Today I had spent much of the day preparing for advent..
As you prepare your Advent and if you have a wreath, please see the blessing Blessing of an Advent Wreath by the USCCB.
Also, you can find a beautiful reflective calendar for each day for the family, filled with reflections and things to remind you, to prepare the way and make room in the inn, for the King is coming soon.
Are you ready? Will you let Him in?
Today begins a Nine Day Novena and reflection to end Abortion.
Please see here: The American Bishops Are Asking ALL Catholics Do This One Thing
Intercession: For the conversion of all hearts and the end to abortion.
Prayers: Our Father, 3 Hail Marys, Glory Be
Reflection: Today’s Gospel reading (Mk 2:13-17) recounts Jesus dining with tax collectors and sinners. When the Pharisees question Jesus about this, he responds, “Those who are well do not need a physician, but the sick do. I did not come to call the righteous but sinners.” In a society where millions of people have fallen prey to the false promises of the culture of death, let us witness to the mercy of Jesus and invite all who’ve been wounded to experience his abundant love and healing.
Acts of Reparation (choose one):
Go to an abortion clinic and pray, or set aside an hour today to pray for those who are struggling with a decision of life or death for their unborn child.Spend some time reflecting upon today’s Gospel passage.
Use Facebook or another form of social media to post something that builds up the culture of life.
Please click on this LINK for all 9 Days and more for today, including the Novena in Spanish
Please join us and pray for the end of abortion and do something to end it.
A well-preserved silver box, thought to be a Roman Catholic reliquary, rested atop the coffin of a man believed to be Capt. Gabriel Archer. The box was an unexpected find at the site of the 1608 Anglican church, suggesting the colonist retained his Roman Catholic faith, perhaps in secret. (Photo Courtesy of Donald E. Hurlbert/Smithsonian Institution )
I am wondering if the Catholic Church can PLEASE get this Soldier of our Lord back home. First class relics are property of the Catholic Church and must be handled with care and love as they are the bodily remains of a human being. I beg our Bishops to please investigate this.
Via Msgr. Florian Kolfhaus – “I guess, M means martyr. The relics don’t have to be brought to Rome, but they should be venerated..”. via Msgr. Florian Kolfhaus during a twitter conversation I was having with him. Monsignor Florian Kolfhaus serves at the Secretariat of State’s Section for the Relation with States at the Holy See (Vatican).
From NPR
“A well-preserved silver box, thought to be a Roman Catholic reliquary, rested atop the coffin of a man believed to be Capt. Gabriel Archer. The box was an unexpected find at the site of the 1608 Anglican church, suggesting the colonist retained his Roman Catholic faith, perhaps in secret.”
Also:
“Kelso says the capsule is “a lead vessel that would hold holy water, oil or blood; and the bone would be that of a saint. Put together, this is a very holy object.” There’s a letter “M” scratched into the surface of the box that holds the capsule. Kelso smiles: “That stands for ‘mystery,’ ” he says. No one knows what the “M” stands for.”
Also:
“But the object itself is clearly a reliquary — a container for holy relics in the Roman Catholic Church. And that is puzzling. The colonists were Anglicans — members of the Church of England. Many Anglicans at the time considered Roman Catholics their spiritual enemies.”
Please bring this Saint home.
1st Class Relic:
a part of the Saint (bone, hair, etc.) and the instruments of Christ’s passion
Canon Law 1190
§1 It is absolutely wrong to sell sacred relics.
§2 Distinguished relics, and others which are held in great veneration by the people, may not validly be in any way alienated nor transferred on a permanent basis, without the permission of the Apostolic See.
ADDING from the article from NPR: “It’s a 10,” she says. “It’s unique; nothing else like it.” That’s because of what’s inside the silver box, she says: a tiny lead capsule and some bone fragments (seen only via a CT scanner, after researchers decided the box was too fragile to open).
Eternal rest grant unto Gabriel Archer, and the others unknown to us, O Lord and let your perpetual light shine upon them. May they and all the holy souls in purgatory, rest in peace. Amen
The USCCB has a wonderful tool on their website for family’s to enjoy and better understand this Advent Season. HERE
Tonight is the first night of Advent. The first candle is lit and we begin our journey to the newborn King.
Bless your Advent wreath. Sing “O Come Emmanuel” and light the first candle.
Prayer for the First Week of Advent
God of our longing,
be with us during these days of Advent
as we accept Your invitation
to climb Your holy mountain.
May we walk in the light of Your love
and learn your ways
so that each day may draw us closer
to You and another
as we await the coming
of the One Who is
and Who is to come,
Jesus Christ, Your Son,
in Whose name we pray.
Amen
Calling ALL Catholics! Answer The Call! Bishops Call for Nine Days of Prayer, Penance and Pilgrimage for Life
From the USCCB –
On January 22nd and January 25th our nation will remember the 40th anniversary of Roe v. Wade.
Since that tragic decision, more than 55 million children’s lives have been lost to abortion, and the lives of millions of their parents have been shattered.
As part of the bishops’ recent call to prayer, “Nine Days of Prayer, Penance and Pilgrimage” will take place January 19-27, 2013.
This time period, focusing on the theme of pilgrimage, includes:
■ Blessings of pro-life pilgrims (en español)
(See page 10, 2012 Respect Life Program Liturgy Guide)
■Novena – Sign up for daily emails below, or text “9days” to 99000 to receive it through daily text messages!
■Youth and young adult activities (“Pro-Life Profiles” and a high school age video contest)
■Closing Eucharistic Holy Hour
Please go to the link HERE to the USCCB Page and Sign Up to receive daily email messages during the novena!
St Joseph Cathedral, yesterday at the close of the Tour of the Seven Church walk. You can see, it was a successful day! The above photo is all the participants in the walk from Our Lady of the Rosary to St Joseph in Eucharist Procession which ended with Benediction.
Yesterdays Tour to the Seven Churches, Fortnight For Freedom prayer walk in opposition to the HHS Mandate was put together by the Brothers of the Little Oratory and myself in very little time, proving to be one great blessing for our Lord. I never expected this many souls to participate. Than you Lord Jesus Christ and Mama Mary. It was a miraculous day! We began at St. Patrick Catholic Church in San Diego at 7:30 AM for Mass. Our walkers were blessed and off we went.
We covered 10.75 miles of San Diego. Walking through neighborhoods with many diverse groups of people.
Setting off from St. Patrick’s in the North Park area of San Diego and headed to St. Didacus Catholic Church on the other side of North Park.
A few blocks from St. Didacus, even the fire trucks were bowing to our Holy Mother.
From St. Didacus, after a beautiful welcome and break in the parish hall, we set out for St. John the Evangelist Catholic Church.
Finally reaching St. John the Evangelist
I have to say, there was one amazing woman on this walk. She walked the entire distance and is eight months pregnant. She finished the entire walk without any complications, I am happy to say. May God bless that family and protect all the unborn.
From St. John the Evangelist Catholic Church we were off to St. Vincent De Paul on the other side of the Mission Hills area of San Diego.
Arriving at St Vincent De Paul! Only three churches left in the penance walk!
Off again! This time to Immaculate Conception in Old Town. Something I do have to share. Rather then walking the entire distance, We needed someone to carry water, people and supply’s who ran into trouble on the walk and that person was me. I ended up driving the entire route but keeping watch like a guardian angel. Being a runner with water and serving these fantastic souls. What was special, is not having ANY problem finding a parking place at any stop! Divine Providence is miraculous thing! Thank you Lord!
Walking to Old Town through Mission Hills.
Arriving in Old Town, just in back of Immaculate Conception.
In EVERY church we came to, we were able to stop in most of them and pray in front of the Tabernacle and were greeted by many Catholic Priests at every stop.
At Immaculate Conception, the statue of St. Juan Diego and Our Lady of Guadalupe. Pray for us!
After leaving Immaculate Conception we headed down San Diego Street to El Campo Santo Cemetery.
Eternal rest grant unto them O Lord and let your perpetual light shine upon them. May they and all the holy souls in purgatory rest in peace. Amen
After the prayers at El Campo Santo Cemetery, prayer all the way to Our Lady of the Rosary in Little Italy.
When we arrived at Our Lady of The Rosary in Little Italy, we were met with more participants. I had never been inside of the church and found it just BEAUTIFUL!
Viva Cristo Rey!
For the most part of the walk, we had about 20 to 30 active souls for the entire journey. When we arrived at OLR, close to 200 souls were added.
Were had a few moments to catch our breath, rest and take it easy. The Brothers of the Little Oratory were able to put on their red robes and get ready for the last leg of the walk. We prayed inside before leaving.
As we left, I was in awe. The length of the procession and the amount of souls participating could have stretched the five blocks to St Joseph Cathedral.
Arriving at St Joseph for Benediction
And a big Thank You to all! May God bless us and have mercy on us all! May our Leaders hearts be converted back to the understanding that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. May this nation end the practice of abortion immediately and understand that all life is the most precious gift from God. May this nation wake up and run back home to her first Love, being our Lord Jesus Christ. I ask this through the Immaculate Heart of Mary, to the Sacred Heart of my Lord, Jesus Christ. Amen.
Thank you Lord! Thank you Abba Father! Thank you Most Holy Spirit! Thank you Mama Mary!
This is not the end…but only the beginning.
Our Lady of Guadalupe, Mother of the Americas, pray for us. Sacred Heart of Jesus, have mercy on us all.
Issued Prayer for the Protection of Liberty from the US Catholic Bishops responding to HHS Mandate
O God our Creator, from your provident hand we have received our right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.
You have called us as your people and given us the right and the duty to worship you, the only true God, and your Son, Jesus Christ.
Through the power and working of your Holy Spirit, you call us to live out our faith in the midst of the world, bringing the light and the saving truth of the Gospel to every corner of society.
We ask you to bless us in our vigilance for the gift of religious liberty. Give us the strength of mind and heart to readily defend our freedoms when they are threatened; give us courage in making our voices heard on behalf of the rights of your Church and the freedom of conscience of all people of faith.
Grant, we pray, O heavenly Father, a clear and united voice to all your sons and daughters gathered in your Church in this decisive hour in the history of our nation, so that, with every trial withstood and every danger overcome—for the sake of our children, our grandchildren, and all who come after us—this great land will always be “one nation, under God,indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.”
We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.
If you are in the San Diego area, or are planning on visiting San Diego June 30th and July 1, please join us for “Tour To The Seven Churches”.
From The Brothers of the Little Oratory in San Diego
This year the Brothers of the Little Oratory will be holding the “Tour to the Seven Churches,” timed to coincide with the USCCB’s (United States Conference of Catholic Bishops) “Fortnight for Freedom,” a period dedicated to manifestations of Catholic presence in the public square. The Pilgrimage will open with Holy Mass on Saturday, 30 June at 7:00pm in St. Augustine’s Monastery Chapel, South Park. Fr. Harry Neely, O.S.A. will sing the mass. Confessions will be heard, the Pilgrimage songs will be sung, and a spiritual conference will be offered. Meeting once again on Sunday morning, we will depart St. Augustine’s Monastery at 7:30am on foot, visiting St. Patrick’s, St. John the Evangelist, St. Vincent de Paul, Immaculate Conception, Our Lady of the Rosary, and finishing at St. Joseph’s Cathedral. This year, the “Tour” has been granted a Solemn Entrance to St. Joseph’s Cathedral, and the opportunity to conclude with Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament. This year’s event is replete with significance, spiritual and secular, and we hope you can join us for the “Tour to the Seven Churches.”
From: Our First, Most Cherished Liberty
Here is the link for Fortnight For Freedom Diocesan Activities
United States Conference of Catholic Bishops
Ad Hoc Committee for Religious Liberty
We are Catholics. We are Americans. We are proud to be both, grateful for the gift of faith which is ours as Christian disciples, and grateful for the gift of liberty which is ours as American citizens. To be Catholic and American should mean not having to choose one over the other. Our allegiances are distinct, but they need not be contradictory, and should instead be complementary. That is the teaching of our Catholic faith, which obliges us to work together with fellow citizens for the common good of all who live in this land. That is the vision of our founding and our Constitution, which guarantees citizens of all religious faiths the right to contribute to our common life together.
Freedom is not only for Americans, but we think of it as something of our special inheritance, fought for at a great price, and a heritage to be guarded now. We are stewards of this gift, not only for ourselves but for all nations and peoples who yearn to be free. Catholics in America have discharged this duty of guarding freedom admirably for many generations.
CONTINUED at the USCCB Site for the FULL article. CLICK HERE! It is a must read for every Christian!
Peg Pondering Again 