Saturday, March 12, 2011

Miraculous Novena of Grace to Saint Francis Xavier


St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church, Newark, NJ
Photograph by Loci B. Lenar
 
 
Miraculous Novena of Grace to Saint Francis Xavier

Most amiable and most loving Saint Francis Xavier, in union with thee I reverently adore the Divine Majesty. I rejoice exceedingly on account of the marvelous gifts which God bestowed upon thee. I thank God for the special graces He gave thee during thy life on earth and for the great glory that came to thee after thy death. I implore thee to obtain for me, through thy powerful intercession, the greatest of all blessings--that of living and dying in the state of grace. I also beg of thee to secure for me the special favor I ask in this novena. (Here you may mention the grace, spiritual or temporal, that you wish to obtain.) In asking this favor, I am fully resigned to the Divine Will. I pray and desire only to obtain that which is most conducive to the greater glory of God and the greater good of my soul.

V. Pray for us, Saint Francis Xavier.

R. That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.

O God, Who didst vouchsafe, by the preaching and miracles of Saint Francis Xavier, to join unto Thy Church the nations of the Indies, grant, we beseech Thee, that we who reverence his glorious merits may also imitate his example, through Jesus Christ Our Lord. Amen.

Then add 3 Our Father's and 3 Hail Mary's in memory of Saint Francis Xavier's devotion to the Most Holy Trinity, and Glory be to the Father 10 times in thanksgiving for the graces received during his 10 years of apostleship.


St. Francis Xavier - Photo by Loci B. Lenar

Biographical information about St. Francis Xavier: http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/06233b.htm

The Spirit of Lent


Our Lady of the Mountain Catholic Church, Long Valley, NJ
 Photograph by Loci B. Lenar
 
Lent prepares us through sacrifice and prayer for a spiritual renewal of the soul.

St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church, Newark, NJ
Photograph by Loci B. Lenar

However, Easter rejuvenates our lives as God the Father calls us to live by the gospels of Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ by transforming us into the resurrected image of His divine son.

Copyright 2011 Loci B. Lenar

Wednesday, March 09, 2011

Lent leads to Spiritual Renewal


 Photograph by Loci B. Lenar

Pope describes ‘Lenten road’ that leads to renewal - Catholic News Agency (CNA)

The following excerpt is from Catholic News Agency (CNA)

Vatican City, Mar 9, 2011 (CNA/EWTN News).- During today’s general audience, Pope Benedict XVI invited the faithful make the “Lenten journey” together with Christ, to return to the grace and commitment of conversion, and reach Easter “renewed.”

More than 7,000 pilgrims and faithful were on hand at the Vatican's Paul VI Hall during the March 9 general audience. The gathering coincided with Ash Wednesday, the first day of the season of Lent.

The “austere symbol of the ashes” are the beginning of the spiritual path that leads to Easter, said the Pope. They are “a sign reminding us of our status as created beings and inviting us to penance, to intensify our commitment to conversion so as to continue following the Lord.”

At Ash Wednesday Masses all over the world, priests mark the beginning of Lent by making a sign of the cross with ashes on the foreheads of the faithful as a physical symbol of repentance and the temporary nature of earthly life.

“Lent is a journey,” said Pope Benedict. “It means accompanying Jesus as he travels to Jerusalem, the place where the mystery of his passion, death and resurrection is to be fulfilled.”

The season is a reminder to Christians of "the road to be traveled, consisting not so much in a law to be observed as in the person of Christ himself, who must be encountered, welcomed and followed."

This is experienced most of all through the liturgy in which believers are drawn closer to the figure of Christ by reliving the very events that granted man his salvation, he explained.

"Participating in the liturgy means then emerging our lives in the mystery of Christ, in his permanent presence, walking a path in which we enter into his death and resurrection to have life."

Pope Benedict explained that the liturgical readings of the Sundays of Lent—which were used in ancient times to prepare Christians for baptism—offer an opportunity for the faithful to return to the foundation of Christian life in a "baptismal itinerary."

"They are the great announcement of what God carries out in this Sacrament, a stupendous baptismal catechesis directed at each of us," he said.

Pope Benedict then walked through the successive readings for the Sundays of Lent.

Read more: Lent Leads to Renewal

Tuesday, March 08, 2011

Monthly Prayer Service being held on St. Patrick's Day at St. Mary's Church, Denville, NJ

St. Patrick - Photo by Loci B. Lenar

All are welcome to attend St. Mary's Catholic Church for Mass and prayer services.

St. Mary's holds a monthly service for prayer including special prayer intentions which are submitted through the website of Christian-Miracles.com.

The prayer theme for March focuses on St. Patrick and St. Joseph.  Previous themes included prayer for Christian unity. The next evening prayer service is scheduled for Thursday, March 17, 2011 at 7:30 P.M. (EST).  The service is held every third Thursday of each month with a new prayer theme.  However, prayers are always included for world peace.

With the support of Father Richard Tartaglia, prayer requests that are submitted through Christian-Miracles.com are also prayed for every Monday morning after the 8:00 A.M. Mass, during Holy Hour Adoration, which is between the hours of 8:30 to 9:30 AM.

In 2008, Loci B. Lenar launched Christian-Miracles.com as gathering place for all who are seeking Jesus, especially for Catholics and Christians to renew their faith through news of miracles.

Reaching out with evangelization, Loci B. Lenar and Fr. Richard Tartaglia were recently interviewed on Radio Maria regarding their Catholic faith. Both were guests on the radio program Sacred Treasures which is hosted by Kathie Duggan and discussed issues related to Christianity.

If you live in the area or plan on visiting New Jersey, please consider attending and joining in the evening prayer service with Fr. Richard Tartaglia. The service begins with singing of hymns followed with psalm prayers and then reading of the gospels. After the reading, Fr. Tartaglia gives his homily which is followed with a prayer of intercession for Special Prayer Intentions (prayer requests). The Lord's Prayer is recited and after that there is a closing prayer with a blessing given by Fr. Tartaglia. The prayer service is concluded with a song.

St. Mary's Catholic Church is located on 15 Myers Avenue in Denville, New Jersey. Father Martin Glynn is the head pastor of the church.

For directions to St. Mary's Church, please visit the following link: http://www.stmarys-denville.org/directions.htm

Regardless of your religious denomination, please feel free to submit your prayer request at the following link: http://www.christian-miracles.com/apps/prayers/. Your email address will remain confidential.

Loci Lenar visits Father Richard Tartaglia on a regular bases for spiritual guidance and shares with him the prayer requests. As a result, Mr. Lenar will hand deliver all emails requesting prayers to his spiritual advisor, Father Tartaglia.

Regarding prayer, Jesus said in Matthew 18:19-20, "Again I say to you, that if two of you agree on earth about anything that they may ask, it shall be done for them by My Father who is in heaven. For where two or three have gathered together in My name, I am there in their midst."

Take delight in the LORD,and he will give you the desires of your heart. (Psalm 37:4)

Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need. (Hebrews 4:16)

St. Mary's Weekly Mass Schedule:

Sunday: 7:00, 8:30, 10:00, and 11:30 AM

Saturday: 5:00 PM

Weekdays: 8:00 AM and 12:05 PM - (Except June ~ Labor Day - No 12:05 PM)

First Fridays: 8:00 AM, 12:05 PM, 8:00 PM - (Except June ~ Labor Day - No 12:05 PM)

Holy Days: 7:00 AM, 8:00 AM, 12:00 noon, 7:00 PM

Monday, March 07, 2011

A Secret Communion on the Moon

Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin Take Communion on the Moon - Guideposts.com

The following excerpt is from Guideposts.com:

By Joan Wester Anderson

Americans will never forget the first time human beings set foot on the moon. Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin touched down on July 20, 1969.

Armstrong took the first step and said, “That’s one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind.” An entire planet probably trembled with a new awareness of God and His vast creation.

But more was happening during this amazing time. Shortly after the men landed, Aldrin radioed NASA and asked for a moment of silence so that “each person listening in (could) contemplate the events of the last few hours.” During this quiet period, Aldrin opened little plastic packages containing bread and wine, silently read a few verses of Scripture and received communion. “It was interesting to think that the first liquid ever poured on the moon and the first food eaten there were the Christian communion,” Aldrin said later.

Only the pastor at Aldrin’s Houston Presbyterian church—and a few NASA personnel—knew that communion was happening on the moon. To broadcast a private communion in a very public arena might create even more challenges. So Aldrin was asked to “keep it quiet,” which he did.

It was twenty years before the secret was revealed.

Read more: Communion on the Moon 

Sunday, March 06, 2011