The Twenty-Third Chapter
Four Things Which Bring Great Peace (part two)
A Prayer Against Bad Thoughts
O Lord my God, be not far from me. O my God, hasten to help me, for varied thoughts and great fears have risen up within me, afflicting my soul. How shall I escape them unharmed? How shall I dispel them?
“I will go before you,” says the Lord, “and will humble the great ones of earth. I will open the doors of the prison, and will reveal to you hidden secrets.”
Do as You say, Lord, and let all evil thoughts fly from Your face. This is my hope and my only comfort—to fly to You in all tribulation, to confide in You, and to call on You from the depths of my heart and to await patiently for Your consolation.
A Prayer for Enlightening the Mind
Enlighten me, good Jesus, with the brightness of internal light, and take away all darkness from the habitation of my heart. Restrain my wandering thoughts and suppress the temptations which attack me so violently. Fight strongly for me, and vanquish these evil beasts—the alluring desires of the flesh—so that peace may come through Your power and the fullness of Your praise resound in the holy courts, which is a pure conscience. Command the winds and the tempests; say to the sea: “Be still,” and to the north wind, “Do not blow,” and there will be a great calm.
Send forth Your light and Your truth to shine on the earth, for I am as earth, empty and formless until You illumine me. Pour out Your grace from above. Shower my heart with heavenly dew. Open the springs of devotion to water the earth, that it may produce the best of good fruits. Lift up my heart pressed down by the weight of sins, and direct all my desires to heavenly things, that having tasted the sweetness of supernal happiness, I may find no pleasure in thinking of earthly things.
Snatch me up and deliver me from all the passing comfort of creatures, for no created thing can fully quiet and satisfy my desires. Join me to Yourself in an inseparable bond of love; because You alone can satisfy him who loves You, and without You all things are worthless.
Dear Lord thank you for so many gifts. Help me simplify my life and stick with the basics of my faith, the sacraments and prayer. Adoration, contrition, thanksgiving, and supplication.
THY WILL BE DONE!!! +JMJ+
Tuesday, January 6, 2009
Sunday, January 4, 2009
Friday, January 2, 2009
Meditation of the day...IMITATION OF CHRIST...
The Twenty-Third Chapter
Four Things Which Bring Great Peace (part one)
The Voice of Christ:
MY CHILD, I will teach you now the way of peace and true liberty.
1. Seek, child, to do the will of others rather than your own.
2. Always choose to have less rather than more.
3. Look always for the last place and seek to be beneath all others.
4. Always wish and pray that the will of God be fully carried out in you.
Behold, such will enter into the realm of peace and rest.
The Disciple:
O Lord, this brief discourse of Yours contains much perfection. It is short in words but full of meaning and abounding in fruit. Certainly if I could only keep it faithfully, I should not be so easily disturbed. For as often as I find myself troubled and dejected, I find that I have departed from this teaching. But You Who can do all things, and Who always love what is for my soul’s welfare, give me increase of grace that I may keep Your words and accomplish my salvation.
Oh Lord, I am ashamed of my worldliness. Please help me better grasp and obtain the advice given. Help me to:
1. Seek to do the will of others rather than my own.
2. Always choose to have less rather than more.
3. Look always for the last place and seek to be beneath all others.
4. Always wish and pray that the will of God be fully carried out.
THY WILL BE DONE!!! +JMJ+
Four Things Which Bring Great Peace (part one)
The Voice of Christ:
MY CHILD, I will teach you now the way of peace and true liberty.
1. Seek, child, to do the will of others rather than your own.
2. Always choose to have less rather than more.
3. Look always for the last place and seek to be beneath all others.
4. Always wish and pray that the will of God be fully carried out in you.
Behold, such will enter into the realm of peace and rest.
The Disciple:
O Lord, this brief discourse of Yours contains much perfection. It is short in words but full of meaning and abounding in fruit. Certainly if I could only keep it faithfully, I should not be so easily disturbed. For as often as I find myself troubled and dejected, I find that I have departed from this teaching. But You Who can do all things, and Who always love what is for my soul’s welfare, give me increase of grace that I may keep Your words and accomplish my salvation.
Oh Lord, I am ashamed of my worldliness. Please help me better grasp and obtain the advice given. Help me to:
1. Seek to do the will of others rather than my own.
2. Always choose to have less rather than more.
3. Look always for the last place and seek to be beneath all others.
4. Always wish and pray that the will of God be fully carried out.
THY WILL BE DONE!!! +JMJ+
Thursday, January 1, 2009
Thoughts on the New Year by Father Leo Patalinghug...
Don't miss this and many other inspiring messages from Father Leo!!!
The Bitter sweetness of a New Year
The New Year is a special time. It is often bittersweet, evidenced by the somber, yet hopeful way we sing “Auld Lang Syne.” Depending on where we are in life, New Year’s can mean many things to different people.
The wild and young at heart see December 31st as the last hurrah of the year and approach the day with revelry. Some approach it with anxiety, especially in light of the current economic instability of which the media constantly reminds us. End of the world “doom and gloomers” are strangely inspired by apocalyptic fear, while lonely people, those who recently experienced a death or break up, find their pain heightened to the point of depression or cynicism.
While December 31st is just another day of the year, it holds a unique importance. For people of faith, this day brings a sense of nostalgic and prayerful reflection of the past as well as joy and hope in the New Year to come.
As Catholics, we not only celebrate the secular understanding of the calendar year’s end, we also celebrate a solemn feast, a Holy Day of Obligation called Mary, the Mother of God. People of faith begin each year in solemn prayer with a distinctive focus. In this celebration, we recognize that Mary, the mother of God, is also our spiritual mother. We have a chance to begin a new year and a new life of grace. If we remember that Jesus (who is God) gave us Mother Mary from the cross, we can truly be born again of the same spiritual mother who gave Jesus to us that first Christmas.
For me, this New Year is extra special. One of my good priest friends, Fr. Patrick Peach, is leaving the Diocesan Priesthood in order to join the Carmel of the Blessed Virgin Mary, in Lake Elmo, Minnesota.
This is a bittersweet departure for his family and friends. I’ll miss Fr. Patrick Peach very much. He’s a great guy and a great priest. I knew him before he entered the seminary and I know that his new life as a semi-contemplative hermit will be powerfully enriching for the entire church. He will serve the church by dedicating his life to contemplation, prayer, and spiritual renewal. Talk about a change: from busy parish life to the business of contemplative prayer.
My young friend’s new life made me reflect on how I should approach the New Year. We have enough poor examples of how the rest of the world approaches the New Year with loud parties and binging. Fr. Peach’s decision helped me to put in perspective how silence, prayer, and deep meditation of God’s goodness is the best way to approach a new year.
Please don’t think I’m trying to put a damper on the holiday/holy day cheer. I just want to offer people an opportunity to approach this significant calendar event in a different way – with some quiet family prayer.
My family celebrates each New Year (and every holiday) with lots of singing, dancing, laughter, and food.
Amidst all the fun, we pause about 20 minutes before midnight for some quiet conversation. We pray, reading the scriptures and offering a thanksgiving prayer to God for the blessings of the past year. We encourage each other to make true resolutions, the same way we resolve to do better after each Confession (which by the way, is a great way to approach the New Year). We pray the Te Deum, a hymn of praise to God. If done with the proper disposition we receive a plenary indulgence; and we always make it to Mass for the Holy Day of Obligation.
As you can see, there is room for celebration in the midst of our prayer. Fr. Peach’s entry to the Carmel is a great reminder for us to make sure that our busy lives permit time for necessary quiet prayer that will help us get through the next year.
While his departure is sad for his family and friends, we are confident that his new life in the New Year will not only balance prayer and celebration, it will combine it perfectly into one act. Prayer will become a true celebration!
A Family Prayer for the New Year
The Te Deum is a great prayer for the entire family to say a few minutes before midnight. It contains deep theological statements about the nature of God and salvation history. It shows that God deserves all praise, for He has been faithful to us this past year. He also promises, as a spouse promises his bride, to be faithful in this life, and more importantly, in the life to come.
I pray that you and your family experience the blessings of the New Year. May our Blessed Mother’s prayers give you a sense of truly being a brother or sister of the Lord.
And by the way, if you don’t say this prayer at midnight, go ahead and pray it anytime, especially on Sundays when priests and religious women pray it as part of their promise of prayer.
Te Deum (To God)
You are God; we praise You;
You are the Lord; we acclaim You;
You are the eternal Father; All creation worships You
To You all angels, all the powers of Heaven, cheribum, and seraphim sing in endless praise; Holy, holy, holy Lord, God of power and might, Heaven and earth are full of Your glory.
The glorious company of apostles praise You.
The noble fellowship of prophets praise You.
The white-robed army of martyrs praise You.
Throughout the world the holy Church acclaims You:
Father, of majesty unbounded; Your true and only Son, worthy of all worship; and the Holy Spirit, advocate and guide.
You, Christ, are the King of glory, the eternal Son of the Father.
When You became man to set us free You did not spurn the Virgin’s womb.
You overcame the sting of death, and opened the kingdom of Heaven to all believers.
You are seated at God’s right hand in glory. We believe that You will come, and be our judge.
Come then, Lord, and help Your people, brought with the price of Your own blood, and bring us with Your saints to glory everlasting.
Save Your people, Lord, and bless Your inheritance. Govern and uphold them now and always.
Day by day we bless You. We praise Your name forever.
Keep us today, Lord, from all sin. Have mercy on us, Lord, have mercy.
Lord, show us Your love and mercy; for we put our trust in You.
In You, Lord, is our hope; and we shall never hope in vain.
Thank God for priests like Father Leo Patalinghug!!!
Thy will be done!!!+JMJ+
The Bitter sweetness of a New Year
The New Year is a special time. It is often bittersweet, evidenced by the somber, yet hopeful way we sing “Auld Lang Syne.” Depending on where we are in life, New Year’s can mean many things to different people.
The wild and young at heart see December 31st as the last hurrah of the year and approach the day with revelry. Some approach it with anxiety, especially in light of the current economic instability of which the media constantly reminds us. End of the world “doom and gloomers” are strangely inspired by apocalyptic fear, while lonely people, those who recently experienced a death or break up, find their pain heightened to the point of depression or cynicism.
While December 31st is just another day of the year, it holds a unique importance. For people of faith, this day brings a sense of nostalgic and prayerful reflection of the past as well as joy and hope in the New Year to come.
As Catholics, we not only celebrate the secular understanding of the calendar year’s end, we also celebrate a solemn feast, a Holy Day of Obligation called Mary, the Mother of God. People of faith begin each year in solemn prayer with a distinctive focus. In this celebration, we recognize that Mary, the mother of God, is also our spiritual mother. We have a chance to begin a new year and a new life of grace. If we remember that Jesus (who is God) gave us Mother Mary from the cross, we can truly be born again of the same spiritual mother who gave Jesus to us that first Christmas.
For me, this New Year is extra special. One of my good priest friends, Fr. Patrick Peach, is leaving the Diocesan Priesthood in order to join the Carmel of the Blessed Virgin Mary, in Lake Elmo, Minnesota.
This is a bittersweet departure for his family and friends. I’ll miss Fr. Patrick Peach very much. He’s a great guy and a great priest. I knew him before he entered the seminary and I know that his new life as a semi-contemplative hermit will be powerfully enriching for the entire church. He will serve the church by dedicating his life to contemplation, prayer, and spiritual renewal. Talk about a change: from busy parish life to the business of contemplative prayer.
My young friend’s new life made me reflect on how I should approach the New Year. We have enough poor examples of how the rest of the world approaches the New Year with loud parties and binging. Fr. Peach’s decision helped me to put in perspective how silence, prayer, and deep meditation of God’s goodness is the best way to approach a new year.
Please don’t think I’m trying to put a damper on the holiday/holy day cheer. I just want to offer people an opportunity to approach this significant calendar event in a different way – with some quiet family prayer.
My family celebrates each New Year (and every holiday) with lots of singing, dancing, laughter, and food.
Amidst all the fun, we pause about 20 minutes before midnight for some quiet conversation. We pray, reading the scriptures and offering a thanksgiving prayer to God for the blessings of the past year. We encourage each other to make true resolutions, the same way we resolve to do better after each Confession (which by the way, is a great way to approach the New Year). We pray the Te Deum, a hymn of praise to God. If done with the proper disposition we receive a plenary indulgence; and we always make it to Mass for the Holy Day of Obligation.
As you can see, there is room for celebration in the midst of our prayer. Fr. Peach’s entry to the Carmel is a great reminder for us to make sure that our busy lives permit time for necessary quiet prayer that will help us get through the next year.
While his departure is sad for his family and friends, we are confident that his new life in the New Year will not only balance prayer and celebration, it will combine it perfectly into one act. Prayer will become a true celebration!
A Family Prayer for the New Year
The Te Deum is a great prayer for the entire family to say a few minutes before midnight. It contains deep theological statements about the nature of God and salvation history. It shows that God deserves all praise, for He has been faithful to us this past year. He also promises, as a spouse promises his bride, to be faithful in this life, and more importantly, in the life to come.
I pray that you and your family experience the blessings of the New Year. May our Blessed Mother’s prayers give you a sense of truly being a brother or sister of the Lord.
And by the way, if you don’t say this prayer at midnight, go ahead and pray it anytime, especially on Sundays when priests and religious women pray it as part of their promise of prayer.
Te Deum (To God)
You are God; we praise You;
You are the Lord; we acclaim You;
You are the eternal Father; All creation worships You
To You all angels, all the powers of Heaven, cheribum, and seraphim sing in endless praise; Holy, holy, holy Lord, God of power and might, Heaven and earth are full of Your glory.
The glorious company of apostles praise You.
The noble fellowship of prophets praise You.
The white-robed army of martyrs praise You.
Throughout the world the holy Church acclaims You:
Father, of majesty unbounded; Your true and only Son, worthy of all worship; and the Holy Spirit, advocate and guide.
You, Christ, are the King of glory, the eternal Son of the Father.
When You became man to set us free You did not spurn the Virgin’s womb.
You overcame the sting of death, and opened the kingdom of Heaven to all believers.
You are seated at God’s right hand in glory. We believe that You will come, and be our judge.
Come then, Lord, and help Your people, brought with the price of Your own blood, and bring us with Your saints to glory everlasting.
Save Your people, Lord, and bless Your inheritance. Govern and uphold them now and always.
Day by day we bless You. We praise Your name forever.
Keep us today, Lord, from all sin. Have mercy on us, Lord, have mercy.
Lord, show us Your love and mercy; for we put our trust in You.
In You, Lord, is our hope; and we shall never hope in vain.
Thank God for priests like Father Leo Patalinghug!!!
Thy will be done!!!+JMJ+
Feast of Mary the Mother of God...
MARY THE MOTHER OF GOD
FEAST DAY: JANUARY 1ST
PRAYER TO MARY, MOTHER OF GOD
CATENA LEGIONIS
Antiphon. --
Who is she that cometh forth as the morning rising, fair as the moon, bright as the Sun, terrible as an army set in battle array?My soul doth magnify the Lord.Because He hath regarded the humility of His handmaid: for behold from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed.For He that is mighty hath done great things to me, and holy is His name. And His mercy is from generation unto generations to them that fear Him.He hath showed might in His arm: He hath scattered the proud in the conceit of their heart.He hath put down the mighty from their seat: and hath exalted the humble. He hath filled the hungry with good things: and the rich He hath sent empty away.He hath received Israel His servant: being mindful of His mercy.As He spoke to our fathers: to Abraham and to his seed forever.Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.
Anitphon. -- Who is she that cometh forth as the morning rising, fair as the moon, bright as the sun, terrible as an army set in battle array?
V. O Mary conceived without sin.
R. Pray for us who have recourse to Thee.
Let us pray:
O Lord Jesus Christ our Mediator with the Father, Who has been pleased to appoint the Most Blessed Virgin, Thy Mother, to be our Mother also, and our Mediatrix with Thee, mercifully grant that whosoever comes to Thee seeking Thy favours may rejoice to receive all of them through her. Amen.
FEAST DAY: JANUARY 1ST
PRAYER TO MARY, MOTHER OF GOD
CATENA LEGIONIS
Antiphon. --
Who is she that cometh forth as the morning rising, fair as the moon, bright as the Sun, terrible as an army set in battle array?My soul doth magnify the Lord.Because He hath regarded the humility of His handmaid: for behold from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed.For He that is mighty hath done great things to me, and holy is His name. And His mercy is from generation unto generations to them that fear Him.He hath showed might in His arm: He hath scattered the proud in the conceit of their heart.He hath put down the mighty from their seat: and hath exalted the humble. He hath filled the hungry with good things: and the rich He hath sent empty away.He hath received Israel His servant: being mindful of His mercy.As He spoke to our fathers: to Abraham and to his seed forever.Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.
Anitphon. -- Who is she that cometh forth as the morning rising, fair as the moon, bright as the sun, terrible as an army set in battle array?
V. O Mary conceived without sin.
R. Pray for us who have recourse to Thee.
Let us pray:
O Lord Jesus Christ our Mediator with the Father, Who has been pleased to appoint the Most Blessed Virgin, Thy Mother, to be our Mother also, and our Mediatrix with Thee, mercifully grant that whosoever comes to Thee seeking Thy favours may rejoice to receive all of them through her. Amen.
IMITATION OF CHRIST: Meditation of the day...
FOR THOSE UNHAPPY WITH WHAT THEY GOT FOR CHRISTMAS:
The Twenty-Second Chapter
Remember the Innumerable Gifts of God (part two)
The Disciple
He, on the other hand, who has received fewer gifts should not be sad or impatient or envious of the richer man. Instead he should turn his mind to You and offer You the greatest praise because You give so bountifully, so freely and willingly, without regard to persons. All things come from You; therefore, You are to be praised in all things. You know what is good for each of us; and why one should receive less and another more is not for us to judge, but for You Who have marked every man’s merits.
Therefore, O Lord God, I consider it a great blessing not to have many things which human judgment holds praiseworthy and glorious, for one who realizes his own poverty and vileness should not be sad or downcast at it, but rather consoled and happy because You, O God, have chosen the poor, the humble, and the despised in this world to be Your friends and servants. The truth of this is witnessed by Your Apostles, whom You made princes over all the world. Yet they lived in this world without complaining, so humble and simple, so free from malice and deceit, that they were happy even to suffer reproach for Your name and to embrace with great affection that which the world abhors.
A man who loves You and recognizes Your benefits, therefore, should be gladdened by nothing so much as by Your will, by the good pleasure of Your eternal decree. With this he should be so contented and consoled that he would wish to be the least as others wish to be the greatest; that he would be as peaceful and satisfied in the last place as in the first, and as willing to be despised, unknown and forgotten, as to be honored by others and to have more fame than they. He should prefer Your will and the love of Your honor to all else, and it should comfort him more than all the benefits which have been, or will be, given him.
Dearest Lord...oh that I should prefer Your will and the love of Your honor to all else!!! Help me THIS NEW YEAR to be the woman you created me to be!!!
THY WILL BE DONE!!!+JMJ+
The Twenty-Second Chapter
Remember the Innumerable Gifts of God (part two)
The Disciple
He, on the other hand, who has received fewer gifts should not be sad or impatient or envious of the richer man. Instead he should turn his mind to You and offer You the greatest praise because You give so bountifully, so freely and willingly, without regard to persons. All things come from You; therefore, You are to be praised in all things. You know what is good for each of us; and why one should receive less and another more is not for us to judge, but for You Who have marked every man’s merits.
Therefore, O Lord God, I consider it a great blessing not to have many things which human judgment holds praiseworthy and glorious, for one who realizes his own poverty and vileness should not be sad or downcast at it, but rather consoled and happy because You, O God, have chosen the poor, the humble, and the despised in this world to be Your friends and servants. The truth of this is witnessed by Your Apostles, whom You made princes over all the world. Yet they lived in this world without complaining, so humble and simple, so free from malice and deceit, that they were happy even to suffer reproach for Your name and to embrace with great affection that which the world abhors.
A man who loves You and recognizes Your benefits, therefore, should be gladdened by nothing so much as by Your will, by the good pleasure of Your eternal decree. With this he should be so contented and consoled that he would wish to be the least as others wish to be the greatest; that he would be as peaceful and satisfied in the last place as in the first, and as willing to be despised, unknown and forgotten, as to be honored by others and to have more fame than they. He should prefer Your will and the love of Your honor to all else, and it should comfort him more than all the benefits which have been, or will be, given him.
Dearest Lord...oh that I should prefer Your will and the love of Your honor to all else!!! Help me THIS NEW YEAR to be the woman you created me to be!!!
THY WILL BE DONE!!!+JMJ+
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