Tabernacle of the Week

Visitation Parish

Akron, Ohio

Established: 1907

Diocese of Cleveland

Pastor: Rev. Jonathan Zingales

(The former Annunciation Parish

Combined with St. John the Baptist Parish)

Perpetual Adoration in its essence is as old as creation itself. It began with the existence of the angels, who from the very first moment were destined to praise the Lord. Heaven is the actual home of Perpetual Adoration.

From Adoration Book, for Convents of Perpetual Adoration

Peace be with you!

Rosemarie

______________________

St. John of the Cross-Sayings of Light and Love

                

Saying #109

Wisdom enters through love, silence, and mortification. It is great wisdom to know how to be silent and to look at neither the remarks, nor the deeds, nor the lives of others.    

St. John of the Cross and St. Teresa teach us that we should not be concerned with the faults of others if we desire to make progress in the spiritual life.  Many times, good people-beginners on the road to perfection, mistakenly become  spiritual police.  They look for opportunities to point out the faults of others, instead of being concerned about their own imperfections.

St. Therese found holiness in accepting the faults and failings of others. Her Little Way of spiritual childhoold is one of confidence in the Eternal Father who forgives the failings of his children. In her weakness she found strength and confidence in God.  May she intercede for us!

How can you say to your brother, 'Brother, let me remove the speck from your eye', yet fail yourself to see the plank lodged in your own? Hypocrite, remove the plank from your own eye first; then you will see clearly enough to remove the speck from your brother's eye.
Luke 6:42

Peace be with you!
Rosemarie
___________________                             

Sunday in the Year for Priests

One Sunday evening, Father Monnin relates, several young girls--and "not the most fervent ones"--had remained in the church after Vespers. The Cure of Ars was in the choir as usual. He glanced out at them and said to himself:
"This time I have them. Here is my Confraternity of the Rosary already full-blown!"
He came up to the girls.  "My children," he said to them, "we shall recite the rosary together to ask the Blessed virgin to obtain for you the grace of doing well what you are going to do."
He started the prayers, and the little band made the responses. It was as simple as that. Several of them were converted that evening...
From the Remarkable Cure of Ars by Michel de Saint Pierre
photo: Fr. James Flood saying Mass at St. Edward Nursing Home in Akron, Ohio

The blog of Fr. Valencheck,

pastor of St. Sebastian Church

Akron, Ohio

Peace be with you!
Rosemarie
_________________________

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas to all, especially the faithful followers of Spirit Singing! May God bless you and those you love-now and always!  You will be remembered in my intentions at Mass during Christmas.

The Sorrowful Mother Shrine on Christmas Eve

Visit the shrine online

Peace be with you!

Rosemarie

_____________________

Tabernacle of the Week-Our Lady of Lebanon Shrine-North Jackson, Ohio

National Shrine of Our Lady of Lebanon

North Jackson, Ohio

"My God, grant me the grace of loving you

as much as I possibly can."

The Cure of Ars

Peace be with you!

Rosemarie

______________________

Sunday in the Year for Priests

...He demanded the frequent reception of the sacraments. "Go to Communion, my Brothers, go to Jesus! Go and live by Him, so that you may live for Him!--Do not say you have too much to do--Did not our divine Savior say: "Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest? Could you resist this invitation?--Do not say you are not worthy of it--It is true, you are not worthy of it, but you need it.

He also said: "The soul can only be nourished with God! Only God can suffice it! Only God can fill it! Only God can satisfy its life! It has an absolute need of its God! In every home there is a place where the family provisions are stored. The Church is the home of souls. It is our own home, we who are Christians. Well! In this home there is a pantry. Do you see the tabernacle? If one were to ask the souls of Christians: What is that? your souls would answer: It is the pantry."

From the Remarkable Cure of Ars by Michele de Saint Pierre



Peace be with you!
Rosemarie, ocds
____________________

Saturday of Our Lady

On that first Christmas night there was no Gospel, no New Testament, no supportive Christian community of believers, no Church or Tradition, no great Christian minds like Augustine or Aquinas to inerpret the marvelous events.
Alone, Mary faced the great mystery that had come into her life. This young woman--hardly more than a girl--was about to give birth to a child. She rode a donkey beside Joseph as they traveled from Nazareth, down toward Jerusalem,and beyond to Bethlehem. While Joseph helped Mary on the long road, he couldn't help her with the mystery, the child and the new direction to her life. He could only believe, trust and stand ready with his love.
Excerpt from Mary, the First Disciple, by Bishop Thomas J. Grady
Photo: Window in St. Peter Church Mansfield, Ohio

Video reflection on today's readings

Peace be with you!
Rosemarie
__________________

Stained Glass Flowers-Little Accounts of the Miraculous

From the life of St. John of the Cross:

He had the opportunity, from a daily reprieve from his cell,to familiarize himself  with the monastery surroundings. Then, one hot night in August, after being held prisoner for nine months,emaciated and close to death, John chose life and undertook a dangerous escape he had plotted during the short periods out of his cell. ...There was a lock on the prison door. He solved that problem by loosening the screws of the lock while his jailer was absent...this enabled him to leave his prison and find his way in the dark  to the window. By means of a kind of rope made out of strips torn from two old bed covers and attached to a lamp hook, he escaped through the window onto the top of the wall. He landed inside the courtyard of the Franciscan nuns of the Conception monastery that was adjacent to that of the Carmelites. Fortunatley, in one corner of the nuns' garden he found that the stones in the wall could be used as steps, allowing him to climb over the wall to the city street and to his freedom. After his escape he found refuge with St. Teresa's nuns in Toledo.
An excerpt from the Collected Works of St. John of the Cross translated by Kieran Kavanugh, O.C.D.

Click here to learn more about St. John of the Cross







Peace be with you!
Rosemarie
__________________

Carmelite Quote

Photo: (C) 2017 R. Massaro St. Michael Byzantine Church Akron, Ohio

From Saint Elizabeth of the Trinity

When we go into a quiet room to pray to our Father we are never alone. We come before him made priests to serve our God by our baptism and empowered to intercede for others. However, the prayer of simply remaining in his presence and gazing on him is also of itself apostolic, because we pray as a member of the human family, and the closer we come to God, and the more his life flows through us, the closer we bring the whole human family to him and the kingdom of God is able to come that bit nearer.
                                                                      












Peace be with you!
Rosemarie
_______________________

Carmelite Quote

Peace be with you!
Rosemarie
________________

Sunday in the Year for Priests

And whether he was talking, hearing confessions, or preaching, he would choke up with tears. Father Vianney had the gift of tears. And above all, he put so much ardor, so much power of conviction, so much hopelessness into his exhortations, that they made an extraordinary impression on his hearers even at that early period of his life. It seemed that when he spoke of the love of God, when he called to mind the offenses against His holy name, he poured out all his energies in a torrent. When he stopped talking and entreating his brothers, it was as if he were breathing his last.
From the Remarkable Cure of Ars, by Michel de Saint Pierre


“A Christian should always be ready for combat. It is in combat, and in acceptance of the sorrows he sends us, that we prove to God our love for him.”     St. John Vianney

The Litany of St. John Vianney

Peace be with you!
Rosemarie
___________________

Saturday of Our Lady

Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe

Patroness of the Americas and Protector of the Unborn

Read about the miraculous image of Our Lady of Guadalupe

The Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe-Mexico City

Prayer to Our Lady of Guadalupe,

Mystical Rose,
make intercession for holy Church,
protect the sovereign Pontiff,
help all those who invoke you in their necessities,
and since you are the ever Virgin Mary
and Mother of the true God,
obtain for us from your most holy Son
the grace of keeping our faith,
of sweet hope in the midst of the bitterness of life
of burning charity, and the precious gift
of final perseverance.
Amen.

Peace be with you~
Rosemarie, OCDS
___________________________

Stained Glass Scapulars-Reflections on the Secular Carmelite Rule

The Blessed Virgin Mary is present in a very special way in the life of Carmelites. She is, first of all, their model in listening to the Lord and serving Him. She is also Mother of the whole Order, which enjoys her special patronage.

The Secular Carmelites' interior life must be permeated by an intense devotion to Our Lady. This will be manifested by honoring her daily by some particular act, and by wearing the holy Scapular of Carmel.

(Article #7)

The first sentence of Article 7 of our Rule should bring us great joy: The Blessed Virgin Mary is present in a very special way in the life of Carmelites. Really, to simply raise our thoughts to contemplate the Virgin Mary and her love for us, should bring us great joy!  We know that Carmel belongs to Mary, therefore, she belongs to each member in a special way.  This truth reminds me of that simple consecration prayer to Mary:

O Mary, my Queen and my Mother
I give myself entirely to you, and to
show my devotion to you I consecrate
to you this day, my eyes, my ears, my mouth,
my heart, my whole being, without reserve.

Wherefore, Good Mother, as I am thine, keep me

and guard me as your own property and possession.

Yes, when we become Carmelites we belong totally to Christ through the Virgin Mary of Mt. Carmel.  This simple prayer of consecration should also remind us of the Gospel exhortation in which Jesus explains the Great Command: To love God with our whole mind, heart, and strength, and our neighbor as ourself.  This is the simple yet great teaching of our holy parents, St. John of the Cross and St. Teresa of Jesus.  We know through their teachings that we cannot attain union with God without loving our neighbor. We must die completely to self and give our whole being over to God for his service.  We cannot love and serve unless we have the help of the Holy Spirit, the Spouse of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

In this holy season of Advent, let us be true to our Carmelite calling by imitating the Virgin Mary who pondered the Word in her heart. She waited for the coming of the Lord in peace and in prayer.  Is not our charism of contemplative prayer a holy reflection of the Virgin's waiting-of all of creation's waiting for the Savior?  Each time we enter into mental prayer it should be as if for the first time in anticipation of His coming to meet us and commune with us.
Let our hearts be not troubled if we experience dryness or emptiness in prayer, this is necessary for our progress in holiness. We can be at peace if we make the effort to show up at the designated time for prayer and simply say: Here I am Lord!

May the Blessed Virgin Mary of Mount Carmel, help us to wait for Him, and when He speaks, to listen to Him.

Peace be with you!

Rosemarie, OCDS

_________________

Tabernacle of the Week

OUR LADY OF THE ELMS HIGH SCHOOL

AKRON, OHIO

When one has just received communion, of what use are the words of men when it is God who is speaking? We must listen to what the good Lord says to our heart.

St. John Vianney

________________________________________

Remembering Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen-click here

Peace be with you!

Rosemarie

_______________________

Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception

On March 25, 1858, during the night, Bernadette felt she was being "called" again. At five in the morning she went to the grotto. Three times she asked the Lady her name Please, Mademoiselle, would you be so kind as to tell me who you are?" But all she received in reply was a smile. She tried again: this time Aquero clasped her hands together and, lifting her eyes heavenwards, said in patois, "Que soy era Immaculada Councepciou" ( I am the Immaculate Conception). Bernadette went directly to see Fr. Peyramale. "Aquero said, "I am the Immaculate Conception!"
(From Lourdes, Apparitions/Messages/Pilgrimage)

LOURDES GROTTO IN FRANCE-LIVE TELEVISION 24/7

Peace be with you!
Rosemarie
______________________

Sunday in the Year for Priests

Click here to view U.S. Bishops daily video meditation

The Precepts of the Catholic Church

1.  You shall attend Mass on Sundays and on holy days of obligation and rest from servile labor.

2.  You shall confess your sins at least once a year.

3.  You shall receive the sacrament of the Eucharist at least during the Easter season.

4.  You shall observe the days of fasting and abstinence established by the Church.

5.  You shall help to provide for the needs of the Church.
From the Catechism of the Catholic Church #2042-43

(The traditional precepts included two more.)

1.  Study Catholic teaching.

2.  Observe the marriage laws of the church and provide religious training for one's children.

Peace be with you!
Rosemarie
_______________________

Novena to St. John of the Cross

Day One

Beginning Prayer to be said each day:

O glorious St. John of the Cross, through a pure desire of being like Jesus crucified, you longed for nothing so eagerly as to suffer, to be despised, and to be made little of by all; and your thirst after sufferings was so burning that your noble heart rejoiced in the midst of the cruelest torments and afflictions. Grant, I beseech you, O dear Saint, by the glory which your many sufferings have gained for you, to intercede for me and obtain from God for me a love of suffering, together with strength and grace to bear with firmness of mind all the trials and adversities which are the sure means to the happy attainment of all that awaits me in heaven. Dear Saint, from your most happy place in glory, hear, I beseech you, my prayers, so that after your example, full of love for the cross I may deserve to be your companion in glory. Amen.

First Day: Unwavering Faith

Prayer:

O glorious father St. John of the Cross; overflowing with love for Mary and for the cross of her divine Son by which you merited to become the protector of afflicted souls, obtain for me from Jesus and Mary, I beseech you, an unwavering faith and a love of the cross so deep and so valiant that no possible misfortune will ever be able to separate me from the love of my God. Obtain for me also the special grace I ask through your intercession during this novena if it be for the glory of God and for my salvation (make request).

Three Our Fathers and three Hail Marys.

Day 2: Spirit of Penitence

Beginning Prayer to be said each day:

O glorious St. John of the Cross, through a pure desire of being like Jesus crucified, you longed for nothing so eagerly as to suffer, to be despised, and to be made little of by all; and your thirst after sufferings was so burning that your noble heart rejoiced in the midst of the cruelest torments and afflictions. Grant, I beseech you, O dear Saint, by the glory which your many sufferings have gained for you, to intercede for me and obtain from God for me a love of suffering, together with strength and grace to bear with firmness of mind all the trials and adversities which are the sure means to the happy attainment of all that awaits me in heaven. Dear Saint, from your most happy place in glory, hear, I beseech you, my prayers, so

that after your example, full of love for the cross I may deserve to be your companion in glory. Amen.

Prayer:
Glorious St. John of the Cross, you preserved to death in unspotted
brilliancy the radiant whiteness of your baptismal innocence, while

nevertheless practicing the most cruel and persevering penance. In honor and imitation of this crucifying love, I entreat you that I may share your mortified and penitential life so that, even in this world, I may receive the grace to atone for my many sins, purify my soul, and acquire merit, that I may also enjoy heaven’s glory with you. Obtain for me also the special grace I ask through your intercession during this novena, if it be for the glory of God and for my salvation (make request).

Three Our Fathers and three Hail Marys.

Day 3:

Beginning Prayer to be said each day:

O glorious St. John of the Cross, through a pure desire of being like Jesus crucified, you longed for nothing so eagerly as to suffer, to be despised, and to be made little of by all; and your thirst after sufferings was so burning that your noble heart rejoiced in the midst of the cruelest torments and afflictions. Grant, I beseech you, O dear Saint, by the glory which your many sufferings have gained for you, to intercede for me and obtain from God for me a love of suffering, together with strength and grace to bear with firmness of mind all the trials and adversities which are the sure means to the happy attainment of all that awaits me in heaven. Dear Saint, from your most happy place in glory, hear, I beseech you, my prayers, so

that after your example, full of love for the cross I may deserve to be your companion in glory. Amen.

Third Day: Holy Enlightenment

Prayer:
O my beloved father St. John of the Cross, your continual prayer merited for you the name of Ecstatic Doctor, favored with special graces in the guidance and direction of souls. I humbly beg you to enlighten my soul and to give me a relish for holy meditation that, detached from earthly things, I may love God alone and desire heaven only. Obtain for me also the special grace I ask through your intercession during this novena, if it be for the glory of God and for my salvation (make request).

Three Our Fathers and three Hail Marys.

Day 4

Beginning Prayer to be said each day:

O glorious St. John of the Cross, through a pure desire of being like Jesus crucified, you longed for nothing so eagerly as to suffer, to be despised, and to be made little of by all; and your thirst after sufferings was so burning that your noble heart rejoiced in the midst of the cruelest torments and afflictions. Grant, I beseech you, O dear Saint, by the glory which your many sufferings have gained for you, to intercede for me and obtain from God for me a love of suffering, together with strength and grace to bear with firmness of mind all the trials and adversities which are the sure means to the happy attainment of all that awaits me in heaven. Dear Saint, from your most happy place in glory, hear, I beseech you, my prayers, so

that after your example, full of love for the cross I may deserve to be your companion in glory. Amen.

Fourth Day: Holy Patience

Prayer:

Great St. John of the Cross, model of patience and generosity, for the glory of God and for the propagation of the holy reform of Carmel, you endured grievous trials and undertook heavy labors, finding, as did St. Paul, joy in opprobrium. Obtain from our Lord for me the grace of unalterable patience in adversity that I may thereby glorify God, have cleansed my soul of every stain, advance in the practice of solid virtue, and obtain at last the crown promised to those who suffer for the love of God. Obtain for me also the special grace I ask through your intercession during this novena, if it be for the glory of God and for my salvation (make request).

Three Our Fathers and three Hail Marys.

Day 5:

Beginning Prayer to be said each day:

O glorious St. John of the Cross, through a pure desire of being like Jesus crucified, you longed for nothing so eagerly as to suffer, to be despised, and to be made little of by all; and your thirst after sufferings was so burning that your noble heart rejoiced in the midst of the cruelest torments and afflictions. Grant, I beseech you, O dear Saint, by the glory which your many sufferings have gained for you, to intercede for me and obtain from God for me a love of suffering, together with strength and grace to bear with firmness of mind all the trials and adversities which are the sure means to the happy attainment of all that awaits me in heaven. Dear Saint, from your most happy place in glory, hear, I beseech you, my prayers, so

that after your example, full of love for the cross I may deserve to be your companion in glory. Amen.

Fifth Day: Protection from Temptation

Prayer:

Dear St. John of the Cross, you exercised dominion over the powers of hell, often obliging them to relinquish the souls, as well as the bodies of their victims. Have compassion on me; ask God to preserve me from the temptations and deceits of these wicked spirits, not only throughout my life, but above all at the hour of my death, that persevering to the end in the grace and love of God, I may possess Him with you forever. Obtain for me also the special grace I ask through your intercession during this novena, if it be for the glory of God and for my salvation (make request).

Three Our Fathers and three Hail Marys.

Day 6:

Beginning Prayer to be said each day:

O glorious St. John of the Cross, through a pure desire of being like Jesus crucified, you longed for nothing so eagerly as to suffer, to be despised, and to be made little of by all; and your thirst after sufferings was so burning that your noble heart rejoiced in the midst of the cruelest torments and afflictions. Grant, I beseech you, O dear Saint, by the glory which your many sufferings have gained for you, to intercede for me and obtain from God for me a love of suffering, together with strength and grace to bear with firmness of mind all the trials and adversities which are the sure means to the happy attainment of all that awaits me in heaven. Dear Saint, from your most happy place in glory, hear, I beseech you, my prayers, so

that after your example, full of love for the cross I may deserve to be your companion in glory. Amen.

Sixth Day: Purity of Soul and Body

Prayer:

Great St. John of the Cross, favored by our Lord and the glorious Virgin, His mother, in reward for your angelic life and with the precious gift of chastity, you converted many souls held captive by the most shameful passions. Obtain for me some share in so priceless a gift that, pure and chaste in soul and body, I may reach heaven where nothing stained may enter and where choirs of virgins follow the Lamb wherever He goes. Obtain for me also the special grace I ask through your intercession during this novena, if it be for the glory of God and for my salvation (make request).

Three Our Fathers and three Hail Marys.

Day 7

Beginning Prayer to be said each day:

O glorious St. John of the Cross, through a pure desire of being like Jesus crucified, you longed for nothing so eagerly as to suffer, to be despised, and to be made little of by all; and your thirst after sufferings was so burning that your noble heart rejoiced in the midst of the cruelest torments and afflictions. Grant, I beseech you, O dear Saint, by the glory which your many sufferings have gained for you, to intercede for me and obtain from God for me a love of suffering, together with strength and grace to bear with firmness of mind all the trials and adversities which are the sure means to the happy attainment of all that awaits me in heaven. Dear Saint, from your most happy place in glory, hear, I beseech you, my prayers, so
that after your example, full of love for the cross I may deserve to be your companion in glory. Amen.

Seventh Day: Humility

Prayer:

Blessed father St. John of the Cross, in you was joined the most profound humility to the most sublime knowledge of the ways of God. Obtain for me real humility of heart, making me love humiliation and contempt that, despairing worldly vanity, I may learn from you to esteem only God and heavenly things. Obtain for me also the special grace I ask through your intercession during this novena, if it be for the glory of God and for my salvation (make request).

Three Our Fathers and three Hail Marys.

Day 8

Beginning Prayer to be said each day:

O glorious St. John of the Cross, through a pure desire of being like Jesus crucified, you longed for nothing so eagerly as to suffer, to be despised, and to be made little of by all; and your thirst after sufferings was so burning that your noble heart rejoiced in the midst of the cruelest torments and afflictions. Grant, I beseech you, O dear Saint, by the glory which your many sufferings have gained for you, to intercede for me and obtain from God for me a love of suffering, together with strength and grace to bear with firmness of mind all the trials and adversities which are the sure means to the happy attainment of all that awaits me in heaven. Dear Saint, from your most happy place in glory, hear, I beseech you, my prayers, so

that after your example, full of love for the cross I may deserve to be your companion in glory. Amen.

Eighth Day: Comfort in Affliction

Prayer:

St. John of the Cross, my glorious protector, in your lifetime you were the father of the poor, the consoler of the afflicted and the assured refuge of the suffering; you worked miracles of charity for all, miracles which you repeat even now by means of your holy images and relics. Deign also to be my consoler and my father; comfort me in my sorrows and aid me to see in every cross a pledge of divine mercy that, through the cross, I may gain heaven. Obtain for me, too, the special grace I ask through your intercession during the novena, if it be for the glory of God and for my salvation (make request).

Three Our Fathers and three Hail Marys.

Day 9

Beginning Prayer to be said each day:

O glorious St. John of the Cross, through a pure desire of being like Jesus crucified, you longed for nothing so eagerly as to suffer, to be despised, and to be made little of by all; and your thirst after sufferings was so burning that your noble heart rejoiced in the midst of the cruelest torments and afflictions. Grant, I beseech you, O dear Saint, by the glory which your many sufferings have gained for you, to intercede for me and obtain from God for me a love of suffering, together with strength and grace to bear with firmness of mind all the trials and adversities which are the sure means to the happy attainment of all that awaits me in heaven. Dear Saint, from your most happy place in glory, hear, I beseech you, my prayers, so

that after your example, full of love for the cross I may deserve to be your companion in glory. Amen.

Ninth Day: Holy Abandonment

Prayer:

O my loving father St. John of the Cross, to imitate more perfectly our Lord, you generously renounced every consolation, even the spiritual; prayed to suffer and to be despised for God’s sake; and finally died suffering, happy to be condemned by men. Obtain for me the grace of abandonment to the will of God that, placing all my joy and my hope in the passion of my Savior, I may at last rest eternally with you in His glory. Obtain for me also the special grace I ask through your intercession during this novena, if it be for the glory of God and for my salvation (make request).

Three Our Fathers and three Hail Marys

From meditations from Carmel podcast
http://www.meditationsfromcarmel.com/podcast/?p=83

Saturday of Our Lady

Be blessed, O most pure Virgin, for having vouchsafed to manifest yourself shining with light, sweetness and beauty, in the Grotto of Lourdes, saying to the child St. Bernadette: "I am the Immaculate Conception!" O Mary Immaculate, inflame our hearts with one ray of the burning love of your pure heart. Let them be consumed with love for Jesus and for you, in order that we may merit one day to enjoy your glorious eternity.

Visit the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, D.C.

Peace be with you!
Rosemarie
____________________________

Carmelite Quote

Today's Quote is by St. Teresa Benedicta of the Cross, known in the world as Edith Stein. Click here to learn more about her.

Peace be with you!
Rosemarie
____________________