Urgent Call to Action: Marian Procession!
Plus Day 5 of the Novena to St John the Apostle and the 6th day of Christmas
We are calling upon all readers of our substack, particularly those local to the Tampa Bay area, to join us for an Urgent Call to Action with regards to our Madonna Del Lume procession. We have been presented a tremendous opportunity but need your time, talent, and/or treasure to make it happen! Please join us this evening for all the details. Video conference information below:
Monday, December 30 · 8:00 – 8:30pm
Time zone: America/New_York
Google Meet joining info
Video call link: https://meet.google.com/ube-djrq-ysf
Or dial: (US) +1 409-923-0127 PIN: 167 515 619#
More phone numbers: https://tel.meet/ube-djrq-ysf?pin=1196099857594
We continue our Novena to the Patron Saint of our humble apostolate, St John the Apostle. The Novena will conclude on the final day of the Octave of St John on January 3rd.
We are praying O Intemerata, the Medieval prayer recited in the Book of Hours of the Virgin Mary, seeking the intercession and prayer of the Blessed Mother and St John the Apostle.
O Untouchable, and forever blessed, singular and incomparable virgin Mary Mother of God, most grateful temple of God, the sacristy of the Holy Ghost, the gate of the kingdom of heaven, by whom next unto God the whole world liveth, incline O Mother of Mercy the ears of thy pity unto my unworthy supplications, and be pitiful to me a most wretched sinner, and be unto me a merciful helper in all things.
O most blessed John, the familiar and friend of Christ, which of the same Lord Jesus Christ was chosen a virgin, and among the rest more beloved, above all instructed in the heavenly mysteries, for thou wast made a most worthy Apostle and Evangelist: thee also I call upon with Mary mother of the same Lord Jesus Christ our Saviour, that thou wouldst vouchsafe to afford me thy aid with hers. O ye two celestial jewels, Mary, and John.
O ye two lights divinely shining before God. Chase away by your bright beams the clouds of my offences. For you are those two in whom the only begotten Son of God, for the merit of most sincere virginity, hanging upon the cross confirmed the privilege of his love, saying thus to the one of you: woman, behold thy son: and then unto the other: behold thy mother.
In the sweetness therefore of his most sacred love, through which by our Lord's own mouth, as mother and son you were joined in one, I a most wretched sinner recommend this day to you both my body and soul that at all hours and moments, inwardly and outwardly, you would vouchsafe to be unto me firm guardians, and before God devout intercessors: ask earnestly for me I beseech you, health of body and soul.
Procure I beseech you, procure by your glorious prayers, that the pure spirit, the best giver of graces, may vouchsafe to visit my heart and dwell therein, which may thoroughly purge me from all filth of vice, lighten and adorn me with sacred virtues: cause me perfectly to stand, and persevere in the love of God and my neighbour, and after the course of this life the most benign comforter may bring me to the joys of his elect, who with God the Father, and the Son liveth and reigneth world without end. Amen.1
DECEMBER 30TH
ON THE CONCLUSION OF THE YEAR
Consider first, that the year is now come to a conclusion: it is just upon the point of expiring: all these twelve months that are now past, have flown away into the golf of eternity; they are now no more; they shall return to us no more. all our years pass in this manner, they all hasten away one after another and hurry us along with them, till they bring us also into an endless and unchangeable eternity. Our years will all be soon over; we shall find ourselves at the end of our lives much sooner than we imagine. O let us not then set our hearts upon any of these transitory things. Let us despise all that pass away with this short life, and learn to adhere to God alone, who never passes away, because he is eternal. Let us always be prepared for our departure hence.
Consider 2ndly, that as the year is now past and gone, so are all the pleasures of it: all our diversions, all our amusements, in which we have spent our time this year, are now no more: the remembrance of them is but like that of a dream. O, such is the condition of all things that pass with time! Why then do we set our esteem or affection upon any of them? Why are we not practically and feelingly convinced of the emptiness and vanity of them all; and that nothing deserves our love or attention but God and eternity? And as the pleasures of the year are all past, so are all the displeasures and uneasinesses, pains and mortifications of it: they are also now no more than like a dream: and so will all temporal evils appear to us a little while hence when we shall see ourselves upon the brink of eternity. Let us learn, then, only to fear those evils which will have no end, and the evil of sin, which leads to these never-ending evils.
Consider 3rdly, how you have spent your time this year. It was all given you by your creator, in order to bring you forward to him, and to a happy eternity. O how many favours and blessings have you received from him every day of the year! How many graces and invitations to good! And what use have you made of these favours? What virtue have you acquired this year? What vice have you rooted out? What passions have you overcome? Have you made any improvement at all in virtue, since the beginning of the year? Instead of going forward to God, have you not rather gone backward? Alas! what an account will you have to give one day for all this precious time, and for all these graces and blessings, spiritual or corporal, which you have so ungratefully abused and perverted during the course of this year. Then as to your sins, whether of omission or commission against God, your neighbours, or yourselves - which you have been guilty of this year, either by thought, word, or deed - what a dreadful scene will open itself to your eyes upon a little examination! And little have you done during the course of this year to cancel them by penance. O, how melancholy would your case be, if your eternal lot were to be determined by your performances of the past year!
Conclude by giving thanks to God for all his blessings of this year; and especially for his patience and forbearance with you in your sins. Return now at least to him with your whole heart; begging mercy and pardon of all the sins of the year, and for all the sins of your life. And resolve, with God's grace, if he is pleased to give you another year, to spend it in such a manner as to secure to your souls the never-ending year of a happy eternity.2
— Bishop Challoner
https://medievalist.net/hourstxt/prayers.htm
http://liturgialatina.org/challoner/dec25.htm#30