Consecration To The Immaculate Heart Of The Blessed Virgin Mary - 25 March 2022

Quoted from Spirit Aflame [1]:

Act of Consecration

to the Immaculate Heart of Mary

Basilica of Saint Peter

25 March 2022

          O Mary, Mother of God and our Mother, in this time of trial we turn to you.  As our Mother, you love us and know us: no concern of our hearts is hidden from you.  Mother of mercy, how often we have experienced your watchful care and your peaceful presence!  You never cease to guide us to Jesus, the Prince of Peace.

          Yet we have strayed from that path of peace.  We have forgotten the lesson learned from the tragedies of the last century, the sacrifice of the millions who fell in two world wars.  We have disregarded the commitments we made as a community of nations.  We have betrayed peoples’ dreams of peace and the hopes of the young.  We grew sick with greed, we thought only of our own nations and their interests, we grew indifferent and caught up in our selfish needs and concerns.  We chose to ignore God, to be satisfied with our illusions, to grow arrogant and aggressive, to suppress innocent lives and to stockpile weapons.  We stopped being our neighbour’s keepers and stewards of our common home.  We have ravaged the garden of the earth with war and by our sins we have broken the heart of our heavenly Father, who desires us to be brothers and sisters.  We grew indifferent to everyone and everything except ourselves.  Now with shame we cry out: Forgive us, Lord!

          Holy Mother, amid the misery of our sinfulness, amid our struggles and weaknesses, amid the mystery of iniquity that is evil and war, you remind us that God never abandons us, but continues to look upon us with love, ever ready to forgive us and raise us up to new life.  He has given you to us and made your Immaculate Heart a refuge for the Church and for all humanity.  By God’s gracious will, you are ever with us; even in the most troubled moments of our history, you are there to guide us with tender love.

          We now turn to you and knock at the door of your heart.  We are your beloved children.  In every age you make yourself known to us, calling us to conversion.  At this dark hour, help us and grant us your comfort.  Say to us once more: “Am I not here, I who am your Mother?”  You are able to untie the knots of our hearts and of our times.  In you we place our trust.  We are confident that, especially in moments of trial, you will not be deaf to our supplication and will come to our aid.

          That is what you did at Cana in Galilee, when you interceded with Jesus and he worked the first of his signs.  To preserve the joy of the wedding feast, you said to him: “They have no wine” (Jn 2:3).  Now, O Mother, repeat those words and that prayer, for in our own day we have run out of the wine of hope, joy has fled, fraternity has faded.  We have forgotten our humanity and squandered the gift of peace.  We opened our hearts to violence and destructiveness.  How greatly we need your maternal help!

          Therefore, O Mother, hear our prayer.

Star of the Sea, do not let us be shipwrecked in the tempest of war.

Ark of the New Covenant, inspire projects and paths of reconciliation.

Queen of Heaven, restore God’s peace to the world.

Eliminate hatred and the thirst for revenge, and teach us forgiveness.

Free us from war, protect our world from the menace of nuclear weapons.

Queen of the Rosary, make us realize our need to pray and to love.

Queen of the Human Family, show people the path of fraternity.

Queen of Peace, obtain peace for our world.

          O Mother, may your sorrowful plea stir our hardened hearts.  May the tears you shed for us make this valley parched by our hatred blossom anew.  Amid the thunder of weapons, may your prayer turn our thoughts to peace.  May your maternal touch soothe those who suffer and flee from the rain of bombs.  May your motherly embrace comfort those forced to leave their homes and their native land.  May your Sorrowful Heart move us to compassion and inspire us to open our doors and to care for our brothers and sisters who are injured and cast aside.

          Holy Mother of God, as you stood beneath the cross, Jesus, seeing the disciple at your side, said: “Behold your son” (Jn 19:26).  In this way he entrusted each of us to you.  To the disciple, and to each of us, he said: “Behold, your Mother” (v. 27).  Mother Mary, we now desire to welcome you into our lives and our history.  At this hour, a weary and distraught humanity stands with you beneath the cross, needing to entrust itself to you and, through you, to consecrate itself to Christ.  The people of Ukraine and Russia, who venerate you with great love, now turn to you, even as your heart beats with compassion for them and for all those peoples decimated by war, hunger, injustice and poverty.

          Therefore, Mother of God and our Mother, to your Immaculate Heart we solemnly entrust and consecrate ourselves, the Church and all humanity, especially Russia and Ukraine.  Accept this act that we carry out with confidence and love.  Grant that war may end and peace spread throughout the world.  The “Fiat” that arose from your heart opened the doors of history to the Prince of Peace.  We trust that, through your heart, peace will dawn once more.  To you we consecrate the future of the whole human family, the needs and expectations of every people, the anxieties and hopes of the world.

          Through your intercession, may God’s mercy be poured out on the earth and the gentle rhythm of peace return to mark our days.  Our Lady of the “Fiat”, on whom the Holy Spirit descended, restore among us the harmony that comes from God.  May you, our “living fountain of hope”, water the dryness of our hearts.  In your womb Jesus took flesh; help us to foster the growth of communion.  You once trod the streets of our world; lead us now on the paths of peace.  Amen. [1]

[1] http://www.spiritaflame.org/2022/03/prayer-act-of-consecration-to.html#:~:text=Act%20of%20Consecration%20to%20the%20Immaculate%20Heart%20of,concern%20of%20our%20hearts%20is%20hidden%20from%20you. 

Feast Of The Annunciation Of The Blessed Virgin Mary - 25 March

Quoted from Cor Jesu Sacratissimum [1]:

[March 25] is the feast of the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary – the day, which for centuries, Holy Church considered the first day of the legal year.

[On March 25], we bow down in awe before the event upon which our Christian faith is founded.

Today, we celebrate the very moment that our Blessed Lord, Jesus Christ, in all humility, was conceived in the womb of a humble virgin.

And in celebrating this Unfathomable Mystery, we celebrate the miraculous power of the Holy Trinity, God in His Three Persons.

We also celebrate, of course, the humility and unblemished beauty of the human person chosen to be the receptacle of this miracle – the Blessed Virgin Mary.

And through this choosing of her, we are brought to the foundation of our relationship with our God.

And in honour of this great event, initiating the mystery of our redemption, Holy Church, in her wisdom, prepares us most fittingly. For, the previous day is the feast of the Archangel Gabriel, announcing to us that everything was about to change, for our God was come to save us.

And we see this miraculous event depicted in many images, whereby the Angel Gabriel holds a white lily, symbolising Mary’s virginity.

Above her, we see the Holy Ghost in the form of a dove.

This moment can be seen in the context of creation itself, whereby ‘the Spirit of God moved over the waters.’ (Genesis 1:2).

It was then that the creative Will of God the Father issued forth, becoming active through the Word, the Logos. And the Spirit breathed life into creation.

With the Annunciation, we find the very same thing. The creative Will of the Father is manifested into being through the Word. This is brought about by the action of the Spirit, breathing life into the pure waters within the Virgin’s womb.

The Word became flesh, and dwelt among us. Unto eternity, our human nature is united with the Godhead.

There is nothing more profound.

Yet, whilst incredibly profound, the Annunciation also depicts great humility. Mary is seen completely taken aback, humbled before the Angel of the Most High.

And our God, Who endowed us with autonomy, freedom of choice, awaits Mary’s consent. Nothing can be demanded of her.

So it is, with God’s respect of human free will.

For without our consent, God cannot act through us. He cannot be mediated into the world. We must be open to His will.

This is the beauty of our relationship with God and respectively with our neighbour. Each person is free to give, to love.

And Mary, although somewhat frightened, was wholeheartedly open to the Father. Her heart was willing to give, without compromise.

For through her immaculate nature, she wants nothing other than to be in accord with His Will, His Love. Therefore, she said ‘Yes’, in this most profound and perfect act of obedience.

It is to this she calls us, inviting us to imitate Her.

In response to the Angel’s salutation:

‘Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with thee’,

She replied, ‘Behold the handmaid of the Lord, be it done unto me according to Thy word.’

And so it came to be.

The most beautiful creature, full of grace, unblemished by Original Sin, offered her Fiat, her consent.

It was a pure gift, bestowed from a pure heart.

Divine Will and human will perfectly embraced and the Godhead flowed and breathed life into Her immaculate womb.

And the Word became flesh and dwelt amongst us.

This unfathomable mystery, necessary for the redemption of humankind, was inaugurated.

God the Father of Heaven, have mercy on us.

God the Son, Redeemer of the world, have mercy on us.

God, the Holy Ghost, have mercy on us.

Holy Trinity, One God, have mercy on us.

Holy Mary, pray for us.

Holy Mother of God, pray for us.

Holy Virgin of virgins, pray for us.

[1] https://corjesusacratissimum.org/2015/03/feast-of-the-annunciation-of-the-blessed-virgin-mary/, quoted without hyperlink, italics  original.

Feast Of Archangel Gabriel - 24 March

Quoted from Saints, Feast Family [1]:

[Archangel Gabriel] serves as a messenger for God to certain people. He is one of the three archangels. Gabriel is mentioned in both the Old and the New Testaments of the Bible. First, in the Old Testament, Gabriel appears to the prophet Daniel to explain his visions. Gabriel is described as, "one who looked like man," as he interprets Daniel's visions. He speaks to Daniel while he is sleeping. After Gabriel's first visit, Daniel becomes tired and sick for days. Gabriel later visits Daniel again providing him with more insight and understanding in an answered prayer.

In the New Testament, Gabriel, described as "an angel of the Lord," first appears to Zacharias, the father of John the Baptist. He tells him, "Fear not, Zacharias: for thy prayer is heard; and thy wife Elisabeth shall bear thee a son, and thou shalt call his name John. And thou shalt have joy and gladness; and many shall rejoice at his birth." Luke 1:13.

After Elizabeth conceived and was six months pregnant, Gabriel appears again. The Book of Luke states he was sent from God to Nazareth to visit the virgin married to a man named Joseph. Gabriel said to Mary, "Hail, thou that art highly favoured, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women." Luke 1:28.

"Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favour with God. Luke 1:30-33

31 And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS.

32 He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David: 

33 And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end." 

Gabriel told Mary she would conceive from The Holy Ghost and the baby will be the Son of God.

After the Annunciation of Mary, Gabriel is not spoken of again.

[1] https://www.saintsfeastfamily.com/copy-of-gabriel-the-archangel-march-1

Feast Of Saint Joseph - 19 March

Quoted in part from National Today [1]:

The Feast of Saint Joseph is observed on March 19. This is an annual celebration in honor of Saint Joseph. St. Joseph was the legal guardian of Jesus Christ and was venerated by the Catholic Church as a patron saint of workers. 

... The day is also known as the Solemnity of Saint Joseph. This holiday is traditionally celebrated by Christians worldwide in different ways.

...

According to Christian beliefs, Saint Joseph was a first-century man of Nazareth who married the Virgin Mary after the birth of Jesus Christ. He is honored by the church as the lifelong partner of Mary but remains chaste and virgin until his death which took place in the presence of Jesus and Mary. 

The context of Saint Joseph as the legal father of Jesus is present in Luke and Matthews, which trace him as a descendant of David. The Catholic Church under Pope Pius IX declared Joseph to be the patron and protector of the Catholic Church. 

Every country that has a strong catholic presence celebrates this day during Lent....

[1] https://nationaltoday.com/feast-of-saint-joseph/

Saint Patrick Feast Day - 17 March

Quoted from Roman Catholic Diocese of Portland [1]:

March 17 is the Feast Day of Saint Patrick, one of the Church’s great evangelizing saints. 

Although he is the patron saint of Ireland, Saint Patrick was actually born in Roman Britain in the fifth century. When he was a teenager, he was captured by Irish raiders and taken to Ireland as a slave to herd and tend sheep.  It was during this time, that he discovered his own faith, finding strength through his relationship with God.

Saint Patrick’s enslavement lasted for six years until he had a dream in which he was told to escape by going by way of the coast.  He successfully made it back to Britain, but after a few years, he had a vision in which a man came to him from Ireland and gave him a letter with the heading ‘"The Voice of the Irish."  In his spiritual autobiography, the Confessio, Saint Patrick said that, at that moment, he heard the Irish people crying out, "We appeal to you, holy servant boy, to come and walk among us."

It led Patrick to further his education and study for the priesthood.  He would later be ordained a bishop and was appointed as successor to Saint Palladius, the first bishop of Ireland.   Saint Patrick spent the rest of his life bringing the Good News of the Gospel to the people of Ireland, which was a pagan country at the time.  He is believed to have used the three leaves of the shamrock to explain the Holy Trinity, and the shamrock remains associated with the saint and the Trinity to this day.

The prayer “Breastplate” is attributed to Saint Patrick.  It reads in part: "Christ be within me, Christ behind me, Christ before me, Christ beside me, Christ to win me, Christ to comfort and restore me, Christ beneath me, Christ above me, Christ inquired, Christ in danger, Christ in hearts of all that love me, Christ in mouth of friend and stranger."

Saint Patrick died on March 17, 461. He is now the patron saint of Ireland and is known as the Apostle of Ireland.

[1] https://portlanddiocese.org/feast-saint-patrick