of the Passion of Our Lord.

Keep a good book

close to your hand. Read the prayers in its
golden pages. Get thoroughly rested mentally.
Give the great soul within a chance to think,
feel, speak and be heard in the noisy marketplace. Let the great wave of religion (from
the Latin word re-ligare meaning to
reconnect or to bind) rise about you till you
are floating naked on its strengthening tide,
stripped of the world's foolishness, and
drinking in through every pore the strength of
God.

HOLY WEEK

t is the duty of the faithful Catholic to

observe this week with respect and
devotion. Some find it next to impossible
to do so, because the world must have its
pleasures, entertainment, and profit no
matter who perishes. Everyone can attend the
church services each day, and follow
respectfully the Passion of Our Lord.
Palm Sunday. Christ enters Jerusalem
in triumph, which is signified by the blessing
of the palms; the story of His Passion,
according to St. Matthew's account, is read in
the Mass.
Wednesday is called Spy-Wednesday,
because at that time Judas made his
preparations for betraying his Divine Master.
The solemn offices begin in the afternoon or
evening in the churches.

Thursday. On this day Christ ate the

last supper with His disciples, and established
the Sacrament of the Eucharist. At the Mass
on this morning, which is celebrated with
splendor, all the bells are rung and the organ
is played while the priest at the altar chants
the
44

that He continuously dwells in us. Lets also not

forget our departed brethren and relatives by
making the so called Heroic Act for them. The
heroic act of charity in behalf of the souls in
purgatory consists in a voluntary offering, made by
any one of the faithful in their favor, of all works of
satisfaction done by him in this life, as well as of all
suffrages which shall be offered for him after his
death; by this act. All Indulgences granted, or to be
granted and gained by the faithful who have made
this offering, are applicable to the holy souls in
purgatory.

Short Prayer to the Holy Spirit

HOLY Spirit, divine spirit of light &

love, I consecrate to You my
understanding, heart & will, my whole
being for time and for eternity. May my
understanding be always submissive to your
heavenly inspirations & to the teaching of the
Catholic Church, of which You are the infallible
Guide; may my heart be ever inflamed with
love of God & of my neighbor; may my will be
ever conformed to the divine will, and may
my whole life be a faithful imitation of the life
and virtues of our Lord & Savior Jesus Christ,

to whom with the Father & You be honor and

glory forever. Amen.
More Prayers on page 182

A Prayer for the Poor Souls in

Purgatory

GOD, the Creator & Redeemer of all

the faithful, grant to the souls of your
departed servants the full remission of
all their offences, that, through the help of
pious supplications, they may obtain the
pardon of which they have been always
desirous: You who live & reign, world without
end. Amen.

29
V. Give them, O Lord, eternal rest.
R. And let perpetual light shine upon them.
V. May they rest in peace.
R. Amen.
More Prayers as on page 167

TUESDAY THE HOLY ANGELS

While we give thanks to God for having granted to

each of us a holy angel for our guardian, we ought
ever to bear in mind the respect, devotion, and
loving confidence we owe to this blessed spirit;
and with these feelings we should often think of
him, and implore his constant aid with the
following well-known invocation such as the Angel
of God. Invoking our guardian angel especially in
times of trials and difficulties and acknowledging
always their presence are strongly encouraged.

According to the spirit of the Church's teaching,

each human soul upon its creation is given in
charge to an angel, not merely for its career upon
earth, but even for eternity. Thus the human
creature is never alone. Like the heir to a throne it
is affectionately watched, attended, illumined,
instructed and sustained, to prepare it for its
everlasting
destiny.
What
honor
and
condescension! How such a guardianship displays
the mind of God and the dignity of man!

An Indulgenced Prayer to the

Guardian Angel

EAR us, O Holy Lord, Almighty Father,

eternal God: and deign to send Your
holy angel from heaven to guard,
cherish, protect, visit, and defend all who
dwell in this house. Through Christ our Lord.
Amen.
More Prayer on page 268

30

oving God, bless this household. May we

be blessed with health, goodness of
heart, gentleness, and abiding in your
will. We ask this through Christ our Savior.
Amen.

LENTEN SEASON

HIS season begins with Ash-Wednesday,

sometime in February, and ends on
Easter Sunday seven weeks later. The
actual time of Lent is forty days, counting the

four days of the first week, and the thirty-six

days of the six weeks following. In the Lenten
season all devout Catholics follow, according
to their ability and condition of life, the laws of
fasting and abstinence. The spirit of the
season, which is one of rest, quiet, withdrawal
from pleasure and excitement, of intimate
relations with God, every true Catholic can
follow.

he Church observes most tenaciously

this season for several reasons. First, in
honor of the forty days' fast of Jesus in
the desert; secondly and chiefly to remind her
children with stern emphasis that they are not
born solely for this world, that time and
thought must be given to eternity, that they
must take stock of their soul, take account of
their present method of living, wean
themselves from too close a devotion to
pleasure and profit.

here are certain devotions practiced by

the Church, which should engage your
attention. The reciting of the Rosary is a
beautiful daily devotion. If you have time to
visit a Church, make the way of the cross in
honor

43
liberally to the poor. Read up on the history of
the three weeks & retail it to your friends. At
the very least, say daily the simple prayers
herein appended. And in particular be on your
guard against making the holy season purely

pagan by marketing, junketing, idling &

sinning, as the commercial world would have
it. Live in quiet Bethlehem from December 24
until Epiphany, & not on the highway.

Epiphany House Blessing

During Epiphany, it is a tradition in the Catholic
Church to bless chalk at the Masses for Epiphany,
wherein families mark their entrance door using a
blessed chalk with the current year & with the
inscription CMB, the initials of Caspar, Melchior &
Balthasar, the traditional names of the magi & can
also be interpreted as the Latin phrase "Christus
mansionem benedicat" which means Christ bless
this house. It is being led by either a priest or the
head of the family. Place a cross between each of
the letters. It should look something like this:
20+C+M+B+XX (XX = last two digits of current
year). After completing the above markings, pray
the following prayers:

ay all who come to our home this

year rejoice to find Christ living
among us; and may we seek and
serve, in everyone we meet, that same Jesus
who is your incarnate Word, now and forever.
Amen.

od of heaven & earth, you revealed

your only-begotten One to every nation
by the guidance of a star. Bless this
house and all who inhabit it. Fill us with the
light of Christ, that our concern for others may
reflect your love. We ask this through Christ
our Savior. Amen.

42

SANCTIFY THE YEAR

Epiphany, which stands for the visit of the

Magi
to
Christ.
Give

ADVENT SEASON

HE Church begins her year on the first

Sunday in Advent, which usually occurs
around the end of November. Advent
means in Latin coming, and the season of
Advent is one of preparation for the coming of
Our Lord at Christmas. The Church reminds us
that even as Christ came in that day to all
mankind, so He shall come again at the last
day to judge the world, to close the history of
the human race, and to assign to each man
his fixed place
in eternity.
As the
representative of Christ to the circle in which
you move, it is your responsibility to follow in
spirit the Advent season, and, where it may
properly be done, to acquaint your neighbors
with its beauty.

41

SANCTIFY THE MONTH

JANUARY
FEBRUARY
MARCH
APRIL

MAY

CHRISTMAS SEASON

his holy time extends from the vigil of

the Feast, December 24, to the seventh
day after the Epiphany. In the old
English style the Epiphany was called Twelfth
Night and Little Christmas. These three weeks
were in the good old Catholic times an
agreeable mingling of religious service,
domestic gatherings, and public celebrations.
Your duty as a good Catholic, is to preach it to
all who know you, by word and by example.
Go to communion on Christmas day, and on

JUNE
JULY

AUGUST

SEPTEMBE

THE CHILDHOOD & HOLY

NAME OF JESUS (prayers
as on page 184)

THE HOLY FAMILY (prayers

as on page 138)
ST. JOSEPH (prayers as on
page 261)
THE PASSION OF OUR
LORD (prayers as on page
187)
THE BLESSED VIRGIN
MARY (prayers as on page
239)
SACRED HEART OF JESUS
(prayers as on page 224)
PRECIOUS BLOOD OF
JESUS (prayers as on page
188)
IMMACULATE HEART OF
MARY (prayers as on page
245)
THE SEVEN SORROWS OF

R
OCTOBER

NOVEMBE
R
DECEMBE
R

MARY (prayers as on page

247)
THE HOLY ANGELS & THE
HOLY ROSARY (prayers as
on page 268)
THE POOR SOULS IN
PURGATORY (prayers as on
page 167)
IMMACULATE
CONCEPTION (prayers as
on page 242 or 246)

40

WEDNESDAY ST. JOSEPH

The glorious functions with which God honored St.

Joseph in this world, and the rare example of
humility, wisdom, patience, fidelity, obedience &
submission, which he have given us, should inspire
us with the highest idea of his sanctity, and the
greatest devotion towards him. Honor him,
therefore; but more especially by a faithful
imitation of his virtues. Have recourse to him with
confidence, and inspire this confidence to others.

A Prayer to St. Joseph

GLORIOUS St Joseph, chosen by God

to be the reputed father of Jesus, the
most pure spouse of Mary ever Virgin,
and the head of the Holy Family, and then
elected by the Vicar of Christ to be the
heavenly Patron and Protector of the Church
founded by Jesus Christ; with the greatest
confidence I implore at this time your

powerful aid for the entire Church militant.

Protect in a special manner with your truly
paternal love the Supreme Pontiff and all the
bishops and priests united to the See of St
Peter. Defend all those who labor for souls in
the midst of the afflictions and tribulations of
this life, and obtain the willing submission of
every nation throughout the world to the
Church, the necessary means of salvation for
all.
O dearest St Joseph, be pleased to
accept the consecration which I make to you
of myself. I dedicate myself entirely to you
that you may ever be my father, my
protector, and my guide in the way of
salvation. Obtain for me great purity of heart
and a fervent love of the interior life. Grant
that
after
your
example
all
my

33
actions may be directed to the greater glory
of God, in union with the divine Heart of Jesus
and the immaculate heart of Mary, and with
you. Finally, pray for me that I may be able to
share in the peace and joy of your most holy
death. Amen.

More Prayers on page 261

For the Perpetual Novena to Our Mother of
Perpetual Help, please turn to page 249

THURSDAY THE MOST BLESSED

SACRAMENT

On a Thursday evening, Our Lord Jesus

instituted the most Holy Eucharist - greatest
gift of God to mankind. It is fitting that we
remember this greatest of sacraments on this
day by visiting Him in the Most Blessed
Sacrament. Every night between Thursday
through Friday, St. Margaret Mary Alacoque
would rise and prostrate herself for one hour
with Jesus between eleven oclock and
midnight to appease the divine anger by
begging mercy for sinners, and also to lessen
in
some
manner
the
anguish
Jesus
experienced when His apostles abandoned
Him, that forced Him to reproach them for not
having been able to watch one hour with Him.
One can also do the same in front of the
Image of the Sacred Heart of Jesus or a
Crucifix. It is also recommended to pray for
the sanctification of the clergy and especially
for the intentions of the Holy Father.

34

an icon of Mary and a vigil candle is lit near it.

Some just say prayers to Our Lady and giving alms
and acts of charity to the poor. One can also
meditate and pray the Holy Rosary for the
conversion of sinners throughout the world and
make sacrifices for them and for the poor souls as
requested by Our Lady in Fatima.

A Prayer of St. Aloysius to Our Lady

HOLY Mary, my mistress, into your

blessed trust and special custody, and
into the bosom of your mercy I this
day, everyday, and in the hour of my death,
commend my soul and my body: to you I
commit all my anxieties and miseries, my life
and the end of my life, that by your most holy
intercession and by your merits all my actions
may be directed and disposed according to
your will and that of your Son. Amen.
More Prayers on page 239

39
given gall and vinegar to drink, and then
pierced with a lance; do You, O Lord, by these
most sacred sufferings, which I, unworthy as I
am, yet dare to contemplate, by your holy
Cross and by your bitter Death, free me from
the pains of hell, and vouchsafe to bring me
to Paradise, whither You didst lead the thief
who was crucified with You, my Jesus, who
with the Father and the Holy Ghost live and
reign, God for ever and ever. Amen.

devotees go on pilgrimages and attend Mass at the

Shrine of Our Lady. Some decorates more
prominently in a chapel, dining room, or entry way
on
Saturday

38

Pater, Ave and Gloria Five times.

Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, Have mercy on
us! (Thrice)
More Prayers on page 187

SATURDAY THE BLESSED VIRGIN

MARY

The pious custom of dedicating this day to the

Blessed Virgin Mary is of ancient origin based on a
legendary account that Jesus appeared to Mary on
the Saturday, the day after His death. He did so to
reward her for her steadfast faith in His divinity,
which did not waver under the Cross. The Marian
Saturdays commenced through the works of
Alcuin, a Benedictine monk who composed Votive
Masses in honor of Our Lady that was quickly and
joyously embraced throughout the whole Church.
In the following Centuries, several devotional
practices and acts were practiced such as some

An Indulgenced Prayer for a visit to

the Blessed Sacrament

OOK down, Holy Father and Lord, from

your sanctuary, and from heaven, your
dwelling-place on high, and behold this
sacred Victim which our great High Priest,
your holy Child, our Lord Jesus, offers up to
You for the sins of his brethren; and be
appeased
for
the
multitude
of
our
transgressions. Behold, the voice of the Blood
of Jesus, our Brother, cries to You from the
Cross. Give ear, O Lord! Be appeased, O Lord!
Hearken, and do not tarry, for thine own sake,
O my God, for your Name is invoked upon this
city and upon your people; and deal with us
according to your mercy. Amen.

V. That You vouchsafe to defend, pacify, keep,

preserve, and bless this city.
R. We beseech You to hear us.
More Prayers on page 211

35

FRIDAY THE SACRED HEART &

THE PASSION OF JESUS

On this Day, Our Lord Jesus was scourged, mocked,

ridiculed and died on the Cross, thus saving us
from our sins. The Universal Church assigned this
day as a day of penance and sacrifice. Here in the
Philippines, the Local Church doesnt require
abstinence from meat on Fridays outside Lent but
penance is still required in one form or another
(through acts of charity). Traditionally, an
indulgence can be obtained to all who when the
church bell rings on Friday at three in the
afternoon, or at any other hour fixed by custom,
kneel and say five times and say the Pater Noster
and Ave Maria, in memory of the Passion of our
Lord, and praying according to the intention of the
Pope. Devotions to the Sacred Heart of Jesus is
also observed today by some, since this devotion
also recalls the time where the roman soldier
pierced Our Lord Jesus side with a lance.

Deus, qui pro Redemptione Prayer

GOD, who to redeem the world didst

vouchsafe to be born amongst men, to
be circumcised, rejected by the Jews,
betrayed by the traitor Judas with a kiss, to be
bound with cords, and as an innocent lamb to
be led to the slaughter; who didst suffer
yourself to be shamelessly exposed to the
gaze of Annas, Caiphas, Pilate and Herod; to
be accused by false witnesses, tormented by
scourges and insults, crowned with thorns,
smitten with blows, defiled with spittings, to
have your divine countenance covered, to be
struck with a reed, to be stripped of your
clothes, nailed to and raised high upon a
Cross
between
two
thieves,
to
be

37