Wednesday, May 31, 2017

Our life: a Magnificat! ...

St Josemaria Escriva recommended priests to keep the Blessed Sacrament 
company as much as they could.  He wanted all of them to increase 
their devotion to the Eucharist, pointing out to them:

 

“Don’t do it for your parishioners to see, 
but don’t worry if they do see you. 

If you are centered on our Lord, 
and people notice how you love Him, 
they’ll ask you why, 
and then you can tell them 
about this love 
that should fill your whole life.”

Tuesday, May 30, 2017

Simply known...

"If I am not in God's grace, may God put me there;
and if I am, may God so keep me there." - St Joan of Arc

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"About Jesus Christ and the Church,
I simply know 
they're just one thing,
and we shouldn't complicate the matter."
- St Joan of Arc, as recorded at her trial


St Joan of Arc
France ~ 1412-1431
Mystic, Patriot, Martyr
aka - "Maid of Orleans"
Patron of France, soldiers
FEAST DAY - May 30

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"I am not afraid.  I was born to do this." - St Joan of Arc

Click here: St. Joan of Arc - Warrior of God - YouTube (10 mins)

Monday, May 29, 2017

A place of heart...

    ... a broken and contrite heart, O God,
you will not despise. - Psalm 51:17



  "I still remember an evening meditation on Dutch television
during which the speaker poured water on hard, dried-out soil,
saying, 'Look, the soil cannot receive the water and no seed can grow.' 
Then after crumbling the soil with his hands and pouring water
on it again, he said, 'It is only the broken soil that can receive
the water and make the seed grow and bear fruit.'  

    After seeing this, I understood what it meant 
to begin the Eucharist with a contrite heart,
a heart broken open,
to receive the water of God's grace."

Fr Henri Nouwen
With Burning Hearts,
A Meditation on the Eucharistic Life

Photo credit (above):  Eve Anderson 


 MEMORIAL DAY - May 29
Eternal remembrance and gratitude for the innumerable, generous, 
courageous, self-sacrificing and heroic acts of service – seen and unseen.

Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord.
And let perpetual light shine upon them.
May their souls and the souls of all of the faithful departed 
through the mercy of God rest in peace. AMEN

Donald Trump Calls for Memorial Day to Be a Day of Prayer for Permanent Peace After Meeting With Pope Francis

Sunday, May 28, 2017

This is the Host-life...

"It is His will to rise from the dead in our lives and to come back to
the world in His risen Host-life." - Caryll Houselander



"Every day, every hour, Christ is born on the altar
in the hands of the priest. Christ is lifted up and sacrificed;
Christ is buried in the tomb of the human heart
and Christ rises from the tomb to be the life of the world
through His Communion with men.
This is the Host-life.... Everything relates to the Host. ...

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Living the Christ-life means that we are given the power
of Christ's love.  We are not only trustees of God's love for man,
entrusted to give it out second-hand, but miraculously,
our love IS His love!
"I have bestowed my love upon you, just as my father has bestowed
his love upon me; live on, then, in my love." (John XV.9.)

Caryll Houselander
Excerpt from The Passion of the Infant Christ

Saturday, May 27, 2017

O Lord, You are my portion...

The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; 
surely I have a delightful inheritance. - Psalm 16:6

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"God, in His promises to hear our prayers, 
is desirous to bestow Himself upon us;
if you find anything better than Him, ask it; 
but if you ask anything beneath Him,
you put an affront upon Him, and hurt yourself
by preferring to Him a creature which He framed.

Pray in the spirit and sentiment of love, 
in which the royal prophet said to Him,
'Thou, O Lord, are my portion.'
Let others choose to themselves portions among creatures, 
for my part, You are my portion,
You alone I have chosen for my whole inheritance."

St Augustine of Canterbury*
*Not to be confused with St Augustine of Hippo
+605
Italian Benedictine monk
sent by Pope Gregory the Great as missionary to England
First Archbishop of Canterbury
Patron of England
Feast Day: May 27


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In a letter to Augustine, Pope Gregory the Great wrote:
"He who would climb to a lofty height must go by steps, not leaps."


St Augustine of Canterbury, pray for us!



ORDAINED to the Holy Priesthood of Jesus Christ TODAY*
Saturday, May 27, 2017
Oh, day of all love excelling!
An Old German saying: It is worth wearing out a pair of shoes 
to walk to receive a priest's First Blessing!

Rev Mr Paul Baker~ Archdiocese of St Paul/Mpls
Rev Mr Bryce Evans ~ Archdiocese of St Paul/Mpls 
Rev Mr Nicholas Froehle ~ Archdiocese of St Paul/Mpls 
Rev Mr Nicholas Hagen ~ Archdiocese of St Paul/Mpls 
Rev Mr Matthew Quail ~ Archdiocese of St Paul/Mpls 
Rev Mr Tim Sandquist ~ Archdiocese of St Paul/Mpls
Rev Mr Brandon Theisen ~ Archdiocese of St Paul/Mpls
Rev Mr Chad VanHoose~ Archdiocese of St Paul/Mpls
Rev Mr Benjamin Wittnebel ~ Archdiocese of St Paul/Mpls
Rev Mr Timothy Wratkowski ~ Archdiocese of St Paul/Mpls
Cathedral of St Paul ~ 10 AM Mass
 
Rev Mr Samuel Beardslee ~ Diocese of Lincoln (Nebraska) 
Rev Mr Timothy Danek ~ Diocese of Lincoln
Rev Mr Jason Doher~ Diocese of Lincoln
Rev Mr Timothy Kennett ~ Diocese of Lincoln
Rev Mr Andrew Litt ~ Diocese of Lincoln
Cathedral of the Risen Christ ~ 11 AM Mass

Rev Mr Peter Faimega ~ Diocese of St Louis (Missouri)
Rev Mr Michael Lampe ~ Diocese of St Louis
Rev Mr Clark Philipp ~ Diocese of St Louis
Rev Mr John Schneier ~ Diocese of St Louis
Cathedral Basilica of St Louis - 10:00 AM Mass

Rev Mr Andrew Bergkamp~ Diocese of Witchita (Kansas)
Rev Mr JD Betzen ~ Diocese of Witchita
Rev Mr Jacob Carlin ~ Diocese of Witchita
Rev Mr Kyle Dugan ~ Diocese of Witchita
Rev Mr Adam Grelinger ~ Diocese of Witchita
Rev Mr Ed Herzog ~ Diocese of Witchita
Rev Mr Drew Hoffman~ Diocese of Witchita
Rev Mr Clay Kimbro ~ Diocese of Witchita
Rev Mr Andrew Labenz ~ Diocese of Witchita
Rev Mr Jorge Lopez ~ Diocese of Witchita
Church of the Magdalen ~ Witchita  ~10:00 AM Mass

 Rev Mr Kevin Earleywine ~ Diocese of Dubuque (Iowa) 
Rev Mr Ralph Davis ~ Diocese of Dubuque
Rev Mr Andrew Marr ~ Diocese of Dubuque
Rev Mr Austin Wilker ~ Diocese of Dubuque
Cathedral of St Raphael - 10:30 AM Mass  
  
Rev Mr Mark Bernhard ~ Diocese of Joliet (Illinois)
Rev Mr John Honiotes ~ Diocese of Joliet
Cathedral of St Raymond Nonnatus - 11 AM Mass

Rev Mr Daniel Coronado ~ Diocese of Kansas City (Kansas)
Rev M Michael Guastello ~ Diocese of Kansas City
Cathedral of St Peter - 10:30 AM Mass

Rev Mr Wayne Stock ~ Diocese of Springfield (Illinois)
Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception - 10:30 AM Mass
 
Let us hold them in prayer and offer thanksgiving for their 'YES'! 
 
Those who let themselves be seized by this Love
cannot help abandoning everything to follow Him."
St. John Paul II, Vita Consecrata #18 

Friday, May 26, 2017

Fragrance of Paradise...

"God makes all His own the soul 
that is wholly given to Him." St Philip Neri



“Can you feel the
fragrance of Paradise 
which diffuses Itself
from the Tabernacle?"


St Philip Neri
Italy ~ 1515 - 1595
Priest, bears title "Second Apostle of Rome"
Founder - Congregation of the Oratory (Oratorians)
Known for his great JOY
Counter-reformer
Advice regarding prayer:  "Be humble and obedient
and the Holy Spirit will teach you."
FEAST DAY - May 26

  
"The true servant of God acknowledges
no other country but heaven." - St Philip Neri

"Cheerfulness strengthens the heart and makes us 
persevere in a good life.  Therefore the servant of God 
ought always to be in good spirits." - St Philip Neri

 St Philip Neri, pray for us!

Thursday, May 25, 2017

He ascended into heaven...

Solemnity of the Ascension of the Lord*

*All worldwide and ecclesiastical U.S. provinces of BostonHartfordNew YorkNewarkPhiladelphia and the state of Nebraska have retained this celebration
on Thursday, while all other US provinces have transferred
the Solemnity to the Seventh Sunday of Easter, May 28.

...the fortieth day after Easter Sunday, commemorating the Ascension of Christ
into heaven, according to Mark 16:19, Luke 24:51, and Acts 1:2. 

"Let our hearts ascend with Christ."  ~ St Augustine

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“Ascending once again to the Inaccessible Light…
You remain still in the ‘valley of tears,’
hidden beneath the appearances of a white host.” 

St. Thérèse of Lisieux

 
Fr Antoine Thomas, CSJ, celebrating Holy Mass

"...Christ's Ascension is our uplifting, and the hope of the Body is raised, whither the glory of the Head has gone before, let us exult, dearly-beloved, with worthy joy and delight in the loyal paying of thanks.For today not only are we confirmed as possessors of paradise, but have also in Christ penetrated the heights of heaven, and have gained still greater things through Christ's unspeakable grace than we had lost through the devil's malice."- Pope St Gregory the Great - Sermon LXXIII 
  
 

The Feast of the Ascension marks the beginning of the first novena, 
or nine days of prayer.  Today, Catholics recall that first novena
by praying the Novena to the Holy Ghost between Ascension and Pentecost,
asking for the gifts of the Holy Spirit. BEGIN the NOVENA FRIDAY!

Click here: Pentecost Novena PRAYERS (prayers to your email daily)

OR simply pray each day ... 

Come, Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of Your faithful,
and enkindle in them the fire of Your love.

V. Send forth Your Spirit, and they shall be created,
R. And You shall renew the face of the earth.

Let us pray.

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

Click here:  On the Ascension of the Lord - A Homily of St. Leo 

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O my priest, how can you dare to make an offering of Me 
truly and totally complete, if you haven't first made
the offering of yourself, totally complete. - Msgr Vladimir Ghika

Joyously remembering the Ordination of

Fr Spencer J Howe - 25 May 2013
and in gratitude for all men Our Lord has called to the altar as priests.