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Prayers Tradition

Rogation Days

The Major Rogation was celebrated in April 25, during the Third Century Pope St. Gregory the Great instituted the Major Rogation after the Great Plague. The Minor Plague was intituted by St. Mamertus, Bishop of Vienne around 470 A.D. until it was officially adopted into the Roman Rite during the Reign of Pope St. Leo III.

During the Vatican II, the Rogation Days was removed in the Liturgical Calendar when it was revised by Pope Paul VI in 1969 together with the new mass (Novus Ordo Mass). But some churches in other countries including the Traditional Priestly Societies still celebrates this two Rogation.

Source:
• https://www.facebook.com/sspx.philippines.ourladyofvictorieschurch/posts/5276663472398449
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rogation_days
• https://www.learnreligions.com/what-are-rogations-days-542481

Categories
Prayers

Kyrie Eleison

Kyrie Eleison was derived from a phrase in the bible including the Psalm from the Old Testament. The Kyrie Eleison or Lord have mercy was also occur in the New Testament three times in the Gospel of St. Matthew. It is one of the oldest prayers and most use prayers in the church.

In the Traditional Latin Mass or the Tridentine Mass, Kyrie Eleison was prayed three, followed by three Christe Eleison or “Christ, have mercy” and another three Kyrie Eleison. But why there are first three Kyrie Eleison, three Christe Eleison and another three Kyrie Eleison? Simple answer is the Holy Trinity. Three Persons, one God. The first three Kyrie Eleison is for God the Father, the three Christe Eleison is for our Lord, Jesus Christ, God the Son and the last three Kyrie Eleison is for the God the Holy Spirit. Each Person has three-fold prayer that symbolize that the three Persons in the Holy Trinity are equal. But during the Vatican II, in the Mass of Pope Paul VI, the prayer was no longer used in Greek then each three-fold was reduced into two. One of the reasons of reducing it into two-fold it is because the Protestants hated the repeated prayer.

The Kyrie Eleison was also used in the beginning of the Litanies.

Souce:
https://www.newadvent.org/cathen/08714a.htm
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kyrie

Categories
Prayers

The Doxology

GREATER DOXOLOGY (GLORIA IN EXCELSIS DEO)

The Greater Doxology or the Gloria in Excelsis Deo (Glory to God in the Highest) is always sung in the Holy Mass except for Advent and Lent. The first part of the Greater Doxology was sung by the angels when they announce the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ to the shepherds in Luke 2:14. That’s why the Doxology are often sung during the Holy Mass, except for the Low Mass of the Traditional Latin Mass and the Daily Mass in the Novus Ordo Mass (but, sometimes they sang).

THE LESSER DOXOLOGY (GLORIA PATRI)

The Lesser Doxology (also known as Minor Doxology) or Gloria Patri (Glory Be) is also sung in the Holy Mass especially in the Traditional Mass which it was part of the first prayer and the Lavabo prayer. But it is commonly known as one of the prayers in the Holy Rosary. The Lesser Doxology was traditionaly sung during the Holy Rosary. You will often experience it in the churches of Traditional Societies and also in other countries. When the Pope had a Saturday Rosary for Covid 19, you will notice that they sang the Glory Be. The Lesser Doxology in the Holy Rosary usually sang on the church or in a chapel, it is not necessary to sing it in your house or while you travel. But after the Vatican II Council, singing the Lesser Doxology has been forgotten by many.

Categories
Feast Day Prayers Tradition

Praying for the Dead

Why Catholics pray for the Dead?

Catholics pray for the dead so they can live in peace in Heaven together with God, the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Angels and the Saints.

Why they need to be prayed so they can live in Peace in Heaven?
Some souls are not directly going to Heaven when they departed from this world. Some souls have to go to Purgatory before they go to Heaven.

What is the Purgartory?

The Purgatory is a place where the soul needs to be purified before going to heaven.

Is Purgatory written in the Bible?

Yes, it was described in Matthew 5:26 and Luke 12:59 that you cannot enter to heaven until all debts are paid. Which means that all the small sins or venial sins are cleared, you cannot enter the kingdom of heaven. In 1 Corinthians 3:15, a man shall be saved but through fire. The purgatory has a fire that cleansed our sins away from our soul. Then in Revelation/Apocalypse 21:27 said that nothing unclean shall enter the kingdom of Heaven. That is why the purgatory is needed to clean the souls so it can enter the kingdom of Heaven.

But why the word Purgatory is not in the bible?

The word purgatory cannot be found in the bible but the small description about the purgatory exists. The Catholic Church named this place as purgatory.

Is it written in the Bible that we have to pray for the dead?

Yes, it is written in the Book Maccabees:” It is therefore a holy and wholesome thought to pray for the dead, that they may be loosed from sins.” – 2 Maccabees 12:46.

But why I can’t find the Book of Maccabees in my Bible?

The Book of Maccabees can be found in the Catholic Bible. The Catholic Church compile all the sacred scriptures in one book which is the Holy Bible. But, when the Protestant Reformation began, the protestants removed the books that contradicts their false teachings, and the Book of Maccabees is one of them. If you can’t find the Maccabees in your Bible, you might own a Protestant Bible, not the Catholic Bible.

But why do some Catholics believe that when their loved ones died, they will go straight to heaven?

It is sad that some of our brothers and sisters in our church believe this because of the influence of the protestants and the Vatican II Council. Because of this belief, some Catholics didn’t pray for the dead especially for their love ones who are now in purgatory. If we don’t pray for them, their souls still remain in the purgatory. Our prayers help them to purify their souls and finally go to Heaven.

Is it wrong to assume that the person is now in heaven after death?

What we know is that only God knows who will go to heaven, who will stay temporary in purgatory to receive purification and who will go to hell. We never know what happens to the soul after death, but we must pray for them and continue to pray for them.

Do the Saints go through the Purgatory?

Yes, the saints also go through the purgatory if they still have stained of venial sins. The souls in purgatory are often called “The Holy Souls in Purgatory”.

What about the souls in purgatory that we don’t know? How can we pray for them?

Even you don’t know the person or their names who are currently in purgatory, we still have to pray for them to God by saying “Help all the Holy Souls in Purgatory”. It is a good thing that our Church never forget the Holy Souls in Purgatory by praying for them in the Holy Mass, especially in the Monthly Requiem Mass. You can request a mass or include the names of your departed ones in the Holy Mass or in the Monthly Requiem Mass.

Categories
Angels Prayers

The Power of St. Michael Against Evil and Darkness

That is why the feast of St. Michael with the other six archangels is perfectly placed on September 29. During this season, daytime becomes shorter, falling near the equinox, nighttime is longer and colder especially in countries in the north. God and the Holy Catholic Church really has a way to fortify its liturgical days.

Saint Padre Pio said, “You will need the help of St. Michael living in this world.” It is true that in this day and age where people forget to go to church and pray, we need St. Michael in our daily lives.

The Bible mentions the importance of St. Michael and the angels in heaven because of the struggles and dangers we face in life..
For our wrestling is not against flesh and blood; but against principalities and powers, against the rulers of the world of this darkness, against the spirits of wickedness in the high places. Ephesians 6:12

But the prince of the kingdom of the Persians resisted me one and twenty days: and behold Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me, and I remained there by the king of the Persians. Daniel 10:13

And there was a great battle in heaven, Michael and his angels fought with the dragon, and the dragon fought with his angels: And they prevailed not, neither was their place found any more in heaven. And that great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, who is called the devil and Satan who seduced the whole world; and he was cast unto the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him. Revelation 12: 7-9

The great battle written in Revelation just shows how significant St. Michael and the archangels were as they defended heaven and God from the pride-driven angels who lost their luster when they were cast out. The fallen ones lost their place in heaven and lurked in the dark for all eternity.

That is why the prayer of St. Michael the Archangel is much needed today to protect us from the fallen ones. The prayer was composed by Pope Leo XIII in 1884 as a result of a vision in which he heard a voice believed to be God and the Devil. Because of the incident, he wrote the prayer and ordered it to be recited by the faithful.

Today is the feast of St. Michael and other Archangels, we are in the last quarter of the year, a time when the night is longer, colder and darker. A season to remind us again that God gave us mighty protectors to give us hope always. At times our intuition feels that we are in danger and unsure of our surroundings, never hesitate to invoke St. Michael and the archangels, or our guardian angels. Keep by heart the Prayer of St. Michael to protect our body and soul from elements be it seen and unseen.

 Prayer to Saint Michael the Archangel
Saint Michael the archangel, defend us on the day of battle. Be our protection against the wickedness and snares of the Devil. May God rebuke him, we humbly pray, and do thou, O Prince of the Heavenly hosts, by the power of God, cast into hell ,Satan, and all the evil spirits who roam, throughout the world, seeking the ruin of souls. Amen.
Categories
Angels Prayers

The Protective Wings of our Guardian Angel

There are many stories in the bible and in history in which angels show their faithful fulfillment of the duty God has assigned them, and in their faithful service to man.

Who are the guardian angels?
In the company of God’s angels in heaven, the guardian angel is assigned to watch over a person who is given to him from the moment of his conception until his demise. The great St. Jerome mentioned “how great the dignity of the soul, since each one has from his birth an angel commissioned to guard it”.

Angels are spirits in their natural state and form. They do not have real flesh like human’s but they are able to manifest and interact with man in a supernatural way with God’s permission. As recorded in the Bible, Tobit traveled with St. Raphael the Archangel on his journey and even cured his blind father. Likewise, two angels went to Lot to see the condition of Sodom and Gommorah.

In the history of the Catholic church, guardian angels appeared to saints and had miracles and special favors of guiding them.

San Isidore the Laborer, despite the hard work on the field as a farmer always attend the Holy Mass. On one occasion his wealthy landowner saw an angelic being farming his land while St. Isidore is at mass. The angel accompanies the saint in his spiritual and temporal work.

In 1916 Fatima, Portugal, even before the Blessed Virgin of Fatima appeared to the three young shepherds, the Angel of Portugal appeared. The angel taught the three children to pray for sinners and also received Holy Communion.

Since they are from heaven, they have this natural radiance and light. As Saint Faustina experienced: “I saw an angel standing on every church we passed, but surrounded by a light which was paler than that of the spirit who was accompanying me on the journey, and each of these spirits who were guarding the churches bowed his head to the spirit who was near me.” According to the saint, he always sees the angel with her anywhere she goes.

Guardian angels are tasked to watch over us all the time, even in our sleep. They present our prayers to God. Enlightens even pious souls like the story of St. Gemma Galgani:
“One evening, when I was suffering more than usual, I was complaining to Jesus and telling him that I would not have prayed so much if I had known that He was not going to cure me, and I asked Him why I had to be sick this way. My angel answered me as follows: If Jesus afflicts you in your body, it is always to purify you in your soul. Be good.”

Blessed Anne Catherine Emmerich, a mystic stigmatist lived with illness and also carried Christ-like wounds. His angel appeared to her and brought a flower from the Garden of Eden that Christ Himself asked Him to give her. The angel instructed to put it in a vase with water for awhile and drink the water from it. The saint was healed and the water was also used to give to other sick nuns.

Angels also protect us from the dangers we may face everyday. St. Therese of Lisieux said: “Jesus has placed near you an Angel from Heaven who is always looking after you; he carries you in his hands lest your foot strike against a stone.”

We do not see them but they really are there to keep us out of danger, especially those that can destroy our souls.

There is a limit to their ability despite the fact that they are from heaven because of human’s free will. They are still given the power to save us and they know our weaknesses. That is why St. John Bosco advised us, “When tempted, invoke your Angel. He is more eager to help you than you are to be helped! Ignore the devil and do not be afraid of him: He trembles and flees at the sight of your Guardian Angel.”

God loves us so much that each of us has a guardian angel. It mirrors how great His love for us that each of His creations are given the same opportunity to be saved.

If we only fully understood this we would not forget to talk to them as we did when we were young. As we grow old and become busy we forget our fondness to our guardian angel. Still, they never forget us, they always guide and protect us. St. Bernard of Clairvaux said, “We should show our affection for the angels, for one day they will be our coheirs just as here below they are our guardians and trustees appointed and set over us by the Father.”

We still live in trying days during this pandemic. The challenges we face in our economy, health, and uncertain days takes a toll to our physical and mental health. During lockdowns many have been left alone, separated from loved ones, lost their jobs, and unwanted anxieties.

Let us strengthen our spiritual life through constant prayer and devotion and friendship with our angel. Hopefully, we remember what St. Padre Pio said. “For whomever is alone, there is his guardian angel.”

Prayer to your guardian angel

Angel of God, my guardian dear, to whom God’s love commits me here, ever this day be at my side, to light and guard, to rule and guide. Amen.

Categories
Hagiography Prayers

When Nature Strikes, Who You Gonna Call?

Living these days, whichever part of the world you may be, has been challenging for climate change has brought destruction to life and property. Typhoons or hurricanes has become stronger and frequent, storm surges, floodings, wildfires, earthquakes and other natural disasters has brought much stress and troubles to mankind. But every catholic is taught to pray to God, Mary, the angels and saints in times of great need. To make that plea and help to God’s special saints when nature strikes is an instinct for any devout catholic who knows his’ saints.

This article aims to make known and remind catholics and other christians on how in the Holy Catholic Church, God has given special graces on saints to help those in fear and experiencing natural disasters. It is wise to make a prayer for heaven hears a humble and pleading heart. Here are some of the saints that we can call when nature strikes:

St. Christopher. Patron saint on storms and good travels

A martyr in the 3rd century, he is venerated in several christian and catholic churches around the world. In his conversion, he devoted a life of service to God by carrying people on his back to cross a river. One day a child asked him to help to cross the river. He was so surprised that the child was so heavy it was difficult for him to carry and almost lost footing in the strong current by the river. It was the child Jesus, who after crossing revealed that he was heavy because he bears the weight of the world. He was martyred by means of arrow by Roman Emperor Decius for keeping his christian beliefs.

St. Medard. Patron saint for good weather

Bishop of Nyon, he was a well known and honored bishop in the 5th century in France. According to tradition, during his childhood an eagle hovered over him during rain. This is the reason he is believed to protect from good or bad weather from anyone who seeks his assistance.

St. Florian. Patron saint on Fires or Flooding

A holy roman army in the 3rd century, he leads the firefighting brigade other than his military duties. He was investigated by Rome for not enforcing the ban of practice of christian beliefs in his area. As part of the roman religion, he was ordered to sacrifice to the roman gods which he refused. Florian was sentenced to death, to be burned at the stake but he challenged without fear. He was instead executed by drowning in the Enns River with a millstone tied around his neck.

St. Emygdius. Patron saint on earthquakes

A christian bishop venerated in Europe in the 3rd century, a martyr killed during the persecution of Diocletian. He was a pagan who became a christian and was known to have cured many sick in need, tore down pagan altars and converted many to Christianity. Pope Marcellus I made him a bishop and was sent to Ascoli Piceno, a province in Italy. He performed more miracles on his way to Ascoli. The local governer Polymius called on Emygdius and asked him to worship Jupiter and other pagan gods but to no avail. He asked him to take his daughter as his bride, but converted her to christianity instead. The governor was enraged and had him decapitated. A violent earthquake happened in 1703, but Ascoli Pisceno was spared. The city attributed the great miracle to the saint and so he was then invoked against earthquakes. Other cities appointed him as patrons, and honored him by placing statues in his honor. c excess rain, storms, and floods affect us, nature can become the opposite and be extremely humid and dry. But heaven has St. Solange to the rescue.

St. Solange. Patron saint on drought.

A virgin and martyr shepherdess from Bourges, France in the 9th century. She was abducted by a son of a count taken by her beauty, however he struggled as the saint fought and fell from his horse while crossing a stream. He was enraged and beheaded her. According to tradition, she picked up her own head and went to the church of Saint-Martin until she dropped dead there. It became a habit to the locals to have a procession through Bourges to invoke her against drought. There was a field they call “Field of St. Solange.” For she had prayed there. Indeed there are saints ready to assist us when nature exceeds our limit. In our everyday lives we hope for the perfect weather, the right amount of sun or cold when we travel, or enough rain to water our crops and fields. For the storm frequently visited countries there’s St. Christopher. Even an assurance of a good weather for a special day we can ask in prayer ahead to St. Medard. Rainy seasons can flood that streets and driving can be a challenge, but there’s St. Florian. And we can still call him during summers when fire becomes frequent. If we stay focus we can pray to endure a sudden quake to St. Emygdius. We can call one or more of them, like during El Nino drought and heat , but St. Solange and St. Medard can extend a blessing for us to endure the days ahead.

Make it a habit to know more about our friends in heaven. As the Holy Bible says, ask and it shall be given. So lets ask, lets pray, seek help, have faith and believe.

So if nature strikes, you know who you gonna call?

Categories
Angels Prayers

The Significance of the Prayer to St. Michael in the Modern Society

Christians are born for combat

- Pope Leo XIII, Rerum Novarum, 1891

Saint Michael the Archangel is the head of all the angels of God. He leads God’s celestial army, helps individuals at the hour of their death, and most especially, protects God’s people against the evil forces and acts of Satan. With these, alongside other significant reasons, the Catholic church created and dedicated a special prayer to honor him, “The Prayer to Saint Michael”. But why did the Catholic church make this prayer and what is its message? How is this relevant to what is happening in our world at present?

On the 1st of October 1884, Pope Leo XIII experienced an extremely frightening and mysterious encounter as he stood facing the altar after presiding a mass in his private chapel. Pope Leo XIII claimed that he heard voices, and those were not just ordinary voices. He believed he heard the voices of the Lord and Satan having a conversation on Satan’s capability of destroying the church within 75 to 100 years, if given the chance by Jesus. Our good Lord permitted Satan to try such act. After hearing these, he immediately went to his office and wrote a special prayer dedicated to Saint Michael. As he completed his composition, he told his staff to make this prayer known by all the people in the Catholic church. As this prayer spread throughout the world and was passed from generation to generation, many households and individuals recited this prayer to Saint Michael. Despite having gone through numerous challenges and changes in the church, such as its discontinuation in 1964, this prayer remained an important prayer from the time Pope Leo XIII wrote it to its revival 30 years after it ceased to be recited. Unfortunately, with the passing of time, this powerful prayer is slowly becoming unfamiliar to many people. 

“The Prayer to Saint Michael” has a lot of significance. It is used to rebuke and defeat the plans of the devil, protects us from harm, and most especially, will defend us in the day of battle or the final judgement through the powerful intercession of Saint Michael. It conveys a message of faith and hope, and gives us the strength to overcome distress, hardships, and challenges that we experience like natural disasters and the dreaded Corona Virus pandemic. All these and more are the reasons why our church would like all Catholics to recite this prayer. Though only some people remain faithful to God and the company of his holy people, the Church Triumphant, let us all humble ourselves and return to Him in prayer especially now that we are experiencing quagmires. Now is the perfect time to light a candle, to kneel and pray the Holy Rosary, and to ask the protection and guidance of Saint Michael the Archangel by praying the powerful “‘Prayer to Saint Michael”. If we will all just follow and obey, all evils will be defeated and we will see the triumph of holiness in our life and in the whole world.

Categories
Prayers

Prayer of Catholics

Prayer can be done in many forms e.g. silent or spoken words, in sacred music or songs, and even in action just as St. Martin de Porres said, “ Everything, even while sweeping, scraping vegetables, weeding a garden and comforting the sick could be a form of prayer if it were offered to God.” Jesus Christ, Son of God taught us how to pray the Our Father (Luke 11:2-4). Thus, it tells us how significant prayer is in order to keep in touch with God. According to Saint Rose of Viterbo, “ Prayer reveals to souls the vanity of earthly goods and pleasures. It fills them with light, strength and consolation, and gives them a foretaste of the calm bliss of our heavenly home.” Mysteries of faith are revealed, spiritual joy is present and graces pour for anyone who in prayer reaches out with confidence to God, the Holy Mother Mary, the saints or even our guradian angel. But with prayers this devotion needs action, for God is pleased to those whose prayers are matched with deeds and good works. Ora et Labore, Prayer and Work as St. Benedict of Nursia would say.

The Holy Catholic Church has liturgical seasons dedicated to prayer and sacrifice. Starting from Advent, in preparation to the birth of Our Lord Jesus Christ; Christmastide, lasts 12 days from Christmas to January 5; Ordinary Time (season after Epiphany) ; Lent, season of fasting, sacrifice and prayer from Ash wednesday to Holy Thursday; Easter Triduum, 3 days from Holy Friday, Saturday and Easter Sunday, remembering the Last Supper, death and resurrection of the Lord and Triduum, from Jesus ascension to heaven and celebrating the descent of the Holy Spirit. Following the Pentecost is Ordinary Time, still filled with days of prayer from the many feasts and celebrations of saints.

Every faithful Catholic is encouraged to pray day and night, especially the Lord’s Prayer, Our Father; the Hail Mary as it honors Mary, the Mother of God; the Apostles Creed, Glory Be, the prayer to St. Michael the Archangel and other devotional prayers given by the church to protect and give grace to its members. Also making the Sign of the Cross from the start and at the end of each prayer is a tradition and devotion by every Catholic during prayer to humbly asked for the blessing In the Name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

The Sanhedrin was the forum for the pharisees, who believed in the resurrection and in angels, and the saducees, who are akin to new theories and philosophies. All beliefs and philosophies concerning God and His creation are allowed to be expressed here.

 

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