Devotions

At the end of the 17th century Our Lord appeared to St. Margaret Mary Alocoque (1647-1690) and asked her to spread devotion to His Most Sacred Heart. In a letter written to her Mother Superior in May 1688, St. Margaret Mary set out what is called The Great Promise Our Lord made regarding the Nine First Fridays and what we must do to earn it: “On Friday during Holy Communion, He said these words to His unworthy slave, if I mistake not: ‘I promise you in the excessive mercy of My Heart that Its all-powerful love will grant to all those who receive Holy Communion on nine first Fridays of consecutive months the grace of final repentance; they will not die under My displeasure or without receiving their sacraments, My divine Heart making Itself their assured refuge at the last moment.'” Some Catholic resources on this devotion say that Confession is not strictly required unless you need the sacrament in order to receive a worthy Communion, in other words, you need to go to Confession so you can be in the state of grace before you can receive Our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament. Other sources say you must go to Confession with in eight days before or after the Friday. Even if you are in the state of grace. In truth... if you are aware of any sins, you should go to confession. The communicant should have the intention, at least implicitly, of making reparation to the Sacred Heart of Jesus for all the sinfulness and ingratitude of men. Our Lord made these promises to St. Margaret Mary Alacoque regarding those who practice the Nine First Fridays and have a deep devotion to His Sacred Heart. The Twelve Promises listed below includes the “Great Promise” (number 12). 1. I will give them all of the graces necessary for their state of life. 2. I will establish peace in their homes. 3. I will comfort them in all their afflictions. 4. I will be their strength during life and above all during death. 5. I will bestow a large blessing upon all their undertakings. 6. Sinners shall find in My Heart the source and the infinite ocean of mercy. 7. Tepid souls shall grow fervent. 8. Fervent souls shall quickly mount to high perfection. 9. I will bless every place where a picture of my heart shall be set up and honored. 10. I will give to priests the gift of touching the most hardened hearts. 11. Those who shall promote this devotion shall have their names written in My Heart, never to be blotted out. 12. I promise you in the excessive mercy of My Heart that My all-powerful love will grant all to those who communicate on the First Friday in nine consecutive months the grace of final penitence; they shall not die in My disgrace nor without receiving their sacraments; My Divine Heart shall be their safe refuge in this last moment.

Our Lady of Fatima wants us home safe and sound and with God she has given us a special and precious gift to save our souls and help save the souls of others. This simple devotion should be encouraged and taught. Mother Church provides the means for those who can't attend Mass to still fulfill the requirements for this devotion. Peace be with you.

The Brown Scapular, also known as the Scapular of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, is a Catholic sacramental consisting of two small pieces of brown cloth connected by strings. The wearer drapes it over their shoulders so one piece rests on the chest and the other on the back. Originally, a scapular was a large apron-like garment worn by monks for work, and over time it became a symbolic part of their habit. The Brown Scapular is a smaller version of this, and it is a popular devotion for lay Catholics. It symbolizes a person's consecration to the Blessed Virgin Mary and a commitment to imitate her virtues, such as humility and devotion to God. The tradition of the Brown Scapular dates back to a 13th-century apparition where the Blessed Virgin Mary gave it to Saint Simon Stock, a Carmelite, promising her special protection to those who wear it faithfully. The Church emphasizes that the scapular is not a good luck charm or a magical guarantee of salvation. Instead, it is an external sign of an inward spiritual commitment to a life of prayer and Christian virtue, with the help and intercession of Mary.

In the 14th century, Our Lady revealed to St. Bridget of Sweden seven special graces that she would grant to those devoted to her Sorrows. She spoke at length to St. Bridget about the Passion of her Son and her own Sorrows, and made these promises to those who would say seven Hail Marys daily while meditating on her tears and sufferings: 1. “I will grant peace to their families.” 2. “They will be enlightened about the divine Mysteries.” 3. “I will console them in their pains and I will accompany them in their work.” 4. “I will give them as much as they ask for as long as it does not oppose the adorable will of my divine Son or the sanctification of their souls.” 5. “I will defend them in their spiritual battles with the infernal enemy and I will protect them at every instant of their lives.” 6. “I will visibly help them at the moment of their death—they will see the face of their mother.” 7. “I have obtained this grace from my divine Son, that those who propagate this devotion to my tears and dolors will be taken directly from this earthly life to eternal happiness, since all their sins will be forgiven and my Son will be their eternal consolation and joy.” --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Music credit: Music credit: I Am a Man Who Will Fight for Your Honor by Chris Zabriskie is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Source: http://chriszabriskie.com/honor/ Artist: http://chriszabriskie.com/

Whether you believe in the promises associated with these prayers or not and whether you believe they were truly given to St. Bridget through God or not, the fact remains that the prayers themselves are fruitful if you pray with a loving and genuine heart. Love of God is worth more than all silver and gold. Love of God is the drug that humanity needs, but we choose the wrong things and become inebriated with evil. Love is the answer to all of our problems. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Music credit: I Am a Man Who Will Fight for Your Honor by Chris Zabriskie is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Source: http://chriszabriskie.com/honor/ Artist: http://chriszabriskie.com/

The Saint Benedict Medal is a Christian sacramental medal containing symbols and text related to the life of Saint Benedict of Nursia. The medal is a prayer of exorcism against Satan, a prayer for strength in time of temptation, a prayer for peace among ourselves and among the nations of the world, a prayer that the Cross of Christ be our light and guide, a prayer of firm rejection of all that is evil, and a prayer of petition that we may with Christian courage “walk in God’s ways, with the Gospel as our guide,” as St. Benedict urges us.

As instructed to Sr. Mary of St. Peter, Our Lord said, "It is the express will of God that this Devotion be established in every diocese; that it be most zealously propagated and granted a papal brief so that it will never perish". The promises of Our Lord Jesus Christ to those devoted to His Holy Face: 1. All those who honor my face in a spirit of reparation will by doing so perform the office of the pious Veronica. According to the care they take in making reparation to my Face, disfigured by blasphemers, so will I take care of their souls which have been disfigured by sin. My Face is the seal of the Divinity, which has the virtue of reproducing in souls the image of God. 2. Those who by words, prayers or writing defend My cause in this work of reparation I will defend before My Father, and will give them My Kingdom. 3. By offering My Face to My eternal Father, nothing will be refused, and the conversion of many sinners will be obtained. 4. By My Holy Face, they will work wonders, appease the anger of God and draw down mercy on sinners. 5. As in a Kingdom they can procure all that is desired with a coin stamped with the Kings effigy, so in the Kingdom of Heaven they will obtain all they desire with the precious coin of My Holy Face. 6. Those who on earth contemplate the wounds of My Face shall in Heaven behold it radiant with glory. 7. They will receive in their souls a bright and constant irradiation of My Divinity, that by their likeness to My Face they shall shine with particular splendor in Heaven. 8. I will defend them, I will preserve them and I assure them of Final Perseverance.

The Feast of Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal is celebrated on November 27th annually. The Miraculous Medal is a devotional medal designed by the Blessed Virgin Mary herself and given to St. Catherine Labouré. The Miraculous Medal's design was revealed to St. Catherine Labouré in 1830 in a series of visions in Paris, France. Mary instructed St. Catherine to have the medal struck and distributed, promising great graces for those who wear it, especially if worn around the neck. Words from the vision, form an oval frame around the image of Mary on the medal, and they say: "O Mary, conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee". When Mary spoke to St. Catherine, she said "Those who repeat this prayer with devotion will be, in a special manner, under the protection of the Mother of God. Graces will be abundantly bestowed upon those who have confidence.” There's been many miracles and conversions, stories of healing and protection from harm that have happened in thanks to the miraculous medal and Mary's intercession with God. The medal's unique design and the stories associated with it have made it a powerful symbol of faith and devotion to Our Lady. The medal also contains symbolism that points towards the Marian teachings of the Catholic Church. On the Front side of the medal: Mary is seen standing on a globe. This symbolizes Mary bestowing graces upon the Earth and mankind, and also that she was assumed body and soul into Heaven. Mary's assumption into heaven is one of the four Marian dogmas of the catholic church. Mary is also seen standing on the serpent. This is a reference to Genesis 3:15 where God says.... I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; They will strike at your head, while you strike at their heel. This also represents that Mary is engaged in the spiritual battle against evil and Satan who the serpent represents, and that she protects from evil. She is also seen with rays of light shining forth from her hands – This symbolizes graces from Mary as Mediatrix. Mary’s title of mediatrix arises from her cooperation in the Incarnation and in the Redemption of mankind. Through Mary's “yes” (Lk 1:38), she became the Theotokos (God-bearer), and as the “New Eve,” she is “the Mother of all living.” Mary told Catherine that the rays "symbolize the graces I shed upon those who ask for them". Surrounding Mary and seen on the outer edge of the medal is the prayer "O Mary conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee". This is not only a prayer but also a reference to Mary as the Immaculate Conception. Mary was the only person to have been preserved free from all stain of original sin. Mary's Immaculate Conception is another one of the four Marian Dogmas of the Catholic Church. On the back side of the medal: There is a large letter "M" – The letter M symbolizes Mary. The Cross seen above the M represents Jesus Christ's cross as an act of redemption for all mankind. The crossbar which is connected to the bottom of the cross which is seen interlacing with the letter M represents Mary's close involvement with her Son in the mission of human salvation, and her standing at the foot of the cross during Jesus's ultimate redemptive sacrifice. The 12 stars surrounding the cross and the letter M represent the Twelve Apostles and the Church, and the vision of John the Apostle in Revelation 12:1 where he says "And a great sign appeared in heaven: A woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars", symbolizing the Woman of Apocalypse and Queen of Heaven. The Left heart at the bottom of the medal is the Sacred Heart of Jesus; His flaming heart of divine love for mankind, encircled by the crown of thorns. The Right heart is the Immaculate Heart of Mary; set on fire with her maternal love for mankind, and pierced by a sword referencing Simeon's prophecy in Luke 2:35 where Simeon told Mary ... (and you yourself a sword will pierce) so that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed.” So this simple medal which was designed by the Blessed Virgin Mary herself is another gift of heaven and another tool at our disposal in our ongoing struggle against sin and the demonic. By simply wearing the miraculous medal around our neck and reciting the prayer seen on the medal, we remember our Mother, her role in salvation history and we receive unwarranted and generous love from the Queen of all creation and her intercession with her Son, Jesus. So thank you God and Mary for this generous gift.

The Green Scapular is a devotional item in the Catholic Church. It is worn to gain the intercession of the Virgin Mary and is a powerful tool for conversion and spiritual healing. The scapular is a small green cloth with images of Our Lady and her Immaculate Heart attached to a piece of green string.