Thursday, March 29, 2007

Prayer to Saint Jude Thaddeus, Apostle and Martyr

St. Jude, glorious apostle, faithful servant and friend of Jesus, the name of the traitor has caused you to be forgotten by many. But the Church honors and invokes you univesally as the patron of hopeless cases, and of things despaired of. Pray for me who am so miserable. Make use, I implore you, of that particular privilege accorded you to bring visible and speedy help where help was almost despaired of. Come to my assistance in the great need that I may receive the consolation and succor of heaven in all my necessities, tribulations and sufferings, particularly --- (here make your request) and that I may bless God with you and all the elect throughout eternity. Amen.

Shrine of St. Jude Thaddeus, Dominican Fathers, 1909 S. Ashland Ave. Chicago, Ill. 60608
Cum Permissu Superiorum

Saturday, March 24, 2007

Fatima: For the Conversion of Sinners

"Make sacrifices for sinners and say often, especially while making a sacrifice: O Jesus, this is for love of Thee, for the conversion of sinners, and in reparation for offenses committed against the Immaculate Heart of Mary." (Our Lady of Fatima, July 13, 1917)

"People must amend their lives and ask pardon for their sins. They must not offend Our Lord anymore, for He is already too much offended!" (Our Lady of Fatima, Oct. 13, 1917)

"Continue the Rosary, my children. Say it every day..." (Our Lady of Fatima, Sept. 13, 1917)

"This (Brown Scapular) shall be to you and all carmelites a privilege, that anyone who dies clothed in this shall not suffer eternal fire: and if wearing it they die, they shall be saved." (Our Lady of Mount Carmel, 1251)

Hail, Mary, full of grace! the Lord is with thee; blessed art thou among women,
and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. (Lke 1:28,42)
Holy Mary, Mother of God (Matt.&Lke 2:11),
pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death. Amen.

I, N., a faithless sinner - renew and ratify today in thy hands, O Immaculate Mother, the vows of my Baptism; I renounce forever Satan, his pomps and works; and I give myself entirely to Jesus Christ, the Incarnate Wisdom, to carry my cross after Him all the days of my life, and to be more faihful to Him than I have ever been before.
In the presence of all the heavenly court I choose thee this day for my Mother and Mistress. I deliver and consecrate to thee, as thy slave, my body and soul, my goods, both interior and exterior, and even the value of all my good actions, past, present and future; leaving to thee the entire and full right of disposing of me, and all that belongs to me, without exception, according to thy good pleasure, for the greater glory of God, in time and in eternity. Amen.

(Saint Luis Grignion de Montfort)

Blue Army of Our Lady, Washington, N.J. 07882; Imprimatur Most Rev. George W. Ahr, Bishop of Trenton

Thursday, March 15, 2007

The Fraternity of Kindness

Jakob Häne, Unsere Liebe FrauWhat a vast increase in the sum-total of human happiness it would mean if each one of us were to be always just as kind as could be. Why, earth would be almost heaven if all unkindness were eliminated from our lives... It was such thoughts as these which came to a pious nun during her meditation, and which prompted her to found the FRATERNITY OF KINDNESS. Its rules are these:


  1. Not to think unkindly of others.
  2. Not to speak unkindly of others, or to others.
  3. Not to act unkindly towards others.
These rules imply, of course, the opposite virtues of always thinking kindly, speaking kindly, and being kind, to everyone.
There is a penalty attached to every violation of the rules, a double penalty, which consists of: (a) Saying a short prayer for the victim of our unkindness, and (b) performing some act of kindness toward that person that same day. If the latter is impracticable, a second short prayer will suffice. The prayer may be as short as "My Jesus, Mercy", or "Jesus, meek and humble of heart, make my heart like unto Thine", or as long as an "Our Father".
Simple enough, isn't it? And how easy. Of course, we shall all want to join. And how much happier we should all be for it -- we, and all those with whom we come in contact. What must one do to join? Simply make up one's mind to be a member, and begin immediately to keep the rules.
Should anyone be sufficiently enthusiastic to want to spread the Fraternity, by trying to persuade his friends to become members -- as we shall all want to do -- he will by that very fact become an "Apostle of Kindness".
The Patron and Model of the Fraternity of Kindness is the Sacred Heart of Jesus, burning with love for all mankind.
The reward for the faithful observance of the rules, is, here below to scatter sunshine broadcast wherever we go; to be beloved by our associates, and, what is more important, by the Loving Heart of our Redeemer with all that this implies; and, then one day to hear those joyous words: "Come, ye blessed of my Father; possess the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world, for ... whatsoever ye did to the least of my brethren, ye did it unto Me."

A.M.D.G. - Nihil Obstat: T. K. Gorman, Censor Deputatus; Imprimatur: John J. Cantwell, Bishop of Los Angeles and San Diego
Frederick Pohlman, Campaigners for Christ the King, 1825 First Avenue, New York City

Friday, March 09, 2007

Prayers For The Dead

We offer Thee, O Lord, prayers and sacrifices of praise; accept them in behalf of those souls which we are today commemorating.

LET US PRAY
O God! the Creator and Redeemer of all the faithful, hear our supplications and through Thy infinite love and mercy graciously grant to the soul of Thy servant departed the remission of all his (her) sins by which he (she) may have deserved the severity of Thy divine justice and punishments in the world to come. Vouchsafe to his (her) grace and mercy before Thy divine Tribunal and let him (her) attain to everlasting rest and happiness through the infinite merits of Jesus Christ. Amen.
Prayer in Honor of the Five Sacred Wounds of Our Saviour for the Departed Souls
Go before our actions, we beseech Thee, O Lord, with Thy inspiration, and follow after them with Thy help, that every prayer and work of ours may begin from Thee and through Thee be likewise ended. Through Christ, our Lord. Amen.
Eternal rest give unto them. O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon them.
1. - We offer unto Thee O eternal Father, Father of mercies, for those souls so dear to Thee in purgatory, the most Precious Blood shed on Calvary from the wound in the left foot of Jesus Thy Son, our Saviour, and the sorrow of Mary, His Most Loving Mother, in beholding it.
Our Father. Hail Mary. Eternal rest.
II. - We offer unto Thee, O eternal Father, Father of mercies, for those souls so dear to Thee in purgatory, the most Precious Blood shed on Calvary from the wound in the right foot of Jesus, Thy Son, our Saviour, and the sorrow of Mary, His Most Loving Mother, in beholding it.
Our Father. Hail Mary. Eternal rest.
III. - We offer unto Thee, O eternal Father, Father of mercies, for those souls so dear to Thee in purgatory, the most Precious Blood shed on Calvary from the wound in the left hand of Jesus Thy Son, our Saviour, and the sorrow of Mary, His Most Loving Mother, in beholding it.
Our Father. Hail Mary. Eternal rst.
IV. - We offer unto thee, O eternal Father, Father of mercies, for those souls so dear to Thee in purgatory, the most Precious Blood shed on Calvary from the wound in the right hand of Jesus Thy Son, our Saviour, and the sorrow of Mary, His Most Loving Mother, in beholding it.
Our Faher. Hail Mary. Eternal rest.
V. - We offer unto Thee, O eternal Father, Father of mercies, for those souls so dear to Thee in purgatory, the most precious Blood and water flowing on Calvary from the pierced side of Jesus Thy Son, our Saviour, and the sorrow of Mary, His Most Loving Mother, in beholding it.
Our Father. Hail Mary. Eternal rest.

LET US PRAY
And now to give greater value to our feeble prayers, turning to Thee, most loving Jesus we humbly pray Thee thyself to offer to the eternal Father the sacred wounds of Thy most Precious Blood and Thy agony and death, and do thou also, Mary, Virgin of sorrows, present, togeher with the most sorrowful passion of thy well-beloved Son, the sighs, tears, and all the sorrows suffered by thee through His sufferings, so that through their merits the souls who suffer in the most ardent flames of purgatory may obtain refreshment and, freed from this prison of torment, may be clothed with glory in heaven, there to sing the mercies of God for ever. Amen.

Prayer For Our Benefactors
O Father of mercy and God of all consolation! have pity on the souls in purgatory, who sigh for Thee, the Fountain of Life. Look upon the face of Thy Son, Jesus Christ, and on account of the mertis of His bitter passion deliver from their pains the souls of our Priests, parents, brothers, sisters, friends, and spiritual and temporal benefactors. Remember, merciful Father, they are Thy children. Let Thy justice be satisfied by the great sufferings they have hitherto undergone. Let Thy boundless mercy remit their remaining debt, that being soon delivered, they may forever love and praise Thee in union with all the elect. O merciful Jesus, shorten through the merits of Thy holy passion the term of their suffering; and since they are unable to discharge their debt, do Thou redeem them by the value of Thy Precious Blood, that, released from their suffering, they may rejoice forever. Amen.
Absolve, O Lord, the souls of all the faithful departed from every bond of sin, so that by Thy aid they may deserve to escape the judgment of wrath, and come to the enjoyment of beatitude in eternal ight.
Eternal rest give unto them, O Lord.
And let perpetual light shine upon them. Amen.
May they rest in peace. Amen.
O Lord, hear my prayer.
And let my cry come unto Thee. Amen.
The Lord be with you.
And with thy spirit. Amen.

Nihil Obstat ARTHUR J. SCANLAN, S.T.D., Censor Librorum - Imprimatur + FRANCIS CARDINAL SPELLMAN, Archbishop of New York - Rt. Rev. Msgr. Joseph Cacella, 443 East 135th Street - Bronx, N. Y. 10454