“Love Mary!… She is loveable, faithful, constant. She will never let
herself be outdone in love, but will ever remain supreme. If you are in danger,
she will hasten to free you. If you are troubled, she will console you. If you
are sick, she will bring you relief. If you are in need, she will help you. She
does not look to see what kind of person you have been. She simply comes to a
heart that wants to love her. She comes quickly and opens her merciful heart to
you, embraces you and consoles and serves you. She will even be at hand to
accompany you on the trip to eternity.” ~St. Gabriel of Our Lady of
Sorrows
Saturday, September 15, 2012
An answer to our prayers?
Given a situation with which we find ourselves at a loss as how to resolve, we always pray. Given the unwanted cat and kitten population thrust upon us this summer, we prayed to find homes for the first three kittens. And our prayers were answered only St. Francis of Assisi decided that one answer would be for us to take in one of the kittens! Be careful for what you pray is all I can say! So, if you notice typos in my Blog or letters or numbers that don't belong, it is because I often have help these days . . . whether I want it or now.
Mission accomplished!
After a few weeks of not getting proposed projects completed, it was a good feeling to finally finish this baby quilt. As usual, my designs and format are not usual and this quilt is not exception. The front of the quilt (it is for a boy) is done in vibrant blues and reds softened with a pretty print. The back is print with picture appliques and a storybook border at the top and bottom of the quilt.Right now, I have four quilts in various stages of completion and the 'incomplete' grade for quilting last month is rapidly heading for a 100 percent completion . . . only, I just got this idea for another quilt . . .
Feast Day of Our Lady of Sorrows
Our Lady of Sorrows
Feast Day September 15th
"Thy Mother seeing Thee, the Lamb and Shepherd and Savior of the world, upon the Cross, said with tears, Lo! The world rejoiceth, for it gaineth deliverance; but my heart is broken, for I see Thy crucifixion, which Thou endurest for all, O my Son and My God." Byzantine Horologion, Troparion at None, 6th to 8th century.
It should be a fitting reminder to us that the Feast of our Lady of Sorrows falls on the day after the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross as the two memorials are so closely entwined. On one day, we bring more closely to mind the Cross that determined our salvation because Christ died upon it. The Greek literally translate the day as "Raising Aloft of the Precious Cross" which from the Latin we have "Raising Aloft of the Holy Cross." Although this feast day strongly brings to our attention the crucifixion and the excruciating suffering offered for the salvation for our sins, who of us can really, truly understand what it means to actually stand by that cross and witness the blood shed that was the turning point of our history and the beginning of the Church.
There were several people close by the cross that day and a crowd in encircling the area. All were touched in some way but who more so than the Mother who gave birth to the Son that now died horribly before her very eyes.
Of all the feast days dedicated to the Blessed Mother, this had great pain and sadness prefacing the glory of the Resurrection. In all, there are Seven Sorrows endured lovingly and graciously by the Mother God chosen for His Only Begotten Son.
The Bible clearly sets out the seven events that reveal the strength and trust the Blessed Mother had in her place in this important aspect of our salvation.
The devotion to the Mother of Sorrows dates back to the beginning of the Church. St. John at the foot of the Cross is the very first example. "Now there stood by the Cross of Jesus, His Mother . . ." (John. 19:25)
The devotion has always been part of Catholic faith. It was not, however, until the 13th Century that this devotion of meditation to the Sorrow of Our Lady began to really take root. In Florence, Italy, seven holy men of noble birth left the city to seek solitude on Mount Senario where they formed a community to dedicate their lives to prayer and penance. The men had a deep devotion to Our Blessed Mother. In 1239, on Good Friday, while meditating on Our Lord’s Passion and Mary’s own sufferings, Our Lady appeared to them and presented to them her wish for them to form an order dedicated to practicing and promoting devotion to Her Seven Sorrows. This was the founding of the Order of the Servants of Mary (Servites) and all of them are canonized saints today.
"Let us, therefore, not be ashamed of the Cross of Christ; but though another hide it, do thou openly seal it upon thy forehead, that the devils may behold the royal sign and flee trembling far away. Make then this sign at eating and drinking, at sitting, at lying down, at rising up, at speaking, at walking; in a word, at every act." (St. Cyril of Jerusalem: Catechetical Discourses, 4, 14 4th century)
Prayer in Honor of the Seven Sorrows of Mary
O most holy and afflicted Virgin! Queen of Martyrs! thou who didst stand motionless beneath the Cross, witnessing the agony of thy expiring Son--through the unceasing sufferings of thy life of sorrow, and the bliss which now more than amply repays thee for thy past trials, look down with a mother's tenderness and pity on me, who kneel before thee to venerate thy dolors, and place my requests, with filial confidence, in the sanctuary of thy wounded heart; present them, I beseech thee, on my behalf, to Jesus Christ, through the merits of His own most sacred death and passion, together with thy sufferings at the foot of the cross, and through the united efficacy of both obtain the grant of my present petition. To whom shall I resort in my wants and miseries if not to thee, O Mother of Mercy, who, having so deeply drunk of the chalice of thy Son, canst compassionate the woes of those who still sigh in the land of exile? Offer for me to my Savior one drop of the Blood which flowed from His sacred veins, one of the tears which trickled from His divine eyes, one of the sighs which rent His adorable Heart. O refuge of the universe and hope of the whole world, do not reject my humble prayer, but graciously obtain the grant of my petition.
Feast Day September 15th
"Thy Mother seeing Thee, the Lamb and Shepherd and Savior of the world, upon the Cross, said with tears, Lo! The world rejoiceth, for it gaineth deliverance; but my heart is broken, for I see Thy crucifixion, which Thou endurest for all, O my Son and My God." Byzantine Horologion, Troparion at None, 6th to 8th century.
It should be a fitting reminder to us that the Feast of our Lady of Sorrows falls on the day after the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross as the two memorials are so closely entwined. On one day, we bring more closely to mind the Cross that determined our salvation because Christ died upon it. The Greek literally translate the day as "Raising Aloft of the Precious Cross" which from the Latin we have "Raising Aloft of the Holy Cross." Although this feast day strongly brings to our attention the crucifixion and the excruciating suffering offered for the salvation for our sins, who of us can really, truly understand what it means to actually stand by that cross and witness the blood shed that was the turning point of our history and the beginning of the Church.
There were several people close by the cross that day and a crowd in encircling the area. All were touched in some way but who more so than the Mother who gave birth to the Son that now died horribly before her very eyes.
"At the Cross her station keeping,
Stood the mournful Mother weeping,
Close to Jesus to the last:
Through her heart, His sorry sharing,
All His bitter anguish bearing,
Now at length the sword had passed."
Of all the feast days dedicated to the Blessed Mother, this had great pain and sadness prefacing the glory of the Resurrection. In all, there are Seven Sorrows endured lovingly and graciously by the Mother God chosen for His Only Begotten Son.
The Bible clearly sets out the seven events that reveal the strength and trust the Blessed Mother had in her place in this important aspect of our salvation.
The devotion to the Mother of Sorrows dates back to the beginning of the Church. St. John at the foot of the Cross is the very first example. "Now there stood by the Cross of Jesus, His Mother . . ." (John. 19:25)
The devotion has always been part of Catholic faith. It was not, however, until the 13th Century that this devotion of meditation to the Sorrow of Our Lady began to really take root. In Florence, Italy, seven holy men of noble birth left the city to seek solitude on Mount Senario where they formed a community to dedicate their lives to prayer and penance. The men had a deep devotion to Our Blessed Mother. In 1239, on Good Friday, while meditating on Our Lord’s Passion and Mary’s own sufferings, Our Lady appeared to them and presented to them her wish for them to form an order dedicated to practicing and promoting devotion to Her Seven Sorrows. This was the founding of the Order of the Servants of Mary (Servites) and all of them are canonized saints today.
The Seven Sorrows of Mary
1. The Prophecy of Simeon
2. The Flight into Egypt
3. Jesus is Lost in the Temple
4. Mary Meets Jesus Carrying His Cross to Calvary
5. The Crucifixion - Mary Standing at the Foot of the Cross as Jesus Dies
6. The Taking Down of the Body of Jesus from the Cross
7. The Burial of Jesus
"Let us, therefore, not be ashamed of the Cross of Christ; but though another hide it, do thou openly seal it upon thy forehead, that the devils may behold the royal sign and flee trembling far away. Make then this sign at eating and drinking, at sitting, at lying down, at rising up, at speaking, at walking; in a word, at every act." (St. Cyril of Jerusalem: Catechetical Discourses, 4, 14 4th century)
Prayer in Honor of the Seven Sorrows of Mary
O most holy and afflicted Virgin! Queen of Martyrs! thou who didst stand motionless beneath the Cross, witnessing the agony of thy expiring Son--through the unceasing sufferings of thy life of sorrow, and the bliss which now more than amply repays thee for thy past trials, look down with a mother's tenderness and pity on me, who kneel before thee to venerate thy dolors, and place my requests, with filial confidence, in the sanctuary of thy wounded heart; present them, I beseech thee, on my behalf, to Jesus Christ, through the merits of His own most sacred death and passion, together with thy sufferings at the foot of the cross, and through the united efficacy of both obtain the grant of my present petition. To whom shall I resort in my wants and miseries if not to thee, O Mother of Mercy, who, having so deeply drunk of the chalice of thy Son, canst compassionate the woes of those who still sigh in the land of exile? Offer for me to my Savior one drop of the Blood which flowed from His sacred veins, one of the tears which trickled from His divine eyes, one of the sighs which rent His adorable Heart. O refuge of the universe and hope of the whole world, do not reject my humble prayer, but graciously obtain the grant of my petition.
Question for the Clergy . . .
Caroline Kennedy recently spoke at the Democratic National Convention 'as Catholic woman' yet she came out strongly in favor of abortion. Where is the outcry from her own parish priest to the bishop of her diocese and publicly from pulpits across the nation. No, we can't judge people we think are against the sanctity of like but Caroline Kennedy didn't leave any doubt about where she stood on the subject.
Former speaker of the house, Peolosi also made statements about the Church and is a strong advocate for abortion. She actually said Sunday was for religion! Yet, both she and Vice President Biden flaunt their ashes on Ash Wednesday where I assume they also attended Mass . . . and received Communion. How little the pastors of their church must care about their souls or their own, for that fact, to fly in the face of all that is holy and good and part of the 'rules' of being a Catholic.
I was a child when President Kennedy came into office but I remember my very anti-Catholic aunt fretting that if we get a Catholic in the White House, besides the Pope moving in, too, we'd all have to start being Catholics. Naturally, that didn't happen but, at that time, many people felt the Catholics were a strong example in the world.
Then came the legalization of abortion and the outcry wasn't what was expected from the Catholics. I remember attending Mass on the tenth anniversary of Roe v. Wade and expecting the pastor to touch upon this fact in his homily. Not a word.
Along come obama out of almost no where and given his attitude on abortion, I figured that no Catholic would vote for him. Unfortunately, 54% of the Catholic vote went to him, he won, and one of the first things he signed in office was to rescind the safeguards President Bush had put into place to protect the unborn. When one puts their politics ahead of their religion, can you expect them to have a mind set of being a martyr for their faith?
My question for the Catholic clergy is - where is the outcry? Yes, there are many, many people who do made a difference on the abortion issue but when are the people who want the title of Catholic going to be told they can't receive the sacraments because their Sunday Mass attendance dosen't make up for their disbelief during the week.
Former speaker of the house, Peolosi also made statements about the Church and is a strong advocate for abortion. She actually said Sunday was for religion! Yet, both she and Vice President Biden flaunt their ashes on Ash Wednesday where I assume they also attended Mass . . . and received Communion. How little the pastors of their church must care about their souls or their own, for that fact, to fly in the face of all that is holy and good and part of the 'rules' of being a Catholic.
I was a child when President Kennedy came into office but I remember my very anti-Catholic aunt fretting that if we get a Catholic in the White House, besides the Pope moving in, too, we'd all have to start being Catholics. Naturally, that didn't happen but, at that time, many people felt the Catholics were a strong example in the world.
Then came the legalization of abortion and the outcry wasn't what was expected from the Catholics. I remember attending Mass on the tenth anniversary of Roe v. Wade and expecting the pastor to touch upon this fact in his homily. Not a word.
Along come obama out of almost no where and given his attitude on abortion, I figured that no Catholic would vote for him. Unfortunately, 54% of the Catholic vote went to him, he won, and one of the first things he signed in office was to rescind the safeguards President Bush had put into place to protect the unborn. When one puts their politics ahead of their religion, can you expect them to have a mind set of being a martyr for their faith?
My question for the Catholic clergy is - where is the outcry? Yes, there are many, many people who do made a difference on the abortion issue but when are the people who want the title of Catholic going to be told they can't receive the sacraments because their Sunday Mass attendance dosen't make up for their disbelief during the week.
Unfortunately, too true and we seem to be in the fighting phase . . .
Peace: In international affairs, a period of cheating between two periods of
fighting.
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