Archive for the ‘catholic devotions’ Category

This week at mass father mentioned a letter sent by Bishop McMannus of the Worcester Diocese that echoes the letter from Bishop Mark speaking for Cardinal O’Malley of Boston suggesting that the faithful avoid going to Boston to pray in front of the location of the Satan convention but rather go to various shrines and churches to pray all this week.

I tend to agree, given what we see of today’s media we know which side they are serving here so why help the enemy out by playing into their hands.


One of the ironies here is that given the messages going out to all catholic churches in the state the Satan Con (like the black mass they were going to hold at Harvard years ago) is likely going to generate a whole lot more prayer, visits to shrines and devotions than normal over the next ten days. All of this is likely to be very good for souls.

As ever God takes lemons and makes lemonade


Concerning the Cardinal’s and the Bishops request to stay away from Satancon there is one exception I would make if I was Cardinal O’Malley in Boston. I would assign a priest to be in viewing distance of the hotel for all three days with instructions to be available for confession for anyone who attends this event who has a change of heart.

After all that’s the primary goal of all the prayers that will be going on and given the volume of prayer I would think that said priest might find himself busier than expected.


One other admonition that the Cardinal and the Bishop have made is that churches and shrines take extra security to protect the blessed sacrament and make sure that over the next ten days they make sure that people who receive the Eucharist at mass actually consume it as it is the practice of Satanists to attempt to get a consecrated host to defile it.

You might remember from Elizabeth Scalia’s excellent reporting at the time that this was a bid deal during the Black Mass business at Harvard.

It’s also one of the ironies that while most of our protestant brothers do not acknowledge the Eucharist as the body of Christ Satanists know what it is which is why make such an effort to obtain consecrated hosts rather than just buying the unconsecrated ones available at catholic supply stores.

After all there is a reason why they hold a black mass and not a black tent revival or a black meeting or go after protestant bread of remembrance and why they’ll desecrate a Bible but you never hear about them going after a koran..


It’s been suggested that the vast majority of those who are attending don’t actually believe in Satan and are just doing it for a lark. Given how it is sold out I’m not sure I agree but I must confess that what I would really like to see is somebody before the convention spread blessed and/or exorcised salt around the hotel or at least its entrance and then have a webcam film the people going in during the convention.

The ones who don’t react are either guests or people doing it for a lark. The ones who react, they’re the real thing.

But either way if I owned that Hotel I’d ask the archdiocese to have someone come in to bless the building and do what’s called a minor exorcism on the place once this convention is done, because frankly after hosting this thing there is no amount of money that could talk me into going in that place until that’s been done.


Finally I’m rather curious about how the various Protestant, Jewish and or Muslim congregations in the area are reacting to this event. Are they ignoring it? Opposing it? Being proactive about it? Praying about it like we Catholics. Are they even mentioning it to their congregations? I mentioned it to one Pentecostal friend and he had not even heard of it and was completely shocked that it was taking place.

And is TFP planning anything. They were VERY proactive during the Harvard business. Will they turn up in defiance of the Cardinal’s request or join in the prayers?

It’s going to be an interesting ten days.

Cardinal Lamberto: Would you like, to make your confession?

Michael Corleone: Your Eminence, I’m uh – I’m uh — it’s been so long, I wouldn’t – wouldn’t – wouldn’t know where to uh, it’s been thirty years, I’d – I’d – I’d use up too much of your time, I think.

Cardinal Lamberto: I always have time to save souls.

Michael Corleone: Well, I’m — I’m beyond redemption.

Cardinal Lamberto: [in italian to an approaching priest] Give us a couple of minutes alone please – thanks… [To Michael when the other priest leaves] I hear the confessions of my young priests here. Sometimes the desire to confess is overwhelming. And we must seize the moment.

Michael Corleone: What is the point of confessing if I don’t repent?

Cardinal Lamberto: I hear you are a practical man. What have you got to lose?

In my opinion if you had to name both the most and the least popular sacrament of the Catholic Church the answer would be the same.

Confession.

The Godfather Part 3 1990

There are people who rush to the confessional and go there regularly sometimes multiple times a week. There are others who avoid it like the plague itself. The source of both of these impulses are the same.

Seeing oneself in the light of truth.

To the person who sees himself in the light of truth and accepts that reality. The confessional is a place of cleansing. Like a shower after heavy work. Such a person understands the state of their soul and wishes to be made clean. The irony among such people is it’s my experience that the holier a person is the greater the tendency for confession because like a skilled carpenter who can tell the difference between a beam off 1/32 of an inch and one that is not, a person of deep faith and devotion sees the small imperfections in themselves that others might miss and confess to get themselves completely right with God.

Ironically to those who avoid confession it is many times the same but are in denial. It’s one thing to know in the back of your head who and what you are, but it’s quite another to have that reality brought before God to be acknowledged even in the privacy of the confessional becuase at that moment you have to bear the sight of yourself in the light of truth.

That more than anything else I suspect is what hell is all about, the denial and self loathing of what a person is in the light of truth which is God. It’s why so many choose hell, and believe me it’s a choice because to them the acknowledgement of what they are is beyond what they can bear. I recall a priest telling me a story of a saint who had been allowed to visit heaven asking about a friend who had died. When told the friend was in hell, the saint pleaded with God to the point where God allowed the soul in his presence. Rather than sharing the joy of the saint at deliverance the soul was angry and said to God “Tell this fool that all this brings me is pain.” To the damned the sufferings of hell, horrible as they are, are more bearable than the presence of God and the truth of themselves.

Maybe that is you. Maybe your sins are so great that the very idea of confessing them is abborant, or maybe like Michael Corleone you believe the sins are so great they can’t be forgiven. You have given into despair.

But that need not be for as Christ told St. Faustina:

I desire that the Feast of Mercy be a refuge and shelter for all souls, and especially for poor sinners. On that day the very depths of My tender mercy are open. I pour out a whole ocean of graces upon those souls who approach the fount of My mercy. The soul that will go to Confession and receive Holy Communion shall obtain complete forgiveness of sins and punishment. On that day all the divine floodgates through which grace flow are opened. Let no soul fear to draw near to Me, even though its sins be as scarlet.”

St. Faustina Diary 699

All over the world in parishes near and far priests are gathering for extra confession, extra masses and extra adoration to help the faithful and the lost take advantages of these mercies offered by Christ so that they may be wiped clear and get on that narrow path that leads to life. Again in the Lord’s words related to St. Faustina:

[Let] the greatest sinners place their trust in My mercy. They have the right before others to trust in the abyss of My mercy. My daughter, write about My mercy towards tormented souls. Souls that make an appeal to My mercy delight Me. To such souls I grant even more graces than they ask. I cannot punish even the greatest sinner if he makes an appeal to My compassion, but on the contrary, I justify him in My unfathomable and inscrutable mercy.

Diary 1146

Those who take advantage of this feast to obtain the mercy of God not only get that mercy, but discover something that so many people don’t realize. That Christ offers this mercy every single day of their lives thorough the sacrament of confession. It’s they’re for the taking if people will only grab it.

Take advantage of this mercy while you can, seize the moment because as Christ warns…

He who refuses to pass through the door of My mercy must pass through the door of My justice 

Diary 1146

Your call.

This really should have been Sunday’s post as it’s been ready for a week but I simply forgot

A reminder if you don’t find the monthly indulgence calendar here you can always find it at WQPHradio.org.

And here is the blank one if you want to fill it in yourself

If you’re a Catholic looking for a devotion for Lent may I suggest the Indulgence Calendar Either Full

Or Blank

Either way feel free to use any