The Message of Fatima

 

The public message of Fatima recalls that of Lourdes. Through the children Mary urges prayer for sinners, recitation of the Rosary, and works of penance. On October 13 she said: "I have come to exhort the faithful to change their lives, to avoid grieving Our Lord by sin; to pray the Rosary. I desire in this place a chapel in my honor. If people mend their ways, the war will soon be over."

But Mary also confided several "secrets" to the children, some of which Lucy subsequently transmitted. Presumably there was prediction of another war in the near future and a request for special veneration of the Immaculate Heart of Mary. The final secret Lucy is thought to have entrusted to Pope John XXIII.

As at Lourdes, the "apparitions" of Fatima have brought crowds of visitors. Pilgrimages, which began in the summer of 1917, have experienced growing success, not only among the Portuguese themselves but also among people from other countries, including the United States. The national pilgrimage following ecclesiastical recognition of the apparitions (May 13, 1931) is said to have drawn more than a million participants.

Popes have shown exceptional favor toward Fatima, Pius XII, Paul VI, and John Paul II in particular making a visit to the shrine. The papal interest and the basilica built at the site of the apparitions has helped to swell the summer pilgrimages to Fatima. Crowds comparable to, and sometimes larger than, those at Lourdes are not uncommon. In a rustic setting, pilgrims hear the message repeated that Mary spoke to the children: prayer, works of penance, recourse to her Immaculate Heart.
—Excerpted from Dictionary of Mary, Catholic Book Publishing Company

GENERAL PRAYERS

 Morning Offering

Lord god Almighty, who have brought us to the beginning of the day, defend us during this day by your power, that we may not fall into sin but but all our words, thoughts and deeds may always proceed and be directed toward that which is just in your sight . Amen.

Evening Prayer

O my God , at the end of this day I thank you heartily for all the graces I have recieved from you. I am sorry that I have not made a better use of them. I am sorry for all the sins I have committed against you. Forgive me, O my God, and graciously protect me this night, Blessed Virgin Mary, my dear heavenly mother , take me under your protection. St. Joseph, my dear Guardian Angel, and all you saints of God, pray for me. Sweet Jesus, have pity have pity on all for sinners, and save them from hell. Have mercy on the suffering souls in purgatory. Amen.

Prayer before a Crucifix

Look down upon me, good and gentle Jesus, while before your face I humbly kneel, and and with ba burning soul pray and beseech you to fix deep in my heart lively sentiments of faith, hope and charity, true contrition for my sins, and a firm purpose of amendment, while I contemplate with great love and tender pity your five wounds, pondering over them within me, calling to mind the words which David, your profit, said of you, my dear Jesus; "They have pierced my hands and my feet; they have numbered all my bones."(Ps 21,17-18)

Prayer for Religious Voctions

Father, you call all who believe in you to grow perfect in love by following in the footsteps of Christ your Son. May those whome you have chosen to serve you as religious provide by their way a convincing sign of your kingdom for the Church and the whole world. Amen.

Prayer for Priests

O mu Most Sweet Jesus, O Jesus, Eternal High Priest, keep your Priests in the shelter of your Sacred Heart, where no one can hurt them. Keep their anopinted hands unsullied, which daily handle your Sacred Body. Keep pure the lips which are reddend with your Precious Blood. Keep pure and unworldly their hearts which are sealed with the sublime token of your glorious priesthood. Cause them to grow in love and loyalty to you and protect them from the contamination of the world. With their power of transforming bread and wine, give them the power of transforming hearts. Bless their work with rich fruit and grant them one day the crown of eternal life.Amen.

St. Gertrude's Prayer for the Souls in Purgatory

Eternal Father, I offer you the Most Precious Blood of your Divine Son, Jesus, in union with the Masses said throughout the whole world today, for all the Holy Souls in purgatory, for sinners everywhere, for sinners in the Universal Church, those in my own home and within my family. Amen.

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Why are there so many variations of the "Our Father?

 If you emply modern variations, these are due to the constant endeavour of the Church to adapt herself to the contemporary man. At times there is a lack of coordination between the different countries which speak the same language, for example Britain, the U.S.A., Canada, Australia, South Africa, for English; Spain and Latin America for Spanish, Portugal and Brazil for Portuguese. But, a worldwide effort has been made, since the late sixties, in the last century, in the "Ecumenical Bibles' where most denominations take part and reach one unified text. Now, if the question refers to the two versions of the "Our Father" in the Gospels of St. Mathew (6:9-12) and Luke (11: 2-4), then one can notice the following: 

(a) Both text are substantially the same and express roughly and basically same ideas. 

(b) The present Matthew's "Lord's prayer" reports, in koine (colonial) Greek the Words of the Lord in a way which is very close and nearly literally translates the Hebrew and Aramaic expressions of the original pronounced by Jesus. Most of the invocations are literal quotations, done by the Lord himself and collected by him. Hebrews and Aramaic Jewish prayers but the genius of Jesus was to put them together and to give a deeply different meaning to some expressions. For instance "the Kingdom " of God was commonly thought of, in the Jewish milieu, as a world empire thanks to political and military power.

(c) Luke's Gospel, the best Greek writer in the New Testament, reproduces exactly the same words and ideasof the Lord's prayer, putting some expressions in the Greek (Hellenistic) framework - the only means to have people coming from a pagan background understand the text, memorize it and use it for the Christian Prayer "par excellence". The Jewish typical Hebrew expression "Avinu shebashamym" "Our Father in Heaven" was qouted by Jesus. It was well known in the Jewish synagogue devotion. Unfortunately, for the Jews, God was /is considered as their exclusive Father, being the "Lord and Master" of the nations. When Jesus asked us, even from pagan origin, to say "Our Father", he extended the dimensions of the "OUR" to the whole humankind. This is exactly what St. Luke reports in the universal unlimited invocation "Father", "Abba (Greek: Pater); Father of all ! In Luke 11:4  St. Luke explicates (explains) the meaning of the Aramaic "hawbaya" (debts), that it means "sins transgressions".

THE SEVEN PETITIONS

1. What is the structure of the Lord's Prayer?

       It contains seven petitions made to God the Father. The first three, more God - centered, draw us toward him for his glory; it is characteristic of love to think first of the beloved. these petitions suggest in particular what we ought to ask of him : the sanctification of his Name, the coming of his Kingdom , and the fulfillment of his will. The last four petitions present to the Father of mercies our wretchedness and our expectations. They ask    him to feed us , to forgive us , to sustain us in temptations, and to free us from the Evil One. [2803-2806, 2857]

2.What does "Hallowed be thy Name" mean

     To hallow or make holy the Name of God is above all a prayer of praise that acknowledges God as  holy. In fact , God revealed his holy Name to Moses and wanted his people to be consecrated for him as a holy nation in which he would dwell. [2807-2812,2858]

3.How is the Name of God made holy in us and the world?

    To make holy the Name of God, who calls us "to holiness" (1 Thesalonians 4:7) is to desires that our baptismal consecration animate our whole life . In addition , it is to ask ---- with our lives and our prayers----that the Name of God be known and blessed by every man. [2813-2815]

4. What does the Church ask for when she prays "Thy Kingdom come"?

     The Church prays for the final coming of the Kingdom of God through Christ's return in glory. The Church prays also that the Kingdom of God increase from now on through people's sanctification in the Spirit and through their commitment to the service of justice and peace in keeping with the Beatitudes. This petition is the cry of the Spirit and the Bride : "Come, Lord Jesus" (Revelation 22:20). [2816-2821,2859]

5. Why pray "Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven"?

     The will of the Father is that "all men be saved" (1 Timothy 2:4). For this Jesus came: to perfectly fulfill the saving will of his Father. We pray God our Father to unite our will to that of his Son after the example of the Blessed Virgin Mary and the saints. We ask that this loving plan be fully realized on earth as it is alreadyy in heaven. It is through prayer that we can discern "what is the will of God" (Romans 12:2) and have the "steadfastness to do it" (Hebrews 10:36). [2822-2827,2860]

6. What is the sense of the petition "Give us this day our daily bread"?

     Asking God with the filial trust of children for the daily nourishment which necessary for  us all we recognize how good God is, beyond all goodness. We ask also for the grace to know how to act so that justice and solidarity may allow the abundance  of some to remedy the needs of others.[2828-2834,2861]

7. What is the specifically Christian sense of this petition?

     Since "man does not live by bread alone but by every word that comes from the mouth of God" (Matthew 4:4) , this petition equally applies to hunger for the Word of God and for the Body of Christ received in the Eucharist as well as hunger for the Holly Spirit. We ask this with complete confidence for this day----God's "today" ----and this is given to us above all in the Eucharist which anticipates the banquet of the Kingdom to come. [2835-2837,2861]

8. Why do we say "Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us"? 

     By asking God the Father to pardon us, we acknowledge before him that we are sinners. At the same time we proclaim his mercy because in his Son and through the sacraments "we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins" (Colossians 1:14). still our petition will be answered only if we for our part have forgiven first. [2838-2839,2862]

9. How is forgiveness possible?

    Mercy can penetrate our hearts only if we ourselves learn how to forgive----even our enemies. Now, even if it seems impossible for us to satisfy this requirement, the heart that offers itself to the Holy Spirit can, like Christ, love even to love's extreme; it can turn injury into compassion and transform hurt into intercession. Forgiveness participates in the divine mercy and is high point of Christian prayer.[2840-2845,2862]

10. What does "Lead us not into temptation" mean?

    We ask God our Father not to leave us alone and in the power of temptation. We ask the Holy Spirit to help us know how to discern, on the one hand, between a trial that makes us grow in goodness and a temptation that leads us to sin and death and, on the other hand , between being tempted and consenting to temptation. This petition unites us to Jesus who overcame temptation by his prayer. It requests the grace of vigilance and of final perseverance. [2846-2489,2863]

11.Why do we conclude by asking "But deliver us from evil"?

     "Evil" indicates the person of Satan who opposes God and is "the deceiver of the whole world" (Revelation 12:9). Victory over the devil has already been won by Christ. we pray, however, that the human family be freed from Satan and his works. We also ask for the precious gift of peace and the grace of perseverance as we wait for the coming of Christ who will free us definitively from the Evil One. [2850-2854,2864]

12. What is the meaning of the final Amen?

      "At the end of the prayer, you say 'Amen' and thus you ratify by this word that means 'so it be' all that is contained in this prayer that God has taught us." (SAINT CYRILOF Jerusalem)

   

Catholic Morality in Human Relationship

When married love is lived in its most authentic nature,it is expressed in all life situations, becoming a witness,proclaiming and realizing the Kingdom of God: "It is in married and family love... that the Christian family's participation in the prophetic, priestly and kingly mission of Christ and his Church finds expression and realisation. Therefore, love and life constitute the nucleus of the saving mission of the Christian family in the Church and for the Church"(Familiaris Consortion [FC], 50).  The conjugal love of the spouses is fully expressed in fatherhood and motherhood, the fruit of their love, which makes them co-responsible for the gift of life,by protecting , developing, educating and evangelizing : "Christian couples are, for each other, for their children and for their relatives, co-operators of grace and witnesses of the faith. They are the first to pass on the faith to their children and to educate them in it. By word and example they form them to a Christian and Apostolic life"

What are the essential forms of prayer?

The basic forms of prayer: adoration, petition, atonement, reparation, love, intercession,thanksg,and praise.

Blessings come to us by the grace of the Holy Spirit that descends through Christ from the Father. Because God blesses the human heart, it can return,bless(praise and adore) him who is the sourcof every blessing. Through blessing, our prayer ascends in the Holy  throu Christ to the Fath.

Through adoration, we exult the greatness of the Lord who made us and the almi power of the Saviour who sets us free from evil. It is a respectful silence in the presence of the "ever great" God,

By Prayers of petition we express awareness of our relationship with God. We are creatures ever in need of God. We are sinners who have turned away from our Father. Our petition is already a turning back to him. The first movement of the prayer of petition is to ask for forgiveness: "God, be merciful to me asinner" It is a prerequisite for righteous and pure prayer. A trusting humility brings us back into communion with God and our neighbor, so that we receive from God whatever we ask.

In prayer of expiation or contrition, we acknowledge our sinfulness and ask God for his forgiveness and mercy. The Confiteor or Penetincial Rite at the beginning of Mass, and Agnus Dei (or Lamb of God) before Communion,are prayers of expiation,as the Act of Contrition.

A prayer of reparation is one that aims to repair the sins of others and the outrages and many offenses and sacrilege committed against the Holy Trinity and the Immaculate Heart of Mary.A "Holy Hour of Reparation" before the Blessed Sacrament and the Five Saturdays devotion"is an example of this form of prayer/ devotion.

Prayers of love or charity are expressions of our love of God, the source and object of all love. The Act of Charity is perhaps the best example of a prayer of love,

Prayer of intercession consists in asking on behalf of another. In intercession, he who prays looks"not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others," even to the point of praying for those who do him harm. The intercession of Christians recognizes no boundaries: for all men, for kings and all who are in high positions, for persecutors and for the salvation of those who reject the Gospel.

Thanksgiving characterized the prayer of the Church. Every joy and Suffering, every event and need can become the matter for thanksgiving which, sharing in that of Christ, should fill one's whole life: "Give thanks in all circumstances"(1 Thess 5:18).

Praise is the form of prayer which recognizes most immediately that God is God. It lauds God for his own sake and gives himglory, quite beyond what he does, but simply because HE IS. By praise, the Spirit is joined to our spirits to bear witness that we are children of God.Praise embraces the other forms of prayer and carries them towards God. The Eucharist contains and expresses all forms of prayer: it is "the pure offering"of the whole Body of Christ, it is the "sacrifice of the praise."[See CCC 2623-2649]

HOW DOES GOD REVEAL HIMSELF IN THE OLD TESTAMENT?

God shows himself in the > Old Testament as God, who created the world out of love and remains faithful to men even when they have fallen away from him into sin. [54-64, 70-72]


God makes it possible to experience him in history: With Noah he establishes a covenant to save all living things. He calls Abraham so as to make him "the father of a multitude of nations" (Gen 17:5b) and to bless "all the families of the earth" in him ( Gen 12:3b). the people Israel, sprung from Abraham, becomes his special possession. To Moses he introduces himself by name. His mysterious name > YHWH, usually transcribed Yahweh, means "I AM WHO I AM" (Ex 3:14). He frees Israel from slavery in Egypt, establishes a covenant with them on Sinai, and through Moses gives them the Law. Again and again, God sends prophets to his people to call them to conversion and to the renewal of the covenant. The prophets proclaim that God will establish a new and everlasting covenant, which will to bring about a radical renewal and definitive redemption. This covenant will be open to all human beings.