Day 9 - Total Consecration Day! To Jesus through Mary and St. Joseph!

Today is our Consecration Day! 

What a wondrous day to consecrate (or reconsecrate) ourselves!

For on this day is a convergence of the Three Hearts! 

How tremendous must the outpouring of grace be upon souls this day! 

For it is:
First Friday - in which we express devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus
The Re-Consecration of the US (and Canada) to Mary
The Feast of St. Joseph the Worker

On this day, I ask that we join in with the Bishops in making the consecration at 3pm EST.  See below for the liturgy that the bishops will be using.

But before we do that, I wanted to share one of the most beautiful parts of St. Louis de Montfort's prophesies:

…"When will souls breathe Mary as the body breathes air?"

When that time comes wonderful things will happen on earth. The Holy Spirit, finding his dear Spouse present again in souls, will come down into them with great power. He will fill them with his gifts, especially wisdom, by which they will produce wonders of grace. My dear friend, when will that happy time come, that age of Mary, when many souls, chosen by Mary and given her by the most High God, will hide themselves completely in the depths of her soul, becoming living copies of her, loving and glorifying Jesus? That day will dawn only when the devotion I teach is understood and put into practice:  
"Lord, that your kingdom may come, may the reign of Mary come!” 

St. Louis de Montfort

This is one of my favorite writings of St. Louis! 

It is so beautiful and profound!

Again there is much to ponder. 

Please read it again and again and pray over it. 

Let the words sink deep within you, 

so we come to breathe in Mary as the body breathes air... 

so we can truly come to be filled with wisdom 

and all the gifts of God,

and the Holy Spirit will come into us with great power

so to bring about great wonders of grace

through us, who are chosen by Mary

and given to her by God...

who hide ourselves completely in the depths of Mary's soul, 

so to become living copies of her,

loving and glorifying Jesus!

When we do this 

we will help usher in the age of Mary, 

which is God's Kingdom coming to earth in our time!

This is the Triumph of the Immaculate Heart that Mary promised us! 

Let us rejoice! 

May, through the great multitude of little ones making our consecration today 

in union with our bishops, 

help the glory of God be manifested in our world! 

May Thy Kingdom come! May Thy will be done!

On this day, may we strive to imitate not only Mary, but the all of the Holy Family's virtues so to bring peace to our families and to the world:  

ONLY IN IMITATING THE HOLY FAMILY WILL WE FIND PEACE:

"…[If you are faithful in practicing the virtues of the Holy Family] Then, you also, my children, you also will become another paradise. God will then walk among you and you will have peace.
The imitation of the Holy Family, my child, of the virtues we practiced in our little home at Nazareth is the way for all souls to [find] that peace which comes from God alone and which none other can give.”
God wishes me to be honored in union with Jesus and Mary to obtain peace among men and nations.
I need your help to bring peace into the world. Do not disappoint me." 

And let us today, on May 1, 2020, consecrate ourselves to all three hearts of Jesus, Mary and Joseph:

Act of Consecration to the Sacred Heart of Jesus
By St. Margaret Mary Alacoque
O Sacred Heart of Jesus, to Thee I consecrate and offer up my person and my life, my actions, trials, and sufferings, that my entire being may henceforth only be employed in loving, honoring and glorifying Thee. This is my irrevocable will, to belong entirely to Thee, and to do all for Thy love, renouncing with my whole heart all that can displease Thee.
I take Thee, O Sacred Heart, for the sole object of my love, the protection of my life, the pledge of my salvation, the remedy of my frailty and inconstancy, the reparation for all the defects of my life, and my secure refuge at the hour of my death. Be Thou, O Most Merciful Heart, my justification before God Thy Father, and screen me from His anger which I have so justly merited. I fear all from my own weakness and malice, but placing my entire confidence in Thee, O Heart of Love, I hope all from Thine infinite Goodness. Annihilate in me all that can displease or resist Thee. Imprint Thy pure love so deeply in my heart that I may never forget Thee or be separated from Thee.
I beseech Thee, through Thine infinite Goodness, grant that my name be engraved upon Thy Heart, for in this I place all my happiness and all my glory, to live and to die as one of Thy devoted servants.
Amen.

Act of Consecration to the Immaculate Heart of Mary
By St. Maximilian Kolbe
O Immaculata, Queen of heaven and earth, refuge of sinners and our most loving Mother, God has willed to entrust the entire order of mercy to you. I, N…, a repentant sinner, cast myself at your feet humbly imploring you to take me with all that I am and have, wholly to yourself as your possession and property. Please make of me, of all my powers of soul and body, of my whole life, death and eternity, whatever most pleases you. If it pleases you, use all that I am and have without reserve, wholly to accomplish what was said of you: “She will crush your head,” and, “You alone have destroyed all heresies in the world.” Let me be a fit instrument in your immaculate and merciful hands for introducing and increasing your glory to the maximum in all the many strayed and indifferent souls, and thus help extend as far as possible the blessed kingdom of the most Sacred Heart of Jesus. For wherever you enter you obtain the grace of conversion and growth in holiness, since it is through your hands that all graces come to us from the most Sacred Heart of Jesus.
V. Allow me to praise you, O sacred Virgin.
R. Give me strength against your enemies.

Act of Consecration to the Chaste Heart of St. Joseph
O Glorious Patriarch and Patron of the Catholic Church! O Virgin Spouse of God, and guardian and foster father of the Incarnate Word! In the presence of Jesus and Mary, I choose thee this day to be my guardian and father.
O thou whom God has constituted Head of the Holy Family, accept me, I beseech thee, though utterly unworthy, to be a poor little servant in thy holy house. Present me to thy Immaculate Spouse, ask her also to accept me as a servant and to adopt me as a child. With her, teach me, thou who art a master of the interior life, how to converse constantly with Jesus and how to serve Him faithfully in all things to the end of my life.
To thy custody was committed the Living Bread of Heaven, to be dispensed to thy starving brethren. O, with Mary help me to prepare the poor stable of my heart to receive, worthily and often, the Bread of my salvation. Let me receive it from thy hands and from those of Mary, as often as I approach the Holy Table.
O my tender and watchful father, I hereby consecrate myself to thee; and I firmly purpose and resolve never to leave thee, and never to say or do anything, nor to suffer anyone under my charge to say or do anything, against thy honor! O thou head of the house of God upon earth, in faithful imitation of Jesus and Mary, I place myself and all my concerns under thy care and protection. To thee, after Jesus and Mary, I consecrate my body and soul with all their faculties, my spiritual progress, my home, and all my affairs and undertakings.
Forsake me not, but adopt me as a servant and a child of the Holy Family. Watch over me at all times, but especially in the last awful hour of my life on earth: then visit, console, and strengthen me with Jesus and Mary, that with them and thee I may sing the praises of the adorable Trinity for all eternity. Amen.

NOVENA PRAYERS:

The Novena prayers are simple, but they are rooted in the messages Our Lady has reiterated and given to us again and again in all of her apparitions to try to save us.
Let us always strive to live them ever more fully.
They are:
Pray the full Rosary
Read Scripture together as a family each day –
We are taught and learn so much from reading and meditating on the Mass readings of each day. Here are today's readings.
Take time to pray through them and notice which words jump out at you and take some time in prayer with these words to understand more deeply what God is saying to you in these Scriptures:
http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/043020.cfm

Friday of the Third Week of Easter
Lectionary: 277

Reading 1 Acts 9:1-20

Saul, still breathing murderous threats against the disciples of the Lord,
went to the high priest and asked him
for letters to the synagogues in Damascus, that,
if he should find any men or women who belonged to the Way,
he might bring them back to Jerusalem in chains.
On his journey, as he was nearing Damascus,
a light from the sky suddenly flashed around him.
He fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him,
“Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?”
He said, “Who are you, sir?”
The reply came, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting.
Now get up and go into the city and you will be told what you must do.”
The men who were traveling with him stood speechless,
for they heard the voice but could see no one.
Saul got up from the ground,
but when he opened his eyes he could see nothing;
so they led him by the hand and brought him to Damascus.
For three days he was unable to see, and he neither ate nor drank.
There was a disciple in Damascus named Ananias,
and the Lord said to him in a vision, “Ananias.”
He answered, “Here I am, Lord.”
The Lord said to him, “Get up and go to the street called Straight
and ask at the house of Judas for a man from Tarsus named Saul.
He is there praying,
and in a vision he has seen a man named Ananias
come in and lay his hands on him,
that he may regain his sight.”
But Ananias replied,
“Lord, I have heard from many sources about this man,
what evil things he has done to your holy ones in Jerusalem.
And here he has authority from the chief priests
to imprison all who call upon your name.”
But the Lord said to him,
“Go, for this man is a chosen instrument of mine
to carry my name before Gentiles, kings, and children of Israel,
and I will show him what he will have to suffer for my name.”
So Ananias went and entered the house;
laying his hands on him, he said,
“Saul, my brother, the Lord has sent me,
Jesus who appeared to you on the way by which you came,
that you may regain your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.”
Immediately things like scales fell from his eyes
and he regained his sight.
He got up and was baptized,
and when he had eaten, he recovered his strength.
He stayed some days with the disciples in Damascus,
and he began at once to proclaim Jesus in the synagogues,
that he is the Son of God.

Responsorial Psalm 117:1bc, 2

R.    (Mark 16:15)  Go out to all the world and tell the Good News.
or:
R.    Alleluia.
Praise the LORD, all you nations;
glorify him, all you peoples!
R.    Go out to all the world and tell the Good News.
or:
R.    Alleluia.
For steadfast is his kindness toward us,
and the fidelity of the LORD endures forever.
R.    Go out to all the world and tell the Good News.
or:
R.    Alleluia.

Alleluia Jn 6:56

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Whoever eats my Flesh and drinks my Blood,
remains in me and I in him, says the Lord.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel Jn 6:52-59

The Jews quarreled among themselves, saying,
“How can this man give us his Flesh to eat?”
Jesus said to them,
“Amen, amen, I say to you,
unless you eat the Flesh of the Son of Man and drink his Blood,
you do not have life within you.
Whoever eats my Flesh and drinks my Blood
has eternal life,
and I will raise him on the last day.
For my Flesh is true food,
and my Blood is true drink.
Whoever eats my Flesh and drinks my Blood
remains in me and I in him.
Just as the living Father sent me
and I have life because of the Father,
so also the one who feeds on me will have life because of me.
This is the bread that came down from heaven.
Unlike your ancestors who ate and still died,
whoever eats this bread will live forever.”
These things he said while teaching in the synagogue in Capernaum.

Make the Eucharist the center of your life
we can still do this interiorly if not physically during this time of quarantine through our Spiritual Communions, and visits to Church to pray in front of the tabernacle if they are open, etc.
Fast twice a week on Wednesdays and Friday on bread and water for Mary has told us in Medjugorje:

 "Pray and fast, because with prayer and fasting you can stop wars and natural disasters".

Go to Confession at least monthly (again, if you are unable make frequent heartfelt acts of contrition)…

And each day of this novena, pray especially during the 3 O’clock hour (if possible):
•    an act of contrition
(in place of or in addition to confession)
•    an act of spiritual communion
(in place of or in addition to going to Mass and receiving communion;
•    the Divine Mercy Chaplet
•    the Rosary
Besides consecrating ourselves and our loved ones, our nation(s) and leaders, our Church and the world each day - let us also remember to consecrate Russia and China and all those who are perpetrating such great evil upon the world and our Church. 
For the great enemies of our Church can end up being its greatest saints, such as St. Paul which we read about above, and so we pray:

Jesus, Mary and Joseph, I love you! Save Souls!

Entrusting all of us into the hearts of Jesus, Mary and Joseph.

©Janet Moore 2020. All Rights Reserved.

Liturgy of the Re-Consecration of our Nation

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. R. Amen.
INTRODUCTION
When our Risen Lord appeared to his disciples on Easter Sunday he said: “Peace
be with you.” We can be confident that he desires this same peace for all the
members of his body, the Church, and for the people of the entire world.
In this difficult time we turn to the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of the Church
and Queen of Peace, to ask that she intercede with her Son for all those who
are affected in any way by this pandemic. As we renew the consecration of our
country and of ourselves to the Mother of the God, we implore her maternal care
for her children.

OPENING PRAYER
Let us pray.
O God, Father of mercies,
whose Only Begotten Son, as he hung upon the Cross,
chose the Blessed Virgin Mary, his Mother,
to be our Mother also,
grant, we pray, that with her loving help
your Church may be more fruitful day by day
and, exulting in the holiness of her children,
may draw to her embrace all the families of the peoples.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever.
R. Amen.

SCRIPTURE READING John 19:25-27
A reading from the holy Gospel according to John
Standing by the cross of Jesus were his mother and his mother’s sister, Mary the
wife of Clopas, and Mary of Magdala. When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple
there whom he loved, he said to his mother, “Woman, behold, your son.” Then he
said to the disciple, “Behold, your mother.” And from that hour the disciple took
her into his home.
The Gospel of the Lord. R. Thanks be to God.

[REFLECTION]
DECADE OF THE ROSARY
Recalling Jesus’ words as he hung on the cross – “Behold, your mother” – we
meditate on the fifth sorrowful mystery of the Rosary, 
The Crucifixion and Death of Our Lord.
Our Father
10 Hail Marys
Glory Be
O my Jesus, forgive us our sins, save us from the fires of hell,
and lead all souls to Heaven, especially those in most need of Thy mercy.

PRAYER OF RENEWAL OF OUR
CONSECRATION TO THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY
Let us now entrust our country and ourselves once again to the
Virgin Mary’s care:
Most Holy Virgin Mary, Mother of the Church,
you are the fairest fruit of God’s redeeming love;
you sing of the Father’s mercy
and accompany us with a mother’s love.
In this time of pandemic we come to you,
our sign of sure hope and comfort.
Today we renew the act of consecration and entrustment carried out by those who
have gone before us.

Archbishop Gomez:
With the love of a Mother and Handmaid,
embrace our nation which we entrust and consecrate once again to you,
together with ourselves and our families.

A Bishop for his diocese:
With the love of a Mother and Handmaid,
embrace this diocese which we entrust and consecrate once again to you,
together with ourselves and our families.

A Pastor for his parish:
With the love of a Mother and Handmaid,
embrace this parish which we entrust and consecrate once again to you,
together with ourselves and our families.

Families, groups, or individuals:
With the love of a Mother and Handmaid,
embrace us as we renew our consecration to you,
together with our brothers and sisters in Christ.
In a special way we commend to you
those particularly in need of your maternal care.

Mary, Health of the Sick,
sign of health, of healing, and of divine hope for the sick,
we entrust to you all who are infected with the coronavirus. 

Mary, Mother of Consolation,
who console with a mother’s love all who turn to you,
we entrust to you all those who have lost loved ones in the pandemic. 

Mary, Help of Christians,
who come to our rescue in every trial,
we entrust to your loving protection all caregivers. 

Mary, Queen and Mother of Mercy,
who embrace all those who call upon your help in their distress,
we entrust to you all who are suffering in any way from the pandemic. 

Mary, Seat of Wisdom,
who were so wonderfully filled with the light of truth,
we entrust to you all who are working to find a cure to this pandemic. 

Mary, Mother of Good Counsel,
who gave yourself wholeheartedly to God’s plan for the renewing of all things in Christ,
we entrust to you all leaders and policymakers.
Accept with the benevolence of a Mother
the act of consecration that we make today with confidence,
and help us to be your Son’s instruments
for the healing and salvation of our country and the world. 

Mary, Mother of the Church,
you are enthroned as queen at your Son’s right hand:
we ask your intercession for the needs of our country,
that every desire for good may be blessed and strengthened,
that faith may be revived and nourished,
hope sustained and enlightened,
charity awakened and animated;
guide us, we pray, along the path of holiness.
Mary our Mother,
bring everyone under your protection
and entrust everyone to your beloved Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.

CONCLUDING PRAYER
As we conclude this consecration, we ask the blessing of Almighty God:
Let us pray.
Bestow the grace of your kindness
upon your supplicant people, O Lord,
that, formed by you, their creator,
and restored by you, their sustainer,
through your constant action they may be saved.
R. Amen.

[Bishop or priest:
And may the blessing of almighty God,
the Father, and the Son, ✠ and the Holy Spirit,
come down on you and remain with you for ever. R. Amen.]

[Others:
May the Lord bless us,
protect us from all evil
and bring us to everlasting life. R. Amen.]

REGINA CAELI
As is customary, we conclude our prayer with a Marian hymn:
Regina caeli, laetare, alleluia.
Quia quem meruisti portare, alleluia.
Resurrexit sicut dixit, alleluia.
Ora pro nobis Deum, alleluia.

Queen of Heaven, rejoice, alleluia.
The Son whom you merited to bear, alleluia,
has risen as he said, alleluia.
Pray for us to God, alleluia.

Day 8 Total Consecration to Jesus through Mary and St. Joseph!

Day 8 Total Consecration to Jesus through Mary and St. Joseph!

On this 8th day of our preparation for consecration, we again look to St. Louis de Montfort's prophesy regarding the great saints of Mary in the latter times.
He continues his prophesy, writing:
 

They will be like thunderclouds flying through the air at the slightest breath of the Holy Spirit. Attached to nothing, surprised at nothing, they will shower down the rain of God's word and of eternal life. They will thunder against sin; they will storm against the world; they will strike down the devil and his followers and for life and for death, they will pierce through and through with the two-edged sword of God's word all those against whom they are sent by Almighty God.

-St. Louis de Montfort~

Wow, what a prophesy!
there is so much to meditate on in these words.
First of all, it seems as though we, the children and saints of Mary, are living in the midst of war -
yet, also we live in victory!
For, in the midst of battle,
we are flying -
attentive as we are to the slightest breath of the Holy Spirit -
going wherever He inspires us
detached from all things but God
fearless, surprised by nothing
for the Spirit inspires us and fills us with all Truth.
Thus, our very lives -
lived in God
and humble, hidden and devoted to Mary -
are 
thundering against sin, 
storming against the evil of this world, 
striking against satan and his followers
for life 
and for death.
Our sword is the Word of God
"piercing through and through all those whom we are sent against by Almighty God".  
As Scripture says:

The word of God is something alive and active: it cuts more incisively than any two-edged sword: it can seek out the place where soul is divided from spirit, or joints from marrow; it can pass judgement on secret emotions and thoughts.
No created thing is hidden from him; everything is uncovered and stretched fully open to the eyes of the one to whom we must give account of ourselves.  Hebrews 4: 12-13

Yet, we also will "shower down the rain of God's Word and of eternal life"
For in this battle, God's Word is used by us in two ways:
as a sword and as a shower of rain.
Scripture also says something similar.
In John Chapter 6, Jesus speaks of how He is the Bread rained down from heaven, given so that we might have eternal life.
In fact, this is what our Gospel reading is about today - ending with these words:

I am the living bread that came down from heaven;
whoever eats this bread will live forever;
and the bread that I will give
is my Flesh for the life of the world.”
 (v. 51).

Thus,
Jesus
in both Scripture and in the Eucharist -
is the Mighty Conqueror of this battle!

So, we have nothing to fear
for the weapon of this war
is God himself!
It is 
The Spirit who blows us where He wills (cf. John 3: 8; see also the first reading of Mass today, when Philip "flew" to one who needed him and was carried away when he was no longer needed)
and The Word of God, 
Jesus
Who "lives and moves and has his being in us!"(cf. Acts 17:28)

And Jesus always comes to us through Mary
for while He is God, Who is
The Way
The Truth
The Life
The Light that pierces the darkness
The Fire of Love
and The One who"comes to dwell in us and makes His Home in us (cf. John 14:23)!
He is always, too, the Child of Mary
So, how can we fear?
For God is with us!
He is “My refuge and fortress, my God in whom I trust.” (cf. Psalm 91)

And Mary is with us,
always striving to help and guide us in this battle.
With revelations, such as the ones we've been reading these past days.
For they, too, speak of the Divine Trinity dwelling within us.
Saying that God not only comes to live in us,
but that He intends all families to be dwelling places of the Holy Trinity:

WE ARE CALLED TO IMITATE THE HOLY FAMILY – THE EARTHLY PARADISE AND DWELLING OF THE INDWELLING TRINITY FOR THIS IS WHAT GOD INTENDS FOR ALL FAMILIES.
On November 8, 1954, a short time after the visit of the Angel of Peace, Our Lady spoke to me in these words:

"It is the wish of my Son that fathers and mothers strive to imitate me and my chaste spouse in our holy life at Nazareth. We practiced the simple virtues of family life, Jesus our Son being the center of all our love and activity. The Holy Trinity dwelt with us in a manner far surpassing anything that can ever be imagined.
For ours was the earthly paradise where once again God walked among men.
As in our little home no sin was to be found, so it is the wish of the Heart of my Son and my Immaculate Heart that sin should, as far as possible, be unheard of in the homes of our children.
The Divine Trinity will dwell in your midst only if you are faithful in practicing the virtues of our life at Nazareth."

NOVENA PRAYERS:

The Novena prayers are simple, but they are rooted in the messages Our Lady has reiterated and given to us again and again in all of her apparitions to try to save us.
Let us always strive to live them ever more fully.
They are:
Pray the full Rosary
Read Scripture together as a family each day –
We are taught and learn so much from reading and meditating on the Mass readings of each day. Here are today's readings.
Take time to pray through them and notice which words jump out at you and take some time in prayer with these words to understand more deeply what God is saying to you in these Scriptures:
http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/043020.cfm

Thursday of the Third Week of Easter
Lectionary: 276

Reading 1 Acts 8:26-40

The angel of the Lord spoke to Philip,
“Get up and head south on the road
that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza, the desert route.”
So he got up and set out.
Now there was an Ethiopian eunuch,
a court official of the Candace,
that is, the queen of the Ethiopians,
in charge of her entire treasury,
who had come to Jerusalem to worship, and was returning home.
Seated in his chariot, he was reading the prophet Isaiah.
The Spirit said to Philip,
“Go and join up with that chariot.”
Philip ran up and heard him reading Isaiah the prophet and said,
“Do you understand what you are reading?”
He replied,
“How can I, unless someone instructs me?”
So he invited Philip to get in and sit with him.
This was the Scripture passage he was reading:
Like a sheep he was led to the slaughter,
and as a lamb before its shearer is silent,
so he opened not his mouth.
In his humiliation justice was denied him.
Who will tell of his posterity?
For his life is taken from the earth.
Then the eunuch said to Philip in reply,
“I beg you, about whom is the prophet saying this?
About himself, or about someone else?”
Then Philip opened his mouth and, beginning with this Scripture passage,
he proclaimed Jesus to him.
As they traveled along the road
they came to some water,
and the eunuch said, “Look, there is water.
What is to prevent my being baptized?”
Then he ordered the chariot to stop,
and Philip and the eunuch both went down into the water,
and he baptized him.
When they came out of the water,
the Spirit of the Lord snatched Philip away,
and the eunuch saw him no more,
but continued on his way rejoicing.
Philip came to Azotus, and went about proclaiming the good news
to all the towns until he reached Caesarea.

Responsorial Psalm 66:8-9, 16-17, 20

R.    (1)  Let all the earth cry out to God with joy.
or:
R.    Alleluia.
Bless our God, you peoples,
loudly sound his praise;
He has given life to our souls,
and has not let our feet slip.
R.    Let all the earth cry out to God with joy.
or:
R.    Alleluia.
Hear now, all you who fear God, while I declare
what he has done for me.
When I appealed to him in words,
praise was on the tip of my tongue.
R.    Let all the earth cry out to God with joy.
or:
R.    Alleluia.
Blessed be God who refused me not
my prayer or his kindness!
R.    Let all the earth cry out to God with joy.
or:
R.    Alleluia.

Alleluia Jn 6:51

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
I am the living bread that came down from heaven, says the Lord;
whoever eats this bread will live forever.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel Jn 6:44-51

Jesus said to the crowds:
“No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draw him,
and I will raise him on the last day.
It is written in the prophets:
They shall all be taught by God.
Everyone who listens to my Father and learns from him comes to me.
Not that anyone has seen the Father
except the one who is from God;
he has seen the Father.
Amen, amen, I say to you,
whoever believes has eternal life.
I am the bread of life.
Your ancestors ate the manna in the desert, but they died;
this is the bread that comes down from heaven
so that one may eat it and not die.
I am the living bread that came down from heaven;
whoever eats this bread will live forever;
and the bread that I will give
is my Flesh for the life of the world.”

Make the Eucharist the center of your life
we can still do this interiorly if not physically during this time of quarantine through our Spiritual Communions, and visits to Church to pray in front of the tabernacle if they are open, etc.
Fast twice a week on Wednesdays and Friday on bread and water for Mary has told us in Medjugorje:

 "Pray and fast, because with prayer and fasting you can stop wars and natural disasters".

Go to Confession at least monthly (again, if you are unable make frequent heartfelt acts of contrition)…

And each day of this novena, pray especially during the 3 O’clock hour (if possible):
•    an act of contrition
(in place of or in addition to confession)
•    an act of spiritual communion
(in place of or in addition to going to Mass and receiving communion;
•    the Divine Mercy Chaplet
•    the Rosary
Besides consecrating ourselves and our loved ones, our nation(s) and leaders, our Church and the world each day - let us also remember to consecrate Russia and China and all those who are perpetrating such great evil upon the world, praying:

Jesus, Mary and Joseph, I love you! Save Souls!

Entrusting all of us into the hearts of Jesus, Mary and Joseph.

©Janet Moore 2020. All Rights Reserved.

Day 7 Total Consecration to Jesus through Mary and St. Joseph!

Day 7 Total Consecration to Jesus through Mary and St. Joseph!

We come together again, on this feast day of St Catherine of Siena, to prepare to make our consecration in union with our bishops.
Before I share some of the wisdom of St. Catherine, I wanted to ponder the prophesy of St. Louis de Montfort once more because it is so tremendously important.
Yesterday I wrote these words (in part):

... we are being called to be the great saints of these latter days!
Not because of our greatness, but...
because through our humility and littleness in giving ourselves totally to Mary,
she, who is all love and who is full of grace...
and who crushes with her heel the head of the serpent...
will, in her great love for us,
give everything she is and has to us in return!
We give all of ourselves,
and in exchange -
receive all of Mary,
all her gifts
and all whom she loves as well!
What a glorious exchange!!

In addition to this, I wanted to add something even more wondrous in this exchange:
when Mary gives us herself -
she gives us, to the fullest extent possible,
the Blessed Trinity who lives inside her as well! 

It is expressly because Mary consecrated herself fully to God that
Mary is so united with the Father, Son and Holy Spirit
No one (other than Christ) surrendered themselves more fully
Nor died to themselves more completely
than Mary.
She was so empty of herself
that she could rightly be called
Full of Grace!
And thus,
Full of Divine Life

In Consecrating ourselves to Mary, then,
she teaches us how to live in this Divine Economy
Where, paradoxically,
by surrendering ourselves,
we become truly free!
By dying to ourselves
we truly live
and live more fully than we could ever imagine.
And in this LOVE in which she lives,
Mary is able to share Who lives inside her
with us!

That is what consecration does!
With Mary's help and her grace,
God is able to come and live in us in a greater way
than we could ever receive Him on our own.

This is one of the reasons why St. Catherine of Siena
was so filled with God...
It is because she, too, consecrated herself fully to God
through Mary (see below)
So therefore, was able to become who God had created her to be!

When we empty ourselves
and seek God (instead of sin and pride and vanity)
He comes to dwell in us and makes His Home in us (cf. John 14:23)
And He comes on fire with love
So we too catch fire!

My Nature is Fire:
In your nature, eternal Godhead,
I shall come to know my nature.
And what is my nature, boundless love?
It is fire,
because you are nothing but a fire of love.
And you have given humankind
a share in this nature,
for by the fire of love you created us.
And so with all other people
and every created thing;
you made them out of love.
O ungrateful people!
What nature has your God given you?
His very own nature!
Are you not ashamed to cut yourself off from such a noble thing
through the guilt of deadly sin?
O eternal Trinity, my sweet love!
You, light, give us light.
You, wisdom, give us wisdom.
You, supreme strength, strengthen us.
Today, eternal God,
let our cloud be dissipated
so that we may perfectly know and follow your Truth in truth,
with a free and simple heart.
God, come to our assistance!
Lord, make haste to help us!
Amen.
Prayer of St. Catherine of Siena

Lastly, we continue to look to St. Joseph, whom Jesus and Mary want us to love and honor especially in these times. Again, in the revelations he gave us about himself, he tells us that Jesus and Mary want us to honor him each month. Their requests are similar to those of the First Friday devotion to the Sacred Heart and Our Lady's First Saturday devotion that was revealed at Fatima.

Now it is being revealed that the Father asks us to offer special love and honor to all three hearts of Jesus, Mary and Joseph in reparation for the sins committed against them and to bring peace to the world:

JESUS AND MARY DESIRE DEVOTION BE GIVEN TO ST. JOSEPH ON THE FIRST WEDNESDAYS OF THE MONTH.

“I am the protector of the Church and the home, as I was the protector of Christ and his Mother while I lived upon earth. Jesus and Mary desire that my pure heart, so long hidden and unknown, be now honored in a special way.

Let my children honor my most pure heart in a special manner on the First Wednesday of the month by reciting the Joyful Mysteries of the Rosary in memory of my life with Jesus and Mary and the love I bore them, the sorrow I suffered with them. Let them receive Holy Communion in union with the love with which I received the Savior for the first time and each time I held Him in my arms.
Those who honor me in this way will be consoled by my presence at their death, and I myself will conduct them safely into the presence of Jesus and Mary."

NOVENA PRAYERS:

The Novena prayers are simple, but they are rooted in the messages Our Lady has reiterated and given to us again and again in all of her apparitions to try to save us.
Let us always strive to live them ever more fully.
They are:
Pray the full Rosary
Read Scripture together as a family each day –
We are taught and learn so much from reading and meditating on the Mass readings of each day. Here are today's readings.
Take time to pray through them and notice which words jump out at you and take some time in prayer with these words to understand more deeply what God is saying to you in these Scriptures:
http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/042920.cfm

Memorial of Saint Catherine of Siena, virgin and doctor of the Church
Lectionary: 275

Reading 1 Acts 8:1b-8

There broke out a severe persecution of the Church in Jerusalem,
and all were scattered
throughout the countryside of Judea and Samaria,
except the Apostles.
Devout men buried Stephen and made a loud lament over him.
Saul, meanwhile, was trying to destroy the Church;
entering house after house and dragging out men and women,
he handed them over for imprisonment.

Now those who had been scattered went about preaching the word.
Thus Philip went down to the city of Samaria
and proclaimed the Christ to them.
With one accord, the crowds paid attention to what was said by Philip
when they heard it and saw the signs he was doing.
For unclean spirits, crying out in a loud voice,
came out of many possessed people,
and many paralyzed and crippled people were cured.
There was great joy in that city.

Responsorial Psalm 66:1-3a, 4-5, 6-7a

R.    (1)  Let all the earth cry out to God with joy.
or:
R.    Alleluia.
Shout joyfully to God, all the earth,
sing praise to the glory of his name;
proclaim his glorious praise.
Say to God, “How tremendous are your deeds!”
R.    Let all the earth cry out to God with joy.
or:
R.    Alleluia.
“Let all on earth worship and sing praise to you,
sing praise to your name!”
Come and see the works of God,
his tremendous deeds among the children of Adam.
R.    Let all the earth cry out to God with joy.
or:
R.    Alleluia.
He has changed the sea into dry land;
through the river they passed on foot;
therefore let us rejoice in him.
He rules by his might forever.
R.    Let all the earth cry out to God with joy.
or:
R.    Alleluia.

Alleluia Jn 6:40

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Everyone who believes in the Son has eternal life,
and I shall raise him up on the last day, says the Lord.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel Jn 6:35-40

Jesus said to the crowds,
“I am the bread of life;
whoever comes to me will never hunger,
and whoever believes in me will never thirst.
But I told you that although you have seen me,
you do not believe.
Everything that the Father gives me will come to me,
and I will not reject anyone who comes to me,
because I came down from heaven not to do my own will
but the will of the one who sent me.
And this is the will of the one who sent me,
that I should not lose anything of what he gave me,
but that I should raise it on the last day.
For this is the will of my Father,
that everyone who sees the Son and believes in him
may have eternal life,
and I shall raise him on the last day.”

Make the Eucharist the center of your life
we can still do this interiorly if not physically during this time of quarantine through our Spiritual Communions, and visits to Church to pray in front of the tabernacle if they are open, etc.
Fast twice a week on Wednesdays and Friday on bread and water for Mary has told us in Medjugorje:

 "Pray and fast, because with prayer and fasting you can stop wars and natural disasters".

Go to Confession at least monthly (again, if you are unable make frequent heartfelt acts of contrition)…

And each day of this novena, pray especially during the 3 O’clock hour (if possible):
•    an act of contrition
(in place of or in addition to confession)
•    an act of spiritual communion
(in place of or in addition to going to Mass and receiving communion;
•    the Divine Mercy Chaplet
•    the Rosary
Besides consecrating ourselves and our loved ones, our nation(s) and leaders, our Church and the world each day - let us also remember to consecrate Russia and China and all those who are perpetrating such great evil upon the world, praying:

Jesus, Mary and Joseph, I love you! Save Souls!

Entrusting all of us into the hearts of Jesus, Mary and Joseph.

Janet Moore 2020. All Rights Reserved.

To see more about the love of St. Catherine for the Blessed Virgin:

“In the name of Jesus Christ crucified and of gentle Mary.”  With these words, Catherine begins her book, Il Dialogo, as well as all but a few of her three hundred eighty-two letters, indicating the close link that Catherine makes between gentle Mary and her crucified Son. Catherine’s birth on March 25 in 1347, a year in which the customary date of the Annunciation coincided with Palm Sunday, might seem to have anticipated the close relationship Catherine would draw between Mary and the Redemption. For Catherine, Mary is not a passive or peripheral figure to the story of salvation but one who is vitally involved in its decisive moments. As has been seen, Catherine, unlike a number of medieval authors, emphasizes the Incarnation as the beginning of the redemption. Thus, she writes:
This Word was engrafted in her flesh, this blessed and sweet field of Mary, as the seed that is cast on the earth. Through the warmth of the sun, it germinates and draws out the flower and the fruit and the shell remains on the earth. So, truly, [it was] through the warmth and the fire of divine charity which God had for the human race, casting the seed of His Word in the field of Mary. O blessed and sweet Mary, you have given us the flower of the sweet Jesus! And when did this blessed flower produce the fruit? When He was grafted on the wood of the most holy cross. Then we received perfect life. [Letter 144]

For St. Catherine, Mary plays no mere passive role in the incarnation of her son.  As the Word was given to Mary, so Mary gives the Word to the world in bearing her Son.  Mary is united to Christ in his work of salvation, and so is united to us as that same salvation is worked in us. To read the rest of Fr. Wiseman’s article, find: “Mary in the Life and Thought of Catherine of Siena“ https://opeast.org/2012/05/mary-in-the-life-and-thought-of-st-catherine-of-siena/

To know more about St. Catherine of Siena:
"Today is the Feast of St. Catherine of Sienna. Catherine was born in 1347, the youngest of 25 children. She was very smart and also very beautiful. As a child even then, she loved penance:
when 5 years old, she would climb the stairs on her knees
saying a ‘Hail Mary’ on each step. One day when she was 6, she was walking along with her brother, when looking at the sky, she suddenly saw Jesus surrounded by light, he was smiling; he blessed her, then vanished. From then on, Catherine’s soul was on fire for God.
When still quite young she made a vow to live only for the Lord and never marry. She denied herself many comforts in order to offer these sacrifices to God. She ate mostly boiled vegetables and slept on the ground. Because Catherine was so beautiful and charming, her parents began to make plans for her to marry a respectable man. But she said that she wished to live only for God and be a Sister, but they would not hear of it; her mother said she was too pretty to be a sister! So Catherine prayed that she would be sick and ugly. Eventually however, her parents agreed, and when she was 18 she became a 3rd order Dominican sister.
Jesus once appeared to her and offered her two crowns:
one of gold, the other of thorns. Choose, he said. She took the crown of thorns and pushed it onto her head. She wanted to make sacrifices for Jesus. One day when the Sisters were feeing the poor, there was not enough bread for everyone; Catherine however, just kept handing it out and it multiplied to feed all. Now in those days, the Pope had been living in France, not Rome, because Rome was dangerous. But everyone knew that the Pope should be in Rome; so Catherine wrote numerous letters to the Pope, telling him to return to Rome. She herself, finally went to France and told him, he must return to Rome. The French Bishops tried to tell the Holy Father that Catherine was not so smart and should not be listened to. They called her before them and asked her all kinds of difficult theological questions, which she answered perfectly each time. Even though she never studied, the Holy Spirit gave her the Gift of Knowledge to answer. Catherine was so highly respected in those days, that the Pope DID listen to her and returned to Rome.
She experienced the stigmata, the wounds of Jesus on hands and feet, and she often ate nothing except the Holy Eucharist; There was a period of 85 days straight, when only Holy Communion sustained her. She died at the age of 33, a magnificent light for the Church, in her short life. Pray for us St. Catherine of Sienna!"
Fr. Luke Winkelmann

Day 6 Total Consecration to Jesus through Mary and St. Joseph!

Day 6 Total Consecration to Jesus through Mary and St. Joseph!

We come together again, on this feast day of St Louis de Montfort, to prepare to make our consecration in union with our bishops,

St. Louis taught us divine truths about consecration, included in them were prophesies that spoke of a vast number of saints greater than all those who had gone before them, who would be formed through and with and in Our Blessed Mother.

May His thoughts and words help us today:

"Towards the end of the world ... Almighty God and His holy Mother are to raise up saints who will surpass in holiness most other saints as much as the cedars of Lebanon tower above little shrubs. These great souls filled with grace and zeal will be chosen to oppose the enemies of God who are raging on all sides. They will be exceptionally devoted to the Blessed Virgin. Illumined by her light, strengthened by her spirit, supported by her arms, sheltered under her protection, they will fight with one hand and build with the other."

Let us ponder these words and consider:

Let us ponder these words and consider:

Isn't St. Louis prophesying about us?

Can not each one of us be the great saints that St. Louis is referencing?!

Not because we have any extraordinary holiness of our own, but

because we are especially devoted to Mary in these latter days...

and are illumined by Mary's light,

strengthened by her spirit,

supported by her arms,

sheltered under her protection...

That's why we are being called to be the great saints of these latter days!

Not because of our greatness, but...

because through our humility and littleness in giving ourselves totally to Mary,

she, who is all love and who is full of grace...

and who crushes the heel of the serpent...

will, in her great love for us,

give everything she is and has to us in return!

We give all of ourselves,

and in exchange -

receive all of Mary,

all her gifts

and all whom she loves as well!

What a glorious exchange!!

"...look, above all, at the great prophecies of [Louis-Marie Grignion de Montfort] on these times, the era of Mary, the era of the antichrist. For Montfort, the era of Mary and the era of the antichrist are one and the same thing - Mary appears on the battlefield precisely in order to vanquish the antichrist forces which are the forces of evil that operate throughout history and against the apostles, the apostles chosen by Mary whom she forms - Montfort calls these the apostles of the last times." Radio Maria's Father Livio

This era of such great evil is when Mary's power against Satan is particularly manifest.
But, this is also the age of St. Joseph.
He, who was especially chosen by the Father to care for and protect Jesus and Mary,
is also chosen particularly in this age to care for and protect us as the times grow ever darker. 

Regarding this, Father Richard Heliman gives us tremendous insights:

"With increased fear and uncertainty growing, on February 28, I put out a call to all prayer warriors (60,000+), asking everyone to join in a 54 Day Three Hearts Novena. With so much emphasis on St. Joseph, and with a growing concern over the future of economic security, I thought it was appropriate to conclude on May 1, which is the Feast Day of St. Joseph the Worker.
I stated then,

“Most of us have prayed many beautiful devotions – and even consecrated ourselves – to the Sacred of Heart of Jesus and the Immaculate Heart of Mary. In so many ways, this year seems to be the year we are to call out to St. Joseph. Now is the time to add the “Third Heart” for supernatural protection and provision.

As head of the home, St. Joseph points to the role of all fathers to be “protectors and providers.” Many are feeling unsafe and “unprotected” with the spread of this “new virus.” Also, worries grow about future “provision” with economic uncertainty on the rise.

In the midst of this worldwide alarm, let’s call upon all “Three Hearts” to come to our aid by adding, this year, the Chaste Heart of St. Joseph.

Little did I know that the start date (Monday, March 9) would come to be known as “Black Monday,” as it was the worst drop in the Stock Market since the Great Recession in 2008. It would continue to drop throughout the month of March, while we witnessed the unemployment rate sky-rocket to over 26 million jobs lost (to date), as most “non-essential” businesses were forced to close under a national quarantine.
Moreover, the Feast of St. Joseph the Worker was instituted by Pope Pius XII in 1955 as a response to May Day (May 1) celebrations sponsored by Socialists and Communists. Pope Pius XII expressed the hope that this feast would accentuate the dignity of labor. With increased government control deployed during this pandemic, socialists/communists are salivating about the potential of a “new normal” of government control.
If ever there was a time, we all came to understand, to call upon “All Three Hearts” (Sacred Heart, Immaculate Heart, Chaste Heart), THIS IS THE TIME!
What we did not understand, at the time of conceiving this prayer campaign, was that the last day of our 54 Day Three Hearts Novena – May 1, 2020 – would see an amazing convergence of “All Three Hearts.”
Recently, the news broke that the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops announced that they chose to join Canada in a Re-Consecration to Mary, Mother of the Church on May 1.
This convergence set up May 1, 2020 as, what I call, our “Spiritual D-Day.”
First Friday Devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus
The Re-Consecration of the US (and Canada) to Mary
The Feast of St. Joseph the Worker

How wonderfully does God provide for us by giving us the Holy Family as our protection, our refuge and guides. And St. Joseph is an integral part of this, just as he was an integral part of God's plan of salvation. We often dismiss him and think little of him, but through the revelations he gave us about himself, we can come to understand him and rely on him as God intends:

JOSEPH IS CO-REDEMPTOR WITH JESUS AND MARY AS HE FOREKNEW, PARTICIPATED, SUFFERED AND HAD COMPASSION FOR THE SUFFERINGS OF JESUS AND MARY.

"My heart suffered with the Hearts of Jesus and Mary. Mine was a silent suffering, for it was my special vocation to hide and shield, as long as God willed, the Virgin Mother and Son from the malice and hatred of men.

The most painful of my sorrows was that I knew beforehand of their passion, yet would not be there to console them. Their future suffering was ever present to me and became my daily cross.

I became, in union with my holy spouse, co-redemptor of the human race. Through compassion for the sufferings of Jesus and Mary, I cooperated, as no other, in the salvation of the world.”

NOVENA PRAYERS:

The Novena prayers are simple, but they are rooted in the messages Our Lady has reiterated and given to us again and again in all of her apparitions to try to save us.
Let us always strive to live them ever more fully.
They are:
Pray the full Rosary
Read Scripture together as a family each day –
We are taught and learn so much from reading and meditating on the Mass readings of each day. Here are today's readings, with God's words that stood out to me emphasized:
http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/042820.cfm

Tuesday of the Third Week of Easter
Lectionary: 274

Reading 1 Acts 7:51—8:1a

Stephen said to the people, the elders, and the scribes:
“You stiff-necked people, uncircumcised in heart and ears,
you always oppose the Holy Spirit;
you are just like your ancestors.
Which of the prophets did your ancestors not persecute?
They put to death those who foretold the coming of the righteous one,
whose betrayers and murderers you have now become.
You received the law as transmitted by angels,
but you did not observe it.”
When they heard this, they were infuriated,
and they ground their teeth at him.
But Stephen, filled with the Holy Spirit,
looked up intently to heaven and saw the glory of God
and Jesus standing at the right hand of God,
and Stephen said, “Behold, I see the heavens opened
and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.”
But they cried out in a loud voice,
covered their ears, and rushed upon him together.
They threw him out of the city, and began to stone him.
The witnesses laid down their cloaks
at the feet of a young man named Saul.
As they were stoning Stephen, he called out,
“Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.”
Then he fell to his knees and cried out in a loud voice,
“Lord, do not hold this sin against them”;
and when he said this, he fell asleep.
Now Saul was consenting to his execution.

Responsorial Psalm 31:3cd-4, 6 and 7b and 8a, 17 and 21ab

R.    (6a)  Into your hands, O Lord, I commend my spirit.
or:
R.    Alleluia.
Be my rock of refuge,
a stronghold to give me safety.
You are my rock and my fortress;
for your name’s sake you will lead and guide me.
R.    Into your hands, O Lord, I commend my spirit.
or:
R.    Alleluia.
Into your hands I commend my spirit;
you will redeem me, O LORD, O faithful God.
My trust is in the LORD;
I will rejoice and be glad of your mercy.
R.    Into your hands, O Lord, I commend my spirit.
or:
R.    Alleluia.
Let your face shine upon your servant;
save me in your kindness.
You hide them in the shelter of your presence
from the plottings of men.
R.    Into your hands, O Lord, I commend my spirit.
or:
R.    Alleluia.

Alleluia Jn 6:35ab

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
I am the bread of life, says the Lord;
whoever comes to me will never hunger.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel Jn 6:30-35

The crowd said to Jesus:
“What sign can you do, that we may see and believe in you?
What can you do?
Our ancestors ate manna in the desert, as it is written:
"He gave them bread from heaven to eat.”
So Jesus said to them,
“Amen, amen, I say to you,
it was not Moses who gave the bread from heaven;
my Father gives you the true bread from heaven.
For the bread of God is that which comes down from heaven
and gives life to the world.”
So they said to Jesus,
“Sir, give us this bread always.”
Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life;
whoever comes to me will never hunger,
and whoever believes in me will never thirst.”

Make the Eucharist the center of your life
we can still do this interiorly if not physically during this time of quarantine through our Spiritual Communions, and visits to Church to pray in front of the tabernacle if they are open, etc.
Fast twice a week on Wednesdays and Friday on bread and water for Mary has told us in Medjugorje:

 "Pray and fast, because with prayer and fasting you can stop wars and natural disasters".

Go to Confession at least monthly (again, if you are unable make frequent heartfelt acts of contrition)…

And each day of this novena, pray especially during the 3 O’clock hour (if possible):
•    an act of contrition 
(in place of or in addition to confession)
•    an act of spiritual communion 
(in place of or in addition to going to Mass and receiving communion;
•    the Divine Mercy Chaplet
•    the Rosary
Besides consecrating ourselves and our loved ones, our nation(s) and leaders, our Church and the world each day - let us also remember to consecrate Russia and China and all those who are perpetrating such great evil upon the world, praying:

Jesus, Mary and Joseph, I love you! Save Souls!

Entrusting all of us into the hearts of Jesus, Mary and Joseph.

Janet Moore 2020. All Rights Reserved.

For more information:

I gave a presentation that referenced many more prophesies of St. Louis de Montfort, Our Lady of Good Success, Our Lady of LaSalette, Our Lady of Guadalupe and the Queen of Peace Medjugorje, etc. You can find it here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MgdUeXJaClQ

See here for the instructions Mary gave us through Our Lady of America: https://enteringintothemystery.blogspot.com/2018/09/write-these-instructions-for.html

For more information on St. Louis:
ST. LOUIS DE MONTFORT
St. Louis-Marie Grignion de Montfort (1673 – 1716) was born in Brittany, France, to a large farming family. As a child he displayed an unusual spiritual maturity and spent much time in prayer before the Blessed Sacrament. At the age of 19 he went on foot to Paris to study theology at a prestigious school with the support of a benefactor; along the way he gave his possessions to the poor and made a lifelong vow to live in poverty supported entirely on alms. He was ordained a priest at the age of 27, and at 32 discovered his calling to be an itinerant preacher, receiving the title of "Apostolic Missionary" from the Pope after his bishop tried to silence him. For the next 17 years he preached missions in countless towns and villages throughout France with an emphasis on renewal and reform. His fiery devotion, oratory skill, and identification with the poor led many souls to conversion. He was persecuted by the Jansenists, who, in their spiritual pride, poisoned him, banished him from preaching in their dioceses, and made an assassination attempt on his life. He had a profound devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary and taught on the power of the Holy Rosary. He also wrote a number of classic works on Marian devotion, the most famous being True Devotion to Mary. His feast day is April 28.
 https://milled.com/trinity-road-websites/your-morning-offering-ouGMVJyBMzsGC63r

Day 5 Total Consecration to Jesus through Mary and St. Joseph!

Day 5 Total Consecration to Jesus through Mary and St. Joseph!

We come together to prepare to make our consecration with our bishops, looking especially toward the Holy Family.
May we fall in love with them ever more during these days of prayer, and so gain ever more confidence in them.
They are the only ones who can lead us through the troubled times we face.
They are the only safe refuge for our souls, our families, our nation and our world.

We look to St. Joseph, who was so greatly gifted by the Heavenly Father.
No grace was spared to him, for he was God's chosen one to be the husband of Mary and the earthly father of Jesus.

JOSEPH WAS MADE IMMACULATE IN THE WOMB AND REMAINED SINLESS DURING HIS LIFETIME.

In early October, 1956
    About a week after Our Lady’s first appearance, Sister Mildred wrote:
"St. Joseph, though I did not see him at this time, spoke to me the following words:
“It is true my daughter, that
immediately after my conception,
I was, through the future merits of Jesus
and because of my exceptional role
of future Virgin-Father,
cleansed from the stain of original sin.
I was from that moment confirmed in grace and never had the slightest stain on my soul. This is my unique privilege among men.
My pure heart also was from the first moment of existence inflamed with love for God. Immediately, at the moment when my soul was cleansed from original sin, grace was infused into it in such abundance that, excluding my holy spouse, I surpassed the holiness of the highest angel in the angelic choir."

GOD CHOSE HIM TO BE THE VIRGIN-FATHER OF HIS SON FROM ALL ETERNITY.

"The privilege of being chosen by God to be the Virgin-Father of His Son was mine alone, and no honor, excluding that bestowed upon my Holy Spouse, was ever, or will ever, be as sublime or as high as this." 

My thoughts regarding these wondrous revelations:
Being made immaculate from the first instant after his conception is an extraordinary privilege of grace. His privilege was greater than the grace given to other souls who likewise were cleansed of sin in the womb that Scripture mentions, because it came immediately after his conception. But the grace is not unheard of in Scripture: remember John the Baptist. When Mary brought Jesus to him in the womb, he was immediately cleansed and made immaculate for his mission.
How greatly does God bless and favor purity and virginity! When virginity is dedicated completely to Him how fruitful is becomes!
The messages of Our Lady of America speak in great detail about the importance of purity. She warns us that is only when America returns to purity that it will it be strong. Tomorrow I will try to share some of these revelations in greater detail.
As St. Joseph protected Jesus and Mary with such love and strength, so he will protect us.
I hope that we take time to deeply ponder these revelations.

Also, let us reflect on this amazing truth regarding placing ourselves in the heart of Mary:

NOVENA PRAYERS:
The Novena prayers are simple, but they are rooted in the messages Our Lady has reiterated and given to us again and again in all her apparitions to try to save us.
Let us always strive to live them ever more fully.
They are:
Pray the full Rosary
Read Scripture together as a family each day -
We are taught and learn so much from reading and meditating on the Mass readings of each day. Here are today's readings, with God's words that stood out to me emphasized:
http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/042720.cfm

Monday of the Third Week of Easter
Lectionary: 273

Reading 1 Acts 6:8-15

Stephen, filled with grace and power,
was working great wonders and signs among the people.
Certain members of the so-called Synagogue of Freedmen,
Cyreneans, and Alexandrians,
and people from Cilicia and Asia,
came forward and debated with Stephen,
but they could not withstand the wisdom and the Spirit with which he spoke.
Then they instigated some men to say,
“We have heard him speaking blasphemous words
against Moses and God.”
They stirred up the people, the elders, and the scribes,
accosted him, seized him,
and brought him before the Sanhedrin.
They presented false witnesses who testified,
“This man never stops saying things against this holy place and the law.
For we have heard him claim
that this Jesus the Nazorean will destroy this place
and change the customs that Moses handed down to us.”
All those who sat in the Sanhedrin looked intently at him
and saw that his face was like the face of an angel.

Responsorial Psalm 119:23-24, 26-27, 29-30

R.    (1ab)  Blessed are they who follow the law of the Lord!
or:
R.    Alleluia.
Though princes meet and talk against me,
your servant meditates on your statutes.
Yes, your decrees are my delight;
they are my counselors.
R.    Blessed are they who follow the law of the Lord!
or:
R.    Alleluia.
I declared my ways, and you answered me;
teach me your statutes.
Make me understand the way of your precepts,
and I will meditate on your wondrous deeds.
R.    Blessed are they who follow the law of the Lord!
or:
R.    Alleluia.
Remove from me the way of falsehood,
and favor me with your law.
The way of truth I have chosen;
I have set your ordinances before me.
R.    Blessed are they who follow the law of the Lord!
or:
R.    Alleluia.

Alleluia Mt 4:4b

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
One does not live on bread alone
but on every word that comes forth from the mouth of God.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel Jn 6:22-29

[After Jesus had fed the five thousand men, his disciples saw him walking on the sea.]
The next day, the crowd that remained across the sea
saw that there had been only one boat there,
and that Jesus had not gone along with his disciples in the boat,
but only his disciples had left.
Other boats came from Tiberias
near the place where they had eaten the bread
when the Lord gave thanks.
When the crowd saw that neither Jesus nor his disciples were there,
they themselves got into boats
and came to Capernaum looking for Jesus.
And when they found him across the sea they said to him,
“Rabbi, when did you get here?”
Jesus answered them and said,
“Amen, amen, I say to you, you are looking for me
not because you saw signs
but because you ate the loaves and were filled.
Do not work for food that perishes
but for the food that endures for eternal life,
which the Son of Man will give you.
For on him the Father, God, has set his seal.”
So they said to him,
“What can we do to accomplish the works of God?”
Jesus answered and said to them,
“This is the work of God, that you believe in the one he sent.”

"They could not withstand the wisdom"

In today's first reading we first hear about St. Stephen. He was so on fire with the love of God and so deeply immersed in prayer that all those who came against him "looked intently at him
and saw that his face was like the face of an angel."

Acts 6: 8-15

St. Stephen, help us to go so deeply into God in prayer that others will not be able to withstand the wisdom with which we speak, and only see one so transformed by grace that they see someone transfixed by God when they look at us. 

Make the Eucharist the center of your life
(we can still do this interiorly if not physically during this time of quarantine through our Spiritual Communions, and visits to Church to pray in front of the tabernacle if they are open, etc.),
Fast twice a week on Wednesdays and Friday - Mary in Medjugorje tells us the best kind of fast is on bread and water, saying to us:

 "Pray and fast, because with prayer and fasting you can stop wars and natural disasters".

Go to Confession at least monthly (again, if you are unable make frequent heartfelt acts of contrition)…

And each day of this novena, pray especially during the 3 O’clock hour (if possible):
•    an act of contrition (in place of or in addition to confession)
•    an act of spiritual communion (in place of or in addition to going to Mass and receiving communion;
•    the Divine Mercy Chaplet
•    the Rosary
Besides consecrating ourselves and our loved ones, our nation(s) and leaders, our Church and the world each day - let us also remember to consecrate Russia and China and all those who are perpetrating such great evil upon the world. 
 
Jesus, Mary and Joseph, I love you! Save Souls!

Entrusting all of us into the hearts of Jesus, Mary and Joseph.

Janet Moore 2020. All Rights Reserved.

See more on the efficacy and importance of praying during the 3 O'clock Hour:

Why 3 O, clock?
Divine Mercy 3 O’clock Prayer
You expired, O Jesus,
but the source of life gushed forth for souls
and an ocean of mercy opened up for the whole world.
O Fount of Life,
unfathomable Divine Mercy,
envelop the whole world
and empty Yourself out upon us.
O Blood and Water,
which gushed forth from the Heart of Jesus
as a fount of mercy for us,
I trust in You.
Amen.
________________________________________
More About the Hour of Mercy
From the Sisters of Merciful Jesus
In October 1937, in Cracow (Poland), Lord Jesus instructed Sister Faustina to venerate the hour of His death and to connect with Him in prayer referring to the value and merits of His Passion.
“I desire that you know more profoundly the love that burns in My Heart for souls, and you will understand this when you meditate upon My Passion. Call upon My mercy on behalf of sinners; I desire their salvation. When you say this prayer, with a contrite heart and with faith on behalf of a sinner, I will give him the grace of conversion. This is the prayer: O Blood and Water, which gushed forth from the Heart of Jesus as a fount of Mercy for us, I trust in You” (Diary 187).
“At three o’clock, implore My mercy, especially for sinners; and, if only for a brief moment, immerse yourself in My Passion, particularly in My abandonment at the moment of agony. This is the hour of great mercy for the whole world. I will allow you to enter into My mortal sorrow. In this hour, I will refuse nothing to the soul that makes a request of Me in virtue of My Passion…” (Diary, 1320).
“…as often as you hear the clock strike the third hour, immerse yourself completely in My mercy, adoring and glorifying it; invoking its omnipotence for the whole world (…). In this hour you can obtain everything for yourself and for others simply by asking; it was the hour of grace for the whole world – mercy triumphed over justice
(…) try your best to meditate on the Stations of the Cross in this hour, provided that your duties permit it; and if you are not able to say the Stations of the Cross, then at least step into the chapel for a moment and adore the Blessed Sacrament, My Heart, which is full of mercy; and should you be unable to step in to the chapel, immerse yourself in prayer wherever you happen to be, if only for a very brief instant. I claim veneration for My mercy from every creature” (Diary, 1572).
“On the Cross, the fountain of My mercy was opened wide by the lance for all souls – no one have I excluded!” (Diary, 1182).
https://divinemercy.life/divine-mercy-3-oclock-prayer/

The Hour of Great Mercy
…In Genesis 18:16-32, Abraham begged God to reduce the conditions necessary for Him to be merciful to the people of Sodom and Gomorrah. Here, Christ Himself offers a reduction of conditions because of the varied demands of our life’s duties, and He begs us to ask, even in the smallest way, for His mercy, so that He will be able to pour His mercy upon us all.
We may not all be able to make the Stations or adore Him in the Blessed Sacrament, but we can all mentally pause for a "brief instant," think of His total abandonment at the hour of agony, and say a short prayer such as "Jesus, Mercy," or "Jesus, for the sake of Your Sorrowful Passion, have mercy on us and on the whole world."
This meditation, however brief, on Christ’s Passion brings us face-to-face with the cross, and, as Pope John Paul II writes in Rich in Mercy, "It is in the cross that the revelation of merciful love attains its culmination" (8). God invites us, the Holy Father continues, "to have ‘mercy’ on His only Son, the crucified one" (8). Thus, our reflection on the Passion should lead to a type of love for Our Lord which is "not only an act of solidarity with the suffering Son of man, but also a kind of ‘mercy’ shown by each one of us to the Son of the Eternal Father."
https://www.thedivinemercy.org/message/devotions/hour