Day 9 St. Bernard of Clairvaux Novena

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Day 9

St. Bernard you have said:

“Let us not imagine that we obscure the glory of the Son by the great praise we lavish on the Mother; for the more she is honored, the greater is the glory of her Son. There can be no doubt that whatever we say in praise of the Mother gives equal praise to the Son. O Blessed Mary, whoever loves you honors God; whoever serves you pleases God; whoever invokes your holy name with a pure heart will infallibly receive the object of his petition.“

St. Bernard you have given us this prayer and with you, we pray:

(The Memorare)

REMEMBER, O most gracious Virgin Mary, that never was it known that anyone who fled to thy protection, implored thy help, or sought thy intercession was left unaided. Inspired with this confidence, I fly to 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.

O God, who made of the Abbot Saint Bernard
a man consumed with zeal for your house
and a light shining and burning in your Church,
grant, through his intercession,
that we may be on fire with the same spirit
and walk always as children of light.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

The music chant used within this prayer is an excerpt from “Missa pro defunctis – VI. Offertorium” by Giammatteo Asola preformed by Papalin under creative common license

For the complete novena visit:
The Nine Day Novena to St. Bernard of Clairvaux – Mp3 audio and Text

Day 1 St. Augustine of Hippo Novena – Audio and Text

A Novena Prayer to St. Augustine

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Day 1

St. Augustine has written:

“No one knows what he himself is made of, except his own spirit within him, yet there is still some part of him which remains hidden even from his own spirit; but you, Lord, know everything about a human being because you have made him…Let me, then, confess what I know about myself, and confess too what I do not know, because what I know of myself I know only because you shed light on me, and what I do not know I shall remain ignorant about until my darkness becomes like bright noon before your face.” (from the “Confessions”)

Heavenly Father,
we turn to you now with the intentions we hold in our hearts,
as pray as St. Augustine has taught:

Spirit of wisdom and understanding,
enlighten our minds to perceive the mysteries
of the universe in relation to eternity.

Spirit of right judgment and courage,
guide us and make us firm in our baptismal decision
to follow Jesus’ way of love.

Spirit of knowledge and reverence,
help us to see the lasting value of justice
and mercy in our everyday dealings with one another.

May we respect life
as we work to solve problems of family and nation,
economy and ecology.

Spirit of God,
spark our faith,
hope and love into new action each day.

Fill our lives with wonder and awe
in your presence which penetrates all creation.

Intercede for us, , St. Augustine
That God may favorably hear our plea
And that He may grant us the grace
To accept His will in all things,
Through Jesus Christ, our Lord,
In the unity of the Holy Spirit,
One God forever and ever.

Amen.

For the complete 9 Day novena visit the “Discerning Hearts St. Augustine of Hippo Novena – Mp3 audio and text page“

Day 9 St. Clare of Assisi Novena

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Day 9

A blessing from St. Clare:

I, Clare, a handmaid of Christ, a little plant of our holy Father Francis, a sister and mother of you and the other Poor Sisters, although unworthy, ask our Lord Jesus Christ through His mercy and through the intercession of His most holy Mother Mary, of Blessed Michael the Archangel and all the holy angels of God, and of all His men and women saints, that the heavenly Father give you and confirm for you this most holy blessing in heaven and on earth. On earth, may He increase [His] grace and virtues among His servants and handmaids of His Church Militant. In heaven, may He exalt and glorify you in His Church Triumphant among all His men and women saints.

Always be lovers of God and your souls and the souls of your Sisters, and always be eager to observe what you have promised the Lord.

May the Lord be with you always and, wherever you are, may you be with Him always. Amen

Dear St. Clare,

As a young girl you imitated your mother’s love for the poor of your native Assisi.

Inspired by the preaching of St. Francis, who sang enthusiastically of His Lord Jesus and Lady Poverty, you gave your life to Jesus at nineteen years of age, allowing St. Francis to cut off your beautiful hair and invest you with the Franciscan habit.

All through your life you offered your great suffering for your Sisters, the Poor Clares, and the conversion of souls. You greatly aided St. Francis with his new order, carrying on his spirit in the Franciscans after his death.

Most of all you had a deep love of Jesus in the Most Blessed Sacrament, which fueled your vocation to love and care for the poor.

Please pray for me (mention your request) that I will seek to keep Jesus as my first love, as you did. Help me to grow in love of the Blessed Sacrament, to care for the poor, and to offer my whole life to God.

Heavenly Father, thank You for the gift of St. Clare. Through her intercession, please hear and answer my prayer, in the name of Jesus Your Son.

Amen.

For the complete novena visit the St. Clare Novena Discerning Hearts Page

Day 7 St. Clare of Assisi Novena – Discerning Hearts podcast

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Day 7

From the testament of St. Clare

In the Lord Jesus Christ, I admonish and exhort all my sisters, both those present and those to come, to strive always to imitate the way of holy simplicity, humility, and poverty and [to preserve] the integrity of [our] holy manner of life, as we were taught by our blessed Father Francis from the beginning of our conversion to Christ. Thus may they always remain in the fragrance of a good name (cf. 2 Cor 2:15), both among those who are afar off and those who are near. [This will take place] not by our own merits but solely by the mercy and grace of our Benefactor, the Father of mercies (cf. 2 Cor 1:3).

Dear St. Clare,

As a young girl you imitated your mother’s love for the poor of your native Assisi.

Most of all you had a deep love of Jesus in the Most Blessed Sacrament, which fueled your vocation to love and care for the poor.

Heavenly Father, thank You for the gift of St. Clare. Through her intercession, please hear and answer my prayer, in the name of Jesus Your Son.

Amen.

For the complete novena visit the St. Clare Novena Discerning Hearts Page

Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary Day 2 – Discerning Hearts podcast

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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 2
Mary, Assumed into Heaven, we venerate you as the Queen of Heaven and earth. As you tasted the bitterness of pain and sorrow with your Son on earth, you now enjoy eternal bliss with Him in Heaven.

Loving Queen, intercede for us in our needs.

(mention your request)

We praise Jesus for giving us such a loving mother.

O Queen Assumed into Heaven, pray for us.

Amen.

Day 6 St. Clare of Assisi Novena – Discerning Hearts podcast

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Day 6

From a letter to St. Agnes of Prague

The kingdom of heaven is promised and given by the Lord only to the poor: for he who loves temporal things loses the fruit of love. Such a person cannot serve God and Mammon, for either the one is loved and the other is hated, or the one is served and the other despised.

You also know that one who is clothed cannot fight with another who is naked, because he is more quickly thrown who gives his adversary a chance to get hold of him; and that one who lives in the glory of earth cannot rule with Christ in heaven.

Dear St. Clare,

As a young girl you imitated your mother’s love for the poor of your native Assisi.

Most of all you had a deep love of Jesus in the Most Blessed Sacrament, which fueled your vocation to love and care for the poor.

Heavenly Father, thank You for the gift of St. Clare. Through her intercession, please hear and answer my prayer, in the name of Jesus Your Son.

Amen.

For the complete novena visit the St. Clare Novena Discerning Hearts Page

Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary Novena – Day 1

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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 1

Immaculate Virgin, Mother of Jesus and our Mother, we believe in your triumphant assumption into heaven where the angels and saints acclaim you as Queen of Heaven and earth.

We join them in praising you and bless the Lord who raised you above all creatures. With them we honor you.

We are confident that you watch over our daily lives and we ask that you intercede for us now.

(mention your request)

We are comforted by our faith in the coming Resurrection and we look to you for prayers and comfort.

After this earthly life, show us Jesus, the blest fruit of your womb, O kind, O loving, O sweet virgin Mary.

O Queen Assumed into Heaven, pray for us.

Amen.

meditative music provided by

Nunc Coepi – The life of Venerable Bruno Lanteri, founder of the Oblates of the Virgin Mary.

This is the life of Venerable Bruno Lanteri, founder of the Oblates of the Virgin Mary. He lost his mother at an early age. He was plagued with ill health. He was arrested by the police of Napoleon Bonaparte. And yet, this was a man of unfailing determination and undying trust in God. A man who truly lived the words “Nunc Coepi” – Now I begin.

For those who would prefer the audio only

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For more information about Venerable Bruno Lanteri visit:

Begin Again: The Spiritual Legacy of Ven. Bruno Lanteri with Fr. Timothy Gallagher podcasts

A 9-Day Venerable Bruno Lanteri Novena – Mp3 audio and Text Podcast

The website dedicated to Ven. Bruno Lanteri

UPDATE: A Special Heaven in Faith Retreat– A spiritual journey with St. Elizabeth of the Trinity

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Join us May 24 -27, 2018 for a Heaven In Faith Seminar/Retreat with Dr. Anthony Lilles in Schuyler, NE at the St. Benedict Retreat Center!!!!

Technically, we met our goal and we are full, but we are opening a few more rooms and extending registration to our special “Heaven in Faith: A spiritual retreat with St. Elizabeth of the Trinity Seminar/Retreat! We felt there might be some others being called to this unique encounter with this special saint and her mission of prayer, so we are keeping the “doors open” a little longer for those discerning their participation. Registration will now close May 10.

Click on the blue button to be taken to the registration page!

Click HERE to be taken to the registration page!

Elizabeth of the Trinity understood her mission to be to help people enter into deep prayer. A Carmelite nun, she saw self-occupation as a considerable block to prayer and said that she would help lead souls out of themselves and into God. She was convinced that once we are free of our ego – God can transform us in love. She called this transforming encounter with the Lord “the divine impact.”

With her love for the Scriptures, her devotion to the Trinity, her captivation with Christ’s salvific work – her writings are filled with helpful insights. Not everyone finds her easy to read – her flow of thought follows a musical composition rather than the rules of logic – and she is dense with quotations from the mystical tradition of the Catholic Church. Although she only lived to the age of 26, from the beginning of the Twentieth Century to today, many contemplatives have found her solid teaching helpful.

Sessions :

The seminar is addressed to those who wish to live in an atmosphere of fraternity and evangelical simplicity for a time of study, prayer, and social interaction, learning how to integrate Christian spirituality with their engagement with the world.
The sessions comprise of an initial lecture, individual silent reading on selected texts, small-group discussion and big group sharing then synthesis. The directors of the seminar initially will present the texts, and the group coordinators will guide the discussions.

The celebration of the Holy Eucharist will be offered daily. Reconciliation will be available, as well as times of Eucharistic Adoration.

Seminar Director: Dr. Anthony Lilles, S.T.D.

Anthony Lilles, S.T.D. is an associate professor and the academic dean of Saint John’s Seminary in Camarillo as well as the academic advisor for Juan Diego House of Priestly Formation for the Archdiocese of Los Angeles. For over twenty years he served the Church in Northern Colorado where he joined and eventually served as dean of the founding faculty of Saint John Vianney Theological Seminary in Denver. Through the years, clergy, seminarians, religious and lay faithful have benefited from his lectures and retreat conferences on the Carmelite Doctors of the Church and the writings of St. Elisabeth of the Trinity.

Collaborators:

Fr. Marie-Robert Torczynski, a Carthusian monk featured in the movie “Into Great Silence.”

Kris McGregor, Executive Director/Founder of Discerning Hearts

Teresa Monaghen, A.O. Pro Sanctity Movement

Miriam Gutierrez

The Event officially begins at 10 a.m. Thursday, May 24.

It concludes on Sunday, May 27 at 2 p.m.

IMPORTANT

If you are flying in from another part of the country, please plan on arriving sometime on Wednesday, May 23, 2017.

We can help in making special arrangements for your accommodations and transportation to the Retreat Center due to your early arrival. Please arrange your flight to arrive by 6 p.m. Central time. Contact Patty at [email protected] for details.

The Stanzas and Prolouge – The Ascent of Mt. Carmel by St. John of the Cross – Mp3 audio & Text Podcast

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Saintly Masters of Prayer - writings, teachings, biographies 3

The Stanzas and Prologue – “The Ascent of Mt. Carmel” by St. John of the Cross

translated by David Lewis
read by Ed Humpal

THE NATURE OF THE DARK NIGHT, THE NECESSITY OF PASSING AND SPECIALLY THE DARK NIGHT OF SENSE AND DESIRE, THROUGH IT IN ORDER TO ATTAIN TO THE DIVINE UNION J WITH THE EVILS WHICH THESE INFLICT UPON THE SOUL.

ARGUMENT.

The following stanzas are a summary of the doctrine contained in this book of the Ascent of Mount Carmel. They also describe how we are to ascend to the summit of it, that is, to the high state of perfection, called here union of the soul with God. I place all the stanzas together because that which I have to say is founded upon them. Thus the whole substance of my book may be comprehended at once. I shall also transcribe each stanza again, and each line separately, as the nature of my work requires.

STANZAS

I
In a dark night,
With anxious love inflamed,
O, happy lot I
Forth unobserved I went,
My house being now at rest.

II
In darkness and in safety,
By the secret ladder, disguised,
O, happy lot!
In darkness and concealment.
My house being now at rest.

III
In that happy night,
In secret, seen of none,
Seeing nought myself,
Without other light or guide
Save that which in my heart was burning.

IV
That light guided me
More surely than the noonday sun
To the place where
He was waiting for me.
Whom I knew well,
And where none appeared.

V
O, guiding night ;
O, night more lovely than the dawn ;
O, night that hast united The lover with His beloved,
And changed her into her love

VI
On my flowery bosom,
Kept whole for Him alone,
There He reposed and slept ;
And I caressed Him, and the waving
Of the cedars fanned Him.

VII
As His hair floated in the breeze
That blew from the turret,
He struck me on the neck
With His gentle hand,
And all sensation left me.

VIII
I continued in oblivion lost,
My head was resting on my love;
Lost to all things and myself,
And, amid the lilies forgotten,
Threw all my cares away.

Prologue