Today's prayer

O God, from whom all holy desires, all good counsels, and all just works do proceed: Give unto thy servants that peace which the world cannot give; that both our hearts may be set to obey thy commandments, and also that by thee we being defended from the fear of our enemies may pass our time in rest and quietness; through the merits of Jesus Christ our Saviour. Amen. 

The woman at the Well

It's amazing to see how God works in our lives. A woman, a, sinner, is going about her day without a thought and God comes to her and asks for life, water.

As I go about my day how offer does God come to me asking for something from me?

Mark's final words

Mark 16:1–8 (D-R): And when the sabbath was past, Mary Magdalen and Mary the mother of James and Salome bought sweet spices, that coming, they might anoint Jesus. 

And very early in the morning, the first day of the week, they come to the sepulchre, the sun being now risen. 

And they said one to another: Who shall roll us back the stone from the door of the sepulchre? 

And looking, they saw the stone rolled back. For it was very great. 

And entering into the sepulchre, they saw a young man sitting on the right side, clothed with a white robe: and they were astonished. 

Who saith to them: Be not affrighted. you seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He is risen: he is not here. Behold the place where they laid him. 

But go, tell his disciples and Peter that he goeth before you into Galilee. There you shall see him, as he told you. 

But they going out, fled from the sepulchre: for a trembling and fear had seized them. And they said nothing to any man: for they were afraid. 

The Gospel of Mark has a dramatic ending. Mark tells us of the empty tomb and the angel announcing the Good News but Jesus isn't there. Here calls us to come out from hiding to find him but even the women at the tomb tremble and hide. 

THE CHAPLET OF THE SEVEN DOLORS OF OUR LADY

Years ago I was having a very hard time praying anything. Somewhere I found a prayer card of St. Bridget's Chaplet with the seven dolors of Mary. The card only asked for one Hail Mary for each dolor and I found that, with difficulty, I could do this each day. I have also found that the promised graces did flow into my life. Little did I know that the Friday before good friday was dedicated in the Church to the seven dolors of Mary. So today I will do my bit and share this.

THE PROPHECY OF SIMEON.
(St. Luke II, 34, 35)

THE FLIGHT INTO EGYPT.
(St. Matthew II, 13-14)

THE LOSS OF THE CHILD JESUS IN THE TEMPLE.
(St. Luke II, 43-45)

THE MEETING OF JESUS AND MARY ON THE WAY OF THE CROSS.

THE CRUCIFIXION.

THE TAKING DOWN OF THE BODY OF JESUS FROM THE CROSS.

THE BURIAL OF JESUS.
(John 19: 38-42)

According to St. Bridget of Sweden (1303-1373), seven promises were made to those who medidate on Our Lady's Tears and Dolors. The Blessed Virgin grants seven graces to the souls who honour her daily by saying seven Hail Marys while meditating on her tears and dolors. These are:

1. "I will grant peace to their families."

2. "They will be enlightened about the Divine Mysteries."

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

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

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

6. "I will visibly help them at the moment of their death - they will see the face of their mother."

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

INDULGENCES
Benedict XIII., September 26th, 1724, granted an indulgence of two hundred days for every Our Father and every Hail Mary to those who, with sincere contrition, and having confessed, or firmly purposing to confess their sins, shall recite this Chaplet on any Friday, or on any day of Lent, on the Festival of the Seven Dolors, or within the Octave; and one hundred days on any other day of the year.

Clement XII., December 12, 1734, confirmed these indulgences, and moreover granted:

1. A Plenary indulgence to those who shall have recited this Chaplet for a month every day - Confession, Communion and Prayers for the Church, required as usual.

2. An indulgence of one hundred years to all who should recite it on any day, having confessed their sins, with sincere sorrow, or at least firmly purposing to do so.

3. One hundred and fifty years to those who should recite it on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, and Holidays of obligation, with Confession and Communion.

4. A Plenary indulgence once a year, on any day, to those who are accustomed to recite it four times a week, on condition of Confession, Communion, and the Recital of the Chaplet on the day of Communion.

5. Two hundred years' indulgence to all who recite it devoutly after Confession; and to all who carry it about them, and frequently recite it, ten years' indulgence every time they shall hear Mass, hear a sermon, or reciting Our Father, and seven Hail Mary's, shall perform any spiritual or corporal work of mercy, in honor of our Blessed Saviour, the Blessed Virgin Mary, or any Saint, their advocate.

All these indulgences were confirmed by a decree of January 17th, 1747, and rendered applicable to the souls in Purgatory.

We are not animals

A reporter  interviewing a Chinese lawyer on the NPR show" The state we're in" proposed that , for china,  the current economic boom and the goods that it brings is more important than individual rights. The lawyer answered simply, " We are not animals. We need more than food and housing" . A concise answer to those who would lead is into a nanny state.

This is My Body

On the night before He died Christ took bread into His hands, blessed and broke it, and gave it to is disciples saying: "This is my Body".
The Blessed Sacrament is Christ, the whole Christ. He was giving us Himself.
In so many other things He laid the stress on the invisible, the immaterial; His kingdom, He said is not of this earth: His peace is not of this world.
Yet, in giving Himself to the world, He deliberately chose to emphasize the body.
Why?
The body is, for us, the means by which we can give ourselves wholly.
We say: "Go, my thoughts are with you," or "My soul goes with you." And we know that, though something of ourself is with the traveller, essentially we remain separate from him.
We can give someone devoted care, unfailing kindness, and all our worldly possessions, but still we have kept ourselves.
But when we give our body willingly to another as the means of deliberate self-donation, then our union with the other is complete.
We surrender out intimacy, the secret of ourselves, with the giving of our body; and we cannot give it with-out our will, our thoughts, our minds, and our souls.

Christ surrendered the secret of Himself to each one of us when He gave us His Body. In Holy Communion this surrender of the secret of Himself goes on.

 Caryll Houselander