Rosary for Life...

Tonight at 6PM, Bishop Kevin Rhoades will lead the holy rosary near the Women's Pavilion. This prayer vigil begins the 40 Days For Life campaign here in South Bend. Please join us.

UPDATE:
Tonight Bishop Rhoades led a group of over 350 in the Joyful Mysteries of the Rosary, based on the Rosary for Life meditations prepared by the USCCB. All of the local religious communities were in attendance as well as diocesan priests and many families. Afterward, I enjoyed visiting with my former parishioners and students who were 8th graders last time I saw them, and are now seniors in high school!

But the joy of prayer and Christian fellowship was muzzled by the overall point of our presence - to pray for a culture of life and the end to abortion in our land. In the next 40 days let us pray with particular focus toward this end.

A New Blessed Raised to the Altars...

"God has created me to do some definite service; has committed some work to me which has not been committed to another. I have my mission. I am a link in a chain, a bond of connection between persons. God has not created me for naught. Therefore, I will trust Him; whatever I am, I can never be thrown away. He does nothing in vain. He knows what He is about."
-- Blessed John Newman

Papal Visit to England and Wales...

"Cor ad Cor Loquitur - Heart Speaks unto Heart" is the theme for the papal visit to the United Kingdom which commences tomorrow, the 16th. It is clear that the color or tone of the matter during these past months, whether it be the planning process, the media and press, the responses or silence of the Catholic bishops there, and the reactions and plans made by a wide variety of interest groups, has been fraught with complications. As with any time the Holy Father travels to engage sincerely with various peoples and cultures, let us with special consideration and intent raise our prayers to God that this particular journey be blessed with prayer, understanding, and safety.

God of truth and love,
your Son, Jesus Christ, stands as the light
to all who seek you with a sincere heart.
As we strive with your grace
to be faithful in word and deed,
may we reflect the kindly light of Christ
and offer a witness of hope and peace to all.
We pray for Pope Benedict
and look forward with joy
to his forthcoming visit to our countries.
May he be a witness to the unity and hope
which is your will for all people.
We make our prayer through Christ our Lord.
Amen.

Our Lady, Mother of the Church — pray for us.
St Andrew — pray for us.
St George — pray for us.
St David — pray for us.

Solemnity of Our Lady of Sorrows

Our Lady of Sorrows, Patroness of the Congregation of Holy Cross, pray for us.
Mary most sorrowful, pray for us.
Mary whose heart was pierced, pray for us.

"On Calvary we see how much Mary loved us. She was standing even at the foot of the Cross, among the executioners and soldiers, so close to her dying Son that no ta single detail of his death escaped her. What was in her heart at this sorrowful time? While Jesus Christ offered himself to the Father for our salvation, Mary offered him herself for the same end."
- Blessed Basil Moreau

Feast of the Triumph of the Holy Cross

We adore You O Christ and we praise you for by Your Holy Cross You have redeemed the world.

Novena in Honor of Our Lady of Sorrows: The Eighth Day

God, make speed to save me;
O Lord, make haste to help me.
Glory be...

In thine adorable heart pierced by so many swords of sorrow, today and for ever I lay mine own poor soul: accept me as a sharer in thy sorrows and permit not that I should ever abandon the Cross, whereon thine only-begotten Son breathed forth His blessed spirit for my sake.

Hail Mary...

Pray for us, O Virgin most sorrowful, that we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.

Let us pray.
Let intercession be made for us, we beseech Thee, O Lord Jesus Christ, now and at the hour of our death, before the throne of Thy mercy, by the blessed Virgin Mary, Thy Mother, whose most holy soul was pierced by a sword of sorrow in the hour of Thy bitter passion. Through Thee, Jesus Christ, Savior of the world, who with the Father and the Holy Ghost lives and reigns world without end. Amen.

Novena in Honor of Our Lady of Sorrows: The Seventh Day

God, make speed to save me;
O Lord, make haste to help me.
Glory be...

I grieve for thee, O Mary most sorrowful, for the pangs that wrenched thy most loving heart at the burial of Jesus. Dear Mother, by thy heart sunk in the bitterness of desolation, obtain for me the virtue of diligence and the gift of wisdom.

Hail Mary...

Pray for us, O Virgin most sorrowful, that we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.

Let us pray.
Let intercession be made for us, we beseech Thee, O Lord Jesus Christ, now and at the hour of our death, before the throne of Thy mercy, by the blessed Virgin Mary, Thy Mother, whose most holy soul was pierced by a sword of sorrow in the hour of Thy bitter passion. Through Thee, Jesus Christ, Savior of the world, who with the Father and the Holy Ghost lives and reigns world without end. Amen.

Novena in Honor of Our Lady of Sorrows: The Sixth Day

God, make speed to save me;
O Lord, make haste to help me.
Glory be...

I grieve for thee, O Mary most sorrowful, in the wounding of thy compassionate heart, when the side of Jesus was struck by the lance and His Heart was pierced. Dear Mother, by thy heart thus transfixed, obtain for me the virtue of fraternal charity and the gift of understanding.

Hail Mary...

Pray for us, O Virgin most sorrowful, that we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.

Let us pray.
Let intercession be made for us, we beseech Thee, O Lord Jesus Christ, now and at the hour of our death, before the throne of Thy mercy, by the blessed Virgin Mary, Thy Mother, whose most holy soul was pierced by a sword of sorrow in the hour of Thy bitter passion. Through Thee, Jesus Christ, Savior of the world, who with the Father and the Holy Ghost lives and reigns world without end. Amen.

Novena in Honor of Our Lady of Sorrows: The Fifth Day

God, make speed to save me;
O Lord, make haste to help me.
Glory be...

I grieve for thee, O Mary most sorrowful, in the martyrdom which thy generous heart endured in standing near Jesus in His agony. Dear Mother, by thy heart afflicted in such wise, obtain for me the virtue of temperance and the gift of counsel.

Hail Mary...

Pray for us, O Virgin most sorrowful, that we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.

Let us pray.
Let intercession be made for us, we beseech Thee, O Lord Jesus Christ, now and at the hour of our death, before the throne of Thy mercy, by the blessed Virgin Mary, Thy Mother, whose most holy soul was pierced by a sword of sorrow in the hour of Thy bitter passion. Through Thee, Jesus Christ, Savior of the world, who with the Father and the Holy Ghost lives and reigns world without end. Amen.

Novena in Honor of Our Lady of Sorrows: The Fourth Day

God, make speed to save me;
O Lord, make haste to help me.
Glory be...

I grieve for thee, O Mary most sorrowful, in the consternation of thy heart at meeting Jesus as He carried His Cross. Dear Mother, by thy heart so troubled, obtain for me the virtue of patience and the gift of fortitude.

Hail Mary...

Pray for us, O Virgin most sorrowful, that we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.

Let us pray.
Let intercession be made for us, we beseech Thee, O Lord Jesus Christ, now and at the hour of our death, before the throne of Thy mercy, by the blessed Virgin Mary, Thy Mother, whose most holy soul was pierced by a sword of sorrow in the hour of Thy bitter passion. Through Thee, Jesus Christ, Savior of the world, who with the Father and the Holy Ghost lives and reigns world without end. Amen.

Novena in Honor of Our Lady of Sorrows: The Third Day

God, make speed to save me;
O Lord, make haste to help me.
Glory be...

I grieve for thee, O Mary most sorrowful, in those anxieties which tried thy troubled heart at the loss of thy dear Jesus. Dear Mother, by thy heart so full of anguish, obtain for me the virtue of chastity and the gift of knowledge.

Hail Mary...

Pray for us, O Virgin most sorrowful, that we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.

Let us pray.
Let intercession be made for us, we beseech Thee, O Lord Jesus Christ, now and at the hour of our death, before the throne of Thy mercy, by the blessed Virgin Mary, Thy Mother, whose most holy soul was pierced by a sword of sorrow in the hour of Thy bitter passion. Through Thee, Jesus Christ, Savior of the world, who with the Father and the Holy Ghost lives and reigns world without end. Amen.

Novena in Honor of Our Lady of Sorrows: The Second Day

God, make speed to save me;
O Lord, make haste to help me.
Glory be...

I grieve for thee, O Mary most sorrowful, in the anguish of thy most affectionate heart during the flight into Egypt and they sojourn there. Dear Mother, by thy heart so troubled, obtain for me the virtue of generosity, especially towards the poor, and the gift of piety.
Hail Mary...

Pray for us, O Virgin most sorrowful, that we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.

Let us pray.
Let intercession be made for us, we beseech Thee, O Lord Jesus Christ, now and at the hour of our death, before the throne of Thy mercy, by the blessed Virgin Mary, Thy Mother, whose most holy soul was pierced by a sword of sorrow in the hour of Thy bitter passion. Through Thee, Jesus Christ, Savior of the world, who with the Father and the Holy Ghost lives and reigns world without end. Amen.

Novena in Honor of Our Lady of Sorrows: The First Day

God, make speed to save me;
O Lord, make haste to help me.
Glory be...

I grieve for thee, O Mary most sorrowful, in the affliction of they tender heart at the prophecy of the holy and aged Simeon. Dear Mother, by thy heart so afflicted, obtain for me the virtue of humility and the gift of the holy fear of God.

Hail Mary....

Pray for us, O Virgin most sorrowful, that we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.

Let us pray.
Let intercession be made for us, we beseech Thee, O Lord Jesus Christ, now and at the hour of our death, before the throne of Thy mercy, by the blessed Virgin Mary, Thy Mother, whose most holy soul was pierced by a sword of sorrow in the hour of Thy bitter passion. Through Thee, Jesus Christ, Savior of the world, who with the Father and the Holy Ghost lives and reigns world without end. Amen.

Stable Points of Reference...

In some parts of the world, particularly in the West, today’s culture tends to exclude God, and to consider faith a purely private issue with no relevance for the life of society. Even though the set of values underpinning society comes from the Gospel – values like the sense of the dignity of the person, of solidarity, of work and of the family –, we see a certain “eclipse of God” taking place, a kind of amnesia which, albeit not an outright rejection of Christianity, is nonetheless a denial of the treasure of our faith, a denial that could lead to the loss of our deepest identity.

For this reason, dear friends, I encourage you to strengthen your faith in God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. You are the future of society and of the Church! As the Apostle Paul wrote to the Christians of Colossae, it is vital to have roots, a solid foundation! This is particularly true today. Many people have no stable points of reference on which to build their lives, and so they end up deeply insecure. There is a growing mentality of relativism, which holds that everything is equally valid, that truth and absolute points of reference do not exist. But this way of thinking does not lead to true freedom, but rather to instability, confusion and blind conformity to the fads of the moment. As young people, you are entitled to receive from previous generations solid points of reference to help you to make choices and on which to build your lives: like a young plant which needs solid support until it can sink deep roots and become a sturdy tree capable of bearing fruit. - Pope Benedict XVI, August 6, 2010