Wednesday, May 12, 2010
Lord God, I thank you today for the gift of my life,
And for the lives of all my brothers and sisters.
I know there is nothing that destroys more life than abortion,
Yet I rejoice that you have conquered death
by the Resurrection of Your Son.
I am ready to do my part in ending abortion.
Today I commit myself
Never to be silent,
Never to be passive,
Never to be forgetful of the unborn.
I commit myself to be active in the pro-life movement,
And never to stop defending life
Until all my brothers and sisters are protected,
And our nation once again becomes
A nation with liberty and justice.
Not just for some, but for all,
Through Christ our Lord. Amen!
And for the lives of all my brothers and sisters.
I know there is nothing that destroys more life than abortion,
Yet I rejoice that you have conquered death
by the Resurrection of Your Son.
I am ready to do my part in ending abortion.
Today I commit myself
Never to be silent,
Never to be passive,
Never to be forgetful of the unborn.
I commit myself to be active in the pro-life movement,
And never to stop defending life
Until all my brothers and sisters are protected,
And our nation once again becomes
A nation with liberty and justice.
Not just for some, but for all,
Through Christ our Lord. Amen!
The Great Adventure Bible Class
The Great Adventure is the journey through the Bible to find the story of salvation. Jeff Cavins leads us through video lessons to find the great story of God’s family in the Old and New Testaments. Join us Tuesdays at 7:00 PM starting on May 11th for the 24 sessions. We read and study the Bible together in the rectory!
The Great Adventure is the journey through the Bible to find the story of salvation. Jeff Cavins leads us through video lessons to find the great story of God’s family in the Old and New Testaments. Join us Tuesdays at 7:00 PM starting on May 11th for the 24 sessions. We read and study the Bible together in the rectory!
What is the proper disposal of ashes from cremation?
The Church allows cremation because it does not mean the rejection of the resurrection of the body as it did previously. Nonetheless the ashes must be buried in a Catholic Cemetery. It is not right to keep ashes in your home or worse to spread over the water or other place. Both the corpses and the ashes must wait in holy ground for the Second Coming of Christ at the end of the world!
You have a quesion?
Send an e-mail to info@stthomasmorechicago.org
The Church allows cremation because it does not mean the rejection of the resurrection of the body as it did previously. Nonetheless the ashes must be buried in a Catholic Cemetery. It is not right to keep ashes in your home or worse to spread over the water or other place. Both the corpses and the ashes must wait in holy ground for the Second Coming of Christ at the end of the world!
You have a quesion?
Send an e-mail to info@stthomasmorechicago.org
What is the Abomination of Desolation?
The term refers back to the Old Testament and Nebuchadnezzar’s siege of Jerusalem. It represents evil and the punishment from God. No matter how much evil, God always wins! He will punish those that oppose Him!
Since it is true that if we do not go forward in the spiritual life, we fall backward (according to Saint Catherine of Siena’s book “Dialogue”), how do we grow in holiness? There are many fine books written on this point but one common point is that holiness is doing the Will of God. We should ask ourselves often if we are doing what God wants. We can check our daily duty as Our Lady of Fatima called it. We should try to work our duty with the idea that I am serving God in this work and that I also want to offer the work for a special intention of mine. We can have a continuous Presence of God through small aspirations so that we keep a constant conversation going with our Father God. Check the new Spiritual Library for some of those good books.
The term refers back to the Old Testament and Nebuchadnezzar’s siege of Jerusalem. It represents evil and the punishment from God. No matter how much evil, God always wins! He will punish those that oppose Him!
Since it is true that if we do not go forward in the spiritual life, we fall backward (according to Saint Catherine of Siena’s book “Dialogue”), how do we grow in holiness? There are many fine books written on this point but one common point is that holiness is doing the Will of God. We should ask ourselves often if we are doing what God wants. We can check our daily duty as Our Lady of Fatima called it. We should try to work our duty with the idea that I am serving God in this work and that I also want to offer the work for a special intention of mine. We can have a continuous Presence of God through small aspirations so that we keep a constant conversation going with our Father God. Check the new Spiritual Library for some of those good books.
Friday, March 26, 2010
The Divine Mercy Chaplet Starts on Good Friday,
April 2, 2010 at 2:30 p.m.
What is the Chaplet of Divine Mercy?
In the 1930s, Sister Faustina received from the Lord a message of mercy that she was told to spread throughout the world. She was asked to become the apostle and secretary of God's mercy, a model of how to be merciful to others, and an instrument for reemphasizing God's plan of mercy for the world.
The message of mercy that Sister Faustina received is now being spread throughout the world; she has been recognized by the Church as a "Saint"; and her diary, Divine Mercy in My Soul, has become the handbook for devotion to The Divine Mercy. She would not have been surprised, for she had been told that the message of God's mercy would spread through her writings for the great benefit of souls.
Through Saint Faustina, Jesus also revealed special ways to live out the response to His mercy–one of which is the Chaplet of Divine Mercy, as both a novena and a prayer for the three o'clock hour–the hour of His death.
How to Recite the Chaplet of Divine Mercy
The Chaplet of Mercy is recited using ordinary rosary beads of five decades. At the National Shrine of Divine Mercy in Stockbridge, Massachusetts the Chaplet is preceded by two opening prayers from the Diary of Saint Faustina and followed by a closing prayer.
Optional Opening Prayers
You expired, Jesus, but the source of life gushed forth for souls, and the 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 fountain of Mercy for us, I trust in You!
Begin with the Our Father, the Hail Mary and the Apostle's Creed.
Then, on the large bead before each decade:
Eternal Father,
I offer you the Body and Blood,
Soul and Divinity,
of Your Dearly Beloved Son,
Our Lord, Jesus Christ,
in atonement for our sins
and those of the whole world.
On the ten small beads of each decade, say:
For the sake of His sorrowful Passion,
have mercy on us and on the whole world.
Conclude with (Say 3 Times):
Holy God,
Holy Mighty One,
Holy Immortal One,
have mercy on us
and on the whole world.
Optional Closing Prayer
Eternal God, in whom mercy is endless and the treasury of compassion inexhaustible, look kindly upon us and increase Your mercy in us, that in difficult moments we might not despair nor become despondent, but with great confidence submit ourselves to Your holy will, which is Love and Mercy itself.
Our Lord said to Saint Faustina:
Encourage souls to say the Chaplet which I have given you ... Whoever will recite it will receive great mercy at the hour of death ... When they say this chaplet in the presence of the dying, I will stand between my Father and the dying person, not as the Just Judge but as the Merciful Savior ... Priests will recommend it to sinners as their last hope of salvation. Even if there were a sinner most hardened, if he were to recite this chaplet only once, he would receive grace from my infinite mercy. I desire to grant unimaginable graces to those souls who trust in My mercy ... Through the Chaplet you will obtain everything, if what you ask for is compatible with My will.
The different souls prayed for on each day of the novena are:
DAY 1 (Good Friday) - All mankind, especially sinners
DAY 2 (Holy Saturday) - The souls of priests and religious
DAY 3 (Easter Sunday) - All devout and faithful souls
DAY 4 (Easter Monday) - Those who do not believe in Jesus and those who do not yet know Him
DAY 5 (Easter Tuesday) - The souls of separated brethren
DAY 6 (Easter Wednesday) - The meek and humble souls and the souls of children
DAY 7 (Easter Thursday) - The souls who especially venerate and glorify Jesus' mercy
DAY 8 (Easter Friday) - The souls who are detained in purgatory;
DAY 9 (Easter Saturday) - The souls who have become lukewarm.
3:00 p.m. – Divine Mercy Sunday Chaplet Holy Hour at STM. Plenary indulgence is available if you go to Mass and Communion today; Confession within 8 days, and pray the Chaplet of the Divine Mercy during the Holy Hour.
April 2, 2010 at 2:30 p.m.
What is the Chaplet of Divine Mercy?
In the 1930s, Sister Faustina received from the Lord a message of mercy that she was told to spread throughout the world. She was asked to become the apostle and secretary of God's mercy, a model of how to be merciful to others, and an instrument for reemphasizing God's plan of mercy for the world.
The message of mercy that Sister Faustina received is now being spread throughout the world; she has been recognized by the Church as a "Saint"; and her diary, Divine Mercy in My Soul, has become the handbook for devotion to The Divine Mercy. She would not have been surprised, for she had been told that the message of God's mercy would spread through her writings for the great benefit of souls.
Through Saint Faustina, Jesus also revealed special ways to live out the response to His mercy–one of which is the Chaplet of Divine Mercy, as both a novena and a prayer for the three o'clock hour–the hour of His death.
How to Recite the Chaplet of Divine Mercy
The Chaplet of Mercy is recited using ordinary rosary beads of five decades. At the National Shrine of Divine Mercy in Stockbridge, Massachusetts the Chaplet is preceded by two opening prayers from the Diary of Saint Faustina and followed by a closing prayer.
Optional Opening Prayers
You expired, Jesus, but the source of life gushed forth for souls, and the 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 fountain of Mercy for us, I trust in You!
Begin with the Our Father, the Hail Mary and the Apostle's Creed.
Then, on the large bead before each decade:
Eternal Father,
I offer you the Body and Blood,
Soul and Divinity,
of Your Dearly Beloved Son,
Our Lord, Jesus Christ,
in atonement for our sins
and those of the whole world.
On the ten small beads of each decade, say:
For the sake of His sorrowful Passion,
have mercy on us and on the whole world.
Conclude with (Say 3 Times):
Holy God,
Holy Mighty One,
Holy Immortal One,
have mercy on us
and on the whole world.
Optional Closing Prayer
Eternal God, in whom mercy is endless and the treasury of compassion inexhaustible, look kindly upon us and increase Your mercy in us, that in difficult moments we might not despair nor become despondent, but with great confidence submit ourselves to Your holy will, which is Love and Mercy itself.
Our Lord said to Saint Faustina:
Encourage souls to say the Chaplet which I have given you ... Whoever will recite it will receive great mercy at the hour of death ... When they say this chaplet in the presence of the dying, I will stand between my Father and the dying person, not as the Just Judge but as the Merciful Savior ... Priests will recommend it to sinners as their last hope of salvation. Even if there were a sinner most hardened, if he were to recite this chaplet only once, he would receive grace from my infinite mercy. I desire to grant unimaginable graces to those souls who trust in My mercy ... Through the Chaplet you will obtain everything, if what you ask for is compatible with My will.
The different souls prayed for on each day of the novena are:
DAY 1 (Good Friday) - All mankind, especially sinners
DAY 2 (Holy Saturday) - The souls of priests and religious
DAY 3 (Easter Sunday) - All devout and faithful souls
DAY 4 (Easter Monday) - Those who do not believe in Jesus and those who do not yet know Him
DAY 5 (Easter Tuesday) - The souls of separated brethren
DAY 6 (Easter Wednesday) - The meek and humble souls and the souls of children
DAY 7 (Easter Thursday) - The souls who especially venerate and glorify Jesus' mercy
DAY 8 (Easter Friday) - The souls who are detained in purgatory;
DAY 9 (Easter Saturday) - The souls who have become lukewarm.
3:00 p.m. – Divine Mercy Sunday Chaplet Holy Hour at STM. Plenary indulgence is available if you go to Mass and Communion today; Confession within 8 days, and pray the Chaplet of the Divine Mercy during the Holy Hour.
This is the holiest week of the year! It is the time to consider and relive Christ’s Passion and Death and Resurrection. The priests will be going to the Chrism Mass to get the holy oils that we use yearlong to anoint the sick, children at their Baptism and those for Confirmation.
The Mass on Holy Thursday recounts the Institution of the Holy Eucharist and of the Holy Priesthood. The washing of the feet reminds us of Christ’s example of charity for His Apostles. On the bus to other churches, we pray the seven penitential psalms and recall Jesus in His Agony and Imprisonment.
Good Friday begins with Stations of the Cross at Noon and the Tre Ore, made famous by Bishop Sheen at St. Agnes in New York. Father Behnke will present meditations on the seven last words of Christ. There is no Mass on Good Friday but we do gather to listen to the Passion and pray and venerate the Cross and receive Holy Communion.
Holy Saturday is always at night to remind us of the darkness before Christ. The fire and the lighting of candles show how Jesus enters the world with His truth and life. The Baptisms and Entrance into Full Communion will bring the freshness of Faith right here in our own parish. We get seven weeks to celebrate the joy of Easter!
What will we do after Lent? Do we really want to return back to sins of laziness, gluttony and temptation? Try to keep your Lenten penances going as long as possible and keep your new life!
Holy Week 2010 Schedule
The Mass on Holy Thursday recounts the Institution of the Holy Eucharist and of the Holy Priesthood. The washing of the feet reminds us of Christ’s example of charity for His Apostles. On the bus to other churches, we pray the seven penitential psalms and recall Jesus in His Agony and Imprisonment.
Good Friday begins with Stations of the Cross at Noon and the Tre Ore, made famous by Bishop Sheen at St. Agnes in New York. Father Behnke will present meditations on the seven last words of Christ. There is no Mass on Good Friday but we do gather to listen to the Passion and pray and venerate the Cross and receive Holy Communion.
Holy Saturday is always at night to remind us of the darkness before Christ. The fire and the lighting of candles show how Jesus enters the world with His truth and life. The Baptisms and Entrance into Full Communion will bring the freshness of Faith right here in our own parish. We get seven weeks to celebrate the joy of Easter!
What will we do after Lent? Do we really want to return back to sins of laziness, gluttony and temptation? Try to keep your Lenten penances going as long as possible and keep your new life!
Holy Week 2010 Schedule
March 29, 2010 – Monday
8:00 a.m. – Confessions
March 30, 2010 – Tuesday
8:00 a.m. – confessions
March 31, 2010 – Wednesday
8:00 a.m. – confessions
April 1, 2010 - Holy Thursday
Morning Prayer at 8:30 a.m.
2:00 – 5:00 p.m. – confessions
7:00 p.m. – English mass of the Lord’s Supper
Parish visit to other churches after the 7:00 p.m. Mass
Adoration until midnight
April 2, 2010 – Good Friday
Morning Prayer at 8:30 a.m.
and
Sacred Heart Devotion
12:00 – 4:00 P.M. – CONFESSIONS
12:00 – STATIONS OF THE CROSS; SEVEN LAST WORDS and divine mercy chaplet
3:00 P.M. - GOOD Friday OF THE LORD’S PASSION AND
VENERATION OF THE CROSS
7:00 P.M. – STATIONS OF THE CROSS
APRIL 3, 2010 – HOLY SATURDAY
MORNING PRAYER AT 8:30 A.M.
First Saturday Devotions
12:00 P.M. – BLESSING OF EASTER BASKETS
7:00 P.M. – SOLEMN English EASTER VIGIL MASS
APRIL 4, 2010 – EASTER SUNDAY
8:00 A.M., 10:00 A.M., 12:00 P.M. LATIN MASS
(NO 7:00 P.M. Mass)
April 11, 2010 – divine mercy Sunday
8:00 a.m., 10:00 a.m., 12:00 Latin mass
7:00 p.m. – mass
3:00 p.m. – divine mercy Sunday chaplet holy hour. Plenary indulgence is available if you go to mass and communion today; confession within 8 days, and pray the chaplet of the divine mercy during our holy hour.
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