St Josephine Bakhita - 8 February AD 2022

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Saint Josephine BAKHITA

8 February A.D. 2022

“The best thing for us is not what we consider best 

but what the Lord wants of us.”

O GOD, 

who didst lead Saint Josephine Bakhita 

from abject slavery 

to the dignity of being thy daughter 

and a Bride of Christ: 

grant, we pray; that by her example 

we may show constant love for the Lord Jesus Crucified, 

remaining steadfast in charity 

and prompt to show compassion; 

through Jesus Christ thy Son our Lord, 

who liveth and reigneth with thee, 

in the unity of the Holy Ghost, 

ever one God, world without end. Amen.

NATIVITY: Uher Hymn: NOW LIGHT YOUR LAMPS

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NOW LIGHT YOUR LAMPS

by Vincent Uher

Now light your lamps, ye Christians wise

and gather 'neath Christ's Star.

The Light of lights, the Prince of Peace

has come here from afar.

No warrior he, the Word made flesh,

the servant of us all,

the Child whose breathing brings us peace,

whose heartbeat saves us all.

God's mother's face reveals his light

as moon shines by the sun,

And Joseph's eyes filled full with joy

gleam bright with God's own Son.

O Christ our God, true face of God

now cradled in their arms,

O please accept what gifts we bring:

our hearts, our minds, our love.

Child Jesus, hear our fervent prayer

for peace to reign on earth,

for great and small, for rich and poor,

for each to know their worth.

Though fallen be the human race

and sin and hate abound

give peace to all for in each face

thy image still is found.

O sing, you blessed company

of faithful people, Sing !

for God the Child whose very light

demands the darkness flee.

O Trinity of endless light,

with love our praise we bring

where Wisdom found a cave for house

to bring forth earth's true king.

Copyright © 2007 Vincent Uher

(May be sung to the tune FOREST GREEN)

4 Advent: Uher Hymn- SING OF MARY, BLEST IS SHE

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Sing of Mary, blest is she!

Mother of the Saviour!
"Yes!" said she to Gabriel's plea,
"Yes!" to God forever.
"Yes!" for every woman born.
"Yes!" for every nation.
"Yes!" for all of the unborn.
"Yes!" for all creation.

Sing of Joseph, vexed was he,

Troubled and perplex-ed

Till an angel in a dream

Peace to him directed.

"Take the Virgin as your wife.

Love her baby wholly.

Love the infant as your life.

He's God's Son most holy."

Sing of Jesus, blest is he

In the Lord's Name coming,

Born in great humility

Every person loving,

Prince of Peace and Counsellor--

Wonderful the telling!--

Came to earth to save us all

And to share his blessing.

Mary, Joseph join us now

And all saints in glory

As we tell his love for all

In the sacred story.

Angels, shepherds, and the kings

To Christ's side are running.

Let all people ready now

For his second coming.

Glory be to God on high!

Glory in the highest!

Peace on earth, goodwill to all

From the Lord Most Highest.

Blessings come for everyone,

Graces to God's credit

From the Father with the Son

Through the Holy Spirit. 

Words: Copyright © 1996-2006 by Vincent Uher. 

Music: Tempus adest floridum (Piae Cantiones)

Meter: 76 76 D

Double click to enlarge music above

Closing of the Holy Year of St Joseph

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8 December A.D. 2021

Saint Joseph, Guardian of the Redeemer, pray for us.

Hail, Guardian of the Redeemer,

Spouse of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

To you God entrusted his only Son;

in you Mary placed her trust;

with you Christ became man.

Blessed Joseph, to us too,

show yourself a father

and guide us in the path of life.

Obtain for us grace, mercy, and courage,

and defend us from every evil.  Amen.

There is also an older article in Crisis Magazine concerning St. Joseph that may interest you: 

"Appeal to St Joseph to Fight the Devil"

Austin Farrer: The Lifting of Our Hearts to the Lord

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The Reverend Dr Austin Farrer writes:

WHEN we exchange between us the words of the Sursum Corda, 

the lifting of our hearts to the Lord 

will be more than a pious aspiration, 

it will be a divine fact.  

The sacrament is the presence of Jesus Christ, 

and Jesus Christ is in heaven.  

He stoops to us in this Sacrament, 

as he does through his whole incarnation; 

but he stoops to lift us to himself.  

In a true mystery, not in edifying fancy, 

we are with him in that divine place.  

There is the whole Church of God; 

there are the saints who pray for us in their glory, 

and there by the power of hope are the souls, for whom we pray 

that they may speedily be joined with the saints.  

The saints, the souls departed 

and the Church on earth in every place 

are one life and one prayer 

through Christ their High Priest.  

The effort, in mutual communion, 

of each spirit living or departed is requisite 

for the perfection of the Body of Christ.  

All are the support of each, 

and the whole hangs upon heaven in a point 

which is the Lord Jesus.

TRINITY ix 

THE CROWN OF THE YEAR 

Weekly Paragraphs for the Holy Sacrament 

By Austin Farrer 

Dacre Press, Westminster 

16 Juillet 2021

Archdiocese of New Orleans says "NO" to Johnson & Johnson's "vaccine"

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"The Archdiocese of New Orleans is warning local Roman Catholics that the newly authorized Johnson & Johnson coronavirus vaccine is "morally compromised" and should be avoided in favor of other vaccines because of its connection to abortion.   

"The Church issued a statement on the matter Friday, saying that cells used to develop, test and produce the one-dose shot are derived from abortions performed in the 1970s and 1980s.

"The Johnson & Johnson vaccine is "morally compromised, as it uses the abortion-derived cell line in development and production of the vaccine as well as the testing," the statement said."

CLICK LINK HERE FOR MORE

Cardinal Burke: Guadalupe, "The Great Reset", COVID and the advance of Evil

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Cardinal Burke speaking in English and Spanish

on the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe 2020

at the Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe in La Crosse, Wisconsin.

¡María! Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe, ruega por nosotros.

2021: Year of St Joseph

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Pope Francis has declared that from 8 December 2020 to 8 December 2021 the Church will observe the Year of Saint Joseph.  

Holy Joseph, 

Guardian of the Redeemer, 

pray for us.

The phrase "Guardian of the Redeemer" is an enduring gift from Pope St. John Paul II to the Church from his Apostolic Exhortation Redmptoris Custos. 

After each decade of the Rosary many people add various short prayers such as the 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." 

In a similar fashion at the end of each decade I add "Holy Joseph, Guardian of the Redeemer, pray for us."  Perhaps in the Year of Saint Joseph this is a practice you, dear Reader, may wish to consider adding to your prayer of the Holy Rosary.

In this painful year of 2020, I am grateful that next year will be a holy year of St Joseph, the terror of demons.  How we need his intercession!  May his venerable Cloak cover all of us in protection, health, and safety.

At the conclusion of the Pope's declaration of the Year of St Joseph Patris corde,  he offered a prayer for us to say together:

Hail, Guardian of the Redeemer,
Spouse of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
To you God entrusted his only Son;
in you Mary placed her trust;
with you Christ became man.

Blessed Joseph, to us too,
show yourself a father
and guide us in the path of life.
Obtain for us grace, mercy, and courage,
and defend us from every evil.  Amen.

There is also an older article in Crisis Magazine concerning St. Joseph that may interest you: 

"Appeal to St Joseph to Fight the Devil"

A blessed Advent Season to  all !

Blessed Fr Francis Xavier Seelos

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Blessed Francis Xavier Seelos, pray for us.

Prayer for the Conversion of England

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Click on image for larger view

A Hymn of Blessed Alexandrina Maria da Costa

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Blessed Alexandrina Maria da Costa of Portugal is not well known to many North American Catholics save for those of Portuguese backgrounds and others who have been touched by this holy one of God.  Her message intersects in a profound way with that of Sr. Lucia of Fátima, and faithful Catholics would do well to make her acquaintance among the holy company of the Blesseds of the Church.  The following is one of her ecstatic poems in praise of the Tabernacles of the Lord in our Catholic churches where the Lord's Eucharistic Divine Presence abides with us.

HYMN TO THE TABERNACLES

Oh my Jesus, I want each pain that I feel, each palpitation of my heart, each time I breathe, each second of the hours I pass, to be Acts of love for your Tabernacles. 

I want each movement of my feet, my hands, my lips, my tongue, each time that I open my eyes or close them, each tear, each smile, each joy, each sadness, each tribulation, each distraction, contrariety or trouble, to be Acts of love for your Tabernacles. 

I want each letter of the prayers I recite or hear to recite, all the words that I pronounce or hear to pronounce, that I read or hear to read, that I write or see someone writing, that I sing or hear to sing, to be Acts of love for your Tabernacles. 

I want each time I kiss your holy images or those of your and my beloved Mama, and your saints, to be Acts of love for your Tabernacles. 

Oh Jesus, I want each little drop of rain that falls from the sky to the land, all the water contained in the world, offered drop by drop, all the sands of the sea and everything the sea contains, to be Acts of love for your Tabernacles. 

Oh Jesus, I offer You the leaves of the trees, all the fruits that they mmight have, the little flowers offered petal by petal, all the little grains of seeds and cereals in the world, and everything contained in the gardens, fields and mountains, I offer everything as Acts of love for your Tabernacles. 

Oh Jesus, I offer You the feathers of the small birds, their own warbling, the fur and the voices of all the animals, as Acts of love for your Tabernacles. 

Oh Jesus, I offer You the day and the night, the heat and the cold, the wind, the snow, the moon, the moonlight, the sun, the sunset, the stars of the sky, my sleep, my dream, as Acts of love for your Tabernacles. 

Oh Jesus, I offer You everything the world contains, all its greatness, wealth and treasures, everything which happens to myself, everything I use to offer to You, everything one can imagine, as Acts of love for your Tabernacles. 

Oh Jesus, accept the sky, the land, the sea, everything, everything they contain, as if everything was mine and everything I could make use of and offer You as Acts of love for your Tabernacles. 

Blessed Alexandrina Maria da Costa, pray for us.
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