The Triune God

Going therefore, teach ye all nations, baptising them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.--MATT. xxviii. 19.

These words of our Lord were spoken after the Resurrection to the eleven Apostles on a mountain in Galilee. They are understood by the Fathers to show the unity and trinity in God--the unity of the divine nature and the trinity of persons. The former is indicated by the phrase "in the name," which is equivalent to saying that the three Divine Persons have the same identical power and authority, and consequently the same nature; the latter, or trinity of persons in God, is expressed by the distinct enumeration of three different names, each of which, having its own proper signification, cannot be confounded with the others.

I. I believe in God the Father. 1. God is called the Father because He is the Creator and Governor of the universe. 2. God is called the Father of Christians in a special manner, as having adopted us as children through grace. 3. God is called the Father in the strictest sense of the term as having truly begotten the second Person of the Blessed Trinity. God then has begotten us metaphorically, that is, through His grace; but He has begotten the Second Person of the adorable Trinity literally, that is, by a real communication of His own substance: He is our Father by adoption; He is the Father of the Word by nature.

II. The trinity of persons in God. 1. The word Father in the first Article of the Creed thus brings before our minds the distinction of persons in God. 2. In the Gospels we find mention of the three Divine Persons: The Father who "sent" the Son, the Son who "goes to the Father," and the "Paraclete" or Holy Ghost whom the Son promised to send to His Church This same trinity of persons is taught clearly and distinctly in many other parts of the New Testament (Matt. iii. 16, 17; xxviii. 19; Luke i. 35; John xiv. 6; i John v. 7, etc.). 3. The meaning of the mystery of the Trinity is that in one and the same divine nature there are three distinct persons: the Father begotten of none; the Son begotten of the Father; and the Holy Ghost proceeding from the Father and the Son from all eternity.

III. The unity of the divine nature, I. The three Divine Persons, though distinct, are equal in all things--they possess the same majesty, the same eternity, the same glory, the same power the same divine nature. Hence They are not three Gods, but one God. 2. It is impossible that there should be many Gods for what is supreme and most perfect must be One. 3. The oneness of God is affirmed in many parts of Scripture (Deut. vi. 4; Exod. xx. 3: Isa. xliv. 6, Eph. iv. 5; etc.). 4. By the Sign of the Cross and the "Glory be to the Father," we profess our faith in the Unity and Trinity and in the Trinity in Unity.

CONCLUSION: I. The Most Holy Trinity is a mystery, i.e., a truth which we cannot fully understand; reason can neither establish it, nor explain it, nor disprove it. 2. How many mysteries are there in nature which we cannot understand. Little wonder is it then that the nature of the infinite so far surpasses us, when nature baffles us at every turn. Our attitude, therefore, toward the Holy Trinity should be one of faith and adoration, and not of curious searching. We should say with St. Paul "O the depth of the riches, of the wisdom, and of the knowledge of God," etc. (Rom. xi. 33). 3. By means of grace we become temples of the Holy Trinity. 4. Let us implore God that one day we may come to see and contemplate in heaven the adorable mystery of the Trinity in whose name we were baptized and received the holy Sacraments, and in whose name we hope at last peacefully to pass from this present life into eternity. "Go forth, Christian soul, out of this miserable world, in the name of God the Father Almighty," etc. (Ritual).

Catechism of the Council of Trent, Part I

ARTICLE I OF THE CREED
THE UNITY OF GOD

From what is said on the first part of this Article it must be confessed that there is but one God, not many Gods. For we attribute to God supreme goodness and infinite perfection, and it is impossible that what is supreme and most perfect could be common to many. If a being lack any thing that constitutes supreme perfection, it is therefore imperfect, and cannot be endowed with the nature of God.

The unity of God is also proved from many passages of Sacred Scripture. It is written: "Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, is one Lord;"(1) again God commands: "Thou shalt not have strange gods before me";(2) and further He often admonishes us by the prophet: "I am the first, and I am the last, and besides me there is no God."(3) The Apostle also expressly declares: "One Lord, one Faith, one Baptism."(4)

It should not, however, excite our surprise if the Sacred Scriptures sometimes give the name of God to creatures.(5) For when they call the prophets and judges gods, they do not speak according to the manner of the Gentiles, who, in their folly and impiety, formed to themselves many gods; but express, by a manner of speaking then in use, some eminent quality or function conferred on such persons by God.

The Christian faith, therefore, believes and professes, as is declared in the Nicene Creed in confirmation of this truth, that God in His nature, substance and essence is one. But soaring still higher, it so understands Him to be one that it adores unity in trinity and trinity in unity. Of this mystery we now proceed to speak, as it comes next in order in the Creed.


PROPRIETY OF THE WORD "FATHER" AS APPLIED TO GOD

As God is called "Father" for more reasons than one, we must first determine the sense in which the word is used in the present instance. Even some on whom the light of faith never shone conceived God to be an eternal substance from whom all things had their beginning, and by whose providence they are governed and preserved in their order and state of existence. Since, therefore, he to whom a family owes its origin and by whose wisdom and authority it is governed is called a father, so on the same principle these persons gave the name Father to God, whom they acknowledge to be the creator and governor of the universe. The Sacred Scriptures also, when they wish to show that to God must be ascribed the creation of all things, supreme power and admirable providence, make use of the same name. Thus we read: " Is not He thy Father that hath possessed thee, and made thee, and created thee ?"(6) And again, "Have we not all one Father? Hath not one God created us?"(7)


GOD IN A SPECIAL MANNER IS THE "FATHER" OF CHRISTIANS

But God, particularly in the New Testament, is much more frequently, and in some sense peculiarly called the Father of Christians, who have not received the spirit of bondage in fear but have received the spirit of adoption of sons of God, whereby they cry abba, Father.(8) For "the Father hath bestowed on us that manner of charity, that we should be called, and be the sons of God";(9) and "if sons, heirs also, heirs, indeed, of God, and joint- heirs with Christ,"(10) who is "the first-born amongst many brethren," for which cause he is not ashamed to call us brethren." " Whether, therefore, we look to the common title of creation and Providence, or to the special one of spiritual adoption, rightly do the faithful profess their belief that God is their Father.


THE NAME OF "FATHER" IMPLIES PLURALITY OF PERSONS

But the pastor will teach the faithful that on hearing the word "Father," besides the ideas already unfolded, their minds should rise to the contemplation of more exalted mysteries. Under the name of "Father," the divine oracles begin to unveil to us a mysterious truth which is more abstruse and more deeply hidden in that inaccessible light in which God dwells and which human reason could not attain to, nor even conjecture to exist.

This name implies that in the one essence of the Godhead is proposed to our belief, not only one person, but a distinction of persons; for in one divine nature there are three Persons--the Father, begotten of none; the Son, begotten of the Father before all ages; the Holy Ghost, proceeding from the Father and the Son from all eternity.


THE FATHER THE FIRST PERSON

Now in the one substance of the Divinity the Father is the first Person, who with his only begotten Son, and the Holy Ghost is one God and one Lord, not in the singularity of one person, but in the trinity of one substance. These three Persons, since it would be impiety to assert that they are unlike or unequal in any thing, are understood to be distinct only in their respective properties. For the Father is unbegotten, the Son begotten of the Father, and the Holy Ghost proceeds from both. Thus we acknowledge the essence of the three Persons, their substance, to be so the same, that we believe that in confessing the true and eternal God, we are piously and religiously to adore distinction in the Persons, unity in the Essence, and equality in the Trinity.

Hence when we say that the Father is the first Person, we are not to be understood to mean that in the Trinity there is any thing first or last, greater or less. Let no Christian be guilty of such impiety, for Christianity proclaims the same eternity, the same majesty of glory in the three Persons. But since the Father is the Beginning without a beginning, we truly and unhesitatingly affirm that He is the first Person, and as He is distinct from the Others by His peculiar relation of paternity, so of Him alone is it true that He begot the Son from eternity. For when in the Creed we pronounce together the words "God" and "Father," it intimates to us that He is God and Father from eternity.


CURIOSITY IS TO BE AVOIDED IN EXAMINING THE MYSTERY OF THE TRINITY

But since nowhere is a too curious inquiry more dangerous, or error more fatal, than in the knowledge and exposition of this, the most profound and difficult of mysteries, let the pastor instruct the people religiously to retain the terms nature and person used to express this mystery; and let the faithful know that unity belongs to essence, and distinction to persons. But these are truths which should not be made the subject of too subtle inquiry, for "he who is a searcher of majesty shall be overwhelmed by glory."(13) We should be satisfied with the assurance which faith gives us that we have been taught these truths by God Himself, to doubt whose word is the extreme of folly and misery. He has said: "Teach ye all nations, baptising them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost";(14) and again, "there are three who give testimony in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost; and these Three are One."(15)

Let him, however, who by the divine bounty believes these truths, constantly beseech and implore God, and the Father, who made all things out of nothing, and orders all things sweetly, who gave us power to become the sons of God, and who made known to us the mystery of the Trinity--let him, I say, pray that, admitted one day into the eternal tabernacles, he may be worthy to see how great is the fecundity of the Father, who contemplating and understanding Himself, begot the Son like and equal to Himself, how a love of charity in both, entirely the same and equal, which is the Holy Ghost, proceeding from the Father and the Son, connects the begetting and the begotten by an eternal and indissoluble bond; and that thus the essence of the Trinity is one and the distinction of the three Persons perfect.

THE BLESSED TRINITY
BY THE REV. F. X. MC GOWAN, O.S.A. In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.-- MATT. xxviii. 19.

Man lost sight of the end for which he was created, and, through sin, perished forever. Before he could recover his lost rights, he had to be redeemed, and to receive a new consecration. The Blessed Trinity effected this necessary work. The Son bought our redemption, but only according to the Father's will and with the cooperation of the Holy Ghost. It was the entire work of the ever-blessed Three.


IN WHAT CONSISTS THE MYSTERY OF THE BLESSED TRINITY

We believe in only one God, who rules heaven and earth. It is only the fool who says "in his heart" that there is no God. He speaks thus, not according to the testimony of his conscience, but in the folly of his heart. We believe also in this declaration of the Athanasian Creed, "The Catholic faith is this: that we worship one God in Trinity, and Trinity in Unity, neither confounding the Persons nor dividing the substance." The Church, in the preface of the most Holy Trinity, makes this profession of faith, "In the confession of the true and eternal Godhead, distinction in Persons, unity in essence, and equality in majesty may be adored." The mystery of the Blessed Trinity is the basis of the Christian religion.

If Catholic teaching regarding the Trinity resolves itself briefly into admitting three Divine Persons really distinct in numerical unity of essence, it follows that these Persons are co-eternal coequal, and consubstantial, that one proceeds from the other, the Son from the Father by eternal generation; the Holy Ghost from the Father and the Son as from one principle by simple procession. The Father is from all eternity, and in virtue of His fecund knowledge, traced out, so to speak, an expressive, eternal subsisting image of Himself; the Father and the Son, in virtue of their mutual love, produced the third Person in which are all the essential attributes of their nature. The Son is the living character of the Father's perfections and grandeur; the Holy Ghost is the bond which unites the other two. Of the three Persons, the first is as the inexhaustible source of light, the second is as a brilliant flash from that source, and the third is as an adorable fire which arises from the other two. No superiority no dependence exists among the ever-blessed Three. The Father is neither greater nor older than the Son and the Holy Ghost and these are neither inferior nor posterior to the Father. Each has the same authority, the same eternity, and the same majesty. There is, among the Divine Persons, an equality of perfection, perfect and sovereign equality. This mystery transcends our human understanding. God is, as the Prophet declares, "incomprehensible in thought" (Jer. xxxii. 19). "The voice is silent," says St. Ambrose, "not only mine, but the voice of angels."

The doctrine of the Blessed Trinity is attested in both the Old and the New Testaments, more clearly, however, in the latter. In the Old Testament we read, in Genesis, that God, referring to His purpose to create man, said, "Let us make man to our image" (Gen. i. 26). The use of the plural number as shown in "Let us make," leads us to inquire into the hidden meaning of the text. It seems that God took counsel, but we may ask from whom did He take it? Certainly it was not from dead matter, as Hermogenes dreamed; nor from the angels who are His creatures, and in whose creation, as in man's. He must also have taken counsel; nor from other gods, as the blasphemous Julian asserted. It is reasonable to suppose that the three Divine Persons concurred in the creation of man and cooperated in making man the masterpiece of their wisdom and labor. Again, after man's creation, the Lord said, "Lo, Adam has become as one of us," indicating the plurality of Persons in God. We read in the book of Psalms, "The Lord said to my Lord: sit thou at my right hand." These words, in the explanation given by Christ and St. Paul, refer to the Persons of the Trinity.

In the New Testament we find several passages clearly defining the plurality of Persons in God. This doctrine was revealed at the baptism of Christ. The voice of the Father was heard saying, "This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased" (Matt. iii. 17), and the Holy Ghost descended as a dove upon the Son. "The Trinity," says St. Maximus, "reveals itself to man, the Father is heard in the voice, the Son is manifested in man, the Holy Ghost is discerned in the dove." St. Thomas says that the Trinity also appeared in Christ's Transfiguration: the Father in voice, the Son in man, and the Holy Ghost in the bright cloud. Before His ascension into heaven, Christ, in clear and unmistakable language, commanded His Apostles to preach His faith to all nations, "baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost." It was a precise commandment, a distinct oracle, if ever there were one, a revelation of one God in three Persons. The use of the conjunction and distinguishes the three Persons, while the words, in the name, designate a common efficiency, power, authority, and therefore a common nature in these Persons.

We have also the celebrated text of St. John, "There are three who give testimony in heaven: the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost. And these three are one" (i John v. 7). Many have impugned the authentic character of this passage, but as it is found in the oldest versions of the Bible and referred to by the most ancient writers, the contention of anti-Trinitarians is of no weight. Tradition is equally in favor of the doctrine of the Trinity. When we read of St. Athanasius, the learned theologian of the Church, of St. Augustine, the light of doctors, and of St. John Chrysostom, the golden-tongued orator of the Eastern Church, all proclaiming their belief in the august mystery, how rash must we consider those men who either deny this tremendous and time-honored article of faith or who foolishly seek to bring it under the light of reason. God's light is "inaccessible," and He makes "darkness his covert" (Ps. xvii. 12).

This doctrine was generally believed until the coming of the religious and political revolution of the sixteenth century. To be sure, there was opposition to it from the days of the Apostles, but it amounted to nothing, being, like many another heresy, only a passing cloud. There are many anti-Trinitarians in our days, such as the Unitarians, the Rationalists, and the latest sectarians, the Christian Scientists. They contend on the principle that what they can not see nor understand they do not believe. Men who advance such a proposition are illogical and inconsistent. There are hundreds of mysteries in nature, unfathomable realities, to which these very men pin the faith of their minds. They can not, even with all the helps of science, tell what light, electricity, or magnetism is. They can not explain by what art the spider weaves its web, and they are at a similar disadvantage regarding many things about the nature of the winds, the tides, and the heavenly bodies. If man's mind can not sound the depths of natural mysteries with which it is in constant touch, is it supposable that it can fathom the deep and hidden mystery of the Blessed Trinity? It is impossible for me to hold in my hand the firmament above me, because my hand is smaller than the heavens; so it is impossible for man's mind, whose knowledge is scant and limited, to grasp the eternal and immense mystery of the Trinity. We believe the testimony of man in respect to natural things; ought we not believe God's testimony concerning heavenly things? "If we receive," says the Apostle, "the testimony of men, the testimony of God is greater" (i John v. 9). Let us not seek to penetrate the veil of the Trinity, but believe; for the Wise man tells us, "He that is a searcher of majesty shall be overwhelmed by glory" (Prov. xxv. 27). Let us rather praise often the most Holy Trinity in the familiar and beautiful doxology, "Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost."


WHAT WE OWE TO THE THREE DIVINE PERSONS

If we can not comprehend the deep mystery of the Holy Trinity, we may at least offer it our homage and adoration. St. Thomas Aquinas tells us, "It is impossible to come to a knowledge of the Trinity by natural reason," but we may say in the love of our hearts with the Church, "Our hopes, our salvation, our honor, O Blessed Trinity" ( Ant. II. Noct. Off Trinity). What prevents us from loving, honoring, and adoring one God in three Divine Persons? Because we can not drink all the water of the well, may we not partake of as much as is needful for us? We can not look with fixed gaze upon the sun, but we may use its light for our needs. The light of the Blessed Trinity is inaccessible to our poor human vision, but we may venerate and honor the source whence it flows, and unite with the angels who ever sing its praises, "Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God Almighty, who was, who is, and who is to come!" (Apoc. iv. 8).

1. We owe the Blessed Trinity the homage of grateful love. When we were nothing, the Triune God infused into our common clay a soul made to "His image and likeness." What do we not owe the Almighty Father, who has given us life and preserved us, who has provided for our wants and even guaranteed us our pleasures? No one loves like a father, none so compassionate as he; yet as Tertullian says, "No one is so much a Father as the Almighty Father." What do we not owe the Beloved Son, who came from His throne of glory to abase Himself to our lowly state, to live a life of persecution and suffering, and to die a slave's death that we might recover heaven? His was the greatest sacrifice the world has ever seen. What do we not owe the Holy Ghost, who enlightened us when we were blind, who upheld us when we were weak, who encouraged us when we were timid, Who brought us back to the fold when we had strayed from it, and who forgave us when we had sinned? Everywhere His solicitude has followed us, everywhere His voice has appealed to us. Verily He has been our truest, most faithful, and loving friend. We recall in thought the day of our baptism, when we were carried helpless to the sacred font. Sponsors voiced the vows that were to be the guiding principles of our life; the saving water effaced the stain of sin, and the grace of God restored the image of the divinity disfigured by Adam's fault. What happiness was breathed into our souls! The Father adopted each one of us as His child, the Son embraced us as His brother, and the Holy Ghost chose us for His temple. Could the Triune God have done more for us ? And when in later days we lost our baptismal innocence and lost again our happy privileges, did not the Father, in His mercy, apply the blood of His Son's atonement to our sinful souls, and the Holy Ghost move us to sorrow and repentance? Yes, we have abundant reason to be thankful to the Holy Trinity for its love and mercy toward us; we have forcible reason to love and honor the ever-blessed Three and to offer them the best homage and sincerest worship of our lowly hearts. Well may we repeat the prophet's praise, "Let all the earth adore thee, and sing to thee: let it sing a psalm to thy name" (Ps. Ixv. 4).

2. We owe, with our love, the Blessed Trinity our sincere confidence. Notwithstanding all the benefits which the Trinity has showered so plenteously upon us. God desires to add even more favors. He has mainly in view our eternal salvation, and to that end refers all that He does in our behalf. God wills that all men should one day be gathered like ripe wheat in His eternal harvest home. He wishes us to be near Him, to be beside Him. The Father so desires because we resemble Him and are His image; the Son, because He sees in us the price of His precious Blood; and the Holy Ghost, because we are His living sanctuary. Are not these great motives to excite our confidence, to make us ever trustful of God's kindness toward us? The Blessed Trinity ushers us into the life of grace, and speeds us with its blessing on our passage to the other world. We are baptized in its adorable Name, and Mother Church bids us to depart for the Church triumphant in the same blessed Name. Though demons may attempt to assail us they fear the holy Name, and it thus dissipates our fears and strengthens our confidence at the dread hour of death. There is, however, an earthly trinity which sinful men worship with all the zeal and love that belong to the Holy Trinity in heaven. They substitute these idols of depraved minds for the ever-blessed Three. St. John tells us what is this trinity, "The concupiscence of the flesh, the concupiscence of the eyes, and the pride of life." Men forget the Triune God, and worship their passions, honors, and self-excellence. They are filled with worldly wisdom, and run after wealth, honor, and pride. St. Paul tells us, "The wisdom of the flesh is an enemy to God" (Rom. viii. 7). Let us not follow its dictates, but love God and trust in Him. St. Paul also teaches us what we must do to insure the friendship of the Holy Trinity. "Be zealous," he says, "for the better gifts" (i Cor. xii. 31).

You have received faith and hope and love in your Baptism; you must now begin a nobler life. "Be zealous for the better gifts." Love the Triune God more earnestly, obey His commandments more eagerly, trust to His care more lovingly. This is service worthy the angels, and it will bring us all the happy privilege, after life here has ended, of living and reigning in heaven with the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost. Amen.

1.Deut. vi. 4. 2.Exod. xx. 3. 3.Is. xliv. 6; xlviii. is. 4.Eph. iv. 5.
5.Ps. Ixxxi. i; Exod. xxii. 28; i Cor. viii. 5.
6. Deut. xxxil. 6. 7. Mal. ii. 10. 8. Rom. viii. 15.
9. I John iii. I.
10. Rom. viii. 17.
11 Rom. viii. 29.
12 Heb. ii. ii,
13.Prov. xxv. 27.
14.Matt. xxviii. 19. 15. John v. 7.

Feast of the Most Holy Trinity
(by Fr. Prosper Gueranger 1870)





http://catholicharboroffaithandmorals.com/

Act of Consecration to the Blessed Trinity

Consecration to the Three Persons

In order that I may be a living act of perfect love, I offer myself as a whole burnt offering to Thy tender love, beseeching Thee to consume me continually, letting my soul overflow with the floods of infinite tenderness that are found in Thee, that so I may become a martyr of Thy love, O God! Let this martyrdom make me ready to appear before Thee and at last cause me to expire; let my soul cast itself without delay into the everlasting arms of Thy merciful love. With every beat of my heart I desire, O my dearly Beloved, to renew this offering an infinite number of times, until that day when the shadows shall vanish and I shall be able to retell my love in eternal union with Thee!

(Indulgence of 3 years)

In Praise of the Trinity

With our whole heart and voice we glorify Thee, we praise Thee, we bless Thee, God the Father unbegotten, the only-begotten Son, the Holy Ghost, the Paraclete, the holy and undivided Trinity. 

For Thou art great, and dost wonderful things: Thou alone art God. To Thee be praise, to Thee glory, to Thee thanksgiving forever and ever, O blessed Trinity! 

(Roman Missal) 

Bergoglio supports Soros-financed leftist movement responsible for USA’s Civil Unrest

Vatican Weighs In on USA’s Civil Unrest

by William Mahoney, Ph.D.  • ChurchMilitant.com • June 5,2020                     

Aligns with political Left 

VATICAN CITY (ChurchMilitant.com) - The pope has congratulated an American bishop for showing solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement (BLM) while a Vatican official has compared racism to the Wuhan virus.

Bp. Mark Seitz of El Paso

Pope Francis called Bp. Mark Seitz of El Paso on Wednesday to congratulate the Texas prelate for leading a public prayer demonstration in solidarity with BLM. Meanwhile, prefect of the Pontifical Council for the Family (PCF) Abp. Vincenzo Paglia compared the Wuhan virus to racism.

Wearing a protective mask and carrying a sign reading "Black Lives Matter," Seitz said, "I expressed to the Holy Father that I felt it was imperative to show our solidarity to those who are suffering."

Seitz and a group of priests from his diocese knelt for nine minutes of silence in memory of George Floyd.   

In his General Audience Wednesday, the pope said, "Dear brothers and sisters in the United States, I have witnessed with great concern the disturbing social unrest in your nation in these past days, following the tragic death of Mr. George Floyd."

"We cannot tolerate or turn a blind eye to racism and exclusion in any form and yet claim to defend the sacredness of every human life. At the same time, we have to recognize that the violence of recent nights is self-destructive and self-defeating," he added. "Today I join the Church of St. Paul and Minneapolis, and of all the United States, in praying for the rest of the soul of George Floyd and all the others who have lost their lives because of the sin of racism." 

On Monday, Abp. Vincenzo Paglia said, "I would compare (racism) to COVID-19, but it is a virus of the spirit, a cultural virus that, if not isolated, spreads quickly."

Brotherhood and solidarity, just as it defeats the coronavirus, it also defeats racism.Tweet

"Today we must start a revolution of brotherhood. We are all brothers and sisters. Brotherhood is a promise that is lacking in modern times," continued Paglia. "In my opinion, the true strength that supports us in our weakness is brotherhood and solidarity. And just as it defeats the coronavirus, it also defeats racism."

Abp. Vincenzo Paglia 

Sticking to his analogy, the archbishop went on to say, "It's not enough to remain silent. To prevent the virus of racism from multiplying, those (who oppose racism) must also multiply."

Discussing how people must recognize "we are one family of 7 billion people" to overcome racism, Paglia concluded that it is "not that I can say to my brother, 'I don't care about you' because he's the ninth brother and I only like the first five siblings. ... I am convinced that there is a great mission for American Catholicism." 

Bishop Seitz on Abortion and Immigration

In 2019, Catholic pro-abort politician Robert Francis "Beto" O'Rourke, who resides in the El Paso diocese under Seitz, told Dr. Christopher Manion that Seitz never publicly condemned his 100% pro-abortion record. Seitz, who has done so privately, told Manion when pushed, "I have met with Congressman O'Rourke privately and expressed the Church's position on abortion as well as the entire range of Catholic moral and social teachings."

Beto O'Rourke

Beto also told Manion that Seitz had worked with him closely on immigration issues.

In July 2019, Seitz and advocacy group Hope Border Institute started a Border Refugee Assistance Fund for migrants on the border near El Paso, asking the faithful to provide direct funding.

But critics of Seitz and the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) which supports these measures, say the love for refugees is really a money grab.

"They need illegal aliens to fill the churches," said Steve Bannon. "They have an economic interest. They have an economic interest in unlimited immigration — unlimited illegal immigration."

In April, Seitz tried to use the Wuhan virus to have illegal immigrants released from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) centers.

Leftist leaders abandon social distancing mandates for Floyd protests, still restrict churches

New York Mayor Proves: Coronavirus Curfew Is A Convenient Fraud

Saint Boniface converted German heathen peoples, destroyed their pagan idols and temples, and built churches in their place

Novus Ordo Watch

June 5 is the feast of St. Boniface Winfrid in the Roman calendar, an eighth-century Englishman who evangelized the Germanic peoples with such zeal and success that he is commonly known as the Apostle of Germany.

The Catholic News Agency sent a tweet with a link to its biographical page about this great bishop and martyr, which notes:

St. Boniface was very bold in his faith, and was well known for being very good at using the local customs and culture of the day to bring people to Christ. He was born in Devonshire, England, in the seventh century. He was educated at a Benedictine monastery and became a monk, and was sent as a missionary to Germany in 719.

There, he destroyed idols and pagan temples, and built churches on the sites. He was eventually made archbishop of Mainz, where he reformed churches and built religious houses on those sites.

He was martyred on June 5, 754 while on mission in Holland, where a troop of pagans attacked and killed him and his 52 companions.

One story about St. Boniface tells about when he met a tribe in Saxony that was worshipping a Norse deity in the form of a huge oak tree. Boniface walked up to the tree, removed his shirt, took an ax, and without a word, chopped it down. Then he stood on the trunk, and asked: “How stands your mighty god? My God is stronger than he.”

(Source; underlining added.)

Proselytism, triumphalism, and no Laudato Si

Ladies and gentlemen, can you imagine the outrage that something like this would cause in our day, not simply from all sorts of secularists, humanists, pagans, etc., but quite especially from the “Catholic bishops” and most of all “Pope” Francis himself? If St. Boniface were to do something like that today, we would never hear the end of it from Francis and his entire Vatican II gang, which would condemn him in no uncertain terms for:

• Proselytism — instead of dialoguing with and witnessing to the pagans non-Christian brothers and sisters by establishing soup kitchens, collecting clothes for the needy, and otherwise worrying about their integral human development, he dared to preach Christ; in this way he disrespected the consciences of the members of the indigenous community and violated their human dignity, which can never be taken away
• Triumphalism — instead of building a bridge of fraternity and dialogue, he offended the religious sensibilities of the people by arrogantly issuing a challenge to them and their traditions; he denigrated their religion, making his own religion appear as superior to theirs, and he tried to rigidly impose his own certainties on them
• Not respecting the Divine Will concerning other Religions — Boniface’s actions were a direct denial of the teaching of the Abu Dhabi declaration signed by Francis, namely, that “[t]he pluralism and the diversity of religions … are willed by God in His wisdom, through which He created human beings”
• Not respecting our “Common Home” — his cutting down of the tree was a violent attack on the environment, our common home, and contradicts the encyclical Laudato Si’, which prescribes the proper care of creation; moreover, by using a pretext of religion to waste a natural resource, he committed blasphemy and disrupted the ecological harmony that exists between all the members of creation; his action represents an improper dominion over Mother Nature, which we have a duty to safeguard and protect

As you can see, St. Boniface wouldn’t make it very far in the Vatican II religion, nor would he be held in esteem by today’s Modernists-masquerading-as-Catholics. Therefore, any celebration of this great bishop and martyr by the Novus Ordo establishment is pure hypocrisy. Were Boniface alive today, Francis would be the first one to denounce him!

Viganò: Archbishop Wilton Gregory Is A “False Shepherd”

'Do not follow them, as they lead you to perdition. They are mercenaries. They teach and practice falsehoods and corruption!'


en.news 
The Church is led by many false pastors, Archbishop Viganò, a former Nuncio in Washington, warns in a June 3 letter to clergy and laity of Washington Archdiocese.

“Over the past twenty years, your Archdiocese of Washington, in particular and now for the third time, has been and continues to be deeply afflicted and wounded by false shepherds whose way of life is full of lies, deceits, lust and corruption,” Viganò explains.

He encourages his addressees not to follow false shepherds "as they lead you to perdition" and are "mercenaries.”

Viganò refers to the modernist cardinals McCarrick (2000-2006), Wuerl (2006-2018), and to Archbishop Gregory who recently attacked President Trump for the wrong reasons.

Viganò: Bergoglio Presides Over "Infernal Parody" Of Christ’s Church

Apostate Gregory Offers Funeral Mass for Pro-Abort Cokie Roberts, with Pelosi Giving a Eulogy

Novena to Saint Anthony of Padua

CatholicSaints.Info
To make a Novena

1. The custom is to make a devotion on nine consecutive Tuesdays. It is certainly a good practice to go to Confession and Holy Communion on these days.

2. If impossible to visit a Church, try to recite the following prayers before a picture or image of Saint Anthony in the hope that on the last Tuesday, at least, you may be able to receive Holy Communion.

Note — In the Apostolic letter “Antoniana Solemnia”, written on the occasion of the seven hundredth anniversary of the death of Saint Anthony, the late Supreme Pontiff, Pope Pius XI, outlined the life and principal virtues of Saint Anthony, the Wonder Saint of Padua. The words of the Holy Father carry a conviction that mere human documents do not possess. We, therefore, quote from the letter of the Pontiff to give the full weight of authority to the character of the Saint in honor of whom this novena is written.

First Day – Vocation

Pope Pius XI, the late Pontiff, says in “Antoniana Solemnia”: “Born of noble parents, endowed with a brilliant intellect and an abundance of earthly goods, Saint Anthony could look forward to a career rich in pleasures and preferments. in the first bloom of youth, he abandoned all right of inheritance, prospect of future worldly greatness, the allurements of ambition, with a joyful and generous heart, ridding himself, as it were of an unpleasant burden. First, he humbly asked to be received among the Canons Regular of Saint Augustine; then desirous of still greater perfection with great zeal, he entered the newly founded Seraphic (Franciscan) Order.”

The example of Saint Anthony in forsaking his home and friends to become a priest was no ordinary procedure in those days. He was of a good family and he might well have chosen other than the newly established Franciscan Community whose members were wedded to the principle of poverty in its most detailed form. But Saint Anthony followed the gospel precept of Christ addressed to the rich young man, “If you would have treasure in Heaven, go sell what you have and give it to the poor and then come, follow Me.”

Reflection

Vocations are the crying need of the world today. The Churches that are in ruins, the parishes neglected: they all raise their silent voices in a plea for more boys to be priests. Young girls who would dedicate their lives to God are also needed in great number. The Parish without a convent of sisters can never be considered a complete parish. Consecrated women are needed to give their lives back to God. There are signs that vocations are increasing for the various sister-hoods in these Islands. However, there „is still much work to be done. It is estimated that there are but five hundred Filipina Madres; whereas America, so often wrongly called Protestant, has more than one hundred and seventeen thousand Catholic American Sisters. Thus there ought to be fifty thousand Filipina women in the convent.

Have you a vocation? Have you ever thought of dedicating your life to God? Say to Saint Anthony this

Prayer

Glorious Saint Anthony, who from your earliest years were consecrated to the service of God, and practiced the greatest austerities, who burning with zeal for justice, caused yourself to be conveyed to the coast of Africa that you might preach the Gospel to the Saracens, obtain for us the grace to apply ourselves continually to the service of God, to our personal mortification and the salvation of our brethren, that we may thus become true disciples and imitators of Jesus Christ.

Saint Anthony, patron of so many homes and municipalities of this land, obtain for us a share in those virtues that marked thy life. By thy powerful intercession, may we be pure, lovers of poverty, zealous imitators of Christ Crucified. Intercede with the Trinity for the favor which we ask in this novena (mention request) if it be to the greater honor and glory of God and the good of our own souls. Amen.

Here recite three Ave Marias for the favor which you request in this novena.

Second Day – Preaching

Preaching at its best is a form of teaching. Christ is the model of every preacher. Pope Pius XI says of Saint Anthony:

“In preaching he sought not the popular applause, nor the favor of the rich and distinguished, nor yet the vain and pretty flattery of men. He preached not for temporal gain but for the Divine Truth which he acquired in his daily study of the Sacred Scriptures and which he zealously imparted to the people.”

Saint Anthony shone as a teacher supreme. He had been a good student, had studied his profession as a teacher of the most important branch of all learning, knowledge of God and Souls.

The most important,—and most widely read book, is the New Testament. Saint Anthony knew this work thoroughly and could have reproduced it from memory had it ever been lost. He made the Scriptures his constant companion, read and meditated upon them. He thereby spoke the same words, gave expression to the same thoughts that Christ has left us as our heritage.

Just as teaching is a noble profession, just as the teacher moulds the mind of the young, in their quest for knowledge, so is most important for the teacher to know the Bible, the Book of Books, the words and deeds of Christ, the Son of God. The Church has given special indulgences to her children who daily read the Old and New Testaments, the treasury of the Word of God. Saint Anthony availed himself of the opportunity to make part of himself the very expression and ideas of Christ our Saviour.

Reflection

Do you read the Scriptures, especially the four gospels, the record of Christ?s life, His very words? What do you say to those who lie, saying that the Catholic Church is an enemy of the Scripture? Are you familiar with the facts of the Bible and do you memorize, from time to time, various texts of the Scriptures so as to make yourself more familiar with this divinely inspired book? Of course, you ought to read only the Catholic Bible, the official version, with an “imprimatur.”

If you are a teacher, or preparing to be one, you ought to know this work that far surpasses all other books. If you have in your charge young people, do you open to them the beauties of this Book of Books? If you aspire to be a writer, an orator, a public man or woman, do you realize that it is greatly advantageous to be acquainted with the words and expressions and incidents of the Bible? Say

Prayer before Study by Saint Anthony

O Light of the world, Infinite God, Father of Eternity, Giver of wisdom and knowledge, and ineffable Dispenser of every spiritual grace, Who knowest all things before they are made, Who makest the darkness and the light, stretch forth Thy hand and place Thy spirit, O Lord, in that I may understand and retain what I learn and meditate on. Do Thou lovingly, mercifully, and gently inspire me with Thy grace. Do Thou teach, guide, and strengthen the thoughts of my mind and let Thy discipline instruct me to the end, and the counsel of the Most High help me, through Thy infinite wisdom and mercy. Amen.

Here recite three Ave Marias for the favor which you request in this novena.

Third Day – Chastity

The Holy Father in his letter “Antoniana Solemnia” has said: “Among the gifts of sanctity which adorned his soul, perfect chastity shines the brightest. Saint Anthony acquired this virtue, not without temptations and the sting of the flesh, which as we all know arise from a nature fallen through original sin. By keeping in check and overcoming the passions of lust, he preserved immaculate the snow-white flower of chastity. It was permitted to him to enjoy as a just reward for overcoming the allurements of the senses, the presence of Him „Who feeds among the lilies? and to delight in His sweet embrace. It is related that when one day, our Saint was in his cell, either praying or reading the Scriptures, suddenly the Infant Jesus, surrounded with a most brilliant light, descended from His heavenly throne and smiling gently, not only allowed Himself to be seen by Anthony but also embraced him with His little arms, giving and receiving caresses. Wherefore today, images of the Paduan aptly and significantly propose for popular devotion, this holy Franciscan youth holding a spotless lily, the symbol of his innocence — and affectionately embracing the Divine Christ.”

Reflection

Purity is without doubt, the crown of virtues. In the Philippines, it is cherished with Catholic instinct. Young men and young women about to marry demand and expect this adornment in their future wives or husbands. Married men and women who are model wives and husbands promise and remain faithful to each other.

It is the boast of the Philippines that its young women are pure flowers. It is recognized, however, that in these days, it is more difficult to keep unsullied this lily. Cinemas, bad dances, temptations of various kinds all make it more difficult to keep unsullied this adornment.

What of yourself? Do you try to take the necessary precautions to avoid sin against the virtue of purity? Are you unwilling to engage in conversations that are indecent? Do you shun occasions of sin, immodest dress that is a terrific source of temptation to others? Do you avoid, as you would a plague, bad cinemas? Do you refuse liberties so far as suggestive dances are concerned? Do you try to drive away impure thoughts, knowing that all are troubled with these imaginations and it is only when we wilfully consent that sin is committed? When you are troubled, say a prayer to the Blessed Virgin, the Immaculate Mother of Christ. Take confidence that even saints have been troubled with tempta-tions against purity and say this

Prayer to the Infant Jesus in the Arms of Saint Anthony

O sweet Jesus, Thou best and only hope of afflicted souls, I prostrate at Thy Feet, and beseech Thee, through the immeasurable love and grace with which Thou didst visit Thy blessed servant, Saint Anthony, when Thou didst comfort and embrace him, to come to me at his intercession and let me taste how sweet Thy presence is in the souls that trust in Thee. Amen.

Here recite three Ave Marias for the favor which you request in this novena.

Fourth Day – Humility

Humility often cloaks a noble character. Lowliness of self-esteem is frequently the mark of a great soul. Our Holy Father says of Saint Anthony:

“He first practised humility which is the foundation of all virtues. Although he was the object of admiration to all, he did not strive after higher offices and dignities, but was content with the humbler walks of life and solitude. But his desire for humility did not arise from laziness of body or weakness of intellect. On many occasions, Saint Anthony acted bravely and courageously whenever circumstances demanded it. It is evident that Christian humility does not destroy the vigor and nobility of the soul but rather vastly strengthens it.”

Saint Anthony has been called an outstanding preacher and intellectual giant. He was not only a wonder worker, he was a man of culture, with gifts that mark him as an extraordinary character, in the natural sense of the word.

The story is told that after his ordination to the priesthood, Saint Anthony sought out the more humble tasks that fell to the lot of the members of his community. He spent his days doing the menial work of washing dishes and helping in the kitchen. Here was the son of a wealthy family doing the labor that is so often despised. When about his work Saint Anthony was one day called upon to deliver an important sermon. He had been given little time to prepare, and yet, he launched into an eloquent and brilliant address that immediately stamped him as an orator of unusual ability. He had remained hidden but when ordered to mount the pulpit, his delivery was not only a treat to the eyes and ear, it appealed to the heart of the large throng that listened to him. From that day, his reputation as a preacher par excellence was established.

Reflection

There are countless ways of practicing humility. So many people like to boast of their ability and family and talents. While it is good to use the gift of God given to us, it is often an evidence of pride and too great self-esteem to make others feel their inferiority, to despise others when we ourselves ought to thank God for what He has given to us, “For what have we that we have not received,” said Saint Paul. And Christ has left us the warning: “He that shall exalt himself shall be humbled.” In your relations with others, do you despise them? Do you try to keep your pride in check? Do you try to refrain your boasting?

Prayer

Glorious Saint Anthony, who hid your rare talents with the greatest care and patiently suffered the contempt of men, obtain for us grace to despise the esteem of men and the honors of the world, and always increase in merit before God. Amen.

Here recite three Ave Marias for the favor which you request in this novena.

Fifth Day – Prayer

“More things are wrought by prayer than this world dreams of” is not merely the pious aspiration of a poet; it is a real daily fact. And our Divine Lord could well tell His disciples and the world at large, “Ask and you shall receive, seek and you shall find, knock and it shall be opened to you.” Prayer is the conversation of the soul with its Maker. The prayer of a saint is the sweetest music before God. It is as incense rising to the throne of God.

“Saint Anthony,” Pope Pius XI says, “despised riches, separated himself from all the conveniences of life, denying himself that he might the more efficaciously be free to serve God. Doubting his own strength, he so persevered day and night in prayer that it really can be said that the whole course of his life was a perpetual prayer. He knew well that we always need divine aid, “Not that we are sufficient to think anything of ourselves as of ourselves, but our sufficiency comes from God.” (II Cor. III, 5). For just as the earth if it should be deprived of the light and heat of the sun would remain dark and unproductive, so, too, the soul of man unless, through the intercession of prayer, enlightened and nourished by grace from on high, could not resist the baser emotions of nature nor increase in faith and charity, nor finally attain the sanctity which leads to life everlasting.” For according to the divine counsel, “We ought always to pray and not to faint.”

On one occasion, it is said, a young man told Saint Anthony that he had kicked his mother. Saint Anthony with a rightful appreciation of the horror of such an act remarked: “The foot that kicks one?s own mother deserves to be cut off.” Immediately the young man returned home, and with an axe, cut off his foot. Saint Anthony, hearing of the incident, went to the home of the young man and, reciting a prayer, restored the amputated member.

On another occasion, it is said, some enemies who wished to kill the saint prepared some food for him which was poisoned. The saint, knowing of the fact, made a sign of the cross ever the poisoned food and then proceeded to eat it with relish.

Reflection

It is recognized that all are not expected to pray as the Carmelites do. All are not expected to be in the chapel at every opportunity. All are not supposed to be praying when other duties demand their attention. There is a time for work and a time for prayer in the sense that duties must be performed and when free, we may pray. But as Saint Anthony?s life was a perpetual prayer, so too may it be with others. Our labors, class work. professional work may all be prayers if they be dedicated to God, if the mind and heart be frequently raised to God in the course of the work or task in hand.

Do you raise your heart to God in the morning upon rising? Do you offer to God your whole day, its thoughts and words and actions? This may be done even while dressing, but, it were better done on your knees. Do you from time to time think of God and try to realize that He ever watches you, do you recite special prayers? Say to Saint Anthony:

Prayer

O marvelous Saint, who didst always worthily receive Jesus in His Sacrament, I bless, praise and venerate thee, thanking God Who has sanctified thee by His graces and His Most Holy Sacrament. I implore Him to pardon me for having so often profaned by sin my tongue, sanctified and consecrated so many times by contact with the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ in my communions. O great Saint Anthony, obtain for me the grace to preserve my tongue pure and spotless from sin, that I may henceforth merit to receive Jesus Christ worthily in the Sacrament of His love. Amen.

Here recite three Ave Marias for the favor which you request in this novena.

Sixth Day – Blessed Sacrament

Devotion to the Blessed Sacrament is the center of Catholic worship. Take the Mass away from the Catholic Church and religion will crumble, will disappear. Take the Blessed Sacrament out of our lives and all is empty.

Christ left us a great treasure when He condescended to remain forever as our guest in countless Churches and tabernacles. Veiled as He is, hidden as He is behind the tabernacle door, He is our best Friend, our changeless Friend Who understands our every mood, our fickleness and our constant wavering. He is our Consoler in times of trial and trouble. He is the Food of Angels and the heavenly Manna of our souls. He is the Strength of those who try to lead good holy lives.

Great issues have been decided before the Blessed Sacrament as was illustrated in the first world war when General Foch, Commander-in-Chief of all the allied troops, spent hours before the Tabernacle during the most trying periods of that international carnage.

The power of the prayer of Saint Anthony is illustrated in the story told in which some men of those times joked to the Saint that dumb animals would not be convinced by his prayer. It was proposed to bring a hungry horse to a certain spot and then Saint Anthony was to bring the Blessed Sacrament; the question was: “Would the dumb beast recognize the presence of God in the Blessed Sacrament?”

The owner starved the animal for days, giving him nothing to eat. On the day appointed, all parties arrived at the proposed spot, with the starving horse and two big baskets of food. Saint Anthony was called and he brought the Blessed Sacrament. As the Saint came within sight, the food was presented to the horse. All were astonished when the beast dropped on his knees and in his own way gave glory to God hidden under the appearance of a host.

Reflection

When you have the opportunity, do you visit the Blessed Sacrament, if only for a brief moment? Do you try to assist at Mass and receive Holy Communion as often as possible, knowing that thereby you please God, bring graces down upon your own soul and prepare a rich reward for yourself in heaven? Do you encourage your companions to visit the Blessed Sacrament? Do you do your best to make the Church or Chapel where you live a worthy home for the King of Kings? Do you offer your services to clean and prepare the altar where Christ lives? Do you make a sacrifice to adorn the dwelling place of Christ, placing flowers in the home of your Crucified Lord and Master? Do you do your best to be reverent before the Blessed Sacrament, genuflecting correctly on the right knee? Say to Saint Anthony this

Prayer

O marvelous Saint, whose blessed tongue did always bless the Lord, and cause others to bless Him when they saw the fishes themselves obey thee and raise their heads from the water to listen to thy word, when they saw a stupid beast prostrate itself to adore Jesus Christ in the Most Holy Sacrament, I bless, praise and venerate thee, I thank God for having worked such prodigies to confirm my faith. Through thy sanctity and thy teaching I implore thee to obtain the grace to hear with fruit, the word of God, and to be devout to the Holy Sacrament of the altar. Amen.

Here recite three Ave Marias for the favor which you request in this novena.

Seventh Day – Zeal

“If Saint Anthony shone with a galaxy of the highest virtues,” said Pope Pius XI, “none were greater than that of his zeal for souls. This was founded upon his own spiritual life, which was ever the source of his success. In the first years of his religious life, Saint Anthony requested the privilege of preaching the gospel in Africa. Returning on account of poor health, he reached Italy which was traversed and enlightened by the new apostle and herald of Divine love and truth. Among the enemies of the Church at that time he contended so actively and fruitfully that he justly won the title

“Hammer of the Heretics”. Saint Anthony displayed a most fatherly interest in all the unenlightened seeking the light of the Gospel; the straying souls searching for the right road, the prodigal children desiring the pardon and embrace of their heavenly Father.”

When Saint Anthony decided to leave his native land to go to Africa, he was impelled by the desire to be a martyr, to spill his blood for the Faith. Only a few years previous to his arrival in the dark continent, priests had given their lives for the Faith. Besides this desire for martyrdom, Saint Anthony had suffered the agony of completely severing his relations with his own parents and brothers and sisters. Only one who has made this holocaust can know what it costs to give up all for Christ. Saint Anthony did it cheerfully, did it bravely, and the hardest trial was that he could not remain in his chosen field but was forced to return to conditions much like his own native Portugal. He had made the offering of his life but evidently God had greater work ahead for him.

Reflection

What of your zeal for the salvation of others? Have you companions who do not understand their faith or who do not practice it? Have you any non-Catholic friends who may wish to be Catholics but who do not know how to go about it? Have you any companions who were baptized as protestants and who receive Holy Communion without first being baptized again as Catholics?

With public schools, it is almost impossible to instruct all who ought to know their faith. Thousands upon thousands are thirsting for knowledge of the truth. Do you offer your services to teach Catechism? Do you try to make your religion interesting and attractive to others? Do you know your religion so that you can answer the more common objections and attacks that may be raised against it? Say to Saint Anthony this

Prayer

Glorious Saint Anthony, who by your sanctity and your eloquence triumphed over the hardest heart, obtain for us the grace faithfully to follow the Divine call that we may obtain the blessedness promised to those who faithfully keep the Divine Word. Amen.

Here recite three Ave Marias for the favor which you request in this novena.

Eighth Day – Wonder Worker

Pope Pius XI has said of Saint Anthony: “Nor did this apostolic preacher lack those wonderful signs and omens by which God, in the more severe storms, sustains His Church and places the divine seal of approbation upon the doctrine and works of His messengers. By them, the saint was often permitted not only to convince heretics and to overthrow their objections but also to pacify and placate the hatred and rivalries among the citizens.” Another Pope said of Saint Anthony: “In order to manifest His power, and His mercy, and to furnish us with a help to salvation, God Himself often glorifies even on earth many of those children whom He crowns in heaven. To this end, He multiplies wonders and miracles at their tombs. By this means, many who have once lost the Faith, abandon the ways of perdition and walk again in the ways of salvation, and are illumined by the Light of Truth, and hasten to Christ Who is the Way and the Truth and the Life.”

Saint Anthony performed so many wonders that his very title is that of the Wonder Worker. The special tradition of his being the restorer of lost articles dates back to the time when he was a Franciscan Friar. One of the young men aspiring to the priesthood decided to leave the seminary; he did this, and in going out stole a very precious book of Saint Anthony. The story continues that when the youth was about to cross a certain bridge, at the same time, Saint Anthony was praying for the recovery of his valuable book. The young man was suddenly struck with his guilt and decided to return immediately the stolen article. He returned the volume to Saint Anthony who, saint that he was, immediately pardoned the young man.

Reflection

Miracles are easy for the Catholic to explain. Granting that there is a God, He has full powers over the world. He can simply so regulate the world that the ordinary course of events may he suspended or be altered for a time without causing serious difficulties.

Do you ask Saint Anthony to assist you in times of need? Do you call upon his intercession and protection when circumstances arise that demand special help? Do you prove yourself a real devotee of the Saint of Padua by praying to him, especially imploring his power as a wonder worker? It is by asking favors that you show confidence in his power, thereby honoring him and bringing graces upon your own soul. Say to Saint Anthony this

Prayer

O glorious Saint Anthony, since God has given thee the power of miracles, a power thou hast exercised for centuries, and since He has given thee in particular the power of finding that which has been lost, I come to thee with the confidence of a child as to the best of fathers. By thy intercession obtain for me above all to find the grace of God, if I have had the misfortune to lose it. May I find also my former fervor in the service of God and in the practice of virtue; and as a pledge of these graces so important for my eternal salvation, may I find also the things I have lost. Thus thou shalt make me experience the presence of thy goodness and thou wilt increase my confidence and my love for thee. Amen.

Here recite three Ave Marias for the favor which you request in this novena.

Ninth Day – Model For All Walks Of Life

Pope Pius XI has said: “Let all God-fearing people contemplate this light of sanctity in which the Catholic Church glories. Let them form their lives after his deeds and virtues. Let Young people learn, especially those taking part in Catholic Action — to forego the allurements of the age and to raise a chaste and devout mind to the things good and noble.”

Saint Anthony is a model for persons of all walks of life. As a student, he worked industriously to prepare himself for his career; as a young man, he kept unsullied his purity; as a public man, he showed forth humility and charity and kindness. And when he realized that he was to leave this earth for a better home, he gladly faced Eternity, knowing that God was waiting to receive him and that God would reward him for his heroic life. As death approached, he, as every Catholic ought to do, received the last sacraments, cleansed his soul again by confession, strengthened himself by receiving Extreme unction and with the Holy Viaticum his last food, his soul silently slipped away from its mortal frame and passed on to the citadel of Heaven, throne of God, to receive the reward for his tireless labors for Christ and for the souls.

Reflection

The death of Saint Anthony ought to be the model for all of us. As he lived, so he died. And the same is generally the story with all of us. What of your life? Are you prepared to die even now? Do you think of the uncertainty of life, of the fact that death may come as a thief in the night, without any warning? Do sudden death, serious accident, catastrophe, make you think of the moment when you, too, must give an account of your stewardship?—Not that we should fear death; for the person with a good conscience is not afraid to face death, even though it may be naturally hard for the soul to tear away from the body and enter another life, uncertain and perhaps terrifying. But, do you try to keep prepared? Do you try to help others in their most important moments just before death claims its victim? Do you call the priest to give the last sacraments? Say to Saint Anthony the following prayer for a happy death.

Prayer

Great Saint Anthony of Padua, sweet hope of all who implore thee, I prostrate myself humbly at thy feet to obtain by thy powerful intercession the greatest of all blessings, the grace of dying well. Do not allow, I entreat thee, by the pierced Heart of Jesus, that I be suddenly seized by death in the deplorable state of mortal sin; by thy intercession obtain for me that at the last moment I may experience the most profound sorrow for the sins of my whole life, that I may be penetrated with love for Jesus, and full of confidence in the power of His Blood which was shed for me; that the last movements of my hands may be to carry the crucifix to my lips and my last words the holy names of Jesus and Mary. In short, that expiring in the embraces of my sweet Redeemer. I may have the happiness to see Him, to love Him and to possess Him with thee for all eternity. Obtain this grace also for my parents, my friends, my benefactors and all who are dear to me in our Lord Jesus Christ, to Whom be honor and glory with the Father in the unity of the Holy Spirit forever and ever. Amen.

Here recite three Ave Marias for the favor which you request in this novena.

NIHIL OBSTAT:
P. Georgius Puder. S.V.D,.Censor
Manilae, die 8 Aprilis 1939
IMPRIMATUR:
Cesar Maria Guerrero Eppus. Auxiliaris
Manilae. die 12 Aprilis 1939