Prayer to the Great Angel Gabriel for Help in Need

St, Gabriel, the great angel of God, is the patron of many things. Today, I invoke him as patron of postal workers, postal services, post offices, telecommunications workers, and telephones.

If you live in England, you understand my fervent prayer to him. I said this prayer and the prayer was answered immediately.

Saint Gabriel the Archangel, I venerate you as the Angel of the Incarnation, because God specially appointed you to bear the messages concerning the God-Man to Daniel, Zechariah, and the Blessed Virgin Mary. Give me a very tender and devoted love for the Incarnate Word and his Blessed Mother more like your own. I venerate you also as the "Strength from God" because you are the giver of God's strength, consoler and comforter chosen to strengthen God's faithful and teach them important truths. I ask for the grace of a special power of the will to strive for holiness of life.

Steady my resolutions; renew my courage; comfort and console me in the problems, trials and sufferings of daily living, as you consoled our Savior in his agony and Mary in her sorrows and Joseph in his trials. I put my confidence in you. Saint Gabriel I ask you especially for this favor: (mention your request). Through your earnest love for the Son of God made man and for his Blessed Mother I beg of you, intercede for me that my request may be granted, if it be God's holy will. Pray for us, Saint Gabriel the Archangel, that we may be worthy of the promises of Christ. Amen.

Window, Buckland, England

More on the BioVentures Center in Iowa

This news is a bit late, but it is good news--I had a post on this earlier, but I want to follow-up on this.. On July 11th in Coraville, Iowa, Rick Santorum helped launch the Give Cures at the BioVentures Center in Iowa City, for the John Paul II Stem Cell Research Center. This type of research provides cures  without using the tissues of aborted babies. Santorum stated:  


"Shortcuts by promoting abortion and promoting unethical behavior are certainly not the best solution to whatever medical condition you might have...How many people have ever heart of a single cure as a result of fetal tissue (research)? The answer is none, zero..The field has been abandoned."


Father Jim Vrba, pastor of St. Mary's Parish in Solon, Iowa stressed in the article in the local diocesan paper that the center's research was in line with Church teaching that life begins at conception.


I write about this again to encourage those who want to give to a great cause in research, that Catholics are working hard in the area of stem cell research. 


You may contact the group in order to give a donation.http://www.givecures.org/#/about/4563732608

Perfection series warning two--Concupiscence

Tomorrow, I shall write about the virtues which counteract the sins and tendencies listed today.

The All Pure, All Holy Theotokos

The life of the virtues bring us to eternal life and help the Church to grow through evangelization. If we are not living the life of virtue, we shall go to purgatory, as only the perfect see God. And, we shall not have the power of ministry needed in the Church.

We all have concupiscence, a result of Original Sin, and it is the tendency towards sin. The closer we get to God, the more clear are these areas. These lists are from Garrigou-Lagrange.

Under concupiscence of the eyes, this is the list: avarice, perfidy, fraud, deceit, perjury, itch to acquire and excessive anxiety to keep, harshness, hardness of heart.


Under concupiscence of the flesh are listed: lust, spiritual blindness, poor judgment, impetuosity of decision, inconstancy, love of self even to hatred of God, attachment to the present life which destroys hope of eternal life.  


Do not despair. as we have the life of the sacraments, which gives us and feed the theological and cardinal virtues. Watch this space. Be honest, pray, act. Look to Mary, Our Mother and Role Model.

Perfection Series continued--a Warning

sloth, spiritual torpor and discouragement

One of the most important lessons to learn in the spiritual life is NOT to believe one is at a higher stage of development that one really is. Self-deceit and confusion can lead to dangerous results, including the loss of one's soul.

A spiritual director or a good confessor is a necessary person. Also, one must examine one's conscious daily. Before one goes to bed at night is the best time.

Garrigou-Lagrange lists sins we could use in an examination: all come from "Inordinate love of self".

He divides this list into "Pride" and "Concupiscence".

He further divides Pride into sins regarding one's self and sins in regard to one's neighbor.

He further divides Concupiscence into sins of the flesh and sins of the eyes. That will be in the next post.

Under Pride and Self, these are listed: vainglory, disobedience, boasting, hypocrisy, contention, rivalry, discord,, singularity, stubbornness, sloth (acedia), hatred of spiritual things, malice, rancor, pusillanimity, discouragement, spiritual torpor, forgetfulness of precepts and seeking after forbidden things.


Catholics who insist on following false, condemned seers are committing a sin of pride.

In the next category of Pride, that of sins against others, the list continues: envy, hatred, detraction, calumny, joy at the misfortune of others, sadness at another's success, anger, disputes, fits of passion, insults, contumely, blasphemy.


To be continued...

Perfection Series continued-the predominant fault--four

St. Augustine tells us, using Garrigou-Lagrange, that God never asks us to do the impossible. If God desires us to be one with Him and He does, we will have the means to overcome all of our sins. First of all, we must ask for grace and as Catholics, that means taking part in the Sacramental Life of the Church-monthly if not weekly Confession; frequent, if not daily Communion; living out the life of the virtues.

We cannot give up the fight. If we do,we shall lose eternal life with God.

Garrigou-Lagrange states. "We must not make peace with our faults." Do not tolerate evil in yourself and in others. Parents, mold and guide your children to holiness. Do not give in to the lies of the world.

We are all called to the fight. We are all called to be saints. It is hard. So what? Heaven and the Face of Jesus will be our reward.