Beautiful

Our Lady of Sorrows - Ora pro nobis!

Chaplet of Our Lady's Tears IV

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

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

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

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."

More on this apparition tomorrow!

As I have mentioned earlier, my husband and I have started up a film company oddly enough named Our Lady's Tears Productions in order to make films on the lives of the saints and other Catholic topics. We are currently supporting the funding of a film on the life of St. Germaine Cousin (trailer here) with the sale of chaplets of Our Lady's Tears. We pray that is spreading this beautiful devotion to Our Lady's Sorrows souls will be brought to the school of Mary.

The medal on the chaplet of Our Lady's Tears associated with this apparation we could not find ANYWHERE so we had them made, and the company we hired to do this did a fine job.

We have been busy hand making these chaplets and they are now available for purchase with 100% of the proceeds going to fund the movie. We do not take one cent for ourselves.

Go here if you'd like to have one of these chaplets, they are just as described while supplies last. Currently we have on hand enough supplies for about 1000 chaplets.

May Mary's prayer go with you always!

St. Dymphna

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

(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

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

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

"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

(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

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

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

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

"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

"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

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

(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

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

"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

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

"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

"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

"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

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

"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

"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

"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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

"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

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

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