Jesus invites us to His Sacred Heart

I am in your days,
these days of darkness,
revealing to you all
My Holy Face.
I have not come
to remind you of
My Presence so that
I condemn you,
I have come to call
all of you to 
My Sacred Heart!

Basic Catholic Prayer in Latin

Sign of the Cross (Latin)
In nomine Patris, et Filii, et Spiritus Sancti.

Amen.

Our Father (Latin)
Pater noster, qui es in caelis,
sanctificetur nomen tuum.
Adveniat regnum tuum.
Fiat voluntas tua, sicut in caelo et in terra.
Panem nostrum quotidianum da nobis hodie,
et dimitte nobis debita nostra,
sicut et nos dimittimus debitoribus nostris.
Et ne nos inducas in tentationem:
sed libera nos a malo. 

Amen.

Hail Mary (Latin)
Ave Maria, gratia plena, Dominus tecum;
Benedicta tu in mulieribus,
et benedictus fructus ventris tui, Jesus.
Sancta Maria, Mater Dei,
ora pro nobis peccatoribus,
nunc et in hora mortis nostrae. 
Amen.

Glory Be (Latin)
Gloria Patri, et Filio, et Spiritui Sancto.
Sicut erat in principio,
et nunc, et semper,
et in saecula saeculorum. 
Amen.

~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~

Basic Catholic Prayer in Tamil

Sign of the Cross (Tamil)
Pita, suthan, parisutha aaviinalleh,
Amen.

Paralogathaiyum / Apostles's Creed (Tamil)
Paralogathaiyum poologathaiyum padaitha ellam valla pithavagia sarvesuranai visuvasikinrane.
Avarudaiya eega sudanagiya nammudaiya nathar yesuchristuvai visuvasikinrane.
Evar parisutha aaviyinal karpamai utpavithu punitha kannimariyidamirundu piranthar.
Ponchuo pilathuvin adikarathil padupattu siluvaiyil araiyundu marithu adakkam saiyappattar.

Padalathil irangi moonram naal marithoridamirundu yirthelundar.paralogathukku eluntharuli ellem valla pithavagiya sarvesuranudaya valladu pakkathil veetrikinrar.

Avvidathilirundu seeviyaraiyum marithavaraiyum nadutheerka varuvar.
Parisutha aviyaiyum visuvasikinrane.eaga parisutha katholika aposthalika thiruchabaiyaiyum punithargalin samooga uravaiyum visuvasikinrane.
Pavaporuthalaiyum visuvasikinrane.
Udalin uyirpaiyum visuvasikinrane.nithya valvaiyum visuvasikinrane.
Amen.

Paralogathil / Our Father (Tamil)
Paralogathail irukira engal pithavae ummudauya namam archikapaduvathaga. 

Ummudaya iratchiyam varuga.ummudaya sitham parologathil saiyapaduvadu pola poologathilum saiyapaduvadaga.

Engal anuthina unavai engalukau inru alitharulum. 

Engaluku themai saithavargalai nangal porupadupole engal pavangalai porutharulum. 

Engalai sodaniyil vilavidadeyum.

Theemaiyilirundu engalai retchitharulum. 

Amen.

Arul Nirainda Mariyae / Hail Mary (Tamil)
Arul niraintha Mariyaa vazhga
Karther ummdena pengalukkul
Asirvathikka pettaval Neeray.
Ummudaya thiruvayattin kaniyakiya
Yesuvum asirvathikka pettavaray.
Archishista Marie Sarvaswaranudaya Mathavay
Pavigalaiya erukkira engalukkaka
eppoluthum engal marana nerathilum vendikollum.
Amen.

Pithavukkum / Glory Be (Tamil)
Pitarvikkum suthanikkum parisutta aaviikum makimai undavataka
aatiyile irumtatu polah eppolehthum, appolehthum, ainendrum eruippataka.
Amen.

~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~

Adi Thutharana Michael / Prayer to Saint Michael
Athi thutharana punitha michaelae youtha nalil engalai thatkarum. Pasasin thuta thanathilum kannigalilum ninru engalai katharulum. Iraivan athaik kadindu kollumbadi thalmaiyudan manradukinrome. Vanulaka senaiku adipadiyayirukira neer aanmakkalai nazensaiyumbadi ulegengum sutithiriyum matrum pasasugalaiyum theva vallamaiyaikondu naraga pathalathil thallividum. Amen.

Uthama Manasthaba Manthiram / Act of Contrition 
Enniriva theeyavatraith therinthuu nallavatrai saiya thavari, umakethiragavum en sagotharar sagotharigaluku ethiragavuum saitha pavangalukagavum manam varunthuginrane. Umathu anbinalum, arulinalum inimaelum pavam saiathirukkavum pava soolnilaigalai thavirkkavum uthavi saitharulum. Emadu pavangalai manniyum iraiva. Amen.

Ascension of the Lord ~ 29 May, 2014

While he was blessing them, 

he left them and was taken up into heaven.

Luke 24:51

The 40th day of Easter commemorates the Ascension of the Lord, where Jesus Christ in the presence of His Apostles ascended bodily into Heaven. This day is a Holy Day of Obligation, and falls on Thursday making it known also as Ascension Thursday. Most Catholic Church celebrate the Ascension of the Lord on Thursday but however, there are many diocese or churches in the world or especially in the United States of America will transfer the celebration of the Ascension to the following Sunday.

Colossians 3:1-17

Living as Those Made Alive in Christ

3 Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. 2 Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. 3 For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. 4 When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.

5 Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry. 6 Because of these, the wrath of God is coming. 7 You used to walk in these ways, in the life you once lived. 8 But now you must also rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips. 9 Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices 10 and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator. 11 Here there is no Gentile or Jew,circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave or free, but Christ is all, and is in all.

12 Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. 13 Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. 14 And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.

15 Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace.And be thankful. 16 Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts. 17 And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~

Our Lord Jesus Christ ascended into heaven this day

and therefore let our hearts ascend with him.

O Christ our God, 

You ascended in Glory 

and gladdened Your disciples 

by the promise of the Holy Spirit. 

Your blessing assured them 

that You are the Son of God, 

the Redeemer of the world.

~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~

Paul wrote to Christians in Galatia (Galatians 2:20), I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. This is how, we too are to live now our life in Christ.

Reading 1

Acts 1:1-11
In the first book, Theophilus,
I dealt with all that Jesus did and taught
until the day he was taken up,
after giving instructions through the Holy Spirit
to the apostles whom he had chosen.
He presented himself alive to them
by many proofs after he had suffered,
appearing to them during forty days
and speaking about the kingdom of God.
While meeting with the them,
he enjoined them not to depart from Jerusalem,
but to wait for “the promise of the Father
about which you have heard me speak;
for John baptized with water,
but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.”

When they had gathered together they asked him,
“Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?”
He answered them, “It is not for you to know the times or seasons
that the Father has established by his own authority.
But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you,
and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem,
throughout Judea and Samaria,
and to the ends of the earth.”
When he had said this, as they were looking on,
he was lifted up, and a cloud took him from their sight.
While they were looking intently at the sky as he was going,
suddenly two men dressed in white garments stood beside them.
They said, “Men of Galilee,
why are you standing there looking at the sky?
This Jesus who has been taken up from you into heaven
will return in the same way as you have seen him going into heaven.”


Responsorial Psalm 

Psalm 47:2-3, 6-7, 8-9
R/ God mounts his throne to shouts of joy: a blare of trumpets for the Lord.
or:
R/ Alleluia.
All you peoples, clap your hands,
shout to God with cries of gladness,
For the LORD, the Most High, the awesome,
is the great king over all the earth.
R/ God mounts his throne to shouts of joy: a blare of trumpets for the Lord.
or:
R/ Alleluia.
God mounts his throne amid shouts of joy;
the LORD, amid trumpet blasts.
Sing praise to God, sing praise;
sing praise to our king, sing praise.
R/ God mounts his throne to shouts of joy: a blare of trumpets for the Lord.
or:
R/ Alleluia.
For king of all the earth is God;
sing hymns of praise.
God reigns over the nations,
God sits upon his holy throne.
R/ God mounts his throne to shouts of joy: a blare of trumpets for the Lord.
or:
R/ Alleluia.


Reading 2 

Ephesians 1:17-23

Brothers and sisters:
May the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory,
give you a Spirit of wisdom and revelation
resulting in knowledge of him.
May the eyes of your hearts be enlightened,
that you may know what is the hope that belongs to his call,
what are the riches of glory
in his inheritance among the holy ones,
and what is the surpassing greatness of his power
for us who believe,
in accord with the exercise of his great might,
which he worked in Christ,
raising him from the dead
and seating him at his right hand in the heavens,
far above every principality, authority, power, and dominion,
and every name that is named
not only in this age but also in the one to come.
And he put all things beneath his feet
and gave him as head over all things to the church,
which is his body,
the fullness of the one who fills all things in every way.

Gospel 

Matthew 28:16-20
The eleven disciples went to Galilee,
to the mountain to which Jesus had ordered them.
When they saw him, they worshiped, but they doubted.
Then Jesus approached and said to them,
“All power in heaven and on earth has been given to me.
Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations,
baptizing them in the name of the Father,
and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit,
teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you.
And behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age.”

Canon Law 1246, 1247 and 1248 ~ Feast days

Can.1246 

§1. Sunday, on which by apostolic tradition the paschal mystery is celebrated, must be observed in the universal Church as the primordial holy day of obligation. The following days must also be observed: the Nativity of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Epiphany, the Ascension, the Body and Blood of Christ, Holy Mary the Mother of God, her Immaculate Conception, her Assumption, Saint Joseph, Saint Peter and Saint Paul the Apostles, and All Saints.

§2. With the prior approval of the Apostolic See, however, the conference of bishops can suppress some of the holy days of obligation or transfer them to a Sunday.

Can.1247 

On Sundays and other holy days of obligation, the faithful are obliged to participate in the Mass.

Moreover, they are to abstain from those works and aVairs which hinder the worship to be rendered to God, the joy proper to the Lord’s day, or the suitable relaxation of mind and body.

Can.1248 

§1. A person who assists at a Mass celebrated anywhere in a Catholic rite either on the feast day itself or in the evening of the preceding day satisfies the obligation of participating in the Mass.

§2. If participation in the Eucharistic celebration becomes impossible because of the absence of a sacred minister or for another grave cause, it is strongly recommended that the faithful take part in a liturgy of the word if such a liturgy is celebrated in a parish church or other sacred place according to the prescripts of the diocesan bishop or that they devote themselves to prayer for a suitable time alone, as a family, or, as the occasion permits, in groups of families.

source: http://www.vatican.va/archive/ENG1104/_P4N.HTM

** The 1983 Code of Canon Law (1983 CIC) is the codification of canonical legislation for the Latin Rite of the Catholic Church which was promulgated on 25 January 1983 by John Paul II. The 1983 CIC was officially inforced on the First Sunday of Advent, 27 November 1983 and it replaced the 1917 Code of Canon Law which was promulgated by Benedict XV on 27 May 1917.

Chapel of Immaculate Conception ~ Sungai Batu

Blessed be the pure, 

most holy and Immaculate Conception 

of the Blessed Virgin Mary,

the Mother of God.

O Mary, conceived without sin, 

pray for us who have recourse to you. 

O Mother of God, by your Immaculate Conception, 

intercede for us with your Divine Son, 

and obtain for us from Him, 

the favour for which we pray. Amen.

Our Lady at the grotto

O God, who by the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary, didst prepare a worthy dwelling place for Thy Son, we beseech Thee that, as by the foreseen death of this, Thy Son, Thou didst preserve Her from all stain, so too Thou wouldst permit us, purified through Her intercession, to come unto Thee. Through the same Lord Jesus Christ, Thy Son, who livest and reignest with Thee in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, world without end. Amen.

Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with you. 

Blessed are you among women, 

and blessed is the fruit of your womb, Jesus. 

Holy Mary, Mother of God, 

pray for us sinners, 

now and at the hour of our death. 

Amen.

Immaculate Virgin Mary, you were pleasing in the sight of God from the first moment of your conception in the womb of your mother, Saint Anne. You were chosen to be the Mother of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. I believe the teaching of Holy Mother the Church, that in the first instant of your conception, by the singular grace and privilege of Almighty God, in virtue of the merits of Jesus Christ. Saviour of the human race and your beloved Son. you were preserved from all stain of original sin. I thank God for this wonderful privilege and grace He bestowed upon you as I honour your Immaculate Conception. Look graciously upon me as I implore this special favour: (Mention your request).

Virgin Immaculate, Mother of God and my Mother, from your throne in heaven turn your eyes of pity upon me. Filled with confidence in your goodness and power, I beg you to help me in this journey of life, which is so full of dangers for my soul. I entrust myself entirely to you, that I may never be the slave of the devil through sin, but may always live a humble and pure life. I consecrate myself to you forever, for my only desire is to love your Divine Son, Jesus. Mary, since none of your devout servants has ever perished, may I, too, be saved. Amen.

Many miracle's have been granted and taken place, 

let continue to honour and ask 

Our Lady, the Immaculate Virgin Mary 

to pray and intercede for us.

Chapel of Immaculate Conception

Sungai Batu, 

Bedong, 

Sungai Petani, 

Kedah,

Malaysia.

Please contact either one of these brothers in Christ,

before visiting the chapel, for location, open times, 

mass dates and etc regards to the chapel.

Francis – 013 4569964

Victor – 019 5551193

Location map link to the chapel

Powerful Prayer for Request of Urgent Help

Oh loving Jesus, meek Lamb of God, I, a miserable sinner, salute and worship the most sacred wound of Thy shoulder, on which Thou did bear Thy heavy cross, which tore Thy flesh and lay Thy bones as to inflict an anguish greater than any other wound of Thy most blessed body.

I adore Thee, of Jesus most sorrowful. I praise and glorify Thee, and give thanks fully to Thee for the most holy and sacred and painful wound. Beseeching Thee by that exceeding pain, and by the crushing burden of Thy heavy cross to be merciful to me on towards heaven along the way of Thy cross.

In Jesus's name (make request) Amen to all.

***This powerful prayer must be said for requests and most urgent help. After you have said it, ask for requests, then you must publish it right away for requests to be granted.***

Jesus help me by the Father's WILL and not mine, there is NOTHING IMPOSSIBLE for You. JESUS, I Trust in You.

God doesn't expect the impossible from us, 

He wants us to expect the impossible from Him.

‘With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.’

Matthew 19:26

Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, 

believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.

Mark 11:24

Ah, Sovereign Lord, you have made the heavens and the earth 

by your great power and outstretched arm. 

Nothing is too hard for you.

Jeremiah 32:17

‘Because you have so little faith. 

Truly I tell you, 

if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, 

you can say to this mountain, 

“Move from here to there,” and it will move. 

Nothing will be impossible for you.’

Matthew 17:20

JESUS HELP ME

Jesus Help me. 

 In every need let me come to you 

 with a humble trust saying, Jesus help me. 

 In all my doubts, perplexities and temptations, 

 Jesus help me. 

 In hours of loneliness, weariness and trials, 

 Jesus help me. 

 In failure of my plans and hopes, 

in disappointments, troubles and sorrows, 

 Jesus help me. 

 When others fail me 

and your grace alone can assist me, 

 Jesus help me. 

 When I throw myself on your tender love, 

 as my Lord and Saviour, 

 Jesus help me. 

 When my heart is cast down by failure 

 at seeing no good coming from my efforts, 

 Jesus help me. 

 When I am ill 

and my head and hands cannot work 

and I am lonely, 

 Jesus help me. 

 Always, always, in spite of weariness, 

 falls and shortcomings of every kind, 

 Jesus help me and never forsake me. 

Almighty Lord, before you I come with all my faith,

 begging you for comfort in my difficulties. 

 Do not forsake me, my Lord. 

 Open your doors, that your almighty arms 

will open and close as you desire

to give that tranquillity that I so desire. 

O my God! 

 Receive my supplication from a wounded heart 

 that is always fighting for me 

with your Divine power. 

 Never let me scramble for want of help. 

Almighty Lord, 

 assist me to find shelter 

in your celestial bounty forever. 

 Amen.

Pray, abide and do God's will ....

Try to do God's will in any ways 

that you can in your life

and especially to desire 

God's will in all your being 

and doing by as much as possible.

The Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary (Feast) ~ 31 May, 2014

In this feast, we celebrate the visitation of the Mother of God, with the child Jesus in her womb, to her cousin Elizabeth, who was herself six months' pregnant with the forerunner of Christ, Saint John the Baptist which is the Second Joyful Mystery of the Rosary. Thus, we celebrate the Annunciation on 25 March and the birth of Saint John the Baptist on 24 June, which is three months apart as the liturgical calendar revision authorized by Pope Paul VI.

This feast centres on Mary responding to the prompting of the Holy Spirit to set out on a mission of charity where we recall the Blessed Virgin carrying her Son within her and visiting Elizabeth to offer charitable assistance and to proclaim the mercy of God.”. In its Dogmatic Constitution on the Church (Lumen Gentium) , #57, the Second Vatican Council states: “This union of the mother with the Son in the work of salvation is made manifest from the time of Christ’s virginal conception up to his death; first when Mary, arising in haste to go to visit Elizabeth, is greeted by her as blessed because of her belief in the promise of salvation and the precursor leaped with joy in the womb of his mother.” (cf. Lk 1:41-45)

And during the meeting of Mary and Elizabeth, where John leaps in his mother’s womb recognizing joyfully the presence of Christ, is already anticipating his role as precursor of the Messiah. 

Pope John Paul II in Redemptoris Mater, #14, offers and inspiring account of Mary’s faith. “To believe means to abandon oneself to the truth of the word of the living God, knowing and humbly recognizing ‘how unsearchable are his judgements and how inscrutable his ways’ (Romans 11:33). Mary, who by the eternal will of the Most High stands, one may say, at the very centre of those inscrutable judgements of God, conforms herself to them in the dim light of faith, accepting fully and with a ready heart everything that is decreed in the divine plan.” 

Faith means to say “amen” (so be it) to the word, the command, and the promises of God.

As the ark of the Lord was entering the City of David, 

Michal daughter of Saul watched from a window. 

And when she saw King David leaping and dancing 

before the Lord, she despised him in her heart.

~ * ~ 2 Samuel 6:16 ~ * ~

When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, 

the baby leaped in her womb, 

and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit.

~ * ~ Luke 1:41 ~ * ~

Saturday, 31 May, 2014
The Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary (Feast)

Reading

Zephaniah 3: 14 - 18
14	Sing aloud, O daughter of Zion; shout, O Israel! Rejoice and exult with all your heart, O daughter of Jerusalem!
15	The LORD has taken away the judgments against you, he has cast out your enemies. The King of Israel, the LORD, is in your midst; you shall fear evil no more.
16	On that day it shall be said to Jerusalem: "Do not fear, O Zion; let not your hands grow weak.
17	The LORD, your God, is in your midst, a warrior who gives victory; he will rejoice over you with gladness, he will renew you in his love; he will exult over you with loud singing
18	as on a day of festival. "I will remove disaster from you, so that you will not bear reproach for it.

or

Romans 12: 9 - 16
9	Let love be genuine; hate what is evil, hold fast to what is good;
10	love one another with brotherly affection; outdo one another in showing honor.
11	Never flag in zeal, be aglow with the Spirit, serve the Lord.
12	Rejoice in your hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer.
13	Contribute to the needs of the saints, practice hospitality.
14	Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them.
15	Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep.
16	Live in harmony with one another; do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly; never be conceited.

Psalm

Isaiah 12: 2 - 6
2	"Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and will not be afraid; for the LORD GOD is my strength and my song, and he has become my salvation."
3	With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation.
4	And you will say in that day: "Give thanks to the LORD, call upon his name; make known his deeds among the nations, proclaim that his name is exalted.
5	"Sing praises to the LORD, for he has done gloriously; let this be known in all the earth.
6	Shout, and sing for joy, O inhabitant of Zion, for great in your midst is the Holy One of Israel."

Gospel

Luke 1: 39 - 56
39	In those days Mary arose and went with haste into the hill country, to a city of Judah,
40	and she entered the house of Zechari'ah and greeted Elizabeth.
41	And when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, the babe leaped in her womb; and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit
42	and she exclaimed with a loud cry, "Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb!
43	And why is this granted me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?
44	For behold, when the voice of your greeting came to my ears, the babe in my womb leaped for joy.
45	And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfilment of what was spoken to her from the Lord."
46	And Mary said, "My soul magnifies the Lord,
47	and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,
48	for he has regarded the low estate of his handmaiden. For behold, henceforth all generations will call me blessed;
49	for he who is mighty has done great things for me, and holy is his name.
50	And his mercy is on those who fear him from generation to generation.
51	He has shown strength with his arm, he has scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts,
52	he has put down the mighty from their thrones, and exalted those of low degree;
53	he has filled the hungry with good things, and the rich he has sent empty away.
54	He has helped his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy,
55	as he spoke to our fathers, to Abraham and to his posterity for ever."
56	And Mary remained with her about three months, and returned to her home.

Saint Rita of Cascia, Religious (Optional Memorial) ~ 22 May

Saint Rita was born at Rocca Porrena, in the diocese of Spoleto near Cascia in Umbria, Italy, in 1381. She begged her parents to allow her to enter a convent as she had great desire was to become a nun but in obedience to her parents she agreed to be married at the age of twelve to Paolo Mancini, a minor official in the town. After eighteen years of married life and at her lost by death, her husband murdered and her twin sons died of natural causes. Saint Rita, 36 was called into the religious life where she professed the Rule of St. Augustine at Cascia her native town, in central Italy. Saint Rita's hidden, simple life in religion was distinguished by obedience and charity; she performed many extreme penances. After hearing a sermon on the Passion of Christ she returned to her cell; kneeling before her crucifix, she implored: "Let me, my Jesus share in Thy suffering, at least of one of Thy thorns" and as she prayed before a Crucifix, a wound appeared on her forehead like that of a thorn piercing Christ’s forehead. For the next 15 years she was to bear the pain of that wound with great love and patience, never complaining even though the pain was intense. During the last four years of her life, after experiencing a vision of Our Lord and the indescribable joy of heaven, she was confined to bed and ate so little that she practically existed on the Eucharist alone.Saint Rita is often depicted holding roses, or roses and figs, and the interesting story behind it is that as Saint Rita was dying, she requested her fellow sister to bring her a rose from her old home at Rocca Porrena. Although it was not the season for roses, the sister went and found a rose in full bloom. It was as if God was rewarding Rita for all the thorns in her life with the miracle of the rose. For this reason roses are blessed in the Saint's honour.

Saint Rita's died on 22 May 1457, her face became beautifully radiant, while the odor from her wound was as fragrant as that of the roses she loved so much. Pope Leo XIII canonized Saint Rita on the Feast of the Ascension 24 May, 1900. Saint RITA is universally called the ‘Saint of the Impossible’, because her intercession has been found effectual with God in most desperate and hopeless cases and is often regarded, like Saint Jude. Saint Rita of Cascia is the patron saint for abuse victims, against loneliness, against sterility, bodily ills; desperate causes, difficult marriages, forgotten causes, impossible causes, infertility, lost causes, parenthood, sick people, victims of physical spouse abuse, and widows. Saint Rita’s example reminds us to put our faith in God, who raised his only Son, Jesus from the dead and promises us that we, too, will share everlasting life with him in heaven.

~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~

Prayer to Saint Rita of Cascia 

Holy patroness of those in need, Saint Rita of Cascia, 

so humble, pure and patient, 

whose pleadings with thy divine Spouse are irresistible, obtain for me from our Crucified Lord my request. 

(Mention it.) 

Be propitious towards me

for the greater glory of God, 

and I promise to honour thee 

and to sing thy praises forever. 

Amen. 

Saint Rita of Cascia, advocate of the impossible, 

pray for us. Amen.

Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory be to the Father . . . (3x). 

~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~

Bestow on us, we pray, O Lord, the wisdom and strength of the Cross, with which you were pleased to endow Saint Rita, so that, suffering in every tribulation with Christ, we may participate ever more deeply in his Paschal Mystery. Who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. AMEN.

Thursday, 22 May, 2014
St. Rita of Cascia, Religious (Optional Memorial)

Reading

Acts 15: 7 - 21
7	And after there had been much debate, Peter rose and said to them, "Brethren, you know that in the early days God made choice among you, that by my mouth the Gentiles should hear the word of the gospel and believe.
8	And God who knows the heart bore witness to them, giving them the Holy Spirit just as he did to us;
9	and he made no distinction between us and them, but cleansed their hearts by faith.
10	Now therefore why do you make trial of God by putting a yoke upon the neck of the disciples which neither our fathers nor we have been able to bear?
11	But we believe that we shall be saved through the grace of the Lord Jesus, just as they will."
12	And all the assembly kept silence; and they listened to Barnabas and Paul as they related what signs and wonders God had done through them among the Gentiles.
13	After they finished speaking, James replied, "Brethren, listen to me.
14	Simeon has related how God first visited the Gentiles, to take out of them a people for his name.
15	And with this the words of the prophets agree, as it is written,
16	`After this I will return, and I will rebuild the dwelling of David, which has fallen; I will rebuild its ruins, and I will set it up,
17	that the rest of men may seek the Lord, and all the Gentiles who are called by my name,
18	says the Lord, who has made these things known from of old.'
19	Therefore my judgment is that we should not trouble those of the Gentiles who turn to God,
20	but should write to them to abstain from the pollutions of idols and from unchastity and from what is strangled and from blood.
21	For from early generations Moses has had in every city those who preach him, for he is read every sabbath in the synagogues."

Psalm

Psalms 96: 1 - 3, 10
1	O sing to the LORD a new song; sing to the LORD, all the earth!
2	Sing to the LORD, bless his name; tell of his salvation from day to day.
3	Declare his glory among the nations, his marvelous works among all the peoples!
10	Say among the nations, "The LORD reigns! Yea, the world is established, it shall never be moved; he will judge the peoples with equity."

Gospel

John 15: 9 - 11
9	As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you; abide in my love.
10	If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father's commandments and abide in his love.
11	These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full.