THE POWER OF HIS LOVE IN THE DARK NIGHT OF the cross

Jesus, I surrender to You:

As I lay my need at your feet,

I see your sorrowful face,

And I painfully suffer with you

In the Agony in the Garden.

Jesus, I trust in You:

As I look into your merciful face,

The face of Divine Mercy,

Your smile and divine sense of humor

Strongly encourage me.

For the sake of His sorrowful passion:

As I see Our Lady of the Pietà,

Holding Jesus at the foot of the cross,

I feel the power of His love

Sweetly sweep over my soul.

Have mercy on us, and on the whole world:

As I see Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal,

She opens her holy hands with heartfelt compassion,

So that the light of God’s love rains down upon me,

And my soul is transformed by the Transfigured.

OUR FATHER: THIS IS HOW YOU ARE TO PRAY

Kneeling in Humility Before the Father

Our Father, Who art in heaven, Hallowed by Thy name.

Surrendering to the Father

Thy kingdom come, Thy Will be done, On earth as it is in Heaven.

Hungering for the Bread of Life

Give us this day our daily bread,

Living Divine Mercy

And forgive us our trespasses, As we forgive those who trespass against us.

Avoiding the Near Occasion of Sin

And lead us not into temptation, But deliver us from evil.

Amen.

SILENT NIGHT: AN ANGEL'S PERSPECTIVE

Here we find the epicenter of the holy earthquake

that destroys the sin of the centuries.

In jubilation, I swiftly and silently cruise through

the cool, crisp air on this holiest of holy nights,

Up above, high in the heavens, is the star of all stars,

powerfully pulsating with bursts of joy;

Below, in the countryside, the shepherds’ fires

crackle with contentment near Bethlehem,

For the Christ child, the Prince of Peace, has been

born in a lowly little stable in the city of David.

I am flanked by a merry multitude of fellow angels,

as we prepare for our descent into little Bethlehem,

From the cloud tops we cascade downward towards

the manger, like a waterfall of invisible light;

The shuffling shepherds who were so startled to

behold us now adore their newborn king on bent knees,

And the majestic magi marvel at the humility of the

Blessed Babe, the long-awaited holy Messiah.

St. Joseph thoughtfully covers the mild mother Mary,

to help heat her on this very chilly night,

The joyful Virgin warmly welcomes little Jesus,

covering Him with her tender kisses and caresses;

Blissful baby Jesus beams a bright smile, covering all

present with His most peaceful benevolence,

And we angels swirl and dance, and exultantly sing

and rejoice and praise the glory of the good God.

The holy family will live in the dark night of the unseen,

centered in the Light of Limitless Love.

JESUS, THE KING OF DIVINE MERCY

I turn around and before me you stand,

  one whose robe is dazzlingly white,

On your head is a glistening gold crown,

  set with gemstones radiant and bright;

With great love, you bestow your peace upon me,

  through your wonderfully warm brown eyes,

Your merciful smile cheers my heart,

  so that my soul can most sweetly arise;

In the joyful breeze of the Holy Spirit,

  your flowing hair so very gently swirls,

In my heart I totally surrender to you,

  and for you this is a treasure of pearls.

THE INCARNATION

Whispered sweetly,

Santa Maria’s “Yes”

Ripples and reverberates

Through the Halls of Heaven,

And the Spirit speeds through the

Atmosphere in a powerful pulse

Of gleaming, virginal white light

Into the humble House of Gold:

And, behold, The Divine Mercy is

Incarnate.

PRAYER OF DIVINE MERCY IN THE DARK NIGHT OF THE CROSS

Inspired by St. Peter the Apostle, St. Francis de Sales, & St. Francis of Assisi

O Mystical Rose, please pray for me!

O St. Joseph, please pray for me!

O Guardian Angel, please pray for me!

O Divine Mercy, please save me!

I now turn my heart to you, Lord,

I will practice the contrary virtue;

I rejoice in you, Christ Crucified,

And I say, “Jesus, I trust in you!”

With a heart full of love,

I kiss your sacred feet,

So that what is bitter

May soon become sweet!

Amen.

OUR LADY OF DIVINE MERCY

Trembling, I hid in your mantle, protected

  From the dark night of unknowing;

You guided me up the steep, perilous path,

  Towards the sparkling, starry heavens.

The demonic winds gusted, and with

  Frightful ferocity thunder shook the air;

Serpentine lightning darted in the sky, and

  Lava streams slithered down the slopes.

But then the Sun of God dazzlingly dawned,

  And He put an end to the dark night;

Beams of bright light, both red and white,

  Streamed soothingly into my soul.

Atop the summit, you took my hand,

  And together we flew into the Light;

We laughed like merry little children,

  Soaking in the sunshine of pure Mercy.

DIVINE MERCY PRAYER FOR A PLENARY INDULGENCE

O Lord of Love,

Through your holy grace,

I have wholehearted contrition,

And am free from all affection for sin,

And so, with a sincere heart,

I offer you this Our Father,

This Hail Mary, and this Glory Be,

For the Holy Father’s intentions.

And along with these prayers,

Please accept my recent confession,

And today’s indulgenced work, 

And reception of Holy Communion.

In short, I humbly request that 

Through the sweet hands of

Our Lady of Love,

You accept today the gift

Of this plenary indulgence,

Offered for the benefit of _____,

Or offered for my own benefit,

Or offered for whomever else the

Merciful Mystical Rose most wishes,

In accordance with your holy will.

Amen.

CONSECRATION DAY!

Hi, everyone!

Welcome to our Consecration Day! This is indeed an exciting day, so please do something special to celebrate it!

Since today is Consecration Day, please be sure to print out the consecration prayer and bring it with you to mass. You will find it at the following link:

THE ACT OF TOTAL CONSECRATION

God bless you, and may Our Lady, the Queen of All Hearts, sweetly shower God's graces upon you!

Joe

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TOTAL CONSECRATION -- DAY 33 OF 33

Hi, everyone!

Congratulations! We've almost completed our journey! Today is the last of the 33 days, and the finish line is now clearly within sight, so run hard through that finish line and get ready to celebrate tomorrow!

In order to find the prayers, as well as the links to magnificent sacred art, please do the following items: 

1. Click the following link to go to my website:

http://www.josephpeteranthony.com/total-consecration

2. Scroll down a little farther and click the link entitled "Total Consecration: Day 33" (this will take you to the prayers and the sacred art)

By the way, since tomorrow is Consecration Day, please be sure to print out the consecration prayer and bring it with you to mass. You will find it at the following link:

THE ACT OF TOTAL CONSECRATION

God bless you, and may Our Lady, the Queen of All Hearts, sweetly shower God's graces upon you!

Joe

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TOTAL CONSECRATION -- DAY 32 OF 33

Hi, everyone!

So what should we expect on Consecration Day? What will happen when we make our Act of Total Consecration?

Soon we will find out. The key for us is to pray the consecration prayer as sincerely and devoutly as we can, simply surrendering to Jesus through Mary. Some of us may feel nothing at all when we make our consecration, and that's perfectly fine. As I have mentioned to you before, we shouldn't judge the value of this devotion by feelings and emotions. We might feel nothing on the outside, but the Holy Spirit might be working wonders for us on the inside. 

Now, that being said, it's also possible that others of us might have a profoundly emotional experience. If we really and truly understand the words we're saying to Jesus and Mary in the Act of Total Consecration, then we may feel an outpouring of emotion unlike anything that we've ever experienced in our lives. 

However, regardless of what we experience, I firmly believe that, through Mary, Jesus will give each of us what we most need, whatever that is. He is never, ever outdone in generosity. He is never, ever outdone in divine mercy. So if we don't have an emotional experience, then we should simply accept it and say, "Jesus, I trust in You!" And if we do have an emotional experience, then, again, we should simply accept it in humility and say, "Jesus, I trust in You!"

One is absolutely as good as the other.

In order to find the prayers, as well as the links to magnificent sacred art, please do the following items: 

1. Click the following link to go to my website:

http://www.josephpeteranthony.com/total-consecration

2. Scroll down a little farther and click the link entitled "Total Consecration: Day 32" (this will take you to the prayers and the sacred art)

God bless you, and may Our Lady, the Queen of All Hearts, sweetly shower God's graces upon you!

Joe

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TOTAL CONSECRATION -- DAY 31 OF 33

Hi, everyone!

If we haven't already done so, it's time for us to start thinking about where and when we are going to make our Act of Total Consecration to Jesus through Mary.

If we want to gain a plenary indulgence (which I certainly do, because of God's magnificent blessings!), then we should go to confession, and then on Consecration Day we should (1) receive Holy Communion, (2) pray an Our Father and Hail Mary for the Holy Father's intentions, and (3) make our Act of Total Consecration after mass. I already know pretty much exactly where I will be sitting in the church when I recite this prayer.

Also, we need to remember to bring our consecration prayer to mass with us on Consecration Day (unless we prefer to say the prayer at home). Soon, I’ll share a few different consecration prayers with you, and you can choose the one that you like best.

On the other hand, if you choose not to gain a plenary indulgence, then you still need to think about where and when you will recite the consecration prayer. Perhaps it will be in front of a beautiful picture of Our Lord Jesus and/or the Blessed Virgin Mary, and it might even include lighting a candle to help create an ambience of holy reverence. The decision is totally yours. 

In order to find the prayers, as well as the links to magnificent sacred art, please do the following items: 

1. Click the following link to go to my website:

http://www.josephpeteranthony.com/total-consecration

2. Scroll down a little farther and click the link entitled "Total Consecration: Day 31" (this will take you to the prayers and the sacred art)

God bless you, and may Our Lady, the Queen of All Hearts, sweetly shower God's graces upon you!

Joe

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TOTAL CONSECRATION -- DAY 30 OF 33

Hi, everyone!

We're almost there! Our destination is getting nearer, and our "Pilgrimage of Prayer" is soon coming to its climax!

In order to find the prayers, as well as the links to magnificent sacred art, please do the following items: 

1. Click the following link to go to my website:

http://www.josephpeteranthony.com/total-consecration

2. Scroll down a little farther and click the link entitled "Total Consecration: Day 30" (this will take you to the prayers and the sacred art)

God bless you, and may Our Lady, the Queen of All Hearts, sweetly shower God's graces upon you!

Joe

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TOTAL CONSECRATION -- DAY 29 OF 33

Hi, everyone!

Are you getting excited? Consecration Day is very close indeed!

In order to find the prayers, as well as the links to magnificent sacred art, please do the following items: 

1. Click the following link to go to my website:

http://www.josephpeteranthony.com/total-consecration

2. Scroll down a little farther and click the link entitled "Total Consecration: Day 29" (this will take you to the prayers and the sacred art)

God bless you, and may Our Lady, the Queen of All Hearts, sweetly shower God's graces upon you!

Joe

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TOTAL CONSECRATION -- DAY 28 OF 33

Hi, everyone!

Something very, very wonderful is right around the corner for us. On Consecration Day we will have the opportunity to gain a plenary indulgence for practicing this holy devotion. According to the Manual of Indulgences, a plenary indulgence is defined as, "... a remission before God of the temporal punishment for sins, whose guilt is forgiven...." What an indescribably merciful gift from God!

So in order to gain a plenary indulgence (assuming we have already gone to confession), these are the three things we need to do on Consecration Day: (1) receive Holy Communion, (2) pray an Our Father and a Hail Mary for the Holy Father's intentions, and (3) complete our "indulgenced work" by praying our Act of Total Consecration to Jesus through Mary. 

In addition, we should try to be free from all attachment to sin, or as St. Francis de Sales describes it, we should try to be free from all affection for sin. The following prayer helps me to stay focused on doing this (you're welcome to use it if you find it helpful):

http://www.josephpeteranthony.com/poem-of-the-day/2022/7/28/marian-prayer-of-offering-for-a-plenary-indulgence

In order to find the prayers, as well as the links to magnificent sacred art, please do the following items: 

1. Click the following link to go to my website:

http://www.josephpeteranthony.com/total-consecration

2. Scroll down a little farther and click the link entitled "Total Consecration: Day 28" (this will take you to the prayers and the sacred art)

God bless you, and may Our Lady, the Queen of All Hearts, sweetly shower God's graces upon you!

Joe

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TOTAL CONSECRATION -- DAY 27 OF 33

Hi, everyone!

If we haven't yet gone to confession, then that's okay, because we still have time -- but the Act of Total Consecration is only a week away. Therefore, I highly recommend that if you haven't yet gone to confession, you do so sometime this week.

So, if necessary, I recommend that you look at your calendar today and mark in advance the exact day and time on which you choose to go to confession. Remember, we shouldn't wait until the last moment for this -- otherwise, it may lead to stress and discouragement, and the devil loves that.

In order to find the prayers, as well as the links to magnificent sacred art, please do the following items: 

1. Click the following link to go to my website:

http://www.josephpeteranthony.com/total-consecration

2. Scroll down a little farther and click the link entitled "Total Consecration: Day 27" (this will take you to the prayers and the sacred art)

God bless you, and may Our Lady, the Queen of All Hearts, sweetly shower God's graces upon you!

Joe

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TOTAL CONSECRATION -- DAY 26 OF 33

Hi, everyone!

During this stage, the "Knowledge of Mary," the Holy Rosary has been optional; however, you'll notice that today it is required.

Traditionally, the Joyful Mysteries are prayed on Mondays and Saturdays, the Luminous Mysteries on Thursdays, the Sorrowful Mysteries on Tuesdays and Fridays, and the Glorious Mysteries on Wednesdays and Sundays.

Now if you would like to spice things up just a bit from an artistic perspective, then you might want to consider listening to a little sacred music while you're praying the Rosary. If you do this, then I also recommend that you have sacred art in front of you. The combination of sacred music and sacred art can sometimes nicely set the tone for contemplative prayer.

This first piece is an instrumental version of the "Ave Maria" of Franz Schubert, as played by violin soloist Andre Rieu:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JqVdGVofErY

The second piece is an instrumental version of the "Ave Maria" of Johann Sebastian Bach and Charles Gounod (the latter was a Third-Order Franciscan), coupled with some very beautiful scenery:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cvddphhQtjY

The third piece is "O Euchari in Leta Via" by St. Hildegard of Bingen (who Pope Benedict XVI proclaimed a Doctor of the Church). It is a chant, but it has a modern rhythm:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ctx5fo-8DTI

In order to find the prayers, as well as the links to magnificent sacred art, please do the following items: 

1. Click the following link to go to my website:

http://www.josephpeteranthony.com/total-consecration

2. Scroll down a little farther and click the link entitled "Total Consecration: Day 26" (this will take you to the prayers and the sacred art)

3. Today the Holy Rosary is required. If you would like to pray it with classic sacred art, then please click on the following link:

http://www.josephpeteranthony.com/rose-let

God bless you, and may Our Lady, the Queen of All Hearts, sweetly shower God's graces upon you!

Joe

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TOTAL CONSECRATION -- DAY 25 OF 33

Hi, everyone!

In two days we will take our prayer experience to an even higher level as we transition from "Knowledge of Mary" to "Knowledge of Jesus Christ." The Blessed Virgin Mary, or "La Madonnina" (as St. Padre Pio used to affectionately call her) has gently led us by the hand for the last week, and soon she will lovingly hand us over to the Wonder Counselor, the God-Hero, the Prince of Peace -- her wonderful son Jesus.

In order to find the prayers, as well as the links to magnificent sacred art, please do the following items: 

1. Click the following link to go to my website:

http://www.josephpeteranthony.com/total-consecration

2. Scroll down a little farther and click the link entitled "Total Consecration: Day 25" (this will take you to the prayers and the sacred art)

3. Optional: If you would like to pray the Holy Rosary with classic sacred art, then please click on the following link:

http://www.josephpeteranthony.com/rose-let

God bless you, and may Our Lady, the Queen of All Hearts, sweetly shower God's graces upon you!

Joe

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TOTAL CONSECRATION -- DAY 24 OF 33

Hi, everyone!

We're almost ready to conclude the third stage, whose theme is "Knowledge of Mary," and we're so close to starting the fourth and final stage, "Knowledge of Jesus Christ," that the finish line is almost in sight!

In order to find the prayers, as well as the links to magnificent sacred art, please do the following items: 

1. Click the following link to go to my website:

http://www.josephpeteranthony.com/total-consecration

2. Scroll down a little farther and click the link entitled "Total Consecration: Day 24" (this will take you to the prayers and the sacred art)

3. Optional: If you would like to pray the Holy Rosary with classic sacred art, then please click on the following link:

http://www.josephpeteranthony.com/rose-let

God bless you, and may Our Lady, the Queen of All Hearts, sweetly shower God's graces upon you!

Joe

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TOTAL CONSECRATION -- DAY 23 OF 33

Hi, everyone!

Keep up your heroic effort! In a few more days, we will complete the third stage of our journey and then take our prayer experience to the final level.

In order to find the prayers, as well as the links to magnificent sacred art, please do the following items: 

1. Click the following link to go to my website:

http://www.josephpeteranthony.com/total-consecration

2. Scroll down a little farther and click the link entitled "Total Consecration: Day 23" (this will take you to the prayers and the sacred art)

3. Optional: If you would like to pray the Holy Rosary with classic sacred art, then please click on the following link:

http://www.josephpeteranthony.com/rose-let

God bless you, and may Our Lady, the Queen of All Hearts, sweetly shower God's graces upon you!

Joe

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