lady of Sorrows," compiled by The Servite Fathers; 6th ed; Servite Fathers, Chicago, 1947; pages xv-xxix.

INTRODUCTION

The Devotion and Confraternity of Our Lady of Seven Dolors

Origin and Propagation of the Devotion to the Seven Dolors of our Blessed Lady

The devotion to the Dolors of Mary is as old as Holy Church: it had its birth on the day of the Passion at the foot of the cross, when our Lord gave us His Mother to be our Mother also. She to whom He bade us turn our eyes, when in the person of St. John He said to us, "Behold thy Mother," is not Mary in her Immaculate Conception, in her Annunciation, or her Assumption, but Mary plunged in sorrow and bathed in tears, the Mother of Dolors. Thus we see that among the manifestations of Christian piety towards the most holy Mother of God, compassion for her Dolors is one of the most ancient; and among the oldest archaeological remains it is by no means rare to find her image at the foot of the cross beside that of the crucified Savior.

Like all the devotions of Holy Church, that to the Dolors of Mary developed by degrees and took a more precise and definite form. In the middle ages it had become extremely popular; and we may venture to say that there was no cathedral or principal church wherein was not exposed for the veneration of the faithful the image or statue of Mary at the foot of the cross, or holding the dead body of Jesus on her knees. Nay more, the same was often found in even the humblest village churches. But in order that this worship might be still more extended, God willed that there should be in His Church an Order especially set apart for its propagation, and in the persons of the Seven Holy Founders of the Servite Order, of St. Philip Benizi and their successors, He raised up indefatigable apostles to travel through Italy and the whole of Europe, preaching everywhere compassion for the sufferings of Jesus crucified and of Mary desolate, as well as hatred for sin, the accursed cause of these sufferings.

Nothing is more touching and wonderful than the manner in which this mission was entrusted to the Seven HolyFounders. These men where seven Florentine patricians who, according to the custom of that period, were also engaged in commerce. Their names were Bonfilius, Monaldi, Bonagiunta Manetti, Amideus de Amedei, Manettus dell Antella, Sosteneus Sostegni, Hugh Uguccioni and Alexius Falconieri. They were enrolled in the ranks of canonized Saints by Pope Leo XIII, January 5, 1888.

We designate them now by the names of Saints Bonfil, Bunajunt, Amideus, Manettus, or Manette, Sostene, Hugh and Alexis. Members of a pious Confraternity of the most holy Virgin, they were engaged in reciting her office on the 15th of August, the feast of her Assumption, in the year 1233, when she herself appeared to them in the glory of her triumph, and exhorted them to leave the world, in order to dedicate themselves under her auspices to the service of God. They renounced their riches and their families without delay, and retiring to an hermitage near their native town of Florence, lived a life of prayer and penance in the closest brotherly love. God was soon pleased to manifest by a wondrous miracle how pleasing to Mary were these holy men. In the following month of January, when two of them were traversing the streets of Florence and asking alms, infants still unweaned cried: "Behold the Servants of Mary; give alms to the Servants of Mary." Among these infants was St. Philip Benizi, who was to become one of the most glorious in the Order of Servites. Owing to the crowds drawn to them by this miracle, the Seven Holy Founders were obliged to seek a more secluded retreat, and chose Mount Senario, a wild and desert spot about nine miles North of Florence. There, after six years passed in extreme austerities, Mary showed them, by many miracles, the design she had in calling them out of the world. First of all, in the month of March 1240, a time of the year in which the mountain is still covered with hoar frost, a young vine, which they had planted in the previous year, grew miraculously during the night, and was clothed at once with foliage, flower, and fruit, symbol of the speedy increase of their little company, as was revealed at the same time to the Bishop of Florence, Ardingo Trotti. Shortly afterwards, on Good Friday of the same year, after having meditated and wept all day over the sufferings of Jesus and the Dolors of His most holy Mother, the Holy Founders were gathered together at eventide in their little oratory, when our Lady of Dolors appeared to them, gentle and majestic in aspect, her eyes streaming with tears, in black garments, and covered with a long mourning robe. She bore in her hands habits of like color and form. Around her was a numerous choir of angels and heavenly spirits. One of these bore a kind of label, on which, in letters as of gold, glowed the words "Servi Mariae" (Servants of Mary), another held an open book, whereon were inscribed the first words of the Rule of St. Augustine, while a third gently waved a magnificent palm, emblem of victory.

Looking upon them with love, while she slowly drew near, she signed to them to approach and take the habits which she delivered to them, saying in gentle tones: "It is I, my beloved, I upon whom you have so often called. I have chosen you out of the world, in order that you may be my Servants, and under that name work in the vineyard of my Son, producing fruits of salvation in abundance. Look upon the habit wherewith I am clothed; symbol, symbol of mourning and sadness, it indicates the profound grief which filled my soul at the death of my only Son. Take this mourning habit," and as she said this, she gave to them the garments which she held in her hands, "this habit like unto mine, and, in memory of the extreme dolor which I suffered, when I witnessed the cruel death of my dear Son, wear it through life and until the hour of your death, spreading everywhere the memory of my Dolors and of the Passion of my Jesus." Then she gave them the Rule of St. Augustine, and commanded them to observe it diligently, as also to keep always the name of Servants of Mary, promising as their reward the palm of eternal life. Thus having spoken, she vanished from the eyes of the Seven Founders, leaving their hearts filled with pity, gratitude and sweet consolation.

[FOOTNOTE: These facts, as well as those which follow, are told with greater detail in the "Story of the Seven Holy Founders," by Fr. Ledoux (Burns & Oates), and in the "Storia dei Sette Santi Fondatori," published in Rome at Propaganda, in 1888, on the occasion of their canonization.]

Such is the origin of the black scapular of our Lady of Dolors, such its touching significance. It recalls to usthe profound grief of the most holy Virgin, and associates us with it, in making us wear with her a garb of mourning. It should be still more venerable in our eyes from its great antiquity, since it even preceded that of Mount Carmel, which is often supposed to be the most ancient in the Church, but was given to St. Simon Stock only several years after the gift of that of the Seven Dolors....

(to be continued)

EXERCISES AND PRAYERS IN HONOUR OF OUR LADY OF SEVEN DOLORS

Jesus, Mary, I love Thee; Save Souls!

Jesu mitis et humilis corde, Fac cor nostrum secundum Cor tuum. (ter)

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Wednesday, September 05, 2007

A Visit to the Blessed Sacrament

Et erunt oculi mei et cor meum ibi cunctis diebus. – 3 Kings, ix. 3.




Here's a beautiful, very beautiful visit to the Blessed Sacrament written by St. Alphonsus Ligouri:

13th Visit to the Blessed Sacrament
By St. Alphonsus Maria de Ligouri

My eyes and my heart shall be there always. (Et erunt oculi mei et cor meum ibi cunctis diebus. – 3 Kings, ix. 3.)

Behold, Jesus has verified this beautiful promise in the Sacrament of the Altar, wherein he dwells with us night and day.

My Lord, would it not have been enough hadst Thou remained in this Sacrament only during the day, when Thou couldst have had adorers of Thy presence to keep Thee company; but why remain also the whole night, when the churches are all closed, and when men retire to their homes, leaving Thee quite alone? Ah, yes! I already understand Thee: love has made Thee our prisoner; the excessive love which Thou bearest us has so bound Thee down on earth, that neither night nor day canst Thou leave us. Ah, most amiable Saviour, this refinement of love alone should oblige all men ever to stay with Thee in the sacred ciboriums, and to remain with Thee until forcibly compelled to leave Thee; and when they do so, they should all leave at the foot of the altar their hearts and affections inflamed with love towards an Incarnate God, who remains alone and enclosed in a tabernacle, all eyes to see and provide for them in their necessities, and all heart to love them, and who awaits the coming day to be again visited by his beloved souls.

Yes, my Jesus, I will please Thee; I consecrate my whole will and all my affections to Thee. O infinite Majesty of God, Thou hast left Thyself in this divine Sacrament, not only that Thou mightest be present with us and near us, but principally to communicate Thyself to Thy beloved souls. But, Lord, who will presume to approach Thee to feed upon Thy flesh? And who, on the other hand, can keep a distance from Thee? Or this purpose Thou concealest Thyself in the consecrated Host, that Thou mayest enter into us and possess our hearts. Thou burnest with the desire of being received by us, and Thou rejoicest in being there united with us. Come, then, my Jesus, come; I desire to receive Thee within myself, that Thou mayest be the God of my heart and of my will. All that is within me I yield, my dear Redeemer, to Thy love; satisfactions, pleasures, self-will, all I give up to Thee. O Love, O God of love, reign, triumph over my entire self; destroy and sacrifice all in me which is mine and not Thine. Permit not, O my Love, that my soul, which, having received Thee in the Holy Communion, is filled with the Majesty of God, should again attach itself to creatures. I love Thee, my God, I love Thee; and I will love Thee alone and forever.

Ejaculatory Prayer: Draw me by the chains of Thy love! (Trahe me vinculis amoris tui.)

A Visit to Mother Mary

St. Bernard exhorts us, saying: “Let us seek for grace, and let us seek it by Mary.” “She”, says St. Peter Damian, “is the treasure of divine graces.” She can enrich us, and she desires to do so. She therefore invites and calls us, saying: Whosoever is a little one, let him come to me. Most amiable Lady, most exalted Lady, most gracious Lady, look on a poor sinner who recommends himself to Thee, and who places all his confidence in Thee.

Ejaculatory Prayer: We fly to thy patronage, O holy Mother of God!

Prayer of St. Ildefonsus

Most humble handmaid of thy divine Son! I prostrate myself before thee, conjuring thee to obtain pardon of my sins, that I may be cleansed from all the imperfections of my life. I entreat thee to procure me the grace of being always united to God and to thee, and to be ever a faithful servant of thy Son and of thee: of thy Son, as my Lord and my Redeemer; and of thee, as the cause of my redemption: for if he has paid the price of my redemption, it was with the body which he received from thee.

Ejaculatory Prayer: O Mary! Obtain for me confidence in thy intercession, and the grace that I may continually have recourse to thee.

Jesus, Mary, I love Thee; Save Souls!

Jesu mitis et humilis corde, Fac cor nostrum secundum Cor tuum. (ter)

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Monday, September 03, 2007

Sancte Pie Decime!


Sancte Pie Decime, gloriosi Patrone, Ora, Ora, pro nobis! (ter)

Today's the MOST Blessed Feast Day of the Patron of the Society of Saint Pius X, Dearest Pope Saint Pius X! He is the last canonized Pope and the Pope who is called the Pope of the Most Blessed Sacrament, most famous for his encyclical Pascendi Domini Gregis - Against Modernism (whose publication this September 2007 is at its centenary! :D), who brought the age down for children to receive Holy Communion, who encouraged Daily Holy Communion and oh, much much much more! :D


He is also, arguably, the very first victim of the First World War. He died on the 20th of August 1914, just on the brink of the Great War with a broken heart. For as Pope and as the head of state etc, he knew (from sources around) that the Great War was about to start. He could "foresee" (I'm using this word a little loosely) the horrible forces of freemasonry which sought to stir the emotions of Catholic nations and cause them to fight against each other, especially Catholic Europe. The 2 great wars of the previous century, the Great War and WWII destroyed almost all of Christendom - and especially that of Europe.


But, Instaurare Omnia in Christo! - To Restore All Things in Christ (Eph 1:10), and that's the only thing worth doing, all for His Love, His Glory, His Honour! All for dearest Jesus.


And a note before I stop typing, and continue on sometime soon (either tomorrow or the day after tomorrow), we must always remember that the central theme of Modernism as it stands now in our masonic world is: the Replacement of Faith with feelings. And that is wrong. Faith CANNOT be replaced by feeling, no matter how enticing it sounds ... We must, as Catholics submit to the Faith which was passed down from Jesus through the Apostles (that's Tradition), we must believe it and we must live it.

O my Jesus, I love Thee!

My Jesus, may I be all Thine, and be Thou all mine!

Jesus, Mary, I love Thee; Save Souls!

Jesu mitis et humilis corde, Fac cor nostrum secundum Cor tuum. (ter)

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Sunday, September 02, 2007

14th Sunday After Pentecost




From the Introit of the Mass of today:

Behold, O God, our protector, and look on the face of thy Christ:, for better is one day, in thy courts above thousands. How lovely are thy taber­nacles, O Lord of hosts! My soul longeth and fainteth for the courts of the Lord. (Ps. LXXXIII.) Gloria Patri etc.

From the Collect of the Mass of today:

Favour Thy Church unceasingly, O Lord, we beseech Thee, and keep her safe: and because apart from Thee frail man is wont to fall, may she by Thy help be ever withdrawn from harm and guided in good. Through our Lord.

From the Offertory of the Mass of today: Ps. 33:8-9
The Angel of the Lord shall encamp round about them that fear Him, and shall deliver them: O taste and see that the Lord is sweet!

Oh how beautiful! :)

The Compassionate Heart of Jesus
O my Jesus, Thou dost pardon the penitent sinners, and dost not refuse in this world to give them everything in Holy Communion during their life, and everything in the other world, even in heaven, with eternal glory, without retaining the slightest repugnance towards being united to the soul that has offended Thee, for all eternity. Where, then, is there to be found a heart so amiable and compassionate as Thine, O my dearest Saviour?

O compassionate Heart of my Jesus, have pity on me: O most Sweet Heart of Jesus, Have Mercy on me!

Happy Birthday, my dearest Sister! :) Denise Elizabeth Therese!

Jesus, Mary, I love Thee; Save Souls!

Jesu mitis et humilis corde, Fac cor nostrum secundum Cor tuum. (ter)

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