SACRED ART: "Disputation of the Sacrament" by Raphael
(Left-click once or twice on the picture to get a closer view)
PRAYER: Litany of the Holy Saints ***OPTIONAL***
Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy.
Christ, have mercy. Christ, have mercy.
Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy.
Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us.
Saint Michael, pray for us.
Holy angels of God, pray for us.
St. John the Baptist, pray for us.
St. Joseph, pray for us.
St. Peter and St. Paul, pray for us.
St. Andrew, pray for us.
St. John, pray for us.
St. Mary Magdalene, pray for us.
St. Stephen, pray for us.
St. Ignatius of Antioch, pray for us.
St. Lawrence, pray for us.
St. Perpetua and St. Felicity, pray for us.
St. Agnes, pray for us.
St. Gregory, pray for us.
St. Augustine, pray for us.
St. Athanasius, pray for us.
St. Basil, pray for us.
St. Martin, pray for us.
St. Benedict, pray for us.
St. Francis and St. Dominic, pray for us.
St. Francis Xavier, pray for us.
St. John Vianney, pray for us.
St. Catherine, pray for us.
St. Teresa of Jesus, pray for us.
All holy men and women, pray for us.
Lord, be merciful. Lord, deliver us, we pray.
From all evil. Lord, deliver us, we pray.
From every sin. Lord, deliver us, we pray.
From everlasting death. Lord, deliver us, we pray.
By your coming as man. Lord, deliver us, we pray.
By your death and rising to new life. Lord, deliver us, we pray.
By your gift of the Holy Spirit. Lord, deliver us, we pray.
Be merciful to us sinners. Lord, we ask you, hear our prayer.
Guide and protect your holy Church. Lord, we ask you, hear our prayer.
Keep the pope and all the clergy in faithful service to your Church. Lord, we ask you, hear our prayer.
Bring all peoples together in trust and peace. Lord, we ask you, hear our prayer.
Strengthen us in your service. Lord, we ask you, hear our prayer.
Jesus, Son of the living God. Lord, we ask you, hear our prayer.
Christ, hear us. Christ, hear us.
Christ, graciously hear us. Christ, graciously hear us.
Let us pray.
God of our ancestors who set their hearts on you,
Of those who fell asleep in peace,
And of those who won the martyrs violent crown:
We are surrounded by these witnesses
As by clouds of fragrant incense.
In this age we would be counted
In this communion of all the saints;
Keep us always in their good and blessed company.
In their midst we make every prayer
Through Christ who is our Lord forever and ever.
Amen.
SACRED ART: "The Baptism of Christ" by Antoine Coypel
(Left-click the white slider bar in the mini picture, then drag the white slider bar left or right to find your preferred size — you might have to play with it because it’s a little tricky)
PRAYER: Invocation of the Holy Spirit ***REQUIRED***
Come Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful,
And enkindle in them the fire of your love.
Lord, send forth your Spirit,
And you will renew the face of the earth.
O God,
Who instructs the hearts of your faithful
With the light of your Holy Spirit,
Make us responsive to his inspirations
So that we may be truly wise and
Ever rejoice in his consolations,
Through Christ our Lord.
Amen.
SACRED ART: "Mocking of Christ" by Carl Bloch
SCRIPTURE: Mark 8: 34-37 ***REQUIRED***
He summoned the crowd with his disciples and said to them, “Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me. For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and that of the gospel will save it. What profit is there for one to gain the whole world and forfeit his life? What could one give in exchange for his life?”
SACRED ART: "Founder Statue of St. Louis de Montfort" by Giacomo Parsini
(Left-click once or twice on the picture to get a closer view)
REFLECTION BY ST. LOUIS DE MONTFORT: True Devotion to Mary (#81) ***REQUIRED***
In order to empty ourselves of self, we must die daily to ourselves. This involves our renouncing what the powers of the soul and the senses of the body incline us to do. We must see as if we did not see, hear as if we did not hear and use the things of the world as if we did not use them. This is what St. Paul calls dying daily. Unless the grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single grain and does not bear any good fruit. If we do not die to self and if our holiest devotions do not lead us to this necessary and fruitful death, we shall not bear fruit of any worth and our devotions will cease to be profitable. All our good works will be tainted by self-love and self-will so that our greatest sacrifices and our best actions will be unacceptable to God. Consequently when we come to die we shall find ourselves devoid of virtue and merit and discover that we do not possess even one spark of that pure love which God shares only with those who have died to themselves and whose life is hidden with Jesus Christ in him.
QUESTION ***REQUIRED***
To die to oneself is not simply to renounce sin. It is also to recognize that even our very best inclinations and capacities need to be purified. This death is not the destruction of ourselves, but the transformation of our fragility and limitation into the strength and power of God. This change is not possible without the Cross. Where do you encounter the Cross in your life? Do you embrace and carry this Cross with a faithful heart or do you seek out opportunities to set it aside?
SACRED ART: "The Visitation" by Raphael and Giulio Romano or Giovanni Francesco Penni
(Either leave the picture as it is, or you may left-click on the minus sign once or twice in order to get a farther view)
PRAYER: Jesus Living in Mary ***REQUIRED***
O Jesus living in Mary,
Come and live in your servant,
In the Spirit of your holiness,
In the fullness of your gifts,
In the perfection of your ways,
In the truth of your virtues,
In the communion of your mysteries.
Subdue within me
The power of flesh and demon
By your Holy Spirit,
For the glory of God the father.
Amen.
SACRED ART: "The Annunciation" by Giovanni Lanfranco
(Left-click once or twice on the picture to get a closer view)
PRAYER: Memorare, O Piissima Virgo Maria ***REQUIRED***
Remember,
O most gracious Virgin Mary,
That 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.
SACRED ART: "The Holy Family with St. Elizabeth and the Infant St. John the Baptist" by Pompeo Batoni
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/43/Hermitagebatoniholyfamily.jpg
(Either leave the picture as it is, or you may left-click once on the picture to get a closer view)
PRAYER: Ave Maris Stella ***REQUIRED***
Hail, bright star of ocean,
God’s own Mother blest,
Ever sinless Virgin,
Gate of heavenly rest.
Taking that sweet Ave,
Which from Gabriel came,
Peace confirm within us,
Changing Eva’s name.
Break the captives’ fetters,
Light on blindness pour,
All our ills expelling,
Every bliss implore.
Show thyself a Mother;
May the the Word Divine,
Born for us thy Infant,
Hear our prayers through thine.
Virgin all excelling,
Mildest of the mild,
Freed from guilt, preserve us,
Pure and undefiled.
Keep our life all spotless,
Make our way secure,
Till we find in Jesus,
Joy forevermore.
Through the highest heaven,
To the Almighty Three,
Father, Son, and Spirit,
One same glory be.
Amen.