Indulgence at Death obtained Now!

One of the ways in which the Church is most evidently a loving Mother is in the dispensation of indulgences, which encourage us to devotions most helpful to our salvation.

There are ten plenary indulgences to be gained at the hour of death.

The First

Of these ten, one most unusual indulgence can be gained NOW, and it will apply automatically at the moment of death: "The faithful who at any time in their lives, from a sincere spirit of love of God and with at least a contrite heart, express their intention of accepting calmly and gladly from the hand of God whatsoever manner of death it may please Him to send them, together with all its anguish and suffering."

When we realize that a plenary indulgence is the application by the Church of the Infinite treasury of Christ to the COMPLETE REMISSION OF ALL TEMPORAL PUNISHMENT DUE TO OUR SINS, this particular indulgence is almost unbelievable.

There are nine other ways to obtain a plenary indulgence at the hour of death, but all of them necessitate Confession and Communion shortly before death or at least a contrite heart, and the invocation of the name of Jesus - verbally if possible - while at the same time accepting death as the wage of sin.

Of these nine ways, eight require daily, or at least "frequent", recitation throughout life of certain prayers:

Eight More

1. "May the most just, the most high and the most lovable will of God be in all things done, praised and evermore exalted."


2. The Acts of Faith, Hope, Charity and Contrition (all four);


3. "Jesus";


4. "Mary";


5. "Hail Holy Queen, Mother of Mercy, O hail, our life, our sweetness and our hope. To thee do we cry, poor banished chrildren of Eve; to thee do we sigh, mourning and weeping in this vale of tears. Turn then, O most gracious Advocate, thine eyes of mercy towards us and after this our exile, show unto us the blessed fruit of thy womb, Jesus, O merciful, O loving, O sweet Virgin Mary!"


6. "We fly to thy patronage, O holy Mother of God; despise not our petitions in our necessities, but deliver us always from all dangers, O glorious and blessed Virgin."


7. "Angel of God, my guardian dear, to whom His love commits me here; ever this day (or night) be at my side, to light and guard, to rule and guide, Amen."


8. (a) "The faithful who spend at least a quarter of an hour reading Holy Scripture with the reverence due to the Word of God and after the manner of spiritual reading, or
   (b) "who read at least a few verses of the Gospel and further kiss the book of the Gospels, devoutly reciting one of the following invocations: Through the Gospel's words may our sins be blotted out - May the reading of the Gospel be our health and protection - May Christ, the Son of God, teach us the words of the Holy Gospel."

The TENTH
The last way to gain a plenary indulgence at the hour of death can be obtained by doing something only ONCE DURING LIFE. If we have done this one thing, then, for invoking the name of Jesus with a contrite heart and with resignation to death as wage of sin, we may obtain a plenary indulgence at the moment of death.
This one thing is to perform some special exercises of devotion in honor of the Immaculate Virgin Mary ON THE FIRST SATURDAY OF THE MONTH, in order to atone for blasphemies whereby the name and preprogatives of the same blessed Virgin are reviled, FOR EIGHT CONSECUTIVE MONTHS.

Our Lady's Confirmation
Moreover, each time that we make this practice we gain a plenary indulgence. This was proclaimed on June 13th, 1912, just five years to the day before Our Lady of Fatima appeared for the seocnd time.
In her apparitions Our Lady asked for reparation to her on the First Saturday of the month, and promised to COME AT THE HOUR OF DEATH to those who would do a certain thing on the first Saturday for ONLY FIVE consecutive months, namely:
Say the Rosary, receive Holy Communion in a spirit of reparation, and spend fifteen minutes thinking about one or more mysteries of the Rosary.

Fatima's Influence
Three years after the apparitions of Fatima, Pope Benedict XV, without taking away the plenary indulgence each time anyone made an act of reparation in honor of Our Lady on a First Saturday, added the PLENARY INDULGENCE AT THE HOUR OF DEATH for those who would renew the practice on eight consecutive first Saturdays.
Does ist not seem that this devotion of the "First Saturdays" has more importance than some of us are wont to attach to it?
And it is so easy! Just fifteen minutes of thought, which might even be made and related to attending Mass; the Rosary; and Holy Comunion.
Extraordinary, isn't it?
Why don't YOU begin... next First Saturday?
Know all will happen?
Your life will change.

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

My Daily Prayer

DEAR CHILD OF GOD:

"My Daily Prayer" comes to you as one of God's children. God is your kind, merciful, and loving Father. He is the most understanding and the most forgiving of all fathers. He really cares for you. He loves you; and He wants you to know Him, love Him, and serve Him in this world and be perfectly happy, for all eternity, in the world to come. This is your longing desire - the salvation of your soul - after all, the only thing that counts. "My Daily Prayer" will be for you a wonderful help in attaining this all-important end. Say it earnestly and fervently. Make it a real prayer. Let every word come from your heart. Say it every day. May God bless your efforts!

R. J. Markham, 60 Compton Rd., Cincinnati, Ohio 45215

I BELIEVE in one God. I believe that God rewards the good, and punishes the wicked.

I BELIEVE that in God there are three Divine Persons - God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit.

I BELIEVE that God the Son became Man, without ceasing to be God. I believe that He is my Lord and my Saviour Jesus Christ, the Redeemer of the human race, Who died on the Cross for the salvation of all men, Who died also for me.

I BELIEVE, on God's authority, everything that He has taught and revealed.

O MY GOD, give me strong faith. O my God, help me to believe with lively faith.

O MY GOD, relying on Your almighty power and infinite mercy and promises, I sincerley hope to be saved. Help me to do all that is necessary for my salvation.

I HAVE committed many sins in my life, but now I turn away from them, and hate them. I am sorry, truly sorry for all of them, because I have offended You, my God, Who art all-good, all-perfect, all-holy, all-merciful - my kind and loving Father.

I LOVE You, O my God, with all my heart. Forgive me, I implore You, for having offended You.

I PROMISE, O God, that with Your help I will never offend You again.

MY GOD, HAVE MERCY ON ME.

Our Lady of the Smile and Saint Theresa of the Infant Jesus

"I will let fall from heaven a shower of roses". (Word from Saint Theresa of the Infant Jesus)

PRAYER: O Mary, Mother of Jesus and our Mother who, through a visible smile, did once console and cure thy privileged child, Saint Theresa of the Infant Jesus, we beseech thee, console us also in the sorrows of this life; detach our hearts from the world. Grant us health both of soul and body, strengthen our hope, obtain for us the favor of etenally enjoying in heaven thy gracious motherly smile. Amen.

O Virgin of the smile, convert sinners, heal the sick, and assist the dying.

Saint Theresa of the Child Jesus, pray for us.

Imprimatur: (200 jours d'indulgence) Paul-Emile Cardinal Léger, Arch. de Montréal, 7 novembre 1960. - Litho Sainit-Gabriel, Montréal, Canada

The Devotion to Jesus Crucified - Adoration of the Holy Wounds

The Crucified and Humanity Reconciled - "On Christ's behalf I beg you to be reconciled to God" (2 Cor. 5, 20).

This devotion to Jesus Crucified owes much to the humble Franciscan lay brother, Fra Leopoldo, who died in odour of sanctity in 1922. Gifted with a deep sense of mental prayer, he became the confident of Jesus Crucified who inspired him the prayer of the DEVOTION TO JESUS CRUCIFIED. Approved and granted indulgences, the prayer was translated into various languages and distributed by the millions of copies throughout the world. By granting extraordinary graces to those who practise it, God has shown that it was extremely agreeable to Him. In 1912, Fra Leopoldo became acquainted with Fra Teodoreto, a member of the Brothers of the Christian Schools'Institute. Henceforth Our Lord revealed to his confident that He had chosen this Institute to diffuse the DEVOTION TO JESUS CRUCIFIED.

Our Lord to Leopoldo: Go and write down that it is I, your Jesus, who has guided you when you wrote the words of the saintly DEVOTION / ADORATION TO JESUS CRUCIFIED. You shall tell the members of the pious Union that I love them immensely, that their work is rather light as compared to the infinite reward I have in store for them.
You could not have shown me more love than by distributing the leaflets of the Adoration, so that they reach generous souls who will make repartion to my Divine Person (10-X-1908).
When I ask you if you love me, I do not mean you only and directly. My wish is to be loved through the Devotion to the Most Holy Crucifix which I want spread throughout the whole world (1-1-1909).
The penance I give you is to make me loved throughout the whole world by means of the Devotion (13-1-1909).
In truth, I tell you, the homes where this Devotion is practised shall be blessed (19-1-1909).
After your death, I will show you all the souls who have obtained salvation through the Devotion. A soul dedicated to this saintly Adoration shall not be damned (1-V-1909).
Those who practise the Adoration of the Most Holy Crucifix with faith and love shall enjoy eternal happiness (23-VIII-1909).
Be it known to you, Leopoldo, that I, your tender love, Jesus Crucified, rejoice with a noble and sublime happiness at being glorified through you on earth when you instil the saintly Devotion / Adoration. If I desire so much having it known, it is that, without this Cross sanctified by my Precious Blood, nobody would enter Paradise (16-XII-1909).
You shall hear of the great marvels I will operate in those practising the saintly Devotion (18-1-1912).
I will give a very ardent faith to those who will practise the saintly Adoration and I will continue to feed them with it (7-1-1913).
Do you know why I love you so? It is because, in addition to your loving me, you make me loved as much as you can through my Devotion (19-XI-1908).
Leopoldo, as long as you practise the saintly Adoration, you may rest assured that no evil will ever befall you (18-VI-1918).
Continue working in my vineyard, strive constantly to spread my Devotion more and more, because it is my own. Remember that holy enterprise: instil and diffuse the saintly Adoration throughout the whole world.
The souls who love me shall find me near them in the saintly Adoration, and I will be their sanctification. Here are the graces and blessings I will grant profusely to my devotees. I will grant them the gift of tears, the compunction of the heart, and the food most necessary to their souls.

The Blessed Virgin Mary to Fra Leopoldo: You rank first among the merchants of the world because your product, the Devotion to Jesus Crucified, is so agreeable to God that it gathers for yourself inestimable treasures for eternal life.

(Appropriate formulas to inspire prayer and contemplation)

ADORATION OF THE HOLY WOUNDS

O my most amiable Lord Jesus Crucified, prostrated in the deepest respect, with the Most Blessed Virgin Mary, all the Angels und the Blessed of Heaven, I adore the most holy Wound of your right Hand. I thank you for the infinite love which prompted you to suffer so many and so atrocious sorrows as a reparation for my sins which I detest with all my heart. I beseech You to grant to the Holy Church victory over its enemies, and to all her sons to walk saintly on the way of your commandments.
O my most amiable Lord Jesus Crucified, prostrated in the deepest respect, with the Most Blessed Virgin Mary, all the Angels and the Blessed of heaven, I adore the most holy Wound of your left Hand. I beg your mercy for the poor sinners and for the dying, especially for those who are not willing to be reconciled with you.
O my most amiable Lord Jesus Crucified, prostrated in the deepest respect, with the Most Blessed Virgin Mary, all the Angels and the Blessed of heaven, I adore the most holy Wound of your right Foot. I beg of You the grace that in all the clergy and among the persons consecrated to You may spring up numerous flowers of sanctity.
O my most amiable Lord Jesus Crucified, prostrated in the deepest respect, with the Most Blessed Virgin Mary, all the Angels and the Blessed of heaven, I adore the most holy Wound of your left Foot. I pray to You for the liberation of the souls in Purgatory, especially those who during their lifetime were the most devoted to your holy Wounds.
O my most amiable Lord Jesus Crucified, prostrated in the deepest respect, with the Most blessed Virgin Mary, all the Angels and the Blessed of Heaven, I adore the most holy Wound of your Sacred Side and I beseech You to bless all the persons who recommend themselves to my prayers, and to grant their request.
O my most amiable Lord Jesus Crucified, your Holy Face has been disfigured by the wickedness of men and by our sins. You have taken upon yourself the chastisment that brought us peace. The crown of thorns lacerated your Skull, your venerable Brow, your Sacred Head, Temple of the Divine Wisdom. I love You and I adore You, Lord Jesus. The Wound of your bruised Shoulder, the Wounds of your torn Knees and those inflicted by your atrocious Falgellation are all mouths loudly proclaiming your love, amiable Saviour. I associate my humble life to your merits and sorrows, Host of Mercy, with You I offer myself to the glory of the Father. Amen.

FINAL PRAYER

O my most amiable Lord Jesus Crucified, deign to enrich these prayers with the merits of your Passion. Grant me sanctity of life, the grace of receiving the Sacraments at the hour of my death, and eternal glory. Amen.

AFTER EACH ADORATION, SAY:

• Our Lady of the Seven Sorrows, pray for us.
• My Jesus, pardon and mercy, through the mertis of your Holy Wounds.
• Eternal Father, I offer You the Wounds of Our Lord Jesus Christ, to heal those of our souls.
  

PATER: 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, an lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. Amen.

AVE: 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.

GLORIA: Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,world without end. Amen.

The Blessed Virgin Mary to Marie-Marthe Chambon: My daughter, my Son, your Divine Spouse, suffers no longer! He is resurrected and glorious. His Wounds are henceforth the source to which the souls will come to draw innumerable graces, and the dwelling where the most miserable will find shelter. Be prepared to worship these glorious Wounds.

If it is wealth you seek, you must draw them from the Holy Wounds of my Son. All lights from the Holy Spirit flow out of the Wounds of Jesus, but you will receive those gifts in proportion to your humbleness. You can easily free the souls in Purgatory and open to them the door of heaven by offering the Holy Wounds to God the Father on their behalf. If I am in heaven and also the other saints, we all owe it to the merits of the Divine Wounds of my Son. By exploiting these Holy Wounds, you too shall become great. It is through my Immaculate Heart that the Holy Wounds of my Son must be honoured.

The Blessed Virgin Mary to Fra Leopoldo: Those who like to worship my Divine Son, Jesus Crucified, gain merits not only from Him but also from Me, his Mother. I fill their hearts with the sweetest consolations.

Continue doing as you do now: love my Son and make Him loved through the Devotion to the Holy Crucifix, by inviting people to practise it. Your mission is to introduce the Holy Devotion / Adoration to the Most Holy Crucifix into all the Christian families, under the leadership of the Holy Father.

Our Lord to Saint Gemma Galgani: Behold, He said to her, showing her His Wounds, these are works of love; of infinite love! They show to what extent I have loved you.

Our Lord to Gabrielle Bossis: Today, live within my Wounds, with my Wounds. They sadden you? See them in their glory. No other devotion is greater. They are all myself. They are my Heart, my Limbs, my Head. To love the Father and the Spirit, borrow my Heart; to love your Jesus, offer Him his Passion.

Our Lord to Marie-Marthe Chambon: Here is the source from which you must draw everthing; it is rich, especially for you. Just lie in the Wound of my Side. It is the Wound of my love from which very ardent flames spring up. Come into my Heart, you shall fear nothing. Stretch out your hand to gather my treasures. Take them because my Heart is overflowing with them. I cannot hold them any longer, so great is my desire to give them.

Our Lord to Josefa Menendez: Behold my Wounds, worship them, kiss them. Souls are not the ones who have inflicted them upon Me. It is love. Do you know who thrust this crown into my Head? It is love. Do you know who transpierced my Heart? It is love. Offer often to my Father the Blood from my transpierced heart. By their fidelity and love, may the pious souls know how to heal the wounds inflicted to me by sinners.

DEPTH OF THIS DEVOTION AS REVEALED BY PAUL THE APOSTLE

"Though Jesus possessed the nature of God, ... He laid it aside to take the nature of a slave and become like other men. When He had assumed human form, He still further humbled Himself and carried his obedience so far as to die, and to die upon the Cross! That is why God has so greatly exalted Him and given Him a name above all others... so that everyone should acknowledge Jesus Christ as Lord and thus glorify God the Father" (Ph. 2, 6-11).

"To those who are on the way to destruction, the mystery of the Cross is nonsense, but to us who are to be saved, it means all the power of God" (I Cor, 1, 18).

"Christ Jesus who died, or rather who was raised from the dead, is at God's right hand, and anctully pleads for us. Who can separate us from Christ's love" (Rom. 8, 34-35)?

AIMS OF THE DEVOTION

1. To make reparation for the many outrages that Jesus Christ suffers from the impious, blasphemers, and unthankful, who would like to see Him banished from the schools, the families, and society.
2. To awaken in the hearts sorrow for sin, gratitude and love for Our Lord Jesus Christ, and a desire to receive Him frequently in the Holy Communion.
3. To obtain Christian life in the families, a good education for the young people, the converion of sinners, and salvation for the dying.
4. To introduce everywhere the Holy Crucififx or the Holy Face of Jesus, as reproduced from the Holy Shroud of Turin.

The Union of the Most Holy Crucifix and of the Most Holy Virgin Immaculate, founded in Turin, at the House of the Brothers of the Christian Schools, by archiepiscopal decree of May the 9th, 1914, and placed under the high patronage of H. E. Rev. Mons. Angelo Bartolomasi, is an Association that has its purpose to awaken in Catholics, and especially in the Catholic youth, the spirit of christian piety, religious reparation and holy zeal. The Union includes three categories:

CATECHISTS, PROPOTERS, ASSOCIATES.

The Catechists teach the Christian Doctrine. They hold meetintgs and have special feasts and regulations.

The Promoters are the faithful who help in the work of the Catechists and do their best in performing what is herewith mentioned: 1 - Practise every day the "DEVOTION TO JESUS CRUCIFIED" and work with zeal to diffuse by all menas this devotion, 2 - Receive the Holy Communion at least once a month.

The Associates are the faithful Christians who do their best to practise every day the "DEVOTION TO JESUS CRUCIFIED".

In order to be admitted as Promoter or as Associate to the Union, it is necessary to send to the Presidency an application with the following indications: Name and Surname - Address - Category (Promoter, Catechist or Associate - He or she).

PONTIFICAL BLESSING

We pray the Lord to bestow his graces upon the Director and the members of the pious Union of the Most Holy Crucifix, canonically founded in Turin, because priests, through voice and example, and laymen, with sanctity of life, ought to always "Forget everything but Jesus Christ and his Crucifixion" (I Cor, 2, 2).

From the Vatican, January 18, 1915 - Benedict XV, Pope

THE COMPANIONS OF JESUS+, 3505, Bagot Street, Montreal, Quebec, Canada, H1X 1C4, Telephone: (514) 376-8502

Crucifix Venerated

We reproduce here the detail of a Crucifix of the XIIIth century which iluminated with its rays Saint Francis of Sales, when he was preaching before the Senate of Savoie, on the 24th of March 1606. It is now venerated at the chapel of the Visitation in Saint-Pierre d'Albigny.

"Jesus has loved me and has given himself up for me" (Ga. 2, 20).

Chaplet of Mercy

This chaplet begins with the following aspirations:

1. O Jesus, Divine Redeemer, be merciful to us and to the whole world.
2. Holy God, Strong God, Immortal God, have mercy on us and on the whole world.
3. Grace and mercy, o my Jesus, in the present dangers; cover us with your most precious Blood.
4. O Eternal Father, be merciful to us through the Blood of your only Son; be merciful to us, we beseech You.

On the small beads of the rosary we say:
"MY JESUS, PARDON AND MERCY; THROUGH THE MERITS OF YOUR HOLY WOUNDS".
On the larger beads of the rosary we say:
"Eternal Father, I offer you the Wounds of Our Lord Jesus Christ; to heal those of our souls".

ORIGIN OF THE INVOCATIONS

Sister Marie-Marthe Chambon, the humble lay sister of the Visitation of Chambéry who died in odour of sanctity, March 21, 1907, attests having received the two invocations together with magnificent promises from Our Lord Jesus Christ.

JESUS' PROMISES

• I will grant all that is solicited from Me through the invocation of my holy Wounds. This devotion must be spread.
• In truth, this devotion comes not from earth but from heaven. It can obtain everything.
• My holy Wounds support the world... ask me to like them constantly, for they are the source of graces. One must invoke them often, attract others to them and instill this devotion in the souls.
• When you suffer sorrows, promptly confide them to my Wounds and they will be alleviated.
• The following aspirations must be repeated often to sick persons: "My Jesus, pardon and mercy..." etc. This prayer will soothe both body and soul.
• And the sinner who will say: "Eternal Father, I offer You the Wounds of Our Lord Jesus Christ..." etc., will obtain conversion.
• My Wounds shall heal yours.
• There shall be no death for the souls who will pass out in my Wounds. They give the true life.
• For each word of the Chaplet of Mercy that you will pronounce, I will allow a drop of my Blood to fall upon the soul of a sinner.
• The soul who will have honoured my holy Wounds and will have offered them to the Eternal Father for the souls in Purgatory shall be accompanied by the Blessed Virgin and the Angels at the hour of their death and I, in my radiant glory, will receive them and crown them.
• The holy Wounds are the treasure of treasures for the souls in Purgatory.
• The Devotion to my Wounds is the remedy to these times of iniquity.
• Fruits of sanctity pour out of my Wounds.
• By meditating upon them you shall acquire new food for love.
• My child, if you dip your actions in my holy Wounds, they shall acquire value; your smallest actions covered with my Blood shall satisfy my Heart.
• My holy Wounds must be offered to my Eternal Father. Through them the Church shall triumph, being helped by my Immaculate Mother.

Nihil obstat et imprimatur: Can. Zucchelli.
Note: The leaflets are distributed FREE OF CHARGE to whoever asks for them. However all voluntary offerings to help promote the diffusion of the Devotion will be gratefully accepted.
The Companions of Jesus +, 3505, Bagot Street, Montreal, Quebec, Canada, H1C 1C4, Telephone: (514) 376-8502