| Jesus Christ Web Creator. No Duplication without explicit permission of Christ The Redeemer Copyright 2000.INSTRUMENTS OF PEACE OPC-BSP, or Ordo Poenitentium et Christi- Brothers and Sisters of Pennance of ST. FRANCIS |
| BLESSED VIRGIN MARY |
Only through Mary does God give us his Only Begotten Son. Many
people will give greater glory to the patriarchs and prophets of Israel
who, for four thousand years pleaded with God for a savior. Yet only
Mary found favor with God and only through Mary did God give us his
Son. The Holy Spirit formed Jesus within Mary's womb only after her
consent to do so. God the Son descended as a new Adam into Mary's
virginal womb - into this new paradise to give life to a new world - a
new creation brought forth from Mary's humbleness. By submitting
himself to Mary, God's Only Begotten Son was exulted.
For thirty years, our Lord's life was molded by Mary - first in her
womb, then as a child, and finally as a man whose fidelity would bring
redemption to all creation. Through Mary, Jesus was cared for, fed,
instructed, and sacrificed; and through his submission to Mary
greater glory was given to God than all the miracles he performed.
Jesus' great works begin with Mary. Through Mary's word and
presence, St. John the Baptist was sanctified. At the moment she
greets her cousin, the child in Elizabeth's womb leapt with joy
because the grace conceived in Mary's womb was given for the first
time; and at Mary's humble petition, Jesus blesses a marriage by
changing water into wine; the first of his public signs and the first
miracle as relates to nature. Through Mary, he continues to work
wonders until the end of time.
In the same way that God the Father and Creator gathered the waters
and called them "seas", he also gathered all that is precious, all that
is splendid and beautiful, all that is rare and called it Mary. Even his
greatest treasure, his Only Begotten Son Jesus was contained in her,
thereby making her the fountain by which we obtain everything from
God - not because it was necessary for God to do this, but because it
was his will that everything flow from Mary. Nothing comes to us
unless it comes through Mary. Indeed even Jesus fulfills the plan of
salvation by coming to us through Mary.
St. Bernard, St. Bernardino, and St. Bonaventure among others tell us
that everything has submitted itself to the Blessed Virgin, even God
because so great is the authority that the Lord has bestowed upon
Mary, that it appears she has the same power as God and that her
pleas and petitions are so effective before God's throne that He
would never resist what is asked by his Mother who always conforms
to His Will. In the book of Exodus (32:10-14) the Almighty turns away
his anger from the Israelites at Moses' pleas; how much more
powerful must be the humble prayer of Mary, the Mother of God
before the Most High? Surely her intercession must be greater than
all the angels and saints together.
The true devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary is in the interior,
tender, holy, constant and unselfish. By being an interior devotion, I
mean giving our heart and soul to Mary - interior conversion to be
more like her every day. Secondly, our devotion to Mary must be
tender. We must have total confidence in Mary in the same way that
a child feels the safe confidence in its mother. A tender devotion to
the Blessed Virgin allows our soul to fly onto Mary for all our needs:
to bring light into our darkness, to show us the way when we're lost,
to sustain us in temptation, to give us strength in our weakness, to
raise us when we fall, and to console us as we carry our cross.
By being holy, we try to avoid every opportunity of sin and try to
imitate Mary's virtues: her profound humility, her burning faith, her
absolute obedience, her constant prayer, her divine wisdom, and her
angelic sweetness. By constant is meant not given to the temptation
of abandoning the practice of pious works and to encourage strength
so as to avoid wrong inclinations. And finally, a true devotion is not
selfish. In other words, it should never entice the soul to search for
anything except God and through the Blessed Virgin.
The true devotion to Mary means being at her service without
expecting anything in return. No one should be devoted because of
favors granted, or benefits reaped. Mary deserves to be honored
through devotions because she is worthy of honor, because in
serving and honoring Mary, we serve and honor God.
OUR LADY OF FATIMA
In the spring of 1916, the Angel of Peace appears to three young
shepherd children in Fatima, Portugal. The Angel teaches the
children, Jacinta Marcos, Francisco Marcos, and Lucia Dos Santos,
the PARDON PRAYER.
In the autumn of that year the Angel teaches the children the ANGEL
PRAYER.
On May 13, 1917, in a field called Cova da Iria near the village of
Fatima, Portugal, a beautiful luminous Lady, dressed in radiant white,
appears before the three young children. She tells them that she has
been sent by God with a message for every man, woman and child.
She asks for prayer, especially that of the Holy Rosary, reparation and
consecration. She teaches the three children the EUCHARISTIC
PRAYER.
During Her July 13, 1917 apparition she teaches the children two
additional prayers; the SACRIFICE PRAYER and the DECADE PRAYER.
On October 13, 1917, during the final apparition, Our Blessed Mother
makes Herself known to the children as, "Our Lady of The Rosary". At
this time the Great Miracle of the Sun occurs. As Our Lady of The
Rosary moves off into the distance, Saint Joseph with The Child
Jesus and Our Lady appear. Saint Joseph and the Christ Child bless
the world as they make the Sign of the Cross. As the apparition fades
Our Lord appears with Our Lady of Sorrows and blesses those
present with the Sign of the Cross. As this apparition fades, Our
Blessed Mother reappears as Our Lady of Mt. Carmel.
On December 10, 1925, in Pontevedra, Spain, Our Blessed Mother
appears within a cloud of Light with her child Jesus before Sister
Lucia. She declares that all who attend Mass for the Five First
Saturdays, meditate for fifteen minutes while praying the Holy Rosary,
attend Confession, receive Holy Communion, and offer reparation,
penance, prayer and sacrifice shall be granted mercy at their hour of
death.
On June 13, 1929, while Sister Lucia, then a Dorothean nun, is at Holy
Hour in Tuy, Spain, she is granted a special vision of the Blessed
Trinity. In the Vision the written words "Graces and Mercy" appear.
This is perhaps one of the most important revelations of Fatima.
Years later, Our Lord appears to Sister Lucia in Rianjo, Spain, where
He teaches her two additional prayers called the CONVERSION
PRAYER and the SALVATION PRAYER.
In 1948, Sister Lucia enters the Carmelite Convent in Coimbra,
Portugal, where she takes the religious name Sister Maria of the
Immaculate Heart of Mary. Sister Lucia dies on February 13, 2005 at
age 97 at her Carmelite Convent in Coimbra, Portugal.
The MESSAGE of Fatima begins with the HOLY EUCHARIST and ends
with the HOLY EUCHARIST.
History of Our Lady of Lourdes
The Shrine of Our Lady of Lourdes in southern France is the most
visited pilgrimage site in the world -- principally because of the
apparent healing properties of the waters of the spring that
appeared during the apparitions of the Blessed Virgin Mary to a poor,
fourteen-year-old girl, Bernadette Soubiroux.
The first apparition occurred February 11, 1858. There were eighteen
in all; the last took place July 16, of the same year. Bernadette often
fell into an ecstasy during these apparitions, as was witnessed by the
hundreds who attended the later visions, though no one except
Bernadette ever saw or heard the apparition.
The mysterious vision Bernadette saw in the hollow of the rock
Massabielle, where she and friends had gone to gather firewood,
was that of a young and beautiful lady. "Lovelier than I have ever
seen" said the child. She described the Lady as clothed in white, with
a blue ribbon sash and a Rosary hanging from her right arm. Now and
then the apparition spoke to Bernadette.
One day, the Lady told the girl to drink of a mysterious fountain within
the grotto itself, the existence of which was unknown, and of which
there was no sign. But Bernadette scratched at the ground, and a
spring immediately bubbled up and soon gushed forth. On another
occasion the apparition bade Bernadette go and tell the priests she
wished a chapel to be built on the spot and processions to be made
to the grotto. At first the clergy were incredulous. The priest said he
would not believe it unless the apparition gave Bernadette her name.
After another apparition, Bernadette reported that the Lady told her,
"I am the Immaculate Conception". Though the girl was unfamiliar
with the term, the Pope had declared the doctrine of the immaculate
conception of the Virgin Mary in 1854.
Four years after Bernadette's visions, in 1862, the bishop of the
diocese declared the faithful "justified in believing the reality of the
apparition" of Our Lady. A basilica was built upon the rock of
Massabielle by M. Peyramale, the parish priest. In 1873 the great
"national" French pilgrimages were inaugurated. Three years later
the basilica was consecrated and the statue solemnly crowned. In
1883 the foundation stone of another church was laid, as the first was
no longer large enough. It was built at the foot of the basilica and was
consecrated in 1901 and called the Church of the Rosary. Pope Leo
XIII authorized a special office and a Mass, in commemoration of the
apparition, and in 1907 Pius X extended the observance of this feast
to the entire Church; it is now observed on February 11.
Litany of Our Lady of Lourdes
Lord have mercy; Lord have mercy.
Christ have mercy; Christ have mercy.
Lord have mercy; Lord have mercy.
Christ hear us; Christ graciously hear us.
God the Father of Heaven; Have mercy on us.
God the Son, Redeemer of the world; Have mercy on us.
God the Holy Spirit; Have mercy on us.
Holy Trinity, one God; Have mercy on us.
Holy Mary; Pray for us.
Holy Mother of God; Pray for us.
Mother of Christ; Pray for us.
Mother of our Savior; Pray for us.
Our Lady of Lourdes, help of Christians; Pray for us.
Our Lady of Lourdes, source of love; Pray for us.
Our Lady of Lourdes, mother of the poor; Pray for us.
Our Lady of Lourdes, mother of the handicapped; Pray for us.
Our Lady of Lourdes, mother of orphans; Pray for us.
Our Lady of Lourdes, mother of all children; Pray for us.
Our Lady of Lourdes, mother of all nations; Pray for us.
Our Lady of Lourdes, mother of the Church; Pray for us.
Our Lady of Lourdes, friend of the lonely; Pray for us.
Our Lady of Lourdes, comforter of those who mourn; Pray for us.
Our Lady of Lourdes, shelter of the homeless; Pray for us.
Our Lady of Lourdes, guide of travelers; Pray for us.
Our Lady of Lourdes, strength of the weak; Pray for us.
Our Lady of Lourdes, refuge of sinners; Pray for us.
Our Lady of Lourdes, comforter of the suffering; Pray for us.
Our Lady of Lourdes, help of the dying; Pray for us.
Queen of heaven; Pray for us.
Queen of peace; Pray for us.
Lamb of God, you take away the sins of the world; Spare us O Lord.
Lamb of God, you take away the sins of the world; Graciously hear us,
O Lord.
Lamb of God, you take away the sins of the world; Have mercy on us.
Christ hear us; Christ graciously hear us.
Let us pray:
Grant us, your servants, we pray you, Lord God, to enjoy perpetual
health of mind and body. By the glorious intercession of Blessed
Mary ever Virgin, may we be delivered from present sorrows, and
enjoy everlasting happiness. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.
| INSTRUMENTS OF PEACE OPC-BSP, or Ordo Poenitentium et Christi- Brothers and Sisters of Penance, of ST. FRANCIS |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |