Loved Sinner: Poison of Serpents

Monday, November 21, 2011

Poison of Serpents

Have you ever had nagging thoughts to read something!? Thoughts of Saint Anthony keep coming to my mind--it's like he's trying to talk with me. So today on my day off, I'm reading a book about Saint Anthony of Egypt. Saint Anthony rejected the schism of Meletius and the heresies of Manes and Arius. Sometimes, living in a world saturated with the enemy religion--Mormonism--I am loathe to have to interact with them daily. Not that they are unpleasant people, for many are very kind and have most excellent social manners. However, they believe in ideas so foreign to Christianity, they are true heretics!

From the book, "Life of Saint Anthony" Saint Anthony: "was altogether wonderful in faith and religious, for he never held communion with the Meletian schismatics, knowing their wickedness and apostasy from the beginning; nor had he friendly dealings with the Manichean's or any other heretics; or, if he had, only as far as advice that they should change to piety. for he thought and asserted that intercourse with these was harmful and destructive to the soul. In the same manner also he loathed the heresy of the Arians, and exhorted all neither to approach them nor to hold their erroneous belief. And once when certain Arian madmen came to him, when he had questioned them and learned their impiety, he drove them from the mountain, saying that their words were worse than the poison of serpents."

Well, I'm not living as a hermit on the Mountain--not sure I could handle living off bread and water, in a cave, with no comforts of a home. But, I do share the same loathing for the heresy of the Mormons, and think that these Mormon mad men speak with the poison of serpents. And like Saint Anthony, I would exhort to neither approach them, nor to hold their erroneous belief. Isn't it interesting, that heresies were just as prevalent almost 2000 years ago, in Saint Anthony's day, as they are today. And just as many saints are needed to fight off their heresy!

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The Promise

I, Mary Grace of the Divine Mercy, inspired by the Holy Spirit, in response to
God's call, sincerely promise to the Superiors of the Order of the Teresian
Carmel and to you my brothers and sisters, to tend toward evangelical perfection
in the spirit of the evangelical counsels of chastity, poverty, obedience, and
of the Beatitudes, according to the Constitutions of the Secular Order of the
Discalced Carmelites, for the rest of my life. I confidently entrust this, my promise,
to the Virgin Mary, Mother and Queen of Carmel

Our Blessed Mother to Saint Brigitta

The Mother speaks: "Daughter, you must have five inward things and five outward. First outwardly: a mouth clean of all detraction, ears closed to idle talk, modest eyes, hands busy with good works, and withdrawal from the world's way of life. 2. Inwardly, you must have five things: namely, fervent love for God, a wise longing for him, the distribution of your temporal goods with a just and right intention and in a rational way, humble flight from the world, and a long-suffering and patient expectation of my promises."

Quote--Padre Pio

Remember: every sect in the world feeds off of the Catholic Church. Our Holy Catholic Church is like a great and extremely precious unpolished diamond, from which every so often somebody takes a particle and polishes it--not without the help of the evil one--so that it begins to shine better than the great unpolished diamond. and this shine draws men, dazzles them and deceives them, so that the particle necessarily is worn out and comes to nothing. This is the game of deception, which appears and reappears with time. Jesus warned us to watch out for it!

Amazing Grace

Amazing grace, how sweet the sound
That saved a wretch like me.
I once was lost, but now I'm found.
Was blind, but now I see.
'twas grace that taught my heart to feel
And grace my fears relieved.
How precious did that grace appear
The hour I first believed.
When we've been dead ten thousand years
Bright shining as the sun,
We've no less days to sing God's praise
Then when we first begun.
Amazing grace, how sweet the sound
That saved a wretch like me.
I once was lost, but now I'm found.
Was blind, but now I see.

My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord, my spirit rejoices in God my Saviour;
he has looked with favour on his lowly servant.
From this day all generations will call me blessed;
the Almighty has done great things for me and holy is his name.
He has mercy on those who fear him,
from generation to generation.
He has shown strength with his arm
and has scattered the proud in their conceit,
Casting down the mighty from their thrones
and lifting up the lowly.
He has filled the hungry with good things
and sent the rich away empty.
He has come to the aid of his servant Israel,
to remember his promise of mercy,
The promise made to our ancestors,
to Abraham and his children for ever.

Holy Spirit Novena

Dearest Holy Spirit, confiding in Your deep, personal love for me, I am making this novena for the following request, if it be Your Holy Will to grant it: (mention your request).
Teach me, Divine Spirit, to know and seek my last end; grant me the holy fear of God; grant me true contrition and patience. Do not let me fall into sin. Give me an increase of faith, hope and charity, and bring forth in my soul all the virtues proper to my state in life.
Make me a faithful disciple of Jesus and an obedient child of the Church. Give me efficacious grace sufficient to keep the Commandments and to receive the Sacraments worthily. Give me the four Cardinal Virtues, Your Seven Gifts, Your Twelve Fruits. Raise me to perfection in the state of life to which You have called me and lead me through a happy death to everlasting life. I ask this through Christ our Lord, Amen.

Prayer To Our Lady Of Perpetual Help

Mother of Perpetual Help, you have been blessed and favored by God. You became not only the Mother of the Redeemer, but the Mother of the redeemed as well. We come to you today as your loving children. Watch over us and take care of us. As you held the child Jesus in your loving arms, so take us in your arms. Be a mother ready at every moment to help us. For God who is mighty has done great things for you, and his mercy is from age to age on those who love him. Our greatest fear is that in time of temptation, we may fail to call out to you, and become lost children. Intercede for us, dear Mother, in obtaining pardon for our sins, love for Jesus, final perseverance, and the grace always to call upon you, Mother of Perpetual Help.
Amen.

At the mountain of God, Horeb,Elijah came to a cave, where he took shelter.But the word of the LORD came to him,“Go outside and stand on the mountain before the LORD;the LORD will be passing by.”A strong and heavy wind was rending the mountainsand crushing rocks before the LORD—but the LORD was not in the wind.After the wind there was an earthquake— but the LORD was not in the earthquake.After the earthquake there was fire—but the LORD was not in the fire.After the fire there was a tiny whispering sound.When he heard this,Elijah hid his face in his cloakand went and stood at the entrance of the cave.

Saint Maria Goretti--Patron Saint Of This Blog--Pray For Us

St. Maria Goretti
Patron of youth, young women, purity, and victims of rape b: 1890 d: 1902

St. Maria Goretti is the patron saint of this blog because of her forgiveness for her attacker--Our Lord forgives us everything--and we are called as sinners to forgive everyone who hurts us and pray for them--Maria Goretti did--and when we do--even the greatest sinner can be converted.

Born in Corinaldo, Ancona, Italy, on October 16 1890; her farmworker father moved his family to Ferrier di Conca, near Anzio. Her father died of malaria and her mother had to struggle to feed her children.
In 1902 an eighteen-year-old neighbor, Alexander, grabbed her from her steps and tried to rape her. When Maria said that she would rather died than submit, Alexander began stabbing her with a knife.
As she lay in the hospital, she forgave Alexander before she died. Her death didn't end her forgivness, however.
Alexander was captured and sentenced to thirty years. He was unrepentant until he had a dream that he was in a garden. Maria was there and gave him flowers. When he woke, he was a changed man, repenting of his crime and living a reformed life. When he was released after 27 years he went directly to Maria's mother to beg her forgiveness, which she gave. "If my daughter can forgive him, who am I to withold forgiveness," she said.
When Maria was declared a saint in 1950, Alexander was there in the St. Peter's crowd to celebrate her canonization. She was canonized by Pope Pius XII in 1950 for her purity as model for youth.
She is called a martyr because she fought against Alexander's attempts at sexual assault. However, the most important aspect of her story is her forgiveness of her attacker -- her concern for her enemy extending even beyond death. Her feast day is July 6. St. Maria Goretti is the patroness of youth and for the victims of rape.

Quote--Cardinal Newman

God has created me to do Him some definite service; He has committed some work to me that He has not committed to another. I have my mission--I may never know it in this life, but I shall be told it in the next. I am a link in a chain, a bond of connection between persons. He has not created me for naught. I shall do good, I shall do His work; I shall be an angel of peace, a preacher of truth in my own place, while not intending it, if I do but keep His commandments and serve Him in my calling. Therefore, I will trust Him. Whatever, wherever I am. I can never be thrown away. If I am in sickness, my sickness, may serve Him; in perplexity, my perplexity may serve Him. He does nothing in vain. He knows what He is about. He may take away my friends, He may throw me among strangers, He may make me feel desolate, make my spirits sink, hide my future from me--still He know what He is about.

Prayer To St. Anthony For The Recovery Of Lost Graces

Baptismal Promises

I reject Satan And all his works. And all his empty promises. I believe in God, the Father Almighty, creator of heaven and earth. I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord, who was born of the Virgin Mary was crucified, died, and was buried, rose from the dead, and is now seated at the right hand of the Father.
I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy Catholic church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and life everlasting.
God, the all-powerful Father of our Lord Jesus Christ has given me a new birth by water and the Holy Spirit, and forgiven all my sins. May he also keep me faithful to our Lord Jesus Christ for ever and ever.
Amen.