Liturgical Year: November

 

The Church dedicates the month of November to praying for and assisting the Holy Souls in Purgatory.

The Catechism of the Catholic Church teaches us about the state of purification called purgatory. Nothing evil is allowed in Heaven. Jesus’ sacrifice is all transforming, not just a “cover-up.” What I mean by this is that we believe that Christ’s sacrifice is not just making us appear to be pure, but when we really accept Him wholly, we are transformed. We just need to receive Him.

As imperfect, fallen humans, we might likely not enter into eternal life completely spotless, and that is why His love continues to purify us in the state of purgatory. What’s left of sin is taken away. Traditionally, people ask for 40 Masses to be said for a person who has passed. Forty biblically represents a long time, so people aimed to help someone even if that person was said to be in Purgatory for a long time.  

The afterlife doesn’t necessarily have a sense of time, so when someone speaks in manners of time, it’s just us finite humans attempting to understand the afterlife. We should prepare ourselves to be rid of all sin as soon as possible through prayer, the sacraments given by God, and constant conversion. That way, we can enjoy the Kingdom of Heaven where we all belong “sooner”—so to speak.

Until then, it is our great privilege of brotherhood that we can shorten their time of separation from God by our prayers, good works, and, especially, the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. If you want to understand Purgatory better, check out an article on it –> https://catholic-link.org/purgatory-fr-mike-schmitz-explains/

In one of St. Faustina’s visions, her Guardian Angel accompanied her through Purgatory. 

Prayers for those in Purgatory:

INVOCATION Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord; and let perpetual light shine upon them. May they rest in peace. Amen.

FOR THE SOULS IN PURGATORY
My Jesus, by the sorrows Thou didst suffer in Thine agony in the Garden, in Thy scourging and crowning with thorns, in the way to Calvary, in Thy crucifixion and death, have mercy on the souls in purgatory, and especially on those that are most forsaken; do Thou deliver them from the dire torments they endure; call them and admit them to Thy most sweet embrace in paradise.
Our Father, Hail Mary, Eternal rest, etc.

FOR ALL THE DECEASED
By Thy resurrection from the dead, O Christ, death no longer hath dominion over those who die in holiness. So, we beseech Thee, give rest to Thy servants in Thy sanctuary and in Abraham's bosom. Grant it to those, who from Adam until now have adored Thee with purity, to our fathers and brothers, to our kinsmen and friends, to all men who have lived by faith and passed on their road to Thee, by a thousand ways, and in all conditions, and make them worthy of the heavenly kingdom. Byzantine Liturgy

DE PROFUNDIS
The psalmist is crying out here from the depression that grips him because of his sense of sin. He tells God that no man could be forgiven should strict justice be demanded; but, since God is forgiving and merciful, the psalmist (Israel) will hope for redemption from iniquities. We, who know the mercy of God far better than the Israelites, may pray this psalm with even greater trust in God. 

The Church uses this psalm in the liturgy as her official prayer for the souls in Purgatory.
Out of the depths I cry to You, O Lord; Lord, hear my, voice!
Let Your ears be attentive to my voice in supplication:
If You, O Lord, mark iniquities, Lord, who can stand?
But with You is forgiveness, that You may be revered.
I trust in the Lord; my soul trusts in His word.
My soul waits for the Lord more than sentinels wait for the dawn.
More than sentinels wait for the dawn, let Israel wait for the Lord,
For with the Lord is kindness and with Him is plenteous redemption;
And He will redeem Israel from all their iniquities.
Psalm 130

THE MISERERE
This psalm is a marvelous act of contrition, confession, and supplication by a repentant sinner. It was composed by David after his sin with Bethsabee. In reparation David promises to lead others back to God by telling them of the ways of divine justice. Instead of offering God an external sacrifice which he knows He will not accept, he offers instead the sacrifice of a contrite and humble heart, a sacrifice that will always be most pleasing in the eyes of God.

Have mercy on me, 0 God, in Your goodness; in the greatness of Your compassion wipe out my offense.
Thoroughly wash me from my guilt and of my sin cleanse me.
For I acknowledge my offense, and my sin is before me always:
"Against You only have I sinned, and done what is evil in Your sight"--
That You may be justified in Your sentence, vindicated when You condemn.
Indeed, in guilt was I born, and in sin my mother conceived me;
Behold, You are pleased with sincerity of heart, and in my inmost being You teach me wisdom.
Cleanse me of sin with hyssop, that I may be purified; wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.
Let me hear the sounds of joy and gladness; the bones You have crushed shall rejoice.
Turn away Your face from my sins, and blot out all my guilt.
A clean heart create for me, 0 God, and a steadfast spirit renew within me.
Cast me not out from Your presence, and Your holy spirit take not from me.
Give me back the joy of Your salvation, and a willing spirit sustain in me.
I will teach transgressors Your ways, and sinners shall return to You.
Free me from blood guilt, 0 God, my saving God; then my tongue shall revel in Your justice.
O Lord, open my lips, and my mouth shall proclaim Your praise.
For You are not pleased with sacrifices; should I offer a holocaust, You would not accept it.
My sacrifice, O God, is a contrite spirit; a heart contrite and humbled, 0 God, You will not spurn.
Be bountiful, O Lord, to Sion in Your kindness by rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem;
Then shall You be pleased with due sacrifices, burnt offerings and holocausts; then shall they offer up bullocks on Your altar.
Psalm 50

FOR THE SOULS IN PURGATORY
O Lord, who art ever merciful and bounteous with Thy gifts, look down upon the suffering souls in purgatory. Remember not their offenses and negligences, but be mindful of Thy loving mercy, which is from all eternity. Cleanse them of their sins and fulfill their ardent desires that they may be made worthy to behold Thee face to face in Thy glory. May they soon be united with Thee and hear those blessed words which will call them to their heavenly home: "Come, blessed of My Father, take possession of the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world."

Prayer Source: Prayer Book, The by Reverend John P. O'Connell, M.A., S.T.D. and Jex Martin, M.A., The Catholic Press, Inc., Chicago, Illinois, 1954

 

The Importance of the Family Rosary

This article is taken from the booklet “Our Glorious Faith and How To Lose It” written by Fr. Hugh Thwaites, S.J. It contains different stories of how we can lose our faith but this paper will deal only with the Holy Rosary. 

 

Fr. Thwaites’ words on this subject are as follows:

 

Without delay now, I want to talk about my theme. It seems to me that a principal cause of the loss of faith is the dropping off in the practice of the family rosary.

 

In Austria, after World War II, there was a complete collapse of vocations. One year, apparently, no one at all entered the seminaries. So the bishops held a synod, to find out how it could be that this had happened. The conclusion they reached was that the war had so disrupted family life that the centuries-old practice of the rosary in the home had stopped, and had just not started up again. This is my experience, too; when the rosary goes, the faith soon collapses.

I remember someone telling me of a friend of his, a great Catholic, the pillar of the parish, whose children had all lapsed, one after the other. They had all fallen away from the sacraments and from attending Mass. So I said to him, “I wouldn’t mind betting that your friend had been brought up to recite the family rosary when he was a boy, and that his children haven’t.” The next time I saw him, he said that this was indeed true. His friend had recited the family rosary at home when he was a boy, and when he had got married and started his own family they ll said the rosary. But then, one evening when they were about to start the rosary, one of the children switched on the television, and that was that. The custom of the family rosary was dropped, and in due course, they gave up the practice of the faith.

 

After this life, that one unrebuked action will be seen to have affected the eternity of many people. God sent His Mother to Fatima to tell us that we had to say the rosary every day. There were no other prayers She asked us to say. Accordingly, we should do what She asked.

 

A layman I met once who did not say his rosary told me that he read the breviary every day. That is fine. It is what priests have to do. It is the prayer of the Church. So in a way it is better than the rosary. But it is not what Our Lady asked for. She asked for the rosary. If a mother sends her child to the shop for a bottle of milk, and he comes back instead with ice cream, is she pleased? In a way, ice cream is better than milk, but it is not what she asked for.

 

In that most holy home at Nazareth, do you think that Our Lady had to ask for anything twice? If we want in any way to be like Jesus, we must do what His Mother asks. If we do not, can we expect things to go right? We cannot with impunity disobey the Mother of God. She knows better than we the dangers of this spiritual warfare. She sees more clearly than we do the dangers that beset us. She warns us: You must say your rosary every day.

 

If the garage mechanic warns you that your car needs repairing or else it will break down, surely you would heed that warning. If the gas gauge warns you that you need more gas, do you do nothing about it? And if Our Lady comes to Fatima and tells us, not just once but six times, that we must say the rosary every day, do we disregard that warning? If we do, we have only ourselves to blame when we find that our children have lapsed from the faith.

 

I know that Fatima is only a private revelation, but nevertheless the Church has endorsed it, and that makes it rash for us to disregard it. If the Church informs us that Our Lady really did come to Fatima and tell us these things, then we must harken to her words. It really seems to me that those Catholics who do not take Fatima seriously and say the rosary every day in their homes are very akin to the Jews who laughed at Jeremiah. If God sends us His prophets and we do not take them seriously – well, we have the whole of the Old Testament to tell us what happens as a result. But at Fatima, God sent us, not His prophets, but His Immaculate Mother. So I think that the abandonment of the family rosary is a main reason why so many Catholics have lost the faith. It seems to me that the Church of the future is going to consist solely of those families who have been faithful to the rosary. But there will be vast numbers of people whose families used to be Catholic.

 

In my work of going round visiting homes, I have seen this conclusion borne out time and again. Homes can be transformed by starting the recitation of the daily rosary. I remember a woman telling me that she could not thank me enough for having nagged her into starting it; it had united her family as never before. And I remember another home where I called. There was a strange tension there: the children were silent and the wife seemed withdrawn, but the husband was willing to start the family rosary. When I called back again a couple of months later, the atmosphere was quite different. The children were chatty and the wife was friendly, and the husband walked down the road with me afterwards and said how amazing it was that the home was so much happier.

 

One reason, I think, why the daily rosary makes for a happy home, is this. From what some possessed people have said, and from what some of the saints have said, it seems certain that demons fear the rosary. It makes their hair stand on end, so to speak. Holy water certainly drives them out, but they come back again. The daily rosary drives them out and keeps them out. It is rather like living in an old house where there are mice everywhere. The only way to get rid of them is to bring cats. If you get a couple of cats, after a week or two there simply will not be any more mice. Mice fear the very smell of cats. And in a home where the rosary is said every day, after a time the demons realize they are impotent in front of Our Lady, and go elsewhere.

 

This must be one reason why, as they say, “the family that prays together stays together.” In that home, utterly free of evil spirits, there is an atmosphere one does not find outside. In a demon-infested city like London, where I live, such a home is an oasis of God’s grace, and people find a comfort and peace there which they enjoy greatly. We human beings are not meant to live in the company of demons, but with God and with the angels and saints in heaven.

 

So, as I see it, in this effort we are making to keep the faith and pass it on, the practice of the rosary is absolutely indispensable. Whatever else a person may do, even though they go to Mass every day, they still need to say the rosary in their home. It is the medicine our Mother has told us to take, to keep our faith strong and healthy.

 

From: https://www.pamphletstoinspire.com/

 

Liturgical Year: August

 

The month of August is dedicated to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. The physical heart of Mary is venerated, not adored as the Sacred Heart of Jesus is. This is because the expression ‘Mary’s Heart’ is to be understood in a biblical sense: That is, it denotes the human person of the Blessed Virgin herself, her intimate and unique being (born without sin). Mary’s Heart is the center and source of her internal experiences, thoughts, feelings, and reflections that she has as an individual. It also denotes her mind, memory, her will and love; and the single-mindedness with which she loved God and the disciples and devoted herself wholeheartedly to the work of her Son.

This devotion has received renewed emphasis in this century from the visions given to Lucy Dos Santos, oldest of the visionaries of Fatima. In Lucy’s visions Our Lady asked for the practice of the Five First Saturdays to help make amends for the offenses committed against her heart by the blasphemies and ingratitude of men. This practice parallels the devotion of the Nine First Fridays in honor of the Sacred Heart of Jesus.

The roots of this devotion to Mary’s Heart are in Scripture, where on two occasions reference is made to Mary’s heart by St. Luke, in Luke 2:19 “Mary treasured all these things and reflected on them in her heart,” and Luke 2:51 “His mother (Mary) meanwhile kept all these things in memory, meaning in her heart.”

The most beautiful biblical text about Mary’s heart is the Magnificat (taken from Luke’s Gospel (1:46-55)) because it reveals to us the wondrous riches of Mary’s humble and regal heart. Her heart sings a song of praise and salvation for all God’s people.

My soul magnifies the Lord
And my spirit rejoices in God my Savior;
Because He has regarded the lowliness of His handmaid;
For behold, henceforth all generations shall call me blessed;
Because He who is mighty has done great things for me,
and holy is His name;
And His mercy is from generation to generation
on those who fear Him.
He has shown might with His arm,
He has scattered the proud in the conceit of their heart.
He has put down the mighty from their thrones,
and has exalted the lowly.
He has filled the hungry with good things,
and the rich He has sent away empty.
He has given help to Israel, his servant, mindful of His mercy
Even as he spoke to our fathers, to Abraham and to his posterity forever.

the Magnificat is more than a prayer of praise. It also reminds us about the essential link between humility and holiness. Just as God has “regarded the lowliness of his handmaid (Mary’s answer to Gabriel)” and “has done great things” for Mary in making her the Mother of his Son, so too “he has put down the mighty from their thrones (with his own might!) and has exalted the lowly.”

In our devotion to Mary’s Immaculate Heart there is no more effective prayer than the Rosary which is about the mysteries of her Son’s life and hers. There is no better way to obtain through Mary’s intercession the help we desperately need to learn how to be loving and selfless.

We hear all the time about praying the Rosary, in fact our Blessed Mother has asked us to pray it many times. But let us not forget the prayers and hymns of praise that bring joy not just to God but to ourselves also. Praise of God enhances our relationship with Him and brings joy to both Him and us, as it reflects our gratitude and appreciation for all He has done.

Many times we find ourselves praying for; a lost loved one, someone who is sick or hurt, trouble in a loved one’s life or in our own or we get caught up in worldly situations and circumstances and forget that God wants our praise along with our problems.

In this month of honoring the Immaculate Heart of Mary, let us do what She asks, pray the Rosary daily and do what She does, pray and sing praised to the Lord.

Pray the Rosary Every Day

On our 30th wedding anniversary, my wife and I stood side-by-side on a podium above the crowd at Fatima participating in the international Rosary that is prayed every day no matter what – the Rosary is prayed without fail. I know that Fatima is only a private revelation, but nevertheless the Church has endorsed it, and that makes it wrong for us to disregard it. The Church informs us that God sent His Mother to Fatima to tell us that we need to pray the rosary every day. There were no other prayers that She asked us to say every day. Other prayers can be said any time, once a day, if you like. But the Rosary was specifically asked for by our Blessed Mother. 

If my wife sends me to the store for a bottle of milk, and I come back with ice cream, is she pleased? In a way, ice cream is better than milk, but that is not what she asked for, she would not be pleased. And just as my wife trusts me to do what she asks, our Blessed Mother trusts us to do what She asks of us.

If we want to be like Jesus, we must do what His Mother asks. If we do not, how can we expect God the Father to hear us? We cannot with impunity disobey the Mother of God. She knows better than we the dangers of spiritual warfare. She sees more clearly than we the challenges of an earthly life and the demons that try to wipe away our faith in God and destroy our soul. At Fatima She warned us: You must say your rosary every day. 

If a mechanic warns you that your car needs repairing or it will break down, surely you would heed that warning. If the gas gauge warns you that you need more gas, do you do nothing about it? And if Our Lady comes to Fatima and tells us, not just once but six times, that we must say the rosary every day, do we disregard that warning? If we do, we have only ourselves to blame when we find that our children have lapsed from the faith, along with our own self and our spouse. 

Those who do not take Fatima seriously and say the rosary every day in their homes are like the Jews who laughed at Jeremiah. If God sends us His prophets and we do not take them seriously we have the whole of the Old Testament to tell us what happens as a result. But at Fatima, God sent us, not His prophets, but His Immaculate Mother. If we abandon the family rosary the Church of the future is going to consist solely of those families who have been faithful to the rosary. And there will be vast numbers of families who used to be Catholic. 

We need to start gathering our families together every day and pray the Rosary together. Before you say, “I don’t have the time, we are all on different schedules, my children have sports after school, we just can’t get together … ” Remember, all things are possible with God. 

Those of you with sons and daughters that have their own families, you need to witness to them the power of the Rosary and help them bring their family together in praying the Rosary. Remember, your children are as much a part of you as your spouse, no matter how old they are.

Start once a month with programs already being offered in your parish, like: First Friday Holy Hour, First Saturday Holy Hour, or come early to Sunday Mass with your family and pray the Rosary before Mass. Or start once a week, then twice, then three times a week, then once a day. 

The Rosary is often described as a powerful prayer, with many saints and popes emphasizing its importance. For example, Saint Padre Pio said, "The Rosary is the ‘weapon’ for these times," and Pope Leo XIII stated, "The Rosary is the most excellent form of prayer and the most efficacious means of attaining eternal life." - "If you say the Holy Rosary every day, with a spirit of faith and love, our Lady will make sure she leads you very far along her Son's path." -  Saint Josemaria Escriva

 

The Litergical Year: July

 

The month of July is dedicated to The Precious Blood of Jesus. The entire month falls within the liturgical season of Ordinary Time, which is represented by the liturgical color green. This symbol of hope is the color of the sprouting seed and arouses in the faithful the hope of reaping the eternal harvest of heaven, especially the hope of a glorious resurrection. It is used in the offices and Masses of Ordinary Time. 

The feast of the Precious Blood of our Lord was instituted in 1849 by Pius IX, but the devotion is as old as Christianity. The early Fathers say that the Church was born from the pierced side of Christ, and that the sacraments were brought forth through His Blood.

"The Precious Blood which we worship is the Blood which the Savior shed for us on Calvary and re-assumed at His glorious Resurrection; it is the Blood which courses through the veins of His risen, glorified, living body at the right hand of God the Father in heaven; it is the Blood made present on our altars by the words of Consecration; it is the Blood which merited sanctifying grace for us and through it washes and beautifies our soul and inaugurates the beginning of eternal life in it." 

Devotion to the Precious Blood is not a spiritual option, it is a spiritual obligation, not only for priests, but for every follower of Christ. To understand the meaning of the Precious Blood we must get some comprehension of the gravity of sin, of the awfulness of offending God, because it required the Blood of the Son of God to forgive that sin. 

 

Let us Pray 

 

Lord Jesus, You became Man in order by your Passion and Death and the draining of your Blood on the Cross, might prove to us how much You, our God, love us. Protect us, dear Jesus, from ever running away from the sight of blood. Strengthen our weak human wills so that we will not only not run away from the cross, but welcome every opportunity to shed our blood in spirit in union with your Precious Blood, so that, dying to ourselves in time we might live with You in Eternity. Amen  

 

Knights of Columbus

 “If we get the man right, we get everything right – the marriage, the family, the parish, the community. We need men who will say ‘yes’ to their God-given vocation.” - Supreme Knight Patrick Kelly

Our Founder, Blessed Michael McGivney, gathered and empowered Catholic lay men to become faith-filled leaders in their families and community. We stand shoulder to shoulder with more than 2 million brothers around the world. Whether you’re looking to strengthen your faith, help protect your family with our financial products and services, or serve your neighbors in need, the Knights of Columbus has the tools to help you point the world, and your family, to Christ.

Like Blessed Michael McGivney, we believe that when men come together in fraternity seeking to grow in faith, they change the world. Our common bond is our devotion to the Catholic faith and our brotherhood in Christ. We join together to help one another become better Catholics, better husbands, better fathers, better providers for our family, and better citizens of the country in which we live. We place special emphasis on charity, the first principal of our order. 

Be the man God called you to be! Our fraternal order emphasizes faith, fellowship, and service. Together we collectively strengthen our faith and perform works of charity benefiting our Catholic faith, local Church and community.

 

Knights of Columbus - National website 

 

Knights of Columbus - NC website 

 

 Our Founder - Blessed Michael McGivney

 

 

 

Kapaun's Men

 

Servant of God Emil Kapaun is the most decorated Chaplain in United States history. Growing up among the farming communities of central Kansas, after ordination Kapaun felt called to serve both God and country in the United States Army. This down-to-earth priest served as an Army Chaplain both at the end of World War II, and most notably on the battlefields and in the prison camps of Korea, making a name for himself with his fearless attitude and undying commitment to his men. 

Chaplain (Capt.) Emil J. Kapaun served with distinction during the Korean War. Beyond saying Mass for troops behind the line, Father Kapaun went above and beyond the call of duty to serve his soldiers. When their position was overrun, Kapaun pushed aside a Chinese soldier preparing to execute an American. With complete disregard for his own safety, Kapaun saved his fellow soldier and carried him on his back. In captivity, Kapaun continued to care for his soldiers by saying Mass, stealing extra food and literally giving them the clothes off of his back during the freezing Korean winter. On May 23, 1951, he died in captivity of malnutrition and pneumonia.   

Venerable Emil J. Kapaun - In a prisoner of war camp filled with the desperate and dying, where hope fades with the light of each day, the light of Christ shines through the actions of a simple yet heroic Catholic Priest from Kansas.

A graduate of West Point, COL Mike Dowe served in the Korean War, where he was captured and held as a prisoner of war. There, he witnessed the heroism of one of America's most beloved Medal of Honor recipients - Father Emil Kapaun. A decorated battlefield chaplain, Fr. Kapaun tended to the sick and wounded, procured food, and raised the spirits of his fellow prisoners of war. Fr. Kapaun would pass away in the prison camp. Decades later, he was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor by President Obama. And in 2021, his long-lost remains were finally identified.   

Korean War POW Mike Dowe, Witness to Medal of Honor Recipient Fr. Emil Kapaun (Full Interview).

Inspired by Servant of God Father Emil Kapaun, Kapaun's Men unites men in prayer, formation and discussion in order to help us courageously respond to God's universal call to holiness and become better husbands, fathers, leaders and friends.

Kapaun's Men examines how the concept of Stewardship helps us to realize that even the "ordinary" events of our lives have extraordinary meaning. Inspired by Servant of God Emil Kapaun, Kapaun's Men unites men in prayer, formation and discussion in order to help us courageously respond to God's universal call to holiness and become better husbands, fathers, leaders and friends. 

Recognizing that we are stronger together than we are alone, we accompany each other to have each other's back in time of need. 

Father Kapaun's Final Word
Memorial Video

 

From the Kapaun's Men Beatitude Series, featuring POWs William Funchess, Mike Dowe and Herb Miller.

 

Links to Kapaun's Men:

Kapaun's Men

Kapaun's Men Formed (Video series)

Kapaun's Men Virtue Series (YouTube)

The Litergical Year: March 2025

The month of March is dedicated to St. Joseph.The entire month falls during the liturgical season of Lent which is represented by the liturgical color purple — a symbol of penance, mortification and the sorrow of a contrite heart. During the month of March, three prominent ideas are proposed for our contemplation by the liturgy of Lent: the Passion and Resurrection of Christ, baptism, and penance. 

The Solemnity of St. Joseph is a special landmark this month in which we will celebrate the great honor bestowed upon the foster father of Jesus. 

“St. Joseph was chosen among all men, to be the protector and guardian of the Virgin Mother of God; the defender and foster-father of the Infant-God, and the only co-operator upon earth, the one confidant of the secret of God in the work of the redemption of mankind.” -- St. Bernard of Clairvaux

In the Western Church, the feast of St. Joseph wasn’t fixed until the 15th century. According to some traditions, March 19 was the day of Joseph’s death, though there is little evidence to support it, because it is unclear when Joseph died.

By 1621 Pope Gregory XV extended a feast of St. Joseph to the entire Church, and it was elevated even more when Pope Pius IX declared Joseph the “Patron of the Universal Church” in 1870. For many decades March 19 was a holy day of obligation on par with other major feasts in the Catholic Church.

Since March 19 falls during Lent, and is a solemnity, it offers a rare respite from the rigors of Lent.

The feast of St. Joseph has acquired a variety of local traditions over the years, such as the St. Joseph's Table, as well as a novena that precedes this special feast. 

While March has many other feasts and special celebrations, the feast of St. Joseph stands-out as one of the primary highlights of this month.

Saint Joseph, even though he doesn’t speak a word in Sacred Scripture, has been deeply loved by Christians since the very beginning of the Church. It did not take long for St. Joseph, on account of his role as the protector of the Blessed Virgin Mary and the Child Jesus, to become known as the principal patron of the Universal Church and by extension a quiet protector of all Christ's faithful. 

In particular, Italians have had a special love of St. Joseph, because a famous miracle led the people of Sicily to begin a tradition known as the Tavola di San Giuseppe (Table of St. Joseph).

According to legend, when a great famine struck the land of Sicily the villagers immediately prayed to their beloved St. Joseph for protection and relief. They prayed fervently and pledged that if the rain returned they would hold a special feast to honor God and St. Joseph. Miraculously the rain started to fall and when the fall harvest came, the people of Sicily prepared a wonderful feast in thanksgiving. 

The great feast in honor of St. Joseph then became an annual tradition and was typically celebrated on March 19. Typically the feast would be held in thanksgiving for a particular intention, remembering how God had blessed a family or city during the past year.

Wealthy families would often invite the poor, homeless and sick to take part in the festivities and excess food would be distributed to those in need. Traditions vary by region and city, but generally all activities for the feast center on a table that is covered in different types of food that hold symbolic value. 

Read more: The Powerful 30 Day Prayer to St. Joseph

Sign of the Cross

We begin our Rosary like any other prayer, with a Sign of the Cross" prayer. 

 

The first thing we do for any prayer is make the sign of the Cross and say “In the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit I pray”. The reason for that comes from the Bible: “Amen Amen I say to you, whatever you ask from the Father, He will give it to you in My name” - John 16:23; “And "whatever you ask in My name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son” - John 14:13; “If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him?” - Luke 11:13. 

 

We Catholics believe that the Father, Son and Holy Spirit are one. In our sign of the Cross, we mention all three names just as we would formally address a friend by using their first, middle and last name. By making the sign of the Cross and mentioning God’s name, we are telling him that what follows is in his name.

What did Jesus mean when He said He would give us “whatever you ask in my name”? In John 14, Jesus says, “Very truly I tell you . . . I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it” (verses 12–14). This promise seems to give us the right to ask for anything and everything we want, and Jesus is obligated to give it to us—but is that really what the Lord is saying here?

The entire fourteenth chapter of John serves as Jesus’ valedictory address to His disciples. The soon-coming crucifixion would leave His followers scared and confused, so Jesus provided them with comfort and assurance regarding a number of things, including how they would carry on His work. Part of this comfort was the promise that Jesus would hear and answer their prayers. Jesus tells them that anything they ask “in my name” would be granted to them.

Jesus is not promising to be a personal vending machine; rather, He is encouraging confidence and faithfulness in prayer. When Jesus says to pray “in my name,” He means that we can pray in His authority. He has provided the access we need to heaven. When our requests, made in the name of His Son, further God’s purposes and kingdom, God will act on our behalf, and in the end the Father will be “glorified in the Son” (John 14:13). A good example of such a prayer is Christ’s in the garden where He prayed, “Not my will, but yours be done” (Luke 22:42).

In the old American West, before the days of credit cards, a shopkeeper would maintain a ledger book recording the activities of each customer’s account and the amount owed. The business owner knew his customers well and the work in which they were involved. A customer would at times send others to the shop for him to make purchases and bring back materials needed for his home or business. Those sent in the customer’s stead (e.g., his children) would be able to receive the goods “in the name of” the account owner. But, if they tried to purchase things not in line with what the shopkeeper knew the customer needed or wanted, the purchase would be denied.

Coming to God in Jesus’ name is similar to those old financial transactions. Jesus holds the account, and we are welcome to come to the Father in Jesus’ name to receive what we need. The Father willingly grants our requests because of Jesus’ standing. Of course, if we are asking for things that we don’t need or that are contrary to the character or will of Christ, then we cannot expect to receive those things (You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions. - James 4:3).

When He said He would give “whatever you ask in my name,” Jesus was not delivering a magical formula for getting whatever we want. He was giving us a guiding principle to align one’s desires with God’s. When we pray “in Jesus’ name,” we pray according to the will of God; we pray for what will honor and glorify Jesus. God will provide the means necessary to accomplish His objectives, and He equips us as His servants. Ultimately, God receives all the glory and praise for what is done.

The practice of tracing the sign of the cross is most prominent in the Roman Catholic Church but is also practiced in the Eastern Orthodox, Coptic, Lutheran, Anglican, and Episcopalian churches. The history of the sign of the cross goes back as far as Tertullian, the early church father who lived between A.D. 160 and 220. Tertullian wrote, "In all our travels and movements, in all our coming in and going out, in putting off our shoes, at the bath, at the table, in lighting our candles, in lying down, in sitting down, whatever employment occupies us, we mark our foreheads with the sign of the cross."

Originally, a small cross was traced by the thumb or finger on one’s own forehead. While it is difficult to pinpoint exactly when the switch was made from tracing a small cross on the forehead to the modern practice of tracing a larger cross from forehead to chest and shoulder to shoulder, we do know that the switch had occurred by the eleventh century A.D., when the Prayer Book of King Henry provides an instruction to "mark with the holy cross the four sides of the body."

Catholics find support for the sign of the cross primarily in their many years of church tradition and, secondarily, in Exodus 17:9-14 and Revelation 7:3; 9:4; 14:1. While the passages do speak of a sign on the forehead for protection from God’s judgment, they must be interpreted in light of their context. On the basis of their context, there is no reason to believe any of the verses prescribe the ritualistic sign of the cross.

In the sixteenth century, one of the central tenets of the Protestant Reformation was “sola scriptura,” whereby any practice that didn’t line up with Scripture was jettisoned. The English Reformers believed the use of the sign of the cross should be left up to the individual, as was written in the Prayer Book of King Edward VI. "...Kneeling, crossing, holding up of hands, knocking upon the breast, and other gestures, they may be used, or left, as every man’s devotion serveth without blame." Protestants generally viewed the sign as a tradition that was unsupported by Scripture, or even as idolatrous, and it was therefore abandoned by most.

While the Bible does not instruct us to cross ourselves, the sign of the cross is not without biblical symbolism. The shape of the sign is a reminder of the cross of Christ. Historically, the sign has also been viewed as representing the trinity: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and His substitutionary death on the cross, salvation is extended as a free gift to all of humanity. The doctrine of the trinity teaches the Godhead: one God existing in three distinct persons. Both doctrines are foundational to both Catholics and Protestants and are certainly well-founded biblically. The sign of the cross has at certain points been associated with supernatural powers such as repelling evil, demons, etc. This mystical aspect of the sign of the cross is completely false and cannot be supported biblically in any way.

The mystical aspect aside, tracing the sign of the cross is neither right nor wrong and can be positive if it serves to remind a person of the cross of Christ and/or the trinity. Unfortunately, such is not always the case, and many people simply go through the motions of the ritual of signing themselves without a knowledge of why they do it. A final analysis of the sign of the cross is that it is by no means required of Christians because it is not instructed by the Word of God.

I (Ken Harbit) make the sign of the Cross because I am calling on the Lord to hear my prayer and to tell me His will. It is an earthly sign of motion and voice that transcends the space between earth and heaven and between myself and God.

The Importance of the Family Rosary

This article is taken from the booklet “Our Glorious Faith and How To Lose It” written by Fr. Hugh Thwaites, S.J. It contains different stories of how we can lose our faith but this paper will deal only with the Holy Rosary. 

 

Fr. Thwaites’ words on this subject are as follows:

 

Without delay now, I want to talk about my theme. It seems to me that a principal cause of the loss of faith is the dropping off in the practice of the family rosary.

 

In Austria, after World War II, there was a complete collapse of vocations. One year, apparently, no one at all entered the seminaries. So the bishops held a synod, to find out how it could be that this had happened. The conclusion they reached was that the war had so disrupted family life that the centuries-old practice of the rosary in the home had stopped, and had just not started up again. This is my experience, too; when the rosary goes, the faith soon collapses.

I remember someone telling me of a friend of his, a great Catholic, the pillar of the parish, whose children had all lapsed, one after the other. They had all fallen away from the sacraments and from attending Mass. So I said to him, “I wouldn’t mind betting that your friend had been brought up to recite the family rosary when he was a boy, and that his children haven’t.” The next time I saw him, he said that this was indeed true. His friend had recited the family rosary at home when he was a boy, and when he had got married and started his own family they ll said the rosary. But then, one evening when they were about to start the rosary, one of the children switched on the television, and that was that. The custom of the family rosary was dropped, and in due course, they gave up the practice of the faith.

 

After this life, that one unrebuked action will be seen to have affected the eternity of many people. God sent His Mother to Fatima to tell us that we had to say the rosary every day. There were no other prayers She asked us to say. Accordingly, we should do what She asked.

 

A layman I met once who did not say his rosary told me that he read the breviary every day. That is fine. It is what priests have to do. It is the prayer of the Church. So in a way it is better than the rosary. But it is not what Our Lady asked for. She asked for the rosary. If a mother sends her child to the shop for a bottle of milk, and he comes back instead with ice cream, is she pleased? In a way, ice cream is better than milk, but it is not what she asked for.

 

In that most holy home at Nazareth, do you think that Our Lady had to ask for anything twice? If we want in any way to be like Jesus, we must do what His Mother asks. If we do not, can we expect things to go right? We cannot with impunity disobey the Mother of God. She knows better than we the dangers of this spiritual warfare. She sees more clearly than we do the dangers that beset us. She warns us: You must say your rosary every day.

 

If the garage mechanic warns you that your car needs repairing or else it will break down, surely you would heed that warning. If the gas gauge warns you that you need more gas, do you do nothing about it? And if Our Lady comes to Fatima and tells us, not just once but six times, that we must say the rosary every day, do we disregard that warning? If we do, we have only ourselves to blame when we find that our children have lapsed from the faith.

 

I know that Fatima is only a private revelation, but nevertheless the Church has endorsed it, and that makes it rash for us to disregard it. If the Church informs us that Our Lady really did come to Fatima and tell us these things, then we must harken to her words. It really seems to me that those Catholics who do not take Fatima seriously and say the rosary every day in their homes are very akin to the Jews who laughed at Jeremiah. If God sends us His prophets and we do not take them seriously – well, we have the whole of the Old Testament to tell us what happens as a result. But at Fatima, God sent us, not His prophets, but His Immaculate Mother. So I think that the abandonment of the family rosary is a main reason why so many Catholics have lost the faith. It seems to me that the Church of the future is going to consist solely of those families who have been faithful to the rosary. But there will be vast numbers of people whose families used to be Catholic.

 

In my work of going round visiting homes, I have seen this conclusion borne out time and again. Homes can be transformed by starting the recitation of the daily rosary. I remember a woman telling me that she could not thank me enough for having nagged her into starting it; it had united her family as never before. And I remember another home where I called. There was a strange tension there: the children were silent and the wife seemed withdrawn, but the husband was willing to start the family rosary. When I called back again a couple of months later, the atmosphere was quite different. The children were chatty and the wife was friendly, and the husband walked down the road with me afterwards and said how amazing it was that the home was so much happier.

 

One reason, I think, why the daily rosary makes for a happy home, is this. From what some possessed people have said, and from what some of the saints have said, it seems certain that demons fear the rosary. It makes their hair stand on end, so to speak. Holy water certainly drives them out, but they come back again. The daily rosary drives them out and keeps them out. It is rather like living in an old house where there are mice everywhere. The only way to get rid of them is to bring cats. If you get a couple of cats, after a week or two there simply will not be any more mice. Mice fear the very smell of cats. And in a home where the rosary is said every day, after a time the demons realize they are impotent in front of Our Lady, and go elsewhere.

 

This must be one reason why, as they say, “the family that prays together stays together.” In that home, utterly free of evil spirits, there is an atmosphere one does not find outside. In a demon-infested city like London, where I live, such a home is an oasis of God’s grace, and people find a comfort and peace there which they enjoy greatly. We human beings are not meant to live in the company of demons, but with God and with the angels and saints in heaven.

 

So, as I see it, in this effort we are making to keep the faith and pass it on, the practice of the rosary is absolutely indispensable. Whatever else a person may do, even though they go to Mass every day, they still need to say the rosary in their home. It is the medicine our Mother has told us to take, to keep our faith strong and healthy.

 

From: https://www.pamphletstoinspire.com/

Catholic Art

An Italian art restorer has identified what she believes to be a depiction of Mary Magdalene in Michelangelo’s The Last Judgement fresco, located in the Sistine Chapel.

Sara Penco, a specialist in Renaissance and Baroque art, presented her findings at a press conference in Rome, asserting that the figure can be seen in the far-right corner of the fresco, kissing a wooden cross.

“I am firmly convinced that this is Mary Magdalene,” Penco said, citing her yellow attire, blonde hair and the figure’s placement as key clues. “The intimacy with the cross and the whole context in which Michelangelo places this figure underscore her importance,” she said, as reported by The Telegraph.

The depiction has sparked renewed interest among scholars.

According to Penco, Michelangelo’s profound knowledge of biblical texts and Church dynamics made it unlikely he would omit such a significant figure. She explained “the fresco was screaming that something was missing,” referring to her belief that Mary Magdalene’s inclusion completes the work’s theological narrative.

The figure’s proximity to a muscular, near-naked man carrying the cross has also drawn discussion. While traditionally identified as Simon of Cyrene, Penco proposes this figure represents Christ as Redeemer. She claims “the cross-bearer is looking in the direction of Mary Magdalene, estranged from the composition, as if directing attention to her.”

Mary Magdalene has long been venerated in Catholic tradition for her role as a witness to Christ’s Crucifixion and Resurrection.

Michelangelo completed The Last Judgement between 1537 and 1541. It features over 300 figures in a dramatic representation of the Apocalypse, attracting millions of pilgrims annually to the Sistine Chapel.

How the Ichthys, or “Sign of the Fish,” Became Associated with Jesus

We’ve probably all seen it at one point or another, whether it be on the bumper of a car, a business card, or religious artworks. The ichthys, also known colloquially as the “Jesus fish,” has been a symbol representing Jesus Christ for nearly the entire history of the Church. What does this symbol actually mean, and how did it come to represent our Lord?

The ichthys consists of two intersecting arcs that extend pass their intersection to resemble a fish.

The ichthys first started appearing in Catholic art and literature around the second century A.D. By the end of the second century it was popular among followers of the Church and became widespread across the globe by the fourth century. According to tradition, the fish symbol is rooted during the early years of the Church when those who followed the Lord faced intense religious persecution. The symbol would allow them to quickly identify if they were in safe company, and it was also used to discretely mark gathering places and tombs. Some say that when a Catholic was faced with a stranger in a road, they would draw one half of the arc in the dirt. If the stranger completed the symbol by drawing the other arc, they both knew they were safe in each others company.

Why a fish? Historians most likely think it is a reference to Feeding the Multitude, where Jesus performs a miracle feeding thousands with only a few fish. Another probable explanation is stems from when Jesus recruits Peter and Andrew, saying he will make them fishers of men.

“As he passed by the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and his brother Andrew casting their nets into the sea; they were fishermen. Jesus said to them, ‘Come after me, and I will make you fishers of men.'” – Mark 1:16-17

The term ichthys, is actually a Greek acronym translating into English to mean Jesus Christ, Son of God, Savior.

• Iota (i) is the first letter of Iēsous (Ἰησοῦς), Greek for “Jesus”
• Chi (ch) is the first letter of Christos (Χριστός), Greek for “anointed”
• Theta (th) is the first letter of Theou (Θεοῦ), Greek for “God”
• Upsilon (y) is the first letter of hyios (Υἱός), Greek for “Son”
• Sigma (s) is the first letter of sōtēr (Σωτήρ), Greek for “Savior”

 

By George Ryan - August 25, 2017

Editorial credit: NoyanYalcin / Shutterstock.com