Meditation and Contemplative Prayer

Novena to St. Joseph. Day Nine.

2011-01-08T07:49:00.002-05:00

Ninth Day
PATRON OF A HAPPY DEATH

Saint Joseph, how fitting it was that at the hour of your death Jesus should stand at your bedside with Mary, the sweetness and hope of all mankind. You gave your entire life to the service of Jesus and Mary; at death you enjoyed the consolation of dying in Their loving arms. You accepted death in the spirit of loving submission to the Will of God, and this acceptance crowned your hidden life of virtue. Yours was a merciful judgment, for your foster-Son, for whom you had cared so lovingly, was your Judge, and Mary was your advocate. The verdict of the Judge was a word of encouragement to wait for His coming to Limbo, where He would shower you with the choicest fruits of the Redemption, and an embrace of grateful affection before you breathed forth your soul into eternity.

You looked into eternity and to your everlasting reward with confidence. If our Savior blessed the shepherds, the Magi, Simeon, John the Baptist, and others, because they greeted His presence with devoted hearts for a brief passing hour, how much more did He bless you who have sanctified yourself for so many years in His company and that of His Mother? If Jesus regards every corporal and spiritual work of mercy, performed in behalf of our fellow men out of love for Him, as done to Himself, and promises heaven as a reward, what must have been the extent of His gratitude to you who in the truest sense of the word have received Him, given Him shelter, clothed, nourished, and consoled Him at the sacrifice of your strength and rest, and even your life, with a love which surpassed the love of all fathers.

God really and personally made Himself your debtor. Our Divine Savior paid that debt of gratitude by granting you many graces in your lifetime, especially the grace of growing in love, which is the best and most perfect of all gifts. Thus at the end of your life your heart became filled with love, the fervor and longing of which your frail body could not resist. Your soul followed the triumphant impulse of your love and winged its flight from earth to bear the prophets and patriarchs in Limbo the glad tidings of the advent of the Redeemer.

Saint Joseph, I thank God for your privilege of being able to die in the arms of Jesus and Mary. As a token of your own gratitude to God, obtain for me the grace of a happy death. Help me to spend each day in preparation for death. May I, too, accept death in the spirit of resignation to God's Holy Will, and die, as you did, in the arms of Jesus, strengthened by Holy Viaticum, and in the arms of Mary, with her rosary in my hand and her name on my lips!

NOVENA PRAYER
(prayer to be said at the end of each day's devotion)

Saint Joseph, I, your unworthy child, greet you. You are the faithful protector and intercessor of all who love and venerate you. You know that I have special confidence in you and that, after Jesus and Mary, I place all my hope of salvation in you, for you are especially powerful with God and will never abandon your faithful servants. Therefore I humbly invoke you and commend myself, with all who are dear to me and all that belong to me, to your intercession. I beg of you, by your love for Jesus and Mary, not to abandon me during life and to assist me at the hour of my death.

Glorious Saint Joseph, spouse of the Immaculate Virgin, obtain for me a pure, humble, charitable mind, and perfect resignation to the divine Will. Be my guide, my father, and my model through life that I may merit to die as you did in the arms of Jesus and Mary.

Loving Saint Joseph, faithful follower of Jesus Christ, I raise my heart to you to implore your powerful intercession in obtaining from the Divine Heart of Jesus all the graces necessary for my spiritual and temporal welfare, particularly the grace of a happy death, and the special grace I now implore:

(Mention your request).

Guardian of the Word Incarnate, I feel confident that your prayers in my behalf will be graciously heard before the throne of God. Amen.

MEMORARE

Remember, most pure spouse of Mary, ever Virgin, my loving protector, Saint Joseph, that no one ever had recourse to your protection or asked for your aid without obtaining relief. Confiding, therefore, in your goodness, I come before you and humbly implore you. Despise not my petitions, foster-father of the Redeemer, but graciously receive them. Amen.

Novena to St. Joseph. Day Eight.

2011-01-07T06:14:00.003-05:00

Eighth Day
FRIEND IN SUFFERING

Saint Joseph, your share of suffering was very great because of your close union with the Divine Savior. All the mysteries of His life were more or less mysteries of suffering. Poverty pressed upon you, and the cross of labor followed you everywhere. Nor were you spared domestic crosses, owing to misunderstandings in regard to the holiest and most cherished of all beings, Jesus and Mary, who were all to you. Keen must have been the suffering caused by the uncertainty regarding Mary's virginity; by the bestowal of the name of Jesus, which pointed to future misfortune. Deeply painful must have been the prophecy of Simeon, the flight into Egypt, the disappearance of Jesus at the Paschal feast. To these sufferings were surely added interior sorrow at the sight of the sins of your own people.

You bore all this suffering in a truly Christ-like manner, and in this you are our example. No sound of complaint or impatience escaped you -- you were, indeed, the silent saint! You submitted to all in the spirit of faith, humility, confidence, and love. You cheerfully bore all in union with and for the Savior and His Mother, knowing well that true love is a crucified love. But God never forsook you in your trials. The trials, too, disappeared and were changed at last into consolation and joy.

It seems that God had purposely intended your life to be filled with suffering as well as consolation to keep before my eyes the truth that my life on earth is but a succession of joys and sorrows, and that I must gratefully accept whatever God sends me, and during the time of consolation prepare for suffering. Teach me to bear my cross in the spirit of faith, of confidence, and of gratitude toward God. In a happy eternity, I shall thank God fervently for the sufferings which He deigned to send me during my pilgrimage on earth, and which after your example I endured with patience and heartfelt love for Jesus and Mary.

You were truly the martyr of the hidden life. This was God's Will, for the holier a person is, the more he is tried for the love and glory of God. If suffering is the flowering of God's grace in a soul and the triumph of the soul's love for God, being the greatest of saints after Mary, you suffered more than any of the martyrs.

Because you have experienced the sufferings of this valley of tears, you are most kind and sympathetic toward those in need. Down through the ages souls have turned to you in distress and have always found you a faithful friend in suffering. You have graciously heard their prayers in their needs even though it demanded a miracle. Having been so intimately united with Jesus and Mary in life, your intercession with Them is most powerful.

Saint Joseph, I thank God for your privilege of being able to suffer for Jesus and Mary. As a token of your own gratitude to God, obtain for me the grace to bear my suffering patiently for love of Jesus and Mary. Grant that I may unite the sufferings, works and disappointments of life with the sacrifice of Jesus in the Mass, and share like you in Mary's spirit of sacrifice.

NOVENA PRAYER
(prayer to be said at the end of each day's devotion)

Saint Joseph, I, your unworthy child, greet you. You are the faithful protector and intercessor of all who love and venerate you. You know that I have special confidence in you and that, after Jesus and Mary, I place all my hope of salvation in you, for you are especially powerful with God and will never abandon your faithful servants. Therefore I humbly invoke you and commend myself, with all who are dear to me and all that belong to me, to your intercession. I beg of you, by your love for Jesus and Mary, not to abandon me during life and to assist me at the hour of my death.

Glorious Saint Joseph, spouse of the Immaculate Virgin, obtain for me a pure, humble, charitable mind, and perfect resignation to the divine Will. Be my guide, my father, and my model through life that I may merit to die as you did in the arms of Jesus and Mary.

Loving Saint Joseph, faithful follower of Jesus Christ, I raise my heart to you to implore your powerful intercession in obtaining from the Divine Heart of Jesus all the graces necessary for my spiritual and temporal welfare, particularly the grace of a happy death, and the special grace I now implore:

(Mention your request).

Guardian of the Word Incarnate, I feel confident that your prayers in my behalf will be graciously heard before the throne of God. Amen.

MEMORARE

Remember, most pure spouse of Mary, ever Virgin, my loving protector, Saint Joseph, that no one ever had recourse to your protection or asked for your aid without obtaining relief. Confiding, therefore, in your goodness, I come before you and humbly implore you. Despise not my petitions, foster-father of the Redeemer, but graciously receive them. Amen.

Novena to St. Joseph. Day Seven.

2011-01-06T08:09:00.003-05:00

Seventh Day
PATRON OF WORKERS

Saint Joseph, you devoted your time at Nazareth to the work of a carpenter. It was the Will of God that you and your foster-Son should spend your days together in manual labor. What a beautiful example you set for the working classes!

It was especially for the poor, who compose the greater part of mankind, that Jesus came upon earth, for in the synagogue of Nazareth, He read the words of Isaiah and referred them to Himself: "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because He has anointed Me to bring good news to the poor..." (Luke 4:18). It was God's Will that you should be occupied with work common to poor people, that in this way Jesus Himself might ennoble it by inheriting it from you, His foster-father, and by freely embracing it. Thus our Lord teaches us that for the humbler class of workmen, He has in store His richest graces, provided they live content in the place God's Providence has assigned them, and remain poor in spirit for He said, "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven" (Matt. 5:3).

The kind of work to which you devoted your time in the workshop of Nazareth offered you many occasions of practicing humility. You were privileged to see each day the example of humility which Jesus practiced -- a virtue most pleasing to Him. He chose for His earthly surroundings not the courts of princes nor the halls of the learned, but a little workshop of Nazareth. Here you shared for many years the humble and hidden toiling of the God-Man. What a touching example for the worker of today!

While your hands were occupied with manual work, your mind was turned to God in prayer. From the Divine Master, who worked along with you, you learned to work in the presence of God in the spirit of prayer, for as He worked He adored His Father and recommended the welfare of the world to Him, Jesus also instructed you in the wonderful truths of grace and virtue, for you were in close contact with Him who said of Himself, "I am the Way and the Truth and the Life."

As you were working at your trade, you were reminded of the greatness and majesty of God, who, as a most wise Architect, formed this vast universe with wonderful skill and limitless power.

The light of divine faith that filled your mind, did not grow dim when you saw Jesus working as a carpenter. You firmly believed that the saintly Youth working beside you was truly God's own Son.

Saint Joseph, I thank God for your privilege of being able to work side by side with Jesus in the carpenter shop of Nazareth. As a token of your own gratitude to God, obtain for me the grace to respect the dignity of labor and ever to be content with the position in life, however lowly, in which it may please Divine Providence to place me. Teach me to work for God and with God in the spirit of humility and prayer, as you did, so that I may offer my toil in union with the sacrifice of Jesus in the Mass as a reparation for my sins, and gain rich merit for heaven.

NOVENA PRAYER
(prayer to be said at the end of each day's devotion)

Saint Joseph, I, your unworthy child, greet you. You are the faithful protector and intercessor of all who love and venerate you. You know that I have special confidence in you and that, after Jesus and Mary, I place all my hope of salvation in you, for you are especially powerful with God and will never abandon your faithful servants. Therefore I humbly invoke you and commend myself, with all who are dear to me and all that belong to me, to your intercession. I beg of you, by your love for Jesus and Mary, not to abandon me during life and to assist me at the hour of my death.

Glorious Saint Joseph, spouse of the Immaculate Virgin, obtain for me a pure, humble, charitable mind, and perfect resignation to the divine Will. Be my guide, my father, and my model through life that I may merit to die as you did in the arms of Jesus and Mary.

Loving Saint Joseph, faithful follower of Jesus Christ, I raise my heart to you to implore your powerful intercession in obtaining from the Divine Heart of Jesus all the graces necessary for my spiritual and temporal welfare, particularly the grace of a happy death, and the special grace I now implore:

(Mention your request).

Guardian of the Word Incarnate, I feel confident that your prayers in my behalf will be graciously heard before the throne of God. Amen.

MEMORARE

Remember, most pure spouse of Mary, ever Virgin, my loving protector, Saint Joseph, that no one ever had recourse to your protection or asked for your aid without obtaining relief. Confiding, therefore, in your goodness, I come before you and humbly implore you. Despise not my petitions, foster-father of the Redeemer, but graciously receive them. Amen.

Novena to St. Joseph. Day Six.

2011-01-05T07:26:00.002-05:00

Sixth Day
PATRON OF FAMILIES

Saint Joseph, I venerate you as the gentle head of the Holy Family. The Holy Family was the scene of your life's work in its origin, in its guidance, in its protection, in your labor for Jesus and Mary, and even in your death in their arms. You lived, moved, and acted in the loving company of Jesus and Mary. The inspired writer describes your life at Nazareth in only a few words: "And (Jesus) went down with them and came to Nazareth, and was subject to them" (Luke, 2:51). Yet these words tell of your high vocation here on earth, and the abundance of graces which filled your soul during those years spent in Nazareth.

Your family life at Nazareth was all radiant with the light of divine charity. There was an intimate union of heart and mind among the members of your Holy Family. There could not have been a closer bond than that uniting you to Jesus, your foster-Son and to Mary, your most loving wife. Jesus chose to fulfill toward you, His foster-father, all the duties of a faithful son, showing you every mark of honor and affection due to a parent. And Mary showed you all the signs of respect and love of a devoted wife. You responded to this love and veneration from Jesus and Mary with feelings of deepest love and respect. You had for Jesus a true fatherly love, enkindled and kept aglow in your heart by the Holy Spirit. And you could not cease to admire the workings of grace in Mary's soul, and this admiration caused the holy love which you had consecrated to her on the day of your wedding grow stronger every day.

God has made you a heavenly patron of family life because you sanctified yourself as head of the Holy Family and thus by your beautiful example sanctified family life. How peacefully and happily the Holy Family rested under the care of your fatherly rule, even in the midst of trials. You were the protector, counselor, and consolation of the Holy Family in every need. And just as you were the model of piety, so you gave us by your zeal, your earnestness and devout trust in God's providence, and especially by your love, the example of labor according to the Will of God. You cherished all the experiences common to family life and the sacred memories of the life, sufferings, and joys in the company of Jesus and Mary. Therefore the family is dear to you as the work of God, and it is of the highest importance in your eyes to promote the honor of God and the well-being of man. In your loving fatherliness and unfailing intercession you are the patron and intercessor of families, and you deserve a place in every home.

Saint Joseph, I thank God for your privilege of living in the Holy Family and being its head. As a token of your own gratitude to God, obtain God's blessing upon my own family. Make our home the kingdom of Jesus and Mary -- a kingdom of peace, of joy, and love.

I also pray for all Christian families. Your help is needed in our day when God's enemy has directed his attack against the family in order to desecrate and destroy it. In the face of these evils, as patron of families, be pleased to help; and as of old, you arose to save the Child and His Mother, so today arise to protect the sanctity of the home. Make our homes sanctuaries of prayer, of love, of patient sacrifice, and of work. May they be modeled after your own at Nazareth. Remain with us with Jesus and Mary, so that by your help we may obey the commandments of God and of the Church; receive the holy sacraments of God and of the Church; live a life of prayer; and foster religious instruction in our homes. Grant that we may be reunited in God's Kingdom and eternally live in the company of the Holy Family in heaven.

NOVENA PRAYER
(prayer to be said at the end of each day's devotion)

Saint Joseph, I, your unworthy child, greet you. You are the faithful protector and intercessor of all who love and venerate you. You know that I have special confidence in you and that, after Jesus and Mary, I place all my hope of salvation in you, for you are especially powerful with God and will never abandon your faithful servants. Therefore I humbly invoke you and commend myself, with all who are dear to me and all that belong to me, to your intercession. I beg of you, by your love for Jesus and Mary, not to abandon me during life and to assist me at the hour of my death.

Glorious Saint Joseph, spouse of the Immaculate Virgin, obtain for me a pure, humble, charitable mind, and perfect resignation to the divine Will. Be my guide, my father, and my model through life that I may merit to die as you did in the arms of Jesus and Mary.

Loving Saint Joseph, faithful follower of Jesus Christ, I raise my heart to you to implore your powerful intercession in obtaining from the Divine Heart of Jesus all the graces necessary for my spiritual and temporal welfare, particularly the grace of a happy death, and the special grace I now implore:

(Mention your request).

Guardian of the Word Incarnate, I feel confident that your prayers in my behalf will be graciously heard before the throne of God. Amen.

MEMORARE

Remember, most pure spouse of Mary, ever Virgin, my loving protector, Saint Joseph, that no one ever had recourse to your protection or asked for your aid without obtaining relief. Confiding, therefore, in your goodness, I come before you and humbly implore you. Despise not my petitions, foster-father of the Redeemer, but graciously receive them. Amen.

Novena to St. Joseph. Day Five.

2011-01-04T07:48:00.002-05:00

Fifth Day
PATRON OF THE CHURCH

Saint Joseph, God has appointed you patron of the Catholic Church because you were the head of the Holy Family, the starting-point of the Church. You were the father, protector, guide and support of the Holy Family. For that reason you belong in a particular way to the Church, which was the purpose of the Holy Family's existence.

I believe that the Church is the family of God on earth. Its government is represented in priestly authority which consists above all in its power over the true Body of Christ, really present in the Blessed Sacrament of the Altar, thus continuing Christ's life in the Church. From this power, too, comes authority over the Mystical Body of Christ, the members of the Church -- the power to teach and govern souls, to reconcile them with God, to bless them, and to pray for them.

You have a special relationship to the priesthood because you possessed a wonderful power over our Savior Himself. Your life and office were of a priestly function and are especially connected with the Blessed Sacrament. To some extent you were the means of bringing the Redeemer to us -- as it is the priest's function to bring Him to us in the Mass -- for you reared Jesus, supported, nourished, protected and sheltered Him. You were prefigured by the patriarch Joseph, who kept supplies of wheat for his people. But how much greater than he were you! Joseph of old gave the Egyptians mere bread for their bodies. You nourished, and with the most tender care, preserved for the Church Him who is the Bread of Heaven and who gives eternal life in Holy Communion.

God has appointed you patron of the Church because the glorious title of patriarch also falls by special right to you. The patriarchs were the heads of families of the Chosen People, and theirs was the honor to prepare for the Savior's incarnation. You belonged to this line of patriarchs, for you were one of the last descendants of the family of David and one of the nearest forebears of Christ according to the flesh. As husband of Mary, the Mother of God, and as the foster-father of the Savior, you were directly connected with Christ. Your vocation was especially concerned with the Person of Jesus; your entire activity centered about Him. You are, therefore, the closing of the Old Testament and the beginning of the New, which took its rise with the Holy Family of Nazareth. Because the New Testament surpasses the Old in every respect, you are the patriarch of patriarchs, the most venerable, exalted, and amiable of all the patriarchs.

Through Mary, the Church received Christ, and therefore the Church is indebted to her. But the Church owes her debt of gratitude and veneration to you also, for you were the chosen one who enabled Christ to enter into the world according to the laws of order and fitness. It was by you that the patriarchs and the prophets and the faithful reaped the fruit of God's promise. Alone among them all, you saw with your own eyes and possessed the Redeemer promised to the rest of men.

Saint Joseph, I thank God for your privilege of being the Patron of the Church. As a token of your own gratitude to God, obtain for me the grace to live always as a worthy member of this Church, so that through it I may save my soul. Bless the priests, the religious, and the laity of the Catholic Church, that they may ever grow in God's love and faithfulness in His service. Protect the Church from the evils of our day and from the persecution of her enemies. Through your powerful intercession may the church successfully accomplish its mission in this world -- the glory of God and the salvation of souls!

NOVENA PRAYER
(prayer to be said at the end of each day's devotion)

Saint Joseph, I, your unworthy child, greet you. You are the faithful protector and intercessor of all who love and venerate you. You know that I have special confidence in you and that, after Jesus and Mary, I place all my hope of salvation in you, for you are especially powerful with God and will never abandon your faithful servants. Therefore I humbly invoke you and commend myself, with all who are dear to me and all that belong to me, to your intercession. I beg of you, by your love for Jesus and Mary, not to abandon me during life and to assist me at the hour of my death.

Glorious Saint Joseph, spouse of the Immaculate Virgin, obtain for me a pure, humble, charitable mind, and perfect resignation to the divine Will. Be my guide, my father, and my model through life that I may merit to die as you did in the arms of Jesus and Mary.

Loving Saint Joseph, faithful follower of Jesus Christ, I raise my heart to you to implore your powerful intercession in obtaining from the Divine Heart of Jesus all the graces necessary for my spiritual and temporal welfare, particularly the grace of a happy death, and the special grace I now implore:

(Mention your request).

Guardian of the Word Incarnate, I feel confident that your prayers in my behalf will be graciously heard before the throne of God. Amen.

MEMORARE

Remember, most pure spouse of Mary, ever Virgin, my loving protector, Saint Joseph, that no one ever had recourse to your protection or asked for your aid without obtaining relief. Confiding, therefore, in your goodness, I come before you and humbly implore you. Despise not my petitions, foster-father of the Redeemer, but graciously receive them. Amen.

Novena to St. Joseph. Day Four.

2011-01-03T07:53:00.003-05:00

Fourth Day
FAITHFUL SERVANT

Saint Joseph, you lived for one purpose -- to be the personal servant of Jesus Christ, the Word made flesh. Your noble birth and ancestry, the graces and gifts, so generously poured out on you by God -- all this was yours to serve our Lord better. Every thought, word, and action of yours was a homage to the love and glory of the Incarnate Word. You fulfilled most faithfully the role of a good and faithful servant who cared for the House of God.

How perfect was your obedience! Your position in the Holy Family obliged you to command, but besides being the foster-father of Jesus, you were also His disciple. For almost thirty years, you watched the God-Man display a simple and prompt obedience, and you grew to love and practice it very perfectly yourself. Without exception you submitted to God, to the civil rulers, and to the voice of your conscience.

When God sent an angel to tell you to care for Mary, you obeyed in spite of the mystery which surrounded her motherhood. When you were told to flee into Egypt under painful conditions, you obeyed without the slightest word of complaint. When God advised you in a dream to return to Nazareth, you obeyed. In every situation your obedience was as simple as your faith, as humble as your heart, as prompt as your love. It neglected nothing; it took in every command.

You had the virtue of perfect devotedness, which marks a good servant. Every moment of your life was consecrated to the service of our Lord: sleep, rest, work, pain. Faithful to your duties, you sacrificed everything unselfishly, even cheerfully. You would have sacrificed even the happiness of being with Mary. The rest and quiet of Nazareth was sacrificed at the call of duty. Your entire life was one generous giving, even to the point of being ready to die in proof of your love for Jesus and Mary. With true unselfish devotedness you worked without praise or reward.

But God wanted you to be in a certain sense a cooperator in the Redemption of the world. He confided to you the care of nourishing and defending the Divine Child. He wanted you to be poor and to suffer because He destined you to be the foster-father of His Son, who came into the world to save men by His sufferings and death, and you were to share in His suffering. In all of these important tasks, the Heavenly Father always found you a faithful servant!

Saint Joseph, I thank God for your privilege of being God's faithful servant. As a token of your own gratitude to God, obtain for me the grace to be a faithful servant of God as you were. Help me to share, as you did, the perfect obedience of Jesus, who came not to do His Will, but the Will of His Father; to trust in the Providence of God, knowing that if I do His Will, He will provide for all my needs of soul and body; to be calm in my trials and to leave it to our Lord to free me from them when it pleases Him to do so. And help me to imitate your generosity, for there can be no greater reward here on earth than the joy and honor of being a faithful servant of God.

NOVENA PRAYER
(prayer to be said at the end of each day's devotion)

Saint Joseph, I, your unworthy child, greet you. You are the faithful protector and intercessor of all who love and venerate you. You know that I have special confidence in you and that, after Jesus and Mary, I place all my hope of salvation in you, for you are especially powerful with God and will never abandon your faithful servants. Therefore I humbly invoke you and commend myself, with all who are dear to me and all that belong to me, to your intercession. I beg of you, by your love for Jesus and Mary, not to abandon me during life and to assist me at the hour of my death.

Glorious Saint Joseph, spouse of the Immaculate Virgin, obtain for me a pure, humble, charitable mind, and perfect resignation to the divine Will. Be my guide, my father, and my model through life that I may merit to die as you did in the arms of Jesus and Mary.

Loving Saint Joseph, faithful follower of Jesus Christ, I raise my heart to you to implore your powerful intercession in obtaining from the Divine Heart of Jesus all the graces necessary for my spiritual and temporal welfare, particularly the grace of a happy death, and the special grace I now implore:

(Mention your request).

Guardian of the Word Incarnate, I feel confident that your prayers in my behalf will be graciously heard before the throne of God. Amen.

MEMORARE

Remember, most pure spouse of Mary, ever Virgin, my loving protector, Saint Joseph, that no one ever had recourse to your protection or asked for your aid without obtaining relief. Confiding, therefore, in your goodness, I come before you and humbly implore you. Despise not my petitions, foster-father of the Redeemer, but graciously receive them. Amen.

Novena to St. Joseph. Day Three.

2011-01-02T08:03:00.002-05:00

Third Day
MAN CHOSEN BY THE BLESSED TRINITY

Saint Joseph, you were the man chosen by God the Father. He selected you to be His representative on earth, hence He granted you all the graces and blessings you needed to be His worthy representative.

You were the man chosen by God the Son. Desirous of a worthy foster-father, He added His own riches and gifts, and above all, His love. The true measure of your sanctity is to be judged by your imitation of Jesus. You were entirely consecrated to Jesus, working always near Him, offering Him your virtues, your work, your sufferings, your very life. Jesus lived in you perfectly so that you were transformed into Him. In this lies your special glory, and the keynote of your sanctity. Hence, after Mary, you are the holiest of the saints.

You were chosen by the Holy Spirit. He is the mutual Love of the Father and the Son -- the heart of the Holy Trinity. In His wisdom He draws forth all creatures from nothing, guides them to their end in showing them their destiny and giving them the means to reach it. Every vocation and every fulfillment of a vocation proceeds from the Holy Spirit. As a foster-father of Jesus and head of the Holy Family, you had an exalted and most responsible vocation -- to open the way for the redemption of the world and to prepare for it by the education and guidance of the youth of the God-Man. In this work you cooperated as the instrument of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit was the guide; you obeyed and carried out the works. How perfectly you obeyed the guidance of the God of Love!

The words of the Old Testament which Pharaoh spoke concerning Joseph of Egypt can well be applied to you: "Can we find such another man, that is full of the spirit of God, or a wise man like to him?" (Gen. 41:38). No less is your share in the divine work of God than was that of Egypt. You now reign with your foster-Son and see reflected in the mirror of God's Wisdom the Divine Will and what is of benefit to our souls.

Saint Joseph, I thank God for having made you the man specially chosen by Him. As a token of your own gratitude to God, obtain for me the grace to imitate your virtues so that I too may be pleasing to the Heart of God. Help me to give myself entirely to His service and to the accomplishment of His Holy Will, that one day I may reach heaven and be eternally united to God as you are.

NOVENA PRAYER
(prayer to be said at the end of each day's devotion)

Saint Joseph, I, your unworthy child, greet you. You are the faithful protector and intercessor of all who love and venerate you. You know that I have special confidence in you and that, after Jesus and Mary, I place all my hope of salvation in you, for you are especially powerful with God and will never abandon your faithful servants. Therefore I humbly invoke you and commend myself, with all who are dear to me and all that belong to me, to your intercession. I beg of you, by your love for Jesus and Mary, not to abandon me during life and to assist me at the hour of my death.

Glorious Saint Joseph, spouse of the Immaculate Virgin, obtain for me a pure, humble, charitable mind, and perfect resignation to the divine Will. Be my guide, my father, and my model through life that I may merit to die as you did in the arms of Jesus and Mary.

Loving Saint Joseph, faithful follower of Jesus Christ, I raise my heart to you to implore your powerful intercession in obtaining from the Divine Heart of Jesus all the graces necessary for my spiritual and temporal welfare, particularly the grace of a happy death, and the special grace I now implore:

(Mention your request).

Guardian of the Word Incarnate, I feel confident that your prayers in my behalf will be graciously heard before the throne of God. Amen.

MEMORARE

Remember, most pure spouse of Mary, ever Virgin, my loving protector, Saint Joseph, that no one ever had recourse to your protection or asked for your aid without obtaining relief. Confiding, therefore, in your goodness, I come before you and humbly implore you. Despise not my petitions, foster-father of the Redeemer, but graciously receive them. Amen.

Novena to St. Joseph. Day Two.

2011-01-01T08:58:00.003-05:00

Second Day
VIRGINAL HUSBAND OF MARY

Saint Joseph, I honor you as the true husband of Mary. Scripture says: "Jacob begot Joseph, the husband of Mary, and of her was born Jesus who is called Christ" (Matt. 1:16). Your marriage to Mary was a sacred contract by which you and Mary gave yourselves to each other. Mary really belonged to you with all she was and had. You had a right to her love and obedience; and no other person so won her esteem, obedience, and love.

You were also the protector and witness of Mary's virginity. By your marriage you gave to each other your virginity, and also the mutual right over it -- a right to safeguard the other's virtue. This mutual virginity also belonged to the divine plan of the Incarnation, for God sent His angel to assure you that motherhood and virginity in Mary could be united.

This union of marriage not only brought you into daily familiar association with Mary, the loveliest of God's creatures, but also enabled you to share with her a mutual exchange of spiritual goods. And Mary found her edification in your calm, humble, and deep virtue, purity, and sanctity. What a great honor comes to you from this close union with her whom the Son of God calls Mother and whom He declared the Queen of heaven and earth! Whatever Mary had belonged by right to you also, and this included her Son, even though He had been given to her by God in a wonderful way. Jesus belonged to you as His legal father. Your marriage was the way which God chose to have Jesus introduced into the world, a great divine mystery from which all benefits have come to us.

God the Son confided the guardianship and the support of His Immaculate Mother to your care. Mary's life was that of the Mother of the Savior, who did not come upon earth to enjoy honors and pleasures, but to redeem the world by hard work, suffering, and the cross. You were the faithful companion, support, and comforter of the Mother of Sorrows. How loyal you were to her in poverty, journeying, work, and pain. Your love for Mary was based upon your esteem for her as Mother of God. After God and the Divine Child, you loved no one as much as her. Mary responded to this love. She submitted to your guidance with naturalness and easy grace and childlike confidence. The Holy Spirit Himself was the bond of the great love which united your hearts.

Saint Joseph, I thank God for your privilege of being the virginal husband of Mary. As a token of your own gratitude to God, obtain for me the grace to love Jesus with all my heart, as you did, and love Mary with some of the tenderness and loyalty with which you loved her.

NOVENA PRAYER
(prayer to be said at the end of each day's devotion)

Saint Joseph, I, your unworthy child, greet you. You are the faithful protector and intercessor of all who love and venerate you. You know that I have special confidence in you and that, after Jesus and Mary, I place all my hope of salvation in you, for you are especially powerful with God and will never abandon your faithful servants. Therefore I humbly invoke you and commend myself, with all who are dear to me and all that belong to me, to your intercession. I beg of you, by your love for Jesus and Mary, not to abandon me during life and to assist me at the hour of my death.

Glorious Saint Joseph, spouse of the Immaculate Virgin, obtain for me a pure, humble, charitable mind, and perfect resignation to the divine Will. Be my guide, my father, and my model through life that I may merit to die as you did in the arms of Jesus and Mary.

Loving Saint Joseph, faithful follower of Jesus Christ, I raise my heart to you to implore your powerful intercession in obtaining from the Divine Heart of Jesus all the graces necessary for my spiritual and temporal welfare, particularly the grace of a happy death, and the special grace I now implore:

(Mention your request).

Guardian of the Word Incarnate, I feel confident that your prayers in my behalf will be graciously heard before the throne of God. Amen.

MEMORARE

Remember, most pure spouse of Mary, ever Virgin, my loving protector, Saint Joseph, that no one ever had recourse to your protection or asked for your aid without obtaining relief. Confiding, therefore, in your goodness, I come before you and humbly implore you. Despise not my petitions, foster-father of the Redeemer, but graciously receive them. Amen.

Novena to St. Joseph. Day One.

2010-12-31T12:21:00.003-05:00

Day One
FOSTER-FATHER OF JESUS.

Saint Joseph, you were privileged to share in the mystery of the Incarnation as the foster-father of Jesus. Mary alone was directly connected with the fulfillment of the mystery, in that she gave her consent to Christ's conception and allowed the Holy Spirit to form the sacred humanity of Jesus from her blood. You had a part in this mystery in an indirect manner, by fulfilling the condition necessary for the Incarnation -- the protection of Mary's virginity before and during your married life with her. You made the virginal marriage possible, and this was a part of God's plan, foreseen, willed, and decreed from all eternity.

In a more direct manner you shared in the support, upbringing, and protection of the Divine Child as His foster-father. For this purpose the Heavenly Father gave you a genuine heart of a father -- a heart full of love and self-sacrifice. With the toil of your hands you were obliged to offer protection to the Divine Child, to procure for Him food, clothing, and a home. You were truly the saint of the holy childhood of Jesus -- the living created providence which watched over the Christ-Child.

When Herod sought the Child to put Him to death, the Heavenly Father sent an angel but only as a messenger, giving orders for the flight; the rest He left entirely in your hands. It was that fatherly love which was the only refuge that received and protected the Divine Child. Your fatherly love carried Him through the desert into Egypt until all enemies were removed. Then on your arms the Child returned to Nazareth to be nourished and provided for during many years by the labor of your hands. Whatever a human son owes to a human father for all the benefits of his up-bringing and support, Jesus owed to you, because you were to Him a foster-father, teacher, and protector.

You served the Divine Child with a singular love. God gave you a heart filled with heavenly, supernatural love -- a love far deeper and more powerful than any natural father's love could be.

You served the Divine Child with great unselfishness, without any regard to self-interest, but not without sacrifices. You did not toil for yourself, but you seemed to be an instrument intended for the benefit of others, to be put aside as soon as it had done its word, for you disappeared from the scene once the childhood of Jesus had passed.

You were the shadow of the Heavenly Father not only as the earthly representative of the authority of the Father, but also by means of your fatherhood -- which only appeared to be natural -- you were to hide for a while the divinity of Jesus. What a wonderfully sublime and divine vocation was yours -- the loving Child which you carried in your arms, and loved and served so faithfully, had God in Heaven as Father and was Himself God!

Yours is a very special rank among the saints of the Kingdom of God, because you were so much a part of the very life of the Word of God made Man. In your house at Nazareth and under your care the redemption of mankind was prepared. What you accomplished, you did for us. You are not only a powerful and great saint in the Kingdom of God, but a benefactor of the whole of Christendom and mankind. Your rank in the Kingdom of God, surpassing far in dignity and honor of all the angels, deserves our very special veneration, love, and gratitude.

Saint Joseph, I thank God for your privilege of having been chosen by God to be the foster-father of His Divine Son. As a token of your own gratitude to God for this your greatest privilege, obtain for me the grace of a very devoted love for Jesus Christ, my God and my Savior. Help me to serve Him with some of the self-sacrificing love and devotion which you had while on this earth with Him. Grant that through your intercession with Jesus, your foster-Son, I may reach the degree of holiness God has destined for me, and save my soul.

NOVENA PRAYER
(prayer to be said at the end of each day's devotion)

Saint Joseph, I, your unworthy child, greet you. You are the faithful protector and intercessor of all who love and venerate you. You know that I have special confidence in you and that, after Jesus and Mary, I place all my hope of salvation in you, for you are especially powerful with God and will never abandon your faithful servants. Therefore I humbly invoke you and commend myself, with all who are dear to me and all that belong to me, to your intercession. I beg of you, by your love for Jesus and Mary, not to abandon me during life and to assist me at the hour of my death.

Glorious Saint Joseph, spouse of the Immaculate Virgin, obtain for me a pure, humble, charitable mind, and perfect resignation to the divine Will. Be my guide, my father, and my model through life that I may merit to die as you did in the arms of Jesus and Mary.

Loving Saint Joseph, faithful follower of Jesus Christ, I raise my heart to you to implore your powerful intercession in obtaining from the Divine Heart of Jesus all the graces necessary for my spiritual and temporal welfare, particularly the grace of a happy death, and the special grace I now implore:

(Mention your request).

Guardian of the Word Incarnate, I feel confident that your prayers in my behalf will be graciously heard before the throne of God. Amen.

MEMORARE

Remember, most pure spouse of Mary, ever Virgin, my loving protector, Saint Joseph, that no one ever had recourse to your protection or asked for your aid without obtaining relief. Confiding, therefore, in your goodness, I come before you and humbly implore you. Despise not my petitions, foster-father of the Redeemer, but graciously receive them. Amen.

Quotes on the Rosary.

2010-02-01T12:10:00.000-05:00

Quotes on the Rosary from International Center - Mary of Nazareth's A Moment with Mary.

One can say that among the families and peoples where the practice of the Rosary is still held in honor as in the past, there is no cause to fear that ignorance or the poison of error will destroy the faith.
Leo XIII

If you want peace to reign in your families and countries, recite the rosary each day with your loved ones. The Rosary is the perfect summary of the Gospel and it brings peace to all who recite it.
Saint Pius X

Now that we frequently happen to receive newlyweds in audience, not only do we give them a rosary, strongly recommending that they use it, but we also exhort them to not go a single day, in spite of the greatest fatigues and preoccupations, without reciting the Rosary.
Pius XI

It is especially in the midst of the family that we wish to see this recitation of the Holy Rosary spread everywhere. For one will fail to consolidate the shaken bases of the civilian society if the domestic society, the founding principle of human society, does not rest upon the laws of the Gospel. To reach such a difficult goal, we affirm that nothing is more efficient than the family recitation of the Rosary.
Pius XII

"The Mother of Life" Part 4 of 4 Pro-Life Advent Reflections with Fr. Thomas Euteneuer.

2009-12-18T08:03:00.000-05:00

"The Mother of Life" Part 4 of 4 Pro-Life Advent Reflections with Fr. Thomas Euteneuer.

"Rejoicing in the Lord" - Part 3 of 4 Pro-Life Advent Reflections with Fr. Thomas Euteneuer 2009.

2009-12-10T23:31:00.001-05:00

"Rejoicing in the Lord" - Part 3 of 4 Pro-Life Advent Reflections with Fr. Thomas Euteneuer 2009.

2009 Pro-Life Advent Reflections with Fr. Thomas Euteneuer Part 2.

2009-12-05T08:12:00.002-05:00

2009 Pro-Life Advent Reflections with Fr. Thomas Euteneuer - Part 2.

2009 Pro-Life Advent Reflections with Fr. Thomas Euteneuer - Part 1

2009-11-25T19:38:00.000-05:00

2009 Pro-Life Advent Reflections with Fr. Thomas Euteneuer - Part 1.

For the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

2009-09-08T10:59:00.002-04:00

Hail Mary, full of Grace.
The Lord is with thee.
Blessed art thou among women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus.

Holy Mary, Mother of God,
Pray for us sinners
Now and at the hour of our death.

Amen.

Prayer for our Nation’s Health Care Reform.

2009-08-25T12:08:00.002-04:00

From http://www.priestsforlife.org/prayercampaign/

Prayer for our Nation’s Health Care Reform.

Lord Jesus, you are the Divine Physician,
And the source of all life and health.

Guide our nation at this critical moment,
As our government seeks health care reforms.

Give our elected officials the humility to know
That they are servants, not masters.
Give them the wisdom to realize
That every life has equal value.
Give them the strength to resist the idea
That some lives can be sacrificed to save others
Or that killing the unborn is a part of health care.

Give your people the courage to speak up
And to hold public officials accountable for their actions.

Save us, Lord Jesus, from a culture of death,
And let every reform in our public policy
Be based on the reform of our hearts and minds
In the light of your Gospel,
For you are Lord forever and ever. Amen.

May 13, 2009 Post.

2009-05-13T10:39:00.001-04:00

Easter.

2009-04-12T08:19:00.002-04:00

Good Friday.

2009-04-10T09:24:00.003-04:00

Our Lady of all Nations.

2009-03-25T10:50:00.003-04:00

Lord Jesus Christ, Son of the Father, send now your Spirit over the Earth.

Let the Holy Spirit live in the heart of all nations, that they may be preserved from degeneration, disaster and war.

May the Lady of all nations, the Blessed Virgin Mary, be our Advocate.

Amen.

Daily Mass Readings.

2009-02-26T09:07:00.000-05:00

Weeks ago, when I was giving thought as to how I would observe Lent this year, I decided that I would make every effort to attend Mass every day. In our Parish, there are daily Masses at noon on week days....with the exception of Thursday, when there is no Mass but, a Communion service at 7:00 AM.
It would have been very difficult getting my three year old up and ready for the Thursday Communion service but, there didn't seem to be any problem with me attending the noon Masses.

That plan has hit a snag. I had an accident recently in my wife's car....it's mine now; she bought another. I took the car to the body repair shop last week and at that time it seemed that the car would be repaired by Ash Wednesday. As it turns out, there is damage to the frame and the cost to repair the frame may be more than the value of the car.

As I write this, I have no idea what the insurance company will do, but it looks like no matter what the company decides, I will be without transportation for awhile longer. There's no way I can attend the week day Masses without a vehicle.

In place of daily Mass, I've posted a link to the daily Mass readings on the usccb website.

The readings can also serve as lectio divina.

Ash Wednesday 2009.

2009-02-25T12:34:00.002-05:00

Normally, my work schedule interferes with a proper observance of Ash Wednesday. I've always had to make certain changes in order to attend Mass with my family.

In years past, I've taken off early. When I was working 12 hour shifts, my regular time for getting off work was 7:00 PM; Evening Masses usually started at 5:00 and 7:30.

When we changed to eight hour shifts, I landed the 2nd shift (3:00 PM to 11:00PM) and new attendance policies at work kept me from leaving early or coming in late too often. The solution was taking a "vacation day". I had the entire day off, with pay and no penalty. Taking the day off also made fasting and abstinence less of a burden.

This year, the situation is different. I didn't have to take a day off, as we are "laid off" for the week. I'll be getting an unemployment check for this week.

So, there's no excuse not to get a complete Rosary today.....with the entire 20 Mysteries; no excuse not to do a proper Catholic fast.

Salamat Maria. La Naval de Manila 2007

2009-02-07T09:58:00.000-05:00

Meditation and Coincidences.

2009-01-07T09:55:00.003-05:00

I first began practicing meditation on May 25, 1975.

It's not that I wrote down the date in a diary or marked it on a calendar. As it turned out, there was a lunar eclipse that evening and it's easy enough to get the dates of eclipses on NASA's website.

Another "coincidence" that helps keep that date in my consciousness is that that day happened to be Vesak as well. Vesak is considered by Buddhists as the date of the birth, enlightenment and the passing away of Gautama Buddha.

Discovering this Vesak coincidence after the fact is proof enough, for me at least, that I'm heading in the right direction with my meditation practice.

I've since then returned to my boyhood faith of Catholicism. My meditation has been ever so slightly modified into what Catholic monks call Centering Prayer. A few years ago I discovered yet another "coincidence" regarding my meditation. Playing around with the letters in my full legal name (as given to me by my father) I found an interesting anagram...... "Romes Buddhist master".

The word Rome, of course, can refer to the city in Georgia where I live......or the home of the Roman Catholic Church.

October Rosary.

2008-10-01T09:36:00.002-04:00

The month of October is dedicated to the Rosary.
Although I recognize the value of praying the Rosary every day, I haven't lived up to that. I'm resolving say a Rosary every day this month.....and on into November due to the upcoming election. These are not easy times that we live in.
I awoke early this morning. It was after my wife had left for work but before our three year old son woke.I was ending the fourth Mystery as he came into the room......he sat quietly on my lap as I finished the fifth Mystery and said the Hail Holy Queen. He's sat and listened to my wife and I pray the Rosary often enough to know that it is a special time and not the time for play or TV.
Of course, once I finished and made the sign of the cross, he realized it was over and he could ask me to let him watch Thomas the tank engine.

One Year Later.

2008-08-28T09:56:00.003-04:00

As I look at the record of my posts on my three blogs, I see that it has been a year since I last posted on this particular one.
Writing about the inner life enhanced by meditation and prayer is not easy.
I'm currently reading Thomas Merton's "The Seven Storey Mountain".....a wonderful example of just how such writing should be done.
Would that I could do as well.
My situation hasn't changed very much in the past year- I continue to practice "centering prayer" twice a day, and pray the Rosary a few nights a week with my wife (with our child beside us). I am still involved with a group that gathers on the first Saturday of each month for a prayer vigil to Our Lady of Fatima and, most importantly, I receive Holy Communion whenever I can. I've tried to be more attentive in going to the church on the first Friday of the month for Eucharistic Adoration.
One change of note. I have recently become an extraordinary minister of Holy Communion at our church. This is a wonderful privilege.
I hope to return more often to this blog.....but writing here is more difficult than writing on my other. I need to be more "serious" here and that doesn't always come easy.

Mother Teresa's 'Dark Night'.

2007-08-28T09:28:00.000-04:00

Just in time for the anniversary of her birth, the news services were reporting the story of the publication of a book of letters written by Mother Teresa. According to the reports, this book will show that she was plagued by doubts and possibly a loss of faith throughout most of her life.
The reasoning behind the secular media publishing these reports now are obvious, of course.They'll look for any excuse to cast doubt in God's existence and even better....in their view....if they can discredit a holy person and the Catholic church all in one fell swope. Some even supposed that this new information could put her canonization in jeopardy.
When an email was sent to me regarding the book, I realized right away that Mother Teresa had been under-going what is known in spiritual circles as "the dark night of the soul". Further reading of comments from Church leaders confirmed what I had thought.
Using the "logic" of those inclined to believe "The Da Vinci Code", one would think the Catholic Church would have suppressed the letters, but it was Father Brian Kolodiejchuk -the head of those pushing for her sainthood- that insisted on saving the letters and publishing them.
The book is due to be released in September. At present, Time Magazine has exclusive rights to excerpts.Their online article can be found here.
A good understanding of the Catholic Church's view can be found in this article from Zenit.

My prayer life....cont.

2007-05-07T12:37:00.000-04:00

The month of May has brought about a small change in regards to my prayer life.Saturday,being the first Saturday of the month,we went to the regular Fatima prayer and we prayed the Rosary at home Sunday...the first time in over a month.Maybe things are turning around.With my new work schedule and the possibility that my wife will start a new job may make it more difficult to pray the Rosary together daily, but I'm sure we can pray it as a family on the weekends.
Still,planning my meditation times around my infant son remains a challenge.Even though my new schedule has changed how and when we can do the Rosary and meditation, I'm able to attend Mass every Sunday and can receive the Eucharist and for that, I'm grateful.

My prayer life.

2007-04-30T07:54:00.000-04:00

April has not been a good month for me in terms of keeping up my prayer life.While we were in Philippines,it was easy enough doing my morning meditation;I'm an early riser,so the house was always quiet enough.The afternoon meditation was different.There were always people roaming about....the T.V.,radio.There was far too much noise and I couldn't bring myself to ask someone to be quiet in their own home.I was the visitor.We did even worse in keeping up the Rosary.That was most surprising to me since we were in a Catholic home.It should have been easy to find time before bed for that,but we did not say the Rosary once while we were in Dumaguete.
We haven't done better here at home since our return.My work schedule has changed and so has my sleep pattern.The difficulty lies in not being able to get a 1 1/2 year old child to be quiet at the right times.
Now that my work schedule has changed, we no longer pray the Rosary before going to bed at night.Every day I think this will be the day we get back to doing it properly.So far,it hasn't.Maybe putting this down will be the push that I need.
I hope so.

Thanks

2007-04-02T21:39:00.000-04:00

Thanks to God and His servant, Saint Jude Thaddeus, the passport arrived in time and we left for Dumaguete as planned.It will be difficult for me to write in three blogs while I'm here so I will only write in sorryalltheclevernamesaretakenfor the next few weeks.

Saint Jude Thaddaeus

2007-03-28T17:06:00.000-04:00

There's been some many delays and contradictory stories concerning my son's passport that I felt a need to appeal to the patron saint of lost causes.St. Jude Thaddeus is known as the patron saint of desperate causes. He is believed to be able to intervene in such cases and create miraculous solutions. Novenas (prayer services) are often dedicated and/or directed to St. Jude.The following is a popular prayer to St. Jude:

May the Sacred Heart of Jesus Christ
be adored, glorified, loved,
and preserved throughout the world,
now and forever.
Sacred Heart of Jesus,pray for us.
St. Jude, helper of the helpless,
pray for us.
St. Jude, worker of miracles,
pray for us.

Seven Sorrows Devotion

2007-03-24T18:00:00.000-04:00

From OUR LADY OF THE ROSARY LIBRARY (www.olrl.org)

The Seven Sorrows Devotion

The Blessed Virgin Mary grants seven graces to the
souls who honor her daily by saying seven Hail Mary's
and meditating on her tears and dolors. The devotion
was passed on by St. Bridget.

HERE ARE THE SEVEN GRACES:

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 and I will
be their eternal consolation and joy.

The SEVEN SORROWS of our BLESSED MOTHER

1. The prophecy of Simeon: "And Simeon blessed them, and said to Mary his mother: Behold this child is set for the fall and for the resurrection of many in Israel, and for a sign which shall be contradicted; And thy own soul a sword shall pierce, that out of many hearts thoughts may be revealed" (Luke II: 34-35).

Meditation: How great was the shock to Mary's Heart at hearing the sorrowful words, in which holy Simeon told the bitter Passion and death of her sweet Jesus, since in that same moment she realized in her mind all the insults, blows, and torments which the impious men were to offer to the Redeemer of the world. But a still sharper sword pierced her soul. It was the thought of men's ingratitude to her beloved Son. Now consider that because of your sins you are unhappily among the ungrateful.

2. The flight into Egypt: "And after they (the wise men) were departed, behold an angel of the Lord appeared in sleep to Joseph, saying: Arise and take the child and His mother and fly into Egypt: and be there until I shall tell thee. For it will come to pass that Herod will seek the child to destroy Him. Who arose and took the child and His mother by night, and retired into Egypt: and He was there until the death of Herod" (Matt. II: 13-14).

Meditation: Consider the sharp sorrow which Mary felt when, St. Joseph being warned by an angel, she had to flee by night in order to preserve her beloved Child from the slaughter decreed by Herod. What anguish was hers, in leaving Judea, lest she should be overtaken by the soldiers of the cruel king! How great her privations in that long journey! What sufferings she bore in that land of exile, what sorrow amid that people given to idolatry! But consider how often you have renewed that bitter grief of Mary, when your sins have caused her Son to flee from your heart.

3. The loss of the Child Jesus in the temple: "And having fulfilled the days, when they returned, the Child Jesus remained in Jerusalem; and His parents knew it not. And thinking that he was in the company, they came a day's journey, and sought him among their kinsfolk and acquaintance. And not finding Him, they returned into Jerusalem, seeking Him" (Luke II: 43-45).

Meditation: How dread was the grief of Mary, when she saw that she had lost her beloved Son! And as if to increase her sorrow, when she sought Him diligently among her kinsfolk and acquaintance, she could hear no tidings of Him. No hindrances stayed her, nor weariness, nor danger; but she forthwith returned to Jerusalem, and for three long days sought Him sorrowing. Great be your confusion, O my soul, who has so often lost your Jesus by your sins, and has given no heed to seek Him at once, a sign that you make very little or no account of the precious treasure of divine love.

4. The meeting of Jesus and Mary on the Way of the Cross: "And there followed Him a great multitude of people, and of women, who bewailed and lamented Him" (Luke XXIII: 27).

Meditation: Come, O ye sinners, come and see if ye can endure so sad a sight. This Mother, so tender and loving, meets her beloved Son, meets Him amid an impious rabble, who drag Him to a cruel death, wounded, torn by stripes, crowned with thorns, streaming with blood, bearing His heavy cross. Ah, consider, my soul, the grief of the blessed Virgin thus beholding her Son! Who would not weep at seeing this Mother's grief? But who has been the cause of such woe? I, it is I, who with my sins have so cruelly wounded the heart of my sorrowing Mother! And yet I am not moved; I am as a stone, when my heart should break because of my ingratitude.

5. The Crucifixion: "They crucified Him. Now there stood by the cross of Jesus, His Mother. When Jesus therefore had seen His Mother and the disciple standing whom he loved, He saith to His Mother: Woman: behold thy son. After that he saith to the disciple: Behold thy Mother" (John XIX: l8, 25-27).

Meditation: Look, devout soul, look to Calvary, whereon are raised two altars of sacrifice, one on the body of Jesus, the other on the heart of Mary. Sad is the sight of that dear Mother drowned in a sea of woe, seeing her beloved Son, part of her very self, cruelly nailed to the shameful tree of the cross. Ah me! how every blow of the hammer, how every stripe which fell on the Saviour's form, fell also on the disconsolate spirit of the Virgin. As she stood at the foot of the cross, pierced by the sword of sorrow, she turned her eyes on Him, until she knew that He lived no longer and had resigned His spirit to His Eternal Father. Then her own soul was like to have left the body and joined itself to that of Jesus.

6. The taking down of the Body of Jesus from the Cross: "Joseph of Arimathea, a noble counselor, came and went in boldly to Pilate, and begged the body of Jesus. And Joseph buying fine linen, and taking Him down, wrapped Him up in the fine linen" (Mark XV: 43-46).

Meditation: Consider the most bitter sorrow which rent the soul of Mary, when she saw the dead body of her dear Jesus on her knees, covered with blood, all torn with deep wounds. O mournful Mother, a bundle of myrrh, indeed, is thy Beloved to thee. Who would not pity thee? Whose heart would not be softened, seeing affliction which would move a stone? Behold John not to be comforted, Magdalen and the other Mary in deep affliction, and Nicodemus, who can scarcely bear her sorrow.

7. The burial of Jesus: "Now there was in the place where He was crucified, a garden; and in the garden a new sepulcher, wherein no man yet had been laid. There, therefore, because of the parasceve of the Jews, they laid Jesus, because the sepulcher was nigh at hand" (John XIX: 41-42).

Meditation: Consider the sighs which burst from Mary's sad heart when she saw her beloved Jesus laid within the tomb. What grief was hers when she saw the stone lifted to cover that sacred tomb! She gazed a last time on the lifeless body of her Son, and could scarce detach her eyes from those gaping wounds. And when the great stone was rolled to the door of the sepulcher, oh, then indeed her heart seemed torn from her body!

A Novena of Rosaries

2007-03-23T10:13:00.000-04:00

While I believe that the continued practice of contemplative prayer along with regularly receiving the Eucharist will fill your soul and your awareness with the Holy Spirit, I believe I may have sinned in assuming that, because of this increased presence, I would receive everything I wanted.Everything that I have is a gift from God but it is He who determines which gifts I receive.As a penance I will be doing a novena of rosaries. I already pray the rosary with my wife every evening, but for the next nine mornings, after my first meditation, I will pray the complete 20 Mysteries each day as well.

Dominique's Way of the Cross photos

2007-03-15T14:20:00.000-04:00

I was visiting one of my favorite blogs today.... villageidiotsavant written by a Filipino named Dominique Cimafranca.His most recent entry was about his visit to San Juan Bautista Church south of Metro Manila.He posted a link to photos he took of gigantic reliefs of the Stations of the Cross on the church grounds.I was so impressed by the photos that I sent the link to a number of my friends.I've put the link here.... Dominique's Way of the Cross photos.
I wanted to include one of his photos here, but, I couldn't download it so, I put in this painting of the crowning with thorns by Hieronymus Bosch

Sunday Mass

2007-03-08T06:14:00.000-05:00

It may seem an odd subject for a Meditation blog, but this entry will be about my work schedule.For more than eleven years, the company I work for has tried to maintain a 24/7 work schedule using alternating 12 hour shifts to do this with as little overtime pay as possible.As a result, there's been 4 shifts...A,B,C and D and we've had to work an odd rotating schedule.So, for eleven years I've had to work every other weekend with alternating weekends off.For about two years we've been having to take extra days off due to slow business but these off days were either on Monday or Friday.I didn't want to work Sundays and miss Mass and it seemed crazy to me that with our short-time schedule that we've have to work on that day.Now, after praying for it regularly,our schedule has been changed starting April 2nd.I'll be working Monday thru Friday and I can finally attend Sunday Mass every week.

Catholic Home Study Service

2007-03-01T07:28:00.000-05:00

Lent is a time for spiritual renewal.This week, the first week in Lent,our parish has had the privilege of hearing a series of talks given by the Director of Catholic Home Study Service, Fr.Oscar Lukefafr;C.M..According to their website,Catholic Home Study Service (CHSS), is sponsored by the Vincentian community and the Missouri Knights of Columbus and has been offering free courses on the Catholic Faith for more than sixty years. There are currently seven courses available with an eighth to be added soon.These free courses are available not only in the United States but a number of other countries as well.I would recommend these books to any Catholic wishing to have a better understanding of the Church's teachings.

Stations of the Cross

2007-02-23T12:11:00.000-05:00

In our parish,we have Stations of the Cross every Friday during Lent.Normally, my job prevents me from attending each week.My regular schedule requires me to work on alternate Fridays and I can't go the days I work.For several months, we've been off work every Friday because business has been slow.I was expecting to be able to go to church every Friday this time, but as luck would have it, now that Lent has arrived, the manager has changed the work schedule.....again. Now, he's returned it the "normal" schedule and I can only attend the Stations on alternate Fridays, as before.
If we can go to Philippines according to plan,we'll be in Dumaguete during Holy Week and we can do Via Crucis the way it should be done.

Ash Wednesday

2007-02-21T04:49:00.000-05:00

Looking back,I see my father as the strongest influence on my Catholicism.It was he who sent us to the nuns to learn the catechism.He took us to confession every Saturday and Mass every Sunday.
But,it's odd.....he never took us to midnight Mass at Christmas or Mass on Ash Wednesday.Today is Ash Wednesday and I can't imagine not going to Mass .My wife will be there with me and we will take our son.Was my father too busy with work then or did he not appreciate the significance of the day?Some many things I want to ask him but can't.
All I can do now is pray for him and for my mother.He's been dead nearly forty years....my mother, almost twenty seven years.
Memento homo, quia pulvis es, et in pulverem reverteris

The most important thing

2007-02-15T06:51:00.000-05:00

Commenting on my previous post on Sr. Lucia, Oberon asks,"What is the most important thing?".If I were to confine my answer to a one sentence response I would say the most important thing is developing your relationship with God.There are certainly several paths available and I'm not going to argue which one is the best for everyone but instead write about what I feel is the best way for me.
Number one is receiving the Eucharist on a regular basis.
Twice- daily Meditation and daily Rosary are important.
Attending not only Mass on Sunday but on Holy Days of Obligation is something I strive to do.
Reading is high on my list as well....not only the Bible, but writings by a wide variety of religious and philosophical writers.
"And I tell you, ask and you will receive; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.For everyone who asks, receives; and the one who seeks, finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened."

Sr. Lucia

2007-02-14T12:21:00.000-05:00

Two years ago, in February,2005 I was reading the memoirs of Sister Lucia of Fatima.At the time, she was 97 years old.She died on Feb.13th while I was reading the first volume,.I'm not sure why it was that I was so interested in reading about Fatima or why I had ordered the two volumes But,I probably would not have noticed her passing had I not been reading her memoirs at that time.

Saint Bernadette

2007-02-11T04:57:00.000-05:00

It was February 11,1858 when the Virgin Mary first appeared to 14 year old Bernadette Soubirous.Most of us are reasonable familiar with the story of Lourdes.Today the place where Our Lady of Lourdes appeared is a shrine and a place of pilgrimage for millions.As for the cures sought for there:

Excerpt taken from the Travel and Mission Notebook #113 by FJE
Told by in the Marian Collection (1991) by Brother Albert Pfleger
How Could an Unbeliever Persevere in His Disbelief? (I)
A group of Lutheran theologians from Eastern Germany published a proclamation in 1971 containing these lines filled with moving honesty:
“At Lourdes, Fatima and other Marian sanctuaries, impartial criticism is faced with supernatural facts, which have a close relation to the Virgin Mary, either because of the apparitions, or because of the miraculous graces obtained by her intercession. These facts defy any natural explanation. Until now, 1,200 of the cures that have taken place at Lourdes were recognized as scientifically inexplicable by medical doctors. Yet the Catholic Church has only declared miraculous 44 of them. For thirty years, 11,000 doctors, without distinction of religion or scientific opinions, had free access to the Office of Medical Observations. Therefore, a cure declared miraculous has the greatest possible guarantee.”

As for the photo......This is an actual photo of St.Bernadette as she appears today. Her body is on display in a chapel in Nevers, France.Most of us are unaware that her body was exhumed from the grave thirty yeras after she was buried and found to be incorrupt.

Prayer,Meditation and Multitasking

2007-02-07T04:45:00.000-05:00

Faith,belief and a trust in God is a central part of my life.Meditation and prayer are daily activities and I like to spend time regularly reading something of a religious of philosophic nature.The Catholic church in this small southern town doesn't have daily morning masses....otherwise I'd adjust my schedule for that. But I do not live the life of a recluse....I have work to do and a family that I love very much.I use the word "multitasking" when writing about my daily activities but I'm not so sure that is the correct word. I try to get a lot done, but not all at the same time.I'm not happy with my present job and financial situation, so I'm busy all through the day on other projects.I'm forever looking for ways to improve the Dumaguete website and perhaps make a dollar or two with it.One blog cannot deal with all the interests I have so I have three......all requiring my attention on a regular basis.Now, I decided that the time has come for me to take another look at the novel that I set aside.One more job to do in an already busy day.I find myself asking for God's help putting this all together.Without this time spent with the Holy Spirit in meditation I would probably waste away into nothing.

Thoughts on Lent

2007-01-28T07:17:00.000-05:00

Ash Wednesday will be on February 21st this year.It is approaching very fast.....almost taking me by surprise.I realise,now,that I like Lent more than Advent.Some see Lent as a time of sacrifice because we must "give up" some little something during that time. I see it more as a renewal.I like the time of added prayers and meditation;perhaps increasing the time spend doing the Rosary and going to Mass more often.I enjoy the Christmas season,of course, but it has become too commercialised and often the "enjoyment" around us is forced.No one has figured out a way to make the Easter season as commercial as Christmas.The "Easter Bunny" doesn't have the same commercial success as "Santa".I guess,too, this due to the fact that the time preceding Easter is spent "sacrificing". The days immediately before Easter Sunday are concentrated on the Crucifixion.....not exactly the thing money makers want to think about.Lent and Holy Week are times of silence and contemplation....two of my favorite ways to pass the time.

A few thoughts on The Bhagavad Gita

2007-01-18T10:56:00.000-05:00

Of all the books I've read,the Bhagavad Gita has had the greatest influence on my life.I've read the book countless times.I currently have three translations.....2 others are lost.The only other book that comes close to accurately describing the indescribable is "Cloud of the Unknowing".
To some,this may seem like a strange idea coming from a Catholic.Above all, I believe the Nicene Creed.I also believe that the "Person"we refer to as The Holy Spirit reveals itself to prophets and mystics of all religious traditions,although it is understood differently in each tradition.
The human mind cannot comprehend the Holy Spirit as it truly is .Each of us interprets it within our own cultural context.
As a mystic and contemplative,I can "feel"a connection between the Christian Trinity-Father, Son and Holy Spirit-and the Gita's Trinity of the three gunas-namely, sattva,rajas and tamas.
Is it a coincidence that the symbol for the word "Om" so much resembles the numeric symbol for three?
We should keep in mind that through meditation we do not "become" God as believed by some.We are simply allowing ourselves to drop the barriers and listen to God speaking to us.

Meditation and the Chaos Theory

2007-01-12T10:35:00.000-05:00

Earlier this week, after a pleasant series of events, I wrote a positive and upbeat piece on immigration for another of my blogs. Later, a rather bitter comment was left, along with a link to the commenter’s web page. This particular web page told about some unfortunate events in this person’s life and he could not hide his resentment. It’s not my point to tell his story but to tell of my mental reaction.
After my meditation, my mind kept going back to the idea of something called “The Chaos Theory” or “The Butterfly Effect”. The theory comes from observations made by a meteorologist who concluded that it was impossible to accurately predict the weather because the smallest degree of difference in the beginning can mean a significant difference in the final results. It’s often illustrated with the idea of a butterfly moving his wings in Brazil can ultimately cause a typhoon in Indonesia (or prevent one, for that matter).
Very little is mentioned on the effect of this theory on religious or philosophical thought. Along with the idea of Synchronicity, the Chaos Theory shows the inter-connectedness of everything. Everything in our life situation is the result of actions or non-action taken in the past. The good things you enjoy today could not have turned out as they have had your life been any different previously. This includes the “bad” events as well as the “good”. Had anything happened differently I would not be married to my present wife nor would our child be here. (Even if we had met and married, things had to be the way there were for the child that was conceived to be conceived).
We can never know the end result of our actions. Only God can know that. That is another reason why we should have faith and trust in God and know that His way is best for us.

Saint Anthony of Padua

2006-12-27T15:10:00.000-05:00

Saint Anthony of Padua is the patron saint of my wife's hometown of Sibulan.We have decorative candles embossed with images of him as he is usually portrayed.....holding the Christ child, with a lily and book featured somewhere.
For Christmas, I was given a statue of Saint Anthony.I don't really know why the giver of this gift choose this particular saint.
Is this a message for me? I know very little about the saint.He's most often called upon to recover lost articles.I know I need to find out more about him. An article I read just moments ago called him a contemplative.That is reason enough for me to look into this.

Doubt

2006-12-21T05:32:00.000-05:00

Usually, when we speak of "doubt" in a religious context we associate that idea with atheism or agnosticism. We think of those who call God's existence into question. But, there are other forms of doubt. There are many who believe in God but do not follow the teachings of the Catholic Church. There are also those who consider themselves Catholic but rather than follow all that the Church’s teachings in their entirety, they will pick and choose which of these teachings they will accept.
Above all, you must consider whether you accept the teaching that says Christ established His Church on Earth. The Catholic Church claims that it is that church and is guided by the Holy Spirit. If you do not believe that the Catholic Church is Christ’s True Church then why attend Mass? Why call yourself Catholic?
If you believe the Catholic Church is the Apostolic Church then why not accept what the Church says concerning such issues as birth control, abortion, capital punishment and marriage? If the Catholic Church is the true church then why not follow the Canon law? You cannot have it both ways…either it is or it isn’t.

The daily decalogue of Pope John XXIII

2006-12-18T04:34:00.000-05:00

At Mass yesterday,our parish priest included in his homily "The daily decalogue of Pope John XXIII".Afterwards I found a copy of the Decalogue on the Vatican website.
1) Only for today, I will seek to live the livelong day positively
without wishing to solve the problems of my life all at once.

2) Only for today, I will take the greatest care of my appearance: I
will dress modestly; I will not raise my voice; I will be courteous in
my behaviour; I will not criticize anyone; I will not claim to improve
or to discipline anyone except myself.

3) Only for today, I will be happy in the certainty that I was created
to be happy, not only in the other world but also in this one.

4) Only for today, I will adapt to circumstances, without requiring
all circumstances to be adapted to my own wishes.

5) Only for today, I will devote 10 minutes of my time to some good
reading, remembering that just as food is necessary to the life of the
body, so good reading is necessary to the life of the soul.

6) Only for today, I will do one good deed and not tell anyone about it.

7) Only for today, I will do at least one thing I do not like doing;
and if my feelings are hurt, I will make sure that no one notices.

8) Only for today, I will make a plan for myself: I may not follow it
to the letter, but I will make it. And I will be on guard against two
evils: hastiness and indecision.

9) Only for today, I will firmly believe, despite appearances, that
the good Providence of God cares for me as no one else who exists in
this world.

10) Only for today, I will have no fears. In particular, I will not be
afraid to enjoy what is beautiful and to believe in goodness. Indeed,
for 12 hours I can certainly do what might cause me consternation were
I to believe I had to do it all my life.

On teaching yourself meditation

2006-12-17T08:12:00.000-05:00

Can we teach ourselves to meditate ?It is, after all, a natural technique; anyone can learn to meditate.
There two schools of thought on this issue. The traditional religions tell us that meditation is something we must learn from a qualified teacher. However, the more “New Age” type religions and philosophies are more tolerant of the idea that it is something we can teach ourselves.
I am more inclined to follow the more traditionalist path. I can compare it to learning a language. Learning to speak and understand French, for example, is so easy and natural that little babies can do it. But, a person cannot learn a language in isolation. You can’t learn the language properly if you just follow your own rules.
One mistake I think that the self taught make is in regards to the thoughts we all get during meditation. Those of us who were taught by an instructor learn that we are to ignore any thoughts we may have…….no matter how “enlightened” they may seem to us at the time. The self taught often hold on to these random thoughts believing them to be of great meaning and significance. They will wander about- following these thoughts which can go off in odd and bizarre directions. This is not meditation. We must not pay attention to these thoughts that come to us. We just return to our sacred word or mantra in the same effortless way that we think any other thought. These random thoughts cannot be prevented but we should not put any value to them. They can only lead us astray if we believe that following them is part of meditation.

Waking after Meditation

2006-12-15T15:26:00.000-05:00

How are we different after we awaken from our meditation?In what ways has God changed us?Are we guided or prodded to go about our lives in some different way?What effect does this small visit with the Holy Spirit have on our everyday level of consciousness?
Are these changes recognizable to those who come in contact with us or are these changes simply subjective in nature?
Can others see the living Christ in us?
We don't have halos or stigmata as visual evidence that a change has taken place. Is our life a manifestation of the God within us? It should not be necessary for me to wear a crucifix around my neck for others to see my Christian faith......

finding time to meditate

2006-12-12T10:21:00.000-05:00

I am pretty much a morning person;I am always the first one to arise.My wife and son both like to sleep later than I so it is not difficult for me to have the peace and quiet I need for meditation.
It is different when it comes to my afternoon meditation.My wife is very considerate and always does her best to keep the house quiet when she's there during my meditation periods.It's not so easy with my year old son.When he's older I'll be able to explain to him the need to quiet at certain times but now,when he and I are alone in the afternoons,I have to arrange my meditation around his nap.....not always easy to do.My downstairs neighbor can be noisy at times and if she isn't quiet when J.P. is napping then finding time to meditate is a challenge for me.
Fortunately,I usually can manage it....very rarely have I lost an afternoon meditation to noise.

The Immaculate Conception of Mary

2006-12-08T11:24:00.000-05:00

Today is December 8th-the feast of The Immaculate Conception of Mary-a holy day of obligation in the Catholic Church.
The picture on the left is "St Anne Conceiving the Virgin Mary" by Jean Bellegambe. (Flemish painter c. 1480 - c. 1535)
For a better understanding of Catholic teaching regarding this,click on here.

Meditation found to increase brain size

2006-12-03T17:28:00.000-05:00

One might wonder why I put a jpg. of J.S. Bach in a blog entry entitled "Meditation found to increase brain size". I certainly don't want to imply that Bach was someone who practiced meditation;I have no evidence that he did. The title of this entry is from an article found in this link news.harvard.edu.I've been thinking about what I should write after having read the article. I have Bach's Mass in B Minor BWV 232 in the CD player and I am just letting the music wash over me and I'll write whatever comes to mind.Much has been written about the positive aspects of meditation.I know that I am a better person for having taken up the practice.I wouldn't say that I am a better person than "this one or that one", I can only say that I am better than I was before.I am no longer a slave to my physical addictions and my thinking is much clearer. When I was a young man, my head was filled with anxious thoughts and meditation has brought a calmness to me. Some have told me that I have a "charmed" life......I cannot say that, but it seems that even "bad" things that happen in my life always turn out for the best. Now,I read that meditation increases brain size; I do feel as if I am doing more from an intellectual standpoint than I've ever done before.I feel younger than I've felt in years.I can't help but give credit to my twice daily "visit" with The Holy Spirit and my taking Holy Communion whenever I can. God has blessed me beyond measure.I do not have a great deal of money or material possessions but I have a wonderful family.( and the music I'm listening to know ain't bad either ).

An unstable monk

2006-11-27T10:10:00.000-05:00

One of the odder stories making the rounds over the Internet recently is the news of a 35 year old Buddhist monk in Thailand who cut off his penis with a machete. He did this, we’re told, because he had an erection during meditation. He declined the doctor’s attempts to re-attach it.
I knew when I read this story that I would have to write about this, but I’ve waited a few days because I was not sure which blog it would go in or how I would approach the subject. Some might be tempted to make bizarre comments and jokes but I’m going to take a different route.
In monotheism, the goal of meditation is to experience closeness with God; In Buddhist meditation, the stated purpose is to become enlightened. In either case, one usually becomes less enamored with materialism …… less attached to the things of this world.
However, the fact that this monk would mutilate his body because of a natural function of the body, reveals a complete misunderstanding of any valid religious principal. If this monk had a real notice of what “non-attachment” means he would have dealt with this in a less bizarre manner.
It’s understandable that a celibate religious or monk would want to rid his or her self of sexual desires .Cutting off body parts is certainly not an enlightened approach.

Thankfulness

2006-11-23T07:19:00.000-05:00

Here in the United States, we’ll be celebrating Thanksgiving Day Holiday. Many will say that today is set-aside for us as a nation and people to give thanks to God for the blessings we have.
The more cynical among us might say that the day was established to determine the start of the Christmas buying season. As much as I hate to say it, I would have to agree. We may read a good bit about thankfulness but in the minds of most of the people I know, today is the day to watch football, eat too much and get ready to “shop ‘til they drop”.
It’s 6:30 AM and as I write this, my wife and son are still asleep. I am having coffee; I’ve already done my morning meditation and sweet potatoes are baking in the oven. We’ll be going to church in a few hours and I’ll be taking a sweet potato pie for a Thanksgiving exchange after Communion.
It’s difficult for me to put into words just how thankful I am for my wife and my child. It’s easy to think of the things we want…… a house, a new PC, a new car and lots of money. But, I cannot imagine having a more loving wife. True, there are times when I feel like I’m living an episode of “I love Lucy” but, for the most part ,life with her is wonderful. I know every parent believes their year old child is special, but I have grown so much since he arrived.
I’d be the first to admit that I haven’t always done the right things; I haven’t always been wise in my decisions . But, had I done things differently I would not be sitting here today typing on this keyboard while those too very important people sleep in the next room. So, I am even thankful for the “mistakes” I made so many years ago.

WCCM

2006-11-22T16:15:00.000-05:00

I put this photo here to remind myself to learn more about this group.They appear to be a worthwhile group but I don't know enough about them.I'm all for bringing meditation to more folks.The world needs more of us.
When we find a house I hope I can set aside an area for group meditation.That would probably involve building a privacy fence......among other things.Sometimes it seems very difficult to achieve simplicity.

om & amen

2006-11-17T16:15:00.000-05:00

I was baptized when I was less than one month old. I was raised in the Roman Catholic tradition but after the death of my father I began my journey along another path. My father was very influential on my religious leanings and I doubt that I would have taken the path I eventually took had he lived longer than he did.
I looked into Buddhism and Hinduism along the way. My early Meditation practice was essentially Hindu based. For many years my meditation revolved around the mantra OM. OM was my choice even during those periods when my meditation was "non religious" in nature.
As I returned to the Catholic Church and my meditation transformed into "Centering Prayer" it seemed more appropriate to change my "sacred word" to something less Hindu. AMEN seemed the logical choice for me.
As the word naturally altered itself during meditation, I soon came to believe that, perhaps, the two words came from a common source...Amen is Om and Om is Amen.
I put the two words together in a Google search and learned that my idea wasn't so unique. There are others who believe the same thing. Funny, though, I've seen the idea posted in forums and blogs and the Hindu based folks seem more open to the idea then Christians. I think that may be because most Christians have lost the meditative tradition of our religion.... not to mention the fact that many Christians see ours as the only path and the thought that there could be a small link to Hinduism may be too unbelievable for some.
There’s no question in my mind that there is only one God. I believe the Holy Spirit reaches out to all of us in ways we can understand. I also believe Catholicism to be the supreme path but the Holy Spirit reveals portions of the Truth thru other religious traditions. I don’t think God will condemn to eternal punishment an otherwise righteous person whose situation in life has lead them to another religion.
I’m not saying that all paths are equal; some only contain elements of the Truth. Each of us will be judged according to our individual situations. God is justice and God is love.

Portrait of a Young Man with a Rosary

2006-11-10T06:27:00.000-05:00

I took up praying the Rosary in earnest in 2003. Of course, I was taught how it was done, when I was a young boy, by the nuns at Sacred Heart. It had been many years since I had prayed the Rosary.....I returned to it as a sort of penance for having been away from the church for so long. The word "penance" could give the impression that returning to the Rosary was a chore. On the contrary,it has been a source of pleasure these past 3 years.
I was not married at that time and it was easier then to add the Rosary to my meditation schedule. I could pray the Rosary before every afternoon session.
When I married, my wife and I continued to do the Rosary on a regular basis.We've tried to do it every night before bed but we've not always lived up to that.Saying the Rosary with her isn't the same as my pre-meditation Roary.Now, praying it in a family setting adds something to my life that I had not previously known I was missing.When we were taking the Pre-Cana it was pointed out to us that it was important for a married couple to share a religious expierence in order to bring their marriage closer together.....I believe we've done that with the Rosary.
Our son was exposed to the Rosary while in his mother's womb and he continues to have that exposure now that he is here with us.He's too young to say the prayers.......he's not quite one year old yet.But, we'll teach him to say the Rosary with us when he's old enough.
I came across a website while searching for Rosary images on the Internet. I haven't had the time to look at the entire site,but, it looks promising.I especially like the images used with the Mysteries. marysprayersrosaries.com

2006-11-08T21:05:00.000-05:00

My wife and I belong to a small group of families that gather together on the afternoon of the first Saturday of each month to pray a litany and Rosary for Our Lady of Fatima. Also, on the same weekend every month, our parish has Eucharistic adoration.
I've been going to the church for the adoration for about three months. It fits well with the gathering later in the day.....as a matter of fact, I wish the same feeling of peace and quiet could be carried over to the afternoon prayer.
At times the afternoon prayer for Our Lady of Fatima seems a bit too much like a social gathering. But, I suppose that's to be expected when there are several people involved.
If I could manage to receive Communion that day it would top off an already special day.

Action

2006-10-31T16:50:00.000-05:00

Quite often, the contemplative person is seen as one who retreats from the world. Look at every religious tradition and we see those who seek a mystical life becoming monks and nuns.....the Buddhist and Catholic traditions being just two examples.
But, read The Bhagavad Gita; in it Krishna instructs Arjuna to ACT. We as contemplatives cannot leave this every-day life. It is what God intends for us.
We meditate twice a day, then return to work to feed our family....change the baby's diaper.....wash the dishes.
I sometimes envy the Religious when the baby is crying but, then the baby smiles and laughs and I am no longer envious.

Centering Prayer and the Eucharist

2006-10-16T16:20:00.000-04:00

How does one put mystical experiences into words? Is that even possible?
When I searched for “centering prayer” among the blogs I came across instructions on how to do the technique but little else. Very little is written about how one’s personality will change after years of practice.
Perhaps, that is because there are few of us in “the outside world” who have practiced for any real length of time.
Even less is said about how the prayer is enhanced by receiving the Eucharist on a regular basis.
That idea would be almost impossible to convey to non-Christians who meditate. Even Protestants would have difficulties with this because their view of Communion is very different from the teachings of the Catholic Church. Sadly, there aren’t many Catholics who know about Centering Prayer.
The Catholic Church teaches us that the bread and wine distributed during the Eucharistic celebration are the actual body and blood of Christ. The Churches teaches, and I believe, that when I receive Communion I am doing as Christ said in John.
“Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me and I in him. John 6:56”.
Obviously, not everyone is going to take the same view as I do. I won’t argue that point; I’m not skillful enough as a writer (or apologist) to change anyone’s opinion on the Real Presence. But, for those who see the Eucharist in the same way, Centering Prayer could add another dimension to your spiritual understanding.

Opening

2006-10-16T13:29:00.000-04:00

The jpeg to the left of this entry is entitled " Shiroiyoru". I came across this jpeg on the Internet and downloaded it more than a year ago.Unfortunately, I've forgotten the source. I placed it here because it seems to convey what many of us think of when we hear the words "meditation" or "contemplation". That is to say, the image gives us a sense of peace, solitude and quiet.
It also brings to mind words like "Japanese" or "Eastern" or "Asian"; words which we associate with meditation and contemplation.
Many of us who are hoping to explore higher states of consciousness have overlooked Christianity as the path for approaching these states.
We've looked into Zen and other forms of Buddhism; we've looked into Taoism and Hinduism as well. We've looked at Siddhartha while overlooking St. Francis.
At the same time, we've studied Lao Tze while failing to study St. John of the Cross; we've read "The Tao te Ching" without reading "The Cloud of the Unknowing".
Certainly, there is much to be gained spiritually from studying the Eastern religious traditions; but it is thru meditation and contemplative prayer that is grounded in the Trinity that we reach true “Enlightenment".
We must always remember that the Eucharist is the most essential element needed for a mystical relationship with God.See Father Cantalamessa's homilies on the Eucharist.
In the early 1960's, The Holy Spirit, recognizing a need for a spiritual renewal on this planet, brought about the Second Vatican Council as a way of bringing about these needed changes.
It was also during this same time period that more and more spiritually inclined individuals in the West began looking towards the East as a way to quench their thirst for mysticism.
Movements appeared within the Catholic community, in part, to respond to this growing need in the West for an understanding of this nearly neglected area of spirituality.From the Vatican II document Ad Gentes comes this;
"Worthy of special mention are the various projects for causing the contemplative life to take root.There are those who in such an attempt have kept the essential element of a monastic institution,and are bent on implanting the rich tradition of their order; there are others again who are returning to the simpler forms of ancient monasticism. But all are studiously looking for a genuine adaptation to local conditions. Since the contemplative life belongs to the fullness of the Church's presence, let it be put into effect everywhere."

This blog is my modest attempt to look into Meditation and Contemplative prayer within the Catholic tradition.
Following the advice of Fr.Thomas Keating in his book "Manifesting God" I will look into the works of John Cassian, Francis de Sales, Teresa of Avila, John of the Cross,
Therese of Lisieux and Thomas Merton.