Mary's Little Office

Friday, June 30, 2017

21. Who is the Holy Ghost?

PAROCHIAL SCHOOL, DANBURY, CONNECTICUT, 1950



Who is the Holy Ghost?
The Holy Ghost is the third person of the Blessed Trinity.

From whom does the Holy Ghost proceed?
The Holy Ghost proceeds from the Father and the Son.
 
How are we to understand that the "Holy Ghost proceeds from the Father and the Son?"
The Holy Ghost proceeds from the Father and the Son, as the Infinite Love between them, and has the same nature as they.

Is the Holy Ghost equal to the Father and the Son?
The Holy Ghost is equal to the Father and the Son, being the same Lord and God as they are. 


Prayer to God's Mother


Advanced Catechism of Catholic Faith, 1922 (Page 47).


Thursday, June 29, 2017

Short Night Prayers

Barbara Scott (sleeping ice skater), Switzerland, 1948

O my God, I thank Thee for all Thy gifts during this day. Preserve and bless me also during this night. I offer to Thee my rest, and by every breath I wish to adore and love Thee as the saints do in heaven.
Examine your conscience; make an act of contrition, and add three Hail Marys to the Blessed Virgin to remain pure.


Manual of Select Catholic Devotions,
New York, 1885


20. Why did Christ suffer and die?

PAROCHIAL SCHOOL, DANBURY, CONNECTICUT, 1950



Why did Christ suffer and die?
Christ suffered and died for our sins.

Did Christ suffer and die as God or as man?
Christ suffered and died as man; and, as God, His sufferings were of infinite value.
 
What lessons do we learn from the sufferings and death of Christ?
From the sufferings and death of Christ we learn the great evil of sin, the hatred God bears to it, and the necessity of satisfying for it.

Why should we have great devotion to the Passion of Christ?
We should have great devotion to the Passion of Christ:
1st, To keep us ever mindful of His great love for us.
2nd, To inspire us with sorrow for sin.
3rd, To apply to our souls the graces and merits of His Passion and Death.

Prayer to God's Mother


Advanced Catechism of Catholic Faith and Practice, 1922.


Wednesday, June 28, 2017

19. How long did Christ live on earth?

ST JOSEPH'S CHURCH, DANBURY, CONNECTICUT, 1950



How long did Christ live on earth?
Christ lived on earth about thirty-three years, and led a most holy life in poverty and suffering.

Why did Christ live so long on earth? 
Christ lived so long on earth to show us the way to heaven by His teachings and example.
 
How must we prove ourselves true friends of Jesus Christ?
We must prove ourselves true friends of Jesus Christ by adoring and loving Him as our Lord and Redeemer, and by imitating His virtues.

How should we worship the Blessed Virgin Mary?
We should worship the Blessed Virgin Mary with the highest honor given to any creature, but infinitely below that which we give to Jesus Christ.

Prayer to God's Mother


Advanced Catechism of Catholic Faith and Practice, 1922.


Tuesday, June 27, 2017

Our Lady of Perpetual Help


O Queen of heaven and earth! Thou art the gate of mercy ever open, never closed. The universe must perish before he who invokes thee from his heart is refused assistance.―Blessed Henry Suso.






Monday, June 26, 2017

18. Is the Blessed Virgin Mary truly the Mother of God?

PAROCHIAL SCHOOL, DANBURY, CONNECTICUT - SEPT 9TH, 1950


INDEX TO OTHER LESSONS



Is the Blessed Virgin Mary truly the Mother of God?

The Blessed Virgin Mary is truly the Mother of God, because the same Divine Person who is the Son of God is also the Son of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

On what day was the Son of God conceived and made man? 

The Son of God was conceived and made man on Annunciation day―the day on which the Angel Gabriel announced to the Blessed Virgin Mary that  she was to be the Mother of God. Luke I; 26-38.

How is this important event commemorated? 

This important event is commemorated by the first words of the Hail Mary, by the Angelus, and by the Feast of the Annunciation (March 25).

Prayer to God's Mother


Advanced Catechism of Catholic Faith and Practice, 1922.


page 15

Sunday, June 25, 2017

17. What are Angels

PAROCHIAL SCHOOL, DANBURY, CONNECTICUT - SEPT 9TH, 1950


INDEX TO OTHER LESSONS


What are Angels?

Angels are pure spirits without a body, created to adore and enjoy God in heaven.

Did angels ever appear in bodily form?

Angels appeared in bodily form to Tobias, to the Blessed Virgin, and after the resurrection and ascension of our Lord.

Why are angels represented with wings?

Angels are represented with wings to show the swiftness with which they move as God's messengers, and their reverence before His throne.


Advanced Catechism of Catholic Faith and Practice, 1922.


page 15

One Line Prayers to the Blessed Virgin


Ejaculations to the Blessed Virgin

Mary. 
(Ind. of 25 days, each time.―Clement XIII. Sept. 5, 1750.)

Mary, Virgin Mother of God, pray to Jesus for me. 
(Ind. of 50 days, once each day.―Leo XIII. March  29, 1894.)

Mary our hope, have pity on us. 
(Ind. of 300 days, each time.―Pius X. Jan 8, 1906.) 

My Mother, my trust. 
(Ind. of 300 days, each time.―Benedict XV. Sept. 6, 1915.)

Our Lady of the most Holy Sacrament, pray for us. 
(Ind. of 300 days, each time, before the Blessed Sacrament exposed.―Pius X.  Jan 10, 1906.)

The Man of God
Fr.  Callan & McHugh
Authors of "Blessed Be God."
P. J. Kennedy & Sons, 1928





16. What is Mortal Sin?

PAROCHIAL SCHOOL, DANBURY, CONNECTICUT - 1950


INDEX TO OTHER LESSONS


What is Mortal Sin?

Mortal sin is a grievous offense against the law of God.
When does one commit a mortal sin?
One commits a mortal sin when he knowingly and willfully breaks the law of God in a serious matter.

We should look upon mortal sin as a most shameful insult to God, and the greatest evil that can befall man.  


Advanced Catechism of Catholic Faith and Practice, 1922.


page 15

Friday, June 23, 2017

15. What is a Mystery.

PAROCHIAL SCHOOL, DANBURY, CONNECTICUT - 1950


INDEX TO OTHER LESSONS


What is a Mystery?

A mystery is a truth which we cannot fully understand. 

Why must we believe the mysteries of religion?

We must believe the mysteries of religion because God, who can neither deceive nor be deceived, has deigned to make these truths known in part to us. 
"Blessed are thy that have not seen, and have believed." John 20: 29.


Advanced Catechism of Catholic Faith and Practice, 1922.


page 15

The Angelus

THE ANGELUS BY JEAN-FRANCOIS MILLET


To Pray the Angelus Now
Click on Soundbar.



The Angel of the Lord declared unto Mary:

And she conceived of the Holy Spirit. 


Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee; blessed art thou among women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death. Amen.


Behold the handmaid of the Lord: 
Be it done unto me according to Thy word.

Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee; blessed art thou among women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death. Amen.

And the Word was made Flesh: 
And dwelt among us.

Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is 
with thee; blessed art thou among 
women and blessed is the fruit of thy
womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of 
God, pray for us sinners, now and at 
the hour of our death. Amen.

Pray for us, O Holy Mother of God, 
That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.

Let us pray: 

Pour forth, we beseech Thee, O Lord, Thy grace into our hearts; that we, to whom the incarnation of Christ, Thy Son, was made known by the message of an angel, may by His Passion and Cross be brought to the glory of His Resurrection, through the same Christ Our Lord.

Amen.

Catechism Lessons - 14


PAROCHIAL SCHOOL, DANBURY, CONNECTICUT - 1950


INDEX TO OTHER LESSONS


On The Unity & Trinity of God.


Is the Father God?
The Father is God and the first Person of the Blessed Trinity.
Why is the Father called the "First Person?"
The Father  is called the First Person, because He is the Principle from whom the Son and Holy Ghost proceed.
Why is he called the "Father?"
He is called the Father, because from all eternity He generates a Person like Himself, that is, the Son.

Is the Son God?
The Son is God and the second Person of the Blessed Trinity.
Why is He called the "Son" and the "Second Person?"
He is called the Son, because He is eternally generated of the Father; and, the Second Person, because He proceeds from the First Person.
"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God." John I: I.
"I and the Father are one." John 10: 30.

Is the Holy Ghost God?
The Holy Ghost is God and the third Person of the Blessed Trinity.
Why is the Holy Ghost called the "Third" Person?
The Holy Ghost is called the Third Person, because He proceeds from, and was sent by, the Father and the Son.


Advanced Catechism of Catholic Faith and Practice, 1922.


page 15

Thursday, June 22, 2017

Her Eyes - A Study of the Blessed Virgin Mary




Mother of God! thy starry smile
Still bless us from above!
Keep pure our souls from passion's guile.
Our hearts from earthly love!










Morning Prayers

I opened the window to the gentle rain and said my prayers there.


  MORNING PRAYER

Manual for The Children of Mary

 
In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost. Amen.


Bless me, O Lord; defend and govern me this day and for ever, and after this short and miserable pilgrimage, bring me to everlasting happiness with thee.


O God, my Creator and Redeemer, look graciously on thy servant, the work of thy hands; and mercifully grant that all my thoughts, words, and actions, may be directed to the praise and honor of thy name, and the salvation of my own soul. Amen.  



Place yourself in the presence of God.

Most holy and august Trinity, one God in three Persons, I believe that thou art here present; I adore thee with sentiments of the most profound humility, and render thee, with all my heart, the homage which is due to thy Sovereign Majesty.

Thank God, and offer yourself to Him.

My God, I thank thee most humbly, for all the favours thou hast bestowed upon me; it is thy goodness which has brought me to the beginning of this day, which I desire to employ only in thy service.
I consecrate to thee all my thoughts, words, actions, and sufferings; bless them, O Lord, that they may be animated by thy love, and tend only to promote thy greater glory.

Resolve to avoid sin, and to practice holiness.

Adorable Jesus, Divine Model of that perfection to which we should aspire, I will endeavour this day, after thy example, to be mild, humble, chaste, zealous, patient, charitable, and resigned; and I will strive particularly to avoid those faults to which I am most subject, and which I sincerely desire to correct.  

Beg the necessary grace.

My God, thou knows my weakness; I can do nothing without the assistance of thy holy grace; do not refuse it to me. O my God, but proportion it to my wants; give me sufficient strength to avoid what thou hast forbidden, to practice the good thou expectest of me, and to suffer patiently all the crosses thou mayest be pleased to send me.

The Lord's Prayer

Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name: thy kingdom come: thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive them that trespass against us; and lead us not into temptation; but deliver us from evil. Amen.


The Hail Mary.

Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou amongst women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now, and at the hour of our death. Amen.

The Apostles' Creed

I BELIEVE in God the Father Almightly, Creator of heaven and earth. And in Jesus Christ his only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Ghost, born of the Virgin Mary; suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, dead, and buried; he descended into hell, the third day he rose again from the dead; he ascended into heaven, sitteth at the right hand of God the Father Almighty; thence he shall come to judge the living and the dead. I believe in the Holy Ghost; the holy Catholic Church; the communion of Saints; the forgiveness of sins; the resurrection of the body, and life everlasting. Amen.

Act of Faith

MY God, I most firmly believe in thee, and in all that thou hast revealed to thy holy Catholic Church; because thou art truth itself, who neither canst deceive, nor be deceived. Amen.

Act of Hope

MY God, I most firmly hope in thee, because of all thy promises; and I trust that thou wilt give me eternal life, and all the graces necessary to obtain it, through the merits of my Saviour, Jesus Christ. Amen.

Act of Charity

MY God, I love thee with my whole heart and above all things, because thou art the Sovereign Good, and for thy own perfections most worthy of all love; and for thy sake I love my neighbour as myself. Amen.


The "Angelus Domini."

To be said morning, noon, and night, in memory of our Saviour's becoming man for us.
The Angel of the Lord declared unto Mary;
And she conceived by the Holy Ghost.
Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou amongst women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now, and at the hour of our death. Amen.


Behold the handmaid of the Lord,
Be it done to me according to thy word.
Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou amongst women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now, and at the hour of our death. Amen.
And the Word was made flesh,
And dwelt amongst us.
Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou amongst women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now, and at the hour of our death. Amen.
Pray for us, O Holy Mother of God,
That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.

HAIL! Holy Queen, Mother of Mercy; our Life, our Sweetness, and our Hope. To thee do we cry, poor banished children of Eve, to thee do we send up our sighs, mourning and weeping in this valley of tears. Turn, then, most gracious Advocate, thy merciful eyes towards us; and after this our exile, show unto us the blessed Fruit of thy womb, Jesus. O clement! O loving! O sweet Virgin Mary!
 
You May Conclude Here or Continue with 
Our Lady's Litany


Manual for The Children of Mary
London - early 20th century

 


Catechism Lessons - 13


ST. PETER'S SQUARE, 1945


INDEX TO OTHER LESSONS


On The Unity & Trinity of God.


Is there but one God?
Yes; there is but one God. 
"There is no God but one." I Cor. 8:4.
"One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in all." Eph. 4:6.

Why can there be but one God?
There can be but one God because God, being supreme and infinite, cannot have an equal.
What means "God is supreme and infinite?"
"God is supreme and infinite" means that He is highest in power and authority, and there are no limits to His perfections.

How many persons are there in God?
In God there are three Divine Persons, really distinct, and equal in all things―the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost. 
What means "three Divine Persons, really distinct?"
The "three Divine Persons, really distinct" means that the Father is not the Son, the Son is not the Holy Ghost, and the Holy Ghost is neither the Father nor the Son.
"There are three who give testimony in heaven; the Father, the Word (or the Son), and the Holy Ghost; and these three are one." I John 5:7.


Advanced Catechism of Catholic Faith and Practice, 1922.


page 13

Wednesday, June 21, 2017

Catechism Lessons - 12

CLASSROOM CONFESSION, GREAT FALLS, MONTANA - 1953


INDEX TO OTHER LESSONS


On God and His Perfections.


Is God just, holy, and merciful?
God is all just, all holy, all merciful, as He is infinitely perfect.
How is God all just?
God is all just in rewarding the good and in punishing the wicked, partly on earth, but chiefly after death.

How is God all holy?
God is all holy in loving what is good and in hating what is evil. 

How is God all merciful?
God is all merciful in willing to avert evil and to forgive sinners who are sorry for their sins.


Advanced Catechism of Catholic Faith and Practice, 1922.


page 13

All Hail to Thee!



All hail to thee, dear and ever-blessed Mother!  We honor thee for God honors thee;  we love thee, for God loves thee;  we obey thee, for thou ever commandest the will of thy Lord.  The passers-by may jeer thee; . . . earth and hell rise up in wrath against thee . . . but all the more dear art thou to our hearts;  all the more deep and sincere is the homage we pay thee;  and all the more earnestly do we pray thee to receive our humble offerings, and to own us for thy children, and watch over us that we never forfeit the right to call thee our Mother.  
(Orestes Brownson 19th century)




Tuesday, June 20, 2017

Catechism Lessons - 11

SHETLAND PONY FARM, 1949

INDEX TO OTHER LESSONS


On God and His Perfections.


Does God know all things?
God knows all things, even our most secret thoughts, words, and actions.
When especially should we think of God's knowledge of all things?
We should think of God's knowledge of all things, especially when we are tempted to sin, that we may resist the temptation.

Can God do all things?
God can do all things, and nothing is hard or impossible to Him.
How has God shown His almighty power?
God has shown His almighty power especially in creating the world, in the miracles of Christ, and in the miracles before and since the time of Christ.

Advanced Catechism of Catholic Faith and Practice, 1922.




page 13

Mary the Mother of Our Saviour




19th century Paris