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 Have you ever had the experience where, when it came time to pray, you found yourself dragging your feet? Distractions in prayer are common, but have you ever gone through those times when you actually welcome distractions so as to avoid Jesus?

Those times when we are tempted to avoid the Lord seem to come up most often after we have sinned, especially after we have sinned more than usual. At such times, we may be ashamed and reluctant to go to Jesus. We may be afraid that He will be angry with us.We may be too full of pride to humble ourselves and look at what we have done. Thus when we are weighed down by sin, we would rather be distracted than face the Lord in prayer.Our own darkness can be a major obstacle that prevents us from going to the Lord. St Teresa reminds us that we should find the courage to go to the Lord when we feel the weight of our weaknesses, sinfulness and attachments.

It may happen that we do not go to the Lord because we have attachments and are afraid He will make us get rid of them. For instance, we may still be clinging to our coveted doughnuts. If the Lord sees us doing this, and he says," Come to me." One might reply," Lord, I am so attached to this or that ."

Jesus simply wants us to go to him.The attitude of going to the Lord as we are is a suprisingly effective way to console Jesus and progress in holiness.

Go to Jesus as you are. Open your heart to Him as it is.And know that Jesus loves sincerity , that He loves it when we are completely open with Him. The more open we are with Him, the more deeply He can heal us. This especially applies to his being able to heal us of our attachments. 

Remember that He knows we are little. He knows we are not big enough to climb the rough stairway of perfection. 

The steps He will ask us to take toward holiness will be steps that are appropriate to little soul---- " little steps". Such little steps have brought us much farther and higher than we ever expected to climb. 

One of the ways the Lord makes our progress relatively easy is by beginning to detach our hearts from something well before he asks it of us. One day, there is something we thought we could never live without, something that , on a bad day, we would be terrified even to mention to Him, because we would be afraid He would tell us to let go of it. Then, the next day, the day on which he asks us to give it over to Him, we find that we hardly want it anymore. This is one of God's great mercies to little souls who trust Him. He gently and impercetively changes their desires . In case we have not already given Him this degree of power over our lives, let us give it to Him now:

Jesus, behold, I give you my heart. If my desires are not in harmony with yours, then please change them according to your wisdom and love. Dear Jesus, you know that by myself, I am too weak to change my desires, but you can do it. Jesus, I trust you to do it. Jesus , I thank you in advance for doing it.

So if it happens that there is some deep attachment we really must get rid of now, we begin to hear the Lord beckoning," Come to me"

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 Living our principle and foundation begins when we focus on the Heart of Jesus and hear him say to us:" Behold this Heart which loves so much yet is so little loved. Is there anyone who will console me?" Our automatic response is ," I will console you, Jesus." Right , so we tell Jesus we want to console him, and then he says to us," Then that means you will perform acts of reparation."

For many of us, the word " reparation" is like a big, red stop sign that puts an end to our drawing close to the Lord's Heart. Some of us would say,"Lord, I do want to help you and be your friend and all, but reparation sounds like there's a lot of suffering and sacrifices involved and, remember I am one of the little ones." Thus, we come to the obstacle to living our principle and foundation: fear of suffering. 

To get past this obstacle, we need to know , Jesus knows that we are little. He knows we easily get scared. Now , if we are willing, he would like to begin teaching us to trust him. We should start the lesson in the Lord's " school of trust.".

Let us renew our decision to be his friends. There is no reason to be afraid. Reflect on Jesus's question to us: haven't I shown you how gentle I am with you? 

When we have not fled from the Lord's love, when we have given him a chance to show it, haven't we always found his embrace to be gentle?

" Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me,for I am gentle and humble of heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light."

Fear of suffering tends to come up a lot for those strive to console Jesus.

Obstacle that prevent us from going to the Lord, namely, our weakness, sinfulness and attachments.

People often think they can escape suffering. They cannot instead. Suffering finds us all, no matter how much we strive to avoid it.

The best way to deal with suffering is to accept it , unite it to Christ in his suffering, and begin to find its hidden treasure.

By accepting suffering, I don't mean we should be completely passive such that we do not act to avoid the suffering such as illness, poverty , and the like.

There are two different Christian approaches to suffering. The first approach tends to be very active. It involves actively choosing lots of penances, mortifications, and sacrifices. Such an approach has helped produce a number of saint. They use the suffering to save souls in Purgatory and help relieve their pains ,and to save dying souls from hell.The saints use these sufferings as a means to gain merits.

A more passive approach to suffering is " letting Jesus do it". Jesus chooses for us the suffering that he nows will form us into saints( for he knows best) and we simply accept what he sends. You need not to worry the cross He sends you. Jesus knows what we can take and what we need. 

The main thing Jesus wants from us is not that we suffer but simply that he be with us in his suffering. This is what Jesus wants to tell us:" All I want is for you to be my friend, All I want is for you not to be afraid of me and to come to me." When we simply follow the Lord, it is enough. The Lord does not necessarily want from us great suffering but great love. Do we see the tremendous value there is to simply being with the Lord?

Amazingly , even our littlest sufferings take on great value when we UNITE THEM TO JESUS'S PASSION. 

Sometimes we may not be as bold in our prayers as we could be simply because we know that souls are bought only at the price of suffering.On our own we can merit nothing. If, however, with confident love, we unite our own little sufferings to Jesus 's passion, they take on infinite merit. Let's boldly ask for conversions, graces, and all that is truly good, knowing that such prayer brings great delight to the Lord.

We should have confidence in God that the sufferings sent by God must not go beyond our ability and strength. We should first trust in God like what St. Faustina taught us," Divine mercy of Jesus I trust in you."

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 Pardon crucifix 

Whoever carries the pardon crucifix will have the privilege to gain 300 day's indulgence, daily.

In kissing it devotedly, one gains each time 100 day's indulgence

He who pronounces before this crucifix one of the two following invocations gains each time an indulgence of seven years and seven quarantines: Our Father Who art in heaven, forgive us our offences as we forgive those who have offended us.—I beg the Blessed Virgin Mary to pray for me to the Lord our God.

Whoever, in danger of death, receives the sacraments of the Church, or contrite of Heart if it is impossible to receive them, shall kiss this crucifix and ask pardon of God for his sins and forgives whoever has offended him, gains a plenary indulgence.

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 When you have the intention to please God in all your actions as the happiest and best thing in the world, you will find yourself disliking everything that is vain and inappropriate in common life, whether of business or pleasure. You will be as fearful of living in any foolish way,either of spending your time or your money, as you are now fearful of not attending church or not saying prayers.A Christian businessman will no longer drink or swear or laugh at dirty jokes simply because others do . A Christian secretary or athlete will no longer dress immodestly simply because others do. If it is your goal to please God in everything, you will be different from most professing Christians, and certainly different from the world.

If a clergyman intends to please God in everything, he will not love the music and entertainment of the world that distracts his heart from Jesus Christ. Instead, he will set an example for the congregation by his holy living.

Let a worker have the intention to please God in all things,and it will make him a saint in his shop. His everyday business will be a course of wise and reasonable actions, made holy to God by being done in obedience to His will and pleasure. He will buy and sell and labor and travel because by so doing he can do some good to himself and others. But then, as nothing can please God but what is wise and reasonable and holy, so he will neither buy or sell nor labor in any other manner or to any other goal except that which may be shown to be wise and reasonable and holy.

He will not therefore consider what skills or methods or machines will soonest make him richer and greater than others or allow him to most quickly retire to a life of ease and pleasure, but he will consider what skills and methods and machines can make worldly business most acceptable to God and make his work a life of holiness,devotion, and piety. This will be the intent and spirit of every worker. He cannot stop short of these degrees of piety whenever it is his intention to please God in all his actions as the best and happiest thing in the world. He should not live in idleness and indulgence, in excessive sports , entertainment and pleasures, in drunkenness, in wasteful  expenses and high living, because these things cannot be turned into means of piety and holiness or made part of a wise and godly life.He will not waste his time and resources in vain sports and theater and expensive hobbies, because an inspired apostle has said, For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and boastful pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world.

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 A great reason for devoting all our belongings to appropriate use is because they are capable of being used for most excellent purpose and can be a great means of doing good. If we waste it , we do not just waste what appears to be a little bit, but we waste that which might be made as eyes to the blind , as a husband to the widow, and as a father to the orphan. We waste that which not only enables us to minister worldly comforts to those who are in distress, but that which might purchase for ourselves everlasting treasures in heaven. What we spend on our impulses and worldliness is gone forever, but that which we spend to help others lasts forever. Consider how much money Christians spend on worldly entertainment such as sports , movies and concerts. Consider how much money Christians waste on clothing , cars , and much more. If Christians were to spend that money in buying evangelistic books for the unsaved or in helping the poor, think how much eternal good could be done for others that we now waste on our own pleasures.

If there is nothing so glorious as doing good, if in this we imitate Christ, then nothing can be so glorious in the use of our money as to use it all in works of love and goodness, making ourselves friends and fathers and benefactors to all our fellow human beings , imitating the divine love and turning all our power into acts of generosity , care, and kindness to those who are in need of it.     

contemplation part 9

 Contemplation and passive prayer part 9:

Misunderstandings, detractions, calumny, insult and abuse of every kind, and in a very intense form, are among the trials the contemplative soul may experience. These are not, of course, due to the direct action of God, but God in His providence permits them in order that she may endure suffering that in a special manner will increase her faith in the wondrous Providence of God and at the same time intensify her love for her neighbour . That the trials may produce these effects, the soul must look beyond the human agency in these occurrences and be persuaded that the permission of God has the very definite purpose of advancing the soul. Had God not permitted wicked men to crucify His Son, the world would not have been redeemed , so God permits us to suffer severely at the hands of others. Besides, unlike the Son of God, we have to satisfy for our own sins and be purified by these very sufferings. These trials are very suitable for the purpose as we have insulted God by our sins and we are asked to make reparation by enduring insults in union with the contumely Christ suffered for our sakes. For carrying out the Gospel precepts on the forgiveness of injury and on charity in general we have the truly noble example of St. Teresa of Jesus. When told of a serious calumny uttered against her, she would laugh and remark that were it not for the grace of God she would have done worse. She regretted if God were offended, but as for herself she only saw in insult an occasion of merit, and begged God to forgive the offender. We must bear similar trials in th same spirit if we desire to have fulfilled in us the designs of God on our souls. Thus we are firmly and perfectly established in the great virtue of fraternal charity which is the best guarantee of our possessing the love of God, as Our Lord and His Apostles assures us. 

It is not merely against the theological virtues that the soul can be tempted but against any of the moral virtues. Thus St. Mary Magdalen de Pazzi , a most innocent and pure soul, suffered for five years from the most diabolical attacks on her purity. But she came forth from the attack unspotted with a greatly enhanced spirit of purity, and by her sufferings made reparation for the many sins committed against this holy virtue, This is God's intention in all the trials to which He permits contemplative souls to be subjected.

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To be continued....

contemplation part 8

 Contemplation and passive prayer part 8 :

St Teresa of the Child Jesus had very fierce attacks made on her belief in heaven, and she speaks of the thick wall of darkness that seemed to separate her from God. God permits the evil spirit thus to attack souls so that while purifiying them He at the same time gains great victories in weak mortals over the proud spirits of darkness. St Teresa of the child Jesus , moreover , stated that her interior sufferings were so intense that no one in this life could imagine their intensity. Thus was she made a victim of love.

A very usual form of suffering is a keen sense of unworthiness in God's sight.The soul feels, as it were, all sin and rejected. The reason she feels so sinful is that she is obtaining a deep appreciation of the all- Holiness and Majesty of God and is , as it were, unable to appear in His sight.Yet that very appreciation draws her to an intense love of God, and thus drawn between these two feelings the soul suffers a veritable martyrdom . Moreover, in spite of all her spiritual director may say or do to assure her that all is well with her, she can never be fully persuaded of this, or if she is satisfied for a time, a deeper darkness often succeeds, till at length, in God's good time, the soul is prepared to bask in the sunshine of a more perfect realization of the intensity of God's love for her and her union with Him. St Francis de Sales at one time experienced this trial of dereliction to such an extent that he earnestly begged that he would be allowed to love God even in hell, for which he felt himself destined . But from these trials which, as it were, lead to the brink of despair, the contemplative soul emerges purified and fixed in an unshakeable confidence in the mercy and goodness of God.

Similar to this trial is that of extreme aridity or dryness in which the soul appears utterly incapable of prayer or of doing anything for God. Sometimes persons can pray and keep recollected during the course of the day, but when they attempt formal prayer, every effort they make appears absolutely vain. The explanation is that God desires to keep these souls in continuous union with Himself and so they can be attentive to the Presence of God while at their work, but when they come to formal prayer God takes the work completely into His own hands and unites them intimately to Himself, while their own faculties appear completely inert. The soul may suffer much at this apparent idleness, but must be patient and perfectly submissive to God's ways. This apparent absence of God increases very much their longing for Him. This trial of aridity has already been explained , but the sufferng it causes in the passive Dark night of the Spirit is of far greater intensity because the soul has already felt the touch of God. The soul must be carefully instructed, and no matter how long the trial may last, she must be encouraged to perserverance with the assurance that God will surely bring her to close union with Himself ......

To be continued...

Contemplation part 7

 Contemplation and passive prayer ( part 7):

Though all the value of our sufferings is derived from the merits of Christ,yet in his condescension He awaits our cooperation in such a way that we also merit our own salvation and that of others. Christ suffers again in us, His members. Thus we " fill up those things   that are wanting of the sufferings of Christ". It is important too to realize that we deal with all suffering without any reservation ,even such as may come to us by human agency or may be the result of our own follies. To their own detriment , through want of knowledge or lack of faith, many make such reservations, forgetting that " to them that love God, all things work together unto good" even sin, as Augustine assures us.

At any stage of the spiritual life suffering borne in this spirit will have a very beneficial effect, and God does send or permit it in order that the soul may be freed from imperfections and attachments. But in a special way God permits a soul to be afflicted, and very grievously to accomplish the active purification .Since the soul finds herself powerless to perform this purification in a perfect degree, God intervenes and by a process of suffering, often of the severest kind, only be realized by those who experience them. These sufferings are known as Passive purgation or purification . Those who desire a deep knowlege of the subject must read and re-read very carefully the Dark Night of the Soul by St . John of the Cross.

Certain observations and references to examples may be made here. The precise nature, the intensity and the duration of these sufferings depend on the state of the soul and the designs of God on it. They are usually of long duration but are intermittent, and God thus keeps the soul from being crushed. They are called by St. John a Purgatory of Love, and he makes no secret that the sufferings are comparable to those of the Purgatory of Fire and gives the consoling assurance that those who suffer this Purgatory of Love ecape the other.

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To be continued....

Contemplation part 6

 Contemplation and passive prayer ( part 6):

Passive purgation or purification, or the Passive dark night of the spirit:

It is important for every religious soul, indeed for every Christian , to understand well what attitude should be held with regard to suffering. It is but a natural feeling to shrink from it, and how very many Catholic there are who are puzzled at the attitude of the saints in regard to suffering. But this is the correct attitude and it is well to undertand it. We read in the Acts of the Apostles that " They went from the presence of the council rejoicing , that they were accounted worthy to suffer reproach for the name of Jesus." And St. Paul exclaimed :" I exceedingly abound with joy in all our tribulation." We have similar expressions used by the saints." To die or to suffer" was the desire of St. Teresa of Jesus. " To suffer and to be despised for Christ", that of St. John of the Cross. " To suffer, not to die," that of St. Mary Magdalen de Pazzi. St. Teresa of the Child Jesus, in a sublime outburst of love, desired the sufferings of all martyrs. The saints were flesh and blood like ourselves and naturally recoiled from suffering just as we do. But supernaturally enlightened, they wished to follow in the footsteps of Christ. St Paul assures us that we must suffer with Christ if we would be glorified with Him and at the same time consoles us that these sufferings are as nothing compared to the glory we are to receive.He likewise tells us that we are to be made conformable to the image of the Son of God. Moreover, to help ourselves further in this very difficult matter we must recall once again the assurance of the same Apostle that we will never be tempted beyond what we are able to bear.

Suffering has quite opposite effects according to the spirit with which it is taken. It merely sours the disposition of those who will not recognize the purpose of God in permitting it. It disturbs their peace, makes them irritable and gloomy and ever ready to put the worst construction on things and make their outlook very pessimistic. Just otherwise with the soul which humbles itself under the Hand of God. Its disposition is chastened and sweetened , it preserves undisturbed peace, its outlook is always cheerful and its endurance of suffering enables it to advance rapidly in virtue.Now this is precisely God's intention in permitting us to suffer. Religious souls will, therefore, bear sufferings not merely with resignation but with perfect conformity to God's Holy Will, recognizing that it is a privilege and an honour to be thus associated with the sufferings of Christ, co-operating with Him in working out our own purification and the salvation of souls....

To be continued. 

Contemplation part 5

 Contemplation and passive prayer ( part 5):

From mystic prayer proper must be carefully distinguished certain experiences which though taking place in mystic souls, are not required for mystic union, such as revelations, certain locutions, visions and ecstasies ( i.e, levitations) .Though when properly used these experiences can profit the person who receives them, they are given rather for the benefit of others. St. Teresa of Jesus had many experiences of this kind, but she besought Our Lord to take them from her. At one time of her life they ceased and in her familaritiy with Our Lord she asked Him the reason. He replied that at the time He manifested Himself thus no one was inclined to give her credence, but now that she was in general favour there was no longer any reason for these signs. There is a singular absence of such phenomenon in the life of St . Teresa of the Child Jesus, though she reached the deepest Mystic union. It is quite clear consequently that experiences of this kind are not necessary for the greatest holiness. Moreover , there are many spiritual dangers attached to them and so they should not be desired. Those who have such experiences should study very closely what St . John of the Cross remarks about them in the Ascent of Mount Carmel and put it in practice under the guidance of an experienced director, if such can be had. The soul must be very detached from them.

The desire for mystic union:

It is quite otherwise with the desire for mystic prayer and union, since the direct effect is to unite the soul to God. It is true that absolutely speaking, the soul can by ordinary grace and great generosity reach perfection by the active purification, of which we have already written. But the weakness of human nature is such that very few seem to reach perfection merely by this means. All the canonized saints appear to have been favoured with mystic prayer. For those who have any right notion of the meaning of this desire there is no longer of self- complacency. They will soon understand that to advance far in this union a very severe process of passive purification or purgation must take place. There will be no danger of self- complacency for anyone who read the opening chapters of the Dark Night of the Soul by St .John of the Cross. The saint there explains the defects which passive purification helps to eliminate , and even persons of advanced holiness will be compelled to recognize in themselves very many of these defects. Moreover, the soul admitted to passive union becomes so conscious that the work being done is accomplished by God alone that she acknowledges with Mary that " He that is mighty hath done great things to me ". The soul thus favoured advances above all in true humility, and if she does not, her prayer cannot be mystic prayer at all. From these considerations there does not appear much sense in a director trying to hide the truth from a person who is clearly favoured with mystic union. The sufferings there endured develop in the soul the greatest humility as well as all other virtues.....

to be continued......

Contemplation part 4

 Contemplation and passive prayer ( part 4):

Besides the trial of aridity which , as we have said , is sometimes very severe in this stage of prayer, other trials , crosses or sufferings have to be endured. Indeed it is possible that the soul may experience even now some of the trials of the Passive Dark Night of the Spirit , though usually they are not so severe. It is important to realize that all these trial are sent or permitted for our purification . A long combat with distractions is sometimes one of the severest of these trials. Moreover for our consolation and as a help to our perseverance we must ever bear in mind the assurance of St. Paul that we are never tested beyond what we are able to bear. We are so weak that it is necessary to keep these truths ever fresh in our minds. Yet in the Passive Dark Night of the Senses so many souls get uneasy and require confirmation from a competent judge that they are on the right track and also need to be encouraged to bear their trials with patience and fortitude that in most cases the help of a sympathetic and experienced director is almost indispensable.Where such a director cannot be obtained ( St. John of the Cross laments there are so few) we can trust that God will give special light and help to a soul sincerely desirous of being faithful. But as God respects the social nature of man, the service of a spiritual director should be utilized where available. The spiritual director has, moreover, to judge the value of the prayer. While encourging he has to be firm and see if the soul is developing delicacy of conscience in practising all the virtues. This will always be the acid test in deciding if the soul is really being led by the Spirit of God. 

To answer this quesion it is necessary to distinguish between mystic prayer and certain extraordinary experiences of persons favoured with passive prayer. Those who are thus favoured and who have any difficulties concerning their prayer must consult an experienced director. St John of the Cross uses the very striking expression that in mystic prayer " the substance of God is joined to the substance of the soul." How this is to be understood is known only by those who have experience. Mystic souls understand the analogies used by the saints, and the analogy of touch appears most satisfactory to express the deep union that takes place. There are four principal stages with various subdivisions. The first stage is the Prayer of Quiet when the soul is first introduced to this mystic union and the activity of the intellect and will is suspended, but though the touch of God is felt, it is transient. When the union becomes more habitual and the activity of all the interior faculties is suspended , it is known as the prayer of Union. A further stage is Ecstatic Union when the union becomes so intense as to suspend the activity of the exterior senses. The final stage is Spiritual Marriage when the union is made as complete as it can be made in this mortal life...

To be continued...

Contemplation part 3

 Contemplation and passive prayer ( part 3):

It would appear that sometimes this obscure contemplation is accompanied by a certain sweetness, but frequently, perhaps ordinarily, in spite of a sense of peace and interior joy there is dryness. Naturally if this obscure contemplation is the state of prayer for a considerable time, and it often extends over many years, this dryness, which is sometimes very extreme, is difficult to bear. The soul is thus severely tested in regard to her fidelity and generosity towards God. Unfortunately only too many have not the courage to persevere, and instead of allowing the action of God in this obscure contemplation to wean their hearts from all created things in order to attain the deepest union with God, they refuse to submit and fall back into very mediocre ways, if nothing worse happens.St . John of the Cross deeply deplores the loss sustained by such souls who, through lack of patience, fail to reach the great union God had intended for them.

The duration of this obscure contemplation depends on two elements, the special design of God on the soul and the degree of generosity of the soul itself. If the soul is very generous , she may pass quickly from obscure contemplation and be led to mystic prayer. On the other hand when God intends to raise a soul very high, He may deepen her humility and the other virtues necessary for mystic union by retaining her longer in this dark night of aridity. God, however, being the absolute Master of His own gifts, appears , in some cases, to hasten in an extraordinary way of special purification the admission of the soul to deep mystic prayer.But again St . John of the Cross expresses great regret that so many, through want of sufficient generosity, are held so long in this stage of obscure contemplation, and only attain to mystic union very late, and even then with the work not at all so well accomplished.....

To continued...

Contemplation part 2

 Contemplation and passive prayer 

( Part 2):

St . John of the Cross lays down three signs by which an interior person may know when to leave aside active prayer ( which he calls meditation) and follow the call of God to passive prayer.

1. When a state of complete aridity of mind and heart during mental prayer is experienced.

2. This total aridity must not occur except at the time of prayer 

3. The soul is conscious of being filled with a sense of God's presence, a strong desire to think of Him and a wish to be united to Him and rest in Him.

Especially when the third sign is present, the soul is to be careful not to disturb itself and consider that it is wasting time even though its loving attention to God appears very vague. On the other hand whenever the soul has not this obscure contemplation and finds she can return to any of the stages of active prayer, she must not hesitate to do so . She must, however, turn to whatever suits her disposition best and freely leave aside any practice that she finds no longer of advantage. 

When the soul has reached this stage of obscure contemplation, it is important that she should have the guidance of an experienced spiritual director. For the soul might easily be led to believe that in practising this obscure contemplation she is really idle. St . John of the Cross has much to say in The Ascent of Mount Carmel and The Living Flame of Love against inexperienced and ignorant spiritual directors who refuse to allow souls under their guidance to advance beyond meditation.

It is true that in this obscure contemplation the sense and the imagination are deprived of the forms and the images which are so necessary for their activity ( e.g prayer ). Even such activity of the intellect and the will as is dependent on the use of these forms and images is suspended. There is then, as it were, an uneasiness on the part of the powers of the soul in being deprived of their activity. This privation is called the Passive Dark Night of the Senses. It is true that even in this prayer distractions are possible and may be frequent .

At this stage we can realize the great necessity there is for detachment and faith, the two virtues on which St. John of the Cross is so insistent for souls called to passive prayer. In active purification( the Active Dark Night ), we stated we must be detached from all that is not God. 

Many feel it hard to part with the sublime spiritual supernatural thoughts of God which in the past have stirred up such intense emotions of love and given strength for great zeal in the service of God. Grand and sublime as these thoughts and emotions may be, they must be willingly left aside when God so desires, for the obscure contemplation which He substitues gives a much truer knowlege of Him and leads to a deeper union with Him, though all sensible sweetness and fervour disappear. The soul will thus cling to God in naked faith, unassisted by any reflections of the reason. The soul must do so with unbounded confidence , as this faith must be the medium of her union with God....

To be continued...

Contemplation part 1

 Contemplation and passive prayer

( Part 1):

The work to be done may appear to be formidable, but it will not be so for the generous soul. Grace is given in abundance to all who answer the call to perfection. St Paul assures us that we are not tempted beyond what we are able to bear. ( 1 Cor . 10:13) . We have the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass and the Sacraments from which , as well as in many other ways, we can obtain abundant help and strength. We shall see that God Himself usually takes part in a special way in the work and hastens and completes it by passive purgations.

In active prayer we are conscious of our own efforts, in passive prayer we feel we are but yielding to an influence acting on us. This yielding is indeed an act of our will, but it is the only act of ours of which we are conscious in passive prayer. St John of the Cross shows that without passive purifications perfection is not attained , it would follow that passive union is necessary for perfection. There is a good deal of speculation as to the number of souls enjoying mystic graces. The number may be relatively small, yet they are to be found in every walk of life and often in the most unexpected circumstances. One point seems certain from the doctrine of St. John of the Cross, that there would be far more souls endowed with these graces if the ignorance of many could be dispelled who do not undertand the leading of God, and if a number of those who do understand could have the courage to submit to the action of God on their souls. There are two great mistakes commonly made in regard to passive contemplation. The first is that this contemplation is such an extraordinary state that it can only be practised by a very few placed in particularly favourable circumstances . 

But contemplation, and in the highest degree, is attained by many who have to engage in the ordinary routine of daily life and who pass quite undistinguished from other people except that their virtues have greater influence on them. The second mistake is that contemplation is a state where those favoured with it are rapt in almost continuous ecstasies or experienc other marvels.  In the meantime  we give a quotation :" There is nothing more sublime beautiful or grander than passive prayer in theory. But in practice there is nothing more humiliating , more crucifying ."

To be continued .....

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 THE STIGMATA OF ST. GEMMA GALGANI 

" I found myself in the presence of my heavenly Mother, with my guardian angel on her right. He commanded me to make an act of contrition, and when I had done so my Mom said to me: 

'Daughter, in the name of Jesus I forgive you all your sins,' and added, 'Jesus, my Son, loves you very much, and wishes to give you a grace. Would you know how to become worthy of it?'

In my misery I knew not what to answer. Then She continued: 

'I will be a mother to you; will you show yourself a true daughter?' And after saying this She opened her mantle and covered me with it. 

At that instant Jesus appeared with all His wounds open; but blood no longer issued from those wounds, but flames of fire.

In an instant those flames came and touched my hands, feet and heart. I felt I was dying and should have fallen had not my Mom held me up, I remaining all the while covered with her mantle, and thus I remained for several hours. 

Afterwards my Mom kissed me on the forehead, then everything vanished and I found myself kneeling on the ground, but still feeling intense pain in my hands, feet and heart.

 I got up to go to bed and saw blood flowing from those places where I felt the pain. I covered them up as best I could and then, with the help of my guardian angel, got into bed." 

[From the "Autobiography of St Gemma Galgani"]

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 The Fewness of Being Saved

Saint Vincent Ferrer relates that an archdeacon in Lyons gave up his charge and retreated into a desert place to do penance, and that he died the same day and hour as Saint Bernard. After his death, he appeared to his Bishop and said to him, 

"Know, Monsignor, that at the very hour I passed away, 33,000 people also died. Out of this number, Bernard and myself went up to Heaven without delay, 3 went to Purgatory, and all the others fell into Hell."

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 Pope hears a conversation between Jesus and satan...

On September 25, 1888, following his morning Mass, Pope Leo XIII became traumatized to the point that he collapsed. Those in attendance thought that he was dead. After coming to consciousness, the Pope described a frightful conversation that he had heard coming from near the tabernacle. The conversation consisted of two voices – voices which Pope Leo XIII clearly understood to be the voices of Jesus Christ and the Devil. The Devil boasted that he could destroy the Church, if he were granted 75 years to carry out his -plan (or 100 years, according to some accounts). The Devil also asked permission for “a greater influence over those who will give themselves to my service.” To the Devil’s requests, Our Lord reportedly replied: “you will be given the time and the power.”

Shaken deeply by what he had heard, Pope Leo XIII composed the Prayer to St. Michael and ordered it to be recited after all Masses as a protection for the Church against the attacks from Hell. 

- Prayer to St. Michael 

Saint Michael the Archangel, defend us in this day of battle. Be our protection against the wickedness and snares of the devil. May God rebuke him, we humbly pray; and may Thou, O Prince of the Heavenly Host - by the Power of God - cast into hell, satan and all the evil spirits, who roam throughout the world seeking the ruin of souls.  Amen

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 SHE WAS TORMENTED WITH TERRIBLE TEMPTATIONS 

“Ellen, you have already offended my Son and me so much. From now on, change your life and I will grant you a large share of graces.”

There was once a woman named Ellen who led a life of scandalous sin.

One day, in a tired, depressed moment, when the glamour seemed to have gone out of life, Ellen entered a church. By chance, the sermon being preached was about the beauty and power of the Rosary. Ellen was impressed.

On leaving the church, she bought a set of beads, but concealed them so no one in her circle would know. As she prayed her beads, something wonderful began to happen. She felt such sweetness, and consolation that she could not stop reciting the Hail Marys.

By and by her wicked life loomed before her in all its horror, and, one day, she could not help but look for a priest to hear her full confession. She confessed her sins with so much feeling and contrition that the confessor was amazed.

After her confession, feeling the lightest she had ever felt, Ellen knelt before the altar of the Blessed Virgin, and recited her Rosary. Lo, and behold she heard a voice coming from the statue: “Ellen, you have already offended my Son and me so much. From now on, change your life and I will grant you a large share of graces.”

“O, Most Holy Virgin, my lady,” cried the poor sinner, “it is true that until now I have been wickedly sinful, but you can do all; help me! On my part, I abandon myself to you, and I will spend the rest of my life doing penance for my sins.”

True to her word, Ellen distributed all her goods among the poor, and began a rigorous life of mortification. Habit dies hard, so she was tormented with terrible temptations, but she always had recourse to the Blessed Mother and her Rosary, and with her help, was always victorious.

As time went on, Ellen was favored with many graces, with visions and revelations and even the gift of prophecy. Finally sickening and near death, she received visits of the Blessed Virgin and her divine Son who came to cheer and console her. And as Ellen breathed her last, her soul was seen flying toward heaven in the form of a beautiful dove.

THE ROSARY WAS HER LADDER TO HEAVEN.

–Adapted from The Glories of Mary by Saint Alphonsus Liguori

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 A GIRL WHO DIED IN THE STATE OF MORTAL SIN 

"Alexandra answered that when she was beheaded, SHE WAS IN THE STATE OF MORTAL SIN AND WOULD DAMNED TO HELL But on account of the rosary which she was in the habit of reciting, Most Holy Mary appeared and PRESERVED HER SOUL FROM UNENDING TORMENTS."

From the "Glories of Mary" by St. Alphonsus Liguori

Father Eusebius Nierembergh relates, that there lived in the city of Aragona, Sicily, a girl named Alexandra. Being both noble and very beautiful, Alexandra was greatly loved by two young men.

Driven by jealousy, these young men fought one day and killed each other. Their enraged relatives, in return, killed the poor young girl as the cause of so much trouble. They cut off her head and threw her remains into a well.

A few days later, Saint Dominic of Guzman was passing through that place and inspired by Our Lord, approached the well and said: “Alexandra, come forth.” Immediately the head of the deceased came forth, perched on the edge of the well, and asked the saint to hear her confession.

Perhaps accustomed to bizarre phenomena, Saint Dominic heard its confession and also gave it communion, in the presence of a great concourse of curious persons who had assembled to witness the miracle.

Then the saint asked her to tell why she had received such a grace. Alexandra answered that when she was beheaded, she was in a state of mortal sin and would have been damned to hell. But on account of the rosary which she was in the habit of reciting, Most Holy Mary appeared and preserved her soul from unending torments.

So it happened that for two days the head of Alexandra retained life and when summoned was set upon the edge of the well, in the presence of all, and then the soul went to purgatory.

Fifteen days later, Alexandra’s soul appeared to Saint Dominic, beautiful and radiant as a star. She then told him that one of the principal sources of relief to the souls in purgatory is the rosary which is recited for them; and that, as soon as they arrive in paradise, they pray for those who apply to them these powerful prayers.

Having said this, Saint Dominic saw that happy soul ascending in triumph to the kingdom of the blessed.

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OUR LADY OF SORROWS
The Seven Sorrows That Pierced Our Lady’s Heart.

1. The Prophecy of Saint Simeon.
(Luke 2:34–35)

2. The escape and Flight into Egypt.
(Matthew 2:13)

3. The Loss of the Child Jesus in the Temple of Jerusalem. (Luke 2:43–45)

4. The Meeting of Mary and Jesus on the Via Dolorosa.

5. The Crucifixion of Jesus on Mount Calvary. (John 19:25)

6. The Piercing of the Side of Jesus, and His Descent from the Cross.
(Matthew 27:57–59)

7. The Burial of Jesus by Joseph of Arimathea. (John 19:40–42)

Not only do we get to unite our sufferings and sorrows to Our Lady of Sorrows, we are also promised 7 Graces:

The Seven Graces of this Devotion
According to St Bridge of Sweden (1303-1373), there are Seven Graces of this devotion.

1. I will grant peace to their families.
2.They will be enlightened about the Divine mysteries.

3. I will console them in their pains and I will accompany them in their work.

4. I will give them as much as they ask for as long as it does not oppose the adorable will of my Divine Son or the sanctification of their souls.

5. I will defend them in their spiritual battles with the infernal enemy and I will protect them at every instant of their lives.

6. I will visibly help them at the moment of their death, they will see the face of their Mother.

7. I have obtained this Grace from my Divine Son, that those who propagate this devotion to my tears and dolors, will be taken directly from this earthly life to eternal happiness since all their sins will be forgiven and my Son and I will be their eternal consolation and joy.

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Our Morning Offering – 1 September – “Month of The Seven Sorrows of the Blessed Virgin Mary and The Holy Cross”

To Our Lady of Sorrows
By St Bonaventure (1217-1274)
Seraphic Doctor of the Church

O most holy Virgin,
Mother of Our Lord Jesus Christ,
by the overwhelming grief thou experienced
when thou witnessed the Martyrdom,
the Crucifixion and the Death,
of Thy Divine Son,
look upon me, with eyes of compassion
and awaken in my heart,
a tender commiseration for those sufferings
and a sincere detestation of my sins,
in order that,
being disengaged from all undue affection
for the passing joys of this earth,
I may sigh after the eternal Jerusalem
and that, henceforward, all my thoughts
and all my actions may be directed
towards this one most desirable object,
the honour, glory and love
of our divine Lord Jesus,
and to thee,
the Holy and Immaculate
Mother of God.
Amen.

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 My child, you complain because I Will to keep you in the dark; but remember that after darkness comes light, and then you shall have light indeed. 

I put you to this test for My greater glory, to give joy to the Angels, for your greater gain and also for example to others. 

If you do really love Me, you should love Me even in the midst of darkness. 

I delight in and play with souls. I play through love. 

Be not afflicted if I begin to abandon you.

Do not think it chastisement. 

It is truly My own Will in order to detach from creatures and unite you to Myself. 

When I appear to be far away then I am near at hand. 

Take courage, for after the battle comes peace. 

Fidelity and love must be thy necessary weapons. 

For the present, therefore, be patient if I leave you alone. 

Suffer, be resigned and be consoled. 

I am leading you by rough and sorrowful ways, and you should consider yourself honoured when I treat you thus and when by a daily and hidden martyrdom I allow your soul to be tried and purified. 

Think only for the present of how you art to practice great virtue. 

Make haste in the ways of Divine Love, humble yourself and rest assured that if I keep you on the Cross, I love you.

Be not like some who, being attached to consolations and spiritual satisfactions, care but little for the Cross. 

Finding themselves in desolation of spirit, they shorten by degrees the time of prayer because they no longer find in it the consolations they had before experienced.

– Jesus: to St. Gemma Galgani

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JESUS APPEALS TO THE WORLD

The Unceasing Act of Love Revealed to the Capuchin Nun, Sister Mary Consolata
(1903-1946)

Jesus and Mary, I love You, save souls! 🙏❤️

On their behalf and for those of the coming centuries, Sister Consolata's spiritual director requested a letter from her in which she would expound her own thoughts on how to practice the unceasing act of love and offer some practical advice. We reproduce this letter almost in its entirety, and every Littlest One may consider it to have been written expressly for her or for him. Its content is all the more valuable since it has found confirmation in Sister Consolata's own life which will hardly ever be surpassed in continuity and virginity of love.

DEAREST LITTLEST ONE OF THE HEART OF JESUS

“When you go to rest in the evening, you should ask your good guardian angel to love Jesus on your behalf while you are asleep, to awaken you in the morning, and to inspire you to the act of love. If you will be faithful in asking this of him each evening, he will be faithful in awakening you every morning with a 'Jesus, Mary, I love You! Save souls!’
"Begin your day in this way, and continue to love until you meet Jesus in the Holy Eucharist. That does not mean that you should neglect all other prayers. No! Carry on your usual practices of piety, but do not add any others. Let your act of love absorb your every spare moment, and in the future even some of your vocal prayers if Jesus so inspires you.
"In Holy Communion entrust and abandon yourself to Jesus, your troubles, projects, desires, and sorrows, and then think no more about them. For the whole life of a Littlest One is based upon this
Divine promise: - “I will think of everything, even to the least detail; you must think only of loving Me!” - Copy these words out under an image of the Sacred Heart, and do it in such a way that they will be always in sight. They will be a great help to you in freeing your spirit from all preoccupation, and you will experience in yourself how faithfully Jesus keeps His promise.

"After having abandoned everything to Jesus during Holy Communion, renew to Him your promise of the unceasing act oflove, your 'yes' to everything He will demand of you throughout the day, and determine to see Him, to speak with Him, and to serve Him lovingly in all His creatures with whom you will come in contact.
"Form your intention once and for all that your every act of love may ascend to heaven as a supplication, to implore fidelity for yourself in persevering uninterruptedly until your next Communion, and that it be in reparation for your every infidelity.

"As you leave the church, begin with your act of love, and continue it on your way, at home, and while carrying out each of your duties. Remember that Jesus has given His promise that while you are writing, or praying, or meditating, or while you must speak out of necessity or charity, your act of love will continue just the same.
"Arrange to have before you, if possible, while you work an image or a card with the words: 'Jesus, Mary, I love You!
Save souls!' This will serve as a reminder to you.
*Among the obstacles which prevent you from offering
Jesus the unceasing virginal act of love, Our Lord teaches us to combat three: useless thoughts, useless talk, and outside inter-ests. As for thoughts and preoccupations, everything becomes useless from the moment that Jesus promises His Littlest One that He Himself will think of everything, even to the smallest details. As for useless talk, if you speak when you are not obliged to do so out of necessity, charity or propriety, then it is a waste of time; you steal time from Love. As for extraneous interests, curiosity, etc., all these detach your spirit from the one thing to which you have vowed yourself: to love Jesus unceasingly and with a virginal love.
"It is necessary, however, for you to realize that, to carry out the divine wishes, never to lose one act of love or one act of charity from one Communion to another, will require arduous work from your soul (sustained by grace), no small amount of time, and a generous, constant effort; above all, never let yourself become discouraged.

*At every more or less voluntary infidelity, renew your determination of virginal love, and start afresh. If your fault causes you suffering, you should offer it to Jesus... as an act of love!
You will see and will be able to experience with what tenderness Jesus raises you up again after each fall or infidelity, how He hastens to put you on your feet again, so that you may continue your canticle of love.

"What will aid you most in offering Jesus the unceasing act of love, is to renew your resolution at every hour and to make a particular examen of your conscience concerning it.
Keep in mind that in this particular examen about the unceasing act of love you are to note as faults only the time which you have wasted in useless talk or in following your imagination, vain thoughts, etc...
.. Make good your shortcomings, and
then take up your loving again with tranquillity.
The resolution, however, to which you must consecrate all your energies should always concern the unceasing act of love. Have no fear! Jesus will aid you. He has said: I ask only one thing of you: an unceasing act of love..
Love Me, for I thirst
for your love.... Love Me, and you will be happy; the more you will love Me, the happier you will be!... Jesus keeps His word!
"So, have courage! Jesus and Mary will aid you! Never have any fear, but trust and believe in the love which He has for you!"

Affectionately,
SISTER CONSOLATA, R.C.

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 HOW DO YOU KNOW GOD IS CALLING YOU? 

If one day, you are called to become a sister, what will you do? Deny, ignore, or pursue what you believe is a call. BUT FIRST HOW DO YOU KNOW GOD IS CALLING YOU? 

God’s invitations can come in many different ways. A call is unique for each person in each circumstance.  This invitation may start within you when:

–a voice within you keeps calling you to be a sister.

–you experience a hunger for intimacy with God.

–an inspiring quote, a sister’s story, or the works of a religious community touches you deeply and leads you to consider becoming a sister.

–you dream of working with the poor or working for justice and peace.

you experience something missing in your life and you want to work for something bigger than yourself.

In some cases, the invitation can be unexpected:

–a thunderbolt hitting your ears when someone says: “Have you ever thought of becoming a sister?”

–a joke you may really hate; “You act or look like a nun, why don’t you be one of them?”

–a bet between you and someone encouraging you to contact a religious community.

God’s invitation can also seem confusing or unsettling. For example:

Your fiancé hands you a retreat registration; “I registered you for a retreat. You should explore your call before we get married.” Don’t feel resentful towards him.

You often don’t feel peaceful, but have a sense of emptiness while dating, or even one or two weeks before getting married. Pay attention to that sign.

Remember

 “For humans, it is impossible; but for God, all is possible.” (Matthew 19:26).

–Blog by Sr. Mai Dung Nguyen

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 PROMISES OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST 

           TO THOSE WHO VISIT HIM 

        IN THE BLESSED SACRAMENT 

        🌾🌾🌾🍇🍇🍇🍇🍇🌾🌾🌾

               Given To Catalina Rivas

           With Ecclesiastical Approval

1. I promise the Soul to visit me frequently in the Blessed Sacrament that I will receive such soul affectionately along with all the Blessed and Angels of Heaven; that each visit of yours will be inscribed in the Book of his Life and grant him:

2. All petitions to be presented before the altar of God in favor of the Church, the Pope and the Consecrated Souls.

3. Cancellation of Satan's power over your person and loved ones.

4. Special protection in case of earthquakes, hurricanes and other natural disasters that would otherwise affect it.

5. She will be lovingly cut off from the world and its attractions, which are cause of doom.

6. The elevation of the Soul, wishing to reach SANCTIFICATION, in visits to the contemplation of My Face.

7. Relief from the purgatory pains of your loved ones.

8. My Blessing for all material and spiritual projects you undertake, if it is for the sake of your own Soul.

9. Receive My visit, in the company of My Mother, at the time of death.

10. *Listening and attending to the needs of the people he asks for.*

11. The intersection of Saints and Angels at the hour of death, to reduce the temporary sentence.

12. May My Love arouse holy callings consecrated to GOD among your loved ones and friends.

13. The Soul that keeps true devotion to My presence in the Eucharist will not be condemned, you will not die without the sacraments of the Church.

14. To the priests and religious who spread devotion to worship, I grant you many special thanks, the total acknowledgement of your sins and the grace to repent.

15. I will help you form faithful devout communities and Saints and achieve many privileges.

16. I promise these things to all people, with only two conditions; which are the fruit of genuine love towards My Royal presence in the Eucharist, and which are absolutely indispensable to make reality in their lives my promises.

I. LET THEM FIGHT TO PRESERVE DIGNITY ON MY ALTARS.

II. BE MERCIFUL TO YOUR NEIGHBOR.

Oh our Eucharistic Jesus, inflame my soul with Your love 💕

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 🌹BEHOLD THE 15 HUMILITY TIPS  🌹

                           FROM 

  ST. MOTHER TERESA OF CALCUTTA 

   🔥🔥🔥+++++++++++++++🔥🔥🔥

    

             In Other To Mount High

                 You Must Descend

           Because The Knowledge

            Of God Can Be Attained

                             But By 

                          HUMILITY

🙏🏻🌹BELOVED ❣️ Souls, let us reflect on this Great Virtue of HUMILITY with St Mother Theresa of Calcutta. While she was head of the Missionaries of Charity, Mother Teresa kept a list of ways to cultivate humility for the sisters in her care...

1💥. Speak as little as possible about yourself.

2💥. Keep busy with your own affairs and not those of others.

3💥. Avoid curiosity (she is referring to wanting to know things that should not concern you.)

4💥. Do not interfere in the affairs of others.

 5💥. Accept small irritations with good humor.

 6💥. Do not dwell on the faults of others.

7💥. Accept censures even if unmerited.

8💥. Give in to the will of others.

9💥. Accept insults and injuries.

10💥. Accept contempt, being forgotten and disregarded.

11💥. Be courteous and delicate even when provoked by someone.

12💥. Do not seek to be admired and loved.

13💥. Do not protect yourself behind your own dignity.

14💥. Give in, in discussions, even when you are right.

15💥. Choose always the more difficult task.

🌹"I worry some of you still have not really met Jesus—one to one—you and Jesus alone. We may spend time in the chapel—but have you seen with the eyes of your soul how He looks at you with love? Do you really know the living Jesus—not from books but from being with Him in your heart? Have you heard the loving words He speaks to you? Ask for the grace; He is longing to give it. Until you can hear Jesus in the silence of your own heart, you will not be able to hear Him saying 'I Thirst' in the hearts of the poor. Never give up this daily intimate contact with Jesus as the real living person—not just the idea." 

-WORDS OF ST. MOTHER

 THERESA OF CALCUTTA

🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹

🙏🏻O dear God grant us through the powerful intercession of St Mother Theresa the True and profound HUMILITY which is the foundation of all VIRTUES. 

Amen🌹🌹🌹

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 .💥🌹POWERFUL MEDITATION🌹💥 

            ON THE MALICE OF SIN

                --------++++++---------

            A Thought Provoking Piece

A MUST READ For All Who Desire Salvation

🙏🏻 “ I have brought up children and exalted them, but they have despised me.” (Isah.1:2)

🙏🏻🌹 Beloved in Christ, Sin as we all know is an offense against God, by any thought, word, deed or omission against the law of God. 

🔥In the very moment in which sin is committed, the soul, from being a likeness of God, becomes transformed into a very horrible monster. It is not possible for a man to comprehend the wonderful beauty with which a soul which enjoys God’s grace, is adorned. When in that state it is a portrait and a copy of the Divine Beauty. For its formation, nothing less is required than infinite Wisdom and power. 

🔥The beauty of a soul in a state of Grace is so great that one day when God had enabled St. Theresa of Avila to see this beauty, she declared “I would gladly give a thousand lives and suffer a thousand deaths, to preserve the beauty of a single such soul, “But just as grace makes a soul lovely, sin makes it ugly. A soul in sin and a condemned spirit are equal in ugliness. Just as a man could not see a demon in any vision that would fairly represent it, without dying of fright, neither could he see a soul that is in sin without dying of terror. 

🔥In the moment in which sin is committed, a soul becomes extremely repulsive of God. It is not possible for any intelligence in Heaven or on earth to come to comprehension of how great the abhorrence is, how profound the hatred is, with which God regards sin. Yes, indeed! God hates sin and necessarily abhors it. Just as it is not possible for Him to cease loving Himself as Supreme Good likewise, it is not possible that He cease hating sin as the supreme evil. 

🔥The moment one sins, his soul from being a child of God, becomes a slave of the devil. The condition of a possessed person moves us to compassion; for he is compelled to make room day and night within his body for a demon from Hell. But much more pitiful is the condition of someone’s soul who, by sin, becomes a slave of the devil and is constrained to live under his tyrannical power. 

🔥Now, someone possessed may happen to be the child of God and enjoy His grace, having full confidence that he will succeed in enjoying Him forever in Heaven. But one in sin is God’s enemy, is without His grace, and is liable to fall into hell at anytime, with the same slave-mater accompanying him to torment him there forever. 

🔥The moment one sins, his soul falls into the vilest, most deplorable condition. There is nothing more shameful than sin, nothing more blame worthy than the sinner. Imagine Oh Christian soul, that God opened everyone’s eyes so that they could look into your heart clearly and see all your vices, all the sins you have committed during your lifetime by thought, word and deed. 

🔥Oh! What a shame would you have? Ah! What an embarrassment to God? If it were like these, would you not first seek a hiding place in the grottos and caves of deserts rather than appear before men? Even in the judgment of the same natural right of reason, there is nothing more shameful than sin, nor anything more vile than the sinner. 

🔥“We read, in the life of Sister Catherine of St. Augustine, that in the place where she resided, there was a woman, of the name of Mary, who in her youth was a sinner, and in her old age continue, so obstinate in wickedness. As a result of her sinful life, she was driven out of the city, and reduced to live in a secluded cave, there she died, half consumed by disease, without the sacraments, and was consequently interred in a field like a beast. Ah! If we mortals hate a sinful man like this, how much hatred must he not be before God?

🔥Oh! Christian soul, if you know how you ought to blush before God, in whose presence you have committed so many sin and before whose eyes all the hideous things of your life continually lie bare and before whom nothing unclean could stand, you ought to be very careful with the salvation of your soul. 

🔥Oh! Unhappy tongues! How many loose words have you not uttered? Oh! Unworthy hands! How many forbidden acts have you not performed? Oh! Disorderly heart! How many objects have you not wrongfully love or wrongfully hated?

🔥Oh! My God exclaimed St. Anthony Mary Claret, “if a single sin arouse in thee a horror and an infinite  , how in your sight does my soul appear in which nothing else is seen but only sin? Where shall I flee to hide myself and conceal my shameful guilt? O sin! How lovable you seem to one who commits you. How bitter and hateful you are after you have been committed. Truly, if everybody knew me as God does, there would not be a saint in Heaven nor a man on earth who would not look away in greatest horror.    

🙏🏻O GOD, You made us for  Yourself, and souls are restless until they rest in Thee. Teach us O Lord, the way to Thy kingdom. And grant us the grace to resist and hate sin even the least one with every possible means and see it as the greatest of all evil. Above all, turn us from sinners into great Saints. Amen🌹🌹🌹

#catholicfaithup #catholicchurch #CatholicNews #catholic #catholiclife #catholicart #traditionalcatholic #monastery #mariandevotion #Saints #BlessedVirginMary

TO BE CONTINUED*

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 A person in the state of grace can put on the mind of Christ, be filled with peace, and live a life of virtue.God showed a vision of a soul in the state of grace to St. Catherine of Siena. This is how she described it to her spiritual director:

"Father , I cannot find anything in this world that can give you the smallest idea of what I have seen. Oh, if you could but see the beauty of a soul in the state of grace, you would sacrifice your life a thousand times for its salvation. It is the image and likeness of God in that soul, and the Divine Grace which made it so beautiful."

For our mortal sins to be forgiven, we must confess them to a priest. But that is not all. We must be sorry and must want to never commit that sin again. If the person confesses, but intends to go out and continue to live in the state of sin, his sins are not forgiven.And if he dies in that state, unrepentant, he will not go to Heaven.

Note: A person may fall after leaving the confessional, but if his intention was not to sin again, his sins are forgiven. So, if you confess and fall again, confess again. God knows how weak we are. That's why he gives us many opportunities to start anew.

People were in darkness and experienced the tremendous joy when they went to confession after years away from the Church. One such person said, after coming from Confession:

" After a priest prayed over me, a cloud lifted from my head and I saw clearly for the first time in many years, even though I had been against the Catholic Church, I understood that the Catholic Church was true!....I never thought it was possible to have so much joy on this earth ! ....I felt inebriated with joy! I knew His great love for me, and I felt great love for Him , and for everyone!"

Pope Francis said," God forgets sins absolved within the confessional."

" After Confession, a crown is given to penitents." by St John Chrysostom.

Resolve: Thank God for the great gift of Confession, and get into the habit of going to Confession at least once a month.

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 Confession is a gift from God. If you take advantage of this gift and humbly confess your sins to a priest, your reward will be peace of soul in this life. How said it would be to refuse this gift! Those who do refuse will suffer in time and eternity. For a person living in the state of sin there are real-life consequences: a deep emptiness in the depths of the soul and lack of a sense of meaning and purpose in life are just some of the results of living in sin . As St Augustine said ," You have made us for Yourself, O Lord, and our heart is restless until it rests in You."

Sin darkens the mind. It can make us slaves to our passions, and the more we sin, the more we become like beasts. Some people don't go to Confession or to church, but they think they are good people because they don't commit heinous sins, and they do some good things. But good deeds don't get us to heaven. When the soul is dead in sin , good deeds do not merit that person anything, because they are separated from God. It is being the state of grace, union with God that allows us entry into His Kingdom.

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Nine First Wednesdays dedicated to St. Joseph

https://stfrancisnewtonparish.com/nine-first-wednesdays-dedicated-to-st-joseph

About

“My dear son, Our Lord God has sent me to tell you about all the graces the faithful will receive from my Most Chaste Heart which Jesus and my blessed spouse wish to be honored.” – St. Joseph

The First Wednesday of every month is dedicated in devotion to the Most Chaste Heart of St. Joseph and it derives from Church-approved apparitions in Itapiranga, Brazil and the United States. The apparitions were approved by a Bishop Dom Carillo Gritti in 2010 and the Feast is usually celebrated on the first Wednesday after the Feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus.

Confession: This confession can be made 9 days before or after the First Wednesday, provided that Holy Communion be received in the state of grace.

Holy Communion: Offer your First Wednesday Mass and Communion in honor of St. Joseph, for the salvation of the dying, most especially for an undying sinner who is to lose his soul without the grace of final repentance.

Prayers: The Go to Joseph Prayers (below), you can also pray the Litany to St Joseph or other prayers to honour St Joseph.

Promises

The Ten Promises to those who are devoted to the Most Chaste Heart of St. Joseph:

1. I promise to all that honor this Most Chaste Heart of mine, and who do here on earth good deeds in favor of the most needy, especially of the sick and dying for whom I am a consoler and protector, to receive in their last moment of their lives the grace of a good death. I myself will be to these souls their petitioner to my Son Jesus and, together with my spouse, Most Holy Mary, we will console them in their last hours here on earth with our holy presence, and they will rest in the peace of our Hearts.

2. I promise to all the faithful that honor my Most Chaste Heart with faith and love, the grace to live with holy purity of soul and body and the strength to resist all attacks and temptations by the Devil. I myself will preciously protect you.

3. I promise to intercede before God for those who come to me, honoring this Heart of mine. I will give them the graces to be able to resolve the most difficult problems and urgent necessities, that to the eyes of man seem impossible, but that, through my intercession to God, will be possible.

4. I promise all who will trust in my Most Chaste Heart, devoutly honoring it, the grace to be consoled by me in their greatest afflictions of the soul and in the danger of judgment, when by misfortune lose divine grace because of their grave sins. To these sinners, who have recourse to me, I promise the graces of my Heart for the purpose of amendment, of repentance and of sincere contrition of their sins.

5. To all who honor this Heart of mine and trust in me and in my intercession, I promise they will not be abandoned in their difficulties and in the trials of life. I will ask Our Lord to help them with his Divine Providence in their material and spiritual problems.

6. Mothers and fathers – consecrate yourselves to my Heart, likewise your families, and you will receive my help in your afflictions and problems. Just as I brought up the Son of the Most Hight in his holy laws, I will assist you with the upbringing and education of your children. I will help all fathers and mothers that consecrate their children to me, to bring them up with love in the holy laws of God, so they may find the secure road to salvation.

7. So then, my son, tell all those that honor this Chaste Heart of mine they will receive the grace of my protection from all evils and dangers. For those who surrender to me will not be slaughtered by misfortunes, by wars, hunger, by diseases and other calamities, they will have my Heart as a refuge for their protection. Here, in my Heart, all will be protected against the divine justice in the days that will come. All who consecrate themselves to my Heart, honoring it, they will be looked upon by my Son Jesus with eyes of mercy. Jesus will pour out his love and will take to the glory of his Kingdom all those I put in my Heart.

8. All those who propagate the devotion to my Heart, and practice it with love, have the certainty of having their names engraved on it just as my Son Jesus’ cross and the “M” of Mary are engraved on it, as formed by wounds. This also applies for all priests whom I love with predilection. The priests who have a devotion to my Heart and spread it will have the grace of touching the most hardened hearts and convert obstinate sinners.

9. All who honor the Most Chaste Heart of St. Joseph will benefit with my maternal presence in their lives in a special way. I will be at the side of each son and daughter of mine, helping and comforting them with a mothers’ Heart, just as I helped and comforted my Most Chase Spouse Joseph in this world. To those who ask of his Heart with trust, I promise to intercede before the Eternal Father, my Divine Son Jesus and the Holy Spirit. I will obtain for them, from God, the grace to reach perfect sanctity in the virtues of St. Joseph, this way reaching the perfect love in which he lived. Men will learn to love my Son Jesus and myself with the same love as my Most Chaste Spouse Joseph, receiving the most pure love from our Hearts.

10. All who will honor my Virginal Father Joseph’s Most Chaste Heart, will receive at the hour of death the grace to resist the schemes of the enemy of salvation, receiving victory and the deserved recompense in the Kingdom of my Heavenly Father. Those who devoutly honor this Chaste Heart in this world have the certainty of receiving great glory in Heaven. The devoted souls of my Virginal Father Joseph will benefit from the beatific vision of the Holy Trinity and will have the profound knowledge of the One Triune God, the thrice Holy. They will enjoy the presence of my Heavenly Mother and my Virginal Father Joseph in the heavenly Kingdom. These souls will be loved by the Holy Trinity and by my Holy Mother Mary and will encircle the Most Chaste Heart of my Virginal Father Joseph like the most beautiful of lilies.

Prayers

The Go to Joseph Prayers

I

In the miseries of this vale of tears, to whom shall we have recourse, O blessed Joseph, if not to thee, to whom thy beloved spouse Mary entrusted all her rich treasures, that thou might keep them to our advantage? “go to my spouse, Joseph,” Mary seems to say to us, “and he will comfort you, he will deliver you from the misfortunes which now oppress you and will make you happy and contented” Have pity on us, therefore, O St. Joseph; have pity on us through that love which thou didst cherish toward a spouse so worthy and amiable. Our Father … Hail Mary … Glory Be …

II

We are fully conscious that we have offended the justice of God by our sins and deserve His most severe chastisements. Not what shall be our place of refuge? “go to Joseph,” Jesus seems to say to us; “Go to Joseph, in whom I was well pleased and whom I had for My foster father. To him, as to a father, I have communicated all power, that he may use it for your good according to his own desire.” Pity us, therefore, O blessed Joseph, pity us, for the great love thou didst bear toward a Son so admirable and so dear. Our Father … Hail Mary … Glory Be …

III

Unhappily the sins we have committed call down upon the heaviest scourges: this we must confess. In what ark shall we take refuge in order to be saved? Where shall we find the blessed rainbow that shall give us comfort and hope in the midst of our afflictions? “Go to Joseph,” the Eternal father seems to say to us: “Go to him who took My place on earth with regard to My Son made man. I entrusted to his keeping My Son, who is the unfailing source of grace; therefore, every grace is in his hands.” Pity us, then, dear St. Joseph, pity us by thy great love for Almighty God, Who has been so generous to thee. Our Father … Hail Mary … Glory Be …

Act of Consecration to St. Joseph

To your Chaste Heart we consecrate ourselves, on this day, O Glorious Saint Joseph. We consecrate our families and all that we have. Just as you protect Jesus and Mary, protect my soul and my life also, O my Beloved Protector, against the dangers that surround me and attack me. O Glorious Saint Joseph, teach me to love deeply the most Holy Hearts of Jesus and Mary, so that you may come to love deeply as they your Most Chaste Heart, honoring it and making it known, as you deserve and ought to be Honored and loved for all eternity. Amen!

Daily Prayer to St Joseph

Hail, Guardian of the Redeemer,

Spouse of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

To you God entrusted his only Son;

in you Mary placed her trust;

with you Christ became man.

Blessed Joseph, to us too,

show yourself a father

and guide us in the path of life.

Obtain for us grace, mercy, and courage,

and defend us from every evil. Amen.

2013 – 2023 © St Francis Of Assisi Catholic Community

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 The Fifteen Secret Tortures And Sufferings Of Our Lord And Savior Jesus Christ.

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Yea, dogs are round about me; a company of evildoers encircle me; they have pierced my hands and feet--I can count all my bones.

(Ps 22:16-17)

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"But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that made us whole, and with his stripes we are healed. "

(Isaiah 53:5)

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I looked for one that would comfort me, and I found none — Psalm 69:20

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Revealed to the pious, God-loving Sister Mary Magdalen of Sancta Clara Order, Franciscan, who lived, died and was beatified in Rome. Jesus fulfilled the wish of this Sister, who desired to ardently know something about the secret sufferings which He endured the night before His death.

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This devotion is approved and recommended by His Holiness Clement XII, (1730-1740)

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1. They fastened My feet with a rope and dragged Me over the stepping stones of the staircase, down into a filthy, nauseating cellar.

2. They took off My clothing and stung My body with iron joints.They attached a rope around My body and pulled Me on the ground from end to end.

3. They hanged Me on a wooden piece with a slip knot until I slipped out and fell down. Overwhelmed by this torture, I wept bloody tears.

4. They tied Me to a post and pierced My body with various arms.

5. They struck Me with stones and burnt Me with blazing embers and torches.

6. They pierced Me with awls; sharp spears tore My skin, flesh and arteries out of My body.

7. They tied Me to a post and made Me stand barefoot on an incandescent metal sheet.

8. They crowned Me with an iron crown and wrapped My eyes with the dirtiest possible rags.

9. They made Me sit on a chair covered with sharp pointed nails, causing deep wounds in My body.

10. They poured on My wounds liquid lead and resin and, after this torture, they pressed Me on the nailed chair so that the nails went deeper and deeper into My flesh.

11. For shame and affliction, they drove needles into the holes of My uprooted beard.

12. They tied my hands behind My back and led Me walking out of prison with strikes and blows.

13. They threw Me upon a cross and attached Me so tightly that I could hardly breathe anymore.

14. They threw at My head as I lay on the earth, and they stepped on Me, hurting My breast. Then, taking a thorn from My crown, they drove it into My tongue.

15. They poured into My mouth the most immodest excretions, as they uttered the most infamous expressions about Me.

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Then, Jesus added,

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"My daughter, I desire that you let everybody know the Fifteen Secret Tortures in order that everyone of them be honored."

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"Anyone who daily offers Me, with love, one of these sufferings and says with fervor the following prayer, will be rewarded with eternal glory on the day of judgment."

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PRAYER

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My Lord and My God, it is my unchangeable will to honor Thee in these Fifteen Secret Torments when Thou shed Thy Precious Blood; as many times as there are grains of sand around the seas, as fruit in the orchards, as leaves on the trees, as flowers in the gardens, as stars in the sky, as angels in Heaven, as creatures on earth. So many thousands of times may Thou be glorified, praised and honored, O Most love-worthy Lord Jesus Christ - Thy Holiest Heart, Thy Precious Blood, Thy Divine Sacrifice for mankind, the Holiest Sacrament of the altar, the Most Holy Virgin Mary, the nine glorious choirs of Angels and the Blessed Phalanx of the Saints, from myself and everyone, now and forever, and in the eternal ages.

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In like manner, I desire, my dear Jesus, to give Thee thanksgiving, to serve Thee, to repair and atone for all my ignominies, and to offer Thee my soul and body as Thy possession forever. Likewise, I regret all my sins and beg Thy pardon, O my Lord and my God. And I offer Thee all the merits of Jesus Christ to repair everything, to obtain a happy dying-hour and the deliverance of the souls from Purgatory. This prayer I desire to renew at each hour until my death, O lovable Jesus. Sweet Savior, fortify my resolution and permit not that neither wretched men nor Satan destroy it. Amen.

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Promises of Our Lord Given to St. Gertrude for those Who Honor His Holy Wounds:

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One day as St. Gertrude was completing her prayers and salutations in honor of the Wounds of the Savior, her compassion was rewarded by a vision of Our Lord, on whose Wounds rested golden roses. Our Lord said to her: "Behold, I will appear to you in this refulgent form at the hour of your death, and I will cover all your sins, and adorn you with a glory like that with which you have adorned My Wounds by your salutations. All who do so shall receive the like favor." It was also revealed to St. Gertrude that reading and meditating on the Passion are far more useful and efficacious than all other spiritual exercises. As those who handle flour cannot avoid contracting some of the flour's powdery substance, so no one, however imperfect his devotion may be, can occupy his mind with the Passion of Our Lord without receiving some benefit therefrom. And, however cold and lukewarm our devotion, Our Lord will look upon us with greater long-suffering and mercy if we never omit the memory of His Passion.

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Promises of Our Lord to Sister Mary Martha Chambon to Those Who are Devoted to His Holy Wounds.

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Those who pray with humility and who meditate on My Passion, shall one day participate in the glory of My Divine wounds. Their members will receive from them a resplendent beauty and glory.

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The more you shall have contemplated My Painful wounds on this earth, the higher shall be your contemplation of them glorious in Heaven.

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The soul who during life has honored and studied the Wounds of Our Lord Jesus Christ and has offered Them to the Eternal Father for the Souls in Purgatory will be accompanied at the moment of death by the Holy Virgin and the Angels; and Our Lord on the Cross, all brilliant in glory will receive her and crown her.

#motivational #motivationalspeaker #motivation

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 !!! THE LEAVEN OF THE PHARISEES !!!

Masonic plan to destroy the Catholic Church

"(The following astonishing document is from the estate of a hungarian catholic priest who died two years ago. It was found only a few days ago among the priest's personal papers. Its author, past and origin are unknown, and since its keeper is dead, we are unable to learn from him. Similar documents have been circulating in the world for a long time. But especially in view of the latest one, the Lugano study, and the fact that in our time both what is written in it and what is written here have been fulfilled almost to the letter, we must assume that we are dealing with genuine instructions.)

Grand Master Masonic directives to Masonic Catholic Bishops, March 1962

- All Masonic Brethren should report on the progress of the implementation of these crucial instructions;

- Revised in October 1993 for the final stage;

- All Freemasons active in the Catholic Church should take the following in hand and carry it through.

1. Remove St. Michael, the patron of the Catholic Church, from all prayers in and out of Mass once and for all. Remove his statues, say they are a distraction from Christ.

2. Cease penitential practices during Lent, such as not eating meat on Fridays or fasting. Discourage all acts of self-denial, replacing them with acts of joy, happiness and physical love. Say that "Christ has already earned for us the kingdom of heaven" and that "all human effort is in vain". Tell people to "take seriously the care of their health". Encourage them to eat meat, especially pork.

3. Appoint Protestant pastors to review and desacralize the Mass. Dispel the seeds of doubt about the real presence of the Eucharist in the Eucharist, and demonstrate that the Eucharist, closer to the Protestant faith, is only bread and wine, and is to be understood symbolically. Employ Protestants in schools and seminaries. Encourage ecumenism as the way to unity. Accuse all who believe in the Real Presence of disobedience to the Church.

4. Forbid the Latin liturgy of the Mass, the adoration of the Sacraments and the singing of hymns, because they create a sense of reverence for the mystery. Set them up as "hocus-pocus" of the prophets. People will then no longer look up to priests as highly intelligent and respectable mysterious persons.

5. Encourage women not to wear hats in church. Hair is sexy. Require women to be preachers, communion assistants, deaconesses and priests. Make this a democratic ideal. Start a women's liberation movement. Make church-goers dress sexy, it will diminish the importance of the Mass.

6. Tell parents and guardians to discourage children from folding their hands before and after communion. Tell them that God loves them just the way they are and wants them to feel completely at ease. Stop all kneeling and genuflecting in church. Remove the kneelers. Tell people to witness standing during the Holy Mass.

7. Bring guitars, Jewish harps, drums, "foot stomping", and "holy laughter" into the churches. This prevents people from personal prayer and conversation with Jesus. Do not give Jesus time to invite children to religious life. Perform liturgical dances at the altar in sexy costumes, plays and concerts.

8. Take away the sacral character of the hymns to the Mother of God and to St. Joseph. Say that their worship is idolatry. Ridicule those who insist on their worship. Introduce Protestant hymns. This will give the appearance that the Catholic Church is finally acknowledging that Protestant is the true religion, or at least equal to Catholic.

9. Introduce new hymns, thus convincing people that the older rites were somehow wrong. Make sure that in every Mass there is at least one hymn that does not mention Jesus, but is only about love for people. Young people will be inspired when they hear about brotherly love. Preach a sermon about love, tolerance and unity. Don't mention Jesus. Forbid the preaching of the Eucharist in any form.

10. Remove from the altar the relics of the saints, and then the altar itself. Replace it with pagan, unsanctified tables suitable for the presentation of living sacrifices at satanic masses. Abolish the church law that states that Holy Mass can only be celebrated on an altar containing relics.

11. Abandon the practice of saying Mass before the Blessed Sacrament in the tabernacle. Do not allow altars used for Mass to have tabernacles. Make the table look like a dining room table. It should be portable to indicate that it is not a sacred thing, but something that serves a dual purpose, such as a conference table or a card table. Later, add at least one chair to the table. The priest should sit on it, indicating that he will rest after communion - after the meal. During the Holy Mass, the priest should never kneel or genuflect. It is not customary to kneel at meals. The priest's chair should be in the place of the tabernacle. Encourage people to venerate the priest and not the Eucharist, to obey him and not the Eucharist. Tell them that the priest is the Christ, he is the Head. Put the tabernacle in another room, out of sight.

12. Remove the saints from the church calendar, a few at a time. Forbid priests to preach about saints unless they are mentioned in the Gospel. Say it would offend any Protestants who might be present in the church. Avoid anything that would bother Protestants.

13. When reading the Gospel, omit the word "holy", e.g. instead of "Gospel according to St. John", simply say "Gospel according to John". This will show people that they are no longer to be respected. Keep writing new Bibles that are identical to the Protestant Bibles. Drop the word "holy" in connection with the Holy Spirit. This will open the way. Emphasize the feminine character of God as a loving mother. Do not allow the word "Father" to be used.

14. Then the litanies to the Heart of Jesus, the Virgin Mary, St. Joseph and the prayers in preparation for Communion will be omitted. Then the thanksgiving after Communion becomes superfluous.

15. Why should the statues of our enemies be there? Call them myths or bedtime stories. Don't let them talk about angels, because that would discourage our Protestant members.

16. Abolish the little exorcism used for exorcisms, work on it, and preach it to make people believe there are no devils. Say that this is the Bible's way of saying evil, and no good story is without a villain. Then they won't believe in hell, and they won't be afraid to go there. Say that hell is just the absence of God's presence, and that's not so terrible, because life there is the same as it is here on earth.

17. Teach that Jesus was only a man with brothers and sisters, and that he hated all kinds of institutions. Say that he loved the company of prostitutes, especially Mary Magdalene. Say that he did not use the churches and synagogues, and advised them not to obey the church magistrates. Say that he was a great teacher, who, however, went astray when he disobeyed the church teachers. Speak of the cross not as a victory but as a defeat.

18. Remember that you can persuade nuns to abandon their vocation by appealing to their vanity, their kindness and their beauty. Allow them to change their monastic habit, which will automatically lead them to throw away the rosary. Show the world that there are differences of opinion in the convents. By doing so you will dry up the vocations. Tell them that they are not accepted in the habitus, and it will discredit them in the eyes of the people.

19. Burn all catechisms. Tell the teachers of the faith to teach the children to love God's people instead of God's love. It is a sign of maturity to love openly. Let the word "sex" be used every day in religion classes. Make a new religion out of "sex". Bring "sex pictures" to the faith lessons to introduce children to the facts. Make sure the pictures are easy to understand. Encourage schools to be progressive in sex education. Introduce sex education through the dioceses so that parents will not object.

20. Close all Catholic schools by reducing the number of monastic vocations. Tell the sisters that they are unpaid social workers and the Church wants to get rid of them. Insist that Catholic lay teachers be paid the same as in public schools. Employ non-Catholic teachers. Priests should be paid the same as similar lay officials. All priests should remove their cassocks and crosses so that they are acceptable to all. Make a mockery of those who do not hold to this.

21. Destroy the Pope by destroying his universities. Separate the universities from the Pope. Tell him that the government will then support them. Change the names of the religious institutions and give them profane names. Tell them it is ecumenical. Establish ecumenical chapters in every diocese. Make sure they are under Protestant control. Do not allow prayers to the Pope or to Mary, because that would discourage ecumenism. Proclaim that the diocesan bishops are to be regarded as the competent authority, the Pope merely a figurehead. Tell the people that the Pope's teaching is for entertainment only, but is otherwise of no importance.

22. Attack the authority of the Pope by setting an age limit on his office. Push this through by all means.

23. Be bold. Weaken the Pope by making bishops' synods regular. The Pope will then be a figurehead, like in England, where the upper and lower houses rule and the Queen takes her orders from them. Then weaken the authority of the bishops by creating a counter-institution at the clerical level. Say that this is how priests get the recognition they deserve. Then weaken the authority of the priests by setting up lay groups to rule over them. This will create so much hatred that even cardinals will leave the Church, and the Church will now be democratic.

24. Reduce the priestly vocations so that the laity lose respect for them. A publicized priestly scandal will destroy thousands of vocations. Praise the fallen priests who gave up everything for the love of a woman. Call them heroes, heroic. Honour as martyrs the lay priests who were so oppressed that they could bear it no longer. Condemn and call scandalous the publication of the names of our practising Masonic brothers. Be tolerant of homosexuality in priests. Tell people that priests are lonely.

25. Start by closing churches for lack of priests. Call it economical and good business practice. Tell them that God answers prayer everywhere. So churches are an extravagant waste of money. First close churches where old-school traditions are cherished.

26. Use lay committees and priests of weak faith who are quick to reject and condemn all apparitions of Mary and all alleged miracles, especially those involving the Archangel St Michael. Make sure that after Vatican Council II, nothing of the sort is recognized. Say that it is disobedience to authority to follow or think about the messages. Say of the prophets that they are disobedient to the authority of the Church. Bring them into disrepute and then no one will think to pay attention to the messages.

27. Elect an antipope. Say he will bring Protestants back into the Church, and maybe even Jews. The way to elect an antipope is to give the right to vote to the bishops. Then they will elect so many popes that the antipope can be appointed as a compromise. Tell me the real pope is dead.

28. Abolish confession before Holy Communion for children in grades II and III, so that confession is no longer important for them when they enter grades IV, V or higher. Then confession will disappear. Introduce group confessions (silently) and group absolutions. Tell people it is because of the lack of priests.

29. Allow women and lay people to give holy communion. Say that this is the time for the laity. Start by handing over the sacrament like Protestants. Say that Christ did the same. Collect some wafers in our churches for "black masses". Then, instead of giving personal communion, give wafers in a container to take home. Tell them that this is how God's gift can be incorporated into daily life. Employ communion vending machines and call them tabernacles. Say that the sign of peace is to be passed on to one another. Encourage people to go around so that devotion and prayer may be interrupted. Do not make the sign of the cross, but instead use the sign of peace. Say that Christ also went out to greet his disciples. Do not allow any form of piety at this time. Let the priests turn their backs on the Eucharist, and let the people pay homage.

30. After the election of the antipope, dissolve the synods of bishops, priestly associations and parishes. Forbid priests to question the new directives.

Tell them that God is a lover of humility and hates those who seek respect.

Accuse all those who question disobedience to church authority. Discourage obedience to God. Tell the people that these church leaders must be obeyed.

31. Give the antipope supreme power to choose his followers. Under pain of excommunication, command all who love God to wear the mark of the beast. Do not call it the "mark of the beast". Do not put the cross on people, nor they on themselves. (Do not bless.) Cross-bearing is to be called idolatry and disobedience.

32. Declare the old dogmas false, except the one about the infallibility of the Pope. Say that Jesus Christ was a revolutionary, but a failure. Say that the true Christ is coming soon.

33. Order all the Pope's subjects to fight in the "holy crusade" to spread the one "world religion". Only the elected antipope is to be obeyed. Tell the people that they must bow down when his name is spoken. Satan knows where all the lost gold is. Conquer the world ruthlessly!"

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With thy tears of blood, O sorrowful Mother, destroy the rule of satan. Through Thy divine tenderness, O bound and fettered Jesus, defend the world from the errors which threaten it. Amen.

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UNMASK SATAN, OH LORD, WITH HIS LYING, CHEATING, THIEVING MINIONS!

EXPOSE THEM AND SWEEP THEM OUT OF HERE!

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Since the number of Satan worshippers is increasing and Satan has infiltrated even the church through the masonic peace priests, and into our families and into our environmental and public life, let we reverently pray this exorcism prayer preferably fifty times on our prayer chain/rosary:

UNMASK SATAN, OH LORD, WITH HIS LYING, CHEATING, THIEVING MINIONS!

EXPOSE THEM AND SWEEP THEM OUT OF HERE!

(50x)

Saint Pio said: 

Supplicant prayer has tremendous power.