SATURDAY OF OUR LADY

Photo: R. Massaro (C) 2017 Spirit Singing


OUR LADY OF THE PRECIOUS BLOOD

Memorare to Our Lady of the Precious Blood

REMEMBER, O Lady of the Precious Blood, the sorrowful sheddings of the Blood of thy Jesus and the most bitter tears thou didst mingle with His Redeeming Blood. 

In the name of the Blood of the Victim of Reparation and of thy holy tears; in the name of the seven swords which pierced thy heart, by which thou didst become the Mediatrix of all graces for the human race and the Queen of Martyrs, have pity on my soul and on all its miseries; have pity on sinners and on the innocent souls they seek to pervert; have pity on the poor, the sick, the infirm, on all their sufferings, both physical and moral; have pity on the agonizing, especially upon those who, except for thine intercession, would leave this world without being purified in the Blood of the Lamb.

It is by the Blood of thy Dying Son, by His inexpressible Sufferings, by His last plea to His Father in favor of mankind, by His ignominious Death and by the perpetuation of His Sacrifice on Catholic Altars, that I beg thee not to reject my supplications, but graciously to hear them. Amen.

Seven Offerings of the Precious Blood

Peace be with you!

Rosemarie, OCDS

The Feast of Pentecost

Photo: R. Massaro (C)2017 Spirit Singing Our Lady of Lebanon Shrine North Jackson, Ohio

Sequence from today's Liturgy:

Come, Holy Spirit, come!
And from your celestial home
Shed a ray of light divine!
Come, Father of the poor!
Come, source of all our store!
Come, within our bosoms shine.
You, of comforters the best;
You, the soul’s most welcome guest;
Sweet refreshment here below;
In our labor, rest most sweet;
Grateful coolness in the heat;
Solace in the midst of woe.
O most blessed Light divine,
Shine within these hearts of yours,
And our inmost being fill!
Where you are not, we have naught,
Nothing good in deed or thought,
Nothing free from taint of ill.
Heal our wounds, our strength renew;
On our dryness pour your dew;
Wash the stains of guilt away:
Bend the stubborn heart and will;
Melt the frozen, warm the chill;
Guide the steps that go astray.
On the faithful, who adore
And confess you, evermore
In your sevenfold gift descend;
Give them virtue’s sure reward;
Give them your salvation, Lord;
Give them joys that never end. Amen.
Alleluia.




Peace be with you!
Rosemarie, OCDS

Photo: R. Massaro (c) 2017 Spirit Singing Our Lady of Lebanon Shrine North Jackson, Ohio

NOVENA TO THE HOLY SPIRIT

EWTN Novena

Peace be with you!

Rosemarie, OCDS

The Fruits of the Holy Spirit- Sixth Hymn of Virtue: Gentleness

Photo: R. Massaro (c) 2017 Spirit Singing- Poor Clare Monastery North Canton, Ohio

Because you are God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, clothe yourselves with heartfelt compassion, with kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. (Colossians 3:12)

(Please enjoy this post from the archives)

People are given to complimenting each other's clothing, hair and external accessories. That is the way of the world. As Christians, we are striving to weave beautiful and holy garments with the fabric of virtue provided by the Holy Spirit.

St. Paul tells us to clothe ourselves in virtue. This holy attire should be evident for all to see, but as St. Teresa of Avila tells us, people who possess true humility and virtue usually are unaware that they possess these spiritual gifts. The saints spend their entire lives constantly striving to achieve virtue, totally unaware that the virtues they possess is what attracts others to them.

Photo: R. Massaro (c)2017 Spirit Singing  Walsh University Chapel Canton, Ohio

I recently saw a statue of Our Lady and the Infant Jesus. The statue is a representation of Our Lady of Perpetual Help. I have only seen icons of Our Lady under this title, never a statue. And it is truly a beautiful statue that is displayed in the chapel of Walsh University in Canton, Ohio. I bring up this point because of Our Lady's garment on this statue. Icons are typically full of symbolism. The gold in the background of icons represents the glorious light of heaven. If you look closely, you will see the gold shining through Our Lady's garment in the photo of this statue. This light symbolizes what Christ said to the apostles and to us, “Let your light shine before men.” Not that they will say how wonderful we are but for others to give glory and praise to God.

The Gospel reading this past Saturday was about Our Lord's Transfiguration. We heard in that Gospel that his clothes became radiant as light. This manifestation was a glimpse of his glory that the apostles were blessed to witness. Jesus, a living icon, displayed his glory amidst the brilliant light of heaven! And then the voice of the Father: "This is my beloved Son, listen to him."

Reflecting on this statement, I can't help to see the similarity between the Father's command and what Our Lady said at the wedding feast at Cana. She stated to the servant, "Do whatever he tells you." In other words, listen to Him. I'm confident she said this with great gentleness and charity.

As Christians, we can ask ourselves, have I displayed the holy attire of gentleness in my dealings with family, friends and co-workers? Or, am I harsh and demanding? St. Therese tells us she (through the Holy Spirit) perfected her physical manner to become gentle in her voice and in the way she looked at others. She desired that her whole being reflect the love that was in her heart.

As Carmelites, we know that we must strive for this holy gem of virtue. Why is gentleness so important? Because the holy garment of gentleness has the light of mercy shining through it! If we, as sinners, want to be treated gently and mercifully by Our Lord, we must treat others in this same manner.

I believe these virtues are angelic qualities we must long for and possess before we are fit for the kingdom of heaven. We know that St. Paul even names one rank of angels as Virtues.

I meditate on the gentleness exhibited by the Archangel Gabriel when he addressed the Virgin Mary at the Annunciation: “Do not be afraid Mary, you have found favor with God.” Wouldn't those be lovely words to hear at our judgment? Let us pray that when the Lord summons us home, Our Lady will be by our side defending us poor sinners before the throne of God. And may we hear those gentle words that were spoken to Our Lady, “Do not fear, little one, you have found favor with God.”

Hail Mary, Gentle Woman, pray for us!

Peace be with you!
Rosemarie, ocds

The Fruits of the Holy Spirit-Fifth Hymn of Virtue: Kindness

Photo: R. Massaro (c)2017SpiritSinging

 “The Lord's kindness is everlasting

 to those that fear him.” (Psalm 103)

Continuing this series on the Fruits of the Holy Spirit, let's take a closer look at the fruit or virtue of kindness.

We might first ask the question, “What is kindness?” When reflecting on this virtue, it seems to get lost somewhere between gentleness and patience, two distinct fruits of the Spirit. According to the definition in the dictionary, kindness describes a person who exhibits love, affection, and a gentle nature. In our spiritual life dictionary, we agree with this definition but also want to take it to a higher level, a level of the Spirit. Kindness is a holy attribute of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

Recently, I watched a repeat of EWTN Live with Mother Angelica. Toward the end of the program, there was a caller who seemed to make an impression on Mother Angelica. Although the caller was troubled by something, her voice was gentle and peaceful. Mother Angelica remarked on this, saying something to the effect, “Be very grateful for your gift of gentleness, my dear. Many people work very hard for what seems to come very naturally for you.” We could take her statement and insert any one of the gifts or fruits of the Spirit-we could say, "be very grateful for the gift of patience, be very grateful for the gift of kindness, because many spiritual people desire these gifts." And it is sad to say, but many people never receive these gifts in this life. Why? Attraction to worldly desires and pleasures are stronger than a desire for prayer and self-denial that bring about virtue in the soul.

In St. Teresa of Avila's Interior Castle, she teaches us that the soul in the second mansion is not content with staying there and not because they want to advance. They do not want to advance because they are still attracted to the world and to sin.

This stage pertains to those who have already begun to practice prayer and have understood how important it is not to stay in the first dwelling places. But they still don't have the determination to remain in this second stage without turning back, for they don't avoid the occasions of sin. 
Interior Castle, II:1

If a person dies in this state, he must be purified in the holy fire of Purgatory. Once God purifies his heart, he receives all the gifts of the Holy Spirit in their full glory, and the soul is prepared for the beatific vision. 

When speaking of spiritual gifts that we do possess, we must be very careful that we do not take credit for any virtue or gift that God has bestowed upon us. We could boast and say we obtained such and such a gift by our own efforts at prayer. We must be careful not to steal the Lord's glory. If we must boast, we must boast in the Lord (I Cor 1:31). Remember, God chooses the weak to shame the strong. We must remain humble in the sight of the Lord.

If we know a person who is kind, they will most likely be gentle and patient and loving as well. The fruits of the Holy Spirit could be likened to inseparable friends. When you see one, you see the other!

Photo: R. Massaro (C)2017 SpiritSinging Upper Basilica Lourdes, France

The meeting between Our Lady of Lourdes and Bernadette has always impressed me. Bernadette was lowly in the eyes of the world. She was poor and uneducated. Yet, Our Lady appeared to her and showed her great kindness, saying to her:  “Would you do me the favor of coming here for fifteen days?” Bernadette said that no one in her life had ever spoken to her with such great kindness. 

May we imitate the beautiful kindness of Our Lady when we deal with others. May we be especially kind to those who are looked at unfavorably by our society. May we offer them the sweet fruit of the Spirit and share with them what the Lord has given to us: His love, mercy, and kindness!

Peace be with you!
Rosemarie, OCDS

SATURDAY OF OUR LADY

100TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE APPARITIONS 

OF OUR LADY OF FATIMA
May 13, 1917-May 13, 2017

Photo: R. Massaro (C)2017 Spirit Singing Comforter of the Afflicted Shrine Youngstown, Ohio

EWTN LIVE COVERAGE

O Most Holy Virgin Mary, 

Queen of the most holy Rosary, 

you were pleased to appear to the children of Fatima 

and reveal a glorious message. 

We implore you, 

inspire in our hearts a fervent love 

for the recitation of the Rosary. 

By meditating on the mysteries of the redemption 

that are recalled therein 

may we obtain the graces and virtues that we ask, 

through the merits of Jesus Christ, 

our Lord and Redeemer. 

Amen

Two Seers of the Fatima Apparitions
Jacinta Marto and Francisco Marto Canonized

by Pope Francis

Official Canonization Photo from the Vatican

Peace be with you!

Rosemarie, OCDS

Prayer to Our Lady of Fatima

Photo: R. Massaro (C)2017SpiritSinging Our Lady of Sorrows Shrine Bellevue, Ohio

Live from the shrine in Fatima, Portugal

Peace be with you!

Rosemarie, OCDS