A high school Valedictorian arrived at the podium, ripped up his approved speech and did his own thing. He began by talking of his good Christian upbringing and then went on to recite the Lord’s Prayer. With that he received an ovation from the gathered crowd. I did notice that not one of the faculty on the stage had the courage to join in the ovation. If they though he did right, why didn’t they have the same courage he displayed? That is the problem with today’s world, most believes don’t have the courage to take a stand like this young man who went against the secular humanist grain. God bless him for his courage! That is what we mean by the gifts of the Holy Spirt, but we need to correspond to the grace, just as dis the Valedictorian.
Solemnity of the Sacred Heart of Jesus
Today is the Solemnity of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus. Have you made the 1st Friday Devotions? Even if you haven’t, be sure to make the Act of Consecration of the Human Race to The Sacred Heart of Jesus and Act of Reparation to the Sacred Heart.
Our Lord made many promises to St. Margaret Mary Alacoque, to all who practice the 1st Friday Devotions. Jesus requested of St. Margaret Mary that we practice this devotion for nine consecutive months on the 1st Friday of those months.
“In the excess of the mercy of my Heart, I promise you that my all powerful love will grant to all those who will receive Communion on the First Fridays, for nine consecutive months, the grace of final repentance: they will not die in my displeasure, nor without receiving the sacraments; and my Heart will be their secure refuge in that last hour.”
Jesus also gave twelve promises to those who practice this devotion. They are all very awesome promises. I especially like the promises to priests. These promises are so pertinent today. If all Catholics practiced this devotion, from the heart, our world and Church would change radically. I say from the heart, because, it is not enough to go through the motions. All of our prayers have to be from the heart, even when we don’t feel like it. Response to God is not dependent on our feelings and emotions.
- I will give them all of the graces necessary for their state of life.
- I will establish peace in their houses.
- I will comfort them in all their afflictions.
- I will be their strength during life and above all during death.
- I will bestow a large blessing upon all their undertakings.
- Sinners shall find in My Heart the source and the infinite ocean of mercy.
- Tepid souls shall grow fervent.
- Fervent souls shall quickly mount to high perfection.
- I will bless every place where a picture of my heart shall be set up and honored.
- I will give to priests the gift of touching the most hardened hearts.
- Those who shall promote this devotion shall have their names written in My Heart, never to be blotted out.
- I promise you in the excessive mercy of My Heart that My all-powerful love will grant to all those who communicate on the First Friday in nine consecutive months the grace of final penitence; they shall not die in My disgrace nor without receiving their sacraments; My Divine Heart shall be their safe refuge in this last moment.
Act of Consecration of the Human Race to The Sacred Heart of Jesus
Most sweet Jesus, Redeemer of the human race, look down upon us humbly prostrate before Thy altar. We are Thine, and Thine we wish to be; but, to be more surely united with Thee, behold each one of us freely consecrates himself today to Thy Most Sacred Heart. Many indeed have never known Thee; many too, despising Thy precepts, have rejected Thee. Have mercy on them all, most merciful Jesus, and draw them to Thy Sacred Heart. Be Thou King, O Lord, not only of the faithful who have never forsaken Thee, but also of the prodigal children who have abandoned Thee; grant that they may quickly return to their Father’s house lest they die of wretchedness and hunger. Be Thou King of those who are deceived by erroneous opinions, or whom discord keeps aloof; call them back to the harbor of truth and unity of faith, so that soon there may be but one flock and one Shepherd. Be Thou King of all those who are still involved in the darkness of idolatry or of Islamism; refuse not to draw them all into the light and kingdom of God. Turn Thine eyes of mercy toward the children of that race, once Thy chosen people: of old they called down upon themselves the Blood of the Savior; may it now descend upon them a laver of redemption and of life. Grant, O Lord, to Thy Church assurance of freedom and immunity from harm; give peace and order to all nations, and make the earth resound from pole to pole with one cry: Praise to the Divine Heart that wrought our salvation; to It be glory and Honor forever. Amen..
Act of Reparation to the Sacred Heart
Most sweet Jesus, You have bestowed on men the benefits of Your charity, but their ingratitude only responds with forgetfulness, negligence and spite. Thus here we prostrate ourselves before Your altar, inspired by the desire to make reparation through a special homage for their culpable indifference and the outrages which, in all ways, they oppress Your most loving Heart.
Nevertheless, we remember that we ourselves have been guilty of unworthy conduct in the past, and filled with profound sorrow, we implore Your mercy for us first of all. By voluntary expiation, we are ready to atone for the faults we have committed, ready also to expiate for those who, led astray from the way of salvation and remaining obstinate in their infidelity, refuse to follow You, their Shepherd and chief, thus throwing off the yoke of Your law and trampling the promises of their Baptism.
We would like to expiate for too many lamentable faults, making reparation for each of the following: our disorderly conduct, indecent fashions, scandalous corruption of innocent souls, profanation of Sundays and feasts, detestable blasphemies against You and against Your Saints, insults to your Vicar and to Your priests, reckless violations and odious sacrileges to the divine Sacrament of Your love, and finally the public sins of nations who revolt against the rights and authority of Your Church.
If only we could erase so many offenses with our own blood! At the least we wish to make reparation to Your outraged honor. We present to You even the satisfaction that You have offered to Your Father on the Cross, and the offering You have renewed each day on the altar. We present that sacrifice to You, accompanied with all the acts of atonement made by the Most Holy Virgin Your Mother, the Saints, and by faithful Christians. We promise You with all of our hearts, with the help of Your grace, to use all our means to do penance for our past faults and those of our neighbor. By the fervor of our faith, the purity of our life, and by perfect docility to the precepts of the Gospel, we desire to atone for the indifference toward such a great love, to which belongs all charity. We also promise You to make every effort to spare You new offenses and to lead the most souls possible to follow You.
Seven Beautiful Shrines You Will Want To Visit
These are seven beautiful shrines that everyone should visit. The only one I have not gone to is Santiago de Compostela because I didn’t want to make the seven hour bus ride, but if I had to do it over again, I would drive anywhere to visit Compostela. I didn’t list them in any particular order and there are many more I could have added, but there is enough here to keep you captivated for a while.
1. Santo Cristo de Limpias
A shrine to the Christ in Agony, located in northern Spain a stones throw from the Bay of Biscay. This is the site of extraordinary phenomena surrounding the beautiful corpus of Christ in Agony. Between the years 1914 and 1921, the eyes of Christ closed and the mouth and eyes moved. The Limpias crucifix is actually one of the most beautiful I have ever seen. For more information, visit the Spanish website, or the Google translation.
2. The Monastery of Santo Toribio
This is the site of the “largest preserved relic of the True Cross. Santo Toribio is nestled within beautiful mountains of Cantabrian, Spain. The monastery is home to the Order of Friars Minor (O.F.M.). You can see some pictures on the official website, but the site is in Spanish and cannot be translated through Google, because the site is based on Flash. There is however some information on Wikipedia.
3. Nortre-Dame-du-Cap
The shrine of Our Lady of the Cape is another beautiful setting. It is dedicated to Our Lady of the Rosary. The first church was built and the bishop dedicated it as a shrine on May 13, 1714. In the early days, people of the area had a great devotion to Our Lady and were very faithful Catholics. However, through the years, and because of no priest, the people almost completely fell away from the faith. When they did finally receive a priest, his job was to reawaken the faith. Our Lady’s shrine shows the providential care of God for His people. Two miraculous events helped to restore the people’s faith. The first took place in 1967, when the new priest found a pig in the church, with a rosary in it’s mouth, staring at the statue of Our Lady. The second was Our Lady’s response to the prayers of the same priest. It is called the Miracle of the Ice Bridge” in March of 1879. The shrine’s official website has information about making a pilgrimage and the shrine hotel. You can read the whole story of Our Lady of the Cape in Michael’s Journal.
4. Our Lady of Covadonga
In 722, Our Lady brought victory to the Christians who were at battle with the Morrs. Victory is attributed to a statue that a hermit had hidden in one of the caves. Pelayo, and his army hid in the cave and besought the protection of Our Lady. It is said that she appeared with legions of angels, and the Morrs departed in fear. Today, there is a beautiful chapel hidden in the side of the mountain, that contains a miraculous image of Our lady of Covadonga, and above the city lies a basilica dedicated to her honor.
More information on the shrine can be found here. The shrine’s official website has information on making a pilgrimage and other information.
5. Fatima, Portugal
It is in Fatima that Our Lady appeared to three shepherd children for six consecutive months beginning in May of 1917 and concluding with the famous Miracle of the Sun on October 13 of the same year. Her message is one of repentance, penance, praying the rosary, devotion to the Immaculate Hear of Mary and offering sacrifices for sinners. Fatima is the most renowned Marian shrine in the world. It is estimated that 4 – 5 million people visit the shrine each year. The official website of the shrine has a multitude of information. EWTN has a section of their website dedicated exclusively to the apparitions Fatima.
6. Santiago de Compostela
The shrine in the resting place of the relics of St. James the Greater. It has been a major place of pilgrimage dating back to the 9th century. The pilgrims have walked to the shrine, seeking the intercession of the Apostle saint along a route called Camino de Santiago (The Way of St. James). In 2010, The Way, a film directed by Emilio Estevez and staring Martin Sheen, helped to make this great shrine and pilgrimage known to a wider audience. The cathedral is also know for having the largest “Botafumeiro” or censer in the world. You can visit the official website of the Cathedral of St. James (difficult to navigate, too heavily flash based). To find information about the many routes of the Camino, visit this pilgrimage website. There is also a lot of information on Wikipedia.
7. Shrine of Our Lady of the Martyrs
Auriesville, New York is home to the Shrine of the North American Martyrs and the birthplace of St. Kateri Tekakwitha. The shrine was the site of a Mohawk village where three Jesuit missionares were martyred in the 1640’s. Fr. Isaac Jogues, Fr. Rene Goupil and Br. John Lalande. St. Kateri was born right up the street in Fonda, NY in 1656, where the Shrine of Saint Kateri is located. The shrine in Auriesville is made up of 400 acres of rolling hills. In 1931, the shrine built a church in the round, known as the “coliseum”. The coliseum can seat 6,500 people and has additional standing room for another 3,500 people. The shrines official website has a lot of great information and pictures. The Shrine of Saint Kateri is only 4 miles to the west.
Extreme Weather May 2013
A friend of mine sent me a link to these two Youtube videos on strange weather patterns throughout the world during May 2013. It’s pretty interesting. There were a few things that really surprised me, and some just weird. It’s all just freaky!
Video Review: “BELOVED The Dominican Sisters of Saint Cecilia”
Prior to Vatican II, Convents and Religious Houses were overflowing in the United States. Religious Sisters and Nuns were a common part of the life of most lay faithful and even non-Catholics intermingled with them in some way. However, following the Council, Religious Life, especially among women, is almost completely decimated. The huge Convents and Religious Houses have been turned into condominiums and many of them torn down. Most institutes are lucky to have a woman inquire into their life on rare and infrequent basis.
However, there is good news! A small number of these orders and newly founded orders are thriving. One of these such communities is The Dominican Sisters of Saint Cecilia, or the Nashville Dominicans as they are commonly known.
The newly released DVD, “BELOVED The Dominican Sisters of Saint Cecilia” gives an insiders view into the life of the Nashville Dominicans. This order is one of, if not, the fastest growing groups of Women Religious in the United States Today.
The DVD takes a look at the life of the Sisters from their initial visit, thru the profession of Solemn Vows. Along with the many young Sisters, there are beautiful Sisters in the DVD who have been faithful and seasoned Religious for many years.
The Dominican Sisters of Saint Cecilia, founded over 150 years ago, have survived the tragic destruction of so many other beautiful groups of women Religious. The wisdom of the Superiors through turbulent times is a point that comes through loud and clear. This group of Sisters is young, healthy, balanced and on fire with the love for Christ and His Church.
Get an insiders view, and see Religious Life as it should be in every corner of the Church.
Get this DVD from Ignatius.
httpv://youtube.com/watch?v=tTgEHGpjKuI
50th Anniversary of John XXIII’s Death
Today is the 50th Anniversary of the death of Blessed John XXIII. Good Pope John reigned for 4 years and seven months. He was diagnosed with stomach cancer on September 23, 1962 and died on June 3, 1963 – 7:50 pm at the age of 81 years.
Blessed John XXIII, pray for us!
A picture I took of The tomb of Blessed John XXIII in St. Peter’s Basilica in 2005
Health Update #5
I know I promised to give you an update last Saturday, but I really haven’t felt up to it. So here goes.
On Saturday, June 1st, I was released from the hospital. I was more than ready to leave. The staff at Our Lady of Fatima Hospital were awesome. Many faces and names I would love to thank in person.
My doctor sent me home with two prescriptions. An antibiotic to be sure the infection is gone and will not return. The second is to continue treating for the Clostridium difficile or C Diff. This is an ailment caused by the antibiotics. All of us have bacteria within our bodies that is good and necessary for our good health. C. diff is the result of the antibiotics killing off the good bacteria in our lower intestine. The result is constant diarrhea. The healing process is rebuilding the intestinal flora so that the body digests nutrients and the bowel goes back to it normal actions.
My doctor gave me orders not to return to the parish until he gives the go ahead. I believe another week or two and I will be read to go.
Thanks to all of my generous brother priests for filling in my Mass schedule. You can always watch our Masses and Adoration live at iPadre.tv.
Thanks for all the prayers and please keep them coming!
Video Review: “In Her Footsteps The Story of Saint Kateri Tekakwitha”
I have always had a close connection with the Lilly of the Mohawks. As a child, we visited the Shrine of the North American Martyrs in Auriesville, NY on a few occasions. We also visited the Shrine of Kateri a few miles away in Fonda, NY. Both shrines have been part of our families history for a few generations.
I was so happy to be given the opportunity to review the beautiful documentary, “In Her Footsteps The Story of Saint Kateri Tekakwitha” from Ignatius Press. The film is first class. Beautiful cinematography, great witnesses and the figure that plays Kateri is hauntingly realistic. The use of image and sound make the beautiful new Saint come alive.
If you have some kind of relationship with Saint Kateri, this documentary will make her more real and if you don’t know her yet, take this opportunity to become acquainted with a simple, humble woman who lived completely for Christ in the midst of unbelievable difficulty and trial, yet persevered.
Saint Kateri is a woman for our times, an example for all of us to follow in our own state of life!
Here is a direct link to the video on the Ignatius Press website.
httpv://youtube.com/watch?v=mvAhNjBBIaU
RI Choose Life License Plate
Massachusetts Choose Life Plate
It looks the the case for the Rhode Island “Choose Life” license plate is beginning to move along. But, if you want to see it go anywhere, you have to help it out.
Heres how you can help:
- Read the message below
- Sign-up for the RI “Choose Life” License Plate
- Share this post on Facebook, Twitter, your blog and anywhere else you can get the message out. You can also click on the share links below!
The Choose Life special license plate bill 5053 was heard by the House Finance Committee and is now under further study. During the hearing the bill was opposed by the ACLU and Planned Parenthood. They plan on fighting thessage of the Choose Life plate here in Rhode Island.
In order to get ready for the first step when the plate is approved the Choose Life RI has started to work on a data base to keep people aware of the status of the bill and when the orders will begin to get the plate on to cars here in Rhode Island. The email address is richooselife@gmail.comif you are interested in the Choose Life plate please send an email with your name and your email address to be in the data base. The email data base will be used only to keep you updated on the status of Choose Life plates.
Here is the website for Choose Life – http://www.choose-life.org
The Rhode Island Choose Life website – http://www.choose-life.org/other-states.php?state=Rhode%20Island
In order for the Choose Life plate to become a reality here in Rhode Island we will need to have 900 people interested in buying the Choose Life plate before the first plate will be issued. PLEASE forward this email to your contacts.
Thank you in advance for your help and support,
Michael Krzywonos
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Health update #4
It’s been a while since I gave you and update, so let me fill you in.
So, I’m still in the hospital. A few days ago (can’t remember what day is what), I was placed in isolation. I started to get C. Diff. In technical terms, that is Clostridium difficile. What is means is that all of the antibiotics killed off the good stuff in my colon and caused diarrhea and a swelling of the colon. It’s contagious, so everyone who comes in the room has to wear those ugly gowns and blue gloves.
This morning, my personal physician was in and told me that all of the bacteria is pretty much gone and the flora in my colon is rebuilding. I’m doing well! When I get out, I’ll have to take probiotics for a while.
I hope to get home in the next few days, but can’t return to the parish until my doctor gives the order.
Great thing is, my parish Adoration Chapel has been full of people praying for me. I hope they get hooked!