The Immaculate Heart of Mary and the Holy Souls

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For today’s Immaculate Heart Saturday post, I will continue along the theme from yesterday’s post on the Sacred Heart and Holy Souls.

“I am the Mother of all the souls in purgatory, and I am Mother of Mercy to these my children who are in the greatest need ​of my assistance, since in their torments they cannot help themselves.”

– Our Lady to St. Bridget

By studying her words we can discern her Immaculate Heart at work in her queenly patronage of the Suffering Souls in Purgatory. Therefore, we can also use the devotion to the Immaculate Heart in service to relieve the Holy Souls of their suffering. We can apply the Five First Saturdays Devotion to relieve them. Although that devotion intends to make reparation for offenses committed against Our Lady, it may be possible, at least in November, to offer up the reparations for those Holy Souls who, during their life, may have offended Our Lady. 

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My two other books are still available! "The Stations of the Cross for Alcoholics" and "The Recovery Rosary: Reflections for Alcoholics and Addicts" (Thank you!!)

Tha Sacred Heart and the Holy Souls in Purgatory

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Since November is dedicated to the Holy Souls in Purgatory, I am commending this Sacred Heart Friday post to them. Since, as you must know by now, the devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus is partly about our making reparations for the sins of others, what better population to make reparations for than the Holy Souls in Purgatory? 

First of all, they will know about your efforts to aid them. It has been written many times in various books about them that their Guardian Angels inform them as to whom in Time is praying for them. Secondly, they will be grateful for your efforts and will return the favor when they are finally liberated and enter Heaven. Thirdly, in my opinion, combining the Sacred Heart devotion with a devotion to the Holy Souls renders the fruits of each more efficacious.

There is an old prayer from the Raccolta that goes like this:

Prayer to the Sacred Heart 

O MOST Sacred Heart of Jesus, pour down thy blessings abundantly upon thy Church, upon the Supreme Pontiff, and upon all the clergy; give perseverance to the just, convert sinners, enlighten unbelievers, bless our parents, friends, and benefactors, help the dying, free the souls in Purgatory, and extend over all hearts the sweet empire of thy love. Amen.

So, offer your prayers and sacrifices this month for the Holy Souls. The benefits of having grateful friends in high places can be very rewarding. 

I have a new book! "The Sober Catholic Way" is a handbook on how anyone can live a sober life, drawn from over 17 years of SoberCatholic posts! It's out now on "Amazon," "Apple Books," "B&N" and and others!"!

My two other books are still available! "The Stations of the Cross for Alcoholics" and "The Recovery Rosary: Reflections for Alcoholics and Addicts" (Thank you!!)

Visits to a cemetary devotion for early November

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This is an annual post on a fruitful pious devotion for November:

Catholic Culture has an excellent article regarding a very beneficial pious activity that can aid in your own spiritual progression. It also is a good reminder of where we’ll end up someday. (A grave. Morbid, true, but you wouldn’t be here unless you’re more aware than most people that you will die someday.)

Praying for the Dead and Gaining Indulgences During November is something I blog about here annually. It is about the act of visiting a cemetery during the first 8 days of November.

To summarize from the “Catholic Culture” site: “Indulgenced Acts for the Poor Souls: A partial indulgence can be obtained by devoutly visiting a cemetery and praying for the departed, even if the prayer is only mental. One can gain a plenary indulgence visiting a cemetery each day between November 1 and November 8. These indulgences are applicable only to the Souls in Purgatory.

A plenary indulgence, again applicable only the Souls in Purgatory, is also granted when the faithful piously visit a church or a public oratory on November 2. In visiting the church or oratory, it is required, that one Our Father and the Creed be recited. A partial indulgence, applicable only to the Souls in Purgatory, can be obtained when the Eternal Rest  is prayed. This is a good prayer to recite especially during the month of November:  ‘Eternal rest grant to them, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon them. May the souls of the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace. Amen.'”

The article explains the differences between plenary and partial indulgences.

I have a new book! "The Sober Catholic Way" is a handbook on how anyone can live a sober life, drawn from over 17 years of SoberCatholic posts! It's out now on "Amazon," "Apple Books," "B&N" and and others!"!

My two other books are still available! "The Stations of the Cross for Alcoholics" and "The Recovery Rosary: Reflections for Alcoholics and Addicts" (Thank you!!)

Blessed Sandra Sabattini, another patron for addicts

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My wife ran across this article the other day about a newly Blessed in the Catholic Church who worked with addicts, the homeless, and other marginalized people: Blessed Sandra Sabattini, the first bride-to-be beatified in the Catholic Church | Catholic News Agency

Her last words, written before her death (from being hit by a car) were inspirational, and a good lesson for all of us addicts and alcoholics (everyone, really, but they’re especially poignant for us):

“It’s not mine, this life that is developing, that is beating by a regular breath that is not mine, that is enlivened by a peaceful day that is not mine. There is nothing in this world that is yours.”

“Realize, Sandra!”  “It is all a gift on which the ‘Giver’ can intervene when and how he wants. Take care of the gift given to you, make it more beautiful and full for when the time comes.”

I have a new book! "The Sober Catholic Way" is a handbook on how anyone can live a sober life, drawn from over 17 years of SoberCatholic posts! It's out now on "Amazon," "Apple Books," "B&N" and and others!"!

My two other books are still available! "The Stations of the Cross for Alcoholics" and "The Recovery Rosary: Reflections for Alcoholics and Addicts" (Thank you!!)

The Immaculate Heart and the Little Way

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For this Immaculate Heart Saturday, I’d like to post a thought-piece that’s like a companion to yesterday’s post. This time on the relationship between the Immaculate Heart of Mary and the Little Way of St. Therese of Lisieux.

The Immaculate Heart of Mary is the purity of Mary’s love for her children (and we are her chidren; we became so when we were baptised and joined her Son’s Mystical Body) and our refuge from the travails of this valley of tears. Her Immaculate Heart is also the center of Christian contemplative prayer as we read in this passage from Luke 2:19, But Mary kept all these words, pondering them in her heart.

The Devotion to the Immaculate Heart is centered around the Five First Saturdays. These are intended to make reparation for offenses against the Immacuate Heart. (See this post for details.)

As I noted yesterday:

“the Little Way of St. Therese is the act of doing little things with great love. Her Little Way is described as the ‘easy’ path to Heaven. We needn’t worry about doing mighty deeds or being great evangelists and so forth. If we just focus on doing our daily tasks but doing them with love, that may go a great way toward sanctifying ourselves and others. How? By doing ‘little things’ with great love, be it sweeping the floor, picking up something a person dropped, or whatever, we conquer our pride and self-love. These are the great sources of sin.”

We can apply the Little Way to our Immaculate Heart Devotion. In adddition to the Five First Saturdays, we can dedicate specifis ‘little actions’ or ‘tasks’ to repair the offenses of others against Our Lady. Yes, this similar to the Sacred Heart reparations, but  I’ve posted a dozen times on the ‘Alliance of the Hearts of Jesus and Mary,’ so actions towards one is like an action for the other.

So, working out the Little Way can augment the Immaculate Heart practices. Like I said yesterday,

“It’s like a devotional ‘two-for,’ two sanctifying or reparative practices in one!”

I have a new book! "The Sober Catholic Way" is a handbook on how anyone can live a sober life, drawn from over 17 years of SoberCatholic posts! It's out now on "Amazon," "Apple Books," "B&N" and and others!"!

My two other books are still available! "The Stations of the Cross for Alcoholics" and "The Recovery Rosary: Reflections for Alcoholics and Addicts" (Thank you!!)

The Sacred Heart and the Little Way

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For this Sacred Heart Friday, I’d like to post a little thought-piece on a relationship between the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Little Way of St. Therese of Lisieux.

The Sacred Heart is, as you must know by now, the intense love that God has for humanity.  A love so great that He gave up His only Son so that we would be redeemed from our sins and be restored to His friendship. A key part of that is our response to that love: we return it by offering sacrifices and prayers in reparation for other people’s sins. God died for us, He suffered for our sins even though He was sinless Himself. We ‘pay it forward’ so to speak in this manner. In making reparations for the sins of others (as well as our own, but it’s important to recall the ‘otherness’ of the act) we extend Christ’s sacrifice. Although He died so that all may have life and have it abundantly with Him in Heaven, by making reparations we participate in what St. Paul mentioned in Colossians 1:24,

‘For now I rejoice in my passion on your behalf, and I complete in my flesh the things that are lacking in the Passion of Christ, for the sake of his body, which is the Church.’

So essentially the practice of the Sacred Heart Devotion helps us to work this out.

Now, the Little Way of St. Therese is the act of doing little things with great love. Her Little Way is described as the ‘easy’ path to Heaven. We needn’t worry about doing mighty deeds or being great evangelists and so forth. If we just focus on doing our daily tasks but doing them with love, that may go a great way toward sanctifying ourselves and others. How? By doing ‘little things’ with great love, be it sweeping the floor, picking up something a person dropped, or whatever, we conquer our pride and self-love. These are the great sources of sin. 

Working out the Little Way can augment the Sacred Heart practices. It’s like a devotional ‘two-for,’ two sanctifying or reparative practices in one!

I have a new book! "The Sober Catholic Way" is a handbook on how anyone can live a sober life, drawn from over 17 years of SoberCatholic posts! It's out now on "Amazon," "Apple Books," "B&N" and and others!"!

My two other books are still available! "The Stations of the Cross for Alcoholics" and "The Recovery Rosary: Reflections for Alcoholics and Addicts" (Thank you!!)

Sacred Heart and the Feast of Mother Most Admirable – October 20

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For this Sacred Heart Friday post I did a search for “October 20 and the Sacred Heart,” and not expecting to find much, perhaps a feast day for a saint dedicated to it. I didn’t, but the first hit was this:

Feast of Mater Admirabilis – Academy Of The Sacred Heart (LA):

On October 20 every year (unless a weekend), the Sacred Heart community celebrated the Feast of Mater Admirabilis, which translates to “Mother Most Admirable” and is the title of a representation of Our Lady as a young girl wearing pink. Each year, a senior, chosen by her classmates, represents Mary in a tableau at the traditional Mater Liturgy.

The Academy of the Sacred Heart is a Catholic, Independent All-Girls school Grades 1 – 12 in New Orleans, Louisiana. They have roots dating back to post-Revolutionary France and count as their founders St. Rose Philippine Duchesne and St. Madeleine Sophie Barat.

There is more information here: The Feast of Mater Admirabilis: A Special Day for the Society of the Sacred Heart

I have a new book! "The Sober Catholic Way" is a handbook on how anyone can live a sober life, drawn from over 17 years of SoberCatholic posts! It's out now on "Amazon," "Apple Books," "B&N" and and others!"!

My two other books are still available! "The Stations of the Cross for Alcoholics" and "The Recovery Rosary: Reflections for Alcoholics and Addicts" (Thank you!!)

Feast of St. Margaret Mary Alacoque

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Today is the feast day of St. Margaret Mary Alaocoque, the Apostle of the Sacred Heart.

I found a few prayers that are relevant to this blog and some of the topics I’ve been writing about. In this article by Anne Costa, (whom I’ve reviewed her before, please check out: “A review of two books on the Sacred Heart” and “Praying for Those with Addictions”) are two prayers. One is by St. Margaret Mary and another is a Sacred Heart prayer for the addicted.

First up is a prayer that is well-known to those who pray the daily “Efficacious Novena to the Sacred Heart” It concludes each part, but it can be said on its own:

Sacred Heart of Jesus, I place all my trust in you.

O Sacred Heart of Jesus, for whom it is impossible not to have compassion on the afflicted, have pity on us miserable sinners and grant us the grace which we ask of you, through the Sorrowful and Immaculate Heart of Mary, your tender mother and ours.

Say the “Hail, Holy Queen” and add: “Saint Joseph, foster father of Jesus, pray for us.”

—St. Margaret Mary Alacoque

And now the prayer for the addicted:

Prayer to the Sacred Heart for Someone Who Is Addicted

Lord, my heart is filled with concern for____________, who is addicted. You know and see the disorder and chaos that the addiction is causing, and your heart grieves over the distortion of personality and danger to the soul that results when someone is in the throes of addiction.

I pray that you will please give me the wisdom and spiritual fortitude to detach with love and trust in your tender mercies and that you will give _______________ the humility and strength to seek recovery. I ask this through the saving grace of your Sacred Heart.
 Amen.

 Courtesy: Prayers to the Sacred Heart | Franciscan Media

by Anne Costa of REVIVE Hope and Healing Ministries, Inc.

I have a new book! "The Sober Catholic Way" is a handbook on how anyone can live a sober life, drawn from over 17 years of SoberCatholic posts! It's out now on "Amazon," "Apple Books," "B&N" and and others!"!

My two other books are still available! "The Stations of the Cross for Alcoholics" and "The Recovery Rosary: Reflections for Alcoholics and Addicts" (Thank you!!)

Queen of Heaven and Earth

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Due to a variety of circumstances within my control, I haven’t come up with anything substantive for this week’s Immaculate Heart Saturday.

So, here are two images, the first is a pretty one of Mom as the Immaculate Heart.

Immaculate heart of mary

The next is one of Mom being crowned Queeen of Heaven and Earth. In these days of war, and most likely World War, it is important to know who is in charge (God) and any problems regarding the stewardship of Earth and its society and environment are related to sin (our turning away from God’s will and preferring our own) and our penchant for wanting to dominate other people and nature. Mary, as Our Queen, is our mediatrix between us and Jesus (yes, there is only one Mediator – Jesus; but Mary aids us in going to Him.)

So, you may want to start praying extra rosaries. This does give me ideas for next week’s IHS!

20200827110856 5f478411c2bf74d8ccdccd10jpeg

Fra Angelico, “The Crowning of Mary”, ca. 1435 (photo: Public Domain)

I have a new book! "The Sober Catholic Way" is a handbook on how anyone can live a sober life, drawn from over 17 years of SoberCatholic posts! It's out now on "Amazon," "Apple Books," "B&N" and and others!"!

My two other books are still available! "The Stations of the Cross for Alcoholics" and "The Recovery Rosary: Reflections for Alcoholics and Addicts" (Thank you!!)

October 13th: the Alliance of the Two Hearts of Jesus and Mary! Part 12

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Today is October 13th, the day we recall the “Miracle of the Sun” event at Fatima in 1917. This was intended to be a warning. Our Lady said at Fatima, ‘War is punishment for sin.” World War I was raging at the time and among her warnings was that a worse war would take place if her warnings went unheeded. They were and it did. What were her warnings? One was that the Pope and all the bishops in union with him would consecrate Russia to her Immaculate Heart. Although consecrations did take place, they were either too late or improperly done. The consecration request finally was done properly in 1984 with Pope (now Saint) John Paul II. There were other warnings, such as the increasingly offensive fashion styles (conservative and almost modest by today’s standards) and about sexual sin being the chief cause of why souls go to Hell.

Those are also being ignored. You wonder how much longer Heaven will tolerate being ignored. 

As we’ve already seen with several of these “Alliance of the Two Hearts of Jesus and Mary” posts, the Immaculate Heart of Mary is intimately united with the Sacred Heart of Jesus. On this Sacred Heart Friday, I would like to remind readers of this duality and how it can be used to at the personal level, increase your spiritual growth, and at a larger level, help combat evil in the world.

The personal level: recall the Fatima Message of prayer, penance, and especially reparation for sins. Now, combine that with the Sacred Heart devotion which essentially calls for the same thing. We return God’s love for us with prayer and acts of sacrifice in reparation for our and others’ sins. This increases the flow of grace into our souls, helps us beat back the attacks of the Devil and its minions, and sensitizes us to the sufferings of others (a natural side effect of concern for others sinning and the Hellish consequences of that.) We begin to become more aware of the humanity of other people; even those who do us harm. We see them as sick and broken. The wounded harm others when their wounds are not dressed.

The larger level: essentially an extension of the first. We become the change we wish to see in others and in reforming our own lives we can serve as examples for others. They want what we have. There is also the transformation at the spiritual level: our acts of prayer and repentance in some manner affect change in others. It calls grace down from Heaven and Mary distributes it to whom she wills.

So, I suppose one benefit of these “Alliance of the Two Hearts of Jesus and Mary” posts is the reminder to remember the Message of Fatima and the need to live it.

I have a new book! "The Sober Catholic Way" is a handbook on how anyone can live a sober life, drawn from over 17 years of SoberCatholic posts! It's out now on "Amazon," "Apple Books," "B&N" and and others!"!

My two other books are still available! "The Stations of the Cross for Alcoholics" and "The Recovery Rosary: Reflections for Alcoholics and Addicts" (Thank you!!)