Lorica or Breastplate of St. Patrick - Know the Peace that God Surrounds You and is With You Always

St. Paul tells us how to do battle against evil. He wrote:

Finally, draw your strength from the Lord and from his mighty power. Put on the armor of God so that you may be able to stand firm against the tactics of the devil. For our struggle is not with flesh and blood but with the principalities, with the powers, with the world rulers of this present darkness, with the evil spirits in the heavens. Therefore, put on the armor of God, that you may be able to resist on the evil day and, having done everything, to hold your ground. So stand fast with your loins girded in truth, clothed with righteousness as a breastplate, and your feet shod in readiness for the gospel of peace. In all circumstances, hold faith as a shield, to quench all [the] flaming arrows of the evil one. And take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. (Ephesians 6: 10-17)

I wrote earlier of St. Patrick, but wanted to add this addition to go deeper into St. Patrick's full Lorica prayer that he used as an armor of God that St. Paul tells us of above.
St. Patrick reminded himself daily how mighty and glorious God was and that he was under his protection. May these words of St. Paul and this incredible prayer of St. Patrick be a breastplate and shield of faith for us - especially in these times of such fear.

May they help us to know we are never alone.
Our God is infinite.
He created us and He is in control.
He pours His strength into us
and is with us as He promised, saying to us:  
"Behold, I AM WITH YOU always unto the end of the ages!" 

Hold fast to your faith.
During this time of social distancing and quarantine, may we take the time to turn off the news and open our Bibles
- to come to a deeper awareness of God's presence in us and around us,
like St. Patrick...

May we fill our minds with the Truth of Scripture ...
beginning with these Scriptures and these prayers of St. Patrick that I offer-
to help us to come to know the peace that surpasses understanding that God has for us:

Rejoice in the Lord always. I shall say it again: rejoice! Your kindness should be known to all. The Lord is near. Have no anxiety at all, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, make your requests known to God. Then the peace of God that surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.
Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is gracious, if there is any excellence and if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. Keep on doing what you have learned and received and heard and seen in me. Then the God of peace will be with you. (Philippians 4: 4-9)

Rest in these words.
Meditate on them.
Think of them again and again and again...
And then pray these words of St. Patrick as well...
 
The Lorica of St. Patrick
(also called St. Patrick’s “breastplate”):

I arise today
Through a mighty strength, the invocation of the Trinity,
Through belief in the Threeness,
Through confession of the Oneness
of the Creator of creation.

I arise today
Through the strength of Christ’s birth with His baptism,
Through the strength of His crucifixion with His burial,
Through the strength of His resurrection with His ascension,
Through the strength of His descent for the judgment of doom.

I arise today
Through the strength of the love of cherubim,
In the obedience of angels,
In the service of archangels,
In the hope of resurrection to meet with reward,
In the prayers of patriarchs,
In the predictions of prophets,
In the preaching of apostles,
In the faith of confessors,
In the innocence of holy virgins,
In the deeds of righteous men.

I arise today, through
The strength of heaven,
The light of the sun,
The radiance of the moon,
The splendor of fire,
The speed of lightning,
The swiftness of wind,
The depth of the sea,
The stability of the earth,
The firmness of rock.

I arise today, through
God’s strength to pilot me,
God’s might to uphold me,
God’s wisdom to guide me,
God’s eye to look before me,
God’s ear to hear me,
God’s word to speak for me,
God’s hand to guard me,
God’s shield to protect me,
God’s host to save me
From snares of devils,
From temptation of vices,
From everyone who shall wish me ill,
afar and near.

I summon today
All these powers between me and those evils,
Against every cruel and merciless power
that may oppose my body and soul,
Against incantations of false prophets,
Against black laws of pagandom,
Against false laws of heretics,
Against craft of idolatry,
Against spells of witches and smiths and wizards,
Against every knowledge that corrupts man’s body and soul;
Christ to shield me today
Against poison, against burning,
Against drowning, against wounding,
So that there may come to me an abundance of reward.

Christ with me,

Christ before me,

Christ behind me,

Christ in me,

Christ beneath me,

Christ above me,

Christ on my right,

Christ on my left,

Christ when I lie down,
Christ when I sit down,

Christ when I arise,

Christ in the heart of every man who thinks of me,

Christ in the mouth of everyone who speaks of me,

Christ in every eye that sees me,

Christ in every ear that hears me.

I arise today
Through a mighty strength, the invocation of the Trinity,
Through belief in the Threeness,
Through confession of the Oneness
of the Creator of creation.
Amen.

Know of my great love for you and that each of you are in my prayers. I consecrate you all to Jesus, Mary and Joseph. Know we are safe and well in their arms. 

© Janet Moore 2020. All Rights Reserved.

Enslaved but Rejoicing! Be Inspired by St. Patrick's Life His Words and His Prayers

I wrote this last year in the midst of celebrations. 

Now, in this time of social distancing and quarantines (as we are living with a pandemic virus of sickness, panic and fear...) the celebrations aren't present this year, and perhaps that is a good thing. We have so much more time for quiet and prayer to get in touch with the real St. Patrick, who can teach us so much. 

Please take the time to read about this truly amazing saint and to pray his incredible prayers of protection and strength that he wrote in the midst of severe devastation, deprivation and sickness. 
If you do, I know they will warm your soul and strengthen you in faith and hope:

Each year on this feast of St. Patrick, I can't help but think that while it's wonderful to see joyful parades and celebrations, where millions of people like myself rejoice in being Irish, and millions more honor the feast by the "wearing of the green", it saddens me to see how his feast day has turned into such a pagan holiday that extols sin and excess, without any clear connection or understanding of this amazing man of faith.

To combat this, I'd like to share some of his own prayers and writings that speak about what he endured, as well as the great Love of God that transformed him. 

St. Patrick's birth name was Maewyn Succat. As a young man he was kidnapped and taken to Ireland where he was enslaved for six years. 
He was forced to live without shelter as a shepherd, and was often alone and starving and perhaps beaten and tortured. 

What is so inspiring about St. Patrick is that it was right in the midst of such great deprivation, he became aware of God and His Mercy and the continual blessings that flowed from Him.
He writes in his “Confessio” of his captivity:

"There the Lord opened the sense of my unbelief that I might at last remember my sins and then turn with all my heart to the Lord my God, who had regard for my low estate, and took pity on my youth and ignorance, and watched over me before I knew Him, and before I was able to distinguish between good and evil, and guarded me, and comforted me as would a father his son.

Hence I cannot be silent – and indeed, I ought not to be – about the many blessings and the great grace which the Lord has deigned to bestow upon me in the land of my captivity;…the love of God and His fear increased in me more and more, and the faith grew in me, and the spirit was roused, so that, in a single day, I have said as many as a hundred prayers, and in the night nearly the same, so that whilst in the woods and on the mountain, even before the dawn, I was roused to prayer and felt no hurt from it, whether there was snow or ice or rain; nor was there any slothfulness in me, such as I see now, because the spirit was then fervent within me.”

http://www.21st-century-christianity.com/E-Water-Irish-Blessing.html

Among the hundreds of prayers Patrick prayed when he was a slave in Ireland are two prayers that never fail to stir my heart. 

I can't be sure he prayed these prayers during his captivity
perhaps he prayed them during his escape
or throughout his study of the priesthood 
or when he was raised up as a Bishop of the Church
or when he chose to go back to Ireland 
to the same people who captured and enslaved him for 6 years
as he tirelessly worked for their conversion
or perhaps he prayed them throughout all of these seasons of his life...

Every time I pray or sing this prayer, I imagine Patrick singing and praying these words of praise to His Creator, Who was His Constant Companion while alone and enslaved...
cold and hungry ...

These prayers are prayers of union with God and remind me to see all things in and through God and through the eyes of faith:

The Lorica of St. Patrick  also know as The Deer's Cry or  The Bulwark or Breastplate of St. Patrick
This day God gives me strength of high heaven Sun and moon shining, flame in my hearth. Flashing of lightning, wind in its swiftness, Deeps of the Ocean, firmness of earth.
This day God sends me, strength as my guardian, Might to uphold me, Wisdom as guide. Your eyes are watchful,  your ears are listening, Your lips are speaking, Friend at my side.
God's way is my way, God's shield is round me, God's host defends me, Saving from ill. Angels of heaven,  drive from me always, All that would harm me, Stand by me still.
Rising I thank You, mighty and Strong One, King of creation, Giver of rest, Firmly confessing Oneness of Godhead  Threeness of Persons, Trinity blest.   

The second prayer is really a section of the same prayer listed above:

Christ with me,
Christ before me,
Christ behind me,
Christ within me,
Christ beneath me,
Christ above me,
Christ on my right,
Christ on my left,
Christ when I lie down,
Christ when I sit down,
Christ in the heart of every man who thinks of me,
Christ in the mouth of every man who speaks of me,
Christ in the eye that sees me,
Christ in the ear that hears me.

I pray that we take time to truly ponder St. Patrick on his feast day today
as well as the profound and deeply moving words of his prayers...
imagining how his awareness of Christ's closeness changed everything for the young St. Patrick - 
as snow and ice and rain fell upon him
as he struggled with great hunger
as he must have struggled, 
and at first, raged against his enslavement
yet,
he was able to see that all he endured was  
as nothing compared to the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord! Phil. 3:8


May it be the same for us! 
Imagine how this same awareness can change our souls!!!

Aware of the imperfect circumstances many of us are experiencing, 
I write this praying that each of us become so aware of God's great love and care for us that we can't help but be filled with joy and gratitude for all He has done,
even while:

Some are enduring great sickness and loss

Some have lost jobs and homes 
and their means of livelihood
Some are living with great rejection and turmoil
Or even abuse 
While some struggle with faith 
And are constantly filled with fear and anxiety

Some are alone, with family members who were missing through death or other circumstances -- and their hearts are broken at their absence. 

Many families are 'broken', divorced and separated - 
some in outward ways, and some in very hidden ways. 

Many are living in strife.

Some have been abandoned or abused.

Some are caught in the web of sin and addictions.

Some are hungry and living in poverty,

In sickness or close to death.

When our circumstances don't match up to the perfect, beautiful images of life we imagine or once experienced, deep sadness, or even depression can come upon us.  

If we look for happiness in earthly terms, we will have unrealistic expectations that were never promised to us by God.  

God never promised us a life free from trouble,
rather He said, 

In this world you will have trouble and suffering, but take courage and cheer up! 

I have conquered the world!  John 16:33

God never promised us perfection.  

Nor did He promise that our lives would be free from pain or hurt, rejection or betrayal. 

What he did promise was that He would be with us always!

And if we are living in union with Him, 
we will know that that is enough, 
more than enough in fact...
and we can see that regardless of our current situations, 

we still are blessed beyond measure in ways that go far beyond the outward circumstances in which we are living.

This is the secret to happiness -- to be mindful of the gifts God has given us and to offer Him thanks and praise for these amazing things that we often take for granted! To keep our eyes on Jesus instead of ourselves and our own pain.

Through St. Patrick's intercession and by his life and prayers, may we be helped to truly see God's nearness and the abundance of His gifts, and thus obtain the joy and peace that surpasses understanding that God gives to all who draw near to Him. 
We pray this in Jesus' Name. Amen!
   
P.S. I shared the shortened versions of St. Patrick's full Lorica prayer above: the song that it inspired and the beautiful part of the prayer that I pray when I'm feeling most alone and need to remind myself of God's presence. 

But, the full Lorica prayer is worth reading and praying with. When you have time, after you've pondered what has been written above:

Please pray the full prayer, as well as more reflections on how the prayer and Scripture can be used as a shield of faith during these dark times. You can find them here. 

© Janet Moore. 2020.  All Rights Reserved.

My Prayer for a Happy Thanksgiving

I write this to wish each everyone a blessed, holy and happy Thanksgving!

I write this aware of the pain many of us carry in our hearts during this time of Thanksgiving and throughout the Christmas season.

So, aware of this pain and the imperfect circumstances many of us have experienced on Thanksgiving - I still write this to wish you much gladness and gratitude,
even though:

This Thanksgiving, some of us were alone.

Some of us had family members who were missing through death or other circumstances -- and our hearts were broken at their absence. 

Many families are 'broken', divorced and separated - some in outward ways, and some in very hidden ways. 

Many are living in strife.

Some have been abandoned or abused.

Some are caught in the web of sin and addictions.

Some are hungry and living in poverty,

In sickness or close to death.

When our circumstances don't match up to the perfect, beautiful images of Thanksgiving we imagine or once experienced, deep sadness, or even depression can come upon us.  

While our society's images of close knit families enjoying each other and feasting around a a bountiful Thanksgiving meal are beautiful, they can lead us to have unrealistic expectations that were never promised to us by God.  

God never promised us a perfect family.  

God never promised that our lives would be free from pain or hurt, rejection or betrayal. 

Regardless of our current family situations, 

we still are blessed beyond measure in ways that go far beyond the outward circumstances in which we are living. 

Our life is a gift. 

Every breath we take is a gift from God.  

Every beat of our heart is a gift from God. 

Every good thing we have is a gift from God and it is right and just to give Him thanks!  

And this is the secret to happiness -- to be mindful of the gifts God has given us and to offer Him thanks and praise for these amazing things that we often take for granted!

To keep our eyes on Jesus instead of ourselves and our own pain.

I often think of St. Patrick, whose birth name was Maewyn Succat. As a young man he was kidnapped and enslaved for six years in a foreign land. Forced to live without shelter.  He was often alone, starving and perhaps beaten and tortured.

In this deprivation, he turned to God and rejoiced in His wondrous gifts that surrounded him even in such horrific circumstances.  

He didn't live in perfect circumstances -- but his heart was free and thankful.

Two prayers that he prayed during this time never fail to stir my heart, for they stemmed from his prayerful union with God during this time of dire need. 

One has been turned into a song.  

Every time I pray or sing it, I imagine Patrick singing and praying these words of praise to His Creator and constant companion while cold, starving and enslaved.

It reminds me of all we have to be thankful for that goes far beyond our circumstances. 

May it be a gift to you as it is to me.

http://www.21st-century-christianity.com/E-Water-Irish-Blessing.html

The Bulwark or Breastplate of St. Patrick
This day God gives me strength of high heaven Sun and moon shining, flame in my hearth. Flashing of lightning, wind in its swiftness, Deeps of the Ocean, firmess of earth.
This day God sends me, strength as my guardian, Might to uphold me, Wisdom as guide. Your eyes are watchful,  your ears are listening, Your lips are speaking, Friend at my side.
God's way is my way, God's shield is round me, God's host defends me, Saving from ill. Angels of heaven,  drive from me always, All that would harm me, Stand by me still.
Rising I thank You, mighty and Strong One, King of creation, Giver of rest, Firmly confessing Oneness of Godhead  Threeness of Persons, Trinity blest. 

There is no greater gift than Jesus becoming man to die for our sins! 

There is no greater gift than Our Savior and God desiring us so much that He found a way to be united to us in the midst of this imperfect world. He hides Himself in the appearance of Bread so He can live inside us, nourishing us and filling us His Grace, with the Father's Love and the Power of the Holy Spirit and all His gifts: joy, peace, patience, gratitude, strength, courage, fear of the Lord, etc. 

All that is good is a gift that He longs to give to us.  It is only contingent upon our acceptance of Him.  

The happiest of men are the ones who are aware and grateful for these gifts and who are living with and in the One who created us, redeemed and cherishes us more deeply than we can ever fathom.

These gifts are deeper, more profound, more healing and fulfilling than any momentary pleasure this world has to offer, and is far stronger than the deepest and darkest of outward circumstances.

To live a life in this awareness and thanksgiving to God is accomplished moment by moment and step by step. 

It is accomplished by turning to Jesus each moment of our day -- whether happy or sad. 

By reading about Him in His Holy Word, seeking Him in prayer and in the Sacraments of Reconciliation and Eucharist.  

Praying to Him whether we feel like it or not.

If we take these steps each day to seek Him and welcome Him in our soul, we will never be outdone in our efforts or generosity!

And if we fall, each moment is a new beginning and a new opportunity to start again.

Our circumstances may remain unchanged, but our interior life will become filled with the love, peace and mercy of Christ -- and a deep interior joy that cannot be stripped away from us, regardless of our circumstances, if we remain in Him.

The second prayer is really part of the first:

Lorica of St. Patrick:

Christ with me, 
Christ before me, 
Christ behind me,
Christ within me, 
Christ beneath me, 
Christ above me, 
Christ on my right, 
Christ on my left, 
Christ when I lie down, 
Christ when I sit down, 
Christ in the heart of every man who thinks of me, 
Christ in the mouth of every man who speaks of me, 
Christ in the eye that sees me, 
Christ in the ear that hears me. 

May praying these prayers help us to truly see God's nearness and the abundance of His gifts.

May each of our days be filled with thanksgiving, not only through these holy days of Advent and the Christmas season, but always!

Much love to you all!  

A bonus gift that you can listen to at your leisure is a short sermon by a phenomenal priest for Thanksgiving Day:

St. John Clonmel                                                              Thu, Nov 27                            New sermon from Rev. C. Jarrod Lies. Recorded on Nov 27, 3:58 PM 2014.11.27 - Thanksgiving Day (click to listen) You are receiving sermons because you signed up to receive them from St. John Clonmel. Unsubscribe  |  Invite a Former Pastor

Lastly, I offer a section of St. Patrick's “Confessio.”  It relates what was taking place in his soul that led him to offer these beautiful prayers to God: 

"There the Lord opened the sense of my unbelief that I might at last remember my sins and then turn with all my heart to the Lord my God, who had regard for my low estate, and took pity on my youth and ignorance, and watched over me before I knew Him, and before I was able to distinguish between good and evil, and guarded me, and comforted me as would a father his son. Hence I cannot be silent – and indeed, I ought not to be – about the many blessings and the great grace which the Lord has deigned to bestow upon me in the land of my captivity;…the love of God and His fear increased in me more and more, and the faith grew in me, and the spirit was roused, so that, in a single day, I have said as many as a hundred prayers, and in the night nearly the same, so that whilst in the woods and on the mountain, even before the dawn, I was roused to prayer and felt no hurt from it, whether there was snow or ice or rain; nor was there any slothfulness in me, such as I see now, because the spirit was then fervent within me.”

Copyright 2014 Janet Moore

Day 9: God Alone - With, In and through Mary - 33 Days to Total Consecration

 "I am all yours, and all that I have is yours, O most loving Jesus, through Mary, your most holy Mother" 

(True Devotion, 233).

DAY 9 of 33: 
WEEK 2: Contemplate the Our Father as we take St. Maximilian Kolbe as our guide.

Action: 
Resolve to pray a complete set of mysteries of the Rosary every day - as an act of love to God and in fulfillment of Mary's requests to us.
Start by contemplating the Joyful mysteries of the Rosary - see day 8 for instructions/ guidance on how to fit this into your day.
Also, pray and contemplate the 1st Luminous Mystery - the Baptism of our Lord.

In the video, we contemplate not only the Baptism of Jesus, but also how to LIVE fully our Baptisms, which is as an integral part of this Call to Consecration.
In it, we also look at St. Peter to find encouragement in his 
transformation.
 
This week we are asked to ponder the Our Father Prayer and the Mystery of the Father who loves us so deeply. (I shared Psalm 139 and St. Patrick's Breastplate with those who came to the class last night to help us enter into this great love).
While contemplating this, it is providential that today we also are asked to consider the Baptism of Jesus, for  God reveals Himself as Father reveals there. In fact, this is the first time in Scripture we are made aware that God is Trinity - He is three persons in one God - 
Comprised of the Father - Who loves us so much that He sent His only Son and His Holy Spirit - not only to save us, but to fill our souls with His Divine Life (most especially at our Baptisms)! 
Furthermore, it is providential that we are considering the Baptism of Jesus at the same time we take St. Maximilian Kolbe as our guide to help us ponder Mary, who was made Immaculate at her conception. For, while the Holy Trinity gave Mary this untold and unfathomable grace at her conception, we also must be aware that we, too, have been made immaculate in our Baptisms. 
Not to the same extent  - but, still it is the same gift - given to each to the extent that God wills.
For, while Mary is made Immaculate to the supreme extent - as she was not only freed from sin and death but also freed from all the effects of sin as well - in our Baptisms we are made immaculate to the extent that we are freed from sin, but still have the tendency toward sin through concupiscence. 
At our baptisms we are given a foretaste of this supreme freedom from sin and its effects that Mary has been given. It is a foretaste because someday we will experience this fully in heaven. 
Yet, we don't have to wait for heaven to begin living this reality - because to the extent we enter into this Consecration, (to the extent that we die to ourselves to live in Mary and thus, LIVE the grace of our Baptism), is the same extent that we will be able to be filled with God's Divine Love and Life here and now ... and being so filled, the less will sin and its effects be able to rule us.

To begin to live this freedom, it is fitting, therefore, for us to renew and ratify the vows of our Baptism and to renounce sin and satan (these vows were often made by others who stood in our place in our infancy). Doing this is at the heart of St. Louis' consecration prayer: 

 I, N_____, a faithless sinner, renew and ratify today in thy hands the vows of my Baptism; I renounce forever Satan, his pomps and works; and I give myself entirely to Jesus Christ, the Incarnate Wisdom, to carry my cross after Him all the days of my life, and to be more faithful to Him than I have ever been before. In the presence of all the heavenly court I choose thee this day for my Mother and Mistress. I deliver and consecrate to thee, as thy slave, my body and soul, my goods, both interior and exterior, and even the value of all my good actions, past, present and future; leaving to thee the entire and full right of disposing of me, and all that belongs to me, without exception, according to thy good pleasure, for the greater glory of God in time and in eternity.

In Baptism, so many graces pour over and infuse our souls that we literally become a new creation - entirely recreated as a child of God through the infinite grace of Jesus' life, death and resurrection! As we renew and ratify our baptism, we are called upon to personally choose to renounce sin and satan, his pomps and works - the lies which he weaves to entice us and convince us that sin is desirable - the very things that Jesus suffered and died so horribly to free us from. We renounce our enslavement of sin and satan and freely choose to love God wholeheartedly as He commands: 

"Hear, O Israel! The LORD is our God, the LORD alone!  
Therefore, you shall love the LORD, your God, with your whole heart, and with your whole being, and with your whole strength. 
Take to heart these words which I command you today. 
Keep repeating them to your children. Recite them when you are at home and when you are away, when you lie down and when you get up. Bind them on your arm as a sign and let them be as a pendant on your forehead. Write them on the doorposts of your houses and on your gates."  Deuteronomy 6: 4-7

I fell in love with the Sacrament of Baptism when I was asked to teach about it. I am convinced that as you find out more about it that it will enthrall you and inspire you too. It is such an inestimable, precious, divine gift! When we recognize it as such, and contemplate the price that was paid for us to be given such a gift, it compels us to want to renew and ratify the vows of it each day - to say "Yes! I want to live fully this unfathomable Divine life I've been given!!!"
It would be a wonderful thing when you have the time to spend time reading about the extraordinary gifts of our Baptisms that can be found in the Catechism. 
In the meantime, here are some of the amazing gifts and effects of Baptism - with and in which we have been filled and transformed and made new!!! 
May pondering them be a grace for you!

LIVE Baptismal Grace (Divine supernatural life we were given)

Called Chosen Named

Each with a purpose unique – only you can fulfill

Freed

Child of God

Living tabernacle of Father, Son and Holy Spirit

We have Died with Christ so to rise with Him

Unless you are baptized you cannot enter my Kingdom

In Baptism we died with Christ so to live with Him

Forgiven and

Freed from punishment

New Creation

Filled with Holy Spirit

Living Tabernacles of the Most High

Infused with Sanctifying Grace

supernatural virtues of faith, hope and charity

Incorporated into Christ –

Members of his Body the Church

Partakers of His Divinity –

Sharers in His Divine Nature

Adopted Children – Heirs

            Sealed with Indelible Spiritual Mark sin cannot erase

Action:
1. Skim through the accompanying pictures and words below that highlight the extraordinary wisdom of St. Maximilian and St. Louis. Read them more thoroughly as the Holy Spirit inspires you and as time allows and when it is possible.
2. Continue to choose to enter more deeply into the daily prayer program (below) at least in this way: 
Ponder and pray the Our Father today and the entire Joyful Mysteries as well as the 1st Luminous Mystery  - while praying for the grace to listen, to hear and respond to God as Mary does.
Praying also for the grace to surrender whatever is keeping me from responding fully  - in and through and with Mary’s love and help.

Daily Prayer Program for these 33 Days:

It is important to make a commitment to strive to pray more deeply, more intensely and with more of your heart during these days of preparation. Here are some guidelines and suggestions for how to live these days. Pray about how you can grow in each of these areas listed below and while living out this prayer program it is especially important to 

Trust in the Truth and Supernatural Reality of God’s Presence within each of them

1. Sacraments

    •            LIVE Grace and Renew our Baptism - renounce sin and Satan

    •            Mass and the Eucharist the Center of our lives

    •            Confession frequently

2. Scripture - Pray and Internalize it daily

    •           To Jelena: “I’m going to reveal a spiritual secret to you: if you want to be stronger than evil, make yourself a plan of personal prayer. Take a certain time in the morning, read a text from Holy Scripture, anchor the Divine word in your heart, and strive to live it during the day, particularly during the moment of trials. In this way, you will be stronger than evil.” (Our Lady of Medjugorje, April 19, 1984)

    •           Rosary – With and in Mary, contemplating Scripture and the mysteries of God

3. Fill mind with wisdom of Mary and the Saints

    •            God is sending Mary to earth for she is the Crusher of Satan. Listen to her words.

    •            St. John Paul II – example of life given over – Totus Tuus

    •            St. Maximilian Kolbe – Militia Immaculata every soul consecrated to Mary will save the world

    •            St. Louis de Montfort – Mary will form the greatest saints who ever lived – easiest shortest most sure way to sanctity

    •            St. Mother Teresa and many more

PART 2: Day 9 Readings and Prayers for St. Louis de Montfort's 33 Day of Consecration to Jesus through Mary - An Online Guide

Readings and Prayers for St. Louis-Marie de Montfort's Total Consecration to Jesus through Mary

12 Days of Preparation renouncing the spirit of the world

Praying over and reading Jesus' Words

Praying with the Heart

Examining our conscience 

Learning about Mary's place in God's plan 

PART 3: A taste of Fr. Gaitley's 33 Days to Morning Glory if you have time:

“Come, Holy Spirit, living in Mary. Unveil for me the meaning of the Immaculate Conception”.

CLICK HERE for podcast of Day 9 

© Janet Moore 2019. All Rights Reserved.