Oratio Imperata: Prayer against COVID-19

Oratio Imperata:Prayer against COVID19

God our Father,

We come to you in our need
To ask your protection against the 2019 N-Corona Virus,
That has claimed lives
And has affected many.

We pray for your grace
For the people tasked with studying the nature and cause
Of this virus and its disease
And of stemming the tide of its transmission.
Guide the hands and minds of medical experts
That they may minister to the sick
With competence and compassion,
And of those governments and private agencies
That must find cure and solution to this epidemic.

We pray for those afflicted
May they be restored to health soon.

Grant us the grace
To work for the good of all
And to help those in need.

Grant this through our Lord, Jesus Christ, your Son,
Who lives and reigns with You, in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
God, forever and ever. Amen.

Mary Help of all Christians, pray for us.
St. Raphael the Archangel, pray for us.
St. Rock, pray for us.
St. Lorenzo Ruiz, pray for us.
St. Pedro Calungsod, pray for us.

Source: Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines

PRAYER TO ST. MICHAEL THE ARCHANGEL (Recite Daily)

In the Gospel, Jesus always talks about the devil and driving out demons. He warns that after an unclean spirit comes out of someone, it tries to return to the victim, bringing back "seven other spirits more wicked than itself (Luke 11:15)." In our daily battle against evil spirits, we should frequently invoke the aid of St. Michael the Archangel, whose name means, “one who is like God.”

St. Michael the Archangel led the army of angels who cast Satan and the rebellious angels into Hell. He is known as the Prince of the Angels, the most powerful amongst all the angels.  We should always pray for the protection of the most powerful St. Michael the Archangel!

PRAYER TO ST. MICHAEL THE ARCHANGEL (Recite Daily)

"St. Michael the Archangel, defend us in battle. Be our defense against the wickedness and snares of the Devil. May God rebuke him, we humbly pray, and do thou, O Prince of the heavenly hosts, by the power of God, thrust into hell Satan, and all the evil spirits, who prowl about the world seeking the ruin of souls. Amen."

What To Do To Be Sure Of Heaven After Death

Q: I want to be sure I go to heaven when I die. What exactly should I do?

A: A short biblical answer to your question is supplied by Peter in Acts. Having heard a sermon that he
preached on Pentecost, many were struck to the heart and cried out what shall we do?  Peter replied, repent
and be baptized every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. (Acts 2:38)
But this is not simply to be understood is a ritualistic observance that we fulfill on one day, but is meant to
usher in a whole renewal of the human person.  And thus we ought to look at all three things that Peter
indicates in some more detail..

The word translated as “repent” is Metanoia which means more than to clean up our act. It means to come
to a whole new mind, rooted in what God teaches and reveals, with new priorities and able to make better
decisions.

To be baptized, is not only to be cleansed of our sins but also to see our old self put to death, and for Christ
to come alive in us. Baptism ushers in the beginnings of a lifelong healing process that must continue by God's grace.  Baptism also points to all the sacraments of the Church. For, having been brought to new life,
we must also be fed by the Eucharist and by God's word, we must see the wounds of sins healed in confession, we must be strengthened for a mission by confirmation.  Baptism also makes us a member of the body of Christ. And thus, we are called to walk in fellowship with all the members of Christ’s one body,
The Church.

St. Peter also speaks of receiving the gift of the Holy Spirit. And thus we are taught that our dignity is to be swept up into the life, love, and wisdom of God.  We are called to be sanctified by the Holy Spirit to see sins put to death and many virtues come alive.

Finally, something needs to be said about your use of the word "exactly" which might imply there is some very simple formula for getting saved.  But as can be seen, there are many dimensions to the work of God in saving us. Thus, we are to walk in a loving covenant relationship with the Lord and His body the
Church.  And like any relationship, this cannot simply be reduced to a few things.  We must trust the Lord,and walk in a relationship of love and obedience to him. We are to do this in fellowship with His Church,through the grace of the Sacraments, obedience to the Word of God, and prayer (cf Acts 2:42).

Messages of Our Lady of Medjugorje Regarding Prayer

One of the main messages of Our Lady in Medjugorje
is the importance of daily prayer, especially the Holy Rosary. On February 25, 1989, Our Lady said: “Little children, do not be afraid. If you pray, Satan cannot injure you, not even a little, because you are God's children and He is watching over you. Pray, and let the Rosary always be in your hands as a sign to Satan that you belong to me."

On July 21, 1982, Our Lady said: “…Through fasting and prayer, one can stop wars one can suspend the laws of nature...” No problem cannot be solved without prayer! Our Lady promised on March 28, 1985: “...In prayer you shall find . . . the way out of every situation that has no exit...”

On March 20, 1986, Our Lady said: “...Today I call you to approach prayer actively... Prayer will be your joy. If you make a start, it won't be boring to you because you will be praying out of joy...”

October 2, 1986, Our Lady said:“...You, dear children, are not able to understand how great the value of prayer is as long as you yourselves do not say: ‘now is the time for prayer, now nothing else is important to me, now not one person is important to me but God.’  Dear children, consecrate yourselves to prayer with a special love so that God will be able to render graces back to you...”

PRAYER TO ST JOSEPH (After The Night Prayers)

(To be said after the night prayers)

Glorious St Joseph, who wast chosen by Almighty God to be the foster-father of the Word made flesh, the comforter of His most holy Mother, the faithful co-operator among men in His greatest design.

Obtain for me to do in all things the Will of the Father, to cherish in my heart the mysteries accomplished in the person of the Son, and by the abundant graces of the Holy Ghost to persevere, pure of heart and chaste of body, in the service of God.

ST. AUGUSTINE'S PRAYER TO THE HOLY ANGELS

ST. AUGUSTINE'S PRAYER TO THE HOLY ANGELS

O God, be propitious to me and guard me all the days of my life! be merciful unto me, and send to my aid thine Archangel, St Michael, that he may defend me against my enemies.

Holy Archangel, St Michael, protect me against all dangers, that I may not perish on the day of judgment.

By the grace thou hast merited, and through Our Lord Jesus Christ, the only Son of God, I beseech thee to deliver me from the perils of death.

St Gabriel, St Raphael, Holy Angels and Archangels, come to my aid. Virtues of heaven, be my help and my strength, that no enemy may be able to injure me either by water or by fire, or while journeying;

protect me from a sudden and unprovided death, and grant that, sleeping or waking, I may be freed from all danger.

Amen.

Please read with faith what follows, Pray and Believe it and you will be blessed

God always comes at the right time... 
Very important: read it until the end because a prayer never spare. Thank you

God bless your eyes for reading this message.

Don't let this message die of cold: after reading it, pass it on to others. Remember that God's message can make a big difference in someone's life close to you. Please read with faith what follows, because it is an impressive prayer. Believe it and you will be blessed

Luke 18,27: he said to them, " what is impossible for men, is possible for God." The problem with many of us is that we do not believe that God will open a window and shed blessings that we will not have room to receive them. Trust He is faithful to his word.

God never lies and his promises are safe.

My prayer for you today: the eyes that are watching this message will not see any evil; the hands that will send this message to others will not work in vain, the mouth that says amen to this prayer will laugh forever. Stay in the love of God sending this prayer to all your acquaintances.

Have a lovely trip in life! Trust The Lord with all your heart and he will never fail you, because he is awesome!

If you really need a blessing, keep reading: 

Divine Father, most affable and most loving God, I beg you to bless abundantly my family and me. I know that you recognize that a family is more than each of those who make it up, for all those who believe and trust in you. Father, I send a prayer of supplication of blessings, not only for the person who sent me this prayer, but also for me and for all whom I have sent this message.

And that the strength of the union in prayer for those who believe and trust in you, be more powerful than anything else.

I thank you in advance your blessings. God merciful father, free from debts and economic burdens to the person who reads this prayer. Send me your wisdom so I can be a good admin of everything you've given me. Father, I know you are wonderful and powerful and that if we obey you and give your word and we have the faith of the size of a mustard seed, you will fill us with your blessings. I thank you Lord the recent blessings I have received and the blessings that will still be coming, because I know you are not done with me yet. In the name of Jesus Christ I beg you. Amen.

Our Father, that you are in heaven. Hallowed be your name. Come to us your kingdom. Do your will, in heaven as on earth.

Give us today our bread of every day, forgive our trespasses, as we forgive those who offend us. Don't let us fall into temptation. And deliver us from all evil. Amen.

Glory to the father.

Glory to the son.

Glory to the Holy Spirit.

As it was one in principle, now and always, for the centuries of centuries. Amen.

Take 60 seconds and share this message  as soon as possible. In a short time you will have made numerous people pray to God, one for the others.

Then sit down and look at the power of God working in your life

Prayer for My Children

Prayer for My Children to Our Lady of Perpetual Help

Virgin Mother, my Mother, watch over them...

Virgin Mother, my Mother, come to the aid of my children!

May your blessing accompany them, guard them, and defend them. May it encourage them, sustain them in every difficulty, and in every place.

When they go off to work or to play, when they move from place to place, at every step they take, Virgin Mother, my Mother, watch over them.

When they face challenges and suffering, when the Evil One tries to seduce them with the attractions of pleasure, of violence, of temptation, of bad example, Virgin Mother, my Mother, watch over them.

Virgin Mother, watch over them and preserve them from every evil.

When they approach the Sacred Banquet to be fed with the Bread of Angels, with the Word that was made flesh in your womb, Virgin Mother, my Mother, bless my children.

When at night they prepare to rest so as to rise again with new energy, watch over their slumber and make each new day a step toward their eternal Homeland.

Virgin Mother, my Mother, bless my children, descend over them, in the day and in the night, in moments of joy and moments of sadness, in health and in sickness, in life and in death.

Bring them to live with you forever in eternity. Amen.

Help other parents to say this beautiful prayer to Our Lady of Perpetual Help by sharing using the buttons below

The Danger of Gossiping About Our Neighbor and Its Consequences

The Danger of Gossiping About Our Neighbor And Its Consequences 
to Those Who Engage In This Behavior:

In the early days of Padre Pio’s ministry, a person once asked Padre Pio to come and bless their family home. Padre Pio agreed to do so. He got as far as the kitchen before he stopped. “I cannot go any farther,” he said, and he turned around and walked back out of the house. “The family who lives there spreads rumors,” he explained to his companion. “We can have no dealings with them.” Padre Pio knew of a priest who used to visit the family. He warned the priest and said, “I would advise you not to go to that home any more. The people who live there spread lies and rumors about others.” On another occasion Padre Pio said, “When you spread rumors about someone, it means you have removed that person from your heart. When you take someone from your heart, Jesus also leaves with them.”

This Valentine’s Day ,say this prayer for your personal intentions 🙏 NOVENA TO SAINT VALENTINE

NOVENA TO SAINT VALENTINE

In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen

O Glorious advocate and protector Saint Valentine,
Look with pity upon our wants, hear our requests.
Attend to our prayers, relieve by your intercession the miseries under which we labor,
And obtain for us the Divine blessing that we may be found worthy to join you in praising the Almighty for all eternity through the merits of Our Lord Jesus Christ.

Pray, then, O Holy Martyr, for the Faithful, who are so persevering in celebrating thy memory. The day of Judgment will reveal to us all thy glorious merits.
Oh! intercede for us, that we may then be made thy companions at the right hand of the Great Judge, and be united with thee eternally in heaven.

LET US PRAY
Grant, we beseech thee, O Almighty God that we who solemnize the festival of Blessed Valentine, Thy Martyr, may by his intercession be delivered from all the evils that threaten us.
Through Christ our Lord. Amen. [Mention your intention(s) here...]

CONCLUDE WITH :
Saint Valentine, advocate and protector, pray for me (us).
Say 1 Our Father...
Say 1 Hail Mary...
Say 1 Glory Be...
St Valentine - Pray for us

PRAYER TO SAINT VALENTINE

ST. VALENTINE, a holy priest, physician and martyr of Rome --- He secretly married the couples and was eventually caught, imprisoned and tortured for performing marriage ceremonies against command of Emperor Claudius II. He was released but was later arrested again, for continuing to try to convert people to Christianity, condemned to death for his faith, beaten with clubs, and finally beheaded on Feb. 14, AD 270. But while in jail, he healed the jailer's blind daughter. On the day of his execution, he left the girl a note signed, "Your Valentine."

----------- PRAYER TO ST. VALENTINE --------

O holy Martyr, St. Valentine, pray for the Faithful, who are celebrating thy memory. The day of Judgment will reveal to us all thy glorious merits. Oh! intercede for us, that we may then be made thy companions at the right hand of the Great Judge, and be united with thee eternally in heaven.

Antiphon: --- This Saint fought, even unto death, for the law of God, and feared not the words of the wicked; for he was set upon a firm rock.

------- Let us pray -------
Grant, we beseech thee, O Almighty God, that we who solemnize the festival of blessed Valentine, Thy Martyr, may, by his intercession, be delivered from all the evils that threaten us. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Pray OUR FATHER, HAIL MARY and GLORY BE . .

Prayer to Saint Valentine

A PRAYER 

to 

Saint Valentine

Dear Lord, who art high in the Heavens,
Giver of Love and Passion,
And He who strings the heart's cords,
Lead the Lovers this day, February ten plus four.
The day during the month of two,
When the date is the perfect number of God
Greater two souls and two hearts.
Some Loves are fleeting ,
But that which is built on you will never fail.
So guide the Lovers to know what is to be.
Your truths the Lovers' mouths should speak,
For Your truth is that which is honest to the heart.
Only this, then, should pass over the red lips of the Lovers.
Your art, the Lovers simply a medium.
It is only with True Hearts that You can create a Masterpiece,
So let the Lovers remember that their Soul's Desire
Is the one for which You light their Fire.
And let it be You who creates the Art of the Lovers;
The art of two into one.

Amen.

Valentine’s Day History And How To Celebrate It The Catholic Ways

HOW VALENTINE'S DAY CAME TO BE?

If you’ve ever wondered why we celebrate Valentine’s Day then hopefully our guide will explain all you need to know about the whys, hows, and wheres of the story and as Catholic, how we should commemorate the holiday.

The real story of Valentine’s Day begins in ancient times. The festival most likely has its roots in a Roman Festival called Lupercalia (sometimes known as Februa), which shares a few traits in common with modern Valentine’s Day. It was a popular spring festival also celebrated in February and celebrated purity and fertility, however, the message has been cleaned up somewhat today and now involves significantly less animal sacrifice. The ancient Lupercalia celebration also featured a practice of young noble people running through the streets naked.

The titular Saint Valentine also appeared in Roman times. He was said to be a priest who was martyred for marrying Christian couples at a time when the religion was strictly outlawed in the empire. Another legend also states that he was put to death for attempting to convert Emperor Claudius to Christianity.

When Christianity began to take hold in Europe the priests and bishops of the time were looking to replace the obviously pagan Lupercalia. In 496 Pope Gelasius, I declared the date to be the Feast of Saint Valentine’s with the hope of supplanting the festivities already in place.

As the middle ages rolled around and the idea of chivalry began to become popular amongst the nobility the idea of Valentine’s as the most romantic day of the year began taking hold. It is also believed that the French and English belief that this date marked the beginning of bird’s mating season. As birds are more monogamous than most other species of animals this added extra credence to this time of year as the time of celebration of love.

The more familiar elements of Valentine’s Day became more common in Britain in the 17th Century when it became the custom for lovers to exchange tokens of their affection on February 14th. Within a century this had spread across all social classes and by 1900 the printed cards we’re more familiar with started to go on sale.

Flowers were already a popular way to express love during the Victorian times and of course tied in beautifully with the fledgeling celebration, with the red rose becoming one of the symbols of the day. Chocolate companies also saw an opportunity to make their mark during the Valentine’s period, by selling attractive patterned chocolate boxes to loving couples. It is now estimated that around 36 million chocolate boxes are sold for the Valentine’s Day celebrations.

The festival is now celebrated across the USA, Canada, Mexico, the UK and many other European countries and only seems to be getting bigger by the year. In fact, there are often stories each year of people defying bans on the festivities in countries like Pakistan and Iran in order to celebrate a romantic evening full of hearts and flowers with their partners.

But let’s be honest, a lot of the holiday’s celebration these days often boils down to commercialization.For most people, the world “Saint” has entirely disappeared from this holiday’s title. But the reality is that St. Valentine’s story is much deeper than the cloud of candy and flowers might suggest.St. Valentine actually has a deep Catholic history.If you, like many people, aren’t a big fan of celebrating the holiday as it’s often observed these days, there is still a lot of its history that you can appreciate and celebrate.

Another facet to focus on if you’re a bit sick of modern Valentine’s Day celebrations is that St. Valentine worked miracles.

The most famous miracle attributed to St. Valentine occurred through a letter he is said to have written to a young blind girl before his martyrdom. The girl miraculously gained her sight to read the note.

Another version of this story (or perhaps a different miracle altogether) is that he restored sight to the blind daughter of his jailer while he was imprisoned.

There is much faith and holiness needed in someone’s life for God to work miracles through them. So focusing on what this faith and holiness looked like is perhaps a better way to celebrate the holiday than a mere focus on romantic love.

According to the popular story of St. Valentine, he performed marriages of Christian couples in secret when emperor Claudius II outlawed Christian marriage.While on the surface this situation seems very far removed from our own day and age, we can celebrate the fact that St. Valentine saw the value and sanctity of marriage when those in governmental power did not.
When we put it that way, it doesn’t sound too much different from nowadays, as we can see the sanctity of marriage being attacked around us on every side.
We can turn to St. Valentine’s example of faith and commitment to marriage, when we feel discouraged at the attacks on marriage’s sanctity today.

It’s pretty clear why St. Valentine is the patron saint of romantic love. His patronage of happy marriages and of young people don’t seem surprising, either.

But he’s also a patron of beekeepers and epilepsy. While it’s not readily clear why, it’s a nice tidbit for those of us looking for other things to celebrate this Valentine’s day.If beekeeping or epilepsy happen to be close to your life, now would be a great time to get more involved in the cause, to volunteer or raise awareness.

Acts of service can be a great way to commemorate the holiday, if you’re looking for an alternative to traditional Valentine’s Day celebrations.Valentine’s Day doesn’t have to be synonymous with romantic love, flowers, and candy. You really can celebrate the day totally devoid of greeting cards or pink decorative hearts.

Take the opportunity instead to celebrate the various aspects of history contained in the day, the different saints who share the name, and the connection to our faith that the day represents.

This Valentine’s Day, learn more for yourself about just what it is we’re celebrating.

Saint Valentine

         SAINT VALENTINE

St. Valentine, died 3rd century, Rome; feast day February 14, name of one or two legendary Christian martyrs whose lives seem to be historically based. Although the Roman Catholic Church continues to recognize St. Valentine as a saint of the church, he was removed from the General Roman Calendar in 1969 because of the lack of reliable information about him. He is the patron saint of lovers, epileptics, and beekeepers.

By some accounts, St. Valentine was a Roman priest and physician who suffered martyrdom during the persecution of Christians by the emperor Claudius II Gothicus about 270. He was buried on the Via Flaminia, and Pope Julius I reportedly built a basilica over his grave. Other narratives identify him as the bishop of Terni, Italy, who was martyred, apparently also in Rome, and whose relics were later taken to Terni. It is possible these are different versions of the same original account and refer to only one person.

According to legend, St. Valentine signed a letter “from your Valentine” to his jailer’s daughter, whom he had befriended and healed from blindness. Another common legend states that he defied the emperor’s orders and secretly married couples to spare the husbands from war.

SEEK FIRST THE KINGDOM OF GOD

“In all your actions, seek in the first place the kingdom of God and his glory. Direct all you do purely to his honor. Persevere in brotherly charity, and practice first all that you desire to teach others. By this means the Holy Spirit will be your master, and will give you such wisdom and such a tongue that no adversary will be able to stand against you.” -St. Bernadine

Act of Faith

    EUCHARISTIC ACT OF FAITH

I believe in God the Father Almighty.
I believe in God the Son, Jesus Christ.
I believe in God the Holy Spirit.
I believe in the Holy Trinity.

I believe in the Real Presence of Jesus
in the Sacrament of the Holy Eucharist.
I believe in the Real Presence of Jesus
in the Body of Christ, the Consecrated Bread.
I believe in the Real Presence of Jesus
in the Blood of Christ, the Consecrated Wine.

I believe that Jesus instituted the One, Holy, Catholic
and Apostolic Church as His dwelling Home on earth.

I believe in the Real Presence of Jesus
in the Sacred Tabernacles of the Catholic Church.

I believe that Jesus is truly present physically among us,
over and above being spiritually present within us.

May this truth be known to all for the glory of God. Amen.

St. John Bosco's Prayer Directed to Mary

St. John Bosco's Prayer To Mary

  "O Mary, powerful Virgin, you are the mighty and powerful protector of the Church."

Mary, "you are terrifying as an army in battle array."

St. John Bosco was a holy Italian priest, the recipient of many supernatural visions from God. In particular, he once saw a vision of the Church in the midst of a great trial, buffeted by many enemies.

However, in the vision, as long as the Church was tethered between the pillar of Mary, Help of Christians, and the pillar of the Eucharist, the Church would survive. He wrote, "Only two things can save us in such a grave hour: devotion to Mary and frequent Communion. Let us do our very best to use these two means and have others use them everywhere."

Below is a prayer attributed to St. John Bosco directed to Mary, Help of Christians, that reflects this belief and places a person within the powerful protection of the Virgin Mary against all evil forces acting in the world.

O Mary, powerful Virgin, you are the mighty and powerful protector of the Church; you are the marvelous help of Christians; you are terrible as an army in battle array; you alone have destroyed every heresy in the whole world.

In the midst of our anguish, our struggles, and our distresses, defend us from the power of the enemy and at the hour of our death, receive our souls in paradise. Amen.

This Prayer Begs God To Set Your Heart On Fire

Written By St. Gertrude The Great, This Prayer Begs God To Set Your Heart On Fire

Before St. Margaret Mary Alacoque popularized devotion to the Sacred Heart, St. Gertrude the Great received her own visions of the Sacred Heart that prepared the way for the devotion several centuries later.

In one vision Jesus invited her, with St. John the Apostle, to lay her head upon his heart. She heard the beating of Jesus' heart and greatly rejoiced at being so close to the source of divine love.

St. Gertrude composed one of the first prayers to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, which continues to be a favorite prayer of many, asking God to inflame one's own heart with the fire of God's love.

O Sacred Heart of Jesus, fountain of eternal life, Your Heart is a glowing furnace of Love. You are my refuge and my sanctuary. O my adorable and loving Savior, consume my heart with the burning fire with which Yours is aflame. Pour down on my soul those graces which flow from Your love. Let my heart be united with Yours. Let my will be conformed to Yours in all things. May Your Will be the rule of all my desires and actions. Amen.

5 facts about Mary's Role in the Catholic Faith

Do Catholics Worship The Blessed Virgin Mary? 5 Facts That People Ignore

I love the Blessed Mother! There I said it and I'm glad I did! As a Catholic, I'm so blessed to be a member of the Church that truly honors and respects the Mother of my Lord and Savior. I must admit that, even though I'm a cradle Catholic, I didn't always feel this way. In fact, for most of my life I didn't understand Mary's role or care about her too much. What a mistake! Now, after several recent accusations of "Mary worship" on my Facebook page, it's time to stand up for my "Mom". And, even though I love her and want to defend her honor, I have no intention of getting nasty. Rather, I'd prefer to present 5 facts about Mary. Before you accuse Catholics of worshiping Mary, I ask you to take a long hard look at these facts. They have a way of poking holes in the theory that we place too much emphasis on Mary. If you still want to accuse Catholics of worshiping Mary, then I suggest you ignore these facts!

1. God Sent The Savior Through Mary 

 It is really tough to downplay Mary's importance while acknowledging that the long awaiting Messiah came to earth by being born of a woman and that woman was Mary. Out of all the ways that Jesus could have come to earth, why was Mary chosen? If Mary was important to God, shouldn't she mean something to us?

2. Jesus Performed His First Miracle At Mary's Request 

 This is another good one. Oh I know, Jesus didn't need Mary to turn the water into wine at Cana. She just happened to be there. OK, why then did St. John list Mary FIRST in his list of wedding guests?

On the third day there was a marriage at Cana in Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there; Jesus also was invited to the marriage with His disciples. (John 2:1-2)

If Mary is not important in this saga, why is she listed BEFORE the apostles and BEFORE Jesus? St. John the Evangelist was not known for inserting extraneous details. Mary is listed first because John wants to call the readers' attention to her presence at the wedding.

But what about "the rebuke"? You know, the argument that Jesus was telling Mary to "butt out" when He stated:

"O woman, what have you to do with me? My hour has not yet come." (John 2:4)

Jesus was a devout Jew and an obedient follower of the Ten Commandments. Why would He publicly dishonor His mother in violation of the Fourth Commandment? Secondly, if this was such a "put down" by Jesus, why did He go ahead and perform the miracle of changing water into wine? Wouldn't that have been the end of the request. Of course it would, unless He wasn't putting Mary down. When His mother interceded on behalf of the couple, Our Lord decided that His time had now come. Don't you think Jesus is trying to tell us something? Isn't is probable that Jesus waited until Mary's request, in order to show us her intercessory power? Doesn't that explain why St. John listed her first among the guests?

3. Jesus Gave Mary To John From The Cross 

 As He suffered and died on the Cross, Jesus made a very profound statement:

When Jesus saw His mother, and the disciple whom He loved standing near, He said to His mother, "Woman, behold your son!" Then He said to the disciple, "Behold your mother!" And from that hour the disciple took her to his own home. (John 19:26-27)

Why, while struggling to speak as He hung on the Cross, would Jesus have spoken these words if they didn't mean anything? Could He have been making small talk? Obviously, there was a reason that Our Lord did what He did. The Church has always believed that John represented each member of the Church and that, from that moment on, Mary became our spiritual mother. Scripture tells us that, on that day John accepted Jesus' gift and “took her to his own home" (John 19:27). Shouldn't we do the same?

4. Jesus' First Graces Were Given Through Mary 

 This is a fact that frequently gets overlooked by those who wish to downplay Mary's importance and it comes straight from the Bible! After accepting God's offer to become the Mother of the Savior, Mary traveled "in haste" to visit her relative, Elizabeth.

And when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, the child leaped in her womb; and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. (Luke 1:41)

According to this Bible passage, before Jesus was even born, Mary's voice was used to deliver the graces to Elizabeth. Why? Because she's not important? Isn't there some other way, these graces could have been dispensed?

Not convinced? Listen to what Elizabeth had to say (also directly from the Bible)

"For behold, when the voice of your greeting came to my ears, the child in my womb leaped for joy." (Luke 1:44)

It's pretty hard to deny the importance of Mary's presence and voice in dispensing these graces to Elizabeth. Did the graces originate from Mary? No, they obviously came from Jesus. However, He chose to have Mary make the journey and use her voice to deliver them. Why? Because He wants us to realize that she is important!

5. Jesus Christ Is The Sole Mediator Between God And Man 

 Now, this doesn't make sense. How does this help to support the Catholic position? This is why we Catholics "have it all wrong", isn't it? Sorry if I'm bursting anyone's bubble, but Catholics absolutely believe that Jesus Christ is the sole mediator between God and man. The Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC) clearly states this belief:

Intercession is a prayer of petition which leads us to pray as Jesus did. He is the one intercessor with the Father on behalf of all men, especially sinners. (CCC 2634)

This Catholic teaching is supported by the following Bible passage:

For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave Himself as a ransom for all. (1 Timothy 2:5-6)

Although Jesus Christ is the sole mediator between God and man, that doesn't preclude others (including Mary) from being involved in a subordinate mediation, or intercession. Saint Paul, who made the above statement, is obviously aware of that fact since he several times urges his readers to pray for each other (Romans 1:9, 1 Thessalonians 5:25, 1 Timothy 2:1). The Catechism refers to this type of intercession as being a "participation in the intercession of Christ" (CCC 2635) and is put into practice each time we pray for one another. Asking Mary to intercede for us in no way takes away from Jesus' role as mediator between God and men.

While I'm not naive enough to think that listing these 5 facts will render me immune from further accusations of "Mary worship", I do think that they will have an effect if looked at with an open mind. Sacred Scripture does not contain a lot of words about Mary, but what's there is powerful. Theologians have spent 2,000 years studying her Biblical appearances and will continue to do so. We can learn much by studying Mary's role as documented in the pages of the Bible. If anyone wants to accuse me of being a "Mary worshiper", I ask you to first look at these 5 facts. If you still want to point a finger, you'll need to ignore these factual statements because accepting them will seriously undermine your credibility!

By GARY ZIMAK

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Eucharistic Miracle

Eucharistic Miracle of Chirattakonam, India

On April 28, 2001, in the parish church of St. Mary of Chirattakonam, the parish priest noticed an amazing image that appeared on a consecrated host. He wrote down exactly what happened.

At 8:49 a.m., I exposed the Most Holy Sacrament in the monstrance for public adoration. After a few moments I saw what appeared to be three dots in the Holy Eucharist. I then stopped praying and began to look at the monstrance, also inviting the faithful to admire the three dots. I then asked the faithful to remain in prayer and reposed the monstrance in the tabernacle. On Saturday morning, the 5th of May 2001, I opened the church for the usual liturgical celebrations. I vested for Mass and went to open the tabernacle to see what had happened to the Eucharist in the monstrance. I immediately noted in the Host, a figure, to the likeness of a human face. I was deeply moved and asked the faithful to kneel and begin praying. I thought I alone could see the face so I asked the altar server what he noticed in the monstrance. He answered: "I see the figure of a man."

Eventually the image became more clear and was of a man similar to that of Christ crowned with thorns. The miraculous image was investigated by His Beatitude Cyril Mar Baselice, Archbishop of the diocese of Trivandrum, and the monstrance with the host remains enshrined in the church to this day.

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