Sitio: Prayers on Jesus' Thirst by Bishop Giaquinta

“Stay with Us, Lord!” Lk 24:29

Bishop Giaquinta

“Stay with us, Lord,”
the disciples begged
as they felt their hearts reassured and burning with love
at the sound of Your word. 

Today we, too, beg You, “Stay with us, Lord,”
not so much because our hearts wish to taste Your love,
but because the heaviness of life oppresses us unbearably. 

Weighed down by fatigue and worries, O Divine Master,
we come to You, Who alone have words of life.
We come to You Who, hidden under the appearance of bread,
fill us with hope and peace. 

O Jesus, Our Lord, Eucharist, Immanuel, God-with-Us:
in the midst of our suffering, we beg You for help.
Come among us, come within us, and whisper the word
that You alone can say: My Father’s peace I give you. 

Thus we will experience our hearts being at peace
in the rest that You alone can give,
in the strength that You alone can provide,
in the faith that You alone can grant.  

Then we will be more docile to Your grace
and will taste
the joy of being children of the Church,
the certainty of living the tomorrow in the eternal, never-passing vision,
the profound value of our self-giving to our brothers and sisters in You. 

We will go back to our work and to our suffering,
but we will bear in our hearts the living desire for You.
Grant that this desire grows and becomes a burning love that,
after consuming the ashes of our humanity and sin,
transforms us into You
so we may journey together
towards the holiness of the Father.  
 Amen

Sitio: Prayers on Jesus' Thirst by Bishop Giaquinta

Holy Week at the Pro Sanctity Center, Elkhorn

Join us at the Pro Sanctity Center in Elkhorn for the Stations! Tonight was absolutely breathtaking!

7:00 pm Tuesday and Wednesday. Personal time with the stations any time during the week.

7:15 pm on Good Friday!

Kite Flying and Potluck on Sunday!

Holy Week at the Pro Sanctity Center, Elkhorn

Sitio: Prayers on Jesus' Thirst by Bishop Giaquinta

From the Height of the Cross
Bishop Giaquinta 

Enflamed by the Spirit,
we come to You, Father,
to receive Your love
and the love of the Word made flesh and crucified. 

Lord Jesus, from the height of the Cross,
may Your thirst reach us,
who  - thirsty for love - wish to quench Your thirst. 

Few loved enough to share with You
the sorrowful tragedy of Calvary.
Few are those who,
docile to the action of the Spirit,
remain with You now, Source of love. 

Father, we come here today
to make up for such human senselessness
and to give to You
our love without reserve. 

Lord, that alone is not enough for us. 

We pray that our number increase evermore
until it becomes a chorus of love
lifted up from all parts of the world
in response
to Your thirst on the Cross,
to the invitation of the Spirit,
to Your call, O God-Love. 

Heavenly Father, this is our desire that we offer You
as a commitment,
trusting that Mary, mother of holiness,
will help us to generously live it.
Amen.

Sitio: Prayers on Jesus' Thirst by Bishop Giaquinta

If they did not praise him the stones would cry out

I have been reflecting on Fr Jindra's wonderful talk on Palm Sunday and the Passion that he gave at our membership gathering yesterday.  What has stayed with me most, and I pray it will always stay with me is his question:  What is your heart crying out?  He said with all the complexity of emotions and actions during the passion it has to cry out in some way, either with the sadness of the passion or the joy of the ressurection or some combination of both.  What the Holy Spirit has been asking me since I heard the talk yesterday, because of my tendency of inaction and laziness, is:  If your heart is not crying out, why not?  If stones would cry out, either non living or barely alive as parts of the earth, how much more should you (we) as an immortal soul made in the image and likeness of God, cry out with everyting that is in you.  May everyone have a prayerful Holy Week and Easter, thank you Fr Frank for your gifts to us and letting the Holy Spirit speak through you

If they did not praise him the stones would cry out

Sitio: Prayers on Jesus' Thirst by Bishop Giaquinta

“I Thirst”
Bishop Giaquinta 

Crucified Lord,
from Your parched mouth
a humble request for water
is addressed to those who are present.
Your “I thirst”
expresses a nameless suffering
that pervades Your gaunt body. 

The soldier heard Your plea,
and wanting to help You,
offered the fire of vinegar
to Your bleeding lips. 

Mary listened to Your lament
which penetrated
the depths of her broken heart.
How she longed to come closer to the wood
and quench Your thirst
with her sorrowful tears. 

I, too, listen to Your lament
“I thirst.”
I, sick as I am,
understand more than some
the dryness of Your mouth,
the suffering of Your thirst. 

What can I do to alleviate Your pangs
except offer You my little suffering? 

Lord, I do know that Your thirst
was not only a physical need,
but a need for souls. 

Just as at the Well of Sicar,
You ask again for water.
You address Yourself to us
who are far from You,
inviting us to come back to You
to quench our thirst. 

You thirst for us who do not thirst for You,
the only Source of living water. 

Lord, I could not alleviate
Your physical suffering,
but I wish to quench
Your keen thirst for souls. 

Feeble and sick as I am,
neither exhausting travels
nor lengthy discourses or discussions
are for me. 

O Lord, I do offer You in response
to Your thirst
all my love,
my suffering,
my sickness,
my weakness. 

May our sorrowful Mother,
the co-redeemer Virgin,
unite my small offering
to the immense torment of her soul.
May she obtain for me and all my brothers and sisters
ardent thirst for Your love
and humble acceptance
of the adorable will of God.
Amen.

Sitio: Prayers on Jesus' Thirst by Bishop Giaquinta

Reflections on the Cenacle - Chapter 12

Friday, March 26, 2010
Cenacle reflection.Be Brothers and Sisters
Teresa Monaghen

"There is no other love than to lay down one's life for one's friends."

What does this mean? Or how would I know if my love was indeed full, to overflowing?"
What keeps me from being brother or sister to the other? Where am I called
to be the first to take down the barriers?
I first and foremost must stay connected - Priest to Jesus; Jesus (through
the hands of the priest) to the people.

This is such a difficult area, precisely because it is so clear and the command of the Lord so precise that we spend most of our time trying to avoid its truth and live in the shadows of love rather than wholeheartedly embracing it. The Apostle must be filled with the love of the Father and of Christ and as a consequence can only love the others; there is no excuse, no option, nor any other way! Our actions as followers of Jesus, priest and people, must prove that we understand the commandment of fraternal love. "There is NO other love than to LAY down one's life for one's friends" NO other love.whew! In our hearts we are called to listen to the other, thank the other, notice the other, pray for the other and lay down our lives for the other. Not only love in proximity of each other, sitting around a table, in the home, at a meeting, in the office, in the Church, but more. We are asked even more. We are called to be of one mind and heart.

Our Founder boldly invites us to reclaim true fraternal and priestly love. Mediocrity is to live a life of love according to my likes and avoid what and whom I dislike.this is not acceptable. Only by loving unconditionally which requires me to lay down my life for the other, will I know the love of Christ's love. I cannot do it, but I can give permission to the Lord to love in me, through me, and thus love the other when I cannot. This is the grace of our union with Jesus. This is the intimacy and oneness with the Lord that will allow us to be Christ for and to the other.

I cannot love you - the other, but Christ living in me loves you and he loves you all the way.

May this love of Christ overflow in my life to ALL. Amen.

Reflections on the Cenacle - Chapter 12

Sitio: Prayers on Jesus' Thirst by Bishop Giaquinta

Let Me Quench Your Thirst
Bishop Giaquinta 

O Jesus Who, agonizing on the cross,
left Your faithful people
Your “I thirst” of love and sorrow,
grant that I, too, may quench Your tormented thirst. 

I understand that Your thirst is for all people,
and that for each one You, Eternal Word,
became flesh in the womb of the Immaculate Virgin
and cried in the cave at Bethlehem. 

For people, for their salvation and holiness,
You spent many years laboring and in silence
to teach them the way of work, silence, and humility. 

And in the villages of Judea and Galilee
You preached,
You taught,
You prayed and worked miracles
so that they could understand that You
alone
are the true source of the living water,
and that only in You is there hope of peaceful rest. 

Many did not understand You,
some abandoned You,
and You,
betrayed,
began Your suffering way
that ended on the cross.
But from it, in a loud voice,
You told all people of Your love and Your thirst for souls. 

The Immaculate Virgin listened to Your voice;
John and the pious women stood with her.
Many others, throughout the centuries,
have listened to it and have experienced
torment for the salvation of others. 

Grant such a torment to me,
not only for their salvation but for their holiness.
Let this be my great ideal, the only ideal of my life.
Neither suffering nor work, neither death nor life,
neither joy nor sorrow constitute my reason
for choosing or desiring something
but only the good of others. 

I am and want to remain
in a state of complete availability to Your redemptive love.
What I ask of You, Heart of Christ the Redeemer,
is that I may be Your docile instrument in the work of redemption.
I am certain that through the intercession
of the Immaculate Heart of Mary,
You will accept my prayer,
the prayer of a humble creature. 

Anything that I think or feel is mine,
I give to You, O Lord;
but give me the grace
to enter into Your Heart,
Furnace of Redemptive Love,
in order to consume myself in it
out of love for You and my brothers and sisters.
Amen.
 

Sitio: Prayers on Jesus' Thirst by Bishop Giaquinta

Pausing with Mary under the Father's Loving Gaze

"Imagine how tender Mary’s prayer was to the Father, whenever she looked at the Son with her heart filled with gratitude: 'Thank you, Father, for you have given me the gift of Your Son.'  The joy she must have experienced because she could repeat the words of the Father: 'You are my Son; today I have begotten you.'  The difference is that the 'today' of Mary is in time and space, while the 'today' of the Father is from eternity.  How did Mary live this marvelous reality?  Mary’s canticle, the Magnificat, helps us understand.  Faced with these marvelous realities which begin with the Annunciation and Incarnation, we wonder at the light that must have pervaded Mary’s soul, so that she can say: 'He who is mighty has done great things for me' (Luke 1:49).  And if Mary is says this from the beginning, that is, during her visit to Elizabeth, who knows how many more times she repeated her Magnificat to the Father?  And who knows the love that united her to Jesus in His prayer to the Father during His deepest suffering: 'My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?' (Mark 16:34)." (Bishop Giaquinta, Face of the Father)

Pausing with Mary under the Father's Loving Gaze

Sitio: Prayers on Jesus' Thirst by Bishop Giaquinta

Stay by Them, Lord
Bishop William Giaquinta

Jesus our Lord, from the height of the Cross
You called us to contemplate Your love;
here we are, docile to Your invitation.

O Eucharistic Jesus, while we are here before You
how can we forget
our struggling and suffering brothers and sisters,
far and near,
who ask for help through our prayers?

We present to You, Lord, their desires
and their unspoken invocation for help
in all their needs. 

Stay by them, Lord, and give them interior certainty
that Your love does not abandon any child
born from the suffering of the Cross.

We make this prayer trusting that
Mary -- Your mother and our mother --
will beg from You what we are asking today.

Lord, we have yet another request.
As suffering and need are common to all the world
and make us one,
so may we be one in brotherhood.
May we cultivate an ever-growing love
for You until we reach You in Heaven.

Grant this to us, O Lord. Amen

Sitio: Prayers on Jesus' Thirst by Bishop Giaquinta

Sitio: Prayers on Jesus' Thirst by Bishop Giaquinta

The Smiling Christ
Bishop William Giaquinta

Surrounded by darkness,
The Lord’s frail, dying body
Was throbbing with pain.
He emitted a feeble sigh and moaned:
“Lord, my Father,
Why have you abandoned me?”

An invisible ray of light
Pierced the darkness
and rested on the Heart of Christ:
The response of love from the Father.

On the face of the Lord
A smile radiated
As life stirred with his memories
Of the children he had caressed and
who, in their innocence gazed on him,
the smiling Christ,
with their mothers nearby
lost in reverie . . .
Of the sick who received
not only health but the gift of his smile . . .
Of the adulterous woman who was saved
by the smile of Christ . . .
Of his mother smiling at him,
his smile to her . . .
And there Mary was, standing by him.

He slowly turned and,
Smiling through his pain,
Murmured:
“Mother, behold your son;”
And to John:
“Behold your mother.”

Then his face
Became radiant with eternity.
He uttered a loud cry,
Throngs surrounded him:
He breathed on them the Spirit of love.
He smiled again . . .
Then he bowed his head.
It was finished.

Let us pray.
To be able to smile always,
     in joy and in pain,
     to friends and to foes,   
     to the indifferent,
is the grace that we ask of you,
Smiling Lord of Calvary,
through the intercession
of your Mother, our Smiling Mother. Amen.

Sitio: Prayers on Jesus' Thirst by Bishop Giaquinta

OUR LADY OF TRUST NOVENA DAY 9 FEBRUARY 13TH

 So repeat this word often – trust. Repeat it to us and to everybody, O Mary, because all people must become saints. Amen.

The value of repeating-- in order to develop a habit or become good at something it must be repeated.  This is a good reminder as we come to the end of our novena.  Because although this has  been a nice period of reflection, prayer is not meant to end.  Paul tells us to pray without ceasing.  This means in whatever we do or say we are to consider our faith first.  This is not always easy to do.  I fail often.  As I was dealing with a caller at work today and becoming impatient, after I hung up what occurred to me is that it is easy to be pleasant to those who are pleasant to us, but the true test of our faith, compassion and understanding is how we react when we are treated unkindly.

We must repeat especially often during the upcoming desert season of Lent, that Jesus and Mary expect the best for us and will help us along the way if we trust them.  Even in the desert, how can we not trust the One who gave everything He had because of love, including His  very life so that we all might live together as saints and brothers and sisters.

Prayer:  Dear Jesus and Mary:  Please help us as we prepare to begin our Lenten journey, in letting go of things that keep us from you and holding fast to those things that draw us to you.  You are ever trust worthy, ever holy, and composed of nothing but love.  Give us the strength to follow your example and trust that we will reach our goal. 

OUR LADY OF TRUST NOVENA DAY 9 FEBRUARY 13TH

OUR LADY OF TRUST NOVENA DAY 8 FEBRUARY 12TH

 If we will listen to this word of yours, the way will be easier, the goal closer, and our confidence more certain that we shall reach sanctity

Listening to Mary's voice telling us to trust.  In my daily life, I know that if there is something I am uncertain about in something as simple as  a recipe I am cooking or as complex as a hard decision I need to make or a relationship I am struggling with, the first person I think of to ask for help is my mom.  She always listens well and gives wise advice.  If I trust her this much, being human as she is, how much more should I listen to Mary, who has all the resources of heaven and earth at her disposal!  I have to admit listening for me is much harder than talking is.  I know one of my worst faults is to jump in and interrupt before the other person is finished speaking.  

Prayer:  Mary, teach us to listen to you, knowing that you will always show the way and point us to your Son.

OUR LADY OF TRUST NOVENA DAY 8 FEBRUARY 12TH

OUR LADY OF TRUST NOVENA DAY 7 FEBRUARY 11TH

 When the ascent to the perfection of the Father leaves us weary, whisper a word of help, O Mary – trust!

As I was thinking and praying through this sentence tonight, the word that caught my attention was ascent.  In the beginning of my thought process I was thinking about climbing and reaching higher to God through extraordinary effort.  The Holy Spirit, however had other plans which he showed me through a particulary sacrificial act of my loving husband.   My wonderful husband showed me tonight as he often does from his servant's heart, through an action he took in service of me,  that reaching to God is not achieved by striving to be great but rather the opposite, serving others in the humblest way possible without seeking an ounce of glory or credit.  Thank you Holy Spirit and my dear beloved for your continuous acts of service.  In focusing on the humility of Mary in accepting God's plan and the humility of God himself to be born in a stable and hang on a cross, surely this will lessen our own weariness and cheer us on toward holiness.

Prayer:  Dear Jesus and Mary thank you for your own humility and the example of those around us.    Help us to press on even in our weariness, knowing that you will not ask of us something you will not help us achieve. 

OUR LADY OF TRUST NOVENA DAY 7 FEBRUARY 11TH

OUR LADY OF TRUST NOVENA DAY 6, FEBRUARY 10TH

When mediocrity absorbs us, do not leave us

The central word of this particular thought is mediocrity.  It gives me pause because I realize when I am completely honest with myself how often I slip into it and think it to be just fine.  Only a casual review of our Founder's writings makes it very clear how much he detested it.  In his mind, anything less than the very best we could possibly do, the maximum, was completely unacceptable   I challenge myself and all of us to strive for excellence in what we do, at home, at school, at work, in our relationships.  Let us give everything in our power, just as Jesus did.

Prayer:  Dear Mary, help me be more aware of the times when mediocrity has become the norm so that I can ask for your help to overcome it. 

OUR LADY OF TRUST NOVENA DAY 6, FEBRUARY 10TH

OUR LADY OF TRUST NOVENA DAY 5 FEBRUARY 9TH

When sin entices us, stay with us and be our strength

I don't know of any mother who would not stay with her child if that child were sick or in need or in pain.  Sin is a sickness and a painful reality that we must face.  Mary is a source of incredible strength for us.  I can't imagine the strength it took for her to stand by the cross and watch as her son was dying and in so much pain.  When we feel overwhelmed by sin and weakness and tiredness we can come to her and trust in her motherly care to help us

Prayer:  Dear Mary thank you for your strength.  Help me to know that strength is there when I need it and I can call on your strength for myself and for others in need

OUR LADY OF TRUST NOVENA DAY 5 FEBRUARY 9TH

OUR LADY OF TRUST NOVENA DAY 4, FEBRUARY 8TH

But your motherly look which follows us, and your Immaculate Heart, which your Son points out to us, open our souls to a new feeling – the assurance of your help. And we want it, O Mary. We ask it of you, we beg for it, O loving Mother.

What a lesson for me is the longing evidenced in this passage.  Because although I know I have a relationship with God and Jesus and Mary, the times when I long for it are entirely too few.  Easier for my heart to contemplate are the longings I have to be with those closest to me here on earth, my husband, my mother and dear friends who have passed away.  Perhaps the most valuable lesson, then, is to consider God the Father, Mary and Jesus just as real to us (or maybe even  more real since they are divine and truly know everything about us and love us infinitely) as those people who are dearest to us. 

Prayer:  Dear God and Jesus and Mary, help me to know just how real you are and how infinitely strong your desire is to help me know the will of God and follow it

OUR LADY OF TRUST NOVENA DAY 4, FEBRUARY 8TH

OUR LADY OF TRUST NOVENA DAY 3, FEBRUARY 7TH 2010

And all the while, our suffering along the way, our own interior weakness and temptations press heavily to torment us and produce in our souls a feeling of faintness and sadness, which means only one thing: distrust, in ourselves, in our ideal, in the means to attain it.

Yet another chorus of disheartening phrases in today's passage, torment, faintness, sadness, distrust. These are often a part of our daily lives-- it only takes a moment of viewing television news or a newspaper to see it all around us. Yet I think we would be surprised if we could see it from God's perspective, just how thin the vail between heaven and earth is. We do not have a heavenly father who is surprised by human nature or in Jesus a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses or in Mary a mother who is unaware of every cry of each of her children. We need to be aware now more than ever how near those on the other side are to us to help us along the way, and as we continue on with the prayer it does get more hopeful I promise :) (read ahead if you don't believe me). We will continue on in hope.

Reflection: Dear Father, Jesus, and Mary, help us hear your voice and be aware of how near you are to us even when the way is difficult, knowing that nothing can touch us without passing through your hands first

OUR LADY OF TRUST NOVENA DAY 3, FEBRUARY 7TH 2010

OUR LADY OF TRUST NOVENA DAY 2, FEBRUARY 6, 2010

Although it is our duty to strive for perfection, it is also true that our mortal body makes the path difficult, and the enemies of our soul cease not from their attacks, while everywhere we are enticed to leave the difficult and straight way known by only a few travelers.


This is a difficult passage-- rightly so as it is a passage about the difficulties presented to us in everyday life. They can weigh us down so much we are tempted to give up. We get tired, physically and emotionally, but even in this difficulty we are encouraged to be one of the "few travelers" who strive to do what is right-- we do this with the help of the Trinity and also Mary, and good and holy friends who encourage us and hold us accountable, who want what is best for us even more than we want it for ourselves.

Reflection: Dear Jesus and Mary, I know you faced difficulties on earth but you never lost heart. Help me to never tire of starting over and to seek your help to overcome what keeps me from you.

OUR LADY OF TRUST NOVENA DAY 2, FEBRUARY 6, 2010

OUR LADY OF TRUST NOVENA DAY 1 FEBRUARY 5, 2010

Drawn by the need of your help in the many trials that engulf us in this life, we come to your feet, O Virgin of Trust, to pour out to the heart of a mother our wishes and failings.

What this portion of the prayer speaks to me is that the first step in any meaningful relationship is to draw near. Let us draw near to Mary our Mother, not thinking of it is as an overly mystical spiritual exercise but rather the most natural thing in the world, a child drawing near to his/her mother for help and comfort.

Reflection: Mary, my Mother, help me to draw near to you and seek your face, knowing that through you I will be closer to your Son. Help me to know I can really talk to you and you will listen and understand

OUR LADY OF TRUST NOVENA DAY 1 FEBRUARY 5, 2010

OUR LADY OF TRUST NOVENA 2010

Greetings in Jesus and Mary everyone

The year seems already to be going by so quickly. The Christmas season has just ended and now the Lenten season is not far away. In preparation for Lent, Pro Sanctity invites us to reflect on our Patroness, Our Lady of Trust. We will be using as a basis for the novena Bishop Giaquinta's beautiful prayer to Our Lady of Trust

PRAYER TO OUR LADY OF TRUST

Drawn by the need of your help in the many trials that engulf us in this life, we come to your feet, O Virgin of Trust, to pour out to the heart of a mother our wishes and failings.
Although it is our duty to strive for perfection, it is also true that our mortal body makes the path difficult, and the enemies of our soul cease not from their attacks, while everywhere we are enticed to leave the difficult and straight way known by only a few travelers.
And all the while, our suffering along the way, our own interior weakness and temptations press heavily to torment us and produce in our souls a feeling of faintness and sadness, which means only one thing: distrust, in ourselves, in our ideal, in the means to attain it.
But your motherly look which follows us, and your Immaculate Heart, which your Son points out to us, open our souls to a new feeling – the assurance of your help. And we want it, O Mary. We ask it of you, we beg for it, O loving Mother.
When sin entices us, stay with us and be our strength. When mediocrity absorbs us, do not leave us. When the ascent to the perfection of the Father leaves us weary, whisper a word of help, O Mary – trust!
If we will listen to this word of yours, the way will be easier, the goal closer, and our confidence more certain that we shall reach sanctity.
So repeat this word often – trust. Repeat it to us and to everybody, O Mary, because all people must become saints. Amen.

Bishop Guglielmo Giaquinta


Let us pray that as we reflect more deeply on this beautiful prayer that our relationships with God the Father, Mary our Mother, Jesus the Son, and the Holy Spirit will grow deeper and our confidence will reach new heights as we enter the Lenten season

OUR LADY OF TRUST NOVENA 2010

Every day...

Decalogue of Anthropological Optimism
by G. Giaquinta

Every day…

 

1. REMEMBER that God has created you with love, and with maximum love.

2. CONTEMPLATE His face in your heart as in a mirror: you have been

created in His image and likeness.

3. LISTEN every moment to God Who repeats to you: You are precious in My eyes, worthy of My esteem, and I love you.

4. LOOK at everything that happens with "good eyes" and with the mercy of God your Father.

5. LEARN to conquer evil with Goodness, with Love: in Christ, with Christ, and for Christ.

6. SMILE always, in joy and in sorrow, with hope and trust.

7. WITNESS the light of Christ in the light and in the darkness.

8. CHOOSE hope, and do not give into sterile pessimism with the excuse that you are a realist.

9. SING of the joy of being a "little thing" passionately loved by Christ who gave His life for you.

10. CONJUGATE these nine verbs of anthropological optimism for every person you encounter and in every moment: All things work for the good of those who love God, and...all are candidates for holiness!

 Believe it with all your heart,

with all your soul and with all your strength!

 

www.prosanctity.org

 

 

Every day...

Christmas Novena 2009 - Last Day

December 24

O You that sits upon the cherubim, God of hosts come, show Your face, and we shall be saved. (Pause, Reflect, Pray: Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory be and/or Pro Sanctity Prayer)

"Now there were shepherds in that region living in the fields and keeping the night watch over their flock."

I wonder why God chose the shepherds as the ones to visit first his newborn son.  Hey seemed to be an unusual choice for the ones who might come to adore.  They were used to miracles of nature in seeing the daily life and death of their sheep, but nothing like this in nature had ever happened before.  I imagine they were frightened when they saw and heard the angels.  Would they have even known what an angel was when they saw the angel?  They knew something unusual was happening but it was unlike anything else they or anyone had ever experienced.  In the most ordinary event of human life, the most unusual event takes place.  In the birth of a baby, God is born for us.  It is beyond what any of us could have hoped for and I am filled with wonder each time I think of it.  In the flesh and blood, in the joy and messiness of a baby, God is born for us!  Every day, Lord, you are hidden beneath the surface of daily life. 

Dear Jesus, I pray for the grace to see the unusual in the ordinary, to see the presence of the divine in what is so very human. 
Msgr. Andrew Vaccari, National Pro Sanctity Spiritual Advisor      

 

Christmas Novena 2009 - Last Day

Christmas Novena Day Eight

December 23

O EMMANUEL, God with us, our King and Lawgiver, the expected of the nations and their Savior: Come to save us, O Lord our God.

((Pause, Reflect, Pray: Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory be and/or Pro Sanctity Prayer)

Isaiah 7:14; 33:22. Symbols: tablets of stone, Chalice and Host.

 

O Emmanuel

God with us

Who are we that God is with us

We have waited long

Now the time is near

O Emmanuel

Come and save us

We are a weak people

Alone we can do nothing

Temptation surrounds us

O Emmanuel

The time is near to save us

 Come now into our hearts

O Emmanuel come

 

Anne Zugelder

Christmas Novena Day Eight

Christmas Novena Day Seven

December 22

O KING OF THE GENTILES and their desired One, the Cornerstone that makes both one: Come, and deliver man, whom You formed out of the dust of the earth.

(Pause, Reflect, Pray: Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory be and/or Pro Sanctity Prayer)

Psalm 2:7-8, Ephesians 2:14-20. Symbols, Crown, scepter.

 

O King of the Nations

You are the fulfillment of our desires

From dust you made us

Filled us with the breath of life

O King of the Nations save us

In our weakness we cannot

Reign in our hearts

So that we can live in your joy

O King of the Nations

Come quickly

Anne Zugelder

Christmas Novena Day Seven

Thought for the day ... G. Giaquinta

God who lowers Himself to the point of our poverty; the poverty of human maternity through the Madonna; the poverty of a cave, the poverty of announcement to poor shepherds, the poverty of a baby who does not know how to speak. This is the mystery of salvation (G. Giaquinta, Openness 1976).

Thought for the day ... G. Giaquinta

Christmas Novena Sixth Day

December 21

O DAWN OF THE EAST, brightness of the light eternal, and Sun of Justice: Come, and enlighten them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death.

(Pause, Reflect, Pray: Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory be and/or Pro Sanctity Prayer)

Psalm 19:6-7   Symbol: rising sun.

 

O Radiant Dawn

Shine brightly in our lives

Open our hearts to your Love

Dispel the darkness of night

O Radiant Dawn

Awaken all the earth

Make us ready to welcome the Dawn

Bring us to your manager

O Radiant Dawn

 

Christmas Novena Sixth Day

Christmas Novena Day Five

December 20

O KEY OF DAVID, and Scepter of the House of Israel, who opens and no man shuts, who shuts and no man opens: Come, and bring forth the captive from his prison, he who sits in darkness and in the shadow of death.

 

(Pause, Reflect, Pray: Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory be and/or Pro Sanctity Prayer)

Isaiah 22:22   Symbols: key; broken chains

 

O Key of David

Put your key in my lock

Open wide the door of my heart

Fill me with your grace

O key of David

Set me free from the darkness

Fill the darkness with your light

Never close the door

O Key of David come

 

Christmas Novena Day Five

Venerable Pope John Paul II!

December 19, 2009: Karol Wojtyla, better known as John Paul II. Today it was approved that he will now be become "Venerable," and his cause permits the presenting of a first miracle in order to progress to beatification -- which, in the case of John Paul, could come as soon as next year.

Let us pray in thanksgiving!!

Venerable Pope John Paul II!

Christmas Novena

December 19

O ROOT OF JESSE, who stands for an ensign of the people, before whom kings shall keep silence and unto whom the Gentiles shall make supplication: Come to deliver us, and tarry not.

(Pause, Reflect, Pray: Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory be and/or Pro Sanctity Prayer)

Isaiah 11:1-3, 10   Symbol: vine or plant in flower, especially a rose.

 

O Root of Jesse

You are our sign

Raised up before all upon the cross

All stand silent seeking your aid

O Root of Jesse

The mighty fall at your feet

Come deliver us from sorrow

Kings are silent in your majestic presence

O Root of Jesse come

Do not delay

Help us in our time of need

Anne Zugelder

 

Christmas Novena

Christmas Novena Day Three

December 18

O LORD AND RULER of the House of Israel, who appeared to Moses in the flame of the burning bush and gave him the law on Sinai: Come, and redeem us with outstretched arm.

 

(Pause, Reflect, Pray: Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory be and/or Pro Sanctity Prayer)

Exodus 3:2, 20:1  Symbols: burning bush, stone tablets .

 

O Lord Redeemer

Take my outstretched hand

Moses walked on holy ground

Fan the flames of holiness in my heart

Give me the courage to obey

On Mount Sinai Moses received your decrees

O Lord gives me strength to follow

Help me to conquer my will

To overcome my fears

And climb Mt Sinai as Moses did

O Lord I wait in hope

Take my outstretched hand

By Anne Zugelder, AO

 

Christmas Novena Day Three

Christmas Novena Day Two

December 17
O WISDOM, who came from the mouth of the Most High, reaching from end to end and ordering all things mightily and sweetly: Come, and teach us the way of prudence. (Pause, Reflect, Pray: Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory be and/or Pro Sanctity Prayer)Sirach 24:2; Wisdom 8:1 Symbols: oil lamp, open book.

Today a lovely mom with her new born came to visit me for some spiritual advice. Oh what a joy to receive her and share with her! I was Elizabeth and she was Mary as sure as it was true. What touched me deeply was that she and her husband were not young and this child was the new child in an already large family. The tiny bundle in her arms had not been expected but I could see with my own eyes that she was received without reserve. Oh the joy on the mother's face was as full of wonder and exhilaration as if it was her
first child.

During the sharing of our hearts, it seemed that the movement in our souls danced with joy and deep faith at the presence of the Lord in our midst. We knew another Woman was with us in spirit. Blessed were we that the Mother of our Lord, was praying and interceding for both of us that we might know the true greatness of her Son, Jesus in becoming a child, vulnerable and small,to show us the tremendous love the Father has for all children and each one in such a particular way!

Oh Mary, thank you for your YES, and for opening the doors to us so that we might receive the pure and true joy your Son, Jesus, who has ordered all things mightily and sweetly. Amen.

Christmas Novena Day Two

Christmas Novena 2009

December 16-24, 2009
CHRISTMAS NOVENA!
Pro Sanctity Prayer Intention: That all may receive their gift of holiness

December 16
O Shepherd that ruled Israel, You who led Joseph like a sheep, come to guide and comfort us.

First Reflection: The heart of the church is Christ and it was precisely Mary who carried him for nine months in her womb and then maternally guiding him for the rest of his life until the cross…from that moment on she then stands with the Church, image of the Church for her other children. She continues to guide us all as she guided her first born. How could she do differently? She is after all our Mother.

(Pause, Reflect, Pray: Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory be and/or Pro Sanctity Prayer)

Christmas Novena 2009

Rosary for November 21

The Presentation of Mary

(…to be offered for the intentions of Agnes Rus, on the occasion of her birthday)

 

The First Mystery

You have been blessed, O Virgin Mary, above all other women on earth by the Lord the most high God; he has so exalted your name that your praises shall never fade from the mouths of men (Jdt. 13:23,25)

 

The Second Mystery

Today is the prelude to God's munificence, and the announcement of salvation: in the temple of God the Virgin is seen openly, foretelling to all the coming of Christ...

 

The Third Mystery

The most pure temple of the Savior, his most precious bridal chamber, the Virgin, sacred treasury of God's glory, enters today into the house of the Lord, bringing with her the grace of the divine Spirit.

 

The Fourth Mystery

Wherefore the angels of God are singing: 'Behold the heavenly tabernacle...Wherefore let us cry out to her with all our strength: "Joy to you, fulfillment of the Creator's plan!"

 

The Fifth Mystery

At the moment when the young girl Mary was presented in the glorious temple, everything that humans build was already diminished by the praise in her heart."

 

(Magnificat, page 293, November 2009)

 

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Thought for the day ... G. Giaquinta

Let us sow goodness and holiness, and we will see barren fields bloom.

 

 

 

Rosary for November 21

November 2009 Board Prayer Intentions

Pro Sanctity PRAYER INTENTIONS:

1. For Kevin, son of Larry and for his new son.
2. For all our priests
3. For Heidi as she plans the Advent Celebration and for all those who will attend, may it be good number.
4. For Kay and Rob Parlor on their mission of mercy for Rob’s dad and family
5. For Sam – intercession of our Founder for his healing, he needs a miracle.
6. For Loredana, our General Moderator from Italy,  for a good and holy sojourn here in the USA visiting the Pro Sanctity Family
7. In thanksgiving for a grace filled month of October and November celebrating the Universal Call to Holiness all over the Mid-West!
8. For the family members among us who are suffering and need our prayers.
9. For the Eggers Family and their health needs.
10. For Aunt Mary who has cancer in her lungs.
11. For the American Bishops and the work they are doing for the liturgy.
12. For the USA Week of the Institute of the Apostolic Oblates from November 24-30!
13. For all those who are praying for these intentions and the Good Lord will bless them many times over!
14. For the canonization of our Founder and thanksgiving for the graces and miracles given through his intercession.

 

November 2009 Board Prayer Intentions

Last class of Saint School!

AT THE SCHOOL OF SAINTS –Tuesday, Nov. 10 – 7-10 p.m.

St. Jeanne Jugan
“Love God very much, so that you can look after the aged well, for it is Jesus whom you care for in them” (Saint Jeanne Jugan).

 

Last session – and we have loved it – join us for the newest canonized saint, St. Jeanne Jugan!

 

We have as our special guests Mrs. Jeanne Gatz who prayed for the intercession of St. Jeanne Jugan and her husband, Dr. Edward Gatz who received the miracle! Dr. Edward Gatz of Omaha, Neb., was cured of eso­pha­geal cancer as a result of Blessed Jeanne’s intercession. They will share their amazing story and the also share on the life of the newly canonized saint! This evening will highlight the “lived theology” of Saint Jeanne Jugan (Nov. 10) and will be taught with a Lectio (reflective) approach.

St. Cecilia Archdiocesan Institute and co-sponsored with the Pro Sanctity Movement

Where: 3900 Webster St., Omaha NE – no need to pre-register, just drop in and the cost is only $5.00

Call Teresa Monaghen for information: 402-289-2670 or email psm@prosanctity.org

Instructor: Teresa Monaghen, STB, MA

Last class of Saint School!

Celebrate!

 

Happy and Blessed Feast of All Saints!

We are ALL called to holiness…All…All…All!

Celebrate Today – The “All-ness” of Our Call!

 

Thought for the day ... G. Giaquinta

Mary, we want to be saints like you and radiate divine love to all around us.

 

Celebrate!