Saturday of Our Lady

Prayer to Our Lady of Consolation

Patron of the State of Ohio

Holy Mary, Mother of Jesus, Consoler of the Afflicted, we place ourselves this day under your special protection and invoke your motherly aide. We promise to be faithful to your divine Son and to honor you with our whole heart. Accept us, we do implore you as your children, and protect us now and forever. Ever guide our footsteps; comfort us in our pain and grief; teach us through life to do the will of God and be with us at the hour of our death. Amen.

          visit the website of the Shrine of Our Lady of Consolation

Devotional/Honorary Titles of Mary from the Fifty States

of the United States and the Nation's Capital.
Courtesty of http://doctorsofthecatholicchurch.com/


AK Our Lady of Kodiak and the Islands

AL Our Lady of the Gulf

AR Our Lady of the Holy Souls

AZ Our Lady of the Highways

CA Our Lady of the Wayside

CO Immaculate Mary

CT Notre Dame of Easton

DE Our Lady of Mercy

FL Our Lady of LaLeche

GA Immaculate Heart of Mary

HI Star of the Sea

IA St. Mary of Nazareth

ID Our Lady of Limerick

IL Our Lady of the Universe

IN Our Lady of Providence

KS Mary Queen of Angels

KY Mother of God

LA Our Lady of Prompt Succor

MA Our Lady of the Incarnation

MD Our Lady of the Assumption

ME Our Lady of Peace

MI Gate of Heaven

MN Mother of the Church

MO Our Lady of Calvary

MS Our Lady of Sorrows

MT Our Lady of the Pines

NC Our Lady of the Holy Rosary

ND St. Mary Queen of Peace

NE Our Lady of the Presentation

NH Our Lady of Perpetual Help

NJ Our Lady of Fatima

NM Our Lady of Guadalupe

NV Our Lady of Las Vegas

NY Help of Christians

OH Our Lady of Consolation

OK Queen of All Saints

OR Our Lady of the Woods

PA Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal

RI Our Lady of Mount Carmel

SC St Mary the Virgin Mother

SD Our Lady of the Prairie

TN Our Lady of Lourdes

TX Our Lady of the Annunciation

UT Our Lady of the Snows

VA Queen of the Apostles

VT Our Lady of Grace

WA Our Lady of Good Help

WA,DC Our Immaculate Queen

WI Our Lady of the Americas

WV Our Lady of Victory

WI Our Lady of the Americas

WY St Mary of the Valley

Peace be with you!

Rosemarie, ocds

Spiritual Life Dictionary

Today's Term:

MORTIFICATION

Mortification, then, may be defined as the struggle against our evil inclinations in order to subject them to the will, and the will to God. It is not so much a virtue as an ensemble of virtues--the first degree of all the virtues--which consists in overcoming the obstacles that stand in the way so as to restore to our faculties their lost balance and reestablish among them their right order. Thus it is easily seen that mortification is not an end in itself, but a means to an end. We mortify ourselves only to live a higher life; we despoil ourselves of external goods only the better to lay hold of spiritual goods; we renounce self but to possess God; we struggle but to obtain peace; we die to ourselves but to live the life of Christ, the life of God. Hence, the end of mortification is union with God.

The Spiritual Life, By Fr. Adolphe Tanquerey, #754

(click on photo for Stations of the Cross)

This definition of mortification as an ensemble of virtue will help us in our continued study of the fruits of the spirit also known as virtues. My next post on the fruits will take a closer look at the fruit of "Faithfulness."

Peace be with you!

Rosemarie, OCDS

Catechism Quote

CATECHISM #220

God's love is "everlasting":41 "For the mountains may depart and the hills be removed, but my steadfast love shall not depart from you."42 Through Jeremiah , God declares to his people, "I have loved you with an everlasting love; therefore I have continued my faithfulness to you."

Peace be with you!

Rosemarie, OCDS

Saturday of Our Lady

The Litany of Loreto

Today's Title:

QUEEN OF THE MOST HOLY ROSARY

Mary's interest in those confided to her maternal care by Christ her Sonis ceaseless. In every age she has revealed her affection for the souls of men-but never more so than when Mary gave the Rosary as a chain of prayer, to bind her holy heart with the hearts of her children everywhere.

(Source: Symbolic Meditations on the Litany of Our Lady by Fr. Robert Ackerman)

How To Say The Rosary

Our Lady of the Most Holy Rosary, Pray for us!

Peace be with you!

Rosemarie, OCDS

Spiritual Life Dictionary

Today's Term: Spiritual Communion

A great desire to receive the Holy Eucharist when one is not able to do so. Spiritual Communion consists of acts of love and thanksgiving.

ACT OF SPIRITUAL COMMUNION

O my Jesus! I believe that you are truly present in the most holy Sacrament of the Altar. I love you above all things, and I desire to be united to you with my whole soul; but since I cannot now receive you sacramentally, come at least spiritually into my heart,--I embrace you as if you were really present with me; I unite myself wholly to you. Never let me be separated from you. Amen.

Peace be with you!

Rosemarie, OCDS

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

SAYING #147

Never listen to the talk about the weaknesses of others, and if someone complains of another, you can tell her humbly to say nothing of it to you.

Today's challenge: Let us try to spend this day refraining from gossip and noticing the faults of others. Let us follow the teaching of St. Paul who tells us that we should only say things that will encourage and build up people and not tear them down. Let us pray for our neighbor and practice the virtue that we see lacking in them.

Peace be with you!

Rosemarie, OCDS

Carmelite Quiz

Carmelite Quiz

#1-What does discalced mean?

#2-On what Holy Day did St. Therese of the Child Jesus experience her total conversion of heart?

#3-Which Carmelite saint wrote The Precautions?

#4-Which Carmelite saint healed a fellow sister's toothache with a kiss on the cheek?

(Answers tomorrow)

Peace be with you!

Rosemarie

Tabernacle of the Week

St. Edward Church

Ashland, Ohio

Christ: Frequently go to the fountain of grace and divine mercy--the fountain of goodness and all purity--where you can be cured of your passion and vices. Then you may deserve to be made stronger and more watchful in resisting all the temptations and deceits of Satan.

This enemy is aware of the great benefit and remedy for sin contained in Holy Communion, and tries by every ruse and occasion he can to withdraw and prevent faithful souls from it.

Imitation of Christ, Chapter 19

The Church teaches that the Holy Eucharist is the source and summit of our Faith. For the Secular Carmelite the Eucharist is central to our vocation as well.

Our Rule states:

The liturgical life, as a perennial participation in the Paschal Mystery, nourishes the Secular Carmelites in their daily commitment to follow Christ crucified and risen. It leads toward an ever more perfect union with God, by making the pains and joys of their life an offering of praise and glory to God.

Their liturgical life will express itself chiefly through participation in the Eucharist and in the celebration of the church's Divine Office. They will, as far as possible, join in the celebration of daily Mass, and each day recite Morning and Evening Prayer from the Breviary; if possible they will recite Nigh Prayer before retiring. Article 5

If you have not begun attending daily mass and and receiving holy communion, I would highly recommend this holy practice. Our lives are so short...let us pray that not one day pass without our receiving the Lord who is waiting eagerly for us to receive Him.

Peace be with you!

Rosemarie, OCDS

Carmelite Quote

Brother Lawrence of the Resurrection:

If we wish to enjoy the peace of paradise in this life, we must accustom ourselves to an intimate, humble and loving conversation with Him; we must prevent our minds from wandering away from Him on any occasion; we must make our hearts a sanctuary where we adore him continually; we must ever be on the alert not to do anything,say anything or think anything that might displease him.

Peace be with you!

Rosemarie, OCDS

Spiritual Life Dictionary

Today's Term: Imagination

A human power or faculty belonging to the interior sensory part of the soul and often used, without differentiation, together with the term fantasy. The power of forming material images, put to use naturally through meditation. Does not have the capacity to reach God, nor does it serve proximately as a means to union. Must be quieted in order to enter the way of the Spirit.

Source: The Collected Works of St. John of the Cross, Translated by Kieran Kavanaugh, O.C.D.

Today's challenge: Be on guard for the wandering of the imagination. When you find yourself creating mental images of people, places, and situations, gently bring your focus back to God and your task at hand. Sanctify the hour by asking God to help you refrain from vain fantasies.

Let us pray for each other.

Peace be with you!

Rosemarie, OCDS

Catechism Quote

Catechism: #1393

Holy Communion separates us from sin. The body of Christ we receive in Holy Communion is "given up for us," and the blood we drink "shed for the many for the forgiveness of sins." For this reason the Eucharist cannot unites us to Christ without at the same time cleansing us from past sins and preserving us from future sins: For as often as we eat this bread and drink the cup, we proclaim the death of the Lord. If we proclaim the Lord's death, we proclaim the forgiveness of sins. If, as often as his blood is poured out, it is poured for the forgiveness of sins,I should always receive it, so that it may always forgive my sins. Because I always sin, I should always have a remedy.

Peace be with you!

Rosemarie, OCDS

Saturday of Our Lady

Litany of Loreto

Today's Title:

Queen Conceived Without Original Sin

She is a reflection of eternal light, spotless mirror of the working of God, and an image of his goodness. (Wisdom7:27)

The most Blessed Virgin Mary was, from the first moment of her conception, by a singular grace and privilege of almighty God and by virtue of the merits of Jesus Christ, Savior of the human race, preserved immune from all stain of original sin.

Pope Pius IX, proclamation on the dogma of the Immaculate Conception, 1854.

On the feast of the Annunciation, March 25, 1858 Our Lady appeared to Bernadette. "Mademoiselle, would you please be kind enough to tell me who you are." At the fourth request, the Lady became serious, stopped smiling, slipped her rosary on her right arm, and with her hands joined she raised her eyes to heaven and said:

"I am the Immaculate Conception."

Source: Discovering Lourdes by Fr. Joseph Bordes

Peace be with you!

Rosemarie, OCDS