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Celestial
Patroness of the Americas
Empress of the Americas
Star of the New Evangelization
The history of the
miraculous Image of Our Lady of Guadalupe has its beginnings one cold,
early dawn on the 9th of December, 1531.
It was Saturday and Juan Diego, a native recently
converted to Catholicism, had begun the long walk to attend his religious
instruction class. As he neared the hill of Tepeyac, in the valley of
Mexico City, he heard the exquisite singing of many birds. Where am I?
he wondered. Am I in the land of heaven? Suddenly, he heard a gentle,
sweet voice calling his name. Puzzled, he looked around and there stood
a lady, beautiful beyond imagination, her robes shining like the sun,
the rock upon which she stood projected bright rays of light, the earth
around her radiated the colors of the rainbow, the weeds and cactus were
like emeralds and turquoise, the thorns like gold.
In awe, he fell to his knees. "My son."
She said, "I want you to go to teh Bsihop and tell him to build me
a sacred house here, so that I can console and help all those who seek
me, and give them my love."
Realizing that this was a request
from a Heavenly Lady, he hurried off to see Bishop.
When he told him what had happened, the Bishop rebuked him, "Juan
Diego, this is only your imagination", and he sent him away.
Troubled and sad, Juan Diego returned to tell the
Heavenly Lady that the Bishop would not listen to a poor, humble Indian
like himself, that instead She should send a nobleman,
so that then the Bishop would believe the messasge. I have chosen
you, Juan Diego, to be my messenger. Go, do as I ask of
you."
The next day Juan Diego
left before dawn to attend mass, and then to see the Bishop. This time,
the Bishop told Juan Diego that he must bring a sign from the Heavenly
Lady, or not come back again.
Juan Diego did not return to see Her the next day, as his uncle, with
whom he lived, was gravely ill. That same evening, the uncle, knowing
the end was near, asked for a priest.
Early on Tuesday, December 12th, Juan Diegoset
out to summon the priest. Fearing that the Lady would detain him, he took
a diffent route, but as he came to the foot of Tepeyac hill, She stopped
him, "Where are you going?" She asked the distressed Juan Diego.
He told Her about his uncle's illness. "Do not concern yourself,
your uncle is now well." Our Lady of Guadalupe's first of many miracles!
"Now, go to the top of the hill and
gather flowers." There are never flowers there, only rocks, he thought
to himself. To his amazement, he found the hill carpeted with flowers,
which he then gathered and placed in his tilma*. "This is the sign
that you shall take to the Bishop, so that he will believe
My words to you."
After much waitnig, the Bishop received him.
When Juan Diego unfolded his tilma, a cascade of fragrant flowers fell
to the floor before the astonished Bishop, and on the tilmaappeared imprinted
the Image of the Heavenly Lady, just as Juan diego had seen Her on the
hill.
The sacred Image of Our Lady of Guadalupe
is the only physical manifestation on the Holy Virgin has ever given to
the world. To this day, Her Image remains in Her sacred house at the foot
of Tepeyac, where each day She visited and revered by thousands of Her
Children.
Juan Diego was given custody of Her Basilica, where he remained until
his death. he was beatified by Pope John Paul II on May6, 1990.
Over the centuries, Her Image has been studied
by painters, doctors and scientistes from many countries, all unanimously
agreeing that it was "painted by brushes not of this world."
Pope John Paul II has prophesied that the
Basilica of Our lady of Guadalupe will be the center "from which
the light of the Gospel of Christ will shine out over the whole world
by means of the miraculous Image of His Mother." Also, the Holy Father
has now declared that "the feast of OUr Lady of Guadalupe, Mother
and Evangelizer of America, be celebrated thoughout the continent on December
12th."
* A cape of woven cactus fiber worn by the lower class native.
"I
shall be there to listen to your cries, your sadness. I shall be there
to cure your grievances, your misery, your sufferings." Mary is,
and shall be, the Mother of all mankind. We must heed Her call to lvoe
and obey Her Beloved Son.
From the Messengers of Maria Guadalupe, PO Box 3621, New
York 10185
.
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Twenty-Second Meditation (On Priest)
"Marvelous dignity of priests!" exclaims St Augustine; "in their hands, as in the womb of the blessed Virgin Mary, the Son of God becomes incarnate." They are the ministers of Christ and dispensers of the mysteries of God, St Paul had said before him. Commenting on these words, the Cure of Ars said, in his turn, "Without the priest the death and passion of our Lord would be no use; the priest has the key of the heavenly treasures; he is God's steward and the administrator of his goods." Let us ask the Holy Ghost to give us knowledge of these truths. It will inspire us with a religious veneration for the character of the priest, and a lively gratitude towards our Lord who has invested him with it.
1. The Priest's Greatness
"What is the priest? A man who holds the place of God, a man clothed with all the power of God. Go, our Lord said to the priest, As my Father hath sent me, I also send you.
"At consecration the priest does not say, 'This the Body of our Lord.' He says, 'This is my Body.'
"Behold the power of the priest! The tongue of the priest makes God from a morsel of bread! It is more than creating the world. Someone said, 'Does St Philomena, then, obey the Cure of Ars?" Certainly, she may well obey him, since God obeys him. The blessed Virgin cannot make her divine Son descent into the host. A priest can, however simple he may be.
"How great is the priest! He will only rightly understand himself in heaven… To understand it on earth would make one die, not of fear, but of love…
…"Great value is attached to objects which have been laid in the porringer of the blessed Virgin and the child Jesus at Loreto. But the fingers of the priest which have touched the adorable Flesh of Jesus Christ, been dipped in the chalice which has held his Blood, and in the ciborium which has held his Body-are they not more precious?…'
2. The Priest and the Nursing-Father of Souls and the Pillar of Religion
"When the bell summons you to church, if you were asked: 'Where are you going?' you might answer, 'I am going to feed my soul!" And if someone pointed to the tabernacle and asked you, 'What is that gilded door?' 'It is the store-cupboard my soul's store-cupboard.' 'Who has the key?' Who makes ready the feast, and waits at the table?' 'The priest,' 'and the food?' 'It is the precious Body and Blood of our Lord.'… O my God, my God! How thou hast loved us!"
The priest is to you as a mother, as a nurse to a baby. She gives him his food; she has only to open his mouth. 'There my little one, eat,' the priest says to you; 'this is the Body of Jesus Christ; may it keep you and bring you to eternal life!' O glorious works!… A child rushes to his mother when he sees her; he struggles with those who hold him back; he opens his little mouth and stretches out his little hands to kiss and clasp her. So in the presence of the priest your soul springs naturally towards him; it runs to meet him, but is held back by the bonds of the flesh of in men who give all to the senses and live only for the body."
"At sight of a spire you may say, 'what is there? The Body of our Lord. Why is it there? Because a priest has been there and said holy Mass.'
"The priest is everything, after God!… Leave a parish for twenty years without a priest, and beasts will be worshipped there.
"If M. le Missionaire and I were to go away, you would say, 'what is there to do in that church? There is no more Mass. Our Lord is no longer there; we may just as well pray at home…'
"When men want to destroy religion they begin by attacking the priest, because where the priest is no more, there is no more sacrifice, and where the priest is no more, there is no more sacrifice, and where there is no more sacrifice, there is no more religion.
"The priesthood is the love of the heart of Jesus. When you see the priest, think of our Lord Jesus Christ."
M. Vianney once said at catechism; "To celebrate Mass one ought to be a seraph! I hold our Lord in my hands. I move him to the right, and he stays there, to the left, and he stays there!… To know what the Mass is would be to die. Only in heaven shall we understand the happiness of saying Mass!… Alas, my God! How much a priest is to be pitied when he does this as an ordinary thing!… St. Jean-Marie showed great reverence for the sacred liturgy, and observed its least details with much exactness. When he distributed Holy Communion his face lit up and wore an angelic expression; his voice was full of deep emotion, and tears of love often fell from his eyes.
Prayer for Vocations
O blessed Jean-Marie, blessed be God for having given you to the world
to teach it in your person what the priest is, his high dignity and his
beneficial power! Make us always to venerate our priest as the dispensers
of God's mysteries and the ministers of him who went about doing Good.
Pray blessed Jean-Marie that in today's world where so much has gone awry
that men will be call to the priesthood with a sense of urgency and Holiness,
which you exhibited in your life. Amen
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The Scapular of Our Lady of Mount Carmel.
(1886) The Teachings of the Catholic Church.
This is another widespread devotion among Catholics, in honor of the
Blessed Virgin. Its origin and meaning need some explanation; As religious
orders spread in the Church, and gathered into cloisters and convents
many who were called by God to the way of perfection, by the practice
of the evangelical counsels, they, in turn, exerted and influence on the
pious among the laity, many of whom were, by marriage, or the duties of
their state of life, unable to devote their lives to God's service in
religious orders, and who had, in fact, not been called the by Providence
to that state. Still piety led them to desire to be associated with the
holy religious whom they revered. Hence sprang up forms of affiliation,
to satisfy the piety of the faithful. The Franciscans have a third order,
instituted by their seraphic founder himself, for persons living in the
world, who receive a habit, and follow the rule modified to suit their
condition in life. Then, too, they instituted the Confraternity of the
Cord of St. Francis -not an order, but a simple association , without
the obligations attached to the third order. This confraternity, like
the third order, has been approved by many Popes, and indulgences have
been granted to the members.
The Dominicans have also their third order, and similar confraternities;
but while the affiliations of these two orders, sharing in the prayers,
masses, labors, and austerities of the Sons of St. Francis and St. Dominic,
have numbered thousands, the confraternity connected with the order of
Friars of our Lady of Mount Carmel numbers its associate among the faithful
my millions, and has them in all lands; so that it has become, we may
say, less a confraternity than a general devotion. The order of Mount
Carmel, claiming in a manner descent from the Prophets Elias and Eliseus
and their disciples, received a rule from the Blessed Albert, Patriarch
of Jerusalem, in the year 1209; and, after its approbation by the Holy
See, the order spread over Western Europe. One of the most illustrious
generals of this order was Saint Simon Stock, an Englishman, noted for
his tender piety, and his devotion to the Blessed Virgin. His piety was
rewarded by a vision, in which she appeared to him, and handed to him
the brown scapular, similar in color and material to that worn by his
order, promising special graces to those who should wear it devoutly.
The new devotion was not adopted without examination; the facts were submitted
to learned theologians, and evidence that would convince any jury of reasonable
men convinced these pious and learned men that the vision was authentic.
The Sovereign Pontiffs authorized the use of this new devotion.
The fruits of salvation that attended it provedthat the finger of God
was really there, and it was encouraged, not only by grants of indulgences,
but by establishment of a festival in honor of Our Lady, under this title.
"The advantages which we derive from wearing the scapular are threefold:
It puts us under the particular protection of Mary; it makes us participants
in all the good works of the Carmelite order; and places within our reach
numerous indulgences."(1)
To participate in the benefit of the confraternity, it is necessary to
be received into it by a priest duly empowered. He delivers to the new
member a scapular, consisting of two pieces of brown woolen cloth connected
by bands, which he blesses. This must be worn so that the ends are on
the breast and back, and must be worn constantly. If the first one is
worn or lost, another can be obtained, when needed, and will not require
to be blessed. There is a plenary indulgence granted to each one on the
day he enters the confraternity, and at the hour of death, and every year
on the feast of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, as well as many partial indulgences.
(1) The Sacramentals of the Holy Catholic Church, or Flowers from the
Garden of the Liturgy, by Rev. William J. Barry; an excellent work, which
we have used freely in this portion of our subject.
…more to come on other scapulars.
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The Rosary
The rosary is treasured by Catholics everywhere. It is a prayer that
brings comfort to the suffering, joy in times of sorrow, and hope in moments
of despair. All who have made the rosary a regular part of their prayer
life have experienced the spiritual companionship that this cherished
devotion offers. But the rosary is more that a source of solace to the
troubled and a refuge from life's challenges. The rosary is a spiritual
catalyst that can truly change a life.
For a Conversion
Faith, Lord is clearly a gift of God. The beginnings of
Faith can be found in Scriptures, persuasion, nature of people; yet, to
know the Father belongs only to the Son and to those whom the Son chooses.
I pray, Lord, for the gift of Faith and the conversion of
someone dear to me. You knowus, Lord. Let us know You better, that we
may love You better and that we may better conform our lives to Your will.
He who sees the Son, sees the Father. Take away our blindness,
Lord, that we may turn more readily to You, And help me, Lord, to be a
better Christian, that I too might light the path for another. I pray
in the name of Christ Jesus and through the intercession of Mary Immaculate.
Amen
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Like
to Help,
We love to have you join us.
Volunteers needed for a successful Marian Events, please call.
In order to plan a Marian
events ,committees, volunteers are necessary to cover area such as; Registration,
welcoming, prayers, liturgy, hosting, (site preparation and selection),
and music. You are invited to consider helping out with the next Marian
Event. Time, love for the church is all that is needed for the mission.
The rewards are many, the fellowship, new friendships through Mary and
her son Jesus are excellent.
Please consider helping out we do need your help and if we knew
that you were interested we would call you personally but we do depend
on the love of Mary and her Son to be the driving force to volunteer.
It is a call to evangelize and call to Jesus through the heart of Mary.
We encourage prayer
to the Blessed Virgin Mary to intercede for us to help us in our endeavours
to bring people to the saving grace of Jesus Christ.
Help is needed and welcomed
please call either Linda MacKenzie at 832-2748 or Cyril Cooke 865-1776
to find out more.
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Act of Consecration to the Immaculate Heart of Mary
for Purity
in these dark times.
Oh, Immaculate Heart of Mary, Virgin Most Pure, mindful of the terrible
moral dangers threatening on all sides, and aware of my own human weakness,
I voluntarily place myself, body and soul, this day and always, under
Your loving maternal care and protection.
I consecrate to You my body, with all its members, asking You to help
me never to use it as an occasion of sin to others. Help me to remember
that my body is "The Temple of the Holy Spirit", and to use
it according to God's Holy Will, for my own personal salvation, and the
salvation of others.
I consecrate to You my soul, asking You to watch over it and to bring
it home safe to You and to Jesus in Haven for all eternity.
O May, my Mother, all that I am, all that I have is Yours. Keep me and
guard me under Your mantle of mercy as Your personal property and possession.
"Jesus, Mary, I love you; save souls!"
The International Fatima Rosary Crusade
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The Rosary - taken from a book
copyrighted 1886 - The Teachings of the Catholic Church and her Divine
Founder Our Saviour
There is no devotion not connected with the Liturgy of Office of the
Church which has been more widely extended, or been taken up, age after
age, by persons of every rank and station, the great and the lowly, the
learned and the ignorant, than the Rosary of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
In its present form it was instituted by the great Saint Dominic de Guzman,
the founder of the Order of Friars Preachers. But it grew out of a devotion
older than Christianity, and a mode of prayer that dates back to a very
early period. The Psalms of David were in constant use as prayers among
Jews; the primitive Christians adopted them, and the pious, as well as
all who, as hermits or monks, sought religious perfection, recited the
whole hundred and fifty psalms daily. Of this there are constant proofs
in the early ages. Some, who could not read and were to dull to remember
so much, were allowed to recite, instead, the Lord's Prayer the same number
of times; later, were allowed to recite, instead, the Lord's Prayer the
same number of times; late, the Angelical Salutation was substituted for
the Lord's Prayer. To keep the record of these prayers, belts or strings
of beads were used; in fact, our word bead is from the same source as
the German beten, and means to pray.
That the mind should not be unoccupied during the recital of these prayers,
the Life of our Lord and His Blessed Virgin was commended as a matter
of meditation. Saint Dominic divided the hundred and fifty beads into
three parts, each containing five decades of ten beads, and assigned to
each part five mysteries of the life of our Lord. The Joyful Mysteries
were the Annunciation, the Visitation, the Nativity of our Lord, His Presentation
in the Temple, and His Finding in the Temple. The Sorrowful Mysteries,
forming the second part, included His Bloody Sweat, His Scourging, His
Crowing with Thorns, the Carriage of the Cross, His Crucifixion. The Glorious
Mysteries, which were the subject of the third part, were the Resurrection
of our Lord, His Ascension, the Decent of the Holy Ghost, His Assumption
of His Blessed Mother into Heaven, and her Coronation. The division was
simple, easily grasped, full of pious thought, and kept before the people
the chief events in the history of our Redemption. It is no wonder that,
in a time when books were few , a devotion that embraced so much spread
rapidly. It became the general devotion in all countries of Europe, and
the rosary as said by all, from the king on his throne to the leper and
beggar by the roadside.
The full fifteen decades form a Rosary; that in general use, called a
chaplet of pair of beads, consists of five decades, each of large for
the Our Father and ten smaller ones for the Hail Marys; where the ends
join, the chain is continued by three small beads and two larger, a crucifix
or medal being attached to the end. These are for introductory prayers,
the Creed, Our Father, and three Hail Marys, with a Glory to be to the
Father, etc. These form no part of the rosary properly called.
It is usual, when the rosary is said in public, to call the several mysteries
to mind by a few preliminary words. When the rosary is said with others,
the leader or person saying it, who need not even be a cleric, recites
half of each prayer, and the rest recite the other half. After the five
decades are said, it is usually to sing or recite the Litany of the Blessed
Virgin.
Saint Dominic, who had labored almost in vain to convert the Albigenses,
had no sooner introduced this devotion than a change was at once seen.
Hearts that no arguments could move were attracted by this devotion; the
work of conversion was rapid. St. Dominic reaped a harvest of souls, and
the Blessed Virgin a harvest of glory.
From that day to this the devotion of the rosary has never lost its hold
on the affections of the faithful. It became the prayer in which they
were gathered together for general or particular wants. When Europe was
menaced the Turks the rosary was said with fervor, and while the Sodality
of the Rosary were walking in solemn procession through Rome, praying
for victory to the Christian army, the battle was raging at Lepanto, October
7, 1571, and the Turkish power on the seas was broken forever. It was
not the band of men that broke the power which has so long threatened
Europe; it was the hand of God, put forth in answer to the prayers of
the Confraternity of the Rosary.
The reigning Pontiff, St. Pius V., in gratitude for so signal a favor,
ordered the first Sunday in October to be observed as an annual commemoration
in the Church of St. Mary of Victory this feast was extended to other
churches and countries by other Popes, till at last, after another victory,
Clement XI., in 1716, made the Festival of the Rosary a feast for the
universal Church.
There are few devotions to which the Holy See has granted so many indulgences
as to the rosary; one hundred days for each Our Father and Hail Mary,
and a plenary indulgence once a year to those who approach the Sacrament
of Penance, receive Holy Communion, and pray for the wants of the Church.
To gain these indulgences, the beads must be blessed by a priest who has
received faculties from the Pope, and the person must say the rosary,
meditating on the mystery assigned to each decade.
Besides the Confraternity of the Rosary, another has been established
in this century. This is the Confraternity of the Living Rosary. In this,
five persons are associated, each saying one decade each day, so that
the five say the whole chaplet; two similar bands, with them, will thus
recite the whole rosary daily. This is called the Living Rosary, and the
fruits produced by it have so great and manifest, that the holy Fathers
have enriched it with many indulgences.
Nothing should deter Catholics from adhering to a devotion so holy, so
consoling. Many, indeed, think it one for the ignorant only; but this
a grave error. Meditation on the life or Lord is something to occupy the
most exalted and most cultivated minds, and give them light and strength.
The example of officers in the army and navy, who faithfully adhered to
this devotion, which is, in itself, an almost certain test of real Catholicity.
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