6.27.2010

Our Lady of Perpetual Help ~ ~ June 27th

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Today Catholics honor Our Lady of Perpetual Help (Succour).  The original images of her are painted in the Byzantine style and illustrates our Blessed Mother of God holding her Divine Child, Jesus.  The Archangels Michael and Gabriel are presenting Jesus, Our Lord with the instruments of His Passion.  In Greek, are the names Mother of God, Jesus Christ, Archangel Michael, and Archangel Gabriel.
Prayer to Our Lady of Perpetual Help
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Mother of Perpetual Help, you have been blessed and favored by God.
You became not only the Mother of the Redeemer but the Mother of the redeemed as well.
We come to you today as your loving children.
Watch over us and take care of us.
As you held the child Jesus in your loving arms, so take us in your arms.
Be a mother ready at every moment to help us.
For God who is mighty has done great things for you, and His mercy is from age to age on those who love Him.
Our greatest fear is that in time of temptation, we may fail to call out to you, and become lost children. Intercede for us, dear Mother, in obtaining pardon for our sins, love for Jesus, final perseverance, and the grace always to call upon you, Mother of Perpetual Help

~ ~ From the Novena to Our Lady of Perpetual Help
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The Message of the Icon of Our Lady of Perpetual Help
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The child Jesus has just seen the angels who have shown him the instruments of his passion. St. Michael the Archangel holds the lance and gall-sop. St. Gabriel the Archangel holds the Cross and the nails. Frightened by the sight, Jesus has run to his mother’s arms so quickly that he almost lost one of His tiny sandals. It dangles from his foot. Mary holds Him lovingly but her eyes look at us - pleading with us to avoid sin and love Her Son.  His hands are in hers to show that, as a child, Jesus placed Himself in Mary’s hands for protection and to remind us that He now has placed into Her hands all graces, to be given to those who turn to His mother and ask.  The star on Mary’s veil shows her to be the one who brought the light of Christ to the darkened world - the beacon that leads the way to Heaven.  The falling sandal symbolizes a soul clinging to Christ by one last thread--devotion to Mary.  The golden background is symbolic of Heaven and shines to show the heavenly joy Jesus and His mother can bring to tired human hearts.
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Front of Our Lady of Perpetual Help Church in Scottsdale, Arizona

When I lived in Scottsdale, Arizona in the late '80s, I was so fortunate to be able to send my daughter to Kindergarten at this wonderful Catholic school.  She had the most incredible education with a Catholic foundation.  Sadly, I could not send her to OLPH after her first year enrolled as my husband left me and abandoned my two children.  Without the funds and far too much pride to take charity from the Church, my daughter left the halls of OLPH to attend first grade in public school where both of my children completed their pre-university years.  Both my daughter and I were heart-broken over the move to a different school, but the Lord and Our Lady continued to help and take care of us and her little brother. We never once felt alone or abandoned.  We always felt safe and protected and watched over.  I feel the same today!  Our beautiful Catholic faith, the Holy Trinity, the Blessed Mother, and all of the angels and saints were (and are) with us each and every day that we were a broken family.  The Lord sent me a most loving man who raised my children as if they were his own.  Never lose the faith my friends!


Prayer to Our Lady of Perpetual Help

O Mother of Perpetual Help,
grant that I may ever invoke thy most powerful name,
which is the safeguard of the living and the salvation of the dying.
O Purest Mary, O Sweetest Mary, let thy name henceforth be ever on my lips.
Delay not, O Blessed Lady, to help me whenever I call on thee,
for, in all my needs, in all my temptations I shall never cease to call on thee,
ever repeating thy sacred name, Mary, Mary.

O what consolation, what sweetness,
what confidence, what emotion fill my soul
when I pronounce thy sacred name, or even only think of thee.
I thank God for having given thee, for my good,
so sweet, so powerful, so lovely a name.
But I will not be content with merely pronouncing thy name:
let my love for thee prompt me ever to hail thee,
Mother of Perpetual Help.

Amen.

6.11.2010

The Feast and Devotion To The Sacred Heart of Jesus

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The Feast of the Sacred Heart falls nineteen (19) days after Pentecost Sunday, and is usually celebrated in June, thus the reason to Catholics, the month of June is celebrated as the Month of the Sacred Heart.  Catholics are asked to pray to the Sacred Heart daily during June.


Sacred Heart of Jesus

Where your treasure lies there will you find your heart.
O most Sacred Heart of Jesus,
in your wounds I find my consolation,
in your pierced heart I find a companion for my sorrows.
O most Sacred Heart of Jesus,
in your heart's joy I find my contentment,
in your purity I find my hope.
O most Sacred Heart of Jesus,
in the radiant light streaming from your heart my blindness disappears,
in your fiery love I am ablaze with awe.
O most Sacred Heart of Jesus,
in your humiliation I can bear scorn from others,
in your longings I am fulfilled.
O most Sacred Heart of Jesus,
in the blood and water which gushed forth from your lanced heart I am reborn in you, 
you refresh my very being.
Forever beating in the love of the Holy Trinity is found your human heart,
authoring life and radiating eternal affection.
Would that I could find God's treasure,
it would be found in a humble and contrite heart.
You by your divinity know all things divine and
by your humanity you feel all things human.
By the mystery of your Sacred Heart,
you have united man to yourself forever.
Hold back nothing from me that could draw me
more completely into the deepest recesses of your heart.
Whether peace or distress, bliss or grief,
I accept all as an invitation to know you and love you more profoundly.
O Lord perfect me in your love, confirm me in your grace
and take delight in the richness of my surrender.
Where your treasure lies there will you find my heart.

Amen
Blessings!

6.10.2010

Catholics Support All Human Life and Dignity!


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Greetings again for this day!

Please consider looking into the following web-site which supports all aspects of human life from conception to death. Why? This is what our Catholic faith believes!!!

Here is the link for you:

Blessings!

A Catholic Lifetime Reading Plan

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Have you ever wondered where to begin to discover some of the BEST Catholic references and/or books to learn more about Our Beautiful Catholic Faith? I know that I sure have!

 There is SO MUCH that I did not learn from my Catholic school teachings, from my CCD classes when I was in public schools, and even from my parents. I am a self-educating Catholic from simply the constant reading of literature that is approved by the Holy Roman Catholic Church. Today I discovered this list from a conservative Catholic web-site linked to the Cardinal Newman Society that supports true Catholic education. I can't wait to start reading this list . . . and as the title states, it will take a LIFETIME! Why? The Holy Roman Catholic Church is rich in its treasures and beauty and it will take a lifetime and MORE, to discover Her treasures!

Here is the link for you too:

A Catholic Lifetime Reading Plan




Blessings!

6.06.2010

Invocation To The Sacred Heart of Jesus

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Holy Card image above posted with permission from Holy Cards For Your Inspiration

Another wonderful short prayer that Catholics should pray often during their day is this little prayer that follows which was written back in the 17th century by St. Margaret Mary Alocoque whose visions of Jesus were the inspiration for the Feast of the Sacred Heart.

Invocation to the Sacred Heart

O Heart of love, 
I put all my trust in Thee; 
for I fear all things from my own weakness, 
but I hope for all things from Thy goodness. 

Amen.

Blessings!!

6.05.2010

Prayer For the Help of The Sacred Heart

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Another powerful prayer that Catholics can recite is the following prayer in which we request the help of the Sacred Heart, more specifically we ask our Lord to remove any and all of our human shortcomings and failures that prevent us from living a full Catholic Christina life.


For the Help of the Sacred Heart

Take away, O my Jesus, 
the blindness of my heart, that I may know Thee; 
take away the hardness of my heart, that I may fear Thee; 
take away the coldness of my heart, 
that I may resist everything that is contrary to Thy will; 
take away its heavy, earthly sluggishness and selfishness, 
that I may be capable of heroic sacrifice for Thy glory, 
and for the souls whom Thou has redeemed 
with Thy own most precious blood. 

Amen.


Blessings!

6.04.2010

The Memorare to The Sacred Heart

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Yet again is another beautiful Catholic prayer that we know as a "memorare" in which we ask our Lord to recall or remember something.  In this Memorare to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, we ask Him to look not at our sins but to hear our request for a special favor.


Memorare to the Sacred Heart

Remember, O most sweet Jesus, 
that no one who has had recourse to Thy Sacred Heart, 
implored its help, or sought its mercy was ever abandoned. 
Encouraged with confidence, O tenderest of hearts, 
we present ourselves before Thee, 
crushed beneath the weight of our sins. 
In our misery, O Sacred Heart of Jesus, 
despise not our simple prayers, 
but mercifully grant our requests. 

Amen.
Blessings!

6.03.2010

Prayer to The Sacred Heart

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Holy Card reprinted with loving permission from 'Holy Cards for Your Inspiration' blog (see sidebar)
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Here is another beautiful prayer to The Sacred Heart of Jesus written by St. Gertrude the Great, who was a Benedictine nun and mystic (1256-1302).  In this we ask Jesus to conform our hearts and will to His Heart and Will.
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Prayer to the Sacred Heart

Hail!   O Sacred Heart of Jesus, 
living and quickening source of eternal life, 
infinite treasure of the Divinity, 
and burning furnace of divine love. 
Thou art my refuge and my sanctuary, O my amiable Savior. 
Consume my heart with that burning fire with which Thine is ever inflamed. 
Pour down on my soul those graces which flow from Thy love, 
and let my heart be so united with Thine, that our wills may be one, 
and mine in all things, be conformed to Thine. 
May Thy divine will be equally the standard 
and rule of all my desires and of all my actions. 

Amen.

Blessings!

6.02.2010

More June Prayers for Devotion to The Sacred Heart of Jesus

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Here is another little prayer that is easy to put to memory in order to pray several times a day, especially whenever we come across and/or see a picture or statue of our Lord's Sacred Heart.
Aspiration to the Sacred Heart

May the Sacred Heart of Jesus be loved in every place.
Blessings!

6.01.2010

JUNE! The Month Catholics Pray To The Sacred Heart of Jesus

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Catholics pray during each day of June various prayers to our Lord's Sacred Heart.  Here is a very simple prayer that can be memorized in order to be recited frequently throughout the day.
Sweet Heart of Jesus

Sweet Heart of my Jesus, grant that I may ever love Thee more.


Our Lord told us to pray without ceasing and constantly.  This is one way we can keep our thoughts ever-present on Him!
Blessings!