Buona Festa di San Giuseppe

          

Saint Joseph's Altar in a Sicilian Home


 

Litany of St. Joseph

Lord, have mercy. Christ, have mercy.

Lord, have mercy. Christ, hear us.

Christ, graciously hear us.

God, the Father of Heaven, have mercy on us.

God the Son, Redeemer of the world, have mercy on us.

God the Holy Spirit, have mercy on us.

Holy Trinity, One God, have mercy on us.

Holy Mary,

pray for us.

St. Joseph,

pray for us.

Renowned offspring of David,

pray for us.

Light of Patriarchs,

pray for us.

Spouse of the Mother of God,

pray for us.

Chaste guardian of the Virgin,

pray for us.

Foster father of the Son of God,

pray for us.

Diligent protector of Christ,

pray for us.

Head of the Holy Family,

pray for us.

Joseph most just,

pray for us.

Joseph most chaste,

pray for us.

Joseph most prudent,

pray for us.

Joseph most strong,

pray for us.

Joseph most obedient,

pray for us.

Joseph most faithful,

pray for us.

Mirror of patience,

pray for us.

Lover of poverty,

pray for us.

Model of artisans,

pray for us.

Glory of home life,

pray for us.

Guardian of virgins,

pray for us.

Pillar of families,

pray for us.

Solace of the wretched,

pray for us.

Hope of the sick,

pray for us.

Patron of the dying,

pray for us.

Terror of demons,

pray for us.

Protector of Holy Church,

pray for us.

Lamb of God, who take away the sins of the world, spare us, O Lord!.

Lamb of God, who take away the sins of the world, graciously hear us, O Lord!.

Lamb of God, who take away the sins of the world, have mercy on us. .

V. He made him the lord of his household.

R. And prince over all his possessions.

Let us pray. O God, in your ineffable providence you were pleased to choose Blessed Joseph to be the spouse of your most holy Mother; grant, we beg you, that we may be worthy to have him for our intercessor in heaven whom on earth we venerate as our Protector: You who live and reign forever and ever. R. Amen.

                   

zeppole                                                                                 

What the Pope really said about AIDS and condoms

Aboard the papal plane, Mar 18, 2009 / 11:35 am (CNA).- Yesterday the international media played host to a raft of experts railing against Pope Benedict’s brief words on the use of condoms in the fight against AIDS. However, the incident was the result of the Pope’s words being pulled from his defense of the Church’s personalistic approach to the AIDS crisis.

The vast majority of the Pope’s words were dedicated to explaining how the best response to AIDS is to promote a spiritual and human renewal of people’s understanding of sexuality and to be willing to live true sacrificial friendships with those who suffer from AIDS.

A full transcript of the exchange follows.

A journalist from French state TV asked Pope Benedict:

“Holy Father among the many evils that affect Africa there is also the particular problem of the the spread of AIDS. The position of the Catholic Church for fighting this evil is frequently considered unrealistic and ineffective.

“Will you address this issue during your trip? Holy Father, could you please respond in French to this question?” he asked.

Although the Pope responded to a previous question from the French newspaper La Croix in French, he gave this in-depth answer in Italian.  

“I would say the opposite.”

"It is my belief that the most effective presence on the front in the battle against HIV/AIDS is precisely the Catholic Church and her institutions. I think of the Community of Sant’ Egidio, which does so much, visibly and invisibly to fight AIDS, of the Camillians, of all the nuns that are at the service of the sick.

“I would say that this problem of AIDS cannot be overcome with advertising slogans. If the soul is lacking, if Africans do not help one another, the scourge cannot be resolved by distributing condoms; quite the contrary, we risk worsening the problem. The solution can only come through a twofold commitment: firstly, the humanization of sexuality, in other words a spiritual and human renewal bringing a new way of behaving towards one another; and secondly, true friendship, above all with those who are suffering, a readiness - even through personal sacrifice - to be present with those who suffer. And these are the factors that help and bring visible progress.

“Therefore, I would say that our double effort is to renew the human person internally, to give spiritual and human strength to a way of behaving that is just towards our own body and the other person’s body; and this capacity of suffering with those who suffer, to remain present in trying situations.

“I believe that this is the first response [to AIDS] and that this is what the Church does, and thus, she offers a great and important contribution. And we are grateful to those that do this.”

Copyright @ CNA
(www.catholicnewsagency.com)

The secular press and modern media don't get it.  They promote and proliferate the SOUND-BYTE where everything can be reduced to a slogan. I call it Salada Tea Bag morality as it is based on pedestrian wisdom and popular sayings. There is no grounding in the Natural Moral Law, however. Reason is avoided like the plague so sentimentality and emotionalism can prevail, no matter how devastating and pronounced the bitter consequences.  Condoms are not the panacea as erroneously proposed by the secular humanists of today. Pope Benedict XVI aptly points out that slogans will not cure or prevent AIDS. Re-humanizing sexuality AND human solidarity are the means by which this horrible ailment will be overcome. Sex has become another commodity and perceived as an innate and absolute right. It is not. It is a divine gift by which human beings differentiate themselves from the animal kingdom. Sex is a holy and sacred act when done by the right persons for the right reason. It is the sign and sealing of the covenant between a MAN and WOMAN who have become HUSBAND and WIFE. That faithful, permanenent and God-willing fruitful union is a sign of the covenant between Christ and His Church.

When the Hebrews were unfaithful to God by engaging in idolatry, especially Baal worship, it was tantamount to a spouse cheating on her husband. When married couples commit adultery or when single people commit fornication, it is a type of blasphemy for it shows contempt and disdain for the unique and special relationship God had forged through Abraham and ultimately through Our Lord Jesus Christ. Sexual infidelity is rooted in a selfish drive to appease the personal wants while ignoring the essential needs of holy matrimony.

Is it love to hand out condoms so that promiscuity continues? Is it not better to re-educate and re-catechize the faithful about the holiness of human sexuality, a GIFT and not a right, which needs to be cherished, protected and esteemed? Those who do contract horrible diseases, either by accident or their own fault deserve compassion and respect at all levels of their illness. Mercy is not pity. Mercy is Christian compassion whereby the Mystical Body of Christ affirms that we are one in Christ.

Imagine a school in the innner city issuing Kevlar bullet proof vests to students just in case one of them brings an automatic weapon to school and starts shooting innocent victims. While security measures are prudent and necessary, sometimes the prevention can lure some into a false sense of security. If the odds of becoming pregnant or contracting an STD are remote, can they also tempt someone to flirt with death and see how far the line can be pushed? Abstinence IS difficult but it is also SAFE and FOOLPROOF. Virtue before and during marriage involves sexuality and mutual respect. The birth control pill gave many married persons the ILLUSION that only getting caught was the worse case scenario.  How many divorced and remarried can single out infidelity as the major catalyst in the break-up of their marriage? Treating your own spouse as a sex OBJECT and source of personal pleasure is pure hedonism, plain and simple. Real covenanted marriage is about SACRIFICE and RESEPCT. Contraceptive sex makes the holy act between husband and wife a merely biological act but it is intrinsically disordered as it frustrates the Will of God for husbands and wives.

Mother Theresa of Calcutta ministered to those with AIDS and HIV+ but she did so with REVERENCE for life and for human sexuality. She did not dilute nor distort the moral teachings of the Church merely to get 'quick-fix' solutions. She showed LOVE to those suffering from AIDS no matter how they contracted the disease. At the same time, she worked arduously to encourage married couples to RESEPECT and REVERENCE each other at all times.  

Happy Saint Patrick's Day

PRAYER OF SAINT PATRICK

I bind to myself today
The strong virtue of the Invocation of the Trinity:
I believe the Trinity in the Unity
The Creator of the Universe.

I bind to myself today
The virtue of the Incarnation of Christ with His Baptism,
The virtue of His crucifixion with His burial,
The virtue of His Resurrection with His Ascension,
The virtue of His coming on the Judgement Day.

I bind to myself today
The virtue of the love of seraphim,
In the obedience of angels,
In the hope of resurrection unto reward,
In prayers of Patriarchs,
In predictions of Prophets,
In preaching of Apostles,
In faith of Confessors,
In purity of holy Virgins,
In deeds of righteous men.

I bind to myself today
The power of Heaven,
The light of the sun,
The brightness of the moon,
The splendour of fire,
The flashing of lightning,
The swiftness of wind,
The depth of sea,
The stability of earth,
The compactness of rocks.

I bind to myself today
God's Power to guide me,
God's Might to uphold me,
God's Wisdom to teach me,
God's Eye to watch over me,
God's Ear to hear me,
God's Word to give me speech,
God's Hand to guide me,
God's Way to lie before me,
God's Shield to shelter me,
God's Host to secure me,
Against the snares of demons,
Against the seductions of vices,
Against the lusts of nature,
Against everyone who meditates injury to me,
Whether far or near,
Whether few or with many.

I invoke today all these virtues
Against every hostile merciless power
Which may assail my body and my soul,
Against the incantations of false prophets,
Against the black laws of heathenism,
Against the false laws of heresy,
Against the deceits of idolatry,
Against the spells of women, and smiths, and druids,
Against every knowledge that binds the soul of man.

Christ, protect me today
Against every poison, against burning,
Against drowning, against death-wound,
That I may receive abundant reward.

Christ with me, Christ before me,
Christ behind me, Christ within me,
Christ beneath me, Christ above me,
Christ at my right, Christ at my left,
Christ in the fort,
Christ in the chariot seat,
Christ in the poop [deck],
Christ in the heart of everyone who thinks of me,
Christ in the mouth of everyone who speaks to me,
Christ in every eye that sees me,
Christ in every ear that hears me.

I bind to myself today
The strong virtue of an invocation of the Trinity,
I believe the Trinity in the Unity
The Creator of the Universe.