Saturday, March 17, 2018

Happy Saint Patrick's Day!



St. Patrick's Breastplate

I arise today
Through a mighty strength, the invocation of the Trinity,
Through belief in the Threeness,
Through confession of the Oneness
of the Creator of creation.

I arise today
Through the strength of Christ's birth with His baptism,
Through the strength of His crucifixion with His burial,
Through the strength of His resurrection with His ascension,
Through the strength of His descent for the judgment of doom.

I arise today
Through the strength of the love of cherubim,
In the obedience of angels,
In the service of archangels,
In the hope of resurrection to meet with reward,
In the prayers of patriarchs,
In the predictions of prophets,
In the preaching of apostles,
In the faith of confessors,
In the innocence of holy virgins,
In the deeds of righteous men.

I arise today, through
The strength of heaven,
The light of the sun,
The radiance of the moon,
The splendor of fire,
The speed of lightning,
The swiftness of wind,
The depth of the sea,
The stability of the earth,
The firmness of rock.

I arise today, through
God's strength to pilot me,
God's might to uphold me,
God's wisdom to guide me,
God's eye to look before me,
God's ear to hear me,
God's word to speak for me,
God's hand to guard me,
God's shield to protect me,
God's host to save me
From snares of devils,
From temptation of vices,
From everyone who shall wish me ill,
afar and near.

I summon today
All these powers between me and those evils,
Against every cruel and merciless power
that may oppose my body and soul,
Against incantations of false prophets,
Against black laws of pagandom,
Against false laws of heretics,
Against craft of idolatry,
Against spells of witches and smiths and wizards,
Against every knowledge that corrupts man's body and soul;
Christ to shield me today
Against poison, against burning,
Against drowning, against wounding,
So that there may come to me an abundance of reward.

Christ with me,
Christ before me,
Christ behind me,
Christ in me,
Christ beneath me,
Christ above me,
Christ on my right,
Christ on my left,
Christ when I lie down,
Christ when I sit down,
Christ when I arise,
Christ in the heart of every man who thinks of me,
Christ in the mouth of everyone who speaks of me,
Christ in every eye that sees me,
Christ in every ear that hears me.

I arise today
Through a mighty strength, the invocation of the Trinity,
Through belief in the Threeness,
Through confession of the Oneness
of the Creator of creation.

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia: Saint Patrick's Breastplate, a Prayer of Protection, also known as The Deer's Cry or The Lorica of Saint Patrick or Saint Patrick's Hymn is a lorica whose original Old Irish lyrics were traditionally attributed to Saint Patrick during his Irish ministry in the 5th century.

More St. Patrick Prayers

The stained glass window of St. Patrick can be seen inside the Church of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, High Street, Hackettstown, NJ, USA.

Photograph Copyright Loci B. Lenar
www.Christian-Miracles.com


Tuesday, March 13, 2018

Pope Francis – A Man of His Word



A new film on Pope Francis written and directed by three-time Academy Award nominee Wim Wenders

Vatican News: Released on the 5th anniversary of his Pontificate, a new film entitled “Pope Francis – A Man of His Word” opens a unique window onto the Holy Father’s ideas and his encounters with people from all walks of life.

Pope Francis’ ideas and message are central to the film, which presents his work of reform and his answers to today’s global questions regarding death, social justice, immigration, ecology, wealth inequality, materialism, and the role of the family.

See it in theaters on May 18th.



Monday, March 12, 2018

Welcome Home to Healing - Lent 2018


Sacrament of Reconciliation - Diocese of Paterson, New Jersey

Catholics in the Diocese of Paterson, especially those who have been away from the Church, are invited to experience God’s healing love and forgiveness through the Sacrament of Reconciliation during Lent. Catholic churches in Morris, Sussex and Passaic Counties will be open for Confession every Monday, starting February 19, 2018 to March 19, 2018 from 7:00 PM-8:30 PM.

Message from Bishop Arthur Serratelli:

My dear brothers and sisters in Christ,

Nothing is more startling and, at the same time, more consoling than the truth for which Jesus lived and preached and died. It is this: God is love. As the Psalmist says, “The Lord is a merciful and gracious God, slow to anger, most loving and true” (Ps 86:15).

Throughout his public ministry, Jesus shows the face of God as compassionate and merciful in his healing miracles and exorcisms. Even before Jesus issues the summons to repent, he announces, “This is the time of fulfillment. The kingdom of God is at hand” (Mk 1:15). The kingdom is nothing other than the presence of God making his love known and felt in our lives.

Jesus opens us to the profound meaning of the kingdom with his parable of the Prodigal Son (Lk 15: 11-32). It is found at the very center of Luke’s Gospel. It is the very heart of the gospel itself! The son who takes his inheritance, squanders it away and finds himself unfulfilled is each of us. We take the gifts that God gives us and use them against God’s will. We are the ones left empty, longing and desiring more than our sinful lives can give.

As in the parable, so in life. God is the Father who sees us, runs to us and embraces us. He takes our feeble confession of sin and turns it into a moment of great rejoicing. Our sins strip us of our dignity. God clothes us with his grace and peace. Nothing can make God stop loving us. In fact, as Paul says, “God proves his love for us in that while we were still sinners Christ died for us” (Rom 5: 8).

When Jesus preached such great love to sinners, the self-righteous took scandal. But not the tax-collector and the prostitutes (cf Mt 21: 31). They recognized in his ready forgiveness of even their worst sins that God was drawing them back to Himself. The self-righteous would not acknowledge their sins. They did not accept the free gift of God’s forgiveness offered in Christ. But others, like Zacchaeus and the woman caught in adultery, did and found peace.

Photographs by Loci B. Lenar
Through the ministry of the Church, God offers us his forgiveness in Christ Crucified and Risen. In the great sacrament of Reconciliation, God is already running to meet us. He wants to welcome us. He wants to exchange our dirty rags of prideful self-indulgence with the righteousness of Christ Crucified. He wants to bring us back into the joy of his home and into the fellowship of his Church. He longs to see us reconciled with Himself and with others.

Like the prodigal son barely able to confess his sins, we, at times, are ashamed and even afraid to name those evils that separate us from God who loves us so much. But the Father is not ashamed to recognize us as his own son or daughter. He longs to wrap his arms around us. He is waiting to welcome us to home.

Now is the time to meet the Lord in Confession and know the joy of coming home.

May the Lord who calls us to be one with him lead us through repentance into the embrace of his love.

***

The billboard with the Lenten message is located on the eastbound side of Route 46, Rockaway, Morris County, New Jersey,

Photographs Copyright 2018 Loci B. Lenar


Sunday, February 18, 2018

Prayers to Our Lady of Fatima


Intercessory Hymn to Our Lady of Fatima

Dear Lady of Fatima,
We come on bended knee,
To beg Your intercession,
For peace and unity.

Dear Mary, won't You show us,
The right and shining way,
We pledge our love and offer You,
A Rosary each day.

You promised at Fatima,
Each time that You appeared,
To help us if we pray to You,
To banish war and fear.

Dear Lady, on First Saturdays,
We ask Your guiding hand,
For grace and guidance here on earth,
And protection for our land.




Prayer to Our Lady of Fatima

Most Holy Virgin
who hast deigned to come to Fatima,
to reveal the treasures of graces
hidden in the recitation of the Rosary,
inspire our hearts with a sincere love of this devotion
that meditating on the
Mysteries of our Redemption recalled therein,
we may obtain the conversion of sinners
and the favors we ask you now,
for the greater glory of God,
for your own honor,
and for the good of souls. Amen.

Our Lady of the Rosary of Fatima, pray for us!

Pardon Prayer

My God, I believe, I adore, I hope, and I love You. I implore Your pardon for those who do not believe, do not adore, do not hope, and do not love You. Amen.

For information on Devotion of the Five First Saturdays, please visit the following link: Rosary-Center.org

On October 13, 2017, the National Blue Army Shrine celebrated the 100 year anniversary of Our Lady of Fatima's apparitions.  Several thousand attended the celebration and Mass. The shrine is located in Warren County, New Jersey, and is part of the World Apostolate of Fatima, USA.

Photograph by Loci B. Lenar
www.Christian-Miracles.com


Sunday, February 11, 2018

70th healing in Lourdes declared a miracle



French bishop proclaims 70th healing in Lourdes a miracle

News excerpt from ALETEIA.ORG:

The French bishop Jacque Benoit-Gonin of the Beauvais diocese declared the healing of a Roman Catholic nun, Bernardette Moriau (79), miraculous. She was disabled for almost 40 years of her life.

In a video published in the diocese website, Sister Moriau declared that as she returned home after a pilgrimage to Lourdes, she heard a voice telling her to remove her leg braces. Immediately after that, she was able to walk on her own again.

(Video in French language)



Sunday, January 07, 2018

The Epiphany of Our Lord

The Epiphany of Our Lord. 2018 by Stephen B Whatley
The Epiphany of Our Lord by Stephen B. Whatley | Flickr

By Stephen B. Whatley

The Epiphany of Our Lord - the visit of the Three Kings to humbly honour the Holy Baby Jesus in Bethlehem - is celebrated in the Catholic church here in the UK.

It's official date is January 6th, twelve days after Christmas and by The Grace of God I managed to paint this tribute yesterday, on the day (2018).

Blessings of Peace, love, light, hope, strength and humility ~ and healing wherever needed. There are so many prayers interwoven in these brushstrokes as it is the only way I can paint. God bless!"

~ Stephen B. Whatley, Artist, London UK

The art of Stephen B. Whatley is published on the website of www.Christian-Miracles.com.

To view other works by the artist, please visit Mr. Whatley's website: ww.stephenbwhatley.com