Meditations

Engrave in your memory those words which struck you while praying, and repeat them slowly many times throughout the day.


With you, Jesus, what joy in suffering, what light in darkness!



.....from Opus Dei: The Way.

Quote

Our hearts are restless, until they rest in you, O Lord.
- St. Augustine

Confession

Last night at RCIA they spoke about this sacrament. I could tell by the questions being asked that some of the candidates were nervous about this and wondering just what to ask. I remember that fear. I remember wondering what if I don't say the important sins. The first time I did a confession it was about anger. It was an attempt at something I really didn't understand. I didn't know why I was telling a Priest my sins. Why couldn't I just tell God as I've always done? Years later I've studied and researched it more. I've read documents on it and come to understand that God gave the disciples the power to forgive, that we were told to confess to one another and how the physical action of speaking out loud to someone and doing penance somehow makes it seem more real to me.

I remember being nervous that first time. I still am nervous. I regularly go to confession every month but as soon as I walk into that booth I forget what to say. The Priest knows this and helps me...I bet secretly he laughs about it later. ;) But that's OK, it is kind of ironic how nervous I get when I do it over and over...don't you think I'd be over it by now!

Father spoke about examination of consciousness. Something I should start doing every night. He spoke about some of the saints writings on the topic and gave a great handout on how to do it relating back to the 10 commandements. He said to find out the route of the problem and not to show up with a list of everything you've ever done. For instance you don't love God with your whole heart before everything else because you are focused on money, material things, debt, don't trust in God, don't pray routinely or go to Mass. I must admit I am focused on what I did instead of why. I need to examine my sins and see them deeper as a source of something underlying. It's hard to explain what he meant but I understood it perfectly last night.

I guess it's so easy to look at an examination of consciousness list you've downloaded off the internet, pick some sins and confess them when your missing the big picture that every sin your stating is breaking the sixth commandement. I hope that explains it better.

I think I will look at the handout he gave and pick a few things to work on in my daily life. Right now I can think of a few things which I will try to work on but I am sure there is more. We all have areas we need to improve on and I pray that I am able to change.

Anyways it was a good night, I'm glad I got to go.

Something to share

Yesterday at Mass youngest dd looked at a stain glass window and asked if that was Mary. I said yes. Then she asked what Mary was stepping on. I told her a serpent and then she asked why. I told her how through Mary sin was overcome.

Imagine how I felt when the readings and homily was about the serpent in the Garden of Eden.


Later on all of a sudden she outstretched her arms against the pew in front of me. She still had them outstretched when the Priest spoke in the homily about how Jesus died with outstretched arms.

I think she's going to be a saint someday.

Our Lady of Lourdes

Lenten meme from Ukok

1. What’s been your best Lenten-effort-idea ever? 2 years ago I gave up swearing. I swore alot. The girls at work were very proud of me...they even talked about it today on how well I did with it.

2. And your worst? Umm, not sure.

3. What good Lenten advice would you share? Remember the real purpose of Lent and relate it to you. Do something that you can achieve.

4. And what will feature this year? More prayers, more bible reading and trying to be more patient and forgiving.

I tag: Anyone who wants to play.

St. Agatha...Feb 5

I am excited that today is St. Agatha's day. I remember when my Mom had breast cancer she was one of the saints I turned to for help. I chose her because she is also one of the saints for nurses so I felt a special bond to her. My prayers and thoughts worked. It's been a few years now and so far my Mom is fine.

I also am taking dh to church tonight. I told him that St. Agatha was a virgin and a martyr so the priest should be wearing red. I hope I am right. If not I may have to hunt him down after the service and ask why!

I got my paczki donuts in prepration for Lent. I buy them every year. They are soooo yummy. Tonight we are having potato pancakes because I don't like pancakes. Then it's up early tomorrow for ash wednesday service. I wish I could go to the one with the kid's for their school but I have to work and leave in the middle of the service. I hate doing that so I'll go early in the morning with dh and the youngest dd.

Hopefully I'll remember to pick up some Lenten devotion tracts at Mass tonight. Forgot on Sunday :(

Novena

This one offically starts tomorrow but I think I'll be busy tomorrow so I'm posting it now. This year is the 150th anniversary of the beginning of the apparations so I urge you do do this novena for nine days.

Novena to
Our Lady of Lourdes

Prayer
Be blessed, O most pure Virgin, for having vouchsafed to manifest your shining with life, sweetness and beauty, in the Grotto of Lourdes, saying to the child, St. Bernadette: "I am the Immaculate Conception." A thousand times we congratulate you upon your Immaculate Conception. And now, O ever Immaculate Virgin, Mother of mercy, Health of the sick, Refuge of sinners, Comforter of the afflicted, you know our wants, our troubles, our sufferings deign to cast upon us a look of mercy.

By appearing in the Grotto of Lourdes, you were pleased to make it a privileged sanctuary, whence you dispense your favors, and already many have obtained the cure of their infirmities, both spiritual and physical. We come, therefore, with the most unbounded confidence to implore your maternal intercession. Obtain for us, O loving Mother, the granting of our request. request Through gratitude for your favors, we will endeavor to imitate your virtues, that we may one day share your glory.
Our Lady of Lourdes, Mother of Christ, you had influence with your divine son while upon earth. You have the same influence now in Heaven. Pray for us; obtain for us from your Divine Son our special requests if it be the Divine Will. Amen.
Our Lady of Lourdes, pray for us.

Saint Bernadette, pray for us.




NINE DAY NOVENA TO OUR LADY OF LOURDES


DAY ONE
O Mary Immaculate, Our Lady of Lourdes, virgin and mother, queen of heaven, chosen from all eternity to be the Mother of the Eternal Word and in virtue of this title preserved from original sin, we kneel before you as did little Bernadette at Lourdes and pray with childlike trust in you that as we contemplate your glorious appearance at Lourdes, you will look with mercy on our present petition and secure for us a favorable answer to the request for which we are making this novena.

(make your request)

O Brilliant star of purity, Mary Immaculate, Our Lady of Lourdes, glorious in your assumption, triumphant in your coronation, show unto us the mercy of the Mother of God, Virgin Mary, Queen and Mother, be our comfort, hope, strength, and consolation. Amen.

Our Lady of Lourdes, pray for us.

Saint Bernadette, pray for us.



DAY TWO
Be blessed, O most pure Virgin, for having vouchsafed to manifest yourself shining with light, sweetness and beauty, in the Grotto of Lourdes, saying to the child Saint Bernadette: "I am the Immaculate Conception!" O Mary Immaculate, inflame our hearts with one ray of the burning love of your pure heart Let them be consumed with love for Jesus and for you, in order that we may merit one day to enjoy your glorious eternity. O dispenser of His graces here below, take into your keeping and present to your Divine Son the petition for which we are making this novena.

(make your request)

O Brilliant star of purity, Mary Immaculate, Our Lady of Lourdes, glorious in your assumption, triumphant in your coronation, show unto us the mercy of the Mother of God, Virgin Mary, Queen and Mother, be our comfort, hope, strength, and consolation. Amen.

Our Lady of Lourdes, pray for us.

Saint Bernadette, pray for us.



DAY THREE
"You are all fair, O Mary, and there is in you no stain of original sin." O Mary, conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee. O brilliant star of sanctity, as on that lovely day, upon a rough rock in Lourdes you spoke to the child Bernadette and a fountain broke from the plain earth and miracles happened and the great shrine of Lourdes began, so now I beseech you to hear our fervent prayer and do, we beseech you, grant us the petition we now so earnestly seek.

(make your request)

O Brilliant star of purity, Mary Immaculate, Our Lady of Lourdes, glorious in your assumption, triumphant in your coronation, show unto us the mercy of the Mother of God, Virgin Mary, Queen and Mother, be our comfort, hope, strength, and consolation. Amen.

Our Lady of Lourdes, pray for us.

Saint Bernadette, pray for us.



DAY FOUR
O Immaculate Queen of Heaven, we your wayward, erring children, join our unworthy prayers of praise and thanksgiving to those of the angels and saints and your own-the One, Holy, and Undivided Trinity may be glorified in heaven and on earth. Our Lady of Lourdes, as you looked down with love and mercy upon Bernadette as she prayed her rosary in the grotto, look down now, we beseech you, with love and mercy upon us. From the abundance of graces granted you by your Divine Son, sweet Mother of God, give to each of us all that your motherly heart sees we need and at this moment look with special favor on the grace we seek in this novena.

(make your request)

O Brilliant star of purity, Mary Immaculate, Our Lady of Lourdes, glorious in your assumption, triumphant in your coronation, show unto us the mercy of the Mother of God, Virgin Mary, Queen and Mother, be our comfort, hope, strength, and consolation. Amen.

Our Lady of Lourdes, pray for us.

Saint Bernadette, pray for us.



DAY FIVE
O Mary Immaculate, Mother of God and our mother, from the heights of your dignity look down mercifully upon us while we, full of confidence in your unbounded goodness and confident that your Divine Son will look favorably upon any request you make of Him in our behalf, we beseech you to come to our aid and secure for us the favor we seek in this novena.
(make your request)

O Brilliant star of purity, Mary Immaculate, Our Lady of Lourdes, glorious in your assumption, triumphant in your coronation, show unto us the mercy of the Mother of God, Virgin Mary, Queen and Mother, be our comfort, hope, strength, and consolation. Amen.

Our Lady of Lourdes, pray for us.

Saint Bernadette, pray for us.



DAY SIX
O glorious Mother of God, so powerful under your special title of Our Lady of Lourdes, to you we raise our hearts and hands to implore your powerful intercession in obtaining from the gracious Heart of Jesus all the helps and graces necessary for our spiritual and temporal welfare and for the special favor we so earnestly seek in this novena.

(make your request)

O Lady of Bernadette, with the stars of heaven in your hair and the roses of earth at your feet, look with compassion upon us today as you did so long ago on Bernadette in the Grotto of Lourdes.

O Brilliant star of purity, Mary Immaculate, Our Lady of Lourdes, glorious in your assumption, triumphant in your coronation, show unto us the mercy of the Mother of God, Virgin Mary, Queen and Mother, be our comfort, hope, strength, and consolation. Amen.

Our Lady of Lourdes, pray for us.

Saint Bernadette, pray for us.



DAY SEVEN
O Almighty God, who by the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary did prepare a worthy dwelling place for your Son, we humbly beseech you that as we contemplate the apparition of Our Lady in the Grotto of Lourdes, we may be blessed with health of mind and body. O most gracious Mother Mary, beloved Mother of Our Lord and Redeemer, look with favor upon us as you did that day on Bernadette and intercede with him for us that the favor we now so earnestly seek may be granted to us.
(make your request)

O Brilliant star of purity, Mary Immaculate, Our Lady of Lourdes, glorious in your assumption, triumphant in your coronation, show unto us the mercy of the Mother of God, Virgin Mary, Queen and Mother, be our comfort, hope, strength, and consolation. Amen

Our Lady of Lourdes, pray for us.

Saint Bernadette, pray for us.



DAY EIGHT
O Immaculate Mother of God, from heaven itself you came to appear to the little Bernadette in the rough Grotto of Lourdes! And as Bernadette knelt at your feet and the miraculous spring burst forth and as multitudes have knelt ever since before your shrine, O Mother of God, we kneel before you today to ask that in your mercy you plead with your Divine Son to grant the special favor we seek in this novena.

(make your request)

O Brilliant star of purity, Mary Immaculate, Our Lady of Lourdes, glorious in your assumption, triumphant in your coronation, show unto us the mercy of the Mother of God, Virgin Mary, Queen and Mother, be our comfort, hope, strength, and consolation. Amen.

Our Lady of Lourdes, pray for us.

Saint Bernadette, pray for us.


DAY NINE
O glorious Mother of God, to you we raise our hearts and hands to implore your powerful intercession in obtaining from the benign Heart of Jesus all the graces necessary for our spiritual and temporal welfare, particularly for the grace of a happy death. O Mother of our Divine Lord, as we conclude this novena for the special favor we seek at this time.
(make your request)

We feel animated with confidence that your prayers in our behalf will be graciously heard. O Mother of My Lord, through the love you bear to Jesus Christ and for the glory of His Name, hear our prayers and obtain our petitions.
O Brilliant star of purity, Mary Immaculate, Our Lady of Lourdes, glorious in your assumption, triumphant in your coronation, show unto us the mercy of the Mother of God, Virgin Mary, Queen and Mother, be our comfort, hope, strength, and consolation. Amen.

Our Lady of Lourdes, pray for us.

Saint Bernadette, pray for us.