I promise you in the excessive mercy of My Heart that My all-powerful love will grant all to those who communicate on the First Friday in nine consecutive months the grace of final penitence; they shall not die in My disgrace nor without receiving their sacraments; My Divine Heart shall be their safe refuge in this last moment.

For the First Friday devotions, go here.

And to assist with my project of spreading devotion to the Passion of Our Lord among the ranks of seminarians, please go here.

Your assistance with this project would help provide a copy of a book of meditations on the Passion of Our Lord to 500 Seminarians. As I hear from more and more seminarians about how many are in their seminaries, I’d like to even shoot higher than 500…250 men at the North American College in Rome, 175 men at St. Charles’ in Philadelphia, 30 men at the Venerable English College, 80 men at Our Lady of Guadalupe Seminary, then there is Kenrick and Saint Paul Seminary and…

So, I ask that you prayerfully consider helping. Please keep this project in your intentions on this First Friday and in your daily prayers. A priest once preached on reform in the Church and he related a story from the life of Saint Bernard, who said: “True reform, begins with the reformation of one’s own soul.” This is why I want to get this book into the hands of hundreds of men who will be future priests. O! the souls they will encounter in their ministry!

So please share this post and please pray!

O Most Holy Name, Jesus, I praise you!

This is a feast close to my heart, as I am sure it is to many of you. For there is no sweeter Name than that of Jesus, and whenever my lips utter His Name, so follows that of Mary.

It is a feast that strengthens my confidence in the salvific will of Jesus, and in the victory of the Holy Cross, upon which Jesus offered Himself. But there is also sorrow on this day. I recall all those in the course of my life who have fallen away from the love of Christ and have refused the sweet balm of His Most Holy Name.

There are a few reasons this is the case, but I’ll share one. There is so much power in a name, it signifies the nature of a thing, of a person. It’s a far stretch in how I think about this, but for those whose name I’ve been able to call upon, in friendship, and now who have fallen away, there is such a great sadness in their rejection of the power of the Name of Jesus. The Name of Jesus becomes a condemnation for them, until they recognize once again Its sweetness.

But. I can say this. Having lost contact with these people, by circumstances or by my own choice, there is a sense of duty to pray and fast for their salvation, and all the while, knowing that I too, when I call upon the Name of Jesus must do so with a pure intention, and truly spurring myself on in the way of perfection when I cry: Jesus, save me!

Prayer to the Holy Name – St. Alphonsus

O my Jesus, thou art the Savior who hast given Thy blood and Thy life for me, I pray Thee to write Thy adorable name on my poor heart; so that having it always imprinted in my heart by love, I may also have it ever on my lips, by invoking it in all my necessities.  If the devil tempts me, Thy name will give me strength to resist him; if I lose confidence, Thy name will animate me to hope; If I am in affliction, Thy name will comfort me, by reminding me of all Thou hast endured for me.  If I find myself cold in Thy love, Thy name will inflame me by reminding me of the love Thou hast shown me.  I have fallen into so many sins, because I did not call on Thee; from henceforth Thy name shall be my defense, my refuge, my hope, my only consolation, my only love.  Thus do I hope to live, and so do I hope to die, having Thy name always on my lips.

A merry and blessed Christmas to each one of you!

The heart, charmed with the honeyed sweetness of the expression, would fain diffuse it and spread it out into more words; but no, it must be given just as it is, or you spoil it: JESUS CHRIST, THE SON OF GOD, IS BORN IN BETHLEHEM OF JUDAH!

–Liturgical Year: Advent, Gueranger

December 25th anno Domini 2016

The 26th Day of the Moon

In the year 5199th from the creation of the world, when in the beginning God created the heavens and the earth, in the year 2959th from the flood, in the year 2015th from the birth of Abraham, in the year 1510th from the going forth of the people of Israel out of Egypt under Moses, in the year 1032th from the anointing of David as King, in the 65th week according to the prophecy of Daniel, in the 194th Olympiad, in the 752nd from the foundation of the city of Rome, in the 42nd year of the reign of the Emperor Octavian Augustus, in the 6th age of the world, while the whole earth was at peace, Jesus Christ, Himself Eternal God and Son of the Eternal Father, being pleased to hallow the world by His most gracious coming, having been conceived of the Holy Ghost, and when nine months were passed after His conception, (all kneel down) was born of the Virgin Mary at Bethlehem of Juda made Man, Our Lord Jesus Christ was born according to the flesh.

Upon the same 25th day of December were born into the better life

At Rome, in the Apronian cemetery, the holy virgin Eugenia, who in the time of the Emperor Gallienus, after many works of power, and after enlisting bands of sacred virgins for Christ, suffered long under Nicetius, Prefect of the city, and at length was slain with the sword (about 258).

At Nicomedia, many thousand holy martyrs. Upon the feast of Christ’s birth they had come together unto the Lord’s house, and the Emperor Diocletian ordered the doors of the church to be shut, and all things made ready for fire round about it then he set a tripod and incense in front of the door, and sent an herald to proclaim in a loud voice that whosoever would escape burning should come forth arid offer incense unto Jupiter. Whereunto they all replied with one voice, that they would far rather die for Christ’s sake, whereupon he kindled the fire and they were consumed, and were born in heaven upon that same day whereupon it had pleased Christ to be born into this world to save it.

At Barcelona, in Spain (in the year 1256), the holy confessor Peter Nolasco, founder of the Order of the Blessed Virgin Mary of Ransom for the redemption of captives. He was famous for his graces and miracles, and Alexander VIII. commanded his feast to be kept upon the last day of January.

V. And elsewhere many other holy martyrs, confessors, and holy virgins.

R. Thanks be to God.

From my publication, Praying the Mass during Advent, by Dom Gueranger:

Thus have passed before us, in succession, all the generations of the world.22 Each of them is asked if it has seen Him whom we are expecting, and each is silent; until the name of Mary is pronounced, and then is proclaimed the Nativity of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, made Man. St. Bernard speaking of this announcement says: “The voice of joy had gone forth in our land, the voice of rejoicing and of salvation is in the tabernacles of the just. There has been heard a good word, a word that gives consolation, a word that is full of gladsomeness, a word worthy of all acceptance. Resound with praise, ye mountains, and all ye trees of the forests clap your hands before the face of the Lord, for he is coming. Hearken, O ye heavens, and give ear, O earth! be astounded and give praise, O all ye creatures! but thou, O man, more than all they! JESUS CHRIST, THE SON OF GOD, IS BORN IN BETHLEHEM OF JUDAH! Who is there, that is so hard of heart, that this word does not touch him? Could anything be told us sweeter than this? Could any news delight us like this? Was such a thing ever heard, or anything like it ever told to the world? JESUS CHRIST, THE SON OF GOD, IS BORN IN BETHLEHEM OF JUDAH! O brief word of the Word abridged! and yet how full of heavenly beauty! The heart, charmed with the honeyed sweetness of the expression, would fain diffuse it and spread it out into more words; but no, it must be given just as it is, or you spoil it: JESUS CHRIST, THE SON OF GOD, IS BORN IN BETHLEHEM OF JUDAH!”

O Emmanuel, Rex et legifer noster, exspectatio gentium, et Salvator earum: veni ad salvandum nos Domine Deus noster.

https://youtu.be/Zt9W9Kc_hzo

O Emmanuel, God with us, our King and lawgiver, the expected of the nations and their Savior: come to save us, O Lord our God.

Isaias 7:14
Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign. Behold a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son and his name shall be called Emmanuel.

From my publication, Praying the Mass during Advent by Dom Gueranger:

O Emmanuel! King of Peace! thou enterest today the city of thy predilection, the city in which thou hast placed thy Temple,—Jerusalem. A few years hence, and the same city will give thee thy Cross and thy Sepulcher: nay, the day will come, on which thou wilt set up thy Judgment-seat within sight of her walls. But, today, thou enterest the city of David and Solomon unnoticed and unknown. It lies on thy road to Bethlehem. Thy Blessed Mother and Joseph, her Spouse, would not lose the opportunity of visiting the Temple, there to offer to the Lord their prayers and adoration. They enter; and then, for the frst time, is accomplished the prophecy of Aggeus, that great shall be the glory of this late House more than of the first; for this second Temple has now standing within it an Ark of the Covenant more precious than was that which Moses built; and within this Ark, which is Mary, there is contained the God, whose presence makes her the holiest of sanctuaries. The Lawgiver himself is in this blessed Ark, and not merely, as in that of old, the tablet of stone on which the Law was graven. The visit paid, our living Ark descends the steps of the Temple, and sets out once more for Bethlehem, where other prophecies are to be fulflled. We adore thee, O Emmanuel! in this thy journey, and we reverence the fdelity wherewith thou fulfllest all that the prophets have written of thee, for thou wouldst give to thy people the certainty of thy being the Messiah, by showing them, that all the marks, whereby he was to be known, are to be found in thee. And now, the hour is near; all is ready for thy Birth; come, then, and save us; come, that thou mayest not only be called our Emmanuel, but our Jesus, that is, He that saves us.

O Rex gentium, et desideratus earum, lapisque angularis, qui facis utraque unum: veni, et salva hominem, quem de limo formasti.

O King of the gentiles and their desired One, the cornerstone that makes both one: come, and deliver man, whom Thou didst form out of the dust of the earth.

Isaias 9:7
His empire shall be multiplied, and there shall be no end of peace: he shall sit upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom; to establish it and strengthen it with judgment and with justice, from henceforth and for ever: the zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this.

Isaias 2:4
And he shall judge the Gentiles, and rebuke many people: and they shall turn their swords into ploughshares, and their spears into sickles: nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they be exercised any more to war.

Check out my publication which provides commentary on the O Antiphons, in addition to direction on how to pray the Mass during Advent. This publication is a perennial addition to your library. Go HERE for more information on Praying the Mass During Advent and all publications by Filii Passionis.

O Oriens, splendor lucis aeternae, et sol justitiae: veni, et illumina sedentes in tenebris, et umbra mortis.

O Morning Star, splendour of light eternal and sun of righteousness: Come and enlighten those who dwell in darkness and the shadow of death.

Isaias 9:2

The people that walked in darkness, have seen a great light; to them that dwelt in the region of the shadow of death, light is risen.

Malachias 4:1-3

For behold the day shall come kindled as a furnace: and all the proud, and all that do wickedly shall be stubble: and the day that cometh shall set them on fire, saith the Lord of hosts, it shall not leave them root, nor branch. But unto you that fear my name, the Sun of justice shall arise,  and health in his wings: and you shall go forth and shall leap like calves of the herd. And you shall tread down the wicked when they shall be ashes under the sole of your feet in the day that I do this, saith the Lord of hosts.

Check out my publication which provides commentary on the O Antiphons, in addition to direction on how to pray the Mass during Advent. This publication is a perennial addition to your library. Go HERE for more information on Praying the Mass During Advent and all publications by Filii Passionis.