True Catholic Saints – Return to Fatima

Another Look at the Angel’s Prayer

Posted on April 17, 2018April 17, 2018 by peregrine

A commenter recently corrected us regarding the “Most Holy Trinity” Prayer taught by the Angel of Fatima.

The commenter stated:

“This is the correct version of the Prayer of the Angel:

“Most Holy Trinity, Father, Son and Holy Ghost, I adore Thee profoundly, and I offer Thee the Most Precious Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity of the same Son Jesus Christ, present in *all* the Tabernacles of the world, in reparation for all the *outrages, sacrileges,* and indifferences by which He Himself is offended. And by the infinite merits of His Most Sacred Heart and the Immaculate Heart of Mary, I beg *of Thee* the conversion of poor sinners.

* words that were omitted or reversed in the version originally posted”

I wish I was possessed of the confidence of that commenter! I have dozens of books on Fatima and there are many variations in that prayer. On the page which the commenter cited, I had inadvertently omitted the phrase, “of Thee”, leaving the last sentence to read “I beg the forgiveness of poor sinners.” So, I corrected that mistake in the one instance in which it appeared.

Three Versions

There are several variations on the Angel’s Prayer. Here are three examples from authoritative sources. I have others.

“Most Holy Trinity, Father, Son and Holy Ghost, I adore Thee profoundly, and I offer Thee the Most precious Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity of the same Son Jesus Christ, present in the Tabernacles of the world, in reparation for all the sacrileges, outrages, and indifferences by which He Himself is offended. And by the infinite merits of His Most Sacred Heart and through the Immaculate Heart of Mary, I beg of Thee the conversion of sinners.”

That is the version published in the booklet, “The True Story of Fatima” by Father John de Marchi, published by the Fatima Center. It is found on page 7 and again in “The Seven Fatima Prayers” on page 96. You’ll notice that the order of the reparations, that is “sacrilges, outrages and indifferences” is the same as we have used consistently here. Father Gruner was the Director at the time this booklet was published.

Next, from Frere Michel de la Sainte Trinite. The Whole Truth about Fatima – Vol I :

“Most Holy Trinity, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, I offer You the most precious Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity of Jesus Christ, present in all the tabernacles of the world, in reparation for the sacrileges, outrages and indifference by which He Himself is offended. And through the infinite merits of His most Sacred Heart, and the Immaculate Heart of Mary, I beg of You the conversion of poor sinners.” (Kindle Locations 1172-1174).

And lastly, this source:

“Most Holy Trinity, Father, Son and Holy Ghost, I offer you the most precious Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity of Jesus Christ, present in all the tabernacles of the world, in reparation for the sacrileges, outrages and indifferences by which He Himself is offended. Through the infinite merits of His Most Sacred Heart and the Immaculate Heart of Mary, I beg of You the conversion of poor sinners.” (Father Karl Stehlin, “Fatima, a spiritual light for our times”, Kolbe Publications)

All of those sources had the same sequence: sacrilege, outrage and indifference. There is a reason for this, which we will discuss later. But for now, let’s consider the problematic “all”. It did not appear in the first version cited and I chose to leave it out of the Prayer until the commenter corrected me. I then noted that other sources included it and so I reluctantly add it; however, I do not believe that Our Lord Jesus Christ is present in “all” the tabernacles any longer. I doubt the efficacy of the sacraments of many of these apostates. But I will concede the point to Father Karl Stehlin who is surely the best judge.

There are other differences in the versions of the prayer, but I will limit the discussion to the criticism offered by the commenter.

Our Choice

The essential point I’d like to make is that I had several versions of the prayer and in the end, provided my readers with what seemed to be the “best” version. Yes, that was my arbitrary choice. The version we now have is:

“Most Holy Trinity, Father, Son and Holy Ghost, I adore Thee profoundly, and I offer Thee the Most Precious Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity of the same Son Jesus Christ, present in all the Tabernacles of the world, in reparation for all the sacrileges, outrages and indifferences by which He Himself is offended. And by the infinite merits of His Most Sacred Heart and the Immaculate Heart of Mary, I beg of thee the conversion of poor sinners.”

Cause (Sacrilege) Comes Before Effect (Outrage)

Regarding the sequence, “sacrileges, outrages and indifferences”, it seems to me that the sacrilege committed against Our Lord in the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, in His most Blessed Sacrament is the great sin that is here addressed. That sin of sacrilege initiates the outrage but in time, the acuteness of the sacrilege dulls and the outrage fades as grace ebbs from the Church; and what results is simply the indifference that is the opposite of the fervor of love which Our Lord so longs for. Today His love is met with indifference. His suffering is of no concern. Monstrous evil has become banal.

I hope this helps explain the Prayer in the form we use it, and suggest that if anyone is still concerned about it – no other readers have expressed a concern – you discuss with a priest that you trust and take his advice on which prayer to say.

So that this post will not be a complete waste, we offer the following repost:

In 2000, the Vatican advised Catholics that Fatima’s message was relegated to the past. However, at Fatima on May 13, 2010, Pope Benedict XVI confirmed that, “we would be mistaken to think that the prophetic mission of Fatima is complete“. And yet, the misinformation campaign from the Vatican continues to bear fruit in the widespread apathy to the true penitential message of Fatima. Any faithful Catholic who has been paying attention to the unfolding crisis of the faith under Pope Francis, can clearly see that the current papacy is not in any way obedient to the message of the Mother of God at Fatima and the Church does not seem to be able to pull out of this self-destructive mode without Divine assistance. Perhaps it is wise to revisit the message of the Angel of Fatima
Continue reading “Another Look at the Angel’s Prayer” →

St. Hermenegild and Modernist Ploys

Posted on April 13, 2018April 13, 2018 by peregrine

We repost last year’s tribute to a little known but relevant saint for our times.

“You are a slave of the devil because you have a false faith, you’re not Catholic! And I will not receive Holy Communion from sacrilegious hands!”

The Triumph of St. Hermenegild, Martyr for the Faith

Today, April 13, is the feast of day of St. Hermenegild and so we offer an updated tribute to this young saint who stood up against heresy, even the heresy of his own father. His example teaches us much about the current crisis.

St. Hermenegild was a Visigoth Prince martyred for the faith in 585. He was put to death by his own father, the Arian King Leovigild for holding firm to the Catholic faith. His father cast him into a dungeon and after several months, sent an Arian Bishop to him on Easter Sunday to offer him a pardon if he would accept Communion from him. By his firm refusal to yield his faith to heresy, even to his father’s heresy, he earned a martyr’s crown. His story has a particular relevance to this unique and tragic time in the Church.

A few years ago, Bishop Tissier de Mallerais gave a sermon on St. Hermenegild:

“I spoke this morning to the children about Saint Hermenegild. He was a young martyr, seventeen years old, who lived in the sixth century. He was Catholic, but his father was a heretic, an Arian. He was supposed to inherit the throne of Spain, but his father, furious that his son was a Catholic, forbade him the throne and sentenced him to prison.

“Hermenegild – whom we celebrate on April 13th, was in prison for several months as Easter approached. He wanted to receive Communion, Holy Communion for Easter. His father was thinking the same thing and sent him a bishop carrying Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament! What a joy for Hermenegild to be able to make his Easter communion! Except that when the bishop entered the prison cell, he presented himself thus: “I am the Bishop of Huesca, I am an Arian and I bring you Holy Communion!” “I am Arian,” that is to say “I am a heretic, I’m not Catholic.”

“It was a bishop who was not Catholic, dear faithful, who brought Holy Communion to Hermenegild. What did Hermenegild do? What would you have done in his place? Would you still have accepted to receive Holy Communion? In order to receive Jesus in the Eucharist, is it not worth making some compromises, receiving even from unworthy hands the Lord Jesus? This bishop celebrated Mass validly though he did not believe that Jesus is God, because that was the Arian religion. He did not even believe that Jesus was God! But we do think he could validly celebrate Mass and he was bringing Jesus in the Eucharist!

“Well, in the twinkling of an eye, inspired by one of the gifts of the Holy Ghost – whom we are celebrating today − the gift of Counsel, he said: “No. I will not receive communion from your sacrilegious hands! As for me, I am in chains but I am free to work my salvation. You, my lord, are free but you are a slave of the devil because you have a false faith, you’re not Catholic! And I will not receive Holy Communion from sacrilegious hands!”

“What an example for us, my dear faithful! All the beautiful gifts coming from Rome, we are not prepared to accept them without examination, without considering the circumstances in which this gift would be made. We demand to be able to maintain our public and entire profession of the Catholic Faith. We cannot receive poisoned gifts that would condemn us to compromise with Modernism. This is the example of Saint Hermenegild, inspired by the Holy Ghost.”

When the Arian heresy swept throughout Christendom, and nearly destroyed the Church, the remnant remained steadfast, even to martyrdom and their prayers and sacrifices eventually achieved the extirpation of the evil heresy of Arianism.

Modernism, the synthesis of all heresies is the current counterpart to the ancient evil of Arianism; now under the grim assault of our arch-modernist pope, we are facing an even greater threat to the faith in his promotion of relativism and situation ethics in a magisterial document. Unlike past times, today’s Church is not only beset by a pernicious heresy, it is permeated with a debilitating corruption in both the laity and the consecrated life. Now, the Church is so constituted that those who are blessed with the faith are charged with helping those who are failing in their faith.

Therefore, we are responsible for our wayward priests, prelates and even our Pope. We owe them our prayers and penances, but we also owe them the truth. We are responsible for recalling to the faith those who have fallen into error.

With his Apostolic Exhortation, Amoris Laetitia, our Pope has achieved what was previously unthinkable: he has introduced heresy into a magisterial document, against the clear and firm teaching of the Faith proclaimed by Our Lord Jesus Christ and the constant teaching and practice of the faith for over 2,000 years. And the silence of our brave “Princes of the Church” is stunning! Who will defend the Bride of Christ?

Update for 2017: And now what are we to think of the Vatican’s latest ploy, to extend to the priests of the Society of St. Pius X the “right” to perform licit marriages under the auspices of a Novus Ordo priest? What would St. Athanasius have thought if a Pope of his time offered him the “concession” of having an Arian priest preside at his sacraments?

Update for 2018: As a result of Amoris Laetitia many Bishops are now welcoming to Holy Communion, not only couples living in adultery and even those who do not bother to be wed at all, but now also, Protestant spouses. And the Pope has refused to deny that he stated, as directly quoted by his ancient atheist, marxist friend, the Catholic doctrines of Hell and the immortality of the soul.

In a recent development regarding SSPX marriages, we have had in Canada, a Diocesan Bishop refuse to allow an SSPX priest to receive the vows of an SSPX couple in the Bishop’s beautiful church, resulting in the couple opting for the beautiful church even though it required accepting the diocesan priest presiding in place of their own Society priest. Who can say what the results of this will be?

Do you think it may happen that the Bishop who refused the Society will be followed by more Bishops also refusing to allow SSPX priests to receive the vows of their own people? How is that a gain for the Society? The groom explains that the sheer beauty of the diocesan church was a significant factor. Yes, and Mary and Joseph resided in a poor stable for the birth of the Son of God, our Redeemer.

In any event, we all must pray earnestly for the good God to bless the couple and all involved; His grace and mercy be with us all!

Thanks to a reader for the following link which offers an opportunity to consider the mind of many of the leaders of the Society at an earlier point in time. But times change, do they not? Link here.

We are fast approaching a time, when after our prayers and penances, after our remonstrations, we must do as St. Hermenegild did. Soon, we may have to say with Athanasius, “They have the churches, but we have the faith.” With the Holy Family, we may yet have to withdraw into the desert, until this onslaught of heresy plays out and God once again restores the Church.

St. Joseph was forced to take his Family and leave the visible structure of his faith in order to save the faith. Let us pray to him, as Guardian of the Holy Family and Protector of the Church to protect us now from those in our own hierarchy who seek to destroy the Faith and murder souls in the name of a perversion of mercy.

“[14] Bear not the yoke with unbelievers. For what participation hath justice with injustice? Or what fellowship hath light with darkness? [15] And what concord hath Christ with Belial? Or what part hath the faithful with the unbeliever?

[16] And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? For you are the temple of the living God; as God saith: I will dwell in them, and walk among them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. [17] Wherefore, Go out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing: [18] And I will receive you; and I will be a Father to you; and you shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.” (2 Cor, 6, 14-18)

† . Pray the Rosary and confound the devil and those who serve him.
† . Immaculate Heart of Mary, Queen of our hearts, Mother of the Church, do thou offer to the Eternal Father the Precious Blood of Our Lord Jesus Christ, for the conversion of poor sinners, especially our Pontiff.
† . Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, Thy kingdom come! Viva Cristo Rey!
† . St. Joseph, protect our families, protect our priests!
† . St. Pius X pray for us and for our priests!

Thank you all for your kind wishes and most of all, for your prayers.

~ originally posted by evensong, for love of the Immaculate Heart of Mary and the Sacred Heart of Jesus Christ, King.
Vouchsafe that I may praise thee, O Sacred Virgin, give me strength against thine enemies!

Begin at the Beginning, 2018

Posted on April 9, 2018April 17, 2018 by admin

We will not save our souls in this time of crisis if we spurn the means Our Lord Himself has given us, which is the Immaculate Heart of Mary, His most Blessed Mother. This essential devotion is not some syrupy sentimental devotion, it is a thoroughly practical devotion which teaches us the virtues necessary for our salvation. It does this through the Rosary above all.

To begin to understand this, we begin at the beginning, which is the Joyful Mysteries. Any other practical means we use to help ourselves or to help others, will be utterly fruitless without understanding and making use of, devotion to the Immaculate Heart of Mary through her Rosary.

To be clear, devotion to the Immaculate Heart of Mary, through the Rosary, the means she has asked of us, must be the solid basis of all our effective actions in the world. We are in a spiritual war for our souls, it is foolish to rush into battle unprepared.

† . † . †

Immaculate Heart of Mary, you conceived the Word of God in your heart before you conceived Him in your womb, pray for us. (Litany of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, also quoted by Father Stehlin in “Who are you, O Immaculata?”)

In the Litany to the Immaculate Heart of Mary, we give voice to a profound and significant truth, one that I confess I had not fully considered until reading, and re-reading Father Stehlin’s beautiful treatise on Our Lady, “Who Are You, O Immaculata?” For me, that book has been a pivotal point and I hope that you will take time to read it.

A reader who has followed our posts for some time has requested assistance with sharing the Message of Fatima with those who reject or are indifferent to Our Lady of Fatima, To answer her question, we find once again that the answer is the Immaculate Heart of Mary and the key to unlock the mystery is found in the prayer above.

In her Rosary, Our Lady shares this beautiful mystery with us. Let’s return to her at the Annunciation, when the Word was made flesh and dwelt among us. Our Lady was rapt in adoration of God. Her soul, unencumbered by any slightest sin, joyfully accepted His will, “Behold the handmaid of the Lord! Be it done unto me according to thy word. And the Word was made flesh.

By accepting God’s will, Mary began her task with a full nine months of the most intimate closeness with the Word, treasuring Him in her Immaculate Heart for nine months. These two pure and Sacred Hearts, both totally devoted to doing the will of the Father, spent nine months in loving concourse, sharing the thought of their heart, one heart really, beating in the two human persons closest to the Heavenly Father, the Creator. As Adam gave Eve his rib, from which she was made, the new Eve, Mary, gave Jesus her Heart. These Hearts are inseparable, that is why I say one heart.

And so, we think on this in the beautiful First Joyful Mystery. In the Second Mystery, we see these two hearts working together, to baptise John the Prophet, chosen to prepare the way of the Lord. Thus, Jesus worked His first miracle from within the very womb of Mary. See how Our Lord illustrates His deepest messages with such clear scenes of His actions; actions which cannot be twisted and misconstrued, but viewed clearly show that Jesus chose Mary, first as His Mother, and then as His mediatrix, casting satan from John, and consecrating him to the service of Jesus Christ, as we all must be consecrated to Him through Mary.

In the Third Mystery, we see, literally see this Divine Child, the long-awaited Savior of the world, born not in the glory and pomp of this passing world, which was still in thrall to satan, but in the serene and humble stable of Bethlehem. Note that we do not see this until the time was ripe for it. First, the Immaculata conceived the Word in her pure heart, then He was made flesh within her flesh, and the two hearts grew as one. Only then at the time designated by Our Father, did He come to dwell among us. And then, even then, not to all but to those who were prepared to receive Him.

In the Fourth Mystery, we see Mary, led by Joseph – this is important – bring the Son of God, this Divine Infant, to the Temple of God to fulfill the Law. At this time, the Holy Family made the customary offering of the poor. This humility, this obedience, this poverty – this is an essential lesson for us. Think on it. Without these virtues, we are not in any way serving God. We should never underestimate the importance of this Mystery,

In the last Joyful Mystery, we see Mary and Joseph searching for Our Lord. Many much wiser see deeper messages in this Mystery. Mine is simple. In this Mystery, we see Mary and Joseph (this is why St. Joseph is shown to us in the last vision at Fatima) Mary and Joseph are here in this Mystery to process through the City of God, which is now in darkness and ruins, to gather us and lead us. We too join the procession. Together, we find Him again. And wonder of wonders, we find Him in His Church! For while we have been searching, following Mary and Joseph, we are being prepared to perceive Him with the clear and perfect vision of children of Mary, the clear vision of her Immaculate Heart. And so we return, full circle, (as in St. John Bosco’s vision) and the Word is made flesh and dwells among us. In our hearts, united to the Heart of our most pure and loving Mother.

This is the answer. Do this, live this, every day. When you are this, those who are His, will come to Him, through Mary. Not through what you do on your own but through His grace, mediated by Mary, His Mother. She depends on us, but we, much more so, on her. When we allow ourselves to be her instruments, led by her, miracles happen. But it is not us, not ever us. We go to Jesus through Mary.

Pray the Rosary with confidence and joy!

† Immaculate Heart of Mary, Queen of our hearts, Mother of the Church, do thou offer to the Eternal Father the Precious Blood of Our Lord Jesus Christ, for the conversion of poor sinners, especially our Pontiff.
† Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, Thy kingdom come! Viva Cristo Rey!
† Immaculate Heart of Mary, pray for us now and at the hour of our death.
† St. Joseph, protect us, protect our families, protect our priests.
† St. Michael the Archangel, defend us in battle.

Please pray for the Consecration of Russia to the Immaculate Heart of Mary!

Vouchsafe that I may praise thee, O Sacred Virgin! Give me strength against thine enemies!

The Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Posted on March 25, 2018March 29, 2018 by peregrine

Today, we celebrate the Feast of the Annunciation, in which Our Lord introduces to us His Mother, and shows us her loveliness, her excellent virtues and her unique stature before the Holy Trinity. Thus, He shows us the model for our lives; “Here is My Mother”, He says, “see, we shall have the same Mother. She will teach you the virtues necessary to advance toward union with Me, so that we may rejoice together in heaven.”

Nestled within the feast of the Annunciation is the feast of the Incarnation of our Savior. The Annunciation carries within it the humility and obedience of Jesus and Mary, Who are our models for perfect, loving obedience, even unto death. And this obedience begins with the humble obedience of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

“Behold the handmaid of the Lord. Be it done unto me according to thy word.”

In the Gospel of St Luke, the Holy Spirit reveals the unique importance of the Blessed Virgin Mary in God’s plan of Salvation for us. Let’s see what He tells us:

Luke, Chapter 1, 26-35. “And in the sixth month, the angel Gabriel was sent from God into a city of Galilee, called Nazareth to a virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin’s name was Mary. And the angel being come in, said unto her: Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women. Who having heard, was troubled at his saying, and thought with herself what manner of salutation this should be. And the angel said to her: “Fear not, Mary, for thou hast found grace with God.

Behold thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and shalt bring forth a Son; and thou shalt call His name Jesus. He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the most High; and the Lord God shall give unto Him the throne of David His father; and He shall reign in the house of Jacob for ever. And of His kingdom there shall be no end.” And Mary said to the angel: “How shall this be done, because I know not man?” And the angel answering, said to her: “The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the most High shall overshadow thee. And therefore also the Holy which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God.”

In this Gospel, God Himself is introducing to us the delightful creature He loves above all others, this Mary whom He chose from all time to be the most pure and holy Mother of His Son, our Savior Jesus Christ. God used as His messenger the Angel Gabriel whose name means Power of God. By this name He emphasizes that all of this, the Annunciation, the Incarnation which began our salvation, all of this is by and through the power of God.

And what does God tell us about Mary? Gabriel salutes Mary most respectfully, “Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with thee, blessed art thou among women”. You can search the Bible cover to cover and never find a more respectful message from any angelic messenger. This is because, as the Gospel tells us, Mary is truly filled with grace, exempt from even original sin, and full of God’s sanctifying grace.

Note that the very first words of Mary, recorded in this Gospel are, “How shall this be done, because I know not man?” Why these words? Could it be that God wishes to emphasize to us the importance of Mary’s generous sacrifice to live her life in the utmost chastity and purity, foregoing the honors and pleasures of children? At that time, Jewish women were honored to be mothers of many children and to forego children was a tremendous sacrifice. Unlike today, in those times to be a “barren woman” was a reproach. Thus we know that Mary’s generous and sacrificial heart was most pleasing to Our Father. Her words also exemplify her great prudence. Today, prudence is a virtue held in low esteem by most Catholic leaders, who feel compelled to burst forth with every banal thought that crosses their minds. This Blessed Virgin, in contrast, first assured that Gabriel understood that she was and always will be, a virgin consecrated to God alone.

Whereas Eve, the first “Woman”, withdrew herself from her Creator in order to seek what she perceived to be her own good, Mary, the “Woman” of the New Testament, yielded herself totally to God, allowing Him to fill her with His life, thus she is “full of grace”. The virtues shown by these simple verses illustrate Mary’s perfect love of God, her total consecration to Him, her purity and her perseverance in keeping her vow.

Mary’s prudent question brought forth Gabriel’s reply, “The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Most High shall overshadow thee. And therefore also the Holy which will be born of thee shall be called the Son of God.” Mary’s response was immediate, “Behold the Handmaid of the Lord; be it done unto me according to thy word.” With these words, the Most Blessed Virgin shows us humility and obedience, the two virtues so essential to combat the vices passed on to us of Eve’s pride and disobedience. In another post, I described these virtues as the “working virtues” because they are so necessary in our everyday struggle to live our lives in constant union with the Holy Family.

Sister Lucia of Fatima assures us that Jesus is the very best of Sons, and loves her and those who honor her. Today is an excellent time to renew our Total Consecration to Jesus through the Immaculate Heart of Mary. By the way, do you know who made the first consecration to Mary? Was it St. Louis de Montfort? St. Dominic? No.

Think harder.

Give up?

It was our Lord Jesus Christ Himself Who chose Mary for His Mother. From this humble virgin of Nazareth He took the flesh and blood of His mortal life, the very body and blood with which He wrought our salvation. The body of Christ scourged for our sins, pierced for our transgressions, the precious blood poured out for us on Calvary’s cross, He took from Mary. To her He entrusted His earthly life, living within her virginal womb, beneath her immaculate heart. Through her, He consecrated St. John the Baptist; through her He performed His first miracle. And with His dying words, He entrusted us to her, commanding Her to be our Mother and us to be her children.

It is fitting that the Holy Rosary of the Blessed Virgin Mary begins with the beautiful Mystery of the Annunciation, for with it began our salvation. Mary’s generous “Yes!”, opened the portal through which Our Lord wrought our salvation. Thus, her obedience preceded His most perfect obedience. And so, the Annunciation and the Incarnation are inseparable, as are Jesus and Mary, those two hearts forever united!

We close with this lovely hymn:

Hymn at Matins
The Lord whom earth and sea and sky
With one adoring voice proclaim
Who rules them all in majesty
Enclosed Himself in Mary’s frame.

Lo! In a humble Virgin’s womb
O’ershadowed by almighty power
He whom the stars and sun and moon
Each serve in their appointed hour.

O Mother blest! To whom was given
Within your body to contain
The architect of earth and heaven
Whose hands the universe sustain.

To thee was sent an angel down,
In thee the Spirit was enshrined,
Of thee was born that mighty One,
The long desired of all mankind.

O Jesus! Born of Virgin bright
To Thee immortal glory be!
Praise to the Father Infinite,
And Holy Ghost eternally!
Amen.

Please, don’t forget your Consecration! See in sidebar.

Pray the Rosary and confound the devil and all those who serve him!

~ by evensong for love of the Immaculate Heart of Mary and the most Sacred Heart of Jesus Christ, King.

Vouchsafe that I may praise thee, O Sacred Virgin, give me strength against thine enemies.

Mary, Temple of the Trinity, 2018

Posted on March 24, 2018March 29, 2018 by peregrine

Today, the eve of the Feast of the Annunciation, we conclude our Novena. And again we share the popular poem for the Annunciation by peregrine, a reader/contributor.

Annunciation

Hail Mary, Temple of the Trinity!

Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with thee,

Art thou astonished at His deference?

Fear not, for thou hast found grace with God.
Thou shalt conceive … and bring forth a Son
Thou shalt call His name Jesus.

How shall it be?
(Mindful of thy chastity)

And yet . . . it is thy purity draws Him down
Captivated by thy pure and humble love
Thy Creator awaits at the door of thy will,

The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee
. . . the most High shall overshadow thee . . .
the Holy born of thee shall be called the Son of God.

His will is clear
. . . moved by His will alone . . .

Behold the handmaid of the Lord
Be it done unto me…

The Architect of earth and heaven
Thus closed Himself in thy pure frame.
At thy “fiat” the Almighty Word
leapt down from heaven
The Sword of Truth wrought death to death,
Obedient, He vanquished disobedient pride.

And the Word was made flesh and dwelt among us,

peregrine, March 25, 2004

The Abundance of our Redemption

Posted on March 22, 2018March 29, 2018 by evensong

Another beautiful meditation from St. Francis de Sales for our Lenten readings.

ABUNDANCE OF OUR REDEMPTION

God clearly foresaw that the first man would abuse his liberty, and that forsaking grace he would lose glory, but He did not wish to treat human nature so rigorously as He decreed to treat the angelic. It was of human nature He had determined to take a blessed piece, to unite it to His divinity. He saw that it was a feeble nature, a wind which passeth and returneth not, that is to say, which is dissipated as it goes.

He had regard to the surprise of the assault which the malicious and perverse Satan made on the first man, and to the greatness of the temptation which ruined him. He saw that the whole race of men would perish by the fault of a single one. For these reasons, He looked upon our nature in pity, and resolved to receive it to mercy. The devil had taken us away from our natural Lord, though he had no title to us, yet Our Lord redeemed us, redeemed what was His own, to make us more His own, if more His own we could be.

St. Paul says: “You are bought with a great price.” What is this price? He redeemed us with the blood of the Lamb; He pardoned not His own Son, but delivered Him to death for us. That the sweetness of His mercy might be adorned by the beauty of His justice, He resolved to save man by means of a rigorous redemption, which no one being able to make except His own Son, He appointed that He should redeem men, not merely by one of His loving actions, which would have been more than sufficient to redeem a thousand millions of worlds, but by all the innumerable loving actions and dolorous sufferings He would perform and endure even to death, and the death of the cross, to which He destined Him; wishing that thus He should become the companion of our miseries in order to make us the companions of His glory hereafter; showing in this manner the riches of His goodness by a redemption copious, abundant, magnificent, and excessive, which acquired, and, as it were, reconquered for us all the means necessary to attain to glory; so that no person can ever complain as if the divine mercy were wanting to him.

The least drop of Our Lord’s blood was of infinitely more value than we, and nevertheless, to make us more His own, He wished to shed it all. Who will doubt the abundance of our means of salvation, since we have so great a Saviour, in consideration of whom we have been created, and by the merits of whom we have been redeemed? For He died for all, because all were dead, and His mercy has been more salutary to redeem the race of man, than the misfortune of Adam was venomous to destroy. And so far from the sin of Adam having exceeded, it has, on the contrary, rather excited, the Divine Goodness, which, by a sweet and loving contention, being invigorated by the presence of its adversary, and massing, as it were, all its forces for victory, has made grace superabound where iniquity had abounded.

Thus, holy Church, in an excess of admiration, cries out on the eve of Easter: “O truly necessary sin of Adam, which has been blotted out by the death of Jesus Christ! O happy fault, which merited such and so great a Redeemer!”

Certainly we can say with one of the ancients: we were lost if we had not been lost; that is to say, our loss has been to our gain, since, in fact, human nature has received more graces by the redemption of its Saviour, than it would ever have received by the innocence of Adam, if he had persevered in it. Though the Divine Providence has left in man, along with the grace of its mercy, several striking marks of its severity, such as, for example, the necessity of death, the pains of sickness, the obligation of labor, the rebellion of sensuality, yet the celestial clemency, rising above these, takes pleasure in turning every misery to the greater advantage of those who love it, making patience spring up from labor, contempt of the world from the necessity of death, and a thousand victories from concupiscence; . . .

“The angels have more joy in Heaven,” says the Saviour, “for one sinner that does penance, than for ninety-nine just who need not penance.” And in like manner, the state of redemption is a hundred times better than that of innocence. Through the sprinkling of the blood of Our Lord, made with the hyssop of the cross, we have been restored to a whiteness incomparably more excellent than that of the snow of innocence: coming forth, like Naaman, from the river of salvation, purer and cleaner than if we had never been defiled, in order that the Divine Majesty might not be overcome by evil, but might overcome evil with good, and that His mercies might be exalted over all His works.

Saint Francis de Sales. The Saint Francis de Sales Collection [16 Books] (Kindle, Catholic Way Publishing. Kindle Edition.

Please, Pray the Rosary and confound satan and those who serve him!

† . Immaculate Heart of Mary, Queen of our hearts, Mother of the Church, do thou offer to the Eternal Father the Precious Blood of Our Lord Jesus Christ, for the conversion of poor sinners, especially our Pontiff.
† . Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, Thy kingdom come! Viva Cristo Rey!
† . Immaculate Heart of Mary, pray for us now and at the hour of our death.
† . St. Joseph, protect us, protect our families, protect our priests.
† . St. Michael the Archangel, defend us in battle.

Please pray for the Consecration of Russia to the Immaculate Heart of Mary!

~ by evensong for love of the Immaculate Heart of Mary and the Sacred Heart of Jesus Christ, King.
Vouchsafe that I may praise thee, O Sacred Virgin! Give me strength against thine enemies!

The Feast Day of St. Joseph, 2018

Posted on March 19, 2018March 29, 2018 by peregrine

Today we honor St. Joseph, the spouse of the Blessed Virgin Mary and the foster father of Our Lord Jesus Christ. Now more than ever, when traditional Catholic families are under attack even from Pope Francis and the leaders of the Church who support him, we turn to St. Joseph, strong defender of the family.

St. Teresa of Avila, the great Carmelite reformer, mystic and doctor of the Church was especially devoted to St. Joseph. From her Autobiography we read of St. Joseph, “I know by long experience what blessings he can obtain for us from God. I have never known anyone who was truly devoted to him by particular services who did not advance greatly in virtue: for he helps in a special way those souls who commend themselves to him.”

At the last apparition of Fatima, on October 13, 1917, St. Joseph appeared holding the Child Jesus, who blessed the crowds. This was an emphatic indication of the importance of St. Joseph in these turbulent times.

St. Joseph, defender of the faith, defender of families, pray for us!

Venerable Maria de Agreda, in “The Mystical City of God”, recounts the special privileges which make St. Joseph a most powerful intercessor on behalf of his children.

Attaining purity and overcoming sensuality.
Escaping sin and returning to the faith.
Increasing love and devotion to his spouse, the Most Blessed Virgin Mary.
Securing the grace of a happy death and defending the soul against the devil’s wiles at that crucial time.
St. Joseph is the terror of demons and they flee at his name.
St. Joseph is a great intercessor for all our needs, especially helpful for our families and health.

Venerable Maria de Agreda quoted Our Lady’s words to her, “That which my spouse asks of the Lord in heaven is granted upon the earth and on his intercession depend many and extraordinary favors for men if they do not make themselves unworthy of receiving them.” Indeed, trusting in St. Joseph as the foster father of our family has brought us closer to living our consecrations to the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Immaculate Heart of Mary. In speaking of St. Joseph, it is difficult to adequately express his tender love for us, his willingness to protect us, even from ourselves and obtain for us the graces we need to live our consecrations.

The following is an especially appropriate prayer to St. Joseph composed by Pope Leo XIII, called Ad te Beate Joseph. It seems especially appropriate in this time of crisis of the faith in the Church and in our families, who seem to be betrayed by the very Church which should defend and nourish them. It is said before Mass by those attending Chapels of the Society of St. Pius X and Bishop Fellay is especially devoted to St. Joseph.

Ad te Beate Joseph

To thee, O blessed Joseph, do we have recourse in our tribulation, and having implored the help of thy thrice holy Spouse, we confidently invoke thy patronage also. By that charity wherewith thou wast united to the Immaculate Virgin Mother of God, and by that fatherly affection with which thou didst embrace the Child Jesus, we beseech thee and we humbly pray, that thou wouldst look graciously upon the inheritance which Jesus Christ hath purchased by His Blood, and assist us in our needs by thy power and strength.

Most watchful Guardian of the Holy Family, protect the chosen people of Jesus Christ; keep far from us, most loving father, all blight of error and corruption: mercifully assist us from heaven, most mighty defender, in this our conflict with the powers of darkness; and, even as of old thou didst rescue the Child Jesus from the supreme peril of His life, so now defend God’s Holy Church from the snares of the enemy and from all adversity; keep us one and all under thy continual protection, that we may be supported by thine example and thine assistance, may be enabled to lead a holy life, die a happy death and come at last to the possession of everlasting blessedness in heaven. Amen.
— A partial indulgence is attached to this prayer

Another favorite prayer of mine is this

Consecration to St. Joseph

Beloved St. Joseph, adopt me as thy child, take care of my salvation, watch over me day and night, preserve me from all occasion of sin, obtain for me purity of body and soul! Through thy intercession with Jesus grant me a spirit of sacrifice, of humility, self-denial, a burning love for Jesus in the Most Blessed Sacrament, and a sweet, tender love for Mary, my Mother. St. Joseph, be with me living, be with me dying and obtain for me a favorable judgement from Jesus, my merciful Savior. Amen

St. Joseph has brought me through so many perils to my faith and continues to protect even those of my children who are lapsed from the faith. He is a most compassionate and loving protector to all who turn to him.

It is especially beneficial to pray to St. Joseph for our good Catholic priests – In fact, St. Joseph has never let me down when I have asked him to help a specific priest and I have recently had good reason to believe that priests, in particular are very dear to his heart.

For more on St. Joseph, we offer the following:

St. Joseph Too

Fatima, St. Joseph and the family

St. Joseph, Remedy for Error

† St. Joseph, foster Father to our Lord, be foster father to our family!

† St. Joseph, protector of the Church, protect our priests!

† St. Joseph, terror of demons, cast out satan from our homes, from our families, and from the Church!

† St. Joseph intercede for us now and at the hour of our death.

~ by evensong for love of the Immaculate Heart of Mary and the most Sacred Heart of Jesus Christ, King.

Vouchsafe that I may praise thee, O Sacred Virgin, give me strength against thine enemies!

Saint Patrick’s Day, 2018

Posted on March 17, 2018March 29, 2018 by peregrine

Updated for 2018

We have updated material at the end of this post.

St. Patrick and Sister Lucia of Fatima, Two Prophecies

Let’s ignore, if possible, the discouraging aspects of the secular desecrations of great Saint Patrick’s Feast Day, and focus instead on his prophecy and how it may fit in with that of Fatima, and the Chastisement which pertains to us today.

St. Patrick is reputed by some accounts to have lived 120 years and to have raised no less than 33 people back to life, many of whom had been dead years. His penances, sacrifices, miracles and conversions were astounding and there are also a couple of prophecies attributed to him. The first is not of good provenance, but relates that the faith he brought to Ireland will blaze throughout the island for a period of time, then gradually dim and eventually appear to be almost extinguished, with but a few glowing embers; but then will gradually resurge, beginning in the north and eventually returning throughout Ireland. Although that might be of some comfort to faithful Catholics in Ireland, today we will consider another prophecy of the great saint of Ireland.

It is this second prophecy that interests us, and it is brief, just a few words. It crops up on several blogs but I wanted to present the original source here, which is supposed to be The Book of Armagh. That book can be found online at “Liber Ardmachanus: the Book of Armagh” available through Archive.org.

These are the three prayers of Patrick, as they were delivered to us by the Hibernians, entreating that all should be received on the day of judgment, if we should repent even in the last days of our life.

That he should not be shut up in hell

That barbarian nations should never have the rule over us.

That no one shall conquer us, that is the Scots (meaning Irish), before seven years previous to the day of judgment, because seven years before the judgment we shall be destroyed in the sea, this is the third.

In an earlier post, (see here) I reported on Antonio Socci’s article revealing a previously unpublished account of a vision Sister Lucia of Fatima had when she was struggling to write down the Third Secret. From Socci:

The Unpublished Account
At around 4 p.m. on January 3, 1944, in the chapel of the convent, before the Tabernacle, Lucia asked Jesus to make known His will: I then felt a friendly hand, maternal and affectionate, touch my shoulder.

And the Mother of God said to her: “be at peace, and write what I have commanded you, but not, however, that which has been given to you to understand its meaning,” intending to allude to the meaning of the vision which the Virgin herself had revealed.

Immediately afterward, said Sister Lucia, “I felt my spirit inundated by a mystery of light that is God and in Him I saw and heard: the point of a lance like a flame that is detached, touches the axis of the earth, and it trembles: mountains, cities, towns and villages with their inhabitants are buried. The sea, the rivers, the clouds, exceed their boundaries, inundating and dragging with them, in a vortex, houses and people in a number that cannot be counted. It is the purification of the world from the sin in which it is immersed. Hatred, ambition, provoke the destructive war. After I felt my racing heart, in my spirit a soft voice said: ‘In time, one faith, one baptism, one Church, Holy, Catholic, Apostolic. In eternity, Heaven!’ This word ‘Heaven’ filled my heart with peace and happiness in such a way that, almost without being aware of it, I kept repeating to myself for a long time: Heaven, Heaven.”

From this came the strength to write the Third Secret. …

As time passes, concerns grow that perhaps we shall soon see the fulfillment of St. Patrick’s prophesy and that which was spoken of by Sister Lucia. Many have noted the increasing activity of the earth’s crust lately.

But these are speculations. In the end, the truth we must hold to is that of Fatima, in which it is prophesied, according to Pope John Paul II at Fulda, “the oceans will flood whole areas of the earth, and that from one moment to the next millions of people will perish”. (http://www.fatima.org/thirdsecret/fulda.asp).

In earlier posts, we asked, “As Pope Francis continues his spiritual chastisement of the Church, attacking the dogma of the faith and faithful traditional Catholics, can the material portion of the Chastisement be far away?” Now, in the year of Our Lord 2018, we cannot help but note that during the past year, this unfortunate Pope “honored” the Immaculata in her centenary by insulting her at Fatima and capped off October by issuing a commemorative stamp in which Luther supplanted her at the foot of the cross. To close out the centenary year, he blasphemed the Holy Family and the Nativity of Our Lord with a disgusting homoerotic display in the Vatican.

And now, well into 2018, we see the acceleration of the agenda to eradicate all signs of Christianity from society. Ireland, so precious and unique among Christian nations is perhaps suffering the greatest onslaught from the enemies of Christ. In our header for today’s post, we show a Corpus Christi Procession of the kind that was once common in Ireland and all Catholic countries. And now, what have we?

All of this seems to indicate that we are approaching that which Our Lord spoke of in Matthew 24:

“From the fig tree learn a parable: When the branch thereof is now tender, and the leaves come forth, you know that summer is nigh. So you also, when you shall see all these things, know ye that it is nigh, even at the doors.”

And this in turn, leads us to the overwhelming question, How long? How long O Lord, will You delay? Undoubtedly, the longer the delay, the greater the outrage to God’s Justice. In fact, as more time passes, even many traditionals become more jaded, cynicism and indifference increase. This is to be expected in this time of winnowing.

But even as the intensity of the wicked increases, something else increases as well; the fervor of the true children of Mary, who wear her scapular, pray her Rosary, and offer all these trials to the Sacred Heart of Jesus through her Immaculate Heart. And the faithful of Ireland, betrayed by the modernists who occupy the establishment at present, can still make their voices heard. Indeed, right now, Ireland is being given the opportunity to defend the life of the most vulnerable. And there are very encouraging signs that the faithful of Ireland are rising to the challenge. Voice of the Family announced in February the launch of a Lenten spiritual crusade in defence of the Eighth Amendment of the Constitution of the Republic of Ireland. A national referendum on the repeal of this amendment, which guarantees the equal right-to-life of both mothers and babies, will take place later this year, probably in May. The vast and powerful international abortion industry has targeted Ireland for years and a resounding defeat of the dealers of death would be such an encouragement to all beleaguered Catholics everywhere – please pray for the true Catholics of Ireland that their faith may not fail!

Let all who read this renew their prayers and reparation in support of the faithful in Ireland and soon the world may see the triumph of the faith!

After the above post was scheduled, I received an update about the situation in Ireland which cited an article in the Irish Independent. The link is here. I will just quote an excerpt now, for I must get to Chapel for Mass to join my prayers with those of the long-suffering faithful of Ireland.

“The progressive elite in this country has been pushing for abortion since the referendum for the Eighth Amendment was passed in 1983. In the intervening period the people of Ireland have fallen further away from the Faith which sustained them through centuries of persecution and seem more likely these days to worship at a stock exchange than a Church. While countries like Poland and Hungary are experiencing a Catholic resurgence, Ireland seems keen to divest itself of its Catholic Faith and this is without doubt the cause of the attack on the unborn. The reason we are having to defend against abortion is due to the diminution of the Faith. The push to legalise murder is a symptom. The elites are selling murder in the guise of compassion for women; the question is will the people of Ireland buy?”

Dear readers, sacred scripture teaches us that even Sodom and Gomorrah could have been saved were there only a handful of faithful. It is entirely possible to save Ireland through the Immaculate Heart of Mary and her Rosary.

“Have in mind therefore in what manner thou hast received and heard: and observe, and do penance. If then thou shalt not watch, I will come to thee as a thief, and thou shalt not know at what hour I will come to thee.”

† Please, Pray the Rosary and save the faith – and the babies!-of Ireland!

† O my Jesus, forgive us our sins and save us from the fires of hell. Lead all souls to heaven, especially those most in need of Thy mercy!

† St. Patrick pray for us, intercede for the Church!

† St. Michael the Archangel, defend us in battle!

Originally posted in 2015.

~ by evensong, for love of the Immaculate Heart of Mary.

Novena for the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Posted on March 15, 2018March 29, 2018 by peregrine

On March 25 we will honor Our Lady on her Feast of the Annunciation. To prepare, we offer this lovely Novena. If you start it tomorrow, March 16th, you will finish on March 24, the eve of the Feast of the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary. We post it today to give you time to diary it. We will be praying it for the repentance and re-conversion of those who have fallen from the faith and are in persistent sin, most especially for families. May our Most Merciful Mother hear our supplications and offer them to her Son in the chalice of her Immaculate Heart.

Novena for the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary

I greet you, ever-blessed Virgin, Mother of God, Throne of Grace, miracle of Almighty Power! I greet you, Sanctuary of the Most Holy Trinity and Queen of the Universe, Mother of Mercy and refuge of sinners!

Most loving Mother, attracted by your beauty and sweetness, and by your tender compassion, I confidently turn to you, miserable as I am, and beg of you to obtain for me from your dear Son the favor I request in this novena:

(mention your request).

Obtain for me also, Queen of Heaven, the most lively contrition for my many sins and the grace to imitate closely those virtues which you practiced so faithfully, especially humility, purity and obedience. Above all, I beg you to be my Mother and Protectress, to receive me into the number of your devoted children, and to guide me from your high throne of glory.

Do not reject my petitions, Mother of Mercy! Have pity on me, and do not abandon me during life or at the moment of my death. Amen.

A suggestion is to unite the prayers of this Novena with prayers for the Holy Father and the hierarchy that they repent, do penance and return to the faith. The Annunciation reminds us of the necessity of purity, humility and obedience, all those virtues which are mocked, despised or simply treated with scornful indifference by the church leaders today.

Also, let’s use this Novena to help prepare for the renewal of our Consecrations on the Feast of the Annunciation.

† Our Lady of Fatima, Queen of the Most Holy Rosary, crush satan’s head and drive him from the Church!

† St. Joseph, protect our families, protect our priests!

† St. Michael the Archangel, defend us in battle!

† Pray the Rosary and confound the devil and those who serve him!

~ posted by evensong for love of the Sorrowful and Immaculate Heart of Mary and the Sacred Heart of Jesus Christ, King.

Vouchsafe that I may praise thee, O Sacred Virgin, give me strength against thine enemies!

The Love of Jesus in His Passion

Posted on March 12, 2018March 29, 2018 by evensong

Today we offer a brief meditation by St. Francis de Sales for our Lenten reading.

THE LOVE OF JESUS IN HIS PASSION

The Eternal Father so loved the world that He gave it His only Son, and the Son so loved the will of His Father, who desired the salvation of human nature, that, without taking into account the meanness or contemptibleness of the thing, He willingly offered a prodigious price for its ransom, namely, His blood, His toils, and His life.

Thus Our Saviour, through love, devoted Himself to the will of His Father and to the redemption of the world. He advanced in every mystery of His Passion, saying: ‘O my Father, this loved human nature would be sufficiently redeemed by one of my tears, but that would not suffice for the reverence which I owe to Thy will and to my love. I wish, besides my agony in the Garden of Olives, to be scourged, to be crowned with thorns, to have my body reduced to ruins, and to become as a leper, without form or beauty.’

Thus the sweet Jesus was scourged, crowned, condemned, mocked, and rejected as man, devoted, destined, and dedicated to carry out and endure the opprobriums and ignominies due in punishment to all sins, and He served as a general sacrifice for sin, being made as it were an anathema, separated from and abandoned by His Eternal Father. The Divine Saviour wished to die in the flames of love, because of the infinite charity He bore towards us, and by the force and power of love; that is to say, He would die in love, by love, for love, and of love.

This is what He Himself says: “No one takes away My life, but I lay it down of Myself, for I have power to lay it down and to take it up again.” And: “He was offered,” says Isaias, “because He wished it.” His body being by right immortal and impassible, on account of the glory of His soul, He rendered it, through love and by a miracle, mortal and passible. He wished, even after His death, to have His side opened, that we might see the thoughts of His heart, which were all thoughts of love, and that we might go to Him with confidence, in order to hide ourselves in His side, and to receive from Him an abundance of graces and benedictions.

In this manner, from the first moment of His life until the present hour, has the kind Jesus been continually drawing arrows, if we may so speak, from the quiver of His love, with which to wound the souls of His lovers, showing them clearly that they can never love Him near so much as He deserves. My God, could He show more love to sinners than to become a perfect holocaust for their sins?

Ah! If we could see the Heart of Jesus such as it is, we should die of love for Him, since we are mortal, as He died of love for us, while He was mortal, and as He would die again, if He were not now immortal. Nothing has so much power to wound a loving heart as to see another heart wounded for love of it. Oh! That Our Lord would change hearts with us, as He did with St. Catherine of Siena, in such a manner that we might have no other heart but His, no other will but His, no other affection or desire but to love Him and to be wholly His.

Bees never wound without being wounded to death. Seeing, then, the Saviour of our souls wounded with love for us, even to death and the death of the cross, shall not we be wounded with love for Him, and with a wound most lovingly dolorous? Never, indeed, can we love Him so much as His love and His death deserve. Ah! If my soul is the spouse of Jesus crucified and suffering, I ought, during my whole life, to regard it as a great favor to wear His livery, that is to say, the nails, the thorns, and the lance.

Remember, my soul, that the banquet of His nuptials is prepared of gall and vinegar; seek not for pleasure or joy in this world. It is too great an honor, O King of Glory, to drink with Thee the chalice of sorrow; may it never happen to me to refuse this draught, because, O God, says David, it is the beverage of thy beloved!

The image of Jesus Christ bruised, wounded, pierced, crushed, crucified, has always been a beautiful mirror of love, into which the angels and saints could never cease to gaze, enraptured with sweetness and overflowing with consolation. And if the picture of Abraham, wielding the sword of death over his dear and only son, had power to make the great St. Gregory, Bishop of Nyssa, weep as often as he contemplated it, how much more ought the image of Our Lord, sacrificing Himself on the cross, to move us: a sacrifice which is the source of all the graces we have ever received, and of all our holy resolutions, in such a manner that through it alone we preserve, fortify, and accomplish them?

Since, then, Our Lord has so much loved us, that He has equally redeemed all, bedewed us with His divine blood, and called us to Himself, without excluding anyone; since He has become all ours, to make us all His, giving us His death and His life to deliver us from eternal death and to procure us the joys of eternal life, that we may belong to Him in this mortal life and yet more perfectly in the next; what remains, what conclusion have we to draw, unless that living we should no longer live for ourselves, but for Jesus Christ who died for us; that is, we should consecrate to Him every moment of our life, referring to His glory our works, our thoughts, and our affections?

My soul, live henceforward amid the scourges and the thorns of thy Saviour, and there, as a nightingale in its bush, sing sweetly: “Live Jesus, who didst die that my soul might live! Ah, Eternal Father! What can the world return Thee for the present Thou hast made it of Thy only Son? Alas! To redeem a thing so vile as I, the Saviour delivered Himself to death, and, unhappy me! I hesitate to surrender my nothingness to Him who has given me everything.”

The Saint Francis de Sales Collection [16 Books for $1.99] (Kindle Locations 32703-32751). Catholic Way Publishing. Kindle Edition.

Dear readers, Our Lord suffers so greatly during this time of the Passion of His Bride, the Church! Let’s not allow ourselves to become disheartened, but instead redouble our efforts to behold Him bravely as did Our most Blessed Mother and offer up our own small sufferings in reparation for sins, for the conversion of sinners and for the triumph of the Immaculate heart of Mary in the Consecration of Russia.

Please, Pray the Rosary and confound satan and those who serve him!

Please pray for the Consecration of Russia to the Immaculate Heart of Mary!

~ by evensong for love of the Immaculate Heart of Mary and the Sacred Heart of Jesus Christ, King.
Vouchsafe that I may praise thee, O Sacred Virgin! Give me strength against thine enemies!