The Orthodox Churches have many rich prayers.

Here's part of the Akathist to St. Joseph the Betrothed (Jesus's foster-father):


O holy, righteous Joseph!
Whilst still living on earth, thou hadst great boldness before the Son of God, Who was pleased to call thee His father, as thou wast betrothed to His Mother, and to obey thee: we believe that now, taking up thine abode with the choirs of the righteous in heavenly habitations, thou wilt be heard in thine every request to our God and Saviour.

Therefore, taking refuge in thy protection and help, we ask and humbly entreat thee, that as thou thyself wast delivered from the storm of doubtful thoughts, so too deliver us who are beset by the stormy waves of our troubles and passions; as thou didst guard the all-pure Virgin from human slander, guard us likewise from all false witness; as thou didst keep the incarnate Lord from all harm and evil intent, keep also His Orthodox Church and all of us from all malice and harm.

Thou knowest, O Saint of God, that the Son of God too in the days of His incarnation had need of bodily things, and thou didst serve Him; for this cause we pray thee: aid us in our temporal needs by thine intercession, granting us all good things needful unto us in this life: and especially we ask thee to pray Him Who was called thy son, Who is the Only-begotten Son of God, our Lord Jesus Christ, to grant us remission of our sins, that we may be worthy of inheritance in the kingdom of heaven, so that, taking up our abode in the higher habitations with thee, we may alway glorify the God Who is One in the Holy Trinity: the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, now and unto ages of ages.

Amen.


Let us add the further petition:


"St. Joseph, pray for the unity of the Church. May the Armenian, Catholic, Coptic, Oriental Orthodox, and Orthodox Churches share the accord we had in the beginning of the Church. By your intercession, grant us that unity of life for which Jesus prayed, the unity of truth as God knows the truth to be, and eternal life with each other in Your Presence. Amen."

And now, good news and bad news.

Egypt's Muslims attend Coptic Christmas mass, serving as "human shields"

H/t: Mark Shea.

God bless these Muslims! May their example shine throughout the world and show terrorists the wrongs of terrorism!

Prayers for Egypt: New Years Massacre at Coptic Church

H/t: Just a Dude.

Let us pray:


A Prayer for Persecuted Christians

(C) by Star Ferdinand. Used by permission.

Thank You, O Lord, for redeeming us from the hand of the adversary and gathering us from the far corners of the earth. We bow before You now, asking that You have mercy on Your people who are persecuted and afflicted around the world – those who have heeded the call of Jesus to take up their Cross daily and follow Him. Their path has been difficult, full of trials and hardships. Yet they refuse to deny their Lord. As they partake of the sufferings of Christ, we know they are also partaking of the comfort You provide. Please work out Your will in their lives. Stand by them and strengthen them as You did Paul, so they can earnestly say, “Your will be done.” 

We have read of the rescue of Peter from prison and know that You can turn the heart of any government official, including those with authority to release Your people from prison. Father, You rescued Peter in response to the prayers of the Church. We now ask You to do the same for Your disciples everywhere who have been imprisoned because they preach Christ. Deliver Your messengers from the hands of the executioners so that through them, Your message will be fully proclaimed to every people group on earth. 

We have also read of Your servant, Stephen, who was stoned to death. We know that many others since that day have been executed because they would not deny their faith. For those in our generation who will suffer this same fate, we ask, Lord, that You will strengthen their faith so they can say with Paul, “To die is gain.” Expand their vision, O God, so that they see what Stephen saw: Jesus standing at Your right hand. Let those of us who now pray to You follow the lead of Your persecuted ones, pick up our Crosses daily, and follow Your Son, in Whose precious name we pray. Amen.

It's been awhile...

...so let me catch up.

Merry Christmas!

The Nativity Story, from Luke chapter 2 (KJV):

And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be taxed. (And this taxing was first made when Cyrenius was governor of Syria.) And all went to be taxed, everyone into his own city. And Joseph also went up from Galilee,out of the city of Nazareth, into Judea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem; (because he was of the house and lineage of David:) to be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with Child. And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered. And she brought forth her firstborn Son, and wrapped Him in swaddling clothes, and laid Him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn.

And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them, "Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people! For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger."

And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, "Glory to God in the highest and on earth, peace good will toward men!"

Happy...

Feast of St. Stephen! (December 26, Latin calendar)

and Feast of St. Joseph the Betrothed! (December 26, Eastern calendar)

Happy Feast of the Holy Family!

Happy...

Solemnity of Mary Theotokos!

and New Year!

Happy Feast of the Epiphany!

The Anchoress has a great post about Confession.

Read the entire thing here.


If you were to ask me my favorite sacrament, it would be a tie between Confession and the Eucharist!


Quoting the Anchoress's quote of David Mill's Inside Catholic article:


. . . we need to recover the use of the word “confession,” while quietly dropping “the sacrament of reconciliation.” We need to hear the blunt word, because, before everything else, we want to say, “I did this and I’m really sorry.” That’s the appeal of confession, the chance to get it all out in the open. To emphasize the result is a bit like renaming the emergency room the “healing center.” It’s true, but not as helpful or as encouraging as you’d think, particularly when you really have an emergency.

A New Testament saint whom I've just learned more about.

Saint Photini.

Prayer to Saint Photini:

Illuminated by the Holy Spirit, All-Glorious One,
from Christ the Saviour you drank the water of salvation.
With open hand you give it to those who thirst.
Great-Martyr Photini, Equal-to-the-Apostles,
pray to Christ for the salvation of our souls.

Long Live Pope Benedict XVI!

On April 11th, the Knights of Columbus began a novena for Pope Benedict XVI* in honor of the fifth anniversary of his election. While the novena officially ended on April 19th, I'd like to suggest that we take it up again and make it a perpetual novena.

Novena for Pope Benedict XVI

Lord, Source of eternal life and truth,

give to Your shepherd, Benedict,

a spirit of courage and right judgment,

a spirit of knowledge and love.

By governing with fidelity those entrusted to his care,

may he, as successor to the Apostle Peter and Vicar of Christ,

build Your Church into a sacrament of unity, love, and peace for all the world.

Amen.

V. Let us pray for Benedict, the Pope.

R. May the Lord preserve him, give him a long life, make him blessed upon the earth, and not hand him over to the power of his enemies.

V. May Your hand be upon Your holy servant,

R. and upon Your son, whom You have anointed.

Our Father...

Hail, Mary...

Glory Be...






*PDF warning.

The priest(s) over at...

...Adam's Ale have a series explaining the Mass!

Here are thelinks to the first eight parts:

Mass Confusion Part One

Mass Confusion Part Two

Mass Confusion Part Three

Mass Confusion Part Four

Mass Confusion Part Five

Mass Confusion Part Six

Mass Confusion Part Seven

Mass Confusion Part Eight

Way cool!

Vatican set to investigate "Miracle Man" in Kansas.

Read about it at---

The Wichita Eagle.

The story is good, the comments not-so-much.

One commentor states:

"As a military person I am offended that people are using Father Kapaun's name in such a way. The man was a soldier doing his job, and I am sure if he was alive he would be saying the same thing. While I agree that he may deserve a Medal of Honor, sainthood is another story. Just because the church has people praying in his name does not mean that the spirit of the father saved Chase Kear. It means that they prayed, God heard and he answered. After all are you praying to father Kapaun or God? The man died serving his country, honor him if you want, but let the mans soul rest."

The last line is what caught my attention: "The man died serving his country, honor him if you want, but let the mans soul rest."

I take it this person is of the Protestant persuasion. Granted, in spite of the fact that I was too for about 30 years, I don't know everything about what all the Protestant sects teach regarding the soul after death, but I've never before encountered a Protestant who believed we can disturb the soul of a person who is in Glory. Strange.

Thanks be to God for Chase Kear's recovery.

Eternal rest grant unto Bob Frederick*, O Lord; and let perpetual light shine upon him. May he rest in peace. May his soul, and the souls of the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace.

And may all who have a hard time believing in God because of evil in the world, find Him in spite of the evil.*

*Both of these were mentioned in a comment given by "anonymousposter" on 6/24/2009 at 11:31:56pm.

A prayer for the Pope

O God, the Shepherd and Ruler of all the faithful, look propitiously upon Thy servant, Benedict XVI, whom Thou hast been pleased to constitute pastor over Thy Church; grant him, we beseech Thee, that he may govern with advantage those over whom he presides, in word and example, that, together with the flock entrusted to him, he may come to life everlasting. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Let us never forget...

...our brothers and sisters who suffer for the name of Christ in the Middle East.

National Geographic--Arab Christians. (H/t to Mark Shea).

Where God Weeps/Aid to the Church in Need

Voice of the Martyrs

Open Doors with Brother Andrew

"For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body, so also is Christ. For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we are Jews or Gentiles, whether we are bond or free, and have been all made to drink into one Spirit. For the body is not one member, but many…that there should be no schism in the body, but that the members should have the same care one for another. And whenever one member suffer, all the members suffer with it…"

The First Epistle of the Apostle Saint Paul to the Church at Corinth
(I Corinthians 12:12-14, 25, 26a NAV)

"Remember those who are in prison, as though you were in prison with them; those who are being tortured, as though you yourselves were being tortured."

The Epistle of Hebrews
(Hebrews 13:3 NRSV)

Prayer for the Persecuted

Father in Heaven, You make Your sun shine on bad and good alike. Your Son, Jesus Christ, died for us all and in His glorious Resurrection He still retains the five wounds of His Passion. With His divine power He now sustains all those who suffer persecution and martyrdom for the sake of their fidelity to the faith of the Church. Merciful and mighty Father, do not allow Cain to return again to murder helpless Abel, innocent Abel. May the persecuted Christians remain, like Mary, their Mother, together at the foot of the Cross of Christ the Martyr. Comfort those menaced by violence and those oppressed by uncertainty. May Your Holy Spirit of love make fruitful the witness and the blood of those who die forgiving. Amen.

My friends...

...blogging has been and will continue to be non-existant (well, maybe extremely sporadic) for awhile due to the fact that I have recently moved and thusly have extremely limited internet access: no internet at home, very little time to visit the library, and sometimes have access to the web at work, but not always.

However, on January 28th, I hope to attend the installation Mass for Detroit's new Archbishop-elect, His Excellency Allen Henry Vigneron! I will have my new digital camera with me, and will take and post pictures.

Update: added Monday, June 1, 2009

We had a lot of snow that day, so I missed the installation. [Insert frowny face here.]

Happy All Saints' Day!

New Advent on the Litany of the Saints.

The Litany of the Saints

V. Lord, have mercy upon us.
R. Christ, have mercy upon us.
V. Lord, have mercy upon us.

V. O Christ, hear us.
R. O Christ, graciously hear us.

V. O God the Father of heaven.
R. Have mercy upon us.

V. O God the Son, Redeemer of the world.
R. Have mercy upon us.

V. O God the Holy Ghost.
R. Have mercy upon us.

V. O Holy Trinity, one God.
R. Have mercy upon us.

V. Holy Mary.
R. Pray for us.

V. Holy Mother of God.
R. Pray for us.

V. Holy Virgin of virgins.
R. Pray for us.

V. Saint Michael.
R. Pray for us.

V. Saint Gabriel.
R. Pray for us.

V. Saint Raphael.
R. Pray for us.

V. All ye holy Angels and Archangels.
R. Pray for us.

V. All ye holy orders of blessed Spirits.
R. Pray for us.

V. Saint John Baptist.
R. Pray for us.

V. Saint Joseph.
R. Pray for us.

V. All ye holy Patriarchs and Prophets.
R. Pray for us.

V. Saint Peter.
R. Pray for us.

V. Saint Paul.
R. Pray for us.

V. Saint Andrew.
R. Pray for us.

V. Saint James.
R. Pray for us.

V. Saint John.
R. Pray for us.

V. Saint Thomas.
R. Pray for us.

V. Saint James.
R. Pray for us.

V. Saint Philip.
R. Pray for us.

V. Saint Bartholomew.
R. Pray for us.

V. Saint Matthew.
R. Pray for us.

V. Saint Simon.
R. Pray for us.

V. Saint Jude.
R. Pray for us.

V. Saint Matthias.
R. Pray for us.

V. Saint Barnabas.
R. Pray for us.

V. Saint Luke.
R. Pray for us.

V. Saint Mark.
R. Pray for us.

V. All ye holy Apostles and Evangelists.
R. Pray for us.

V. All ye holy Disciples of the Lord.
R. Pray for us.

V. All ye Holy Innocents.
R. Pray for us.

V. Saint Stephen.
R. Pray for us.

V. Saint Lawrence.
R. Pray for us.

V. Saint Vincent.
R. Pray for us.

V. Saint Fabian and Saint Sebastian.
R. Pray for us.

V. Saint John and Saint Paul.
R. Pray for us.

V. Saint Cosmas and Saint Damian.
R. Pray for us.

V. Saint Gervasius and Saint Protasius..
R. Pray for us.

V. All ye holy Martyrs.
R. Pray for us.

V. Saint Sylvester.
R. Pray for us.

V. Saint Gregory.
R. Pray for us.

V. Saint Ambrose.
R. Pray for us.

V. Saint Augustine.
R. Pray for us.

V. Saint Jerome.
R. Pray for us.

V. Saint Martin.
R. Pray for us.

V. Saint Nicholas.
R. Pray for us.

V. All ye holy Bishops and Confessors.
R. Pray for us.

V. All ye holy Doctors.
R. Pray for us.

V. Saint Anthony.
R. Pray for us.

V. Saint Benedict.
R. Pray for us.

V. Saint Bernard.
R. Pray for us.

V. Saint Dominic.
R. Pray for us.

V. Saint Francis.
R. Pray for us.

V. All ye holy Priests and Levites.
R. Pray for us.

V. All ye holy Monks and Hermits.
R. Pray for us.

V. Saint Mary Magdalene.
R. Pray for us.

V. Saint Agatha.
R. Pray for us.

V. Saint Lucy.
R. Pray for us.

V. Saint Agnes.
R. Pray for us.

V. Saint Cecilia.
R. Pray for us.

V. Saint Catherine.
R. Pray for us.

V. Saint Anastasia.
R. Pray for us.

V. All ye holy Virgins and Widows.
R. Pray for us.

V. All ye Holy, Righteous, and Elect of God.
R. Intercede for us.

V. Be Thou merciful.
R. Spare us, good Lord.

V. Be Thou merciful.
R. Graciously hear us, good Lord.

V. From all evil.
R. Good Lord, deliver us.

V. From all deadly sin.
R. Good Lord, deliver us.

V. From Thine anger.
R. Good Lord, deliver us.

V. From sudden and unrepentant death.
R. Good Lord, deliver us.

V. From the crafts and assaults of the devil.
R. Good Lord, deliver us.

V. From anger, and hatred, and all uncharitableness.
R. Good Lord, deliver us.

V. From the spirit of fornication.
R. Good Lord, deliver us.

V. From lightning and tempest.
R. Good Lord, deliver us.

V. From the peril of earthquake, fire, and flood.
R. Good Lord, deliver us.

V. From pestilence, famine, and battle.
R. Good Lord, deliver us.

V. From everlasting damnation.
R. Good Lord, deliver us.

V. By the mystery of Thy holy Incarnation.
R. Good Lord, deliver us.

V. By Thine Advent.
R. Good Lord, deliver us.

V. By Thy Nativity.
R. Good Lord, deliver us.

V. By Thy Baptism and holy Fasting.
R. Good Lord, deliver us.

V. By Thy Cross and Passion.
R. Good Lord, deliver us.

V. By Thy precious Death and Burial.
R. Good Lord, deliver us.

V. By Thy holy Resurrection.
R. Good Lord, deliver us.

V. By Thy glorious Ascension.
R. Good Lord, deliver us.

V. By the coming of the Holy Ghost the Comforter.
R. Good Lord, deliver us.

V. In the day of judgment.
R. Good Lord, deliver us.

V. Even though we be sinners.
R. We beseech Thee to hear us, good Lord.

V. That it may please Thee to spare us.
R. We beseech Thee to hear us, good Lord.

V. That it may please Thee to pity and pardon us.
R. We beseech Thee to hear us, good Lord.

V. That it may please Thee to give us true repentance.
R. We beseech Thee to hear us, good Lord.

V. That it may please Thee to rule and govern Thy holy Church.
R. We beseech Thee to hear us, good Lord.

V. That it may please Thee to preserve the household of the Apostles, and to keep all orders in the Church in Thy true religion.
R. We beseech Thee to hear us, good Lord.

V. That it may please Thee to overthrow the enemies of Thy holy Church.
R. We beseech Thee to hear us, good Lord.

V. That it may please Thee to bestow on all Christian kings and princes true peace and concord.
R. We beseech Thee to hear us, good Lord.

V. That it may please Thee to give to all Christian nations both peace and unity.
R. We beseech Thee to hear us, good Lord.

V. That it may please Thee to restore unity to Thy Church, and to lead all unbelievers into the light of Thy holy Gospel.
R. We beseech Thee to hear us, good Lord.

V. That it may please Thee to strengthen and preserve us in true worshipping of Thee.
R. We beseech Thee to hear us, good Lord.

V. That it may please Thee to endue our hearts with heavenly desires.
R. We beseech Thee to hear us, good Lord.

V. That it may please Thee to bestow on all our benefactors Thine everlasting benefits.
R. We beseech Thee to hear us, good Lord.

V. That it may please Thee to deliver from eternal damnation our souls, and those of our brethren, kindred, and benefactors.
R. We beseech Thee to hear us, good Lord.

V. That it may please Thee to give and preserve to our use the kindly fruits of the earth.
R. We beseech Thee to hear us, good Lord.

V. That it may please Thee to bestow upon all Thy faithful departed rest eternal.
R. We beseech Thee to hear us, good Lord.

V. That it may please Thee graciously to hear our prayer.
R. We beseech Thee to hear us, good Lord.

V. O Son of God.
R. We beseech Thee to hear us, good Lord.

V. O Lamb of God, that takest away the sins of the world.
R. Spare us, good Lord.

V. O Lamb of God, that takest away the sins of the world.
R. Graciously hear us, good Lord.

V. O Lamb of God, that takest away the sins of the world.
R. Have mercy upon us.

V. O Christ, hear us.
R. O Christ, graciously hear us.

V. Lord, have mercy upon us.
R. Christ, have mercy upon us.
Lord, have mercy upon us.

Our Father…
Which words are said aloud, and the rest secretly to:
V. And lead us not into temptation.
R. But deliver us from evil.

Psalm 70. Deus, in adjutorium.

To the Chief Musician: A Psalm of David. To Bring to Remembrance.

O God, come to my assistance;
O Lord, make haste to help me.

Let them be ashamed and confounded
that seek after my soul;
let them be turned backward and put to confusion
that desire my hurt.
Let them be turned back
as a reward for their shame
that say, "Aha, aha!"
Let all those that seek Thee
rejoice and be glad in Thee;
and let such as love Thy salvation
say continually,
"Let God be magnified!"
But I am poor and needy;
make haste unto me, O God.
Thou art my help and my deliverer;
O Lord, make no tarrying.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit;
as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end.
Amen.

V. O God, save Thy servants.
R. That put their trust in Thee.

V. Be unto us, O Lord, a tower of strength.
R. From the face of the enemy.

V. Let the enemy prevail nothing against us.
R. Nor the son of wickedness approach to afflict us.

V. O Lord, deal not with us after our sins.
R. Neither reward us according to our iniquities.

V. Let us pray for our Pope N.
R. The Lord preserve him and grant him life, and make him blessed upon earth; and deliver him not unto the will of his enemies.

V. Let us pray for our benefactors.
R. Vouchsafe, O Lord, for Thy Name's sake, to reward with eternal life all them that do us good. Amen.

V. Let us pray for the faithful departed.
R. Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord; and let perpetual light shine upon them.

V. May they rest in peace.
R. Amen.

V. Let us pray for our absent brethren.
R. Save Thy servants, O my God, that put their trust in Thee.

V. Send them help, O Lord, from Thy holy place.
R. And from Zion deliver them.

V. O Lord, hear my prayer.
R. And let my cry come unto Thee.

V. The Lord be with you.
R. And with thy spirit.

Let us pray.

O God, whose nature and property is ever to have mercy and to forgive: receive our humble petitions; and though we be tied and bound by the chain of our sins, yet let the pitifulness of Thy great mercy loose us.

We beseech Thee, O Lord, mercifully to hear the prayers of Thy humble servants, and to forgive the sins of them that confess the same unto Thee: that they may obtain of Thy loving-kindness pardon and peace.

O Lord, we pray Thee, show forth upon us Thy servants the abundance of Thy unspeakable mercy: that we may be delivered from the chain of our sins, and from the punishment which for the same we have most righteously deserved.

O God, who art wroth with them that sin against Thee, and sparest them that are penitent: we beseech Thee to hear the prayers of Thy people that call upon Thee; that we, which have most justly deserved the scourges of Thine anger, may by Thy great mercy be delivered from the same.

Almighty and everlasting God, we beseech Thee to have compassion upon N., our Pope, and by Thy mercy govern him in the way of everlasting life: that, being endued with Thy grace, he may ever seek those things that are pleasing unto Thee, and with his whole strength perform the same.

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

Grant, O Lord, we pray Thee, that the fire of Thy Holy Spirit may in such wise cleanse our reins and our hearts: that we serving Thee in pureness both of body and soul may be found an acceptable people in Thy sight.

O God, the Creator and Redeemer of all them that believe: grant unto the souls of Thy servants and handmaidens the remission of all their sins; that, as they have ever desired Thy merciful pardon, so by the supplications of their brethren they may receive the same.

Prevent us, O Lord, in all our doings with Thy most gracious favor, and further us with Thy continual help: that in all our works begun, continued, and ended in Thee, we may glorify Thy holy Name, and finally by Thy mercy obtain everlasting life.

Almighty and everlasting God, who hast dominion both of the quick and the dead, who likewise hast mercy upon all men, whom by reason of their faith and works Thou hast foreknown: we commend unto Thee all those for whom we now do offer our prayers, whether in this world they still be held in the bonds of the flesh, or being delivered therefrom have passed into that which is to come; beseeching Thee that at the intercession of all Thy Saints they may of Thy bountiful goodness obtain the remission of all their sins. Through Jesus Christ Thy Son our Lord: Who liveth and reigneth with Thee in the unity of the Holy Ghost, ever one God, world without end.
R. Amen.

V. The Lord be with you.
R. And with thy spirit.

V. May the Almighty and Merciful Lord graciously hear us.
R. Amen.

V. And may the souls of the faithful departed, † through the mercy of God, rest in peace.
R. Amen.

Today We Remember...

Today, We Remember…


I still remember vividly the attacks of September 11, 2001. I was at work, not listening to NPR, or any radio show/station, which was very unusual for me at that time of day. Someone from the office came out into the warehouse and told us about the first plane hit. I didn't realize even then how serious the situation was, and delayed turning on the radio until the second plane hit. I don't remember which came first, the plane crashing in Pennsylvania or the Pentagon attack, but I called my mom after they both occurred. She was still sleeping at the time. After she said "Hello", I told her what was happening and to turn on the television. I kept listening to the radio all day. My dad went home from his job to be with my mom, and my sister and her three children went over there, too. I wish I had joined them, but nobody from my workplace went home, and, even though I really wanted to be with my family, I stayed at work, not that we got very much done that day.

I remember thinking, "The World Trade Center is hit, two planes crashed into it and the towers are burning, some people have already died, but they're evacuating and it will turn out okay for most of the people today."

Then the towers fell.

I don't even know how to describe the sinking feeling I got in my gut when that happened. There was a Lutheran church not far from my workplace, so I called their office and asked if they were open for people to come pray. The lady on the phone told me that they had just decided one minute before I called to open the church up for prayer. So I went for a while. When I got back to the warehouse, my boss told me he was surprised that I came back. I'm not sure why my co-workers were not as affected as I was by what happened, but it hit me hard. My boss took it better than any of us did, but he'd spent twenty years in the navy and had been in combat. Some of my co-workers, and I must admit that I'm still somewhat upset over this, decided that their news source for the day was Howard Stern!

Many Christians, myself included, hoped that America would wake up and turn back to God, but that didn't really happen. Many New Yorkers have been affected and have re-prioritized their lives, concentrating more on God, friends, and family, but there wasn't a wide-spread spiritual renewal in that city, either. Our churches were packed for only a few weeks.

It seems that God intended through this tragedy, not a loud and general triumphant "revival" for the United States of America, but "the hidden sanctification" of a few souls. Of course, we see only a small portion of what goes on, and we cannot know whom God changed through that event, or for what purpose. Sometimes, it takes a generation or two for God's plan to become evident. I think of Mr. Edward D. Kimball, a Sunday School teacher at Mount Vernon Congregational Church in Boston, Massachusetts, I believe. Mr. Kimball never did any thing "extraordinary" in his life, but one day he led D.L. Moody to Christ. And look at Louie and Zélie Martin – ordinary Christian parents who gave birth to a Saint (and whose cause for sainthood is being explored). Perhaps something like that will come from the 9/11 tragedy. Who knows?

In the meantime, let us pray for the United States.

O God, I ask, in the Holy and Powerful Name of Your Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, that You will bless America by bringing the Christians in Her to repentance for our sins. May we reject and renounce the materialism in our lives, the selfishness, greed, and gluttony with which we fill our days. May we seek to know and love You, and seek to know and love our neighbors, and welcome them into Your family. May we remember that true riches are found in virtuous lives lived for Your glory, and that the riches of this world are given to our stewardship to further Your kingdom. And that even being good stewards builds Your kingdom. May we live courageous lives of charity and chastity in the public square, and, lest people think that we are so great and not You, may we be unafraid to speak of Jesus, His death, burial, and resurrection, what He means to us, how He changes us, how He loves u, and how He loves our fellow-citizens.

As we approach this election, may You guide our hearts and minds that we may vote for people and policies that are in accord with Your eternal and unchanging law. And may we remember that our hope does not lie in who our President is and which political party controls the Congress and what judges are on the Supreme Court, but our hope is in Jesus Christ and in Your promises to us through Him. May we remember that, in addition to voting into government men and women of character and integrity who will support the passing of good laws, that we must serve our family, friends, and neighbors. May we remember that it is more important for us to support crisis pregnancy centers than it is to protest public funding of Planned Parenthood. May we remember that is more important to befriend the men at the gay bar down the street than it is to boycott companies with domestic partner policies. May we remember that it is more important to visit the abandoned persons in nursing homes than it is to ensure adequate government oversight of the facilities they live in. May we remember that people are much more important than politics (but may we never forget that politics is important, too).

As we pray for America, asking that Your kingdom be furthered in Her, may we remember that Your kingdom will last for ever, whereas our nation will endure but for a time. May we remember that Your kingdom transcends all earthly kingdoms, and may we therefore pray for all people in all nations on earth. May we remember our brethren in Iraq who suffer at the hands of the Muslim majority of their country because of their witness to You. May we remember that Iraqi Muslims are not our enemy, but are prisoners of war; indeed, prisoners of THE Enemy, casualties in THE War. May we remember those who are oppressed by wicked rulers, those who are exploited by uncaring employers, those who are slaves, those women and children subjugated by the sex industry, those suffering from AIDS and other incurable diseases, any person who is in any situation that makes it difficult for them to believe that a good God exists. And, as we fight oppression, exploitation, slavery, the sex trade, disease, and darkness, may we remember, once more, that those who are guilty of these crimes are prisoners of THE Enemy and casualties of THE War. And may we remember that the darkness and evil in their hearts is in ours, too.

O God, fill us with Your love and grace that we may be concerned with Your glory. Change us that we may be fit instruments to spread Your kingdom. May Your Spirit fill us over and over, again and again because we are leaky vessels. May we love and respect and cherish Your Name, and may our hearts be consumed by You.

Amen.

A bit of a confession...

Not of sin, though. Recently I had a discussion with a couple of close friends, a married couple, that inspired this post. The conversation went something like this:

Me: "When I first joined the Catholic Church, I knew very little about the Orthodox Church."

Mr. H. and Mrs. H.*: "We didn't either."

Me: "I've been looking at the Orthodox Church lately, and I gotta tell you, both Churches seem to make equally good claims to being the True Church."

Mr H. immediately responded with some Catholic apologetics, which rather irritated me. They, as stated above, are converts to the Church too. (In fact, I'll tell you, not their story, but the story of how we lost contact with each other and found each other again. That'll be the next post.) As a result, all three of us are serious about the faith, which is why Mr. H. responded the way he did.

Mrs. H. was more gracious--

Mrs. H.: "Are you thinking about converting to the Orthodox?"

Me: "No. Not right now."

Mrs. H. (a little worried): "Would you convert?"

Me: "If I thought it was the True Church, absolutely!"

I'm in a very uncomfortabel position. I cannot make up my mind over which is the True Church. On the positive side of things, this has really energized my prayers for unity! Oh that the Eastern and Western Churches were in full communion with each other! At my current level of understanding, the Catholic Church (CC) has the greatest claim, but the Orthodox Church (OC) comes in at a close, a very close, second. One of the two biggest "issues" I have with the OC is its refusal to acknowledge doctrinal developement. It is very obvious from Church History that doctrine did develope (e.g. the Trinity, Christ's natures, etc.).

The biggest "issue" I have with Orthodoxy is pretty much the same issue I have with Evangelicalism: authority. While still a Protestant, the complete lack of objective authority within Protestantism and its off-shoots convinced me that Protestantism is wrong. Its logical conclusion sets me up as my own little infallible authority while only giving lip-service to the fact that I might be wrong about any given doctrine(s). Orthodoxy does not fall prey to a complete lack of authority, yet I see its authority lacking. As a Protestant looking for truth, the fact that many modern Protestant beliefs contradict matters settled by early Councils struck me as really, really wrong (I hate using that word so much, but it fits). I started learning about Church Councils and could not believe that there's still a Church in existence today that holds Councils! The most recent one ended in the '60s! I'm unsure as to the OC's reasoning as to why it no longer has Ecumenical Councils, but if someone who knows the answer to that reads this blog, I'd very much appreciate it if he or she would provide me with that answer!

As I struggle through this issue, pray with me for unity. Pray for me to know the truth!

And in the meantime, here's one of my favorite Orthodox blogs: Into the Light.

*This is not what I call them. I use the initial here to conceal their identity.

World Youth Day is half over! Insert frownie-face here!

I'm just now getting to the WYD websites. How exciting WYD is! I rejoice with the people who are able to be there live in person! For the rest of us, the USCCB (United States Conference of Catholic Bishops) has a virtual pilgrimmage. DREADNOUGHT is covering the event, too, and has an article written by a DREADPilgrim. (I was going to link to that specific post, but the perma-link doesn't seem to be available.) My job on the graveyard shift is slightly advantageous regarding the radio coverage. While I cannot get good radio reception of the two Catholic AM Radio stations in my part of Michigan (Ave Maria and Michigan Catholic Radio), I can listen when I go out making deliveries to certain hospitals. I heard part of Cardinal Pell's opening homily and part of Pope Benedict's speech last night.

Another thing we who have the misfortune of not being at WYD can do is pray for many graces to be released to the world through this event. And let us pray for the pilgrims, and that the pilgrims, especially the Chinese pilgrims (see the Intentional Disciples blog entry for Thursday, July 17, 2008 - once more Perma-link isn't working*), will bring back a new sense of Christ to their local communities.

*I think this may have something to do with the filtering software I have on my computer.

On the USCCB website...

...I found a great document: To the Ends of the Earth. I love the opening sentence: "Jesus was a missionary." It reminds me of a quote from David Livingstone which I've always enjoyed: "God had an only Son, and He was a missionary..."

God is all about bringing the nations back into a relationship with Him.

Evangelicals are big on missions. What about you, dear Catholic reader?

There are one and a half billion Muslims in the world. Many have heard that Jesus was a prophet, but very few have ever heard that He is the Risen Savior. Will you go tell them?

What about the world's five hundred million Hindus believing in three hundred thirty million gods and goddesses? Who will tell them about the One God who is Jealous for their love? He wants them for Himself. Will you go tell them?

Catholic parents, will you teach your children about the 10/40 Window and how very few missionary efforts there are in that area of the world? Will you ask God to send your children as His ambassadors to the unreached peoples of the world? Will you consider whether or not God may be calling your entire family - you, your spouse, your infants, your teenagers - to live among a group of people who have never heard the Gospel? Will your family make this a matter of prayer?

Catholic singles, have you considered how your career might gain you access to countries which don't allow missionaries? Your life of character and integrity can be a powerful witness to your non-Christian co-workers.

The Gospel is free, but it takes money to send people to preach the Gospel. Please consider giving to Catholic missionary orders. Here are a few that are worthy:

Mariannehill Missionaries

PIME Missionaries

Franciscan Friars of the Renewal

LAMP Ministries

Miles Christi

Renewal Ministries

Contact some of these organizations. See if you can "adopt" a missionary. Write letters to him or her. Encourage your missionary. Pray for your missionary. Offer up your sufferings for your missionary. They need us.

O people, I plead with you, join in the Great Commission! Spread the Gospel by living a life of fathfulness and fidelity to Christ and His Church. Let your life witness to your family, friends, co-workers, and neighbors. But remember: your actions only convey so much. Speak to people about Christ, or they will think you're the great one, not He. Support missionaries by your giving. Support missionaries with your prayers. Give them words of encouragement. Let them know they're not forgotten. Let them know they have support in this battle. Have masses said for them. Pray for those among whom they work. Pray for darkened minds to be illumined. Pray for our priests, deacons, bishops, fellow parishioners, neighbors, co-workers, friends, families, strangers, acquaintances, and everyone, always, until "the earth shall be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea."

And finally, to end, the Evangelical missionary organization Youth With A Mission (YWAM) has an excellent motto. Let us all make it our own:

"To know God and make Him known!"

The Sacrifice of the Mass

Although a convert, I've learned something about Mass that many cradle Catholics, even cradle Catholics who know and practice their faith, seem to be unaware of. Namely, you can have Masses said for living people as well as for the dead. At the last meeting of the COURAGE/EnCOURAGE* group I attend, our priest-chaplain suggested that we enter our families and friends into Mass Associations. Not only did most of the EnCOURAGE group not seem to know what a Mass Association is, they also were apparently not aware that one can have Mass said for living persons. I was surprised at their reaction because I've known for years about this.

Well, just in case you read my blog, and you were unaware of this: you can have Masses said for your loved ones, living or dead, or for yourself! Not only can you ask your local parish priest to say Mass for these intentions, you can enroll yourself, your friends, your family, etc. in a Mass Association. I will give you the information for one right here in this blog entry.

The Mariannhill Missionaries are a religious order with a Mass Association They call it the Mariannhill Mass League. Here's some information on it (taken from their pamphlet):

"Enroll yourself, your family, your friends, and your departed loved ones in the Mariannhill Mass League. [The League] was established in 1983 by Pope [Saint] Leo the XIII for the Trappist monks of Mariannhill Monastery in South Africa, the forefathers of the Mariannhill Missionaries. It has been recommended and blessed several times by successive popes, most recently by Pope Benedict XVI on May 25, 2006, when he wrote, 'To all the members of the Marianhill Mass League, who support the Church's indispensible task of spreading the Good News of Jesus Christ...as a pledge of joy and peace in our Lord Jesus Christ, I cordially impart my Apostolic Blessing.'"

Daily Holy Mass is offered for the members of the League every day. Here are the donations to enroll:

To enroll an individual (living or deceased) in membership for one year: $2.00 (Yes, only two dollars).

A one year Family Membership is $5.00. (Family consisting of husband, wife, their parents, their kids).

To enroll an individual (living or deceased) in membership forever: $10.00.

A perpetual Family Membership is $25.00. (Once more, Family consisting of husband, wife, their parents, their kids).

A perpetual membership for an entire family (husband, wife, their parents, their siblings and siblings' spouses and children, their children and childrens' spouses and children): $50.00.

To enroll a family, write only the names of the husband and wife.

The Mariannhill Missionaries will send you a certificate with the name of the person(s) enrolled. (Unless you specifically request "No Certificate.")

The monies go to support the missionary outreach of the Mariannhill Missionaries.

Now, the Mariannhill Missionaries don't say this on their pamphlet, but I'm going to: "The more individuals you enroll, the more money goes to the mission." I would encourage everyone to enroll every member of a family individually so that more money will go to the mission.

Oh, and here's the address:

The Mariannhill Fathers
P.O. Box 87
Dearborn, MI 48121-0087

Here are links to the Mariannhill Missionaries:

The U.S. page: http://www.rc.net/detroit/mariannhill/

The International page: http://www.mariannhill.org/dcms/sites/cmm/english/flash_start.html

Support the missions! Receive the blessings and graces of the Mass! Get the Pope's Apostolic Blessing!

Let the Marianhill Fathers know I sent you to them!

*So called because I'm the only member of COURAGE who actually attends the meetings every month. (Alas! We only meet once a month.) The EnCOURAGE group meets faithfully, so I usually meet with them, with their blessing.

Greetings to all...

...This is a late post. That is, on January 18th, the Octave for Christian Unity began, and I should have posted then. Click here for the prayers.

Please note, the above web site takes you to a site run by the Confraternity of Saints Peter and Paul. The prayers are pre-Vatican II, I think, using the old breviary. But they're in English.

So many bloggers have written about this lately...

...that I'm going to throw my two cents in, as well.

I shared in a previous post that I was at Urbana '96.* As I said in that post, "Sometimes I miss the unity I used to feel with my Evangelical brothers." When I was an Evangelical, I was ignorant of the true devastation the Great Schism and the Protestant "Reformation" have caused. I wasn't sure if Catholic and Orthodox Christians were actually Christians, so I viewed them as "targets for evagelization". Now that I'm Catholic and have a much better understanding of the nature of the Church, Church history, and, especially, Common-union, it hurts that there's so much division among Christians! It hurts! Sometimes, I cry over the un-community we've created. And remember, it's not just a split between Catholic and Orthodox. The Coptic and Armenian Churches broke off from the Church around 500A.D. The Protestant groups broke off in the 16th century and started fragmenting off from each other. The Old Catholic Church broke off from the Western Church in the 1800s, I believe, and we also have the SSPX, the McFeeny-ites, and other groups. The Orthodox Communion deals with "Old Calendarists" (the Orthodox version of the Catholic "rad Trad"). The Antiochan Orthodox communion broke off from the Orthodox Church in the 20th century. And let us not forget the heretical "Christian" cults: the Watchtower Society, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (which has also experienced schism), the Worldwide Church of God, etc. Let us fast, pray, and work to bring the heretics into the Truth, and let us fast, pray, and work to heal all the divisions within the mystical Body of Christ.

*Urbana home page link here.

*History of the Urbana Conventions here.

A New Encyclical from our Pope!

Spe Salvi...

So far I've read only the first two paragraphs. Can't wait to read the rest, but I'm taking a nap now. I've been working since 7am! (I don't usually get up till noon-I'm not lazy, I just work a late shift except sometimes on Sundays when it's a really early shift.)