J.M.J.
From Pope John Paul II, Homily during Mass, Washington, D.C., October 1979
To maintain a joyful family requires much from both the parents and the children. Each member of the family has to become, in a special way, the servant of the others and share their burdens.
J.M.J.
From the Didache ("The Teaching of the Twelve Apostles"), circa early Second Century:
Celebrate the Eucharist
as follows: Say over the cup: “we give You thanks, Father, for the holy vine of
David, Your servant, which You made known to us through Jesus Your Servant. To
You be glory for ever”.
Over
the broken bread say: “we give You thanks, Father, for the life and the
knowledge which You have revealed to us through Jesus Your Servant. To You be
glory for ever. As this broken bread scattered on the mountains was gathered
and became one, so too, may your Church be gathered together from the ends of
the earth into Your kingdom. For glory and power are Yours through Jesus Christ
for ever.”
Do not let anyone eat
or drink of Your Eucharist except those who have been baptized in the Name of
the Lord. For the statement of the Lord applies here also: Do not give to dogs
what is holy.
When
you finish the meal, offer thanks in this manner:
“We
thank You, holy Father, for Your Name Which You enshrined in our hearts. We
thank You for the knowledge and faith and immortality which You revealed to us
through Your Servant Jesus. To You be glory for ever.
“Almighty Ruler, You
created all things for the sake of Your Name; You gave men food and drink to
enjoy so that they might give You thanks. Now You have favored us through Jesus
Your Servant with spiritual Food and Drink as well as with Eternal Life. Above
all we thank You because You are mighty. To You be glory for ever.
“Remember,
Lord, Your Church and deliver her from all evil. Perfect her in Your love; and,
once she has been sanctified, gather her together from the four winds into the
kingdom which You have prepared for her. For power and glory are Yours for
ever.
“May
grace come and this world pass away! Hosanna to the God of David. If anyone is
holy, let him come. If anyone is not, let him repent. Maranatha. Amen.”
On the Lord’s day, when
you have been gathered together, break bread and celebrate the Eucharist. But
first confess your sins so that your offering may be pure. If anyone has a
quarrel with his neighbor, that person should not join you until he has been
reconciled. Your sacrifice must not be defiled. In this regard, the Lord has
said: In every place and time offer Me
a pure sacrifice. I am a great king, says the Lord, and My Name is great among
the nations. [Malachi 1:11]
J.M.J.
Welcome, Parents of the Newly Baptized!
How vital that you
provide your Child with spiritual nourishment.
The best thing that
Catholic Parents can do is to go to Mass each Sunday and Holy Day of Obligation
and go to Confession often.
By consenting to
Baptism for your Child, you are promising to practice your Faith.
Please call upon
your Pastor for his assistance. He will be pleased to see you every Sunday.
J.M.J.
Plea for Purity
“O Lord, our Lord, how majestic is Your Name in all the earth!”
Heavenly Father, I am Your son (daughter).
Help me to treasure my body and those of all persons.
Keep me from that which leads to impurity in
thought, word, desire and deed.
Plant within me the intention to embrace only
what glorifies You. I accept Mary
as my Mother and Queen so that I
may please our Lord Jesus Christ, Your Son,
Who lives and reigns with You
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever.
Amen.
(for private use)
Various Popes made consecrations to Mary from 1942 through 1984.
October 31, 1942:
Pope Pius XII consecrates the Church and the human race to the Immaculate Heart
of Mary during the Silver Jubilee of Our Lady’s Apparitions at Fatima and of
the Episcopal Consecration of the same Pontiff. We shall say much more about
this later.
December 8, 1942:
Pope Pius XII substantially repeats the Consecration to the Immaculate Heart of
Mary, this time in the Italian language, in Saint Peter’s Basilica on the Feast
of the Immaculate Conception.
July 7, 1952:
Pope Pius XII, on the Feast of Saints Cyril and Methodius, consecrates the
Russian people to the Immaculate Heart of Mary by way of his Apostolic Letter, Carissimis
Russiae Populis, with which he stated: “ . . . therefore,
just as not many years ago We consecrated the entire world to the Immaculate
Heart of the Virgin Mother of God, in a most special way, so now We dedicate and
consecrate all the peoples of Russia to that same Immaculate Heart, . . . .”[1]
November 21, 1964:
Pope Paul VI, on the Feast of the Presentation of the Most Holy Mary in the
Temple, alone consecrates Russia to the Immaculate Heart of Mary, albeit in the
presence of the Fathers of the Second Vatican Ecumenical Council in Saint
Peter’s Basilica as the third session concludes. The Pontiff referred to the
Consecration of 1942 made by Pope Pius XII and then said: “O Virgin Mother of
God, most august Mother of the Church, We commend the whole Church and the
Ecumenical Council to you. ( . . . ) O Virgin Mother of God, we commend the
entire human race to your Immaculate Heart.”[2]
This Consecration is joined to the proclamation of Mary as the Mater Ecclesiae.[3]
June 7, 1981:
Pope John Paul II, on the Solemnity of Pentecost, directs that a recording of
the Act of Entrustment of the world, with a veiled reference to Russia, to the
Immaculate Heart of Mary that he authored in gratitude for the preservation of
life after the assassination attempt of approximately three weeks earlier, be
broadcast in the Basilica of Saint Mary Major, Rome. This is also 1,600th
Anniversary of the First Council of Constantinople (381), which reaffirmed the
divinity of the Third Person of the Most Blessed Trinity, and the 1,550th
Anniversary of the Council of Ephesus (431), which declared Our Lady to be the Theotokos.[4]
May 13, 1982:
Pope John Paul II invites the Bishops of the world to join him in consecrating
the world and with it Russia to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. Many Bishops do
not receive the invitation in time for the Pope's trip to Fatima, where he accomplishes
the Papal Consecration. The Holy Father traveled to Fatima to celebrate Mass on
the first anniversary of the assassination attempt and the sixth-five
anniversary of the first Fatima appearance of Our Lady. “To prepare for the
consecration, Cardinal Agostino Casaroli, then Vatican Secretary of State, had
sent a letter (dated April 19, 1982) to the world’s bishops informing them of the Holy Father’s
intention to renew ‘in spiritual union with all the bishops of the world’ the
consecration of the world by Pius XII to the Immaculate Heart of Mary.”[5]
At the conclusion of the Mass, Pope John Paul II made the Act of Consecration.
Later, Sister Lucia, in praiseworthy consistency, states that the Papal
Consecration of 1982 did not fulfill the required conditions, which are that
the Bishops of the world need to join the Pope in the Act of Consecration,
thereby making it clearly a collegial act, and the country of Russia is to be
the specific object of the Papal Consecration.[6]
October 29, 1983:
Pope John Paul II, during the closing Mass of the VI Ordinary General Assembly
of the Synod of Bishops ("Penance
and Reconciliation in the Mission of the Church"), renews the 1982 Act of Consecration using the same text.
Near Cardinals and Bishops present from around the world, the Holy Father
repeated the Act of Consecration of the World to the Mother of God that he made
at the Shrine of Fatima seventeen months earlier.[7]
March 25, 1984:
Pope John Paul II, “united with all the pastors of the Church in a
particular bond whereby we constitute a body and a college,” consecrates to
the Immaculate Heart of Mary “the whole world,
especially the peoples for which by reason of their situation you have
particular love and solicitude.” The Holy Father, aware that many
Bishops had not joined in during the 1982 Consecration, had decided to do it
anew. The Pontiff sent a letter, dated December 8, 1983, to the Bishops of the
world (including some Orthodox Bishops), inviting them to join him in the Act
of Consecration. The Pontiff did not specifically mention Russia out loud.
Though doubts persist to this day about the validity of the 1984 Papal
Consecration, it is recorded that Sister Lucia indicated several times that it
had been carried out in accord with Our Lady’s wishes.[8]
Sister Lucia informed the Papal Nuncio to Portugal that the Consecration had
been fulfilled.[9]
[1] http://w2.vatican.va/content/pius-xii/la/apost_letters/documents/hf_p-xii_apl_19520707_sacro-vergente-anno.html. This Apostolic
Letter is also known as Sacro Vergente
Anno.
[2] Pope Paul VI, “Allocution
on the Promulgation of the Conciliar Constitution De Ecclesia and of the Decrees on Oriental Churches and on
Ecumenism” http://w2.vatican.va/content/paul-vi/la/speeches/1964/documents/hf_p-vi_spe_19641121_conclusions-iii-sessions.html.
[3] For a short
treatment of the background before the 1964 Consecration, cf. Arthur Burton
Calkins, Totus Tuus: John Paul II’s
Program of Marian Consecration and Entrustment (Libertyville, Illinois: Academy
of the Immaculate, 1992), 107-108.
[4] Cf. Apostoli,
190.
[5] Rev. Dwight P.
Campbell, The Historical Development
& Theological Foundations of
Devotion to the Immaculate Heart of Mary in Relation to the Sacred Heart of
Jesus (Dayton, Ohio: Marian Library/International Marian Research
Institute, 2009), 420-421.
[6] Cf. Campbell,
423-424.
[7]
http://www.ewtn.com/library/papaldoc/consecra.htm#JP2b.
[8] Cf. Apostoli,
196-199.
[9] Cf. Father
Antonio Maria Martins, S.J., Documents on
Fatima & the Memoirs of Sister Lucia,
with a Pictorial Documentary and
Historical Update by Father Robert J. Fox (Alexandria, South Dakota: Fatima
Family Apostolate, 2002), 13.
J.M.J.
Happy Feast Day of Our Lady of Czestochowa tomorrow.
When Karol Cardinal Wojtyla, in 1969 and 1976, visited The National Shrine of Our Lady of Czestochowa in Doylestown, Pennsylvania:
https://czestochowa.us/john-paul-ii/cardinal-karol-wojtyla-at-american-czestochowa/
V. Our Lady of Czestochowa.
R. Pray for us.
J.M.J.
The kindness of Saint Rita of Cascia (1381-1457) is powerful indeed:
https://aleteia.org/2020/05/22/how-st-rita-miraculously-saved-a-girl-from-a-plague/
J.M.J.
Saint Pius X (1903-1914), lover of Jesus and Mary, was an astounding Pope, Bishop, Priest and Catholic. As a parish priest, he went out of his was way to serve the ill and the dying:
https://aleteia.org/2020/08/21/during-an-epidemic-st-pius-x-treated-the-sick-and-buried-the-dead/
J.M.J.
From The Glories of Mary by Saint Alphonsus Mary Liguori, CHAPTER II, Vita, Dulcedo, OUR LIFE, OUR SWEETNESS. I. MARY, OUR LIFE, OUR SWEETNESS.
II. Mary is also our Life, because she obtains for us Perseverance.
The history of St. Mary of Egypt, in the first book of the lives of the Fathers, is well known. At the age of twelve years she fled from the house of her parents, went to Alexandria, where she led an infamous life, and was a scandal to the whole city. After living for sixteen years in sin, she took it into her head to go to Jerusalem. At the time the Feast of the Holy Cross was being celebrated, and, moved rather by curiosity than by devotion, she determined on entering the church; but when at the door, she felt herself repelled by an invisible force. She made a second attempt, and was again unable to enter; and the same thing was repeated a third and a fourth time. Finding her efforts in vain, the unfortunate creature withdrew to a corner of the porch, and there, enlightened from above, understood that it was on account of her infamous life that God had repelled her even from the church. In that moment she fortunately raised her eyes and beheld a picture of Mary. No sooner did she perceive it, than, sobbing, she exclaimed, "O Mother of God, pity a poor sinner! I know that on account of my sins I deserve not that thou shouldst cast thine eyes upon me. But thou art the refuge of sinners; for the love of thy Son Jesus, help me. Permit me to enter the church, and I promise to change my life, to go and do penance in whatever place thou pointest out to me." She immediately heard an internal voice, as it were that of the Blessed Virgin, replying: "Since thou has recourse to me, and wishest to change thy life, go—enter the church, it is no longer closed against thee." The sinner entered, adored the cross, and wept bitterly. She then returned to the picture, and said, "Lady, behold I am ready. Where wilt thou that I should go to do penance?" "Go," the Blessed Virgin replied, "cross the Jordan, and thou wilt find the place of thy repose." She went to Confession and Communion, and then passed the river, and finding herself in the desert, she understood that it was in that place she should do penance for her sinful life. During the first seventeen years the assaults of the devil, by which he endeavored to make the saint again fall into sin, were terrible. And what were her means of defense? She constantly recommended herself to Mary, and this most Blessed Virgin obtained for her strength to resist during the whole of this time, after which her combats ceased. After fifty-seven years spent in the desert, and having attained the age of eighty-seven years she was by a disposition of Providence met by the Abbot Zosimus; to him she related the history of her life, and entreated him to return the following year, and to bring her the Holy Communion. The saintly Abbot did so, and gave her the Bread of Angels. She then requested that he would again return to see her. This also he did, but he found her dead. Her body was encompassed by a bright light, and at her head these words were written, "Bury my body here—it is that of a poor sinner, and intercede with God for me." A lion came and made a grave with his claws. St. Zosimus buried her, returned to his monastery, and related the wonders of God's mercy towards this happy sinner.
Prayer
O compassionate Mother, most sacred Virgin, behold at thy feet the traitor, who, by paying with ingratitude the graces received from God through thy means, has betrayed both thee and Him. But I must tell thee, O most blessed Lady, that my misery, far from taking away my confidence, increases it; for I see that thy compassion is great in proportion to the greatness of my misery. Show thyself, O Mary, full of liberality towards me: for thus thou art towards all who invoke thy aid. All that I ask is that thou shouldst cast thine eyes of compassion on me, and pity me. If thy Heart is thus far moved, it cannot do otherwise than protect me: and if thou protectest me, what can I fear? No, I fear nothing; I do not fear my sins, for thou canst provide a remedy; I do not fear devils, for thou art more powerful than the whole of Hell; I do not even fear thy Son, though justly irritated against me, for at a word of thine He will be appeased. I only fear lest, in my temptations, and by my own fault, I may cease to recommend myself to thee, and thus be lost. But I now promise thee that I will always have recourse to thee; O, help me to fulfill my promise. Lose not the opportunity which now presents itself of gratifying thy ardent desire to succor such poor wretches as myself. In thee, O Mother of God, I have unbounded confidence. From thee I hope for grace to bewail my sins as I ought, and from thee I hope for strength never again to fall into them. If I am sick, thou, O heavenly physician, canst heal me. If my sins have weakened me, thy help will strengthen me. O Mary, I hope all from thee; for thou art all-powerful with God. Amen.
J.M.J
From The Glories of Mary by Saint Alphonsus Mary Liguori, CHAPTER II, Vita, Dulcedo, OUR LIFE, OUR SWEETNESS. I. MARY, OUR LIFE, OUR SWEETNESS.
Mary is our life, because she obtains for us the Pardon of our Sins.
Father Bovio (Es. E. Mir. p. 1, es. 2) relates that there was a wicked woman, named Ellen, who entered a church, and by chance heard a sermon on the Rosary. On leaving the church she purchased a set of beads, but wore them concealed, as she did not wish it to be known that she had them. She began to recite them, and though she did so without devotion, our most Blessed Lady poured such sweetness and consolation into her soul during the whole time, that she could not cease repeating the Hail Marys. At last she was filled with such a horror for her wicked life, that she could no longer find repose, and was obliged to go to confession. She accomplished this duty with such contrition that the priest was filled with astonishment. After her confession, she went to the foot of an altar of the most Blessed Virgin, and there, as a thanksgiving to her advocate, said the Rosary. The divine mother then addressed her from the image in the following words: "Ellen, thou has already too much offended God and me; from this moment change your life, and I will bestow a large share of my graces upon thee." The poor sinner, in the deepest confusion, replied: "Ah! most Holy Virgin, it is true that hitherto I have been a wicked sinner; but thou canst do all, help me; on my part I abandon myself to thee, and will spend the remainder of my life in doing penance for my sins." With the assistance of Mary, she distributed all her goods among the poor, and began a life of rigorous mortification. She was tormented with dreadful temptations, but constantly recommended herself to the Mother of God, and thus was always victorious. She was favored with many extraordinary graces, with visions, revelations, and even the gift of prophecy. Finally, before her death, which was announced to her by Mary some days before it took place, the most Blessed Virgin came herself, with her divine Son, to visit her; and when she expired, her soul was seen flying towards heaven in the form of a beautiful dove.
Prayer
Behold, O Mother of my God, my only hope, Mary, behold at thy feet a miserable sinner, who asks thee for mercy. Thou art proclaimed and called by the whole Church, and by all the faithful, the refuge of sinners. Thou art consequently my refuge; thou hast to save me. I will say with William of Paris, Thou knowest, most sweet Mother of God, how much thy Blessed Son desires our salvation ("Tu . . . enim, dulcissima Dei Mater, nosti quantum placeat benedicto Filio tuo salus nostra"—Rhèt. Div. c. 18). Thou knowest all that Jesus Christ endured for this end. I present thee, O my Mother, the sufferings of Jesus: the cold that He endured in the stable, His journey into Egypt, His toils, His sweat, the Blood that He shed, the anguish which caused His Death on the Cross, and of which thou wast thyself a witness. O, show that thou lovest thy beloved Son, and by this love I implore thee to assist me. Extend thy hand to a poor creature who has fallen, and asks thy help. Were I a saint, I would not need seek thy mercy: but because I am a sinner, I fly to thee, who art the Mother of Mercies. I know that thy compassionate heart finds its consolation in assisting the miserable, when thou canst do so, and dost not find them obstinate. Console, then, thy compassionate Heart, and console me this day; for now thou hast the opportunity of saving a poor creature condemned to Hell; and thou canst do so, for I will not be obstinate. I abandon myself into thy hands, only tell me what thou wouldst have me do, and obtain for me strength to execute it, for I am resolved to do all that depends on me to recover the divine grace. I take refuge under thy mantle. Jesus wills that I should have recourse to thee, in order not only that His Blood may save me, but also that thy prayers may assist me in this great work; for thy glory, and for His own, since thou art his Mother. He sends me to thee, that thou mayst help me. O Mary, see, I have recourse to thee; in thee do I confide. Thou prayest for so many others, pray also for me; say only a word. Tell our Lord that thou willest my salvation, and God will certainly save me. Say that I am thine, and then I have obtained all that I ask, all that I desire.
J.M.J.
Dear Friends of Jesus Christ,
"You are the Christ, the Son of the living God."
This is how Simon Peter proclaimed the Lordship of his Master, Jesus Christ.
When Jesus asks you and me to proclaim Who He is, how do we reply?
+We pray for the sick, including Michael Grove, Father Jonathan Venner, Father Dana Christensen, Kathy Engerbrecht and Father Antonio Ramos.
+Thank you to Nicole Fuhrer and the Catholic Community Foundation for Eastern South Dakota for assisting one of our parishioners via the COVID-19 Relief Fund.
"What is Your Question?"
by Father Ben Miriam
Q. What language did Jesus speak?
A. Most scholars think that Our Lord spoke Aramaic and that He knew Hebrew, too. As God, He could have spoken whatever language was necessary.
J.M.J.
An excerpt from "Eschatology and the Church in the Light of the Assumption" by the Reverend Paul E. Duggan in Marian Studies, Volume 56 [2005], 155:
Since Mary is the Mother of all believers, the Assumption teaches us that we, like her, are not destined for the deep pit of death and despair, but rather for the glory of Heaven's everlasting life. In Mary we are able to see what God intends and is doing for all of us.
J.M.J.
From Mary's Bodily Assumption by Matthew Levering (Notre Dame, Indiana: University of Notre Dame Press, 2015), page 136
The doctrine of Mary's Assumption teaches that Mary, continuing her holy and unique participation in the mysteries of her Son, shares uniquely in Christ's victorious suffering and thus also uniquely in Christ's Resurrection.
J.M.J.
May God reward Dr. Stackpole for his research and excellent article.
https://www.thedivinemercy.org/articles/case-assumption-mary
J.M.J.
"And then if Holy Mary is so united to God because, precisely, she is the Immaculate One and the Mother of Jesus and assumed into Heaven in body and soul, it is clear that in God she will begin to see each of us such as God does. And then this leads us to turn to her with a special trust in everything."
The Reverend Gian Matteo Roggio, M.S., S.T.D. (1967- )
J.M.J.
Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary
Pope Francis
Before the Recitation of the Angelus
Saint Peter's Square
12:00 Noon
Saturday, August 15, 2020
When man set foot on the moon, he said a phrase that became famous: “That’s one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind”. In essence, humanity had reached a historical goal. But today, in Mary’s Assumption into Heaven, we celebrate an infinitely greater conquest. The Madonna has set foot in paradise: she went there not only in spirit, but with her body as well, with all of herself. This step of the lowly Virgin of Nazareth was the huge leap forward for humanity. Going to the moon serves us little if we do not live as brothers and sisters on Earth. But that one of us dwells in the flesh in Heaven gives us hope: we understand that we are precious, destined to rise again. God does not allow our bodies to vanish into nothing. With God, nothing is lost! In Mary, the goal has been reached and we have before our eyes the reasons why we journey: not to gain the things here below, which vanish, but to achieve the homeland above, which is forever. And Our Lady is the star that guides us. She went there first. She, as the Council teaches, shines “as a sign of sure hope and solace to the People of God during its sojourn on earth” (Lumen gentium, 68).
What does our Mother advise us? Today in the Gospel the first thing she says is: “My soul magnifies the Lord” (Lk 1:46). We, accustomed to hearing these words, perhaps we no longer pay attention to their meaning. To “magnify” literally means “to make great”, to enlarge. Mary “aggrandises the Lord”: not problems, which she did not lack at the time, but the Lord. How often, instead, we let ourselves be overwhelmed by difficulties and absorbed by fears! Our Lady does not, because she puts God as the first greatness of life. From here the Magnificat springs forth, from here joy is born: not from the absence of problems, which come sooner or later, but joy is born from the presence of God Who helps us, Who is near us. Because God is great. And, above all, God looks on the lowly ones. We are His weakness of love: God looks on and loves the lowly.
Mary, in fact, acknowledges that she is small and exalts the “great things” (v. 49) the Lord has done for her. What are they? First and foremost, the unexpected gift of life: Mary is a virgin yet she becomes pregnant; and Elizabeth, too, who was elderly, is expecting a child. The Lord works wonders with those who are lowly, with those who do not believe that they are great but who give ample space to God in their life. He enlarges His mercy to those who trust in Him, and raises up the humble. Mary praises God for this.
And we - we might ask ourselves - do we remember to praise God? Do we thank Him for the great things He does for us? For every day that He gives us, because He always loves us and forgives us, for His tenderness? In addition, for having given us His Mother, for the brothers and sisters He puts on our path, and because He opened Heaven to us? Do we thank God, praise God for these things? If we forget the good, our hearts shrink. But if, like Mary, we remember the great things that the Lord does, if at least once a day we were to “magnify” Him, then we would take a great step forward. One time during the day to say: “I praise the Lord”, to say, “Blessed be the Lord”, which is a short prayer of praise. This is praising God. With this short prayer, our hearts will expand, joy will increase. Let us ask Our Lady, the Gate of Heaven, for the grace to begin each day by raising our eyes to Heaven, toward God, to say to Him: "Thank you!” as the lowly ones say to the great ones. “Thank you”.
