February 2: Offering of Jesus and Purification of our blessed Lady: Candelmas.
On 2nd February we celebrate the Offering of Jesus to God and also the Purification of Mary, 40 days after the birth of Our Lord Saviour.
This Feast is thus linked to Christmas. It is the Feast of Light.
The symbolism of the lighted candles – the Candlemas Procession – evokes the manifestation of Christ, Light of the World, when Simeon, enlightened by he Holy Spirit, proclaimed the infant Jesus to be sent b God as “a light which shall shine upon all nations and he glory of the people of Israel”.
The image of the Holy Virgin is present everywhere on this Feast, perhaps the earliest and most ancient of all Marian feasts.
“O Lord, Jesus Christ who has appeared among mankind, wearing human flesh and was presented at the Temple by Your parents where the righteous man Simeon, inspired by the Holy Spirit, recognised You and was able to hold You in his arms and bless You. Allow that, enlightened by the grace of the Holy Spirit, we too are able to recognise You without mistake and love You without fail.” Prayer of the blessing of candles at Candlemas.
The 54 Days’ Novena of the Rosary
- The origin of the “54 Days’ Rosary Novena”
In order to be continuously in the presence of Our Lady, Bartolo Longo ” Apostle of the Rosary ”, beatified by Pope John-Paul II in 1980, felt the urge to write a novena to the Virgin of Pompei.
Following is his story account: “In the month of August 1879, as I was seriously ill, I wrote a prayer in honour of Our Lady of Pompei in view of obtaining her graces; it is the Novena to Our Lady of Pompei seeking her graces in desperate situations.”
On 3rd March 1884, a young girl named Fortuna Agrelli received a revelation on this special devotion from the Blessed Virgin Mary. At the time, suffering from three distinct incurable illnesses, her case had been abandoned by the medical doctors. In the last resort, the young girl and her family had started to pray a rosary novena.
Our Lady appeared before Fortuna in the same way as she had appeared before Saint Bartolo Longo a few years before, seated on a high throne, a rosary in her hand, and holding the Infant-Jesus on her knees, with Saint Dominic and Saint Catherine of Sienna surrounding her.
The young invalid greeted the Holy Virgin with those words: “Queen of the Holy Rosary, have mercy on me, and make me well again! I have already offered you a novena of prayers, O Holy Mary, but have not yet received your assistance. I want so much to recover soon”.
“My child, answered the Holy Virgin, you have invoked me under different titles and I have granted you some favours. Now, since you have addressed me as “Queen of the Rosary” which sounds so pleasant to me, I cannot refuse the favour you seek; this is my most precious and dear title. Thus, if you pray three novenas, you will be granted everything.”
On another occasion, the Queen of the Holy Rosary appeared to the young girl and told her “Whoever wishes to obtain some favours from me should say three rosary novenas for the request, followed by three rosary novenas for thanksgiving.
Having followed Our Lady’s instructions, the young girl was cured and recovered full health.
2. How to pray the Rosary Novena during 54 days?
A novena takes nine days. Our Lady said to the young Fortuna « make three novenas asking for a grace and then three novenas in thanksgiving ». So we suggest you to make 6 novenas, spread over 54 days.
To make this novena, you must pray a rosary (5 decades) every day during 27 days. You should medidate on the mysteries asking the grace you want to obtain. Immediately after that first part, you should pray a rosary in thanksgiving during 27 days, even if you have not obtained the grace you asked for.
This is how the six rosary novena has started. It is called the « 54 days rosary novena »
To pray this novena correctly, you must pray the rosary every day during 54 days without missing one day and you must meditate on the relevant mysteries.
This means that you always start the novena with the joyful mysteries (whatever day of the week you start the novena). The second day you pray the sorrowful mysteries and, on the third day, you pray the glorious mysteries.
On the fourth day, you pray the joyful mysteries again and so on during 54 days.
One can wonder why the luminous mysteries are not mentioned. This is because Our Lady gave us this novena in 1884, when the luminous mysteries did not exist yet. So this novena only comprises joyful, sorrowful and glorious mysteries.
We are told that Pope Leon XIII was very impressed by the miracle of Fortuna’s cure, which was obtained by the « 54 days rosary novena ».
This late Pope wrote 17 encyclicals about the rosary and asked all faithful catholics to pray the rosary devotely. The following popes did the same.
3. Intentions
In Belgium and throughout the world, troubled times are right upon us. It is difficult to obtain individual or social peace. The laws which do not correspond to God’s laws and commandments tend to destroy Faith, Life and Peace. These laws are leading the world to a major crisis.
Therefore, let us implore God’s graces as He is our Father. May He be touched by the requests that His creatures address to their Holy Mother. If possible, from the bottom of our hearts, let us unite our prayers to those of our friends and relatives and spread the treasures of the rosary, holy viaticum and defence which will lead us to the happiness that never ends.
Let us live those 54 days in the presence of all the saints and martyrs of our countries. If we reflect upon their lives, our faith, our hope and our charity will continue to grow.
16th July, feast of Our Lady of Mount Carmel
« Let us rejoice in the Lord. We celebrate this feast day in honor of the Blessed Virgin Mary. The angels take part in the joy of this solemnity and they acclaim in chorus the Son of God. My heart is vibrating with words of choice. It is for a king that I say my poem ». Antiphon of the mass of Our Lady of Mount Carmel.
On 16th July 1251, Our Lady appeared to Saint Simon Stock, superior of the Order of Mount Carmel. She promised him a special benediction, not only for religious but also for all those who would wear the habit of the order. « I give you, dear Son, this habit of your order, it is a privilege that I have obtained for you and for all children of Carmel. Whoever dies wearing this piece of cloth will be preserved from the fire of hell. It is a mark of salvation, of protection against all dangers, a guarantee of peace and eternal alliance». Many spiritual favors have been granted to those who wear the scapular (Bull « Sabbatina », John XXIII, 1317). The feast of Our Lady of Mount Carmel was Introduced in 1332 for all Carmelites. Then, in 1726, Pope Benedict XIII extended this feast to the universal church.
The scapular is a piece of cloth worn by all members of the Carmelite Order. But laymen can wear it in a reduced size. It is then composed of two sides, one worn on one’s chest and one worn on one’s back. It depicts Jesus showing His Sacred Heart and Our Lady handing the scapular while holding the infant Jesus.
This scapular must be imposed by a priest. Whoever wants to wear it, must wear it every day, respect chastity according to his state of life and have a particular devotion to Our Lady. Then this garment confers a protection against all sorts of dangers and especially a protection against everything contrary to his or her salvation.
Here is, on this great feast of Our Lady and in the following days, the opportunity to
- make or renew the consecration to her Immaculate Heart. On June 13, 1917, Mary said to the children of Fatima: “Jesus wants to establish in the world the devotion to my Immaculate Heart. Whoever embraces this devotion, I promise salvation; these souls will be cherished by God, like flowers placed by me to adorn his throne.”
- recite the prayer for the consecration of the human race to the Sacred Heart of Jesus (Prayer of Leo XIII). On May 25, 1899, Leo XIII wrote in his encyclical Annum Sacrum: “Here, in our days, another favorable and entirely divine omen presents itself to our eyes: it is the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, surmounted by a cross which shines in the midst of the flames. In him should be placed all our hopes. It is to him that we must ask and from him that we must expect the salvation of humanity. “
Personal consecration to the Immaculate Heart of Mary
O Immaculata, Queen of heaven and earth, refuge of sinners and our most loving Mother, God has willed to entrust the entire order of mercy to you.
I, a repentant sinner, cast myself at your feet humbly imploring you to take me with all that I am and have, wholly to yourself as your possession and property.
Please make of me, of all my powers of soul and body, of my whole life, death and eternity, whatever most pleases you.
If it pleases you, use all that I am and have without reserve, wholly to accomplish what was said of you: “She will crush your head,” and “You have destroyed all heresies in the whole world.”
Let me be a fit instrument in your immaculate and merciful hands for introducing and increasing your glory to the maximum in all the many strayed and indifferent souls, and thus help extend as far as possible the blessed kingdom of the most Sacred Heart of Jesus.
For wherever you enter you obtain the grace of conversion and growth in holiness, since it is through your hands that all graces come to us from the most Sacred Heart of Jesus.
Allow me to praise you, O sacred Virgin, Give me strength against your enemies.
by St.Maximilian Kolbe 1917
Consecration of the Human Race to the Sacred Heart of Jesus
Most sweet Jesus, Redeemer of the human race, look down upon us humbly prostrate before Your altar. We are Yours, and Yours we wish to be; but, to be more surely united with You, behold each one of us freely consecrates himself today to Your Most Sacred Heart. Many indeed have never known You; many too, despising Your precepts, have rejected You. Have mercy on them all, most merciful Jesus, and draw them to Your Sacred Heart.
You are King, O Lord, not only of the faithful who have never forsaken You, but also of the prodigal children who have abandoned You; grant that they may quickly return to their Father’s house lest they die of wretchedness and hunger.
You are King of those who are deceived by erroneous opinions, or whom discord keeps aloof; call them back to the harbor of truth and unity of faith, so that soon there may be but one flock and one Shepherd.
You are King of all those who are still involved in the darkness of idolatry or of Islamism; refuse not to draw them all into the light and kingdom of God. Turn Your eyes of mercy toward the children of that race, once Your chosen people. Of old they called down upon themselves the Blood of the Savior; may it now descend upon them a laver of redemption and of life.
Grant, O Lord, to Your Church assurance of freedom and immunity from harm; give peace and order to all nations, and make the earth resound from pole to pole with one cry: “Praise to the Divine Heart that wrought our salvation; to It be glory and Honor forever.” Amen.
by Leo XIII 1899
“Grace and Mercy”
We all want to be loved, approved of and respected, an aspiration deeply set within man who was created by God through love and for love.
Fundamentally, the creation is an act of divine wisdom, mercy and love in which man is asked to participate willingly and lovingly in keeping God’s law and His commands :”Though shalt love the Lord your God and keep his requirements, his decrees, his laws and his commands, always. Teach them to your children, talking about them.” (Dt. XI, 1-2; 19). These are the recommendations given by God himself to help us respond to this gift of Love of God recounted in the Book of Creation.
Since the unfortunate refusal to obey by Adam, father of mankind, men tend to turn their hearts away from God. In drifting always further away from God, his Maker, man redirects the object of creation to his own transitory benefit. In doing so, man corrupts the purpose of life and creation which is to serve God. From this diverted aim, a new world emerges, free from the law of nature, stamped by a lack of respect for God and His gifts, rejecting the word of God in every aspect, be it that of the natural law, the Holy Scriptures, the Tradition, the Revelation, the Magisterial acts of the Church as well as the example of Jesus’s life and that of the saints. In this way, man hopes to find lasting happiness in life on earth. However, this is a hopeless quest inevitably bound to failure because everlasting happiness can only be reached on the condition that the human being follows God’s “Code of Conduct”.
But God, always lending a loving and compassionate eye onto his fallen creatures, does not forsake them. Indeed, all along history, God has constantly bestowed his immense mercy on to us, culminating by the Incarnation of the Word of God, Jesus-Christ through whom mankind is redeemed and the dignity of the children of God, restored.
How can we respond to the infinite love of God ?- Haven’t we gone too far? What does Our Lady tell us, particularly at Fatima when she spoke on behalf of the Holy Spirit?
In her memoirs, Sr. Lucy, describes to her confessor, Fr. Jose Bernardo Gonçalves, the vision she had of the Holy Trinity and the Holy Virgin in the chapel of her convent in Thuy, on 13th June 1929 :
“The only light was that of the sanctuary lamp. Suddenly the whole chapel was illuminated by supernatural light and above the altar appeared a cross of light, reaching to the ceiling. In a brighter light at the upper part of the cross, could be seen the face of a Man and his body as far as the waist; upon his breast was a dove of light; nailed to the cross was the body of another man. A little below the waist, I could see a chalice and a large host suspended in the air, onto which drops of blood were falling from the face of Jesus crucified and from the wound in His side. These drops ran down on to the host and fell into the chalice. Beneath the right arm of the cross was Our Lady and in her hand was her Immaculate Heart (it was Our Lady of Fatima, with her Immaculate Heart in her left hand, without sword or roses, but with a crown of thorns and flames). Under the left arm of the cross, large letters, as if of crystal clear water which ran down upon the altar, formed the Words: ’Grace and Mercy’. I understood that it was the Mystery of the Most Holy Trinity which was shown to me and I received lights about this Mystery which I am not permitted to reveal. Then Our Lady said: ‘The moment has come when God asks the Holy Father to make, in union with all the bishops of the world, the consecration of Russia to my Immaculate Heart, promising to save it by this means. So numerous are the souls which the justice of God condemns for sins committed against me, that I come to ask for reparation. Sacrifice yourself for this intention and pray.’ Later, by means of an intimate communication, Our Lady said to me complaining:’They did not want to heed My request! Like the King of France they will repent and do it, but it will be late. Russia will have already spread its errors throughout the world, provoking wars and persecutions of the Church: the Holy Father will have much to suffer.’
The remedy to all the evils we see around us is the consecration of Russia to the Immaculate Heart of Mary, as Our Lady has always asked. We can prepare this consecration by a personal consecration. We offer to God our bodies and our souls. « We accept all the sufferings He may send us in reparation for all the sins that offend Him and for the conversion of poor sinners ». Our Lady, Fatima, 13th May 1917.
By participating in the Passion of Jesus Christ in a spirit of reparation, Our Lady can obtain the Divine Mercy for our conversion and for the conversion of poor sinners. We completely give ourselves up to Our Lady because Our Lord, while dying on the cross, said to St John : « Look ! there is your mother ». Our Lady, who was chosen by God to be His mother, becomes our mother.
During the celebration of the mass and especially at the Offertory, we offer to God our lives, symbolized by the offering of the bread, and we offer our works and sufferings, represented by the drop of water added to the chalice. Therefore, we take an active part in the mystery of redemption. And, as Jesus offered Himself to His Father for us and for a multitude of men and women, we also offer ourselves for the salvation of souls.
The Holy Sacrifice of the Mass shows us the infinite Love of God. It is the source of the divine life that we can find while living on earth. Each Mass contributes to the redemption of Humanity.
“ God’s thoughts about his people cannot change. He has blessed them with gifts and He has chosen them to belong to Him. In past times, you Gentiles did not obey God. But now God has been very kind to you, because Israel’s people refused to obey Him.They do not obey God now. As a result God has been very kind to you. That has happened so that God may now be very kind to them too. God says that everyone is guilty because they do not obey Him. He says that so that He can be kind and He can forgive everyone. Yes, God is very great ! He has everything ! He knows and He understands all things ! Nobody can completely understand the things that He decides. Nobody can explain the ways in which He works. The Bible says this : Nobody knows the thoughts of the Lord God. Nobody is able to tell him what He should do. Nobody has ever given anything to God, so that God had a debt to pay back to them. It is God who made all things. He also causes all things to continue. And all things are there to show how great He is. We praise him ! He is great for ever ! Amen.” (Romans, XI, 29-36)
Saint Paul continues and says :” My Christian friends, God has been very kind to us. Because of that, I really want you to serve God with your whole life. Offer your bodies to him like a sacrifice that continues to live. Serve him with everything that you have and that will please Him. That is the true way to worship God. Do not become like the people who belong to this world. But let God completely change the way that you think, so that you live differently. Then you will understand what God wants you to do. You will know what is good. You will know what pleases God. You will know what is completely right. ” (Romans, XII, 1-2).
« The consecration of oneself to the Eternal Wisdom, through Our Lady’s hands » composed by St Louis Grignion de Montfort, expresses the mystery of the offering of oneself to God through Mary. Through this consecration, Our Lady will ask Her Son to have mercy on us and on our families. She will ask Him to help us, so that we may sanctify ourselves and obtain eternal salvation.
This consecration leads us to love God’s Mercy even more, mercy that God grants us through the intercession of Our Lady. This magnificence of the Mercy of God was taught to us through the texts written by Sister Faustina.
On Good Friday, we encourage you to start the novena which will be a good preparation for the feast of the Divine Mercy, celebrated on the 1st Sunday after Easter.
May this Holy Week help us understand the immense love of God for us : « Then you will understand, with God’s people, how much Christ loves us. That love is very wide and long and high and deep. » (Ephesians, III, 18).
“Prayer is the key to Heaven”, Saint Augustin
(by Sister Maria da Conceiçao, ocd)
These last few days a question keeps being asked : “how to pray and which prayer is best in times of calamity ?”In normal times, the best way to pray would be to join in the public prayers of the Church because such prayers are an extention of that of Christ on his cross. Thus, it greatly pleases God, as it takes part in the infinite merits of Christ. Our prayers acquire a special value if expressed in communion with the Holy Sacrifice of Mass as the perpetually renewed prayer of Christ till the end of times. Saint Gertrude (13th century) said, quote ” Let each one concentrate in praying with deeper devotion focusing on the Passion of Jesus Christ, as associating the Passion of His Son always increases the value of our prayers to the Father”.
Therefore what can we do now during this period of adversity which compels us to stay indoors : prayer and penance – such must be the answer of a good Christian.
God, Himself, taught us how to pray through the Scriptures in the past and later in speech when Jesus Christ, His Son, taught us the words of the “Holy Father” (Mt. VI,9-13 and Lk XI,1-4), as well as through His messenger, Gabriel, the Archangel, with the words of the “Hail Mary”, the salutation to Our Lady, a highly redemptory prayer, awaiting Her assent (Fiat) the source of the Incarnation and of our Redemption.
These two prayers are particularly dear to God. We can therefore easily understand how, along with the psalms of the Prophet David, they contribute to forming the basis of the official and public worship of the Church, known as the Divine Office ; the latter’s composition goes back in history and was meant as a spiritual nourishment for the early Christians in keeping with God’s will and wisdom.
The Rosary, also called “Mary’s psalms book”, goes up to God’s heart as well as to Our Lady’s heart, because it teaches us how to follow the pattern of Mary’s emotions (“…who was keeping all things in her heart.” Luke II, 19). Our tender Mother in Heaven revealed it to Saint Dominic, asking for its recitation on several occasions during the past centuries. Mary never ceased to remind us how much this prayer is worthy of merits. When we recite the “Hail Mary”, also called the Angel’s Salutation we repeat the words of God himself, in giving thanks to Him, meditating the life of Jesus Christ and Our Lady and asking for the grace to imitate their virtues, thereby getting closer to God, our Father.
Praying the rosary, along with real penance and in communion with the Holy Sacrifice of Mass, is certainly the most efficient way for us all to obtain from God the salvation of our souls.
Six times in a row, on her apparitions to the children of Fatima, Our Lady asked that we pray the rosary and that we ” cease causing offences to God who has already suffered so many “.
The following extract of the conversation that Sister Lucia of Fatima had with Father Fuentes in 1958 confirms all this:
« Dear Father, Our Lady is very sad because nobody takes any notice of Her message, …, in God’s plans, when God wants to punish the world, He first starts with several other remedies. But when God sees that the world refuses to use those remedies, then He gives us the last remedy for our salvation, namely His Holy Mother, Our Lady. And if we despise and refuse this last remedy, we won’t be able to receive God’s mercy because we shall have committed a sin, called « sin against the Holy Spirit » which consists in, deliberately and with full knowledge, refusing the salvation offered to us. Let us remember that Jesus is an excellent Son and that He cannot stand that we offend or despise His Divine Mother. Throughout the history of the Church, we can see that Our Lord has always defended His Mother’s honour. There are two ways by which we can save the world : prayer and penance. So let us pray the rosary every day. Dear Father, Our Lady has now given a new efficacy to the rosary. Therefore, there is not one problem, as difficult as it may be, temporal or spiritual, concerning our personal life, the lives of the members of our family, the lives of religious communities or the lives of countries , there is not one problem that cannot be solved by the recitation of the rosary. With the recitation of the rosary, we shall save our souls, sanctify ourselves, we shall console Our Lord and obtain the salvation of many souls. So let us have a greater devotion to the Immaculate Heart of Mary, Our Mother, considering Her as the main source of clemency, kindness and pardon, and as the true gate of Heaven. »
Still, during this interview with Father Fuentes, Sister Lucia insisted, with severe words, on our duty to do penance :
« Father, Sister Lucia said once more, we must not wait for the Pope to ask us to do penance nor wait for our bishops to do so. No, Our Lord has already used these means and the world has not listened to Him. That is why each of us must now start his or her own spiritual reform. Each one of us must save his our her soul, but also the souls of those found in his or her path. Satan does everything he can to distract us , to remove from us the taste for prayer. We shall save our souls or be damned for ever … »
The Church makes us remember this in one of her liturgical prayer in which she solemnly implores the Mercy of God: « O God offended by our sins but conciliated by our penance, please hear our prayers and divert Your wrath, which we have deserved by our sins ».
During this pandemic, we must look after our mortal bodies, but much more must we look after our immortal souls. Let us take care of our poor souls and those of all our acquaintances so that they may find the fountain that never dries up : « But whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to Eternal Life » (St John, IV, 14).
Let us join all those who, throughout the world, find their strength in the daily recitation of the rosary and let us join the effort of those countries (Ireland, Lebanon, Zambia, Jordan, Australia …) that have already followed this path which leads to Eternal Life. Let us share this spirit of Love and Hope around us and God will revive the True Faith amongst all countries.
To Jesus through Mary !
« Pray, pray a lot and make sacrifices for poor sinners ». Our Lady of Fatima, August 1917
On February 11, we celebrate Our Lady under the name of Our Lady of Lourdes and we ask Her to protect Belgium from the evils of a new bill on abortion (see below).
Let us constantly ask Our Lady of Guadalupe, patroness of unborn children for the conversion of sinners by saying the prayer that the Angel of Peace taught the children of Fatima. We suggest this novena which will end on 20th February, feast day of Saint Jacintha.
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Prayer to Our Lady of Guadalupe :
Our Lady of Guadalupe, Patroness of unborn children, we implore your intercession for every child at risk of abortion. Help future parents to welcome the priceless future life of their child as a gift from God. Console parents who have lost a child through abortion and help them to obtain pardon through the Divine Mercy of Your Son. Teach us to cherish and to care for our family and friends until God calls them to Everlasting Life. Help us never to see our neighbours as burdens. Guide our political leaders to defend each and every human life by fair laws. Help us to show our faith in public life, to speak for those who have no voice. We ask this in the name of Your Son, Jesus-Christ who is all love and mercy. Amen.
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Prayer that the Angel of Peace taught the children of Fatima:
“ Don’t be afraid ! I am the Angel of Peace. Pray with me (…). Our Lady and Our Lord’s hearts are listening to you.”
« My God, I believe, I adore, I hope and I love You. I ask pardon of You for those who do not believe, do not adore, do not hope and do not love You. Most Holy Trinity, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, I adore You profoundly and I offer You the most precious Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity of Jesus Christ present in all the tabernacles throughout the world, in reparation for the outrages, sacrileges and indifference by which He is offended. And, through the infinite merits of His most Sacred Heart and of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, I beg conversion of poor sinners. » (Fatima, Spring 1916)
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October, month of Our Lady, month of the rosary, crown of Ave Maria for Our Lady.
In the strict sense of the word, the rosary is a « little hat » similar to a crown. In the Middle Ages, people used to put a crown of roses on Our Lady’s statues, each rose representing a prayer, therefore the word « rosary ».
Saint Louis Marie Grignon de Montfort (1673-1716) was always encouraging his faithful to pray the rosary. He used to teach them how to go « to Jesus through Our Lady », among other things, by a consecration to Our Lady in a sort of intimacy that leads us directly to Our Lord. He wrote several book. You you will find some extracts of them thereafter :
« The Ave Maria is the most beautiful prayer after the Our Father. It is a beautiful compliment given to Our Lady. It was the compliment that God gave Her through the salutation of the Archangel Gabriel. After receiving such a compliment and, although she was humble, She said fiat to the incarnation of the Word. The Ave Maria moves Her Heart.
Many Saints have said that an Ave Maria properly recited, that is, with attention, devotion and humility, is Satan’s enemy. It makes the Devil run away. An Ave Maria sanctifies our souls, is a joy for the Angels, the hymn of the New Testament. It brings joy to Our Lady and glory to the Holy Trinity. » Extract of Traité de la vraie dévotion à la Sainte Vierge.
« A bead of your rosary is like a rose bud, it seems such a small thing but it is very precious. It will blossom if you pray it devotely. If you cannot say a whole rosary every day, then, at least, say five decades a day. It is a « little hat of roses » that you put on Our Lady’s head. Listen to me and remember this beautiful story.
« Two little girls, two sisters, were sitting on their doorstep and were devotely praying the rosary when a beautiful Lady appeared to them. She came near the yougest girl, who was only seven years old, and took her by the hand. Her eldest sister started looking for her but she could not find her. She went home in tears and told her parents that she had disappeared. The parents started looking for their daughter. After three days, they found her smiling on the doorstep. They asked her where she had been. She answered that Our Lady had taken her to a very nice place, given her very good things to eat and showed her a very nice child whom she had kissed over and over again.The parents, who had recently converted to the Catholic Church, called the Jesuit priest who had taught them the Faith and told him what had happened. This story happened in Paraguay and was related by the priest. So, my dear children, let us imitate these girls and pray our rosary every day. And then, at the hour of our death, God will lead us to Heaven where we will see Jesus and Mary during all eternity. May wise men as well as ignorants, just and sinners, children and adults, greet Our Lord and our Lady, night and day, through the recitation of the rosary. Salute Mariam, quae multum laboravit in vobis (Romans, 16.6). Extract of Le secret admirable du Très Saint Rosaire pour se convertir et se sauver.
Saturday 5th october 2019: first Saturday of the month
We suggest this intention : on this first Saturday of the month, let us offer our prayers and sacrifices in order to atone for the blasphemies of those who offend Our Lady in Her holy images.
St John Damascene (676-749), who was born in a Christian Syriac family, has always been an active defender of icones. He is Father and Doctor of Catholic and Orthodox churches.
In the Byzantine court, in the VIIIth century, the movement of iconoclasm was suddenly started. It was a movement which wanted to forbid people from praying in front of images. St John, who was then a high-ranking officer in the court of the Omeyyade Caliph, wrote several treaties attacking those who criticized these holy images. This caused a great turmoil among the faithful. Therefore, he was called by the caliph. As he was anable to convince the caliph, the latter ordered his soldiars to cut his hand off. He would also lose his post. He then intensely prayed to Our Lady and his hand was miraculously reattached. So he returned to see the caliph who recognized the truth of St John’s treaties and wanted John back on his post. St John refused as he wanted to retire and become a monk. Since this episode, some icons of Our Lady with three hands started to be seen.
After that, the Council of Nicea (787) declared that the devotion to the images of Saints was a devotion to the Saints themselves and not an act of idolatry.
« Those who have loved someone, will automatically venerate the things that belonged to that person » says Saint Thomas Aquinas (who died in 1274).
When we admire an object that was used by a loved one, our affection is not directed towards this object but towards the person whom we have cherished. These objects remind us of that person and of the good times we have spent together.
The worship of images takes its origins in such a natural human behaviour. If we keep « souvenirs » of persons whom we have admired, then, of course, we can venerate the image of a Saint who was a disciple of Jesus Christ and a temple of the Holy Spirit. This applies even more to Our Lady.
Our Lady is the mediator of all graces, She is Co-Redemptor and therefore all Her statues remind us of the love of God for us.
The Catholic Church has always maintained that statues and pictures are channels through which we can receive God’s graces. The images of Our Lady and of many Saints help us to approach them more easily. They are tangible devices given to us to help us lift up our hearts and souls and follow the examples of those who have served and loved God and, in this way, have become saints of the Holy Church.
In August 2018, on the island of Noirmoutier (Vendée, France), a statue (three and a half metres high) of Our Lady holding the Infant Jesus, was profaned. Our Lady and the infant Jesus were beheaded. This statue was erected by a villager on a plot of land given in acknowledgement of a favour granted by Our Lady. « My grandmother had promised to give a plot of land if her three sons came back safe after the war ».
Nowadays, we can see an upsurge of similar events : desecration of holy objects, profanation of churches and even sacrilege towards the Holy Presence of Jesus in the Eucharist. On this first Saturday of October, let us offer our prayers and sacrifices in atonement for all those blasphemies, especially those against Our Heavenly Mother.
Blessed be God.
Blessed be his holy name.
Blessed be Jesus Christ, true God and true man.
Blessed be the name of Jesus.
Blessed be his most Sacred Heart.
Blessed be his most precious Blood.
Blessed be Jesus in the most Holy Sacrament of the Altar.
Blessed be the Holy Spirit, the Paraclete.
Blessed be the great Mother of God, Mary most holy.
Blessed be her holy and immaculate Conception.
Blessed be her glorious Assumption.
Blessed be the name of Mary, Virgin and Mother.
Blessed be Saint Joseph, her most chaste spouse.
Blessed be God in his angels and in his saints.
Almighty Father, give us priests.
Almighty Father, give us holy priests.
Almighty Father, give us many holy priests
and many holy religious vocations.
(Divine praises recited during benediction in atonement for blasphemies)
Saturday 7th september 2019: first Saturday of the month
We suggest this intention : on this first Saturday of the month, let us offer our prayers and sacrifices in order to atone for the blasphemies of those who publicly try to put indifference, despise or even hatred towards Our Lady in children’s hearts.
On many occasions during His public life, Jesus praised children for their simplicity and trust.
« Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of God. » (Matthew, 5,3)
He scolded His apostles when they wanted to prevent children to come closer to Him and He admired their purity of intention. « Let the little children come to me. Don’t forbid it to them, for it is to those that the kingdom of God belongs » (Matthew, 19,14).
Saint Peter also mentioned the purity of children who accept , in complete confidence, whatever their parents give them to grow « in grace and wisdom ». « Wherefore putting aside all malice, and all guile, and dissimulations, and envies, and all detractions, as newborn babies, desire the spiritual milk, that thereby you may attain salvation » (1st Epistle of Saint Peter, ch 2, 1-2).
The holy humanity of Christ was given to Him by His mother so that « Jesus’ attitude, His charm, His refinement, His smile are similar to those of His Mother (RP Spicq, op). While dying on the cross, He entrusted His mother to us and therefore, if we are willing to accept it, He shares this maternal love with us. Thus, any offence towards Christ also offends His Mother, Our Mother, and, inversely any offence towards Our Lady also offends Jesus and offends God in His Holy Trinity.
« He is like the blasphemer who abandons his father, he is cursed by the Lord the one who irritates his mother » (Ecclesiastic 3,16). This old say reflects our society which, through many ways, forgets, rejects or even mocks the model of perfect life given to us by Our Lady.
An interior life under God’s gaze is the sole way to gradually attain the fulfilment of the human nature. Then our interior life will continue to grow for our greater good and for the good of our fellows. Then we shall see the numerous fruits of the sanctifying grace received on the day of our baptism and increased by the reception of the other sacraments. Saint Theresa of Lisieux, who was much troubled by her mother’s death, is an example often mentioned.
Children, who are frail creatures, learn from what surrounds them and from those who teach them. In Fatima, as in almost all the places where She appeared, Our Lady spoke to children and asked them to deliver Her messages. She taught them that prayer is the link between Heaven and earth and that prayer permits them to express their love for God, for Jesus and for Herself. We all know that children’s prayers are very pleasing to God. Many people will be able to testify the generosity and capacity of children to talk to God. Their spirit, still free of ties, feels His presence even in very simple things like nature or a smile. By conveying to them, from an early age, the love of Our Lady, those whose mission is to develop their minds, help them to keep their natural qualities of humility, purity, sweetness and charity. Then they will become adults, much concerned about the common good, and following the examples of Jesus and Our Lady. What we learn on our parents’ lap remains engraved forever…
So we need not be surprised when, on 29th May 1930, Our Lord insistently asked Sister Lucia to offer prayers and sacrifices in reparation for everything that promotes and develops, in children’s hearts, indifference, despise or even hatred towards Our Lady, Our Immaculate Mother.
Our Lord told Saint Faustina (1905-1938), a Polish mystic nun, called « the apostle of divine mercy » : «Please bring me gentle and humble souls as well as those of children : immerse them in the ocean of my mercy. They are similar to my heart and they have fortified me during my painful agony. I saw them as if they were earthly angels. To them I shall give many graces because my graces can only be given to humble souls. I place my trust in those souls ».
So let us continue and try to protect the souls of children and help those who look after them to do so.
For all children who have not yet received the sacrament of Baptism, that gives them Sanctifying Grace, necessary to increase their love for God, Our Lady of Fatima, Mother of Divine Grace, pray for them.
For children who suffer spiritually, emotionally or physically, Our Lady of Fatima, Mother admirable, pray for them.
May God help all those who are responsible for children’s souls (parents, clergy and teachers) so that they may also live as children of God and be witness to His love. Our Lady of Fatima, Mother of Good Counsel, pray for them.