Happy All Hallows Eve or Happy Halloween!

Lord, have mercy on us. Christ have mercy on us.
Lord, have mercy on us. Christ, hear us, Christ, graciously hear us.
God, the Father of heaven, Have mercy on us.
God the Son, Redeemer of the world, Have mercy on us.
God, the Holy Spirit, Have mercy on us. Holy Trinity, One God, Have mercy on us.

Holy Mary, Pray for us.
Holy Mother of God, Pray for us.
Holy Virgin of virgins, Pray for us.
Saint Michael, Pray for us.
Saint Gabriel, Pray for us.
Saint Raphael, Pray for us.
All ye holy angels and archangels, Pray for us.
All ye holy orders of blessed spirits, Pray for us.
Saint John the Baptist, Pray for us.
Saint Joseph, Pray for us.
All ye holy patriarchs and prophets. Pray for us.
Saint Peter, Pray for us.
Saint Paul, Pray for us.
Saint Andrew, Pray for us.
Saint James, Pray for us.
Saint John, Pray for us.
Saint Thomas, Pray for us.
Saint James, Pray for us.
Saint Philip, Pray for us.
Saint Bartholomew. Pray for us.
Saint Matthew, Pray for us.
Saint Simon, Pray for us.
Saint Thaddeus, Pray for us.
Saint Matthias, Pray for us.
Saint Barnabas, Pray for us.
Saint Luke, Pray for us.
Saint Mark, Pray for us.
All ye holy apostles and evangelists, Pray for us.
All ye holy disciples of our Lord. Pray for us.
All ye holy Innocents, Pray for us.
Saint Stephen, Pray for us.
Saint Lawrence, Pray for us.
Saint Vincent, Pray for us.
Saints Fabian and Sebastian, Pray for us.
Saints John and Paul, Pray for us.
Saints Cosmas and Damian, Pray for us.
Saints Gervase and Protase, Pray for us.
All ye holy martyrs, Pray for us.
Saint Sylvester, Pray for us.
Saint Gregory, Pray for us.
Saint Ambrose, Pray for us.
Saint Augustine. Pray for us.
Saint Jerome, Pray for us.
Saint Martin, Pray for us.
Saint Nicolas, Pray for us.

All ye holy bishops and confessors, Pray for us.
All ye holy doctors, Pray for us.
Saint Anthony, Pray for us.
Saint Benedict, Pray for us.
Saint Bernard, Pray for us.
Saint Dominic, Pray for us.
Saint Francis, Pray for us.
All ye holy priests and levites, Pray for us.
All ye holy monks and hermits. Pray for us.

Saint Mary Magdalen, Pray for us.
Saint Agatha, Pray for us.
Saint Lucy, Pray for us.
Saint Agnes, Pray for us.
Saint Cecily, Pray for us.
Saint Catherine, Pray for us.
Saint Anastasia, Pray for us
All ye holy virgins and widows, Pray for us.

All ye holy men and women, Saints of God, Make intercession for us.

Be merciful, Spare us, O Lord.
Be merciful, Graciously hear us, O Lord.

From all evil, O Lord, deliver us.
From all sin, O Lord, deliver us.
From Thy wrath, O Lord, deliver us.
From a sudden and unprovided death, O Lord, deliver us.
From the snares of the devil, O Lord, deliver us.
From anger, and hatred, and all ill will, O Lord, deliver us.
From the spirit of fornication, O Lord, deliver us.
From lightning and tempest, O Lord, deliver us.
From the scourge of earthquake. O Lord, deliver us.
From pestilence, famine and war, O Lord, deliver us.
From everlasting death, O Lord, deliver us.
Through the mystery of Thy holy Incarnation, O Lord, deliver us.
Through Thy coming, O Lord, deliver us.
Through Thy nativity, O Lord, deliver us.
Through Thy baptism and holy fasting, O Lord, deliver us.
Through Thy Cross and Passion, O Lord, deliver us.
Through Thy death and burial, O Lord, deliver us.
Through Thy holy Resurrection, O Lord, deliver us.
Through Thine admirable Ascension, O Lord, deliver us.
Through the coming of the Holy Spirit the Paraclete, O Lord, deliver us.
In the day of judgment, O Lord, deliver us.

We sinners, We beseech Thee, hear us,
That Thou wouldst spare us, We beseech Thee, hear us.
That Thou wouldst pardon us, We beseech Thee, hear us.
That Thou wouldst bring us to true penance, We beseech Thee,
hear us.
That Thou wouldst govern and preserve Thy holy Church We beseech Thee, hear us.,
That Thou wouldst preserve our Aposto-lie Prelate, and all ecclesiastical orders in holy religion, We beseech Thee,
hear us,
That Thou wouldst humble the enemies of Thy holy Church, We beseech Thee, hear us.
That Thou wouldst give peace and true concord to Christian kings and princes, We beseech Thee, hear us.
That Thou wouldst grant peace and unity to all Christian people, We beseech Thee, hear us.
That Thou wouldst bring back to the unity of the Church all those who have strayed away, and lead to the light of the Gospel all unbelievers, We beseech Thee, hear us.
That Thou wouldst confirm and pres-erve us in Thy holy service, We beseech Thee, hear us.
That Thou wouldst lift up our minds to heavenly desires, We beseech Thee, hear us.
That Thou wouldst render eternal blessings to all our benefactors, We beseech Thee, hear us.
That Thou wouldst deliver our souls, and the souls of our brethren, relations and benefactors, from eternal damnation, We beseech Thee, hear us.
That Thou wouldst give and preserve the fruit of the earth, We beseech Thee, hear us.
That Thou wouldst give eternal rest to all the faithful departed, We beseech Thee, hear us.
That Thou wouldst graciously hear us We beseech Thee, hear us. Son of God, We beseech Thee, hear us.

Lamb of God, Who takest away the sins of the world, Spare us, O Lord.
Lamb of God, Who takest away the sins of the world, Graciously hear us, O Lord.
Lamb of God, Who takest away the sins of the world, Have mercy on us.
Christ hear us. Christ, graciously hear us.
Lord, have mercy on us. Christ, have mercy on us.
Lord, have mercy on us.

Our Father.. (silently)…. And lead us not into temptation, But deliver us from evil. Amen.

Psalm 69


Deign, O Lord, to rescue me; O Lord, make haste to help me Let them be put to shame and confounded who seek my life. Let them be turned back in disgrace who desire my ruin. Let them retire in their shame who say to me, "Aha, aha!" But may all who seek Thee exult and be glad in Thee, And may those who love Thy salvation say ever, "God be glorified!" But I am afflicted and poor; O God, hasten to me! Thou art my help and my deliverer; O Lord, hold not back!

 

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost.

As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

 

Save Thy servants.

Who trust in Thee, O my God.

Be a tower of strength for us, O Lord,

Against the attack of the enemy.

Let not the enemy prevail against us.

And let not the son of evil dare to harm us.

O Lord, deal not with us according to our sins.

Neither requite us according to our iniquities.

Let us pray for a true Sovereign Shepherd

The Lord preserve him, and give him life, and make him blessed upon the earth, and deliver him not up to the will of his enemies.

 

Let us pray for our benefactors.

Deign, O Lord, for Thy name's sake, to reward with eternal life all those who do us good. Amen.

 

Let us pray for the faithful departed.

Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord;
and let perpetual light shine upon them.

May they rest in peace.

Amen.

 

V. For our absent brethren.

R. Save Thy servants, who trust in Thee, my God.

V. Send them help, O Lord, from Thy sanctuary.

R. And sustain them from Zion.

 

V. O Lord, hear my prayer.

R. And let my cry come unto Thee.

 

V. The Lord be with Thee.

R. And with Thy spirit.

 

Let us pray.
O God, Whose property is always to have mercy and to spare, receive our petition, that we, and all Thy servants who are bound by the chains of sin, may, by the compassion of Thy goodness, be mercifully absolved.

Graciously hear, we beg Thee, O Lord, the prayers of Thy suppliants, and pardon the sins of those who confess to Thee, that in Thy bounty Thou may grant us both pardon and peace.

In Thy clemency, O Lord, show us Thy ineffable mercy, that Thou may both free us from all our sins, and deliver us from the punishments which we deserve for them.

O God, Who by sin are offended and by penance pacified, mercifully regard the prayers of Thy suppliant people, and turn away the scourges of Thy anger, which we deserve for our sins.

Almighty, everlasting God, have mercy upon Thy servant N., our Sovereign Pontiff, and direct him according to Thy clemency into the way of everlasting salvation, that by Thy grace he may desire those things that are pleasing to Thee, and perform them with all his strength.

O God, from Whom are holy desires, good counsels, and just works, give to Thy servants that peace which the world cannot give, that our hearts be set to keep Thy commandments, and that, being removed from the fear of our enemies, we may pass our time in peace under Thy protection.

Burn our desires and our hearts with the fire of the Holy Spirit, O Lord, that we may serve Thee with a chaste body, and with a clean heart be pleasing to Thee.

O God, the Creator and Redeemer of all the faithful, grant to the souls of Thy servants and handmaids the remission of all their sins, that, through devout prayers, they may obtain the pardon which they always desired.

Direct, we beg Thee, O Lord, our actions by Thy holy inspirations, and carry them on by Thy gracious assistance, that every prayer and work of ours may begin always with Thee, and through Thou be happily ended.

Almighty and everlasting God, Thou hast dominion over the living and the dead, and Thou art merciful to all who Thou foreknowest will be Thine by faith and good works; we humbly beg Thee that those for whom we intend to pour forth our prayers, whether this present world still detain them in the flesh, or the world to come has already received them out of their bodies, may, through the intercession of all Thy Saints, by the clemency of Thy goodness, obtain the remission of all their sins. Through Christ our Lord. R. Amen.

 

V. O Lord, hear my prayer.

R. And let my cry come unto Thee.

V. May the almighty and merciful Lord graciously hear us. R. Amen.

V. And may the souls of the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace. R. Amen.

Ending the Week in Praise and Thanksgiving

"Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you."

1 Thessalonians 5: 16-18

 

1) Yesterday was a bad day.  I thought and thought, for what can I be thankful today? It finally came to me.

The day is over, and I can sleep!

Yes, there is always something.

2) Earlier this week, I found these 3 ginkgo leaves.  

3) I also decided that I had to thank God for the people who were so unreasonable yesterday.  I suppose they felt I was unreasonable, too.

They taught me that I should never behave unreasonably.

That is a lesson that was needed for me.

Praise God from Whom all Blessings flow.

Praise Him all creatures here below.

Praise Him above the Heavenly Host.

Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost!!!!

Moments With God

Other than the sound of rain hitting the windows, there is a quiet that is near silence.  Pixie sleeps soundly on my bed.  Fred, the cat, rests on the window sill, ready to pound Pixie into obedience if she moves.  Right now, though, he’s quiet and enjoying the rain.  Marvin sleeps on his pillow on the love seat.  My daughter sleeps silently in her bed.  The low light relaxes me, too, and I think of my blessings.  I am blessed, and this moment fills me with gratitude.  Graces, like rain, pour down from heaven and into my heart.  God is good.

Worth Repeating: Purgatory

The place of final purgation before the soul is cleansed of all that is imperfect and not of God.  Purgatory, a place of hope to the souls who wait to be lifted into the arms of God for all eternity.

At death, the soul given the gift of Purgatory, knows that at some point, it will be with God.  However, a soul can no longer help itself to gain spiritual perfection.  A soul can only wait and suffer the pains of purgation that will bring about perfection.  Souls in Purgatory need our help.  Our prayers and sacrifices can shorten the time a soul spends in this place of great longing for God.  We, as the Church Militant, can help the soul move through Purgatory into the arms of God.

 

The prayer of St. Gertrude is said to release 1,000 souls each time it is recited.  Think of how many souls you can send to God if you recite this prayer only once a day.

Eternal Father, I offer Thee the most precious blood of Thy Divine Son, Jesus, in union with all the Masses said throughout the world today, for all the holy souls in Purgatory, for sinners everywhere, for sinners in the Universal Church, those in my own home and within my family.
Amen.

Do You Believe in God?

Thomas Aquinas: “To one who has faith, no explanation is necessary. To one without faith, no explanation is possible.”
Do you believe in God?  As Catholics, our faith teaches us that there is God, but do you really believe it?   Is God real?  Is God just a figment of someone’s imagination? 

Since Jesus established his Church on earth, millions have given their lives for the love of God.   They have been crucified, burned, beheaded, pulled apart, tortured, raped, murdered, all for the love of God.  Could so many magnificent martyrs be wrong?  Could they have given their lives in vain? Few of these martyrs encountered the living God during their lives, but they continued to believe. For them, life without God, was not worth living.  God was the center of their lives, and they chose to give their lives for love of Him.  It was better to die than to deny or blaspheme His Holy Name.

Of course, we cannot see that which is invisible.  We cannot see God.  We cannot hear God.  We cannot feel God.  We cannot touch God.  We cannot taste God.  God’s realm is not that of earth but of heaven.  

If there is a God, and this is a question, many people ask, why do bad things happen to good people?  Why does a loved one die from cancer?  Why are there those who would seek to rule the world and kill those who oppose them?  Why is there hunger, plague, poverty, and death?  Why is there genocide?  Why are children murdered because they are born into Christian families?  Why are there earthquakes, storms, and fires? 

I wish I knew.  That question is best answered by theologians.  I don’t know.  All I know is what I have learned in my life journey.

God allows trials in our lives to make us stronger and to help us to grow in His love.  Some challenges are greater than others. God is a loving God, and He sends us His graces. His graces are invisible, but the effects of these graces are not.  Strength.  Hope.  Courage. Love. These can be fruits of our sufferings.  Sometimes, when we feel that God is far from us,   He  is waiting for us to long for Him.  Sometimes God when we feel He close to us, we feel His love over flowing in us.  In all our sorrows and trials, we are told, is when God is the closest to us. 

In her message to the world of October 25, 2015, Our Lady of Medjugorje said,

“Rejoice in the love, little children, that in the eyes of God you are unrepeatable and irreplaceable, because you are God´s joy in this world. Witness peace, prayer and love. Thank you for having responded to my call.”

In the eyes of God, we are unrepeatable and irreplaceable!  We are God’s joy in this world!


There is no one who has been promised a free ticket through life without enduring suffering.  God knows how much you can take.  He will not give you more than you can handle.  God has a plan for you.  God wants you to understand that asking “Why me?” is not the correct question.  The correct question is “Why not me?”  Then you can embrace your cross with joy.


“For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.”
John 3:16


Jesus asks us, as He did Bartimeaus, “What do you want me to do for you?”  Bartimeaus replied that he wanted to see, to be healed.  Bartimeaus had to acknowledge his need and then ask for the healing.  (Read Mark 10: 46-52 for the complete gospel reading.)  Jesus, the only Son of the Living God,  healed him.  Jesus wants to heal us.  He wants us to know Him and love Him and serve Him, not only in this life, but in the next. 

To answer the first question, yes, I do believe in God!  I not only believe in God, but I believe in a loving God who pours His graces down on us.  If we go astray, He waits for us to return.  No, I don’t understand His ways, but He has a plan.  We are unique and unrepeatable.  There will never be anyone like us on earth again. 

God, do You exist?  I think so.  “Nuff said.  Amen.

Snippets of Grace and the Word of God

"For by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things have been created through Him and for Him.  He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together."

Colossians1: 16-17 

"God saw all that He had made, and behold, it was very good. And there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day."

Genesis 1: 31

"Lift up your eyes on high
And see who has created these stars,
The One who leads forth their host by number,
He calls them all by name;
Because of the greatness of His might and the strength of His power,
Not one of them is missing."

Isaiah 40: 26

"Out of Zion, the perfection of beauty,
God has shone forth."

Psalm 50:2

“But now ask the beasts, and let them teach you;
And the birds of the heavens, and let them tell you. “Or speak to the earth, and let it teach you;
And let the fish of the sea declare to you. “Who among all these does not know
That the hand of the Lord has done this."

Job 12: 7-9

 ^"He has made everything appropriate in its time. He has also set eternity in their heart, yet so that man will not find out the work which God has done from the beginning even to the end."

Ecclesiastes 3: 11

There is an appointed time for everything. And there is a time for every event under heaven—

 

"A time to give birth and a time to die;
A time to plant and a time to uproot what is planted. 

 A time to kill and a time to heal;
A time to tear down and a time to build up. 

 A time to weep and a time to laugh;
A time to mourn and a time to dance.

A time to throw stones and a time to gather stones;
A time to embrace and a time to shun embracing.
⁶ A time to search and a time to give up as lost;
A time to keep and a time to throw away.
⁷ A time to tear apart and a time to sew together;
A time to be silent and a time to speak.
⁸ A time to love and a time to hate;
A time for war and a time for peace."

Ecclesiastes3: 1-8

 

 

 

Sometimes, the Gifts we Receive From God Are Not the Gifts We Want, but They Are the Gifts We Need...

I'm sick.

I'm going back to bed.

This is not a gift I wanted from God,

but,

I think it's one of His Great Mercies

to me.

I'm being forced to lay down and rest,

which is, probably, something I needed.

Well, it's not something I

"Probably"

needed.

It is something I needed.

I had to miss activities yesterday.

I missed a birthday party.

I didn't get to Mass.

I'm not sure I'll make Mass today.

It is what it is.

I'm sick.

I offered this illness to God.

I know he'll do with it what He feels is best.

I ramble.

It's after 7 AM, and it's not light yet.

I ache, but I think the fever broke.

Maybe I'll feel better soon.

I'd rather go to Mass today than not.

This is not a gift I want,

but 

it's a gift I must need.

Patience.

Submission.

Humility.

Sigh.  None of which I have learned.

Please say a prayer for me today.

I will feel better soon, I know.

For now,

Thank You, Lord, for this gift.

Amen.