Mary's Little Office

Wednesday, January 31, 2018

The Jesus Prayer



(The Presentation of Jesus in the Temple)

“As you breathe in,” he told him, say, ‘Lord Jesus Christ,’ and as you breathe out, say, ‘Have mercy on me.


More About the Jesus Prayer

By Bishop Robert Barron

I’m in the process of re-reading a spiritual classic from the Russian Orthodox tradition: The Way of a Pilgrim. This little text, whose author is unknown to us, concerns a man from mid-nineteenth century Russia who found himself deeply puzzled by St. Paul’s comment in first Thessalonians that we should “pray unceasingly.” How, he wondered, amidst all of the demands of life, is this even possible? How could the Apostle command something so patently absurd?


His botheration led him, finally, to a monastery and a conversation with an elderly spiritual teacher who revealed the secret. He taught the man the simple prayer that stands at the heart of the Eastern Christian mystical tradition, the so-called “Jesus prayer.” “As you breathe in,” he told him, say, ‘Lord Jesus Christ,’ and as you breathe out, say, ‘Have mercy on me.  When the searcher looked at him with some puzzlement, the elder instructed him to go back to his room and pray these words a thousand times. When the younger man returned and announced his successful completion of the task, he was told, “Now go pray it ten thousand times!” This was the manner in which the spiritual master was placing this prayer on the student’s lips so that it might enter his heart and into the rhythm of his breathing in and out, and finally become so second nature to him that he was, consciously or unconsciously, praying it all the time, indeed praying just as St. Paul had instructed the Thessalonians.

In the power of the Spirit, the young man then set out to wander through the Russian forests and plains, the Jesus prayer perpetually on his lips. The only object of value that he had in his rucksack was the Bible, and with the last two rubles in his possession, he purchased a beat-up copy of the Philokalia, a collection of prayers and sayings from the Eastern Orthodox tradition. Sleeping outdoors, fending largely for himself, relying occasionally on the kindness of strangers, reading his books and praying his prayer, he made his way. One day, two deserters from the Russian army accosted him on the road, beat him unconscious and stole his two treasures. When he came around and discovered his loss, the man was devastated and wept openly: how could he go on without food for his soul? Through a fortuitous set of circumstances, he managed to recover his lost possessions, and when he had them once again, he hugged them to his chest, gripping them so hard that his fingers practically locked in place around them.

I would invite you to stay with that image for a moment. We see a man with no wealth, no power, no influence in society, no fame to speak of, practically no physical possessions—but clinging with all of him might and with fierce protectiveness to two things whose sole purpose is to feed his soul. Here’s my question for you: What would you cling to in such a way? What precisely is it, the loss of which would produce in you a kind of panic? What would make you cry, once you realized that you no longer had it? And to make the questions more pointed, let’s assume that you were on a desert island or that you, like the Russian pilgrim, had no resources to go out and buy a replacement. Would it be your car? Your home? Your golf clubs? Your computer? To be honest, I think for me it might be my iPhone. If suddenly I lost my ability to make a call, my contacts, my music, my GPS, my maps, my email, etc., I would panic—and I would probably cry for sheer joy once I had the phone back, and my fingers would close around it like a claw. What makes this confession more than a little troubling is that, ten years ago, I didn’t even own a cell phone. I lived my life perfectly well without it, and if you had told me then that I would never have one, it wouldn’t have bothered me a bit.

What I particularly love about the Pilgrim is that he was preoccupied, not about any of the passing, evanescent goods of the world, but rather about prayer, about a sustained contact with the eternal God. He didn’t care about the things that obsess most of us most of the time: money, power, fame, success. And the only possessions that concerned him were those simple books that fed his relationship to God. Or to turn it around, he wasn’t frightened by the loss of any finite good; but he was frightened to death at the prospect of losing his contact with the living God.

So what would you cling to like a desperate animal? What loss would you fear? What do you ultimately love?

For Our Moms and Dads


For Our Moms & Dads - 1943
Who Have Passed

O God, Who has commanded us to honor our father and mother; in Thy clemency have mercy on the souls of my father and mother, and loose them from their sins; and grant that I may see them in the joy of eternal light. Through Christ Our Lord. Amen.

Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord; and let perpetual light shine upon them. May they rest in peace. Amen.

Dear Lord Jesus, grant them eternal rest. Amen.




Prayer for Self

My Lord God, in sincere love for Thee and with sorrow for my sins, I even now, resignedly and willingly, accept from Thy hand, with all its anxieties, pains, and sufferings, whatever kind of death it shall please Thee to be mine. Amen.

Pray for us, O Most Sorrowful Virgin.
Who didst stand by the Cross of Christ. Amen. 

We beseech Thee, O Lord, may the Blessed Virgin Mary, whose most holy soul the sword pierced in the hour of Thy passion, intercede for us at the hour of our death. Amen.


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Tuesday, January 30, 2018

Monday, January 29, 2018

The Holy Virgin

Let us keep the Feast of the stainless Conception of the Virgin Mary: let us worship Christ, her Son, and her Lord and ours. (Alleluia.)


Mary's Little Office

ENLARGE   01/29/18
ANTIPHON at The Song of the Blessed Virgin:

All generations shall call me blessed, for He That is mighty hath done to me great things.  Alleluia

MARY'S LITTLE OFFICE

Sunday, January 28, 2018

A Prophet Like Moses

by Bishop Robert Barron


It is of particular importance this week that we read the first reading and the Gospel together, for the former sheds enormous light on the latter. In the first reading, Moses assures the people: "The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like myself." Moses received the word from God, but this new prophet would be an authority greater than Moses. He would speak with the words of God. And in the Gospel reading from Mark, this is precisely who Jesus is revealed to be: the highest prophet and the Word of God made flesh.

Mass Readings

Reading 1 - Deuteronomy 18:15-20
Psalm - Psalm 95:1-2, 6-7, 7-9

Reading 2 - 1 Corinthians 7:32-35
Gospel - Mark 1:21-28


Holy Communion Prayers


BEFORE HOLY COMMUNION


Prayer for Help
O my God help me to make a good Communion. Mary, my dearest Mother, pray to Jesus for me. My dear Angel Guardian, lead me to the Altar of God.

Act of Faith
O God, because Thou hast said it, I believe that I shall receive the Sacred Body of Jesus to eat, and His precious Blood to drink. My God, I believe that with all my heart.

Act of Humility
My God, I confess that I am a poor sinner; I am not worthy to receive the Body and Blood of Jesus on account of my sins. Lord, I am not worthy that Thou shouldest enter under my roof; say but the word, and my soul shall be healed.

Act of Sorrow
My God, I detest all the sins of my life. I am sorry for them, because they have offended Thee, my God who art so good. I resolve never to commit sin any more. My good God, pity me, have mercy on me, forgive me. Amen.

Act of Adoration
O Jesus great God, present on the Altar, I bow down before Thee, I adore Thee.


Act of Love and Desire
Sweet Jesus, I love Thee. I desire with all my heart to receive Thee. Most sweet Jesus, come into my poor soul, and give me Thy Flesh to eat and Thy Blood to drink. Give me Thy whole self, Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity, that I may live forever with Thee.

O most sweet Virgin Mary, Mother of God and my Mother, lend me, I beseech thee, thy Immaculate Heart to receive my Jesus: that so I may receive Him by thee, by  whom the world received Him.

O Jesus, I offer Thee Thy sinless Mother's Heart, with its perfect dispositions at the moment of Thy Incarnation and all her communions. Come to me now by her, as I came to Thee by her. With her heart let me receive Thee.




AFTER HOLY COMMUNION



O my Queen, thou hast given me Jesus in thy heart, therefore, now, with the same true heart, entertain Him for me. Adore Him, thank Him, and implore Him for the graces thou knows me to need-in particular . . . . .

ACT OF FAITH
O Jesus, I believe that I have received Thy Flesh to eat and Thy Blood to drink, because Thou hast said it, and Thy word is true.

ACT OF ADORATION
O Jesus, my God, my Creator, I adore Thee, because from Thy Hands I came and with Thee I am to be happy forever.

ACT OF HUMILITY
O Jesus, I am but dust and ashes, and yet Thou hast come to me, and my poor heart may speak to Thee.

ACT OF LOVE
Sweet Jesus, I love Thee; I love Thee with all my heart. Thou knows that I love Thee, and wish to love Thee daily more and more.

ACT OF THANKSGIVING
My good Jesus, I thank Thee with all my heart. How good, how kind Thou art to me, sweet Jesus. Blessed be Jesus in the most Holy Sacrament of the Altar.

ACT OF OFFERING
O Jesus, receive my poor offering. Jesus Thou hast given Thyself to me, and let me give myself to Thee:


I give Thee my body, that it may be chaste and pure.


I give Thee my soul, that it may be free from sin.


I give Thee my heart, that it may always love Thee.


I give Thee every breath that I shall breathe. and especially my last; I give Thee myself in life and in death, that I may be Thine for ever and ever.


O Jesus, wash away my sins with Thy precious Blood.


O Jesus, the struggle against temptation is not yet finished. My Jesus, when temptation comes near me, make me strong against it. In the moment of temptation may I always say, "Jesus, mercy! Mary, help!"


O Jesus, may I lead a good life; may I die a happy death. May I receive Thee before I die. May I say when I am dying, "Jesus, Mary, Joseph, I give you my heart and my soul."

Listen now for a moment to Jesus Christ; perhaps He has something to say to you. There may be some promise you have made and broken, which He wishes you to make again and keep. Answer Jesus in your heart, and tell Him all your troubles. Then pray for others.

O Jesus, have mercy on Thy Holy Church; take care of it.


O Jesus, have pity on poor sinners, and save them from hell.


O Jesus, bless my father, my mother, my brothers and sisters, and all I ought to pray for, as Thy Heart knows how to bless them.


O Jesus, have pity on the poor souls in Purgatory, and give them eternal rest.


Sweet Jesus, I am going away for a time, but trust not without Thee. Thou are with me by Thy grace. I will never leave Thee by mortal sin. I do not fear to do so, though I am so weak, because I have such hope in Thee. Give me grace to persevere. Amen.



Saturday, January 27, 2018

Danny Boy or Say an Ave There For Me!






Oh, Danny boy, the pipes, the pipes are calling
From glen to glen, and down the mountain side.
The summer's gone, and all the roses falling,
It's you, it's you must go and I must bide.
But come ye back when summer's in the meadow,
Or when the valley's hushed and white with snow,
It's I'll be here in sunshine or in shadow,
Oh, Danny boy, oh Danny boy, I love you so!

But when ye come, and all the flowers are dying,
If I am dead, as dead I well may be,
You'll come and find the place where I am lying,
And kneel and say an Ave there for me.
And I shall hear, though soft you tread above me,
And all my grave will warmer, sweeter be,
For you will bend and tell me that you love me,
And I shall sleep in peace until you come to me!


About the Video:

Here is a scene from 'Because of Him' (1945). Deanna Durbin, a stage-struck waitress who tricks a famous actor, played by Charles Laughton, into giving her his autograph without him knowing he's signing a 'Letter of Introduction'. Using this letter, she fools people into believing Laughton wants her as his leading lady in his next play. He soon rumbles her little scheme however and, finding her lacking in any acting experience, tells her she'll be ready to appear on the stage in a few years time. While he phones for a cab to take her home, Deanna breaks into song with "Danny Boy," causing Laughton to relent and make her his leading lady after all. This was their second film together, their first having been "It Started with Eve" in 1941.

MORNING LESSON

ENLARGE
Verily, dearly beloved brethren, the Blessed Virgin Mary was a great wonder. What thing greater or more famous than she, hath ever at any time been found, or can be found? She alone is greater than heaven and earth. What thing holier than she hath been, or can be found? Neither Prophets, nor apostles, nor Martyrs, nor Patriarchs, nor angels, nor Thrones, nor Lordships, nor seraphim, nor cherubim, nor any other creature, visible or invisible, can be found that is greater or more excellent than she. She is at once the hand-maid and the parent of God, at once virgin and mother.


Responsory

Who is this that cometh up like the sun? This, comely as Jerusalem? The daughters of Zion saw her, and called her blessed; the queens also, and they praised her. (Alleluia.)

V. And about her it was as the flower of roses in the spring of the year, and lilies of the valleys.
R. The daughters of Zion saw her and called her blessed; the queens also, and they praised her. (Alleluia.)


(The Roman Breviary, William Blackwood & Sons, Edinburgh & London, 1880).



Wood Engraving by H. Woods: 
Men, women and children praying at a shrine by the roadside during the 1873 cholera epidemic in Poland.


Friday, January 26, 2018

Prayers Before and After Praying

ENLARGE


BEFORE PRAYER:

O Lord, open Thou my mouth that I may bless Thy Holy Name. Cleanse my heart from all vain, evil an wandering thoughts; enlighten my understanding; kindle my affections, that I may pray to, and praise Thee with attention and devotion; and may worthily be heard before the presence of Thy Divine Majesty. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.
Lord, in union with that Divine Intention wherewith Thou didst Thyself praise God, while as Thou wast on earth, I offer these Hours unto Thee. 

MARY'S LITTLE OFFICE




AFTER PRAYER:

To the Most Holy and undivided Trinity, to the Manhood of our Lord Jesus Christ Crucified, to the fruitful Virginity of the most blessed and most glorious Mary, always a Virgin, and to the holiness of all the Saints be ascribed everlasting praise, honor, and glory, by all creatures, and to us be granted the forgiveness of all our sins, world without end. Amen.

V. Blessed be the womb of the Virgin Mary which bore the Son of the Eternal Father.
R. And blessed be the paps which gave suck to Christ our Lord.
Then are said the Lord's Prayer and the Angelic Salutation.

(The Roman Breviary, William Blackwood & Sons, Edinburgh & London, 1880).









Thursday, January 25, 2018

5. The Relations of the Divine Persons

Holy Mass at the Pentagon, 1955


Your relations are with God and your neighbor. Religion is the regulation of these. Charity is your highest activity, binding you to God and men.
Almighty, everlasting God, grant unto thy holy Church, we beseech thee, all that may be of profit to its prosperity, and spread of true religion, and the increase of piety and charity in the whole world. Amen.


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Our Lady of Littlemore

Our Lady of Littlemore

Welcomes all who enter our front door

John Henry Newman never revealed to the world the secret of his own conversion into the Catholic faith. Perhaps the answer can be found in this little book that he wrote while still an Anglican.

The words were set to music and became a popular hymn which is cherished by Protestants and Catholics alike. 






Use the Tools Below to Enlarge and Turn the Pages



HER STORY
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Tuesday, January 23, 2018

4. The Procession of The Divine Persons

Cleaning a Face, Puerto Rico - 1943
Your spiritual life is death unless it manifests itself by active charity and production of good. 

INDEX 

There is plurality in Him, as to the Persons. There is a most perfect Unity, and not a mere union of three infinities. The Persons exist together, and in one another, in the indivisible infinite Godhead. How marvelous is this revelation of the secret of existence of the Divinity! All the wisdom of the world cannot arrive at the discovery of it; but it is the inheritance and firm possession of those little ones who possess the divine gift of faith. 


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Monday, January 22, 2018

Our Lady in a Swiss Cemetery or Scatter Me Here



Sorrowful Mother Headstone, 
Rapperswil Catholic Cemetery

I put my trust forever,
O Mary, pure, in thee.
Then show thyself a mother,
And daily succour me.
And when death's hand shall touch me,
Thy pity I implore;
Oh, lead me, dearest Mother,
To God―for evermore!

Payers of an Irish Mother
Brian O'Higgins
38 Up. O'Connell Street, Dublin, 1934


                   ⬆︎  ⬆︎
Our Sorrowful Mother's Image was taken at this headstone, Rapperswil, Switzerland, 2015





Sunday, January 21, 2018

Radical Christianity

When Christianity is reduced to deism or moralism, we turn the Gospel into a faint echo of the surrounding culture. But today's readings propose something much more substantive than spiritual bromides or ethical directives. They suggest a new world breaking into the old. 
Mass Readings
Reading 1 - Jonah 3:1-5, 10
Psalm - Psalm 25:4-9
Reading 2 - 1 Corinthians 7:29-31
Gospel - Mark 1:14-20
More of  ðŸ”¥WORD ON FIRE🔥

Rainy Day in St. Moritz

We checked into the hotel room at St. Moritz a bit disappointed that it was a gloomy and rainy day - that is until I opened the window.

Saturday, January 20, 2018

3. Means of Honoring The Trinity

Parish Priest & Parishioner, Atchison, Kansas, 1955
There are various ways in which you may honor the Holy Trinity.

1. By correcting all habits of mortal sin which destroy the indwelling of God with you, and all venial sins which diminish the divine influence.

2. By invoking the Holy Trinity, and in particular by making the Sign of the Cross frequently and reverently.

Above all assist at the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, in which you can unite with the Adorable Victim in rendering to God an adequate adoration, and gratitude, and reparation for your sins.
 


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