Preaching

Preach the Gospel always and when necessary, use words.
St. Francis of Assisi

Prayer Before Communion

Come, O Blessed Saviour, and

nourish my soul with heavenly

Food, the Food which contains

every sweetness and every

delight.  Come, Bread of

Angels, and satisfy the hunger

of my soul.  Come, glowing

Furnace of Charity, and enkindle

in my heart the flame of

divine love.  Come, Light of  the

World, and enlighten the

darkness of my mind. Come,

King of Kings, and make me

obedient to Your holy will.

Come, loving Saviour, and

make me meek and humble.

Come Friend of the Sick, and

heal the infirmities of my

body and the weakness of my

soul.  Come, Good Shepherd,

my God and my All, and take

me to Yourself.

O most holy mother, Mary Immaculate,

prepare my heart to

receive my Saviour. Amen.

Our Lady of Grace Prayer Book

A Mystical Rose

Good and devout souls, who walk in the light of
the Holy Spirit; I do not think that you will mind my
giving you this little mystical rose tree which comes straight
from Heaven and which is to be planted in the garden of
your soul.  It cannot possibly harm the sweet smelling flowers
of your contemplations; for it is a heavenly tree and its
scent is beautiful.  It will not in the least interfere with your
carefully planned flower beds; for, being itself all pure and
well ordered, it inclines all to order and purity.  If it is carefully
watered and properly attended to every day it will grow
to such a marvelous height and its branches will have such a
wide span that, far from hindering your other devotions it
will maintain and perfect them.

Of course you understand what I mean, since you are spiritually
minded; this mystical rose tree is Jesus and Mary in
life, death and eternity; its green leaves are the Joyous Mysteries
the thorns the Sorrowful ones and the flowers, the
Glorious Mysteries of Jesus and Mary.  The buds are the
childhood of Jesus and Mary, and the open blooms show us
both of them in their sufferings, and the full-blown roses
symbolize Jesus and Mary in their triumph and glory.

A rose delights in the Joyous Mysteries.  Its thorns are sharp,
and prick, which makes us think of them in the Sorrowful
Mysteries, and last of all its perfume  is so sweet that everyone
loves it, and this fragrance symbolizes their Glorious
Mysteries.

So please do not scorn this beautiful and heavenly tree,
but plant it with your own hands in the garden of your soul,
making the resolution to say your Rosary every day.  By
saying it daily and by doing good works you will be tending
your tree, watering it, hoeing the earth around it.  Eventually
you will see that this little seed which I have given
you, and which  seems so very small now, will grow into a
tree so great that the birds of heaven, i.e., predestinate and
contemplative souls, will dwell in it and make their nests
there.  Its shade will shelter them from the scorching heat
of the sun and its great height will keep them safe from the
wild beasts on the ground.  And best of all, they will feed
upon the tree's fruit, which is none other than our
adorable Jesus, to whom be honor and glory forever and
ever. Amen. So be it.
by St. Louis De Montfort, The Secret of the Rosary

To Our Lady of the Rosary

O Virgin Mary, grant that the

recitation of your Rosary may be

for me each day, in the midst of

my manifold duties, a bond of unity

in my actions, a tribute of filial

piety, a sweet refreshment, an

encouragement to walk joyfully

along the path of duty.  Grant,

above all, O Virgin Mary, that the

study of your twenty mysteries

may form in my soul, little by little,

a luminous atmosphere, pure,

strengthening, and fragrant,

which may penetrate my

understanding, my will, my heart,

my memory, my imagination,my

whole being.  So shall I acquire

the habit of praying while I work,

without the aid of formal prayers,

by interior acts of admiration and

of supplication, or by aspirations

of love.  I ask this of you, O Queen

of the holy Rosary,

through St. Dominic, your son

of predilection, the renowned

preacher of your mysteries, and

the faithful imitator of your virtues.

Amen.

Regaining Faith

"In these sad times when faith is dead,

and impiety is triumphant, when we are

surrounded by those who have

perpetual hatred in their hearts and

blasphemy on their lips, the surest

means of remaining immune to the

pestiferous disease that surrounds us, is

to fortify ourselves with Eucharistic

food. This cannot be achieved by those

who, month after month, live without

satiating themselves with the

Immaculate Flesh of the Divine Lamb."

by Padre Pio

Hush My Babe

Hush, my babe; be still and slumber,

Holy angels guard thy bed,

Heavenly blessings without number

Gently resting on thy head.

by Laura Ingalls Wilder

Mary Did You Know

Mary did you know that your baby boy will one day walk on water?

Mary did you know that your baby boy will save our sons and daughters?

Did you know that your baby boy has come to make you new?

This child that you delivered will soon deliver you.

Mary did you know that your baby boy will give sight to a blind man?

Mary did you know that your baby boy will calm a storm with His hand?

Did you know that your baby boy has walked where angels trod?

When you kiss your little baby, you've kissed the face of God.

The blind will see

The deaf will hear

The dead will live again

The lame will leap

The dumb will speak

The praises of the Lamb

Mary did you know that your baby boy is Lord of all creation?

Mary did you know that your baby boy will one day rule the nations?

Did you know that your baby boy is Heaven's perfect lamb?

This sleeping child you're holding is The Great I Am.