Rosary Book Final 9-3-12 PDF
Rosary Book Final 9-3-12 PDF
Rosary Book Final 9-3-12 PDF
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"O Mary, I take you for my all; only give me your heart."
"Almighty Father, I place the Precious Blood of Jesus before my lips before I pray that my prayers may be purified before they ascend to Your divine altar."
I unite with the entire communion of saints, with all the angels and saints in heaven, all the just on earth, and all of the souls in purgatory. I also unite with you, my Jesus, in order to praise your holy Mother worthily, and to praise You in her and through her.
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I renounce all distractions, which may arise during this Rosary. I desire to say it with attention and devotion as if it were the last of my life. Amen.
Apostles Creed
I believe in God, the Father Almighty, Creator of Heaven and earth; and in Jesus Christ, His only Son Our Lord, Who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried. He descended into Hell; the third day He rose again from the dead; He ascended into Heaven, and sits at the right hand of God, the Father almighty; from thence He shall come to judge the living and the dead. *I believe in the Holy Spirit, the Holy Catholic Church, the Communion of Saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body and life everlasting. Amen.
Glory Be
Leader: Response: Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen
Fatima prayer
O my Jesus, forgive us our sins. Save us from the fires of hell, lead all souls to heaven especially those in most need of thy mercy.
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Let us pray. O God, whose only begotten Son, by His life, death, and resurrection has purchased for us the rewards of eternal life; grant, we beseech Thee, that meditating upon these mysteries of the most Holy Rosary of the Blessed Virgin Mary, we may imitate what they contain and obtain what they promise, through the same Christ Our Lord. Amen.
Memorare
Remember, O most gracious Virgin Mary, that never was it known that anyone who fled to thy protection, implored thy help, or sought thy intercession was left unaided. Inspired by this confidence, I fly unto thee, O Virgin of virgins, my Mother; to thee do I come; before thee, I stand, sinful and sorrowful. O Mother of the Word Incarnate, despise not my petitions, but in thy mercy hear and answer me. Amen.
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Divine Praises
Blessed Blessed Blessed Blessed Blessed Blessed Blessed Blessed Blessed Blessed Blessed Blessed Blessed Blessed be be be be be be be be be be be be be be God. His Holy Name. Jesus Christ, true God and true Man. the Name of Jesus. His Most Sacred Heart. His Most Precious Blood. Jesus in the Most Holy Sacrament of the Altar. the Holy Spirit, the Paraclete. the great Mother of God, Mary most Holy. her Holy and Immaculate Conception. her Glorious Assumption. the name of Mary, Virgin, and Mother. St. Joseph, her most chaste spouse. God in His Angels and in His Saints. Amen.
May the heart of Jesus, in the Most Blessed Sacrament, be praised, adored, and loved with grateful affection, at every moment, in all the tabernacles of the world, even to the end of time. Amen.
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Let us pray. Grant, we beseech Thee, O Lord God, unto us Thy servants, that we may rejoice in continual health of mind and body; and, by the glorious intercession of Blessed Mary ever Virgin, may be delivered from present sadness, and enter into the joy of Thine eternal gladness. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.
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O, Jesus in the Sacred Host, we offer Thee through Mary to the Father
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Spiritual Communion
O Immaculate Queen of Heaven and Earth, Mother of God and Mediatrix of every grace: I believe that Thy dearly beloved Son, Our Lord Jesus Christ, is truly, really, and substantially contained in the Most Blessed Sacrament. I love Him above all things and I long to receive Him into my heart. Since I cannot now receive Him sacramentally, be so good as to place Him spiritually in my soul. O my Jesus, I embrace Thee as One who has already come, and I unite myself entirely to Thee. Never permit me to be separated from Thee. Amen.
Anima Christi
Soul of Christ, sanctify me. Body of Christ, save me. Blood of Christ, inebriate me. Water from the side of Christ, wash me. Passion of Christ, strengthen me. Good Jesus, hear me. In your wounds, hide me. Apart from you, let me never be. From the enemy, defend me. At the hour of my death, call me. And close to you, bid me, That with your saints, I may always be, Praising you eternally. Amen
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An Act of Faith
O my God, I firmly believe that Thou art one God in three Divine Persons, Father, Son, and Holy Ghost; I believe that Thy Divine Son became man and died for our sins and that He will come to judge the living and the dead. I believe these and all the truths, which the Holy CATHOLIC Church teaches, because Thou hast revealed them, Who canst neither deceive nor be deceived.
An Act of Hope
O my God, relying on Thy infinite goodness and promises, I hope to obtain the pardon of my sins, the help of Thy grace, and life everlasting, through the merits of Jesus Christ, my Lord and Redeemer.
An Act of Love
O my God, I love Thee above all things with my whole heart and soul, because Thou art all good and deserving of all my love. I love my neighbor as myself for the love of Thee. I forgive all who have injured me and I ask pardon for all whom I have injured.
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Learning Christ
Teach me, my Lord, to be sweet and gentle, in all the events of life in disappointments in the thoughtlessness of others in the insincerity of those I trusted in the unfaithfulness of those on whom I relied. Let me put myself aside, to think of the happiness of others to hide my little pains and heartaches so that I may be the only one to suffer from them. Teach me to profit by the suffering that comes across my path, let me so use it that it may mellow me, not harden, nor embitter me that it may make me patient, not irritable, that it may make me broad in my forgiveness, not narrow, haughty, and overbearing. May no one be less good for having come within my influence, no one less pure, no one less kind, less noble for having been a fellow traveler toward Eternal life. As I go my rounds from one distraction to another, let me whisper from time to time, a word of love to Thee. May my life be lived in the super-natural, full of power for good, and Strong in its purpose of sanctity.
St Theresa of Avila
Christ has no body but yours. No hands, no feet on earth, but yours. Yours are the eyes through which He looks With compassion on this world. Yours are the feet with which He walks To do good. Yours are the hands with which He blesses All the world. Yours are the hands. Yours are the feet. Yours are the eyes. Yours are His Body.
Pardon Prayer
My God, I believe, I adore, I hope, and I love You. I implore Your pardon for those who do not believe, do not adore, do not hope, and do not love You. Amen.
by Charles de Foucauld
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I offer it to you with all the love of my heart, for I love you, Lord, and so need to give myself, to surrender myself into your hands without reserve, and with boundless confidence, for you are my Father.
Hymn to Christ
Christ Christ Christ Christ Christ Christ Christ Christ Christ Christ Christ Guide be near at either hand, behind, before me stand, with me wherere I go, around, above, below. be in my heart and mind, within my soul enshrined, control my wayward heart, abide and neer depart. my life and only way, my lantern night and day, be my unchanging friend, and shepherd me to the end.
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In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. We unite our prayer with the nine choirs of Angels in praising the Holy Trinity. Lord, open my lips. And my mouth shall declare your praise. O God, come to my assistance. O Lord, make haste to help me. Glory be to the Father, and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.
Chaplet
On the Our Father Beads, say the following:
Holy is God, Holy and strong! Holy Immortal One! Have mercy on us and on the whole world.
Our Father, who art in heaven; hallowed be Thy name; Thy kingdom come; Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. *Give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us, and lead us not into temptation; but deliver us from evil. Amen
Leader: Response:
To Thee be praise, to Thee be glory, to Thee be thanksgiving through endless ages, O Blessed Trinity. Holy, Holy, Holy Lord God of Host: the heavens and the earth are full of Thy Glory.
After the ten Hail Mary Beads, say the Glory Be:
Leader: Response:
Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end.
With all our heart, we acknowledge, we praise, and we bless Thee, O, God, Almighty Father, creator of heaven and earth; and Jesus Christ, your only begotten Son; with the Holy Spirit our comforter and advocate, we profess you are One God now and forever.
Blessed be the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Praise and exalt Him above all forever.
Deliver us, save us, Enliven us, O, blessed Trinity. To the holy and undivided Trinity be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen.
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Redeemer, for the propagation and exaltation of my dear Mother the Holy Church, for the safety and prosperity of her visible Head, the Holy Roman Pontiff, for the cardinals, bishops and pastors of souls, and for all the ministers of the sanctuary. Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen. Blessed and praised forevermore be Jesus Who hath saved us by His Precious Blood! Amen.
Eternal Father, I offer Thee the merits of the Most Precious Blood of Jesus, Thy Beloved Son and my Divine
Redeemer, for the peace and concord of nations, for the conversion of the enemies of our holy faith and for the happiness of all Christian people. Glory be, etc. above
Eternal Father, I offer Thee the merits of the Most Precious Blood of Jesus, Thy Beloved Son and my Divine
Redeemer, for the repentance of unbelievers, the extirpation of all heresies, and the conversion of sinners. Glory be, etc. above
Eternal Father, I offer Thee the merits of the Most Precious Blood of Jesus, Thy Beloved Son and my Divine
Redeemer, for all my relations, friends and enemies, for the poor, the sick, and those in tribulation, and for all those for whom Thou willest I should pray, or knowest that I ought to pray. Glory be, etc. above
Eternal Father, I offer Thee the merits of the Most Precious Blood of Jesus, Thy Beloved Son and my Divine
Redeemer, for all those who shall this day pass to another life, that Thou mayest preserve them from the pains of hell, and admit them the more readily to the possession of Thy Glory. Glory be, etc. above
Eternal Father, I offer Thee the merits of the Most Precious Blood of Jesus, Thy Beloved Son and my Divine
Redeemer, for all those who are lovers of this Treasure of His Blood, and for all those who join with me in adoring and honoring It, and for all those who try to spread devotion to It . Glory be, etc. above
Eternal Father, I offer Thee the merits of the Most Precious Blood of Jesus, Thy Beloved Son and my Divine
Redeemer, for all my wants, spiritual and temporal, for the holy souls in Purgatory, and particularly for those who in their lifetime were most devoted to this Price of our redemption, and to the sorrows and pains of our dear Mother, most Holy Mary . . . Glory be, etc. above
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Divine Mercy
I want the whole world to know My Infinite Mercy. I want to give unimaginable graces to those who trust in My Mercy...."
The Heart of The Divine Mercy devotion is... Absolute Trust in God's Mercy together with Deeds of Mercy
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Sign of the Cross, 1 Our Father, 1 Hail Mary, The Apostles Creed.
3.
On the 10 Hail Mary Beads say the following: For the sake of His sorrowful Passion, Have mercy on us and on the whole world. (10 times)
4. Conclude with:
Holy God, Holy Mighty One, Holy Immortal One, have mercy on us and on the whole world. Holy God, Holy Mighty One, Holy Immortal One, have mercy on us and on the whole world. Holy God, Holy Mighty One, Holy Immortal One, have mercy on us and on the whole
world.
O Blood and Water, which gushed forth from the Heart of Jesus as a fount of mercy for us. I trust in You! (say 3 times)
Prayer To Be Merciful
Lord, may the greatest of all Divine attributes that of Your unfathomable Mercy pass through my heart and soul to my neighbor.
1) Help me, O Lord that my eyes may be merciful, so that I may never suspect or judge from appearances, but always look for what is beautiful in my neighbors souls and come to their rescue. 2) Help me that my ears may be merciful, so that I may give heed to my neighbors needs, and not be indifferent to their pains and moanings. 3) Help me, O Lord that my tongue may be merciful, so that I should never speak negatively of others, but have a word of comfort and forgiveness for all. 4) Help me, O Lord, that my hands may be merciful and filled with good deeds, so that I may do only good to my neighbors and always try to take upon myself the more difficult and toilsome tasks. 5) Help me, O Lord, that my feet may be merciful, so that I may hurry to assist my neighbor, overcoming my own fatigue and weariness. My true rest is in the service of my neighbor. 6) Help me, O Lord, that my heart may be merciful, so that I myself may feel all the sufferings of my neighbor. 7) I will refuse my heart to no one. I will be sincere even with those who, I know, will abuse my kindness. And I will lock myself up in the most merciful Heart of Jesus. I will bear my own suffering in silence.
O, Merciful Jesus, stretched on the cross, be mindful of the hour of our death. O, Most merciful Heart of Jesus, opened with a lance, shelter me at the last moment of my life. O, Dying Jesus, Hostage of mercy, avert the Divine wrath at the hour of my death. (Diary 813) May your mercy, O Lord, rest upon us. (Diary 163)
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Eternal God, in whom mercy is endless and the treasury of compassion inexhaustible, look kindly upon us and increase Your mercy in us, that in difficult moments we might not despair nor become despondent, but with great confidence submit ourselves to Your holy will, which is Love and Mercy itself. "O incomprehensible and Limitless Mercy Divine, Who can extol and adore You worthily? Supreme attribute of Almighty God, You are the sweet hope for sinful man. (Diary # 951).
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Holy God, Holy Mighty One, Holy Immortal One, Have Mercy on us and on the whole world. [Three times]
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2) 3)
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"Eternal Father, I offer Thee the merits of the Most Precious Blood of Jesus."
Blessed and exalted be the Blood of Jesus, now and always, and through all eternity. Amen.
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Prayer to God, the Father, to receive the gift of the Holy Spirit
O, God, most loving Father, hear our prayers and illuminate our intelligence with the grace of the Holy Spirit so that we know to serve you in the eternal truth. O, God, infinite Love, purify our heart with the love of the Divine Spirit so that we love You with all our being above all things. O, Eternal Father, burn our hearts with the fire of the Holy Spirit so that we may serve you faithfully during all our life. O, Creator God, we request that through your Holy Spirit, you grant us the gift of strength, to preserve us from sin. O, God, infinite Wisdom, who illuminate the hearts of the faithful with the light of the Holy Spirit, grant us that animated by that same Spirit we always know the truth and are always consoled by you. Amen.
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THE 7 MOST PRECIOUS GIFTS OF THE HOLY SPIRIT ARE: THE WISDOM GIFT: it provides man a type of unnatural understanding on the things of God, allowing man to savor with indescribable delights, the things from above, not from the Earth (Col 3,1-2), giving a sense of eternity allowing him to see everything through the eyes of God, as if by an unnatural divine instinct. THE UNDERSTANDING GIFT: allow the faithful souls the deepest penetration in the great mysteries of faith: the Holy Trinity mystery, the redemption mystery, our incorporation to Christ, the infinite value of the mass, etc., allowing them to live them with great intensity and perfection. THE SCIENCE GIFT: it teaches to judge properly on all created things, seeing in them a track or vestige of God, that announces its indescribable beauty and kindness. With this gift, St. Francis of Assisi could see the brother wolf, sister flower, sister source. It is the "science of the saints", that will always be a madness before the incredible stupidity of the world (cf. 1 Cor 3.19). THE ADVICE GIFT: it point to the direction that we must take in each case to follow the eternal wishes of God on us. They are hunches, intuitive glances, whose certainty and timeliness will eventually lead to discover events. THE MERCY GIFT: it intends to excite in the will, by inspiration of the Holy Spirit, a filial affection towards God, considered like the most loving Father, and a feeling of universal brotherhood towards all men as brothers of ours and children of the same Father, who is in heaven. It also makes us feel a special tenderness towards the Virgin Mary, Mother of the Church and our sweetest Mother. THE STRENGTH GIFT: It shines in the forehead of martyrs and in the quiet and heroic virtues of Christian life that constitute the petty heroic acts, frequently more difficult and painful, than those of greater things. THE FEAR GIFT: It fills the soul with a reverential respect before the infinite Majesty of God, leaving it ready to die a thousand times before offending it by sin. PRAYER TO IMPLORE THE GIFTS OF THE HOLY SPIRIT 1, Come, oh Holy Spirit, and grant us the gift of WISDOM, that presenting to us the true happiness, separate us from the things of the world and make us yearn and love the heavenly goods. Glory be to the Father, to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. Amen. 2. Come, oh Holy Spirit, and grant us the gift of UNDERSTANDING, so as to more easily know and penetrate the truths and mysteries of our Holy Religion. Glory be to the Father, etcetera. 3. Come, oh Holy Spirit, and grant us the gift of ADVICE, so that we may elect at all times what is more conducive to the glory of God and our own sanctification. Glory be to the Father, etcetera. 4. Come, oh Holy Spirit, and grant us the gift of the STRENGTH, that allowing us to overcome all the obstacles that are against our salvation, unite us so intimately to God our Lord, that nothing, or nobody, could separate us from Him. Glory be to the Father, etcetera. 5. Come, oh Holy Spirit, and grant us the gift of SCIENCE, that gives us the perfect knowledge of God and of ourselves so as to use the necessary means that we must put in practice and the dangers that we must avoid to arrive to heaven. Glory be to the Father, etcetera. 6. Come, oh Holy Spirit, and grant us the gift of the MERCY, that leads us to fulfill everything that is of service to God and that we
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may find the yoke of the Lord to be sweet and light. Glory be to the Father, etcetera. 7. Come, oh Holy Spirit, and grant us the gift of the FEAR DE GOD, so as to avoid with the greatest care at all the moments of our life, everything what can be unpleasant to our Celestial Father. Glory be to the Father, etcetera. Come, oh Consoling Holy Spirit, Father of the poor, sweet Husband and food of the souls; come and enrich us with your seven gifts, and give us, with them your precious fruits, in order that with your divine assistance we keep pure hearts on Earth and later deserve to see God in heaven eternally. We ask this through Christ our Lord that with You lives and reigns forever and ever. Amen. Come, Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful and ignite in them the fire of your love. SEQUENCE OF THE HOLY SPIRIT Come, Holy Spirit, and sends us from Heaven a ray of your light. Come, father of the poor, Come to give us your gifts, Come to give us your light. Kindness in consolation, Sweet guest of the soul, Smooth soothing for man. Respite at work, Strong in passions, Joy in our weeping. Penetrate with your holy light the most intimate of the heart of your faithful. Without your divine aid there is nothing in the man, nothing that is innocent. Cleanse our spots, Irrigate our draught, cure our wounds. Soften our grit, ignite our frigidity, corrects our deviations. Grant your faithful, that trust in You, your seven sacred gifts. Reward our virtue, save our souls, give us eternal joy. Amen. Alleluia!
PLEA TO THE HOLY SPIRIT Oh, Holy Spirit, sweet guest of my soul, have pity of my miseries, correct me, and pardon my faults. Oh, Spirit of the Father and the Son, by your grace that I may always say sincerely: May your holy will be done, Lord! Spirit of Wisdom: reign in all my thoughts, words and works, from now on until the hour of my death.
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Spirit of Understanding: illuminate and teach me. Spirit of Advice: replace my lack of experience. Spirit of Science: liberate me of ignorance. Spirit of Strength: strengthen me in the service of God; give me courage to act with kindness and benevolence, with fidelity, patience, love, joy and magnanimity. Spirit of Mercy: allow me to be intimate in my dealings with God. Spirit of Fear of God: deliver us from every evil. Spirit of Peace: give us Your Peace. Spirit of Sanctity: embellish with the celestial virtues of purity the temple of my soul and protect it from sin. Amen. PRAYER Oh Divine Spirit, how we underestimate your constant actions within our souls. You are in fact the life that Christ wanted to give his ewes in great abundance. You are the fire that He brought to Earth, so that it would burn vividly. Come, thus, oh Holy Spirit to our souls, live source of grace, fire of love, love personified, spiritual unction, smooth gift, most holy light, father of the poor, source of all gift: convert us to have taste and flavor and hunger for all good and just things, give us in misfortunes, opportunity to rest, resistance to challenges, consolation in the weeping; fill our chest with a chaste love; and, since man without your help everything hurts him: come and cleanse the dirt, irrigate what is dry, heal the sick, soften the harsh, lead the way, heat the frozen, grant us your seven gifts, increases our virtues, happy repose and eternal bliss. Amen. Go up
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Heal me Lord
Lord, hear me.... Lord, anoint me with Your Divine Spirit... Inflame my heart with the fire of Your Love... Flood my being with Your Majestic Presence... Please attend the call of my soul........... Lord, forgive me all my offences..., purify me and heal me of all the resentments that I may have contracted in my ignorance... Forgive me for all the times that I have despised You... when I have sinned and haven't felt any remorse... Deign to fill me with the gift of Forgiveness... so that at this moment I can forgive all the people that have offended me, and that I can send my love to them... and so that they forgive me too........... Lord...Heal myself inflicted wounds for lack of pardon and understanding for my brothers... Heal me Lord... Purify my soul,.... so that I can feel that I have no resentments against anyone..., against myself..., or against You... Fill me with Your Peace... Saturate my being with Your Divine Love, to undo the walls of pride and selfishness... Teach me to love You and others... as I have never loved before... Transform me into a sun of Eternal Love ...to light up all hearts with tender rays of love... Heal me Lord............. Fill me with Your Light... Fill me with Your Love... Fill me with Your Peace... Amen
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The Lord in these last centuries wanted to give men the supreme test of love and to propose a way for them to always love to him more. He opened the infinite treasures of his Heart to enrich all those that had paid him all honor and possible love. In order to show His heart, and to set afire the entire world of love, he selected a humble Nun of the Visitacin of Paray-le Monial, a French city. This privileged soul, was born on July 22, 1647 in Laut Lecourt towards Verosvies in Burgundy. After passing many tests, in 1671 she entered the Monastery of the Visitacin and in 1672 she professed her religious vows. Shortly after her religious profession, Jesus showed many wonders to her and made promises so extraordinary that no one would have believed unless they had been confirmed by an unquestionable and concrete fact. There were three apparitions by which Our Lord wanted to console his chosen one. The first one happened on December 27, 1673. In this apparition, the young virgin was by Jesus Christ consecrated as his apostle; called her to spread and to propagate the cult to its adorable Heart; to show men its will; and to make them know what the Sacred Heart of Jesus promises to those who make known and propagate his cult. The second happened in the octave of Corpus Christi in 1674. In this apparition, Jesus showed the unexplainable wonders of his love and the excess that His Heart had taken towards men, from whom He did not receive more than abandonment and insults. Later he added: "The abandonment in which they leave me is to me much more painful than when I suffered in my passion, so much so that if men would exchange my love, I would consider that I did not do enough and if at all possible would like to have done more; but men have only indifference and repulse to all my requests. You at least console me, by giving me whatever you can for their ingratitude. The third apparition happened June 16, 1675, also in the octave of Corpus Christi. Appearing to her shining like the other times, and showing his Heart to her, complained of the continuous insults and sacrileges that He receives in the Sacrament of love; and he added with more pain, than he received them from consecrated hearts to Him. The mission to her was to make known and love his adorable Heart and to establish
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in the Church a special feast of reparation. "I request to you: that the first Friday after the octave of Corpus Christi, a specific feast be dedicated to honor to my Heart, receiving Holy Communion to soothe and repair all the indignities that it receives in the Holy Altar. And my promise to you is that my Heart will dilate to scatter with abundance the wealth of its Love on all those that will receive this honor and will endeavor others to do the same". In this third revelation everything about the devotion to the Sacred Heart is encompassed; that is its principle, that is nothing other than love; its goal, that is to offer God a repair cult, of consolation; its character, that is being a public cult, after to having been for a long time, an intimate devotion; and finally its effects, that consist of a new effusion of divine love on the Church and particularly on those pious souls that will promoters and apostles of this devotion and apostles, since Jesus said to the Saint: "Announce and let the entire know that I will not put limits to my benefits when these are requested through my Heart". The promises given by the Sacred Heart of Jesus in these appearances to the Saint are the following ones: 1. To the souls consecrated to my Heart, I will give them all the necessary graces. 2. Peace will come to their families. 3. I will console them in all its afflictions. 4. I will be its shelter and safe refuge during the life, and mainly at the hour of death. 5. The enterprises will receive abundant blessings. 6. Sinners will find in my Heart the source and an ocean of mercy. 7. The lukewarm souls will become fervent souls. 8. The fervent souls will rise quickly to great perfection. 9. I will bless the homes where the image of my Sacred Heart is exposed and is honored. 10. I will give priests the grace to move the most hardened hearts. 11. Those who propagate this devotion will have their names written in my Heart and they will never be erased. These promises express, better than any other, that the treasures of his Heart be known and the blessings he bestows to those that work for his glory. St. Margarita Maria wrote: "If it were understood how much Jesus Christ wishes that this devotion propagates, all the Christians, even the least pious ones, would practice it. Since immense they are the treasures that the Sacred Heart spills on which they take care in making know this devotion. I do not know an exercise more apt devotion to shortly elevate time to a soul to the highest perfection than the cult of the Sacred Heart. I do not know exercise more apt than this devotion to elevate a soul in a short
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time to the highest perfection than the cult of the Sacred Heart. It would be sweet to die after having practiced a tender and constant devotion to the Sacred Heart. General conditions to participate in all these true promises is the one of being devoted to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, that is to love to him, to honor him and to do whatever were possible, to glorify to him, to praise to him, still having exposed its image. The six first promises are effective to attract the love of Jesus and to convey the graces particularly about this life. With these promises Jesus Christ it decides his blessings to the families where it will be honored to his Adorable Heart with special prayers or where it will be had exposed his image. With these promises Jesus Christ it conveys his blessings to the families who will honor his Loving Heart with special prayers where his image is exposed. The other five promises refer to superior graces, or spiritual graces. In the promises the treasures of graces are assured to all devotees to the Sacred Heart regardless of their condition; since Jesus wants to be loved by all the men, no one is excluded from that ocean of Mercy. Now, since the good Teacher has made to us so many precious promises, how could we not approach them, and change the love that Jesus has to us. How can we live up to his promises by promulgating this cult, exposing and venerating in our homes its image, in order to participate in his promises!!!
THE GREAT PROMISE
In addition to these eleven promises very loved the Christian, there is a plus, done in the 1674. It is twelfth and is commonly called the "Great Promise" because it is a summary of all the others. And indeed of this one we must speak. While the pious Nun experienced sweetest ecstasy, she was subdued and with her arms crossed across her chest, her face kindled by an interior flame, a heavenly light only seen by her, cast on the altar and she saw the Loving Savior showing her his Heart. This divine Heart was covered by flames all around it, with a crown of thorns, pierced and bleeding, Jesus unable to move, and, with the arms crossed on the chest, its face radiated by an inner flame, a celestial light, Vista by her only, shaded the altar and it saw the Adorable Salvador in the act show her Heart to him. It was this divine Heart covered by flames, surrounded by a crown of thorns, pierced with blood dripping from it, with a cross showing.
Margarita thus spoke Jesus I promise to you in the excess of mercy of my Heart, that my all-powerful love will grant to those that on the nine first Fridays of month agree followed... the grace of the final Penance; they will not die in my misfortune, nor without receiving the Holy Sacraments, being to them my Heart safe refuge in that last hour.
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1) 2) 3)
The grace of not dying in mortal sin, that is to die in a state of grace state and therefore be
saved. The grace of the final perseverance, which is to erase with the penance the sins, and to
complement this with: "they will not die in my misfortune". They will not die without receiving the Sacraments, this must be understood that they will not die
without the Sacraments, if they will have of them absolute necessity; therefore if they were in state of mortal sin, it assures that it provides means to them to make a good confession; and in case of sudden death, when it is necessary, it will know at least to induce them to an act of perfect contrition to give back the friendship to him of God.
4)
Of being its refuge in the last moments of the life. In order that the men did not have
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to fear for the immensity of the favor, and they did not say that a so small cause cannot produce a so extraordinary effect, Jesus Christ said that he induced to this promise by the infinite mercy and omnipotent love that takes to the men! Therefore one interposes the excess of the mercy and the love of Jesus Christ, and this must eliminate all fear. Often the men promise to people and friends, more than what they can provide to them; not Jesus Christ; He love the souls infinitely and He can provide whatever they desire. He wants to give them the grace of a good death, he promises it with his kindness and with his omnipotence he grants it. Who then, understands the value of a Communion, and knows that nine Communions are nine intimate unions of the soul with God, and knows that a Communion reaches to sanctify a soul, it will not marvel itself that Jesus, requesting nine, makes so great promise. Whoever does what Jesus Christ commands, can be sure to be saved.
REQUIREMENTS
To obtain the Great Promise, it is required that: Receive nine Holy Communions for that is safe to be in grace state, is not necessary nine Confessions, but only nine Communions done well. Those that do not reach the nine will not reach the goal.
1)
Communions must be on the first Fridays of the month. It is not possible to be differed for another day of the week, i.e. Sunday, or in another Friday that is not the first Friday of the month. No condition can give to us of this. Not the forgetfulness, it impossibility to confess; not due to disease or another cause. Not even the Confessor can change the day or allow its interruption, because the Church has not granted this faculty to anybody.
2)
Must be for nine months consecutive, and who left it by a single month, it would not valid; and if it had left it still involuntarily it would have to begin again.
3)
Although authoritarian theologians say that being really serious cause, the interruption can be considered as if it had not happened, we say that who truly loves the Heart of Jesus and wants to make sure his eternal luck, fulfills generously what the Divine Teacher requests, without looking for excuses. With the due dispositions. Here the Catechism says to us that to make a good Communion three things are necessary: 1, to be in grace of God; 2, to fast before receiving Holy Communion; 3, to know what one is going to receive and to approach to agree with devotion, and adds that: who receives a Sacrament of the alive ones knowing of not being in grace of God, she commits the very serious sin of sacrilege, because she receives something sacred unduly. A sacrilegious Communion despises rather than honors the Heart of Jesus Christ; and it does not obtain the aim with complete certainty. Even when there is no extraordinary fervor, the Communions honor the Divine Heart, thus it must be received in a state of grace.
4)
Another reason is the intention to repair the continuous insults that the Blessed
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Trust is an act by which we hope to obtain from God our salvation and the necessary means for it. It is a virtue that locks up faith, hope and charity. The foundation of the confidence is in that God is our Father, who takes care of more of us than the crows and the lilies (Lc. 12, 24-27). Nobody enjoys more the kindness of the Heart of Jesus than the one with the greatest trust in Him. The worse and greatest evil that the demon causes is not to trust. What pleases him the most is the trust confidence in Him" (Santa Margarita). We need more trust, and the best way to attain it is to request it from God. We can request the trust and all the graces and goods that we need with "the Trust Novena. Let us go with confidence to the throne of grace. (Hb.4, 16)
How to pray the Trust Novena:
Oh Jesus, to your Heart I trust (this soul, this pain, this business), look at it, and let your Heart tell You what to do; it lets build to your Heart. Oh Jesus, I have you, I entrust myself to You, I give myself You, I am safe of You. Our Father, Hail Mary, and Glory. Sacred Heart of Jesus, I trust You (nine times). Oh Sweet Jesus, that have said: "If you want to please to me, Trusts Me; if you want to please me more, Trust Me more; if you want to please me even more, Trust Me immensely; the trusting souls are the grantees of my graces.". I trust You immensely. In You, Lord, I hope; I am not eternally confused. Amen.
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Oh Sacred Heart of Jesus, God and man, delight of the Saints, refuge of sinners and hope of those that Trust You. You kindly said to us: "You come to me"; and you repeat the words that you said to the quadriplegic: "Have faith son; your sins are pardoned", and to the ill woman: "Trust me daughter; your faith has saved you ", and to the Apostles: "Trust me. I am. Dont be afraid. Encouraged by your words, I come to You confidently to tell you sincerely from the depths of my soul: Sacred Heart of Jesus, I trust You. (To each invocation we repeat "SACRED HEART OF JESUS I TRUST YOU") In my Happiness and Sorrows In my Businesses and Enterprises In Good and Bad Times In the necessities of my family, In temptations from sin In temptations from lust In the prosecutions of my enemies, In rumors and slanders In pains and diseases In my faults and my sins, In the sanctification and salvation of my soul, Always and in all occasion, In life and death, Now and for all eternity,
Heart of my kind Jesus, I trust You and will always trust You and by the intercession of the Heart of your Mother, I request to You that this trust in You never falters, or becomes weak, in spite of all the adversities and all the tests that You want to send me, so that, having been my consolation in life, you are my refuge at the hour of death and my glory for all eternity. Amen. Final prayer Oh, Lord Jesus, your holy mysteries instill in us a divine fervor, with which, having received the kindness of your sweetest Heart, we learn to disregard the material things, and to yearn for the heavenly things. You that live and reign forever and ever. Amen.
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ACT OF TRUST OF BLESSED CLAUDIO DE LA COLOMBIRE Oh my God, I am so convinced that you watch over all our needs, and we will not lack anything that I have decided from now on and having given you all my doubts and insecurities, I will live without care, trust in You for everything. I will sleep and rest in peace, since You, only You, have assured me of my hope. Men can strip me of the goods and reputation; diseases can weaken me to serve you; I myself I can lose your grace by sin; but I will not lose my hope; I will conserve it until the last moment of my life and all the efforts of the demons of hell to take it from me will be in vain. I will sleep and rest peacefully. That others wait for their happiness from their wealth or talents; that they lean on the innocence of their lives, or on the rigor of their penance, or on the number of their good deeds, or on the fervor of their prayers. As for me, Lord, all my confidence is my same confidence. Because You Lord, only You, have assured my hope. No one has been fooled by this trust. No one has been frustrated that has trusted in the Lord. Therefore, I am sure that I will be eternally happy, because from you is from whom I will receive it. I will wait for you because you my God will be the source, and I will never be confused. I know well, and too well, that I am fragile and unstable; I know how much temptations against the firmest virtue can do; I have seen stars fall from the sky as well as the columns of the firmament; but nothing can scare me. While my hope is firm, I will be safe from all calamities; and I am safe to always wait for, because I wait for this invariable hope. In short, I am sure that I cannot wait for with excess of you and that I will obtain everything what it will have hoped to obtain from you. Thus, I hope that you will protect me in the fastest and slippery slopes, that you will fortify to me against the most violent assaults and than you will make my weaknesses prevail over my more formidable enemies. I hope that you will always love me and that I will love you without interruption; and to arrive as far as possible with all my hope, I will wait for You, My Creator, now and for all eternity. So be it.
TO THE SACRED SIDE SORE AND HEART OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST
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Jesus, Most Kind, allow the sore of your Sacred Heart to be my refuge, strength and defense against your wrath, and remedy of all the sins, especially the mortals, of the deceits of the demon, of the world, of the flesh, and of pride; as all the dangers of the body, and, mainly, so as to avoid the eternal damnation. Let it be the abyss where my sins disappear, to which with perfect hatred and painful heart I throw all my imperfections, not to return or commit them. Grant me, most amiable Jesus, just a little drop of blood from the sore of your merciful Heart, as a symbol that all my sins are forgiven. Keep me in the intimacy of your Sacred Heart, and keep me, hug me,
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purify me, and sear me turning me as close to You as possible, so that I may disappear, and will only look for deeds and works that will be pleasing and acceptable to your most pure Heart. Amen
I had a very deep sore on the shoulder where I carried my heavy cross; that sore was the most painful of them all. The men are not aware of it. Honor this sore and I will grant whatever is requested...
PRAYER Oh beloved Jesus, humble Lamb of God, in spite of being a miserable and sinful creature, I adore and venerate the sore caused by the heavy weight of your cross that opening your flesh exposed the bones of your sacred shoulder, for which your Sorrowful Mother mourned so much. Also I, oh beloved Jesus, feel sorry for You and from the bottom of my heart I glorify you and thank you for this painful sore in your shoulder wherein you carried your cross for my redemption. Oh! for the sorrows that you experienced that increased the enormous weight of your cross, I plead most humbly from you to have mercy on my poor sinful creature, forgive my sins and lead me to heaven by way of the Cross. Pray Seven Hail Maries and add: Most holy Mother, imprint in my heart the sores of crucified Jesus.......... (300 day Indulgence) Oh sweet Jesus, do not be my judge but my savior... (100 day Indulgence)
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SISTER LUCIA, FATIMA VISIONARY On December 26, 1957, Fr. Agustin Fuentes, Advocate of the of the Cause of Beatification of Francisco and Jacinta Marto, interviewed Sister Lucia Dos Santos, visionary of the appearances at Ftima. During the interview, Sister Lucia told Fr. Fuentes: "... The Most Holy Virgin said to us, as much to my cousins as to me, that 2 were the last remedies that God was giving to the world: The Holy Rosary and the Immaculate Heart of Mary..... " ". Look, Father, the Most Holy Virgin, in these times which we are living, has given a new solution to our difficulties: the prayer of the Holy Rosary, in such a way that now there is no problem as difficult as it may be, whether personal, within our families, in the religious communities, or in towns or nations, there is no problem, I repeat, no problem no matter how difficult it may be, that it cannot be resolved by the prayer of the Holy Rosary. "With the Holy Rosary, we will be saved, we will be sanctified, we will console Our Lord and we will obtain the salvation of many souls. For that reason, the devil will do anything to distract us from this devotion; he will put a multitude of obstacles: fatigue, occupations, etc., so that we do not pray the Holy Rosary ". "If they gave us a more difficult program of salvation, many souls would be condemned because they would have the pretext that they could not make this program. But now the program is brief and easy: pray the Holy Rosary. With the Rosary we will practice the Commandments, we will take advantage of the frequency of the Sacraments, will try to fulfill our duties of state according to the will of God". "The Rosary is the battle weapon of the spiritual battles of the Last Times". Maria of the Holy Rosary of San Nicols says to us: Feb. 3, 1985 - N 465
Daughter: I want you to know, the reason of my image with the Boy and the Rosary. The Boy, means purity and new life, since Young Jesus is the rebirth of Life, is the saving source of a thirsty soul. I am offering you the Rosary as a consolation for all your pains, necessities and pleas so that all of them are encompassed by it. . As a Mother, I listen to all of you, dear children, great is my Love for you. Amen.
April 19, 1986 - N 850 I see an enormous crown of white Rosaries. I see the Most Holy Virgin and she says to me: You see this crown, because this is what I wish you to do, a true crown of rosaries. Prayer, my daughter, Prayer, how many mouths are still quiet, without at least knowing a prayer that brings them closer to the Lord. The Holy Rosary is the most feared weapon of the enemy; it is also the refuge for those trying to alleviate their grief and is the door to enter my Heart. Glory be to the Lord, for the Light that he gives to the world. October 7, 1986 - N 986 Gladys: With the Holy Rosary, you can face any danger, since in it, Christ and the Mother of Christ are present. It is the deep oration, the immediate communication with the Gentleman and Maria. It is the gift that I am giving you so that you accept it and you conserve it by means of its prayer. Amen, amen.
A blessed Holy Rosary has great value, as much value as the prayer itself. By that, I mean that being blessed, the prayer becomes a plea of love to the Lord, and he in return sends His Blessing to the praying soul. For that reason it is so important, to have the Rosary in your hands while saying it. Praised be the Lord always.
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October 7, 1988 - N 1531 "On this day, answer My petition: Pray the Holy Rosary; let this be a loving answer to the Mother. The prayer, hampers the efforts of the demon, does not allow it to acts in the souls. The prayer of the humble soul is a love plea that, renewed, arrives like an offering to the Lord. Do not allow this flower, the prayer, to wilt; water it constantly. Praised Be the Most High. Preach it, my daughter."
November 19, 1988 N 1557
Gladys, the weapon that is most influential on evil, is the prayer of the Holy Rosary. With this prayer, one deepens in the spiritual life; the soul grows in its love for God, and distances it away from sin. It dissipates the shadows of the spirit and causes it to remain faithful to God. Please God, dear children of mine, since praying, the temptations of the evil one are rejected. Praised be forever Lord, the Most. Promulgate to all your brothers.
Message of the Most Holy Virgin to Fr. Gobbi, of the Priestly Marian Movement: Lourdes (France) October 7, 1979 Our Lady of the Rosary Your Rosary. "I have also brought You here, to reunite in Cenacles of prayer and life with Me, many Priests, members of religious communities, and believers. In these Cenacles I am truly present and join you in prayer. With it, you offer to the Heavenly Mother, a powerful tool to save many poor misguided children and to organize the painful events of your time, according to the maternal wish of my Immaculate Heart. The Holy Rosary that you recite in the Cenacles following the urgent request of your Mother, is like an enormous chain of love and salvation with which you can surround people and situations, and even affect all the events of your time. Keep reciting it, multiply your Cenacles of Prayer, responding to the invitation that with as much frequency and intensity has directed my first favorite son to you, the Vicar of Jesus Christ. Now I can use the force that comes to me from your prayers and I want to intervene like a Mother to shorten the length of time of the test and soothe all the sufferings that await you. Everything can still change if you, my small children, listen to my Voice, and you are united in prayer, to the incessant intercession of your Celestial Mother. Therefore, here where I appeared as the Immaculate Virgin, I repeat to you here that you continue with more generosity and perseverance in the prayer of the Holy Rosary. The Holy Rosary is the prayer that I myself came from Heaven to request. With it you manage to discover the ploys of my Adversary; you evade many of its deceits; you defend yourselves of many dangers that tend to you; protects you from even, and brings you closer and closer to Me so that I can truly be your guide and protection. As it already happened in other decisive occasions, also today the Church will be defended and saved by its victorious Mother, through the force that comes to me from you, my small children, with the frequent prayer of the Holy Rosary.
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Courage, favorite children! Pray, trust and enter the refuge of my Immaculate Heart to comprise my victorious army. This is my hour and soon all the Church will be taken to a new splendor by that one to which you invoke as "Queen of the Victories". Words of Cardinal Ratzinger - now Pope Benedict XVI, on the Holy Rosary: "The historical origin of the holy rosary goes back to the Middle Ages, a time when the normal prayers were the psalms. But at that time many people did not know how to read, which prevented them in participating in the Biblical psalms. For that reason a salterio was chosen, and it was in prayers to Mary with the mysteries of the life of Jesus Christ connected by beads in a necklace. They affect the one praying it in a meditative form, since the repetition soothes the soul, and to cling to the figure of Mary and to the images of Christ that come to us, calms and soothes the soul and grants the vision of God to the one reciting the Holy Rosary. In fact, the rosary sends us to that primitive knowledge in which the repetition comprise the prayer, the meditation, in which the repetition means a form to enter itself in a state of calmness. What matters is not so much to follow with effort each rationally, but the opposite: to let yourself be guided by the calm of the repetition, the rhythmic thing. Especially considering that these are not meaningless words. They bring to my great eyes and my soul images and visions and, mainly, the figure of Mary, and through her the one of Jesus. Those people of whom we spoke had to work hard. When praying, they could not undertake additionally great intellectual endeavors. On the contrary, they needed a prayer that calmed them, that distracted them, that freed them from their worries and she showed them the redeeming consolation. I believe that the primitive experience of the history of religions, the one of repetition, the rate, the common word, the choir that carries me and elevates and fills the space, that does not torment but that soothes me, consoles and frees me, that primitive experience has been Christianized here entirely in the Marian context and the appearance of the figure of Christ when asking people to pray with enormous simplicity, acknowledging at the time of prayer, and transcending the intellectual scope when the words reach the soul. I pray (the rosary) with the great simplicity, just as my parents did. They both loved the Holy Rosary. And this love increased as they aged. The older we are, the less intellectual efforts that are possible, and the more an internal refuge is needed, thus to dive into the prayers of the Church. So I pray the Holy Rosary just like they did.
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LITANY OF REPARATION IN THE BLESSED SACRAMENT Lord, have mercy on us. Christ, have mercy on us. Lord, have mercy on us. Christ, hear us. Christ, graciously hear us. God the Father of Heaven, Have mercy on us. God the Son, Redeemer of the world, Have mercy on us. God the Holy Spirit, Have mercy on us. Holy Trinity, One God, Have mercy on us. Sacred Host, offered for the salvation of sinners, Have mercy on us. Sacred Host, annihilated on the altar for us and by us, Have mercy on us. Sacred Host, despised by lukewarm Christians, Have mercy on us. Sacred Host, mark of contradiction, Have mercy on us. Sacred Host, delivered over to Jews and heretics, Have mercy on us. Sacred Host, insulted by blasphemers, Have mercy on us. Sacred Host, Bread of angels, given to animals, Have mercy on us. Sacred Host, flung into the mud and trampled underfoot, Have mercy on us. Sacred Host, dishonored by unfaithful priests, Have mercy on us. Sacred Host, forgotten and abandoned in Thy churches, Have mercy on us. Be merciful unto us, Pardon us, O Lord. Be merciful unto us, Hear us, O Lord. For the outrageous contempt of this most wonderful Sacrament, We offer Thee our reparation. For Thine extreme humiliation in Thine admirable Sacrament, We offer Thee our reparation. For all unworthy Communions, We offer Thee our reparation. For the irreverences of wicked Christians, We offer Thee our reparation. For the profanation of Thy sanctuaries, We offer Thee our reparation. For the holy ciboriums dishonored and carried away by force,
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We offer Thee our reparation. For the continual blasphemies of impious men, We offer Thee our reparation. For the obduracy and treachery of heretics, We offer Thee our reparation. For the unworthy conversations carried on in Thy holy temples, We offer Thee our reparation. For the profaners of Thy churches which they have desecrated by their sacrileges, We offer Thee our reparation. That it may please Thee to increase in all Christians the reverence due to this adorable Mystery, we beseech Thee, hear us. That it may please Thee to manifest the Sacrament of Thy Love to heretics, we beseech Thee, hear us. That it may please Thee to grant us the grace to atone for their hatred by our burning love for Thee, we beseech Thee, hear us. That it may please Thee that the insults of those who outrage Thee may rather be directed against ourselves, we beseech Thee, hear us. That it may please Thee graciously to receive this our humble reparation, we beseech Thee, hear us. That it may please Thee to make our adoration acceptable to Thee, we beseech Thee, hear us. Pure Host, hear our prayer. Holy Host, hear our prayer. Immaculate Host, hear our prayer. Lamb of God, Who takest away the sins of the world, Spare us, O Lord. Lamb of God, Who takest away the sins of the world, Graciously hear us, O Lord. Lamb of God, Who takest away the sins of the world, Have mercy on us. Lord, have mercy on us. Christ, have mercy on us. V. See, O Lord, our affliction, R. And give glory to Thy Holy Name. Let Us Pray O Lord Jesus Christ, Who dost deign to remain with us in Thy wonderful Sacrament to the end of the world, in order to give to Thy Father, by the memory of Thy Passion, eternal glory, and to give to us the Bread of life everlasting: Grant us the grace to mourn,
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with a heart full of sorrow, over the injuries which Thou hast received in this adorable Mystery, and over the many sacrileges which are committed by the impious, by heretics and by bad Catholics. Inflame us with an ardent zeal to repair all these insults to which, in Thine infinite mercy, Thou hast preferred to expose Thyself rather than deprive us of Thy Presence on our altars, Who with God the Father and the Holy Spirit livest and reignest one God, world without end. Amen
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'O Blood and Water, which gushed forth from the Heart of Jesus as a fount of Mercy for us, I trust in You'" (Diary, 186-7)
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Therefore, at the moment of Jesus' agony on the cross we are to ponder over the mystery of the Divine Mercy, which has revealed itself most fully precisely through the Passion and death of God's Son Incarnate. The Lord Jesus asked: " if only for a brief moment, immerse yourself in My Passion, particularly in My abandonment at the moment of agony" (Diary 1320). Meditation on the Lord's Passion is to lead us to the adoration and glorification of Jesus' Mercy and also - as He has wished - to entreaties for the Divine Mercy for the whole world, and especially for sinners who need it most. Moreover, the Lord Jesus gave Sister Faustina concrete instructions as regards the manner the Hour of Mercy should be observed. He said: "Try your best to make the Stations of the Cross in this hour, provided that your duties permit it; and if you are not able to make the Stations of the Cross, then at least step into the chapel for a moment and adore, in the Blessed Sacrament, My Heart, which is full of mercy; and should you be unable to step into the chapel, immerse yourself in prayer there where you happen to be, if only for a brief instant" (Diary 1572). In order to practice the prayer at the Hour of Mercy it is not indispensible to go to church or have a lot of time. If we do not have it, a brief instant suffices - to stand, in spirit, at the foot of the cross on Golgotha and to unite ourselves with the dying Jesus. Apart from the Stations of the Cross, which are a known part of the Christian piety, the Lord Jesus did not provide us with any wording of the prayer. However, the analysis of His words (promises) shows that the prayer at the Hour of Mercy must meet certain conditions. Firstly, it should be said at 3pm (not 3am), because it is to honour the moment of Jesus' agony on the Cross. Secondly - it should be addressed to the Lord Jesus directly, therefore, not to God the Father, the Blessed Mother or Saint Faustina because the Lord Jesus said: "I will refuse nothing to the soul that makes a request of Me..." (Diary 1320). However, we can beg for mercy together with Mary standing beneath the Cross and together with Saint Faustina. In our entreaties, we should refer to the values and merits of the Lord Jesus' sorrowful Passion, therefore in the prayer we use the expression: For the merits of Your sorrowful Passion, we ask You, Lord... However, we do not say: Through the intercession of the Blessed Mother or Through the intercession of Saint Faustina, because saying such a prayer we would refer to the values and merits of the Mother of God or saints but, as the Lord Jesus wants, we are to refer to the merits of His Passion. Intentions which we say during the Hour of Mercy (prayer of intercession) should be according with the will of God, which pertains to all prayers. The prayer itself should be trustful and it should also be combined with deeds of mercy towards neighbours, which is a condition of the true devotion to the Divine Mercy. The Lord Jesus attached a promise to the prayer at the Hour of Mercy meeting the above-mentioned conditions, namely the promise of obtaining all possible graces as well as rewards in this world. He said to Sister Faustina: "In this hour, I will refuse nothing to the soul that makes request of Me in virtue of My Passion" (Diary 1320) and some other time He added: "In this hour you can obtain everything for yourself and for others for the asking" (Diary 1572). Sr M. Elisabeth Siepak O.L.M.
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ordeals, for torments too difficult to describe, especially for those which no one will understand, for the hour of death with its fierce struggle and all its bitterness. I thank You, Jesus, You who first drank the cup of bitterness before You gave it to me, in a much milder form. I put my lips to this cup of Your holy will. Let all be done according to Your good pleasure; let that which Your wisdom ordained before the ages be done to me. I want to drink the cup to its last drop, and not seek to know the reason why.In bitterness is my joy, in hopelessness is my trust. In You, O Lord, all is good, all is a gift of Your paternal Heart. I do not prefer consolations over bitterness, or bitterness over consolations, but thank You, O Jesus, for everything! It is my delight to fix my gaze upon You, O incomprehensible God! (Diary, 343)
On Love
Love does not consist in words or feelings, but in deeds. It is an act of the will; it is a gift; that is to say, a giving...When God loves, He loves with all His Being, with all the power of His Being. (Diary 392) The quintessence of love is sacrifice and suffering. Truth wears a crown of thorns. Prayer involves the intellect, the will, and the emotions. (Diary 1103) God made known to me what true love consists in and gave light to me about how, in practice, to give proof of it to Him. True love of God consists in carrying out God's will. To show God our love in what we do, all our actions, even the least, must spring from our love of God. And the Lord said to me, "My child, you please Me most by suffering. In your physical as well as your mental sufferings, My daughter, do not seek sympathy from creatures. I want the fragrance of your suffering to be pure and unadulterated. I want you to detach yourself, not only from creatures, but also from yourself. My daughter, I want to delight in the love of your heart, a pure love, virginal, unblemished, untarnished. The more you will come to love suffering, My daughter, the purer your love for Me will be." (Diary 279) Pure love is capable of great deeds, and it is not broken by difficulty or adversity. As it remains strong in the midst of great difficulties, so too it perseveres in the toilsome and drab life of each day. It knows that only one thing is needed to please God: to do even the small things out of great love - love, and always love. Pure love never errs. Its light is strangely plentiful. It will not do anything that might displease God. It is ingenious at doing what is more pleasing to God, and no one will equal it. It is happy when it can empty itself and burn like a pure offering. The more it gives of itself, the happier it is. But also, no one can sense dangers from afar as can love; it knows how to unmask and also knows with whom it has to deal. (Diary 140)
On God's Will
The essence of the virtues is the will of God. He who does the will of God faithfully, practices all the virtues. (Diary 678) When the soul does the will of the Most High God, Even amidst constant pain and torments, Having pressed its lips to the chalice proferred, It becomes mighty, and nothing will daunt it. Though tortured, it repeats: Your will be done, Patiently awaiting the moment of its transfiguration,
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For, though in deepest darkness, it hears the voice of Jesus: You are Mine, An this it will know fully when the veil falls. (Diary 995)
On Heaven
Today I was in heaven, in spirit, and I saw its inconceivable beauties and the happiness that awaits us after death. I saw how all creatures give ceaseless praise and glory to God. I saw how great is happiness in God, which spreads to all creatures, making them happy; and then all the glory and praise which springs from this happiness returns to its source; and they enter into the depths of God, contemplating the inner life of God, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, whom they will never comprehend or fathom. This source of happiness is unchanging in its essence, but it is always new, gushing forth happiness for all creatures. Now I understand St Paul who said, "Eye has not seen, nor has ear heard, nor has it entered into the heart of man what God has prepared for those who love Him." And God has given me to understand that there is but one thing that is of infinite value in His eyes, and that is love of God; love, love and once again, love; and nothing can compare with a single act of pure love of God. Oh what inconceivable favours God gifts a soul that loves Him sincerely! The sight of this great majesty of God, which I came to understand more profoundly and which is worshipped by the heavenly spirits according to their degree of grace and the hierarchies into which they are divided, did not cause my soul to be stricken with fear; no, no, not at all! My soul was filled with peace and love, and the more I come to know the greatness of God, the more joyful I become that He is as He is. (Diary 777)
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Today, I was led by an Angel to the chasms of hell. It is a place of great torture; how awesomely large and extensive it is! The kinds of tortures I saw: the first torture that
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On Hell
constitutes hell is the loss of God; the second is perpetual remorse of conscience; the third is that one's condition will never change; the fourth is the fire that will penetrate the souls without detroying it - a terrible suffering since it is purely spiritual fire, lit by God's anger; the fifth torture is continual darkness and a terrible suffocating smell, and despite the darkness, the devils and the souls of the damned see each other and all the evil, both of others and their own; the sixth torture is the constant company of Satan; the seventh torture is the horrible despair, hatred of God, vile words, curses and blasphemies. These are tortures suffered by all the danmed together, but that is not the end of the sufferilngs. There are special tortures desitined for particular souls. These are the torments of the senses. Each soul undergoes terrible and indescribable sufferings, related to the manner in which it has sinned. There are caverns and pits of torture where one form of agony differs from another.....Let the sinner know that he will be tortured throughout all eternity, in those senses which he made use of to sin. I am writing this at the command of God, so that no soul may find an excuse by sayinlg there is no hell, or that nobody has ever been there, and so no one can say what it is like. I, Sister Faustina, by the order of God, have visited the abysses of hell so that I might tell souls about it and testify to its existence...Consequently, I pray even more fervently for the conversion of sinners. I incessantly plead God's mercy upon them. (Diary 741)
On Purgatory
(The next night) I saw my Guardian Angel, who ordered me to follow him. In a moment I was in a misty place full of fire in which there was a great crowd of suffering souls. They were praying fervently, but to no avail, for themselves; only we can come to their aid. The flames which were burning them did not touch me at all. My Guardian Angel did not leave me for an instant. I asked these souls what their greatest suffering was. They answered me in one voice that their greatest torment was longing for God. I saw Our Lady visiting the souls in Purgatory. The souls call her 'The Star of the Sea'. She brings them refreshment. I wanted to talk with them some more, but my Guardian Angel beckoned me to leave. We went out of that prison of suffering. (I heard an interior voice) which said, "My mercy does not want this, but justice demands it". (Diary 20)
On Silence
...the Holy Spirit does not speak to a soul that is distracted and garrulus. He speaks by His quiet inspirations to a soul that is recollected, to a soul that knows how to keep silence...Silent lips are pure gold and bear witness to holiness within. (Diary 552) Silence is a sword in the spiritual struggle. A talkative soul will never attain sanctity...A silent soul is strong; no adversities will harm it if it perseveres in silence. The silent soul is capable of attaining the closest union with God. It lives almost under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. God works in a silent soul without hindrance. (Diary 477) The Mother of God has taught me how to prepare for the Feast of Christmas...She said to me: "My daughter, strive after silence and humility, so that Jesus, who dwells in your heart continuously, may be able to rest." (Diary 785) ...I heard the voice of Our Lady: "Know, My daughter, that although I was raised to the dignity of Mother of God, seven swords of pain pierced My heart. Don't do anything to defend yourself; bear everything with humility; God himself will defend you." (Diary 786)
On Suffering
Suffering is a great grace; through suffering the soul becomes like the Savior; in suffering love becomes crystallized; the greater the suffering, the purer the love. (Diary 57) Suffering is the greatest treasure on earth; it purifies the soul. In suffering, we learn who our true friend is. (Diary 342)
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True love is the thermometer of suffering. (Diary 343) Oh, how pleasing are the hymns flowing from a suffering soul! All heaven delights in such a soul, especially when it is tested by God. It mournfully sings out its longing for Him. Great is its beauty, because it comes from God. The soul walks through the jungle fo life, wounded by God's love. With one foot only it touches the ground. When a soul has come out of these tribulations, it is deeply humble. Its purity of soul is great. It knows better without need of reflecting, as it were, what it ought to do at a given moment and what to forbear. It feels the lightest touch of grace and is very faithful to God. It recognizes God from afar and continuously rejoices in Him. It discovers God very quickly in other souls and its environment in general. The soul has been purified by God himself. God, as Pure Spirit, introduces the soul to a life which is purely spiritual. God himself has first prepared and purified the soul; that is, He has made it capable of close communion with himself. The soul, in a state of loving repose, communes spiritually with the Lord. It speaks to God without the need of expressing itself through the senses. God fills it with His light. (Diary 114, 115)
On Angels
Then I saw one of the seven spirits near me, radiant as at other times, under a form of light. I constantly saw him beside me when I was riding on the train. I saw an angel standing on every church we passed, but surrounded by a light which was paler than that of the spirit who was accompanying me on the journey, and each of these spirits who were guarding the churches bowed his head to the spirit who was near me. ...I thanked God for His goodness, that He gives us angels for companions. Oh, how little people reflect on the fact that they always have beside them such a guest, and at the same time a witness to everything! Remember, sinners, that you likewise have a witness to all your deeds. (Diary 630) As I was meditating on the sin of the Angels and their immediate punishment, I asked Jesus why the Angels had been punished as soon as they had sinned. I heard a voice: Because of their profound knowledge of God. No person on earth, even though a great saint, has such knowledge of God as an Angel has. (Diary 1332)
On Evil Spirits
When the sermon was over, I did not wait for the end of the service as I was in a hurry to get back home. When I had taken a few steps, a great multitude of demons blocked my way. They threatened me with terrible tortures, and voices could be heard: "She has snatched away everything we have worked for over so many years!" When I asked them, "Where have you come from in such great numbers?" the wicked forms answered, "Out of human hearts; stop tormenting us!" Seeing their great hatred for me, I immediately asked my Guardian Angel for help, and at once the bright and radiant figure of my Guardian Angel appeared and said to me, "Do not fear, spouse of my Lord; without His permission these spirits will do you no harm." Immediately the evil spirits vanished, and the faithful Guardian Angel accompanied me, in a visible manner, right to the very house. His look was modest and peaceful, and a flame of fire sparkled from his forehead. (Diary 418)
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A HIDDEN TREASURE Appearing to one of the sisters of her community shortly after her death, St. Teresa of Avila told the sister that she would be willing to return to a life of suffering on earth until the end of time if thereby she could merit that degree of glory with which God rewards one devoutly recited "Hail Mary." St. Paul speaks in like manner when he says: "The sufferings of this life are not to be compared with the glory to come." If one short prayer is thus rewarded, what reward awaits those who offer to the Eternal Father, the Precious Blood of Jesus. "An offering," says Father Faber, "is more than a prayer. In prayer we are the recipients, but when we make an offering God vouchsafes to accept something from us." In Our Lords, own words to Sister Mary Martha Chambon, Apostle of the Holy Wounds: "To offer to the Eternal Father the Sacred Wounds of Jesus is to offer Him His Glory, to offer Heaven to Heaven. Each time you offer to My Father the merits of My Divine Wounds, you gain an immense fortune . . . You must not remain poor, your Father is very rich." If you and I, at this very moment, were standing on the threshold of eternity, we would see a limitless duration extending before us, which our vision would fail to terminate. Looking on this endlessness the awful truth would come to us that the time of merit had passed forever. The saints realized this truth while yet in life, and we can see the vastness of their reward. Those who have passed into eternity realize that there will be no further opportunities for additional merit, for time has passed forever. If regrets were possible in Heaven, unused opportunities would be the cause, for the blessed know what greater capacity for giving accidental honor to God they would have had if they had used all their opportunities. Because of God's mercy, they have no regrets, but their status is sealed forever. The position of the priest in heaven must be tremendous for he offers daily a Victim-of-InfiniteWorth; and yet each one of us can offer the same Victim in a different manner by sincerely saying:
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Humility:
The virtue of humility is deemed by the saints the foundation and the safeguard of all the other virtues. St. Augustine says that humility must accompany all our actions, must be with us everywhere; for as soon as we glory in our good works they are of no further value to our advancement in virtue. There are many quotes from Our Lord and the Bible emphasizing the importance of humility. Who will be great in God's eyes? "At that hour the disciples came to Jesus saying, 'Who then is greatest in the kingdom of Heaven?' And Jesus called a little child to Him, set him in their midst, and said, 'Amen, I say to you, unless you turn and become like little children, you will not enter into the kingdom of Heaven. Whoever, therefore, humbles himself as this little child, he is the greatest in the kingdom of Heaven.'" (Matt. 18:1-4). "God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble." (James 4:6). "Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will exalt you." (James 4:10). "Learn from Me, for I am meek and humble of heart." (Matt. 11:29).
Charity: St. Margaret Mary, who received from our Divine Lord many communications relative to
Charity, was shown the soul of a deceased person who had to undergo but a light chastisement, and Our Lord told her that among all the good works which this person had performed in the world, He had taken into special consideration certain humiliations to which she had submitted in the world, because she had suffered them in the spirit of charity, not only without murmuring, but even without speaking of them. Our Lord added that, as a reward, He had given her a mild and favorable judgment. "Charity covereth a multitude of sins." (1 Peter 4:8) St. Jane Frances, desiring that all actions of her daughters might proceed from a spirit of charity, had written upon the walls of the halls through which they most frequently passed the qualities which St. Paul gives to this sublime virtue: "Charity is patient, is kind; charity envieth not; dealeth not perversely; is not puffed up; is not ambitious; seeketh not her own; is not provoked to anger; thinketh no evil." If it happened that one of her spiritual daughters failed in charity, she sent her to read this sentence, which she called the mirror of the monastery.
"In all thy works remember thy last end, and thou shalt
never sin. (Ecclus. 7:40). The honors, riches, and pleasures of the world are transitory things. Nothing is truly great but that which is eternal. Even the most hardened sinners have often been converted from their wicked ways to a penitential life by the terror of these thundering truths: Death, judgment, hell, eternity. Keep in mind the eternal years. "What shall it profit a man, if he gain the whole world, and suffer the loss of his soul?" (Mark 8:36). "The best way to prepare for death is to spend every day of life as though it were the last. Think of the end of worldly honor, wealth and pleasure and ask yourself: And then? And then?" (St. Philip Neri).
Devotion to Mary: One of the greatest means of salvation is devotion to the Most Blessed
Virgin Mary. The saints are unanimous in saying that, "A devout client of Mary shall never perish." St. Thomas Aquinas said that "many souls are now in Heaven through the prayers of Mary who otherwise would not be there." St. Alphonsus de Liguori says that "devotion to Mary is morally necessary for our salvation." St. Louis de Montfort said, "I have no better way of knowing if a man is for God than if he likes to say the Hail Mary and the Rosary." The Church teaches us to honor Mary as the patroness of a good death by means of the last words of the Angelic Salutation: "Pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death." Whoever says this prayer piously, will die as happily as he will die holily. A dying man once asked: "Whence comes the joy which beams on your face at the moment when you see you are about to expire?" "It is," he replied, "because having prayed so often during all the days of my life to the Blessed Virgin for a holy and a happy death, I cannot believe that she will refuse me a favor I have asked for so often." Let us say the Hail Mary with equal
attention and fervor, and we shall have the same consolation at our last hour.
Prayer:
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"Prayer is nothing else than speaking to God; and to speak to God without concentrating our attention upon Him is a thing most odious to His Divine Majesty. Being a good servant of God does not mean always being spiritually consoled, or always feeling sweet and calm, or never feeling repugnance or
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aversion to what is good. If this were so, neither St. Paul nor St. Catherine of Siena could have served God well. Surely sin, and sin only should cast us down and grieve us. If we have sinned, when once our act of sorrow has been made, there ought to follow in its train joy and holy consolation." (St. Francis de Sales).
False peace:
"We may be misled in many ways by worldly peace. For instance, some people have all they require for their needs, besides a large sum of money shut up in their safe as well; but as they avoid mortal sin, they think they have done their duty. They enjoy their riches and give an occasional alms and never consider that their property is not their own, but that God has entrusted it to them as His stewards for the good of the poor, and that they will have to render a strict account of the time they kept it shut up on their money chests, if the poor have suffered on account of their hoarding and delay." (St. Teresa of Avila)
Mortification:
"Mortification in eating is the alphabet of a spiritual life; and he who knows not how to subdue his gluttony will find it no easy matter to triumph over other vices which are much more difficult to conquer." (St. Vincent de Paul).
Four graces:
St. Alphonsus Liguori insists repeatedly that in all our devotions, at Mass, at Holy Communion, in all our visits to the Blessed Sacrament, we should pray for these four graces for ourselves, namely: the forgiveness of our sins, the love of God, the love of prayer, and final perseverance. When these graces are secured, our salvation is assured.
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