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Novena to St. Anne - Day 8
Today, let's pray for couples who are trying to have children -- that they may be patient and persistent in their prayers. That they may grow in their faith like St. Anne, who had to wait many years to conceive Mother Mary. Let's pray that God will fulfill the deepest desires of their hearts.
Remember, O Saint Anne, you whose name signifies grace and mercy, that never was it known that anyone who fled to your protection, implored your help, and sought your intercession was left unaided. Inspired with this confidence, I fly unto you, good, and kind mother; I take refuge at your feet, burdened with the weight of my sins. O holy mother of the Immaculate Virgin Mary, despise not my petition…
(State your intention here.)
…but hear me and grant my prayer.
Amen.
Pray for us, Saint Anne and Saint Joachim!
That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.
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I have happily been with you praying the Novena to St. Anne. My little Josephine (6 yr old Grandaughter) gave me a little painting of Santa Ana last Mother's Day...they live in Long Beach, Ca, with a strong Mexican influence. I have loved the prayers that have been pertinent in my life...especially having more understanding & patience with my DH. Penny, I understand your sadness...and often feel the same...even knowing this illness has given me great insight into how precious life is. I've been a pretty independent woman, although also content being wife & mother, but finding myself unable to do many of the things I used to find so easy (much due to abdominal problems from diep flap) is frustrating and I know that added to fatigue & dr appt, chemo, etc, has changed me. Thank God I have had wonderful blood, liver & tumor markers-some of my best yesterday, after 18 mos of txt, but some of my sparkle is gone. I pray for help in shaking myself out of duldrums & I pray for all of my sisters to be able to put aside the worries of bc....as often as we can. I'm thankful that we can share honest feelings on bc.org & I can tell when I've been off for a while...I need all of you, my support net
. Susanna...prayers for a job for you & the best news for Jamie in September. Rene...I may give you a call soon . Good night & God's blessings!0 -
Hi RonnieKay Great news about your bloods. XXX
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Love you all. - Penny
Novena to St. Anne - Day 9
For this last day, we would like to pray for all those looking for work. Let's pray that they may find employment that will take care of their material needs for them & their families.
Most holy mother of the Virgin Mary, glorious Saint Anne, I, a miserable sinner, confiding in your kindness, choose you today as my special advocate. I offer all my interests to your care and maternal solicitude. O my very good mother and advocate, deign to accept me and to adopt me as your child.
O glorious Saint Anne, I beg you, by the passion of my most loving Jesus, the Son of Mary, your most holy daughter, to assist me in all the necessities both of my body and my soul. Venerable Mother, I beg you to obtain for me the favor I seek in this novena…
(State your intention here.)
…and the grace of leading a life perfectly conformable in all things to the Divine Will. I place my soul in your hands and in those of your kind daughter. I ask for your favor in order that, appearing under your patronage before the Supreme Judge, He may find me worthy of enjoying His Divine Presence in your holy companionship in Heaven.
Amen.
Pray for us, Saint Anne and Saint Joachim!
That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.
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Redwolf- Amen- I am doing my second group of Novenas. I have years of catch up to do. It seems when we are younger and more active prayer gets pushed to the back burner on our "to do list "
RonnieKay- so happy your lab tests are improved. Remember when the bad guys get attacked in chemo they take along a bunch of good guys too so bidy defenses get a bashing too. Hugs coming now.
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Had a beautiful weekend in Washington's wine country (small city called Walla Walla), where we went to my cousin's daughter's wedding. She married a wonderful young man becoming an Episcopalian priest. The ceremony was very close to our mass. I was surprised. It was an outdoor ceremony in 90+ degrees...luckily I stood under a small shade tree with my aunt, also in chemo for mets to bones. Thinking of you & hoping for joy in the coming week
. XOXO0 -
Hi Ronnie Kay, good job that you found that tree so you could properly enjoy the wedding ceremony. If I understand it right Episcopalian in the US is equivalent to Anglican here. Anglicanism IS effectively Catholicism but broken away from the Pope by the actions of one lovely King Henry VIII who declared himself head instead. He aligned his newly constituted state church with the Reformed Churches, but unlike the reformed church Anglicanism was a direct schism from Catholicism so the two churches are, as you spotted, extremely close in liturgy and belief. It is such a sad accident of history that we are separate at all, and God willing we will continue to grow together in faith. My Mum was born into the Anglican communion and my Dad is Catholic. Mum had always leaned High Anglican which is dubbed "bells and smells without the Pope" because the rite is so traditionally Catholic, complete with incense, making the sign of the cross, genuflection etc. My Mum made a conversion before she married and I was raised Catholic. Wishing you joy too. XXX Susanna
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Ronnie-Kay so happy you had lovely weekend.I can't do 90f anymore.Even these 80s having me running the a/c Please drink plenty if fluids.
FelingFeline- I miss the incense during mass. It appears only some of the Catholic churches in the US use it. My local in Florida did but here out west where I moved- none. I wonder if eventually the Pope will allow married priests. I think they should as we have had such scandals here in the last few years.
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GrammyR, I am totally with you on the married priests. It would be nice if the celibacy was an optional vow for those who wished to take that path. Sadly if it does come I think it will not lead to the flood of vocations it might have done if introduced a generation or two ago. So few young people are being raised in the faith and that is the ultimate root of the lack of vocations. The Anglican church which allows marriage for priests has a similar crisis in vocations both here and in the UK. They went the route of women priests to try to fill the gap. (Call me conservative but I am not hoping for women priests). What we are seeing in Ireland at present is the "reverse missionary" effect. Where Ireland once exported priests to the world we are now in need of, and welcoming, priests from S.America, Poland, Africa, Philipines etc. Vocations remain high in the Developing World for which we should be thankful. Faith always seems to be strongest where things are more difficult. In my last parish the PP had been in Chile (actually had the dubious honour of being tortured there). He spoke about people walking 3 days to get to mass in remote areas where a priest might only be available to that church once a month.
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The most beautiful Mass I ever attended was in Front Royal, VA, at St. John the Baptist. It was mostly Latin, they sung Gregorian Chants, and used incense. They even had an altar for kneeling when receiving communion. I also noticed that most people received on the tongue (something my family has been doing ever since St. Pope John Paul II encouraged it.). You could practically envision the angels all around as the congregation praised and worshipped Our Lord.
We happened to be in town to visit my niece, who was attending Christendom College at the time. What a wonderfully-conservative Roman Catholic College (if you roll that way
)! They accept no government funding - it's all run on donations.I'll stop babbling now.
Penny.0 -
For another point of view--Fr. Dwight Longenecker is a Catholic priest who was formerly a married Anglican priest. Our church accepts married men under these circumstances. So he is now a married Catholic priest with children. He writes from time to time on the topic of married priests.
http://www.patheos.com/blogs/standingonmyhead/2011/01/married-priests-the-magic-bullet.html
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The article makes some very good points. We have seen in Protestant churches that don't require a celibate clergy that all kinds of issues are created, or not really solved, by having a clergy which can marry.
On the other hand, I think it is quite telling that I live in a diocese that this year ordained one new Priest, two men to the Transitional Diaconate, and fourteen to the Permanent Diaconate.
The newest Deacon in our parish wanted to be a Priest when he was younger, but then he met his wife while they were still in high school, and made a choice to marry and have children rather than become a Priest. This year, just weeks after retiring from his job, he became a Deacon.
Perhaps allowing some of those who have been in the Permanent Diaconate for a period of time to transition to the Priesthood whether they are married or not, might make sense.
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Very interesting article Corky. I had heard of the Anglican priests who had converted and been accepted continuing their work as married priests but had not read anything written by any of them.
Penny Redwolf, I know what you mean. Lived in London when I was in my early 20's and I always went to the Brompton Oratory for the Tridentine Mass. If in Dublin City on a Sunday morning (a rare enough occurence) I go to St Mary's Pro-Cathedral for the Tridentine Mass. In both venues not only is the Latin mass said, but there are magnificent resident choirs. I am not old enough to have lived with Latin mass, but having the opportunity to attend one is a rare privilege now, and I feel such a connection with it that I am sad that there is not more available (one latin mass a few times a year per parish would be wonderful). I also had the great joy of seeing the Passion Play in Oberammergau in 2010 (trip of a lifetime!) and the regular Sunday mass in Oberammergau was part German vernacular and part Latin - the Pater Noster and Gloria were retained. Maybe I'm just being romantic but whenever I sing the Latin Pater Noster I feel like I have this wonderful connection to all who went before and sang it that way. I think it must have been tough for some of the people who had spent most of their lives with the Latin mass to make the transition to the vernacular. I really feel there is a place for both and it would be lovely for more people in more parishes to have the opportunity to attend Latin mass.
PatMom you make very good points about the married Deacons. God willing we will live to see some movement in this area. We have been blessed with a reforming and dynamic Pope, may God Bless Pope Francis.
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I have wondered so often about frankh from Ireland. Has anyone heard from him?
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Hi mkkjd60 I sent Frank a PM a while ago saying not to feel any pressure to post but letting him know that he was warmly remembered and prayed for here. I didn't hear anything back. Whether Frank is still with us or gone home to God our prayers are never wasted, God doesn't work in human timelines. XXX
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Nicely put, feelingfeline. SO, SO true about our prayers never wasted, about God's timeline!
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Feelingfeline- I am old enough to have spent my former years in a Latin Mass church and school in England. Age 5-11 , I still recall most words to the Mass despite my memory loss of many things post chemo several years ago.
Patmom- one if my past priests in Fl was older and was accepted to the priesthood after his wife died. I would also like to see more nuns and have them w/greater profile during mass and services.
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Hi, y'all.
This is just a quick reminder that the Religious Freedom Novena starts on Friday - that's tomorrow.
Penny0 -
Feelingfeline, thanks for your response on Frank and for following up with him. He and I would "talk" about Ireland when he posted. Many of my relatives are still there. I think of him often. Redwolf, glad to see you are doing well.
I had stopped posting in this forum for awhile after my mom passed away in May 2013. I must be honest. Her death changed me and changed my faith. For the years that she was sick, I prayed constantly for a cure, a treatment, her return to good health, her happiness, almost to the exclusion of everyone and everything around me. I deeply loved her. She was amazing. A caring mother and devoted wife. She took care of my 3 children and practically raised them while I practiced law. She was selfless. So when she got sick, I left my practice for 2 years to take care of her. It was a privilege and an honor and a time I would not change, except for her illness. Witnessing her last breath was life altering. Perhaps her last moments will change you so here they are:
I was living full time at my parents home during the last 3 weeks of mom's illness. My father simply couldn't handle it and couldn't accept it. They were married 53 years. Mom was 73 when she died. Anyway, I was sleeping on the couch when I heard her yell "Ahhhhh", like she had seen something wonderful. She had been in a coma for a week and she had received last rites during that time. I ran to her room where she was lying in bed, her big beautiful blue eyes wide open for the first time in a week. She was staring at the ceiling where it meets the wall and mouthing "mama mama mama". A few minutes later she closed her eyes and peacefully left me.
Since her death, I have never asked God for anything. And I mean anything. I thank Him. And I beg Him to let me trust Him again. But I've lost my trust in God. I simply can't understand why. I can't understand how He could ignore the only real thing I ever wanted. When she was sick, I told God I would give up everything, start all over again, if he would just cure her. No deal. No answers. No nothing.
I am a Eucharistic Minister. Today I went to the hospital and gave Communion to the sick. Held their hands, told them I would pray. Prayed with them. And yet, I feel like it is forced. Like I am deceiving them. One lady who had cancer twice and has just inexplicitly fallen asked me today, "Can you tell me why I'm still alive?" Sometimes I want to tell them I don't know anything. I can't explain anything. I've lost my trust. But I don't .
Forgive the long post. I am hoping that maybe someone here can help me. Why does God stand by when we suffer and die? I could not imagine leaving my children to suffer and die if I could do anything about it. I want to feel God again. I want to trust Him. Thank you in advance for your thoughts. xo
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Our parish, the cathedral of the archdiocese, has incense, many receive communion on the tongue, there is the most angelic world~renowned choir w/chanting & often Latin responses & the most beloved priest, Michael Ryan (of proud Irish descent). It's a most beautiful place to worship. We had a deacon who'd lost his wife but as for priests, we have none married in our parish. I know the scandals have rocked the world, but I still feel the commitment to God/the church that a priest makes would be more difficult if married...guess I need to become more forward thinking (Penny...are my conservative thoughts coming through?). Susanna, I'd never been to an Episcopalian service of any kind, so it was interesting (not counting royal weddings). My thought is that your Mum's conversion may not have been too difficult for her..did her family support her?
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Dearest mkkjd60 what a wonderful Mom. My sweet mother in law died at 73 in March 2013, she also suffered a long slow sad decline. I have no answers as to why God does not stop the sickness for your Mom, my mother in law and so many others. I am quite sure that God WAS with my mother in law during her illness. Why he let the pain and sickness happen I don't know. I DO believe that many people who suffer in this life will be rewarded in the life to come. Jesus has told us this in the Sermon on the Mount. I also believe that when people are very near death they can begin to glimpse the world beyond and loved ones who have gone ahead. When my darling Grandpa was dying he saw so many people he thought there was a party in the room. Could your Mom have been seeing her own Mama? It sounds like you were an incredible support to your Mom throughout her illness both in prayer and in person. So many things including the question of suffering are hidden from us here where we see through a glass darkly. Sending you love and hugs XXX Susanna
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holy smokes...I missed a whole page when I posted. So sorry...will catch up!!!
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God love you, mkkjd60. I can hear your suffering in your post. We don't know why bad things happen to good people. Whenever I ask myself why I look at the crucifix and am reminded of all the suffering of our Blessed Lord. Thank you for your faithfulness. I am reminded of Mother Teresa, all those decades of her life serving the Lord. Later it came out in her personal writings that she never "felt" it. She endured a dark night of the soul for decades and continued to serve and love our Lord. I once heard a teaching by a priest who said that God allows suffering and bad things to happen to good people so that something better can come of it. We may not know what in this life. You served your mother in her last years, "honor thy father and thy mother" and you did. Is there a priest or spiritual advisor you can confide in? Continue to receive the sacraments, go to confession and ask God to continue to hold you. It sounds like at the end your mother saw her own mother, or perhaps even the Blessed Mother. Sending you blessings and hugs. Corky
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Hi RonnieKay, My Mum's family was generally great. Her Mum died when she was in her early 20's. Later when she converted to Catholicism a friend of her mother's told my mum that my mum's mother had predicted that mum would one day become a Catholic. Nice to know her Mum knew her so well. Her Dad (my darling Grandpa who I mentioned thought there was a party in the room when he was close to death) was one of the nicest human beings imaginable and although he was more "low church" Anglican (this means a more austere form of Anglicanism - liturgy is almost identical to ours but none of the "bells and smells", no sign of the cross, genuflecting etc) he was very supportive. Mum actually went on to work in ecumenism and Grandpa annually made a donation to the group she worked with. The only one who had a problem was her sister, who was somewhat anti-Catholic, though the two sisters were and are close friends about most things. The supreme irony was that years later her sister, who was now living in England, made a conversion of convenience to Catholicism. She did this because her daughter had failed an awful SAT type test taken by all 11 year olds in the UK at that time which dictated what school you would go to. Failing this test meant that her daughter would end up going to a very rough school in her locality. If she had passed the test she would have gone to the better school in the locality called a "Grammar School". However if you were a Catholic you were allowed bus out of the area to a much better Catholic school. So Mum's sister made a rapid conversion for herself and her daughter, my cousin. They went through the whole communion, confirmation etc a proper reception into the church. My Dad still chortles about that. XXX
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Novena for Religious Freedom - Day 1
On this first day of the novena, we will pray and fast for an end to this violence -- and most especially for peace.
In addition to our novena prayer, we will also pray a Morning Offering today.
Click here to read more about fasting and the Morning Offering prayer for today.
Here are the novena prayers for today:Day 1 - The Religious Freedom Novena Oh great cloud of witnesses! Oh host of Angels and Saints worshiping God for all eternity! Oh holy ones in heaven above, Pray for us!
You who were once part of the Church on earth, you who were faithful servants of the Church Militant, you who suffered for the love of God, Pray for us!
In all ages, the Church is persecuted and hated. We pray, oh Lord, through your holy Saints, that we may be blessed with the freedom to worship and adore you at all times! We pray that you may bless your Church throughout the world and me personally with your grace to persevere with love in the face of persecution just as You did on the Cross.
(Mention your personal intentions here)
Litany of Martyrs:
Day 1:
St. Joan of Arc – Pray for us!
St. Valentine – Pray for us!
St. Carmen Monreno and St. Ampara Caronell – Pray for us!
St. Sebastian – Pray for us!
St. Peter – Pray for us!
St. Stephen – Pray for us!
St. Denis – Pray for us!Amen.
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Novena for the Persecuted Church & Religious Freedom - Day 2
Today, let's pray for all bishops, priests and religious that they may always have the courage to stand with Christ even in the face of persecution or death.Oh great cloud of witnesses! Oh host of Angels and Saints worshiping God for all eternity! Oh holy ones in heaven above, Pray for us!
You who were once part of the Church on earth, you who were faithful servants of the Church Militant, you who suffered for the love of God, Pray for us!
In all ages, the Church is persecuted and hated. We pray, oh Lord, through your holy Saints, that we may be blessed with the freedom to worship and adore you at all times! We pray that you may bless your Church throughout the world and me personally with your grace to persevere with love in the face of persecution just as You did on the Cross.
(Mention your personal intentions here)
Litany of Martyrs:
Day 2
St. Maria Goretti – Pray for us!
St. Ignatius of Antioch – Pray for us!
St. Lawrence – Pray for us!
St. Lorenzo Ruiz – Pray for us!
St. Agnes – Pray for us!
St. Anastasia – Pray for us!
St. Oliver Plunkett – Pray for us!
St. Dorothy – Pray for us!
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Redwolf- Amen. The area of England I grew up in had seen many martyrs. Priests were put to death in the city of York from our area in the 1600s, dragged from their residences in the dark of night. Mass was often said in regular homes way back then in secret. We can never forget why we must keep the faith alive our ancestors suffered for us.
mkkjd69- So hard to see our loved ones suffer but in the end we know we are going to join them in the Kindom of Heaven. I believe your mum did see her mamma in the end. You being there was wonderful. How many are left alone to die because family and friends are "scared" to deal w/it. My faith is much stronger because of my BC actually. God does answer prayers but not always in the way we would prefer. My prayers now are to bring my own son back to God before I reach the "pearly gates " The heavenly father so far kept me around albeit not as active n pain free as I would like.
Ronnie Kay- Hope you get to see the Blue Angels flying team go overhead this weekend. I enjoy seeing the air show. Your church sounds so lovely, why can't more be like that.
FeelingFeline- you will likely relate to this one. I am in a battle against the fleas lately sometimes our pets can cause a lot of work . If only she understood why they get quarantined.
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GrammyR - my family and I also were brought closer to God and to our Faith because of cancer.
PennyNovena for the Persecuted Church & Religious Freedom - Day 3
Today, let's pray for countries whose governments infringe on religious liberty. Let's pray for those countries, their leaders, and their people. Here are the novena prayers for today:
Oh great cloud of witnesses! Oh host of Angels and Saints worshiping God for all eternity! Oh holy ones in heaven above, Pray for us! You who were once part of the Church on earth, you who were faithful servants of the Church Militant, you who suffered for the love of God, Pray for us!
In all ages, the Church is persecuted and hated. We pray, oh Lord, through your holy Saints, that we may be blessed with the freedom to worship and adore you at all times! We pray that you may bless your Church throughout the world and me personally with your grace to persevere with love in the face of persecution just as You did on the Cross.
(Mention your personal intentions here)
Litany of Martyrs:
Day 3
St. Edith Stein – Pray for us!
St. Maximilian Kolbe – Pray for us!
St. Thomas Moore – Pray for us!
St. Margaret Clitherow – Pray for us!
St. Julia – Pray for us!
St. Polycarp – Pray for us!
St. Peter of Verona – Pray for us!
St. Gonsalo Garcia – Pray for us!
St. Thomas Becket – Pray for us!
St. John Fischer – Pray for us!
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Novena for the Persecuted Church & Religious Freedom - Day 4
Today, we would like to pray for all those persecuted in the universal Church around the world. There are so many who are persecuted for the faith from every single country.
Let's pray that they have strength and that those who persecute them are converted by their faith, hope and love.
Here are the novena prayers for today:Oh great cloud of witnesses! Oh host of Angels and Saints worshiping God for all eternity! Oh holy ones in heaven above, Pray for us!
You who were once part of the Church on earth, you who were faithful servants of the Church Militant, you who suffered for the love of God, Pray for us!
In all ages, the Church is persecuted and hated. We pray, oh Lord, through your holy Saints, that we may be blessed with the freedom to worship and adore you at all times! We pray that you may bless your Church throughout the world and me personally with your grace to persevere with love in the face of persecution just as You did on the Cross.
(Mention your personal intentions here)
Litany of Martyrs:
Day 4
St. Philomena – Pray for us!
St. John the Baptist – Pray for us!
The Jesuit Martyrs of China – Pray for us!
St. Cecilia – Pray for us!
St. Jude – Pray for us!
The Vietnamese Martyrs – Pray for us!
St. Boniface – Pray for us!
St. Vitalis of Gaza – Pray for us!
St. Menas – Pray for us!
St. Expeditus – Pray for us!
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Redwolf-Amen.
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