Our Lady's Tears

Weep the little children

2011-07-22T20:36:00.002-05:00

Deo Gratias!

2011-06-06T14:17:00.003-05:00

I would like to offer my most heartfelt thanks to God for a great and very generous grace GRANTED to my family today. Trust in the Lord - He will NEVER let you down. Ask anything in the Father's name and it will be granted! Amen!

BEST musical Te Deum ever by Charpentier (our wedding processional)

Te Deum Laudemus!

What we have lost IV - The chapel veil

2011-05-01T20:01:00.004-05:00

No, I am not a stuffy ultra conservative type. Actually I prefer the Novus Ordo mass Ad Orientem with chant as the only music. Actually the Church has stated officially that the organ is the preferred instrument, chant is the preferred liturgical accompaniment and Latin is the be given pride of place.

I am not actually interested in my own preferences and opinions but rather I STRIVE to care about God's opinion. Therefore we ought to set aside our petty opinions to which was are so attached and study what God reveals to us through His Holy Catholic Church.

But I digress....we have thrown away and simply cast off so much of the beauty, formality of the Mass and along with it reverence and piety. Hot on the heels of this we've lost belief in the Truths of our Catholic Faith. The way I see it - we restore the Mass we restore belief.

Sacred Scripture presents several reasons for wearing the chapel veil. St. Paul tells us in his first letter to the Corinthians (11:1-16) that Christian women must cover their heads because it is a Sacred Tradition commanded by our Lord Himself and entrusted to Paul: "The things I am writing to you are the Lord's commandments" (1 Cor. 14:37). "That is why a woman ought to have a veil on her head, because of the angels" wrote St. Paul (1 Cor. 11:10).

A veil or head covering, is both a symbol and a mystical sacrifice that invites the woman wearing it to ascend the ladder of sanctity. When a woman covers her head in the Catholic Church it symbolizes her dignity and humility before God. It should not surprise us why so many modern women have so easily abandoned the tradition of the chapel veil (head covering) when the greatest meaning of the veil is modesty. It is purely an anti-Catholic culture that frowns on modesty.

What we have lost III - the Catafalque and my inherent sarcasm

2011-04-21T15:10:00.004-05:00

Yes its been months since I've posted. Yes, the feast of Our Lady's Sorrows and most of Lent has gone by and I've not posted, not once. Yes well...I'm busy and stressed and not feeling very virtuous, or talkative, or social or....well you get the picture. Quite frankly I don't feel I have a single thing to say of any value whatsoever. Shortly this will become glaringly obvious...

And no I'm not having a "dark night" I find it irritating when folks jump to the "oh, you're having a dark night" experience. Are you kidding me? The dark night of the soul of which SAINT John of the Cross speaks about is for SAINTS, people very advanced in the spiritual life. That is not me. Not even close. This is not what people like me go through. No...I'm afraid this is quite mundane, more like the Dark Knight maybe but not THE dark night.

Nope, I'm in the desert eating the liturgical sand along with everyone else. Nope, no oasis IN SIGHT

Anyway...one of the many things of which I mourn the loss of in the Happy Clappy MODERNE Catholic church in which I exist is any sort of clear thinking about death. Yes death. That's what I said. We ought to think alot about death. It is the most important moment of our lives. The state in which we die in determines WHERE we spend ALL ETERNITY. We have a serious disrespect and disconnect from death.

I do not dwell on death but I do not feel disconnected to it. Perhaps this is the result of having experienced the death of my sister in a car accident when we were children. I grew up with death, under the spectre of death. Death came to live in our house. No, I'm not feeling sorry for myself. I believe very strongly that my sister is in Heaven because she died young, this was what God caused or allowed and so I long ago accepted this. She died shortly after her first Holy Communion and was buried in her lacy white dress. Weeks after First Communion is a very good time to die actually. I thank God she missed all the disgusting mess that was the 70's drug, sex and garbage scene.

Anyway...here's more on the catafalque:

From New Advent:

"Catafalque, derived from the Italian word catafalco, literally means a scaffold or elevation, but in its strictly liturgical sense the word is employed to designate the cenotaph-like erection which is used at the exequial offices of the Church, and takes the place of the bier whenever the remains are not present. It is covered with a black cloth or pall, on which there is a cross either of white or some other colour (De Herdt, Praxis Sac. Lit., II, 328). The catafalque is usually placed immediately outside the sanctuary, and is the centre of the ceremonies of that part of the exequial office known as the absolution, receiving the same attention as the corpse would if present. Hence it is that lights burn around the catafalque during the function, and it is aspersed with holy water and incensed. During the absolution at the catafalque the cross-bearer should always stand between it and the door of the church, the celebrant or officiant being at the other end, between it and the sanctuary. When it is not possible for any reason to have a catafalque, its place may be supplied by a square piece of black cloth (pannus niger), which should be laid in front of the lowest step of the altar, and be sprinkled with holy water and incensed at the proper time by the officiant. Formerly the word was used to designate the bier or structure on which the corpse rested. No flowers should be used in connection with it, but it is allowable in the case of deceased prelates to mount their insignia to show the dignity, and in the case of nobles to display the family coat of arms, together with coronets, orders, and other insignia, to show the rank of the deceased. A very notable monument of this kind was that erected to the memory of Michelangelo by his brother artists on the occasion of his funeral in the Church of Santa Croce, Florence. "

(Source)

What We Have Lost II - The Pulpit

2011-01-24T13:58:00.004-06:00

Notre Dame Basilica

Montreal Quebec, Canada

No longer used

"The desire to be more plainly understood was the reason why the preacher's platform was pushed towards the centre of the nave; which change led to its assuming the present form. It was not until modern times that the two terms attained clearly distinct meanings. At present the pulpit no longer serves for the reading of the Epistles and Gospels, nor as the tribune for singing, hence the eagle or dove formerly used as support of the book now has little meaning. A position in which the preacher could be heard throughout the church became necessary, and the pulpit was then adapted to receive a greater amount of adornment, having reference to the preaching of the Gospel. "

Source: Catholic Encyclopedia

I do not claim to be any sort of authority on Church architecture. I only know that I am a Catholic who sorely misses all that was so thoughtlessly and wrecklessly dismantled in the last 45 years. My first memory of mass was in the 70's modern parish where a skylight was right over the plain altar and a hippy looking man with a long beard sat in the light strumming on a guitar....(heavy sigh)

I am not a sedevacantist, I am not an "ultra traditionalist" But I will say I often interiorly groan at Mass and I long for with all my heart beauty, solemnity, piety, orthodoxy - in a word authentic Catholocism. Not some remade neo-catholic-protestantism - which is what so many of our parishes have become.

Look at the visual emphasis placed upon the Church's readings and the Priest's homily to be said from such a pulpit. Where has this gone? See what we have lost?

What We Have Lost Part I

2011-01-13T14:15:00.005-06:00

Altar Rail or Communion Rail

The railing which guards the sanctuary and separates the latter from the body of the church. It is also called the communion-rail as the faithful kneel at it when receiving Holy Communion.

It is made of carved wood, metal, marble, or other precious material; it should be about two feet six inches high, and on the upper part from six to nine inches wide. The "Rituale Romanum" (tit. iv, cap. ii, n. I) prescribes that a clean white cloth be extended before those who receive Holy Communion. This cloth is to be of fine linen, as it is solely intended as a sort of corporal to receive the particles which may by chance fall from the hands of the priest. It is usually fastened on the sanctuary side and when in use is drawn over the top of the rail. It should extend the full length of the rail, and be about two feet wide, so that the communicant, taking it in both hands, may hold it under his chin. Its very purpose suggests that it is not to be made of lace or netting, although there is nothing to forbid its having a border of fine lace or embroidery.

Instead of this cloth a gilt paten, larger than the paten used at the altar, to which a handle may be attached, or a small gilt or silver salver, or a pall, larger than the chalice pall, may be used. These latter are usually passed from one communicant to the other, and when the last at the end of the rail at the Gospel side has received Holy Communion the altar boy carries the paten to the first communicants at the Epistle side. A consecrated paten may never be placed for this purpose in the hands of lay persons.

Written by A.J. Schulte. The Catholic Encyclopedia, Volume I. Published 1907. New York: Robert Appleton Company. Nihil Obstat, March 1, 1907. Remy Lafort, S.T.D., Censor. Imprimatur. +John Cardinal Farley, Archbishop of New York

For a return of the altar rail I am currently fighting at my parish. Recently my husband attended a Catholic men's group and a parish historian spoke. He related that shortly after Vatican II the entire parish came one Sunday for Holy Mass and the altar rail was GONE. No preparation, no explanation, no nothing. Just gone....I choke up just thinking about it. The priests had it removed and no one knows where it went. Next to go was the pulpit....

God have mercy on your people, save us from wolves in sheep's clothing who lead your flock astray and do not instruct the faithful of Your True Presence in Holy Communion. May we again recieve you with due reverence on our knees. Amen+

Our Lady's Tears Latest Production

2010-12-08T11:14:00.003-06:00

Movie trailer is posted on Vimeo and is in HD - I am unable after several attempts to post the video to Blogger without crashing the APP. Please go to link below to view a short trailer for our latest production.

Post production recently completed on our THIRD movie, a digital video short on the Revelations of the Sacred Heart of Jesus featuring St. Margaret Mary Alocoque. This was filmed at the Cathedral of St. Paul in St. Paul Minnesota and features the above pictured scene of the apparition of Jesus to St. Margaret Mary.

go HERE to view trailer

Enter site and the trailer should be right there.

Why are you sleeping?

2010-12-03T08:28:00.001-06:00

Sleeping Apostles - Boticelli

"We must be prepared to undergo great trials in the not-too-distant future; trials that will require us to be ready to give up even our lives, and a total gift of self to Christ and for Christ. Through your prayers and mine, it is possible to alleviate this tribulation, but it is no longer possible to avert it, because it is only in this way that the Church can be effectively renewed. How many times, indeed, has the renewal of the Church been effected in blood? This time, again, it will not be otherwise. We must be strong, we must prepare ourselves, we must entrust ourselves to Christ and to His Mother, and we must be attentive, very attentive, to the prayer of the Rosary." —POPE JOHN PAUL II, interview with Catholics at Fulda, Germany, Nov. 1980

"Why are you sleeping? Get up and pray that you may not undergo the test." (Luke 22:46)
We must pray much and pray often for our Holy Father. Before the sheep of his church (us) are scattered the Shepherd (the Pope) will be struck - just as in Gethsemane Jesus was struck and His sheep - the Apostles, were scattered. I pray this will happen in later times, but in looking around at what is occurring in the world, it appears we are in these times. This is the time that God ordained for us to live and so we must make the best of it.

Lord have mercy upon us and grant us the grace to perservere until the end without faltering. Amen+

What is Truth?

2010-12-02T08:13:00.002-06:00

"WHAT is truth? That was the question Pontius Pilate posed after Jesus said to him:
For this I was born and for this I came into the world, to testify to the truth. 'Everyone who belongs to the truth listens to my voice.' "(John 18:37)

"Pilate’s question is the turning point, the hinge on which the door to Christ’s final passion was to be opened. Until that point, Pilate resisted handing Jesus over to death. But after Jesus identified Himself as the source of truth, Pilate caves into the pressure—to the alternate "truths" about the Lord—and decides to leave Christ’s fate to the people. Pilate washed his hands of Truth itself."

"If the body of Christ is to follow its Head in its own passion, what the Catechism calls "a final trial that will shake the faith of many believers" (CCC 675), then we too will see a time when our persecutors will ask "What is truth?" When the world will also wash its hands of the "sacrament of truth," the Church itself."

"Tell me brothers and sisters, has this not already begun to be the case in our day?"

Read the entire post HERE. Pray for perserverence. Amen+

"In your patience you shall possess your souls"

2010-11-24T08:38:00.005-06:00

"With tragic consequences, a long historical process is reaching a turning-point. The process which once led to discovering the idea of "human rights"—rights inherent in every person and prior to any Constitution and State legislation—is today marked by a surprising contradiction. Precisely in an age when the inviolable rights of the person are solemnly proclaimed and the value of life is publicly affirmed, the very right to life is being denied or trampled upon, especially at the more significant moments of existence: the moment of birth and the moment of death… This is what is happening also at the level of politics and government: the original and inalienable right to life is questioned or denied on the basis of a parliamentary vote or the will of one part of the people—even if it is the majority. This is the sinister result of a relativism which reigns unopposed: the "right" ceases to be such, because it is no longer firmly founded on the inviolable dignity of the person, but is made subject to the will of the stronger part. In this way democracy, contradicting its own principles, effectively moves towards a form of totalitarianism."
—POPE JOHN PAUL II, Evangelium Vitae, “The Gospel of Life”, n. 18, 20

Look with eyes that see. We need to wake up and see that soon this country and the world will be sunk in the mire of totalitarianism where Christianity will be persecuted and not tolerated. We need to pray for the grace to persevere until the end...

"And there shall be great earthquakes in divers places, and pestilences, and famines, and terrors from heaven; and there shall be great signs. But before all these things, they will lay their hands upon you, and persecute you, delivering you up to the synagogues and into prisons, dragging you before kings and governors, for my name's sake. And it shall happen unto you for a testimony. Lay it up therefore into your hearts, not to meditate before how you shall answer: For I will give you a mouth and wisdom, which all your adversaries shall not be able to resist and gainsay.
And you shall be betrayed by your parents and brethren, and kinsmen and friends; and some of you they will put to death. And you shall be hated by all men for my name's sake. But a hair of your head shall not perish. In your patience you shall possess your souls. And when you shall see Jerusalem compassed about with an army; then know that the desolation thereof is at hand." ~Luke 21:11-20 Douay-Rheims version

Argeles Nazi Concentration Camp

Will of the Lord

2010-11-10T14:13:00.004-06:00

Have I mentioned before and I am NO MYSTIC? I am just a simple Catholic lady struggling like every one else. The list of my faults and frequent failures are too numberous to list. I have been undergoing a great trial in my life and am currently burning in the furnace of stress. To deal with this I have turned, as I have in the past, to penance and daily Mass. When I am suffering mentally/spiritually I have a very difficult time praying, except perhaps a desperate ejaculatory prayer from time to time and an offering of my anguish. Anyway - I was offering one such prayer this morning before mass "Lord, what do you will?" ...or something to that effect. Without thinking anything of it, I then opened my missal and my eyes fell DIRECTLY upon the following:

"This is the will of God - your sanctification." (I Thess iv. 3)

I guess that's pretty clear. Lord do with me what you will. Amen+

Absolution over the Catafalque

2010-11-07T15:42:00.002-06:00

The Absolution of the dead is a series of prayers for pardon and remission of sins that are said in the Catholic Church over the body of a deceased before burial. Sadly, this beautiful rite has gone into serious lack of use since the second Vatican Council.

From Wikipedia-

"In the Catholic Church the Absolute are said over a deceased Catholic following a Requiem Mass and before burial. The absolution of the dead does not forgive sins or confer the sacramental absolution of the Sacrament of Penance. Rather, it is a series of prayers to God that the person's soul will not have to suffer the temporal punishment in purgatory due for sins which were forgiven during the person's life.
The absolution of the dead is only performed in context of the Tridentine Mass. Following the Second Vatican Council, the absolution of the dead was removed from the funeral liturgy of the Mass of Paul VI."

Very happily - I came into possession of an early 1900's pocket missalette called "Manna of the Soul" This is the little gem I've been bringing with me to Mass. I have taken to the practice of reading from the Mass of the Dead at differing times before and during mass. The prayers are so beautiful, so uplifting - at times they cause my soul to soar. Although these are prayers for the dead, I have found them among THE most consoling prayers ever written.

I encourage anyone - everyone to obtain an old missal, or simply download them from the internet and try them out. Pray for the Holy Souls in Purgatory, they desperately need our charity - especially now during the month of the dead.

St. Winefride

2010-11-04T08:47:00.002-05:00

An excellent blog post on one of my patron saints. I pray God grant me to be able to pilgrimmage to Holywell someday and walk the ground of St. Winefride and also St. Edmund, martyr. Amen+

Holy Trinity

2010-11-03T08:54:00.004-05:00

The Trinity with the Holy Souls in Purgatory

Corrado Giaquinto, c. 1743 Italy

I've posted this amazing picture before. I'm proud to say it's home is here in Minnesota at the Minneapolis Institute of Art. This is one of my favorite works of art. I have not seen an image of the Holy Trinity before that depicts Jesus dead. Also the facial expression of the man in the purgatorial flames in the bottom left - sublime.

Well Deserved Chastisement

2010-10-23T11:43:00.003-05:00

All should read this and shiver -

"Now I beg those who read this book not to be disheartened by these misfortunes, but to consider that these chastisements were meant not for the ruin but for the correction of our nation. It is, in fact, a sign of great kindness to punish sinners promptly instead of letting them go for long. Thus, in dealing with other nations, the Lord patiently waits until they reach the full measure of their sins before he punishes them; but with us he has decided to deal differently, in order that he may not have to punish us more severely later, when our sins have reached their fullness. He never withdraws his mercy from us. Although he disciplines us with misfortunes, he does not abandon his own people." ~2 Maccabees 6:12-16

Holy Card

2010-10-23T08:55:00.001-05:00

Image of a French Holy card published by R. Pannier, Paris, in the late 19th century

(source)

They don't make them like this anymore. This is an old, 1800's holy card that I ran across when searching for an image for my previous post on a prayer for the dying - putting into google "holy card dying" This is a poignant meditation on death. This is a topic close to me at present as I spent the better part of the last day assisting at the bedside of a dying family member. Below is the interpretation of the words on the card from French.

“Eternity. You, mortal, who has an immortal soul, study, meditate, ponder over this great word: ETERNITY.” Frame: “Do the good while there is time. Ponder over Death to live well and to die well. Think about death, give up sin, stay out of the world, give yourself up to God. Death is certain, only its hour is uncertain.” Inside the frame: “Prepare for a good death through a good life, for time is short. Today is my turn, tomorrow yours. I have been, you shall be what I am. Pray for the souls in Purgatory. They expect your prayers and the relief of their plight. Make a choice. Eternal Heaven. Eternal Hell.”

Prayer for the Dying

2010-10-22T08:50:00.003-05:00

Jesus and Mary at the deathbed of St. Joseph

O merciful Jesus, lover of souls, we beseech you by the agony of your most Sacred Heart and by the sorrows of your Immaculate Mother, to wash clean in your blood the sinners of the whole world who are now in their final agony, but especially those on their way to eternal damnation and who are to die this day. Heart of Jesus, who suffered death’s agony, have mercy on these poor souls. Amen.

(Prayer for Mercy for the Dying from the booklet, Devotion to the Divine Mercy)

Source

Distraction at Mass a bad thing?

2010-10-14T13:53:00.004-05:00

I have a great deal of longing for piety, reverence, sacredness and solemnity at Mass. My family and I are blessed to be members of a very good parish actually. Positives: We have order priests, many (not all) altar servers wear cassocks, our priests wear cassocks, 1880's style church architecture, rather minimal wreckovation, orthodox homilies, pipe organ, fairly solid catachetics...well not too bad right?

Negatives: Odd mixture of sappy 70's music, a virtual ARMY of extraordinary ministers, no altar rail, altar girls wearing flip flops...you get the picture.

The point of this post is not to complain but to rather share with you how I've learned to cope with this. Oh, about 3 years ago or so I went through a terrible, close to one year temptation to flee the Church. If there had been an SSPX chapel in my town, I don't think I could have resisted going there. Anyway - I would at times be in such spiritual pain at mass I would try to let my soul flee the church while "I" stayed put in the pew to make my Sunday obligation. This was a terrible affliction. Currently my soul has calmed down and this is why...

I went to confession about my "distraction" and was directed to close my eyes when this temptation (to flee Mass) came upon me and pray to Jesus and His mother for help and join my suffering with thiers.
So I began as directed and after months and months of struggle I can now sit rather peacefully through anything. Through God's grace I have been gifted with some help in this regard. The ONLY time I open my eyes once the Liturgy of the Eucharist starts is when I go to Communion until we stand for the prayers of the faithful. I never look upon the hand raising at the Our Father, I look not upon the scantily clad making the mad dash for the altar. Even with the use of the rather horrible Mass of Creation my soul follows the liturgy while my eyes cannot see the horrors before me.

I let my soul explore the depths of the beauty of our Catholic religion as it were. At the Agnus Dei I imagine a multitude of saints surrounding Jesus the Lamb at Knock and all the angelic choirs sing to Him. I can barely hear the organ, or the people around me. During the Eucharistic prayer I imagine being instead in a medieval Cathedral with St. Charles Borromeo saying mass ad orientam with great sanctity. At other times I kneel at the feet of a holy priest in a Nazi gulag saying a secret, private Mass. Going on...the Sanctus can be the Seraphim bowing low to the Throne singing out "Sanctus, Sanctus!" or St. Thomas More singing as he walked to the block, or St. Joan of Arc singing her love of God from the flames....you get the picture. The great amen could be the moment that Maria Goretti chose to give her life rather than into her attackers impure desires, staring up at the tip of the knife "Amen"

My soul can soar the heights while my body stays still and quiet in the pew. In a word I try to join my soul with the Church Triumphant because it is only there that my thirst for beauty and solemnity will be satified. Only Heaven shall not disappoint. Sometimes my soul is so immersed in my contemplation that I have a hard time not crying or letting it show.

The Lord had pity on me and has granted me this great consolation and has saved me from further discouragement. I wanted to share this with you so you may try this to see if it is helpful for your soul as well.

May Mary's prayers go with you always. Amen+

Holy Father Pope Pius XII

2010-10-03T20:45:00.001-05:00

One True Refuge - One True Church IV & Final

2010-09-23T08:22:00.000-05:00

"For, were the Church in any time hidden and invisible, to whom would men have recourse in order to learn what they are to believe and to do? It was necessary that the Church and her pastors be obvious and visible, principally in order that there might be an infallible judge, to resolve all doubts, and to whose decision everyone should necessarily submit. Otherwise, there would be no sure rule of faith by which Christians could know the true dogmas of faith and the true precepts of morality, and among the faithful there would be endless disputes and controversies. "And Christ gave some apostles, and others pastors and doctors, that henceforth we be no more children tossed to-and-fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine" [Eph 4:11-14]. "
"But what faith can we learn from these false teachers when, in consequence of separating from the Church, they have no rule of faith. How often Calvin changed his opinions! And, during his life, Luther was constantly contradicting himself: on the single article of the Eucharist, he fell into thirty-three contradictions! A single contradiction is enough to show that they did not have the Spirit of God. "
"He cannot deny Himself" [2 Timothy 2:13]. In a word, take away the authority of the Church, and neither Divine Revelation nor natural reason itself is of any use, for each of them may be interpreted by every individual according to his own caprice. Do they not see that from this accursed liberty of conscience has arisen the immense variety of heretical and atheistic sects? I repeat: if you take away obedience to the Church, there is no error which will not be embraced. "

St. Alphonsus D. Ligouri

One True Refuge - One True Church III

2010-09-22T08:15:00.002-05:00

Detail of the Polytriptich of the Resurrection by Titian

"The innovators have been challenged several times to produce a text of Sacred Scripture which would prove the existence of the invisible church they invented, and we are unable to obtain any such text from them. How could they adduce such a text when, addressing His Apostles whom He left as the propagators of His Church, Jesus said: "You cannot be hidden" [Matt 5:14].
Thus He has declared that the Church cannot help but be visible to everyone. The Church has been at all times, and will forever be, necessarily visible, so that each person may always be able to learn from his pastor the true doctrine regarding the dogmas of faith, to receive the Sacraments, to be directed in the way of salvation, and to be enlightened and corrected should he ever fall into error. "

St. Alphonsus D. Ligouri

Church Suffering

2010-09-22T07:47:00.001-05:00

Watch it over and over

One True Refuge - One True Church II

2010-09-21T08:09:00.001-05:00

"The innovators themselves do not deny that the Roman Church was the first which Jesus Christ founded. However, they say that it was the true Church until the fifth century, or until it fell away, because it had been corrupted by the Catholics. But how could that Church fall which St. Paul calls the "pillar and ground of truth" [1 Timothy 3:15]? No, the Church has not failed. The truth is, that all the false churches, which have separated from the Roman Church, have fallen away and erred. "

"To convince all heretical sects of their error, there is no way more certain and safe than to show that our Catholic Church has been the first one founded by Jesus Christ. For, this being established, it is proved beyond all doubt that ours is the only true Church and that all the others which have left it and separated are certainly in error. But, pressed by this argument, the innovators have invented an answer. They say that the visible Church has failed, but not the invisible Church. But these doctrines are diametrically opposed to the Gospel. "

~St. Alphonsus Ligouri

One True Refuge - One True Church I

2010-09-20T07:50:00.004-05:00

Introduction: I've said before that I am not a Catholic apologist. I tend to spend little to no time in consideration of protestant faiths. Unfortunately I did go to a Lutheran High School so did study Martin Luther's heresies for 4 years. As a result of this I came back to the Truth in the Catholic Church. I have experienced first hand the errors of protastantism and shun them like the plague they are. Anyway, I read a fine reading called "Against the Reformers" by St. Alphonsus Ligouri. Beautiful, simple title is it not? I'll post it in parts and God bless you.

Against the Reformers

"A church which is not one in its doctrine and faith can never be the True Church. Hence, because truth must be one, of all the different churches, only one can be the true one, and outside of that Church there is no salvation. "

"Now, in order to determine which is this one true Church, it is necessary to examine which is the Church first founded by Jesus Christ, for when this is ascertained, it must be confessed that this one alone is the true Church which, having once been the true Church must always have been the true Church and must forever be the true Church. For to this first Church has been made the promise of the Savior that the gates of Hell would never be able to overturn it [Matt 16:18]. "

"In the entire history of religion, we find that the Roman Catholic Church alone was the first Church, and that the other false and heretical churches afterwards departed and separated from her. This is the Church which was propagated by the Apostles and afterwards governed by pastors whom the Apostles themselves appointed to rule over her. This character can be found only in the Roman Church, whose pastors descend securely by an uninterrupted and legitimate succession from the Apostles of the world [Matt 28:20]. "

St Alphonsus Mary De Liguori (1696-1787) Bishop and Doctor of the Church

Cult of Feelings

2010-08-30T11:19:00.004-05:00

I just read my husband's excellent post on just one of the many current scourges upon the world in this time - what I have come to call the "cult of feelings" Far too many in our times have lost what so many in the past once took as a truth - that reason and the will must rule the emotions. The higher self must rule over the lower more base part of ourselves. Our will to live in virture must rule the physical desires of the body to wallow in passion. Emotions have their place, but they ought never to rule the soul.

Over my desk at work I have a list of things our Lord said to St. Faustina - one statement sums it up nicely:

"Do not be guided by feeling, because it is not always under your control; but all merit lies in the will."

~Our Lord Jesus Christ to St. Faustina.

Forgetting Ourselves and Finding Healing in the Divine

2010-08-30T10:16:00.000-05:00

I was reading a fascinating and orthodox book titled: "Leave your Life Alone by Hubert Van Zeller. Most surprising was that fact that it was written in the 1970s, a time of turmoil and descent from the Church. He writes:" In spite of its concern with outward things, western society has ever been so concerned about its inward troubles. Escape into materialism has shown itself to be a boomerang and we are all more locked up inside ourselves than ever: the boomerang has come back in the form of a ball and chain. That is why we bore one another so incessantly: we are fellow prisoners whose recreation is to talk about ourselves . We revel in our prison sentences while preaching freedom, we are so earger to outdo one another with our permissiveness that the only real freedom worth having is missed." Indeed, it seems that the pop-psychology approach of caring for ourselves first, has led us into an obsession about self that has taken the form of "self-consciousness", "self-determination" and self-evaluation". Aldous Huxley writes wisely of the negative impact of self-empowerment and caring for self philosophies--a widely misguided cultural phenomenon that has perhaps lead us into becoming a society afflicted with clinical depression. Huxley writes: "The systematic cultivation of self-awareness may as easily produce undesireable as desirable results. Where personality is developed for its own sake, and not in order that it may be transcended, there tends to be a rising of the barriers of separateness and an increase of egotism". The evidence, right now, points towards this separateness pervading the American landscape and causing isolation and a notable increase in depression and anxiety. The National Institute of Mental Health, reported in 2004, that approximately 26% of adult Americans suffered from a variety of mood and anxiety disorders, representing close to 58 million Americans. There is indeed a malaise sweeping through American society, causing a restlessness of the soul, and compromising the individual's ability to cope with the demands of daily life. A data health management firm, IMF Health, estimates that in 2007, pharmaceutical sales of antidepressants in the US topped $11.9 billion, an amount that should cause alarm. The talk of treatments and remedies for depression remain centered on the prescription of antidepressants and on coping mechanisms for getting through the day. For those who are spiritually minded, the culture contaminates Church teachings regarding selfless charity as a remedy for ailing souls, and whispers to the soul the perverted notion that an inward examination will bring peace. There is something to an inward examination of conscience that is good, but Van Zeller cautions the reader that there is a danger, when seeking knowedge of self with too much zeal, that can lead the individual into discouragement and confusion. Van Zeller claims that when an individual looks inward and asks the question: "What do I feel bout the problem?" rather than "What does God feel about these things?, "he ceases to be a spirtual person". He further writes "Among the first fallacies of today is the one which believes that worry and fear and guilt can be exorcized by talking about them. Do you wonder that we all become bores?" Could it be that the cure for our depression epidemic is to not worry about our own situation, but to simply feed the hungry and clothe the poor? for in doing so we feed and clothe Jesus himself?

Our Lady's Tears Productions has begun the filming of our second documentary which will explore the depression epidemic in American society. Pray for our endeavor and help us, if you can, by visiting our website: http://www.ourladystears.com/ and purchasing our documentary on the Theology of Human Suffering, in addition to chaplets and rosary beads.

Remember our Lady's Tears

2010-08-24T17:07:00.003-05:00

In all the business of life, with all your stress and difficulties - remember there was a darker day. No one suffered more than Our Lord. Secondly suffered His holy Mother - no mere human suffered more than she and for her the grace of God sufficed. Is shall suffice for you and me as well. When darkness comes to your soul, go to her feet and pour out your suffering to her. She understands suffering well and will obtain assistance in all your needs.

Understanding Human Suffering: The Germaine Cousin Paradox

2010-08-22T09:10:00.003-05:00

As Christians we struggle with the understanding of suffering. We love the glory of the resurrection and we are delighted by the wonder of the transfiguration, but we struggle with the implications of the Holy Cross. The life of Saint Germaine Cousin, a Catholic saint whose life is virtually unknown, [click here to view the short produced by Our Lady's Tears Productions], is a paradox that leaves us restless for we have trouble understanding how an all loving God could allow an innocent child to suffer. We are appalled and silenced in the face of such a mystery. I would like to engage the reader to share how such suffering could be allowed. To give some fuel for discussion, I would like to quote Fr William of Saint Thierry, a 12th Century Cisterian abbot, theologian and mystic, who rightly discerned what hindered the human spirit from understanding these mysteries, that only angels seem to contemplate joyfully. “The unclean soul, the impure conscience, the proud mind, and curious conceit are rightly kept at a distance from the quest of the divine sacraments and mysteries. For the spirit of discernment flees anything false and will not dwell in a body subject to sin. Wisdom will not enter into an ill-disposed soul” [Fr William of Saint Thierry † 1148; Cistercian Abbot].

New Catholic Film Company

2010-08-19T09:00:00.002-05:00

My wife and I were concerned about the quality of the films produced by Hollywood and their impact on the minds of our children. We discussed, late into the night, that the Lord would ask us at the moment of our death: "Where are your children? and where is your wife or husband?" We knew that we would have to say: "Watching TV or a movie, Lord". The next question would invariably be: "..and what are they watching?" This idea of the Lord Jesus holding me accountable for what my family was viewing on TV frightened me because I knew that I could not be certain that the programs they were were viewing were not scandalizing them with images of impurity. Sensuality and impurity in film, stick to a child's brain like tar and is removed only with great difficulty. Movies today, even Disney productions, are laced with sensuality. When I looked more closely at what my children were viewing, I was shocked by the degree to which Hollywood was successfully endocrinating my children into the ideals of sensuality, and ultimately into the notion that feelings, not reason, should govern ones life. We also felt that Hollywood was convincing our children that God did not exist, and that their Catholic faith was a lie. Films like "The DeVinci Code" created great controversy and doubt around the Catholic church, and we found that it was difficult to protect our children from the lies. As Catholics we felt deeply called to counter Hollywood and its lies about religion, God and Catholicism. We decided to form this new film company, using our retirement money, and drew our community into action. We convinced them that we can make a difference as individuals. It is true that countering Hollywood is a little bit like David facing Goliath, but we understood that this call was real and powerfully strong. Many times I have asked the Lord to remove this desire if it was not from Him, but that if it was His inspiration, then to quadruple the intensity of the fire so that I could not stand it anymore. He answered my prayer with the latter. Using our church scola choir, we recorded the Miserere Mei as the theme song for our first movie short on the life of Saint Germaine Cousin. We wrote the script on the life of saint Germaine Cousin who lived in Pibrac France during the 17th century. Then we requested volunteer actors from our state university Theater and Dance department, and hired a professional crew of camera, sound and light specialists. With three days of filming we completed the short and then realized that a full motion picture needed to be done in order to fully reveal the miraculous life of this unknown Catholic saint. Sometimes called the ‘True-Life Cinderella’, Germaine Cousin grew up as a poor shepherd girl in 16th century France. Burdened with an unsightly and painful skin condition called scrofula, she was ostracized by her community and feared by her peers. After the death of her kind mother, her over-worked father remarried. His new wife was cruel and selfish, and beat little Germaine ceaselessly. Germaine was forced to sleep in the icy barn, year after year, and was required to do all of the work around her stepmother’s house. She was given barely enough food to eat, and was constantly subjected to horrible physical and emotional abuse. Her days were filled with back breaking labor and devastating isolation. Despite all this, Germaine’s heart was filled with love and forgiveness. Starving, she nevertheless shared her food with the desperate poor. Rejected by the town's people, she still prayed for her community’s well being, and for the souls of her tormentors. Her selflessness and love of Christ brought her closer to the most holy cross, and to a greater understanding of the redemptive nature of suffering. She soon began to perform miracles that wonderously transformed the people around her. She parted waters, turned bread to flower blossoms, healed the sick, and was protected from from hungry wolves by powerful angels. Constantly sick herself, she died at the age of 22. Approximately 43 years later, her body was exhumed in an incorrupt state, thus demonstrating her sanctity and holiness. Hers is a story of courage, love, and dedication to a holy life in which could be found the three pillars that hold up all saints, namely: prayer, charity and suffering. You can view the movie short: here: GERMAINE: Requiem of a Soul. From the movie we created a documentary on suffering. The idea came from the realization that deep human suffering permeates our entire culture as evidenced by the epidemics of obesity, depression and sexually transmitted infections. Using medical experts and researchers in the fields of medicine, nutrition and sexual health, we produced a 96 minute documentary that explores the prevalence of the epidemics of obesity and sexually transmitted infections (STIs) in American society, and their relationship with deep moral, physical and spiritual sufferings which have now insidiously found their way into the lives of the American populace. The fabric of society is now changing into a culture guided by a dictatorship of relativism, for which no moral standards exist. The consequence is a youth that engages in lifestyles that rob them of the flame of purity and innocence, corrupting, as it were, their very souls and casting a shadow that blocks their access to life giving joy. This documentary is a must see for those searching for deep meaning and hope in life's journey and its many sufferings. It invites the audience to embrace a life in Jesus Christ and open their minds to new possibilities of experiencing joy in this life as well as in the next. Using footage from the Germaine movie short, the viewer can understand how suffering often results from abandoning ourselves to the Lord's perfect and holy will so that we may be able to also participate in the suffering of Christ on the cross. You can view the trailer to the Theology of Human Suffering. .

David James

My husband

2010-08-17T08:58:00.001-05:00

Been a long time since I've posted. This can be attributed to my being too busy and also my own lack of inspiration and dryness. Anyway, my husband who is working diligently on Our Lady's Tears Productions will now also be writing and posting to this blog. I will be back, maybe with him joining me here I'll feel more inspired!

Consolation and the Book of Ruth

2010-05-29T07:50:00.006-05:00

Ruth and Naomi gleaning in the field of Boaz

The Book of Ruth 16 And therefore let us humble our souls before him, and continuing in an humble spirit, in his service: 17 Let us ask the Lord with tears, that according to his will so he would shew his mercy to us: that as our heart is troubled by their pride, so also we may glorify in our humility. 18 For we have not followed the sins of our fathers, who forsook their God, and worshipped strange gods. 19 For which crime they were given up to their enemies, to the sword, and to pillage, and to confusion: but we know no other God but him. 20 Let us humbly wait for his consolation, and the Lord our God will require our blood of the afflictions of our enemies, and he will humble all the nations that shall rise up against us, and bring them to disgrace.

I know most Christians focus alot on the New Testament, as I suppose we ought...but...I have to say although I love the NT, I have a special love and reverence for the Old Testament. Lately I've been getting "lost" in the books of Kings - I could read of the lives of King David and King Solomon and oh the sad sad fall of King Saul. This story brings tears to my eyes every time I read it. Oh how easy it is to fall! To have the annointing of the Lord, to have the counsel of the Prophet Samuel, and then to turn to idolotry! What folly! Oh poor Saul! Yesterday I read the following passage:

2 Kings 7:15 But my mercy I will not take away from him [King David], as I took it from Saul, whom I removed from before my face.

When I read this passage, it appears there is little reason to hope for the soul of Saul, but I pray perhaps in that brief moment before his soul left his body he turned toward the Lord's mercy! There is no greater tragedy than the soul lost forever to the fires of hell.

But I digress...

I wanted instead to say how much I love the OT and in particular the books of Tobit and Ruth - as quoted at the top of this post. When I read thie above passage, it seemed as if this addresses the very time in which we live. Though the entire world clamors in diabolical hatred toward the Holy Catholic Church, though the press, world leaders and the wicked within the Church persecute the Holy Father, though our Christian life be assailed on all sides - we MUST be steadfast! Be still and hope in the Lord, though the darkness is all around - rejoice and know that He is with us! Be not attached to the Lord's sweetness and consolation - be not attached to the trappings and trifles of this world! Look for all your reward in Heaven where He who is Holy will wipe every tear from your eye and you will suffer no more! Rejoice!

"Death but not sin!"

-St. Dominic Savio, age 7 from his writings in preparation for first Holy Communion

Prayer of Discouragement

2010-05-19T14:16:00.004-05:00

Moses' Prayer of Discouragement

Book of Numbers -Israel

10 Now Moses heard the people weeping by their families, every one at the door of his tent. And the wrath of the Lord was exceedingly enkindled: to Moses also the thing seemed insupportable. 11 And he said to the Lord: Why hast thou afflicted thy servant? wherefore do I not find favour before thee? and why hast thou laid the weight of all this people upon me? 12 Have I conceived all this multitude, or begotten them, that thou shouldst say to me: Carry them in thy bosom as the nurse is wont to carry the little infant, and bear them into the land, for which thou hast sworn to their fathers? 13 Whence should I have flesh to give to so great a multitude? they weep against me, saying: Give us flesh that we may eat. 14 I am not able alone to bear all this people, because it is too heavy for me. 15 But if it seem unto thee otherwise, I beseech thee to kill me, and let me find grace in thy eyes, that I be not afflicted with so great evils.

Hearing the complaint of Moses, the Lord did give him consolation and help:

16 And the Lord said to Moses: Gather unto me seventy men of the ancients of Israel, whom thou knowest to be ancients and masters of the people: and thou shalt bring them to the door of the tabernacle of the covenant, and shalt make them stand there with thee, 17 That I may come down and speak with thee: and I will take of thy spirit, and will give to them, that they may bear with thee the burden of the people, and thou mayest not be burthened alone. 18 And thou shalt say to the people: Be ye sanctified: tomorrow you shall eat flesh...

...But with a just consequence:

for I have heard you say: Who will give us flesh to eat? it was well with us in Egypt. That the Lord may give you flesh, and you may eat: 19 Not for one day, nor two, nor five, nor ten, no nor for twenty. 20 But even for a month of days, till it come out at your nostrils, and become loathsome to you, because you have cast off the Lord, who is in the midst of you, and have wept before him, saying: Why came we out of Egypt?

...and also a just chastisement:

33 As yet the flesh was between their teeth, neither had that kind of meat failed: when behold the wrath of the Lord being provoked against the people, struck them with an exceeding great plague. 34 And that place was called, The graves of lust: for there they buried the people that had lusted.

I am no theologian, just a simple Catholic. I see that the Lord answered Moses's prayer of discouragement based on his suffering of burden and did not chastise him. The Lord did however chastise Israel's complaining despite God's provisions for them. We are such a whining people.

We must turn with trust to the King of Heaven and ask for His actual grace to sustain us in all things - not waste our prayers and thoughts on frivolous so-called sufferings. Rest in the Spirit of the Lord and let not your heart become hopeless but rather hope in the Lord for He is in charge and control of all things. Though the gates of hell beat against you, though all things seem to fall apart around you - lock yourself up in the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Immaculate Heart of Mary for there is the only true refuge.

Lord have pity on me. Amen+

Great Quote

2010-04-28T12:56:00.004-05:00

"I do not know what I may appear to be to the world; but to myself I seem to have been only like a boy playing on the seashore, and diverting myself in now and then finding a smoother pebble or a prettier shell than ordinary, while the great ocean of truth lay all undiscovered before me... The true God is a living, intelligent, and powerful being. His duration reaches from eternity to eternity; His presence from infinity to infinity. He governs all things."

—Memoirs of the Life, Writings, and Discoveries of Sir Isaac Newton (1855) by Sir David Brewster (Volume II. Ch. 27); Principia, Second Edition

What a beautiful, humble and true statement. I have found myself from time to time in prayer contemplating God's handiwork - the laws of physics, mathematics, the periodic table, the intricate complexity of matter, of the human body...etc. I have been known to spend time gazing upon the heavens and seeing not the chemical and physical nature of what I see but rather being awestruck at the power of God who is the All Powerful Creator of All. Now I am surprised to find a like minded soul in none other than Sir Isaac Newton who studied God's creation and gave HIM all the credit instead of placing himself as God.

St. Thomas More

2010-04-21T14:18:00.004-05:00

St. Thomas More ~ husband, father, lawyer, courtier and martyr

While never for a moment turning from God, he managed to remain a man of the law (nearly unbelievable in itself--particularly given the time) and a devoted Father and Husband. The image above portrays St. Thomas More's farewell to his daughter. It was painted in the nineteenth century by Edward Matthew Ward. To my mind it captures perfectly the tenderness, deep regard, and concern that St. Thomas More lavished on his family until the day of his death.

In a letter to his beloved daughter Margaret More Roper, St. Thomas More speaks quite eloquently. This is a small excerpt from his letter regarding his third interrogation which took place prior to his sentence and ultimately his execution by order of King Henry VIII.

Sir Thomas More refused to sign an oath to his acknowledement to Henry VIII's declaration of placing himself as the head of the church in England - which places him and his oath swearer's outside the church. I was reading through these letters and was struck by this specific quote:

"Whereupon I refused the oath.... I meddle not with the conscience of them that think otherwise, every man suo domino stat et cadit. I am no man's judge. It was also said unto me that if I had rather be out of the world as in it, as I had there said, why did I not speak even out plain against the statute. It appeared well I was not content to die though I had said so. Whereto I answered as the truth is, that I have not been a man of such holy living as I might be bold to offer myself to death, lest God for my presumption might suffer me to fall, and therefore I put not myself forward, but draw back. Howbeit if God draw me to it himself, then trust I in his great mercy, that he shall not fail to give me grace and strength.

In conclusion Master Secretary said that he liked me this day much worse than he did the last time, for then he said he pitied me much and now he thought that I meant not well; but God and I know both that I mean well and so I pray God do by me.

I pray you be, you and my other friends, of good cheer whatsoever fall be of good cheer of me, and take no thought for me but pray for me as I do and shall do for you and all them."
Your tender loving father,Thomas More, Knight.

St. Thomas More, Holy Martyr of God - Ora Pro Nobis!

Tower Hill - Site of St. Thomas More's Holy Martydom

Tower Hill execution block

St. Germaine Cousin

2010-04-05T07:53:00.003-05:00

Our Lady's Tears Productions first motion picture is available now for viewing. We chose to depict the life of St. Germain Cousin (more here). What is currently completed is actually a 30 minute short. We hope to be able to complete a full motion picture - if the Lord permits it and wishes to fund it. We are very grateful to RealCatholicTV for showing the film.

We are also in post production on two other projects, one is close to completion called "The Theology of Suffering" based on Pope John Paul II's Apostolic letter SALVIFICI DOLORIS, and also a short film on the Sacred Heart of Jesus in the life of St. Margaret Mary Alacoque

May the Lord bless you all

REAL Music

2010-02-19T14:45:00.002-06:00

Please Lord, I beg you, save your people from hippie, happy clappy music at Mass but instead in Your mercy send us truly beautiful music such as this. Lord have mercy upon us! Amen+

Mary at the Foot of the Cross

2010-01-24T12:34:00.006-06:00

Was recently at the Cathedral of St Paul and with my new camera took some photos of what is in my opinion the very best image ever painted of the Death of Jesus. This painting is huge and is quite high upon the wall so I apologize for the angle.

I have spent many moments standing before this painting, to the point of hurting my neck looking up at it. This is a very worthy painting and I thank God it exists in a Church and not in a museum.

After some consideration, I have come to believe this is a depiction of the moment of the death of Jesus, our Lady's 5th sorrow. Notice how the face of Jesus is darkened and discolored as happens after death but yet there is a heavenly glow surrounding His Holy Face - this is rather rare in art to depict Jesus in His human death rather realistically.

Mary's face by contast in very light and starkly pale, stricken as in death by her suffering but yet she lives. Notice how the artist (I don't know who the artist is BTW) shows Mary to be deeply grieved but she does not appear by any means despairing. Even beneath the shadow of the death of her only Son, she does not despair. She possesses the strongest faith, knowing Jesus to be Lord, knowing that He suffers according to His will and she is at all times accepting of God's will.

This is quite frankly a perfect depiction of how great suffering can coincide in the soul along with great joy. Joy does not in one small part diminish her suffering, but the suffering does not take away from her joy. It is as if you can hear Mary saying "You have done it! Amen my Son, you have accomplished the redemption of Man! O how terrible! O how wonderful!"

"I will remain with You and see you through to the House of the Father. I too offer myself to the Eternal Father for the salvation of souls! I offer myself and would die for You if I could my Son. How is it that you die and I still live?" How touching the way St. John supports and cares for our Blessed Mother but does not wisk her away. Like a real man he stands by her side, with great respect and awe he assists her in carrying this great burden. He witnesses the sacrifice of the Lord in body, and also the sacrifice of Mary in spirit. What a great honor was given to St. John.
I don't even know what to say about poor Mary Magdalen giving in to her grief at our Lord's feet. We would all do well to bring all our cares, our burdens and our sorrows such as this in prayer at all times.

I place my poor soul at your feet as did Mary Magdalen Lord, in time and for all eternity. Amen

Abide with me

2010-01-19T14:44:00.003-06:00

A co-worker of mine lost a daughter yesterday in a car accident. Please pray for the repose of this young lady's soul and also for the devastated family that remains in the vale of tears.

Abide with me

Abide with me; fast falls the eventide;
the darkness deepens; Lord, with me abide.
When other helpers fail and comforts flee,
Help of the helpless, O abide with me.

2. Swift to its close ebbs out life's little day;
earth's joys grow dim; its glories pass away;
change and decay in all around I see;
O thou who changest not, abide with me.

3. I need thy presence every passing hour.
What but thy grace can foil the tempter's power?
Who, like thyself, my guide and stay can be?
Through cloud and sunshine, Lord, abide with me.

4. I fear no foe, with thee at hand to bless;
ills have no weight, and tears not bitterness.
Where is death's sting? Where, grave, thy victory?
I triumph still, if thou abide with me.

5. Hold thou thy cross before my closing eyes;
shine through the gloom and point me to the skies.
Heaven's morning breaks, and earth's vain shadows flee;
in life, in death, O Lord, abide with me.

Henry F. Lyte, 1793-1847 Wrote this poem as he lay dying of TB.

Angel's Voices

2010-01-04T11:29:00.000-06:00

Beautiful

2009-12-09T13:31:00.002-06:00

Our Lady of Sorrows - Ora pro nobis!

Chaplet of Our Lady's Tears IV

2009-12-03T07:12:00.000-06:00

How to Pray the Rosary of Our Lady of Tears

The rosary transmitted to Sister Amalia by the Mother of God consists of forty-nine white beads, which is divided into seven parts by seven larger beads of the same color -- similar to the rosary of the seven sorrows of Mary. At the end, there are attached three more small beads and a medal of our dear Lady of Tears.
Through these instructions we are directed to honor Mary our Mother on account of her sorrows, for which she shed many tears. The medal of our Lady of Tears is an essential part of the rosary, but it must be the way it was revealed to Sister Amalia by the Mother of God on April 30, 1930. In Germany, this medal is made with the specified inscription in all the European languages.

On the Medal to Jesus

(flipside of Medal of Our Lady's Tears)
O crucified Jesus, we fall at Your feet and offer You the tears of the one, who with deep compassionate love accompanied You on Your sorrowful way of the Cross. O good Master, grant that we take to heart the lessons which the tears of Your most holy Mother teach us, so that we may fulfill Your holy will on earth, that we may be worthy to praise and exalt You in Heaven for all eternity. Amen+

In Place of the Our Father
(and on the final three beads)
V. O Jesus, look upon the tears of the one who loved You most on earth,
R. And loves You most ardently in heaven.

In Place of the Hail Mary
V. O Jesus, listen to our prayers,
R. For the sake of the tears of your most Holy Mother.

On the Medal to Mary
O Mary, Mother of Love, Sorrow and mercy, we beseech you to unite your prayers with ours so that Jesus, your Divine Son, to whom we turn, may hear our petititons in the name of your maternal tears, and grant us, not only the favors we now ask, but the crown of everlasting life. Amen.

(Source, Pamphlet Our Dear Lady of Tears.
Imprimatur
Buchweiser, Gen. - Bit.
Munchen, 22. Marz 1935)

Go HERE to purchase the chaplet - pamplet with overview of devotion and prayers included.

Chaplet of Our Lady's Tears III

2009-12-01T06:37:00.000-06:00

Approved Apparition of Our Lady of Tears

Jesus fulfilled this promise to Sister Amalia exactly four months later, in the Spring of the following year. At the divinely appointed time, the Blessed Virgin Mary gave this treasure to heaven's beloved Institute. The following are Sister Amalia's own recollections of what took place.
"It was March 8, 1930. I was in the chapel kneeling on the steps of the altar, as I suddenly felt myself being lifted up.
Then I saw a woman of unspeakable beauty approaching me. She wore a violet robe, blue mantle, and a white veil draped over her shoulders. Smiling, she floated in the air towards me, holding a rosary in her hands, which she herself called "corona" [i.e. circle and means rosary]. Its beads shined like the sun and were as white as snow. Handing me this rosary she said to me,
'This is the rosary of my tears, which is being entrusted by my Son to His beloved Institute as a portion of His inheritance. The invocations were already given by my Son. My Son wants to honor me in a special way through these invocations, and so, He will grant all graces that are begged for the sake of my tears. This rosary will provide for the conversion of many sinners, especially those possessed by the devil. To the Institute of the Crucified Jesus is reserved a special honor, that is the conversion of many members of a wicked sect to the blooming tree of the Church. Through this rosary the devil will be conquered and the power of hell will be destroyed. Get ready for this great battle.'
When our Blessed Mother Mary had finished speaking, she disappeared."

According to a pamphlet entitled "Our Dear Lady of Tears" which bears the church's Imprimatur, "Innumerable graces have been received through the praying of the rosary to honor the tears of our dear Lady. The reason lies in the promise of the holy Savior, 'no favor will be refused, when asked of Him for the sake of the tears of His most holy Mother.' "

Our Lord Jesus rewards in a special way the sincere reverence for the sorrows of His most holy Mother. Consider praying rosary of our Lady of the Tears daily for nine days, receive the sacraments and perform works of mercy this Lent.

The official account dating to the 1930's also states: "From religious, we understand, that the praying of this rosary is a pious practice to which they attribute extraordinary graces. For that reason, they pray it daily often to ask graces for themselves and others, the conversion of sinners, heretics, and atheists, to obtain graces for priests and missionaries, to help the dying, and to free the poor souls from Purgatory."
When we are in sorrow and suffering fills our soul, let us direct our thoughts to God. Through the tears of Mary, His most holy Mother, we can soften the heart of God, even though it is ever ready to grant us mercy, graces and blessings.
"At the present, so it seems to us, the blessed tears of the Mother of Jesus are especially powerful to win the heart of God." -- Msgr. Count Franciscus von Campos Barreto, Bishop of Campinas, Brazil where these apparitions took place.

(Source, Catholic Devotions)

Go HERE to purchase this chaplet (scroll down)

Chaplet of Our Lady's Tears II

2009-11-30T08:00:00.000-06:00

About the Image of Our Lady's Tears

Our Lady of Tears to Sr. Amalia: "Through this rosary the devil
will be conquered and the power of hell will be destroyed."

Our Lady spoke to Sister Amalia: "Do you know why I wear a blue mantle? To remind you of heaven, when you are feeling weary from your labors, and carrying the cross of your tribulations. My mantle reminds you of heaven, to give you indescribable joy and eternal happiness , and this will give courage to your soul and peace to your heart, to continue the struggle until the end!" Do you understand the significance of my purple-violet tunic? I will tell you that you should remember, as you stand before the image of Tears, of the colors I wear, purple signifies pain. The pain the Jesus felt when they beat him, barbarically, on his body. My mother's heart and my soul were also lacerated by pain, on seeing Jesus."
"My child, I will explain to you why I wear this white veil , around my breast and covering my head. White signifies purity, and being the white flower of the Holy Trinity, I could appear without this whiteness. The sweet smile you see traced on my lips is for the immense happiness to be able to give mankind such a precious treasure!"

"I will explain to you the reason I appear with my eyes inclined downward. Inspired painters have recorded my eyes looking upward to sing the glory of my immaculate conception. Then why are my eyes inclined downward in this apparition, into which you entrust yourself to my blessed tears? It signifies my compassion toward humanity, because I have come from heaven to alleviate your suffering. My eyes will always be directed to your sorrows and afflictions, whenever you ask my Son through the tears I shed. And as you are near my image, see that I gaze at you with eyes of compassion and tenderness."

"My child, I will tell you about the rosary in my hands. I have named it the Crown (chaplet) of Tears . When you are near me, seeing this chaplet in my hands, remember that it signifies mercy, love, and pain... this chaplet of my blessed tears signifies that your Mother loves you. Use all its privileges, resort to it with confidence and love." (Source: Catholic Devotions)

Get this chaplet here, pray it often as a powerful spiritual weapon against the devil.

Prayers Honoring Our Lady's Sorrows I

2009-11-28T09:00:00.000-06:00

Chaplet of Our Lady's Tears

(Picture: Our sweet Lady of Tears - The Helper of the Poor and Suffering Mankind - as she appeared to Sister Amalia of the Scourged Jesus in Campinas, Brazil on March 8, 1930.)

Due to the mercy of God, there are many ways we can honor Him through honoring His Mothers Sorrows. Offered here is another pious practice which takes the form of a rosary honoring Mary's Tears. This rosary form, commonly called a chaplet was given by Heaven to humankind through Mary in a apparition to one Sister Amalia of the Scourged Jesus in Brazil. I have searched the web for more "primary" sources on this sister and apparition but have found little. I can say with certainty that this devotion and chaplet, along with the appartion have the official approval of the Church and the booklet written regarding it bears an Imprimatur.

There is more information on this devotion than should be posted at once, so the next few days will be devoted to this subject. To begin with, recall how many marian apparitions there have been where the Mother of God has shed tears. Our Lady of La Salette comes to mind of course, but has she not been sad over our sins and the loss of many souls at Lourdes and Fatima as well? It is our duty to honor our Heavenly Mother and to dry her tears. The following is from the little pamphlet which came with the chaplet I purchased years ago:

"The rosary or chaplet presented to Sr. Amalia by the Mother of God consists of 49 small white beads, divided into seven sets by seven larger beads and one medal, that of Our Lady of Tears which is attached to the rosary. Through this arrangement, we are clearly directed to venerate Mary, Our Mother, for the sake of her sorrows, for which she cried abundant tears. The medal of Our Lady of Tears in an integral part of the rosary; however, it must be exactly like the one the Mother of God revealed to Sr. Amalia on April 8, 1930."

From a booklet entitled "Our Lady of Tears" bears an imprimatur from 1936:

"On November 8, 1929, Sister Amalia, her heart moved by the grief of a relative whose wife was critically ill, sought Jesus in the Tabernacle and pleaded that she might give her own life for this mother of little children. So sincere was the desire of this Sister who bears the Holy Stigmata that Our Lord spoke to her, telling her how to pray to attain this grace. Jesus said: "Pray to me on behalf of my mother's tears, I shall gladly grant them. My Daughter, whatever men will ask of Me for the sake of the tears of my mother, I shall grant them lovingly." Sister Amalia bent low her head as she reflected on the Tears of Our Lady. "How shall I pray?" she asked humbly.
"O Jesus, listen to our prayers on behalf of your holy mother's tears. O Jesus, look down upon the tears of her who loved you best on earth and most deeply loves you now in heaven," was the answer. Our Lord answered her: "Later my mother will give the treasure of her tears to my beloved institute as a magnet of mercy."

St. Dymphna

2009-11-04T19:39:00.003-06:00

Our second daughter has recently, or should I say finally - has chosen her Confirmation saint. After listening each night to her prayer intention to choose between St. Germaine Cousin and St. Dymphna. I am uncertain why this is her choice, but I am confident in her prayerful discernment. She has so many very numerous patron saints - St. Lucy, St. Claire, St. Rose of Lima, St. Anne, St. Bernadette, St. Catherine of Alexandria (whom she is named after) and St. Germaine Cousin...just to name a few - but for some reason she is especially close to St. Dymphna. I suspect its because my daughter is somewhat of a princess and Dymphna is the patron of princesses, or maybe its the heroic virture in being a virgin martyr. I can tell you she's not nervous or mentally ill - nor is anyone in our family - so go figure.

So welcome to the family St. Dymphna! Ora pro nobis!

Mary's Seven Sorrows

2009-11-01T14:06:00.003-06:00

(photo credit)

Came across this beautiful stained glass image of Our Lady's Seven Sorrows while I was trolling for photos for my other blog. Thought this one deserved a place here.

Please do not forget Mary suffered for you so comfort her by honoring her sorrows.

Wisdom

2009-10-28T10:43:00.004-05:00

Monk in the Desert by Dorothy Miller

"This is the truth, if a monk regards contempt a praise, poverty as riches, and hunger as a feast, he will never die." Blessed Macarios of the Desert (found via Mary in Monmouth blog)

The word monk, could easily be replaced with man or woman I am quite sure. I read this quote and thought to myself - never have I seen such wisdom packed into so few words. My next thought was to share them with you.

Most Sorrowful Mother, help me to learn the ways of sacrifice and silent suffering. Amen+

Real Faith

2009-10-27T10:33:00.002-05:00

ABRAHAM SACRIFICING ISAAC 1650

- LAURENT DE LA HIRE MUSÉE SAINT-DENIS, REIMS

So true faith can’t be cool and aloof. It must move from conviction to confidence to commitment for it to be authentic and mature. Do you believe that a supreme being exists and that he knows you better than you know yourself and loves you better than you love yourself? Then it would make sense for you to surrender yourself completely to him and do whatever he tells you.
That’s why Abraham is the prime model of faith in the Old Testament. He did not have that full revelation of God in Christ that we are privileged to possess. In fact he did not even know God’s name. But when this Unknown God called him from the comfort of Mesopotamian civilization to wander in an unknown land, he packed up and left (Gen 12). And when this God required the sacrifice of his only son, the son he had waited for all his life, he did not hesitate to comply (Gen 22).

Abraham had the courage of his convictions. He acted on what he believed. As for the countless Americans who believe in God… If their belief was true faith, there would not be millions of unborn babies legally murdered in this country year after year.

It is easy to shine the searchlight on our neighbors. But how about us? Does the way we vote, spend, work, plan and play reflect what we say we believe?

Source: Catholic Exchange

Plenary Indulgences for the Dead

2009-10-24T16:13:00.002-05:00

"Saint Gregory Delivers the Soul of a Monk" by Giovanni Battista Crespi

1. On All Souls’ Day (Nov. 2) a plenary indulgence, applicable only to the Poor Souls, is granted to those who visit any parish church or public oratory and there recite one Our Father and one Credo.
2. On all the days from November I though November 8 inclusive, a plenary indulgence, applicable only to the Poor Souls, is granted to those who visit a cemetery and pray even if only mentally for the departed.
Conditions for both indulgences:
~ Only one plenary indulgence can be granted per day.

~ It is necessary to be in the state of grace, at least by completion of the work.

~ Freedom from attachment to sin, even venial sin, is necessary; otherwise the indulgence is only partial. (By this is meant attachment to a particular sin, not sin in general.)

~ Holy Communion must be received each time the indulgence is sought.

~ Prayers must he recited for the intentions of the Holy Father on each day tire indulgence is sought. (No particular prayers are prescribed. One Our Father and one Hail Mary suffice, or other suitable prayers.

~ A sacramental concession must he made within a week of completion of the prescribed work. (One confession made during the week, made with the intention of gaining all the indulgences, suffices.)

It is really not that hard of a thing to do, but so great is the reward for the souls in purgatory, please in your mercy do some good for them and the Lord will reward you in Heaven.

Critically Ill

2009-10-21T14:51:00.003-05:00

(photo credit)

Words on card "By this holy anointing and by His most tender mercy, may the Lord forgive you all the evil you have done through the power of sight or hearing."

As you may have noticed, I rarely post prayer requests but I feel I must humbly ask anyone who happens by to pray for a collegue of mine who is critically ill with H1n1 influenza, clinging to life ICU. Please recommend him to Our Lady's prayers, or stay a moment and say this short prayer for him -

Lord, in difficult moments we must take refuge in Your Sacred Wounds. It is there we must seek consolation, comfort, light and affirmation. I recommend this soul to Thine Majesty and in the midst of this trial we see Your loving hand. Mary, Mother of God, we recommend this soul to your efficacious prayers! Amen+

Our Lord Jesus on the topic of spiritual warfare

2009-10-14T12:29:00.003-05:00

1. My daughter, I want to teach you about spiritual warfare. Never trust in yourself, but abandon yourself totally to My will. In desolation, darkness and various doubts, have recourse to Me
2. Do not bargain with any temptation; lock yourself immediately in My Heart
3. Put your self-love in the last place, so that it does not taint your deeds.
4. Bear with yourself with great patience.
5. Do not neglect interior mortifications.
6. Shun murmurers like a plague.
7. Let all act as they like; you are to act as I want you to.
8. If someone causes you trouble, think what good you can do for the person who caused you to suffer. Do not pour out your feelings.
9. Be silent when you are rebuked.
10. Do not ask everyone’s opinion, but only the opinion of your confessor; be as frank and simple as a child with him.
11. Do not become discouraged by ingratitude.
12. Do not examine with curiosity the roads down which I lead you.
13. When boredom and discouragement beat against your heart, run away from yourself and hide in My heart.
14. Do not fear struggle; courage itself often intimidates temptations, and they dare not attack us.
15. Always fight with the deep conviction that I am with you.
16. Do not be guided by feeling, because it is not always under your control; but all merit lies in the will.
17. I will not delude you with prospects of peace and consolations; on the contrary, prepare for great battles.
18. Know that you are now on a great stage where all heaven and earth are watching you.
19. Fight like a knight, so that I can reward you.
20. Do not be unduly fearful, because you are not alone.
—The Lord Jesus to St. Maria Faustina Kowalska, Divine Mercy in My Soul, n. 1760

Be not earthly minded - final

2009-10-02T12:36:00.003-05:00

Prayer

"O my God, a fatal experience gives me more than sufficiently to understand that my soul is too feeble to break all the chains which attach it to the earth, to creatures, to the body, and to itself. Thou alone by Thy grace canst operate wonders so far above nature. Thou alone canst change me from an exterior and sensual, into an interior and spiritual man; Thou alone canst pour down on the objects I love, a salutary bitterness, in order to detach me from them; Thou alone canst make me adhere entirely to Thee, by making me see and relish how sweet Thou art to such as fear, and still more to such as love Thee. Grant me this favour, O my Lord and my God, and I will quietly wait in profound peace for that most happy moment, which will unite and attach me entirely to Thee for all eternity. Amen+"

Be not earthly minded IV

2009-10-01T12:29:00.000-05:00

Practical Reflections

"To enjoy both the favours and graces of God, we must separate from creatures by a volunatary retreat; we must separate both with heart and mind by a perfect detachment from them; we must renounce ourselves, and make it our time with God in the spiritual exercizes of meditation and prayer. We advance in an interior and spiritual life, in proportion as we are detached from exterior and sensible things. As self-love is the principal of all our attachments, we must of necessity apply the axe to its root. When once we have conquered this vice of self-love, we shall easily destroy all the rest. Such are the salutary advices of our pious author; let us avail ourselves of them, and put them in practice."

Be not earthly minded III

2009-09-30T12:22:00.000-05:00

"If thou longest to climb this eminence, thou must begin manfully, and lay the axe to the root, in order to pluck out and destroy secret and inordinate inclinations to thyself and to every private and material good.

From this vice, that man loveth self too inordinately, depends almost all, whatsoever must he radically overcome; which being vanquished and brought under, a great peace and tranquility will immediately ensue. But because few labour to die perfectly to themselves, or fully to come out of themselves, therefore do they remain entangled in themselves, nor can they be elevated in spirit above themselves.

But whoever desireth to walk freely with Me, it is necessary tha the mortify all his perverse and inordinate affections, and not cleave with particular love or concupiscence to anything created."

Be not earthly minded II

2009-09-29T12:07:00.000-05:00

"Esteem the whole world as nothing; prefer attendance on God before all external occupations. For thou canst not both attend to Me and at the same time delight thyself in transitory things. Thou must be sequestered from thy acquaintance and from thy dearest friends, and keep thy mind disengaged from all temporal consolation.

So the blessed Apostle Peter beseeches the faithful of Christ to keep themselves as strangers and pilgrims in this world.

Oh, what great confidence shall he have at death, who is not detained by an affection to anything in the world! But an infirm soul is not yet capable of having a heart thus perfectly disengaged from all things, neither doth the animal man understand the liberty of the interior man. But if he will be truly spiritual, he must renounce as well those that are near as those that are afar off, and beware of none more than of himself.

If thoug perferctly overcomest thyself, thou shalt more easily subdue all things else. The perfect victory is to triumph over oneself.

For whoever keepeth himself in subjection, so that sensuality obeyeth reason, and reason in all things is obedient to Me, he is indeed a conqueror of himself, and lord of the world."

One cannot state emphatically enough how counter-culteral these wise and holy words are. We are not to seek happiness for self, for left to our own devices we lead ourselves to misery. If we instead seek to please God and Him alone, then we find true peace and happiness - that deep beneath the ocean peace that if found only when you are conformed to His holy will.

Be not earthly minded I

2009-09-28T10:04:00.005-05:00

St. Thomas a Kempis Painting on Mount Agnes by an unknown 17th c. painter

Let me begin by stating utterly and clearly that I am the most wretched of sinners. BUT - I do love the Lord and rely completely on His Mercy to uphold me, otherwise quickly a slave of hell - do I become.

I find it profitable to read holy writings. Among the best are many of the "classics" such as Trustful Surrender to Divine Providence , Imitation of Christ , The Blessed Virgin Mary, Divine Mercy in my Soul, Secret of the Rosary - I have also a great debt of thanks to pay to the writers of St Bernadette Soubirous, The Last Four Things, and most especially, Purgatory Explained by Fr. Schouppe - now this book irrevocably changed my life and started me down the path of devotion to the holy souls.

In my feeble attempts to become a better Catholic, I have been reading little excerpts of a beautiful old 1925 edition of Imitation of Christ, except that its called instead "Following of Christ" also "translated from the original Latin by Rev. R. Challoner, in accordance with recent Pontifical decrees." Oddly enough this english book was publised in Czechoslovakia and bears the Imprimatur if Patrick Cardinal Hayes, Archbishop, New York. I find the old beauty of the languange in this version to be superb and helps to lift my soul to God rather than remain tethered here in the banal language of most modern books. Here starts a new series of excerpts from this book, which I've heard by some was dictated to Thomas a Kempis by Jesus. That may or may not be true, but if I were to find this was true, I would not be a bit surprised.

That the Grace of God is not Communicated to the Earthly Minded.

"Son, My grace is precious; it suffereth not itself to be mingled with external things nor with earthly consolations."

"Thou must, therefore, cast away every obstacle to grace, if thou desire to receive its infusion."

"Choose for thyself a retired place; love to dwell with thyself alone; seek not to be talking with any one, but rather pour forth devout prayer to God, that thou mayst keep thy mind in compunction, and they conscience pure."

Source: The Following of Christ by Thomas a Kempis, Book III, chapter LIII. New York, 1925.

Our Lady of Sorrows

2009-09-15T16:14:00.003-05:00

(photo credit)

Think of a mother's final kiss to her son before He is to be buried. Think of what this must have been like if that Mother's heart was without stain of original sin - what a fathomless ocean of sorrow. Let us strive today and all days to honor our Blessed Mother for her sacrifice made willingly in union with her Divine Son.

Mary Mother of Sorrows - Be my salvation! Amen+

Complete Consecration to Mary XI & Final

2009-09-12T11:37:00.000-05:00

St. Louis continues his reply to his critics...

"Some may say, perhaps, if I give our Lady the full value of my actions to apply it to whom she wills, I may have to suffer a long time in purgatory. This objection, which arises from self-love and from an unawareness of the generosity of God and his holy Mother, refutes itself.
Take a fervent and generous soul who values God's interests more than his own. He gives God all he has without reserve till he can give no more. He desires only that the glory and the kingdom of Jesus may come through his Mother, and he does all he can to bring this about. Will this generous and unselfish soul, I ask, be punished more in the next world for having been more generous and unselfish than other people? Far from it! For we shall see later that our Lord and his Mother will prove most generous to such a soul with gifts of nature, grace and glory in this life and in the next."

I entrust myself, my family, all those whom I know and pray for and all of you, those few who read this blog - to Mary Queen of Heaven and Mother of Mercy for all the graces needed for our salvation.

Mary be our salvation! Amen+

Complete Consecration to Mary X

2009-09-11T11:34:00.000-05:00

"To them I reply:
(1) It is inconceivable that our friends, relatives and benefactors should suffer any loss because we have dedicated and consecrated ourselves unconditionally to the service of Jesus and Mary; it would be an affront to the power and goodness of Jesus and Mary who will surely come to the aid of our relatives, friends and benefactors whether from our meagre spiritual assets or from other sources.
(2) This devotion does not prevent us from praying for others, both the living and the dead, even though the application of our good works depends on the will of our Blessed Lady. On the contrary, it will make us pray with even greater confidence. Imagine a rich man, who, wanting to show his esteem for a great prince, gives his entire fortune to him. Would not that man have greater confidence in asking the prince to help one of his friends who needed assistance? Indeed the prince would only be too happy to have such an opportunity of proving his gratitude to one who had sacrificed all that he possessed to enrich him, thereby impoverishing himself to do him honour. The same must be said of our Lord and our Lady. They will never allow themselves to be outdone in gratitude."

Source: St. Louis de Montfort in True Devotion to Mary

Complete Consecration to Mary IX

2009-09-10T11:32:00.002-05:00

No one can object that this devotion is novel or of no value. It is not new, since the Councils, the Fathers of the Church, and many authors both past and present, speak of consecration to our Lord or renewal of baptismal vows as something going back to ancient times and recommended to all the faithful. Nor is it valueless, since the chief source of moral disorders and the consequent eternal loss of Christians spring from the forgetfulness of this practice and indifference to it.

Some may object that this devotion makes us powerless to help the souls of our relatives, friends and benefactors, since it requires us to give our Lord, through Mary, the value of our good works, prayers, penances, and alms-giving."

Source: St. Louis de Montfort in Devotion to Mary

Complete Consecration to Mary VIII

2009-09-09T11:25:00.000-05:00

"Now the Councils, the Fathers of the Church and experience itself, all indicate that the best remedy for the frequent lapses of Christians is to remind them of the responsibilities of their baptism and have them renew the vows they made at that time. Is it not reasonable therefore to do this in our day and in a perfect manner by adopting this devotion with its consecration to our Lord through his Blessed Mother? I say "in a perfect manner", for in making this consecration to Jesus they are adopting the perfect means of giving themselves to him, which is the most Blessed Virgin Mary."

Source: St. Louis de Montfort in True Devotion to Mary

Complete Consecration to Mary VII

2009-09-08T11:21:00.000-05:00

"The Catechism of the Council of Trent, faithful interpreter of that holy Council, exhorts priests to do the same and to encourage the faithful to remember and hold fast to the belief that they are bound and consecrated as slaves to Jesus, their Redeemer and Lord. "The parish priest shall exhort the faithful never to lose sight of the fact that they are bound in conscience to dedicate and consecrate themselves for ever to their Lord and Redeemer as his slaves."

Source: St. Louis de Montfort in True Devotion to Mary

"Let the name of Mary be ever on your lips, let it be indelibly engraven on your heart. If you are under her protection, you have nothing to fear; if she is propitious, you will arrive at the part of salvation."---ST. BERNARD.

Dear Mary, we pray that we may die with thine own beautiful name on our lips! Amen+

Complete Consecration to Mary VI

2009-09-07T11:15:00.000-05:00

"Men" says St. Thomas, "vow in baptism to renounce the devil and all his seductions." "This vow," says St. Augustine, "is the greatest and the most indispensable of all vows." Canon Law experts say the same thing: "The vow we make at baptism is the most important of all vows." But does anyone keep this great vow? Does anyone fulfil the promises of baptism faithfully? Is it not true that nearly all Christians prove unfaithful to the promises made to Jesus in baptism? Where does this universal failure come from, if not from man's habitual forgetfulness of the promises and responsibilities of baptism and from the fact that scarcely anyone makes a personal ratification of the contract made with God through his sponsors?

This is so true that the Council of Sens, convened by order of the Emperor Louis the Debonair to remedy the grave disorders of Christendom, came to the conclusion that the main cause of this moral breakdown was man's forgetfulness of his baptismal obligations and his disregard for them. It could suggest no better way of remedying this great evil than to encourage all Christians to renew the promises and vows of baptism. "

Source: St. Louis de Montfort from True Devotion to Mary

Theology of Human Suffering - Now Available

2009-09-07T09:46:00.004-05:00

Our film company Our Lady's Tears Productions has completed our second venture, which I have posted about already. We were having some techincal difficulties with our site which have been corrected (more or less) so the documentary on human suffering can now be purchased. This is a 90 minute documentary about the rising prominence of the epidemics of sexually transmitted infections and obesity in a suffering American populace. Specifically this film examines the connection between loss of practice of Christian faith and the increase of these vices as a result. The film is made in a delicate enough manner that it can be shown to teens at home or Church CCD classes, etc. There are no offensive images whatsoever, but one of the topics is sexually transmitted diseases but no detail is discussed that would be considered provocative or shocking.

Also we have available for purchase a CD of the sountrack recorded locally for the short about the life of St. Germaine Cousin - Requiem of a Soul which is still in production. 100% of the monies made in the sale of the CD helps fund completion of this film. You can listen to a sample of the music here.

Complete Consecration to Mary V

2009-09-06T11:09:00.000-05:00

"I have said that this devotion could rightly be called a perfect renewal of the vows and promises of holy baptism. Before baptism every Christian was a slave of the devil because he belonged to him. At baptism he has either personally or through his sponsors solemnly renounced Satan, his seductions and his works. He has chosen Jesus as his Master and sovereign Lord and undertaken to depend upon him as a slave of love. This is what is done in the devotion I am presenting to you. We renounce the devil, the world, sin and self, as expressed in the act of consecration, and we give ourselves entirely to Jesus through Mary. We even do something more than at baptism, when ordinarily our god-parents speak for us and we are given to Jesus only by proxy. In this devotion we give ourselves personally and freely and we are fully aware of what we are doing.
In holy baptism we do not give ourselves to Jesus explicitly through Mary, nor do we give him the value of our good actions. After baptism we remain entirely free either to apply that value to anyone we wish or keep it for ourselves. But by this consecration we give ourselves explicitly to Jesus through Mary's hands and we include in our consecration the value of all our actions."

Source: St. Louis de Montfort's True Devotion to Mary

Complete Consecration to Mary IV

2009-09-05T11:04:00.001-05:00

"It follows then: that by this devotion we give to Jesus all we can possibly give him,and in the most perfect manner, that is, through Mary's hands. Indeed we give him far more than we do by other devotions which require us to give only part of our time, some of our good works or acts of atonement and penances. In this devotion everything is given and consecrated, even the right to dispose freely of one's spiritual goods and the satisfactions earned by daily good works. This is not done even in religious orders. Members of religious orders give God their earthly goods by the vow of poverty, the goods of the body by the vow of chastity, their free will by the vow of obedience, and sometimes their freedom of movement by the vow of enclosure. But they do not give him by these vows the liberty and right to dispose of the value of their good works. They do not despoil themselves of what a Christian considers most precious and most dear - his merits and satisfactions.
124. (2) It follows then that anyone who in this way consecrates and sacrifices himself voluntarily to Jesus through Mary may no longer dispose of the value of any of his good actions. All his sufferings, all his thoughts, words, and deeds belong to Mary. She can then dispose of them in accordance with the will of her Son and for his greater glory. This dependence, however, is without detriment to the duties of a person's present and future state of life. One such duty, for example, would be that of a priest who, by virtue of his office or otherwise, must apply the satisfactory or prayer value of the Holy Mass to a particular person. For this consecration can only be made in accordance with the order established by God and in keeping with the duties of one's state of life. "

Source: St. Louis de Montfort from True Devotion to Mary

Complete Consecration to Mary III

2009-09-04T10:39:00.000-05:00

"Note here that two things must be considered regarding our good works, namely, satisfaction and merit or, in other words, their satisfactory or prayer value and their meritorious value. The satisfactory or prayer value of a good work is the good action in so far as it makes condign atonement for the punishment due to sin or obtains some new grace. The meritorious value or merit is the good action in so far as it merits grace and eternal glory. Now by this consecration of ourselves to the Blessed Virgin we give her all satisfactory and prayer value as well as the meritorious value of our good works, in other words, all the satisfactions and the merits. We give her our merits, graces and virtues, not that she might give them to others, for they are, strictly speaking, not transferable, because Jesus alone, in making himself our surety with his Father, had the power to impart his merits to us. But we give them to her that she may keep, increase and embellish them for us, as we shall explain later, and we give her our acts of atonement that she may apply them where she pleases for God's greater glory."

Source: St. Louis de Montfort from True to Devotion to Mary

Complete Consecration to Mary II

2009-09-02T10:35:00.001-05:00

St. Louis de Montfort

"This devotion consists in giving oneself entirely to Mary in order to belong entirely to Jesus through her. It requires us to give:
(1) Our body with its senses and members;
(2) Our soul with its faculties;
(3) Our present material possessions and all we shall acquire in the future;
(4) Our interior and spiritual possessions, that is, our merits, virtues and good actions of the past, the present and the future.
In other words, we give her all that we possess both in our natural life and in our spiritual life as well as everything we shall acquire in the future in the order of nature, of grace, and of glory in heaven. This we do without any reservation, not even of a penny, a hair, or the smallest good deed. And we give for all eternity without claiming or expecting, in return for our offering and our service, any other reward than the honour of belonging to our Lord through Mary and in Mary, even though our Mother were not - as in fact she always is - the most generous and appreciative of all God's creatures. "

Source: St. Louis de Montfort from True Devotion to Mary, Chapter 3

Prayer to the Angel who comforted Jesus in the Garden

2009-09-01T12:23:00.003-05:00

Agony in the Garden by El Greco

Came across this BEAUTIFUL prayer at Acta Sanctorum and could not resist reposting it here.

I salute thee, holy Angel
who didst comfort my Jesus in His agony,
and with thee I praise
the most holy Trinity
for having chosen thee
from among all the holy Angels
to comfort and strengthen Him
who is the comfort and strength of all
that are in affliction.
By the honor thou didst enjoy
and by the obedience, humility and love
wherewith thou didst assist
the sacred Humanity of Jesus, my Savior,
when He was fainting for very sorrow
at seeing the sins of the world
and especially my sins,
I beseech thee to obtain for me
perfect sorrow for my sins;
deign to strengthen me
In the afflictions that now overwhelm me,
and in all the other trials,
to which I shall be exposed henceforth
and, in particular,
when I find myself in my final agony.
Amen+

Complete Consecration to Mary

2009-09-01T09:51:00.002-05:00

In these troubled times we must cling to our Lady's skirts and pray daily to be hidden and protected beneath the holy mantle. I find my heart troubled by many things and I need to remind myself that all is in the hand of God and nothing is outside of His power. So therefore there is no reason to fear, pray, offer your works and sufferings and cling to Mary. With this in mind, I'm kicking off a new series on consecration to Mary which are simply excerpts from True Devotion to Mary by St. Louis de Montfort.

A complete consecration to Mary

"As all perfection consists in our being conformed, united and consecrated to Jesus it naturally follows that the most perfect of all devotions is that which conforms, unites, and consecrates us most completely to Jesus. Now of all God's creatures Mary is the most conformed to Jesus. It therefore follows that, of all devotions, devotion to her makes for the most effective consecration and conformity to him. The more one is consecrated to Mary, the more one is consecrated to Jesus.
That is why perfect consecration to Jesus is but a perfect and complete consecration of oneself to the Blessed Virgin, which is the devotion I teach; or in other words, it is the perfect renewal of the vows and promises of holy baptism. "

St. Louis de Montfort, from chapter three - True Devotion to Mary

(I am a big believer in taking "small bites" of spiritual readings to let them sink in slowly, in case you were wondering why I tend to present these things in series. If I don't read long blog postings, my assumption is most others dont either- thus the shorter "series" postings - God be with you)

New Our Lady's Tears Production

2009-08-20T15:42:00.002-05:00

THEOLOGY OF HUMAN SUFFERING DOCUMENTARY TRAILER from David James on Vimeo.

Our Lady's Tear's LLC has recently completed its second production - the trailer can be viewed above. This documentary is complimentary to our movie on the life of St. Germaine Cousin. This production examines our current society's problems with venereal disease and obesity as reflections of our growing Godlessness and lack of willingness to suffer, then presents the Catholic theology of redemptive suffering.

Prayers for the Sick VII

2009-08-11T16:11:00.000-05:00

Queen of Martyrs and Mother of Compassion, by the unspeakable sorrow which brought thy heart to the lowest depths of desolation, when Jesus was laid in the sepulchre and thou couldst no more comfort thyself with the sight of His lifeless body, pray for this sick person, that, since human remedies are of no avail for them, they may, by thy powerful intercession, be cured, and thus we may, both in time and eternity, give thee heartful thanks.

Hail Mary...

V. Pray for him/her, most sorrowful Virgin

R. That he/she may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.

Oremus/Let us pray

GRANT, we beseech Thee, O Lord Jesus Christ, that the most blessed Virgin Mary Thy Mother, whose must holy sould was pierced with the sword of sorrow in the hour of Thy Passion, may intercede before the throne of Thy mercy for this Thy servant, now and at the hour of thier death. Who livest and reignest, world without end. Amen+

Prayers for the Sick VI

2009-08-10T16:07:00.000-05:00

Queen of Martyrs and Mother of Compassion, by the bitter sorrow thou didst experience, when receiving on thy knees thy Jesus taken down from the cross, receive in thy loving arms this sick person, and moved by the sight of their suffering, restore to them the health of body and the peace of soul.

Hail Mary...

Amen+

Prayers for the Sick V

2009-08-09T15:52:00.000-05:00

Queen of Martyrs and Mother of Compassion, by the unspeakable sorrow thou didst suffer, when thou didst behold thy Jesus hanging on the tree of the cross, with His hands and feet pierced with nails, and all His body covered with blood, regard the painful sufferings of this sick person, and relieve the pains of his/her body, procuring at the same time, through the merits of thy Son's most precious Blood, the salvation of his/her soul.

Hail Mary...

Amen+

Prayers for the Sick IV

2009-08-08T15:46:00.000-05:00

Teutonic nuns caring for the sick

Queen of Martyrs and Mother of Compassion, by the intense sorrow thou didst endure, when thou didst meet thy dear Son Jesus laden with a heavy cross, without being able to relieve Him, let the sight of this sick person, whom thou canst relieve, so move thee, that thou mayest deliver him/her from the burden of his/her illness.

Hail Mary...

Amen+

Prayers for the Sick III

2009-08-07T15:21:00.000-05:00

Nuns caring for the sick at Hotel Dieu in Paris, c1482

Queen of Martyrs and Mother of Compassion, by the bitter sorrow thy most loving heart experienced, when in sorrow thou didst seek thy Son Jesus for three long days, obtain for this sick person perfect health of body and soul.

Hail Mary...

Amen+

Prayers for the Sick II

2009-08-06T15:19:00.000-05:00

Queen of Martyrs and Mother of Compassion, by the unspeakable sorrow thou didst experience, when obliged to flee into Egypt with the Child Jesus, obtain grace for the sick person we recommend to thee, that thy presence may be for the health of his/her body and soul.

Hail Mary...

Amen+

Prayers for the Sick

2009-08-05T15:00:00.004-05:00

Hospitallers of the Order of St. John of Jerusalem caring for the sick

by Philippe Thomassin

I have been remiss as of late in posting and also in my poor efforts to promulgate devotion to Our Lady's Seven Sorrows. Thus begins the first of a new series of prayers for the sick through the intercession of our Sorrowful Mother. In these fine prayers we ask our Heavenly Mother to intercede upon the sick person's behalf in honor of her sorrows - a devotion which pleases Jesus very much. Following this series for the sick will be a series of prayers for the dying.

Prayers fo a Sick Person

Queen of Martyrs and Mother of Compassion, by the sword of sorrow which pierced thy soul, when holy Simeon foretold the most cruel Passion and death of thy beloved Son, obtain that the sick person for whom we pray may no more be tormented in his/her body, if it be for the greater good of his/her soul.

Hail Mary...

Amen+

Holy Hearts

2009-07-30T12:12:00.003-05:00

Dutch words: "Jesus, Mary, Joseph, I give you my heart. I give you my life."

Another treasure from Micki at Holy Cards for your Inspiration. I could not resist posting again here in honor of the holy hearts of Jesus and His earthly parents. Enjoy.

Catholic independant film company

2009-07-28T12:29:00.003-05:00

"Our Lady's Tears"

Official logo commissioned by Matthew Alderman

Ok, my husband has been at me for awhile to post a link here to our new independant film company's website, not surprisingly named "Our Lady's Tears Productions" My husband and I prayerfully discerned our calling to found this company to make authentically Catholic films for wide distribution. Our first film is entitled Requiem of a Soul and is the life story of St. Germaine Cousin. Go HERE to view our newly launched website. We have completed a 30 min short film and plan to complete an entire feature length movie once we have the funds. A trailer can be viewed on the site.

I ask of you the following:

~ Please pray for our company

~ If you or anyone you know is interested in investing in Catholic film making, please contact us via our contact information on the site.

~ Please post links to our site on your blogs/websites/etc to help spread the word and hopefully generate interest.

Mary Gardens IV

2009-07-06T15:22:00.006-05:00

More flowers which have a rich and beautiful tradition of symbolism of Mary's sorrows and tears. Go HERE for much, much more information. I went to this website and found also the following:

Mary's (torn) Tresses (of Hair)
- recalling the popular folk tradition that Mary tore out locks of her hair in her agonizing sorrow at the foot of the Cross.

Ladie's Tresses

(photo credit)

"This is one of Illinois' native and endangered orchids. This little orchid is only about 4 inches tall."

Maidenhair Fern

(photo credit)

Slim, grouped leaves which resemble tresses of a ladie's hair.

Yellow Bedstraw or Galium verum

Resembles clusters of blond hair. With this name, must have been used in medieval Europe as a bedding.

Asparagus Fern

The resemblance to long locks of hair for this plant is rather obvious.

Mary Gardens III

2009-07-05T07:30:00.000-05:00

More flowers depicting Mary's tears, which fell at the foot of her Son's cross. According to pious legend, there sprang from the earth flowers in the shape of tears. If you are a gardening sort, consider planting some of these flowers near your home in honor of Mary's Tears, shed on your behalf.

Job's Tears plant: Round tear-like seeds. Commonly used for stringing Rosary beads, and thus known also as Lagrimas de Rosario or Rosary Tears

Larkspur: tear-like buds

Sundew: tear-like drops of rain water on flower filaments

Lungwort: blue flower eyes, with reddish buds,

seen together to symbolize Mary's eyes red from crying.

Our Lady as she appeared to the seers of La Salette, France

Mary Gardens II

2009-07-04T07:20:00.000-05:00

Mary's Tears

This pious tradition comes to us from legends that flowers with tear-drop resemblance sprang up where Mary's tears fell on the ground at the foot of the Cross.

(photo credit)

Virginia Spiderwort: blue tear-like fluid from spent blooms

Ladie's Mantle: drops of water remaining on leaves from rain

Lily of the Valley: small tear-like white blooms

Gromwell: A British common wildflower with small tear-like blooms

Quaking Grass: tear-like seed clumps

O Jesus, behold the tears of the one who loved Thee most on earth, and who loves Thee most ardently in heaven! Amen+

Mary Gardens

2009-07-03T11:25:00.004-05:00

I have just recently discovered an old and beautiful tradition of honoring our Lady with what is known as a Mary Garden. This garden is grown with flowers said to represent the Blessed Virgin Mary. This practice is steeped in time and tradition. Here's more:

The Flowers of Mary's Sorrows

Most frequently grown in Mary Gardens are: Mary's Sword of Sorrow:

Iris with "spear like" foilage

(photo credit)

- from Simeon's prophecy to Mary at the Presentation of the Child Jesus in the Temple that her soul would be pierced by a sword that the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed.

"25And behold there was a man in Jerusalem named Simeon, and this man was just and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel; and the Holy Ghost was in him.
26 And he had received an answer from the Holy Ghost, that he should not see death, before he had seen the Christ of the Lord. 27 And he came by the Spirit into the temple. And when his parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him according to the custom of the law, 28 He also took him into his arms, and blessed God, and said: 29 Now thou dost dismiss thy servant, O Lord, according to thy word in peace; 30 Because my eyes have seen thy salvation,
31 Which thou hast prepared before the face of all peoples: 32 A light to the revelation of the Gentiles, and the glory of thy people Israel. 33 And his father and mother were wondering at those things which were spoken concerning him. 34 And Simeon blessed them, and said to Mary his mother: Behold this child is set for the fall, and for the resurrection of many in Israel, and for a sign which shall be contradicted; 35 And thy own soul a sword shall pierce, that, out of many hearts, thoughts may be revealed."

~Luke chapter 2 verses 25 to 35.

Amen+

Living Purgatory

2009-06-26T02:49:00.000-05:00

"Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when men revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven" (Matt 5:10-12)

Those who are seriously trying to live out the gospel and will not capitulate to the spirit of the world have every reason to expect persecution. It would be expected to meet with persecution from neighbors, co-workers, even family, but the place we would least expect this would be within our very own parishes. This is a most painful affliction indeed.

For where does one turn when their "heaven on earth" has become a living purgatory....or worse. Drive to another parish - 50, 100 or 150 miles? Stay and close your eyes tightly to the "innovations" thrust upon your weary soul? How does one close their ears? What of the scandal given to children? Stay and suffer with the Hidden Jesus? Change parishes? Stay? Go? Just because it valid does that mean we can do NOTHING that is beautiful? Nothing that is reverent?

O Lord, You once told Peter that one day he would be led where he did not want to go. Do Thou shepherd me Lord and save my ears and my eyes from all that offends Thee. Amen+

The Narrow Gate

2009-06-25T14:30:00.005-05:00

Virgin of Sorrows by Albrecht Durer

"Enter ye in at the narrow gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way that leadeth to destruction, and many there are who go in thereat. How narrow is the gate, and strait is the way that leadeth to life: and few there are that find it!" ~Matthew 7:13-14

How often we have heard these beautiful words of our Lord. How often we have heard that true devotion of Mary is the fastest, more sure, safest way to become closer to God? We need to turn to Mary, give her all of our selves, sparing nothing and place within her Immaculate Heart all our spiritual and temporal needs. It is within this sacred vessel that we shall oneday break upon the shores of salvation.

Dear Blessed Mother, I ask, wilt thou be for me

and my family the Narrow Gate which leads to Heaven?

Mary, Mother of Sorrows, Mother of God, be our salvation!

O Mater Dolorosa ~ Ora Pro Nobis! Amen+

Vengeance is Mine saith the Lord

2009-06-22T08:35:00.004-05:00

( Photo credit)

Recently I had a dream that I saw a dump truck, or perhaps a garbage truck from far above. As it drove along, it looked like garbage was falling out from the back of it onto the road. As I came closer, I realized with horror that what was falling out were dismembered body parts of aborted babies. Then I looked at the ground and it was soaked thickly with blood, as far as my eye could see, the entire ground of the earth was soaked and flooded with dark, red blood.

This prayer I then uttered, or rather exclaimed to the Lord: "O Lord, is now the entire earth soaked with the blood of innocents? How it must cry to you for vengeance!"

How unfathomable is the mercy of the Lord that He would continue to send us rain, to grow our crops, to shine the sun upon us - even to allow us to continue to exist!

"Penance! Penance! Penance!"

~St. Bernadette Soubirous

PARDON PRAYER
MY GOD, I believe, I adore, I trust, and I love Thee!

I ask pardon for for those who do not believe, do not adore,

do not trust and do not love Thee.

~Angel of Portugal to the seers of Fatima

St. Edmund, Martyr VI

2009-06-13T15:24:00.000-05:00

(photo credit)

The High Altar at East Barsham Church, England, with the brightly coloured reredos depicting amongst them St. George, St Edmund King and Martyr and Our Lady of Walsingham.

From right to left: St. George, St. Winifred (?), St. Edmund, Our Lady of Walsingham, two unknown female saints and St. Thomas Becket. Anyone recognize the unnamed saints?

Henry VIII stopped here on his pilgrimage to the Shrine of Our Lady of Walsingham to pray for a son and would have heard Mass from this very church. Oddly enough it was this same King, who had once been named by the Holy Father "Defender of the Faith" who through his own lust broke with Rome to form his own church. What all know what a success this has been. I think it was Martin Luther who said "Every man has a pope in his belly." Ironic...

St. Edmund, Martyr V

2009-06-12T15:18:00.000-05:00

St Edmund the Martyr crowned by angels

from a manuscript of Bury St Edmunds circa 1130

(photo credit)

No Christian can be surprised that innocence should suffer. Prosperity is often the most grievous judgment that God exercises upon a wicked man, who by it is suffered, in punishment of his impiety, to blind and harden himself in his evil courses, and to plunge himself deeper in iniquity. On the other hand God, in his merciful providence, conducts second causes so that afflictions fall to the share of those souls whose sanctification he has particularly in view. By tribulation a man learns perfectly to die to the world and himself, a work which, without its aid, even the severest self-denial and the most perfect obedience, leave imperfect. By tribulation we learn the perfect exercise of humility, patience, meekness, resignation, and pure love of God; which are neither practiced nor learned without such occasions. By a good use of tribulation a person becomes a saint in a very short time, and at a cheap rate. The opportunity and grace of suffering well is a mercy in favour of chosen souls; and a mercy to which every saint, from Abel to the last of the elect, is indebted for his crown. We meet with sufferings from ourselves, from disappointments, from friends, and from enemies. We are on every side beset with crosses. But we bear them with impatience and complaints. Thus we cherish our passions, and multiply sins by the very means which are given us to crucify and overcome them. To learn to bear crosses well is one of the most essential and most important duties of a Christian life. To make a good use of the little crosses which we continually meet with is the means of making the greatest progress in all virtue, and of obtaining strength to stand our ground under great trials. St. Edmund's whole life was a preparation for martyrdom.

Taken from Vol. III of "The Lives or the Fathers, Martyrs and Other Principal Saints" by the Rev. Alban Butler

St. Edmund, Martyr IV

2009-06-11T15:13:00.000-05:00

The Martydom of St Edmund. St Mary's Church, Bury St. Edmund, England

(photo credit)

The saint's head was carried by the infidels into a wood and thrown into a brake of bushes; but miraculously found by a pillar of light and deposited with the body at Hoxdon. These sacred remains were very soon after conveyed to Bedricsworth, or Kingston, since called St. Edmundsbury, because this place was St. Edmund's own town and private patrimony; not on account of his burial, for in the English-Saxon language signified a court or palace. A church of timber was erected over the place where he was interred, which was thus built according to the fashion of those times. Trunks of large trees were sawn lengthways in the middle and reared up with one end fixed in the ground, with the bark or rough side outermost. These trunks being made of an equal height and set up close to one another, and the interstices filled up with mud or mortar, formed the four walls, upon which was raised a thatched roof. Nor can we be surprised at the homeliness of this structure, since the same was the fabric of the royal rich abbey of Glastonbury, the work of the most munificent and powerful West-Saxon kings, till in latter ages it was built in a stately manner of stone. The precious remains of St. Edmund were honoured with many miracles. In 920, for fear of the barbarians under Turkil the Dane, in the reign of King Ethelred, they were conveyed to London by Alfun, bishop of that city, and the monk Egelwin, or Ailwin, the keeper of this sacred treasure, who never abandoned it. After remaining three years in the Church of St. Gregory, in London, it was translated again with honour to St. Edmundsbury in 923. The great church of timberwork stood till King Knute, or Canutus, to make reparation for the injuries his father Swein, or Sweno, had done to this place and to the relics of the martyr, built and founded there, in 1020, a new most magnificent church and abbey in honour of this holy martyr. The unparalleled piety, humility, meekness, and other virtues of St. Edmund are admirably set forth by our historians. This incomparable prince and holy martyr was considered by succeeding English kings as their special patron, and as an accomplished model of all royal virtues. The feast of St. Edmund is reckoned among the holidays of precept in this kingdom by the national council of Oxford in 1222; but is omitted in the constitutions of Archbishop Simon Islep, who retrenched certain holidays in 1362.

Taken from Vol. III of "The Lives or the Fathers, Martyrs and Other Principal Saints" by the Rev. Alban Butler

St. Edmund, Martyr III

2009-06-10T15:09:00.000-05:00

Beautiful icon showing St. King Edmund with the instruments of his martyrdom: the arrow and sword.

The people, relying upon the faith of treaties, thought themselves secure, and were unprepared. However, the good king raised what forces he could, met the infidels, or at least a part of their army near Thetford, and discomfited them. But seeing them soon after reinforced with fresh numbers, against which his small body was not able to make any stand, and being unwilling to sacrifice the lives of his soldiers in vain, and grieving for the eternal loss of the souls of his enemies, who would be slain in a fruitless engagement, he disbanded his troops and retired himself towards his castle of Framlingham, in Suffolk. The barbarian had sent him proposals which were inconsistent both with religion and with the justice which he owed to his people. These the saint rejected, being resolved rather to die a victim of his faith and duty to God, than to do anything against his conscience and religion. In his flight he was over taken and surrounded by infidels at Oxon, upon the Waveney: he concealed himself for some short time, but, being discovered, was bound with heavy chains and conducted to the general's tent. Terms were again offered him equally prejudicial to religion and to his people, which the holy Icing refused to confirm, declaring that religion was dearer to him than his life, which he would never purchase by offending God. Hinguar, exasperated at this answer, in his barbarous rage caused him to be cruelly beaten with cudgels, then to be tied to a tree and torn a long time together with whips. All this he bore with invincible meekness and patience, never ceasing to call upon the name of Jesus. The infidels were the more exasperated, and as he stood bound to the tree, they made him a mark wantonly to shoot at, till his body was covered with arrows like a porcupine. Hinguar at length, in order to put an end to the butchery, commanded his head to be struck off. Thus the saint finished his martyrdom on the 20th of November, in 870, the fifteenth of his reign, and twenty-ninth of his age; the circumstances of which St. Dunstan learned from one who was armour-bearer to the saint and an eye-witness. The place was then called Henglesdun, now Hoxon, or Hoxne; a priory of monks was afterwards built there which bore the name of the martyr.

Taken from Vol. III of "The Lives or the Fathers, Martyrs and Other Principal Saints" by the Rev. Alban Butler

St. Edmund, Martyr II

2009-06-09T10:24:00.000-05:00

The holy king had reigned fifteen years when the Danes infested his dominions. Hinguar and Hubba, two brothers, the most barbarous of all the Danish plunderers landing in England, wintered among the East-Angles; then, having made a truce with that nation, they in summer sailed to the north, and landing at the mouth of the Tweed, plundered with fire and sword Northumberland, and afterwards Mercia, directing their march through Lincolnshire, Northamptonshire, and Cambridgeshire. Out of a lust of rage and cruelty, and the most implacable aversion to the Christian name, they everywhere destroyed the churches and monasteries; and, as it were in barbarous sport, massacred all priests and religious persons whom they met with. In the great monastery of Coldingham, beyond Berwick, the nuns, fearing not death but insults which might be offered to their chastity, at the instigation of St. Ebba, the holy abbess, cut off their noses and upper lips, that appearing to the barbarians frightful spectacles of horror, they might preserve their virtue from danger; the infidels accordingly were disconcerted at such a sight, and spared their virtue, but put them all to the sword. In their march, amongst other monasteries, those of Bardney, Crowland, Peterborough, Ely, and Huntingdon were levelled with the ground, and the religious inhabitants murdered. In the Cathedral of Peterborough is shown a monument (removed thither from a place without the building) called Monks'-Stone, on which are the effigies of an abbot and several monks. It stood over the pit in which fourscore monks of this house were interred, whom Hinguar and Hubba massacred in 870. The barbarians, reeking with blood, poured down upon St. Edmund's dominions, burning Thetford, the first town they met with, and laying waste all before them.

Taken from Vol. III of "The Lives or the Fathers, Martyrs and Other Principal Saints" by the Rev. Alban Butler

St. Edmund, Martyr - Ora Pro Nobis!

St. Edmund Martyr I

2009-06-08T10:16:00.003-05:00

St. Edmund is the third from the left in armor. Photo credit - aisle of St. Andrew's Church, Kimbolton, Cambridgeshire England

I know I did a series on this saint before, but can you learn too much about the lives of the saints? I don't think so...My own devotion to this saint grows stronger with each passing day and so I here wish to honor him. All my searching for a medal, picture or holy card of St. Edmund Martyr have proven fruitless. If you know of any, please contact me!

ST EDMUND, KING of ENGLAND AND MARTYR—A.D. 870
Feast: November 20

Though from the time of King Egbert, in 802, the Kings of the West-Saxons were monarchs of all England, yet several kings reigned in certain parts after that time, in some measure subordinate to them. One Offa was King of the East-Angles, who, being desirous to end his days in penance and devotion to Rome, resigned his crown to St. Edmund, at that time only fifteen years of age, but a most virtuous prince, and descended from the old English-Saxon kings of this isle. The saint was placed on the throne of his ancestors, as Lydgate, Abbo, and others express themselves, and was crowned by Humbert, Bishop of Elman, on Christmas Day, in 855, at Burum, a royal villa on the Stour, now called Bures, or Buers. Though very young, he was by his piety, goodness, humility, and all other virtues, the model of good princes. He was a declared enemy of flatterers and informers, and would see with his own eyes and hear with his own ears, to avoid being surprised into a wrong judgment, or imposed upon by the passions or ill designs of others. The peace and happiness of his people were his whole concern, which he endeavoured to establish by an impartial administration of justice and religious regulations in his dominions. He was the father of his subjects, particularly of the poor, the protector of widows and orphans, and the support of the weak. Religion and piety were the most distinguishing part of his character. Monks and devout persons used to know the psalter without book, that they might recite the psalms at work, in travelling, and on every other occasion. To get it by heart St. Edmund lived in retirement a whole year in his royal tower at Hunstanton (which he had built for a country solitude), which place is now a village in Norfolk. The book which the saint used for that purpose was religiously kept at St. Edmundsbury till the dissolution of abbeys.

Taken from Vol. III of "The Lives or the Fathers, Martyrs and Other Principal Saints" by the Rev. Alban Butler

The Writing on the Wall

2009-05-21T08:28:00.002-05:00

"Suddenly the fingers of a human hand appeared, and began to write on the plaster of the palace wall, directly behind the lamp-stand" (Dan 5:5)

The prophet Daniel was brought in to explain the strange writing:

"The writing reads: Mene, Mene, Tekel and Parsin. The meaning of the words is this: Mene: God has measured your sovereignty and put an end to it; Tekel: you have been weighed in the balance and found wanting; Parsin: your kingdom has been divided and given to the Medes and the Persians." (Dan 5:25-28)

We must choose sides, you either serve God or satan the other fallen. As for me and my house, we shall serve the Lord. Amen+

Hours of Mary

2009-04-14T12:23:00.003-05:00

A kind gentlemen sent me a book called "Servants of Mary" which is a reprint (with permission) of the Servite Manual which is a treasure for those with a devotion to the sorrows of Mary. Most readers of this blog will be acquainted with Office prayers of the church. I used to pray the Little Office of the Blessed Virgin Mary but fell away from the practice. In the Servite Manual there is published a little known "Little Office of our Lady of Seven Dolors" This is posted below:

Matins

First Dolor - The Prophecy of Simeon

Hail Mary...

V. O Lord, open Thou my lips. R. And my mouth shall declare Thy praise.

V. O God, come unto mine aid. R. O Lord, make haste to help me.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son and to the Holy Ghost. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen. Alleluia.

From Septuagesima to Easter, instead of Alleluia, is said:

Praise be to Thee, O Lord, King of everlasting glory.

Hymn

HAIL to Thee, Christ's Mother dearest,

Who, by sad prophetic word,

In the sacred temple hearest

Of the keen heart -piercing sword,

Make me mindful of Thy sorrow,

Guard me, that, the valley past,

I may, in the eternal morrow,

Give Thee thanks in heaven at last.

Antiphon: LAM ii. 13: To what shall I compare thee, or to what shall I liken thee, O daughter of Jerusalem? To what shall I equal thee, that I may comfort thee, O virgin daughter of Sion? For great as the sea is thy destruction.

V. Thine own soul a sword shall pierce.

R. That out of many hearts thoughts may be revealed.

Let us pray

O Lord Jesus Christ, we beseech Thee that the blessed Virgin Mary, Thy Mother,whose most holy soul was pierced by the sword of sorrow in the hour of Thy Passion, may appeal for us to Thy clemency, now and at the hour of our death. Through Thee, Jesus Christ, Saviour of the world, who with the Father and the Holy Ghost, livest and reignest, world without end. Amen+

PRIME

Second Dolor - The Flight into Egypt

Hail Mary...

V. O God, come unto mine aid. R. O Lord, make haste to help me.

V. Glory Be... R. As it was in the beginning, etc. Alleluia or Praise be to Thee, O Lord, King of everlasting glory.

Hymn

HAIL, thou Christ's sweet Mother, flying

From an angry tyrant's hand,

In thy heart's deep sorrow sighing,

Banished from thy fatherland.

O thou Queen of blessed spirits,

Exiles never seek in vain;

Safe from evil man inherits

Grant me with thy Son to reign.

Antiphon: LAM i. 20: Behold, O Lord, for I am in distress; my bowels are troubled, my heart in turned within me, for I am full of bitterness: abroad the sword destroyeth, and at home there is death alike.

V. Lord, all my desire is before Thee.

R. And my groaning is not hidden from Thee.

Prayer as above

TERCE

Third dolor - The Loss of the Child Jesus

Hail Mary...

V. O God, come unto mind aid. As above.

Hymn

HAIL, to thee, Christ's Mother sweetest,

When was lost thy Son, thy King,

Thou, with mother's woe completest,

Three days sought Him sorrowing.

Ne'er be this remembrance over,

Let me find thy Son by grace,

And when I have found my lover,

Hold Him in a long embrace.

Antiphon: LAM i. 2: Weeping she hath wept in the night, and her tears are on her cheeks: there is none to comfort her among all them that were dear to her.

V. He hath made me desolate.

R. Wasted with sorrow all the day long.

Prayer as above

SEXT

Fourth dolor - The Meeting of Jesus carrying His cross

Hail Mary...

V. O Lord, come unto mine aid. As above

Hymn

HAIL, Christ's sweetest Mother, looking

While thy Son was led along,

And from cruel hands was brooking

Blows and thorns and torture-thong.

By the pains which ne'er another

Bare as He, may we find peace;

By the love of His dear Mother

Suffering, may our love increase.

Antiphon: LAM i. 9-10: Behold, O Lord, my affliction, because the enemy is lifted up: the enemy hath put out his hand to all her desirable things.

V. Who will give water to my head and a fountain of tears to my eyes?

R. And I will weep day and night.

Prayer as above

NONE

Fifth Dolor - The Crucifixion & Death of Jesus

Hail Mary...

V. O God, come unto mine aid. As above

Hymn

HAIL, Christ's sweetest Mother sighing

'Neath the cross predestined tree,

When thy Son, so sadly dying,

Turned His eyes to look on thee.

By the sword of bitter sorrow,

Which then cleft thy soul in twain,

Grant that I love's might may borrow,

and o'er death the victory gain.

Antiphon: LAM i. 12: O all ye that pass by the way, attend and see if there be any sorrow like unto my sorrow.

V. All they that passed by the way have clapped their hands at thee.

R. They have hissed, and wagged their head at the daughter of Jerusalem.

Prayer as above

VESPERS

Sixth Dolor - Christ's descent from the Cross

Hail Mary...

V. O God, come unto mine aid. As above

Hymn

HAIL, Christ's sweetest Mother, craving

Dead, thy Son, let down fron rood,

In thine arms to bear, and laving

Him with thy tears' holy flood.

May the power of that great anguish,

Mary Mother full of grace,

Keep me, when in death I languish,

Till I se my Saviour's face.

Antiphon: RUTH i. 20: Call me not Noemi (that is, beautiful), but call me Mara (that is, bitter), for the Almighty hath quite filled me with bitterness.

V. A bundle of myrrh is my Beloved to me.

R. He shall abide between my breasts.

Prayer as above

COMPLINE

Seventh Dolor - The Burial of Jesus

Hail Mary...

V. Convert us, O God our Saviour.

R. And turn off Thine anger from us.

V. O God, come unto mine aid. As above

Hymn

HAIL, Christ's sweetest Mother, weeping

Jesus hidden in the tomb,

Done to death and lowly sleeping,

Thou dost mourn His early doom.

By the might of anguished hours,

Suffered with a constant heart,

'Gainst the force of evil powers,

Help us bear a manly part;

Till with Saints on heavenly towers

We may join thee where thou art.

Antiphon: LAM i. 16: Therefore do I weep, and my eyes run down with water, because the Comforter, the relief of my soul, is far from me.

V. My eyes have failed with weeping.

R. My bowels are troubled.

Prayer as above

Offering

To thee, O Blessed Virgin, I recite

Prayers that are fitting for each holy rite;

May'st thou with loving mother's heart by nigh

To be my help, what time I come to die. Amen+

At the Foot of Christ's Cross

2009-04-10T12:06:00.003-05:00

Please do not forget to say a prayer today to console Mary who was crucified in spirit.

In the Desert

2009-04-07T09:25:00.003-05:00

Ok, I've not been posting in awhile, I know. Partly it is due to my not having anything of value to say. During this Lent for many reasons I have been in what I call the "desert of the soul". I have no virtue, no fortitude, nothing to impart which is worth reading. I'm praying this will pass after Easter, so then I plan to return to regular posting.

During times of trail for my soul, I find my only consolation, verily my only hope for my own salvation lies in the wearing of my scapular. With every shred of my will, I place my hope in the mercy of God, through the prayers of Mary in the wearing of her scapluar. Amen+

Sorrowful and Immaculate Heart of Mary II

2009-03-24T10:16:00.000-05:00

"The title of 'Sorrowful' belongs therefore to the Heart of My mother, and more than any other, this title is dear to her because it springs from the union of her Heart with Mine in the redemption of humanity. This title had been acquired be her through her full participation in My Calvary, and it precedes the gratuitous title 'Immaculate' which My love bestowed upon her by singular privilege." Jesus to Berthe Petit, 1920

Sorrowful and Immaculate Heart of Mary

2009-03-23T10:06:00.002-05:00

"The title of "Immaculate" belongs to the whole being of My mother and not specially to her Heart. This title flows from my gratuitous gift to the Virgin who was to give Me birth. My mother has acquired for her Heart the title of "Sorrowful" by sharing generously in all the sufferings of My Heart and My Body from the crib to the Cross. There is not one of these Sorrows which did not pierce the Heart of My mother. Living image of My crucified body, her virginal flesh bore the invisible marks of My wounds as her Heart felt the Sorrows of My own. Nothing could ever tarnish the incorruptibility of her Immaculate Heart." Jesus to Berthe Petit, 1920.

Easygoing weakness of Catholics

2009-03-05T11:18:00.003-06:00

Michael by Albrecht Durer

"In our time more than ever before the greatest asset of the evilly disposed is the cowardice and weakness of good men, and all the vigor of Satan's reign is due to the easygoing weakness of Catholics. Oh! If I might ask the divine Redeemer, as the prophet Zachary did in spirit: 'What are those wounds in the midst of Your hands?' the answer would not be doubtful. 'With these I was wounded in the house of those who did nothing to defend Me and who, on every occasion, made themselves the accomplices of My adversaries.' And this reproach can be levelled at the weak and timid Catholics of all countries." Pope St. Pius X (Beatification of Joan of Arc, December 13, 1908).

I grabbed this wondrous quote at La Salette Journey, go here for the complete post.

What a stark, and horrifying true statement of this time spoken in a time when the lawlessness of Mankind was not nearly as bad as today.