After Pentecost: Catechesis on the Holy Spirit

Posted on 2013/05/20 by Gretchen

PENTECOSTWe’re now in the octave of Pentecost (the period of 8 days following a feast day that are considered part of the feast) so it’s a great time to learn more about the Holy Spirit.

Sometimes we may forget that within the Blessed Trinity, the Holy Spirit is a Divine Person distinct from the Person of God the Father and the Person of God the Son, and that He helps us in specific and unique ways.

Specifically He gives us 7 gifts:  Wisdom, Understanding, Counsel, Fortitude, Knowledge, Piety, and Fear of the Lord.  At the Sacrament of Confirmation we are sealed with the Holy Spirit and receive from Him these 7 gifts which help us to live out our Baptismal promises.

Although the distinct Third Person of the Holy Trinity, the Holy Spirit is still One and the same God.  The Blessed Trinity—the Triune God—is the greatest mystery of the Christian faith and the end for which we were created.  While in this life we should prepare our hearts for heaven by catechizing ourselves as best we can about each Divine Person of the Blessed Trinity and their contributions to our sanctification and salvation.  Here are a few great resources from the saints, our teachers and forbears, to meditate on the Person of the Holy Spirit during this octave of Pentecost.

 

St Basil on the Holy Spirit

 

“[W]e are compelled to direct our thoughts on high, and to think of an intelligent being, boundless in power, of unlimited greatness, generous in goodness, whom time cannot measure.

All things thirsting for holiness turn to Him; everything living in virtue never turns away from Him. He waters them with His life-giving breath and helps them reach their proper fulfillment.

He perfects all other things, and Himself lacks nothing; He gives life to all things, and is never depleted.

He does not increase by additions, but is always complete, self-established, and present everywhere.

He is the source of sanctification, spiritual light, who gives illumination to everyone using His powers to search for the truth—and the illumination He gives us is Himself.

His nature is unapproachable; only through His goodness are we able to draw near it.

He fills all things with His power, but only those who are worthy may share it.

He distributes His energy in proportion to the faith of the recipient, not confining it to a single share.

He is simple in being; His powers are manifold: they are wholly present everywhere and in everything.

He is distributed but does not change. He is shared, yet remains whole.

Consider the analogy of the sunbeam: each person upon whom its kindly light falls rejoices as if the sun existed for him alone, yet it illumines land and sea, and is master of the atmosphere. In the same way, the Spirit is given to each one who receives Him as if he were the possession of that person alone, yet he sends forth sufficient grace to fill all the universe.

Everything that partakes of His grace is filled with joy according to its capacity—the capacity of its nature, not of His power.”

 

Catechism of the Holy Spirit by St. John Vianney

 

“O my Children, how beautiful it is! The Father is our Creator, the Son is our Redeemer, and the Holy Ghost is our Guide. . . . Man by himself is nothing, but with the Holy Spirit he is very great. Man is all earthly and all animal; nothing but the Holy Spirit can elevate his mind, and raise it on high. Why were the saints so detached from the earth? Because they let themselves be led by the Holy Spirit. Those whcathedra-holyspirit1o are led by the Holy Spirit have true ideas; that is the reason why so many ignorant people are wiser than the learned. When we are led by a God of strength and light, we cannot go astray.

The Holy Spirit is light and strength. He teaches us to distinguish between truth and falsehood, and between good and evil. Like glasses that magnify objects, the Holy Spirit shows us good and evil on a large scale. With the Holy Spirit we see everything in its true proportions; we see the greatness of the least actions done for God, and the greatness of the least faults. As a watchmaker with his glasses distinguishes the most minute wheels of a watch, so we, with the light of the Holy Ghost, distinguish all the details of our poor life. Then the smallest imperfections appear very great, the least sins inspire us with horror. That is the reason why the most Holy Virgin never sinned. The Holy Ghost made her understand the hideousness of sin; she shuddered with terror at the least fault.

Those who have the Holy Spirit cannot endure themselves, so well do they know their poor misery. The proud are those who have not the Holy Spirit. . . Continue reading the Catechism of the Holy Spirit by St. John Vianney here.

 

St. Cyril on the Holy Spirit

 

“The Holy Spirit impresses on us the divine image and gives us superhuman loveliness. We are temples of the Holy Spirit, who truly lives in us. On this account we are called gods. Because of our union with the Holy Spirit, we share the divine, imcomprehensible nature of God.” Again, the same Saint says, “We have not merely the enlightenment of the Holy Spirit, but He Himself dwells in us. Man is composed of a body and a soul and the Holy Spirit.”

 

Prayer to the Holy Spirit by St. Augustine

 

Breathe in me, O Holy Spirit, that my thoughts may all be holy.

Act in me, O Holy Spirit, that my work, too, may be holy.

Draw my heart, O Holy Spirit, that I love but what is holy.

Strengthen me, O Holy Spirit, to defend all that is holy.

Guard me, then, O Holy Spirit, that I always may be holy.

Amen.

 

 

Posted in Catechism, Holy Day, Patron Saints | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

St. Dymphna: The Courage of a Teenage Irish Girl

Posted on 2013/05/16 by Nick

st_dymphna_pictureMay 15 is the feast day of St. Dymphna, a woman of incredible courage. Saint Dymphna is the patroness of the mentally and emotionally ill and other nervous disorders.  How did this come to pass?  Read the incredible and heart-wrenching story of St. Dymphna.

The Story of St. Dymphna

Saint Dymphna was born to a pagan Irish chieftain named Damon and a beautiful Christian woman in 7th century Ireland.  Her mother imparted the Christian faith to her daughter and had her secretly baptized against her father’s wishes.

Her mother tragically died while St. Dymphna was only a teenager.  Her father, who loved his wife deeply, was driven to madness by her death.  Delusion and mental illness overcame him and he eventually sought to marry his daughter because she reminded him of his departed wife.

St. Dymphna, a Christian girl, refused to do such a wicked thing as marry her father.  She resisted him and courageously fled Ireland with her confessor, St. Gerebernus, and a couple of servants into Belgium.

Her father was relentless in his mad pursuit of her and followed them to Belgium.  When he eventually discovered her location he ordered his men to kill St. Gerebernus and the other servants.  He then attempted to convince St. Dymphna to come back to Ireland with him and be his wife.  Again she courageously refused.  In a fit of rage he beheaded her, his own daughter, in Belgium.  According to tradition she was only 15 years old when she died.

God, as always, uses circumstances surrounding the death of his saints to bring about good.  After St. Dymphna’s tragic murder, those suffering from mental or emotional illness would come to the site of her death and receive miraculous healing.  Later an infirmary was built over the site where she died and many miracles were reported there as well.

St. Dymphna’s story should give all of us courage and strength, especially that through her God has provided a powerful patroness for those suffering from mental and emotional disorders.

If you have loved ones suffering from mental or emotional illness then I encourage you to invoke St. Dymphna.  Here at The Catholic Company we have many St. Dymphna medals and prayer cards for yourself and your loved ones, find them here.  Have you or a loved one benefited from the intercession of St. Dymphna?

Posted in Patron Saints | Tagged , | 16 Comments

Three Sacramentals Instituted by the Blessed Virgin Mary

Posted on 2013/05/14 by Gretchen

The Blessed Virgin Mary is ever-interested in our salvation and is our supreme advocate and intercessor among all the saints.  As the very good Mother she is, she gives her children helpful instruction to aid them in doing God’s will here on earth and loving Christ better, which helps them gain heaven.

From time to time in the history of the Church, Mary has given certain holy saints a particular devotion to her with attached graces and promises. In some cases the devotion is meant to be spread to the whole Church and involves an object, or sacramental, given as a physical sign to be associated with the devotion.  Three very famous sacramentals given to the Church by Mary are the holy rosary, the brown scapular, and the miraculous medal.

Blue RosaryThe Holy Rosary

The rosary was given by the Blessed Virgin Mary to St. Dominic in the year 1214.

“Dear Dominic, do you know which weapon the Blessed Trinity wants to use to reform the world?” . . . “I want you to know that, in this kind of warfare, the battering ram has always been the Angelic Psalter which is the foundation stone of the New Testament. Therefore if you want to reach these hardened souls and win them over to God, preach my Psalter.”

This psalter, a combination of the Pater Noster (Our Father) prayer taught by Jesus, the words of the Angel Gabriel to the Blessed Virgin at the Annunciation, and the words of Elizabeth at the Visitation.  The rosary was composed according to the instructions of the apparition including the Sorrowful, Joyful, and Glorious mysteries as meditations on the life and Passion of Christ. It was then called the ‘rosary’ because each time it’s prayed Mary receives a crown of roses.

 

 scapularsThe Brown Scapular

Mary, under the title of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel, gave the brown scapular to St. Simon Stock, a Carmelite, in the year 1251.  A scapular is composed of two small pieces of wool cloth attached by a string, meant to wear on the front and back in the same way a habit would be worn. It then becomes a sign of devotion to the Virgin Mary worn hidden under the clothes.

“Receive, my beloved son, this scapular of thy Order; it is the special sign of my favor, which I have obtained for thee and for thy children of Mount Carmel. He who dies clothed with this habit shall be preserved from eternal fire. It is the badge of salvation, a shield in time of danger, and a pledge of special peace and protection.”

 

 

2043491The Miraculous Medal

Our Lady appeared to St. Catherine Laboure in France in the year 1830 and gave her the vision of a medal, known as the Miraculous Medal, with specific details as to how it should be constructed both on the front and the back.  The medal is a testament to the role of Mary in salvation history and is especially associated with the dogma of the Immaculate Conception.

“Have a medal struck upon this model. Those who wear it will receive great graces, especially if they wear it around the neck” . . . “Now it must be given to the whole world and to every person.”

 

After reading about these sacramentals and their promises given to the faithful by the Blessed Virgin Mary herself, are you more inclined to make use of them?  Have you already received special graces from using any of these, that you would like to share with our readers as an encouragement to practice these devotions?

Posted in Catholic Gift Guide, Catholic Gifts, Prayer | Tagged , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

The Influence of “True Devotion to Mary” on Blessed Pope John Paul II

Posted on 2013/05/09 by Gretchen

True Devotion to Mary book

Since May is the Month of Mary, and next week is the feast of Our Lady of Fatima, and the fact that it has recently been announced that Bl. Pope John Paul II could be canonized later this year, it’s a great time to talk about this his special devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary.

When Pope John Paul II was nearly fatally shot during his papacy, he credited the intercession of the Virgin Mary, specifically Our Lady of Fatima, with the miraculous save of his life.  And Pope John Paul II gleaned his devotion to Mary largely through the writings of one saint: Louis de Montfort.

During the Month of Mary it would be a great time to follow in his footsteps and read the book that changed Karol Wojtyla’s life: True Devotion to Mary.

Bl. Pope John Paul II and St. Louis de Montfort

Blessed Pope John Paul II was well known during his papacy for having a deep and abiding love for the Blessed Virgin Mary. His devotion to Mary was evident in all that he did: his words, his prayer life, his motto and even his coat of arms, were all dedicated to the Blessed Mother.

But how did he develop this life-long devotion to Mary? In his book, Gift and Mystery, Blessed Pope John Paul II credits his home parish and the nearby Carmelites for their early influence. However, as he matured in his faith, he singles out one overwhelming influence which changed his life:

“At one point I began to question my devotion to Mary, believing that, if it became too great, it might end up compromising the supremacy of the worship owed to Christ.  At that time, I was greatly helped by a book by Saint Louis Marie Grignion de Montfort…

There I found the answers to my questions, Yes, Mary does bring us closer to Christ; she does lead us to him, provided that we live her mystery in Christ… The author was an outstanding theologian.  His Mariological thought is rooted in the mystery of the Trinity and in the truth of the Incarnation of the Word of God”.

Blessed Pope John Paul II thought so highly about the writing of St. Louis De Montfort, that he spoke about the saint on many occasions. In addition, on December 8, 2003, he wrote a special letter on the occasion of the 160th Anniversary of De Montfort’s publication. In this letter he wrote: “I myself, in the years of my youth, found reading this book a great help.”

The book was such a great influence that when he was elected Pope in 1978, he chose his motto from words written by St. Louis De Montfort.

“As is well known, (in) my episcopal coat of arms … the motto Totus tuus is inspired by the teaching of St. Louis Marie Grignion de Montfort.  These two words express total belonging to Jesus through Mary: “Tuus totus ego sum, et omnia mea tua sunt.” (“I am all Yours, and all that I have is Yours.”) . . . “This Saint’s teaching has had a profound influence on the Marian devotion of many of the faithful and on my own life.”

Pope John Paul II FatimaNow available in a new edition, this life-changing book has a fresh look for a new generation of faithful readers.

This edition also includes an expanded Preparation for Total Consecration with readings and prayers, as well as directions for how to pray “The Little Crown of the Blessed Virgin Mary”.

There is no better way to advance quickly in holiness, no better way to please God, and no better way to guarantee one’s present sanctity and eternal salvation than with true devotion to Mary.

In True Devotion to Mary, St. Louis De Montfort teaches us:

“Pray with great confidence, with confidence based on the goodness and infinite generosity of God and upon the promises of Jesus Christ. God is a spring of living water which flows unceasingly into the hearts of those who pray.”

***

“If you put all the love of all the mothers into one heart it still would not equal the love of the Heart of Mary for her children.”

***

“Mary is the fruitful Virgin, and in all the souls in which she comes to dwell she causes to flourish purity of heart and body, rightness of intention and abundance of good works.  Do not imagine that Mary, the most fruitful of creatures who gave birth to a God, remains barren in a faithful soul. It will be she who makes the soul live incessantly for Jesus Christ, and will make Jesus live in the soul.”

***

“All our perfection consists in being conformed, united and consecrated to Jesus Christ; and therefore the most perfect of all devotions is, without any doubt, that which the most perfectly conforms, unites, and consecrates us to Jesus Christ. Now Mary being the most conformed of all creatures to Jesus Christ, it follows that, of all devotions that which most consecrates and conforms the soul to Our Lord is devotion to his holy Mother, and the more a soul is consecrated to Mary, the more it is consecrated to Jesus. Hence it comes to pass that the most perfect consecration to Jesus Christ is nothing else than a perfect and entire consecration of ourselves to the Blessed Virgin.”

About the author, St. Louis de Montfort:

 stlouisdemontfortSt. Louis De Montfort was a French priest who was born in 1673 and ordained at the age of 27. He wanted to be a missionary, but instead spent his life traveling around western France preaching, teaching, hearing confessions, rebuilding churches, and opening schools. He encountered great resistance, and decided to walk one thousand miles to Rome, to seek council from the Pope as to his mission. Pope Clement XI named him a Missionary Apostolic and asked him to continue traveling and ministering to the people. St. Louis De Montfort wrote several books, including: The Secret of the Rosary and The Secret of Mary.

The Secret of the Rosary

The Secret of Mary

Posted in Catholic Books, Patron Saints, Pope | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

The Feast of the Ascension & the Holy Spirit Novena

Posted on 2013/05/09 by Gretchen

AscensionThe Feast of the Ascension, also called Ascension Thursday, follows 40 days after Easter Sunday and is a Holy Day of Obligation.

(In many places in the U.S. the feast is transferred to the following Sunday and falls under the usual Sunday obligation. Check with your parish to be sure.)

The Feast of the Ascension is when Jesus left earth—in his physical, resurrected body—to sit at the Father’s right hand in heaven.  His mission was complete, and he went to be the Head of the Church from his heavenly throne.

NB: The Ascension of Jesus should not be confused with the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

Here is the account of the Ascension from the Bible, found in the Book of Acts:

“And when he had said this, as they were looking on, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight.  And while they were gazing into heaven as he went, behold, two men stood by them in white robes, and said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into heaven? This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven.”

This feast day falls just before the 7th and final Sunday of Easter. From the Resurrection to the Ascension (a span of 40 days), Jesus continued to appear to his disciples to strengthen, teach, and encourage them.

The Feast of the Ascension is probably treated in many places today as one of the ho-hum feast days, but historically it was a major feast (thus, its status as a holy day of obligation).  In order to think of it and treat it with the same reverence as Christians of days past, it helps to reflect on it more deeply.

 

Here are three aspects of Ascension Thursday that we can reflect on today.

 

First, this was the first time the Second Person of the Holy Trinity returned to heaven since his Incarnation.  A completely new thing took place in heaven; at the Ascension the angels worship human nature in Jesus Christ for the first time.  Human nature was created lower than angel nature; and because of the Fall, there were no human bodies in heaven before Jesus ascended; that is, not only were we created lower, but through sin we fell from the place that we did have.  Now, because of the Incarnation and Passion, the Second Person of the Holy Trinity has a physical, human body in heaven. This was a true feat.

Second, even more remarkable is that we have a share in the Ascension of Jesus. Christ ascending into heaven in his glorified human body applies to all of the redeemed, in that we through Christ are brought back to the throne of God, back to what we were created for. When we reflect on the Ascension, we should remember that this is the glory that we are meant for; in God’s mercy he has restored us to Himself through His Son.  The destiny that God has planned for us, which is a stunning and remarkable display of his mercy and love, is an eternal reality that should inform our daily actions for the better.

Third, Ascension Thursday is closely connected with Pentecost. After Jesus ascended, the disciples were instructed to go to Jerusalem and wait. They, together with the Blessed Virgin Mary, waited and prayed for a period of 9 days until the Holy Spirit was poured out on them at Pentecost.  In fact, Jesus told his disciples that unless he ascended the Holy Spirit would not come. This period of 9 days was the Church’s first novena, and the biblical precedent for all the various novenas that believers pray today.  This period of nine days of prayer to the Holy Spirit is something that we can enter into again. Listed below is a  novena to the Holy Spirit that can be prayed everyday from now until Pentecost Sunday.

 

NOVENA PRAYER FOR THE SEVEN GIFTS OF THE HOLY SPIRIT

O Lord Jesus Christ Who, before ascending into heaven did promise to send the Holy Spirit to finish Your work in the souls of Your Apostles and Disciples, deign to grant the same Holy Spirit to me that He may perfect in my soul, the work of Your grace and Your love.

Grant me,

the Spirit of Wisdom that I may despise the perishable things of this world and aspire only after the things that are eternal,

the Spirit of Understanding to enlighten my mind with the light of Your divine truth,

the Spirit of Counsel that I may ever choose the surest way of pleasing God and gaining heaven,

the Spirit of Fortitude that I may bear my cross with You and that I may overcome with courage all the obstacles that oppose my salvation,

the Spirit of Knowledge that I may know God and know myself and grow perfect in the science of the Saints,

the Spirit of Piety that I may find the service of God sweet and amiable, and

the Spirit of Fear of the Lord that I may be filled with a loving reverence towards God and may dread in any way to displease Him.

Mark me, dear Lord, with the sign of Your true disciples and animate me in all things with Your Spirit. Amen.

 

ACT OF CONSECRATION TO THE HOLY SPIRIT

On my knees before the great multitude of heavenly witnesses, I offer myself soul and body to Thee, Eternal Spirit of God. I adore the brightness of Thy purity, the unerring keenness of Thy justice, and the might of Thy love. Thou art the Strength and Light of my soul. In Thee I live and move and am.

I desire never to grieve Thee by unfaithfulness to grace, and I pray with all my heart to be kept from the smallest sin against Thee.Mercifully guard my every thought and grant that I may always watch for Thy light and listen to Thy voice and follow Thy gracious inspirations. I cling to Thee and give myself to Thee and ask Thee by Thy compassion to watch over me in my weakness.

Holding the pierced Feet of Jesus and looking at His Five Wounds and trusting in His Precious Blood and adoring His opened Side and stricken Heart, I implore Thee Adorable Spirit, helper of my infirmity, so to keep me in Thy grace that I may never sin against Thee. Give me grace O Holy Ghost, Spirit of the Father and the Son, to say to Thee always and everywhere, “Speak Lord, for Thy servant heareth.” Amen.

(To be recited daily during the Novena)

 

May this feast day inspire us all to live like saints, through the power of the Holy Spirit!

Posted in Holy Day, Prayer | Tagged , , , , | 4 Comments

4 Mother’s Day Gift Ideas for the Catholic Mom

Posted on 2013/05/03 by Gretchen

We love momsAttention all sons, daughters, and husbands: Mother’s Day is next weekend!

If you don’t have any gifts lined up yet, you don’t have to panic . . .  we’ve got you covered. We’ve lined up some great inspirational gifts your moms and wives are sure to love, making you an instant favorite.

Listed below are four great Mother’s Day gift ideas (with a Catholic twist of course) that will ensure your mom will have a pleasurable and relaxing Mother’s Day. Making mom happy is your #1 priority on the second Sunday in May.

 

DSC_0733-2Gifts for the Garden:

Garden gifts are a popular gift idea for most mothers, and rightly so, because Mother’s Day arrives each May (hello, flowers) and most moms love to have a beautiful outdoor area.  Gardens are a great place to relax outside and breathe in nature’s beauty.  But gardens can serve a spiritual purpose when they become Catholic after being sprinkled with Catholic  garden gifts.  Catholic gardens are a wonderful place to pray and enjoy spiritual refreshment, helping your mom to remember that just as outdoor Catholic statues of angels and saints surround her in the garden, so too they surround her in reality, always offering up prayers on her behalf.

 

Immaculate Waters Complete Set (6-Pack)

Gifts for the Boudoir:

Your mom is sure to get soiled with dirt as she puts her new Catholic Garden Gifts in her yard.  But again, don’t worry, we’ve thought of this too!  We’ve just brought in a new line of Immaculate Waters bath & body products that are made with pure Lourdes Grotto Water. In addition to having this special water as their key ingredient, these special  bath soaps and body lotions also contain other luxurious ingredients like shea butter, olive oil, aloe vera, rose fragrance, and lavender essential oil. Give your mom a bit of spa-like luxury in the comfort of her own home.

 

A Book of Saints for Catholic Moms Gifts for the Mind & Heart:

With our line of Immaculate Waters products, your mom will probably stay in the bath a little longer than usual enjoying all the aromatherapy goodness.  But don’t worry, you guessed it, we’ve thought of that too!  Give your mom some great reading while she’s enjoying a little time to herself with Catholic Books just for mom. Catholic books provide insight, inspiration, and encouragement to live a life of faith, all good things your mom will appreciate this Mother’s Day.

 

 

Precious Life Rosary BraceletGifts for Jewelry Box:

When your mom comes out of her luxurious bath, after being spiritually refreshed by her new and improved Catholic garden and her new Catholic book, she’s probably going to feel like a new person!  Again, we’ve thought about this!  Give your mom something new to wear too, such as a lovely new Catholic bracelet or other Catholic jewelry gifts for mom.  She’ll love to emerge from her boudoir showing off a beautiful piece of jewelry that offers her spiritual encouragement too.

 

 

These Catholic Mother’s Day gift ideas line up the perfect relaxing day for your mom.  What can be a better way to spend Mother’s Day than with lovely scenery, a good book, a relaxing bath, a new piece of jewelry, and a very thoughtful husband or child?  Not much, and I’m sure your mom will agree!

Posted in Catholic Gift Guide, Catholic Gifts, Catholic Mom | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

The Pope of the Rosary, Pope St. Pius V

Posted on 2013/04/30 by Gretchen

April 30 is the feast day of Pope Pius V.  HPopePiusVe was a Dominican and a pope, a great reformer of the Church, and a saint.  He was especially known for his devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary and a great promoter of the Holy Rosary, so much so that he is called “The Pope of the Rosary.”

Pope Pius V is known as the “Pope of the Rosary” for two reasons:  for penning a papal document on the rosary and for establishing a rosary feast day, two important steps in solidifying this powerful tool of prayer for the entire Church.

In 1569 Pope Pius V issued a papal document, Consueverunt Romani Pontifices, in which he secured the uniformity of the Holy Rosary (endorsing the Dominican Rosary of 15 decades of Hail Marys) for recitation throughout the Catholic Church.  You can read the full text of the short document below.

Pope Saint Pius V is also connected with the rosary because he established the Feast of Our Lady of the Rosary in 1573.  The purpose of the feast day was to thank God for the victory of the Christians over the Turks at the Battle of Lepanto—a miraculous naval battle victory that occurred on October 7, 1571.

Pope St. Pius V attributed the military victory to the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary, who was invoked on the day of the battle through a campaign to pray the Rosary throughout Europe.  Pope Pius V called on all of Europe to recite the Rosary and ordered a 40 hour devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary in Rome during which time the battle took place. Despite the Christian fleet being vastly outnumbered, all but 13 of the nearly 300 Turkish ships had been captured or sunk, and they won a decisive battle saving all of Europe.

It seems that Pope St. Pius’ declaration establishing the recitation of the Holy Rosary for the entire Church in 1569 came just in time for its use just two years later in the Battle of Lepanto!

This feast day of Pope Pius V  is a great reminder of the power of the Holy Rosary and that we can turn to our Blessed Mother for all victories, both temporal and spiritual. On an interesting note, during his first day as Holy Father, Pope Francis prayed at the tomb of Pope Pius V.

 

Saint Pius V, pray for us!

 

Decree by Pope Saint Pius V on the power of the Holy Rosary, even before the great Catholic victory at the Battle of Lepanto in 1571.

The Roman Pontiffs, and the other Holy Fathers, our predecessors, when they were pressed in upon by temporal or spiritual wars, or troubled by other trials, in order that they might more easily escape from these, and having achieved tranquility, might quietly and fervently be free to devote themselves to God, were wont to implore the divine assistance, through supplications or Litanies to call forth the support of the saints, and with David to lift up their eyes unto the Mountains, trusting with firm hope that thence would they receive aid.

1. Prompted by their example, and, as is piously believed, by the Holy Ghost, the inspired Blessed founder of the Order of Friar Preachers, (whose institutes and rule we ourselves expressly professed when we were in minor orders), in circumstances similar to those in which we now find ourselves, when parts of France and of Italy were unhappily troubled by the heresy of the Albegenses, which blinded so many of the worldly that they were raging most savagely against the priests of the Lord and the clergy, raised his eyes up unto heaven, unto that mountain of the Glorious Virgin Mary, loving Mother of God.

For she by her seed has crushed the head of the twisted serpent, and has alone destroyed all heresies, and by the blessed fruit of her womb has saved a world condemned by the fall of our first parent.  From her, without human hand, was that stone cut, which, struck by wood, poured forth the abundantly flowing waters of graces.

And so Dominic looked to that simple way of praying and beseeching God, accessible to all and wholly pious, which is called the Rosary, or Psalter of the Blessed Virgin Mary, in which the same most Blessed Virgin is venerated by the angelic greeting repeated one hundred and fifty times, that is, according to the number of the Davidic Psalter, and by the Lord’s Prayer with each decade.  Interposed with these prayers are certain meditations showing forth the entire life of Our Lord Jesus Christ, thus completing the method of prayer devised by the Fathers of the Holy Roman Church.

This same method St. Dominic propagated, and it was, spread by the Friars of Blessed Dominic, namely, of the aforementioned Order, and accepted by not a few of the people. Christ’s faithful, inflamed by these prayers, began immediately to be changed into new men.

The darkness of heresy began to be dispelled, and the light of the Catholic Faith to be revealed. Sodalities for this form of prayer began to be instituted in many places by the Friars of the same Order, legitimately deputed to this work by their Superiors, and confreres began to be enrolled together.

2. Following the example of our predecessors, seeing that the Church militant, which God has placed in our hands, in these our times is tossed this way and that by so many heresies, and is grievously troubled and afflicted by so many wars, and by the deprave morals of men, we also raise our eyes, weeping but full of hope, unto that same mountain, whence every aid comes forth, and we encourage and admonish each member of Christ’s faithful to do likewise in the Lord.

Given at Rome at St. Peter’s, under the Fisherman’s ring, 17 September 1569, in the fourth year of our Pontificate.

Related Catholic Gifts

Our Lady of the Rosary Statue

St. Pius V Book

 

 

 

 

Posted in Patron Saints, Pope | Tagged , | Leave a comment

The Feast of St. Gianna Beretta Molla: A Modern Mother’s Heroism

Posted on 2013/04/27 by Gretchen

 “God’s Providence is in all things, it’s always present.” ~St. Gianna Molla

 

April 28 is the feast day of Saint Gianna Beretta Molla, doctor and mother of four. She is a saint for our modern times with much to teach us through her life as a mother, faithful Catholic, and working woman.

 

Gianna was born in Italy in 1922. She was raised in a large and strong Catholic family; both of her parents were Third Order Franciscans. Daily Mass and a daily rosary were part of her family tradition, and of the 13 children born to her parents there were two priests, a nun, and a saint (Gianna).

 

Gianna was an adventurous woman who loved skiing and mountaineering.  She studied medicine in college while also serving others through Catholic Action and the St. Vincent de Paul Society.  She earned degrees in Medicine and Surgery from the University of Pavia in 1949.  After opening her own medical clinic she gave special attention to mothers, babies, the elderly and the poor, inspiring her to specialize in Pediatrics at the University of Milan in 1952.

 

Gianna was also committed to prayer and contemplation. According to one account, “Through her prayers and those of others, she reflected upon her vocation, which she also considered a gift from God. Having chosen the vocation of marriage, she embraced it with complete enthusiasm and wholly dedicated herself ‘to forming a truly Christian family’.”  She married in 1955 and welcomed four children into the world.

 

When she was pregnant with her fourth child a painful fibroma developed in her uterus.  Her doctors gave her three options for treatment: An Pietro-Gianna-Mountainsabortion, which would save her life and preserve the possibility of future pregnancies, but would directly terminate the life of her unborn child, a mortal sin; a hysterectomy, which would also save her life yet indirectly and unintentionally terminate the life of her unborn child, a procedure which would have been permissible without sin; or a risky surgery to remove the fibroma and continue the pregnancy, which could put her life in danger.

 

Gianna made a heroic choice; she chose the surgery to remove the fibroma, the option with the best chance to save the life of her child–even though it was the option that put her life at risk the most.

 

After the surgery complications persisted through the rest of her pregnancy.  Gianna knew that she would have a risky delivery. She remarked, “This time it will be a difficult delivery, and they may have to save one or the other—I want them to save my baby.”

 

On the morning of April 21, 1962, which was Good Friday that year, her daughter Gianna Emanuela, named for her mother, was born after a hard labor via C-section. She told her doctors, “If you must decide between me and the child, do not hesitate: choose the child – I insist on it.  Save her.”  Seven days later Gianna died with much suffering on April 28, 1962. She was only 39 years old. Among her last words were, “Jesus, I love you.”

 

Gianna Beretta Molla was beatified by Pope John Paul II on April 24, 1994, during the international Year of the Family. She was canonized a saint on May 16, 2004.  She is the patron saint of mothers, physicians, and unborn children.

 

“St. Gianna died as a result of sacrificing her life so that her unborn child in the womb could have the maximum chance at life. Divine Providence accepted her sacrifice and suffering and she was rewarded with Eternal Salvation. Thus it is very beautiful that her heroic virtue was acknowledged and confirmed by the Universal Church through two intercessory miracles involving two mothers and an innocent baby in the womb.”

 

For more on this great saint for our times, read  The Stories of the Miracles Approved for the Canonization of Saint Gianna Beretta Molla.  Her husband recently died in 2010 on Holy Saturday surrounded by his children, including Gianna Emanuela. Read A Holy Couple Reunited in Heaven.

“One cannot love without suffering or suffer without loving.” ~ St. Gianna Molla

 

 

Prayer of Saint Gianna

 

Jesus, I promise You to submit myself to all that You permit to befall me, make me only know Your will. My most sweet Jesus, infinitely merciful God, most tender Father of souls, and in a particular way of the most weak, most miserable, most infirm which You carry with special tenderness between Your divine arms, I come to You to ask You, through the love and merits of Your Sacred Heart, the grace to comprehend and to do always Your holy will, the grace to confide in You, the grace to rest securely through time and eternity in Your loving divine arms.

St. Gianna Molla Catholic Gifts

A Woman's Life - Saint Gianna Beretta MollaSterling Silver St. Gianna Pendant

Posted in Patron Saints | Tagged , , | 4 Comments

Immaculee Ilibagiza, Rwandan Genocide Survivor, Becomes U.S. Citizen

Posted on 2013/04/18 by Gretchen

Left to Tell by ImmaculeeYesterday Immaculee Ilibagiza became a U.S. citizen.  Immaculee is a Rwandan national who fled to the United States for asylum following the 1994 civil war and horrific massacre in her home country. She is famous for telling her story of survival through books, talks, and interviews.

Immaculee, a Catholic, resorted to her Catholic prayers and the messages of Our Lady of Kibeho in her hour of darkness and fear.

While her family and a million other Rwandans were slaughtered with machetes in the streets by their fellow countrymen in one of the most horrific genocides in human history, she hid with seven other women in a tiny three by four foot bathroom for a total of 91 days until the civil war’s end.

The eight women didn’t speak, slept upright, and ate what little food that could be shoved under the door while evil and terror ravaged their country. Central to her survival was the messages from Our Lady of Kibeho, a Church-approved Marian apparition site where Our Lady warned of the massacre ten years before it occurred.

Her book, Left to Tell: Discovering God Amidst the Rwandan Holocaust (top left) recounts the horrific events, as well as how she managed to stay alive by being huddled in a neighbor’s tiny bathroom where she literally prayed without ceasing, specifically the Our Lady of Sorrows chaplet (which was specifically recommended by Our Lady of Kibeho) and the Divine Mercy Chaplet.

Although she was wildly angry and ready for revenge because of what was happening to her, Our LadyOur Lady of Kibeho Mary Speaks to the World from the Heart of Africa transformed her deep anger into forgiveness through Immaculee’s prayers.  “I felt God was showing me there are two parts of the world: a part that was love, and a side that was hate,” she said.  She began to think of those doing the killing “as people who were lost, who were blind.  And if I did not let go of the anger, I would not be here today;  I would have tried to kill people, and they would have killed me.”

Immaculee has reconciled with and forgiven the man who killed some of her family members—a family friend whom her parents had at one time taken into their home when he was younger.

Immaculee’s book has been a best-seller and is profoundly inspirational. It gives a clear glimpse into the life of the spiritual realm and how it impacts life in the visible realm . . . especially through the messages of Our Lady of Kibeho.

Immaculee continues to take groups to visit Rwanda annually. Of her new country, the United States of America, Immaculee says, “I love the American dream. I feel this is the place I was supposed to be in.  It’s beautiful. I love it.”

 

Below is the fascinating interview Immaculate did with Fr. Pacwa on EWTN:

Posted in Catholic Books | Tagged , , , | 3 Comments

St. Bernadette & Lessons on Suffering

Posted on 2013/04/16 by Nick

St. Bernadette SoubirousApril 16 is the feast day of the stunning St. Bernadette of Lourdes.  Saint Bernadette is best known for being the visionary of the Marian apparition at Lourdes.  During the course of her short life (she died at the age of 35) Bernadette Soubirous received an astounding 18 visions of the Blessed Virgin Mary!

Her visions and the discovery of the healing waters of Lourdes has certainly been her lasting influence—more than 200 million people have visited the shrine at Lourdes, France.  But I believe she also has an important lesson to teach us about suffering.

Saint Bernadette was sick throughout most of her young life.  As a child she suffered from asthma. Throughout much of her time living with the Sisters of Nevers she struggled with a very painful tubercular tumor in the bone on her right knee.  One day, while in the convent, a group of visitors came to her and asked her if she was aware of the miraculous healings that were occurring at Lourdes, and why she, the woman to whom the healing waters had been shown, did not go there for healing.  St. Bernadette simply responded, “You see, my business is to be ill.”  This response struck the visitors who simply could not understand what she meant by this. Many in our own day wouldn’t understand it either.St. Bernadette

Today there is an emphasis, as their rightly should be, on defeating illness. This is a good thing.   But we cannot lose sight of having the right attitude or response towards suffering during the time that we experience it.  Many people who discover they are ill are tempted to become depressed, angry, confused, or just generally frustrated.  St. Bernadette challenges us to accept our suffering, illness, and pain that comes to us.

St. Bernadette realized that suffering gives us a real opportunity to go in one of two directions: bitter or better. People in response to suffering will either become bitter and think thoughts such as, “This isn’t fair,” “Why does this have to happen to me?” or “I hate my sufferings.”  But people can also respond in a radical way of acceptance such as St. Bernadette and many other heroic Saints and Blesseds.  As they have taught us, suffering allows us the opportunity to grow closer to God, participate in the sufferings of Christ, purify ourselves, and gain perspective on our own fragility and weakness.

“Why must we suffer? Because here below pure Love cannot exist without suffering. O Jesus, Jesus, I no longer feel my cross when I think of yours.” ~ Saint Bernadette

Saint Bernadette is, not surprisingly, the patron saint of the sick.  Our Lady of Lourdes once said to St. Bernadette, “I do not promise to make you happy in this life, but in the next.” If you or someone you know is suffering from an illness, then I encourage you to pray for them.  Pray for healing as well as for their ability to accept the suffering they endure and grow from the experience.  Perhaps they would benefit from a St. Bernadette patron saint medal or prayer card to remind them of her life and the power of her intercession. Continue reading about St. Bernadette and Our Lady of Lourdes here.

What strikes you about the life of Saint Bernadette?  How do you think we ought to respond to sufferings, large and small, in our lives?

 

St. Bernadette Gifts

Lourdes Folded Prayer Card with Medal Bernadette (DVD)

Posted in Patron Saints | Tagged , , | 8 Comments