CATECHISM OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH, Day 349 - "Angels"

I. THE ANGELS

The existence of angels - a truth of faith

328 The existence of the spiritual, non-corporeal beings that Sacred Scripture usually calls "angels" is a truth of faith. The witness of Scripture is as clear as the unanimity of Tradition.

Who are they?

329 St. Augustine says: "'Angel' is the name of their office, not of their nature. If you seek the name of their nature, it is 'spirit'; if you seek the name of their office, it is 'angel': from what they are, 'spirit', from what they do, 'angel.'" With their whole beings the angels are servants and messengers of God. Because they "always behold the face of my Father who is in heaven" they are the "mighty ones who do his word, hearkening to the voice of his word".

330 As purely spiritual creatures angels have intelligence and will: they are personal and immortal creatures, surpassing in perfection all visible creatures, as the splendor of their glory bears witness.

Christ "with all his angels"

331 Christ is the center of the angelic world. They are his angels: "When the Son of man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him. . " They belong to him because they were created through and for him: "for in him all things were created in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or authorities - all things were created through him and for him." They belong to him still more because he has made them messengers of his saving plan: "Are they not all ministering spirits sent forth to serve, for the sake of those who are to obtain salvation?"

332 Angels have been present since creation and throughout the history of salvation, announcing this salvation from afar or near and serving the accomplishment of the divine plan: they closed the earthly paradise; protected Lot; saved Hagar and her child; stayed Abraham's hand; communicated the law by their ministry; led the People of God; announced births and callings; and assisted the prophets, just to cite a few examples. Finally, the angel Gabriel announced the birth of the Precursor and that of Jesus himself.

333 From the Incarnation to the Ascension, the life of the Word incarnate is surrounded by the adoration and service of angels. When God "brings the firstborn into the world, he says: 'Let all God's angels worship him.'" Their song of praise at the birth of Christ has not ceased resounding in the Church's praise: "Glory to God in the highest!" They protect Jesus in his infancy, serve him in the desert, strengthen him in his agony in the garden, when he could have been saved by them from the hands of his enemies as Israel had been. Again, it is the angels who "evangelize" by proclaiming the Good News of Christ's Incarnation and Resurrection. They will be present at Christ's return, which they will announce, to serve at his judgement.

The angels in the life of the Church

334 In the meantime, the whole life of the Church benefits from the mysterious and powerful help of angels.

335 In her liturgy, the Church joins with the angels to adore the thrice-holy God. She invokes their assistance (in the funeral liturgy's In Paradisum deducant te angeli. . .["May the angels lead you into Paradise. . ."]). Moreover, in the "Cherubic Hymn" of the Byzantine Liturgy, she celebrates the memory of certain angels more particularly (St. Michael, St. Gabriel, St. Raphael, and the guardian angels).

336 From its beginning until death, human life is surrounded by their watchful care and intercession. "Beside each believer stands an angel as protector and shepherd leading him to life." Already here on earth the Christian life shares by faith in the blessed company of angels and men united in God.

1

MY BLESSED MOTHER

Hail Mary,Full of Grace

When first we came into the One Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church, I remember one of my dear Protestant friends said I would become a"Marian" and, she added a few other things.  I did not think so, and said that I would always be "Christ centered."  

Surprise!  Without our Blessed Mother, we did not have the Baby Jesus, who was the Christ.  As I grew and studied, she became my Mother - not because I studied and decided to believe it - but she became my Mother because, in Truth, she is my Blessed Mother.   

     ~~~~~~~         

          Remember O most gracious Virgin Mary, 

never was it known that anyone

 who fled to thy protection,

 implored thy help,

or sought thine intercession was left unaided.

   

Inspired by this confidence, I fly unto thee,

 O Virgin of virgins, my mother; to thee do I come,

 before thee I stand, sinful and sorrowful. 

O Mother of the Word Incarnate, 

despise not my petitions, 

but in thy mercy hear and answer me.

Amen.

Hail Mary,Full of Grace,

The Lord is with thee.

Blessed art thou among women,

and blessed is the fruitof thy womb, Jesus.

Holy Mary,

Mother of God,

pray for us sinners now,

and at the hour of death.

Amen.

REMEMBERING THE BLESSED MOTHER

                                                               

REMEMBERING THE BLESSED MOTHER TODAY 

GOD as JESUS becoming MAN

Through Mary's "Fiat"

Became SAVIOR and saved us

We love MARY, for her, "YES" 

Had she said no . . .

We needed the CROSS 

And all that went with it before, during and after

To understand our sin.

THE CROSS was the way GOD

Stretched out his arms in LOVE for ALL

We needed a GOD MAN. 

GOD knew that

We needed a MOTHER

GOD knew that

"Fiat" 

There Is A Man on The Cross

The Venerable Archbishop Fulton Sheen once gave a talk on the Devil and at the end of it he said that when there is silence, day or night, he is startled by a cry. The first time he heard it, the cry came down from the cross. When he went out and searched, he found a man in the “throws of crucifixion.” He tried to take the man down, tried to take the nails out of his feet, but the man said, “Let them be; for I cannot be taken down until every man, woman, and child come together to take me down.” The archbishop pleaded, “What can I do? I cannot bear your cry.” And the Lord said to him, “Go into the world and tell every one that you meet that there is a man on a cross.”

What a simple, direct expression of our command to evangelize. Go tell people about Christ, that he is God and that God became man and suffered and died to save us. Tell people in a way that unites them at the cross.

Fulton Sheen also describes in this sermon that the Devil is “anti-cross.” Anything that is of the Devil leads people away from the cross. He explains that anything that produces discord or brings about division in the Church is diabolic. That is, again, a simple test to remember when we evangelize, when we speak to others about Christ or even live our lives as Christians. Is what I’m about to say or do going to cause discord? Speaking the truth can be hard enough if we fear rejection or isolation; speaking the truth in love, in a way that communicates to people not inclined to listen, takes skill and effort. You have to consider the audience before yourself.

Another disruptive element in society, he says, is also the decline of discipline. “The decline of the spirit of discipline is a hatred of the cross.” It starts in schools, and when a nation tries to impose discipline without the cross, the nation becomes totalitarian. The disciplinary character of Christianity commits people to a common purpose beyond themselves. Discipline without the cross brings destruction of human liberty.

This Holy Week as we pray before the cross and celebrate the Resurrection of Christ, let’s pray also that we are granted the words we need to tell others about the man on the cross, and let’s pray they hear us and join with the angels in praising our Lord.

PEGGY NOONAN, THE GREAT (Writer)

This review is from: 

John Paul the Great: Remembering a Spiritual Father (Hardcover)

by Terry Fenwick 

Everything I have ever read that Peggy Noonan has written always makes me say, "I wish I had said that!" or "Why didn't I write that?" Peggy is funny, she is deep - she is nothing short of magnificent. Peggy Noonan the Great sees life with a capital L, puts it all on paper for you and for me and makes that Life jump off the pages right into our hearts.

That is exactly what Peggy Noonan has done with John Paul the Great: Remembering a Spiritual Father. She has made the life of John Paul the Great, jump off the pages, right into your heart.

Peggy Noonan is gifted at one-liners; her titles for each chapter, as well as all of her comments, need to be underlined in a brilliant color and cherished over and over as you read them again and again.

The first chapter, "I saw a Saint at Sunrise" is very heart-warming to any of us who have been to Rome but will be just as exciting to those who still yearn to make their first journey. The final chapter, "There is a Dead Saint in Rome" will take you to many thoughts of the week John Paul the Great left us.

The writing of the mini-miracle, sandwiched between the first and last chapter, of perfectly round circles of glass from an `explosion' of her coffee glass, filled with hot coffee, that reminded Peggy to pray the Rosary, will delight you. You will shake your head as you believe.

John Paul the Great was my Christmas gift to many grateful friends who feel the same way. Buy it - you will love it. Then, write a review!

Grandmother Rosa's Special Note to Pope Francis

Because of this loving Grandmother Rosa's  (Nonna Rosa) advice to her Grandson,  who one day would be Pope Francis, I want each day of my life to be "lived like it is my last."   

Although I am not the Celebrant at a Mass, I still am living a Wonderful Life,  given to me by the LORD GOD,  and have a chance to make a difference. 

No more, "Today is the first day of the rest of my life," for me but instead it is "Today may be the last day of my life!"  I want to live each day making a difference, telling someone about his or her Angel, praying someone I really don't like (a lot)  will know that GOD loves them and so do I. There has to be a million ways to live like that.  

I am going to pray for "my"  president and his wife - AND  their daughters - as the DAUGHTERS are the key - a bit more - and pray like I love them really down deep - instead of counting the days of the rest of the term and forgetting, by the way,  WHO really is in charge around here ANYWAY!  It is so easy to forget that the President is there because GOD allowed it and for a great reason. Why would we ever think GOD does not "think things through right from creation!"

And I am never going to leave my Bed in the morning without kneeling giving the day to the Lord and saying, "Lord God, Lamb of God, only Son of the Father, who takes away the Sin of the World, have Mercy on me, a sinner.  Pour Your Spirit OUT upon me, Fill me with Your Spirit, Baptize Me with Your Spirit to full and overflowing.  Let everything I say, do or think bring GLORY TO YOUR NAME.  (That was my old Protestant Prayer and I still use it - among all the other wonderful new ones - BUT I plan to mean it even more each last day I say it.) 

And renewing all of this in my life because of Jorge Mario Bergoglio's Grandmother Rosa  (Nonna Rosa) So let's hear it for Grannies today!  

Love to you all - Psalm 90:12  So teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom. 

     

Francis Stopped for Divine Mercy

Francis Stopped for Divine Mercy 

This Sunday evening in Rome, a beautiful, quiet, clear, cool spring evening, the parish priest of the Santo Spirito in Sassia church (the church next to the world headquarters of the Jesuits, 200 yards from the colonnade around St. Peter's Square, and the church entrusted by Pope John Paul II to carry out a special devotion to the teaching about Divine Mercy preached by the Polish mystic, St. Faustina Kowalska), Father Giuseppe, a young and dynamic Polish priest, during his sermon on the day's readings, told a little story I had not heard before.

Last week, he said, last Sunday, on April 7, the Sunday of Divine Mercy -- on the eve of which Pope John Paul II died in 2005 -- Pope Francis took possession of the cathedral church of the diocese of Rome, St. John Lateran.

But after doing that, while driving back over to the Vatican, Pope Francis, at about 7:15 in the evening -- Father Giuseppe looked at his watch; "Yes," he said, "it was about at this time, about 7:15 in the evening, a little after 7" -- Pope Francis stopped in front of the church, evidently out of respect for the Divine Mercy devotion practiced in this church, on Divine Mercy Sunday.

"Yes, it was about 7:15 in the evening," Father Giuseppe said, still preaching his homily, and paused. "Pope Francis asked his driver to stop the car in front of the church, for a few moments. And when a few people noticed he was there, a crowd quickly gathered.

"And there was a young couple walking by, just at that time, in the providence of God. A young couple who had fallen away from the church. A young couple who were planning to be married. And when they saw the crowd gathering, they stopped, and they too caught a glimpse of the Pope.

"And catching a glimpse of Pope Francis, they were moved, deep within, and a few minutes later, after the Pope moved on, they came into the church. And they spoke with me for some time, and they want to again draw close to the church, because of the unusual events of that evening, because they saw the Pope stop in front of the church, just as they were walking by.

"And when I see the Pope, and I am sure that I will have a chance to see him, I will tell him this story, the story of how his decision to stop his car on the Feast of Divine Mercy, in front of this church dedicated to the Divine Mercy, brought mercy to those two young people, in such a tangible way that they wanted to change their lives and draw close again to God and to Christ.

"Little miracles of God's mercy are always occurring, and that was one of them."

Little Boy Kneels At The Foot of His Bed

Alan Alexander Milne 1882-1956

                                                                                

Little Boy kneels at the foot of the bed, Droops on the little hands little gold head. Hush! Hush! Whisper who dares! Christopher Robin is saying his prayers. God bless Mummy. I know that's right. Wasn't it fun in the bath to-night? The cold's so cold, and the hot's so hot. Oh! God bless Daddy - I quite forgot. If I open my fingers a little bit more, I can see Nanny's dressing-gown on the door. It's a beautiful blue, but it hasn't a hood. Oh! God bless Nanny and make her good. Mine has a hood, and I lie in bed, And pull the hood right over my head, And I shut my eyes, and I curl up small, And nobody knows that I'm there at all. Oh! Thank you, God, for a lovely day. And what was the other I had to say? I said "Bless Daddy," so what can it be? Oh! Now I remember it. God bless Me. Little Boy kneels at the foot of the bed, Droops on the little hands little gold head. Hush! Hush! Whisper who dares! Christopher Robin is saying his prayers.

TOTUS TUUS - Pope John Paul II

Totus Tuus

This prayer was written by Pope John Paul II to 
Mary Immaculate

Totally yours, 
Immaculate Conception, Mary my Mother, 
Live in me, Act in me, 
Speak in me and through me, 
Think your thoughts in my mind, 
Love through my heart, 
Give me your dispositions and feelings, 
Teach, lead me and guide me to Jesus, 
Correct, enlighten and expand my thoughts and behavior, 
Possess my soul,
Take over my entire personality and life, replace it with Yourself,
Incline me to constant adoration, 
Pray in me and through me, 
Let me live in you and keep me in this union always. 
Amen