Simply because I don't pray it often enough, and I presume other folks could also benefit spiritually from reciting it, especially with Lent upon us.
O Jesus! meek and humble of heart, Hear me.
From the desire of being esteemed, Deliver me, Jesus.
From the desire of being loved, Deliver me, Jesus.
From the desire of being extolled, Deliver me, Jesus.
From the desire of being honored, Deliver me, Jesus.
From the desire of being praised, Deliver me, Jesus.
From the desire of being preferred to others, Deliver me, Jesus.
From the desire of being consulted, Deliver me, Jesus.
From the desire of being approved, Deliver me, Jesus.
From the fear of being humiliated, Deliver me, Jesus.
From the fear of being despised, Deliver me, Jesus.
From the fear of suffering rebukes, Deliver me, Jesus.
From the fear of being calumniated, Deliver me, Jesus.
From the fear of being forgotten, Deliver me, Jesus.
From the fear of being ridiculed, Deliver me, Jesus.
From the fear of being wronged, Deliver me, Jesus.
From the fear of being suspected, Deliver me, Jesus.
That others may be loved more than I, Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.
That others may be esteemed more than I, Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.
That, in the opinion of the world, others may increase and I may decrease, Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.
That others may be chosen and I set aside, Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.
That others may be praised and I unnoticed, Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.
That others may be preferred to me in everything, Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.
That others may become holier than I, provided that I may become as holy as I should, Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.
Monday, February 15, 2010
Monday, February 8, 2010
Happy Birthday
Has anybody seen this? Despite the past 2 posts, I don't like rap. But I like this one. Flipsyde-Happy Birthday. A pro-life rap written like a birthday letter from a father to his aborted child.
Watch it on Youtube Here, or find the lyrics here.
I thought it was pretty hauntingly real. Alas, we pray unceasingly for an end to this horror.
Watch it on Youtube Here, or find the lyrics here.
I thought it was pretty hauntingly real. Alas, we pray unceasingly for an end to this horror.
Monday, February 1, 2010
My new favorite Catholic "Rapper!"
We've all heard, presumably, of Fr. Stan Fortuna and Righteous B, but now it's time to introduce ZHULIO!
I highly recommend listening to Fr. Z.'s HILARIOUS rap about liturgy, and if anyone has the wherewithal to reproduce the lyrics, it'd be greatly appreciated. In any case, take a listen and laugh till you cry!
I highly recommend listening to Fr. Z.'s HILARIOUS rap about liturgy, and if anyone has the wherewithal to reproduce the lyrics, it'd be greatly appreciated. In any case, take a listen and laugh till you cry!
Free Needles to drug addicts in Albany Diocese
As reported over at Catholic Culture, H. E. Bp. Hubbard has approved a proposal to give out free syringes to drug addicts, to stop the spread of AIDS.
“I understand there will be questions, but this is common sense,” said Sister Maureen Joyce, CEO of Catholic Charities. “I strongly believe in this. It will save lives.” “From a theological standpoint, we're not being faithful to our mission if we don't reach out to people addicted to drugs, too,” Sister Joyce added.
This is an interesting letter penned by a recovering drug addict to Bishop Hubbard, who is strongly against this idea.
Personally, I think this is an absolutely terrible idea. I think that even IF this saves some lives, it might cost more lives by encouraging and enabling drug addiction, and at the very least, save LESS lives than using these funds in other ways to reach out to our addicted brethren.
Thoughts? I'm not a fan, but I say that with no authority. Regardless, this is a group that should always be in our prayers.
O Divine Physician, for all of the addicts in the world who are suffering, whether or not they know they are addicted, or realize they are suffering, we pray that you may grant them the grace to depend on You alone, and break their dependence on evil vices. For those recovering, we pray that You may grant them the strength to sustain their freedom from enslavement to these vices, and for those who spend their days helping to break addiction and aid recovery, that they may do so with charity and love, and always with Your divine assistance.
“I understand there will be questions, but this is common sense,” said Sister Maureen Joyce, CEO of Catholic Charities. “I strongly believe in this. It will save lives.” “From a theological standpoint, we're not being faithful to our mission if we don't reach out to people addicted to drugs, too,” Sister Joyce added.
This is an interesting letter penned by a recovering drug addict to Bishop Hubbard, who is strongly against this idea.
Personally, I think this is an absolutely terrible idea. I think that even IF this saves some lives, it might cost more lives by encouraging and enabling drug addiction, and at the very least, save LESS lives than using these funds in other ways to reach out to our addicted brethren.
Thoughts? I'm not a fan, but I say that with no authority. Regardless, this is a group that should always be in our prayers.
O Divine Physician, for all of the addicts in the world who are suffering, whether or not they know they are addicted, or realize they are suffering, we pray that you may grant them the grace to depend on You alone, and break their dependence on evil vices. For those recovering, we pray that You may grant them the strength to sustain their freedom from enslavement to these vices, and for those who spend their days helping to break addiction and aid recovery, that they may do so with charity and love, and always with Your divine assistance.
On divorce, annulment, and absent fathers.
As reported by CNS, Pope Benedict XVI has stated that the simple desire for sacraments is not sufficient reason for annulment. Some quotes:
"One must shun pseudo-pastoral claims" that look only at this desire to receive sacraments in the quest to determine annulments.
He also notes that Charity without justice is "only a forgery because charity requires the objectivity that is typical of justice and which must not be confused with inhumane coldness."
"Both justice and charity require love for the truth and essentially lead to a search for the truth."
I think our Holy Father is quite clear on this matter, and I am so glad of this. Too often, it seems that Catholics think that if they are divorced, an annulment is just a fancy way of saying the same thing. THIS IS NOT THE CASE!
On a related note, here are some statistics about those who grow up with no father figure.
It is simply alarming.
85% of all youths sitting in prisons grew up in a fatherless homes
85% of all children that exhibit behavioral disorders come from fatherless homes
90% of all homeless and runaway children are from fatherless homes
71% of all high school dropouts come from fatherless homes
75% of all adolescent patients in chemical abuse centers come from fatherless homes
63% of youth suicides are from fatherless homes
80% of rapists motivated with displaced anger come from fatherless homes
70% of juveniles in state-operated institutions come from fatherless homes
These statistics translate to mean that children from a fatherless home are:
Why talk about this now? Prior to the March for Life, as I was praying in the Blessed Sacrament Chapel, the delegation from Rhode Island (H.E. Bp. Tobin's Diocese of Providence) came in and had a wonderful priest say Mass. He discussed the issue of abortion, through the lens of the importance of family, marriage, and teaching our children the proper order of things. He discussed how few couples who came to him seeking marriage had actually followed the church's regulations on marriage. (which, incidentally, includes 'you shouldn't marry a non-catholic'!)
It's also true that daughters of single parents are:
53% more likely to marry as teenagers,
164% more likely to have a premarital birth,
92% more likely to dissolve their own marriages
2.1 times more likely to have children during their teenage years than are daughters from intact families
FINALLY, 71% of teenage pregnancies are to children of single parents.
Guess what, folks: it's all interconnected.
"One must shun pseudo-pastoral claims" that look only at this desire to receive sacraments in the quest to determine annulments.
He also notes that Charity without justice is "only a forgery because charity requires the objectivity that is typical of justice and which must not be confused with inhumane coldness."
"Both justice and charity require love for the truth and essentially lead to a search for the truth."
I think our Holy Father is quite clear on this matter, and I am so glad of this. Too often, it seems that Catholics think that if they are divorced, an annulment is just a fancy way of saying the same thing. THIS IS NOT THE CASE!
The Roman Catholic Church considers a marriage valid when:
- It is celebrated in a ceremony according to Church law;
- Both parties are free to marry each other;
- Each partner intends, from the beginning of the marriage, to accept God's plan for married life as taught by the Church;
- Each partner has the physical and psychological ability to live out the consent and commitment initially given to the marriage.
If any of these requirements are lacking from the beginning of the marriage, then the Tribunal, acting as the bishop's representative, can declare that marriage invalid.
BUT this tells us something. This tells us that our priests are not properly catechizing regarding marriage, and our congregants are not properly catechized on marriage! Annulments should be RARE (Ideally, they should never happen, and at worst they should be rare.)
On a related note, here are some statistics about those who grow up with no father figure.
It is simply alarming.
85% of all youths sitting in prisons grew up in a fatherless homes
85% of all children that exhibit behavioral disorders come from fatherless homes
90% of all homeless and runaway children are from fatherless homes
71% of all high school dropouts come from fatherless homes
75% of all adolescent patients in chemical abuse centers come from fatherless homes
63% of youth suicides are from fatherless homes
80% of rapists motivated with displaced anger come from fatherless homes
70% of juveniles in state-operated institutions come from fatherless homes
These statistics translate to mean that children from a fatherless home are:
- 5 times more likely to commit suicide.
- 32 times more likely to run away.
- 20 times more likely to have behavioral disorders.
- 14 times more likely to commit rape
- 9 times more likely to drop out of high school.
- 10 times more likely to abuse chemical substances.
- 9 times more likely to end up in a state-operated institution.
- 20 times more likely to end up in prison.
Why talk about this now? Prior to the March for Life, as I was praying in the Blessed Sacrament Chapel, the delegation from Rhode Island (H.E. Bp. Tobin's Diocese of Providence) came in and had a wonderful priest say Mass. He discussed the issue of abortion, through the lens of the importance of family, marriage, and teaching our children the proper order of things. He discussed how few couples who came to him seeking marriage had actually followed the church's regulations on marriage. (which, incidentally, includes 'you shouldn't marry a non-catholic'!)
It's also true that daughters of single parents are:
53% more likely to marry as teenagers,
164% more likely to have a premarital birth,
92% more likely to dissolve their own marriages
2.1 times more likely to have children during their teenage years than are daughters from intact families
FINALLY, 71% of teenage pregnancies are to children of single parents.
Guess what, folks: it's all interconnected.
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