I have Loved you, with an everlasting Love

As the Father hath loved me, I also have loved you. Abide in my love. John 15:9

Praised be Jesus everyone! Jesus tells us in the Gospels how much he loves us, it is with the same Intense Love the God and his Father share between each other, it is the same Love and Intensity of the Holy Ghost, It is the Love experienced in the infinite mystery of the Trinity. How Our Jesus loves us! and it is this infinite Love that he shares with us each and every day on the Altar, it is this Love that we receive each time we receive Jesus in Holy Communion. We receive the overflowing Love of the Sacred Heart and we become one with this Love. How great is the Love of Our God, that he wishes to share the fullness of this mystery of his love with us. It is truly good to be loved and good to know we never go without love!.


In all my temptations, I place my trust in you, O  Sacred Heart of Jesus
In all my weaknesses, I place my trust in you, O Sacred Heart of Jesus
In all my difficulties,I place my trust in you, O Sacred Heart of Jesus
In all my trials,I place my trust in you, O Sacred Heart of Jesus
In all my sorrows,I place my trust in you, O Sacred Heart of Jesus
In all my work,I place my trust in you, O Sacred Heart of Jesus
In every failure, I place my trust in you, O Sacred Heart of Jesus
In every discouragement,I place my trust in you, O Sacred Heart of Jesus
In Life and in death, I place my trust in you, O Sacred Heart of Jesus
In time and in eternity, I place my trust in you, O Sacred Heart of Jesus

Come, my child into the joy of my embrace!

At that time the disciples came to Jesus, saying: "Who, thinkest thou, is the greater in the kingdom of heaven?" And Jesus, calling unto him a little child, set him in the midst of them. And said: "Amen I say to you, unless you be converted, and become as little children, you shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven. Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, he is the greater in the kingdom of heaven."Matt. 18:1-4


Praised be Jesus everyone!! after a long absence, I have returned. allot has been going on lately! and I am currently studying in Rome (I've been real busy since July). as many of you know The feast of Saint Therese of the Child Jesus(my confirmation saint!) was on Oct 1st, the above Gospel passage is the Gospel from the Traditional Mass for her feast (is it the same in the Ordinary?).

When we hear this Gospel passage I think many of us (Myself included) are a little taken back by what Jesus is telling us "Unless you become like a little child, you shall not enter the kingdom of heaven". We spend so much time in our lives trying to "grow up", mature, be more adult, it even seems that kids now a days our very preoccupied with being more "grown up", and here we are with Jesus, challenging us to be like Children. What does this all mean? Saint Therese Understood this more than anybody and she built her whole spirituality around it. in her story of a soul Saint Therese teaches us her way of spiritual childhood aka "The little way".

Saint Therese teaches us that Spiritual Childhood is in no way, Spiritual immaturity, but in many ways it is the pinnacle of Spiritual maturity. Being a spiritual child, consists of recognizing who we really are what our abilities are, and how little we can really do. In essence spiritual Childhood lets us more easily abandon ourselves to the Love and Grace of God. We allow God to work through our daily actions, we offer all our littleness to him, drawing closer to him in the daily and mundane. many of us cannot offer the things many a Saint of old have offered, so we offer ourselves in complete love and joy in what we can offer, taking comfort that in our littleness God makes all things great.

and Bless dearest Lady the Land of Our Birth!

Praised Be Jesus everyone!
and Happy Fourth of July to everyone! Today we pray in a special way for Our Nation, even though this is a secular Holiday it's important to remember that our rights of Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness come ultimately from God!

I know that the patron Of Our Nation is Our Lady under the title of The Immaculate Conception, but I put up an image of Our Lady Star of the Sea, because as a star guides the Sailor's back home, Our Lady Guides us back to Christ, as our nation goes through this very Dark time of confusion, and a constant turning away from God, we pray that Our Lady will be the Bright star that brings this country back to the truth, virtue, and stabilty. We pray in a special way for Our President and all other secular leaders that their decisions may be guided by the light of the Holy Ghost.

Again I wish you all a Happy, safe and Blessed 4th of July! May God Bless America

Prayer of Archbishop John Carroll The first Archbishop of America

We pray, Thee O Almighty and Eternal God! Who through Jesus Christ hast revealed Thy glory to all nations, to preserve the works of Thy mercy, that Thy Church, being spread through the whole world, may continue with unchanging faith in the confession of Thy Name.

We pray Thee, who alone art good and holy, to endow with heavenly knowledge, sincere zeal, and sanctity of life, our chief bishop, Pope N., the Vicar of Our Lord Jesus Christ, in the government of his Church; our own bishop, N., all other bishops, prelates, and pastors of the Church; and especially those who are appointed to exercise amongst us the functions of the holy ministry, and conduct Thy people into the ways of salvation.

We pray Thee O God of might, wisdom, and justice! Through whom authority is rightly administered, laws are enacted, and judgment decreed, assist with Thy Holy Spirit of counsel and fortitude the President of these United States, that his administration may be conducted in righteousness, and be eminently useful to Thy people over whom he presides; by encouraging due respect for virtue and religion; by a faithful execution of the laws in justice and mercy; and by restraining vice and immorality. Let the light of Thy divine wisdom direct the deliberations of Congress, and shine forth in all the proceedings and laws framed for our rule and government, so that they may tend to the preservation of peace, the promotion of national happiness, the increase of industry, sobriety, and useful knowledge; and may perpetuate to us the blessing of equal liberty.

We pray for his excellency, the governor of this state, for the members of the assembly, for all judges, magistrates, and other officers who are appointed to guard our political welfare, that they may be enabled, by Thy powerful protection, to discharge the duties of their respective stations with honesty and ability.

We recommend likewise, to Thy unbounded mercy, all our brethren and fellow citizens throughout the United States, that they may be blessed in the knowledge and sanctified in the observance of Thy most holy law; that they may be preserved in union, and in that peace which the world cannot give; and after enjoying the blessings of this life, be admitted to those which are eternal.

Finally, we pray to Thee, O Lord of mercy, to remember the souls of Thy servants departed who are gone before us with the sign of faith and repose in the sleep of peace; the souls of our parents, relatives, and friends; of those who, when living, were members of this congregation, and particularly of such as are lately deceased; of all benefactors who, by their donations or legacies to this Church, witnessed their zeal for the decency of divine worship and proved their claim to our grateful and charitable remembrance. To these, O Lord, and to all that rest in Christ, grant, we beseech Thee, a place of refreshment, light, and everlasting peace, through the same Jesus Christ, Our Lord and Savior. Amen.

Consecration of the USA

Most Holy Trinity: Our Father in heaven, Who chose Mary as the fairest of Your daughters; Holy Spirit, Who chose Mary as Your spouse; God the Son, Who chose Mary as Your mother; in union with Mary, we adore Your majesty and acknowledge Your supreme eternal dominion and authority.
Most Holy Trinity, we put the United States of America into the hands of Mary Immaculate in order that she may present the country to You. Through her we wish to thank You for the great resources of this land and for the freedom which has been its heritage. Through the intercession of Mary, have mercy on the Catholic Church in America. Grant us peace. Have mercy on our President and all the officers of our government. Grant us a fruitful economy born of justice and charity. Have mercy on capital and industry and labor. Protect the family life of the nation. Guard the innocence of our children. Grant the precious gift of many religious vocations. Through the intercession of our Mother Mary, have mercy on the sick, the poor, the tempted, sinners--on all who are in need.
Mary, Immaculate Virgin, Our Mother, Patroness of our land, we praise you and honor you and give ourselves to you. Protect us from every harm. Pray for us, that acting always according to you will and the Will of your Divine Son, Jesus, we may live and die pleasing to God. Amen.

Prayer For Our Nation

God, Our Father, Giver of Life, We Entrust our Nation to your loving care. Your are the rock on which this nation was founded.

You alone are the true source of our cherished rights to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. Reclaim this land for your glory and dwell among your people.

Send your spirit to touch the hearts of our nations’ leaders. Open their minds to the great worth of human life and the responsibilities that accompany human freedom. Remind your people that true happiness is rooted in seeking and doing your will.

Through the intercession of Mary Immaculate, patroness of our Land, Grant Us the Courage to reject the “culture of death”. Lead us into a new millenium of life. We ask this through Christ, Our Lord, Amen.

Prayer to Our Lady of America, Patroness of our Land

Written at the behest of Our Lady, October 5, 1956 by Sister Mary Ephrem (Mildred Neuzil)

Oh Immaculate Mother, Queen of our country, open our hearts, our homes, and our land to the coming of Jesus, your Divine Son. With Him, reign over us, O heavenly Lady, so pure and so bright with the radiance of Gods light shining in and about you. Be our leader against the powers of evil set upon wresting the world of souls, redeemed at such a great cost by the sufferings of your Son and of yourself, in union with Him, from that same Savior, Who loves us with infinite charity.

We gather about you, O chaste and holy Mother, Virgin Immaculate, Patroness of our beloved Land, determined to fight under your banner of holy purity against the wickedness that would make all the world an abyss of evil, without God and without your loving maternal care.

We consecrate our hearts, our homes, our Land to your Most Pure Heart, O great Queen, that the kingdom of your Son, our Redeemer and our God, may be firmly established in us.

We ask no special sign of you, sweet Mother, for we believe in your great love for us, and we place in you our entire confidence. We promise to honor you by faith, love, and the purity of our lives according to your desire.

Reign over us, then, O Virgin Immaculate, with your Son Jesus Christ. May His Divine Heart and your most chaste Heart be ever enthroned and glorified among us. Use us, your children of America, as your instruments of peace among men and nations. Work your miracle of grace in us, so that we may be a glory to the Blessed Trinity, Who created, redeemed, and sanctifies us.

May your valiant spouse, St. Joseph, with the holy Angels and Saints, assist you and us in "renewing the face of the earth." Then when our work is over, come, Holy Immaculate Mother, and as our Victorious Queen, lead us to the eternal kingdom, where your Son reigns forever as King.

Amen

"God wishes to establish devotion in the world to my Immaculate Heart"

(Luke 2:41-51)
Each year Jesus’ parents went to Jerusalem for the feast of Passover,
and when he was twelve years old,
they went up according to festival custom.
After they had completed its days, as they were returning,
the boy Jesus remained behind in Jerusalem,
but his parents did not know it.
Thinking that he was in the caravan,
they journeyed for a day
and looked for him among their relatives and acquaintances,
but not finding him,
they returned to Jerusalem to look for him.
After three days they found him in the temple,
sitting in the midst of the teachers,
listening to them and asking them questions,
and all who heard him were astounded
at his understanding and his answers.
When his parents saw him,
they were astonished,
and his mother said to him,
“Son, why have you done this to us?
Your father and I have been looking for you with great anxiety.”
And he said to them,
“Why were you looking for me?
Did you not know that I must be in my Father’s house?”
But they did not understand what he said to them.
He went down with them and came to Nazareth,
and his mother kept all these things in her heart.



Praised Be Jesus Everyone!!!
today is the feast of the Immaculate Heart of our Blessed Mother. many people ask "why devotion to the Immaculate Heart of Our Lady" I would like to write about two specific points about this particular devotion, the first point being in reference to today's Gospel and the second in connection to the Apparitions at Fatima.


1. True Knowledge of Jesus

It is said when a young woman is engaged, the best way to get to know her soon to be husband is to get to know his mother. This is true because the mother shares the closest bond with her children she was there from the beginning, at his birth and all the other important and significant events of his life. Even more important than these is that the mother is there for the daily events of her sons life she is the one who raised him, in this our mothers usually know us better than what we think they do.

so it is the same with Our own Blessed Mother. In the Gospel it states after the finding of Jesus in the temple that Mary " kept all these things in her heart." Marys heart Truly is the source of Knowledge of Jesus. in a way we could say that Marys heart is the 1st Gospel for Mary knew her son first hand, and she recorded all of his life from his miraculous incarnation,His childhood in Nazareth ,to his death on the cross, the Resurrection and his Glorious ascension, Mary is there for it all. Mary knew her son better than any of the Gospel writers, so her heart has more of an intimate knowledge of Christ. Knowledge of Christ is an important part of the Christian faith, and while we seek to know Christ more intimately we can turn to Our Blessed Mother, for she knows Christ best, as we read the Gospels we can ask Mary to enlighten us with her motherly knowledge of Christ so that we may understand, know and love Christ as she does.


2. True Love of Christ

In Fatima Our Lady told the 3 Shepard Children "God Wishes to establish in the world devotion to my Immaculate Heart" Our Lady teaches us the the devotion to her Immaculate Heart would bring about conversion in the world, and peace to mankind. How does devotion to the Immaculate Heart do these things? the answer in itself is simple, It is because her heart is full of pure and complete love For God, the more the hearts of men melt into the Heart of Mary, The More the Hearts of men will inflame with Love for Jesus! devotion to Our Lady's heart always points to Love for Jesus, as devotion to Our Lords most Sacred Heart points to his Love for us and the burning desire for the salvation of Mankind, Our Lady's heart points to that love of God and Christ which leads us to desire the salvation Christ wants for each and everyone of us.

If The world seeks to Imitate the Virtue of the Heart of Mary, we would be so filled with Love for Jesus and for God that the world would convert their hearts to God they would no longer offend him by sinfulness, there will be no more war because they will be filled with Love of their brother that there will be no need for War. The only desire of the Immaculate Heart is that we Love Jesus more than anything. As our mother Marys heart desire above all else our salvation! and her heart wishes to Lead us always to that Salvation in Jesus Christ! so may we turn to Or Mother that she may teach us Pure and Perfect love of Jesus!

Novena To The Immaculate Heart

O Most Blessed Mother,
Heart of love, heart of mercy,
Ever listening, caring, consoling, hear our prayer.

As your children,
We implore your intercession with Jesus your Son.
Receive with understanding and compassion
The petitions we place before you today,

Especially ... (special intention).

We are comforted in knowing
Your heart is ever open to those
Who ask for your prayer.
We trust to your gentle care and intercession,
Those whom we love and who are sick or lonely or hurting.
Help all of us, Holy Mother,
To bear our burdens in this life
Until we may share eternal life
And peace with God forever. Amen.

I fly to thy Patronage!

Praised be Jesus everyone!
Today is the feast of Our Lady of Perpetual Help, This is a feast is centered around a miraculous I con which is in care of the Redemptoris order in Rome, this Icon is reported to be a copy of an icon painted by Saint Luke. The iconography depicts Jesus being held by Our Blessed Lady after he has been shown a vision of the instruments of the Crucifixion, Jesus runs to his mother in fear, so fast that his little shoe is falling off. Mary looks out at us inviting us also into her Motherly embrace. we can always turn to Our Mother in our time of need, she see's us in our distress, she see's us in our trials, she sees us in our sinfulness and suffering, and she wishes to help each and every one of us, because she wishes to comfort us, and ultimately intercede for us. She is truly the mother of us all!

The Memorare

Remember, O most gracious Virgin Mary, that never was it known that anyone who fled to thy protection, implored thy help, or sought thine intercession was left unaided.

Inspired by this confidence, I fly unto thee, O Virgin of virgins, my mother; to thee do I come, before thee I stand, sinful and sorrowful. O Mother of the Word Incarnate, despise not my petitions, but in thy mercy hear and answer me.

Amen.

Eternal rest Grant unto them Oh Lord!

Praised be Jesus everyone!!! today i would like to remind everyone to constantly remember the Holy Souls in purgatory in you daily prayers, for they are so much in need of our prayer. I find that it is also important to pray for souls who are forgotten or have no one to pray for them at all. we forget that many people today including those in our own Church have many either been misinformed about purgatory or either don't recognize purgatory at all.This leaves the Holy Souls at a disadvantage.

just for clarification:

The Church gives the name Purgatory to this final purification of the elect, which is entirely different from the punishment of the damned. The Church formulated her doctrine of faith on Purgatory especially at the Councils of Florence and Trent. The tradition of the Church, by reference to certain texts of Scripture, speaks of a cleansing fire:

As for certain lesser faults, we must believe that, before the Final Judgment, there is a purifying fire. He who is truth says that whoever utters blasphemy against the Holy Spirit will be pardoned neither in this age nor in the age to come. From this sentence we understand that certain offenses can be forgiven in this age, but certain others in the age to come. (Chatechism of the Catholic Church 1031)

we can in Great Charity help the Holy souls to enter Heaven.


Prayer of Saint Gertrude the Great (Releases 10000 souls from purgatory)

"Eternal Father, I offer Thee the Most Precious Blood of Thy Divine Son, Jesus, in union with the masses said throughout the world today, for all the holy souls in Purgatory, for sinners everywhere, for sinners in the universal church, those in my own home and within my family. Amen."

The Greatest Miracle of all..... though greatly forgetten

So Today I was praying before Our Lord in the most Blessed Sacrament after Mass today, and a thought that I haven't had since maybe senior year of High school crossed my mind. "Jesus must be very lonely for most of the time" I remember having this thought while in prayer before the Blessed Sacrament in the schools chapel, as kids roamed through the hall laughing carrying on, not the slightest recognition that Jesus was truly present in there midst! so many kids walked by that chapel, and I always wondered if Jesus was a little sad, lonely etc. that no one nodded there head in acknowledgement, stopped in to say a quick hello. Thats all Jesus ever really asks for (only a second of our time, especially in that most special gift of the Blessed Sacrament). Well today there were more worshippers than there were back in those good old high school , but at the same time i still asked "Jesus are you lonely?". In todays world many are looking for hope, looking for a miracle' looking for something to believe in! so I must ask "do we really know of the miracle that we have before us?" Many of us (myself included) sometimes when we think of miracle we think of something big, flashy and dramatic, And usually the more Dramatic the better. we want to see the sun dance (as in Fatima and Medjugorje), people healed instantly, troubles that seem to melt away out of thin air. not saying that these things are not from God, but they serve a deeper purpose, and that purpose is to point us to the greater miracle which is Christ's love and grace in the Sacraments. We go chasing after such miracles, looking for God looking for his presence. we forget that we do not have to go far, to find God to find Jesus. He waits in the Tabernacle a prisoner of Love! The God of all Creation Jesus the Christ comes down from heaven at the words of a priest (his servant) and hides himself in a small piece of bread for our Salvation. sadly enough we sometimes pass this right up for something more flashy and dramatic (when true miracles lead us to the sacraments). Jesus truly present in the Blessed Sacrament teaches us some things, he teaches us that holiness is simple, that what is truly miraculous happens in day to day things (like bread and wine). so the next time your in the area of a Church/ Adoration chapel, stop in! say hello! spend some time with him for he is our greatest gift!

The inner Cloister, Gods meeting place in the soul

have you ever had times when you feel run down? have you ever felt that you need a break but have nowhere to go to get away from your current surroundings, noise, confusion of the day? Well it might be time to take a retreat to the inner cloister! the inner cloister (that's what i call it) is a place where we can go deep into prayer and contemplation. it is a quite paradise in which the soul and God meet, it is a place where we can have an intimate rendezvous with the Lord. Saint Teresa of Avila speaks of this place in her book the inner castle, where she explains the development of contemplative prayer. in Teresa's book she tells us that at the soul is a grand castle with many mansions( or rooms) and the biggest room in the center of this castle is occupied by the King ( Who is Christ Jesus) who is the shinning light of each soul! it takes a lot of time and progression in the spiritual life to enter into a long meeting with Jesus, but even so we can still reach brief moments of intimacy with the Lord, which gives so much refreshment to the soul and to our day to day life. so when you down and out retreat to Jesus in the inner cloister!
I recommend that everyone read Saint Teresa of avilas book The Inner Castle, it will do wonders for your spirtual life!

If you have any Questions, and topic request plaese send me an email at usagiloveangel22@gmail.com

Pilgrimages Big and Small.

A pilgrimage is a Journey to a specific place for a specific spiritual or religious reason. The most famous pilgrimage in literature is the pilgrimage narrated in the Canterbury Tales. in the Canterbury Tales we have a vivid picture of what a medieval pilgrimage was like on way to Canterbury. In Medieval times there was(and still is) a great sense of penance involved. there was particular danger in going on a pilgrimage first of all many people traveled miles and days on foot or by horse with little or nothing but the clothes on there backs. with being exposed to the elements and long travel, there was always the dangers of being attacked by thieves on the way. A lot of these dangers of this is usually not the case in modern day pilgrimages ( where driving and airplane travel are common). so why do we go on pilgrimages? we usually go on pilgrimages to ask God for special graces in our life especially through the intercession of Our Blessed Mother or the Saints. We also can go on pilgrimages to do penance, and ask God for forgiveness. Pilgrimages are a good way to be spiritually refreshed and renewed. some of the main modern day pilgrimage destinations in the world are places such as Rome, Jerusalem (the Holy Land in general) Fatima and Lourdes just to name a few. But for those of us who can not afford to go out of the country we can make many "day pilgrimages" in most major cities theres a few shrines to Our Blessed Mother and the Saints here are links to shrines in the US http://www.catholiclinks.org/santuariosestadosunidos.htm this list isn't a full list I would ask around see if there are any special shrines in your area.

I ask every ones prayer as i embark on my pilgrimage to Medjugorje tomorrow

+JMJ+

Please email questions and topic ideas to usagiloveangel22@gmail.com

Have You spent Time with Our Lord Today?

Eucharistic Adoration!
One of the most neglected practices of Our faith today. We should try to spend at least a few moments with Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament when we have time. it doesn't matter if Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament is exposed in the Monstrance or if he is reserved in the Tabernacle, spend Time with our Lord and Eucharistic King. I use to think when i was younger that Jesus was very lonely in the Tabernacle all day with kids just casually walking past the the chapel without as little bit as a hello ( I went to Catholic School through 6- 12 grade) so i used to spend part of my lunch break before the Blessed Sacrament, at one point friends would come with me, and spawned a mini unofficial prayer group. Christ pours so many graces into the hearts and souls of those who make special visits with him in the Blessed Sacrament. he gives peace to the mind and heart, and enlightens us in his love. he wants us to be with him always spiritually and Physically (through Holy Communion and Eucharistic adoration). It is a good practice when we can not go to be physically present in front of Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament to put yourself spiritually in Christs Eucharistic presence!

Welcome!!!

Welcome to a Voice in the Wilderness, your one stop for all things Catholic Spirituality, Prayer, Popular Devotion, Liturgy, and occasional Theological insight. I want to take as many topic requests and recommendations from my readers. I hope that i will get many!! this blog will be all about Catholic topics concerning what was stated above. I am headed on a pilgrimage to Medjugorje and that will be the topic of my first post!! please email me with you questions and Topic suggestions!! please send all emails to usagiloveangel22@gmail.com