A Prayer for Lent...

 "I must become a great saint.  

My Jesus wants it." - St Bernadette 

 

"The world is content with setting right

the surface of things;

the church aims at regenerating

the very depths of the heart."

St John Henry Cardinal Newman

The Idea of a University (1852)

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A Prayer of Offering for Lent

My God, I know well, you could have saved us at Your word,

without Yourself suffering; but You did choose to purchase us at the

price of Your Blood.  I look on You, the Victim lifted up on Calvary, and

I know that Your death was an expiation for the sins of the whole world. 

My Lord, I offer You myself in turn as a sacrifice of thanksgiving. 

You have died for me, and I in turn make myself over to You.  My wish

is to be separated from everything of this world; to cleanse myself

simply from sin.  Enable me to carry out what I profess.

Source: A Newman Prayer Book

Editor: VF Blehl, SJ (1990)
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Housing our Lord...

You also, like living stones, are being built 

into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, 

offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable 

to God through Jesus Christ. - I Peter 2:5  

"By our little acts of charity 

practiced in the shade

we convert souls far away, 
we help missionaries,

we win for them abundant alms;

and by that means
build actual dwellings 
spiritual and material 
for our Eucharistic Lord."

St Therese of Lisieux

+ Prayer + Fasting + Almsgiving +

A ready drop of balm...

"A single moment of tribulation assures an immense

weight of glory. Never to suffer would be

the greatest danger for us." - St Paul of the Cross

Pope Francis’ grandmother’s words (kept in his breviary):

“May these my grandchildren, to whom I have given the best 

of my heart, have a long and happy life, but if on some painful day, sickness or the loss of a loved one fills you with grief,

remember that a sigh before the Tabernacle, 

where the greatest and most august martyr resides,

and a gaze at Mary at the foot of the Cross, can make a drop 

of balm fall on the deepest and most painful wounds.”

Lights, please! ...

"God has placed us all in a dark room, 

hoping that we will have sense enough 

to turn the light on... " - Mother Angelica

"There are two things I want you to do -
keep close to Our Lord in the Holy Eucharist... 

(and) stay close to His Mother.

With those two loves, you will always have 
the light to see what is right and what is wrong."

Mother Angelica

Poor Clare Nun

Founder of EWTN

(Eternal Word Television Network)

Anniversary of Death - 03/27/16

Requiescat in pace

"We are called to be great saints,

don't miss the opportunity." 

 Mother Angelica

"A soul that trusts God is invincible." 

 Mother Angelica

"God wants you to be in the world, 

but so different from the world that 

you will change it.  Get cracking."

Mother Angelica

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Related: 
Let go of 'false lights' that lead down the wrong path, Pope says :: Catholic News  Agency (CNA)
18 Mother Angelica Quotes that Hit It Right on the Nose | ChurchPOP

Fourth Sunday of Lent: Rejoice-Be encouraged!...

 Fourth Sunday of Lent

The fourth Sunday of Lent is called " Lætare Sunday", taking its name from the opening words of the Mass, the Introit's "Lætare,Jerusalem"— "Rejoice, O Jerusalem".  In celebration, the priests wear rose-colored vestments.  The point is to provide us encouragement as we progress toward the end of the penitential season.  The day is a day of relaxation from normal Lenten rigors; a day of hope with Easter being at last within sight. Instrumental music is permitted, and the altar may be decorated with flowers.

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Lætare Jerusalem: et conventum facite omnes qui diligitis eam: gaudete cum laetitia, qui in tristitia fuistis: ut exsultetis, et satiemini ab uberibus consolationis vestrae. (Psalm) Laetatus sum in his, quae dicta sunt mihi: in domum Domini ibimus. Gloria Patri.

Rejoice, O Jerusalem: and come together all you that love her: rejoice with joy, you that have been in sorrow: that you may exult, and be filled from the breasts of your consolation. (Psalm) I rejoiced at the things that were said to me: we shall go into the house of the Lord. Glory be to the Father.

  Prayer over the Offerings (Today's Liturgy)

 We place before You with joy these offerings,

which bring eternal remedy, O Lord,

praying that we may both faithfully revere them

and present them to You, as is fitting,

for the salvation of all the world.

Through Christ our Lord.

   

A bit more on Lætare Sunday:

Lætare Sunday is also called Mothering Sunday in Europe, which is similar to the celebration of Mother's Day in the United States. The name Mothering Sunday came about after the Epistle of the day from Galatians 4:26, which states, "But Jerusalem which is above, is free, which is the mother of us all." The Epistle calls Jerusalem the mother of us all and this Sunday all mothers, the Blessed Virgin Mary and especially “mother church” are honored. People frequently try to attend Mass at the nearest cathedral, their mother church. 

Tradition also holds that on Lætare Sunday, English children who lived away from home returned to visit the church in which they were baptized or raised. Children also visited their mothers, bringing flowers or a type of fruit cake. The occasion led to the old saying, "He who goes a-mothering finds violets in the lane."