share our JOY

JOY{filled}family

striving to radiate Him always

THE EPIPHANY OF OUR LORD

by Filed Under: 01 January, 01 January Saints, Christmas, Epiphany Of Our Lord Leave a Comment

reposted with updates from 1.6.12

Omnes de Saba venient
aurum et thus deferentes
et laudem Domino annuntiantes.
Alleluja.

epiphany 3

THE EPIPHANY OF OUR LORD

DOUBLE, FIRST CLASS / WHITE

January 6

The word “Epiphany” means “manifestation.” The Church in the Mass commemorates a triple manifestation of Christ: to the Magi, that is, to the Gentiles; in His Baptism, when the Voice from heaven declared: “This is My beloved Son”; and in the miracle of changing water into wine at Cana.

The mystery of the Christ-birth is a rich and glorious beginning, splendid with promise. Today we worship a partial fulfillment when Jesus, as an Infant King, is manifested to wise men of the Gentile world and through them to all peoples. His royalty is neither frightening nor pompous, for the kingly majesty of the sovereign Redeemer is robed in babyhood. Coming in the simplicity of true greatness, Jesus makes Himself acceptable and at home to the little and the great of every nation under heaven.

 

How can we bring similar offerings to Christ?

We offer gold to Him, when we love Him with our whole heart, and out of love to Him, present Him our will by perfect obedience and continual self-denial, as our will is our most precious treasure. We also offer Him gold when we assist the poor by alms given in His name. We offer Him frankincense when we devoutly and ardently pray to Him, especially when we meditate upon His omnipotence, love, goodness, justice and mercy. We offer Him myrrh when we avoid carnal desires, mortify our evil inclinations and passions, and strive for purity of body and soul.

~ The Church’s Year by Rev. Fr. Leonard Goffine’s

~~~

epiphany

Litany

(from Christmas to Epiphany)

….O Blessed parents of the Infant Jesus, Mary and Joseph,we humbly and earnestly implore you to beg for us, at the crib of your Infant Son, that like Him and as His true and faithful followers, we may love to live in true humility, disengagement from creatures, contempt of the world and it’s vanities, constant recollection of the holy presence of God, fervour and fidelity in all of our duties, and in the practice of the tenderest charity to all persons.  May we never blush at the humility of the crib, nor at the poverty  and simplicity of Bethlehem.  May we ever rejoice at our happy lot as children of the true Church; ever in tender charity look with a compassionate eye on those who live but for this world; and continually pray that all may come to bless, to praise and to love the Saviour, who comes to redeem them…Amen

~Excerpt from the Litany from Christmas to Epiphany, taken from the MC & LMC Prayer Book.

~~~

 

Found on the ChantBlog.

Resources:

Kids:

Food:

~~~

Found on the ChantBlog with additional Epiphany resources.

All they from Saba will come,
bringing gold and frankincense,
and announcing the praise of the Lord.
Alleluia.

~Gradual for The Feast of the Epiphany. The text is from Isaiah 60:6

St. Elizabeth Ann Seton

by Filed Under: 01 January, 01 January Saints, Patron Saint, St. Elizabeth Ann Seton 1 Comment

“Trust all—put all in His Hand.” ~ St. Elizabeth Ann Seton

~~~

St. Elizabeth Ann Seton is Sweetie’s Patron Saint for 2013.  Below is a list of resources that we will be using to further her devotion to St. Elizabeth Ann Seton.  The list will continue to evolve over the year as we come across additional links.

Please feel free to leave your links, resources, and/or suggestions.

+AJPM+

~~~

elizabeth-ann-seton-270x200

Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton

Feast Day (Memorial): January 4

Patron: Death of children; in-law problems; loss of parents; opposition of Church authorities; people ridiculed for their piety; Diocese of Shreveport, Louisiana; widows.

A Prayer by Saint Elizabeth Seton

Lord Jesus, Who was born for us in a stable, lived for us a life of pain and sorrow, and died for us upon a cross; say for us in the hour of death, Father, forgive, and to Your Mother, Behold your child. Say to us, This day you shall be with Me in paradise. Dear Savior, leave us not, forsake us not. We thirst for You, Fountain of Living Water. Our St Elizabeth Ann Seton3-thumb-250x377-5388days pass quickly along, soon all will be consummated for us. To Your hands we commend our spirits, now and forever. Amen.

~~~

 

“We must pray without ceasing, in every occurrence and employment of our lives—that prayer which is rather a habit of lifting up the heart to God as in a constant communication.”

~St. Elizabeth Ann Seton

~~~

 

Resources:

For Kids:seton

Food:

~~~

“And in every disappointment, great or small, let your heart fly directly to your dear Savior, throwing yourself in those arms for refuge against every pain and sorrow. Jesus will never leave you or forsake you.”

~St. Elizabeth Ann Seton

~~~

 

Multimedia:

~~~

st elizabeth ann seton holy card

“The first end I propose in our daily work is to do the will of God; secondly, to do it in the manner he wills it; and thirdly, to do it because it is his will.”

~St. Elizabeth Ann Seton

~~~

Feast of the Holy Family

by Filed Under: 01 January, 01 January Saints, Christmas, Holy Family 2 Comments

The special devotion which proposes the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph as the model of virtue of all Christian households began in the XVIIth century. It started almost simultaneously in Canada and France. — The Association of the Holy Family being founded in Montreal in 1663, and the Daughters of the Holy Family in Paris in 1674. Numerous other congregations and associations under the Patronage of the Holy Family have been established, since that time, and they are spread over the world. The Archconfraternity was established by Pius IX in 1847. In 1893 Leo XIII approved a feast for Canada, and Pope Benedict XV extended the Feast of the Holy Family to the whole Church and ordered its celebration to be kept on the Sunday after the Epiphany.

~~~

hf3

THE HOLY FAMILY

GREATER DOUBLE/WHITE

Old Calendar – First Sunday After The Epiphany
Within the Octave

From eternity, the Son of God had lived the family life of the Blessed Trinity. At Nazareth, as the Redeemer both of individuals and of families, He lived and made holy the home life that guards divine life in every baptized person.

Problems of family life center mainly in personalities. But social pressures and poverty also add disturbing tensions. Happily, God made marriage a sacrament, which is ministered by husband and wife to one another. Through the sacrament, they communicate to one another those special graces they need for living their enduring and sometimes difficult obligations.

God remains the third partner in every marriage, with His own inalienable rights. In the Holy Family, God Incarnate was the third member. In a Christian family, anywhere in the world, the father is the spiritual head who takes the place of Christ.

~~~

Nativity-Bicci-di-Lorenzo-detail1-300x225

Resources:

*updated since originally posted

~~~

Prayer to the Holy Family

This prayer is taken from Prayer Book for Religious, compiled by Fr. F. X. Lasance, S.J. (Benziger Brothers, 1904)

holyfamilyO most loving Jesus, Who by Thy sublime and beautiful virtues of humility, obedience, poverty, modesty, charity, patience and gentleness, and by the example of Thy domestic life, didst bless with peace and happiness the family Thou didst choose on earth, in Thy clemency look down upon this household, humbly prostrate before Thee and imploring Thy mercy. Remember that this family belongs to Thee; for to Thee we have in a special way dedicated and devoted ourselves. Look upon us in Thy loving kindness; preserve us from danger; give us help in time of need, and grant us the grace to persevere to the end in the imitation of Thy Holy Family; that having revered Thee and loved Thee faithfully on earth, we may bless and praise Thee eternally in heaven.

O Mary, most sweet Mother, to thy intercession we have recourse, knowing that thy Divine Son will hear thy prayers.

And do thou, O glorious Patriarch, St. Joseph, assist us by thy powerful mediation, and offer, by the hands of Mary, our prayers to Jesus. Amen.

~~~

Prayer to the Holy Family Holy-family

Domine Iesu Christe, qui Mariae et Ioseph subditus, domesticam vitam ineffabilibus virtutibus consecrasti: fac nos, utriusque auxilio, Familiae sanctae tuae exemplis instrui et consortium consequi sempiternum: Qui vivis et regnas in saecula saeculorum. Amen.

Lord Jesus Christ, Who, being made subject to Mary and Joseph, didst consecrate domestic life by Thine ineffable virtues; grant that we, with the assistance of both, may be taught by the example of Thy Holy Family and may attain to its everlasting fellowship. Who livest and reignest forever. Amen.

~~~

Consecration to the Holy Family
O Jesus, ouholyfamily-2r most loving Redeemer, who having come to enlighten the world with Thy teaching and example, didst will to pass the greater part of Thy life in humility and subjection to Mary and Joseph in the poor home of Nazareth, thus sanctifying the Family that was to be an example for all Christian families, graciously receive our family as it dedicates and consecrates itself to Thee this day. Do Thou protect us, guard us and establish amongst us Thy holy fear, true peace and concord in Christian love: in order that by living according to the divine pattern of Thy family we may be able, all of us without exception, to attain to eternal happiness.
Mary, dear Mother of Jesus and Mother of us, by the kindly intercession make this our humble offering acceptable in the sight of Jesus, and obtain for us His graces and blessings.
O Saint Joseph, most holy Guardian of Jesus and Mary, help us by thy prayers in all our spiritual and temporal needs; that so we may be enabled to praise our divine Savior Jesus, together with Mary and thee, for all eternity. Amen.
Say an Our Father, Hail Mary and Glory be three times.

~Fisheaters

~~~

clip_image002

Mother Teresa’s Prayer for Families

Heavenly Father, you have given us the model of life in the Holy Family of Nazareth.  Help us, O Loving Father,to make our family another Nazareth where love, peace and joy reign.

May it be deeply contemplative, intensely Eucharistic, revived with joy.  Help us to stay together in joy and sorrow in family prayer.

Teach us to see Jesus in the members of our families, especially in their distressing disguise. 

May the Eucharistic Heart of Jesus make our hearts humble like his and help us to carry out our family duties in a holy way.

May we love one another as God loves each one of us, more and more each day, and forgive each other’s faults as you forgive our sins.

Help us, O Loving Father, to take whatever you give and give whatever you take with a big smile.

Immaculate Heart of Mary, cause of our joy, pray for us. 
St. Joseph, pray for us.
Holy Guardian Angels, be always with us, guide and protect us.
Amen.

~~~

holyfamily

“The Holy Family is the icon of the domestic church called to pray together. The family is the domestic church and must be the first school of prayer. If one does not learn to pray in the family, it will be difficult to fill this void, so I want to invite you to rediscover the beauty of praying together as a family in the school of the Holy Family of Nazareth and, in that way, to become truly one heart and one soul, a true family.” ~Pope Benedict XVI

S. Joannis Chrysostomi

by Filed Under: 01 January, 01 January Saints, Doctor of the Church, St. John Chrysostom 1 Comment

“Listen carefully to me, I entreat you. . . . Procure books that will be medicines for the soul. . . . At least get a copy of the New Testament, the Apostle’s epistles, the Acts, the Gospels, for your constant teachers. If you encounter grief, dive into them as into a chest of medicines; take from them comfort for your trouble, whether it be loss, or death, or bereavement over the loss of relations. Don’t simply dive into them. Swim in them. Keep them constantly in your mind. The cause of all evils is the failure to know the Scriptures well.” ~ St. John Chrysostom

~~~

St. John Chrysostom

Bishop, Confessor, and Doctor of the ChurSt.-John-Chrysostomch

January 27 ~ St. John Chrysostom’s feast day in the Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite

September 13~ New Calendar

DOUBLE/WHITE

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.

~~~

Resources:

~~~

S. Joannis Chrysostomi ~ ora pro nobis

St. Agnes

by Filed Under: 01 January, 01 January Saints, St. Agnes 1 Comment

"Christ made my soul beautiful with the jewels of grace and virtue. I belong to Him whom the angels serve." ~ Saint Agnes

"Jesus Christ is my only Spouse." ~ St. Agnes

St. Agnes

Feast Day ~ January 21st in the Traditional and New Calendar

Agnes is the archetype of the virgins who throughout the Christian centuries have followed the Lamb wherever He goes, "first fruits unto God and unto the Lamb" (Apoc. 14:4). She was twelve years old when she was commanded to offer incense before the pagan altar of Minerva at Rome, soon after Emperor Diocletian began his persecution of the Christians in the year 303. The persecutors tried in vain to overcome the virgin’s refusal by flattery and offers of marriage. "Christ is my Spouse," she answered. "He chose me first and His I will be." Her sentence of death was passed and the child martyr died by the sword.

Patron: Affianced couples; betrothed couples; bodily purity; chastity; Children of Mary; Colegio Capranica of Rome; crops; engaged couples; gardeners; girls; rape victims; diocese of Rockville Centre, New York; virgins.

Symbols: Lamb; woman with long hair and a lamb, sometimes with a sword at her throat; woman with a dove which holds a ring in its beak; woman with a lamb at her side.

st_agnes

"This is a virgin’s birthday; let us follow the example of her chastity. It is a martyr’s birthday; let us offer sacrifices; it is the birthday of holy Agnes: let men be filled with wonder, little ones with hope, married woman with awe, and the unmarried with emulation. It seems to me that this child, holy beyond her years and courageous beyond human nature, received the name of Agnes (Greek: pure) not as an earthly designation but as a revelation from God of what she was to be."  ~ St. Augustine

+++

stagnespainting

“May God’s little lamb, St. Agnes of Rome, intercede for us that we would be loyal to the faith she professed!  And should we ever be disloyal, may God’s grace bring us to repentance!”

~ Fr. Miguel Marie Soeherman, MFVA

+++

St. Agnes, Ora Pro Nobis

St. Agnes is the patroness of young girls and her symbol is, naturally, a lamb.

+++

RESOURCES:stAgnes1

RESOURCES FOR KIDS

+++

Prayers to St. Agnes of Rome

O glorious St. Agnes, you served God in humility and confidence on earth and are now in the enjoyment of His beatific Vision in heaven because you persevered till death and gained the crown of eternal life. Remember now the dangers that surround me in the vale of tears, and intercede for me in my needs and troubles. Amen.

~~~

O sweetest Lord Jesus Christ, source of all virtue, lover of virgins, most powerful conqueror of demons, most severe extirpator of vice! Deign to cast Thine eyes upon my weakness, and through the intercession of Mary most blessed, mother and virgin, and of thy beloved spouse, St. Agnes, glorious virgin and martyr, grant me the aid of thy heavenly grace, in order that I may learn to despise all earthly things, and to love what is heavenly, to oppose vice and to be proof against temptation; to walk firmly in the path of virtue, not to seek honors, to shun pleasures, to bewail my past offences, to keep far from the occasions of evil, to keep free from bad habits, to seek the company of the good, and persevere in righteousness, so that, by the assistance of thy grace, I may deserve the crown of eternal life, together with St. Agnes and all the saints, forever and ever, in thy kingdom.  Amen. [St.+Agnes.bmp]

~~~

Subscribe to our Newsletter