Act of Reparation for First Saturdays

O Most holy Virgin and our Mother, we listen with grief to the complaints of your Immaculate Heart surrounded with the thorns which ungrateful men place therein at every moment by their blasphemies and ingratitude.

Moved by the ardent desire of loving you as our Mother and of promoting a true devotion to your Immaculate Heart, we prostrate ourselves at your feet to prove the sorrow we feel for the grievance that men cause you, and to atone, by means of our prayers and sacrifices, for the offences with which men return your tender love.

Obtain for them and for us the pardon of so many sins. A word from you will obtain grace and amendment for us all.

Hasten, O Lady, the conversion of sinners, that they may love Jesus and cease to offend the Lord, already so much offended, and will not fall into hell. Turn your eyes of mercy toward us, that henceforth we may love God with all our heart while on earth and enjoy Him forever in heaven.
Amen.

Novena to the Holy Spirit

The beautiful feast of Pentecost is approaching. Let us join together for a nine day novena to the Most Holy Spirit to ask for light and peace. Saint Faustina wrote in her diary that during a time of illness in April 1937 she prayed a novena to the Holy Spirit. On the last day of the novena, after receiving Holy Communion, she felt inspired to utter a healing prayer. Read her prayer and gain the inspiration of the Spirit. 


Novena Prayer
O Holy Spirit, O my God, I adore Thee, and acknowledge, here in Thy divine presence, that I am nothing and can do nothing without Thee. Come, great Paraclete, Thou Father of the poor, Thou comforter the best, fulfill the promise of our blessed Savior, Who would not leave us orphans, and come into the mind and the heart of Thy poor, unworthy creature, as Thou didst descend on the sacred day of Pentecost on the holy Mother of Jesus and on His first disciples. Grant that I may participate in those gifts which Thou didst communicate to them so wonderfully, and with so much mercy and generosity.

Take from my heart whatever is not pleasing to Thee, and make of it a worthy dwelling place for Thyself. Illumine my mind, that I may see and understand the things that are for my eternal good. Inflame my heart with pure love of Thee, that I may be cleansed from the dross of all inordinate attachments, and that my whole life may be hidden with Jesus in God. Strengthen my will, that I may be made comformable to Thy divine will, and be guided by Thy holy inspirations. Aid me by Thy grace to practice the divine lessons of humility, poverty, obedience, and contempt of the world, which Jesus taught us in His mortal life.

Oh, rend the heavens, and come down, consoling Spirit! That inspired and encouraged by Thee, I may faithfully comply with the duties of my state, carry my daily cross most patiently, and endeavor to accomplish the divine will with the utmost perfection. Spirit of love! Spirit of purity! Spirit of peace! Sanctify my soul more and more, and give me that heavenly peace which the world cannot give. Bless our Holy Father, the Pope, bless the Church, bless our bishops, our priests, all religious orders, and all the faithful, that they may be filled with the Spirit of Christ and labor earnestly for the spread of His kingdom.

O Holy Spirit, Thou Giver of every good and perfect gift, grant me, I beseech Thee, the intentions of this novena. May Thy will be done in me and through me. Mayest Thou be praised and glorified for evermore. Amen.

Saint Faustina's Prayer for Healing

Diary entry 1089 On April 14 (1937), I felt so bad that I barely managed to get up to assist at Holy Mass. I felt much worse than I did at the time they sent me for treatment. There was wheezing, and there were rattling noises in my lungs and strange pains. When I received Holy Communion, I don't know why, but it was as if something were urging me to this prayer, and I began to pray in this manner: "Jesus, may Your pure and healthy blood circulate in my ailing organism, and may Your pure and healthy body transform my weak body, and may a healthy and vigorous life throb within me, if it is truly Your holy will that I should set about the work in question; and this will be a clear sign of Your holy will for me." 

As I was praying in this way, I suddenly felt as if something were jolting my whole organism and, in an instant, I felt completely well. My breath is clear, as if there had never been anything the matter with my lungs, and I feel no pain, and this is a sign for me that I should set about the work.


Diary entry 1090 And this happened on the last day of my novena to the Holy Spirit. After this return to health, I found myself united with the Lord Jesus in a purely spiritual way. Jesus gave me strong assurances; that is, He confirmed me in respect to His demands. I remained close to the Lord Jesus all that day and talked with Him about the details concerning that congregation.

Jesus infused my soul with power and courage to act. Now I understand that if the Lord demands something of a soul, He gives it the means to carry it out, and through grace He makes it capable of doing this. So, even if the soul be utterly miserable, at the Lord's command it can undertake things beyond its expectation, because this is the sign by which it can be known that the Lord is with that soul: if God's power and strength, which make the soul courageous and valiant, is manifest within it. As for myself, I am always at first a bit frightened at the Lord's greatness, but afterwards my soul is filled with profound peace which nothing can disturb, as well as an inner strength to do what the Lord is demanding at that particular moment....

Prayer of Saint Francis de Sales

Lord, I am Yours,
and I must belong to no one but You.
My soul is Yours,
and must live only by You.
My will is Yours,
and must love only for You.
I must love You as my first cause,
since I am from You.
I must love You as my end and rest,
since I am for You.
I must love You more than my own being,
since my being subsists by You.
I must love You more than myself,
since I am all Yours and all in You.
Amen.

Pray for Us, Mother of Grace

Holy Mary, Most Pure Temple of the Holy Spirit, Pray for Us.

Mary "is endowed with the high office and dignity of the Mother of the Son of God, and therefore she is also the beloved daughter of the Father and the temple of the Holy Spirit" (Lumen gentium, n. 53). With this quote from the Second Vatican Council, Blessed Pope John Paul II expressed in concise form the Trinitarian dimension of Marian doctrine, which was the subject of his catechesis at the General Audience on Wednesday, Jan. 10, 1996. Here is a translation of his address, which was the 11th in the series on the Blessed Virgin and was given in Italian. (Courtesy EWTN)

Excerpt: Mary's dignity surpasses that of every creature

Mary's privileged relationship with the Trinity therefore confers on her a dignity which far surpasses that of every other creature. The Council recalls this explicitly: because of this "gift of sublime grace" Mary "far surpasses all creatures" (Lumen gentium, n. 53). However, this most high dignity does not hinder Mary's solidarity with each of us. The Constitution Lumen gentium goes on to say: "But, being of the race of Adam, she is at the same time also united to all those who are to be saved" and she has been "redeemed, in a more exalted fashion, by reason of the merits of her Son" (ibid.).

Here we see the authentic meaning of Mary's privileges and of her extraordinary relationship with the Trinity: their purpose is to enable her to co-operate in the salvation of the human race. The immeasurable greatness of the Lord's Mother therefore remains a gift of God's love for all men. By proclaiming her "blessed" (Lk 1:48), generations praise the "great things" (Lk 1:49) the Almighty has done in her for humanity, "in remembrance of his mercy" (Lk 1:54).

Prayer to Mary's Sorrowful and Immaculate Heart

Beautiful prayer composed by Berthe Petit.

Sorrowful and Immaculate Heart of Mary, dwelling pure and holy, cover my soul with your maternal protection so that being ever faithful to the voice of Jesus, it responds to His love and obeys His Divine Will.

I wish, O, my Mother to keep unceasingly before me your co-redemption in order to live intimately with your Heart that is totally united to the Heart of your Divine Son.

Fasten me to this Heart by your own virtues and sorrows.

Protect me always. Amen.

Give Thanks to GodFor All His Goodness!

Psalm 118

Give thanks to the LORD, who is good, whose love endures forever.
Let the house of Israel say: God's love endures forever.
Let the house of Aaron say, God's love endures forever.
Let those who fear the LORD say, God's love endures forever.

In danger I called on the LORD; the LORD answered me and set me free.
The LORD is with me; I am not afraid; what can mortals do against me?
The LORD is with me as my helper; I shall look in triumph on my foes.
Better to take refuge in the LORD than to put one's trust in mortals.
Better to take refuge in the LORD than to put one's trust in princes.

All the nations surrounded me; in the LORD'S name I crushed them.
They surrounded me on every side; in the LORD'S name I crushed them.
They surrounded me like bees; they blazed like fire among thorns; in the LORD'S name I crushed them.
I was hard pressed and falling, but the LORD came to my help.
The LORD, my strength and might, came to me as savior.

The joyful shout of deliverance is heard in the tents of the victors: "The LORD'S right hand strikes with power;
the LORD'S right hand is raised; the LORD'S right hand strikes with power."
I shall not die but live and declare the deeds of the LORD.
The LORD chastised me harshly, but did not hand me over to death.

Open the gates of victory; I will enter and thank the LORD.
This is the LORD'S own gate, where the victors enter.
I thank you for you answered me; you have been my savior.
The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone.
By the LORD has this been done; it is wonderful in our eyes.
This is the day the LORD has made; let us rejoice in it and be glad.
LORD, grant salvation! LORD, grant good fortune!

Blessed is he who comes in the name of the LORD.
We bless you from the LORD'S house.
The LORD is God and has given us light.
Join in procession with leafy branches up to the horns of the altar.
You are my God, I give you thanks; my God, I offer you praise.
Give thanks to the LORD, who is good, whose love endures forever.

Prayer to Saint Dymphna

Today is the feast day of Saint Dymphna

Glorious Saint Dymphna, you are the patron of the nervous and emotionally disturbed. I am certain, however, that your charity embraces everyone. I am certain that you lend a listening ear to any prayer offered for any special need. You will, I am sure, take my problem to heart and pray for me that it may be happily settled. (Here
mention your special problem or difficulty.) You will plead for me and obtain the help I need. Already I offer you my sincere and grateful thanks, so great is my confidence that God will hear and answer your prayers. Amen.

Saint Dymphna, Virgin and Martyr, pray for us.
Saint Dymphna, patron of nervous and emotional illnesses, pray for us.
Saint Dymphna, crowned for the glory in heaven, pray for us.
Saint Dymphna, faithful to your covenant with Christ, pray for us.
Saint Dymphna, precious in the eyes of the Lord, pray for us.
Saint Dymphna, our helper in every need, pray for us.
Saint Dymphna, our friend at heaven's court, pray for us.

Read more about Saint Dymphna.

The Words of Our Mother

Let us reflect on the words of Mary, today, the feast day of Our Lady of Fatima.


From Saint Luke's Gospel, Chapter 1:38-56.


Mary said, "Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word." Then the angel departed from her.

During those days Mary set out and traveled to the hill country in haste to a town of Judah, where she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth.

When Elizabeth heard Mary's greeting, the infant leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth, filled with the Holy Spirit, cried out in a loud voice and said, "Most blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb. And how does this happen to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? For at the moment the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the infant in my womb leaped for joy. Blessed are you who believed that what was spoken to you by the Lord would be fulfilled."

And Mary said:
"My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord;
my spirit rejoices in God my savior.
For he has looked upon his handmaid's lowliness; behold, from now on will all ages call me blessed.
The Mighty One has done great things for me, and holy is his name.
His mercy is from age to age to those who fear him.
He has shown might with his arm, dispersed the arrogant of mind and heart.
He has thrown down the rulers from their thrones but lifted up the lowly.
The hungry he has filled with good things; the rich he has sent away empty.
He has helped Israel his servant, remembering his mercy,
according to his promise to our fathers, to Abraham and to his descendants forever."

Mary remained with her about three months and then returned to her home.

Did You Pray the Chaplet Today?

The Divine Mercy Chaplet is a special gift that Our Lord Himself gave to Saint Faustina to share with all of us to aid the world and to save souls. Let's pray the Chaplet with the Congregation of the Sisters of Our Lady of Mercy.