On a summer day a little over a hundred years ago, a slim figure in a black cassock stood facing a gang of mercenaries in a small town in Piedmont, Italy. He had just disarmed one of the soldiers who was attacking a young girl, had faced the rest of the band fearlessly, then drove them all out of the village at the point of a gun. The young man was Francesco Possenti, whose father was lawyer for the Papal States and who had recently joined the Passionist Order, taking the name of Brother Gabriel. Francesco Possenti had been the fanciest dresser in town as well as the best dancer. He was a superb horseman and an excellent marksman. Engaged to two girls at the same time and a great partygoer, he had shocked his family by announcing after his graduation that he was going to become a Passionist monk. No one believed him and expected him back within a few weeks. He stayed, and when Garibaldi's mercenaries swept down through Italy ravaging villages, Brother Gabriel showed the kind of man he was by confronting them, astonishing them with his marksmanship, and saving the small village where his monastery was located.
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As we end this month, we would like to thank Most especially The Almighty God for the success of our activities this month. We Hope that Our Lord will continue to guide all our activities and bless all our efforts for the Greater glory of his Name. Also, we would like to thank the Universal Living Rosary Association of St. Philomena for donating some of their rosaries, scapulars and other sacramentals to us for our on-going mission. Let's once again remember the events that Happened recently namely: The Feast of the Holy Face of Jesus, Veneration of the Relic of St. Geltrude Comensoli, Ash Wednesday and the Visit of the Pilgrim Relic of St. Therese at our diocese. For more photos please visit our official Facebook fanpage http://www.facebook.com/ajpmclm
Ad Majorem Dei Gloriam! GELTRUDE COMENSOLI was born in Bienno in Val Camonica, Brescia, on January 18, 1847, the fifth of ten children. On the same day of her birth, her parents, Carlo and Anna Maria Milesi, took her to the parish Church to be baptized and she was given the name of Caterina. During her childhood, Caterina experienced the joys of innocence and light-heartedness typical of that age. However, the Lord instilled within her the necessity of being intimately united to Him: she was often drawn by a strong desire to pray and meditate deeply. To those who asked her what she was doing she would answer: “I am thinking”. At the age of seven, unable to resist any longer the pressing invitation of Jesus, one day, in the very early morning, she wrapped herself in her mother’s black shawl and went to the nearby Saint Mary’s Church. Standing at the balustrade, she secretely made her First Communion. Caterina experienced a “heavenly” feeling and swore eternal love to Jesus. The child became more serious, meditative and more absorbed in the thought of Jesus present in the Eucharist who, she realized, was often left alone for many days. While still young, she became an Apostle of the Eucharist: she would have liked to take Jesus present in the Holy Sacrament onto the top of a high mountain so that everyone could see and adore Him. She chose some among the girls she knew to establish the Guard of Honour. Her ideal was Jesus. The motto: “Jesus, loving You and making others love You”, became the programme of her life. Attracted by a more perfect life, she left her family in 1862 and joined the convent of the Sisters of Charity, founded by St. Bartolomea Capitanio in Lovere, Brescia. Everyone had the highest hopes for her but the wonderful and mysterious ways of Providence were different. The Postulant became seriously ill and was dismissed from the Institute. After her recovery, she left her village due to the financial situation of her family and, surely not by chance, entered into domestic service, first with Rev. G. B. Rota, parish priest of Chiari, who a few years later was to become the Bishop of Lodi, and afterwards with the Countess Fé-Vitali. These meetings and experiences were to be very important to Caterina. During the Christmas season of 1876 she reaffirmed her dedication to Jesus and wrote a very demanding way of conducting her life, to which she remained faithful. On the Feast of Corpus Christi of 1878, with the permission of her confessor, she made the vow of chastity, which she had made on the morning of her secret Comunion, perpetual. Without neglecting her duties as a domestic servant, Caterina decided to educate the children of San Gervasio, Bergamo, guiding them towards an honest life of christian and social virtues. By means of assiduous prayer, mortification, an intense interior life and the practice of the deeds of charity, Caterina prepared herself to accept the will of the Lord. Freed from family responsibilities after her parents’ death, the young woman sought a way to achieve her Eucharistic ideal. She opened her heart to the Bishop of Bergamo Mgr Speranza, who was, at that time, in Bienno as a guest of the Fé-Vitali’s. He encouraged and assured her that her plans were the will of God. In 1880, while in Rome with the Fé-Vitali’s, she succeeded in speaking with Pope Leo XIII about her plans to establish a religious institute devoted to the adoration of the Eucharist. The Pope changed them by inviting her to include the education of young female factory workers as well. Supported by the new Bishop of Bergamo, Mgr Guindani, and by her “Father and Superior”, Rev. F. Spinelli, on December 15, 1882, Caterina, together with two of her friends began the Congregation of the Sacramentine Sisters of Bergamo with the first adoration hour of the Blessed Sacrament. On December 15, 1884 she took the name of Sister Geltrude of the Blessed Sacrament. The new Congregation revealed itself to be God’s work. In fact, like all God’s work, it endured many adversities which sorely tried the “tender little plant”. However, this plant had already spread its deep roots into the rich soil of prayer, mortification and humility. It mattered little that Sister Geltrude and her Sisters, advised by the Bishop of Bergamo, Mgr Camillo Guindani, successor to Mgr Speranza, had to abandon their first “nest” in order to take refuge in Lodi. Mgr Rota, Bishop of Lodi, welcomed them and generously gave them a house in Lavagna di Comazzo, which temporarily became the Mother House of the Institute. When innumerable difficulties had been overcome, Mgr Rota, with the Decree of September 8, 1891, gave canonical recognition to the Institute. On March 28, 1892, Mother Geltrude returned to Bergamo, the birthplace of the Congregation. There she gave it decisive and strong direction. God’s work was fulfilled! The Foundress had guaranteed by then the continuation of the perpetual and public adoration of Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament and had instilled her precious ideas into her Sisters. Hers was a spirit of prayer, sacrifice, mortification, obedience, humility and charity mainly towards the poor. Therefore, she could approach her godly Bridegroom. On February 18, 1903, at midday, Mother Geltrude, bowing her head towards the Church of Adoration, began her eternal adoration. The news of her death quickly spread. Those who had known her, especially the poor and the humble, who were her favourite people, declared her a saint. On August 9, 1926, her venerable remains were taken from the cemetery of Bergamo to the Mother House of the Institute which she had established. There she lies in a special chapel next to the Church of Adoration. Relic of St. Geltrude under our custody By request of numerous people, on February 18, 1928, the Ordinary Process on the reputation of Mother Geltrude’s sanctity, her virtuous life as well as miracles, granted by God through Mother Geltrude’s intercession, began. It ended in 1939. In the same year, Pius XII authorized the preliminary investigation of the Apostolic Process in the Cause of Mother Geltrude. On April 26, 1961, the General Congregation of the then Congregation of Sacred Rites was held in the presence of Pope John XXIII. His Holiness promulgated the Decree on the heroic virtuous life experienced by Mother Geltrude Comensoli, who was then given the title of “Venerable”. On October 1, 1989, Pope John Paul II declared her a Blessed Soul. On April 26, 2009 Pope Benedict XVI entered her on the register of Saints. Jesus, covered in blood and much sadness, said to Mother Pierina: "See how much I suffer. I am understood by so few. What ingratitude on the part of those who say that they love Me! I have given My heart as a sensible object of My great love for man, and I give My Face as a sensible object of My sorrow for the sins of man. I desire that it be honored by a special feast on Shrove Tuesday. The feast will be preceded by a novena, during which the faithful make reparation with Me, uniting themselves with My sorrow." This year, the feast occurs on February 12, 2013 (Shrove Tuesday); thus, the nine-day Alpha Omega novena begins on Sunday, February 3, 2013. For the Novena Click this link: http://www.holyface.org.uk/content/holyfacenovena.htm (The solemn novena takes place on the nine days before the feast. This novena, however, may be said on any nine consecutive days.) First Day: Love of Christ in the Blessed Sacrament St John Bosco, who loved Christ in the Blessed Sacrament so deeply and spread that love to so many, help me to understand this mystery of God’s love for us, that I too may find, in frequent attendance at Mass and Holy Communion and in visits to the Blessed Sacrament, comfort and strength throughout my life and at the hour of my death. Glory be to the Father, etc. Let us pray: God our Father, it was your will that through the intercession of the Virgin Mary, St John Bosco should raise up new families in the Church who would work for the salvation of young people; grant, we pray you, that we too, burning with the same fire of love, may seek souls and serve you alone, through Christ our Lord. Amen. Second Day: Devotion to Our Lady St John Bosco, you had so enduring a love of Our Lady, Help of Christians, ever your Mother and Guide. Help me to share this deep and lasting love for Mary. May I experience her powerful help and protection throughout my life and have her at my side at the hour of my death. Glory be to the Father… Let us pray… God our Father… Third Day: Loyalty to the Church and the Pope St John Bosco, you had a deep love for the Church and an unswerving loyalty to the Pope. Help me to be a faithful member of the Catholic Church, proud of my faith and ever loyal and obedient to the Holy Father, the vicar of Christ, and to the bishops and priests who share his authority. Glory be to the Father… Let us pray… God our Father… Fourth Day: For the Young St John Bosco, you had a generous and practical love for the young. For so many of them you were father and guide, working for them with heroic sacrifice. Young people are especially dear to our Saviour. Help us, too, to work for them with a holy and generous love and to see in each one of them the person of the young Christ growing up in Nazareth. Glory be to the Father… Let us pray… God our Father… Fifth Day: For Salesian Priests, Brothers and Sisters St John Bosco, you founded the Salesian Society and the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians to continue your work for youth. I pray that all these priests, brothers and sisters may be filled with your spirit, your zeal, your love and joy, and so inspire other young people to follow them. Glory be to the Father… Let us pray… God our Father… Sixth Day: For Salesian Cooperators St John Bosco, in order to deepen Faith and Charity in the world and spread your work for youth, you started a third family, the Salesian Cooperators. May they be strong, fervent, apostolic Christians, supporting your work and spreading a love of Christ in their homes and among young people. Glory be to the Father… Let us pray… God our Father… Seventh Day: For Missionaries St John Bosco, your zeal for the Salvation of young people could not be kept within narrow frontiers. You sent your Salesian sons and daughters to the ends of the earth. From heaven intercede for all Missionaries, that their work may be blessed. Obtain for me a zeal like yours, that in working with generosity and enthusiasm for the salvation of others, I may save my soul. Glory be to the Father… Let us pray… God our Father… Eight Day: For Purity St John Bosco, by God’s grace you preserved within yourself an overwhelming love for purity and preached it by word and example. You led Dominic Savio to holiness while he was still a schoolboy. Obtain for me the grace to be pure of heart and so through my own way of life to let others see the joy of life in friendship with Christ. Glory be to the Father… Let us pray… God our Father… Ninth Day: For Family, Friends and those in Need. St John Bosco, you had a heart full of compassion when you saw people suffering or in need. Obtain for me, for my family and loved ones, the blessing of Mary Help of Christians and all the graces we need. Pray especially that our families my be united in peace and harmony in this life and be gathered together with you in the joy of praising God for ever in heaven. Glory be to the Father… Let us pray… God our Father… Prayer to St John Bosco to obtain favours St John Bosco, full of confidence I turn to you, asking you to intercede for me. Help me to lead a good and happy life. May I always be a help to others, avoid sin and die a happy death. Bring down the blessings of God on all those in my thoughts and prayers now, and obtain for me the special graces which I now ask… I trust in His love and mercy to grant what He knows is best for me. St John Bosco, send us good and holy priests and religious and grant perseverance to those who are preparing to offer their lives to God. Amen. St John Bosco, pray for us. Salesians of Don Bosco Thornleigh Salesian House Sharples Park BOLTON BL1 6PQ Son of Venerable Margaret Bosco. John’s father diedwhen the boy was two years old; and as soon as he was old enough to do odd jobs, John did so to helps support his family. Bosco would go to circuses, fairs and carnivals, practice the tricks that he saw magicians perform, and then put on one-boy shows. After his performance, while he still had an audience of boys, he would repeat the homily he had heard earlier that day in church. He worked as a tailor, baker, shoemaker, and carpenter while attending college andseminary. Ordained in 1841. A teacher, he worked constantly with young people, finding places where they could meet, play and pray, teaching catechism to orphans andapprentices. Chaplain in a hospice for girls. Wrote short treatises aimed at explaining thefaith to children, and then taught children how to print them. Friend of Saint Joseph Cafasso, whose biography he wrote, and confessor to Blessed Joseph Allamano. Founded the Salesians of Don Bosco (SDB) in 1859, priests who work with and educate boys, under the protection of Our Lady, Help of Chistians, and Saint Francis de Sales. Founded theDaughters of Mary, Help of Christians in 1872, and Union of Cooperator Salesians in 1875. Do you want our Lord to give you many graces? Visit him often. Do you want him to give you few graces? Visit him seldom. Visits to the Blessed Sacrament are powerful and indispensable means of overcoming the attacks of the devil. Make frequent visits to Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament and the devil will be powerless against you. - Saint John Bosco Preface to the Santo Niño de Cebu Devotion In the light of the exhortation of the Lord Jesus Christ to bring the Gospel to all the corners of the earth, His apostles, disciples and missionaries throughout the ages have spread His teachings everywhere through word-of-mouth preachings and the printed word. When the medium of the radiob-- and subsequently televisionn-- came about, the bearers of His Word also make use of the facility of such farther-and-wider-reaching audio and/or visual information transmissions. Hence, came about the prayers-on-air and televised masses. With the advent of the latest innovation of information and communications technology (ICT) in the form of the more globally-accessible Internet and the Mobile Phone, this immigrant-initiator (with the collaboration of other spiritually-imbued devotees) of this humble spiritual offerings to the Santo Nino (Holy Infant Jesus), himself His lifetime devotee, has thought of further spreading His devotion principally to overseas Filipino devotees out in the further corners of the earth eking out a spartan living, thru online, because they have no access to the numerous Roman Catholic houses of prayers (churches) of the homeland being interimly in foreign places where there are no Roman Catholic churches at all because of religious differences, or if there be any, too far away from the workplace. Hence, this humble page which can be read and/or heard thru one's computer or mobile phone (with internet access) thru this Website. JANUARY
The Faith of Christians. That in this Year of Faith Christians may deepen their knowledge of the mystery of Christ and witness joyfully to the gift of faith in him. Middle Eastern Christians. That the Christian communities of the Middle East, often discriminated against, may receive from the Holy Spirit the strength of fidelity and perseverance. FEBRUARY Migrant Families. That migrant families, especially the mothers, may be supported and accompanied in their difficulties. Peace. That the peoples at war and in conflict may lead the way in building a peaceful future. MARCH Respect for Nature. That respect for nature may grow with the awareness that all creation is God's work entrusted to human responsibility. Clergy. That bishops, priests, and deacons may be tireless messengers of the Gospel to the ends of the earth. APRIL Liturgy, Source of Life. That the public, prayerful celebration of faith may give life to the faithful. Mission Churches. That mission churches may be signs and instruments of hope and resurrection. MAY Administrators of Justice. That administrators of justice may act always with integrity and right conscience. Seminaries. That seminaries, especially those of mission churches, may form pastors after the Heart of Christ, fully dedicated to proclaiming the Gospel. JUNE Mutual Respect. That a culture of dialogue, listening, and mutual respect may prevail among peoples. New Evangelization. That where secularization is strongest, Christian communities may effectively promote a new evangelization. JULY World Youth Day. That World Youth Day in Brazil may encourage all young Christians to become disciples and missionaries of the Gospel. Asia. That throughout Asia doors may be open to messengers of the Gospel. AUGUST Parents and Teachers. That parents and teachers may help the new generation to grow in upright conscience and life. The Church in Africa. That the local Church in Africa, faithfully proclaiming the Gospel, may promote peace and justice. SEPTEMBER Value of Silence. That people today, often overwhelmed by noise, may rediscover the value of silence and listen to the voice of God and their brothers and sisters. Persecuted Christians. That Christians suffering persecution in many parts of the world may by their witness be prophets of Christ's love. OCTOBER People in Despair. That those feeling so crushed by life that they wish to end it may sense the nearness of God's love. World Mission Day. That the celebration of World Mission Day may help all Christians realize that we are not only receivers but proclaimers of God's word. NOVEMBER Suffering Priests. That priests who experience difficulties may find comfort in their suffering, support in their doubts, and confirmation in their fidelity. Latin American Churches. That as fruit of the continental mission, Latin American Churches may send missionaries to other Churches. DECEMBER Victimized Children. That children who are victims of abandonment or violence may find the love and protection they need. Prepare the Savior's Coming. That Christians, enlightened by the Word incarnate, may prepare humanity for the Savior's coming. ... From the Vatican Aside from the Memorial of St. John Neumann, we also celebrate today the Memorial of Bl. Marcelina Darowska. Nee Kotowicz, was born on 16 January 1827 in Szulaki, Ukraine, to a land-owning Polish family. As a child she showed a particular love of prayer and a desire to dedicate herself to God. Her father could not understand this and, before he died, he obtained the promise from her that she would marry and raise a family. In 1849 she married Karol Darowski, but she decided to sanctify her marriage "by living only in God and for God". Less than three happy years had passed when Karol died, leaving her with two children. Her son died a year later and she confessed: "The way of the world was not chosen for me by God's will; the way of the convent was, indeed, my destiny". In 1854 she traveled to Rome for reasons of health and met Fr Hieronim Kajsiewicz, a Resurrectionist who became her spiritual director. Through him she met Josephine Karska, who was thinking of founding a religious community dedicated to the overall formation of women. Their mutual work - the Congregation of the Sisters of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary united Marcelina and Josephine in sincere friendship. For years, however, Josephine was sick with typhus and died in 1860. Marcelina thus became the Superior of the new religious family, which numbered no more than four. In 1863 she moved the community to her homeland, and at Jazlowiec, in the Archdiocese of Lviv, she opened her first school for girls, which soon became an important spiritual and cultural centre. Marcelina undertook the work of educating women in the conviction that on it depends the rebirth of the family, which is the foundation of a morally healthy society. Among her principles for the formation of her sisters and students, she stressed the following: the primacy of God over everything, truth, mutual trust and unselfishness. She also offered effective help to the poor, desiring that tuition-free elementary schools be established at every convent. During her 50 years of Superior of the congregation, she opened seven convents with formation institutes and schools for children. In 1904, the Polish writer Henry Sienkiewicz wrote of her: "Praise for your wise work and honour to your merit and goodness". Marcelina answered, saying: "I don't look at the results of our work. They don't belong to us. If they exist, they belong to God for the good of our beloved country, which is torn apart". She died on 5 January 1911. On 6 October 1996 Marcelina Darowska was proclaimed Blessed by the Pope John Paul II in Rome. During the Mass he said: "To extend the kingdom of God in human souls and bring it into the world" - this was the programme for her apostolic activity, born in the silence of a heart immersed in prayer. She wanted to do everything so that truth love and goodness would triumph in human life and transform the face of her beloved nation. Together with her sisters, she generously laboured in the exhausting task of building the kingdom of Christ, paying particular attention to the religious formation of the young generation, especially girls, to the growth of catechesis and to educational work. She assigned a particular role in life to the Christian woman as "wife, mother and citizen of her country". With great zeal she fostered the growth of the kingdom of God in the family, since only a healthy and holy family, "based on God", as she said, can be the foundation of a new society. The new blessed is an example of an apostolic faith that creates new ways for the Church to be present in the world and forms a more just and human society which "abides and bears fruit" in Christ. " Taken from http://www.niepokalanki.pl/
Tomorrow (January 5, 2012) is the Memorial Feastday of St. John Neumann, the first American bishop to be canonized. His relic (Wood from his coffin) will be exposed and venerated at St. Jude Thaddeus Parish (Legazpi City PH) during the 6:45 AM Mass
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