An anti-pope who is considered a father of the Church and a saint. God’s great mercy knows no bounds! How does someone who was a self proclaimed pope (and considered the first anti-pope in Church history) become a saint? The story of St. Hippolytus is a fascinating one. A greek-speaking priest who who lived in the late 100’s – early 200’s; his writings on the Eucharistic liturgy are some of the most beautiful of all time. Check him out Mike Aquilina’s great blog The Way of the Fathers
Lord Jesus Christ, You have destroyed the power of death and given the hope of eternal life in body and soul.
You granted your Mother a special place in your glory, and did not allow decay to touch her body.
As we rejoice in the Assumption of Mary, give to us a renewed confidence in the victory of
life over death.
You live and reign forever and ever.
Amen
Day 7
Mary, Queen of every heart, accept all that we are and bind us to Jesus with the bonds of love, that we may be yours forever and may be able to say in all truth:
“I belong to Jesus through Mary”.
Our Mother, Assumed into Heaven and Queen of the Universe, ever-Virgin Mother of God, obtain for us what we ask for if it be for the glory of God and the good of our souls.
(mention your request)
Our Mother, assumed into Heaven, we love you. Give us a greater love for Jesus and for you.
Lord Jesus Christ, You have destroyed the power of death and given the hope of eternal life in body and soul.
You granted your Mother a special place in your glory, and did not allow decay to touch her body.
As we rejoice in the Assumption of Mary, give to us a renewed confidence in the victory of life over death.
You live and reign forever and ever.
Amen
Day 6
Mary, our dear Mother and mighty Queen, take and receive our poor hearts with all their freedom and desires, all the love and all the virtues and graces with which they may be adorned.
All we are and all we might be, all we have and hold in the order of nature as well as of grace, we have received from God through your loving intercession.
Help us dear Mother to surrender to God all that we have including our petitions.
(mention your request)
Our Lady and Queen, into your gentle hands, we entrust all, that it may be returned to its noble origin.
Episode 6 Praying with Scripture: Christian Contemplation and Meditation in the Ignatian tradition w/Fr. Timothy Gallagher
Fr. Gallagher continues to discuss the differences and benefits of meditation and contemplation – the cornerstones of Ignatius of Loyola’s spiritual practice.
Father Timothy M. Gallagher, O.M.V., was ordained in 1979 as a member of the Oblates of the Virgin Mary, a religious community dedicated to retreats and spiritual formation according to the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius. Fr. Gallagher is featured on the EWTN series “Living the Discerning Life: The Spiritual Teachings of St. Ignatius of Loyola”.
For more information on how to obtain copies of Fr. Gallaghers’s various books and audio which are available for purchase, please visit his website: frtimothygallagher.org
Chilling and very sobering is the story communicated in “The Global War on Christians: Dispatches from the Front Lines of Anti-Christian Persecution” written by veteran Vatican reporter John L. Allen, Jr. It is a wake up call for Christians in the West, who for the most part enjoy a relatively safe existence compared to our brothers and sisters in the faith who live in an incredibly dangerous world. John Allen chronicles with exhaustive statistics, from numerous countries, the scope of “martyrdom” and persecution that exists for the 21st century Christian. Imprisoned, harassed, attacked, and killed because of their faithful expression of Christianity, Christians around the world are targets. He exposes many of the myths surrounding the issue such as “It’s all about Islam”, “No one saw it coming”, “It’s only persecution if the motives are religious” and more. Why are we not hearing about this in the secular media, but more importantly, why are we not hearing about this in our own churches? The end to the deafening silence must come now. An important work not to be missed.
From Iraq and Egypt to Sudan and Nigeria, from Indonesia to the Indian subcontinent, Christians in the early 21st century are the world’s most persecuted religious group. According to the secular International Society for Human Rights, 80 percent of violations of religious freedom in the world today are directed against Christians. In effect, our era is witnessing the rise of a new generation of martyrs. Underlying the global war on Christians is the demographic reality that more than two-thirds of the world’s 2.3 billion Christians now live outside the West, often as a beleaguered minority up against a hostile majority– whether it’s Islamic fundamentalism in the Middle East and parts of Africa and Asia, Hindu radicalism in India, or state-imposed atheism in China and North Korea. In Europe and North America, Christians face political and legal challenges to religious freedom. Allen exposes the deadly threats and offers investigative insight into what is and can be done to stop these atrocities.
Lord Jesus Christ, You have destroyed the power of death and given the hope of eternal life in body and soul.
You granted your Mother a special place in your glory, and did not allow decay to touch her body.
As we rejoice in the Assumption of Mary, give to us a renewed confidence in the victory of
life over death.
You live and reign forever and ever.
Amen
Day 5
O merciful and loving Mother, may your glorious beauty fill our hearts with a distaste for earthly things and an ardent longing for the joys of Heaven.
May your merciful eyes glance down upon our struggles and our weakness in this vale of tears.
Hear then loving Mother, our request and plead to Jesus for us.
(mention your request)
Crown us with the pure robe of innocence and grace here, and with immortality and glory in Heaven.
Lord Jesus Christ, You have destroyed the power of death and given the hope of eternal life in body and soul.
You granted your Mother a special place in your glory, and did not allow decay to touch her body.
As we rejoice in the Assumption of Mary, give to us a renewed confidence in the victory of
life over death.
You live and reign forever and ever.
Amen.
Day 4
O Dearest Mother Mary, Assumed into Heaven, God placed you at His right hand that you may intercede for his little ones as the Mother of God.
In the midst of all the Saints you stand as their Queen and ours – dearer to the Heart of God than any creation. You pray for your children and give to us every grace won by our loving Savior on the Cross.
Please intercede for us in our needs and ask Jesus to grant our request if it be for the good of our souls.
After he had fed the people, Jesus made the disciples get into a boat
and precede him to the other side,
while he dismissed the crowds.
After doing so, he went up on the mountain by himself to pray.
When it was evening he was there alone.
Meanwhile the boat, already a few miles offshore,
was being tossed about by the waves, for the wind was against it.
During the fourth watch of the night,
he came toward them walking on the sea.
When the disciples saw him walking on the sea they were terrified.
“It is a ghost,” they said, and they cried out in fear.
At once Jesus spoke to them, “Take courage, it is I; do not be afraid.”
Peter said to him in reply,
“Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.”
He said, “Come.”
Peter got out of the boat and began to walk on the water toward Jesus.
But when he saw how strong the wind was he became frightened;
and, beginning to sink, he cried out, “Lord, save me!”
Immediately Jesus stretched out his hand and caught Peter,
and said to him, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?”
After they got into the boat, the wind died down.
Those who were in the boat did him homage, saying,
“Truly, you are the Son of God.”
Spain gives us yet another incredible saint…St. Dominic. He is the founder of the Order of Preachers (so when you see an “O.P.” behind the name, that’s what’s going on). Most of us call them the Dominicans. Born in 1170, he died on this date in 1221. A lot of traveling took place between those years. There is an interesting story that is told that before his birth his mother dreamed that a dog leapt from her womb carrying a torch in its mouth, and “seemed to set the earth on fire.” His name in latin is Dominicanus, which is essentially the “Lord’s Hound”….fascinating. (Parents out there, take note: names matter.) St. Dominic and his order have been responsible for setting the earth ablaze with the Gospel for over 800 years.
Also, St. Dominic and the Order have contributed considerably to the spread of the devotion to Our Lady, and inparticular, to the Holy Rosary. Another good reason to celebrate his life and legacy today!
mercy knows no bounds! How does someone who was a self proclaimed pope (and considered the first 
anti-pope in Church history) become a saint? The story of St. Hippolytus is a fascinating one. A greek-speaking priest who who lived in the late 100’s – early 200’s; his writings on the Eucharistic liturgy are some of the most beautiful of all time. Check him out Mike Aquilina’s great blog The Way of the Fathers
