October - Honoring Christ in the Most Holy Rosary

October 7 is the Feast of Our Lady of the Rosary. 

It is my personal opinion, one which is in accord with the mind of the Church, that you will profit very much by praying the holy Rosary every day. The prayer of the Rosary is the prayer of the holy Gospel, the Good News Who is Jesus. My best piece of spiritual advice to you, no matter who you are, president or plumber, priest or king...PRAY THE ROSARY EVERY DAY! You will be blessed beyond your wildest dreams.

                                          --Father John Corapi (Letters)

Epiphany

 

Epiphany is the Greek word for "manifestation."  On this feast day, "God is with us"--Emmanuel--is made manifest, shown, to the whole world with the witness of the Magi.

from The Deacon's Bench website:

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“But this feast should remind us: we are all magi, no matter where we come from. Each of us bears a gift, and has something to offer. And we are all journeying toward an unknown place of promise, guided by a never-ending light.”

To read the complete homily, click here. 


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Q:  In the picture above, why is St. Francis of Assisi (center, at left) present at the manger?

A:  St. Francis is credited with bringing the tradition of the "creche" or manger scene to our Catholic celebration of Christmas.  Click here for more on the Nativity Scene tradition.

January 1 - Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God

From past homily of His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI on Solemnity of Mary (click text to read entire homily):

On the first day of the year, divine Providence brings us together for a celebration that moves us each time because of the riches and beauty of its correspondence: the civil New Year converges with the culmination of the Octave of Christmas on which the divine Motherhood of Mary is celebrated, and this gathering is summed up felicitously in the World Day of Peace.

Emmanuel - God With Us (reflection)

The Miraculous Medal

View a video about the Miraculous Medal

Read about the Miraculous Medal

Happy All Saints' Day

Reflection on St. Vincent de Paul

The Vincentian Year ends with the Feast of St. Vincent de Paul. We reflect on the opportunities over the last 12 months to meet Christ in the poor we serve.

FEAST OF ST. VINCENT de PAUL

September 27

Gospel:

When Jesus saw the crowds he went up on the mountainside…his disciples gathered around him, and he began to teach them: “How blest are the poor in spirit: the reign of God is theirs. Blest too are the sorrowing; they shall be consoled. Blest are the lowly;they shall inherit the land. Blest are they who hunger and thirst for holiness; they shall have their fill. Blest are they who show mercy; mercy shall be theirs. Blest are the single-hearted, for they shall see God. Blest too the peacemakers; they shall be called children of God…”

Reflection:

For Vincent, love is always very concrete, very practical. It is love in practice. “Let us love God, my brothers and sisters,” he urges, “let us love God, but let it be with the strength of our arms and the sweat of our brows.” We are called to follow Christ as servants of the poor. Servants get their hands dirty. They labor long and hard. They engage in difficult tasks, visiting the sick and elderly in their homes, feeding street-people, serving the hungry, helping the widow and orphan. They are on the front lines ministering to the poor. As St. Vincent says, we must first do and then teach.

Vincentian Meditation:

St. Vincent tells us that “Love is inventive to the point of infinity.” I encourage you today to be very inventive. Because you are on the front line in laboring for the poor, you will be among the first to know their real needs. It will not be psychologists or economists, who study the needs of the poor by examining the data they receive. You will know ahead of them because the poor will tell you directly. Be inventive in meeting those needs. (Maloney, Go! On the Missionary Spirituality of St. Vincent de Paul, p.133-4)

Journal: (Write down your thoughts on the readings after a moment of silence)

In what ways can you become “inventive to infinity” in serving the needs of the poor that come to you?

Closing Prayer:

O God, your son Vincent preached the Good News to the poor,

-may we continue to be effective instruments of Christ

to those most in need.

O God, give us the strength and creativity we need to stand in solidarity with those who suffer,

-may our hearts be filled with compassion and love.

O God, you call us to be followers of St. Vincent de Paul,

-grant us the grace to be “inventive to infinity” in serving the poor and suffering! Amen

Blessed Frederic

FEAST OF BLESSED FREDERIC OZANAM

September 9

Gospel: (Luke 10: 25-37)

“And who is my neighbor? Jesus replied: “There was a man going down from Jerusalem to Jericho who fell in with robbers. They stripped him, beat him, and then went off leaving him half-dead. A priest happened to be going down the same road; he saw him but continued on. Likewise there was a Levite who came the same way; he saw him and went on. But a Samaritan who was journeying along came on him and was moved to pity at the sight. He approached him and dressed his wounds, pouring in oil and wine as a means to heal. He then hoisted him on his own beast and brought him to an inn, where he cared for him. The next day he took out two silver pieces and gave them to the innkeeper with the request: “Look after him, and if there is any further expense I will repay you on my way back.” Which of these three, in your opinion, was neighbor to the man who fell in with the robbers?” The answer came, “The one who treated him with compassion.” Jesus said to him, “Then go and do the same.”

Reflection:

Frederic heard the call of Jesus –to be merciful. He saw the works of mercy as calls to action. He believed that if he genuinely wanted to serve the poor and others, he had to direct his works of mercy to the moral and spiritual betterment of individuals, not only to the alleviation of their physical distress.

Vincentian Meditation:

“Help honors when to the bread that nourishes it adds the visit that consoles, the advice that enlightens, the friendly shake of the hand that lifts up the sinking courage; when it treats the poor man with respect, not only as an equal but as a superior, since he is suffering what perhaps we are incapable of suffering; since he is the messenger of God to us, sent to prove our justice and our charity, and to save us by our works.” Frederic Ozanam (Ramson, Praying with Frederic, p. 93)

Discussion: (Journal your thoughts on the readings after a moment of silence)

How are you in your Conference living the spirit of Frederic?

Closing Prayer:

A Litany in Honor of Blessed Frederic Ozanam

Frederic Ozanam, defender of faith, pray for us.

Frederic Ozanam, promoter of hope, pray for us.

Frederic Ozanam, apostle of charity, pray for us.

Frederic Ozanam, exemplary husband and father, pray for us.

Frederic Ozanam, lover of poverty and the poor, pray for us.

Frederic Ozanam, advocate of the dignity of the human person, pray for us.

Frederic Ozanam, servant of the truth, pray for us.

Frederic Ozanam, model for Catholic teachers and professors, pray for us.

Frederic Ozanam, disciple of St. Vincent De Paul, pray for us.

Frederic Ozanam, faithful son of the Church, pray for us.

Frederic Ozanam, our intercessor at the throne of God, pray for us. Amen

Mary's Seven Sorrows

Throughout September, we continue to honor the Blessed Virgin. September 12 is the feast of the Blessed Name of Mary and September 15 is the feast of Our Lady of Sorrows.


Mary’s heart is pierced:

• at the prophecy of Simeon;
• at the flight into Egypt;
• having lost the Holy Child at Jerusalem;
• meeting Jesus on his way to Calvary;
• standing at the foot of the Cross;
• Jesus being taken from the Cross;
• at the burial of Christ.

Mary, Queen of Heaven

"A great sign appeared in the sky, a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet and on her head a crown of twelve stars."

Rev 12:1

On the octave of the Feast of the Assumption, we celebrate the crowning of Mary, Queen of Heaven. (Click photo to learn about the artwork.)

Feast of the Assumption

ASSUMPTION OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY

August 15

Gospel: (Luke 1:39-56)

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, “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.

Reflection:

Mary’s “yes” unleashed a unique relationship with Jesus. This is why all generations will call her blessed: without knowing how and why, she believed that God would raise her up to be the Mother of God. For nine months she would nurture in her womb the Life that would bring life to all. For nine months she would give her body so that the Bread of Life might be born. Mary is blessed because she believed in God’s word. Mary is blessed because her body gave life to the Word incarnate. This is why we believe that her body is assumed into heaven: hers was a blessed body. Body and soul, she was assumed into heaven to enjoy eternal life with the divine Word, her Son. And, this because she believed and trusted in God! (Living Liturgy, p.190)

Vincentian Meditation:

Mary is the ideal disciple, the model listener. She hears God’s word and acts on it. Mary as the Listening Disciple, lies at the core of New Testament spirituality: all disciples, like Mary, are called to listen to the word of God attentively and act on it. There is almost nothing more important that Mary can teach us than to learn to listen. At root, being a disciple means being a hearer of the word. The whole of Christian life can be summed up in the phrase: “She listened to the word of God and acted on it.” (Maloney, Go! On the Missionary Spirituality of St. Vincent de Paul, p.110-111)

Journal: (Write down your thoughts after a moment of silence)

How can we better live our Vincentian devotion to Mary?

Closing Prayer:

Mary responded with joyful faith to your call,

-Lord, open our hearts to do your will.

Mary listened to the Word of God and acted on it,

-Lord, grant us the grace to follow her example.

Mary assumed into heaven, you are the Mother of the Church,

-Mary, full of grace, pray for us.

Mary lived the mystery of Jesus and followed him to Calvary,

-Mary, give us the grace to find God in all of the events of our lives.

Amen

Year for Priests

Pope Benedict XVI has declared a “Year for Priests” beginning with the Solemnity of the Sacred Heart of Jesus on June 19, 2009. The year will conclude in Rome with an international gathering of priests with the Holy Father on June 19, 2010.

With the announcement of this Year for Priests, the Pope has declared St. John Vianney the Universal Patron of Priests on the occasion of the 150th anniversary of the death of the Curé d’Ars. (Source: USCCB)

Corpus Christi

THE SOLEMNITY OF THE MOST HOLY BODY AND BLOOD OF CHRIST

June 14, 2009

(Source: Vincentian Reflections, National Conference)

Gospel: (Mark 14: 12-16)

While they were eating, Jesus took bread, said the blessing, broke it, gave it to them, and said, “Take it; this is my body.” Then he took a cup, gave thanks, and gave it to them, and they all drank from it. He said to them, “This is my blood of the covenant, which will be shed for many. Amen, I say to you, I shall not drink again the fruit of the vine until the day when I drink it new in the kingdom of God.” Then, after singing a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.

Reflection:

Jesus’ identity as the suffering servant who obtained redemption for us “with his own blood” is truly the same as his mission – to give of himself without counting the cost, even if its cost is his very body and blood. Self-giving unites identity and mission into the same reality. This solemnity brings us once again to Jesus’ self-giving on the cross and to continued self-giving in the Eucharist, and challenges us to take up Jesus’ mission of self-giving. The Eucharist is the centerpiece of our lives, challenging us: our identity is our mission – self-giving.

Vincentian Meditation:

The Eucharist plays a major role in Vincentian spirituality. This is seen in the lives of St. Vincent and Blessed Frederic.Vincent spent one hour each morning before the Blessed Sacrament before celebrating Mass. He would frequently make short visits to the chapel before leaving and upon returning from his responsibilities. Frederic attended Mass daily whenever possible. Also, with every day, Frederic would make a short visit to the Blessed Sacrament in one of the churches in Paris as he made his way to an appointment. Both Vincent and Frederic discovered what the Church teaches today: the Eucharist is the source and summit of the Christian life; it augmented their union with Jesus, strengthened their charity and committed them to the poor. (US Manual, P.31-32)

Discussion/Journal Entry: (Share your thoughts after a moment of silence)

How can we make the Eucharist play a prominent place in our lives, as it did in Frederic and Vincent’s?

Closing Prayer:

Christ Jesus, your Eucharist is a sign of love,
-may the poor and outcasts find a place at your table.

Christ Jesus, your Eucharist is a sign of unity,
-may we embrace diversity with reverence and open hearts.

Christ Jesus, your Eucharist is a bond of charity,
-may we be living signs of your presence in our midst.

Christ Jesus, your Eucharist is a pledge of future glory,
-may you welcome home all who have died believing in you.

Amen.

Bread of Life

Reflection on the Most Holy Body and Blood of Jesus

Jesus is the bread from Heaven, the new manna. Jesus said: I am the bread of life, whoever eats this bread shall have eternal life.

When we eat this bread, and drink your blood, we proclaim your death, Lord, Jesus, until you come in glory.

The bread is given from above. Jesus took the bread and said, this is my body, broken for you. Jesus is our daily bread, given to us by the Father.

Give us this day our daily bread.

The bread sustains us. We are God's desert people, lost, looking for the Promised Land. How do we get there? Jesus said: I am the way; Follow me; Love my father, love one another; Do you love me, Peter? Feed my lambs, feed my sheep.

Lamb of God, you take away the sin of the world, have mercy on us, grant us your peace.

The bread strengthens us to feed others. When did we see you, Jesus? When I was hungry, and you fed me. Jesus said: For whatever you have done for the least of my brothers, you have done for me.

Lord, I am not worthy to receive you, but only say the word and I shall be healed.

We are one bread, one body.

Through Jesus, the bread of life, with him, in him, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, all honor and glory is yours, Almighty Father, forever and ever. Amen.

(Source: original reflection inspired from meditation on morning of June 9, 2009)

The Feast of the Ascension (Reflection)

THE ASCENSION OF THE LORD

May 24, 2009

Gospel: (Mark 16:15-20)

Jesus said to his disciples: “Go into the whole world and proclaim the gospel to every creature…These signs will accompany those who believe: in my name they will drive out demons, they will speak new languages. They will pick up serpents with their hands, and if they drink any deadly thing, it will not harm them. They will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover. So then the Lord Jesus, after he spoke to them, was taken up into heaven and took his seat at the right hand of God. But they went forth and preached everywhere, while the Lord worked with them and confirmed the word through accompanying signs.

Reflection:

Jesus expects his disciples to walk in his footsteps. But Jesus always invites us to share in his ministry, never forces us. At the Ascension, Jesus commissioned his disciples to proclaim the gospel. At first this might seem an impossible commission: how can we expect to fill Jesus’ footsteps? On our own authority we cannot preach the gospel, we can fill Jesus’ footsteps only when we hear “the instructions given through the Spirit.” What an awesome honor it is to be disciples of Christ – by returning to his rightful place at the hand of God, Jesus entrusts his mission to us. (Living Liturgy, p.136)

Vincentian Meditation:

“No work of charity is foreign to the Society.” Accordingly, the possibilities for Vincentian action are almost without limit. Being poor does not always, or necessarily, consist of being short of material goods. Being poor can also mean being physically and mentally handicapped, sick, crippled, old, ugly, or illiterate. They are poor who are or are made to feel alone…immigrants, transients, orphans, the abandoned or rejected, and all those who find themselves among others who are indifferent or hostile. Being poor may mean wanting to cry when others are laughing …being physically or morally chained, as prisoners, shut-ins, alcoholics, drug addicts - being defenseless against attacks, insults or accusations – being an innocent victim of crime or quarrels. The more the Society grows, the more it will reach the lonely and troubled who have need for care and friendship. US Manual, P.45-46)

Reflection:
Are we being called to carry the mission of Jesus in new ways, meeting new needs or creating new works of charity?

Closing Prayer:

Jesus is ever present with God, and ever present with us, and so we pray,
-Jesus is Lord of heaven and earth.
We ask for strength to continue as your faithful disciples,
-may we seek to speak your word and your healing presence.
“No work of charity is foreign to the Society”,
-may we be aware of the weak among us and seek to assist them.

Amen.

(source: Vincentian Reflections, US Council)

Our Lady of Fatima

During Eastertide, the Angelus is replaced by this prayer, "Queen of Heaven" (below). Today, May 13, we recall the Feast Day of Our Lady of Fatima.

Regina Coeli

Queen of Heaven rejoice, alleluia:
For He whom you merited to bear, alleluia,
Has risen as He said, alleluia.
Pray for us to God, alleluia.

V. Rejoice and be glad, O Virgin Mary, alleluia.
R. Because the Lord is truly risen, alleluia.

Let us pray:
O God, who by the resurrection of Your Son, Our Lord Jesus Christ, granted joy to the whole world: grant, we beg You, that through the intercession of the Virgin Mary, His Mother, we may lay hold of the joys of eternal life. Through Christ our Lord.

Amen.

Ozanam Sunday Sending Out Blessing

On Sunday, April 26, 2009, known as Ozanam Sunday, the members of OLG Conference at the 10:30 a.m. Mass received from Fr. Nicholas a special prayer and blessing for the work of the conference and the Society. That blessing is re-printed below:

Almighty God and Father,

Through your Son, Jesus Christ,

And with the Holy Spirit,

We ask that you bless the work of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul

In our parish, in our community, and throughout the world.

Guide your Vincentian servants, gathered here,

And help them to see the Most Holy Face of Jesus, your Son,

In each person they meet.

Let them be our hands, and let them be our hearts,

As they reach out to the least of our brothers and sisters in need.

Thank you, Heavenly Father, for the virtue of charity.

Help us everyday to be open and generous.  Help us not to judge.

Almighty God,

who called your servant Vincent de Paul

to serve you in the person of those in need:

Grant that we, following his example,

may fulfill your commandments

by defending and supporting the poor,

and by loving you with all our hearts,

and we ask that you strengthen and encourage

these members of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul

today and in the months ahead, in their ministry to the poor,

through Jesus Christ our Lord,

who lives and reigns with you

and the Holy Spirit,

one God, for ever and ever.

Amen.

"The Church Herself Begins"

"The Church Herself Begins"

HOMILY OF THE MOST REVEREND TIMOTHY M. DOLAN
TENTH ARCHBISHOP OF NEW YORK
MASS OF INSTALLATION
ST PATRICK'S CATHEDRAL
NEW YORK
15 APRIL 2009

"The Resurrection, Easter, is the very foundation of our faith, our hope, our love. Everything in the Church commences when, like those two disciples on the road to Emmaus that first Easter, we recognize Jesus as risen from the dead. The Church herself begins."

Read the full text of the homily here.

Hope in the Resurrection (Surrexit Christus spes mea)

[reprinted from the Vatican website]

Homily of His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI

St. Peter's Square
Easter Sunday, April 12, 2009

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

“Christ, our Paschal lamb, has been sacrificed!” (1 Cor 5:7). On this day, Saint Paul’s triumphant words ring forth, words that we have just heard in the second reading, taken from his First Letter to the Corinthians. It is a text which originated barely twenty years after the death and resurrection of Jesus, and yet – like many Pauline passages – it already contains, in an impressive synthesis, a full awareness of the newness of life in Christ. The central symbol of salvation history – the Paschal lamb – is here identified with Jesus, who is called “our Paschal lamb”. The Hebrew Passover, commemorating the liberation from slavery in Egypt, provided for the ritual sacrifice of a lamb every year, one for each family, as prescribed by the Mosaic Law. In his passion and death, Jesus reveals himself as the Lamb of God, “sacrificed” on the Cross, to take away the sins of the world. He was killed at the very hour when it was customary to sacrifice the lambs in the Temple of Jerusalem. The meaning of his sacrifice he himself had anticipated during the Last Supper, substituting himself – under the signs of bread and wine – for the ritual food of the Hebrew Passover meal. Thus we can truly say that Jesus brought to fulfilment the tradition of the ancient Passover, and transformed it into his Passover.

On the basis of this new meaning of the Paschal feast, we can also understand Saint Paul’s interpretation of the “leaven”. The Apostle is referring to an ancient Hebrew usage: according to which, on the occasion of the Passover, it was necessary to remove from the household every tiny scrap of leavened bread. On the one hand, this served to recall what had happened to their forefathers at the time of the flight from Egypt: leaving the country in haste, they had brought with them only unleavened bread. At the same time, though, the “unleavened bread” was a symbol of purification: removing the old to make space for the new. Now, Saint Paul explains, this ancient tradition likewise acquires a new meaning, once more derived from the new “Exodus”, which is Jesus’ passage from death to eternal life. And since Christ, as the true Lamb, sacrificed himself for us, we too, his disciples – thanks to him and through him – can and must be the “new dough”, the “unleavened bread”, liberated from every residual element of the old yeast of sin: no more evil and wickedness in our heart.

“Let us celebrate the feast … with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth”. This exhortation from Saint Paul, which concludes the short reading that was proclaimed a few moments ago, resounds even more powerfully in the context of the Pauline Year. Dear brothers and sisters, let us accept the Apostle’s invitation; let us open our spirit to Christ, who has died and is risen in order to renew us, in order to remove from our hearts the poison of sin and death, and to pour in the life-blood of the Holy Spirit: divine and eternal life. In the Easter Sequence, in what seems almost like a response to the Apostle’s words, we sang: “Scimus Christum surrexisse a mortuis vere” – we know that Christ has truly risen from the dead. Yes, indeed! This is the fundamental core of our profession of faith; this is the cry of victory that unites us all today. And if Jesus is risen, and is therefore alive, who will ever be able to separate us from him? Who will ever be able to deprive us of the love of him who has conquered hatred and overcome death?

The Easter proclamation spreads throughout the world with the joyful song of the Alleluia. Let us sing it with our lips, and let us sing it above all with our hearts and our lives, with a manner of life that is “unleavened”, that is to say, simple, humble, and fruitful in good works. “Surrexit Christus spes mea: praecedet vos in Galileam” – Christ my hope is risen, and he goes before you into Galilee. The Risen One goes before us and he accompanies us along the paths of the world. He is our hope, He is the true peace of the world. Amen!

© Copyright 2009 - Libreria Editrice Vaticana

Divine Mercy Sunday, April 19

[Source: EWTN]

In a decree dated 23 May 2000, the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments stated that "throughout the world the Second Sunday of Easter will receive the name Divine Mercy Sunday, a perennial invitation to the Christian world to face, with confidence in divine benevolence, the difficulties and trials that mankind will experience in the years to come."

Learn more about Divine Mercy Sunday.