Convention 2011 Countdown - July 22-24, 2011

Love is Fire!

Pro Sanctity National Convention - July 29-31, 2011

 Join us in a countdown of prayer and reflection for the Convention from July 1-29, 2011

Donami un cuore che bruci, (Give me a heart that burns…) G. Giaquinta

July 22, 2011 – St. Therese

Since Jesus has gone to heaven I can follow Him only by traces He has left. But how radiant and how fragrant these traces are! I have only to glance at the Holy gospels and at once I breathe the fragrance of His life and know which way to run. I rush to the lowest place, not the highest, and repeat with the greatest confidence, the humble prayer of the publican. Above all I imitate Mary Magdalene for her amazing and loving audacity which won the heart of Jesus and captivates mine.

St. Therese and Mary Magdalene, our love was fire in your hearts for Jesus and all people! Pray for us!

PAUSE AND PRAY IN REPONSE TO WHAT YOU HAVE READ….      

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July 23, 2011 – Msgr. Vaccari

Jesus Appears to Mary Magdalene
       The first night might have brought a kind of numbness, after seeing all the agony and suffering that Jesus went through, and after watching him hang there on the cross.  The morning of the Sabbath was perhaps the first Sabbath in a long time on which they did not see Him. They had become so used to praying with him and hearing him explain the Scriptures, that it might not have even seemed like the Sabbath to them, except that they observed the laws, as he would have wanted them to do.  And on that Sunday morning, when the reality of his death and departure was sinking in more and more, Mary went to the tomb expecting to find his body there. 

What a shock to find he was missing and then what joy to hear him call her name, and to recognize him and his voice!  Her heart was filled with great delight because the Lord spoke personally and tenderly to her.  As for Mary, if we seek him we will find him.  And our hearts are filled with joy too, knowing that he speaks personally and tenderly to each one of us, calling us by name with great love!

PAUSE AND PRAY IN REPONSE TO WHAT YOU HAVE READ….

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July 24, 2011 – Teresa Monaghen

Jesus Appears to Mary Magdalene

Many times I have gone to the garden with Mary Magdalene in my prayerful imagination. I have cried with her over loss of a loved one and mourned with her in deep regret for my sins that may have caused hurt in someone else. Every time I pray this way, Mary and I discover the Lord. He is there in our loss and in our sorrow. He comes forward surprises the heck out of us and then holds us in a brief embrace. Our hearts speak loudly, “Here is our Lord, Savior and friend! He is risen!”  He reminds us both, “Did I not tell you that my joy will be yours and your joy will be full? Let go of me now and go tell the others you have seen me, your Lord, Savior and friend.”

Oh Lord, my heart is filled to overflowing with love and gratitude for this scene that lives in my heart. Amen.

PAUSE AND PRAY IN REPONSE TO WHAT YOU HAVE READ….

Convention 2011 Countdown - July 22-24, 2011

Convention 2011 Countdown - July 21, 2011

Love is Fire!

Pro Sanctity National Convention - July 29-31, 2011

 Join us in a countdown of prayer and reflection for the Convention from July 1-29, 2011

Donami un cuore che bruci, (Give me a heart that burns…) G. Giaquinta

July 21, 2011 – Pope Benedict XVI

In the religious history of ancient Israel, great importance was given to the prophets, to their teaching and their preaching. Among them, there emerges the figure of Elijah, who was raised up by God in order to lead the people to conversion. His name means "the Lord is my God," and it is in accord with this name that his life unfolds -- [a life] totally consecrated to bringing about in the people the acknowledgement of the Lord as the one God. Sirach says of Elijah: "Then the prophet Elijah arose like a fire, and his word burned like a torch" (Sirach 48:1). By this flame, Israel rediscovers its way to God. 

Oh Lord, may we receive the word like a torch and by this flame follow our way to you! Amen.

.

PAUSE AND PRAY IN REPONSE TO WHAT YOU HAVE READ….

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Convention 2011 Countdown - July 21, 2011

Convention 2011 Countdown - July 15-17, 2011

Love is Fire!

Pro Sanctity National Convention - July 29-31, 2011

 Join us in a countdown of prayer and reflection for the Convention from July 1-29, 2011

July 15, 2011 – Msgr. Andrew Vaccari

Donami un cuore che bruci, (Give me a heart that burns…) G. Giaquinta

St. John of the Cross speaks of the living flame of love.  This is the flame that burned in the bush on the mountain.  It is the same flame that burns in the heart of us all and the same flame that burns forever in the heart of God! 

Donami un cuore che bruci, wrote Bishop Giaquinta.   A fire consumes what it unites with - but the fire of God's love does not destroy!  I ask during this  Countdown to the Convention  for a heart that is united with the heart of Jesus, and a heart that is burning with Love for the Lord and for his people.

PAUSE AND PRAY IN REPONSE TO WHAT YOU HAVE READ….

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July 16, 2011 – Teresa Monaghen

 

(John 1:40) Andrew, the brother of Simon Peter, was one of the two who heard John and followed Jesus.

        The noun "apostle" (apostolos) derives from the Greek verb apotello, which means "to send" (Barbara Reid, O.P.). Andrew is one of the first apostles, but before he was sent, he first spent time with the Sender, he spent time with Jesus. He followed Jesus. He stayed with him, listened to him, learned from him and let his heart be completely taken by him! As soon as he met Jesus, he ran to tell his brother and brought him to Jesus. This is just like best friends who share everything with each other. When they experience something good or bad, they can hardly wait to share it with the other. This was Andrew's experience with his brother, and then he and his brother, together, developed a most intimate and powerful, life changing friendship with Jesus. My thought is that Jesus did not have to work very hard to send these two. They could hardly contain themselves in the beginning; imagine how eager they must have been after a little formation time with Jesus. They were ready to go and enflame the world with the truth and light of Jesus Christ, their beloved!

        St. Andrew, pray for us.

PAUSE AND PRAY IN REPONSE TO WHAT YOU HAVE READ….

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July 17, 2011 – Msgr. Andrew Vaccari

  You are the light of the world.  A city set on a mountain cannot be hidden.  (Matthew 5:14)

       When I was a child I was sometimes fearful of dark place.  I never knew what might jump out or who might be hiding there.  St. John tells us in the prologue to his Gospel that the light shines in the darkness and the darkness has not overcome it.  Christ is the light, the light of the whole world.  He faced the darkness of the world and it ran away.  He was not afraid of the darkness, or at least he did not let his fear take over him.  Now, he wants his disciples to be the light of the world, to face the evil in the world and to bring his light to overpower it.  Lord, help me not to be afraid of the dark of this world.  I know you are the true light and with you near, the darkness will never conquer. 

PAUSE AND PRAY IN REPONSE TO WHAT YOU HAVE READ….

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Convention 2011 Countdown - July 15-17, 2011

Convention 2011 Countdown - July 12-13, 2011

Love is Fire!

Pro Sanctity National Convention - July 29-31, 2011

Join us in a countdown of prayer and reflection for the Convention from July 1-29, 2011

Registration is still open! There is still room for you!

USA NATIONAL PRO SANCTITY CENTER **11002 N. 204th St. Elkhorn, NE
68022 ** psm@prosanctity.org or 402-289-2670** http://www.prosanctity.org/**

July 12, 2011 - Teresa M

"But love does such things" (From "The Lord" by Romano Guardini)
"Let us consider carefully what this means: that the everlasting, infinite
creator not only reigns over or in the world but, at a specific "moment,"
crossed an unimaginable borderline and personally entered into
history...Once at this point a friend gave me a clue that helped my
understanding more than any measure of bare reason. He said, "But love does
such things!"

Joseph stoutly convinced that he must divorce Mary, takes a nap, wakes up,
and in a bizarre manner of action for this quiet man, changes his mind and
takes her as his wife. Unbelievably the young, inexplicably pregnant Mary
goes in haste into the hill country to assist her cousin Elizabeth, who is
also unexplainably pregnant!

All this started when God unaccountably, but at a designated time, breaks
out of heaven and comes to earth born of a woman that we might love him.
Oh my, such strange behavior for the God of the entire universe, yet as
Romano Guardini highlights, "love does such things."
Love has no boundaries and does not care if it makes sense or not! God is
love and love cannot be contained, it must be expressed sensibly or
insensibly it matters not!

Oh Lord, may I cease from hesitation or from what seems to be limitations,
restrictions or norms, may I love in the same strange and unaccountable ways
as you have modeled, not resisting love in any manner because of human
norms. Your ways, O Lord, are filled with puzzles, but since Love does such
things and then I too must be love! Amen!

PAUSE AND PRAY IN REPONSE TO WHAT YOU HAVE READ....
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July 13, 2011 - Msgr. Andrew Vaccari

"When they were there, the time came for her to have her child, and she gave birth to her firstborn son. She wrapped him in swaddling clothes and laid him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn."

From the first breath Jesus took, his life was marked by contradictions. There was no room for him at the inn in Bethlehem, where the people were crowding the available space. They rejected him, even they did not know who he was. By contrast, his mother Mary gave him loving care and was so devoted to him, even with what seems to be a simple gesture, such as wrapping him in swaddling clothes. She loved her own but loved us all in him.

Dear Mary, you were so tender toward him, with a loving mother's heart. I too want this heart, without the distractions of busy-ness. Mary, you brought Jesus into the world - fulfilling the Father's plan. I too wish to bring Jesus to the world, fulfilling what the Father has in store for me.

PAUSE AND PRAY IN REPONSE TO WHAT YOU HAVE READ....

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July 14, 2011 - Blessed Guerric of Igny
Blessed Guerric of Igny (around 1080-1157), Cistercian abbot Sermon 1 on Saint John the Baptist, §2

"John testified to the truth... He was the lamp, set aflame and burning
bright." (Jn 5:33.35)

This lamp, which is destined to give light to the world, brings me a new joy, for thanks to it, I recognized the true Light which shines in the darkness, but which the darkness did not accept (Jn 1:5)... We can admire
you, John, who are the greatest of all the saints; but it is impossible for us to imitate your sanctity. Since you hasten to prepare for the Lord a perfect people with publicans and sinners, it is extremely urgent that you
speak to them in a way that is more accessible to them than your life. Offer them a model of perfection that is not only your way of living, but that is adapted to the weakness of human strength. "Give some evidence that
you mean to reform." (Mt 3:8)

But we, Brothers, we take pride in speaking better than we live. John however, whose life is more sublime than what human beings can understand, makes his language available to their understanding. He says: "Give some evidence that you mean to reform." "I am speaking to you in a human way because of the weakness of the flesh. If you cannot yet entirely do good, may there be in you at least a true desire to reform from what is bad. If you cannot yet give evidence of perfect righteousness, may your perfection at present consist in giving evidence of behavior that shows that you desire to reform."

PAUSE AND PRAY IN REPONSE TO WHAT YOU HAVE READ....
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Convention 2011 Countdown - July 12-13, 2011

Convention 2011 Countdown - July 11, 2011

Love is Fire!
Pro Sanctity National Convention - July 29-31, 2011
Join us in a countdown of prayer and reflection for the Convention from
July 1-29, 2011

Registration is still open! There is still room for you!

USA NATIONAL PRO SANCTITY CENTER **11002 N. 204th St. Elkhorn, NE
68022 ** psm@prosanctity.org or 402-289-2670** www.prosanctity.org**

GO TO THE WEB SITE AND SIGN UP FOR THE CONVENTION - COME ONE DAY OR THE
WHOLE WEEKEND!

PRO SANCTITY BLOG: http://prosanctity.blogspot.com/

July 11, 2011 - Joan Kash

Leviticus 6:12

The fire on the altar must be kept burning, it must not go out

Who among us in the United States during the month of July doesn't see
fireworks at least once if not multiple times? They are bright, they are
beautiful and they bring pleasure to the eye and patriotism into the heart.
As I was reflecting on Love Is Fire during recent weeks I thought that this
is a good example of what this phrase means, to be bright and beautiful.

On further examination, however, it occurred to me in the light of the verse
from Leviticus, although fireworks are indeed bright and beautiful, they
also go out very quickly, within a matter of seconds. How much more
lasting, infinitely so, as the source of this love is, should our love for
Christ be, and our desire to spread that love to others. How to keep the
fire continuous rather than momentary is our challenge, how to be so much in
love with the One in Whom we believe that lasting forever is the only option
we should be satisfied with.

PAUSE AND PRAY IN REPONSE TO WHAT YOU HAVE READ....
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Convention 2011 Countdown - July 11, 2011

Convention 2011 Countdown - July 7-9, 2011

Love is Fire!
Pro Sanctity National Convention - July 29-31, 2011
Join us in a countdown of prayer and reflection for the Convention from
July 1-29, 2011
Registration is still open! There is still room for you!

USA NATIONAL PRO SANCTITY CENTER **11002 N. 204th St. Elkhorn, NE
68022 ** psm@prosanctity.org or 402-289-2670** http://www.prosanctity.org/**
GO TO THE WEB SITE AND SIGN UP FOR THE CONVENTION - COME ONE DAY OR THE
WHOLE WEEKEND!

PRO SANCTITY BLOG: http://prosanctity.blogspot.com/
July 7, 2011 - Catherine Doherty
We must be a flame in the darkness, a lamp to our neighbor's feet, a place
where he can warm himself, a place where he can see the face of God. It is to love,
to burn, that we have come together! Our life is senseless if we are here
for any other reason than loving utterly passionately, completely. The
very word "love" implies sacrifice and surrender.

PAUSE AND PRAY IN REPONSE TO WHAT YOU HAVE READ....
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July 8, 2011 - Msgr. Andrew Vaccari - Master of Ceremonies for the Convention!

The fire of the Holy Spirit came to the early church and transformed
the disciples. Fire has a way of changing things - a fire burning can
destroy, a fire burning can warm. Bishop Sheen used to say that fire had
two qualities: heat and light. The heat was the zeal, the light was the
truth. We need both to evangelize and spread the good news. We have the
truth in the Gospels, in the Church and in the sacraments. The zeal is
sometimes lessened, though, with the weariness of the struggle and the turns
and hills in the road. The fire of the Holy Spirit needs to be renewed each
day, to keep the fire of love burning brightly.

Mary, you received the Holy Spirit with the disciples. You guided them by
your knowledge of Jesus, and by showing them or reminding them how he would
act. You know him better than anyone because your heart is so pure and
there is nothing in you that will block your love for him. May the fire of
the Holy Spirit burn away the impurities of my heart so I may love him the
way you do!

PAUSE AND PRAY IN REPONSE TO WHAT YOU HAVE READ....
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July 9, 2011 - Msgr. Andrew Vaccari
"Were not our hearts burning within us while he spoke to us on the way and
opened the Scriptures to us?" Luke 24: 13-35

The disciples eagerly listened to the stranger who was with
them, and speaking to them... They did not realize who he was at first but
they later knew it was the Lord himself. He spoke to them and their hearts
came alive, hoping that he would speak longer and stay longer with them.

Lord Jesus, raise up for us again a good and holy priests and lay leaders,
men and women who will follow the example of the holy saints and proclaim
the word of the Lord with fire and love. May I too be filled with love for
the sacred word and speak of it with conviction and zeal!

PAUSE AND PRAY IN REPONSE TO WHAT YOU HAVE READ....
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Convention 2011 Countdown - July 7-9, 2011

Convention 2011 Countdown - July 4-6, 2011

Love is Fire!
Pro Sanctity National Convention - July 29-31, 2011
Join us in a countdown of prayer and reflection for the Convention from
July 1-29, 2011

USA NATIONAL PRO SANCTITY CENTER **11002 N. 204th St. Elkhorn, NE
68022 ** psm@prosanctity.org or 402-289-2670** www.prosanctity.org**

GO TO THE WEB SITE AND SIGN UP FOR THE CONVENTION - COME ONE DAY OR THE
WHOLE WEEKEND!

PRO SANCTITY BLOG: http://prosanctity.blogspot.com/

July 4, 2011 - Linda Chilcott

"Bearer-of-Fire, kindle in us a longing for the fire that overpowers our
misery and becomes ablaze consuming the whole world..."

This past October, we realized, like we may have never before, that fire is
an extremely powerful force. It changes everything it touches. Is it any
wonder our founder would liken our Lord to a
Bearer-of-Fire? Initially we may hesitate to come near because we know we
will be forever changed. Our misery is not particularly useful, but it is
ours, it is familiar, and sometimes we feel like we have a right to just
wallow in it. Our Savior, however, wants so much more for us.
Our founder seemed to have a personal knowledge of both the gentleness of
Christ and this hesitancy of our human nature. He requests that our Savior
kindle in us a longing for the fire. Just starting with sparks that we
might be drawn into not just a lack of resistance, but a longing for that
fire that will overpower our misery and change us forever.
As the spark becomes a flame, Jesus empowers us to bring that life-giving
light to the world. We may not see our own flame, but it is there, touching
each person He brings into our path. One by one, Jesus uses the flame He's
given us to set the world ablaze.

PAUSE AND PRAY IN REPONSE TO WHAT YOU HAVE READ....
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July 5, 2011 - Rosemary Darmstadt

"...The Heart of Jesus, the human Heart of Jesus, burns with the love
with which it is overflowing. This love of his is love for the Eternal
Father and love for men - the Father's adopted daughters and sons."
"A burning furnace dies down little by little. The Heart of Jesus, on
the contrary, is an unquenchable furnace. In this way, it is like the
'burning bush' of the Book of Exodus, in which God revealed himself to
Moses. The bush that burned with flame, but... 'was not consumed.' (Exodus
3:2)"
"Indeed the love that burns in the Heart of Jesus is more than anything
else the Holy Spirit himself through whom the Son of God unites himself
eternally to the Father. The Heart of Jesus, the human heart of God made
man, is set on fire by the 'living flame' of the love of the Trinity which
is never extinguished."
" The Heart of Jesus is this 'furnace burning with charity'. Whilst the
furnace burns, it gives light to the darkness of the night and warms the
bodies of frostbitten travelers."

(From John Paul II, Angelus, June 23, 1985)

PAUSE AND PRAY IN REPONSE TO WHAT YOU HAVE READ....
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July 6, 2011 - Kris Woods

Zechariah 2:9 "But I will be for [Jerusalem] an encircling wall of fire,
says the LORD, and I will be the glory in her midst."

This encircling wall of fire brings a feeling of safety and security to us
as well as a bright light that intrigues us and draws our attention to the
glory of God. The splendorous glory of God draws our focus on what is truly
important:

God is present in our midst. We need not fear because our God is in our
midst and is an encircling wall of fire.
God's glory and love surround us. What more could we possible need?

Dear God, Fiery Protector and Glorious Presence, help us to fully rely on
You for all that we need. Amen.

PAUSE AND PRAY IN REPONSE TO WHAT YOU HAVE READ....
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Convention 2011 Countdown - July 4-6, 2011

Convention 2011 Countdown - First three days July 1-3

Love is Fire!
Pro Sanctity National Convention - July 29-31, 2011
Join us in a countdown of prayer and reflection for the Convention from
July 1-29, 2011

USA NATIONAL PRO SANCTITY CENTER **11002 N. 204th St. Elkhorn, NE
68022 ** psm@prosanctity.org or 402-289-2670** www.prosanctity.org**

GO TO THE WEB SITE AND SIGN UP FOR THE CONVENTION - COME ONE DAY OR THE
WHOLE WEEKEND!

PRO SANCTITY BLOG: http://prosanctity.blogspot.com/

July 1, 2011 - Several authors

The Pro Sanctity National Convention is a precious moment in the life of
every member and friend of the Pro Sanctity Movement. It is a time for
experiencing the renewing power of God's forgiving and reconciling love and
starting afresh our journey of interiority for mission.

We are tired of mediocrity, indifference, lukwarmness! We want to be
on fire, to live life fully, to be renewed in Christ. How? If we live and
bear witness to faith, hope and love in a fuller and more conscious way, we
will be running on the way of the Lord and make a difference in the world!

Faith:
Helps us discover the signs of God's loving
presence in creation, in people, in the events of history and above all in
the work and message of Christ.
Hope:
It frees us from mere repetition and gives
us the real meaning of the eternal wedding feast. Through hope, Christians
bear witness to the fact that beyond all evil and beyond every limit,
history bears within itself a seed of good which the Lord will cause to
germinate in its fullness.
Charity:
Through charity, Christians make visible
God's love for humans revealed in Christ, and make manifest Christ's
presence in the world to the close of the age. For Christians charity is the
prolongation of the presence of Christ who gives Himself. We are invited to
make gestures of charity, to do many generous works of charity in favor of
the brothers and sisters who are in need of help. In pro- claiming and
living the Gospel of charity we are not alone, Jesus is with us, "I am with
you always, to the close of age". Jesus invites us to return to the Father
who is waiting for us with open arms to transform us into living and
effective signs of His merciful love.

May Mary be the bright star on our journey in the new millennium.

PAUSE AND PRAY IN REPONSE TO WHAT YOU HAVE READ....
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July 2, 2011 - Margie Nelsen

1 Peter 1:7 - "the genuineness of your faith, more precious than gold that
is perishable even though tested by fire, may prove to be for praise, glory,
and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ."

Right now, gold is at an all time high in value. It seems that the
faithfulness of Pro Sanctity members has also risen to an all time high
since the Barn Fire in October. The outpouring of love, well wishes and
gifts has strengthened the hope for even better ways to glorify the Lord
through the mission of the Universal Call to Holiness. It is exciting that
we have the opportunity to meet with Pro Sanctity members from all over the
world in July to spread our hope and nurture our souls with the food our
fine speakers will offer us. Dear Lord, please bless all our dedicated
members and speakers with health and hope. Bless our Convention so that we
may be a joyful expression of praise, glory and honor in your Holy Name.
Amen.

PAUSE AND PRAY IN REPONSE TO WHAT YOU HAVE READ....
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July 3, 2011 - Msgr. Andrew Vaccari

The Sacred Heart - Filled with the fire that brings light to our souls!
"What I tell you in darkness, speak in the light."
You do speak in darkness, Lord. In the silence of the heart, you speak with
fervor and love. You reveal what you want me to know, and you share graces
with me not just for me, but so that I may share them with others. It is
comforting to know, Jesus that you speak in the darkness. The darkness can
be so fearful and so empty, it can be so silent, so terrifyingly silent,
that I want to avoid it. In the darkness of loneliness, in the darkness of
the soul, in the darkness of my sins, you are there speaking to me. You are
the light that shines in the darkness and your light is meant for all to
see. I have kept away from the darkness, Lord, because I prefer the light.
I look to find you in the light, but you are also in the shadows.

In these words, Lord, I learn that your heart is one that does not abandon
me in my darkness. I may turn a deaf ear to you, I may turn my back on you,
I may mock you and abandon you by my sins, but you continue to speak to me.
Give me a heart like yours, Jesus, so I do not leave you when all seems
black. Give me a heart like yours so I will stay with others when they are
in their darkness, too.

PAUSE AND PRAY IN REPONSE TO WHAT YOU HAVE READ....
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Convention 2011 Countdown - First three days July 1-3

Watch for tonight the countdown for the Convention begins!

O Eucharistic Heart of Jesus, we ask Your blessing on all the organizers, speakers and all those who will attend this convention, especially those traveling.  Bishop Giaquinta, pray for us.

PRAYER FOR THE 2011 PRO SANCTITY NATIONAL CONVENTION  

July 29 - 31, 2011

Schuyler, NE

Pray this prayer daily:

Lord, we gather here docile to your command.

We trust that you are in our midst, just as you promised.

Divine Master, enlighten our minds that we may begin to understand your mysteries and radiate them throughout the world.

Bearer-of-Fire, kindle in us a longing for the fire that overpowers our misery and becomes ablaze consuming the whole earth. . .

We wish to become holy, to sacrifice ourselves for the sake of souls, so that with them, in You, we may be consumed in the love of the Father and of the Holy Spirit.  Amen.

Bishop William Giaquinta

Watch for tonight the countdown for the Convention begins!

Pro Sanctity National Convention 2011 - Sign up now!

Love is Fire!

“We want to be a flame and bring the fire to others so that they, too, may burn with love.” +Bishop William Giaquinta

Come to the Pro Sanctity National Convention for the Day – July 29-30, or 31!

If you want to come just for a day or all three, and we encourage you to do so, the cost is:

Friday night: Give a donation.
Saturday: $40.00 for the program without meals, or $55.00 with lunch and dinner.
Sunday: $25.00 for the program with Sunday dinner and ice crème social, or $15.00 program alone.

REGISTER: Call us or email if you want to come for the day and for the full weekend (see prices for food and lodging) go to our on-line registration: WWW.PROSANCTITY.ORG or contact Teresa at psm@prosanctity.org or 402-289-2670

Pro Sanctity National Convention 2011 - Sign up now!

Rejoice, a new star in heaven!

Servant of God, Bishop G. Giaquinta and Blessed Pope John Paul II, Apostles
of Holiness!!
May 1, 2011

(November 1978)

It seems to me, and to many others, that in Pope John Paul II's emphasis on
the universal call to holiness, lived out in intimate personal union with
Christ and in the ordinary, everyday means of the Christian life, including
prayer, service of others and the sacraments, we rediscover the authentic
interpretation of our Founder's life and legacy and the path to genuine,
effective renewal and sure development of our Institutes, the Movement and
even the whole world. Holiness is the only answer (Const.36).

Our new Blessed Pope John Paul II along with our Founder had a vision for
holiness and set it as the gold standard of the ordinary Christian life and
they showed us the true path to renewal and the way to eternal communion
with the Blessed Trinity.

Let us rejoice and give thanks that the Church has confirmed for us yet
another friend in heaven in the person of Blessed Pope John Paul II.

May our Founder, Bishop Giaquinta and Blessed Pope John Paul II intercede
for us and for our total conversion to holiness.

May we never tire of starting over again!

Teresa Monaghen

Rejoice, a new star in heaven!

Easter for 8 days! Celebrate!!

*During the Easter Octave revisit one of the readings of the Easter Vigil for each of the 8 days.

 

Pray:  That I would receive these things more fully and with gratitude...

 

DAY ONE - 1st Reading:  Gn 1:1—2:2 or 1:1, 26-31a -  Creation Story

…the gift that he has given us that we have no part of and no claim to. 

 

DAY TWO - 2nd Reading:  Gn 22:1-18 or 22:1-2, 9a, 10-13, 15-18 – Abraham and Isaac

…Is there any place where I am not trusting you?  Strengthen me.  Is there anything I am clinging to?  Help me surrender.

 

DAY THREE - 3rd Reading:  Ex 14:15—15:1 – Parting of the Red Sea

…Is there any place in my life where I am held captive? Stuck? Need defense against my enemies? Are there any obstacles I need removed?

 

DAY FOUR - 4th Reading:  Is 54:5-14 – The Lord Calls you Back

…Lord, in what ways do I need to be reconciled to you?  Help me to be faithful.

 

DAY FIVE -  5th Reading:  Is 55:1-11 – All you who are thirsty, come to the water.

…Lord, show me where I am trying to earn your blessing.  Where do I need to be more secure?  Help me to give up trying to earn or manufacture your love.  Help me to trust in your love as it is given as an unearned, freely given gift. 

 

DAY SIX - 6th Reading:  Bar 3:9-15, 32C4:48 – Love Wisdom

…Lord, whose wisdom I am trying to follow? Help me to follow your plan for my life. Help me to set aside opinions of others and seek you out instead, welcoming you, following you. 

 

DAY SEVEN - 7th Reading:  Ez 36:16-17a, 18-28 – I will give you a new heart and place a new spirit within you.

…Lord, help me to receive a new outpouring of the Holy Spirit.  Help me to be transformed by the renewal of my mind.  Make my heart like yours so that I may forever live in glory –under the loving gaze of the Father!

 

DAY EIGHT - 8th Reading:  Rom 6:3-11  - If, then, we have died with Christ… we shall also live with him. 

…that I may be glad and rejoice intensely because of your great joy and glory, my Risen Lord Jesus!  (from the 4th week of the Spiritual Exercises)

 

 *from notes taken by Jackie Logue at Easter Vigil – St. Patrick’s Church 4-23-2011.  Father Scott Traynor presiding.

Easter for 8 days! Celebrate!!

LENT 2011

Thought for the day ... G. Giaquinta

Let us meditate on what it means to risk, to dare, to let go and let God, to lay ourselves on the line and declare “Your will be done, use me as you will.”

LENT 2011

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY!

My Mother, My Confidence!

 

Dear Tom, Mike and James:

 

Today is your anniversary as Social Animators. Do you remember April 4, 2002? You committed yourselves to promote brotherhood within society and prayed,

“May the thirst of the Crucified Lord

and the gaze of Mary,

our mother and sister,

encourage me to be

light, leaven, and presence

of Christ in the world.”

Congratulations, dear brothers! Know that we are proud of you, pray for you, and wish you to actualize God’s plan of holiness and brotherhood for you and through you for society.

 

In Jesus’ peace and love,

The Apostolic Oblates, and the Pro Sanctity Movement

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY!

Lenten Rosary #3

 

Meditated Rosary

Attending the School of the Cross

 

 “If anyone wishes to come after me, let him deny himself.” (Mt. 16:24)

 

First Mystery

Jesus is in agony in the garden of Gethsemane.

Let us ponder this mystery to learn what must change in our lives to conform ourselves to Jesus.

Second Mystery

Jesus is scourged.

In this mystery we enter into the physical suffering of Jesus. Unite your sufferings with His.

 

Third Mystery

Jesus is crowned with thorns.

As we ponder the humiliations that Jesus underwent in loving silence, let us look at the sin of pride in our lives and express our desire to enter His silence, united in love.

 

Fourth Mystery

Jesus carries the Cross to Calvary.

Jesus freely embraced the weight of the Cross. What cross is He inviting us to freely embrace that we resist?

 

Fifth Mystery

Jesus dies on the Cross

Death was the price that Jesus paid for our salvation. Pray for an expanded desire to participate in his redemptive work.

 

Lenten Rosary #3

Lenten Rosary #2

Lenten Rosary #2

“The LORD, your God, shall you fear; Him shall you serve, and by His name shall you swear.”       (Dt 6:1-13)

 

FIRST MYSTERY: JESUS ACCEPTS HIS CALL: “NOT MY WILL FATHER, BUT YOUR WILL BE DONE.”

The words of Deuteronomy reach us clearly and strongly, calling us to faith. Nothing is the work of our hands, everything comes from God, we are custodians of a charism that we haven't built, but we have received so that it develops and gives fruit. For this to happen, we must believe: believe in God, in His plan of love, and in our vocation.

 

SECOND MYSTERY: JESUS EMBRACES THE CROSS

We must have faith that is not merely the agreement of reason to what is not explained or understood, but that is love. A total, burning, absolute love.  We are called to believe beyond possibility, through each divestment, in any situation, in the hour of trial, and when we walk in darkness.

 

THIRD MYSTERY: JESUS CARRIES THE CROSS ON THE WAY TO CALVARY

We are called to believe when it seems that every solution is taken from us, that everything we do is destined to perish. We are called to believe firmly that our steps are guided by God and that everything reveals His love, but above all, we are called to believe with love. We may, in fact, believe and not love, be obedient and not love.

 

FOURTH MYSTERY: JESUS STRETCHES OUT HIS ARMS ON THE CROSS

Faith that is based on love stretches naturally toward the will of the Beloved, adheres without delay to the desires of His heart, surrenders to His mysterious ways of redemption, acknowledges suffering as a call of election, rejoices in what is essential: belonging to the One Who is Love and Who makes the one who abandons herself to Him capable of Holiness.

 

FIFTH MYSTERY: JESUS PROCLAIMS FROM THE CROSS, “YOU WILL BE WITH ME IN PARADISE”

This dimension of faith, as an exclusive relationship with God, is the prerogative of every human creature that acknowledges herself as a daughter of the Father and a sister of Christ in the power of the Holy Spirit. It does not belong only to those who are consecrated, but also makes the conjugal dimension fruitful. In the gift of Baptism we become “lovers” of the one God.

 

 

Taken from the Lenten Letter of Loredana Reitano, General Moderator

Lenten Rosary #2

Lenten Rosary 2011 - Loredano Reitano

Lenten Rosary

Yes, Love is not loved; Jesus is not loved!

 

First Mystery:

Above all – how terrible! -- is the feeling of the absence of God. The emptiness creates anxiety, panic, psychological fragility, sham tenderness, a human inability to form relationships, and, slowly, the prevalence of evil in all its most deceitful and cruel forms.

Love is not loved; Jesus is not loved!

 

Second Mystery:

Man can no longer view himself with serenity because he is no longer in a position to see himself clearly, but glimpses a deformed, despoiled, distorted image. We are reduced to caricatures of ourselves!

Love is not loved; Jesus is not loved!

 

Third Mystery:

When we look at the news, at so-called educational programs, cultural and political debates, or entertainment; when we read newspapers, magazines or surf the internet, getting lost in its murky regions, we notice that we are baffled and horrified: everything is more in line with sub-human behavior than with truly human events.

Love is not loved; Jesus is not loved!

 

Fourth Mystery:

St. Francis' tears, his cry of pain, the tears of so many saints, the cry of the Son of God on the cross: “Sitio,” “I thirst,” give us precious direction and fill the emptiness to the brim, giving it meaning.  The lives of the Saints are like morning dew spread over the desert of the world; their love, which is more potent in Heaven, is the rain that purifies humanity from evil; the love of Jesus on the cross is the blood that brings the life of the resurrection to every piece of our poor and injured history.

Love is not loved; Jesus is not loved!

 

Fifth Mystery:

In His face, disfigured by the sin of the world, we find beautiful and divine traits present even in our own faces, because He maternally continues to generate us in the womb of the Trinity and sets us like a seal on His most precious body.

Love is not loved; Jesus is not loved!

 

Lenten Rosary 2011 - Loredano Reitano

Great quote for the day!

"We become saints not by thinking about it, and not (certainly) by writing about it, but simply by doing it. There comes a time when the "how?" question stops and we just do it.

 

If the one we love were at our door knocking to come in, would we wonder how the door lock works, and how we could move our muscles to open it?"

 

Peter Kreeft

 

(Contribution from Cindy Jandrain)

 

Great quote for the day!

Pope Benedict Celebrates Our Lady of Trust!

God Calls Each One by Name, Says Pope

Reflects on Vocation With Roman Seminarians

 

ROME, MARCH 7, 2011 (Zenit.org).- A vocation is above a personal call from

God who knows "each each of us by name," says Benedict XVI.

 

 

The Pope made this reflection Friday afternoon during his visit to the

Major Roman Seminary. In keeping with an annual tradition, the Holy Father

visited on the feast of the seminary's patron, Our Lady of Trust. Presiding

at a celebration of lectio divina, the Pontiff offered a commentary on the

Letter of St. Paul to the Ephesians, during which he offered to the

seminarians four attitudes that characterize a Christian life: "humility,

meekness, magnanimity, and bearing with each other in love."

 

Humility, Benedict XVI pointed out, is the word that St. Paul used to

described Christ, "who was God and humbled himself, [...] and descended to

the point of making himself a creature, to the point of making himself man,

to the point of obedience on the cross."

 

"So, humility is not just any word, just any modesty, but a Christological

word," he added. "Imitating the God who comes down to me, who is so great

that he becomes my friend, suffers for me, and dies for me. This is a

humility to learn, the humility of God.

 

"It means that we must always see ourselves in the light of God; thus, at

the same time we can know the greatness of being a person loved by God, but

also our littleness, our poverty, and this is the right way to conduct

ourselves, not as masters, but as servants."

 

The Holy Father said that meekness is also a "Christological word," and

"again implies this imitation of Christ."

 

"Because in baptism we are conformed to Christ," he explained, "we must

therefore conform to Christ, find this spirit of being meek, without

violence, of convincing with love and with goodness."

 

Magnanimity, continued the Pope, "means generosity of heart, not to be

minimalists who give what is strictly necessary: Let us give everything we

posses, and we will also grow in magnanimity."

 

"Supporting one another in our own otherness is a daily task," the Holy

Father added, "and especially when we support each other with humility,

learning to truly love."

 

Baptismal vocation

 

Benedict XVI also reflected on "the vocation common to all Christians,

namely, the baptismal vocation: the call to be of Christ and to live in

him, in his body."

 

"The Christian life begins with a call and always remains a response, to

the very end," he explained. "And this is so in the spheres of both belief

and action: Christians respond to their vocation through both faith and

behavior."

 

"God, the Lord, has called each of us," the Pope continued. "He has called

each one by name. God is so great that he has time for each one of us, he

knows me, he knows each of us by name, personally."

 

"It is a personal call for each of us. I think that we must meditate on

this mystery often: God, the Lord, called me, calls me, knows me, awaits my

response as he awaited Mary's response, as he awaited the response of the

Apostles.

 

"God calls me: This fact should make us attentive to God's voice,

attentive to his words, to his call for me, to realize this part of

salvation history for which he has called me."

 

Pope Benedict Celebrates Our Lady of Trust!

Our Lady of Trust Novena Day 9 March 5th 2011

Acts 1:12-14  A Lucan Summary and his last mention of Mary 

12 Then they returned to Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which is near Jerusalem, a sabbath day's journey away. 13 When they had entered the city, they went to the room upstairs where they were staying, Peter, and John, and James, and Andrew, Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Simon the Zealot, and Judas son of James. 14 All these were constantly devoting themselves to prayer, together with certain women, including Mary the mother of Jesus, as well as his brothers.


The final mention of Mary in the Acts of the Apostles finds her in the Cenacle, the upper room where Jesus had celebrated the Last Supper with his Apostles. She returns to the place of the institution of the Eucharist, where Christ gave himself completely in the form of bread and wine. When Jesus was growing up, he saw in Mary his mother, a example of complete self-giving. She was completely and totally given to following the will of the Father. Mary gave herself in humility and in love. Christ too gave himself completely, especially in the Eucharist.


Her example is a model for us. We can continue to grow in holiness by following her way of self-giving, giving ourselves in humility and love. By our nearness to the Eucharist, we grow in holiness and in self-sacrifice.

How have you experienced this growth in holiness through the Eucharist?

(Msgr. Andre Vaccari, Pro Sanctity Priest friend, NY)

Our Lady of Trust Novena Day 9 March 5th 2011