Afternoon Thoughts-Walk in the power of the resurrection!:

Ecclesiastes 3:11 He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also He has put eternity in their hearts, except that no one can find out the work that God does from beginning to end.

Phillipians 3:9-11 and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith; that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death, if, by any means, I may attain to the resurrection from the dead.

Numerous modern critics of the Bible say the resurrection of Yeshua (Jesus) is simply a myth based on pagan stories of "resurrected gods" from around the world, and that the authors of the New Testament borrowed from these myths and incorporated them into the Bible. But the similarity of two stories proves nothing about their origin or truth content. The Jews of Yeshua's time were steeped in Old Testament monotheism which had a well developed tradition of resurrection believed and taught by the Pharisees. Polytheistic pagan ideas would have been abhorrent to men who understood and practiced the Judaism of the apostles and New Testament writers.

But the strongest evidence for the historical truth of Yeshua's bodily resurrection comes from the testimony and lives of its eyewitnesses. Eleven of the twelve apostles suffered violent deaths for simply refusing to renounce their conviction and stop preaching the message that Yeshua was alive, that he was the Son of God and savior of the world. People don't generally give their lives for something which they know to be untrue. But they had seen him, and touched him, and eaten with him after his crucifixion; and they were filled with wonder. And because the apostles lived in the power of the resurrection their message went out to the whole world, not as a pagan myth, but as a deep revelation of life-changing truth and hope, for which they were willing to suffer and even give their lives.

King Solomon wrote: "He (God) has placed eternity in the hearts of men..."; [Ecclesiastes 3:11] The resurrection stories of ancient pagan civilizations point to this deep desire in the hearts of men...to be resurrected and to live forever. Is it such a strange thing to hope that there is a life after death?

We know that the resurrection of Yeshua is true because it has been revealed to us by God Himself, and because of what it has accomplished in our own lives. Our faith is a conviction centered in this one, historical fact, and evidenced by the undeniable effect it has upon us. Resurrection of the dead is not a myth or a fable; and resurrection power from God's Holy Spirit is the very source of our new life. Live in the real power of the resurrection. It will transform everything you are and everything you do...especially knowing that you too, will soon obtain the resurrection from the dead, a glorified body just like the Lord's! (George, Baht Rivka, Elianna & Obadiah)

Church Militant TV-The Vortex:

Dear Friend in Christ,

Think of it as - Catholic Memorial Day! Please watch this episode of the Vortex and pass it to your family and friends.

And in case you missed it, don't forget to check out our Mic'D Up show. Click here to watch the program (you will need to log in to watch it; there is a username / password reminder form on the front of the site).
GOD Bless you and your loved ones,

Michael Voris
~senior executive producer at ChurchMilitant.TV

For information on ChurchMilitant.TV speaking engagements, visit this webpage

Pray More Novenas-The Novena to the Sacred Heart of Jesus:

Peace be with you!

 

Last year, we prayed to St. Anthony for the month of June. But, we had a lot of other great choices to pick from for our June novena this year. 

 

After hearing from many other subscribers, we've decided to pray a novena we have not prayed before: 

 

The Novena to the Sacred Heart of Jesus 

 

The Feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus is celebrated 19 days after Pentecost, so the feast day will be Friday, June 7th. So we will start praying the novena together on Wednesday! 

 

For this novena, we will reflect on Jesus' love for all of us, and how we can become more like Him in how we love God, how we love our family, friends, neighbors and even our enemies. 

 

In praying to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, we will be asking Him to take on our prayer intentions as His own, as He takes them to His father. 

 

Please take a moment to share this novena:

 

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We are praying for you!

 

God bless you!

   John-Paul & Annie - PrayMoreNovenas.com

 

 P.S. If you're getting this email, then you are signed up to pray :) 

 

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Christian Concern:

Marriage Bill Prayer - Keeping Up the Momentum

Watch footage of the gathering momentum at this week's prayer gatherings (2m 58s) >

Download a poster (pdf) for the next prayer gathering on 3rd June >

Watch a BBC News report which contains footage of the gathering at 1m 20s in >

Thank you for praying this week during the debate of the Government's Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Bill.

It was fantastic to see so many of you outside the Houses of Parliament. The prayer gatherings were featured in national news bulletins and most of the national newspapers. This is a great witness that Christians care about God's design for marriage and the future of our country.

Here are some links to newspaper articles which mention or show pictures of the gatherings:

The Independent The Times (£ - click on 'slideshow') The Guardian

And a link to some of the BBC's news coverage:

BBC News report  (video) >

Prime Minister's problems

David Cameron appeared on Radio 4's Today Programme yesterday morning attempting to give the impression that the same sex 'marriage' issue is now behind the Conservative Party. But the votes of Conservatives in the House of Commons on Tuesday shows that the Prime Minister faces a divided party. 129 Conservative MPs voted against the Bill and only 118 Conservatives voted in favour of it.

Andrea Minichiello Williams said:

"Mr Cameron thinks that this issue is behind him but he still doesn't seem to realise how divisive it has been. The Conservatives lost thousands of votes at the recent local elections. Grassroots Conservatives have been all over the media saying how out of touch the Prime Minister is with his party. Just because the Bill has moved on from the Commons doesn't mean that Mr Cameron's problems are over.

"It was a mistake for him to pursue this policy and the way that he has pursued it - without mandate - has left a bitter taste in the mouth for many who voted for him at the last election.

"The battle for marriage is far from over and we expect the vote in the House of Lords on 3rd June to demonstrate this".

Next steps...

The Bill has passed through the House of Commons but now it goes to the House of Lords where many Conservatives are also likely to vote against it. Peers will vote on the Bill at second reading on Monday 3rd June. We are planning to gather again for prayer outside the Houses of Parliament. Please put the date in your diary and join us if you can!

It's vital that we keep up the momentum we've built up with the prayer gatherings during the Commons debate.

Please tell your friends and churches about the event. You can download a poster here to put up in church this Sunday >

Please Help!:

 Help Requested For Resourcing The Lords Debate On Same-Sex Marriage!

To learn who rules over you, simply find out who you are not allowed to criticize.  Voltaire

Dear Colleague,

The Working Party on the Impact of SSM, Lords and Commons Family and Child Protection Group, Westminster, is partnering  with members of the MSC Group, Anglican Mainstream, to produce high quality research-based argumentation at the request of some peers for the upcoming House of Lords debate on the Same-Sex Couples Bill which starts on June 3rd. There is a real possibility that this 'marriage-wrecking' bill could be defeated in the Lords.  Could you help us in this important task?

We are concerned by the very real impact of SSM on all  our marriages, families, faith and other  communities.  SSM is not about the lovely gay couple next door who has been wanting to get ‘married’ for decades:  it is about how all our marriages will be redefined and the pernicious effect on children deliberately half-orphaned.  We are also concerned about the loss of freedom of conscience and religious liberty.  Many evangelical Christians (even) appear reticent to address these issues.

We invest heavily in research both here and in countries with SSM (such as Canada).  This has become the basis for seven  projects which we hope will educate, energize and  empower peers and other leaders to answer pro-gay arguments.  We believe we are countering some of the most often-cited myths with solid, fact-based research.

Given the alarming speed of the bill through Parliament,  though, we need to get our skates on!   Many of our team work almost 24/7 and sacrificially invest because they believe in the cause.  However, we would be in a stronger place if we could have a bit of financial help.  Our costs for these projects include:

1/ Travel:  £500

2/ Printing, envelopes, stationery, mailings:  £1000

3/ Admin:  £1000

4/ Phone conferences: £200    

5/ Resources:  £300

Total:  £3000.00

Please do be in touch with me if I can be of further service.

Gifts may be sent to Anglican Mainstream, 21 High Street, Eynsham, OX29 4HE or made through the Anglican Mainstream website www.anglican-mainstream.net and click on donate and then click on the Anglican Mainstream button. They may be gift-aided and a form is enclosed.

Every blessing

Lisa

Lisa Severine Nolland,  MA MCS PhD (University of Bristol)

Convenor, Marriage Sex and Culture Group, Anglican Mainstream

Co-Convenor, Working Party on the Impact of SSM, Lords and Commons Family and Child Protection Group, Westminster

0117 924 4896   Ls.n@talktalk.net 

Afternoon Thoughts-Simply walk with Him!:

Genesis 5:24 And Enoch walked with God; and he was not, for God took him.

Colossians 1:27 To them God willed to make known what are the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles: which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.

Revelation 3:4 You have a few names even in Sardis who have not defiled their garments; and they shall walk with Me in white, for they are worthy.

Sometimes, the more significant, powerful, or influential someone is, the less you know about him or her. There are some people of influence whose names most of us have never heard, and about whom we know almost nothing, yet they make decisions which affect millions of lives.
Enoch, is a Biblical character about whom we know hardly anything besides his age and genealogy; but we do know this -- that Enoch walked with God -- and then God took him. What an example! Is there anything greater that can be said about someone than, "He walked with God"?
Enoch's life was eternally distinguished by this one characteristic: his personal relationship with the Lord. He somehow maintained a degree of divine fellowship that was so pleasing to God that He just transformed the man's earthly body and took him to glory without ever experiencing death; and this was long before the Holy Spirit was poured out on all flesh.
But this ought to be the simple secret of the life of every believer: walk with Him, because the mystery that was hidden from mankind is now revealed to us through His Son – "Christ in you – the HOPE OF GLORY"; so that now, every truly born again soul can walk with the living God through His constantly indwelling presence. Do we realize the amazing opportunity we've been given? Michael, the simplicity of this truth cannot be overstated. The Lord Himself told Martha, "One thing is necessary"... intimacy with Him; a conscious choice to walk with God, to think about Him, to look at Him, to talk with Him, rest in Him, obey Him, care about him, serve Him, and love Him in a million ways. We are all guaranteed the resurrection that Enoch experienced because Yeshua (Jesus) walked with God and totally pleased Him. And we have the choice to follow His example of intimacy...just as our brother Enoch did. (George, Baht Rivka, Elianna & Obadiah)

Church Militant TV-The vortex:

Dear Friend in Christ,

People don't normally like the expression 'crash and burn' while on a flight, but here, it was appropriate. Please watch this episode of the Vortex and pass it to your family and friends.
GOD Bless you and your loved ones,

Michael Voris
~senior executive producer at ChurchMilitant.TV

For information on ChurchMilitant.TV speaking engagements, visit this webpage

The Fatima Centre News:

 

Pope Francis Faces Uphill Battle
with Church Officials

      Pope Francis, within weeks following his election, telephoned the Cardinal Patriarch of Lisbon, Jose de Cruz Policarpo, to ask His Eminence to consecrate his new papacy to Our Lady of Fatima. He then called a second time with the same request, according to the Cardinal. (See: “Pope Francis asks to Consecrate His Pontificate to Our Lady of Fatima”.)

      It seems pertinent to ask: why did he have to ask twice? Would not one personal phone call from the Vicar of Christ be sufficient to gain assured compliance from a Cardinal of the Church? Yet we are told that two phone calls were placed by the Pope to ask for the same thing. As the text of the ceremony was left up to the Cardinal, along with its venue and the participants, if any, there would seem to be few details the Pope would have had to work out. It seems more likely Pope Francis was trying to make certain that Cardinal Policarpo would follow through.

      Follow through Cardinal Policarpo finally did. Addressing the Portuguese bishops in their 181st Plenary Assembly, he announced the Pope’s request for this consecration and he expressed his own desire that “all the episcopal conference [would join] itself to the realization of this request.” The Portuguese bishops accordingly decided to make this collegial act at the conclusion of the Mass of the International Anniversary Pilgrimage on May 13th, the 96th anniversary of Our Lady of Fatima’s first apparition.

      The international pilgrimage was presided over by Brazilian Archbishop Orani Tempesta of Rio de Janeiro, and (as Zenit News Agency reports) drew crowds of close to 570,000 people during its two-day celebrations, with more than 37,000 pilgrims walking to the holy site from various points of the country. A strong representation of clergy (including 37 bishops and 290 priests) was also in attendance.

      At the end of the Mass, Cardinal Policarpo led the Portuguese Episcopal Conference in consecrating our Holy Father’s pontificate to Our Lady of Fatima. “Most Holy Virgin,” he began, “We, the Bishops of Portugal and this crowd of pilgrims, stand at Your feet, on the 96th anniversary of Your apparition to the little shepherds, in this Cova da Iria, to fulfill the clearly expressed wish of Pope Francis to consecrate to You, Virgin of Fatima, his ministry of Bishop of Rome and Universal Shepherd.” The Cardinal went on in this prayer of consecration (lasting about six minutes) to ask Our Lady of Fatima for all the graces of discernment and courage that the Holy Father will need to “overcome, in charity, the trials that the renovation of the Church will bring him.”

“Most Holy Virgin, We, the Bishops of Portugal and this crowd of pilgrims, stand at Your feet, in the 96th anniversary of Your apparition to the little shepherds, in this Cova da Iria, to fulfill the clearly expressed wish of Pope Francis to consecrate to You, Virgin of Fatima, his ministry of Bishop of Rome and Universal Shepherd. … Thus, we consecrate to You, Our Lady, You Who are the Mother of the Church, the Ministry of the new Pope.”

      The local ordinary of Leiria-Fatima, Bishop Antonio Marto, commented on the significance of this consecration. At a May 12th press conference, he noted: “To consecrate the Ministry of the Pope to Our Lady of Fatima ... means ... to entrust to Mary his person, his Ministry, and his intentions for the spiritual reform of the Church....”

      Bishop Marto also addressed the pilgrims after the act of consecration, reading a message of thanks communicated to Cardinal Policarpo from Pope Francis through the Apostolic Nunciature in Portugal. “The Holy Father expressed his pleasure over the initiative and his profound gratitude for the realization of his wish, in union of prayer with all the pilgrims of Fatima, to whom he grants his heartfelt Apostolic Blessing,” said Bishop Marto.

After the act of consecration of the pontificate of Pope Francis to Our Lady of Fatima, Bishop Antonio Marto of Leiria-Fatima read to the pilgrims the message addressed by the Apostolic Nunciature in Portugal, in which the Nunciature stated: “The Holy Father expressed his pleasure over the initiative and his profound gratitude for the realization of his wish, in union of prayer with all the pilgrims of Fatima, to whom he grants his heartfelt Apostolic Blessing.”

      Unfortunately, however, the consecration ceremony did not raise a ripple in the constantly churning sea of Catholic bloggers, nor in the Catholic or secular press. It was, in terms of its accompanying publicity, a non-event. Again, we must ask “Why?’” It was as though the whole affair were an embarrassment that might be best passed over. But the consecration of a papacy is no small event in the history of the Church. Such silence about so significant an event had to have been deliberate and orchestrated. By whom? For what end? Some clues are contained in the text of Cardinal Policarpo’s prayer of consecration.

      The Cardinal’s text emphasizes the need for a “renovation” of the Church. But these references to renewing the Church mark a subtle but complete change of emphasis from the need for reforming the scandal-ridden curia that has been so widely discussed lately (especially in light of Pope Benedict’s resignation). “Renewal” is long-established code for the Vatican II reform of the Liturgy and the doctrinal vagaries of the past 50 years that have wrought so much destruction and confusion in the Church. So even the Pope’s desire to have his papacy consecrated to Our Lady of Fatima appears to have been hijacked and made into a call for staying the course on the post-conciliar disasters. This cannot have been what Pope Francis had in mind.

      Conspicuously absent from the Cardinal’s prayer of consecration was any mention of the specific content of the Fatima Message and Our Lady’s requests. The impression the Cardinal gave was that Fatima was a call to prayer as a means of “conversion.” But whose conversion? What sort of prayer? And why would an apparition of Our Lady and a spectacular public miracle be required for a general exhortation to pray?

      The Cardinal did not mention the consecration of Russia as a condition for the conversion of that nation and an ensuing period of world peace. Russia is most assuredly not converted and world peace seems a present impossibility, barring a miracle. But it is precisely such a miracle that Our Lady has promised, if Her conditions are met. You will never discover this from the Cardinal’s remarks on May 13.

      Yes, prayer is needed for conversion, but a very specific prayer by specific persons for a specific nation (see: “Only the Right Prayer Can Protect Us from Asteroids”). The Pope and the bishops, together, must consecrate Russia, by name, to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. Then, Russia will be converted and peace will come to the world. Not otherwise. No way.

      Cardinal Policarpo thought it best not to mention any of this. It is a fact both sad and ludicrous, and an indication that Pope Francis will have to battle those within his own hierarchy who are holding fast to Secretary of State Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone’s position that Fatima concerns past events; that the consecration requested by Our Lady was satisfied by a 1984 consecration of the world, made by Pope John Paul II with no mention of Russia, without the bishops’ participation and with no subsequent conversion or period of peace; and that the full Third Secret has been revealed.

      And why does the present Pope feel such a sense of urgency about having his papacy consecrated, not to Our Lady only, but to Our Lady of Fatima? Did Pope Francis read the undisclosed part of the Third Secret (now referred to in the Roman media as “the attachment”) before he telephoned Cardinal Policarpo? Something prompted the Pope’s action. Fatima simply will not go away, much as some would like it to go away (see: “The Unsinkable Message of Fatima”).

      We know that Pope Francis is a man with the heart of a child devoted to his Heavenly Mother. But Cardinal Policarpo, like so many other high-ranking churchmen today, is known as a “progressive” prelate and no friend of Tradition (see: “More on the Consecration of Pope Francis’ Pontificate on May 13”). We must pray with all our hearts that the Holy Father’s devotion to Our Lady will triumph in the end. Meanwhile, we should do all we can to hasten the moment of that triumph (see: What You Can Do To Help).

Get your FREE copy of The Fatima Crusader! Provide your name and mailing address on the form at https://secure.fatima.org/forms/crusader.asp or call toll-free 1-800-263-8160. There is NO OBLIGATION of any kind.

      We must work and pray ever more fervently that the Holy Father and the bishops will heed the requests of Our Lady of Fatima. (See: Petition to Our Holy Father — The Consecration of Russia and Petition to Our Holy Father — The Release of the full Third Secret.)

      We must also keep informed. Read the recent “Fatima Perspectives” articles listed below.

Latest Fatima Perspectives

      How the Pope Can Change the World — On May 12, 2013 a good number of supporters of the Fatima Center in Rome participated in the Italian March for Life. The Fatima Center representatives were part of a crowd of 30,000 which included “Large groups of young priests, seminarians and religious in cassocks and habits; families; and people of every profession including politicians and doctors, gathered to march against abortion, legalized in Italy in 1978 and which has seen millions of children killed.” But during the Italian March for Life we saw something that should be a model for the future of Catholic social action: the personal participation of the Pope.

      The Unsinkable Message of Fatima — In one of his columns from Rome during the conclave that elevated Cardinal Bergoglio to the Throne of Peter, Christopher Ferrara wrote: “In these early stages of the new pontificate, we cannot overlook the Marian dimension of the former Archbishop of Buenos Aires. And it is the Marian dimension of the Roman Pontiff that will be decisive for what must be done to bring the current ecclesial crisis to an end while averting the ultimate calamity depicted in the vision of the ‘Bishop dressed in White.’” The Marian dimension of the new Pope has manifested itself most dramatically in favor of Fatima.

      Only the Right Prayer Can Protect Us from Asteroids — Regarding the possibility of an asteroid colliding with the earth, U.S. Rep. Bill Posey of Florida last month asked NASA Administrator Charles Bolden, at a March 19 Science Committee hearing on Capitol Hill, “What would we do if you detected even a small one like the one that detonated in Russia headed for New York in three weeks? What would you do?” Bolden replied: “The answer to you is, if it’s coming in three weeks, pray.”

      On the Upcoming Consecration of Pope Francis’ Pontificate to Our Lady of Fatima — Cardinal Jose Policarpo, Patriarch of Lisbon and president of the Portuguese Bishops Conference, announced during his opening remarks at their Conference’s 181st Plenary Assembly on Monday, April 8 that Pope Francis had requested him to consecrate his pontificate to Our Lady of Fatima. The Portuguese bishops have decided that this will take place on the upcoming feast of Our Lady, Monday, May 13th at the Shrine.

      A Prelude to the Consecration of Russia? — Rorate Caeli reports that, in response to the personal request of Pope Francis, the bishops of Portugal will “consecrate the Pope’s Pontificate to Our Lady of Fatima” and that the bishops… have just decided that this consecration be made next May 13.” So, yet again, Fatima comes to the fore of a pontificate, just as it did with Pius XII, Paul VI, John Paul II, and Benedict XVI, the latter three of whom made pilgrimages to Fatima during their respective reigns, thus keeping this “private revelation” firmly implanted in the public consciousness of the Church.

HELP KEEP OUR LADY OF FATIMA ONLINE

Christian Concern-Please Pray:

Prayer Alert: Playboy club hearing in heart of London - NOW

Please pray for a very important hearing taking place at the moment.
The Playboy club, which is located very close to an evangelical church in the Mayfair area of London, has made an application asking permission to provide burlesque entertainment.
If permission is granted, this kind of entertainment would be allowed at a limited number of times during the year. It's likely that the club will apply for a Sexual Entertainment Venue (SEV) licence in the future which would allow provision for sexual entertainment every night and completely change the character of the area in a negative way.
Christ Church Mayfair has objected, and Jon Payne is representing members of the church at the hearing.
When considering the application, the four licensing objectives must be taken into account – prevention of crime and disorder, protection of children from harm, and prevention of public nuisance and promotion of public safety.

• Please pray for Jon Payne as he represents church members and makes his arguments
• Please pray for the sub-committee as they consider the arguments

This is a public hearing taking place at City Hall, Victoria Street, London SW1E 6Q

Afternoon Thoughts-Tear down the idols!:

Judges 6:24-26 So Gideon built an altar there to the Lord, and called it Jehovah Shalom. To this day it is still in Ophrah of the Abiezrites. Now it came to pass the same night that the Lord said to him, "Take your father's young bull, the second bull of seven years old, and tear down the altar of Baal that your father has, and cut down the wooden image that is beside it; and build an altar to the Lord your God on top of this rock in the proper arrangement, and take the second bull and offer a burnt sacrifice with the wood of the image which you shall cut down."

When Gideon was called by God, a mighty man of valor, his first task was to tear down the idolatrous altars of Baal and Asherah at his father’s house. Though he was ready to obey this command, his obedience was mixed with fear, so he destroyed the idols at night [Judges 6:27]. When the men of the city realized it was Gideon who destroyed their idols, their allegiance to Baal and Asherah drove them to demand Gideon's life.
But Gideon's father Joash came to his son's defense, rather than defending his own idolatry, saying to the men, “If Baal was destroyed by Gideon, then let Baal destroy him!” [Judges 6:31] Perhaps Gideon's father was convicted by his son's obedience. In any case his own love for Gideon and his courage to stand against the people of the town saved Gideon's life and must have encouraged him and given him faith to continue.
God saw in Gideon a man of faith with the potential to overcome his fears. So the Lord called him and brought him into a challenging situation which drew Gideon's fear into the light and gave him an opportunity to face it and overcome it. He used Gideon's father's courage which seems to have passed to his son after the idols were destroyed. But Gideon still needed to grow in trust to fully accomplish what God had called him to do.
Like Gideon, we are destroying the idols in our lives, and have the potential to even bring conviction to the lives of our parents, so that they too might be restored to worshiping the true God. Because of their love for us they may come to our defense and find themselves serving the Lord's purposes and even being restored to Him. Gideon's fear did not prevent him from obeying the Lord, and this is why he affected his father and was called a mighty man of valor. This story of courage and restoration can inspire us in several ways. First, we must not allow our fears to prevent our obedience. Second, our obedience is likely to inspire repentance and loyalty in those close to us. And third, the Lord sees past our fears and He calls us according to His deeper knowledge of who we are as overcomers in Him. (George, Baht Rivka, Elianna & Obadiah)

Let us pray for the lives lost in the Oklahoma tornado tragedy.:

God of all comfort and all peace, pour out that comfort and peace on the wounded, the grieving and all our anxious hearts

 

 

 Our Lady Of Sorrows Pray For Them

Hail Mary full of grace the Lord is with thee.
Blessed art thou amongst women,
and blessed is the fruit of thy womb,
Jesus.
Holy Mary, mother of God,
pray for us sinners
now and at the hour of our death amen.
Amen.  

Requiem aeternam dona eis, Domine, et lux perpetua luceat  eis. Requiesant in pace. Amen.
   
Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon them. May they rest in peace. Amen. 

Catholic Truth Scotland Conference 2013-A Reminder:

Catholic Truth Conference

Keeping the Faith

A Guide For A New Generation...

Gerald Warner

Leading Scots Journalist

Plus

Supporting speakers drawn from

Catholic Truth columnists and bloggers

Celtic Park

Kerrydale Suite

(own entrance and car park)

On Saturday, 8th June, 2013

Registration/Coffee/Rosary

9 - 9.45 am

Kick-off: 10.a.m.

Tickets £10 / £5 for students & unwaged

 *(soup & sandwiches lunch available 

to purchase for an additional £6 on the day)*

Add £15 if you wish to book dinner after the conference

note: tickets & dinner bookings must be made prior to the conference

Please make cheques payable to Catholic Truth,

10 Sandyford Place, Glasgow, G3 7NB

Or visit www.catholictruthscotland.com for PayPal facility.

Tickets & Information Sheet

  

(Please note: that no ticket orders will be accepted after 24 May. If you are planning to attend, please order your ticket without delay.  No entry at door unless pe-booked and paid. (For more information visit Catholic Truth Scotland:here)

The Apostlate Of Prayer For Priests:

 

PLEASE PRAY THE LITANY OF THE SACRED HEART IN THE MONTH OF JUNE FOR YOUR PERMANENT PRIEST. God bless you all – Teresa Smith, Co-Ordinator, The Apostolate of Prayers for Priests.      Email -pray4priests@sspx.com  

-      Conference by Fr Elias on a book of conferences given by Archbishop M Lefebvre.

PER DOMINUM NOSTRUM JESUM CHRISTUM

In addition to the Common of the Mass, the Church has composed the propers, which always contain a lesson related to the day’s feast. These prayers, very short yet so beautiful, offer us on every occasion a thought-provoking subject of meditation. One is surprised to notice the profundity with which the Church has thought out these prayers, thus putting at our disposition each day a truth of the Faith. One marvels at the richness of the liturgy, whether considering the Introits or the Graduals. What profound and moving thoughts are found there: appeals to the mercy and goodness of God, to His praise!

In all these prayers one always finds the four ends of the holy sacrifice of the Mass. The first end is the offering of latria, the worship of adoration and praise due to God alone. The second, the Eucharistic end, is thanksgiving, the giving of thanks for all the graces with which the good Lord blesses us. Then comes the propitiatory or expiatory end, which from the Catholic point of view is essential. It is this end that is denied by the Protestants. They refuse to believe that the sacrifice of the Mass is really an expiatory sacrifice. At the limit they will grant that it is a sacrifice of thanksgiving. They do not deny the expression, but they absolutely deny the character of “expiatory sacrifice.” They claim that everything was accomplished at Calvary, and there is nothing more to do afterwards. There is no individual application of the sacrifice, except by an interior sentiment of confidence in God.

The faith of Protestants is not at all the faith of Catholics. It consists in a natural sentiment of confidence in God. It is not the adherence of the intelligence to revealed truths because of the authority of God who reveals them. Yet such is the definition of Catholic faith: it is the submission of our understanding to objective truths that are given to us by divine revelation. For the Protestants, it is merely a sentiment of confidence in our Lord. One need not be worried about one’s salvation, it will come of itself. And so they reject the propitiatory end of sacrifice.

In the new Mass, all the texts that had the purpose of affirming in a very clear and precise manner the propitiatory end of the holy sacrifice of the Mass were erased. Only one or two allusions remain.

Lastly, the fourth end of sacrifice is petition, that is, the expression of the different requests we address to God for our spiritual welfare and that of our neighbour, and even for the temporal graces that we need.

These four ends of the holy sacrifice of the Mass are essential for Catholics: latria, thanksgiving, propitiation and petition. And one notices that all the texts of the liturgy, all of them, can be assigned to one or the other of these four ends. Sometimes adoration predominates, sometimes thanksgiving, sometimes it is the admission of our sins and miseries and an appeal to the mercy of the good Lord, and then finally the request for the goods that we need. All of this is accomplished with such an art and with such a maternal concern of the Church to awaken in our hearts the same sentiments towards our Lord, that the liturgy is truly a wonder.

We have seen the solicitude of Dom Guéranger to preserve, by all he did, the extraordinary source of graces which is the liturgy; the fundamental source of the life of the Church. With all the deviations which, alas! Have been introduced everywhere, the faithful no longer receive the graces which they have a right to and which they need.

Throughout the liturgy, the conclusion of our prayers is always: “By our Lord Jesus Christ,” “With our Lord Jesus Christ,” “In our Lord Jesus Christ.. The Church avoids giving a purely theistic religion in which our Lord would not intervene. For her, our Lord is All. He is her mystical Spouse and the Church never forgets it. She always prays per Christum Dominum nostrum, “by our Lord Jesus Christ.” There is no question of obtaining any grace without Him.

In the new Canon of the Mass, they suppressed “per Christum Dominum nostrum”! How was such a thing possible? By what aberration or malignity were the reformers able to erase these words at the end of the prayers of the Canon? One really wonders. On the contrary, the Church makes a point of insisting that every grace comes to us by our Lord; all must return to God by our Lord. He is truly the Mediator. There is no other. We are obliged to go by way of Him whether to receive or to give, if we have anything we can give to God: our praises, our oblation, our thanks. This is only possible through our Lord Jesus Christ.

And this is how our faith is continually deepened, by the insistence of the Church on the mediation of our Lord Jesus Christ. He is our only Savior. He is our salvation. This is the major, the essential truth of faith.

Were we to put our Lord Jesus Christ to the side, our life would no longer have any meaning. And this applies not only to our personal spiritual life, our interior life, but also to our whole life, professional, familial, civic. The life of men has no more meaning if Jesus Christ is put aside. The liturgy justly accustoms us to ask for everything through our Lord Jesus Christ, even for the blessings and temporal goods we need in the city.

After having expressed the importance that our Lord Jesus Christ must have in our life, and after the affirmations of the Church concerning His divinity; the liturgy shows us our Lord as the center, the object and the end of our prayers.

It used to be that when in Rome one felt these convictions. Rome was truly a school of the Faith, just as the liturgy is a school of the Faith. More than fifty years ago, this city exuded faith in our Lord. In St. Peter’s Basilica, where I had the joy of attending the canonizations of St. Theresa of the Child Jesus and of the Curé of Ars, it really felt like no longer being on this earth. Everything respired faith in our Lord, faith in God, in the Holy Trinity. It was really the living Church singing the praises of God, magnifying our Lord Jesus Christ in His saints. Someone staying at Rome who failed to increase the intensity, firmness and fervor of his Catholic faith would have understood nothing of the city of Rome in which he was living.

Now, unfortunately, that has changed; diplomatic questions and human problems have taken precedence over matters of faith. It is an immense pity for the Church and the faithful, but now the Church lives according to this all too human manner. She isn’t dead. She cannot die. The true face of the Church still remains in the Rome that keeps the faith, even if it is no longer as apparent as it used to be. In Rome, the Church may really descend into the catacombs, but the Church, after all, is not just Rome, it is also all those who are attached to our Lord, who serve Him, who live by Him and who belong to the Mystical Body of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Our Lord is a veritable reality: He lives, He must live; He must reign, everyone must be at His service so that His reign come. And for this, it is necessary to have a profound faith in our Lord, especially in His divinity.

A Very Powerful Daily Prayer:

My God, I offer this action of mine, and every action of my whole life, in union with the Precious Blood in all the Masses this hour being offered all over the world, or that will-be offered for all time – to Thine own    everlasting praise and glory - to Thine infinite rejoicing and delight.

To the glory of the Sacred Heart and in thanksgiving for all the graces bestowed on the Sacred Humanity of Our Lord Jesus Christ - I offer Thee the Precious Blood O My God!

To the honour of Our Blessed Lady, and in thanksgiving for the graces bestowed on Her, especially in  Her Immaculate Conception, Divine Maternity, and Glorious Assumption, I offer Thee the Precious Blood,

O My God! In honour of St. Joseph, my Angel Guardian, my Patron Saint and all the Saints, St. Michael, and all the nine choirs of angels - I offer Thee Precious Blood, O my God!

For all interest of Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament - I offer Thee the Precious Blood, O My God! For the conversion of sinners, the prevention of sin, help for those in their last or those who die today – I offer Thee the Precious Blood, O My God!

For special graces for all whom I love, for friends and relatives, for all who have asked my prayers or whom I have promised to pray for, or who have any claim on my prayers, I offer Thee the Precious   blood, O My Cod!

For all whom I have injured or disedified - I offer Thee the Precious Blood, O My God!

For the souls in Purgatory, especially my own relatives and friends, all who I have promised to pray  for, all whom I have been asked to pray for, or who want my prayers – I offer Thee the Precious Blood, O My God!

For my enemies, for all who have unkind hearts for me, I offer Thee the Precious Blood, O My God!

For all my intentions and wants, spiritual and temporal-I offer Thee the Precious Blood, O My God!

In atonement for my sins, for the sins of the whole world, for all the wants of Holy Church - I offer Thee the Precious Blood, O My God!