Fr Showri Narra Blog – https://faithhopeloveministry.org/

Matthew 17:9a,10-13

Elijah Must First Come

God gives signs to show what he is about to do. John the Baptist is one such sign, who pointed to Jesus and prepared the way for his coming. John fulfilled the essential task of all the prophets: to be fingers pointing to Jesus Christ. John is the last and greatest prophet of the old kingdom, the old covenant.

The Jews expected that when the Messiah would come, Elijah would appear to announce his presence. John fills the role of Elijah and prepares the way for the coming of Jesus Christ by preaching a baptism of repentance and renewal.

As watchful servants, we, too must prepare for the Lord’s coming again by turning away from sin and from everything that would keep us from pursuing his will. Are you eager to do God’s will and are you prepared to meet the Lord Jesus when he returns in glory?

Lord Jesus, stir my zeal for your righteousness and for your kingdom. Free me from complacency and from compromising with the ways of sin and worldliness that I may be wholeheartedly devoted to you and to your kingdom.

John fulfills Elijah’s prophetic ministry, by John Chrysostom, 547-407 A.D.

“They did not know this from the Scriptures, but the scribes used to tell them, and this saying was reported among the ignorant crowd, as also about Christ.

Therefore the Samaritan woman also said, ‘The Messiah is coming; when he comes, he will show us all things’ (John 4:25). And they themselves asked John, ‘Are you Elijah or the prophet?’ (John 1:21). For this opinion was strong, as I said, both the one about Christ and the one about Elijah, but they did not interpret it as it should have been.

For the Scriptures speak of two comings of Christ, both this one that has taken place and the future one. Paul spoke of these when he said, ‘For the grace of God has appeared for the salvation of men, training us to renounce irreligion and worldly passions, and to live sober, upright and godly lives in this world’ (Titus 2:11-12).

“Behold the first advent, and listen to how he declares the coming advent: ‘Awaiting our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ’ (Titus 2:13).

The prophets also mention both advents; of the one that is second they say that Elijah will be the forerunner; John was forerunner of the first, John whom Christ also called by the name Elijah, not because he was Elijah but because he was fulfilling Elijah’s ministry. For just as Elijah will be the forerunner of the second advent, so John was of the first.

But the scribes, confusing these things and perverting the people, mentioned that coming alone, the second one, to the people, and said, ‘If this is the Christ, Elijah ought to have come first.’ That is why the disciples also say, ‘Then why do the scribes say that first Elijah must come?'”

✡️✡️🙏🏻Prayer🙏🏻✡️✡️

“Lord Jesus, open my ears to hear the good news of your kingdom and set my heart free to love and serve you joyfully. May nothing keep me from following you wholeheartedly.” Amen

The Life Story of the Saint

Saint John of the Cross

June 24, 1542

December 14, 1591

John is a saint because his life was a heroic effort to live up to his name: “of the Cross.” The folly of the cross came to full realization in time. “Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me” (Mark 8:34b) is the story of John’s life. The Paschal Mystery—through death to life—strongly marks John as reformer, mystic-poet, and theologian-priest.

Ordained a Carmelite priest in 1567 at age 25, John met Teresa of Avila and like her, vowed himself to the primitive Rule of the Carmelites. As partner with Teresa and in his own right, John engaged in the work of reform, and came to experience the price of reform: increasing opposition, misunderstanding,

persecution, imprisonment. He came to know the cross acutely—to experience the dying of Jesus—as he sat month after month in his dark, damp, narrow cell with only his God.

Yet, the paradox! In this dying of imprisonment John came to life, uttering poetry. In the darkness of the dungeon, John’s spirit came into the Light. There are many mystics, many poets; John is unique as mystic-poet, expressing in his prison-cross the ecstasy of mystical union with God in the Spiritual Canticle.

But as agony leads to ecstasy, so John had his Ascent to Mt. Carmel, as he named it in his prose masterpiece.

As man-Christian-Carmelite, he experienced in himself this purifying ascent; as spiritual director, he sensed it in others; as psychologist-theologian, he described and analyzed it in his prose writings. His prose works are outstanding in underscoring the cost of discipleship, the path of union with God: rigorous discipline, abandonment, purification.

Uniquely and strongly John underlines the gospel paradox: The cross leads to resurrection, agony to ecstasy, darkness to light, abandonment to possession, denial to self to union with God. If you want to save your life, you must lose it. John is truly “of the Cross.” He died at 49—a life short, but full.

Reflection

In his life and writings, John of the Cross has a crucial word for us today. We tend to be rich, soft, comfortable. We shrink even from words like self-denial, mortification, purification, asceticism, discipline. We run from the cross. John’s message—like the gospel—is loud and clear: Don’t—if you really want to live!

Saint John of the Cross is the Patron Saint of:

Mystics

Blessings from

Fr Showri R Narra

It was one of the most gripping news stories of 2003. In the beautiful but desolate mountains of southeastern Utah, a twenty-seven-year-old mountain climber named Aron Ralston, made a desperate decision.

No An avid outdoors man, Aron was rock-climbing one day when his right arm became trapped under a boulder, a boulder estimated to weigh at least eight hundred pounds.

He saw immediately that he was in deep trouble. Unable to budge the rock at all, Aron took out his pocketknife and chipped away at the rock for 10 hours, managing to produce only a small handful of dust. Obviously, this was not going to work. Days were passing. No one knew where he was.

Even worse, his family and friends were used to his going off for days without contacting anyone, so they were not even looking for him. With his arm still wedged beneath this enormous boulder Aron Ralston recorded a video message to his parents telling them good-bye.

At the end of several days with no food or water, however, Aron made a remarkable choice. Aron Ralston decided to amputate his arm in order to save himself. And that’s exactly what he did, using only a pocketknife. What an amazing display of courage and determination!

After he was finished, he applied a tourniquet to his arm and rappelled nearly 70 feet to the floor of the canyon. Then he hiked five miles downstream where he encountered some other hikers and was rescued. —

Aron Ralston made the obviously excruciating decision to amputate his right arm to save his life. It is an amazing story! Who can read this story without thinking of Jesus’ words from our lesson for today, “If your hand causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life maimed than with two hands to go into hell.”

What a stark declaration: “If your hand causes you to sin, cut it off!” Aron Ralston certainly made that choice – to sacrifice his arm in order to save his life. There are choices that must be made in life, and those choices determine our destiny.

Your Sorrow Will Turn into Joy

Why did the Lord Jesus tell his disciples that they would weep and be sorrowful? Jesus was neither a pessimist nor a masochist, and he was certainly more than a realist!

The way to happiness and joy in the kingdom of God is through the cross. Sin must be brought to the cross of Jesus Christ and evil can only be completely mastered by the power of God’s redeeming love.

Jesus told his disciples that it was more blessed to mourn for sin because it would yield the fruit of peace, joy, and righteousness. Jesus knew that the cross would be a stumbling block for those who refused to believe in him. We, too, have a share in the victory and joy of Christ’s resurrection The cross for Jesus was not defeat but victory – victory over sin, over the forces of evil in the world, and over the devil – the arch-enemy of God and the human race.

Through his atoning sacrifice on the cross Jesus won for us new abundant life and freedom over the power of sin, despair, and death. He was raised in power from the tomb on the third day and his glorified body will never taste death again.

The Easter victory of the Lord Jesus gives us courage, strength, and confident hope in the face of suffering and death. In the resurrection of Jesus Christ our fears are laid to rest. His resurrection is total and final triumph over death, and for us peace and joy in the confident hope that we, too, will be raised to everlasting life with Christ. We will have trials in this present age – .but, through the eyes of faith, we know the final outcome – complete victory over sin, suffering, and death in Jesus Christ.

That is why we can pray confidently now, knowing that the Father in heaven will give us everything we need to live as his children and as disciples of our Lord Jesus Christ. Do you know the Easter joy of Christ’s victory over sin and death?

🐣🐣🙏🏻Prayer🙏🏻🐣🐣

“Lord Jesus, we are an Easter people, and alleluia is our song. Fill us with your Holy Spirit that we may we radiate the joy of your Resurrection and live in the reality of your great victory over sin and death.” Amen

🟡The Life Story of the Saint🟡

St Damien de Veuster of Moloka’i

January 3, 1840 – April 15, 1889

When Joseph de Veuster was born in Tremelo, Belgium, in 1840, few people in Europe had any firsthand knowledge of leprosy, Hansen’s disease. By the time he died at the age of 49, people all over the world knew about this disease because of him. They knew that human compassion could soften the ravages of this disease.

Forced to quit school at age 13 to work on the family farm, Joseph entered the Congregation of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary six years later, taking the name of a fourth-century physician and martyr.

When his brother Pamphile, a priest in the same congregation, fell ill and was unable to go to the Hawaiian Islands as assigned, Damien quickly volunteered in his place. In May 1864, two months after arriving in his new mission, Damien was ordained a priest in Honolulu and assigned to the island of Hawaii.

In 1873, he went to the Hawaiian government’s leper colony on the island of Moloka’i, set up seven years earlier. Part of a team of four chaplains taking that assignment for three months each year, Damien soon volunteered to remain permanently, caring for the people’s physical, medical, and spiritual needs. In time, he became their most effective advocate to obtain promised government support.

Soon the settlement had new houses and a new church, school and orphanage. Morale improved considerably. A few years later, he succeeded in getting the Franciscan Sisters of Syracuse, led by Mother Marianne Cope, to help staff this colony in Kalaupapa.

Damien contracted Hansen’s disease and died of its complications. As requested, he was buried in Kalaupapa, but in 1936 the Belgian government succeeded in having his body moved to Belgium.

Part of Damien’s body was returned to his beloved Hawaiian brothers and sisters after his beatification in 1995.

When Hawaii became a state in 1959, it selected Damien as one of its two representatives in the Statuary Hall at the US Capitol. Damien was canonized by Pope Benedict XVI on October 11, 2009.

Reflection

Some people thought Damien was a hero for going to Moloka’i and others thought he was crazy. When a Protestant clergyman wrote that Damien was guilty of immoral behavior, Robert Louis Stevenson vigorously defended him in an “Open Letter to Dr. Hyde.”

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🩵📿54 Days Novena to Holy Rosary📿🩵

53rd Day

Sign of the Cross

Hail Mary

Petition Prayer (first 27 days)

Hail, Queen of the Most Holy Rosary, my Mother Mary, hail! At thy feet, I humbly kneel to offer thee

a Crown of Roses, snow-white buds to remind thee of thy joys. Each bud recalling to thee a holy

mystery. Each ten bound together with my petition for a particular grace.

O Holy Queen, dispenser of God’s graces, and Mother of all who invoke thee! Thou canst not look

upon my gift and fail to see its binding. As thou receivest my gift, so wilt thou receive my petition.

From thy bounty thou wilt give me the favor I so earnestly and trustingly seek. I despair of nothing

that I ask of thee. Show thyself my Mother!

Thanksgiving Prayer (final 27 days)

Hail, Queen of the Most Holy Rosary, my Mother Mary, hail! At thy feet, I gratefully kneel to offer

thee a Crown of Roses, snow-white buds to remind thee of thy joys. Each bud recalling to thee a holy

mystery. Each ten bound together with my petition for a particular grace.

O Holy Queen, dispenser of God’s graces, and Mother of all who invoke thee! Thou canst not look

upon my gift and fail to see its binding. As thou receivest my gift, so wilt thou receive my thanksgiving. From thy bounty thou hast given me the favor I so earnestly and trustingly sought. I

despaired not of what I asked of thee. Thou hast truly shown thyself my Mother.

The Apostles’ Creed

Our Father

3 Hail Marys

Glory Be

The Sorrowful Mysteries Continued

– The Agony in the Garden

– The Scourging at the Pillar

– The Crowning with Thorns

– Jesus Carries His Cross

– The Crucifixion

Pray after every decade:

I bind these blood-red roses with a petition for the virtue of patience in adversity and humbly lay

this bouquet at thy feet.

Concluding Prayer

Hail, Holy Queen….Amen

In Petition (first 27 days)

Sweet Mother Mary, I offer thee this Spiritual Communion to bind my bouquets in a wreath to place

upon thy brow. O my Mother! Look with favor upon my gift, and in thy love obtain for me (specify request)

In Thanksgiving (final 27 days)

Sweet Mother Mary, I offer thee this spiritual communion to bind my bouquets in a wreath to place

upon thy brow in thanksgiving for (specify request) which thou in thy love hast obtained for me.

Hail Mary – Sign of the Cross

Blessings from

Fr Showri R Narra

My Sheep Hear My Voice

How secure is your faith and trust in God? Scripture describes God’s word as a “lamp for our feet and a light for our steps”(Psalm 119:105). The Jewish Feast of the Dedication is also called the Festival of Lights or Hanakkuh.

This feast was held in late December, near the time when Christians celebrate the feast of Christmas. This is the time of year when the day is shortest and the night longest. Jesus used this occasion to declare that he is the true light of the world (John 8:12). In his light we can see who God truly is and we can find the true path to heaven. Our true and lasting security rests in Jesus aloneJesus speaks of the tremendous trust he has in God his Father and the tremendous trust we ought to have in him because he is our good shepherd (John 10:11).

Sheep without a shepherd are defenseless against prey, such as wolves, and often get lost and bewildered without a guide. That is why shepherds literally live with their sheep out in the open field and mountain sides. The shepherd guards his sheep from the dangers of storms, floods, and beasts of prey.

The shepherd leads his sheep to the best places for feeding and the best streams for drinking. He finds the best place for their rest and safety at night. The sheep recognize the voice of their shepherd and heed his call when he leads them to safe pasture and rest. Listen to the Good Shepherd and you will not go astrayWe are very much like sheep who stray, we become easy prey to forces which can destroy us – sin, Satan, and a world in opposition to God and his people.

The Lord Jesus came not only to free us from Satan’s snares and the grip of sin, he came to personally lead us to the best of places where we can feed on his “word of life” and drink from the “living waters” of his Holy Spirit. The sheep who heed the voice of Jesus, the good shepherd, have no fear. He leads them to the best of places – everlasting peace, joy, and fellowship with God and his people. In this present life we will encounter trials, difficulties, and persecution. We can face them alone or we can follow Jesus, the true shepherd, who will bring us safely through every difficulty to the place of peace and security with God. Do you listen to the voice of the Good Shepherd and heed his commands?

Lord Jesus, you are the Good Shepherd who secures what is best for us. I place all my hope and trust in you. Open my ears to hear your voice today and to follow your commands.

🙏🏻Prayer🙏🏻

“Lord Jesus, you are the Good Shepherd who secures what is best for us. I place all my hope and trust in you. Open my ears to hear your voice today and to follow your commands.” Amen

🟡The Story for the Reflection🟡

Saint George’s
c. 280 – April 23, 303

Saint George is the object of a vast amount of imagination. There is every reason to believe that he was a real martyr who suffered at Lydda in Palestine, probably before the time of Constantine.

The Church adheres to his memory, but not to the legends surrounding his life. That he was willing to pay the supreme price to follow Christ is what the Church believes. And it is enough.

The story of George’s slaying the dragon, rescuing the king’s daughter, and converting Libya is a 12th-century Italian fable. George was a favorite patron saint of crusaders, as well as of Eastern soldiers in earlier times. He is a patron saint of England, Portugal, Germany, Aragon, Catalonia, Genoa, Milan and Bologna.

Reflection
Human nature seems to crave more than cold historical data. Americans have Washington and Lincoln, but we somehow need Paul Bunyan, too. The life of Saint Francis of Assisi is inspiring enough, but for centuries the Italians have found his spirit in the legends of the Fioretti, too.

Santa Claus is the popular extension of the spirit of Saint Nicholas. The legends about Saint George are part of this yearning. Both fact and legend are human ways of illumining the mysterious truth about the One who alone is holy.

Saint George is the Patron Saint of:
Boy ScoutsEnglandGermanyPortugalSoldiers

My Sheep Hear My Voice

Lord Jesus, you are the Good Shepherd who secures what is best for us. I place all my hope and trust in you. Open my ears to hear your voice today and to follow your commands.

🙏🏻Prayer🙏🏻

“Lord Jesus, you are the Good Shepherd who secures what is best for us. I place all my hope and trust in you. Open my ears to hear your voice today and to follow your commands.” Amen

🟡The Story for the Reflection🟡

Saint George’s
c. 280 – April 23, 303

Saint George is the object of a vast amount of imagination. There is every reason to believe that he was a real martyr who suffered at Lydda in Palestine, probably before the time of Constantine.

The Church adheres to his memory, but not to the legends surrounding his life. That he was willing to pay the supreme price to follow Christ is what the Church believes. And it is enough.

Saint George is the Patron Saint of:
Boy ScoutsEnglandGermanyPortugalSoldiers

I Am the Bread of Life

Do you hunger for the bread of life? The Jews had always regarded the manna in the wilderness as the bread of God (Psalm 78:24, Exodus 16:15). There was a strong Rabbinic belief that when the Messiah came he would give manna from heaven. This was the supreme work of Moses.

Now the Jewish leaders were demanding that Jesus produce manna from heaven as proof to his claim to be the Messiah. Jesus responds by telling them that it was not Moses who gave the manna, but God. And the manna given to Moses and the people was not the real bread from heaven, but only a symbol of the bread to come. Jesus then makes the claim which only God can make: I am the bread of life. The bread which Jesus offers is none else than the very life of God.

This is the true bread which can truly satisfy the hunger in our hearts. The manna from heaven prefigured the superabundance of the unique bread of the Eucharist or Lord’s Supper which Jesus gave to his disciples on the eve of his sacrifice.

The manna in the wilderness sustained the Israelites on their journey to the Promised Land. It could not produce eternal life for the Israelites. The bread which Jesus offers his disciples sustains us not only on our journey to the heavenly paradise, it gives us the abundant supernatural life of God which sustains us both now and for all eternity.

When we receive from the Lord’s table we unite ourselves to Jesus Christ, who makes us sharers in his body and blood and partakers of his divine life. Ignatius of Antioch (35-107 A.D.) calls it the “one bread that provides the medicine of immortality, the antidote for death, and the food that makes us live for ever in Jesus Christ” (Ad Eph. 20,2).

This supernatural food is healing for both body and soul and strength for our journey heavenward. Do you hunger for God and for the food which produces everlasting life?

🙏🏻Prayer🙏🏻

“Lord Jesus Christ, you are the bread of life. You alone can satisfy the hunger in my heart. May I always find in you, the true bread from heaven, the source of life and nourishment I need to sustain me on my journey to the promised land of heaven.” Amen

🟡The Story for the Reflection🟡

Saint Bernadette Soubirous

Jan7, 1844 – Apr 16, 1879

Bernadette Soubirous was born in 1844, the first child of an extremely poor miller in the town of Lourdes in southern France. The family was living in the basement of a dilapidated building when on February 11, 1858, the Blessed Virgin Mary appeared to Bernadette in a cave above the banks of the Gave River near Lourdes.

Bernadette, 14 years old, was known as a virtuous girl though a dull student who had not even made her first Holy Communion. In poor health, she had suffered from asthma from an early age.

There were 18 appearances in all, the final one occurring on the feast of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel, July 16. Although Bernadette’s initial reports provoked skepticism, her daily visions of “the Lady” brought great crowds of the curious.

The Lady, Bernadette explained, had instructed her to have a chapel built on the spot of the visions. There, the people were to come to wash in and drink of the water of the spring that had welled up from the very spot where Bernadette had been instructed to dig.

According to Bernadette, the Lady of her visions was a girl of 16 or 17 who wore a white robe with a blue sash. Yellow roses covered her feet, a large rosary was on her right arm. In the vision on March 25 she told Bernadette, “I am the Immaculate Conception.” It was only when the words were explained to her that Bernadette came to realize who the Lady was.

Few visions have ever undergone the scrutiny that these appearances of the Immaculate Virgin were subject to. Lourdes became one of the most popular Marian shrines in the world, attracting millions of visitors. Miracles were reported at the shrine and in the waters of the spring. After thorough investigation, Church authorities confirmed the authenticity of the apparitions in 1862.

During her life, Bernadette suffered much. She was hounded by the public as well as by civic officials until at last she was protected in a convent of nuns. Five years later, she petitioned to enter the Sisters of Notre Dame of Nevers. After a period of illness she was able to make the journey from Lourdes and enter the novitiate.

But within four months of her arrival she was given the last rites of the Church and allowed to profess her vows. She recovered enough to become infirmarian and then sacristan, but chronic health problems persisted. She died on April 16, 1879, at the age of 35. Bernadette Soubirous was canonized in 1933.

Reflection

Millions of people have come to the spring Bernadette uncovered for healing of body and spirit, but she found no relief from ill health there. Bernadette moved through life, guided only by blind faith in things she did not understand—as we all must do from time to time.

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🩵📿54 Days Novena to Holy Rosary📿🩵

28th Day

Sign of the Cross

Hail Mary

Petition Prayer (first 27 days)

Hail, Queen of the Most Holy Rosary, my Mother Mary, hail! At thy feet, I humbly kneel to offer thee

a Crown of Roses, snow-white buds to remind thee of thy joys. Each bud recalling to thee a holy

mystery. Each ten bound together with my petition for a particular grace.

O Holy Queen, dispenser of God’s graces, and Mother of all who invoke thee! Thou canst not look

upon my gift and fail to see its binding. As thou receivest my gift, so wilt thou receive my petition.

From thy bounty thou wilt give me the favor I so earnestly and trustingly seek. I despair of nothing

that I ask of thee. Show thyself my Mother!

Thanksgiving Prayer (final 27 days)

Hail, Queen of the Most Holy Rosary, my Mother Mary, hail! At thy feet, I gratefully kneel to offer

thee a Crown of Roses, snow-white buds to remind thee of thy joys. Each bud recalling to thee a holy

mystery. Each ten bound together with my petition for a particular grace.

O Holy Queen, dispenser of God’s graces, and Mother of all who invoke thee! Thou canst not look

upon my gift and fail to see its binding. As thou receivest my gift, so wilt thou receive my thanksgiving. From thy bounty thou hast given me the favor I so earnestly and trustingly sought. I

despaired not of what I asked of thee. Thou hast truly shown thyself my Mother.

The Apostles’ Creed

Our Father

3 Hail Marys

Glory Be

The Sorrowful Mysteries Continued

– The Agony in the Garden

– The Scourging at the Pillar

– The Crowning with Thorns

– Jesus Carries His Cross

– The Crucifixion

Pray after every decade:

I bind these blood-red roses with a petition for the virtue of patience in adversity and humbly lay

this bouquet at thy feet.

Concluding Prayer

Hail, Holy Queen….Amen

In Petition (first 27 days)

Sweet Mother Mary, I offer thee this Spiritual Communion to bind my bouquets in a wreath to place

upon thy brow. O my Mother! Look with favor upon my gift, and in thy love obtain for me (specify request)

In Thanksgiving (final 27 days)

Sweet Mother Mary, I offer thee this spiritual communion to bind my bouquets in a wreath to place

upon thy brow in thanksgiving for (specify request) which thou in thy love hast obtained for me.

Hail Mary – Sign of the Cross

I Am the Bread of Life

This supernatural food is healing for both body and soul and strength for our journey heavenward. Do you hunger for God and for the food which produces everlasting life?

🙏🏻Prayer🙏🏻

🟡The Story for the Reflection🟡

Saint Bernadette Soubirous

Jan7, 1844 – Apr 16, 1879

Bernadette, 14 years old, was known as a virtuous girl though a dull student who had not even made her first Holy Communion. In poor health, she had suffered from asthma from an early age.

Reflection

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🩵📿54 Days Novena to Holy Rosary📿🩵

28th Day

Sign of the Cross

Hail Mary

Petition Prayer (first 27 days)

Hail, Queen of the Most Holy Rosary, my Mother Mary, hail! At thy feet, I humbly kneel to offer thee

a Crown of Roses, snow-white buds to remind thee of thy joys. Each bud recalling to thee a holy

mystery. Each ten bound together with my petition for a particular grace.

O Holy Queen, dispenser of God’s graces, and Mother of all who invoke thee! Thou canst not look

upon my gift and fail to see its binding. As thou receivest my gift, so wilt thou receive my petition.

From thy bounty thou wilt give me the favor I so earnestly and trustingly seek. I despair of nothing

that I ask of thee. Show thyself my Mother!

Thanksgiving Prayer (final 27 days)

Hail, Queen of the Most Holy Rosary, my Mother Mary, hail! At thy feet, I gratefully kneel to offer

thee a Crown of Roses, snow-white buds to remind thee of thy joys. Each bud recalling to thee a holy

mystery. Each ten bound together with my petition for a particular grace.

O Holy Queen, dispenser of God’s graces, and Mother of all who invoke thee! Thou canst not look

upon my gift and fail to see its binding. As thou receivest my gift, so wilt thou receive my thanksgiving. From thy bounty thou hast given me the favor I so earnestly and trustingly sought. I

despaired not of what I asked of thee. Thou hast truly shown thyself my Mother.

The Apostles’ Creed

Our Father

3 Hail Marys

Glory Be

The Sorrowful Mysteries Continued

– The Agony in the Garden

– The Scourging at the Pillar

– The Crowning with Thorns

– Jesus Carries His Cross

– The Crucifixion

Pray after every decade:

I bind these blood-red roses with a petition for the virtue of patience in adversity and humbly lay

this bouquet at thy feet.

Concluding Prayer

Hail, Holy Queen….Amen

In Petition (first 27 days)

Sweet Mother Mary, I offer thee this Spiritual Communion to bind my bouquets in a wreath to place

upon thy brow. O my Mother! Look with favor upon my gift, and in thy love obtain for me (specify request)

In Thanksgiving (final 27 days)

Sweet Mother Mary, I offer thee this spiritual communion to bind my bouquets in a wreath to place

upon thy brow in thanksgiving for (specify request) which thou in thy love hast obtained for me.

Hail Mary – Sign of the Cross

Labor for the Food Which Endures to Eternal Life

What do you most hunger for – wealth, peace, health, love, the good life? Jesus addressed this issue with those who sought him after the miracle of the multiplication of the loaves. Were they simply hungry for things which satisfy the body or for that which satisfies the heart and soul?

Jesus echoes the question posed by the prophet Isaiah: “Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread, and your labor for that which does not satisfy” (Isaiah 55:2)?There are two kinds of hunger – physical and spiritual. Only God can satisfy the hunger in our heart and soul – the hunger for truth, for life, and for love. Jesus also spoke about the works of God and what we must do to be doing the works of God, namely to believe in God’ Son whom he has sent into the world.

Jesus offers a new relationship with God which issues in a new kind of life: A life of love and service, and the forgiveness of others which corresponds to God’s mercy and kindness; a life of holiness and purity which corresponds to God’s holiness; and a life of submission and trust which corresponds to the wisdom of God.

This is the work which Jesus directs us to and enables us to perform in the power of the Holy Spirit. Do you hunger for the bread which comes down from heaven and thirst for the words of everlasting life?

Prayer

“Lord Jesus, you alone can satisfy the deepest longing and hunger in our hearts. May I always hunger for the imperishable bread, that I may be satisfied in you alone as the True Bread of Heaven. Nourish and strengthen me that I may serve you with great joy, generosity, and zeal all the days of my life” Amen

The Story for the Reflection

Saint Caesar de Bus

Feb 3, 1544 – Apr 15, 1607

Like so many of us, Caesar de Bus struggled with the decision about what to do with his life. After completing his Jesuit education he had difficulty settling between a military and a literary career. He wrote some plays but ultimately settled for life in the army and at court.

For a time, life was going rather smoothly for the engaging, well-to-do young Frenchman. He was confident he had made the right choice. That was until he saw firsthand the realities of battle, including the Saint Bartholomew’s Day massacres of French Protestants in 1572.

He fell seriously ill and found himself reviewing his priorities, including his spiritual life.

By the time he had recovered, Caesar had resolved to become a priest. Following his ordination in 1582, he undertook special pastoral work: teaching the catechism to ordinary people living in neglected, rural, out-of-the-way places. His efforts were badly needed and well received.

Working with his cousin, Caesar developed a program of family catechesis. The goal—to ward off heresy among the people—met the approval of local bishops. Out of these efforts grew a new religious congregation: the Fathers of Christian Doctrine.

One of Caesar’s works, Instructions for the Family on the Four Parts of the Roman Catechism, was published 60 years after his death. He was beatified in 1975 and canonized in 2022.

Reflection

“Family catechesis” is a familiar term in parish life today. Grounded in the certainty that children learn their faith first from their parents, programs that deepen parental involvement in religious education multiply everywhere.

There were no such programs in Caesar’s day until he saw a need and created them. Other needs abound in our parishes, and it’s up to us to respond by finding ways to fill them or by joining in already established efforts.

54 Days Novena to Holy Rosary

27th Day

Sign of the Cross

Hail Mary

Petition Prayer (first 27 days)

Hail, Queen of the Most Holy Rosary, my Mother Mary, hail! At thy feet, I humbly kneel to offer thee

a Crown of Roses, snow-white buds to remind thee of thy joys. Each bud recalling to thee a holy

mystery. Each ten bound together with my petition for a particular grace.

O Holy Queen, dispenser of God’s graces, and Mother of all who invoke thee! Thou canst not look

upon my gift and fail to see its binding. As thou receivest my gift, so wilt thou receive my petition.

From thy bounty thou wilt give me the favor I so earnestly and trustingly seek. I despair of nothing

that I ask of thee. Show thyself my Mother!

Thanksgiving Prayer (final 27 days)

Hail, Queen of the Most Holy Rosary, my Mother Mary, hail! At thy feet, I gratefully kneel to offer

thee a Crown of Roses, snow-white buds to remind thee of thy joys. Each bud recalling to thee a holy

mystery. Each ten bound together with my petition for a particular grace.

O Holy Queen, dispenser of God’s graces, and Mother of all who invoke thee! Thou canst not look

upon my gift and fail to see its binding. As thou receivest my gift, so wilt thou receive my thanksgiving. From thy bounty thou hast given me the favor I so earnestly and trustingly sought. I

despaired not of what I asked of thee. Thou hast truly shown thyself my Mother.

The Apostles’ Creed

Our Father

3 Hail Marys

Glory Be

The Joyful Mysteries Continued

– The Annunciation

– The Visitation

– The Nativity

– The Presentation

– Finding the Child Jesus in the Temple

Pray after every decade:

I bind these blood-red roses with a petition for the virtue of patience in adversity and humbly lay

this bouquet at thy feet.

Concluding Prayer

Hail, Holy Queen….Amen

In Petition (first 27 days)

Sweet Mother Mary, I offer thee this Spiritual Communion to bind my bouquets in a wreath to place

upon thy brow. O my Mother! Look with favor upon my gift, and in thy love obtain for me (specify request)

In Thanksgiving (final 27 days)

Sweet Mother Mary, I offer thee this spiritual communion to bind my bouquets in a wreath to place

upon thy brow in thanksgiving for (specify request) which thou in thy love hast obtained for me.

Hail Mary – Sign of the Cross

Blessings from

Fr Showri R Narra

Jesus Opened Their Minds to Understand the Scriptures

The first reading, taken from the Acts of the Apostles, gives us Peter’s second sermon addressing the Jewish assembly at the Portico of Solomon in Jerusalem.

Peter forcefully shows how the messianic prophecies have been fulfilled in the crucified and risen Jesus and challenges the Jews to repent and turn toward God so that their sins may be wiped away.

In the second reading, John answers doubts raised by the heretics of his time, asserting the fundamental Christian doctrine that Jesus’ death was a sacrifice offered as expiation for our sins.

Today’s Gospel describes Jesus’ appearance on the evening of His Resurrection to his apostles who were in the locked Upper Room, the Cenacle. We see Jesus remove the doubts of his apostles about his Resurrection by inviting them to touch him and by eating a piece of cooked fish.

Jesus explains how the prophecies have been fulfilled in him. Then he commissions them to bear witness to him and preach “repentance and forgiveness of sins in his name” after receiving the Holy Spirit.

This story was told and retold and recorded by Luke for at least three reasons:
(1) Jesus’ death and Resurrection fit God’s purpose as revealed in Scripture;
(2) the risen Jesus is present in the breaking of bread; and
(3) the risen Jesus is also physically absent from the disciples.

The facts emphasized: 1) The reality of Christ’s Resurrection. By inviting his apostles to look closely at him and touch him, Jesus removed any fear that they were seeing a ghost. He instilled confidence in them that he loved them by greeting them: “Peace be with you.” By eating a piece of broiled fish before their eyes, he convinced them that they were not dreaming or having a mere vision or hallucination.

Jesus wanted them to be authentic witnesses to the reality of his life as their risen Lord with his glorified soul and body. “The resurrection community that had experienced Jesus’ dying now experienced his risen presence. And it was, quite insistently, an embodied one.

This is a Jesus of sight and sound, of memories and relationships, of love and tenderness. He would take food and allow himself to be touched. Even his wounds could be examined. It was a recognizable and identifiable Jesus, a realization of his bodied existence.” (Fr. John Kavanaugh; Center for Liturgy).

2) The necessity of the cross: Jesus explained that his death on the cross had not been the result of a failed plan. Instead, it was part of God’s eternal plan to show His love for His people by subjecting His Son to willing, sacrificial, suffering and death.

3) The Resurrection of Jesus gives meaning to the Old Testament prophecies. Bible scholars cite 324 Messianic prophecies scattered throughout the Old Testament, especially in the prophets and in Psalms. Jesus explained to his disciples how these prophecies had been fulfilled in him so that they might become witnesses to their risen Lord in Jerusalem and to all the nations.

4) The commissioning of the disciples with the missionary task of preaching the Good News of salvation through repentance and Faith in Jesus. Jesus told the disciples what they were to preach

a) that the Son of God was crucified and died on the cross as expiation for our sins;

b) that he rose from the dead and conquered death; and

c) that all people must repent of their sins and obtain forgiveness in his name. In this Gospel passage, Jesus also commanded His disciples to remain in Jerusalem, waiting and praying for the coming of the Holy Spirit.

Prayer

“Lord Jesus, open our minds to understand the Scriptures that we may fully comprehend the truth of your word. Anoint us with your power and give us joy and boldness to proclaim the Gospel in word and deed.” Amen

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🟡The Story for the Reflection🟡

The ghost story! There is a true story in Ripley’s Believe It or Not about a judge in Yugoslavia who had an unfortunate accident. He was “electrocuted” when he reached up to turn on the light while standing in the bathtub. His wife found his body sprawled on the bathroom floor.

She called for help. Friends and neighbors, police–everyone showed up. He was pronounced dead and taken to the funeral home. The local radio picked up the story and broadcast it all over the air. In the middle of the night, the judge regained consciousness.

When he realized where he was, he rushed over to alert the night watchman, who promptly ran off, terrified. The first thought of the judge was to phone his wife and reassure her, using the funeral home phone. But he got no further than, “Hello darling, it’s me,” when she screamed and fainted.

He tried calling a couple of the neighbors, but they all thought it was some sort of a sick prank. He even went so far as to go to the homes of several friends, but they were all sure he was a ghost and slammed the door in his face. Finally, he was able to call a friend in the next town who hadn’t heard of his death.

This friend was able to convince his family and other friends that he really was alive. — Today’s Gospel tells us that Jesus had to convince the disciples that he wasn’t a ghost. He had to dispel their doubts and their fears. He showed them his hands and his feet.

He invited them to touch him and see that he was real. And he even ate a piece of cooked fish with them — all to prove that he was alive and not a ghost or spirit. He stood there before them, as real and alive as he had been over the past three years.

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🩵📿54 Days Novena to Holy Rosary📿🩵

26th Day
Sign of the Cross
Hail Mary
Petition Prayer (first 27 days)

Hail, Queen of the Most Holy Rosary, my Mother Mary, hail! At thy feet, I humbly kneel to offer thee
a Crown of Roses, snow-white buds to remind thee of thy joys. Each bud recalling to thee a holy
mystery. Each ten bound together with my petition for a particular grace.

O Holy Queen, dispenser of God’s graces, and Mother of all who invoke thee! Thou canst not look
upon my gift and fail to see its binding. As thou receivest my gift, so wilt thou receive my petition.
From thy bounty thou wilt give me the favor I so earnestly and trustingly seek. I despair of nothing
that I ask of thee. Show thyself my Mother!

Thanksgiving Prayer (final 27 days)

Hail, Queen of the Most Holy Rosary, my Mother Mary, hail! At thy feet, I gratefully kneel to offer
thee a Crown of Roses, snow-white buds to remind thee of thy joys. Each bud recalling to thee a holy
mystery. Each ten bound together with my petition for a particular grace.

O Holy Queen, dispenser of God’s graces, and Mother of all who invoke thee! Thou canst not look
upon my gift and fail to see its binding. As thou receivest my gift, so wilt thou receive my thanksgiving. From thy bounty thou hast given me the favor I so earnestly and trustingly sought. I
despaired not of what I asked of thee. Thou hast truly shown thyself my Mother.

The Apostles’ Creed
Our Father
3 Hail Marys
Glory Be

The Glorious Mysteries Continued
– The Resurrection of Jesus
– The Ascension of Jesus
– The Descent of the Holy Spirit
– The Assumption of Mary
– The Coronation of the Blessed Mother

Pray after every decade:
I bind these blood-red roses with a petition for the virtue of patience in adversity and humbly lay
this bouquet at thy feet.

Concluding Prayer
Hail, Holy Queen….Amen

In Petition (first 27 days)

Sweet Mother Mary, I offer thee this Spiritual Communion to bind my bouquets in a wreath to place
upon thy brow. O my Mother! Look with favor upon my gift, and in thy love obtain for me (specify request)

In Thanksgiving (final 27 days)
Sweet Mother Mary, I offer thee this spiritual communion to bind my bouquets in a wreath to place
upon thy brow in thanksgiving for (specify request) which thou in thy love hast obtained for me.
Hail Mary – Sign of the Cross

Blessings from
Fr Showri R Narra

Jesus Said: “It Is I – Do Not Be Afraid”

Does the Lord Jesus ever seem distant to you? When John recounted the scene of the apostles being alone at sea in a storm he described the situation as “dark” (John 6:17). It was dark not only physically but spiritually as well. Although they were experienced fishermen, they were fearful for their lives.

The Lord’s sudden presence – and his supernatural ability to walk towards them on top of the rough waves of the sea – only made them more fearful! John says they were frightened. And Jesus had to calm them with a reassuring command: “Do not be afraid because I am here with you!” The Lord Jesus is a very present help in troubleAren’t we like the apostles when we experience moments of darkness, fear, and trials? While the Lord may at times seem absent or very distant to us, he, nonetheless, is always present and close-by.

The Scriptures remind us that the Lord is “a very present help in trouble” (Psalm 46:1). Whatever storms may beset us, he promises to “bring us to our desired haven” and place of calm rest and safety (Psalm 107:29-30).

The Lord keeps watch over us at all times, and especially in our moments of temptation and difficulty. Do you rely on the Lord for his strength and help? Jesus assures us that we have no need of fear if we put our trust in him and in his great love and care for us. When calamities or trials threaten to overwhelm you, how do you respond? With faith and hope in God’s love, personal care, and presence with you?

Prayer

“Lord Jesus, may I never doubt your saving help and your watchful presence in my life, especially in times of trouble. Fortify my faith with courage and give me enduring hope that I may never waver in my trust in you.” Amen

Saint Martin I

d. September 16, 655

When Martin I became pope in 649, Constantinople was the capital of the Byzantine empire and the patriarch of Constantinople was the most influential Church leader in the eastern Christian world. The struggles that existed within the Church at that time were magnified by the close cooperation of emperor and patriarch.

A teaching, strongly supported in the East, held that Christ had no human will. Twice, emperors had officially favored this position: Heraclius by publishing a formula of faith, and Constans II by silencing the issue of one or two wills in Christ.

Shortly after assuming the office of the papacy—which he did without first being confirmed by the emperor—Martin held a council at the Lateran in which the imperial documents were censured, and in which the patriarch of Constantinople and two of his predecessors were condemned. In response, Constans II first tried to turn bishops and people against the pope.

Failing in this and in an attempt to kill the pope, the emperor sent troops to Rome to seize Martin and to bring him back to Constantinople. Already in poor health, Martin offered no resistance, returned with Calliopas, the exarch of Constantinople, and was then submitted to various imprisonments, tortures, and hardships.

Although condemned to death and with some of the imposed torture already carried out, Martin was saved from execution by the pleas of a repentant Paul, patriarch of Constantinople, who was himself gravely ill.

Tortures and cruel treatment having taken their toll, Martin died shortly thereafter. He is the last of the early popes to be venerated as a martyr.

Reflection

The real significance of the word martyr comes not from the dying but from the witnessing, which the word means in its derivation. People who are willing to give up everything, their most precious possessions, their very lives, put a supreme value on the cause or belief for which they sacrifice.

Martyrdom, dying for the faith, is an incidental extreme to which some have had to go to manifest their belief in Christ. A living faith, a life that exemplifies Christ’s teaching throughout, and that in spite of difficulties, is required of all Christians. Martin refused to cut corners as a way of easing his lot, to make some accommodations with the civil rulers.

54 Days Novena to Holy Rosary

25th Day

Sign of the Cross

Hail Mary

Petition Prayer (first 27 days)

Hail, Queen of the Most Holy Rosary, my Mother Mary, hail! At thy feet, I humbly kneel to offer thee

a Crown of Roses, snow-white buds to remind thee of thy joys. Each bud recalling to thee a holy

mystery. Each ten bound together with my petition for a particular grace.

O Holy Queen, dispenser of God’s graces, and Mother of all who invoke thee! Thou canst not look

upon my gift and fail to see its binding. As thou receivest my gift, so wilt thou receive my petition.

From thy bounty thou wilt give me the favor I so earnestly and trustingly seek. I despair of nothing

that I ask of thee. Show thyself my Mother!

Thanksgiving Prayer (final 27 days)

Hail, Queen of the Most Holy Rosary, my Mother Mary, hail! At thy feet, I gratefully kneel to offer

thee a Crown of Roses, snow-white buds to remind thee of thy joys. Each bud recalling to thee a holy

mystery. Each ten bound together with my petition for a particular grace.

O Holy Queen, dispenser of God’s graces, and Mother of all who invoke thee! Thou canst not look

upon my gift and fail to see its binding. As thou receivest my gift, so wilt thou receive my thanksgiving. From thy bounty thou hast given me the favor I so earnestly and trustingly sought. I

despaired not of what I asked of thee. Thou hast truly shown thyself my Mother.

The Apostles’ Creed

Our Father

3 Hail Marys

Glory Be

The Sorrowful Mysteries Continued

– The Agony in the Garden

– The Scourging at the Pillar

– The Crowning with Thorns

– Jesus Carries His Cross

– The Crucifixion

Pray after every decade:

I bind these blood-red roses with a petition for the virtue of patience in adversity and humbly lay

this bouquet at thy feet.

Concluding Prayer

Hail, Holy Queen….Amen

In Petition (first 27 days)

Sweet Mother Mary, I offer thee this Spiritual Communion to bind my bouquets in a wreath to place

upon thy brow. O my Mother! Look with favor upon my gift, and in thy love obtain for me (specify request)

In Thanksgiving (final 27 days)

Sweet Mother Mary, I offer thee this spiritual communion to bind my bouquets in a wreath to place

upon thy brow in thanksgiving for (specify request) which thou in thy love hast obtained for me.

Hail Mary – Sign of the Cross

The Miraculous Sign of Jesus

Can anything on this earth truly satisfy the deepest longing and hunger we experience for God? A great multitude had gathered to hear Jesus, no doubt because they were hungry for the word of life. Jesus’ disciples wanted to send them away at the end of the day because they did not have the resources to feed them.

They even complained how much money it would take to feed such a large crowd – at least six month’s wages! Jesus, the Bread of Life, took the little they had – five loaves and two fish – and giving thanks to his heavenly Father, distributed to all until they were satisfied of their hunger. Jesus is the true bread from heaven that gives us abundant lifeThe people of Israel had been waiting for the prophet whom Moses had promised: The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among you, from your brethren – him shall you heed (Deuteronomy 18:15).

The signs which Jesus did, including the miraculous feeding of the five thousand signified that God has indeed sent him as the anointed Prophet and King. Jesus’ feeding of the five thousand is the only miracle that is repeated in all four Gospel accounts. What is the significance of this particular miracle?

The miraculous feeding of such a great multitude pointed to God’s provision of manna in the wilderness for the people of Israel under Moses’ leadership (Exodus 16). This daily provision of food in the barren wilderness foreshadowed the true heavenly bread which Jesus would offer his followers. The food that makes us live for ever in Jesus ChristJesus makes a claim which only God can make: He is the true bread of heaven that can satisfy the deepest hunger we experience.

The sign of the multiplication of the loaves when the Lord says the blessing, breaks, and distributes through his disciples prefigures the superabundance of the unique bread of his Eucharist or Lord’s Supper. When we receive from the Lord’s table we unite ourselves to Jesus Christ, who makes us sharers in his body and blood. Ignatius of Antioch (35-107 A.D.)

calls it the “one bread that provides the medicine of immortality, the antidote for death, and the food that makes us live for ever in Jesus Christ” (Ad Eph. 20,2). This supernatural food is healing for both body and soul and strength for our journey heavenward. When you approach the Table of the Lord, what do you expect to receive? Healing, pardon, comfort, and rest for your soul? The Lord has much more for us, more than we can ask or imagine. The principal fruit of receiving the Eucharist at the Lord’s Table is an intimate union with Jesus Christ, our Divine Healer and Savior.

As bodily nourishment restores lost strength, so the Eucharist strengthens us in charity and enables us to break with disordered attachments to creatures and to be more firmly rooted in the love of Christ. Do you hunger for the “bread of life”? The Lord alone can satisfy the deepest longing of our heartThe feeding of the five thousand shows the remarkable generosity of God and his great kindness towards us. When God gives, he gives abundantly.

He gives more than we need for ourselves so that we may have something to share with others, especially those who lack what they need. God takes the little we have and multiplies it for the good of others. Do you trust in God’s provision for you and do you share freely with others, especially those who are in need?

🐣🐣🙏🏻Prayer🙏🏻🐣🐣

“Lord Jesus, you satisfy the deepest longing of our heart and you feed us with the finest of wheat (Psalm 81:16). Fill me with gratitude and give me a generous heart that I may freely share with others what you have given to me.”

Amen

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🟡The Life Story of the Saint🟡

Saint Teresa of Los Andes

July 13, 1900 – April 12, 1920

One needn’t live a long life to leave a deep imprint. Teresa of Los Andes is proof of that.

As a young girl growing up in the early 1900’s in Santiago, Chile, Juana Fernandez read an autobiography of a French-born saint—Thérèse, popularly known as the Little Flower. The experience deepened her desire to serve God and clarified the path she would follow. At age 19 Juana became a Carmelite nun, taking the name of Teresa.

The convent offered the simple lifestyle Teresa desired and the joy of living in a community of women completely devoted to God. She focused her days on prayer and sacrifice. “I am God’s,” she wrote in her diary. “He created me and is my beginning and my end.”

Toward the end of her short life, Teresa began an apostolate of letter-writing, sharing her thoughts on the spiritual life with many people. At age 20 she contracted typhus and quickly took her final vows.

She died a short time later, during Holy Week.

Known as the “Flower of the Andes,” Teresa remains popular with the estimated 100,000 pilgrims who visit her shrine in Los Andes each year. Canonized in 1993 by Pope John Paul II, she is Chile’s first saint.

Reflection

The special graces given Saint Teresa reflect the mysterious wisdom of God at work in individuals whether young or old. It appears God has his own logic when it comes to who gets what in the realm of grace. All we can say is; “Praised be the Lord.”

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🩵📿54 Days Novena to Holy Rosary📿🩵

24rth Day

Sign of the Cross

Hail Mary

Petition Prayer (first 27 days)

Hail, Queen of the Most Holy Rosary, my Mother Mary, hail! At thy feet, I humbly kneel to offer thee

a Crown of Roses, snow-white buds to remind thee of thy joys. Each bud recalling to thee a holy

mystery. Each ten bound together with my petition for a particular grace.

O Holy Queen, dispenser of God’s graces, and Mother of all who invoke thee! Thou canst not look

upon my gift and fail to see its binding. As thou receivest my gift, so wilt thou receive my petition.

From thy bounty thou wilt give me the favor I so earnestly and trustingly seek. I despair of nothing

that I ask of thee. Show thyself my Mother!

Thanksgiving Prayer (final 27 days)

Hail, Queen of the Most Holy Rosary, my Mother Mary, hail! At thy feet, I gratefully kneel to offer

thee a Crown of Roses, snow-white buds to remind thee of thy joys. Each bud recalling to thee a holy

mystery. Each ten bound together with my petition for a particular grace.

O Holy Queen, dispenser of God’s graces, and Mother of all who invoke thee! Thou canst not look

upon my gift and fail to see its binding. As thou receivest my gift, so wilt thou receive my thanksgiving. From thy bounty thou hast given me the favor I so earnestly and trustingly sought. I

despaired not of what I asked of thee. Thou hast truly shown thyself my Mother.

The Apostles’ Creed

Our Father

3 Hail Marys

Glory Be

The Joyful Mysteries Continued

– The Annunciation

– The Visitation

– The Nativity

– The Presentation

– Finding the Child Jesus in the Temple

Pray after every decade:

I bind these blood-red roses with a petition for the virtue of patience in adversity and humbly lay

this bouquet at thy feet.

Concluding Prayer

Hail, Holy Queen….Amen

In Petition (first 27 days)

Sweet Mother Mary, I offer thee this Spiritual Communion to bind my bouquets in a wreath to place

upon thy brow. O my Mother! Look with favor upon my gift, and in thy love obtain for me (specify request)

In Thanksgiving (final 27 days)

Sweet Mother Mary, I offer thee this spiritual communion to bind my bouquets in a wreath to place

upon thy brow in thanksgiving for (specify request) which thou in thy love hast obtained for me.

Hail Mary – Sign of the Cross

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Blessings from

Fr Showri R Narra

He Who Believes in the Son Has Eternal Life

Do you hunger for the true and abundant life which God offers through the gift of his Holy Spirit? The Jews understood that God gave a certain portion of his Spirit to his prophets.

When Elijah was about to depart for heaven, his servant Elisha asked for a double portion of the Spirit which Elijah had received from God (2 Kings 2:9). The Holy Spirit opens our minds to understand God’s word of truth Jesus tells his disciples that they can believe the words he speaks because God the Father has anointed him by pouring out his Spirit on him in full measure, without keeping anything back.

The function of the Holy Spirit is to reveal God’s truth to us. Jesus declared that “when the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth” (John 16:13). When we receive the Holy Spirit he opens our hearts and minds to recognize and understand God’s word of truth. Saint Augustine of Hippo (354-430 AD) said, “I believe in order to understand; and I understand the better to believe.” Faith opens our minds and hearts to receive God’s word of truth and to obey it willingly. Do you believe God’s word and receive it as if your life depended on it? God gives us the freedom to accept or reject what he says is true. But with that freedom also comes a responsibility to recognize the consequences of the choice we make – either to believe what he has spoken to us through his Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, or to ignore, reject, and chose our own way apart from God. Our choices will either lead us on the path of abundant life and union with God, or the path that leads to spiritual death and separation from God.Love the Lord, cling to him, and you will have lifeGod issued a choice and a challenge to the people of the Old Covenant: “See I have set before you this day life and good, death and evil. …

I call heaven and earth to witness against you this day, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and curse; therefore choose life, that you may live, loving the Lord your God, obeying his voice, and cleaving to him” (Deuteronomy 30:15-20).

And God issues the same challenge to the people of the New Covenant today. Do you weigh the consequences of your choices? Do the choices you make lead you towards life or death – blessing or cursing? If you choose to obey God’s voice and to do his will, then you will know and experience that abundant life which comes from God himself. If you choose to follow your own way apart from God and his will, then you choose for death – a spiritual death which poisons and kills the heart and soul until there is nothing left but an empty person devoid of love, truth, goodness, purity, peace, and joy. Do your choices lead you towards God or away from God?

Prayer

“Lord Jesus Christ, let your Holy Spirit fill me and transform my heart and mind that I may choose life – the abundant life you offer to those who trust in you. Give me courage to always choose what is good, true, and just and to reject whatever is false, foolish, and contrary to your holy will.”

Amen

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🟡The Life Story of the Saint🟡

Saint Stanislaus

July 26, 1030 – April 11, 1079

Anyone who reads the history of Eastern Europe cannot help but chance on the name of Stanislaus, the saintly but tragic bishop of Kraków, patron of Poland. He is remembered with Saints Thomas More and Thomas Becket for vigorous opposition to the evils of an unjust government.

Born in Szczepanow near Kraków on July 26, 1030, he was ordained a priest after being educated in the cathedral schools of Gniezno, then capital of Poland, and at Paris. He was appointed preacher and archdeacon to the bishop of Kraków, where his eloquence and example brought about real conversion in many of his penitents, both clergy and laity.

He became bishop of Kraków in 1072.

During an expedition against the Grand Duchy of Kiev, Stanislaus became involved in the political situation of Poland. Known for his outspokenness, he aimed his attacks at the evils of the peasantry and the king, especially the unjust wars and immoral acts of King Boleslaus II.

The king first excused himself, then made a show of penance, then relapsed into his old ways. Stanislaus continued his open opposition in spite of charges of treason and threats of death, finally excommunicating the king.

Enraged, the latter ordered soldiers to kill the bishop. When they refused, the king killed Stanislaus with his own hands. Forced to flee to Hungary, Boleslaus supposedly spent the rest of his life as a penitent in the Benedictine abbey in Osiak.

Reflection

Saints John the Baptist, Thomas Becket, Thomas More, and Stanislaus are a few of the prophets who dared to denounce corruption in high places. They followed in the footsteps of Jesus himself, who pointed out the moral corruption in the religious leadership of his day. It is a risky business.

Saint Stanislaus is the Patron Saint of:

Poland

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🩵📿54 Days Novena to Holy Rosary📿🩵

23rd Day

Sign of the Cross

Hail Mary

Petition Prayer (first 27 days)

Hail, Queen of the Most Holy Rosary, my Mother Mary, hail! At thy feet, I humbly kneel to offer thee

a Crown of Roses, snow-white buds to remind thee of thy joys. Each bud recalling to thee a holy

mystery. Each ten bound together with my petition for a particular grace.

O Holy Queen, dispenser of God’s graces, and Mother of all who invoke thee! Thou canst not look

upon my gift and fail to see its binding. As thou receivest my gift, so wilt thou receive my petition.

From thy bounty thou wilt give me the favor I so earnestly and trustingly seek. I despair of nothing

that I ask of thee. Show thyself my Mother!

Thanksgiving Prayer (final 27 days)

Hail, Queen of the Most Holy Rosary, my Mother Mary, hail! At thy feet, I gratefully kneel to offer

thee a Crown of Roses, snow-white buds to remind thee of thy joys. Each bud recalling to thee a holy

mystery. Each ten bound together with my petition for a particular grace.

O Holy Queen, dispenser of God’s graces, and Mother of all who invoke thee! Thou canst not look

upon my gift and fail to see its binding. As thou receivest my gift, so wilt thou receive my thanksgiving. From thy bounty thou hast given me the favor I so earnestly and trustingly sought. I

despaired not of what I asked of thee. Thou hast truly shown thyself my Mother.

The Apostles’ Creed

Our Father

3 Hail Marys

Glory Be

The Glorious Mysteries Continued

– The Resurrection of Jesus

– The Ascension of Jesus

– The Descent of the Holy Spirit

– The Assumption of Mary

– The Coronation of the Blessed Mother

Pray after every decade:

I bind these blood-red roses with a petition for the virtue of patience in adversity and humbly lay

this bouquet at thy feet.

Concluding Prayer

Hail, Holy Queen….Amen

In Petition (first 27 days)

Sweet Mother Mary, I offer thee this Spiritual Communion to bind my bouquets in a wreath to place

upon thy brow. O my Mother! Look with favor upon my gift, and in thy love obtain for me (specify request)

In Thanksgiving (final 27 days)

Sweet Mother Mary, I offer thee this spiritual communion to bind my bouquets in a wreath to place

upon thy brow in thanksgiving for (specify request) which thou in thy love hast obtained for me.

Hail Mary – Sign of the Cross

Blessings from

Fr Showri R Narra

The Story of the Annunciation of the Lord

The feast of the Annunciation, now recognized as a solemnity, was first celebrated in the fourth or fifth century. Its central focus is the Incarnation: God has become one of us. From all eternity God had decided that the Second Person of the Blessed Trinity should become human. Now, as Luke 1:26-38 tells us, the decision is being realized.

The God-Man embraces all humanity, indeed all creation, to bring it to God in one great act of love. Because human beings have rejected God, Jesus will accept a life of suffering and an agonizing death: “No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends” (John 15:13).

Mary has an important role to play in God’s plan. From all eternity, God destined her to be the mother of Jesus and closely related to him in the creation and redemption of the world. We could say that God’s decrees of creation and redemption are joined in the decree of Incarnation.

Because Mary is God’s instrument in the Incarnation, she has a role to play with Jesus in creation and redemption. It is a God-given role. It is God’s grace from beginning to end. Mary becomes the eminent figure she is only by God’s grace. She is the empty space where God could act. Everything she is she owes to the Trinity.

Mary is the virgin-mother who fulfills Isaiah 7:14 in a way that Isaiah could not have imagined. She is united with her son in carrying out the will of God (Psalm 40:8-9; Hebrews 10:7-9; Luke 1:38).

Together with Jesus, the privileged and graced Mary is the link between heaven and earth. She is the human being who best, after Jesus, exemplifies the possibilities of human existence. She received into her lowliness the infinite love of God. She shows how an ordinary human being can reflect God in the ordinary circumstances of life.

She exemplifies what the Church and every member of the Church is meant to become. She is the ultimate product of the creative and redemptive power of God. She manifests what the Incarnation is meant to accomplish for all of us.

Reflection

Sometimes spiritual writers are accused of putting Mary on a pedestal and thereby, discouraging ordinary humans from imitating her. Perhaps such an observation is misguided. God did put Mary on a pedestal and has put all human beings on a pedestal.

We have scarcely begun to realize the magnificence of divine grace, the wonder of God’s freely given love. The marvel of Mary—even in the midst of her very ordinary life—is God’s shout to us to wake up to the marvelous creatures that we all are by divine design.

54 Days Novena to Holy Rosary

20th Day

Sign of the Cross

Hail Mary

Petition Prayer (first 27 days)

Hail, Queen of the Most Holy Rosary, my Mother Mary, hail! At thy feet, I humbly kneel to offer thee

a Crown of Roses, snow-white buds to remind thee of thy joys. Each bud recalling to thee a holy

mystery. Each ten bound together with my petition for a particular grace.

O Holy Queen, dispenser of God’s graces, and Mother of all who invoke thee! Thou canst not look

upon my gift and fail to see its binding. As thou receivest my gift, so wilt thou receive my petition.

From thy bounty thou wilt give me the favor I so earnestly and trustingly seek. I despair of nothing

that I ask of thee. Show thyself my Mother!

Thanksgiving Prayer (final 27 days)

Hail, Queen of the Most Holy Rosary, my Mother Mary, hail! At thy feet, I gratefully kneel to offer

thee a Crown of Roses, snow-white buds to remind thee of thy joys. Each bud recalling to thee a holy

mystery. Each ten bound together with my petition for a particular grace.

O Holy Queen, dispenser of God’s graces, and Mother of all who invoke thee! Thou canst not look

upon my gift and fail to see its binding. As thou receivest my gift, so wilt thou receive my thanksgiving. From thy bounty thou hast given me the favor I so earnestly and trustingly sought. I

despaired not of what I asked of thee. Thou hast truly shown thyself my Mother.

The Apostles’ Creed

Our Father

3 Hail Marys

Glory Be

The Sorrowful Mysteries Continued

– The Agony in the Garden

– The Scourging at the Pillar

– The Crowning with Thorns

– Jesus Carries His Cross

– The Crucifixion

Pray after every decade:

I bind these blood-red roses with a petition for the virtue of patience in adversity and humbly lay

this bouquet at thy feet.

Concluding Prayer

Hail, Holy Queen….Amen

In Petition (first 27 days)

Sweet Mother Mary, I offer thee this Spiritual Communion to bind my bouquets in a wreath to place

upon thy brow. O my Mother! Look with favor upon my gift, and in thy love obtain for me (specify request)

In Thanksgiving (final 27 days)

Sweet Mother Mary, I offer thee this spiritual communion to bind my bouquets in a wreath to place

upon thy brow in thanksgiving for (specify request) which thou in thy love hast obtained for me.

Hail Mary – Sign of the Cross

A Whole Ocean of Graces

Saint Faustina reports in her Diary what Jesus told her about Divine Mercy Sunday:

“My daughter, tell the whole world about My inconceivable mercy. I desire that the Feast of Mercy be a refuge and shelter for all souls, and especially for poor sinners. On that day the very depths of My tender mercy are open. I pour out a whole ocean of graces upon those souls who approach the fount of My mercy.

The soul that will go to Confession and receive Holy Communion shall obtain complete forgiveness of sins and punishment. On that day are open all the divine floodgates through which graces flow” (Diary #699).

That day is today! It is the Feast of Divine Mercy! Today’s feast is among the newer feasts in our Church. Though Jesus’ desire that this feast be celebrated on the eighth day of Easter was spoken to Sister Maria Faustina Kowolska back in 1931, it was not solemnly instituted until the year 2000.

On April 30 of that year, Saint Pope John Paul II canonized Saint Faustina and inaugurated the Feast of Divine Mercy as a universal feast within the Church. Because this Feast is so recent within the Church, we can be certain that we still have much to learn about the message of this Solemnity as well as the numerous messages about God’s mercy revealed in Saint Faustina’s Diary.

Among the many messages contained within her Diary, Jesus revealed to us that this Sunday, the eighth and final day of the Octave of Easter, is a day like none other.

Though grace and mercy are continuously poured out from Heaven upon us, Jesus is very clear that today is unique. Today, “a whole ocean of graces” is poured forth upon souls who approach the font of His mercy. Sit with that image for a time. “A whole ocean of graces.” What does that mean?

Symbolically speaking, a whole ocean is meant to depict the infinite. Try to imagine what it would be like to have the entire ocean poured upon you—it’s beyond comprehension! Thus, God is saying that the infinity of grace is given today.

The question for us all to ponder is this: How receptive am I to those infinite graces?

By analogy, imagine that your life was like a thimble, and an ocean of water was poured upon you. As a thimble, you could not contain all that was given.

Therefore, we should realize that God wants to stretch our capacity to receive His mercy more abundantly by widening our capacity for mercy. What if your soul were like a large pond? Still, the waters of the ocean could not be contained within that pond. What is it that is capable of receiving an entire ocean of mercy?

Only an ocean can contain an ocean. For that reason, God desires to first prepare our souls to receive an infinity of mercy by transforming us into vessels of infinite capacity.

Saint Teresa of Ávila, in her spiritual classic, “Interior Castles,” teaches us that the soul is, indeed, capable of infinite capacity for the simple fact that God dwells within.

The soul is like an interior castle with many interlinked dwelling places through which we must pass so as to arrive at the central chamber. She teaches that the goal of the spiritual life is to travel through these various dwelling places to the center of our souls where the infinite God dwells so that we can be present to Him there.

Therefore, we must understand that our souls are indeed capable of receiving the infinite waters of mercy, because God created us with this ability when He chose to live within us. The key to being able to fully receive this fullness of mercy is to seek out the infinite God, dwelling within. How is this done?

The heart of the path laid out in the Diary of Saint Faustina is as follows: Go to Confession and receive Holy Communion so as to obtain complete forgiveness of sins and punishment.

However, as many of the great spiritual writers explain, such as Saint Teresa of Ávila, there are many levels we must pass on our spiritual journey so as to be able to encounter God in His fullness. This, of course, includes encountering God’s mercy given to us in Holy Communion and Confession.

Those who receive these Sacraments while dwelling only in the first dwelling places, for example, will never benefit from them to the extent that those who dwell in the seventh and central mansion where the King dwells in fullness.

Thus, mercy is given in its fullness but unless we make the transforming journey to God through conversion and purification of our souls, we will never be able to receive the ocean of graces God bestows.

Reflect, today, upon this ocean being poured forth upon you. How much of this mercy are you able to receive right now in your life? As you humbly admit your limited openness to God’s grace, know that God patiently waits for you, dwelling in His fullness deep within you, waiting for you to make the journey to Him.

Commit yourself to this journey by prayer, fasting, penance, the reading of Scripture, the celebration of the Sacraments and spiritual reading. There is an ocean of the fullness of life waiting for you. Dive in and allow His mercy to deepen your capacity to receive Him most fully.

My Lord, You are The Divine Mercy, the source of all grace and the Bestower of this grace in superabundance. I thank You for the infinity of Your generosity and pray that my soul will be more fully disposed to receive You. Please stretch the capacity of my soul through my ongoing journey of purification and conversion so that I will receive all that You wish to bestow.

Jesus, I trust in You.

The Story for the reflection

The news is filled with illustrations of mercy—or the need for mercy—in our world. One of the most moving stories came to us on October 6, 2006, when an armed man entered an Amish schoolhouse in Nickel Mines, Pennsylvania.

He chased out the little boys and lined up the 10 little girls in front of the blackboard. He shot all of them and then killed himself. Five of the girls died.

After the medics and police left, the families of the fallen came and carried their slain children home. They removed their bloody clothes and washed the bodies. They sat for a time and mourned their beloved children.

After a while they walked to the home of the man who killed their children. They told his widow they forgave her husband for what he had done, and they consoled her for the loss of her spouse. They buried their anger before they buried their children.

— Amish Christians teach us that forgiveness is central. They believe in a real sense that God’s forgiveness of themselves depends on their extending forgiveness to other people. That’s what the mercy of God is all about.

That mercy is why we celebrate Divine Mercy Sunday. (Rev. Alfred McBride, O.Praem: Catholic Update – March 2008)

❤️❤️The Divine Mercy ❤️❤️

The Divine Mercy Message

The message of The Divine Mercy is simple. It is that God loves us – all of us. And, He wants us to recognize that His mercy is greater than our sins, so that we will call upon Him with trust, receive His mercy, and let it flow through us to others. Thus, all will come to share His joy.

A – Ask for His Mercy. God wants us to approach Him in prayer constantly, repenting of our sins and asking Him to pour His mercy out upon us and upon the whole world.

B – Be merciful. God wants us to receive His mercy and let it flow through us to others. He wants us to extend love and forgiveness to others just as He does to us.

C – Completely trust in Jesus. God wants us to know that all the graces of His mercy can only be received by our trust. The more we open the door of our hearts and lives to Him with trust, the more we can receive.

This message and devotion to Jesus as The Divine Mercy is based on the writings of Saint Faustina Kowalska, an uneducated Polish nun who, in obedience to her spiritual director, wrote a diary of about 600 pages recording the revelations she received about God’s mercy.

Even before her death in 1938, the devotion to The Divine Mercy had begun to spread.

The message and devotional practices proposed in the Diary of Saint Faustina and set forth in this web site and other publications of the Marians of the Immaculate Conception are completely in accordance with the teachings of Church and are firmly rooted in the Gospel message of our Merciful Savior. Properly understood and implemented, they will help us grow as genuine followers of Christ.

Spend time to learn more about the mercy of God, learn to trust in Jesus, and live your life as merciful to others, as Christ is merciful to you.

Plenary Indulgence

What do a certain Polish nun and a certain Polish pope have in common? They both became saints and they were both instrumental in the institution of Divine Mercy Sunday, which offers many graces to the faithful.

Be sure to thank St. John Paul II and St. Maria Faustina Kowalska this April 16 because as Divine Mercy Sunday rolls around again this year, the faithful have the opportunity to take refuge in the depths of Christ’s mercy by receiving either a plenary or partial indulgence.

Here are some facts about Divine Mercy Sunday, including the Church’s guidance on how to receive indulgences on the day:

What is Divine Mercy Sunday?

Divine Mercy Sunday is the Sunday after Easter each year. Divine Mercy Sunday was first announced in an April 2000 homily given by John Paul II for the Mass celebrating the canonization of Maria Faustina Kowalska.

St. Faustina Kowalska was a Polish nun who received prophetic messages from Christ. These messages included revelations about the infinite mercy of God — coined the “divine mercy” — and her obligation to spread the message to the world as recorded in her diary, “Divine Mercy in My Soul.”

The late pope said in his homily that “the light of divine mercy, which the Lord in a way wished to return to the world through Sr. Faustina’s charism, will illumine the way for the men and women of the third millennium.”

John Paul II granted plenary and partial indulgences to the faithful who observed certain pious practices on Divine Mercy Sunday each year in a June 2002 decree He did this in order to inspire the faithful in devotion to the Divine Mercy.

What is an indulgence?

An indulgence is the remission of the temporal punishment due to sins that have already been forgiven, and it can be plenary or partial.

Plenary indulgence

A plenary indulgence can be obtained by going to a church on Divine Mercy Sunday “in a spirit that is completely detached from the affection for a sin, even a venial sin,” and participating in the prayers held in honor of Divine Mercy, the 2002 decree says.

Those practices could consist of devotions such as the divine mercy chaplet, eucharistic adoration, and the sacrament of confession.

The faithful could also visit the Blessed Sacrament either exposed or in the tabernacle and recite the Our Father, the Nicene Creed, and a devout prayer to Christ. The example of a devout prayer that is given in the decree is “Merciful Jesus, I trust in you!”

In order to receive the indulgence, the three usual conditions of going to confession, receiving holy Communion, and praying for the intentions of the Holy Father must also be met.

While it is appropriate that the two sacraments be received on the same day, the Church permits them to be received up to about 20 days before or after the day the indulgenced work is performed.

Can’t make it to a church?

Be not afraid

For the sick or others who are unable to make it to church that day, a plenary indulgence may still be obtained.

One must intend to make a confession, receive holy Communion, and pray for the intentions of the Holy Father as soon as possible, while praying one Our Father and the Nicene Creed before an image of Jesus. In addition, one also must pray “a devout invocation” to Christ such as “Merciful Jesus, I trust in you.”

For those faithful who cannot fulfill those obligations either, it is still possible to earn a plenary indulgence.

If “with a spiritual intention” people unite themselves to all the faithful hoping to obtain the indulgence through the prescribed prayers and they offer a prayer and their sufferings to Christ, then they are able to obtain the plenary indulgence.

They also must intend to go to

confession, receive holy Communion, and pray for the pope as soon as possible.

Partial indulgence

A partial indulgence is granted to the faithful who on that day pray “a legitimately approved invocation” with a contrite heart. As is written in the decree, this invocation could be “Merciful Jesus, I trust in you!”

This story was first published on CNA on April 21, 2022, and was updated April 13, 2023.

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The Beauty of Repentance

When Jesus had risen, early on the first day of the week, he appeared first to Mary Magdalene, out of whom he had driven seven demons. Mark 16:9

The first person recorded in Scripture to whom Jesus appeared was Mary Magdalene. Notably, she was the one out of whom Jesus cast seven demons. Being possessed by seven demons has traditionally been understood to mean that she was completely possessed. Prior to Jesus freeing her, satan and His demons had completely taken over her will by her free submission to evil.

And yet, it was to her, a woman with such a horrible past, that Jesus chose to give the honor of His first appearance. What an amazing fact!

Everyone has a past. Some have been grave sinners. Others, like Saint Thérèse of Lisieux, have never committed a mortal sin.

Obviously, the beauty of a soul like Saint Thérèse is deeply admirable, and such a soul will be greatly rewarded in Heaven. But what about the grave sinner? What about those like Mary Magdalene who have lived horribly sinful lives? What does our Lord think about them?

The fact that Mary Magdalene is the first person recorded in Scripture to have seen the risen Lord should tell us much about how Jesus views a person who has greatly struggled with serious sin but has later overcome that sin and turned wholeheartedly to our Lord. Sin is demoralizing. When unrepented, it leaves a loss of dignity and integrity.

However, even after one has repented, some people will continue to struggle with unhealthy guilt and shame. And for some, these struggles can become a weapon by which the evil one tries to discourage them from feeling worthy to serve our Lord with zeal and passion.

But the truth in the mind of God is that repentant sinners are true jewels and beautiful in the eyes of our Lord. They are worthy of the greatest honors. God does not dwell on our past sin. Instead, our past sin, when it has been repented of and forgiven, will be an eternal sign of the love and mercy of God.

How do you deal with your past sin? First, have you completely acknowledged it, repented of it and sought forgiveness from our Lord? If so, does it still haunt you? Does the evil one still try to remind you of your past and strip away your hope in the mercy of God?

Reflect, today, upon the most grievous of your past sins. If you haven’t yet confessed them, then do so as soon as you can. If you have, try to see your soul through the eyes of God. God does not see your past sins with anger and disgust. Rather, He sees only the depth of your conversion, sorrow and repentance.

And, to Him, this is holy and beautiful. Ponder the beauty of your repentant heart and know that, as you do, you will be looking at your own heart through the eyes of God.

My most merciful God, You love the sinner and hate the sin. You love me in ways that are beyond my understanding.

Help me to understand how deeply You love my heart when I completely repent. And help me to see my heart only through Your eyes. I thank You for Your love and mercy, dear Lord. Help me to l

ove You all the more.

Jesus, I trust in You.

The Life Story of the Saint

Saint Crescentia Hoess

Oct 20,1682 – April 5,1744

Crescentia was born in 1682, the daughter of a poor weaver, in a little town near Augsburg.

She spent play time praying in the parish church, assisted those even poorer than herself and had so mastered the truths of her religion that she was permitted to make her first Holy Communion at the then unusually early age of 7. In the town she was called “the little angel.”

As she grew older, she desired to enter the convent of the Tertiaries of Saint Francis. But the convent was poor, and because Crescentia had no dowry, the superiors refused her admission. Her case was then pleaded by the Protestant mayor of the town to whom the convent owed a favor.

The community felt it was forced into receiving her, and her new life was made miserable. She was considered a burden and assigned nothing other than menial tasks. Even her cheerful spirit was misinterpreted as flattery or hypocrisy.

Conditions improved four years later when a new superior was elected who realized her virtue. Crescentia herself was appointed mistress of novices. She so won the love and respect of the sisters that, upon the death of the superior, Crescentia was unanimously elected to that position.

Under her, the financial state of the convent improved and her reputation in spiritual matters spread. She was soon being consulted by princes and princesses; bishops and cardinals too sought her advice. And yet, a true daughter of Francis, she remained ever humble.

Bodily afflictions and pain were always with her. First it was headaches and toothaches. Then she lost the ability to walk, her hands and feet gradually becoming so crippled that her body curled up into a fetal position.

In the spirit of Francis she cried out, “Oh, you bodily members, praise God that he has given you the capacity to suffer.” Despite her sufferings she was filled with peace and joy as she died on Easter Sunday in 1744.

She was beatified in 1900 and canonized by Pope John Paul II in 2001. The liturgical feast of Saint Crescentia Hoess is celebrated on June 15.

Reflection

Although she grew up in poverty and willingly embraced it in her vocation, Crescentia had a good head for business. Under her able administration, her convent regained financial stability.

Too often, we think of good money management as, at best, a less-than-holy gift. But Crescentia was wise enough to balance her worldly skills with such acumen in spiritual matters that heads of State and Church both sought her advice.

❤️❤️The Divine Mercy Novena of Chaplets❤️❤️

Ninth Day:
Today bring to Me SOULS WHO HAVE BECOME LUKEWARM,* and immerse them in the abyss of My mercy. These souls wound My Heart most painfully.

My soul suffered the most dreadful loathing in the Garden of Olives because of lukewarm souls. They were the reason I cried out: ‘Father, take this cup away from Me, if it be Your will.’ For them, the last hope of salvation is to run to My mercy.

Most compassionate Jesus, You are Compassion Itself. I bring lukewarm souls into the abode of Your Most Compassionate Heart. In this fire of Your pure love, let these tepid souls, who, like corpses, filled You with such deep loathing, be once again set aflame.

O Most Compassionate Jesus, exercise the omnipotence of Your mercy and draw them into the very ardor of Your love, and bestow upon them the gift of holy love, for nothing is beyond Your power.

Eternal Father, turn Your merciful gaze upon lukewarm souls who are nonetheless enfolded in the Most Compassionate Heart of Jesus. Father of Mercy, I beg You by the bitter Passion of Your Son and by His three-hour agony on the Cross: Let them, too, glorify the abyss of Your mercy. Amen.

Prayer

Asking for His Mercy
Through the passion and death of Jesus, an infinite ocean of mercy was made available for all of us. But God, who created us free, will not force anything on us, not even His mercy. He must wait for us to turn from our sinfulness and ask: “Ask and it will be given to you … for everyone who asks receives” (Mt 7:7, 8).

The Scriptures are filled with examples of how to trust in God and ask for His mercy: the psalms; the faith of Abraham and Moses who pleaded and “bargained” with God; the man who persuaded his friend to get up in the middle of the night to lend him some bread; the persistent widow who secured justice from the unjust judge; the Canaanite woman who “argued” with Jesus about her right to His mercy; and the witness of Mary, whose appeal for mercy at Cana led Jesus to perform His first public miracle, thus acknowledging that His time had indeed come.

Pope John Paul II echoes this scriptural message with a new urgency for our own times: “At no time… especially at a moment as critical as our own — can the Church forget the prayer that is a cry for the mercy of God… The Church has the right and the duty to appeal to the God of mercy ‘with loud cries’ ” (Rich in Mercy, 15).

To St. Faustina, Jesus revealed this same message once again. He gave her three new ways to ask for mercy on the strength of His passion: the Chaplet, the Novena, and prayer at three o’clock; and He taught her to transform her daily life into a continuous prayer for mercy.

Through her, He calls us all to ask for His mercy:
Souls that make an appeal to My mercy delight Me. To such souls I grant even more graces than they ask. I cannot punish even the greatest sinner if he makes an appeal to My compassion (Diary, 1146). Beg for mercy for the whole world (570). No soul that has called upon My mercy has ever been disappointed (1541).

🙏Prayer to be Merciful to Others🙏

This prayer gives us a true measure of our mercy, a mirror in which we observe ourselves as merciful Christs. We can make it our morning invocation and our evening examination of conscience.

O Most Holy Trinity! As many times as I breathe, as many times as my heart beats, as many times as my blood pulsates through my body, so many thousand times do I want to glorify Your mercy.

I want to be completely transformed into Your mercy and to be Your living reflection, O Lord. May the greatest of all divine attributes, that of Your unfathomable mercy, pass through my heart and soul to my neighbor.

Help me, O Lord, that my eyes may be merciful, so that I may never suspect or judge from appearances, but look for what is beautiful in my neighbors’ souls and come to their rescue.

Help me, that my ears may be merciful, so that I may give heed to my neighbors’ needs and not be indifferent to their pains and moanings.

Help me, O Lord, that my tongue may be merciful, so that I should never speak negatively of my neighbor, but have a word of comfort and forgiveness for all.

Help me, O Lord, that my hands may be merciful and filled with good deeds, so that I may do only good to my neighbors and take upon myself the more difficult and toilsome tasks.

Help me, that my feet may be merciful, so that I may hurry to assist my neighbor, overcoming my own fatigue and weariness. My true rest is in the service of my neighbor.

Help me, O Lord, that my heart may be merciful so that I myself may feel all the sufferings of my neighbor. I will refuse my heart to no one. I will be sincere even with those who, I know, will abuse my kindness. And I will lock myself up in the most merciful Heart of Jesus. I will bear my own suffering in silence. May Your mercy, O Lord, rest upon me.

You Yourself command me to exercise the three degrees of mercy.

The first: the act of mercy, of whatever kind.

The second: the word of mercy — if I cannot carry out a work of mercy, I will assist by my words.

The third: prayer — if I cannot show mercy by deeds or words, I can always do so by prayer.

My prayer reaches out even there where I cannot reach out physically.
O my Jesus, transform me into Yourself, for You can do all things.

Saint Teresa of Los Andes

July 13, 1900 – April 12, 1920

One needn’t live a long life to leave a deep imprint. Teresa of Los Andes is proof of that.

As a young girl growing up in the early 1900’s in Santiago, Chile, Juana Fernandez read an autobiography of a French-born saint—Thérèse, popularly known as the Little Flower.

The experience deepened her desire to serve God and clarified the path she would follow. At age 19 Juana became a Carmelite nun, taking the name of Teresa.

She died a short time later, during Holy Week.

Reflection

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❤️❤️The Divine Mercy Novena of Chaplets❤️❤️

Sixth Day

Today bring to Me THE MEEK AND HUMBLE SOULS AND THE SOULS OF LITTLE CHILDREN, and immerse them in My mercy. These souls most closely resemble My Heart. They strengthened Me during My bitter agony. I saw them as earthly Angels, who will keep vigil at My altars.

I pour out upon them whole torrents of grace. Only the humble soul is capable of receiving My grace. I favor humble souls with My confidence.Most Merciful Jesus, You yourself have said, “Learn from Me for I am meek and humble of heart.”

Receive into the abode of Your Most Compassionate Heart all meek and humble souls and the souls of little children. These souls send all heaven into ecstasy and they are the heavenly Father’s favorites.

They are a sweet-smelling bouquet before the throne of God; God Himself takes delight in their fragrance. These souls have a permanent abode in Your Most Compassionate Heart, O Jesus, and they unceasingly sing out a hymn of love and mercy.Eternal Father, turn Your merciful gaze upon meek souls, upon humble souls, and upon little children who are enfolded in the abode which is the Most Compassionate Heart of Jesus. These souls bear the closest resemblance to Your Son.

Their fragrance rises from the earth and reaches Your very throne. Father of mercy and of all goodness, I beg You by the love You bear these souls and by the delight You take in them: Bless the whole world, that all souls together may sing out the praises of Your mercy for endless ages. Amen.

♦️♦️❣️♦️♦️❣️♦️♦️❣️

Prayer

Asking for His Mercy

Through the passion and death of Jesus, an infinite ocean of mercy was made available for all of us. But God, who created us free, will not force anything on us, not even His mercy. He must wait for us to turn from our sinfulness and ask: “Ask and it will be given to you … for everyone who asks receives” (Mt 7:7, 8).

Through her, He calls us all to ask for His mercy:

Souls that make an appeal to My mercy delight Me. To such souls I grant even more graces than they ask. I cannot punish even the greatest sinner if he makes an appeal to My compassion (Diary, 1146). Beg for mercy for the whole world (570). No soul that has called upon My mercy has ever been disappointed (1541).