Archives for October 2013

Prayer to Christ the King

October 12, 2013 by Jisha

Christ Jesus, I acknowledge Thee King of the universe. All that has been created has been made for Thee. Exercise over me all Thy sovereign rights.

I renew the promises I made in Baptism, I renounce Satan and all his pomps and works, and I promise to live a good Christian life and to do all in my power to procure the triumph of the rights of God and Thy Church.

Divine Heart of Jesus, I offer Thee my poor efforts in order to obtain that all hearts may acknowledge Thy Sacred Royalty, and that thus the Kingdom of Thy peace may be established throughout the universe.

Amen.

Prayer to Overcome Bad Habits

October 10, 2013 by Jisha

Behold me, O my God, at thy feet! I do not deserve mercy, but O, my Redeemer, the blood which Thou hast shed for me encourages me and obliges me to hope for it. How often have I offended Thee, repented, and yet have I again fallen into the same sin.

O my God, I wish to amend, and in order to be faithful to Thee, I will place all my confidence in Thee. I will, whenever I am tempted, instantly have recourse to Thee. Hitherto, I have trusted in my own promises and resolutions and have neglected to recommend myself to Thee in my temptations. This has been the cause of my repeated failures. From this day forward, be Thou, O Lord, my strength, and thus shall I be able to do all things, for “I can do all things to Him who strengtheneth me.”
Amen.

The Eucharistic Miracle of Cascia

October 8, 2013 by Jisha

In the year 1330, a priest in Siena who had lost all respect and belief in the Eucharist was asked to bring Holy Communion to a sick man in his town. He complied with this request reluctantly and placed the Consecrated Host unceremoniously between the pages of his breviary instead of following the correct procedure of placing it in a pix (pyx) and carrying it close to his heart. When he arrived at the sick man’s house and opened the breviary to give him Communion, he found that the Host was bleeding and there were round stains of blood on the two pages of the breviary between which it had been placed. The priest panicked and ran to the Augustinian monastery in Siena to confess this incident to Blessed Simon Fidati, known by all to be a holy man. Fr. Fidati granted pardon to the priest who was truly penitent. Blessed Fidati then took the two pages for safe-keeping and placed one in a tabernacle in Perugia, and the other he bought to the Augustinian Monastery of Cascia in Italy and placed it in a reliquary. The pages were preserved and numerous tests were performed confirming that it was indeed human blood.

To this day, the stains of the Precious Blood can be seen on the pages of the breviary which are preserved in the lower chapel of the Basilica of St. Rita in Cascia, Italy. Over the centuries, the relic of the Eucharistic Miracle has been venerated by faithful. Many people have observed in those blood stained pages, the image of a suffering human face. The miraculous event is particularly commemorated each year on the Feast of Corpus Christi, when the Relic is borne solemnly in procession.

“For my flesh is real food and my blood is real drink. He who eats my flesh and drinks my blood lives in me and I live in him.” John 6: 55-56

The Eucharist is the real Body and Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ. During the celebration of the Holy Mass, the bread and wine become the Body and Blood of Christ. The substance of the blood and wine is changed by the Holy Spirit into the substance of the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ even though the appearance remains that of bread and wine. This great mystery is known as transubstantiation. The body, blood, soul and divinity of Jesus Christ is present in every fragment of the consecrated Host and in every single drop of the Precious Blood. By his Real Presence in the Eucharist Christ fulfills his promise to be with us “always, until the end of the age” (Mt 28:20).

The Real Presence of our Lord in the Eucharist is a sign of Jesus’ love that He left for us so that we may receive Him as often as possible.

To be able to do so one must:

Be baptized in the Catholic Church and be in communion with the teachings of the Holy Father and the Magisterium of the Church.
Be in a state of grace, and therefore, confess all mortal sins; one must also receive the Sacrament of Reconciliation (Penance) at least once and year and when in danger of imminent death.
Abstain from food and drink (except water) one hour before receiving communion. This does not apply to the sick.
Attend Mass on Sundays and on all Holy Days of Obligation.

The Body and Blood of Christ present under the appearances of bread and wine are treated with the greatest reverence both during and after the celebration of the Eucharist. The Body of Christ under the appearance of bread that is kept or “reserved” in the Tabernacle after the Mass is commonly referred to as the “Blessed Sacrament“. That is why we need to genuflect when we are in front of the Tabernacle. It is our Lord Himself who is present in the Blessed Sacrament and we need to bow down and show him utmost reverence and adoration.

Lord Show Me How

October 5, 2013 by Jisha

If I can do some good today,
If I can serve along life’s way,
If I can something helpful say,
Lord, show me how.

If I can right a human wrong,
If I can help to make one strong,
If I can cheer with smile or song,
Lord, show me how.

If I can aid one in distress,
If I can make a burden less,
If I can spread more happiness,
Lord, show me how.

– Grenville Kleiser

Devotion to The Holy Face of Jesus

October 3, 2013 by Jisha

Devotion to the Holy Face of Jesus became popular in the 19th century after Sister Marie of St. Peter (French Carmelite Nun) had several visions of Jesus and Mary in which she was urged to spread this devotion, in reparation for the many insults Jesus suffered in his passion. This resulted in the Golden Arrow Prayer.

St. Therese of Lisieux also had a devotion to the Holy Face of Jesus which prompted her to take the religious name ‘Therese of the Child Jesus and of the Holy Face‘.

In the twentieth century, Blessed Maria Pierina De Micheli (Italian Nun) had several visions of Jesus and Mary. In 1940, she obtained authorization to produce a medal with the image of the Holy Face from the Shroud of Turin and the medal was approved by Pope Pius XII. The Feast of the Holy Face of Jesus is celebrated on Shrove Tuesday, the day before Ash Wednesday. The image obtained from the Shroud of Turin (believed to be the burial cloth of Jesus) is often used in association with the devotion to the Holy Face of Jesus and was approved by Pope Pius XII in 1968.

“I firmly wish that my Face reflecting the intimate pains of my soul, the suffering and love of my Heart, be more honored! Whoever gazes upon me, already consoles me…” – Our Lord to Sister Pierina.

Let us console our Lord Jesus Christ by contemplating on His Holy Face. Here is a short prayer to the Holy Face of Jesus.

O Lord Jesus, grant us through the merits of Thy many sufferings, that by venerating on earth the image of thy Holy Face, upon which the very angels long to gaze, we may be made worthy to contemplate it forever in Heaven. Amen.

Saint Pio of Pietrelcina (Padre Pio)

October 2, 2013 by Jisha

St. Pio of Pietrelcina (25 May 1887 – 23 September 1968) was a Capuchin priest from Italy and is venerated as a saint in the Roman Catholic Church. He was popularly known as Padre Pio after his ordination to the priesthood. On September 20, 1918, while praying in the Friary Chapel in San Giovanni Rotondo, Padre Pio received the Stigmata, the five wounds of Christ crucified, which he bore for fifty years. Padre Pio labored in the confessional for many hours a day. On 16 June 2002, he was canonized a saint by Pope John Paul II. His Feast is celebrated on September 23rd. He is a powerful intercessor for us before Almighty God. Padre Pio is the Patron saint of Confessors, Catholic Adolescents and Civil Defense Volunteers. He has become one of the world’s most popular saints. Every year, millions of pilgrims visit his shrine in San Giovani Rotondo, Italy. It is the second most visited Catholic Shrine in the world.

Here are a few of Padre Pio’s Counsels on Prayer:

“Pray, hope and don’t worry. Worry is useless. God is merciful and will hear your prayer.”
“Prayer is the best weapon we have; it is the key that open’s God’s heart.”
“Pray with perseverance, trust, and a serene and calm mind.”
“Let us pour our whole soul to God in prayer. God is captivated by our prayers and will come to our aid.”
“All prayers are good when they are accompanied by good intentions and good will.”

Here is an actual video of St. Pio which gives us glimpses of the life of this great saint. St. Pio, pray for us!