Ascension Thursday

Jesus, Mary, Joseph, Anne, Therese, I love You; Save Souls!

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

O Mary conceived without sin, pray for us those who have recourse to thee. Dankeschoen. :))

Grant, we beseech Thee, O Almighty God, that we who believe Thy only‑begotten Son, our Redeemer, to have this day ascended into the heavens, may ourselves also in, mind dwell amid heavenly things. Through the same etc.

From the Collect of the Mass of Ascension Thursday

Note:

Miracles & Prophecies

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NOVENA to the HOLY GHOST

- Start Friday, May 14

Foreword

The novena to the Holy Ghost is the oldest of all novenas since it was first made at the direction of Our Lord when He sent His apostles back to Jerusalem to await the coming of the Holy Ghost on the First Pentecost. It is still the only novena officially prescribed by the Church. Addressed to the Third Person of the Blessed Trinity, it is a powerful plea for the light, strength and love so sorely needed by every Christian.

FIRST DAY

Holy Spirit! Lord of Light!

From Thy clear celestial height.

Thy pure beaming radiance give!

THE HOLY GHOST

Only one thing is important -- eternal salvation. Only one thing, therefore, is to be feared -- sin. Sin is the result of ignorance, weakness, and indifference. The Holy Ghost is the Spirit of Light, of Strength, and of Love. With His sevenfold gifts He enlightens the mind, strengthens the will, and inflames the heart with love of God. To ensure our salvation we ought to invoke the Divine Spirit daily, for "The Spirit helpeth our infirmity. We know not what we should pray for as we ought. But the Spirit Himself asketh for us."

Prayer

Almighty and eternal God, Who has vouchsafed to regenerate us by water and the Holy Ghost, and hast given us forgiveness of all sins, vouchsafe to send forth from heaven upon us Thy sevenfold Spirit, the Spirit of Wisdom and Understanding, the Spirit of Counsel and Fortitude, the Spirit of Knowledge and Piety, and fill us with the Spirit of Holy Fear. Amen.

Our Father

Hail Mary

Glory be to the Father (seven times)

Act of Consecration

Prayer for the Seven Gifts

ACT OF CONSECRATION to the HOLY GHOST

On my knees before the great multitude of heavenly witnesses, I offer myself, soul and body, to Thee, Eternal Spirit of God. I adore the brightness of Thy purity, the unerring keenness of Thy justice, and the might of Thy love. Thou art the Strength and Light of my soul. In Thee I live and move and am. I desire never to grieve Thee by unfaithfulness to grace, and I pray with all my heart to be kept from the smallest sin against Thee. Mercifully guard my every thought and grant that I may always watch for Thy light, and listen to Thy voice, and follow Thy gracious inspirations. I cling to Thee and give myself to Thee and ask Thee, by Thy compassion, to watch over me in my weakness. Holding the pierced Feet of Jesus, and looking at His five wounds, and trusting in His Precious Blood, and adoring His opened side and stricken Heart, I implore Thee, Adorable Spirit, Helper of my infirmity, so to keep me in Thy grace that I may never sin against Thee. Give me grace, O Holy Gh! ost, Spirit of the Father and the Son, to say to Thee always and everywhere, "Speak Lord, for Thy servant heareth." Amen.

PRAYER for the SEVEN GIFTS of the HOLY GHOST

O Lord Jesus Christ Who, before ascending into heaven, didst promise to send the Holy Ghost to finish Thy work in the souls of Thy Apostles and Disciples, deign to grant the same Holy Spirit to me that He may perfect in my soul the work of Thy grace and Thy love. Grant me the Spirit of Wisdom that I may despise the perishable things of this world and aspire only after the things that are eternal; the Spirit of Understanding to enlighten my mind with the light of Thy divine truth; the Spirit of Counsel that I may ever choose the surest way of pleasing God and gaining heaven; the Spirit of Fortitude that I may bear my cross with Thee and that I may overcome with courage all the obstacles that oppose my salvation; the Spirit of Knowledge that I may know God and know myself and grow perfect in the science of the Saints; the Spirit of Piety that I may find the service of God sweet and amiable; the Spirit of Fear that I may be filled with a loving reverence towards God and ma! y dread in any way to displease Him. Mark me, dear Lord, with the sign of Thy true disciples and animate me in all things with Thy Spirit. Amen.

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http://credidimus.wordpress.com/2010/05/01/mary-undoer-of-knots/

http://credidimus.wordpress.com/2010/05/01/mary-undoer-of-knots/

Ascension of Our Lord from DICI on Vimeo.

The Ascension...

Thou, through the starry orbs this day,

Didst to Thy throne ascend;

Thenceforth to reign in sovereign power

And glory without end.

There, seated in Thy Majesty,

To Thee submissive bow

The heaven of heavens, the earth beneath,

The realms of hell below.

With trembling there the angels see

The changed estate of men;

The flesh which sinn'd by Flesh redeem'd;

Man in the Godhead reign!

-Aeterne Rex Altissime

Jesus, Mary, I love Thee; Save Souls!

Regina Caeli, Laetare, Alleluia!

The Ascension of Our Lord

It's the Feast of the Ascension of Our Lord! :)

And here's more you can read on the Ascension from The Catechetical Instructions of St. Thomas Aquinas. :)

And here's some stuff from Alone with God:

Alone with God
By Father J. Heyrman, S.J.

THE ASCENSION OF OUR LORD – I
(Acts 1:1-11)

1. Let us hear our Lord speaking with His Apostles for the last time. We are one of the group that accompanies the Saviour as He goes to the Mount of Olives; we see Him slowly, majestically rise to Heaven, “and a cloud received Him out of their sight” (Acts 1:9).

2. Petition: The grace that the “wonderful and glorious ascension” of Jesus may fill our hearts with joy; that our faith may be confirmed, our confidence strengthened, our love rendered more ardent.

I. The Last Conversations

The last apparition took place in the holy city of Jerusalem, in the Cenacle, where He had instituted the Blessed Sacrament. “And He said to them: Go ye into the whole world, and preach the gospel to every creature” (Mark 16:15).

“All power is given to me in heaven and in earth. Going therefore teach ye all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost; teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and behold I am with you all days even to the consummation of the world” (Matthew 28:18-20).

“Without me you can do nothing” (John 15:15). With Him they can overcome the world and convert the nations – not they but Jesus through them. Nor should they expect immediate success, or spectacular results: they will have to face persecution, and many trials shall befall them; but slowly the Kingdom will be established.

We are rather astonished to hear one of the disciples, at this moment (as we read in the Epistle of the Mass), ask Jesus, “Lord, wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel?” (Acts 1:6). Poor men, it was so hard to let go the dreams of national power and greatness that had fascinated the mind of the chosen people all these centuries, and to give their allegiance to a universal Kingdom, which Jesus had inaugurated. Our Lord, patient as He had always been with them, did not rebuke them, “but He opened their understanding that they might understand the scriptures”; and He bade them stay in the city until He “send upon them the promise of His Father, and that they should be endowed with power from on high” (Luke 24: 45-49).

Heart of Jesus, patient and rich in mercy, have mercy on us.

II. The Ascension

“And He led them out as far as Bethania; and lifting up his hands, he blessed them. And it came to pass, whilst He blessed them, He departed from them and was carried up to heaven” (Luke 24:50,51). And the Acts (1:9) add: “and a cloud received Him out of their sight.”

In all the other apparitions Jesus disappeared suddenly but here He departs gradually. In its simplicity the scene is solemn and impressive. The prophet Elias had been taken to heaven in a fiery chariot, drawn by fiery steeds, in the midst of a whirlwind (4 Kings 2:11).

“And while He blessed them, He departed from them.” His farewell to His disciples and to our earth was a blessing. “Peace on earth” was the song of the angels when He was born at Bethlehem, and when the heavenly messengers brought tidings of great joy, that a Saviour had been born. And on this day, we too, with a full heart, say, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men of good will.”

Be Thou our guide, Be Thou our goal;
Be Thou our pathway to the skies;
Our
joy when sorrow fills the soul:
In death our everlasting prize.
- Salutis Humanae Sator

III. Back to Jerusalem

“And while they were beholding Him going up to heaven, behold two men stood by them in white garments, who said to them, Ye men of Galilee, why stand you looking up to heaven? This Jesus, who is taken up from you into heaven, shall so some, as you have seen Him going into heaven” (Acts 1:10,11).

It may be noted that in the work of our salvation on every important occasion, God was pleased to use the ministry of Angels. The Archangel Gabriel (Strength of God) is sent as a messenger to Mary: “Behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son.” At Bethlehem angels announce the tidings of great joy: “This day is born to you a Saviour. You shall find Him wrapped in swaddling clothes, and laid in a manger.” After the resurrection the women at the sepulchre meet an angel, who says to them, “Why seek you the living with the dead? He is not here, but he is risen.” And on mount Olivet two heavenly spirits tell the Apostles, “This Jesus, who is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come, as you have seen Him going into heaven”: this will be His final solemn return in power and majesty, of which Jesus had said before the high priest, “I say to you, hereafter you shall see the Son of man, sitting on the right hand of the power of God, and coming in the clouds of heaven” (Matthew 26:64).

“And they went back to Jerusalem with great joy.” In this parting here was neither sadness nor distress; neither did they feel that here was the end of a glorious day and of a thrilling experience. With joy in their hearts they came down from the mountain, remembering His words, “If you loved me, you would indeed be glad because I go to the Father” (John 14:28). His presence with them had been a glorious day, followed now by a still more glorious one, because He was now with the Father and would send them the Paraclete, who would for ever abide with them. Soon they would see Him again, in the glory of heaven. The final triumph was assured.

Prayer: Grant, we beseech Thee, Almighty God, that just as we believe in the Ascension into heaven on this day of Thine only-begotten Son, our Saviour, so we too, in spirit may make our dwelling in heaven. Through the same Lord (Collect, Mass of today).

Jesus, Mary, I love Thee; Save Souls!

Regina Caeli, Laetare, Alleluia!