Category Archives: Devotion

Devotion

Giving Thanks for the Holy Eucharist

St Peter Julian EymardGive thanks therefore to God the Father for having given you His divine Son not only as Brother in the Incarnation, as Teacher of truth, and as Savior on the Cross, but especially as your Eucharist, your bread of life, your heaven already begun.

Thank the Holy Ghost for continuing, through the priests, to produce Him daily on the altar, as He did the first time in Mary’s virginal womb.

Let your thanksgiving ascend to the throne of the Lamb, to the Hidden God as a sweet-smelling incense, as the most beautiful hymn of your soul, as the purest and tenderest love of your heart.

Thank Him in all humility of heart, like Saint Elizabeth in the presence of Mary and the Word Incarnate; thank Him with the vibrant ardor of Saint John the Baptist when he felt the closeness of his divine Master, hidden like himself in His mother’s womb; thank Him with the joy and generosity of Zacheus when he received the visit of Jesus in his house; thank Him with the Holy Church and the heavenly court.

In order that your thanksgiving may never cease and go on forever increasing, do what is done in heaven. Consider the goodness, the beauty ever old and ever new of the God of the Eucharist, Who for our sake is consumed and reborn without ceasing on the altar.

Saint Peter Julian Eymard

Devotion

Corpus Christi Mass and Procession 2016

Corpus ChristiThe Solemnity of Corpus Christi, the celebration of the Lord’s institution of the Holy Eucharist, will be commemorated on Sunday, May 29, 2016 with High Mass at 2:00 p.m. followed by an outdoor procession with the Holy Eucharist.

The hymns written for the feast written by Saint Thomas Aquinas, and others, will be sung by the St. Gregory Schola.

Devotion

40 Hours Devotion this weekend

40_HoursThis coming Sunday, May 22nd, Saint Stanislaus Parish is holding the annual 40 Hours Devotion.

Please avail yourself to this perfect time of prayer before the Eucharistic Lord.

The schedule for Eucharistic Adoration is as follows:

  • Friday, May 20th, 8:00am to 7:00pm
  • Saturday, May 21st, 8:00am to 4:00pm
  • Sunday, May 22nd, 12:30pm to 5:30pm
  • Sunday, May 22nd, Solemn Vespers with an outdoor Eucharistic Procession and Benediction at 4:30pm.

Here is quick review of this Eucharistic devotion.

40 Hours comes from the Diocese of Milan around 1527. The purpose of the devotion was to make reparation for sins and to offer prayers to God for protection during war, in subsequent years this period of Eucharistic prayer was closely associated with the virtue of gratitude for graces received and for the appreciation of the gift of the Holy Eucharist. 40 Hours was quite popular and by 1539 Pope Paul III gave his approval. It also found great support from St. Anthony Maria Zaccaria and Saint Philip Neri, who introduced its celebration in Rome in 1550. It was Pope Paul IV who connected the 40 Hours Devotion with the forty days of fasting of the Lord in the desert and then he drew our attention to the Apostle’s exhortation to pray unceasingly.

For the Latin Mass Community, the 2:00 p.m. Low Mass will be offered at the Saint Joseph altar and not at the main altar. Please sit on the Saint Joseph side of the church.

For the reception of Holy Communion please use the altar rail in front of the Saint Joseph altar (even though the space is quite limited this is to avoid unnecessary traffic in front of the Blessed Sacrament).

One of the rubrical changes is that in the Presence of the Most Blessed Sacrament, the bells are not rung.

Let us pray for one another before the Lord.

Devotion

Novena to the Holy Spirit

Pentecost Giotto detailBeginning today, we need to make  the petition to the Holy Spirit through a Novena asking that the Holy Spirit to bestow onus His seven gifts and the twelve fruits. The seven gifts of the Spirit: “wisdom, understanding, counsel, fortitude, knowledge, piety, and fear of the Lord. They belong in their fullness to Christ, Son of David” (Catechism, 1831).

And, “The [12] fruits of the Spirit are perfections that the Holy Spirit forms in us as the first fruits of eternal glory. The tradition of the Church lists twelve of them: ‘charity, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, generosity, gentleness, faithfulness, modesty, self-control, chastity’” (Catechism, 1832).

The prayers:

ACT OF CONSECRATION TO THE HOLY SPIRIT

On my knees before the great multitude of heavenly witnesses I offer myself, soul and body, to You, Eternal Spirit of God. I adore the brightness of Your purity, the unerring keenness of Your justice and the might of Your love. You are the Strength and Light of my soul. In You I live and move and am. I desire never to grieve You by unfaithfulness to grace and I pray with all my heart to be kept from the smallest sin against You. Mercifully guard my every thought and grant that I may always watch for Your light and listen to Your voice and follow Your gracious inspirations. I cling to You and give myself to You and ask You by Your compassion to watch over me in my weakness. Holding the pierced Feet of Jesus and looking at His Five Wounds and trusting in His Precious Blood and adoring his opened Side and stricken Heart, I implore You, Adorable Spirit, Helper of my infirmity, so to keep me in Your grace that I may never sin against You. Give me grace, O Holy Ghost, Spirit of the Father and the Son to say to You always and everywhere, “Speak, Lord, for Your servant hearth.” Amen.

PRAYER FOR THE SEVEN GIFTS OF THE HOLY SPIRIT

Christ Jesus, before ascending into heaven, You promised to send the Holy Spirit to Your apostles and disciples.

Grant that the same Spirit may perfect in our lives the work of Your grace and love.

Grant us the Spirit of Fear Of The Lord that we may be filled with a loving reverence toward You.

the Spirit of Piety that we may find peace and fulfillment in the service of God while serving others;

the Spirit of Fortitude that we may bear our cross with You and, with courage, overcome the obstacles that interfere with our salvation;

the Spirit of Knowledge that we may know You and know ourselves and grow in holiness;

the Spirit of Understanding to enlighten our minds with the light of Your truth;

the Spirit of Counsel that we may choose the surest way of doing Your will, seeking first the Kingdom;

Grant us the Spirit of Wisdom that we may aspire to the things that last forever; Teach us to be Your faithful disciples and animate us in every way with Your Spirit.  Amen.