share our JOY

JOY{filled}family

striving to radiate Him always

A Day of Purification,Renewal, and Hope

by Filed Under: 02 February Saints, Candlemas, Chruching of Women, Marian, Purification of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Purification of the Blessed Virgin Mary (Candlemas) The Feast of Candlemas, which derives its origin from the local observance of Jerusalem, marks the end of the Feasts included in the Christmas cycle of the liturgy. It is perhaps the most ancient festival of Our Lady. It commemorates, however, not only the obedience of the Blessed Virgin to the Mosaic Law in going to Jersualem forty days after the birth of her Child and making the accustomed offerings, but also the Presentation of Our Lord in the Temple, and the meeting of the Infant Jesus with the old man Simeon — the Occursus Domini, as the Feast was originally termed. This is the principal theme of the liturgy on this day: Jesus is taken into the Temple "to present Him to the Lord." So the Lord comes to His own Temple, and is met by the aged Simeon with joy and recognition.
The procession on this day is one of the most picturesque features of the Western liturgy. The blessing and distribution of candles, to be carried lighted in procession, preceded the Mass today — a symbolic presentation of the truth proclaimed in the Canticle of Simeon: Our Lord is the "Light for the revelation of the Gentiles." The anthems sung during this procession, eastern in origin, well express the joy and gladness of this happy festival, and the honor and praise we give to our Blessed Lady and her Divine Son by this devout observance.

Lumen ad revelationem gentium: et gloriam plebis tuae Israel.
   A light for the revelation of the Gentiles: and for the glory of Thy people Israel.

[CandlemasDay.jpg]Today we are celebrating the Purification of The Blessed Virgin Mary – Candlemas(Extraordinary form).  We are reflecting on the day of purification, renewal, and hope. 

Today is the end of the Christmas season in the Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite.  We will be taking down our Christmas Tree and Nativities.

We were blessed to be able to attend morning Mass at a local Novus Ordo parish, as a family but are sad that we will not be able to  attend the evening High Mass (in the Extraordinary Form) at our Parish.  I posted a video below of a Candlemas Procession.  It is a beautiful tradition (that we will miss today).

Anthem sung During the Procession

Adorn thy bridal-chamber, O Sion, and welcome Christ the King: with loving embrace greet Mary who is the very gate of heaven; for she bringeth to thee the glorious King of the new light: remaining ever a Virgin yet she bearest in her arms the Son begotten before the day-star: even the Child, whom Simeon taking into his arms, declared to the peoples to be the Lord of life and death, and the Savior of the world.

image

~~~

~~~

On this day, I’m are also giving special thanks for the blessed custom of Churching of Women. 

Churching of Women is imitative of the day, which we commemorate on 2 February (Candlemas), that Mary underwent her "purification” (ceremonially speaking and in obedience to the Old Law) and presented her Son in the Temple to Simeon.  ~ Fisheaters

June 4, 2010

Churching of Women Ritual ~ Baptism of Dragonfly

Churching of Women:

Churching is the woman’s way of giving thanksgiving to God for the birth of her child, and predisposes her, through the priestly blessing that is a part of the ritual, to receive the graces necessary to raise her child in a manner pleasing to God.

churching 2010 057

churching and consecration 2010 058

The Ritual

The woman will make arrangements with her priest (ideally, the priest should know the women of his parish and make the offer to her).

At the appointed time, she will kneel in the Narthex, holding a lighted candle. The priest, wearing a white stole, will bless her with holy water, and say:

  • V. Our help is in the Name of the Lord.
  • R. Who made Heaven and Earth.

ANT. She shall receive.

Psalm 23 1

The Earth is the Lord’s and the fullness thereof; the world, and all they that dwell therein.  For He hath founded it upon the seas; and hath prepared it upon the rivers.  Who shall ascend into the mountain of the Lord: or who shall stand in His holy place?  The innocent in hands and clean of heart, who hath not taken his soul in vain, nor sworn deceitfully to his neighbor.  He shall receive a blessing from the Lord, and mercy from God his Savior.  This is the generation of them that seek Him, of them that seek the face of the God of Jacob.  Lift up your gates, O ye princes, and be ye lifted up, O eternal gates: and the King of glory shall enter in.  Who is this King of glory? the Lord Who is strong and mighty: the Lord mighty in battle.  Lift up your gates, O ye princes, and be ye lifted up, O eternal gates: and the King of glory shall enter in.  Who is this King of glory? the Lord of hosts, He is the King of glory.  Glory be to the Father.

ANT. She shall receive a blessing from the Lord, and mercy from God her Savior: for this is the generation of them that seek the Lord.

The priest places the end of his stole in the woman’s hand and leads her into the church while saying:

Enter into the temple of God, adore the Son of the blessed Virgin Mary, who gave you fruitfullness of offspring.

Outside the sanctuary, the mother kneels before the Altar and prays, thanking God for her child.

Lord, have mercy. Christ, have mercy. Lord, have mercy. (Now the Our Father is said silently)

  • V. And lead us not into temptation.
  • R. But deliver us from evil.
  • V. Save your handmaid, Lord.
  • R. Who hopes in Thee, my God.
  • V. Send her help, Lord, from the sanctuary.
  • R. And defend her out of Sion.
  • V. Let not the enemy prevail against her.
  • R. Nor the son of iniquity approach to hurt her.
  • V. O Lord, hear my prayer.
  • R. And let my cry come to Thee.
  • V. The Lord be with you.
  • R. And with thy spirit.
  • V. Let us pray.

Almighty, everlasting God, through the delivery of the blessed Virgin Mary, Thou hast turned into joy the pains of the faithful in childbirth; look mercifully upon this Thy handmaid, coming in gladness to Thy temple to offer up her thanks: and grant that after this life, by the merits and intercession of the same blessed Mary, she may merit to arrive, together with her offspring, at the joys of everlasting happiness. Through Christ our Lord.

R. Amen.

The priest sprinkles the mother with holy water in the shape of a Cross.

The peace and blessing of God almighty, the Father + and the Son and the Holy Spirit, descend upon you and remain forever.

R. Amen.

~~~

St. John Bosco

by Filed Under: 01 January Saints, St. John Bosco 2 Comments

"It is not enough that you love them, they must know they are loved."  ~ Don Bosco

SAINT JOHN BOSCO

Confessor

Traditional & New Calendar January 31

St. John Bosco was born on August 16, 1815, in a small town not too far from Turin, Italy. His father died when he was two years old. He was raised with tender love, yet firm discipline, by his mother, Margaret. He was ordained to the priesthood in 1841 and went to work in Turin, where the industrial revolution was attracting waves of young people to the city. The misery and abandonment of these youngsters moved John Bosco deeply.

He dedicated his life to them and began youth clubs for them. He then started hostels and boarding schools, where he taught them trades.  In 1854 he founded the Salesian Society and in 1872, the Salesian Sisters to work for girls. Three years later, he sent the first missionary group to Argentina. His work spread throughout the mission world and today more than half the Society works in mission lands.

The educational philosophy of John Bosco can be condensed in three words: reason, religion, and kindness. The basic principle of his system was a deep understanding and love for young people and their problems.

John Bosco died on January 31, 1888. Today the Salesian Family numbers 40,000 members working in over 100 countries.

Patron: Apprentices; boys; editors; Mexican young people; laborers; schoolchildren; students; young people.

RESOURCES:

~~~

"Receive the sacraments often; be devoted to the Blessed Virgin; consider bad books worse than a plague; avoid bad companions even more than poisonous snakes." ~ Don Bosco

04-S Giovanni Bosco-8

Prayer To Our Lady, Help Of Christians

Most Holy Virgin Mary, Help of Christian,
how sweet it is to come to your feet
imploring your perpetual help.
If earthly mothers cease not to remember their children, 
how can you, the most loving of all mothers forget me?
Grant then to me, I implore you, 
your perpetual help in all my necessities, 
in every sorrow, and especially in all my temptations.
I ask for your unceasing help for all who are now suffering.
Help the weak, cure the sick, convert sinners.
Grant through your intercessions many vocations to the religious life. 
Obtain for us, O Mary, Help of Christians,
that having invoked you on earth we may love and eternally thank you in heaven.

~ St. John Bosco

~~~

Never send negligent pupils out of the classroom. Be patient with their light-mindedness." ~ Don Bosco

"The Salesian way of educating the young is quite simple. Basically, I insist on letting boys be boys. Let them play and enjoy themselves as much as they want as long as God is not offended. But if I have a philosophy of education, it consists in discovering a boy’s best qualities and then exploiting them to his advantage. You must admit, sir, that any person is at his best when he is doing what he likes and does best. Children are the same. Promote their positive qualities and they will thrive. As for discipline—love and respect for the young is the answer. In the 46 years I have worked among children, never once have I had to resort to corporal punishment, which by the way is very much in vogue. And if I may say so, all those children who have come under my care have always continued to show me their love and respect." ~ Don Bosco

~~~

~~~

 "Make the Exercise for a Happy Death every month; make it well, make it unfailingly well!" ~ Don Bosco

St. Peter Nolasco

by Filed Under: 01 January Saints, Mother of Mercy, St. Peter Nolasco

Sell what you possess and give alms. Make to yourselves bags which grow not old, a treasure in heaven which faileth not: where no thief approacheth, nor moth corrupteth. For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. ~GOSPEL  Luke. 12. 32-34

peternolasco8

SAINT PETER NOLASCO
Confessor

Traditional Calendar January 28

Saint Peter Nolasco

Peter Nolasco was born of a noble family at Recaudun, near Carcassonne, in France, and lost his parents while still young. In consequence of his horror of the Albigensian heresy, he sold his estates and withdrew into Spain.  Here, as he was praying one night, the Blessed Virgin appeared to him in a vision, and gave him to understand that it would be most pleasing to her Son and herself, if he would found an order of religious men, whose chief duty it should be to effect the redemption of Christian bondsmen out of the hand of the infidels.  And so, together with St. Raymund Pennaforte and King James I of Aragon, who had been told the same thing by the Mother of God on the very same night, he founded the Order of the Blessed Mary of Ransom for the Redemption of Captives.  The members add a fourth vow that they will be ready to remain as hostages in the hand of the infidels if this were needed to free Christians.  He was refreshed by frequent apparitions of his Guardian Angel, and of the Virgin Mother of God ; and when he had attained a good old age, he died a holy death at midnight between the 23rd and 24th of December, in the year 1256. ~Roman Breviary

REOURCES

~~~

Practice of Merciful Charity – The passion for freedom creates in Mercedarians the mystique of the liberation of those brothers and sisters who are in the power of the enemies of the faith. The first Mercedarian Constitutions insist repeatedly on affirming that the mission or goal of the Institute is to visit and to free Christians who are in the power of the Saracens or other enemies of the faith. In order to liberate Christian captives, this mystique encourages the use of every licit recourse, including the one inspired by the greatest charity: Giving one’s own freedom and life!

~~~

St. John Chrysostom

by Filed Under: 01 January Saints, 09 September Saints, Patron Saint, St. John Chrysostom

"He became what we are, that we might become what He is." ~ St. John Chrysostom 

St. John Chrysostom Holy Card

SAINT JOHN CHRYSOSTOM

Bishop and Doctor of the Church

Traditional Calendar January 27 ~ New Calendar September 13

Archbishop of Constantinople in the fourth century, John was surnamed Chrysostom, "the golden-mouthed," because of his moving eloquence. His gifted pen, as well as his sermons drew many to Christ. The saint’s courageous condemnation of sinfulness brought him exile and all manner of ill-usage from his persecutors. Solicitous for the poor of Constantinople, St. John also looked beyond the boundaries of his episcopal see, and sent out missioners among the Scythians, Persians, and Goths. With the praise of God on his lips, this great Doctor of the Eastern Church died in exile on September 14, 407.

~~~

crisosto

“Prayer is the light of the soul, giving us true knowledge of God. It is a link mediating between God and man. By prayer the soul is borne up to heaven and in a marvellous way embraces the Lord. This meeting is like that of an infant crying on its mother, and seeking the best of milk. The soul longs for its own needs and what it receives is better than anything to be seen in the world.” ~ St John Chrysostom (Hom 6 on Prayer)

~~~chrysostom16

“True Peace comes from God” ~ St. John Chrysostom, PG 61:14

RESOURCES

 

 

"When Mass is being celebrated, the sanctuary is filled with countless angels who adore the divine victim immolated on the altar." ~ Saint John Chrysostom

chrysostom28

Subscribe to our Newsletter