Monday, August 20, 2018
Mary's Little Vespers
V. O Lady, make speed to befriend me.
R. From the hands of the enemy mightily defend me.
V. Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost.
R. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end.—Amen.
Alleluia.
Hymn
Hail, dial of Achaz,
On thee the true Sun
Told backward the course
Which from old he had run.
And that man might be rais'd.
Submitting to shame,
A little more low
Than the Angels became.
Thou, wrapt in the blaze
Of His infinite light,
Of His infinite light,
Dost shine as the morn
On the confines of night.
As the moon on the lost
Through obscurity dawns;
The serpent's destroyer;
A lily 'mid thorns.—Amen.
V. I made an unfailing light to arise in heaven.
R. And, as a mist, I overspread the whole earth.
V. O Lady, hear my prayer.
R. And let my cry come unto thee.
Let Us Pray.
Holy Mary, Queen of heaven, Mother of our Lord Jesus Christ, and Mistress of the world, who forsakest no one, and despisest no one; look upon me, O Lady, with an eye of pity, and entreat for me, of thy beloved Son, the forgiveness of all my sins; that as I now celebrate with devout affection thy holy and Immaculate Conception, so, hereafter, I may receive the prize of eternal blessedness, by the grace of Him whom thou, in virginity, didst bring forth, Jesus Christ our Lord; Who, with the Father and the Holy Ghost liveth and reigneth, in perfect Trinity, God, world without end.—Amen.
V. O Lady, hear my prayer.
R. And let my cry come unto thee.
V. Let us bless the Lord.
R. Thanks be to God.
V. May the souls of the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace.
Mother of Fair Love
Botticelli's Madonna - I remember being in complete awe the first time I saw this piece... Even now it amazes me.
O Mother of fair love! show me thy glory and fill me with admiration to thee - the most beautiful work of thy and my Creator. Replenish me with love to thee who didst give me Jesus - the fruit of the love of God, who still givest me Jesus, and teach me to know Him, to love Him, thus to gain His mercy. Look with pleasure upon the small tokens of my love and obtain by thy intercession for me a holy spirit that I may always honor thee and pray to thee in spirit and in truth. Amen.
The Month of Mary
19th century
Sunday, August 19, 2018
Mary's Little Vespers
V. O Lady, make speed to befriend me.
R. From the hands of the enemy mightily defend me.
V. Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost.
R. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end.—Amen.
Alleluia.
Hymn
Hail, dial of Achaz,
On thee the true Sun
Told backward the course
Which from old he had run.
And that man might be rais'd.
Submitting to shame,
A little more low
Than the Angels became.
Thou, wrapt in the blaze
Of His infinite light,
Of His infinite light,
Dost shine as the morn
On the confines of night.
As the moon on the lost
Through obscurity dawns;
The serpent's destroyer;
A lily 'mid thorns.—Amen.
V. I made an unfailing light to arise in heaven.
R. And, as a mist, I overspread the whole earth.
V. O Lady, hear my prayer.
R. And let my cry come unto thee.
Let Us Pray.
Holy Mary, Queen of heaven, Mother of our Lord Jesus Christ, and Mistress of the world, who forsakest no one, and despisest no one; look upon me, O Lady, with an eye of pity, and entreat for me, of thy beloved Son, the forgiveness of all my sins; that as I now celebrate with devout affection thy holy and Immaculate Conception, so, hereafter, I may receive the prize of eternal blessedness, by the grace of Him whom thou, in virginity, didst bring forth, Jesus Christ our Lord; Who, with the Father and the Holy Ghost liveth and reigneth, in perfect Trinity, God, world without end.—Amen.
V. O Lady, hear my prayer.
R. And let my cry come unto thee.
V. Let us bless the Lord.
R. Thanks be to God.
V. May the souls of the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace.
Today's Homily by Bishop Robert Barron
Details
Today's first reading personifies Wisdom as a woman who invites people to a feast, lavishly offering food and wine. In today's Psalm, we echo that invitation: "Taste and see the goodness of the Lord." But to join the banquet of the Lord, we need to turn away from other food. We spend our whole lives eating from troughs that never satisfy our hunger - wealth, power, pleasure, honor. But in John 6, which is today's Gospel, Jesus invites us to feed on himself, Wisdom incarnate, the only food that will ultimately fulfill our hunger.
Mass Readings
Sunday Story Time
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| An old photo from Lourdes, France - 1958 |
OUR LADY OF LOURDES
Mr. Clyde King, the steady sacristan at my parish here in northern California, approached me one day after Mass last year, asking if perhaps I could fill in for him for about ten days. He might be going out of town, though this was not yet assured . . . .
He was planning, or rather hoping, to go to Lourdes; he has been battling melanoma since 2009. He had had one surgery to remove a tumor from his left temple, and another one in late 2010 to remove three more tumors just beneath his jaw line . . . . For the moment, all the melanoma had been removed. Still, he put in an application to join an annual pilgrimage . . . .
He was put on the waiting list. He responded with equanimity, saying simply that Mary will decide who ends up going. Soon afterwards, the radiologist called and somberly informed him that a routine follow up PET scan revealed the presence of yet another and severe (stage 4 melanoma) tumor - this time in his chest, on the right side of his windpipe. Both surgery and treatment would be required.
With no knowledge of that dispiriting medical development, the pilgrimage organizers then notified him - approximately a week before the pilgrimage to Lourdes was set to begin - that a space had opened up.
While he was in Lourdes, his doctor - quite concerned about the results of yet another test taken just before he left - contacted his wife in order to set up a new appointment as soon as possible. He was set to return on a Wednesday. So without her husband's knowledge, she scheduled an appointment for Thursday. More tests were taken that day. The results came back the following Monday - and the doctor was utterly nonplussed to discover that all signs of the melanoma had disappeared. His regular oncologist would later tell him: "I don't believe in miracles, but in your case, I may have to rethink that." . . . That was about ten months ago - and every subsequent test has verified his cancer-free status.
The Magnificat - February, 2013 page 152
The Magnificat - February, 2013 page 152
Our Daily Prayers
To Begin Reading Our Lady of Lourdes
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Saturday, August 18, 2018
Mary's Little Vespers
V. O Lady, make speed to befriend me.
R. From the hands of the enemy mightily defend me.
V. Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost.
R. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end.—Amen.
Alleluia.
Hymn
Hail, dial of Achaz,
On thee the true Sun
Told backward the course
Which from old he had run.
And that man might be rais'd.
Submitting to shame,
A little more low
Than the Angels became.
Thou, wrapt in the blaze
Of His infinite light,
Of His infinite light,
Dost shine as the morn
On the confines of night.
As the moon on the lost
Through obscurity dawns;
The serpent's destroyer;
A lily 'mid thorns.—Amen.
V. I made an unfailing light to arise in heaven.
R. And, as a mist, I overspread the whole earth.
V. O Lady, hear my prayer.
R. And let my cry come unto thee.
Let Us Pray.
Holy Mary, Queen of heaven, Mother of our Lord Jesus Christ, and Mistress of the world, who forsakest no one, and despisest no one; look upon me, O Lady, with an eye of pity, and entreat for me, of thy beloved Son, the forgiveness of all my sins; that as I now celebrate with devout affection thy holy and Immaculate Conception, so, hereafter, I may receive the prize of eternal blessedness, by the grace of Him whom thou, in virginity, didst bring forth, Jesus Christ our Lord; Who, with the Father and the Holy Ghost liveth and reigneth, in perfect Trinity, God, world without end.—Amen.
V. O Lady, hear my prayer.
R. And let my cry come unto thee.
V. Let us bless the Lord.
R. Thanks be to God.
V. May the souls of the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace.
Visit Lourdes Live!
Immaculate Heart of Mary, pray for us!
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Gabriel Gargam - The Story
THE STORY OF GABRIEL GARGAM
The case of Gabriel Gargam is probably one of the best known of all the thousands of cures at Lourdes, partly because he was so well known at the Shrine for half a century, partly because it was a twofold healing, spiritual and physical. Born in 1870 of good Catholic parents, he gave early promise of being a clever student and a fervent Catholic. The promise was not fulfilled in the most important respect for, at 15 years of age, he had already lost his faith. He obtained a position in the postal service and was carrying out his duties as a sorter in December of 1899, when the train on which he was traveling from Bordeaux to Paris collided with another train, running at 50 miles per hour. Gargam was thrown fifty two feet from the train. He lay in the snow, badly injured and unconscious for seven hours. He was paralyzed from the waist down. He was barely alive when lifted onto a stretcher. Taken to a hospital, his existence for some time was a living death. After eight months he had wasted away to a mere skeleton, weighing but seventy-eight pounds, although normally a big man. His feet became gangrenous. He could take no solid food and was obliged to take nourishment by a tube. Only once in twenty-four hours could he be fed even that way. He brought suit for damages against the railroad. The Appellate Court confirmed the verdict of the former courts and granted him 6,000 francs annually, and besides, an indemnity of 60,000 francs.
Gargam's condition was pitiable in the extreme. He could not help himself even in the most trifling needs. Two trained nurses were needed day and night to assist him. That was Gabriel Gargam as he was after the accident, and as he would continue to be until death relieved him. About his desperate condition there could be no doubt. The railroad fought the case on every point. There was no room for deception or hearsay. Two courts attested to his condition, and the final payment of the railroad left the case a matter of record. Doctors testified that the man was a hopeless cripple for life, and their testimony was not disputed.
Previous to the accident Gargam had not been to Church for fifteen years. His aunt, who was a nun of the Order of the Sacred Heart, begged him to go to Lourdes. He refused. She continued her appeals to him to place himself in the hands of Our Lady of Lourdes. He was deaf to all her prayers. After continuous pleading of his mother he consented to go to Lourdes. It was now two years since the accident, and not for a moment had he left his bed all that time. He was carried on a stretcher to the train. The exertion caused him to faint, and for a full hour he was unconscious. They were on the point of abandoning the pilgrimage, as it looked as if he would die on the way, but the mother insisted, and the journey was made.
Arrived at Lourdes, he went to confession and received Holy Communion. There was no change in his condition. Later he was carried to the miraculous pool and tenderly placed in its waters – no effect. Rather a bad effect resulted, for the exertion threw him into a swoon and he lay apparently dead. After a time, as he did not revive, they thought him dead. Sorrowfully they wheeled the carriage back to the hotel. On the way back they saw the procession of the Blessed Sacrament approaching. They stood aside to let it pass, having placed a cloth over the face of the man whom they supposed to be dead.
As the priest passed carrying the Sacred Host, he pronounced Benediction over the sorrowful group around the covered body. Soon there was a movement from under the covering. To the amazement of the bystanders, the body raised itself to a sitting posture. While the family were looking on dumbfounded and the spectators gazed in amazement, Gargam said in a full, strong voice that he wanted to get up. They thought that it was a delirium before death, and tried to soothe him, but he was not to be restrained. He got up and stood erect, walked a few paces and said that he was cured. The multitude looked in wonder, and then fell on their knees and thanked God for this new sign of His power at the Shrine of His Blessed Mother. As Gargam had on him only invalid's clothes, he returned to the carriage and was wheeled back to the hotel. There he was soon dressed, and proceeded to walk about as if nothing had ever ailed him. For two years hardly any food had passed his lips but now he sat down to the table and ate a hearty meal.
On August 20th, 1901, sixty prominent doctors examined Gargam. Without stating the nature of the cure, they pronounced him entirely cured. Gargam, out of gratitude to God in the Holy Eucharist and His Blessed Mother, consecrated himself to the service of the invalids at Lourdes.
He set up a small business and married a pious lady who aided him in his apostolate for the greater knowledge of Mary Immaculate. For over fifty years he returned annually to Lourdes and worked as a brancardier. The Golden Jubilee of his cure was the occasion of a remarkable celebration during the French National Pilgrimage in 1951. Mr. Gargam sat in a chair in the Rosary Square, surrounded by 1,500 sick and 50,000 other pilgrims while a description of his twofold healing was given by the celebrated apologist, Canon Belleney. His last visit to the Shrine was in August 1952: he died the following March, at the age of eighty-three years.
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