Faith Check 24 – Incorruptible Bodies of Saints

Incorruptible Bodies of Saints

‘Remember o man that you are dust, and to dust you shall return.’  We hear these words each Ash Wednesday to remind us of death and judgment awaiting us all.  While our bodies are the source of so much focus in our culture, they will decay into dust, until they are ultimately resurrected and reunited with our souls at the end of the world.

God has granted exceptions to this, however, in the “incorruptibles”—saints whose bodies are miraculously preserved in tact after death, as a visible sign of their holiness.  These miracles have withstood in-depth scientific and medical examinations that rule out any possible hoaxes and make clear that they are entirely distinct from those bodies preserved through extreme temperatures or mummification.

When St. Bernadette Soubirous of Lourdes was examined in 1909, thirty years after her death, her body appeared the same as when she had been alive: her body was odorless and her skin was supple and had coloration—while the rosary in her hands had rusted over.  Today her body can still be observed and pilgrims state that looks as if she were merely asleep.

And then there’s the St. Anthony of Padua.  Years after his death his body had decayed, but God had preserved the great preacher’s tongue alone—those present reported that it was perfectly pink.


IP#117 Fr. Scott Hurd – Forgiveness on Inside the Pages

“Forgiveness: A Catholic Approach” is exceptional!  Fr. Scott Hurd has penned the book that should be in  every Catholic home.  To forgive,  without exception, is the hallmark of the Christian life and one of the hardest things to do.  Every single chapter in “Forgivness” is a gem.  Whether it’s is the challenge of “not becoming a doormat”, dealing with our anger over hurts, or reconciling the fact that life isn’t necessarily fair, Fr. Hurd offers timely wisdom from the heart of the Church to the experiences of everyday life in order for us to follow the way of Jesus Christ…and to forgive.  I love this book!

“All of us know that there is more to forgiveness than simply saying “I’m sorry.” In the section entitled, “Hallmarks of Forgiveness,” Father Hurd deftly outlines seven such marks of forgiveness that reflect the teaching and example of Our Lord. In Jesus, we learn how to forgive others as God has forgiven us. Forgiveness is a decision, a process, and a gift.

“Equally challenging today is the question of how to forgive. In Forgiveness: A Catholic Approach we find an entire section on this topic. With priestly wisdom, Father Hurd examines a wide variety of experiences of forgiveness and reconciliation. With examples from Scripture, Church tradition, literature, and his own ministry, he offers a useful ten-step process to aid people ready to make the decision to forgive.”
Cardinal Donald Wuerl, from the Introduction

 

You can find “Forgiveness” here

Visit Pauline.org for more information

 

YFFC Show 7 – The Truth About Contraception part 1 w/ Dr. Thomas Hilgers – Discerning Hearts

Show 7 – The Truth About Contraception part 1

“Your Fertility Care Consult”
with Dr. Thomas Hilgers, founder of the Pope Paul VI Institute
for The Study of Human Reproduction
hosted by Kris McGregor

listen to the entire series at Dr. Hilger’s Discerning Hearts Page

The Pope Paul VI Institute, founded in 1985 by Thomas W. Hilgers, MD, is internationally recognized for its outstanding achievements in the field of natural fertility regulation and reproductive medicine — 30 years of scientific research and educational program development; allied health professional education programs for couples and professionals; professional, caring, and morally acceptable patient services. The Pope Paul VI Institute for the Study of Human Reproduction is building a culture of life in women’s health care through its major developments — Creighton Model FertilityCare System and NaProTechnology.

http://www.popepaulvi.com/

St. Anthony Mary Claret…a Spanish light of the Church


‘The love of Christ arouses us, urges us to run, and to fly lifted on the wings of holy zeal . . . The man who burns with the fire of divine love is a son of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, and wherever he goes, he enkindles that flame; he desires and works with all his strength to inflame all men with the fire of God’s love. Nothing deters him: he rejoices in poverty; he labors strenuously; he welcomes hardships; he laughs off false accusations; he rejoices in anguish. He thinks only of how he might follow Jesus Christ and imitate Him by his prayers, his labors, his sufferings, and by caring always and only for the glory of God and the salvation of souls.’St. Anthony Mary Claret

A remarkable saint…St. Anthony Mary Claret who lived during the turblent years of the 1800’s in Latin America, namely Cuba.  He had a great love for the Blessed Virgin Mary and her Immaculate Heart.  More on his life can be found here…

Ave Maria, Hail Mary – Catholic Hymns of Praise – Discerning Hearts


The lyrics and translation are as follows:

Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee.
Blessed art thou amongst women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus.
Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death.
Amen

Áve María, grátia pléna, Dóminus técum.
Benedícta tu in muliéribus, et benedíctus frúctus véntris túi, Iésus.
Sáncta María, Máter Déi, óra pro nóbis peccatóribus, nunc et in hóra mórtis nóstrae.
Ámen.

The Clash of the Two Kingdoms w/Msgr. John Esseff – Discerning Hearts

Msgr. Esseff continues his reflections in the Chapel of the Apparitions in Paray le Monial, France.

Msgr. Esseff discusses the clash of the two kingdoms….salvation history in light of the Sacred Heart of Jesus.  In every heart there is a collision between the force of light and the force of darkness, between the force of lies and the force of truth.  It’s a collision that is occurring throughout the world.

The Sacred Heart calls us to love to win the battle.

for more visit Msgr. Esseff’s website : Building A Kingdom of Love

St. Paul of the Cross – founder, mystic…”May the Passion of Christ be ever in our hearts”

Saint Paul of the Cross I from Passionists on Vimeo.

Saint Paul of the Cross II from Passionists on Vimeo.

St. Paul of the Cross quotes:

When you feel the assaults of passion and anger, then is the time to be silent as Jesus was silent in the midst of His ignominies and sufferings.-St. Paul of the Cross

Entrust yourself entirely to God. He is a Father, and a most loving Father at that, who would rather let heaven and earth collapse than abandon anyone who trusted in him. -St. Paul of the Cross

It is very good and holy to consider the passion of our Lord, and to meditate on it, for by this sacred path we reach union with God. In this most holy school we learn true wisdom, for it was there that all the saints learned it.-St. Paul of the Cross

Therefore, be constant in practicing every virtue, and especially in imitating the patience of our dear Jesus, for this is the summit of pure love. Live in such a way that all may know that you bear outwardly as well as inwardly the image of Christ crucified, the model of all gentleness and mercy. For if a man is united inwardly with the Son of the living God, he also bears his likeness outwardly by his continual practice of heroic goodness, and especially through a patience reinforced by courage, which does not complain either secretly or in public. Conceal yourselves in Jesus crucified, and hope for nothing except that all men be thoroughly converted to his will.-St. Paul of the Cross

I want to set myself on fire with love…I want to be entirely on fire with love…and I want to know how to sing in the fire of love.-St. Paul of the Cross

Look upon the face of the Crucified, who invites you to follow Him. He will be a Father, Mother–everything to you.-St. Paul of the Cross

I hope that God will save me through the merits of the Passion of Jesus. The more difficulties in life, the more I hope in God. By God’s grace I will not lose my soul, but I hope in His mercy.-St. Paul of the Cross

Christ Crucified is a work of love. The miracle of miracles of love. The most stupendous work of the love of God. The bottomless sea of the love of God, where virtues are found, where one can lose oneself in love and sorrow. A sea and a fire or a sea of fire. The most beneficial means of abandoning sin and growing in virtue, and so in holiness.-St. Paul of the Cross

At holy Communion I had much sweetness. My dear God gave me infused knowledge of the joy which the soul will have when we see him face to face, when we will be united with Him in holy love. Then I felt sorrow to see Him offended and I told Him that I would willingly be torn to pieces for a single soul. Indeed, I felt that I would die when I saw the loss of so many souls who do not experience the fruit of the Passion of Jesus.-St. Paul of the Cross

Oh my good God, how gentle You are! How sweet You are! Oh dear cross, I embrace you and press you to my heart!-St. Paul of the Cross

May the mercy of God grant you still more time in life so that you can become completely crucified with the Divine Spouse by means of mystical death, death to everything that is not God, with a continual detachment from all created things, wholly concealed in the divine bosom of the celestial Father in true inner solitude. Do not live any longer in yourself, but let Jesus Christ live in you in such a way that the virtue of this Divine Savior may be resplendent in all your actions, in order that all may see in you a true portrait of the Crucified and sense the sweetest fragrance of the holy virtues of the Lord, in interior and exterior modesty, in patience, in gentleness, suffering, charity, humility, and in all others that follow. -St. Paul of the Cross

Pope Benedict on Prayer 12 – Psalm 136: “Man Forgets but God Remains Faithful””

VATICAN CITY, 19 OCT 2011 (VIS)Some 20,000 pilgrims attended Benedict XVI’s general audience, which was held this morning in St. Peter’s Square. Continuing a series of catecheses dedicated to the Psalms, the Holy Father focused his attention on Psalm 136, “a great hymn of praise which celebrates the Lord in the many and repeated manifestations of His goodness down human history”.

The Pope explained how, in Jewish tradition, this Psalm is sung at the end of the Passover supper, and therefore it was probably also pronounced by Jesus at the last Passover He celebrated with His disciples. The text enumerates God’s many interventions in favour of His people “and each proclamation of a salvific action by the Lord is answered by an antiphon reiterating the main cause for praise: God’s eternal love, a love which, according to the Hebrew term used, implies faithfulness, mercy, goodness, grace and tenderness”.

God is first presented as “He Who ‘does great wonders’, first among them that of the creation: heaven, earth and stars. … With the creation the Lord shows Himself in all His goodness and beauty. He commits Himself to life, revealing a desire for good whence all other salvific actions arise”.

The Psalm goes on to consider God’s manifestations in history, evoking the great moment when the Israelites were freed from slavery in Egypt. The forty years of wandering in the desert were “a decisive period for Israel which, allowing itself to be guided by the Lord, learned to live on faith, obedient and docile to the laws of God. Those were difficult years, marked by the harshness of life in the desert, but also a happy time of confidence and filial trust in the Lord”.

“The history of Israel has known exhilarating moments of joy, of fullness of life, of awareness of the presence of God and His salvation”, said the Pope. “But it has also been marked by episodes of sin, painful periods of darkness and profound affliction. Many were the adversaries from whom the Lord liberated His people”. The Psalm speaks of these events, in particular the Babylonian exile and the destruction of Jerusalem, “when it seemed that Israel had lost everything, even its own identity, even its trust in the Lord. However, God remembers, and frees. The salvation of Israel and of all mankind is bound to the Lord’s faithfulness, to His memory. While man forgets easily, God remains faithful: His memory is a precious casket containing that ‘love which endures forever’ about which our Psalm speaks”.

The Psalm concludes by reminding us that God feeds His creatures, “caring for life and giving bread. … In the fullness of time the Son of God became man to give life, for the salvation of each one of us; and He continues to gives Himself as bread in the mystery of the Eucharist, so as to draw us into His covenant, which makes us children. So great is God’s merciful goodness, the sublimity of His ‘love which endures forever'”. In conclusion the Pope read a quote from the First Letter of St. John, advising the faithful to bear it in mind in their prayers: “See what love the Father has given us, that that we should be called children of God; and that is what we are”.
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From New Advent:

 Praise the Lord, for he is good: for his mercy endures for ever.

2 Praise the God of gods: for his mercy endures for ever. 
3 Praise the Lord of lords: for his mercy endures for ever. 
4 Who alone does great wonders: for his mercy endures for ever. 
5 Who made the heavens in understanding: for his mercy endures for ever.
6 Who established the earth above the waters: for his mercy endures for ever.
 7 Who made the great lights: for his mercy endures for ever. 
8 The sun to rule the day: for his mercy endures for ever. 
9 The moon and the stars to rule the night: for his mercy endures for ever. 
10 Who smote Egypt with their firstborn: for his mercy endures for ever. 
11 Who brought out Israel from among them: for his mercy endures for ever. 
12 With a mighty hand and with a stretched out arm: for his mercy endures for ever. 
13 Who divided the Red Sea into parts: for his mercy endures for ever.
14 And brought out Israel through the midst thereof: for his mercy endures for ever. 
15 And overthrew Pharao and his host in the Red Sea: for his mercy endures for ever. 
16 Who led his people through the desert: for his mercy endures for ever. 
17 Who smote great kings: for his mercy endures for ever. 
18 And slew strong kings: for his mercy endures for ever. 
19 Sehon king of the Amorrhites: for his mercy endures for ever. 
20 And Og king of Basan: for his mercy endures for ever. 
21 And he gave their land for an inheritance: for his mercy endures for ever. 
22 For an inheritance to his servant Israel: for his mercy endures for ever. 
23 For he was mindful of us in our affliction: for his mercy endures for ever.
24 And he redeemed us from our enemies: for his mercy endures for ever. 
25 Who gives food to all flesh: for his mercy endures for ever. 
26 Give glory to the God of heaven: for his mercy endures for ever. Give glory to the Lord of lords: for his mercy endures for ever.

A Prayer to Our Lady composed by Fr. Jerzy Popieluszko – Discerning Hearts

Mother of those who place their hope in Solidarity, pray for us.

Mother of those who are deceived, pray for us.

Mother of those who are betrayed, pray for us.

Mother of those who are arrested in the night, pray for us.

Mother of those who are imprisoned, pray for us.

Mother of those who suffer from the cold, pray for us.

Mother of those who have been frightened, pray for us.

Mother of those who were subjected to interrogations, pray for us.

Mother of those innocents who have been condemned, pray for us.

Mother of those who speak the truth, pray for us.

Mother of those who cannot be corrupted, pray for us.

Mother of those who resist, pray for us.

Mother of orphans, pray for us.

Mother of those who have been molested because they wore your image, pray for us.

Mother of those who are forced to sign declarations contrary to their conscience, pray for us.

Mother of mothers who weep, pray for us.

Mother of fathers who have been so deeply saddened, pray for us.

Mother of our suffering country _____, pray for us.

Mother of our faithful country _____, pray for us.

We beg you, O mother in whom resides the hope of millions of people, grant us to live in liberty and in truth, in fidelity to you and to your Son. Amen.