The "Sweet Mother" of Birnau

Since 1790 the statue of the Mother of God, especially highlighted as a focal point of the shrine and as the mediatrix of all grace, has been shining like a pearl in an oyster at the center of this classical monument which is the high altar. According to experts and admirers this image of Our Lady of Birnau, which is part of the group of "beautiful Madonnas", merits the title of "most beautiful enthroned statue of Mary in upper southern Bavaria". The great fresco overhanging the church nave is also devoted to this image. Angels can be seen introducing the miraculous statue into the new sanctuary in order to heighten its prestige and perpetuate the tradition of Marian devotion in Old-Birnau.
The sculpture measures roughly one meter in height. The soft drape of the clothing and the deep folds between the feet indicate a Gothic work of about 1430. According to the research of Jurgen Michler the Birnau statue is comparable to statues which came into being in Ulm during the years 1420-1436. Crafted and decorative stone sculptures of the façade of the cathedral of Ulm help to establish stylistic kinships (both in terms of decorative technique and plastic beauty) between the Virgin of Birnau and the Ulm school, especially the "master of the Dornstadt altar". Since, furthermore, a written source from 1430 testifies to the activity in Uberlingen of a "master of Ulm", it is not difficult to situate the style of our statue in the same period of the history of art. What, on the other hand, remains obscure is the reason why a new statue of the Virgin was made around 1430 for the pilgrimage of Old-Birnau. What had happened to the first miraculous statue? It seems that, if the "mellow style" of the present work bears without a doubt the mark of Gothic art, the sculptor was probably inspired by a seated model of a Romanesque Madonna. One naturally thinks of the previous statue from Birnau. In addition, the typological features of the old miraculous statue from the hermitage, often imitated, show through in the Gothic Birnau copy. What was new in the region around Lake Constance around 1430 was the use of the crescent moon motif at the feet of sculptures representing the Virgin (cf. the Madonna of Eriskirch, 1410). This half moon fitted around the face of the woman of the Apocalypse has to be seen in parallel with the radiating nimbus placed behind the seated figure, which has now disappeared (cf. the representation of the miraculous statue by Christopher Lienhard, 1708). The rays of sunlight (light and warmth of God) and the moon help us to recognize in Mary this woman of the Apocalypse who has existed from time immemorial in the plan of salvation of God as mother of the Savior and mediatrix of all grace (Ap 12:1-5). In the footsteps of Christian Antiquity the Middle Ages readily used the sun and the crescent moon as symbols of the royalty of Christ. In the Baroque era this allegory was also applied to Mary, due to the fact that the moon reflects the light of the sun.
In 1746 the miraculous statue of Old-Birnau was transferred, with a subterfuge, to the abbey of Salem, whence in 1750 it reached its place in the new sanctuary beside the lake. "Our Lady" holds her son, the Word of God made man, majestically on her knees. She presents her son for the salvation of the world. Around 1900 two restoration artists from Uberlingen, the Mezger brothers, replaced the hands and the lost attributes of the two figures and gave them a new coloring. Similarly the gestural symbols were added at the beginning of the 20th century according to ancient models: the bitten apple as an allusion to the original sin as well as the little cross of the child Jesus represent the symbols of the salvation wrought by Christ.

Mary, star of the sea

"You who feel far from firm ground, carried off by the waves of this world amidst the storms and tempests, if you do not wish to founder, do not let your gaze waver from the light of this star. If the winds of temptation rise up, if you run into the rocks of tribulation, look at the star, invoke Mary. If you are shaken about by the waves of pride, ambition, betrayal or jealousy, look at the star, invoke Mary. If anger or avarice or impure desires toss about the little boat of your soul, look at Mary. If you are troubled by the enormity of your crimes, ashamed of the grubbiness of your conscience, frozen with terror at the thought of judgment, or if you begin to be engulfed by the abyss of sadness, by the depths of despair, think of Mary. In danger, in anguish, in doubt, think of Mary, invoke Mary."

(Extract of a sermon of Saint Bernard of Clairvaux)

Confession of the Integral Holy Catholic Faith

We, Priests of the Holy Catholic Church, truly convinced that the integrity of the Faith takes precedence over an opening up to the world or oecumenism, declare publicly our Faith, and we urge you, brethren, to keep yours intact, to live it completely and, if God gives you the grace, to profess it publicly, without arrogance, but with pride.

We believe and profess all the truths which the Church believes and teaches. In particular:
We believe in the existence of one God in three Persons equal and distinct, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost.
We believe that our Lord Jesus Christ, consubstantial with the Father, took a human nature exactly like ours, with the exception of sin, and that He possesses two natures in one person, the second Person of the Holy Trinity.
We believe in the Holy Ghost, Who is also God, and proceeds from the Father and the Son.
We believe in the birth in time of Christ, of a Mother always a Virgin and full of grace, Immaculate in her Conception and glorious in Heaven in her body and soul.
We believe that the triune God made everything which exists for man, but that He created man for Himself: so that man might know Him, love Him, serve Him and by this means merit the eternal happiness of Heaven.
We believe that the human race descended from a single couple: the first man and woman whom we call Adam and Eve.
We believe that Adam, the head of mankind committed a real sin which deprived him of God's friendship. This sin, "which is the death of the soul", is transmitted by generation to all the children of Adam who, because of this, the Blessed Virgin Mary excepted, are born in a state of sin, that is to say "spiritually dead." This is original sin.
We believe that little children, even though born of Christian parents, must be baptised to obtain Eternal Life, and that they should be baptised as soon as possible.
We believe in the sorrowful Passion, the Death and the bodily Resurrection of Our Lord Jesus Christ, Who ascended to the right hand of the Father, from whence He will come in glory to judge the living and the dead.
We believe that at the coming of the Glorious Christ, all men will rise from the dead with their bodies, and that each one will render an account of his own acts. Those who have done good will enter eternal Life and those who have done evil will go into eternal fire.
We believe in the existence of Angels and we believe that they watch over the Church and over every man. We believe also that the unfaithful angels, Satan and the demons, personal beings, prowl in the world and against the Church for the ruin of souls.
We believe in the existence of eternal Hell which was made for Satan and his angels, where those who die whilst not in a state of grace, are punished.
We believe that the evil in the world does not come from unexplained antagonisms but, in truth, from original sin and our own sins.
We believe that man possesses a spiritual and immortal soul which continues to exist after the destruction of the body and which, whilst awaiting the resurrection of the body, will go either to Heaven, Purgatory or Hell, according to what it has merited.
We believe all the truths contained in the Holy Scriptures and in Tradition, including the historical character of the accounts of the hidden life of Jesus (the Gospels recording His infancy) and of His miracles.
We believe that we must venerate the Saints and honour their images, and we believe in their intercession.
We believe in the reality of the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, in which Jesus Christ, really and substantially present with His Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity, offers Himself to God the Father, as He did on the Cross, for our sins.
We believe that the term "transubstantiation" is so perfectly fitted to describe the transformation of the bread and wine into the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ, that there is no need to look for a new formula for this mystery of Faith. (Cf. Pope Paul's Encyclical Mysterium Fidei.)

We believe that the Real Corporal Presence of Jesus Christ remains in the Eucharist as long as the sacramental species remain after Communion, or in the Host reserved in the Tabernacle.
We believe that the Sacrament of Penance blots out our sins by virtue of the merits of Jesus Christ, provided that the required dispositions are present.
We believe in the reality of the divine action through the seven sacraments, the rites of which have been entrusted to the Church.
We believe that Jesus Christ, Our Lord, founded a Church which He called "My Church", to distinguish it from the churches which are not "His." It is "the House of God, the Church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the Truth." (Matt. XVI, 18; 1 Tim III, 15)
This Church God has provided with certain marks of her institution by which she can be recognized as the Guardian and Mistress of the Revealed Word. And we believe that the Roman Catholic Church alone possesses these wonderful marks which indicate her origin: unity, holiness, catholicity and apostolicity.
We believe that the Church of Christ is visible and hierarchical and that she teaches with God's authority, all that Jesus has revealed to us (see Matt. XXVIII, 20). At the summit of the hierarchy Christ has established Peter and his successors, Bishops of Rome, with direct jurisdiction over the whole universal Church, over all the Bishops, Priests, and faithful and over each one of them.
We believe that the unity of the Church is not something yet to be achieved: it has existed from the beginning and will never cease to exist. It is a mark which distinguishes her from other churches and is one of the Truths of our Credo. "Credo ... et UNAM Ecclesiam."
We believe that those who are separated from her, have objectively the obligation, in order to ensure their salvation, to come back into the sole Church of Jesus Christ, and that we have the duty to facilitate their return but without changing thereby the Catholic Faith.
We believe that the Church of Jesus Christ, although composed of sinners, is a HOLY Church. Holy in her Head, Jesus Christ, Holy in her doctrine, Holy in her Sacraments, Holy in her members: those in Heaven, those in Purgatory, and those on earth who are in a state of grace.
We believe that the Church of Jesus Christ is APOSTOLIC
because the Priesthood, and the jurisdiction of her Hierarchy comes from the Apostles by a direct and unbroken succession.
We believe that the Church of Jesus Christ was founded on Peter. She was entrusted to the care of Peter and to the Bishops united with him. This is the Roman Catholic Church, because only the Bishop of Rome is the successor of Peter.
We believe in the permanence of the traditional doctrine taught by the Church, in the objective meaning of the formulas which express her Dogmas, and in the Truth which she teaches.
We believe that the truths of Faith remain absolutely independent of the way men think or live, because Truth comes from God, by tradition through the Church, and not from the religious instinct of the masses.
We reject also that spirit of inquiry which, under the pretext of a better formulation of doctrine, ends by changing the Truths which we have believed until now.
With the Apostle we think that "If any man teach otherwise, and consent not to the sound words of our Lord Jesus Christ, and to the doctrine which is according to godliness, he is proud, knowing nothing, but is sick about questions and strifes of words; from which arise envies, contentions, blasphemies, evil suspicions." (I Tim VI, 3 and 4)
There, Brethren, is what we believe and what we profess: EVERYTHING WHICH THE ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH BELIEVES AND TEACHES. And we believe it and hold it to be true because God has revealed it to us and He, and the Church which teaches us through her infallible Magisterium, can neither be deceived nor deceive.
We have been baptized in this Catholic Faith.
It is this Catholic Faith which we professed on the day of our Confirmation.
It is this Catholic Faith which the Church, our Mother, made us promise to preserve before imposing her hands on us.

May God preserve us from being perjurers. May Mary, Mother of the Church, and Mother of God, and all the Angels and Saints obtain for us the grace to live and die in and for the Catholic Faith. Amen.

Lauda, Sion, Salvatorem - Sing forth, O Sion, sweetly sing

Sing forth, O Sion, sweetly sing
The praises of thy Shepherd-King,
In hymns and caticles divine;
Dare all thou canst, thou hast no song
Worthy his praises to prolong,
So far surpassing powers like thine.

To-day no theme of common praise
Forms the sweet burden of thy lays –
The living, life-dispensing food –
That food which at the sacred board
Unto the brethren twelve our Lord
His parting legacy bestowed.

Then be the anthem clear and strong,
Thy fullest note, thy sweetest song,
The very music of the breast:
For now shines forth the day sublime
That brings remembrance of the time
When Jesus first his table blessed.

Within our new King's banquet-hall
They meet to keep the festival
That closed the ancient paschal rite:
The old is by the new replaced;
The substance hath the shadow chased;
And rising day dispels the night.

Christ willed what he himself had done
Should be renewed while time should run,
In memory of his parting hour:
Thus, tutored in his school divine,
We consecrate the bread and wine;
And lo – a Host of saving power.

This faith to Christian men is given –
Bread is made flesh by words from heaven:
Into his blood the wine is turned:
What though it baffles nature's powers
Of sense and sight? This faith of ours
Proves more than nature e'er discerned.

Concealed beneath the twofold sign,
Meet symbols of the gifts divine,
There lie the mysteries adored:
The living body is our food;
Our drink the ever-precious blood
In each, one undivided Lord.

Not he that eateth it divides
The sacred food, which whole abides
Unbroken still, nor knows decay;
Be one, or be a thousand fed,
They eat alike that living bread
Which, still received, ne'er wastes away.

The good, the guilty share therein,
With sure increase of grace or sin.
The ghostly life, or ghostly death:
Death to the guilty; to the good
Immortal life. See how one food
Man's joy or woe accomplisheth.

We break the Sacrament; but bold
And firm thy faith shall keep its hold;
Deem not the whole doth more enfold
Than in the fractured part resides:
Deem not that Christ doth broken lie;
'Tis but the sight that meets the eye;
The hidden deep reality
In all its fulness still abides.

Behold the bread of angels, sent
For pilgrims in their banishment,
The bread for God's true children meant,
That may not unto dogs be given;
Oft in the olden types foreshowed;
In Isaac on the altar bowed,
And in the ancient paschal food,
And in the manna sent from heaven.

Come then, good Shepherd, bread divine,
Still show to us thy mercy sign;
Oh, feed us still, still keep us thine;
So we may see thy glories shine
In fields of immortality;

O thou, the wisest, mightiest, best,
Our present good, our future rest,
Come, make us each thy chosen guest,
Co-heirs of thine, and comrades blest
With saints whose dwelling is with thee.
Amen. Alleluia.

Teresa Helena Higginson

Here is the complete text of Teresa's biography by Lady Cecil Kerr, first published in 1926:

Servant of God, The Spouse of the Crucified, 1944-1905,
by Cecil Kerr

Teresa Higginson's great mission was to promote devotion to the Sacred Head of Our Lord as the Seat of Divine Wisdom, not as a substitute for devotion to the Sacred Heart, but as its perfection. At first this sounds a little strange! But it only takes some reflection to recognise the extraordinary sense it makes. It is the head that controls and directs the heart; wisdom guides love.

Prayer to the Holy Spirit by St. Antiochus

O Holy Spirit, most merciful Comforter: You proceed from the Father in a manner beyond our understanding. Come, I beseech You, and take up your abode in my heart. Purify and cleanse me from all sin, and sanctify my soul. Cleanse it from every impurity, water its dryness, melt its coldness, and save it from sinful ways. Make me truly humble and resigned, that I may be pleasing to You, and that You abide with me forever. Most blessed Light, most amiable Light, enlighten me. O rapturous Joy of Paradise, Fount of purest delight, my God, give yourself to me, and kindle in my innermost soul the fire of your love. My Lord, instruct, direct, and defend me in all things. Give me strength against all immoderate fears and against despondency. Bestow upon me a true faith, a firm hope, and a sincere and perfect love. Grant that I always do your most gracious will. Amen.

Prayer commending ourselves to God

O Lord, into your most merciful hands I commend my body and soul, thoughts and acts, desires and intentions. I commend the needs of my body and soul, future and past, my faith and hope, the end of my life, the day and hour of my death, the burial and resurrection of my body. O most merciful God, whose clemency the sins of the world can never transcend, take me, a sinner, under the wings of your protection and deliver me from every evil. Cleanse my iniquities, grant me a reformation of my life, and protect me against future transgressions, that I may in no manner ever anger You. Shelter my weakness from passions and evil persons, guard me against my visible and invisible enemies, lead me on the road of salvation and to Yourself, the safe harbor and haven of my desires. Grant me a happy, peaceful, Christian death, and protect me from evil spirits. Be merciful to me, your servant, at the great judgment, and number me among the blessed flock who stand on your right, that, together with them, I may forever glorify You, my Creator. Amen.

Stabat Mater

In the shadow of the rood,
Broken-hearted there she stood
Near her Son and Lord:
While her soul, His doom lamenting,
Yet in sacrifice consenting
Felt the cleaving sword.

Came there ever to another
Grief like thine, O wounded Mother,
As thou looked'st upon
Him, the Son of God, all holy,
And of thee, a Virgin lowly,
Sole-begotten Son?

Who so lost of human feeling
As to hide his tears revealing
Sympathy with thine?
Who that e'er was born of woman,
In a tenderness so human
Sees not love Divine?

To the lash, for sin atoning,
Lo! He bows! and thou, O moaning
Mother, now must see
Limb from limb His spirit languish
And His latest look of anguish
Turned in love to thee!

Let me near the fountain growing
Of thy tenderness o'erflowing,
Drink my fill thereof;
Let the fervent flames illuming
All thy soul a fire consuming,
Kindle mine to love.

Thou alone no ransom needing,
Let thy Son, the Victim bleeding
For my sin atone:
What for me my God and Brother
Deigns to bear, O sinless Mother,
Learn not thou alone.

One with thee, thy vigil keeping,
One with thee, the Mourner, weeping
Near His sacred side,
Where thy soul in desolation
Waits of woe the consummation,
Let my soul abide.

Virgin, Earth's divinest blossom,
Spurn not from thy fragrant bosom
Dews that fall for thee!
Make me near thy Son remaining,
Simon-like, His cross sustaining,
One in sympathy!

Let me from His life-distilling
Wounds, mine empty chalice filling,
Quaff the crimson wine.
Lest the flames, devouring end me,
In thy chastity defend me
From the wrath Divine.

Lord, through her who brought
Thee hither,
Let me hence departing whither
Thou the way hast found,
Come, through Death's opposing portal,
To the Victor's palm immortal,
With Thy glory crowned.

Rev. John B. Tabb.

Prayer to St. Joseph

To thee, O Blessed Joseph, we have recourse in our affliction, and, having implored the help of thy thrice-holy Spouse, we now, with hearts filled with confidence, earnestly beg thee also to take us under thy protection. By that charity, wherewith thou wert united to the Immaculate Virgin Mother of God and by that fatherly love with which thou didst cherish the Child Jesus, we beseech thee and we humbly pray that thou wilt look down with gracious eyes upon that inheritance which Jesus Christ purchased by His Blood, and wilt succor us in our need by thy power and strength.

DEFEND, O most watchful guardian of the Holy Family, the chosen offspring of Jesus Christ. Keep from us, O most loving father, all blight of error and corruption. Aid us from on high, most valiant defender in this conflict with the powers of darkness. And even as of old thou didst rescue the Child Jesus from the peril of His life, so now defend God's holy Church from the snares of the enemy and from all adversity. Shield us ever under thy patronage, that imitating thy example and strengthened by thy help, we may live a holy life, die a happy death and attain to everlasting bliss in heaven. Amen.

(Raccolta)

The Mother of the Saviour Mother of God

Mary has identified herself in some way in all her visits. She made herself known to Catherine Labouré by the inscription she wished placed on the Miraculous Medal: "O Mary, conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee." Our Lady of La Salette gave herself no name but spoke of her Son, as she did at Pontmain. At Lourdes, Mary said: "I am the Immaculate Conception." And at Fatima she called herself Queen of the Rosary. At Banneux, Our Lady first said she was the Virgin of the Poor and this, together with her clothing, her rosary and the supernatural manner of her apperarance naturally inclined a few people to believe she was Our Lady. But many othes were skeptical because of this very title. They saw politcal implications in it and even thought that Mariette, the daughter of a poverty-stricken family, had invented it. They certainly knew nothing of Mariette, who was quite incapable of such flights of fancy. It was, though, not long before Our Lady swept these doubts away by presenting herself in the name that sets her above the angels and marks her off from all other creatures.
Mariette insisted that Our Lady called herself by this title: "The Mother of the Saviour Mother of God", and that she did not say she was: "The Mother of the Saviour and the Mother of God", which is what one would expect her to say. Does it matter? It does. The truth is always important and, in this particular case, Our Lady's title, as she herself gave it, carries an emphasis which makes it subtly different from that which she might have used by did not. "Mother of the Saviour" and "Mother of God" are both traditional names of Our Lady, but here they become one title, indissolubly welded together. Never before had the two names been joined in this manner until she herself did so at Banneux, and this union stresses how intimately she is involved in our salvation: "no single individual can even be imagined who has ever contributed or ever will contribute so much towards reconciling man with God." This the Church, the Fathers and the general faithful have always known, but at Banneux we are reminded again that she is indeed "a worthy and acceptable Mediatrix to the absolute Mediator - who is our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. By disclosing herself in the plenitude of her power at this, her last appearance (at Banneux), she makes it clear that the Mother of the Saviour Mother of God does not descend among us solely to heal the sick; her purpose is to lead us to a greater knowledge and love of her Son.
Our Lady's third and final exhortation: "Pray a lot" gains an even greater force and urgency coming, as it did, immediately after she had gravely announced that she was in truth the woman chosen by God to be His Mother and given by Him to be ours.

Looking back over Our Lady's words at Banneux we see that:
She wishes to be honored as the Virgin of the Poor.
She presents a gift to the people of every race and nation - a spring.
She expresses a wish: for a little chapel.
She makes a promise: to comfort and relieve the sick and to relieve all suffering.
She demands from us: confidence and constant prayer.
She fulfills her mission as Mother of the Saviour.
She reveals the greatness of her power as Mother of God.
She will pray for us, protect us, blss us and lead us to her Son, our Saviour and our God.

From: Virgin of the Poor - The Apparitions of Our Lady at Banneux - by John Beevers - Abbey Press, St. Meinrad, Indiana 47577 - 1972

Cardinal Newman's Prayer for the Poor Souls

Newman Reader - Verses on Various Occasions - Verse 173

HELP, Lord, the souls which Thou hast made,
The souls to Thee so dear,
In prison for the debt unpaid
Of sins committed here.

Those holy souls, they suffer on,
Resign'd in heart and will,
Until Thy high behest is done,
And justice has its fill.
For daily falls, for pardon'd crime,
They joy to undergo
The shadow of Thy cross sublime,
The remnant of Thy woe.

Help, Lord, the souls which Thou hast made,
The souls to Thee so dear,
In prison for the debt unpaid
Of sins committed here.

Oh, by their patience of delay,
Their hope amid their pain,
Their sacred zeal to burn away
Disfigurement and stain;
Oh, by their fire of love, not less
In keenness than the flame,
Oh, by their very helplessness,
Oh, by Thy own great Name,

Good Jesu, help! sweet Jesu, aid
The souls to Thee most dear,
In prison for the debt unpaid
Of sins committed here.

The Oratory. 1857. (From: http://cathcon.blogspot.com/)

Novena in Honor of The Holy Spirit

FIRST DAY

V. Come, O Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of Thy faithful, and enkindle in them the fire of Thy love.
V. Send forth Thy Spirit, and they shall be created.
R. And Thou shalt renew the face of the earth.

LET US PRAY

O God, Who by the Light of the Holy Spirit, didst instruct the hearts of the faithful, grant that in the same Spirit we may be truly wise, and ever rejoice in His consolation. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Act of Contrition

"O God be merciful to me as sinner." I am sincerely sorry for all the sins, faults, and infidelities of my life because they offend thee, my chief Benefactor and sovereign Good. I firmly resolve by the grace of the Holy Spirit to sin no more. Amen.

Prayer of Humility

O God, Who resisteth the proud and bestoweth Thy grace on the humble, grant us the virtue of true humility of which Thine only begotten Son showed to the faithful an example in Himself; that we may never provoke Thee to anger by our pride, but rather receive through humility the gift of Thy grace. Through the same Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. (Roman Missal)

Reflection

The Blessed Virgin Mary taught us how to respond to the inspiration of divine grace. When the Angel Gabriel announced to her: "The Holy Spirit shall come upon thee and the power of the most High shall overshadow thee, and therefore, also, the Holy, which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God" (1 Luke 1:35) Mary answered: "Be it done unto me according to Thy word" (2 Luke 1:36)

ACT OF CONSECRATION TO THE HOLY SPIRIT

O Divine Redeemer, Who said: "I will ask the Father, and He will grant you another Advocate to be with you for all time, the Spirit of Truth" (1 John 14:16) I consecrate myself to the eternal Spirit of God.
Aspiration of love, proceeding from the Father and the Son, alert me to be ever aware of Thy indwelling; stimulate the eyesight of my soul to discern the unfailing light of divine grace. Adorable Holy Spirit, have compassion on the dullness of my mind and the weakness of my will. Illuminate and strengthen me to trample on temptation.
Grant me the Spirit of Wisdom, the prevision to look to my last end by cooperating now with Thy holy inspirations - all for the greater honor and glory of God; the Spirit of Understanding to deepen my grasp of eternal truths; the Spirit of Counsel to prudently choose the best way of pleasing God; the Spirit of Fortitude to stand up fearlessly in opposition to evil; the Spirit of Knowledge - self-Inspection regarding my fidelity to God's laws and the duties of my state in life; the Spirit of Piety to enable me to prefer my Divine Lover and His Will to earthly creatures; the Spirit of Fear of the Lord to realize the folly and ingratitude of defying my Lord and my God.
Kneeling before Thee, O Divine Consoler, let me press to my heart the pierced feet of Jesus, look into His open side and trust in His Precious Blood channeled to my soul through the Sacraments.
O Holy Spirit enfold all mankind with Thy Sevenfold Gifts. Keep me faithful unto death that I may win the crown of life. Amen.
Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory be, etc.

SECOND DAY

Prayer to the Holy Spirit; Act of Contrition; Prayer for Humility.

Reflection

"... Jesus being full of the Holy Spirit returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the desert for the space of forty days; and was tempted by the devil." (1 Luke 4:1,2) The loving solicitude of our Father in heaven assures us: "My grace is sufficient for thee." We are never tempted beyond our strength; on the contrary, God permits us to grow stronger by resisting temptation. "... for power is made perfect in infirmity" (St. Paul, Cor. 12:9) When tempted say: "My Jesus mercy!" (300 Days Indulgence) "O Mary, conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee." (300 days indulgence) "Mother of Mercy, pray for us." (300 days indulgence)

Act of Concecration

THIRD DAY

Prayer to the Holy Spirit; Act of Contrition; Prayer for Humility.

Reflection

To resist the first advances of temptation, recall to mind the warning of the Holy Spirit: "Know you not, that you are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you? But if any man violate the temple of God, him shall God destroy. For the temple of God is holy, which you are." (1 Cor. 3:16) "In all thy works remember thy last end, and thou shalt never sin." Praise, adoration, thanksgiving to the Holy Spirit of God for His sublime act of love manifested in the Incarnation of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.

Act of Consecration

FOURTH DAY

Prayer to the Holy Spirit; Act of Contrition; Prayer for Humility.

Reflection

"The Spirit of God made me and the breath of the Almighty gave me life." (Job 33:4) We owe every good thought and deed to His loving care. St. Paul teaches us that we are not capable of thinking, willing of doing anything profitable for salvation without a divine and supernatural influence. Often reflect that we are not "sufficient to think anything of ourselves, as ourselves; but our sufficiency if from God." (2 Cor. 3:5)

Act of Consecration.

FIFTH DAY

Prayer to the Holy Spirit; Act of Contrition; Prayer for Humility.

Reflection

Keep in mind that this same Holy Spirit knocks at the door of your heart. How will you respond? "Today if you hear His Voice harden not your hearts." Ponder well that the author of sanctifying grace, which renders you pleasing to God, is the Holy Spirit. In fact, He Himself is communicated to the soul in justification. "The Charity of God is poured forth in our souls by the Holy Spirit, Who is given to us." (Rom. 5:5) Praise, adoration and thanksgiving be to the Holy Spirit of God who sanctifies us to produce from His seven gifts the divine fruits of charity, joy, peace, patience, benignity, goodness, longanimity, mildness, faith, modesty, continency, chastity.

Act of Consecration.

SIXTH DAY

Prayer to the Holy Spirit; Act of Contrition; Prayer for Humility.

Reflection

St. Paul teaches: "No man can say the Lord Jesus, but by the Holy Spirit." (1 Cor. 12:3) If you cannot even pronounce the Holy Name without the inspiration of the Spirit of love, how can we make any progress in the spiritual life without His constant aid? "He saved us by the laver of regeneration and renovation of the Holy Spirit." (Titus 3:5) What deep consolation our Saviour gave to his disciples shortly before ascending to heaven: "It is expedient to you that I go: for it I go not, the Paraclete will not come to you; but if I go, I will send Him to you." (John 16:7) Praise, adoration and thanksgiving be to the Holy Spirit, who by descending upon the apostles and disciples created Pentecostal fires, vitalized the infallible Church, by whose teaching we learn eternal truths, by whose sacraments we receive grace to guide us to heaven.

Act of Consecration.

SEVENTH DAY

Prayer to the Holy Spirit; Act of Contrition; Prayer for Humility.

Reflection

Conviction comes from thinking; - beg the Holy Spirit to enlighten, fortify, and guide you. "Whosoever are led by the Spirit of God, they are the children of God." (Rom. 8:14) To reach our goal, we must clearly know our goal. This knowledge comes to us by humbly invoking the Holy Spirit to firmly believe what God has revealed and promised: "He that cometh to God, must believe that He is, and is a rewarder to them that seek Him." (Heb. 11:6) Praise, adoration and thanksgiving to the Holy Spirit for the priceless gift of faith bestowed on me in Baptism whereby He made me an adopted child of God, filled my soul with sanctifying grace and imparted to me the supernatural virtues of faith, hope and charity.

Act of Consecration.

EIGHTH DAY

Prayer to the Holy Spirit; Act of Contrition; Prayer for Humility.

Reflection

Even though blinded by pride; often depressed and confused by dark clouds of trial and suffering; or carried away by flashes of joy, be recollected and invoke the Holy Spirit of Divine Love to hear our prayer. "The Spirit breatheth where He will; and thou hearest His voice, but thou knowest not whence He cometh and wither He goeth." (John 3:8) "Be penitent, therefore and be converted that your sins may be blotted out." (Acts 3:19) "Create a clean heart in me, O God; and renew a right spirit within me. Cast me not away from Thy face; and take not Thy Holy Spirit from me. Restore unto me the joy of Thy salvation, and strengthen me with a perfect spirit." (Ps. 12, 13, 14)

Act of Consecration.

NINTH DAY

Prayer to the Holy Spirit; Act of Contrition; Prayer for Humility.

Reflection

In His boundless love for me, the Holy Spirit has created me a rational creature and by Baptism He made me a child of God and give me a title to heaven. "The Spirit Himself giveth testimony to our spirit, that we are the children of God." (Rom 8:16) May we never lose sight of our sublime destiny and its corresponding obligations.
No matter how heavy our cross, the yoke becomes sweet, the burden light, the outlook happy and consoling if we appreciate the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. "The Kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but justice, and peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit." (Rom. 14:17) Sweet Mother of God, spouse of the Spirit of divine love, pray for me. Praise, adoration and thanksgiving to the Holy Spirit Who in the sacrament of confirmation imparted a character on my soul and made me a soldier of Jesus Christ.

Act of Consecration.

Nihil Obstat: Vincent Bartuska, J.C.D. - Imprimatur: Charles F. Buddy, Bishop of San Diego - March 25, 1965. - Apostolate of Christian Action, P.O. Box 24, Fresno, California 93707

Te Deum laudámus

To thee, our God, be praise! We acknowledge thee as Lord. In thee the whole earth worships its ever-living Father. All the angels cry to thee, and heaven and all its mighty Powers; the Cherubim and Seraphim continually cry aloud: Holy, holy, holy art thou, Lord God of hosts; Thy sovereign glory fills all heaven and earth. The triumphant band of the Apostles, the prophets, that noble company, the while-robed throng of Martyrs, all sing thy praise. Throughout the world holy Church proclaims thee, the Father, of majesty unbounded; Thy worshipful, true, and only Son; and the Holy Spirit who befriends us. Thou, Christ, art king of glory, Thou, the Father's everliving Son, to set man free thou tookest our flesh, not shrinking from the Virgin's womb. Thou hast conquered the pangs of death, and opened the kingdom of heaven to all believers. Thou sittest at the right hand of God, amid thy Father's glory. We believe that thou wilt come and judge the world. Help us, then, we entreat thee; help thy servants whom thou hast ransomed with thy precious blood. Cause them to be numbered with thy saints in everlasting glory. Save thy people, Lord, and bless thy heritage, and govern them, and evermore uphold them. Day by day we bless thee, and praise thy name for ever, world without end. Lord, be pleased to keep us this day from all sin. Have mercy on us, Lord, have mercy. Lord, let thy mercy rest upon us, who put all our trust in thee. In thee, Lord, is my hope; let me never be put to confusion. Amen.

The Main Obstacle to Great Sanctity and How to Overcome It

The words of Christ, "Without Me you can do nothing", imply that all the work is done by Him. What then, prevents you from 'tying up' with this tremendous power, from being an effective instrument in the competent hands of such omnipotence? It is your own will!
God gives the grace necessary for doing all He asks of us. Due to unwillingness to cooperate on our part, many graces are merely sufficient. God will not sanctify me against my will, but He can change my stubborn resistance, if I let Him. He can change my subjective thinking - this is the way I feel about it, therefore that's the way it is - into a desire to listen to Him. Subjective thinking can keep God from reaching me with simple truths about my obstructions to grace. By giving God permission I can be stripped of my objections to His taking over, and clothed with a dynamic desire to reach Him.
God has a plan to sanctify us through the action of grace in our souls. He can make us great saints, if we let Him. We know that He loves us and wants to give us eternal life, yet we do not seem to act that way. On taking thought, we should come to the conclusion that the way out of the dilemma is to give Him permission and then determine to accept everything that happens to me. Pius XII said (in Mediator Dei) that all Christians are victim souls, and he suggests that we offer ourselves to God at the offertory of the Mass. Or, we can make a deep commitment to this permission in the privacy of our heart.
Compose a short prayer giving God permission to change you, so that you will more readily respond to grace in accepting what each moment brings.
Compose a short prayer giving God permission so to purify you that you can become an effective channel of grace by fully accepting His plan for you and for the world. (Do not use words like martyr, victim, etc.)

Prayer for Holy Mother Church

IN UNION with the SORROWFUL and Immaculate Heart of Mary we hail and adore the Holy Wound of Thy right Hand, O Dearest Jesus, and in this wound we place The Poor SOULS IN PURGATORY AND all the Priests of Thy Holy Church. Each time they offer the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass give them the Fire of Thy Divine LOVE that they may give it, in turn, to the souls entrusted to them. GLORY be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit! Amen!

We hail and adore the Holy Wound of Thy left Hand, and in this Wound we give to Thee THE POOR SOULS IN PURGATORY AND all those in error and nonbelievers, those poorest of the poor who don't know Thee. For the sake of these souls, O Dearest Jesus, send many good workers to Thy vineyards, that they all may find their way to Thy Most Sacred Heart. GLORY be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit! Amen!

We hail and adore the Holy Wounds of Thy Holy Feet, and in these wounds we give Thee the hardened sinners, who love the world more than Thee, especially those who must die today. O Dearest Jesus, don't let Thy Precious BLOOD be lost to them. GLORY be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit Amen.

We hail and adore the Holy Wounds of Thy Most Sacred HEAD, and in these Wounds we give Thee THE POOR SOULS IN PURGATORY AND the enemies of Holy Mother Church, all those who today still make bloody persecutions on Thy Mystical Body. We PRAY Thee, O Dearest Jesus, convert them, summon them, as Thou didst summon Saul to Paul, that there may soon be one Flock and one Shepherd. GLORY be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit! Amen!

We hail and adore the Wound of Thy Most Sacred Heart, and in this Wound we give Thee THE POOR SOULS IN PURGATORY, our souls and all for whom Thou wishest us to pray, especially all the suffering and oppressed, all the persecuted and abandoned. Grant to them all, O Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, Thy Light and Thy Grace. Fill all of us with Thy LOVE and Thy true PEACE. GLORY be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit! Amen. Heavenly Father, through the SORROWFUL and Immaculate Heart of Mary we offer Thee Thy most-LOVED Son and ourselves with Him, in Him, and through Him completely according to His intentions and in the name of, for and from all creatures from the beginning to the end of the world. Amen!

The Healing Flame of Love - Acceptance

In these modern times many people are suffering from severe spiritual malnutrition. Disquiet, unrest and anxiety are the background of our every day problems. Everyone searches for a solution but finds it difficult to get proper answers. The great lacuna of our age is the inability of people in trouble - moral, psychological and spiritual - to find someone who can give answers, compassion, understanding and proper love (giving Christ). In this great dilemma a natural approach can give significant results. Because it is a simple remedy, because it does not preach yet can give a satisfactory result, "acceptance" can be the answer to the universal cry of distress - "Why is this happening to me?"
What is acceptance? It is simply accepting what is happening to me or what has happened to me. Note that it is not accepting what I am afraid is going to happen. Just plain ordinary acceptance of all life's difficulties, frustrations and heartaches can bring peace of mind to anyone who will try it. Though it sounds simple, it has a very firm and deep foundation consisting of three parts. If a person accepts what is happening to him he is living in reality. Psychologically, this is good. Through this acceptance he is to that extent cooperating with God's plan for him. This too is good, spiritually. Thirdly, suffering willingly accepted purifies the soul, bringing it closer to God. Hence, the 'magic' of acceptance is available to every traveler to eternity - believer and non-believer, alike.
There are many things that acceptance can mean or do. It can reorient our life by changing our viewpoint. After terminating our endless worrying over what might happen, it can be a great tranquilizer. It can clear our minds of much useless pondering, allowing more constructive ideas to occupy our mind. If we have been resisting God, acceptance can pull greater help from Him. My acceptance of another person in all his unlovableness can be the first step in loving him properly as my neighbor and enabling God to reach him. Acceptance can strengthen the person, if there is weakness in carrying everyday burdens.
But now the question of accepting evil arises. What to do about my alcoholic or unfaithful husband, the defection of a member of my family, evil situations that are constantly coming to my attention? We must believe that evil would not be allowed by God if He could not get good from it. So we accept the fact of evil in our particular situation but not the evil itself. God posits each situation to obtain a particular result. If there is complete non-acceptance this result is not forth coming, hence a continuation of the situation. It is important to understand therefore, that the good obtainable - the result desired by God - is in great measure dependent on the degree of acceptance of the matter on someone's part.
As I gain the ability to accept my own trials and the trials and sins of others I will obtain the grace to accept the great unrest, injustice and suffering in the world. To the extent that I am accepting the world just as it is, I am cooperating with God in His plan for the world. This will help to change the world's suffering into purification, which will help bring peace to the world.
We marvel at Satan's power over the mind and body of Christ in His passion. Christ allowed the evil of the whole world to inundate Him. He accepted it. This was part of His passion necessary to overcome the world, to redeem it from sin. Should we be surprised if, following Christ, the mystical body is almost overwhelmed by the satanic power of evil temptation? There will be many, realizing that it is Christ Who is suffering in us, who will resist to an heroic degree the pressure of evil in these latter days. We can be so strongly oriented by the depth of our acceptance of almost unreasonable psychological suffering that we may be allowed to participate in God's overthrow of this worlds' evil. Probably never again in time will there be such a great opportunity to do so much for the world with God's help and direction. Not by my own feeble efforts, but by giving myself completely to God's will by acceptance and circumstance, through docility to the Holy Spirit. The stakes are high - .