Liturgy: above all, adoration...

 "Christ the Lord hath risen, 

our Joy that hath no end!"

St John of Damascus

_____________________________________________

 Blessed be the LORD! ... The LORD is my 

strength and my shield; in him my heart trusts;

so I am helped, and my heart exults, and with

my song I give thanks to him. - Psalm 28:7

 

"The liturgy is, above all, adoration. 
The Church is the work of God, God's action; 
it is recognition of what God does for men.

And the adoration that the liturgy expresses, 

especially the Eucharist,

is the acknowledgment of God,
that everything comes from Him,

that everything that belongs to us 

must find Him." 

Cardinal Antonio Cañizares

______________________________

Pope Pius V tirelessly worked to promote the true faith

and Divine Worship.  He standardized the Holy Mass

by promulgating the 1570 edition of the Roman Missal.

Pope St Pius V

Italy  ~ 1504-1572

Dominican*, Church Reformer

"Pope of the Rosary"

*His decision to keep wearing his Dominican habit

led to the custom of the pope wearing a white cassock.

Feast Day - April 30

 

"All the evils in the world are due to

lukewarm Catholics." - St Pius V

St Pius V, pray for us!

More on St Pius V: 

Click here: St. Pius V - YouTube (2 mins)

Probably the act for which Pius V will be longest remembered is his exemplary and unparalleled leadership at the time of the Battle of Lepanto.

In 1565, the Knights of Saint John defended Malta against a tremendous attack by the Turkish fleet and lost nearly every fighting man in the fortress. It was Pope Pius V who sent encouragement and money with which to rebuild their battered city. The pope called for a crusade among the Christian nations and appointed a leader who would be acceptable to all. He ordered the Forty Hours Devotion to be held in Rome, and he encouraged all to say the Rosary.

When the Christian fleet sailed out to meet the enemy, every man on board had received the sacraments, and all were praying the Rosary. The fleet was small, and numerically it was no match for the Turkish fleet, which so far had never met defeat. They met in the Bay of Lepanto on Sunday morning, October 7, 1565.  After a day of bitter fighting, and, on the part of the Christians, miraculous help, the Turkish fleet - what was left of it - fled in disgrace, broken and defeated, its power crushed forever.

Before the victorious fleet returned to Rome, Pope Pius V had knowledge of the victory through miraculous means. He proclaimed a period of thanksgiving, placed the invocation, "Mary, Help of Christians" in the Litany of Loreto and established the feast of Our Lady of Victory (later changed to Our Lady of the Rosary) in commemoration of the victory.

_____________

 

Day 9 - Final Day

Novena to St Joseph

St. Joseph the Worker Novena

 

Feast Day:  May 1 (Patron of Workers)

St Joseph, pray for us!

Each drop: precious...

     "Love does not stay idle."

 St Catherine of Siena, Letter T82

Precious Blood,

Ocean of Divine Mercy:

Flow upon us! 

Precious Blood,

Most pure Offering:

Procure us every Grace! 

Precious Blood,

Hope and Refuge of sinners:

Atone for us! 

Precious Blood,

Delight of holy souls:

Draw us! Amen.

Prayer of
St Catherine of Siena
Italy  ~ 1347 -1380
Doctor of the Church
Reformer, mystic, writer
Third Order Dominican
Incorrupt
Feast Day - April 29

  

 "I treasure your knowing how to give 

the world a kick." -  St Catherine of Siena

"Be who God meant you to be and you will 

set the world on fire." - St Catherine of Siena

"Proclaim the truth and do not be 
silent through fear." - St Catherine of Siena

Click here: St. Catherine of Siena - YouTube (2 mins)
Click here: St. Catherine of Siena - YouTube (3:23 mins)
Click here: Quotes Catherine of Siena

"Do not be satisfied with little things, because 

God wants great things!" St Catherine of Siena

St Catherine of Siena, pray for us!

_____________

 

Day 8

Novena to St Joseph

St. Joseph the Worker Novena

 

Feast Day:  May 1 (Patron of Workers)

St Joseph, pray for us!

Bearing much fruit...

Fifth Sunday of Easter

Alleluia, alleluia.  Remain in me as I remain in you, 

says the Lord.  Whoever remains in me 

will bear much fruit.  Alleluia, alleluia

From the Catechism of the Catholic Church: 

2074: Jesus says: "I am the vine, you are the branches. 

He who abides in me, and I in him, he it is that bears 

much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing." 

The fruit referred to in this saying is the holiness of a life made 

fruitful by union with Christ.  When we believe in Jesus 

Christ, partake in his mysteries, and keep his commandments, 

the Savior himself comes to love, in us, his father 

and his brethren, our Father and our brethren. 

His person becomes, through the Spirit, the living and 

interior rule of our activity, "This is my commandment, 

that you love one another as I have loved you." 

(Bolds added for emphasis)

The Lord's Day is the lord of days... 

but also remembering today... 

these who fully abided in the Vine!
Feast Day April 28th

St Louis de Montfort, pray for us!

St Gianna Molla, pray for us!
St Peter Chanel, pray for us!

_____________

Day 7

Novena to St Joseph

St. Joseph the Worker Novena 

 

Feast Day:  May 1 (Patron of Workers)

St Joseph, pray for us!

As the soul gazes at Jesus...

 "If only we had the humility to realize that He alone is

Goodness and makes us good. As soon as we come into His 

Presence in the Eucharist, our souls respond to the power 

before them like a sunflower turning towards the sun.

His silent Presence, hidden in the tabernacle,

says to each one of us, 'I love you.  Come to Me 

all you who labor and are burdened and I will 

refresh you.  Come to the fountain of life and drink. 

Tell Me your problems.  Listen to My voice.  I tug at your 

heart, guiding your way and smoothing your path.'

There is between the Eucharistic Heart of Jesus 

and the soul, a silent exchange of love, a sharing of pain, 

an inaudible dialogue between two who know

 each other perfectly and love each other deeply.

It is as if the soul sees itself in a perfect Mirror

and knows clearly its faults and imperfections. 

A strange phenomenon occurs 

as the soul gazes at Jesus. 

Its own reflection becomes brighter. 

Its faults fade away and one day that 'soul is turned -

transformed into the image it reflected' (II Cor 3:18).

This being true, why do we permit our souls 

to die of thirst when the Fountain of Living 

Water is just around the corner?"

Mother Angelica

To Leave and Yet to Stay

____________________

Day 6

Novena to St Joseph

St. Joseph the Worker Novena 

 

Feast Day:  May 1 (Patron of Workers)

St Joseph, pray for us!