SOLT South Texas Community

Year End "Family Picnic" CANCELED. :(

2011-05-29T23:16:00.004-04:00

Hi everyone, and Happy Memorial Day!

I'm sorry to inform you that the Our Lady Loves you " Family Picnic" has been canceled due to lack of interest. I received 3 reply's from people that would be coming.

In place of the picnic, Fr. Dan Estes is inviting you all to our SOLT assembly in July; from the 14'th through the 17'th. Look for the schedule on our Blog: www.ourladylovesyou.org, Select the "Communities Tab" then South Texas. Choose the Calendar option.

YEAR END "FAMILY PICNIC" TO CLOSE OUT YEAR 2
DATE: Monday May 30th
Time: 6:30 pm
Place: OLCC Pavilion
Please bring a side dish that will go with Grilled Bar-B-Que Chicken!
Please RSVP to Mike Pond - 361-387-8090 Leave message if necessary.

Oneness with the Father through Jesus

2011-05-24T12:34:00.004-04:00

Our Special Time with Christ "Holy Hour" Week 4

This is the time we spend with Our Lord; we share with him what we have experienced through this topic of Oneness with the Father through Jesus. What have the talks about The Society of Our Lady of the Most Holy Trinity meant to us this month? We end out Year 2 with Our Lord and Our Savior as a closer Family!

YEAR END "FAMILY PICNIC" TO CLOSE OUT YEAR 2
DATE: Monday May 30th
Time: 6:30 pm

Place: OLCC Pavilion

Please bring a side dish that will go with Grilled Bar-B-Que Chicken!
Please RSVP to Mike Pond - 361-387-8090 Leave message if necessary.

Please be there...God Bless...Mike

Oneness with the Father through Jesus

2011-05-18T11:35:00.004-04:00

Laity Living out Their Lives in SOLT - "Week 3"

To Listen to this Weeks Talk, Click Here.

We had a very good speaker, Deacon Wayne Lickteig whom discussed his life with his family in Our Lady's Society and their service.

Next week will be "Holy Hour" see you then...God Bless...Mike

Oneness with the Father through Jesus

2011-05-10T16:38:00.010-04:00

Week "2" Complementarity of Vocations

This week we share in the way all of our vocations share in the Liturgy of the Hours and our Spiritual exercises.

To Listen to This Weeks Talk, Click Here.

The Liturgy of the Hours

The Liturgy of the Hours (also known as the Divine Office) is the richest single prayer resource of the Christian Church. It provides prayers, psalms and meditation for every hour of every day. It has existed from the earliest times, to fulfill the Lord's command to pray without ceasing.

"The purpose of the Divine Office is to sanctify the day and all human activity." "The Office is...the prayer not only of the clergy but of the whole People of God.""In order that this shall come about it is necessary that that warm and living love for Scripture which emanates from the Liturgy of the Hours shall be renewed among all, so that in truth Sacred Scripture becomes the principal source of all Christian prayer."

Apostolic Constitution, Canticum Laudis (November 1,1970)

REGINA CAELI

This prayer, which dates from the 12th Century is substituted for the Angelas during Easter Season.

Regina caeli, laetare, alleluia: Quia quern meruisti portare, alleluia. Resurrexit sicut dixit, alleluia. Ora pro nobis Deum, alleluia.

V. Gaude et laetare, Virgo Maria, alleluia, R. Quia surrexit Dominus vere, alleluia.

Let us pray: O God, who hast given joy to the whole world through the Resurrection of Thy Son, our Lord Jesus Christ; grant that through the prayers of His Virgin Mother Mary, we may obtain the joys of everlasting life. Through the same Christ, our Lord, Amen.

SPIRITUAL EXERCISES

Remember:

1. The Art of Listening

2. The Art of Reflection

3.The Art of Dialogue

Missionary of Service

How pleasing to God in His goodness is the service of those who,

with an ardent zeal for God's glory, devote their work and solicitude

toward removing the obstacles which men place to their own

justification and communication of His favors.

Special Notice *** Fund Raiser for Raul Cesar Godines ***

Benefit Bar -B-Que

Boys & Girls Club

Greenwood Drive

11:00 am til 2:00 pm

Chicken and trimmings

SUNDAY, MAY 15th, 2011

Donation: $6.00

God Bless...See you all next week...Mike

Oneness with the Father through Jesus

2011-05-04T12:11:00.008-04:00

WEEK 1: HISTORY OF FR. FLANAGAN & SOLT

To Listen to this Weeks talk, Click Here.

Acts 2:42 - And they devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers.

Can you see yourself living a deeper Marian - Trinitarian spirituality in relationship with priests, brothers and sisters? If so, in what ways?

Can you see yourself as being called to be connected or on an Ecclesial Family team for the service of God's kingdom? If so, in what ways?

How may God be calling you to give of yourself in a deeper way to bring all peoples into communion with the Most Holy Trinity and Our Lady through the discipleship of Jesus and Mary?

The Paschal Mystery "Week 3"

2011-04-19T11:33:00.004-04:00

OUR Lord'S REDEMPTIVE SUFFERING...

We meditated on the wounds and the pain he suffered for us.

What LOVE he must have for us...

God Bless...Next Week "Holy Hour"...Mike

The Paschal Mystery "Week 2"

2011-04-12T11:41:00.005-04:00

OUR LADY'S REDEMPTIVE SUFFERING...

To Listen to This Weeks Talk, Click Here.

Lk 2:34-35 And Simeon blessed them and said to Mary his mother, "Behold, this child is set for the fall and rising of many in Israel, and for a sign that is spoken against (and a sword will pierce through your own soul also), that thoughts out of many hearts may be revealed."

How can you follow Our Lady's example of co-redeeming with Christ in your own life, i.e., what are the practical ways that you are willing to participate in Christ's suffering?

How can you suffer with others as Our Lady suffered with Christ, helping others to bear their cross?

Pray with those who are suffering..."Jesus Son of God have mercy on me"...God Bless...Mike

The Paschal Mystery "Week 1"

2011-04-05T11:51:00.004-04:00

-The Meaning of Suffering-

To Listen to this weeks talk, Click Here.

"Unjust suffering patiently and lovingly borne has redemptive power."

1. When have you experienced a personal example of the above principle at work?

2. How has the witness of the Blessed Mother's silent unjust suffering during Christ's passion and death influenced your own relationship toward suffering with and for another?

3. What does redemptive suffering mean in the life and mission of SOLT's ecclesial teams?

See you next week...God Bless...Mike

Discipleship of Mary & Jesus "Week 3"

2011-03-22T12:37:00.004-04:00

DISCIPLESHIP OF JESUS "WEEK 3"

To Listen to this weeks talk, CLICK HERE.

1.) Can people receive the gift of salvation yet have no interest in discipleship?

St. Jerome (347-420) writes: "God has entered us as contestants in a racecourse where it is our lot to be always striving. This place, then, a valley of tears, is-not a condition of peace, not a state of security, but an arena of struggle and of endurance."

2.) What are some of your struggles in maintaining a spirit of Discipleship?

3.) How can discipleship of Mary be the most secure way to faithfully living the Pascal Mystery?

Next week, Holy Hour, See you there!... God Bless...Mike

Discipleship of Mary & Jesus "Week 2"

2011-03-15T12:54:00.004-04:00

MARY 1'ST AND BEST DISCIPLE

To Listen to This Weeks Talk, Click Here.

John 19:27 - Behold, Your mother!

1.) Describe your relationship with Mary and how that has impacted your life?

2.) Has your relationship with Mary affected your relationship with Jesus as his disciple? In what ways?

Discipleship of Mary & Jesus "Week 1"

2011-03-08T11:42:00.004-05:00

Our Call to Discipline INTO Discipleship

To Listen to This Weeks Talk, Click Here.

MT 4:19 - Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.

1.) What do you do in your daily life to witness to the fact that you are a disciple of Christ?

2.) What causes you to hide the fact that you are a disciple of Christ from others?

3.) What can you do to become a better disciple of Christ and witness that fact?

Next week Discipleship of Mary & Jesus...God Bless, ... Mike

Marriage " Week 3 " COURTSHIP

2011-02-22T15:33:00.005-05:00

To listen to this weeks talk, Click Here.

God is Covenanted ("married") to us, His Bride:
1.) Give one special and personal story of how you have experienced God giving Himself to you in faithful, enduring, intimate love.

Your Personal Life:
1.)Did you (or) do you only date/court persons whom you would consider that "this is a person whom I could marry and give myself to for the rest of my life"?
2.) Discuss as to why or why not and what should be possibly different in your view of such matters.

Your Life in the world:
How is God calling you to see such realities different and more importantly
a) live them
b) share them with others(children, family, friends, co-workers)

Next Week...Holy Hour...God Bless,...Mike

Marriage - Theology of the Body " Week 2 "

2011-02-15T13:20:00.003-05:00

To Listen to this weeks Adult talk, Click Here.

To Listen to this weeks Teen's talk, Click Here.

THEOLOGY OF THE BODY

Is there a real purpose to life and if so, what is it?

Why were we created male and female?

Does it really matter if we are one sex or another?

Why were man and woman called to communion from the beginning?

What does the marital union of a man and woman say to us about God and his plan for our lives?

What is the purpose of the married and celibate vocations?

Next week: Courtship, see you then...God Bless...Mike

Marriage " Week 1 "

2011-02-08T12:39:00.005-05:00

To listen to this weeks talk, Click Here.

Eph 5:32-33: This is a great mystery, and I mean in reference to Christ and the church; however, let each one of you love his wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband.

What were/are your expectations about marriage? How has your understanding of marriage changed over the years?

In relationships with others do you expect to receive from them, or do you look to give to them, or do you just take from others without thinking of them? Reflect on ;the three words; take, receive and give.

For married couples, how can you make ;your marriage relationship better? For singles, how can you better prepare for marriage should God call you to that vocation?

How can you be better obedient to your spouse out of reverence for Christ? How can you better sacrifice for your spouse?

GETTING TO KNOW YOURSELF AND YOUR FAMILY

1.) Describe your house. What is the most important room in your house? What does the inside of your house look like? What is your favorite picture hung in your house?

2.) Describe your room. What do you value as most important in it? What does your room look like? What is your favorite picture hung in your room?

3.) List your favorite t.v. shows. List your favorite books. Name your favorite magazine. Name your favorite website.

4.) On the average day, how often does your family pray together? For meals? In the morning? At night? Is Sunday any different? If so, how?

5.) What are things that your family enjoys doing together? How often do these happen?

You are Joyfully invited to the Profession of Perpetual Vows of Sister Janet Marie Newcome. On the Feast of Our Lady of Lourdes, Friday February 11,2011 @ 5:30 pm at St. John Nepomucene Chruch, Robstown, TX. Light supper to follow.

Next week "Theology of the Body" discussed in age appropriate groups...God Bless...Mike

Obedience of Relationships - "Week 3"

2011-01-25T11:06:00.005-05:00

To listen to this weeks talk, Click Here.

Obedience of Relationships:

What can I do in growing in my relationship with God by obeying his commandments and discerning His Will in my Life?
Am I growing in my relationship with Him and in the vocation I have chosen?
What can I do in my relationships with family, co-workers and friends to better reflect His Will?

If married, what can my spouse and I do to better help each other and other couples with regard to building their relationships on the rock of Christ and in following God's commandments and following His plan of marriage?

If we have children what can we do to encourage our children to see God as a loving Father and the importance of keeping His commandments in relationship to parents, siblings, and peers?

Next week "Holy Hour" God Bless...Mike

GRACED - FRIENDSHIP - "WEEK 2"

2011-01-20T13:01:00.006-05:00

GRACED FRIENDSHIPS

To Listen to this weeks talk, Click Here.

Questions for this weeks talk to discern and reflect...

1. In a more concrete way, how can we incarnate the spirit of graced-friendship?

2. Is it something that is altogether beyond our capabilities, or is it something that you and I can participate in?

3. "Communicate, Cooperate, Collaborate" through, with, and in Jesus Christ.
Does it make sense?

To Listen to this weeks Kids Gift, Click Here.

Let us spend and share our time
living in graced friendships as one
Dream of the Father, Mission of the Son
Gift of the Spirit, with Mary we come

The time for fretting is now over
Arise for a new day has come
United Love, United in Prayer
Lets Remember
We're Brothers and Sisters

We have a message to deliver
We have a mission to fulfill
Together we stand. Together we care.
Let us renew, our promise forever.

Let us live for ever singing for joy
Live with elation the graced friendship song

Next week...Obedience of Relationships...God Bless...Mike

FRIENDSHIP - "WEEK 1"

2011-01-11T12:31:00.004-05:00

To Listen to this weeks talk, CLICK HERE.

To Listen to this weeks Kids Gift, CLICK HERE.

LIVING ASSIGNMENT FOR THE WEEK...

Meditate on the following this week...

1Kings 18:3 "And David and Jonathan made a covenant, for he loved him as his own soul."

Questions for Small Group Discussion from today's talk...

Who is your best friend and why? Does this relationship welcome in some way others into it?

Why should relationships be built on some sort of friendship?

See you next week...God Bless...Mike

Living the Evangelical Counsels " Week 4" "HOLY HOUR"

2010-12-28T16:42:00.004-05:00

This is the time in quite solitude we ask God to form us in the formation we have discussed on "POVERTY, CHASTITY, AND OBEDIENCE". Please Lord form us in the way of Our Lady that we may grow through her example in Poverty, Chastity,and Obedience.

Living the Evangelical Counsels " Week3" "OBEDIENCE "

2010-12-28T16:16:00.003-05:00

IF ANYONE HAS A RECORDING OF DR. BEBERSTEIN'S TALK FROM DECEMBER 13'TH ON OBEDIENCE, PLEASE LET ME KNOW. I WAS TAKING CARE OF MY MOM THIS WEEK AND MISSED RECORDING THE TALK.

GOD BLESS...Mike

Living the Evangelical Counsels " Week 2" "CHASTITY "

2010-12-28T16:07:00.000-05:00

To Listen to this Weeks Talk,Click Here.

Talk with Mike Rizzio.

To Listen to this weeks Kid's Gift, Click Here.

Living the Evangelical Counsels " Week 1"

2010-11-30T12:22:00.002-05:00

IF YOU ARE LOOKING FOR "Marian - Trinitarian Spirituality" Relationships- Week 4 "HOLY WEEK", WE REFLECTED ON THE TEACHINGS OF OUR TOPIC, THERE WAS NO NECESSITY TO POST.

LIVING THE EVANGELICAL COUNSELS "WEEK 1"

To Listen to This weeks Talk, CLICK HERE.

To Listen to this weeks Homework, "LIVING ASSIGNMENT", CLICK HERE.

LIVING ASSIGNMENT FOR THE WEEK.
(Reflect on these two questions for the week)

LK 2:7 - She gave birth to her first-born son and wrapped him in swaddling clothes and laid him in a manger, because there were no room for them in the place where travelers lodged.

How does the counsel of poverty apply to you as a lay person?

What can you do to live out poverty according to your state(laity)in life?

See you Monday...God Bless...Mike

Marian - Trinitarian Spirituality" Relationships- Week 3

2010-11-16T15:02:00.006-05:00

To Listen to this Weeks TALK, CLICK HERE Listen for your homework from Fr. Dan,near the end of the talk:).

Living assignment for the week...

Jn19:26-27: He said to his mother, "Woman, behold your son!" Then he said to the disciple, "Behold,your mother!" And from that hour the disciple took her to his own home.

What ways have you , or can you,put into practice to allow Mary to be your model and guide?

How can you take Mary as your mother, take her to your own home?

Saturday November 20th : Apostolic Works: Where: 3816 County Road 61, Violet, TX 78380
Directions: From Corpus Christi: take 44W, look for Historical Marker in one Mile, then Historical marker will be at County Road 61, Take a left. Turn into your fourth house on the left. Pull around back and come in the back door.
From Robstown: Take 44E look for Historical Marker in 1 Mile, at the end of the 1 mile turn right on to CR 61 at St. Anthony's. Turn into your fourth house on the left. Pull around back and come in the back door.

Works: Mass will start at 8AM. Quick breakfast after mass and then to work. We will be doing dry walling, and if enough people, maybe making a front deck, and back deck for the entrances. PLEASE BRING YOUR OWN TOOLS IF YOU HAVE THEM...God Bless...Mike

"Marian - Trinitarian Spirituality" Relationships- Week 2

2010-11-11T13:55:00.005-05:00

To Listen to this Weeks Talk, CLICK HERE.
To Listen to this Weeks KID'S GIFT, CLICK HERE.

LIVING ASSIGNMENT FOR THE WEEK.

How can devotion to Mary encourage a lively sense of the Trinity?

How is Mary not only the recipient of extraordinary gifts from the Trinity;but also the giver of extraordinary gifts from them?

In what ways can Mary--"The excellent masterpiece of the Most High" be the rallying point of a "Theology of the Beautiful" for the New Evangelization?"

God Bless...Mike

"Marian - Trinitarian Spirituality" Relationships- Week 1

2010-11-02T14:59:00.006-04:00

TO LISTEN TO THIS WEEKS TALK, CLICK HERE.

Living Assignment for this Week:

MT 17:5 - He was still speaking, when lo, a bright cloud overshadowed them, and a voice from the cloud said, "This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to him."

Reflect on these questions for the week:

1.) How do your relationships unite/divide you with/from others?
2.) Do you open yourself to enter into relationships with others?
3.) How do you share your relationship with God, with others?

GOD BLESS...Mike

"The Plan of Communion" Week 4 "Holy Hour"

2010-10-26T12:04:00.006-04:00

"The Plan of Communion" Week 4 "Holy Hour"

This is the time we ask God to form us in the formation we have discussed on "Communion". Please Lord form us in the way of Our Lady that we may grow through her example in communion with the Holy Trinity.

May we all strive to go to daily Mass to bring us into Holy Communion in the Eucharist.

God Bless...Mike

"The Plan of Communion" Week 3

2010-10-20T22:25:00.006-04:00

To Listen To This Weeks Talk, Click Here.
To Listen to This Weeks "Kids Gift", Click Here.

Living Assignment for the week:

Scripture Passage for this week: John 17:20-21: "I pray also for those who will believe in me through their word, that all may be one as you, Father, are in me, and I in you."

What are you going to do/change practically to bring about communion/unity with other members of the Body of Christ?

Practically speaking, how are you going to bring your will into greater conformity with the will of God?

Holy Hour on Monday 25'th. God Bless...Mike

"The Plan of Communion" Week 2

2010-10-14T12:27:00.003-04:00

"The Plan of Communion" Week 2

To Listen to this weeks talk, Click Here.

To Listen to the Kids Play, Click Here.

To Listen to this weeks announcements, Click Here.

Facilitation Questions to reflect on:

Scripture Passage: Gen 1:27-28: God created man in his image; in the divine image he created him; male and female he created them. God blessed them, saying: "Be fertile and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it."

1.)What are you doing to foster the communion that God desired from the beginning in your family and community?

2.) What do you do to break the communion that God desired from the beginning in your family and community?

God Bless...Mike

Year II " Week One " - * Overview of Year I *

2010-10-07T11:42:00.004-04:00

Welcome back to a lot of you and a big Welcome to our New Lay Formation guests! We had a great turn out for the adults and Children's program.

To Listen to this weeks talk, CLICK HERE.

Please remember your homework from last Monday is to reflect on these two questions:

1) What do you expect from Our Lady Loves You lay formation program?

2) What are your goals (spiritual, relational, physical, material) for your family in the next year?

YOU ARE INVITED!

Robstown Area "Life Chain" Sunday, October 10, 2010, 1:30 - 3:00 pm at Robstown High school. Parking at the outer edge of CVS Drugs / Dollar General Lot.

All friends of St. Anthony's, St. John Nepomucene's and St. Mary's Mission are cordially invited to celebrate the 6'th Semi-Annual Robstown Area Life Chain. Through this prayerful community event we hope to raise public awareness of the sanctity of human life - from the moment of cenception until natural death. The unborn child deserves full protection under the law. We must never forget the holy innocents as we proclaim:

"PREBORN CHILDREN HAVE HUMAN RIGHTS;
WE ARE THE VOICE OF THEIR HUMAN RIGHTS;
AND OUR VOICES WILL NOT BE SILENCED"

God Bless you, see you Monday!...Mike

ABBA FATHER "GOD OUR FATHER"

2010-04-19T11:31:00.005-04:00

PLEASE LISTEN TO THIS WEEKS TALK, THEN REFLECT ON THE QUESTIONS LISTED BELOW...

ABBA FATHER “GOD OUR FATHER”
QUESTIONS TO REFLECT ON

1.)WHAT IS YOUR RELATIONSHIP LIKE WITH YOUR EARTHLY FATHER?

2.)HOW HAS THIS RELATIONSHIP WITH YOUR EARTHLY FATHER AFFECTED YOUR RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD THE FATHER?

3.)HOW CAN YOU DEEPEN YOUR FAITH IN GOD THE FATHERS LOVE AND CARE FOR YOU?

4.)HOW WILL A MORE INTIMATE RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD THE FATHER AFFECT YOUR OTHER RELATIONSHIPS?

God Bless...Mike

True Devotion "Holy Hour"

2010-04-07T14:00:00.006-04:00

GUIDED HOLY HOUR – Handout

Tabernacle Question
Words of great Wisdom through the pen of St. Louis Marie De Montfort:

Tear away, noble soul,
Everything that’s useless,
Force yourself to be adorned
With sovereign good alone.
Flee from the world and its splendor,
Enter deep in your own heart;
May it be your oratory,
Your distinction, your joy.
Flee disastrous luxury,
But maintain cleanliness.
Be humble and modest
With no affectation.
Make certain your family
Is your principal duty,
Form it with Gospel laws And tolerate no evil.
Always give it the example
Of all sorts of good works
So the family deems you
Its mirror of Christian.

Please spend this holy hour reading and meditating upon this passage. Ask the Blessed Trinity to reveal to you the truth of this counsel and its meaning for your life, vocation and mission.
Come, Holy Spirit, teach us how to live the Gospel.

God Bless...Mike

True Devotion Week 4

2010-03-30T16:24:00.002-04:00

To Listen To This Weeks Talk, Click Here.

10 Principle Virtues of the Most Holy Virgin Mary

Profound Humility, Divine Purity,
Lively Faith, Ardent Charity,
Blind Obedience, Heroic Patience,
Continual Prayer, Angelic Sweetness,
Universal Mortification,Divine Wisdom

Ask the Holy Spirit to point out to you different ways you can imitate the Blessed Mother this week.

John Paul the Great said of “True Devotion”:

The reading of this book was a decisive turning-point in my life. I say ‘turning-point’ but in fact it was a long inner journey…This ‘perfect devotion’ is indispensable to anyone who means to give himself without reserve to Christ and to the work of redemption. It is from Montfort that I have taken my motto: Totus tuus’ ( ‘I am all thine’). Someday I’ll have to tell you Montfortians how I discovered De Montfort’s Treatise on True Devotion to Mary, and how often I had to reread it to understand it.

Please have a member of your small group read the preceding statement aloud to the group. Discuss the implications of this statement by John Paul the Great.

Where are you on your own “inner journey”? What does it mean to “give *oneself+ without reserve to Christ and to the work of redemption?

How can we embrace the motto of John Paul the Great and truly say to Our Lord and Our Lady, “Totus, tuus…I am ALL thine?”

Remember these words of St. Louis Marie De Montfort and make them your own:

“The more we honor the Blessed Virgin, the more we honor Jesus Christ, because we honor Mary only that we may the more perfectly honor Jesus, since we go to her only as the way by which we are to find the end we are seeking, which is JESUS.”

God Bless...Mike

True Devotion Week 3

2010-03-23T12:27:00.003-04:00

To Listen to this weeks talk, Click Here.

TRUE DEVOTION

– Knowledge of Self - Handout

Living – Assignment for the Week

Reflection on the titles of the litany will unfold before us the grand picture of our heavenly Mother, even though we know only little about her life. We will also come to see why Mary's example, guidance, and help is the need of the hour. In your small group, please pray this litany and then discuss the title of Mary that most speaks to your heart. Use this title throughout the week to invoke the help of Mother Mary, and ask her to give you lights and insights which relate to this title, and bring you to self-knowledge. Always remember how tenderly she loves you, and she is always ready and willing to come to the aid of her “little ones” when they call.
Litany of the Blessed Virgin (Litany of Loreto)

Lord, have mercy on us. Christ have mercy on us. Lord, have mercy on us. 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 Ghost, have mercy on us. Holy Trinity, one God, have mercy on us.
Holy Mary, pray for us.
Holy Mother of God, pray for us.
Holy Virgin of virgins, pray for us.
Mother of Christ, pray for us.
Mother of divine grace, pray for us.
Mother most pure, pray for us.
Mother most chaste, pray for us.
Mother inviolate, pray for us.
Mother undefiled, pray for us.
Mother most amiable, pray for us.
Mother most admirable, pray for us.
Mother of good counsel, pray for us.
Mother of our Creator, pray for us.
Mother of our Savior, pray for us.
Virgin most prudent, pray for us.
Virgin most venerable, pray for us.
SOLT Lay Formation Program
True Devotion – Facilitation #2 Page 6
Virgin most renouned, pray for us.
Virgin most powerful, pray for us.
Virgin most merciful, pray for us.
Virgin most faithful, pray for us.
Mirror of justice, pray for us.
Seat of wisdom, pray for us.
Cause of our joy, pray for us.
Spiritual vessel, pray for us.
Vessel of honor, pray for us.
Singular vessel of devotion, pray for us.
Mystical rose, pray for us.
Tower of David, pray for us.
Tower of ivory, pray for us.
House of gold, pray for us.
Ark of the covenant, pray for us.
Gate of heaven, pray for us.
Morning star, pray for us.
Health of the sick, pray for us.
Refuge of sinners, pray for us.
Comforter of the afflicted, pray for us.
Help of Christians, pray for us.
Queen of Angels, pray for us.
Queen of Patriarchs, pray for us.
Queen of Prophets, pray for us.
Queen of Apostles, pray for us.
Queen of Martyrs, pray for us.
Queen of Confessors, pray for us.
Queen of Virgins, pray for us.
Queen of all Saints, pray for us.
Queen conceived without original sin, pray for us.
Queen assumed into heaven, pray for us.
Queen of the most holy Rosary, pray for us.
Queen of Peace, pray for us. Lamb of God, who takest away the sins of the world, spare us, O Lord. Lamb of God, who takest away the sins of the world, graciously hear us O Lord Lamb of God, who takest away the sins of the world, have mercy on us. V. Pray for us, O holy Mother of God. R. That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ. LET US PRAY
Grant, we beseech Thee, O Lord God, unto us Thy servants, that we may rejoice in continual health of mind and body; and, by the glorious intercession of Blessed Mary ever Virgin, may be delivered from present sadness, and enter into the joy of Thine eternal gladness. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

TRUE DEVOTION –Knowledge of Self - Handout

Scripture to Claim

Hear these words spoken to you from the cross by Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ: When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple there whom he loved, he said to his mother, “Woman, behold your son.” Then he said to the disciple, “Behold, your mother.” And from that hour the disciple took her into his home. [John 19:26-27] Have you made enough room for Our Lady in your life? Have you “taken her into your home?” This week, may we have the courage to sit at the feet of Mary and ask for light to know ourselves fully, even as we are fully known: And I tell you, ask and it shall be given unto you, seek and you shall find; knock and the door will be opened unto you. For everyone who asks receives; and the one who seeks, finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened. [Luke 11:9-11]

Next week...More on True Devotion...God Bless...Mike

True Devotion - Spirit of the World - Week 2

2010-03-16T11:11:00.003-04:00

To Listen To This Weeks Talk, Click Here.

True Devotion

We are beginning our journey which will take us through to Total Consecration to Jesus Christ through the Heart of Our Lady according to the method of St. Louis Marie De Montfort. Some of us may already be consecrated, and we hope that in this renewal of your Consecration you will serve as guides and witnesses to those of us who are beginning our journey into the heart of Our Lady. We know that any time we travel into Our Lady’s Heart, she leads us directly to her Son, Jesus. The beautiful truth is that once we have been consecrated, Our Mother will take us by the hand, never to let us go, and journey with us from this Earth, all the way to our true home in heaven.

What is standing in your way on your path to holiness?

That is a big question. That is the primary question St. Louis Marie De Montfort wants us to be concerned with during these first 12 days of preparation. You will notice that the first part of the preparation is notably longer than the rest. The other three sections: Knowledge of Self, Knowledge of Our Lady and Knowledge of Christ are only 7 days each. At first glance this might seem strange. But as we consider it further, it really makes total sense. We can’t come to any real knowledge until we get rid of the false knowledge that fills our daily lives.

In these first 12 days, St. Louis Marie De Montfort says we need to :

Examine your conscience, pray, practice renouncement of your own will; mortification, purity of heart. This purity is the indispensable condition for contemplating God in heaven, to see Him on earth and to know him by the light of faith.

St. Louis Marie De Montfort is asking us to get rid of the Spirit of the World. The way of the world and the way of Christ are simply not compatible. This may seem obvious, but to many people it is not. Many times we think we can continue to do things our own way, and be our own boss so to speak, and still call ourselves Disciples of Christ; that simply is not true.

We all know that God’s way is always the better way. But there are times when we don’t realize how selfish we are, and we are so accustomed to doing things our way, we often don’t realize how self-reliant we have become until we take the time to reflect.

That is what this 12 days is asking us to do. To take a look at our lives and ask the very tough questions:

What is standing in my way on my path to holiness? How have I allowed the Spirit of the World to reign in my life? The Spirit of the World is anything which is contrary to the Spirit of Jesus Christ. Our Lord will never share a throne, so where I have placed any sort of false idol in my life, He will not reign.

Living – Assignment for the Week

In these first 12 days, St. Louis Marie De Montfort says we need to:

Examine your conscience, pray, practice renouncement of your own will; mortification, purity of heart. This purity is the indispensable condition for contemplating God in heaven, to see Him on earth and to know him by the light of faith.

In order to follow the path Montfort has set out for us, we will need to develop a plan and set some goals. We need to ask ourselves when we can commit to these practices, how they will play out in our vocation and state in life and what methods we will employ to accomplish them. In your small group, dialogue with at least one other person regarding the following:

 WHEN will I examine my conscience each day?
 WHAT method will I use? (There are many examens available.)
 WHEN will I say the prayers Montfort prescribes? (He has already given you the WHAT in this case.)
 WHEN & HOW will I practice the renouncement of my will and mortifying my senses? (You will need to be very concrete in your examples here—you are providing the WHAT in this case.)
 HOW will I practice purity of heart? What does it mean to be pure of heart?
Scripture to Claim - Blessed are the pure of heart, for they shall see God. Matthew 5:8

God Bless...Mike

True Devotion Week 1

2010-03-09T12:35:00.002-05:00

To Listen to this weeks talk, Click Here.

Blessings of Those Who Consecrate Themselves

This brings me actually to some of the blessings of those who consecrate themselves to Jesus in Mary who have this relationship with Mary.

The relationship of the The Blessed Virgin Mary and her slaves of love:

1)She loves them.
2) She fosters and nurtures them.
3) She conducts and directs them.
4) She defends and protects them.
5) She intercedes for them.

Do you want Our Blessed Mother to love you, foster you, nurture you, conduct and direct you, defend and protect you, intercede for you? I do. Any thinking person would, she offers this to you. God is calling you to come to Mary.
The Wonderful Affects of This Devotion

In Chapter 3, Part 2 of this wonderful work of True Devotion we find the wonderful effects of this devotion, there are seven of them:
1. Knowledge and contempt of self. Now many people in the world would say, “What? Am I supposed to contempt myself? I thought I was supposed to love myself.” We are supposed to love ourselves for the love of God and love our neighbor as ourselves for the love of God. Yet, we should have contempt for that selfishness and sinfulness in us, that egotistical little beast within all of us. Isn’t it time to let that ego be crushed? With children, yes, we build up their ego, we build up their confidence. There is an aspect of that in this Formation, in many aspects of this God confirms us. At the same time, He doesn’t want us to become so proud that we think that we can live a life of self-reliance. If you have been relying on yourself you know where that gets you: nowhere quick. Be free.
2. The second effect of this Devotion is participation in Mary’s Faith. Do you want to participate in Mary’s Faith? Believe me you do. I do not need to say anything more.
3. The third effect is deliverance from scruples, cares, and fears. Are you tired of the scruples, the cares and the fears? Open yourself to Mary.
4. The fourth wonderful effect of this Devotion is great confidence in God and Mary. Confidence in God is the way of the Saints. Our Blessed Mother will teach you to have confidence in God and to be a Disciple of Jesus and Mary. That is the next year of this Lay Formation, to help you really understand what it means to be a Disciple of Jesus and Mary. So you can go all the way to the Cross. You pray the Rosary and you become a Saint of the latter times, these times, now. You need confidence in God.
5. The fifth wonderful effect of this Devotion is the communication of the soul and spirit of Mary to you. The Magnificat, “My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord, my spirit rejoices in God my Savior for he has looked with favor on his lowly servant. From this day all generations will call me blessed,” and all generations call Mary Blessed. You, her children will live a life of Blessedness if you embrace this Devotion. God sees you as a child of Mary when you embrace this Devotion. The enemy will hate you, no doubt you heard about that in the book of Genesis. There will be enmity which means opposition, great opposition, between the offspring of Mary and the offspring of Satan. It boils down to that. We have the victory. We who are the offspring of Mary. Because the fruit of Mary’s womb is Jesus Christ. “Blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary Mother of God pray for us sinners now,” and she does, at the hour of our death.
6. The sixth wonderful effect of this Devotion is transformation of the faithful soul by Mary into the likeness of Jesus Christ; receive the gift be transformed. That is what Formation is all about. We are going from being deformed to reformed, to conformed, to transformed in Jesus Christ. Our Blessed Mother will bring that about in your life, by the operation of the Holy Spirit. Where there are Mary and the Holy Spirit there is Jesus, and that is the will of God.
7. The seventh wonderful effect of this Devotion is the greater glory of God. We are created to give honor and glory to God, exalt his majesty and manifest his greatness. This is actually the purpose of the Society of Our Lady of the Most Holy Trinity, everything is ordered to the Most Holy Trinity. Chapter 4, Part 2 of the great work of True Devotion to Mary describes particular practices of this Devotion. Many of them will be unfolded for you during the facilitations. Here we learn how better to “Imitate Mary, Become like Jesus, Live for the Triune God.” We have a wonderful retreat on how to live True Devotion, to learn how to do everything by, through, with, in and for Mary. This is so that we are able to do everything by, through, with, in, and for Jesus to do everything by Mary. For example: to think and do everything by Our Lady’s Spirit,the Holy Spirit, which perfectly embraces the will of God, because she is possessed by the will of God. Say to God with Our Lady, “I renounce myself and I belong entirely to thee.” That is to do everything by Mary and through Mary.

To do things with Mary there are Three Areas:

1. First we ask “How would Our Lady do this?” Everything we do in life, “How would Our Lady do this?” You know the acronym ‘WWJD’: “What would Jesus do?” That is a great question, I ask that you all live that. But it also helps to say, ‘WWMD’: “What would Mary do?” How would a human person live the life of God? She does everything with the perfection of Virtues because she is the Model of Virtues. We talked about her Ten Principle Virtues.
2. Second, to do things with Mary means that we live in Her Immaculate Heart. She places herself last, least, and lowest, in every generation in everything. This is so that she can get underneath everybody and lift them up to God, and that is what we are created to do. Do not be afraid to get little. When we become little; we enter Our Lady’s heart.
3. Third, to do things with Our Lady, remember we are doing them with humility. We are the last, least, and lowest. We do everything with surpassing purity.
 True Devotion is interior. That means our heart and our mind esteem Our Blessed Mother.
 It is tender, we have confidence in Our Blessed Mother.
 It is Holy, we live the virtues of Our Blessed Mother.
 It is constant and disinterested.
This is to do things with Mary, to do things in Mary. Again, live in Her heart, Her heart is a refuge, a garden, a temple, a furnace where all is consumed and transformed in the fires of divine love; enter Her Immaculate Heart.

Next Week...True Devotion...Week 2...God Bless...Mike

GUIDED HOLY HOUR – "EUCHARIST" Week 4

2010-03-02T10:53:00.002-05:00

GUIDED HOLY HOUR –

Handout

Tabernacle Question:

Pope Benedict XVI in Sacramentum Caritatis says:
“Emphasis on the intrinsic relationship between the Eucharist and mission also leads to a rediscovery of the ultimate content of our proclamation. The more ardent the love for the Eucharist in the hearts of the Christian people, the more clearly will they recognize the goal of all mission: to bring Christ to others. Not just a theory or a way of life inspired by Christ, but the gift of his very person. Anyone who has not shared the truth of love with his brothers and sisters has not yet given enough.”

Next Week - True Devotion - With Fr. Flanagan...God Bless...Mike
P.S. Cookout for March 13th postponed...

Eucharist Week 3

2010-02-23T14:56:00.002-05:00

To Listen to this weeks talk, Click Here.

Living – Assignment for the Week

Take great pains to be properly disposed to receive Jesus in the Eucharist this week. Attend the Sacrament of Peace and Reconciliation, arrive early to pray before Mass, go visit Our Lord in the tabernacle, spend time after receiving in joyful thanksgiving. Have as your prayer intention, living the Eucharist more fully by “loving your neighbor as you love yourself.” Look for ways to love as Jesus loves and give yourself completely and so follow John Paul II in his direction to the faithful:

“This way of total self-giving is what Jesus teaches us and it is what He expects of us as his disciples. The Eucharist is above all else a sacrifice…All who participate with faith in the Eucharist become aware that it is a ‘sacrifice’, that is to say a ‘consecrated offering’…The Church’s intention is that the faithful not only offer the spotless victim [who is of course, Jesus], but also learn to offer themselves and daily be drawn into ever more perfect union, through Christ the Mediator, with the Father and with each other, so that at last God may be all in all.”8

Scripture to Claim

Jesus said, “I am the living bread which came down from heaven; if anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever; and the bread which I shall give for the life of the world is my flesh.” [John 6:51]

Next Week Eucharist - Holy Hour...God Bless...Mike

Eucharist Week 2

2010-02-16T13:10:00.003-05:00

To Listen To This Weeks Talk, Click Here.

In Part III of “Stay with us, Lord” (Mane Nobiscum Domine), the Apostolic Letter of Pope John Paul II for the Year of the Eucharist, he states:
“When the disciples on the way to Emmaus asked Jesus to stay “with” them, he responded by giving them a much greater gift: through the sacrament of the Eucharist he found a way to stay “in” them. Receiving the Eucharist means entering into a profound communion with Jesus. “Abide in me and I in you” *John15:4+. This relationship of profound and mutual “abiding” enables us to have a certain foretaste of heaven on earth. Is this not what God had in mind when he brought about in history his plan of salvation? God has placed in human hearts a “hunger” for his word. (cf. Amos 8:11), a hunger which will be satisfied only by full union with him. Eucharistic communion was given so that we might be “sated” with God here on earth, in expectation of our complete fulfillment in heaven.”

 “Receiving the Eucharist means entering into a profound communion with Jesus.” How does this knowledge alter the way I prepare to receive the Sacrament of the Eucharist?
 The closest human person to Jesus was His Mother, Mary. What does Mary, the Mother of the Eucharist have to teach us about what it means to “abide” in Christ and He in us?
 Our hunger and thirst for Jesus in the Eucharist speaks of our longing for union with Him. How can we live so to imitate Our Lady in her absolute devotion to Jesus, and thereby increase our own longing for union with Him in heaven?

Living – Assignment for the Week

Choose one of the questions above as a point of meditation. Pray and journal on your reflections for at least 15 minutes each day. Near the end of the week, plan to make a holy hour so you can sit with Our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament and allow Him to speak to you. Ask Our Lady to give you her heart to receive Him. She is the eternally perfect vessel for His Lordship, and she alone can teach us how to receive him worthily.

Scripture to Claim “Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me and I in him.” *John 6:56+

Next Week: Eucharist Week 3...God Bless...Mike

Eucharist Week 1

2010-02-09T12:13:00.002-05:00

To Listen To This Weeks Talk, Click Here.

Eucharist – Source & Summit

Today, we will be speaking about the Source, the Center, and the Summit of our life: the Most Holy Eucharist. We remember, a couple of months ago, we spoke about the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. Liturgy is the worship of God, and the high point of the Liturgy is the Most Holy Eucharist. Communion with God: Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

God Himself is a communion.
Jesus Christ, the God-man, is a communion between God and man. The Holy Spirit is always working to bring about communion among the family of the Father. Our life is a call to communion, and we are blessed to be able to receive Our Lord: body, blood, soul and divinity; really, truly and substantially present in the Most Holy Eucharist. If we are in communion with the Catholic Church and if we are in a state of grace, we receive the greatest gift any human being could ever receive in the Most Holy Eucharist. There is nothing we could do in our whole lifetime to be worthy of one Eucharist. God desires to have communion with us, because we were created in communion for communion. Our destiny is communion.

Challenge of the Month: Humility

The challenges of this month are to humble ourselves. Can we humble ourselves before the Mystery of God, His gift of divine love? In the Eucharist we are consumed and transformed in the fires of Divine love. Can we humble ourselves before the Mystery and worship and adore Our Lord? Prepare worthily to receive Him. If you are new, then your challenge is to come and open yourselves up to this Mystery. All are invited, yet not all can receive at this time. All are invited, and in time, and in God’s providence you will be able to receive Him, God willing. Go to Our Lady and ask her for this gift. Ask her for this gift. As a matter of fact, that could be a great blessing of the month, just ask her. When you ask our Blessed Mother, she will help you as only a Mother can help you.

The fruit of this Mystery is finding who you are. In the Eucharist is Jesus Christ. You are Baptized into Him. The graces that flow from the Eucharist are infinite. This is the Mystery of your life. The Eucharist is the Source, the Center, and the Summit of our Faith. I encourage you to come to our Lord. He loves you and gives you this gift of Love. I will be praying for you. In a special way this month I will be praying for you so that you will open yourselves to the greatest gift any human person can receive during this life on earth, Jesus Christ in the Most Holy Eucharist

Facilitation Questions
Eucharist Week 1

1. Where in the Old Testament do we see an image of the Eucharist?

2. How is the Eucharist both the source and the summit of all the
church's activity?

3. What are the valid and licit elements for the Eucharistic species?

Next: Week 2, More Eucharist...God Bless,...Mike

Sacred Scripture, Tradition & Magisterium "HOLY HOUR"

2010-02-02T10:33:00.005-05:00

GUIDED HOLY HOUR – Sacred Scripture, Tradition & Magisterium

Handout

Tabernacle Question:

In light of all we have learned concerning Sacred Scripture, Sacred Tradition and the Magisterium of the Church, please prayerfully consider the following statement.

In their 2006 document, Happy Are Those Who Are Called to His Supper, the U.S. Bishops remind us:

“To give selective assent to the teachings of the Church deprives us of her life-giving message, but also seriously endangers our communion with her.”

Mother Mary, please give us your heart as we ponder these things. Amen.

Next Week EUCHARIST...God Bless...Mike

LINKS | Echoes From Rome

2010-01-29T15:38:00.000-05:00

LINKS | Echoes From Rome

Sacred Scripture, Tradition & Magisterium Week 3

2010-01-26T14:28:00.003-05:00

To Listen To This Weeks Talk, Click Here.

This is an important distinction to be able to explain to anyone who might ask you what roles Sacred Scripture, Sacred Tradition and the Magisterium serve in the Church. Most of the time, people are just looking for a reasonable explanation of something different, and as Catholics we know that Faith and Reason go together like hand and glove. And as we hear in First Peter Chapter 3: we should “sanctify Christ as Lord in our hearts” and “Always be ready to give an explanation to anyone who asks you for a reason for your hope, but do it with gentleness and reverence, keeping your conscience clear, so that, when you are maligned, those who defame your conduct in Christ may themselves be put to shame. For it is better to suffer for doing good, if that be the will of God, than for doing evil.”3 As Catholics, we never use the beautiful Word of God to hurt others. We do not twist or distort the Word of God to suit our own needs. We allow the Church, to interpret the Bible for us “by the uninterrupted Tradition of the Christian Community” by way of the Magisterium.4
After all, isn’t the whole point of following Christ to become more like Him? Isn’t that the reason we are all in formation? Don’t we want Him to live and move and have His being in us? Don’t we want to give Him our lives and all they contain? We want to stay humble and put our lives at the service of the Bridegroom and say along with John the Baptist: “He must increase; I must decrease.”5
We want to become like Jesus in every way. But in order to do that we must know Him intimately, and to know Him intimately, we must read the Bible: the Gospels, the Epistles, the New Testament and the Old all speak of Him in various ways. When we read the Bible we get to know Jesus even better, and we were put here on this earth “to know Him, love Him, serve Him and be happy with Him forever in heaven”. Notice, the knowing comes first.

Living – Assignment for the Week
 Pray the Radiating Christ prayer to begin your day
 Begin to practice the ancient art of lectio divina:
o Choose a time to set aside each day for sacred reading, free from distraction and noise, just you and the Word
o Begin with prayer
o Try reading aloud
o Stop reading periodically to reflect
o Write down in a “lectio journal” any passages that speak to you
o Pray while reading. Give the Word a chance to change you.
o End your session with prayer and carry the Word into your daily living.
Scripture to Claim
“…Always be ready to give an explanation to anyone who asks you for a reason for your hope, but do it with gentleness and reverence, keeping your conscience clear, so that, when you are maligned, those who defame your conduct in Christ may themselves be put to shame. For it is better to suffer for doing good, if that be the will of God, than for doing evil.”9 [I Peter 3:15-17]

Closing Prayer

Blessed Mother, please teach us to be open to the revelation of God and to ponder His Word in our hearts. Please ask our Lord to increase our love for Him and for all people. Amen...God Bless...Mike

Sacred Scripture, Tradition & Magisterium Week 2

2010-01-19T14:38:00.005-05:00

To Listen to this weeks talk, Click Here.

Mary is Our Mother and our Model in Faith. If she devoted herself so eagerly to prayer and study, shouldn’t we follow our Mother’s lead?

So how do we imitate Our Lady’s humility, docility and self-surrender to the Will of the Father? One very concrete and straightforward way to do so is to believe absolutely everything the Holy Roman Catholic Church proposes for our belief.

Living – Assignment for the Week

 Pray the Litany of Humility before you begin your daily reading/study time.

 Read sections 80-90 in the Catechism if you have not already done so. If you have already read those sections, do additional reading in the same area of the Catechism.

 Add to your reading some reflection; you may wish to journal as you reflect.

 Take away from your reflection one thought to ponder for the day.

 Turn this thought over in your mind as you go about your daily activities.

 Take the time to really think through the passages you have read and reach some conclusions regarding your reading that will help you in living out your vocation.

Scripture to Claim

Blessed Mother, please teach us to be open to the revelation of God and to ponder His Word in our hearts. Please ask our Lord to increase our faith in Him and our trust in His Church. Amen.

“But Mary kept all these things, pondering them in her heart.” [Luke 2:]

God Bless...Mike

Sacred Scripture, Tradition & Magisterium Week 1

2010-01-12T11:35:00.004-05:00

To Listen to this weeks talk, Click Here.

God needs to reveal Himself because He is infinite, He is a mystery. Who He is, His essence needs to be revealed to us.

He who is God’s Word, the living Word came to reveal God’s love to us, to reveal God as a Trinity. Now our minds could not climb to that reality of our own mind. This mystery is so profound, the Mystery of the Trinity.

Mary—The First Recipient of God’s Express Revelation

Our Lady ponders these words and then the angel announces, “Be not afraid Mary, you have found favor with God and you will conceive and bear a child and this child will be the Son of the Most High God and He will take the throne of his father David and endure forever”. She knew the prophecy was being fulfilled. “How can this be?” she said. “The power of the Holy Spirit will come upon you.” The power of the Most High God, the three Persons of the Trinity are revealed. This is amazing: that is revelation.

The Inseparability of the Three means of Revelation: Sacred Scripture, Sacred Tradition and Magisterium of the Church

Revelation works the same way as the Holy Trinity. There are three means of revelation: Sacred Scripture, Sacred Tradition and Magisterium of the Church, but there is one revelation. You can never separate them, that would be the same as trying to separate the Father from the Son, the Son from the Holy Spirit. Why would you try to do that? You cannot do that, it is not reality. It is the same thing: you cannot separate Sacred Scripture, Sacred Tradition and Magisterium of the Church. Some people try and we pray for them.

The three most important points of this teaching are:
God came all the way from heaven and established the one Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church so that we may know, love and serve Him and be happy with Him forever. He reveals Himself, He came all the way from heaven to reveal Himself. He deposited the Faith into the hands of the Apostles and this was handed on faithfully in apostolic succession.
Second, humble yourself, pray that I am humbled, let us learn from Our Lady how to humble yourself before this revelation and understand that Faith comes before understanding. Everything is understandable if we open ourselves in Faith.
Third, have a living relationship with the Persons of the Trinity: Father, Son and Holy Spirit through Our Lady. We recognize that Sacred Scripture, Sacred Tradition and the Magisterium of the Church go together, they are inseparable just like the Father, Son and Holy Spirit are inseparable. We are talking about living relationships God’s Love revealed to us.

The Challenge for this month: is to go into the Catechism of the Catholic Church. It is time for us to do a little work, now let us go into the Catechism of the Catholic Church. The very first parts I urge you to turn to Sections 80 to 90; really easy to remember. Ten sections: read them, the Catechism of the Catholic Church.
It is spelled out clearly for you, the grace, the fruit of living this living relationship with the Trinity who loves you and seeks you. God seeks you, He loves you no matter what you have done. He is waiting for you, He is seeking you be open to Him. God has a plan for your life. It is revealed in His Love, it is revealed in Sacred Scripture, Sacred Tradition and the Magisterium of the Church.

Holy Sacrifice of the Mass Week 4

2009-12-15T10:48:00.002-05:00

MASS GUIDED HOLY HOUR

“May Mary Most Holy, the Immaculate Virgin, ark of the new and eternal covenant, accompany us on our way to meet the Lord who comes. In her we find realized most perfectly the essence of the Church…The faithful, for their part, “commend to Mary, Mother of the Church, their lives and the work of their hands. Striving to have the same sentiments as Mary, they help the whole community to become a living offering pleasing to the Father.” She is the tota pulchra, the all-beautiful, for in her the radiance of God’s glory shines forth. The beauty of the heavenly liturgy, which must be reflected in our own assemblies, is faithfully mirrored in her. From Mary we must learn to become men and women of the Eucharist and of the Church, and thus to present ourselves, in the words of St. Paul, “holy and blameless” before the Lord, even as he wished us to be from the beginning (cf. Col. 1:22; Eph. 1:4).”2

Monday December 21, Meeting at Dillards for Christmas caroling! 3pm meet in parking lot.

MERRY CHRISTMAS! & HAPPY NEW YEAR!

MAY THE GOOD LORD BLESS YOU WITH MANY GRACES THIS CHRITMAS SEASON AND ALL OF YOUR FAMILIES

GOD BLESS,...MIKE

Holy Sacrifice of the Mass Week 3

2009-12-10T13:42:00.007-05:00

To Listen to this weeks talk, Click Here.

How does Our Lord want us to see the Mass? What does the One High Priest and Spotless Victim have to say to us regarding the Mass?

“First of all the Mass is a memorial of Our Lord. “Do this”, Jesus says as He makes his apostles priests, “Do this in remembrance of me.” It is natural to the human heart to want to keep fresh the memory of those whom we have loved and admired [from photographs to mementos and keepsakes] the world is filled with remembrances. Our Lord Jesus who loves us so, and who so much wants our love, has left us a memorial of himself such as only God could fashion. It is not a picture, not a monument or statue; it is a living presence of himself, coming daily among us in the Mass. In addition to being a remembrance of our Lord, the Mass is a holy banquet. At his table Jesus feeds us with his own body and blood.”

So, as Our Lord has said to us, He wants us to remember him. He wants us to realize that He truly is coming to us. That He is fully present to us, body, blood, soul and divinity, really, truly and substantially present. It is a “Feast of Love” given in honor of each and all who approach in faith. Our Lord calls each of us by name and sends us a personal invitation to this Feast of Love. He wants us to take the Mass personally, very personally; as it is a living encounter with Him. It is amazing to think that Jesus would make this sacrifice for just one of us, but that is true. Jesus offered himself for you, and he wants you to know that, and to take the Mass very personally.

Living – Assignment for the Week

 How does the knowledge that Jesus wishes to possess us completely affect you?
 Do you believe that there are certain parts of your life that are off-limits, even to Him?
 What will you do extend yourself to Him and allow Him to transform you and renew your mind so that you may live in the will of God and become “good, pleasing and perfect” in the eyes of the Father?

Meditate on the above questions and journal regarding each one. These are questions which should dig deep—don’t be surprised what you find in there. God is not afraid of your answers, and He will always meet you where you are in unending love and infinite mercy. You can always be honest with Him, He alone knows your heart. He is waiting for you to come to Him with all of yourself. Will you deny Him? Or will you give Him what is rightfully His? Scripture to Claim “Do not conform yourselves to this age but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, so that you may judge what is God’s will, what is good, pleasing and perfect.” [Romans 12:2]

Next Week "Holy Hour" ...God Bless,...Mike

Holy Sacrifice of the Mass Week 2

2009-12-02T13:40:00.007-05:00

To Listen to this weeks talk, Click Here.

“We fulfill [our essential part in the Mass] when we do actually make ourselves one with Jesus; one with him in his act of love; one with him in his role of victim.

Living – Assignment for the Week

This week you are to go to Mass with Our Lady and ask her to help you unite yourself with Jesus and give yourself entirely to Him.

If you are the fortunate parent of young children, you might even want to try to work out a deal with another parent, so you may attend at least one daily Mass this week all by yourself! You can think of this as a “Spiritual Spa Day”—you will be SO GLAD you did!

Scripture to Claim

“…Present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.” [Romans 12:1]

Spritual Communion

“O Jesus, I turn toward the holy tabernacle where you live hidden for me. I love you, O my God. I cannot receive you in Holy Communion. Come, nevertheless, and visit me with your grace. Come spiritually into my heart. Purify it. Sanctify it. Render it like unto your own. Amen.

Lord, I am not worthy that Thou shouldst enter ender my roof, but only say the word and my soul shall be healed.”

This particular prayer is indulgenced if repeated three times.

See you Next Week...God Bless...Mike

"Holy Sacrifice of the Mass " Week 1

2009-11-24T15:31:00.003-05:00

To Listen to this weeks talk, Click Here.

The Two Principle Movements of the Mass

The Mass is basically about two movements.

The first principle movement is to glorify the Father.

We do not start with ourselves. We start with what Christ is doing in the Holy Spirit. Our Blessed Mother will help us understand this reality. We are going to Mass to glorify the Father, to offer Him everything we have received from Him. In Christ, we offer ourselves as a holy and acceptable sacrifice. The Mass is a sacrifice of love. A memorial of the Passion, Death, Resurrection, and Ascension of Christ. We come together around the Eucharistic table to remember, to be strengthened, and to go forward. The word Mass comes from “mission.” A form of missio which means to be sent in Latin is missa. At the end of the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass in Latin they used to say “Ite, missa est,” or go forth- take the Eucharist into your lives and make your lives fruitful. Make your lives a sacrifice of praise to the Trinity. In the Mass as we glorify the Father, this is what Christ is doing. He is gathering all of creation, renewing all of creation and lifting it up to the Father in the Holy Spirit. Jesus does all this so that all of our lives can be a hymn of praise to the Most Holy Trinity, which is our call. Our lives are to be a hymn of praise to The Most Holy Trinity. Jesus gathers all. That is what communion is, this gathering into one, and the then lifting it up to the communion of the Trinity. There is a communion between God and man. Heaven meets earth in this communion.

The second principle action of the Liturgy that takes place is called the sanctification.

This is where the graces come from heaven into our lives to help us live holy lives. We have talked about the Universal Call to Holiness. The first principle action is to glorify God, and then, from this action flows sanctification into our lives, so we can live holy lives. We have talked about the blessedness of living a holy life.

The three most important points of this teaching are:

love the Mass,
love the Mass,
love the Mass.

You love it by living it. You prepare well through The Mass. You can read the Churches documents on The Holy Sacrifice of The Mass. Read “Sacramentum Caritatis,” the Sacrament of Charity, written by Pope Benedict XVI.

The challenges of this month are:

to go to Mass asking Our Blessed Mother to teach you about The Mass. We will give you a simple challenge, but profound. Our Lady will help you enter into The Mass. She will obtain The Holy Spirit for you to understand the Mystery that is taking place. The fruit and the grace, is a transformed life? How can your life not be transformed? You are giving praise, and glory, and honor to The Trinity. When your life becomes a hymn of praise to The Most Holy Trinity. When you glorify the Father, in Jesus Christ in The Holy Spirit and then you receive graces to be sanctified. That is what happens at the Mass. I encourage you all to love The Mass. Please review this teaching many times, we have tapes available. The Mass is profound. The Mass is Beautiful! Love the Mass! Live the Mass! God loves you!

God Bless,...Mike

Liturgy is Life! - Week 4 "Holy Hour"

2009-11-18T16:34:00.003-05:00

LITURGY IS LIFE – Handout

Magnificat

“My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior. For He has looked with favor on His lowly servant, from this day all generations will call me blessed. The Almighty has done great things for me, and Holy is His Name. He has mercy no those who fear Him in every generation. He has shown the strength of His arm, He has scattered the proud in their conceit. He has cast down the mighty from their thrones and has lifted up the lowly. He has filled the hungry with good things, and the rich He has sent away empty. He has come to the help of His servant Israel, for He has remembered His promise of mercy. The promise He made to our fathers, to Abraham and his children forever!” [Luke 1:46-55]

The “Magnificat” is our Blessed Mother’s hymn of praise to our God, a resounding continuation of her eternal “fiat” to Our Father. As Archbishop Rowan Williams points out:

“The invitation of God is spoken; the veil is torn as Mary says ‘yes’. The Word becomes flesh in that moment, and Good Friday and Easter Sunday are already there. Now we stand beyond the veil, with Christ in the heavenly places, and we have begun again to say ‘yes’; and we must day by day go on stilling our hearts so that they can fully hear and receive the cry from the cross telling us that all we use to keep God away from us is futile in the face of this royal freedom, the freedom to be God with us”.2

Our Lady is the eternal Daughter of the Father, and she gave herself completely to the plan He had for her for all of eternity. Mary knew instinctively how to “Live the Liturgy.”

John Paul the Great tells us:
“Our lives are to become a hymn of praise to the Most Holy Trinity.”
O Dear Mother, pray for us that we may sing with you an eternal ‘fiat’ to God Most High.
2 Williams, Rowan. Ponder These Things: Praying with Icons of the Virgin, Page 70

Next Week: THE HOLY SACRIFICE OF THE MASS...GOD BLESS,...Mike :)

Liturgy is Life! - Week 3

2009-11-11T11:42:00.006-05:00

To Listen To This Weeks Talk, Click Here.

If we truly desire to become like Jesus, we must live the liturgy intensely and radically in the power of the Holy Spirit. We have to be honest with ourselves about what this means. Jesus was much beloved by His disciples, and deeply hated by His dissenters. Our Blessed Mother gave up all of her preconceived notions of how her life would be when she said “Yes” to the Father. Are we willing to trust him as she did, and place all of our life into His hands? Obedience is the hallmark of a true disciple. Our Lady modeled the Blind Obedience to the Father’s plan for her life and for the life of her son, in countless ways. Let’s go to her now and ask her to pray with us and for us, as we look at the Liturgy for the upcoming week and find the graces that are there for us to continue to yield ourselves to the Will of the Father and live the liturgy as we imitate Mary in order to become more like her Son.

Liturgy is a continuum of Truth which deepens as you go.

Living – Assignment for the Week

In order to imitate Our Lady and become like Jesus and thus to grow in holiness, I must cultivate Profound Humility and Blind Obedience in order to come to Divine Wisdom. Since I desire to grow in these virtues, I will endeavor to continually remain docile to the Holy Spirit. When will I plan to spend at least 15 minutes each day listening to the Holy Spirit and opening my heart to His infusion of grace? “Prior planning prevents poor PRAYER performance.” When and how will you put this into practice this week?

Scripture to Claim

God speaks to His children in many ways. But He speaks with great clarity and precision through the liturgy. This shouldn’t really surprise us. After all, Jesus Christ is the Eternal Word spoken of the Father to all of mankind. We recall the words of the first chapter of John’s Gospel: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God and the Word was God.” Jesus also says of Himself: “I am the Way, the Truth and the Life. “No one comes to the Father except through me. [John 14:6] So if we want to know which “Way” to go; to understand the “Truth”; and to live the “Life” of holiness, where better to start than the Liturgy as gifted to us through the Church. We claim your words Lord: I am the Way, the Truth and the Life. No one comes to the Father except through me. [John 14:6] The Word of God is living and effective, sharper than any two-edged sword, penetrating even between soul and spirit, joints and marrow and able to discern reflections and thoughts of the heart. [Hebrews 4:12]

Catechism

Liturgy as source of Life

“As the work of Christ liturgy is also an action of his Church. It makes the Church present and manifests her as the visible sign of the communion in Christ between God and men. It engages the faithful in the new life of the community and involves the “conscious, active, and fruitful participation” of everyone.”2
2 Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1071

This coming Monday..Liturgy is Life! Holy Hour...God Bless...Mike

Liturgy is Life! - Week 2

2009-11-04T10:35:00.004-05:00

If you wish to Listen to this weeks talk, Click Here.

Believe me, the more we get into the Liturgy, the more we will know what is coming next. God wants to communicate Himself to us. Remember how we learned that in Image & Likeness? So if we want to learn more about Him, where better to start than by imitating Our Lady in the study of the Liturgy? Everyone needs a little insight into their day or week, right? Well, the people of God have an additional help on this area via the Liturgy.

READ THE LITURGY FOR THE UPCOMING SUNDAY AND DISCUSS IT USING THE CHART.
(To see the chart from our Website, Click Here.)

Scripture to Claim
The word of God is living and effective, sharper than any two-edged sword, penetrating even between soul and spirit, joints and marrow and able to discern reflections and thoughts of the heart. [Hebrews 4:12]

He has filled the hungry with good things, and the rich he has sent away empty. [Luke 1:53]

Memorize the above scripture, turn it over in your mind and let it sink into your soul. What is God telling you here? Am I hungry for His Word, or is my soul too full of other things? Am I being sent away empty?

REFLECT: What does God have in store for me this week in the Liturgy? How can I expect to grow? What challenges should I expect? What are the graces to be found in the Liturgy this week?

See you on Monday...God Bless...Mike

Liturgy is Life - Week 1

2009-10-20T12:24:00.004-04:00

To Listen to this weeks talk,Click Here.

Questions we used for our small group discussions:

Liturgy is Life
Week 1

1. Liturgy is Life! In what way do you see God moving you and your family to live the liturgy, to live both the Word of God, but also the Sacrifice celebrated on the Altar?

2. Every Mass gives us a mission for the week. In what ways do you see the Word of God missioning you and your family this week?

Question Number three, please use for this weeks homework. Try to make this happen.

3. What can we do to better our homes, a domestic church, a place where the relationships of the Trinity are celebrated in the relationships of our family?

Reminder: Next week NO Lay Formation, but you are invited to the celebration here at the College.

God Bless...Mike

Virtue - Week 4 " HOLY HOUR"

2009-10-13T10:22:00.003-04:00

Tabernacle Question:
Profound Humility First, Our Lady lived a life of profound humility. She recognizes that she was created out of nothing in God’s goodness. She kept her vision, her heart, on the greatness of God. She saw everything she received as gift. She considered herself the last, the least and the lowest. And yet God bestowed on her, His greatest gift: Jesus Christ. The Holy Spirit came upon Our Blessed Mother when she said “yes” to the plan of God. Jesus seeing her profound humility leapt out of heaven into her womb. And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us.
Humility moves God. Do you want to move God? God cannot resist humility. But the proud, He keeps a distance from. It says that right in Sacred Scripture. You see over and over and over again, how Our Lord teaches us the path to humility. He who is the second person of the Trinity doesn’t deem equality with God something to be grasped at. Rather He empties himself and takes the form of a slave. Being born in the likeness of men. He was known to be of human estate and it was thus that He humbled himself, obediently accepting death, even death on a cross.

And so, we see the humility of Christ that Our Blessed Mother embraces. Humility moves God. Humility is the foundation of all virtues according to St. Augustine. Humility is the foundation of the life of virtue and life of God. And so let us embrace humility. Let us learn from Our Lady. Let us pray to be humble. Let us ask Our Lady to teach us about her Son who is meek and humble of heart.

Next week "Liturgy" With a New Presenter!

God Bless...Mike

Virtue - Week 3

2009-10-06T14:43:00.005-04:00

To Listen to this weeks Talk, Click Here.

VIRTUE –
It is our daily decisions about what we will do, eat, go, dress, watch, etc. that helps us live a virtuous life that is pleasing to God. Are you prepared for some of your decisions to be unpopular with peers or even family members?

The Gospels encourage us constantly to overcome evil with good. With Jesus as our model, can you think of a situation in your life where doing good brought you through a tough time?

Most of Jesus’ disciples deserted Him when they thought He had “lost” in His acceptance of His Passion and Death, yet this was how He obtained victory over death. How does this affect your understanding of suffering?

Living Assignment for the Week

Scripture Memory Verse: “For because He himself has suffered and been tempted, He is able to help those who are tempted.” (Heb 2:18)

Daily Prayer: Beginning in the morning, as a Morning Offering, pray the Our Father three times offering that portion of your day including all your work, relationships and choices.

Virtue Chart: Review and pray over the attached virtue chart considering each area in the choices you will make this week.

Remember next week,Guided Holy Hour - Virtue.

God Bless...Mike

Virtue - Week 2

2009-09-30T13:13:00.005-04:00

To listen to this weeks talk, Click Here.

A profound truth in this Gospel message for you today is that you are not alone! It is not up to you alone to live a holy life of virtue. The Most Holy Trinity- God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit will be with you! And with the Trinity is always Our Blessed Mother who loves you as her own child and will lead you along the way.

VIRTUE- Handout

Please take a few moments to look over the chart (HandOut from class) and then answer the questions below:

• Which one of Our Lady’s 10 Principal Virtues seems easier/and harder for you?

• When we practice Virtue we become truly free so God can act in and through our lives. How does this affect your view of your own life?

• This month you will be gifted with much Grace by Jesus through Mary to grow in Virtue. Are you ready to respond with a strong effort?

Living- Assignment for the Week

Read Luke 1: 26-38

(Meditate)

Place yourself with Mary at the Annunciation. She is the perfection of all virtue and holiness. Look upon her face as she is greeted by the Archangel Gabriel, “Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with You!” In her response in this moment we witness many of what St. Louis deMontfort called her principle virtues. She is Divine Purity in her immaculate virginity. As she accepts Gabriel as a messenger from God we see her Angelic Sweetness and Profound Humility. She calmly listens attentively to him expressing her Heroic Patience. She questions him with Divine Wisdom. With Lively Faith she accepts God’s call, “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord; let it be done to me according to thy word.” We are inspired by her response of Blind Obedience and Ardent Charity for God and all his children while she remains in a spirit of Continual Mental Prayer.

Pray through the list on the Blessed Mother’s 10 Principal Virtues (HandOut) and choose one or more virtue(s) and suggested action(s) to imitate this week.

Please continue to pray for those in our Lay Formation Program that have become ill or injured, and please keep all of our Priests in your prayers as well. We will keep you in our prayers.

Have a great week, God Bless...Mike

Virtue - Week 1

2009-09-25T15:39:00.004-04:00

To Listen to this weeks talk, Click Here.

10 Principle Virtues of Our Lady (St. Louis deMontfort)

Profound humility
Lively faith
Blind obedience
Continual mental prayer
Mortification in all things
Surpassing purity
Ardent charity
Heroic patience
Angelic sweetness
Divine wisdom

Theological Virtues

Faith, Hope, & Charity

Cardinal Virtues

Prudence, Temperance, Fortitude, & Justice

All of these Virtues gives us Humility

Vices / 7 Deadly Sins

Sloth, Greed, Envy, Gluttony, Anger, Lust, & Pride

These Vices/7 Deadly Sins, take us away from God... Thus Pain and Loneliness.

The challenge this month:

Take one of these principle virtues and start to work on it because all of the virtues are connected. If you grow in one virtue, all the other virtues will follow. Pick a virtue and start to grow. Be open to this call. Start to exercise yourself. A little workout is good. Our Lady will help you construct your workout program in a beautiful motherly way.

The grace of this life is FREEDOM. You read right in the CCC it’s about FREEDOM. I would like to share with you a little statement by St. Augustine about virtue:

“Virtue is appropriate ordinate (ordered) love.” Not simply loving what one ought to love but loving most what deserves the most love and all else with a love suited to its worth.”

Announcements:

There will be NO Teaching/Talk on October 26, 2009 due to the College having an activity here that night.

God Bless...Mike

Call to Holiness – Holy Hour - Week 4

2009-09-16T11:16:00.004-04:00

John Paul II speaks to the Call to Holiness in Novo Millenio Inuente where he confirms that the depth of union is not for a few unusual people but is the call that every Christian receives from Christ Himself.

John Paul II encourages us:

“It is a journey totally sustained by grace, which nonetheless demands an intense spiritual commitment and is no stranger to painful purifications (the “dark night”). But it leads, in various possible ways, to the ineffable joy experienced by the mystics as “nuptial union.”1 John Paul identifies four principles that are needed to understand the spiritual journey:

1. Union with God of this depth is totally unattainable by our own efforts; it is a gift that only God can give; we are totally dependent on His grace for progress in the spiritual life. Yet we know also that God is eager to give this grace and bring us to deep union.
2. At the same time our effort is indispensable. Our effort is not sufficient to bring about such union, but is necessary. The efforts we make help dispose us to receive the gifts of God. If we really value something we must be willing to focus on doing those things that will help us reach the goal.
3. Much has to change in us in order to make us capable of deep union with God.
4. Finally, we need to know that all the effort and pain is worth it. Infinitely worth it2

Tabernacle Question

“Beloved, how blessed, how wonderful, are God’s gifts! Life with immortality, glory with righteousness, truth with confidence, self-control with holiness: all these are the gifts that fall within our understanding…We should then strive with the greatest zeal to be found among the number of those who await him, so that we may share in the promised gifts. How will this be, beloved? If our mind is fixed on God through faith, if we are diligent in seeking what is pleasing and acceptable to him, if we fulfill what is according to his blameless will and follow the way of truth, casting away from ourselves all that is unholy.”3 As we have answered the Call to Holiness, here before Our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament let us ask Jesus to show us His plan for us to grow in holiness toward communion with the One Holy and Triune God.

Prayer of St. Ignatius of Loyola

O my God, teach me to be generous: to serve you as you deserve to be served; to give without counting the cost; to fight without fear of being wounded; to work without seeking rest; and to spend myself without expecting any reward, but the knowledge that I am doing your holy will.

See you this coming Monday night 09/21/09 for our talk on Virtue. God Bless...Mike

Call To Holiness - Week 3

2009-09-02T15:59:00.006-04:00

To Listen to this weeks talk, Click Here.

Prayer of St. Ignatius of Loyola
Grant, O Lord, that my heart may neither desire nor seek anything but what is necessary for the fulfillment of Thy holy Will. May health or sickness, riches or poverty, honors or contempt, humiliations, leave my soul in that state of perfect detachment to which I desire to attain for Thy greater honor and Thy greater glory.

“Then God said: “Let us make man in our image after our likeness. Let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, birds of the air, and the cattle, and over all the wild animals and all the creatures that crawl on the ground.” [Genesis 1:26]

Listen to John Paul the Great as he reminds us that the gift of holiness is offered to all the baptized.
“…But the gift (of holiness) in turn becomes a task, which must shape the whole of the Christian life:”1 “All the Christian faithful, of whatever state or rank, are called to the fullness of the Christian life and to the perfection of charity.”2 This holy Pope continues to encourage us, “It is clear however that the paths to holiness are personal and call for a genuine “training in holiness”, adapted to peoples needs.”3

Let’s look at some practical and spiritual goals of a Rule of Life:

Practical-
 Enables us to make better use of our time
 Provides a vehicle for our prayer life to mature and deepen over time
 Provides a firm structure for our prayer life so that it is regular and balanced
 Remains flexible
Spiritual-
 Leads us to acknowledge and practice the presence of God
 Leads deeper into the Liturgical and Sacramental life of the Church
 Supernaturalizes our actions
 Provides for a regular examination of conscience

Please read your Handout again and continue to discern your "Rule of Life."

Refer to our Calendar for upcoming dates! God Bless....Mike

Universal Call to Holiness - Week 2

2009-08-28T16:17:00.002-04:00

To Listen to This Weeks Talk, Click Here.

The Call to Holiness
The Church speaks to us and encourages us regarding this Call to Holiness in Lumen Gentium from the Second Vatican Council, listen:

Finally, all Christ’s faithful, whatever be the conditions, duties and circumstances of their daily lives- and indeed through all these- will daily increase in holiness, if they receive all things with faith from the hand of their heavenly Father and if they cooperate with the divine will. In this temporal service, they will manifest to all men the love with which God loved the world. [Lumen Gentium: 41]

Living Assignment for the Week

Consider writing out the following statement in your prayer journal and signing it: Jesus, I hear Your call in Your Word and through Your Church to live a life of holiness. Like Mother Mary I say “yes!” to this call with a firm resolve to embrace that which pleases You and amend that which offends You. Jesus I trust in You. Our Lady of the Most Holy Trinity, pray for me. Signed: _________________________________________________________Date_______________ This week make some small yet OBVIOUS adjustments in your life that will remind you of your answering the Call to Holiness. When you recognize the reminder say “Jesus, I Trust in You!” - Change the ring tones on your home phone and/or cell phone. - Move your toothbrush to another location. - Ask a friend or family member to pray especially for you during the next 7months. Know that you have the prayers of the priests, religious and lay members of the Society of the Most Holy Trinity. Scripture to Claim: “…Do whatever He tells you.” John 2: 5 Prayer of St. Ignatius of Loyola: Take, O Lord, and receive my entire liberty, my memory, my understanding, and my whole will. All that I am and all that I possess You have given me: I surrender it all to You to be disposed of according to Your will. Give me only Your love and Your grace; with these I will be rich enough, and will desire nothing more. Amen.
God Bless, Mike

Universal Call to Holiness - Week 1

2009-08-19T15:28:00.005-04:00

Click Here to listen to this weeks talk.

The three most important points to this talk:

1.You are called to be a Saint. That is what you are created for.

2.Saints live their Baptism in the fullness that is living the life of Christ. Our Blessed Mother will help you live this life of Christ. You are called to live your Baptism, to live the Trinitarian life of God.

3.The Sacrament of Peace and Reconciliation restores you to your Baptism, so you can become the Saint you were created to be. To receive grace come regularly, come at least once a month. I urge you to go once every two weeks if not more frequently.

God Bless...Mike

Reminder "August 3, 2009 COOKOUT! @ OLCC"

2009-07-29T16:28:00.003-04:00

Please don't forget to come to our Lay Formation Cook out / BBQ!

It starts at 6:00 PM
Monday night August 3, 2009.
Hope to see you all there.

We will be calling everyone this week to personally invite you all to the Banquet!

God Bless, Mike

Image & Likeness - HOLY HOUR - Week 4

2009-07-08T09:22:00.005-04:00

This meditation and the one from four weeks ago,"Prayer" Week four" are great topics to reflect on during Holy Hour. I would like to suggest that you may print these out during our Summer break and use them during our time separate from each other to keep us in union with the Trinity. In "Prayer week four" there are directions on how to get to the meditation. Once you have it open you can print it out from Adobe Reader.

Tabernacle Question:

Listen to the words of John Paul the Great and ask him to pray for you as you discern along with Our Lady, the implications of this teaching of being made in the Image & Likeness of God. Go into this Holy Hour with a heart that is open and expecting Our Lord to bless you with lights and insights. He always wants to gift us—open your hands to receive His gifts.

“Similarly, the love which every human being has for life cannot be reduced simply to a desire to have sufficient space for self-expression and for entering into relationships with others; rather it develops in a joyous awareness that life can become the “place” where God manifests Himself, where we meet Him and enter into communion with Him. The life which Jesus gives in no way lessens the value of our existence in time; it takes and directs it to its final destiny: “I am the resurrection and the life…whoever lives and believes in me shall never die.”*Jn 11:25-26]

Man’s life comes from God; it is his gift, HIS IMAGE & IMPRINT (emphasis added), a sharing in his breath of life. God therefore is the sole Lord of this life: man cannot do with it as he wills. God himself makes this clear to Noah after the flood: “For your own lifeblood, too, I will demand an accounting…and from man in regard to his fellow man I will demand an accounting for human life” *Gen 9:5]. The biblical text is concerned to emphasize how the sacredness of life has its foundation in God and in His creative activity: “For God made man in his own image.” [Gen 9:6]

Please Remember these dates....

July 6, 09' Last class before Summer break.
July 13, 09' Invited for Mass (5PM) & Dinner following. (During our Assembly)
July 14, 09' Ordination of our 6 Priests. 4PM Mass at the Cathedral. Followed by Reception @ OLCC @ 7:00pm

August 3, 09' Lay Formation BBQ & Pot Luck at OLCC 6:30pm
August 17, 09' Lay Formation Resumes.
(Topic: Holiness)

Until we reach "Holiness Week 1" We must keep each other in prayer, come to our BBQ on August 3, and remain in Communion through the Holy Spirit. May God Bless you all during our Break...Mike

Image & Likeness Week 3

2009-06-30T11:02:00.008-04:00

To Listen to this weeks talk, Click Here.

Living – Assignment for the Week

This week, as you go about your daily life and vocation, you are going to start with this—

Always ask Our Mother to help you to CLAIM the TRUTH of the week (See Scripture to Claim below). Repeat the scripture many times a day…

There is a great and blessed responsibility to others that comes with being a Child of God. As you lay hold of your destiny, impart this newly acquired TRUTH to others and gather more souls into the Kingdom!

Remember—Our Lord was a Man of Action! He made his LOVE visible—to become like Him, you have to do that, too!

Scripture to Claim

“It was not you who chose me, but I who chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit that will remain…” *John 15:16+

Please Remember these dates....

July 6, 09' Last class before Summer break.
July 13, 09' Invited for Mass (5PM) & Dinner following. (During our Assembly)
July 14, 09' Ordination of our 6 Priests. 4PM Mass at the Cathedral.

August 3, 09' Lay Formation BBQ at OLCC
August 17, 09' Lay Formation Resumes.
(Topic: Holiness)

Holy Hour this coming week, We pray to see you there! God Bless, Mike

Dates to Remember!

2009-06-29T11:14:00.004-04:00

Please Remember these dates....

July 6, 09' Last class before Summer break.
July 13, 09' Invited for Mass & Dinner. (During our Assembly)

August 3, 09' Lay Formation BBQ at OLCC
August 17, 09' Lay Formation Resumes.
(Topic: Holiness)

God Bless, Mike

Image & Likeness Week 2

2009-06-23T11:14:00.010-04:00

Click Here to Listen to this weeks talk.

Ask Our Lady to approach God with you…these are His Words to you:
You are My child[ I John 3:1]
I have chosen you [ John 7:6 ]
I call you friends [ John 15:15 ]
You are a gift to me [ John 17:24 ]
Child. Chosen. Friend. Gift. That is who you are.
Now is the time to begin believing His truth about yourself.

John Paul the Great urges us to say along with the Apostle John: “See what love the Father has given us, that we should be called children of God, and so we are…Beloved, we are God’s children now; it does not yet appear what we shall be, but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is” (I Jn 3:1-2).
(Theology of the Body, Pg. 522, No. 38 John Paul II)

Again here is your work for this week to do. If you choose not to do this, you will not benefit and grow in your formation as much as you can when you make it a daily practice in your life.

Living – Assignment for the Week
This week, as you go about your daily life and vocation, you are going to start with this—Ask Our Mother to help you to CLAIM the TRUTH that you are a CHILD of God Most High. Choose a verse from the ones suggested on your handout, and add it to your morning prayer. Better yet, paste it where you will encounter it several times a day and make it your own! CLAIM IT! If you do this, you will observe change in yourself for the BETTER!
Now that you are convinced of this TRUTH, begin to TEACH that TRUTH to everyone in your circle of influence. Ask Our Mother to help you with your assignment. Teach everyone you know, your children, your spouse, your coworkers that they are of supreme worth in their Father’s eyes. [How many people just realized we have already put into practice numbers one through seven of the Realities of Image and Likeness?]
Be sure to be very concrete in your actions and understanding of how this will play out in each of your relationships. As Our Lady is Daughter of the Father, Mother of the Son and Spouse of the Holy Spirit, please ask her to teach you about relationships—she is the expert here as well.

The seven ways we are created in the Image and Likeness of God are KCGLGDC.

* K stands for to know yourself as God knows you.
* C stands for to communicate yourself as God communicates.
* G stands for goals. We must have goals in our life. That means we respond to God’s goals for our life. Every thing starts with God. Knowing yourself, communicating as God communicates, having goals; that all starts from God.
* L stands for love. We are to make love visible, just as Jesus the invisible God came and assumed our human nature, and makes God visible. We’re going to learn how to make God’s love visible, drawing from God’s infinite Love.
* G is gifts. To indentify the gifts God has given us in abundance, good measure, pressed down and flowing over. These gifts are given to us to give to others. Too many people take the gifts to themselves, but God gave them to us to give to others. When you share it’s amazing. Experience the blessing that comes from sharing the gift of yourself.
* D stands for destiny. We all have a destiny. We touched on that in the first teaching, the Purpose and Meaning of life, the plan of communion. That is our destiny, but we’ll go more deeply in being created in the Image and Likeness of God in order to fulfill this destiny.
* C, last but not least, is community. We’re all created for community, because God Himself, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, one God, is a community a perfect communion, a community. We’re created for community. That’s why God placed us in a family when we were born, to learn how to live in a community.

To Listen to Your Child's song that they learnt this week, Click Here.

Have a great week reflecting God's Image and Likeness, Mike

Image & Likeness "Week 1"

2009-06-17T15:28:00.006-04:00

To Listen to this Weeks talk Click Here.

This week Fr. Tom Showalter, SOLT, gave our talk and came up with these questions for us to reflect on in our small group facilitation.

Facilitation Questions

Image & Likeness of God

Week 1

1. How can I grow deeper in the knowledge that I am created in God's Image and Likeness?
2. What attitudes - habits do I have that break down my awareness of God's presence within me?
3. What are the particular gifts God has given to me to bring to the community of the Church?

LIVING ASSIGNMENT for the WEEK.

Please reflect on question number 1 from above.

Announcements:

1.) On Monday we announced that July 6th, will be our last class for Summer Break.
2.) On Monday July 13th everyone is invited to Our Society's Assembly for opening night. Come and Live the Charism of our Lady's Society. If you will be coming, Please e-mail me at southtexas@ourladylovesyou.org so we may get a head count of how many to expect.

Have a great week and we will see you on Monday 22nd. God Bless, Mike

Prayer - Week 4 "Holy Hour"

2009-06-09T11:46:00.006-04:00

Now that is what I call a Holy Hour! I loved the handout on our Lords Prayer. I hope you got a lot out of this Holy Hour as I did. I have posted a link to everything we did last night at Holy Hour if you need it, (you may print this out), for an upcoming visit to our Lord.

Scripture to Claim Pray without ceasing. [1 Thessalonians 5:17] But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door, and pray to your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you. [Matthew 6:6]

Tabernacle Question

Please pray through any or all of the petitions of the Our Father using this handout as a starting point. Click Here to see Handout and then select the "Facilitators Tab" then select View Facilitation Guide #3 (Week 4). After Adobe Reader opens please go to Page 3. Don’t worry about “getting through” the entire prayer. Rather, scan the handout and see what petition calls out to you for deeper prayer and stick with it. You will be glad you did.

Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy Name; Thy Kingdom come; Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. Amen.

This prayer has an invocation, followed by seven petitions . Our Holy Father, Pope Benedict XVI,says, “The words of the Our Father are signposts to interior prayer, they provide a basic direction for our being, and they aim to configure us to the image of the Son…It aims to form our being, to train us in the inner attitude of Jesus.”

Next week is WEEK 1 of "IMAGE AND LIKENESS" We have a new guest speaker, come to see who it is.

Have a very blessed week, Mike.

Prayer - Week 3

2009-06-02T10:32:00.003-04:00

We pray that we have supplied you with rich information that will help you with your relationship with Our Father in Prayer. Next week we will have the privilege to use the tools and examples we have discussed during Holy Hour.

From this Weeks talk with Dr. Joseph Biberstein Click Here.

We would do well to remember also the five basic types of prayer:

 Worship – In this form of prayer we “bless the Lord” and adore Him. We pay Him the homage that He is due. “Persons who lose themselves in humble adoration will experience an overwhelming assurance in their prayers of petition.”1
 Petition – Here, we ask for our own needs. We show our dependence upon God and communicate with Him about our concerns. This includes asking forgiveness for our sins.
 Intercession – Intercession is petition, only it is on behalf of another. “This selfless form of prayer participates in the ongoing intercession of Jesus Christ.”2
 Thanksgiving – Like Jesus, we thank Our Good Father for His abundant blessings.
 Praise – “Prayer of praise lauds God for His own sake, giving Him glory, not just for what He does for us, but for what He is. We are reminded by the Catechism of th Catholic Church [2639] that “praise embraces the other forms of prayer and carries them toward Him who is its source and goal. By this prayer we are most directly joined with the Church Triumphant in heaven; the floodgates of grace are opened.”3

“But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door, and pray to your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you.” [Matthew 6:6]

With the basics understood, we can now move on to a discussion of different approaches to prayer.

Postures in Prayer
We talked about how sitting is a posture of receptivity in prayer; kneeling normally used in adoration or worship of God; standing is frequently used to praise our God, as we do in the Gloria of the Mass, and prostration, is meant to convey a deep reverence, awe and total submission, due to God alone. These are all helpful to remember as we progress in our topic of prayer.

Approaches to Prayer

 Vocal prayer - Prayer in which we use words, whether they be spoken words or words formed in thoughts.
 Mental prayer – Prayer in which “the mind and heart do all the work, without the benefit of words.”14
 Meditation -Prayer in which we are led to concentrate on a small portion of the divine reality, and further weare moved in our heart and soul “to a greater love and fidelity to God.”
 Contemplative Prayer/Infused Prayer – Prayer in which the faculties are suspended and all of the initiative is taken by God. The work of the Most High God in the willing soul.

God Bless you and we will see you on the 8'th, Mike

Prayer Week 2

2009-05-27T15:09:00.007-04:00

SOLT Lay Formation Program

To Listen to this weeks talk, Click Here.
Due to Technical difficulties we have lost the end of Fr. Carlito's talk.
Please enjoy what we do have.

Welcome back, what a great week! Here is our reminder of our "Living – Assignment for the Week"

We need to ask ourselves:

 How do I make myself ready for prayer?
 Do I have a set time set aside for prayer?
 Is prayer a priority for me, or do I just get to it when I can?
 Do I enter into prayer with proper reverence and respect for the One to whom I am addressing?
 Does my bodily posture or demeanor aide in my prayer? Does such a thing even matter?
 Am I easily distracted during prayer or am I resolute?
 Do I spend time listening in prayer as well as talking, and do I humbly wait on the Lord for His response?

 Finally, and this is probably the most important question of all, how badly do I want to pray? In other words, how intense is my longing for communication and union for the One who created me? Do I long to participate in His work of prayer?

Living – Assignment for the Week

Look carefully each day at the list of questions above. Choose the question that speaks most profoundly to your heart, and take it to prayer. Enter into prayer asking Our Lady to give you Her Heart to seek the will of the Father and to be pleasing to Him alone. You may look at a different question each day, or the same one all week. Don’t give up praying over that question until the Holy Spirit reveals the Wisdom of God to you. As we are reminded by St. Teresa of Avila: "When we have decided to give anything—such as this slight effort of recollection—to him who has given us so much, and who is continually giving, it would be wrong for us not to be entirely resolute in doing so and to act like a person who lends something and expects to get it back again." SPEND TIME EACH DAY IN PRAYER. 

See you again on Monday June 1, 09'

God Bless, Mike

"Prayer" Week 1

2009-05-20T15:37:00.002-04:00

Please Click Here to listen to this weeks talk.

Make everything in your day a prayer,rise in the morning and say from your heart- because prayer is from the heart- the first and greatest of all the commandments: You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and all your soul and with your whole mind and with all your strength. And the second is like it: you shall love your neighbor as yourself. If you offer your whole day, everything, every beat of your heart, every breath you take, every step you make, everything to God- you are praying without ceasing.

Keep in mind that the majority of our group voted to meet this "Memorial Day" Monday May 25, 2009. The vote was "15" YES to "12" NO. Keep in prayer and please pray for our Lay Formation Team; we will be praying for you until we see you on Monday, this Memorial Day.

God Bless, Mike

Week 4 "In the Presence of Our Lord"

2009-05-13T15:22:00.005-04:00

This week we reflect on everything we have discussed for the past three weeks...
Where are you from..Where are you going...How are you going to get there?

We are Beloved of the Father...He chose to create you out of billions of possibilities. You were willed by God to exist and to know Him, Love Him, and serve Him, and be happy with Him forever. You are Loved and Necessary!

How to get to the Father, "Imitate Mary...Become Like Jesus...Live for the Triune God" Pray...

Next week will be Week 1 of "Prayer" Hope to see you there! God Bless, Mike.

Week Three " Imitate Mary"..."Become Like Jesus"

2009-05-06T15:38:00.008-04:00

Please Click Here to listen to this weeks talk

Our Turn out for this week was a little weak due to the Swine flu scare?? I'm not sure but for those who missed and those who like reminders, here is our Living Assignment for this week. God Bless you and I pray he keeps you all well!
This week we have a prayer to the Holy Spirit. Try to say this prayer each day, to consecrate your day to the Holy Spirit and He will help you imitate Mary, become like Jesus and begin to fulfill the purpose and plan of God in our lives. Let us pray it now:

“Most Holy Spirit, I consecrate to You this day in time. Open my heart to your promptings. Inspire me to do the Divine Will of God. Amen.”

May God smile upon you this week as you place your trust in the intercession of Our Blessed Mother and you work to cooperate with grace to fulfill God’s plan for your life.

Please reflect on these questions this week and put your answers to work.

1.) How will I challenge myself to become like Jesus this week through a deeper life of prayer and sacrificial love?

2.) What will I do to show the love of Christ to those around me?

PLEASE BE VERY CONCRETE IN YOUR EXAMPLES AND PLAN FOR THE WEEK. REMEMBER: PRIOR PLANNING PROMOTES PRAYERFUL PERFROMANCE!

Scripture to Claim

“As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you; abide in my love.” [John 15:9]

“The Word of God is living and effective, sharper than any two-edged sword, penetrating even between soul ad spirit, joints and marrow and able to discern reflections and thoughts of the heart. [Hebrews 4:12]

All of us need help to know ourselves. As we have heard it said:
“Our Father’s desire is to see Jesus Christ come alive in our lives. Jesus reveals the meaning of life to us. He came all the way from heaven to reveal that to us. Jesus Christ reveals man to himself. We’re mysteries to ourselves. Jesus came to unfold that mystery to let us now that we are loved. And to empower us so we can return this love. Not just a merely human love. We are invited to a Divine way of love.”

CLAIM THESE WORDS OF TRUTH FOR YOUR LIFE THIS WEEK. GOD THE FATHER WANTS YOU TO LIVE YOUR LIFE TO THE FULLEST AS HIS BELOVED CHILD. MAY OUR LADY GUIDE YOU ON THIS ‘DIVINE WAY OF LOVE’.

Next week we will have adoration and it will be in St. Joseph Hall...God Bless, Mike

Purpose & Meaning of Life "Week 2"

2009-04-29T10:46:00.010-04:00

Welcome back, just a friendly reminder I am putting our homework online in case you need it.

Please Click Here to listen to this weeks talk.

HANDOUT – DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

Before the beginning of time, at the Council of the Most Holy Trinity, it was decided that YOU would be. As we have recently heard, “God, before all of creation in His mind’s eye in his infinite goodness, in His infinite wisdom, Our Father looked across billions of possibilities and chose to create you. He loves you. You were created in His love. You were willed by God. To exist and to know Him, love Him and serve Him and be happy with Him forever.”

Living – Assignment for the Week Each day this week, remind yourself when you take the first look at yourself in the mirror, that you are a child of God. Ask Our Lady to help you fully embrace this reality of being a beloved child of the Father. Practice reminding your loved ones of this wonderful truth. You can never underestimate the impact you may make on the life of another by speaking God’s Truth over their lives. Be His voice; tell those you love that they, too, are beloved by God.

I will also be trying to put the audio from each weeks topics here as well in case you miss any formation discussion you will be able to at least listen to the talk. In the meantime at your leisure here is something for you to read....

Christian formation as a continual process of growth is mandated to all believers by Jesus: "I am the true vine, and my Father is the vine-dresser... He who abides in Me and I in him bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing." (John 15:1, 5). The fundamental objective of the formation of the Lay Faithful is an ever-clearer discovery of one's vocation and the ever-greater willingness to live it so as to fulfill one's mission. From all eternity, God has thought of us and has loved us as unique persons. As the Good Shepherd he has called each of us by name. However, it is in the gradual, day-by-day unfolding of our lives that God's eternal plan is revealed to us. Thus, formation will always involve: a receptive listening to the Word of God and fidelity to the Magisterium of the Church, fervent and constant prayer, recourse to a wise and loving spiritual guide, faithful discernment of the gifts and talents given by God, reading the signs of the times, as well as insight into the diverse social and historic situations in which we live. Formation will also include opportunities for Christian service: to know and do what God wills - especially by living out one's sacraments of baptism, confirmation and matrimony.God Bless you...Mike

Kick off of "Our Lady Loves You" Lay Formation

2009-04-23T17:28:00.007-04:00

We would like to thank all that participated last Monday April 20th 2009 on our first meeting for Our Formation. We met at Our Lady of Corpus Christi at 7pm and finished up at 8:30pm. (Maybe a little later) Our first night we had a lot to cover as to the Overview on how our program works and getting the children over to their program as well while trying to make them feel at home. We will stick close to the scheduled hour and a half program and if we sway a little we will make sure it is to finishing early instead of late.
There was a great turn out for our first night; we had 49 adults and 21 children. A few people commented on how they can't wait until next week.

Click Here to listen to this weeks talk.

Testing

2009-02-18T22:41:00.001-05:00

Testing ...