The Catholic Defender: Novena To The Holy Spirit through Pentecost
The Mass is the source of the Purpose, the Passion, and the Power:
God the Father is the Purpose, God the Son is the Passion, God the Holy Spirit is the Power. The God of Heaven comes to us in His Eucharistic Presence. Jesus is truly Present Body, Blood, Soul, Divinity.
Holy Spirit! Lord of Light! From Your clear celestial height, Your pure beaming radiance give!
The Holy Spirit
Only one thing is important -- eternal salvation. Only one thing, therefore, is to be feared--sin! Sin is the result of ignorance, weakness, and indifference. The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of Light, of Strength, and of Love. With His sevenfold gifts He enlightens the mind, strengthens the will, and inflames the heart with love of God. To ensure our salvation we ought to invoke the Divine Spirit daily, for 'The Spirit helpeth our infirmity. We know not what we should pray for as we ought. But the Spirit Himself asketh for us.'
Prayer
Almighty and eternal God, Who hast vouchsafed to regenerate us by water and the Holy Spirit, and hast given us forgiveness of all sins, vouchsafe to send forth from heaven upon us your sevenfold Spirit, the Spirit of Wisdom and Understanding, the Spirit of Counsel and Fortitude, the Spirit of Knowledge and Piety, and fill us with the Spirit of Holy Fear. Amen.
Our Father and Hail Mary once Glory be to the Father SEVEN TIMES
ACT OF CONSECRATION TO THE HOLY SPIRIT
On my knees before the great multitude of heavenly witnesses,
I offer myself, soul and body to You, Eternal Spirit of God.
I adore the brightness of Your purity, the unerring keenness of Your justice, and the might of Your love.
You are the Strength and Light of my soul. In You I live and move and am.
I desire never to grieve You by unfaithfulness to grace and I pray with all my heart to be kept from the smallest sin against You. Mercifully guard my every thought and grant that I may always watch for Your light, and listen to Your voice, and follow Your gracious inspirations.
I cling to You and give myself to You and ask You, by Your compassion to watch over me in my weakness.
Holding the pierced Feet of Jesus and looking at His Five Wounds, and trusting in His Precious Blood and adoring His opened Side and stricken Heart, I implore You, Adorable Spirit, Helper of my infirmity, to keep me in Your grace that I may never sin against You. Give me grace,
O Holy Spirit, Spirit of the Father and the Son to say to You always and everywhere, 'Speak Lord for Your servant heareth.' Amen.
PRAYER FOR THE SEVEN GIFTS OF THE HOLY SPIRIT
O Lord Jesus Christ, Who, before ascending into heaven, did promise to send the Holy Spirit to finish Your work in the souls of Your Apostles and Disciples, deign to grant the same Holy Spirit to me that He may perfect in my soul, the work of Your grace and Your love. Grant me the
Spirit of Wisdom that I may despise the perishable things of this world and aspire only after the things that are eternal,
the Spirit of Understanding to enlighten my mind with the light of Your divine truth,
the Spirit of Counsel that I may ever choose the surest way of pleasing God and gaining heaven,
the Spirit of Fortitude that I may bear my cross with You and that I may overcome with courage all the obstacles that oppose my salvation,
the Spirit of Knowledge that I may know God and know myself and grow perfect in the science of the Saints,
the Spirit of Piety that I may find the service of God sweet and amiable, and the
Spirit of Fear that I may be filled with a loving reverence towards God and may dread in any way to displease Him. Mark me, dear Lord, with the sign of Your true disciples and animate me in all things with Your Spirit. Amen.
Novena to Mary Help of Christians
Prayer to Mary Help of Christians composed by St. John Bosco
O Mary, most powerful Virgin,
great and illustrious defender of the Church,
wonderful Help of Christians, formidable as an army in battle array,
you who have overcome every heresy in the world,
in our anguish, in our combats, in our difficulties,
defend us from the Enemy, and at the hour of our death
receive our souls into Paradise. Amen.
We pray for America, for our constitution, for those suffering addictions and those in bondage. For those who need Deliverence. We Pray for the Catholic Church, for Pope Francis and all the Clergy.
Mary Help of Christians, pray for us
Blessed and praised every moment be the Most Holy and Divine Sacrament.
Eucharistic Miracle of Herentals Belgium 1412
Eucharistic miracle of Herentals, some Hosts that had been previously stolen were found after eight days, and perfectly intact, in spite of the rain. The Hosts were found in a field near a rabbit burrow, surrounded by a bright light and arranged in the form of a cross.
Every year, two paintings of Antoon van Ysendyck, depicting the miracle, are taken in procession to the field where a small shrine, De Hegge, was built. Here a commemorative Mass is celebrated before numerous people. The two paintings are presently kept in the Cathedral of Sint-Waldetrudiskerk, Herentals.
In 1412, a certain Jan van Langerstede went for lodging to a hotel not far from the little city of Herentals.
This professional man was stealing sacred objects from churches and selling them all over Europe.
The day after his arrival at Herentals, he went to the nearby village of Poederle.
He entered the parish church and without being noticed, stole the chalice and the ciborium containing five consecrated Hosts.
As he was returning to Herentals in the place known as “De Hegge” (“the fence”), he felt as if pulled by a mysterious force that was keeping him from continuing his journey.
So he tried to get rid of the Hosts by throwing them into the river, but his every attempt to do so was useless.
Jan was on the verge of despair when he saw a field not very far away with a big rabbit burrow where he straight away hid the Hosts.
The task took place without any trouble, and the man was able to peacefully return to Herentals.
In the meantime,the city judge, Gilbert De Pape, began an investigation to discover the author of the theft in the church of Poederle.
Among the suspects was our Jan. The police searched his luggage and found the chalice and the ciborium. Jan then confessed everything except the fact that he had thrown the Hosts away. He was to be immediately hanged, and Jan had already climbed the scaffold when, encouraged by the priest to cleanse his soul before dying, completely confessed his guilt.
The judge then suspended the execution and ordered Jan to indicate the exact place where he had left the Hosts.
A large crowd followed them. As soon asthey arrived at the field, they saw the Hosts allradiant, arranged in the form of a cross.
Strangely, the Hosts remained intact, notwithstanding the weather, and they were at once brought back in procession, some to Herentals and some to Poederle, where they remained until the 16th century.
On January 2, 1441, the miracle was declared authentic by the magistrate of Herentals.
At the place where the Hosts were found a small chapel was built which was visited by numerous prelates, such as Jean Malderus, Bishop of Anvers in 1620, and Pope Benedict XIV in 1749.
The daughter of John of Lussembourg, Elizabeth Van Görlitz, paid for the enlargement of the chapel, which later on was transformed into a shrine.
Friday of the Fourth Week of Easter
Reading 1 Acts 13:26-33 When Paul came to Antioch in Pisidia, he said in the synagogue: "My brothers, children of the family of Abraham, and those others among you who are God-fearing, to us this word of salvation has been sent. The inhabitants of Jerusalem and their leaders failed to recognize him, and by condemning him they fulfilled the oracles of the prophets that are read sabbath after sabbath. For even though they found no grounds for a death sentence, they asked Pilate to have him put to death, and when they had accomplished all that was written about him, they took him down from the tree and placed him in a tomb. But God raised him from the dead, and for many days he appeared to those who had come up with him from Galilee to Jerusalem. These are now his witnesses before the people. We ourselves are proclaiming this good news to you that what God promised our fathers he has brought to fulfillment for us, their children, by raising up Jesus, as it is written in the second psalm, You are my Son; this day I have begotten you."
Responsorial Psalm
Ps 2:6-7, 8-9, 10-11ab
R.(7bc) You are my Son; this day I have begotten you.
or:
R. Alleluia.
"I myself have set up my king
on Zion, my holy mountain."
I will proclaim the decree of the LORD:
The LORD said to me, "You are my Son;
this day I have begotten you."
R. You are my Son; this day I have begotten you.
or:
R. Alleluia.
"Ask of me and I will give you
the nations for an inheritance
and the ends of the earth for your possession.
You shall rule them with an iron rod;
you shall shatter them like an earthen dish."
R. You are my Son; this day I have begotten you.
or:
R. Alleluia.
And now, O kings, give heed;
take warning, you rulers of the earth.
Serve the LORD with fear, and rejoice before him;
with trembling rejoice.
R. You are my Son; this day I have begotten you.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Alleluia Jn 14:6 R. Alleluia, alleluia. I am the way and the truth and the life, says the Lord; no one comes to the Father except through me. R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Gospel Jn 14:1-6 Jesus said to his disciples: "Do not let your hearts be troubled. You have faith in God; have faith also in me. In my Father's house there are many dwelling places. If there were not, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back again and take you to myself, so that where I am you also may be. Where I am going you know the way." Thomas said to him, "Master, we do not know where you are going; how can we know the way?" Jesus said to him, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me."
Saint of the Day: The St. Hilary Story
"Beloved, being very eager to write to you of our common salvation, I found it necessary to write appealing to you to contend for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints." St. Jude St. Hilary was born at Poitiers, in modern day western France around 310 A.D. Much of the Roman world at the time was Pagan and Hilary was raised by Pagan Parents who ensured the best education becoming a Greek Scholar. Hilary would be about 15 years old when the great Council of Nicea (325 A.D.) took place that officially condemned the teaching of the Heretic Arius of Alexandria Egypt which denied the divinity of Jesus. This would eventually become very important to Hilary. Hilary's interest in philosophy kept him searching for truth, as a Pagan, he was much like the people whom St. Paul preached to at the Areopagus in Greece: St. Paul said: "Men of Athens, I perceive that in every way you are very religious. For as I passed along, and observed the objects of your worship, I found also an altar with this inscription, 'To an unknown god.' What therefore you worship as unknown, this I proclaim to you. The God who made the world and everything in it, being Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in shrines made by man, nor is he served by human hands, as though he needed anything, since he himself gives to all men life and breath and everything." Acts 17:22-25 Hilary would forsake his Platonic background once he had been exposed to the Catholic Faith. He began searching the Scriptures and upon his reading of Moses at the burning bush was captivated on who the real God truly is. "God said to Moses, "I AM WHO AM." And he said, "Say this to the people of Israel, 'I AM has sent me to you" (Exodus 3:14).
Hilary said, "I was frankly amazed at such a clear definition of God, which expressed the incomprehensible knowledge of the divine nature in words most suited to human intelligence." Jesus Himself revealed Himself to Hilary using the New Testament, "Jesus said to them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I am." To Hilary, this would be life changing. He was extremely interested in the Gospel of St. John, "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God; all things were made through him, and without him was not anything made that was made." John 1:1-3 Like these passages that Hilary read about in the New Testament, he and his family, his wife, Abra and their daughter were baptized and received into the Catholic Faith. It wasn't long before Hilary began to involve himself against the major heresy of the day, the Arian Heresy which denied the Divinity of Christ. So successful was his defense of the Trinity and Catholic teaching that the people and the Church (even while his wife was still living when he was chosen against his will), to be the bishop of Poitiers in France (350 A.D.). Hilary became a leading defender of the Catholic Faith against this dreaded heresy which St. Jerome would write, “The world groaned and marveled to find that it was Arian.” The Emperor Constantius II ordered all the bishops of the Western Church to condemn St. Athanasius, the defender of Orthodox teaching in the Eastern Church and Hilary refused. So loud was Hilary's voice that he became known as the "Athanasius of the West." Hilary was banished by the Arians to Phrygia where it was hoped the Arians would reconcile but Hilary kept St. Jude's encouragement to "contend for the Faith". Hilary called for a debate with the Arian "bishop" who originally had him banished, but the Arian's pleaded to the Emperor because they feared the outcome of such a debate. After about four years in exile, Hilary returned home to his people victorious.
St. Hilary fought to keep the true Catholic Faith alive and he did it well. The death of Constantius in 361 ended the persecution of the orthodox Christians. The life of St. Hilary is remembered by the Universal Catholic Church on January 13 and what a great example he is. He is among those recognized in our Catholic Hall of Fame, the Great Cloud of Witnesses. "Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession." Hebrews 4:15 St. Hilary died in 367 or 368 and was proclaimed a doctor of the Church by Pope Pius IX in 1851. "Now who is there to harm you if you are zealous for what is right? But even if you do suffer for righteousness' sake, you will be blessed. Have no fear of them, nor be troubled, but in your hearts reverence Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to make a defense to any one who calls you to account for the hope that is in you, yet do it with gentleness and reverence; and keep your conscience clear, so that, when you are abused, those who revile your good behavior in Christ may be put to shame." 1 Peter 3:13-16
St. Hilary of Arles died on May 5, 449. Although his life was marked by some canonical disputes with Pope St. Leo I, the Pope himself praised Hilary died at 49. He was a man of talent and piety who in due time, had learned how to be a bishop.
Saint Hilary teaches us to respect authority even if found in a young person. Age is not the issue: prudence and wisdom are. Father, keep us from vain strife of words. Grant to us constant profession of the Truth! Preserve us in a true and undefiled faith so that we may hold fast to that which we professed when we were baptized in the Name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, that we may have Thee for our Father, that we may abide in Thy Son and in the fellowship of the Holy Spirit. Through Jesus Christ, Our Lord. Amen
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