God is at work in you!: "The Highest Freedom We Have Is The Freedom To Choose What Is More Pleasing To God"

Sunday, January 29, 2012

"The Highest Freedom We Have Is The Freedom To Choose What Is More Pleasing To God"

"Sinlessness is measured by one's (spiritual) nearness to Christ." ~Servant of God, Fr. John A. Hardon, S.J.

"What is the standard vocabulary definition of liberty? I am afraid, for many people, freedom is the liberty I have to do what I want. To do what I want. Is that freedom? Sadly, that is one meaning of freedom, and there are people who go through life doing what they want. The essence of sin is doing what I want, even when what I want is not what God wants." ~Servant of God, Fr. John A. Hardon, S.J.

"The deepest embrace, the most meaningful proof of love is not embracing someone in body, it is embracing someone with my will. When my will embraces the will of Jesus, I don't even have to say it; I am proving it. I love Him." ~Servant of God, Fr. John A. Hardon, S.J.

"The highest freedom we have, and the freedom that our Lady possessed, was the freedom to choose not only what God wants us to do under pain of sin, but to choose what is more pleasing to God."

Fr. Hardon suggested that we resolve, and ask our Lord to enlighten us, to daily ask ourselves not only "What must I do to avoid sin?" but, "What can I do to please God?" He notes that "Mary is our model of how we should use our free will."

God is at work in you!

To read more exceptional articles by Fr. John A. Hardon,
visit: http://www.therealpresence.org/archives/archives.htm

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Source:
Fr. John A. Hardon, A Day of Marian Reflection.

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Enrollment in the Brown Scapular

Enrollment involves a priest blessing the first Brown Scapular with this prayer: Receive this blessed habit; praying the most holy Virgin, than by Her merits thou may wear it without stain; and that She may guard thee from all evil and bring thee to life everlasting. R. Amen. By the power granted me, I admit thee to the participation of all the spiritual good works, which through the gracious help of Jesus Christ are performed by the religious of Mount Carmel. In the name of the Father, and the Son, + and of the Holy Spirit. R. Amen.

Prayer To End Abortion

Lord God, I thank you today for the gift of my life, and for the lives of all my brothers and sisters. I know there is nothing that destroys more life than abortion, yet I rejoice that you have conquered death by the Resurrection of Your Son. I am ready to do my part in ending abortion. Today I commit myself never to be silent, never to be passive, never to be forgetful of the unborn. I commit myself to be active in the pro-life movement, and never to stop defending life until all my brothers and sisters are protected, and our nation once again becomes a nation with liberty and justice not just for some, but for all, through Christ our Lord. Amen! Source: Priests for Life

Prayer to St. Joseph for the Unemployed

O Saint Joseph, we pray to you for those who are out of work, for those who want to earn their living or support their families. You who are the patron of workers; grant that unemployment may vanish from our ranks; that all those who are ready to work may put their strength and abilities in serving their fellowmen and earn a just salary. You are the patron of families; do not let those who have children to support and raise lack the necessary means. Have pity on our brothers and sisters held down in unemployment and poverty because of sickness or social disorders. Help our political leaders and captains of industry find new and just solutions. May each and every one have the joy of contributing, according to his abilities, to the common prosperity by an honorable livelihood. Grant that we may all share together in the abundant goods God has given us and that we may help underprivileged countries. Amen

Prayer For Priests

Dear Lord,
we pray that the Blessed Mother
wrap her mantle around Your priests
and through her intercession
strengthen them for their ministry.
We pray that Mary will guide Your priests
to follow her own words,
“Do whatever He tells you” (Jn 2:5).
May Your priests have the heart of St. Joseph,
Mary’s most chaste spouse.
May the Blessed Mother’s own pierced heart
inspire them to embrace
all who suffer at the foot of the cross.
May Your priests be holy,
filled with the fire of Your love
seeking nothing but Your greater glory
and the salvation of souls.
Amen.

Saint John Vianney, pray for us.

-USCCB

Novena to the Infant Jesus of Prague

Jesus, You said, "Ask and you shall receive, seek and you shall find, knock and it shall be opened to you." Through the intercession of Mary, Your holy Mother, I knock, I seek. I ask that my prayer be granted (mention your request). Jesus, You said, "All that you ask of the Father in My name, He will grant to you." Through the intercession of Mary, Your holy Mother, I humbly and urgently ask Your Father in Your name that my prayer be granted (mention your request). Jesus, You said, "Heaven and earth shall pass away, but My word shall not pass." Through the intercession of Mary, Your holy Mother, I feel confident that my prayer will be granted (mention your request). To be said for nine consecutive hours or for nine days.

Miraculous Medal Novena Prayer

O Immaculate Virgin Mary, Mother of our Lord Jesus Christ, and our Mother, we are filled with the most lively confidence in your all-powerful and never-failing intercession, shown so often through the Miraculous Medal. As your loving and trustful children, we ask you to obtain for us the graces and favors we request during this novena, if these will be to our spiritual benefit. (Here, privately mention your petitions.) You know, O Mary, that we want our souls always to be the temples of the Holy Spirit, who hates sin. Obtain for us, then, a deep hatred of sin and that purity of heart which will attach us to God alone, so that our every thought, word and deed may be directed to His greater glory. Obtain for us a spirit of prayer and self-denial, that we may recover by penance what we have lost by sin and eventually enter that heavenly dwelling where you are the Queen of angels and of humanity. Amen.

Prayer to St. Anthony

Blessed be God in His Angels and in His Saints. O Holy St. Anthony, gentlest of Saints, your love for God and charity for His creatures made you worthy, when on earth, to possess miraculous powers. Miracles waited on your word, which you were ever ready to speak for those in trouble or anxiety. Encouraged by this thought, I implore of you to obtain for me (request). The answer to my prayer may require a miracle. Even so, you are the saint of miracles. O gentle and loving St. Anthony, whose heart was ever full of human sympathy, whisper my petition into the ears of the sweet Infant Jesus, who loved to be folded in your arms, and the gratitude of my heart will ever be yours. Amen.

The Divine Mercy Chaplet

Using a Rosary: 1. Begin with the Sign of the Cross, 1 Our Father, 1 Hail Mary and The Apostles Creed. 2. Then on the Our Father Beads say the following: Eternal Father, I offer You the Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity of Your dearly beloved Son, Our Lord Jesus Christ, in atonement for our sins and those of the whole world. 3. On the 10 Hail Mary Beads say the following: For the sake of His sorrowful Passion, have mercy on us and on the whole world. (Repeat steps 2 and 3 for all five decades). 4. Conclude with (three times): Holy God, Holy Mighty One, Holy Immortal One, have mercy on us and on the whole world.