Joke of the Day

You should tell this old joke today on the Feast of St. Ignatius of Loyola – Founder of the Jesuits:

            A young man wondered if he should join the Dominicans or the Jesuits.  

A Dominican told him that the Dominicans were founded by St. Dominic in the 13^th Century to fight the Albigensian heresy, and that the Jesuits were founded by St. Ignatius in the 16^th Century to fight the Protestant heresy.  

The young man wanted to know which order was better. 

The Dominican replied by saying, “Well, when was the last time you met an Albigensian?”

Who Was Inigo Lopez?

Hello, my name is Inigo Lopez.  I was . . .

Born in 1491 in the Loyola Castle in the Basque region of Spain. 

Became a soldier and was wounded in battle when a canon ball hit his leg.

While convalescing in a hospital, read a book about the life of Christ and a book about the saints.

Made a pilgrimage to St. Mary’s Shrine at Montserrat near Barcelona.

Changed his name to Ignatius.

Spent a long time living as a hermit.

Studied philosophy at several colleges.

Wrote down material that later became his greatest work, the Spiritual Exercises.

Made a pilgrimage to the Holy Land but left early because of hostility of Muslim Turks.

With his friend, Francis Xavier, formed a group that took vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience to the pope with the aim of evangelization.

Named this group The Society of Jesus or Jesuits which was sanctioned by the pope in 1540.

Dedicated to countering the heresies of Martin Luther which started in 1517 in Germany.

Advocated moderation and charity when trying to convince Protestants of their errors.

Worked to reform the church while setting up a Jesuit college in Rome.

Created the Jesuit motto, ad majorem Dei gloriam—“for the greater glory of God.”

Sent forth missionaries to the new lands of America that Columbus had discovered the year after Ignatius was born.

Died in Rome in 1556. 

Patron saint of soldiers and Jesuits.

Feast Day is July 31.

Prayer of St. Ignatius

“Receive, Lord, all my liberty, my memory, my understanding and my whole will.

You have given me all that I have, all that I am, and I surrender all to your divine will, that you dispose of me.

Give me only your love and your grace. With this I am rich enough, and I have no more to ask.”

Who says it won't work?

Now this is funny......

HISTORICAL FACT

Who says building a border wall won't work?  

The Chinese built one over 2,000 years ago and they still don't have any Mexicans.

Most Infamous Quote of 2014

"My accomplishments as Secretary of State? Well, I'm glad you asked! My proudest accomplishment in which I take the most pride, mostly because of the opposition it faced early on, you know. The remnants of prior situations and mind-sets that were too narrowly focused in a manner whereby they may have overlooked the bigger picture, and we didn't do that, and I'm proud of that. Very proud. I would say that's A major accomplishment." 

- Hillary Clinton 11 March 2014

Is there anyone at all that could tell me what the hell she said???

4 Person Race

I think we should have had a 4 person race this year:

                Communist Party:   Bernie Sanders

                Nationalist Socialist (Nazis), Wall Street, Democrat Party: Hillary

                Republican Nationalist,Populist, Main Street, Republican Party:  Trump

                Constitutional Conservative, States Rights Party:  Cruz

It would have been interesting to see who won.

A Viking Toast

Here's to cheating, stealing, fighting, and drinking.

If you cheat, may you cheat death.

If you steal, may you steal a woman's heart.

If you fight, may you fight for a brother.

If you drink, may you drink with me.

Who is Olaf Haraldsson?

Olaf II Haraldsson (995 – 29 July 1030), later known as St. Olaf, was King of Norway from 1015 to 1028. 

 He was posthumously given the title Rex Perpetuus Norvegiae (English: Norway's Eternal King) and canonised in Nidaros (Trondheim) by Bishop Grimkell, one year after his death in the Battle of Stiklestad on 29 July 1030. 

 His remains were enshrined in Nidaros Cathedral, built over his burial site.
 Olaf's local canonisation was in 1164 confirmed by Pope Alexander III, making him a universally recognized saint of the Catholic Church. 

 The exact position of Saint Olaf's grave in Nidaros has been unknown since 1568, due to the Lutheran iconoclasm in 1536–37. 

 Saint Olaf is symbolised by the axe in Norway's coat of arms, and the Olsok (29 July) is still his day of celebration. 

 The Order of St. Olav is named after him.

St. Olaf - King of Norway

July 29: Saint Olaf of Norway

Let us all rejoice in the Lord on the feast of blessed Olaf, Norway’s eternal king. The angels exult over his martyrdom and praise the Son of God.

Today, July 29, we celebrate the feast day of Saint Olaf of Norway (955-1031), martyr, “eternal king” and patron saint of Norway. Through his efforts, faith, and miracles, Norway was brought to the faith. Unhappy with his efforts, Olaf was slain in a revolt by his people, earning him the martyrs’ crown in 1030.

Born Olaf Haraldsson, royalty was in the blood of the future saint. His father was King Harold Grenske of Norway, and Olaf was to follow in his footsteps. Referred to as “Olaf the Fat,” he spent his youth as a Norse raider until approximately age 15 when he was baptized at Rouen. At 18, Olaf traveled to England and offered his services to the king, fighting against the invading Danes. Following his father’s death, and his ascension to the throne, Olaf traveled home to Norway, and fought tirelessly to free his lands and people from the Danes and Swedes. Succeeding, he immediately requested that Christian missionaries from England be sent to Norway, and the faith began spreading across the land.

King Olaf ruled with certainty, reigning over Norway for 13 peaceful years. He tried to convert his people, using force if necessary as was common at the time. To Olaf, the fight for souls against Satan required force. But many of the noble class found his policies harsh and his were slow to accept the faith. In 1029, they rebelled against him, and siding with King Canute of Denmark, overthrew Olaf. He was exiled to Russia, where he held to his faith, and returned to Norway in 1031, only to be slain in battle.

  

Buried at the Cathedral of Trondheim, numerous miracles began being reported at his tombside, and he became especially revered and venerated there. His final resting place became a place of pilgrimage, and the people of Norway came to recognize him as the champion of Norwegian independence. He was canonized the patron saint of Norway in 1164. What the sword couldn’t do even in “good faith, ”the Spirit did. Norway became predominantly Catholic.

Most memorable among his accomplishments as King was the development of what came to be known as Saint Olaf’s Law. Ahead of its time, Olaf’s Law prescribed prayer to Christ for peace, required newborn babies to be allowed to live and not abandoned in fields or forests, slaves were to be ransomed each year, polygamy was forbidden, and severe penalties were exacted for rape and the kidnapping of women. Olaf himself traveled the length of Norway promoting his new Christian Law, and he insisted that it be applied equally upon both rich and poor. 

Almighty, eternal God, you are the crown of kings and the triumph of martyrs. We know that your blessed martyr, Olaf, intercedes for us before your face. We praise your greatness in his death and we pray you, give us the crown of life that you have promised those who love you, through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever. Amen.

Posted by Jacob @ http://365rosaries.blogspot.com/2011/07/july-29-saint-olaf-of-norway.html

Happy St. Olaf's Day!

July 29:  Today is the Feast Day of King St. Olaf of Norway.

The Ladejarl-Fairhair succession wars: Battle of Stiklestad: King St. Olaf II fights and dies trying to regain his Norwegian throne from the Danes in A.D. 1030. 

King St. Olaf of Norway. He was a son of King Harald Grenske of Norway. According to Snorre, he was baptized in 998 in Norway, but more probably about 1010 in Rouen, France, by Archbishop Robert. In his early youth he went as a viking to England, where he partook in many battles and became earnestly interested in Christianity. After many difficulties he was elected King of Norway, and made it his object to extirpate heathenism and make the Christian religion the basis of his kingdom.

He is the great Norwegian legislator for the Church, and like his ancestor (Olaf Trygvesson), made frequent severe attacks on the old faith and customs, demolishing the temples and building Christian churches in their place. He brought many bishops and priests from England, as King Saint Cnut later did to Denmark. Some few are known by name (Grimkel, Sigfrid, Rudolf, Bernhard). He seems on the whole to have taken the Anglo-Saxon conditions as a model for the ecclesiastical organization of his kingdom. But at last the exasperation against him got so strong that the mighty clans rose in rebellion against him and applied to King Cnut of Denmark and England for help. This was willingly given, whereupon Olaf was expelled and Cnut elected King of Norway. It must be remembered that the resentment against Olaf was due not alone to his Christianity, but also in a high degree to his unflinching struggle against the old constitution of shires and for the unity of Norway. He is thus regarded by the Norwegians of our days as the great champion of national independence, and Catholic and Protestant alike may find in Saint Olaf their great idea.

After two years’ exile he returned to Norway with an army and met his rebellious subjects at Stiklestad, where the celebrated battle took place 29 July, 1030. Neither King Cnut nor the Danes took part at that battle. King Olaf fought with great courage, but was mortally wounded and fell on the battlefield, praying “God help me”. Many miraculous occurrences are related in connection with his death and his disinterment a year later, after belief in his sanctity had spread widely. His friends, Bishop Grimkel and Earl Einar Tambeskjelver, laid the corpse in a coffin and set it on the high-altar in the church of St. Clement in Nidaros (now Trondhjem).

Olaf has since been held as a saint, not only by the people of Norway, but also by Rome. His cult spread widely in the Middle Ages, not only in Norway, but also in Denmark and Sweden; even in London, there is on Hart Street a St. Olave’s Church, long dedicated to the canonized King of Norway. In 1856 a fine St. Olave’s Church was erected in Christiania, the capital of Norway, where a large relic of St. Olaf (a donation from the Danish Royal Museum) is preserved and venerated. The arms of Norway are a lion with the battle-axe of St. Olaf in the forepaws.

http://nobility.org/2013/07/29/olaf-haraldson/
http://www.roman-catholic-saints.com/olav.html
http://365rosaries.blogspot.com/…/july-29-saint-olaf-of-nor…
http://www.lifesiteministries.org/…/st-olaf-lfr-haraldsson-…
http://www.mainlesson.com/display.php…

World Ends Tonight!

Better not make any long-term plans until tomorrow . . .

Second Coming of Jesus Christ & Magnetic Polar Flip To End World Tonight

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-3714837/Will-world-end-tonight-Conspiracy-theorists-predict-doomsday-caused-second-coming-Jesus-Christ-coincides-magnetic-polar-flip.html

The Tarascon Dragon

Remember when we drove through Tarascon in the south of France (Provence) between Arles and Avignon?

Why didn’t we see the dragon?

Why didn’t we visit St. Martha’s tomb to thank her for capturing the dragon and tying him up with her girdle?

There was that time upon the river of Rhone, in a certain wood between Arles and Avignon, a great dragon, half beast and half fish, greater than an ox, longer than an horse, having teeth sharp as a sword, and horned on either side, head like a lion, tail like a serpent, and defended him with two wings on either side, and could not be beaten with cast of stones nor with other armour, and was as strong as twelve lions or bears; which dragon lay hiding and lurking in the river, and perished them that passed by and drowned ships. He came thither by sea from Galicia, and was engendered of Leviathan, which is a serpent of the water and is much wood, and of a beast called Bonacho, that is engendered in Galicia. And when he is pursued he casts out of his belly behind, his ordure, the space of an acre of land on them that follow him, and it is bright as glass, and what it toucheth it burneth as fire.

To whom Martha, at the prayer of the people, came into the wood, and found him eating a man. And she cast on him holy water, and showed to him the cross, which anon was overcome, and standing still as a sheep, she bound him with her own girdle, and then was slain with spears and glaives of the people.

The dragon was called of them that dwelled in the country Tarasconus, whereof, in remembrance of him that place is called Tarasconus, which tofore was called Nerluc, and the Black Lake, because there be woods shadowous and black. And there the blessed Martha, by licence of Maximin her master, and of her sister, dwelled and abode in the same place after, and daily occupied in prayers and in fastings, and thereafter assembled and were gathered together a great convent of sisters, and builded a fair church at the honour of the blessed Mary virgin, where she led a hard and a sharp life. She eschewed flesh and all fat meat, eggs, cheese and wine; she ate but once a day. An hundred times a day and an hundred times a night she kneeled down and bowed her knees.

The exact nature of the (obviously now-extinct) creature being called a "dragon" is unknown (many Saints have been credited with having dealt with "dragons" -- Saints Margaret of Antioch and George being the two best-known -- and, of course, St. Michael will have his way with the Dragon of Dragons in the end!). But in any case, St. Martha's conquering of the beast known as "La Tarasque" has been commemorated in Tarascon, France (the town was named for the animal) ever since A.D. 1474 when "Good King Rene" instituted an annual celebration which continues to this day and takes place now in the last weekend of June. The town lies just between Avignon and Arles, on the left bank of the Rhone River, in a part of France famous for caves filled with "prehistoric" art. 

Martha and the Monster

July 29:  Saint Martha

  

Martha of Bethany is a biblical figure described in the Gospels of Luke and John. Together with her siblings Lazarus and Mary, she is described as living in the village of Bethany near Jerusalem. She is the middle child of her family with Lazarus being the eldest and her sister Mary the youngest. She was witness to Jesus' resurrection of her brother, Lazarus.

In the Gospel of Luke, Jesus visits the home of two sisters named Mary and Martha. The two sisters are contrasted: Martha was "cumbered about many things" while Jesus was their guest, while Mary had chosen "the better part", that of listening to the master's discourse.

In the Gospel of John, Martha and Mary appear in connection two incidents: the raising from the dead of her brother Lazarus (John 11) and the anointing of Jesus in Bethany (John 12:3).

Martha appears again in John 12:1-8, where she serves at a meal held in Jesus' honor at which her brother is also a guest. The narrator only mentions that the meal takes place in Bethany, while the apparently parallel accounts in the Gospels of Matthew (Matthew 26:6-13) and Mark (Mark 14:3-9) specify that it takes place at the home of one Simon the Leper.

Martha is venerated as a saint in the Roman Catholic Church and Eastern Orthodox churches, and commemorated by the Lutheran Church and the Anglican Communion. Through time, as the cult of Martha developed, the images of maturity, strength, common sense, and concern for others predominated.

According to legend, St Martha left Judea after Jesus' death, around AD 48, and went to Provence with her sister Mary (conflated with Mary Magdalene) and her brother Lazarus. With them, Martha first settled in Avignon (now in France). The Golden Legend, compiled in the 13th century, records the Provençal tradition.

The Tarascon Monster

A further legend relates that Martha then went to Tarascon, where a monster, the Tarasque, was a constant threat to the population. The Golden Legend describes it as a beast from Galicia; a great dragon, half beast and half fish, greater than an ox, longer than an horse, having teeth sharp as a sword, and horned on either side, head like a lion, tail like a serpent, that dwelt in a certain wood between Arles and Avignon. Holding a cross in her hand, Martha sprinkled the beast with holy water. Placing her sash around its neck, she led the tamed dragon through the village.   There Martha lived, daily occupied in prayers and in fastings. Martha eventually died in Tarascon, where she was buried. Her tomb is located in the crypt of the local Collegiate Church.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martha

In Provence: Arles to AIx

Remember when we visited Provence region of France and toured Aix and Avignon and had lunch with Martha, Mary, and Lazarus?

Remember when we drove through Tarascon and saw the tomb of Martha?  Or, maybe not!

July 29:  Feast of St. Martha

Martha was born of noble and wealthy parents, but she is still more illustrious for the hospitality she gave to Christ our Lord. After His Ascension into heaven, she was seized by the Jews, together with her brother and sister, Marcella her handmaid, and Maximin, one of the seventy two disciples of our Lord, who had baptized the whole family, and many other Christians. They were put on board a ship without sails or oars, and left helpless on the open sea, exposed to certain shipwreck. But God guided the ship, and they all arrived safely at Marseilles.

This miracle, together with their preaching, brought the people of Marseilles, of Aix, and of the neighborhood to believe in Christ. Lazarus was made Bishop of Marseilles and Maximin of Aix. Magdalen, who was accustomed to devote herself to prayer and to sit at our Lord's feet, in order to enjoy the better part which she had chosen, that is, contemplation of the joys of heaven, retired into a deserted cave on a very high mountain. There she lived for thirty years, separated from all human intercourse; and every day she was carried to heaven by the angels to hear their songs of praise.

But Martha, after having won the love and admiration of the people of Marseilles by the sanctity of her life and her wonderful charity, withdrew in the company of several virtuous women to a spot remote from men, where she lived for a long time, greatly renowned for her piety and prudence. She foretold her death long before it occurred; and at length, famous for miracles, she passed to our Lord on the fourth of the Kalends of August. Her body which lies at Tarascon is held in great veneration.

Excerpted from The Liturgical Year, Abbot Gueranger O.S.B.

Happy St. Martha's Day!

July 29:  Feast of St. Martha 

              
Saint Martha (1st c.) was from Bethany near Jerusalem. She is mentioned in Sacred Scripture as being a close friend of Jesus during his earthly ministry, as was her brother, St. Lazarus, and her sister, St. Mary of Bethany. The Gospels tell us that "Jesus loved Martha, and her sister Mary and Lazarus."

Martha would serve the Lord when he was a guest in her home, once busying herself with so much work that she neglected to spend time with him. Martha was a believer and had great faith in Christ, especially evidenced in her belief that he could raise her brother Lazarus from the dead.

In the Gospels we read that St. Martha testified that Jesus was the Son of God even before his Passion and Resurrection.

According to tradition, after the Ascension of Jesus into heaven, St. Martha gathered a group of women together to live, pray, and do penance in common, one of the early Christian convents of nuns. 

St. Martha is the patron of butlers, maids, servers, single laywomen, homemakers, domestic servants, and dieticians.

Her feast day is July 29th.

Pantaleon is Pantless

Did his blood liquefy today in Ravello, Italy? 

St. Pantaleon, one of the Fourteen Holy Helpers, was a physician, who practiced without payment, and who was martyred under Diocletian.

His cultus is primarily connected with Bithynia, where Emperor Justinian rebuilt his church at Nicomedia. Churches are dedicated to him in Constantinople and Rome.

In the East he is known as the Great Martyr and Wonder Worker.

A reputed relic of Pantaleon's blood kept at Ravello in southern Italy displays the phenomenon of liquefaction on his feast day, similar to that of Saint Januarius.

Before the reform of the General Roman Calendar his feast was celebrated today.

Patron: bachelors; consumption; doctors; midwives; physicians; torture victims; tuberculosis; protection of domestic animals.

Symbols: Budding olive branch or olive tree; vials of medicine; lion; club; sword and vase.

Excerpted from The Church's Year of Grace, Pius Parsch

Why You Should Drink A "Rusty Nail" Today

From Drinking With The Saints . . .

Pantaleon was a Christian physician martyred during the Diocletian persecution.

Tradition says Pantaleon was martyred by being nailed to an olive tree where his blood brought forth leaves and fruit. 

Therefore, you should drink a Rusty Nail today:

1 ¼ oz. Scotch

¾ oz. Drambuie

July 27:  Feast of St. Panteleimon

 He was counted in the West among the late-medieval Fourteen Holy Helpers and in the East as one of the Holy Unmercenary Healers. 

He was a martyr of Nicomedia in Bithynia during the Diocletian persecution of 305 AD. 

Though there is evidence to suggest that a martyr named Pantaleon existed, some consider the stories of his life and death to be purely legendary.

Keep Your Pants On, Leon

Saint Pantaleon came from Nicomedia, near the Black Sea, in Asia. He was such a famous doctor that the Emperor himself chose him for his own doctor. Pantaleon was a Christian, but the bad influence from the pagan court caused him to give up his Christian faith entirely.

A holy priest named Hermolaos made him realize what a sin he had committed. Pantaleon listened to him, detested his sin and joined the Church once more. To make up for what he had done, he greatly desired to suffer and die for Jesus. In the meantime, he imitated Our Lord’s charity by taking care of poor sick people without any charge for his medical services.

When the Emperor Diocletian began his persecution, Pantaleon at once gave away everything he owned to the poor. Not long afterwards, he was accused of being a Christian. He was given the choice of denying his Faith or being put to death. No torture could force Pantaleon to deny his Faith.

There has been strong devotion in past ages to this Saint. In the East he is called the “Great Martyr and Wonder-worker.”

Saint Pantaleon’s feast day is July 27th.

Why You Should Wear Pants Today

This is an interesting story about the word “pants” and why you should wear some today . . .

July 27:  Feast of St. Pataleone (Pantalone)

San Pantaleone or Pantalone was a Christian doctor martyred during the reign of Diocletion.  Pantalone was a popular saint in Venice because his name resembles the Venetian battle cry “Piante Lione” which translates as “Plant the Lion” which reflects the lion as the symbol of Venice conquering its enemies. 

The name Pantalone became attached to a stock comedic character in Italian comedies, and this saint therefore gave his name to this character in the commedia dell'arte,   Pantalone, a silly, wizened old man (Shakespeare's "lean and slippered Pantaloon") who was a caricature of Venetians wore distinctive trousers that covered his legs instead of the more common breeches that exposed the lower leg.  This character was portrayed as wearing trousers rather than knee breeches, and so became the origin of the name of a type of trouser called "pantaloons," which was later shortened to "pants."

To honor this saint and celebrate the creation of pantaloons, you should drink this cocktail which was very popular during Prohibition:

                Ants in the Pants Cocktail

                         1 oz. gin

                        ½ oz. Grand Marnier

½ oz. sweet vermouth

1 dash lemon juice

You can also celebrate with a French wine knows as Saint-Pantaleon-les-Vignes which takes its name from an old Benedictine abbey in Provence.

Be sure to toast by shouting, “Piante Lione!”

Wearing pants while drinking and toasting today is optional!!

From:

Drinking With The Saints by Michael P. Foley

The Sinner’s Guide To a Holy Happy Hour

Don't Forget Jodocus!

Once wildly popular, but now forgotten . . .

Saint Jodocus: Patron Saint against Fire & Shipwrecks

(Feast Dates: January 9 in Winchester, England; July 26 in Amiens, France; December 13 other areas) 

Extract from Saint Jodocus: 

“Seventh century king in Brittany, the son of King Juthael of Amorica. 

Following a pilgrimage to Rome, Italy c.636, he abdicated. 

Ordained at Ponthieu. Hermit at Runiacum, which was later renamed Saint-Josse-sur-Mer. 

Felt a special call to pray for sailors. 

In the early 10th century, refugees from Brittany to England brought some of his relics with them, mainly clippings from his hair and nails which were reported to continue to grow after his death; they were enshrined in Winchester Cathedral.

Joducus, often under the name Josse, was very popular in Middle Ages England, even used in oaths by the Wife of Bath in Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales:”  “I swear by God and Saint Jodocus!” 

Do you know anyone named Joyce, Jocelyn, or Josselin?

Jodocus (from Breton Iodoc,Latin Judocus),sometimes Josse, Joos, Joost, Joest or Jost, is a given name and a family name. Other names such as Jocelyn, Jocelyne, Josselin, Josseline, or also Josquin Jospin, and Joyce derived from it.

The given name Jodocus or its form Josse was popular in the Middle Ages in England.   Why?  Because Saint Jodocus was very popular in the Middle Ages.

Saint Jodocus:

He was a king in the Breton region of France who went on a pilgrimage to Chartres, Paris, and Amiens.

He then abdicated his throne and became a hermit in Runiacum near the ocean which was later renamed in his honor as Saint-Josse-sur-Mer.

He has said to have said many prayers for sailors and those shipwrecked and lost at sea.

For eight years, he fed birds of every kind and fed fishes from his hand.

He built two chapels in the woods to honor Saints Peter and Paul.

He died around the year 668.

When the Normans invaded the Breton area in 902, monks fled from the area with his relics and settled in Winchester, England where his cult spread throughout the country and into Germany and Scandinavia.

His popularity in medieval England is reflected in Chaucer's Canterbury Tales in which the Wife of Bath swears "by God and Seint Joce."

Jodocus is often pictured in pilgrim's garb with a crown ast his feet to symbolize his renunciation of the throne.

He is traditionally invoked against storms and shipwrecks.

His feast day is January 9 in Winchester, July 26 in Amiens, and December 12 elsewhere.

Happy Anne & Joachim Day!

Feast of St. Anne & St. Joachim - Parents of Mary

I requested that you and your family be included in the intentions of the

Holy Sacrifice of the Mass

In the

Villa Pieta Chapel

Of the

Mission of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary

On these dates:

Jul 16  Our Lady of Mt. Carmel

Jul 26  Feast of St. Anne & St. Joachim, parents of Mary

Aug 15 Assumption of Mary

Aug 22 Queenship of Mary

Sep 8   Birth of Mary

Join with us on these days as we pray the

Hail Holy Queen

Hail, Holy Queen, Mother of Mercy, our life, our sweetness and our hope!

To thee do we cry, poor banished children of Eve.

To thee do we send up our sighs, mourning and weeping in this valley of tears!

Turn, then, O most gracious Advocate, thine eyes of mercy toward us, and after this, our exile,

show unto us the blessed fruit of thy womb, Jesus. O clement, O loving, O sweet Virgin Mary.

V. Pray for us, O holy Mother of God.
R. That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.

Let us Pray. O God, whose only-begotten Son, by His life, death and resurrection, has purchased for us the rewards of eternal life, grant,

we beseech Thee, that meditating on these mysteries of the most holy Rosary of the Blessed Virgin Mary,

we may imitate what they contain, and obtain what they promise,

through the same Christ our Lord. Amen.

Missionaries of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary

Linwood, NJ

www.missionofsacredhearts.org

Did you dance a polka with your Anne last night?

Did you dance a polka last night?  You should at least listen to this music!

July 25:  St. Anne’s Eve

The Vigil of St. Anne’s Day was a great celebration for matchmaking and debutante balls.

Both Johann Strausses composed “Anne Polkas” for these festivals.

Following an old saying that “All Annes are beautiful,” these events would be called a “Festival of All Annes” meaning of all beautiful ladies.

Fireworks would light the summer sky, and music and dancing would fill the air.

ANNEN POLKA (Anna Polka) by Johann Strauss

https://youtu.be/RF0BDme0qqQ

Johann Strauss - Annen-Polka

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X39reWUE7A4

Drinks of the Day: How to Offer A Toast to St. Anne

Happy Feast of St. Anne – the mother of Mary and grandmother of Jesus.

Did you know?

-          The cult of St. Anne developed in the East and came to the West with the Crusaders returning from the Holy Land.

-          Anne and her husband, Joachim, who prayed to God for children and were rewarded with a daughter whom they named Miriam (the Blessed Virgin Mary).

-          The popularity of St. Anne grew as she became the patron of grandmothers, housewives, pregnant women, broom-makers, lace-makers, and miners (to name just a few).

-          She is also invoked by spinsters and maidens to find them a mate.

-          “I beg you, holy mother Anne, Send me a good and loving man.”

-          The vigil of St. Anne’s Day (St. Anne’s Eve) was a great celebration for matchmaking and debutante balls.

-          Both Johann Strausses composed “Anne Polkas” for these festivals.

-          Following an old saying that “All Annes are beautiful,” these events would be called a “Festival of All Annes” meaning of all beautiful ladies.

-          Fireworks would light the summer sky, and music and dancing would fill the air.

Beers of the Day

-          Forchheim, Germany has an annual 10-day “Annafest” that attracts up to 500,000 visitors, and the town breweries make a special Annafest Bier.

-          You can buy Anne beer steins via the Internet for your own Annafest.

-          So, toast today with a beer and say this toast, “We beg you, holy mother Anne, send our Christian maidens a good and loving man” while listening to some Anne Polkas.

Wines of the Day

-          South Africa has a St. Anna wine. 

-          France has a Domaine Saint-Anne wine, a Boise Sainte-Anne, and a Clos Sainte-Anne wine, and a Chartogne-Taillet brut champagne Cuvee Sainte-Anne in a magnum size.

-          Spain has a Monasterio de Santa Ana wine.

-          Argentina makes a Casa de Campo Torrontes wine.

-          Italy makes a Villa Sant’ Anna wine, and a fine Chianti named for St. Anne is produced in Tuscany.

Cocktails of the Day

-          Saint Anne:  rum, lemon juice, orange curacao liqueur

-          Granny Gala:  Midori melon liqueur, Sourz apple liqueur, lemonade

Drinking With The Saints: The Sinner’s Guide To A Holy Happy Hour by Michael P. Foley

Happy St. Anne's Day!

St. Anne’s Feast Day Mass

July  26

at the

 Rosary Shrine of Saint Jude

Washington, DC

I requested that you be included in the intentions of this special Feast Day Mass.

Prayer to St. Anne

O glorious Saint Anne, I beg you, by the passion of my most loving Jesus, the Son of Mary, your most holy daughter, to assist me in all the necessities both of my body and my soul.

Venerable Mother, I beg you to obtain for me the favor I seek …

(State your intention here.)

…and the grace of leading a life perfectly conformable in all things to the Divine Will.

I place my soul in your hands and in those of your kind daughter.

I ask for your favor in order that, appearing under your patronage before the Supreme Judge,

He may find me worthy of enjoying His Divine Presence in your holy companionship in Heaven.

Amen.

 Pray for us, Saint Anne & Saint Joachim, that we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.

www.rosaryshrineofstjude.org

Were James & John cousins of Jesus and nephews of St. Mary?

James and John were brothers and fisherman possibly working with Peter.   Their mother was Salome who may have a sister of the Virgin Mary which makes James and John cousins of Jesus.

James was the first apostle to be killed, but his younger brother, John, who was most favored by Jesus was not martyred.  

John lived to be an old man on the Island of Patmos where he wrote the Book of Revelation.  John’s feast day is December 27.

July 25:   St. James (the Greater)

From uCatholic.com

This James is the brother of John the Evangelist. The two were called by Jesus as they worked with their father in a fishing boat on the Sea of Galilee. Jesus had already called another pair of brothers from a similar occupation: Peter and Andrew. “He walked along a little farther and saw James, the son of Zebedee, and his brother John. They too were in a boat mending their nets. Then he called them. So they left their father Zebedee in the boat along with the hired men and followed him” (Mark 1:19-20).

James was one of the favored three who had the privilege of witnessing the Transfiguration, the raising to life of the daughter of Jairus and the agony in Gethsemani.

Two incidents in the Gospels describe the temperament of this man and his brother. St. Matthew tells that their mother came (Mark says it was the brothers themselves) to ask that they have the seats of honor (one on the right, one on the left of Jesus) in the kingdom. “Jesus said in reply, ‘You do not know what you are asking. Can you drink the cup that I am going to drink?’ They said to him, ‘We can’” (Matthew 20:22). Jesus then told them they would indeed drink the cup and share his baptism of pain and death, but that sitting at his right hand or left was not his to give—it “is for those for whom it has been prepared by my Father” (Matthew 20:23b). It remained to be seen how long it would take to realize the implications of their confident “We can!”

The other disciples became indignant at the ambition of James and John. Then Jesus taught them all the lesson of humble service: The purpose of authority is to serve. They are not to impose their will on others, or lord it over them. This is the position of Jesus himself. He was the servant of all; the service imposed on him was the supreme sacrifice of his own life.

On another occasion, James and John gave evidence that the nickname Jesus gave them—“sons of thunder”—was an apt one. The Samaritans would not welcome Jesus because he was on his way to hated Jerusalem. “When the disciples James and John saw this they asked, ‘Lord, do you want us to call down fire from heaven to consume them?’ Jesus turned and rebuked them…” (Luke 9:54-55).

James was apparently the first of the apostles to be martyred. “About that time King Herod laid hands upon some members of the church to harm them. He had James, the brother of John, killed by the sword, and when he saw that this was pleasing to the Jews he proceeded to arrest Peter also” (Acts 12:1-3a).

This James, sometimes called James the Greater, is not to be confused with James the Lesser (May 3) or with the author of the Letter of James and the leader of the Jerusalem community.

http://ucatholic.com/saints/james-the-greater/