Category: Prayer

“Come, Let Us Worship Christ, the King of Martyrs” – Catholic Divine Office/ Liturgy of the Hours

Catholic, Catholic Faith, Divine Office, Prayer
Christ the King Historic Image Print For Planned Stained Glass Window, adapted from image at loc.gov

[The Divine Office begins the Liturgical Day with “A Call to Praise God” in the form of the Invitatory Psalm, usually Psalm 95, in stanzas, or strophes, separated by an antiphon. For the Common of Several Martyrs, the antiphon is “Come, Let Us Worship Christ, the King of Martyrs.” Wednesday, Sept. 26, 2018, is the Memorial of Saints Cosmas and Damian, Martyrs, with portions of the Liturgy of the Hours for the day taken from the Common of Several Martyrs]

[Prior to the Psalm is an introductory phrase taken from Psalm 51 and a quote from the Letter to the Hebrews]

Lord, open my lips.

— And my mouth will proclaim Your Praise.
Encourage each other daily, while it is still today (Hebrews 3:13)

Come, Let Us Worship Christ, the King of Martyrs.

Come, let us sing to the Lord
and shout with joy to the Rock Who Saves us.
Let us approach Him with Praise and Thanksgiving
and sing joyful songs to the Lord.

Come, Let Us Worship Christ, the King of Martyrs.

The Lord is God, the Mighty God,
the Great King over all the gods,
He holds in His Hands the depths of the earth
and the highest mountains as well.
He made the sea; it belongs to Him,
the dry land, too, for it was formed by His Hands.

Come, Let Us Worship Christ, the King of Martyrs.

Come then, let us bow down and worship,
bending the knee before the Lord, our Maker.
For He is our God, and we are His People,
the Flock He Shepherds.

Come, Let Us Worship Christ, the King of Martyrs.

Today, listen to the Voice of the Lord:
Do not grow stubborn, as your fathers did
in the wilderness,
when at Meribah and Massah
they challenged me and provoked me,
Although they had seen all of my works.

Come, Let Us Worship Christ, the King of Martyrs.

Forty years I endured that generation.
I said, “They are a People whose hearts go astray
and they do not know My Ways.”
So I swore in my anger,
“The shall not enter into my rest.”

Come, Let Us Worship Christ, the King of Martyrs.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit:
as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever.
Amen.

Come, Let Us Worship Christ, the King of Martyrs.

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[The Divine Office also indicates that Psalm 100, Psalm 67 or Psalm 24 may be used, providing translations for those psalms as well. And it indicates that the psalm may be omitted when the Invitatory precedes Morning Prayer. An added note provides that, in individual recitation, the antiphon may be said once, at the beginning, rather than with each strophe.]

[As can be seen, the psalm presents a a wide-ranging encounter with God’s Greatness and our Relationship to Him. We are exhorted to approach God, to sing and shout with joy, praise and thanksgiving. God is Almighty and our Creator, indeed holding creation in His Hands.

We are to worship and follow Him in His Greatness. Yet He also is a Person Whose Voice we are to listen to and follow, Who Shepherds us as His Flock. At times, there are those who stubbornly failed to follow him, challenging Him and provoking His Wrath. In particular, with the reference to Meribah and Massah, the psalm recalls the Israelites grumbling and challenging God at points during their exodus in the desert.]

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CATHOLIC VIDEO: Pope Benedict XVI at Ground Zero, Prayers and Blessings

Catholic, Catholic Faith, Catholic Videos, Faithwatch, Headlines, Pope Benedict XVI, Prayer, Terrorism
File Photo of Southern Manhattan at Nightfall With Twin Shafts of Light Where World Trade Center Stood, adapted from image at tsa.gov by Steven C. Welsh :: www.stevencwelsh.com :: www.stevencwelsh.info

Pope Benedict XVI, in 2008, visited Ground Zero at the site of the World Trade Center, offering Prayers and Blessings. The full text of his prayer and the Vatican news release follow below, after the video.

“O God of love, compassion, and healing,
look on us, people of many different faiths and traditions,
who gather today at this site,
the scene of incredible violence and pain.
 
We ask you in your goodness
to give eternal light and peace
to all who died here –
the heroic first-responders:
our fire fighters, police officers,
emergency service workers, and Port Authority personnel,
along with all the innocent men and women
who were victims of this tragedy
simply because their work or service
brought them here on 11 September 2001.
 
We ask you, in your compassion
to bring healing to those
who, because of their presence here that day,
suffer from injuries and illness.
Heal, too, the pain of still-grieving families
and all who lost loved ones in this tragedy.
Give them strength to continue their lives with courage and hope.
 
We are mindful as well
of those who suffered death, injury, and loss
on the same day at the Pentagon and in Shanksville, Pennsylvania.
Our hearts are one with theirs
as our prayer embraces their pain and suffering.
God of peace, bring your peace to our violent world:
peace in the hearts of all men and women
and peace among the nations of the earth.
Turn to your way of love
those whose hearts and minds
are consumed with hatred.
 
God of understanding,
overwhelmed by the magnitude of this tragedy,
we seek your light and guidance
as we confront such terrible events.
Grant that those whose lives were spared
may live so that the lives lost here
may not have been lost in vain.
Comfort and console us,
strengthen us in hope,
and give us the wisdom and courage
to work tirelessly for a world
where true peace and love reign
among nations and in the hearts of all.”

[featured images are file photos]

Vatican Information Service Press Release Follows

POPE AT GROUND ZERO: GOD BRING PEACE TO OUR VIOLENT WORLD

VATICAN CITY, 20 APR 2008 (VIS) – In New York at 9.30 a.m. local time today, the Pope visited Ground Zero, the name now used to refer to the site once occupied by the twin towers of the World Trade Centre.

On 11 September 2001 two aircraft crashed into the twin towers, destroying them and a number of neighbouring buildings in a terrorist attack which cost the lives of 2,896 people. The site today is a vast 80-metre deep crater, surrounded by a fence and marked with a cross.

In 2002 the reconstruction of the World Trade Centre was put out for tender in a competition won by the architect Daniel Libensky. Today, Ground Zero is a construction site where work is scheduled to finish in the year 2012. The main building of the new complex will be the “Freedom Tower”, 541 metres high.

Benedict XVI arrived at Ground Zero accompanied by Cardinal Edward Egan, archbishop of New York. Awaiting him there were Michael Bloomberg, mayor of the city; David A. Paterson and John Corzine, respectively governors of New York and of New Jersey; 24 people representing the forces that responded to the attack of 11 September, and a number of injured and relatives of the victims.

The Holy Father kneeled for a few minutes of silent prayer for the victims of the attack, then lit a candle before pronouncing the following prayer:

“O God of love, compassion, and healing,
look on us, people of many different faiths and traditions,
who gather today at this site,
the scene of incredible violence and pain.

“We ask you in your goodness
to give eternal light and peace
to all who died here –
the heroic first-responders:
our fire fighters, police officers,
emergency service workers, and Port Authority personnel,
along with all the innocent men and women
who were victims of this tragedy
simply because their work or service
brought them here on 11 September 2001.

“We ask you, in your compassion
to bring healing to those
who, because of their presence here that day,
suffer from injuries and illness.
Heal, too, the pain of still-grieving families
and all who lost loved ones in this tragedy.
Give them strength to continue their lives with courage and hope.

“We are mindful as well
of those who suffered death, injury, and loss
on the same day at the Pentagon and in Shanksville, Pennsylvania.
Our hearts are one with theirs
as our prayer embraces their pain and suffering.

“God of peace, bring your peace to our violent world:
peace in the hearts of all men and women
and peace among the nations of the earth.
Turn to your way of love
those whose hearts and minds
are consumed with hatred.

“God of understanding,
overwhelmed by the magnitude of this tragedy,
we seek your light and guidance
as we confront such terrible events.
Grant that those whose lives were spared
may live so that the lives lost here
may not have been lost in vain.
Comfort and console us,
strengthen us in hope,
and give us the wisdom and courage
to work tirelessly for a world
where true peace and love reign
among nations and in the hearts of all”.

The prayer over, the Pope greeted survivors of the attack, relatives of some of the victims, and members of the rescue squads. Finally, he imparted his blessing to those present.

After the ceremony, the Holy Father returned to his residence where he bid farewell to the staff of the Holy See permanent mission to the United Nations in New York before having lunch in private.
PV-U.S.A./PRAYER GROUND ZERO/NEW YORK VIS 20080420 (620)

Copyright © VIS – Vatican Information Service
In accordance with international regulations on Intellectual Property and Author’s Rights, VIS authorises reproduction of news items issued by the Vatican Information Service, partially or in their entirety, on condition that the source (VIS – Vatican Information Service) is quoted.

 

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“Come, Let Us Worship Christ, Chief Shepherd of the Flock” – Catholic Divine Office/ Liturgy of the Hours

Catholic, Catholic Devotions, Catholic Faith, Divine Office, Prayer
Jesus the Good Shepherd, adapted from antique Currier & Ives image at loc.gov

[The Divine Office begins the Liturgical Day with “A Call to Praise God” in the form of the Invitatory Psalm, usually Psalm 95, in stanzas, or strophes, separated by an antiphon. For the Common of Pastors, used on Feasts or Memorials of Saints such as Saint Lawrence of Brindisi on July 21, the antiphon is “Come, Let Us Worship Christ, Chief Shepherd of the Flock.”]

[Prior to the Psalm is an introductory phrase taken from Psalm 51 and a quote from the Letter to the Hebrews]

Lord, open my lips.

— And my mouth will proclaim Your Praise.

Encourage each other daily, while it is still today (Hebrews 3:13)

Come, let us worship Christ, Chief Shepherd of the Flock.

Come, let us sing to the Lord
and shout with joy to the Rock Who Saves us.
Let us approach Him with Praise and Thanksgiving
and sing joyful songs to the Lord.

Come, let us worship Christ, Chief Shepherd of the Flock.

The Lord is God, the Mighty God,
the Great King over all the gods,
He holds in His Hands the depths of the earth
and the highest mountains as well.
He made the sea; it belongs to Him,
the dry land, too, for it was formed by His Hands.

Come, let us worship Christ, Chief Shepherd of the Flock.

Come then, let us bow down and worship,
bending the knee before the Lord, our Maker.
For He is our God, and we are His People,
the Flock He Shepherds.

Come, let us worship Christ, Chief Shepherd of the Flock.

Today, listen to the Voice of the Lord:
Do not grow stubborn, as your fathers did
in the wilderness,
when at Meribah and Massah
they challenged me and provoked me,
Although they had seen all of my works.

Come, let us worship Christ, Chief Shepherd of the Flock.

Forty years I endured that generation.
I said, “They are a People whose hearts go astray
and they do not know My Ways.”
So I swore in my anger,
“The shall not enter into my rest.”

Come, let us worship Christ, Chief Shepherd of the Flock.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit:
as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever.
Amen.

Come, let us worship Christ, Chief Shepherd of the Flock.

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[The Divine Office also indicates that Psalm 100, Psalm 67 or Psalm 24 may be used, providing translations for those psalms as well. And it indicates that the psalm may be omitted when the Invitatory precedes Morning Prayer. An added note provides that, in individual recitation, the antiphon may be said once, at the beginning, rather than with each strophe.]

[As can be seen, the psalm presents a a wide-ranging encounter with God’s Greatness and our Relationship to Him. We are exhorted to approach God, to sing and shout with joy, praise and thanksgiving. God is Almighty and our Creator, indeed holding creation in His Hands.

We are to worship and follow Him in His Greatness. Yet He also is a Person Whose Voice we are to listen to and follow, Who Shepherds us as His Flock. At times, there are those who stubbornly failed to follow him, challenging Him and provoking His Wrath. In particular, with the reference to Meribah and Massah, the psalm recalls the Israelites grumbling and challenging God at points during their exodus in the desert.]

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“Come, Let Us Sing to the Lord, and Shout With Joy to the Rock Who Saves Us” – Catholic Divine Office/ Liturgy of the Hours

Catholic, Catholic Devotions, Catholic Faith, Divine Office, Prayer
File Photo of Sunrise at Joshua Tree National Park

[The Divine Office begins the Liturgical Day with “A Call to Praise God” in the form of the Invitatory Psalm, usually Psalm 95, in stanzas, or strophes, separated by an antiphon. For Sunday of Week III in the Four-Week Psalter the antiphon is “Come, let us sing to the Lord, and shout with joy to the Rock Who Saves Us”.]

[Prior to the Psalm is an introductory phrase taken from Psalm 51 and a quote from the Letter to the Hebrews]

Lord, open my lips.

— And my mouth will proclaim Your Praise.

Encourage each other daily, while it is still today (Hebrews 3:13)

Come, Let Us Sing to the Lord, and Shout with Joy to the Rock Who Saves us.

Come, let us sing to the Lord
and shout with joy to the Rock Who Saves us.
Let us approach Him with Praise and Thanksgiving
and sing joyful songs to the Lord.

Come, Let Us Sing to the Lord, and Shout with Joy to the Rock Who Saves us.

The Lord is God, the Mighty God,
the Great King over all the gods,
He holds in His Hands the depths of the earth
and the highest mountains as well.
He made the sea; it belongs to Him,
the dry land, too, for it was formed by His Hands.

Come, Let Us Sing to the Lord, and Shout with Joy to the Rock Who Saves us.

Come then, let us bow down and worship,
bending the knee before the Lord, our Maker.
For He is our God, and we are His People,
the Flock He Shepherds.

Come, Let Us Sing to the Lord, and Shout with Joy to the Rock Who Saves us.

Today, listen to the Voice of the Lord:
Do not grow stubborn, as your fathers did
in the wilderness,
when at Meribah and Massah
they challenged me and provoked me,
Although they had seen all of my works.

Come, Let Us Sing to the Lord, and Shout with Joy to the Rock Who Saves us.

Forty years I endured that generation.
I said, “They are a People whose hearts go astray
and they do not know My Ways.”
So I swore in my anger,
“The shall not enter into my rest.”

Come, Let Us Sing to the Lord, and Shout with Joy to the Rock Who Saves us.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit:
as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever.
Amen.

Come, Let Us Sing to the Lord, and Shout with Joy to the Rock Who Saves us.

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[The Divine Office also indicates that Psalm 100, Psalm 67 or Psalm 24 may be used, providing translations for those psalms as well. And it indicates that the psalm may be omitted when the Invitatory precedes Morning Prayer. An added note provides that, in individual recitation, the antiphon may be said once, at the beginning, rather than with each strophe.]

[As can be seen, the psalm presents a a wide-ranging encounter with God’s Greatness and our Relationship to Him. We are exhorted to approach God, to sing and shout with joy, praise and thanksgiving. God is Almighty and our Creator, indeed holding creation in His Hands.

We are to worship and follow Him in His Greatness. Yet He also is a Person Whose Voice we are to listen to and follow, Who Shepherds us as His Flock. At times, there are those who stubbornly failed to follow him, challenging Him and provoking His Wrath. In particular, with the reference to Meribah and Massah, the psalm recalls the Israelites grumbling and challenging God at points during their exodus in the desert.]

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“Come, Let Us Sing Joyful Songs to the Lord” – Catholic Divine Office/ Liturgy of the Hours

Catholic, Catholic Devotions, Catholic Faith, Divine Office, Liturgy of the Hours, Prayer
File Photo of Sunrise at Joshua Tree National Park

[The Divine Office begins the Liturgical Day with “A Call to Praise God” in the form of the Invitatory Psalm, usually Psalm 95, in stanzas, or strophes, separated by an antiphon. For Monday of Week II in the Four-Week Psalter the antiphon is “Come, Let Us Sing Joyful Songs to the Lord”.]

[Prior to the Psalm is an introductory phrase taken from Psalm 51 and a quote from the Letter to the Hebrews]

Lord, open my lips.

— And my mouth will proclaim Your Praise.

Encourage each other daily, while it is still today (Hebrews 3:13)

Come, Let Us Sing Joyful Songs to the Lord

Come, let us sing to the Lord
and shout with joy to the Rock Who Saves us.
Let us approach Him with Praise and Thanksgiving
and sing joyful songs to the Lord.

Come, Let Us Sing Joyful Songs to the Lord

The Lord is God, the Mighty God,
the Great King over all the gods,
He holds in His Hands the depths of the earth
and the highest mountains as well.
He made the sea; it belongs to Him,
the dry land, too, for it was formed by His Hands.

Come, Let Us Sing Joyful Songs to the Lord

Come then, let us bow down and worship,
bending the knee before the Lord, our Maker.
For He is our God, and we are His People,
the Flock He Shepherds.

Come, Let Us Sing Joyful Songs to the Lord

Today, listen to the Voice of the Lord:
Do not grow stubborn, as your fathers did
in the wilderness,
when at Meribah and Massah
they challenged me and provoked me,
Although they had seen all of my works.

Come, Let Us Sing Joyful Songs to the Lord

Forty years I endured that generation.
I said, “They are a People whose hearts go astray
and they do not know My Ways.”
So I swore in my anger,
“The shall not enter into my rest.”

Come, Let Us Sing Joyful Songs to the Lord

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit:
as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever.
Amen.

Come, Let Us Sing Joyful Songs to the Lord

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[The Divine Office also indicates that Psalm 100, Psalm 67 or Psalm 24 may be used, providing translations for those psalms as well.  And it indicates that the psalm may be omitted when the Invitatory precedes Morning Prayer. An added note provides that, in individual recitation, the antiphon may be said once, at the beginning, rather than with each strophe.]

[As can be seen, the psalm presents a a wide-ranging encounter with God’s Greatness and our Relationship to Him.  We are exhorted to approach God, to sing and shout with joy, praise and thanksgiving.  God is Almighty and our Creator, indeed holding creation in His Hands. 

We are to worship and follow Him in His Greatness.  Yet He also is a Person Whose Voice we are to listen to and follow, Who Shepherds us as His Flock.  At times, there are those who stubbornly failed to follow him, challenging Him and provoking His Wrath.  In particular, with the reference to Meribah and Massah, the psalm recalls the Israelites grumbling and challenging God at points during their exodus in the desert.]

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CATHOLIC FAITHWATCH: “Saint Anthony of Padua” – Pope Benedict XVI General Audience 2.10.10

Catholic, Catholic Faith, Headlines, Prayer, Saints & Blesseds

“… With his outstanding gifts of intelligence, balance, apostolic zeal and … mystic fervour, [St.] Anthony contributed significantly to the development of Franciscan spirituality. …  He dedicated himself … to the study of the Bible and of the Church Fathers, acquiring … theological knowledge … Anthony laid the foundations of Franciscan theology * * * he commented on … texts of Scripture presented by the Liturgy, using the patristic and medieval interpretation of the four senses: the literal or historical, the allegorical or Christological, the tropological or moral, and the anagogical, which orients a person to eternal life. … Anthony proposes a true and proper itinerary of Christian life. * * * St. Anthony speaks of prayer as of a loving relationship that impels man to speak gently with the Lord, creating an ineffable joy that sweetly enfolds the soul in prayer. … prayer requires an atmosphere of silence … an interior experience that aims to remove the distractions caused by a soul’s anxieties, thereby creating silence in the soul itself. * * * … prayer is structured in four indispensable attitudes … obsecratio, oratio, postulatio, gratiarum actio. We might translate them in the following manner. The first step in prayer is confidently opening one’s heart to God; this is not merely accepting a word but opening one’s heart to God’s presence. Next, is speaking with him affectionately, seeing him present with oneself; then a very natural thing presenting our needs to him; and lastly, praising and thanking him. … we perceive … the role assigned to Divine Love which enters into the sphere of the affections, of the will and of the heart, and which is also the source from which flows a spiritual knowledge that surpasses all other knowledge. In fact, it is in loving that we come to know. … ‘Charity is the Ssoul of Faith, it gives it Life; without love, Faith dies’ … It is only the prayerful soul that can progress in spiritual life ….”

Click here for: “Saint Anthony of Padua” – Pope Benedict XVI General Audience 2.10.10

 

View of St. Peter's Basilica at Vatican from River

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CATHOLIC NEWSLINK: “An Exorcist and a Journalist Explore Eastern Meditation and Mindfulness” – Catholic Exchange

Catholic, Catholic Faith, Catholic News, Demonology, Headlines, News Links, Prayer
Statue of Saint Michael the Archangel With Sword Raised, Stomping on the Devil

“Eastern meditation techniques are a growing fad to relax and alleviate stress and anxiety. …. But according to an exorcist and an author on A Catholic Guide to Mindfulness, such meditations are contrary to the Catholic faith and neither healthy nor even harmless. …”

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CATHOLIC FAITHLINK: “[‘Light your lamps’;] Ascetical Discourses” – Isaac the Syrian (7th Century), Monk near Mosul/ DailyGospel

Catholic, Catholic Faith, Faith Links, Headlines, Prayer
Star Field, adapted from image at nasa.gov

“Prayer offered during the hours of night possesses great power …. That is why all the Saints were in the habit of praying at night, combating the body’s drowsiness and the sweetness of sleep and overcoming their bodily nature. …. For every request for which the Saints desired to importune God they armed themselves with nocturnal prayer and at once received what they were asking for. …”

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CATHOLIC FAITHLINK: Saint Michael the Archangel Chaplet – Faith Central

Angels, Archangels, Catholic, Catholic Devotions, Catholic Faith, Faith Links, Headlines, Prayer, Saint Gabriel the Archangel, Saint Michael the Archangel
Statue of Saint Michael the Archangel With Sword Raised, Stomping on the Devil

… O Glorious Saint Michael the Archangel, Chief and Commander of the Heavenly Hosts, Guardian of Souls, Vanquisher of rebel spirits, Servant in the House of the Divine God and our Admirable Conductor, you who shine with Excellence and Superhuman Virtue, deliver us from all evil, we who turn to you with confidence, and enable us by your gracious Protection, to serve God more and more Faithfully every day. …

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CATHOLIC FAITHLINK: “APOSTOLIC PENITENTIARY DECREE: Indulgences attached to devotions in honour of Divine Mercy” – VaticanVa

Catholic, Catholic Faith, Divine Mercy, Faith Links, Headlines, Prayer, Vatican
View of St. Peter's Basilica at Vatican from River

“… Duty of honouring Divine Mercy: The faithful with deep spiritual affection are drawn to commemorate the mysteries of divine pardon and to celebrate them devoutly. They clearly understand the supreme benefit, indeed the duty, that the People of God have to praise Divine Mercy with special prayers and, at the same time, they realize that by gratefully performing the works required and satisfying the necessary conditions, they can obtain spiritual benefits that derive from the Treasury of the Church. “The paschal mystery is the culmination of this revealing and effecting of mercy, which is able to justify man, to restore justice in the sense of that salvific order which God willed from the beginning in man, and through man, in the world” (Encyclical Letter Dives in misericordia, n. 7). …”

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