O Marie,
Conçue sans péché,
Priez pour nous
Qui avons recours à vous.
Amen.
(O Mary,
Conceived without sin,
Pray for us
Who have recourse to thee.
Amen.)
ACT OF CONSECRATION TO OUR LADY OF THE MIRACULOUS MEDAL /
To be prayed on the Feast of Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal, after completing the novena
O Marie, conceived without sin,
Mother of God and Mother of all people, Disciple of Jesus Christ,
Blessed are you among women,
And all generations call you blessed.
Model of consecration to God
Whom Saint Catherine Labouré, Having just lost her mother,
Chose as her Mother,
I, in turn, chose you as my Mother
In order to consecrate myself To God our Father.
Standing by the foot of the Cross, Your Immaculate Heart was pierced With sorrow, as if by a sword,
And your heart is united To the Heart of your Son.
Since grace flows From the Sacred Heart of Jesus
Onto all of us, Passing through your hands,
Accept my entire being, Make use of me, body and soul,
To follow Christ
And receive the light and strength Of the Holy Spirit.
As a sign of this consecration,
I will wear the holy Medal With confidence
So that the God of Love, Father, Son and Holy Spirit,
Might reign in my heart As a baptized person And in all hearts.
Glory be to Him, Forever and ever.
Amen.
NOVENA TO OUR LADY OF THE MIRACULOUS MEDAL /
Prayed from November 18 through November 27, The Feast of Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal
O Immaculate Virgin, Mother of God and our Mother,
With the utmost confidence In your powerful intercession,
Shown many times through your Medal,
We humbly ask you to obtain for us, The graces which we ask of you Through this novena.
(Ask for a personal grace…)
O Virgin of the Miraculous Medal,
You appeared to St. Catherine Labouré As mediator of the whole world
And each soul in particular.
We put our pleas into your hands And entrust them to your heart.
Deign to present them to your Divine Son
And to answer them if they conform to God’s Will
And are good for our souls.
And, after having raised Your imploring hands to God,
Bring them down on us And wrap us up in the rays of your graces, Light up our spirits and purify our hearts,
So that, guided by you,
We will one day reach blissful eternity. Amen.
THE DIVINE MERCY CHAPLET /
SUNDAY: INTRODUCTORY PRAYERS OF THE CHAPLET
SACRED ART: "Divine Mercy" by Eugeniusz Kazimirowski
https://www.thecatholictelegraph.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/divine-mercy-original.jpg
(Left-click once on the painting to get a closer view)
The Our Father
Our Father, Who art in heaven, Hallowed be Thy name. Thy kingdom come, Thy Will be done, On earth as it is in Heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread, And forgive us our trespasses, As we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, But deliver us from evil.
Amen.
The Hail Mary
Hail Mary, Full of grace, The Lord is with thee, Blessed art thou among women, And blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus.
Holy Mary, Mother of God, Pray for us sinners, Now, and at the hour of our death.
Amen.
The Apostles’ Creed
I believe in God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth.
I believe in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord. He was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit, and born of the Virgin Mary.
He suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried. He descended to the dead.
On the third day He rose again. He ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He will come again to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting.
Amen.
MONDAY — FIRST DECADE OF THE CHAPLET
SACRED ART: “Gethsemane” by Carl Bloch
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/53/Gethsemane_Carl_Bloch.jpg
(For optimal viewing, click once on the painting)
SACRED ART: "Divine Mercy" by Eugeniusz Kazimirowski
https://www.thecatholictelegraph.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/divine-mercy-original.jpg
(Left-click once on the painting to get a closer view)
Recite the following prayer once:
Eternal Father, I offer You the Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity of Your dearly beloved Son, Our Lord Jesus Christ, in atonement for our sins, and those of the whole world.
Recite the following prayer ten times:
For the sake of His sorrowful Passion, have mercy on us and on the whole world.
TUESDAY — second decade OF THE CHAPLET
SACRED ART: “Flagellation” by Lodovico Carracci
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/90/Douai_chartreuse_carracci_flagellation.jpg
(For optimal viewing, click once on the painting)
SACRED ART: "Divine Mercy" by Eugeniusz Kazimirowski
https://www.thecatholictelegraph.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/divine-mercy-original.jpg
(Left-click once on the painting to get a closer view)
Recite the following prayer once:
Eternal Father, I offer You the Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity of Your dearly beloved Son, Our Lord Jesus Christ, in atonement for our sins, and those of the whole world.
Recite the following prayer ten times:
For the sake of His sorrowful Passion, have mercy on us and on the whole world.
wednesDAY — third decade OF THE CHAPLET
SACRED ART: “Ecce Homo” by Antonio Ciseri
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/de/Ecce_homo_by_Antonio_Ciseri_%281%29.jpg
SACRED ART: "Divine Mercy" by Eugeniusz Kazimirowski
https://www.thecatholictelegraph.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/divine-mercy-original.jpg
(Left-click once on the painting to get a closer view)
Recite the following prayer once:
Eternal Father, I offer You the Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity of Your dearly beloved Son, Our Lord Jesus Christ, in atonement for our sins, and those of the whole world.
Recite the following prayer ten times:
For the sake of His sorrowful Passion, have mercy on us and on the whole world.
ThursDAY — fourth decade OF THE CHAPLET
SACRED ART: “Christ Carrying the Cross” by El Greco
(For optimal viewing, click twice on the painting)
SACRED ART: "Divine Mercy" by Eugeniusz Kazimirowski
https://www.thecatholictelegraph.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/divine-mercy-original.jpg
(Left-click once on the painting to get a closer view)
Recite the following prayer once:
Eternal Father, I offer You the Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity of Your dearly beloved Son, Our Lord Jesus Christ, in atonement for our sins, and those of the whole world.
Recite the following prayer ten times:
For the sake of His sorrowful Passion, have mercy on us and on the whole world.
friDAY — fifth decade OF THE CHAPLET
SACRED ART: “Christ Crucified” by Diego Velazquez
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christ_Crucified_(Vel%C3%A1zquez)#/media/File:Cristo_crucificado.jpg
(For optimal viewing, click twice on the painting)
SACRED ART: "Divine Mercy" by Eugeniusz Kazimirowski
https://www.thecatholictelegraph.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/divine-mercy-original.jpg
(Left-click once on the painting to get a closer view)
Recite the following prayer once:
Eternal Father, I offer You the Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity of Your dearly beloved Son, Our Lord Jesus Christ, in atonement for our sins, and those of the whole world.
Recite the following prayer ten times:
For the sake of His sorrowful Passion, have mercy on us and on the whole world.
saturDAY — concluding prayers OF THE CHAPLET
SACRED ART: "Divine Mercy" by Eugeniusz Kazimirowski
https://www.thecatholictelegraph.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/divine-mercy-original.jpg
(Left-click once on the painting to get a closer view)
Recite the following prayer three times:
Holy God, Holy Mighty One, Holy Immortal One, Have mercy on us, And on the whole world.
Recite the following prayer once:
Eternal God, In whom mercy is endless, And the treasury of compassion inexhaustible, Look kindly upon us and increase Your mercy in us, That in difficult moments we might not despair nor become despondent, But with great confidence submit ourselves to Your holy will, Which is Love and Mercy itself.
THE THEOLOGICAL VIRTUES & THE DIVINE MERCY /
I love to love,
And I love to be loved,
By the Lord of Love,
Who generously pours out
His wondrous love upon us all.
But sometimes with His
Divine sense of humor,
He hides himself from me,
Like a playful lover,
And I cannot see Him,
So, as His beloved,
I must practice heroic patience,
And with a strong faith,
I must trust in Him,
Because I know that
Above the clouds
The sky is always blue,
And suddenly the Divine Mercy
Will magnificently shine forth
In the Dark Night of Unknowing,
And the Dark Night of the Cross.
Yet when faith is elusive,
I must hold my ground
And courageously hope in Him,
Because it always circles around
And leads us back to holy love.
ST. FRANCIS DE SALES' PRAYER AFTER MEDITATION /
Based on the guidelines of St. Francis de Sales
Dearest Heavenly Father,
Through the Holy Spirit
I humbly give you thanks for
The affections and resolutions
You have given me today
In my meditation,
As well as for your great
Goodness and divine mercy.
Eternal Father, I offer to you
The body and blood,
Soul and divinity,
Of your dearly beloved Son,
Our Lord Jesus Christ,
In atonement for our sins,
And those of the whole world.
I wholeheartedly implore you
To share with me the abundant
Graces and virtues
Of your most holy Son,
And to bless my affections and resolutions,
So that I may faithfully fulfill them.
In your Divine Providence,
And through the intercession of
Our Lady, the angels,
And the saints,
Please take care of
My body and my soul,
The Church and my pastor,
My relatives and my friends,
And everyone else in the world,
That the windows of our souls
Will be closed
Against the shadows of hell.
Amen.
(Follow this with an Our Father and a Hail Mary)
ST. FRANCIS DE SALES’ SPIRITUAL-RETREAT PRAYER /
A Meditation on The Nativity, The Crucifixion, & The Ascension
Based on the guidelines of St. Francis de Sales
Dearest Jesus,
I place myself in your holy presence,
And I beseech you to inspire me
By the power of the Holy Spirit,
For the glory of God the Father.
O God, why do I not look always at you,
Just as you always look at me?
Why do you think so often of me, O my Lord,
And why do I think so seldom of you?
Where are we, O my soul?
God is our true place, and where are we?
O Lord, I am always with you;
I see the Lord always before me;
I have lifted up my eyes to you,
O my God, who dwell in Heaven;
My eyes are ever toward God.
Amen.
ST. FRANCIS DE SALES' PRAYER BEFORE CHRIST CRUCIFIED /
Based on the guidelines of St. Francis de Sales
Dearest God,
I prostrate myself before you in spirit,
And I place my soul
Before Jesus Christ crucified.
O most wondrous and gracious God,
By the power of the Holy Spirit,
I humbly ask you to rekindle in my heart
The fire of today’s meditation,
And so I renew my resolution to _____,
For the glory of God the Father.
Amen.
A DEFINITION OF PATIENCE /
Patience…
is waiting --
calmly waiting --
for Divine Mercy,
when we are struggling
in the dark night of unknowing.
Patience…
is waiting with courage --
with heroic courage --
for Divine Mercy,
when we are struggling,
in the dark night of the cross.
Fear is useless!
What is needed is trust!
JESUS' DIVINE SENSE OF HUMOR /
Jesus’ divine sense of humor
is not like our sense of humor.
I am lost in the dark night,
I see no light,
Nothing but black is before me,
I don’t feel Him,
I don’t see Him,
I don’t hear Him.
Yet Jesus,
with His divine sense of humor,
is directly behind me,
and if He were to reach out,
His hand would rest on my shoulder,
but He waits,
challenging me to stretch
my spiritual comfort zone,
to draw strength from
His mighty power,
to exercise holy courage,
to grow in heroic patience,
to increase my trust in His divine mercy,
to remain in His love.
And then,
in due season,
my life bears good fruit,
and I see a tiny point of light
in the distance,
shining at first like a distant star,
but it becomes more and more radiant,
and grows larger and larger,
until my whole life is embraced
by His sweet holy light,
and I experience true joy
in the deep dark night!
THE HOLY BABE IS BORN /
The star of Bethlehem
Shone upon the true Light,
The Light of the World,
And when the Holy Babe
Came into the world,
Into the darkness,
Into the night,
Divine Mercy rays of
Bright red and white
Flowed through the Holy Virgin
Like a river of living water —
And, behold, Love was born!
LITTLE PRAYER BEFORE HOLY COMMUNION /
Inspired by St. Francis de Sales and Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal
Lord,
I am not worthy;
And yet, You,
The Good God,
Come to me!
O Marie,
Conçue sans péché,
Priez pour nous
Qui avons recours à vous.
Vive Jésus!
Amen.
THE PUZZLE /
As I recently listened
to the keynote speaker
at a university commencement,
I was saddened to hear
the story of his life,
and his “successful” career.
He pointed out
that many others in his field
had died very young,
presumably due to suicide,
or drug overdose,
or something similar.
Yet he didn’t appear
fully convinced,
even to himself,
that he would escape
the same tragedy
of his dead peers.
He seemed to be struggling
to find meaning in his life,
and his “four keys to success,”
though not bad things,
won’t ever open the door
to true fulfillment.
His life was like a puzzle,
with all the little pieces
on the periphery
fitting nicely into place,
but with a gaping hole
in the very center.
That gaping hole
is where the heart should be —
The Sacred Heart —
that is the missing piece,
the Messianic Centerpiece,
that brings true happiness.
NIGHT PRAYER TO THE SAINTS AND ANGELS /
To be prayed during the night
Dearest Saints and Angels,
Please pray for me,
That by the power of the Holy Spirit,
Our Lord may bless me with
Holy courage and with heroic patience,
For the glory of God the Father.
Jesus, I trust in You!
Amen.
LITTLE PRAYER OF GENUFLECTION /
Inspired by St. Louis de Montfort and St. John Paul II
Totus tuus!
THE TWELVE DAYS OF CHRISTMAS /
On the first day of Christmas,
Baby Jesus gave to us
The special gift of His love.
On the second day of Christmas,
Baby Jesus gave to us
The special gift of His joy.
On the third day of Christmas,
Baby Jesus gave to us
The special gift of His peace.
On the fourth day of Christmas,
Baby Jesus gave to us
The special gift of His patience.
On the fifth day of Christmas,
Baby Jesus gave to us
The special gift of His kindness.
On the sixth day of Christmas,
Baby Jesus gave to us
The special gift of His generosity.
On the seventh day of Christmas,
Baby Jesus gave to us
The special gift of His faithfulness.
On the eighth day of Christmas,
Baby Jesus gave to us
The special gift of His gentleness.
On the ninth day of Christmas,
Baby Jesus gave to us
The special gift of His self-control.
On the tenth day of Christmas,
Baby Jesus gave to us
The special gift of His divine wisdom.
On the eleventh day of Christmas,
Baby Jesus gave to us
The special gift of His divine mercy.
On the twelfth day of Christmas,
Baby Jesus gave to us
The special gift of all the fruit of the Spirit.
Our birthday gift to Baby Jesus
Is sharing all of these gifts
With others in the new year:
Sharing them with our family,
Sharing them with our faith community,
Sharing them with the world.
LOVE IS THE FRUIT /
Inspired by St. Francis de Sales
I love to love, and I love to pray,
But what should I do
When an opportunity for love
Interrupts prayer?
The Good Samaritan knew
That love always comes first:
Prayer spreads out its branches,
But love is the delicious fruit.
I strive for love and humility,
But what should I do
When an opportunity for love
Must be seen by others?
The Good Samaritan knew
That love always comes first:
Humility spreads out its roots,
But love is the delicious fruit.
LIGHT SCATTERS THE DARKNESS /
The evil one clouds my mind
with the storms of worry,
Trying to make my spiritual vision
very unclear and blurry;
But Our Lady faithfully teaches me
to meditate on the Passion,
Which in every age of world history,
is always in holy fashion;
Then, by contemplating Divine Mercy
I rejoice and let my soul sing,
As I am inspired by the music
of St. Hildegard von Bing;
At last, the Lord of Light scatters
the deep dark night,
And the present moment is transfigured
into glorious and holy delight.
JUBILEE 2000: ST. PETER'S BASILICA /
September 2000
Reflecting on God’s grandeur, I marvel
At the beauty that surrounds me,
The statue of the Pietà vibrantly reflects
The sweet sublimity of God’s mercy;
The nave floats in the swirling, variegated,
Multi-colored waves of a marble ocean,
And massive pillars of magnificent marble
Stand at attention like the Swiss Guards.
As the doors silently open, the Holy Father’s
Vehicle slowly rolls down the aisle,
And in rushes a breeze of heavenly hope
That placidly fills the sails of our souls;
I stand on my chair and see the saint whose
Faith defeated the dreary dark night,
As he kisses a babe, love ripples through
The crowd and rhymes in our hearts.
ST. FRANCIS DE SALES' PRAYER BEFORE MAKING AN EXAMINATION OF CONSCIENCE /
Dearest Jesus,
King of Divine Mercy,
I place myself in your holy presence,
And I beseech you to inspire me
By the power of the Holy Spirit.
Give me your light,
And give me sight,
That I may gain
A perfect knowledge
Of myself.
With St. Augustine,
I cry out to you,
“Lord, let me know you,
And let me know myself!”
And with St. Francis,
I humbly ask you,
“Lord! Who are you,
And who am I?”
I protest that I do not wish
To learn of my progress
In order to rejoice in myself,
But solely to rejoice in you, dear God,
Because I do not wish to glorify myself,
But I only wish to glorify you, dear Lord,
And give you thanks.
I also protest that if I find,
As I fear I shall,
That I have made only a little progress,
Or none at all,
Or even that I have fallen backward,
I will not on that account
Be depressed or made cold
By discouragement or despondency
Of any sort.
On the contrary,
I protest that I wish to encourage
And animate myself all the more,
I wish to humble myself,
And I wish to correct my faults
By the assistance of your grace.
Amen.