Black Saints, Black Catholics, African Saints, Coptic, Orthodox Catholic Christians, Black Spirituality in Oceania, Americas, the Caribbean, Pacific Rim, Micronesia, Polynesia, Melanesia, Solomon, Marianas, Society and Marshall Islands, New Guinea, Indonesia, Malaysia, India, Palau, Tuvulu, Nauru, Australia and New Zealand,.
PROPHECY WARNINGS MEDITATIONS FOR ORIENTAL BRANCHES OF BLACK CATHOLIC CHRISTIANS, INCLUDING LATIN, COPTIC, AND ORTHODOX RITES IN THE AFRICAN HISTORIC AND GEOLOGIC DIASPORA.
BLACK CATHOLIC GOSPEL RADIO (Afrocentric Rosary, Stations of Cross, Chaplet of Divine Mercy)
MORE BLACK CATHOLIC GOSPEL RADIO
DEVOTIONS, PRAYERS FOR THE LITURGICAL CHURCHES AND ALL OTHER CHRISTIANS WHO SO DESIRE (INCLUDING LUTHERAN, EPISCOPALIAN, ANGLICAN, AND OTHER MEMBERS IN THE MYSTICAL BODY OF CHRIST –ALL CHRISTIANITY COMBINED):
SAID YOUR ROSARY, OR CHAPLET DIVINE MERCY TODAY? YOU CAN, HERE…
Afrocentric Rosary Mysteries by the Los Angeles St. Brigid Traditional Choir. Afrocentric Chaplets Divine Mercy moderated by James Wesly Smith
Pray the Joyful Mysteries on Monday and Saturday, the Luminous Mysteries on Thursday, the Sorrowful Mysteries on Tuesday and Friday, and the Glorious Mysteries on Wednesday and Sunday (with this exception: Sundays of Christmas season - The Joyful; Sundays of Lent – Sorrowful. Mysteries/Meditations are events in the Life of Yeshua(Jesus)!
See: HOW TO PRAY THE ROSARY DEVOTIONS MEMORY OF OUR LORD’S LIFE
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FRIDAY-AFROCENTRIC SORROWFUL MYSTERIES ROSARY, STATIONS OF CROSS
Afrocentric Sorrowful Mysteries Rosary Pt I
Afrocentric Sorrowful Mysteries Rosary Pt II
Afrocentric Stations Cross Pt. I
Afrocentric Stations Cross Pt. I I
CHAPLET OF DIVINE MERCY
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Daily Afrocentric Chaplet Divine Mercy PT I
Daily Afrocentric Chaplet Divine Mercy PT II
Daily Afrocentric Chaplet Divine Mercy PTlII
The Divine Office (Full Daily Liturgy of the Hours) Daily prayer by listening!
FULL LITURGY OF THE HOURS AND DIVINE OFFICE
Paste in your browser:
http://divineoffice.org:80/
All power to those publishers who bring one of the most important prayers to the AFRICAN DIASPORA
We suggest and encourage you support them, as indicated on their website.
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From Our Lord and Savior, Yeshua, and Blessed Mother Maryam... As you know they were homeless in Kemet (Egypt)
for several years, while avoiding Herod’s 10 assassins. They don’t desire you to be… so presented:
Free Foreclosure News (but always update the information and seek competent advice (such as One LA in the Los Angeles Metropolitan area) from the HUD/HOPE/FHA MAKE HOME AFFORDABLE sources listed:
WEBSITE: Free Foreclosure News (but always update the information and seek competent advice (such as One LA in the Los Angeles Metropolitan area) from the HUD/HOPE/FHA MAKE HOME AFFORDABLE sources listed:
WEBSITE:
GETTING YOUR MONEY BACK-OR TRY TO INFORMATION
OR PAST IN BROWSER:
http://www.angelfire.com/realm/blackcatholics/LoanModScamsGetYourMoneyBack.html
Prayer to the Blessed Virgin Mary Protectress of Africa
Holy Mary, Mother of God, Protectress of Africa, you have given to the world the true Light, Jesus Christ. Through your obedience to the Father and the grace of the Holy Spirit, you have given us the source of our reconciliation and our justice, Jesus Christ, our peace and our joy.
Mother of Tenderness and Wisdom, show us Jesus, your Son and the Son of God. Guide our path of conversion, so that Jesus might shine his glory on us in every aspect of our personal, familial and social lives.
Mother, full of Mercy and Justice, through your docility to the Spirit, the Counselor, obtain for us the grace to be witnesses of the Risen Lord, so that we will increasingly become the salt of the earth and the light of the world.
Mother of Perpetual Help, we entrust to your maternal intercession the preparation and fruits of the Second Special Assembly for Africa. Queen of Peace, pray for us! Our Lady of Africa, pray for us!
BLACK SAINTS OF THE DAY
Black Saints of the day—From the Black Saints reference book (James Wesly Smith), 456 pages, paperback, 1000 lines of Black and African Saints in the Latin Rite, Coptic and Orthodox branches of the Mystical Body of Christ (combined Christianity) to year 599 A.D. Order quickly from www.booklocker.com/books/3088.html, from BarnesandNobles.com, Ingram Book Group internationally, Amazon, wherever online books are sold.
Two AFRICANS who must be mentioned in the discussion of ancient African Christianity--because of their respective influences ORIGEN, and TERTULLIAN).
First Tertullian:
(Albeit, Tertullian later had problems with Latin Rite. If the reader is a member of those ways of worshipm read with discernment)>
Tertullian
(QUINTUS SEPTIMIUS FLORENS TERTULLIANUS).
I was a prolific Church writer in the second and third centuries. The sunrise of my life was in and around 160 A.D. At Carthage. My father was a Roman Centurion in government (proconsular) service.
I was an advocate in the Roman (civil) law-courts. I spoke and read proficiently both Greek and Latin, writing in the former.
I converted to Christianity in my later years before 197 A.D.
I was consecrated a priest in the Church of Carthage in and around the year 200 A.D. Around 206 A.D. I joined the Montanist sect of Christianity, I am thought to have separated from the Orthodoxy of the Church in or about about 211A.D. or 213 A.D.
Later I separated from the Montanists and am said to have founded a Christian sect of his my own. Augustine reconciled my remaining followers (Tertullianists) to the Church. St Jerome says I lived to old age.
The Carthage Church system included those who committed grievous sins confessed them to the bishop. I absolved them after due penance enjoined and performed, unless the case was in his judgment so grave that public penance was obligatory.
Public penance was allowed only once. It lasted for protracted periods, even often until the death’s hour. At the end of it forgiveness and restoration were promised. At the prayer of martyrs, the term was frequently shortened.
It has been said my Trinitarian teaching proves inconsistent, an amalgamation of the Roman doctrine with that of Justin martyr.
But scholars have pointed out that I have the true formula for the Holy Trinity, tres Personae, una Substantia. The Father, Son, and Holy Ghost are numerically distinct, and each is they are of one substance, one state, and one power. My doctrine is Nicene derivative.
Though not in Scripture, my list of customs observed by Apostolic tradition remains renowned: the baptismal renunciations and feeding with milk and honey, fasting Communion, offerings for the dead (Masses) on their anniversaries, no fasting or kneeling on the Lord's Day and between Easter and Pentecost, anxiety as to the falling to the ground of any crumb or drop of the Holy Eucharist, the Sign of the Cross made continually during the day.
I am among the preeminent firsts of the Latin theological writers. I have developed a theological idiom of explanation. I have been said to have used new expressions. I am among the first witnesses to the Latin Bible being extant in my day. Scholars think I frequently translated from the Greek Bible in my writing. St.Perpetua (a pre-eminent African martyr of the early African Church) possessed one at Carthage in 203 A.D.
MORE RESOURCES
(Some of the links might be broken, as they are old so verify)
ORTHODOX RITE
www.orthodox.cn/saints/placeoflivesofsaints/4en.htm
www.pomog.org/saintlist.shtml
cygnus.uwa.edu.au/~jgrapsas/pages/lives.htm
directory.google.com/./Religion_and_Spirituality/ Christianity/Denominations/Orthodox/Saints_and_Martyrs/
dmoz.org/Society/Religion_and_Spirituality/
Christianity/Denominations/Orthodox/Saints_and_Martyrs/
gnisios.narod.ru/saints.html
holyorthodoxy.tripod.com/prophecy.html
http://goarch.org
http://www.saintmarkboca.net/index.cfm?page=daily_reading&contentType=temp&readingType=saint&contentid=251
home.zonnet.nl/chotki/orthodox_saints.htm
http//search.tserkovnost.org/
http//stjrussianorthodox.com/stjrusorthodoxy.htm
http//www.ausorthodox.com/ms.htm
http//www.ausorthodox.com/ms.htm
http//www.cof.rutgers.edu/calendar.html
http//www.copticchurch.net/synaxarium
http//www.fordham.edu/halsall/basis/palladius-lausiac.html
http//www.orthodoxinfo.com/search.cfm
http//www.saint-mary.net/coptic_faith/Introductiontothe Coptic OrthodoxChurch.pdf
http//www.unicorne.org/orthodoxy/articles/saints_icons/main.htm
saints.grettir.org/
www.2net.co.yu/osvecenje/es05.htm
www.abbamoses.com/
www.ausorthodox.com/msaints.htm
www.geocities.com/Athens/Troy/1187/links.html
www.goarch.org/access/calendar/
www.goarch.org/en/Chapel/calendar.asp
www.in2greece.com/english/saints/saints.htm
www.lasvegasorthodox.com/library/Orthodox_saints/
www.odox.net/Icons-Agnes.htm
www.orthodox.net/links/saints.html
www.orthodox.net/saints/
www.orthodoxenglbtinternet.co.uk/saintsint.htm
www.pogledi.co.yu/english/saints.php
www.religiousmall.com/orthodox_saints.php
www.sainthermanpress.com/catalog/ chapter_five/all_ye_saints_book.htm
www.sprint.net.au/~corners/Library/LivesSaints.htm
www.stnicholasdc.org/linktext.htm
www.unicorne.org/orthodoxy/ articles/saints_icons/main.htm
www.unicorne.org/orthodoxy/hiver2004/rcsaints.htm
COPTIC RITE
Coptic Synaxarium Search Page
atheism.about.com/library/ glossary/western/bldef_coptic.htm
dir.yahoo.com/./Faiths_and_Practices/ Christianity/Denominations_and_Sects/Orthodox/Coptic/
home.ptd.net/~yanney/previous_issues.html
http//directory.google.com/Top/Society/Religion_and_Spirituality/Christianity/Denominations/Orthodox/s_and_Martyrs/
http//dmoz.org/Society/Religion_and_Spirituality/Christianity/Denominations/Orthodox/s_and_Martyrs/C/
http//gavras.customer.netspace.net.au/Lives%20of%20Orthodox%20s.htm
http//home.it.net.au/~jgrapsas/pages/lives.htm
http//home.ptd.net/~yanney/
http//icias.com/e.o/coptic_c.htm
http//membres.lycos.fr/jmdoggy/textes/copticsynaxarium1995uk2.html
http//pharos.bu.edu
http//pharos.bu.edu/cn/articles/CopticEncyclopediaReview.txt
http//pharos.bu.edu/cn/exhibits/Pictures.html
http//pharos.bu.edu/cn/synexarion
http//rejoyse.com/
http//www.abbamoses.com/
http://www.copticcentre.com/copticsaints.html
http//www.ains.net.au/%7Ejohnh/Saints.html
http://www.ains.net.au/%7Ejohnh/Saints.html
http//www.coptic.net/
http//www.coptic.net/CopticWeb
http//www.coptic.net/EncyclopediaCoptica
http//www.copticchurch.net/topics/synexarion/index.html
http//www.ethiopianhistory.com/aksum/nine_saints.html
http//www.goarch.org/access/calendar/index.asp?D=10/21/2003&T=10
http//www.in2greece.com/english/s/s.htm
http//www.nmafa.si.edu/exhibits/icons/faith-glossary.html
http//www.orthodox.net/s/
http//www.saint-mary.net/coptic_faith/Introductiontothe Coptic OrthodoxChurch.pdf
http//www.stmaryofegypt.net/africa.shtml
http//www.suscopts.org/literature/literature.php?subaction=showfull&id=1076777081&archive=&start_from=&ucat=2&
http//www.touregypt.net/holyfamily4.htm
mb-soft.com/believe/txn/coptic.htm
www.ains.net.au/~johnh/
www.cnewa.org/ecc-coptic-catholic.htm
www.coptic.net/CopticWeb/
www.coptic.org/
www.coptic-history.org/
www.coptic-sun.org/
www.coptictheology.com/
www.languages-on-the-web.com/links/link-coptic.htm
www.mideastinfo.com/Religion/copt.htm
www.opuslibani.org.lb/coptimenu.html
www.stmark.toronto.on.coptorthodox.ca/
www.stmarkcocclevelorg/
www.stmarkcocclevelorg/copticchurch.html
www.stshenouda.com/
www.stshenouda.com/coptlang.htm
LATIN RITE
catholicism.about.com/cs/saints/
directory.google.com/Top/Society/Religion_and_Spirituality/ Christianity/Denominations/Catholicism/Saints/
http//198.62.75.1/www2/kerygma/ccc/searchcat.html
http//dickinsg.intrasun.tcnj.edu/diaspora/kemet.html
http//www.catholic forum.com/s/
http//www.catholic forum.com/s/indexsnt.htm
http//www.catholic.org/s/
http//www.catholic.org/s/
http//www.catholicforum.com/s/
http//www.catholicforum.com/s/indexsnt.htm
http//www.catholic-forum.com/saints/candidates/candidate.htm
http//www.cin.org/s.html
http//www.cin.org/s.html
http//www.cin.org/s/agnes.html
http//www.cin.org/s/agnes.html
http//www.geocities.com/wally_mo/egypt_lang.html
http//www.kidinfo.com/World_History/OldEgypt.htm
And still more…
Ecole Glossary,
Open Directory Project
For All The Saints
Catholic Encyclopedia
e.g. Passion of Saint Menas of Cotyaeum
Coptic Encomium
Ethiopic Synaxarium
Be aware that Yeshua, Jesus the Christ, wants His Church reunited.
It will be!
For in God’s eyes, there exists one, holy catholic (which means universal), and apostolic church in the Mystical Body of Christ(all Christianity combined).
Black Saints Videos
http://www.angelfire.com/realm/blackcatholics/BlackSaintsVideos.html
Part I
http://www.youtube.com/v/sUnU4xR5D9E
Part II
http://www.youtube.com/watchv=jMnYwZEfBg4
Black Saints Videos
http://www.angelfire.com/realm/blackcatholics/BlackSaintsVideos.html
PROPHECY MEDITATIONS TODAY
Test! Discern The Spirit! Accept what speaks to YOUR SOUL/SPIRIT. Disregard the rest!
from such as Seers, OLOE, ERA OF PEACE, J.Leary, and Fr. Doucette, Anne Hidden Lay Apostle, Sharon Fitzpatrick, Lousie Tomkiel, Carol Ameche, and others.
Fair use, educational and religious purposes, 17 U.S.C. for those in the African Historic and Geologic Diaspora who would otherwise not be exposed to such,
AFROCENTRIC JOYFUL MYSTERIES ROSARY, CHAPLET DIVINE MERCY, DIVINE OFFICE
FATHER MELVIN DOUCETTE
"Now is the time"
Thursday, May 28, 2009
Dear Friends,
Christ the First-Fruits
“But now Christ has been raised from the dead, the first-fruits of those who have fallen asleep. For since death came through a human being, the resurrection of the dead came also through a human being.
For just as in Adam all die, so too in Christ shall all be brought to life, but each one in proper order: Christ the first-fruits; then, at his coming, those who belong to Christ; then comes the end, when he hands over the kingdom to his God and Father, when he has destroyed every sovereignty and every authority and power.
For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. The last enemy to be destroyed is death, for ‘he subjected everything under his feet.’ But when it says that everything has been subjected, it is clear that it excludes the one who subjected everything to him.
When everything is subjected to him, then the Son himself will also be subjected to the one who subjected everything to him, so that God may be all in all.” 1 Cor 15:20–28
Yesterday it was sunny in the morning but it became cloudy in the afternoon and we had some rain during the night. It is still cloudy this morning but the rain is over.
I celebrated Holy Mass yesterday morning at the little shrine of Our Lady of Prince Edward Island at 9:30 a.m. and in the evening I was at the prayer meeting at our church.
A large crowd came and the Holy Spirit was stirring in a very special way. I am sure His presence was felt by everybody there.
This morning I will celebrate Holy Mass at the little shrine of Our Lady at 9:30 a.m., as there are no Masses in the nearby churches. At 7:00 p.m. on Sunday, May 31, we will have a service at the chapel for the New Pentecost.
Here now is the message of Our Lord and Savior addressed to Joseph. Jesus spoke to him in these words,
“My life on earth was lived in the power of the Holy Spirit. I died on the cross for your salvation and for the opening of the gate of heaven. I suffered horribly through My Passion until My death on the cross.
I am the first fruit of those who died and were buried. Just three days after My death, I rose again alive never to die again. It is through the power of God that I was able to come back to life. You, too, who are My followers, will be brought back to life at My second coming.
All the dead will rise for the Day of Judgment. My followers will come with Me to heaven and the others will be driven away to hell.
Now is the time to prepare for My second coming. The time of mercy will be over and I will come as your judge. I will judge the living and the dead. If you follow Me every day, you will be on My right when I return.
Pray for the New Pentecost that the Holy Spirit may come with great power to strengthen your faith and to give you the graces you need to avoid evil. Start your walk with Me today and do not delay. Now is the time.”
Father Melvin
Medjugorje Day By Day May 30 MEMORIAL DAY –
"No more than one visit to the Blessed Sacrament is sometimes necessary to change immediately the dispositions of a heart and to cause the sweetest repose and full contentment to succeed the greatest trouble and sorrow. Many have approached the Blessed Sacrament languishing and overwhelmed with grief, and have returned replenished with strength, courage, and even alacrity and joy" Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen
Mother Teresa
People ask me what advice I have for a married couple struggling in their relationship. I always "Pray and forgive".
Meditations by Padre Pio -
May 30 Always be faithful to God in observing the promises you made Him, and pay no attention to the mocking of the foolish. Know that the Saints were always mocked by the world and the worldly, but even so they placed the world and its maxims under their feet. May31 The field of battle between God and Satan is the human soul. This is where it takes place every moment of our lives.
The soul must give free access to our Lord and be completely fortified by Him with every kind of weapon; His light must illuminate it to fight the darkness of error; he must put on Jesus Christ, His truth and justice, the shield of faith, the word of God to overcome such powerful enemies. To put on Jesus Christ we must die to ourselves.
Archbishop Fulton Sheen
That sickening pit in man's soul can be hell!
"Hell - which once was pictured `way down there' - is back again, but now `way in here' in the breast of man. He who was wont in saner days to confess his faults, admit personal guilt, and try to make some amends for both, is induced to become a kind of regurgitating sewer, vomiting the rottenness within; an analysis of the stagnant waters that comes from unconsciousness promises a cure, but it is most cases no more saves than an analysis of the waters of a sinking ship saves the vessel.
The ancient principle of purgation of evil has now become a kind of curiosity in which a mind takes delight in its mental spewing after the fashion of the dog described in Sacred Scripture who `returns again to his vomit' (Proverbs 26: 11)."
St. Faustina's diary http://www.marian.org/directory_flash.html -
O Greatly Merciful God, Infinite Goodness, today all mankind calls out from the abyss of its misery to Your mercy-to Your compassion, O God; and it is with its mighty voice of misery that it cries out. Gracious God, do not reject the prayer of this earth's exiles! O Lord, Goodness beyond our understanding, Who are acquainted with our misery through and through, and know that by our own power we cannot ascend to You, we implore You: anticipate us with Your grace and keep on increasing Your mercy in us, that we may faithfully do Your holy will all through our life and at death's hour. Let the omnipotence of Your mercy shield us from the darts of our salvation's enemies, that we may with confidence, as Your children, await Your final coming-that day known to You alone. And we expect to obtain everything promised us by Jesus in spite of all our wretchedness. For Jesus is our Hope: Through His merciful Heart, as through an open gate, we pass through to heaven. (1570)
Know, My daughter, that between Me and you there is a bottomless abyss, an abyss which separates the Creator from the creature. But this abyss is filled with My mercy. I raise you up to Myself, not that I have need of you, but it is solely out of mercy that I grant you the grace of union with Myself. (1576)
MEDJUGORJE DAY BY DAY
These thoughts for a day are taken from a daily meditation book based on the Messages of Our Lady of Medjugorje by Father Richard J. Beyer, Ave Maria Press.
May 30 - MEMORIAL DAY
In December of 1990, the Blessed Mother spoke of peace:
Dear children , today I invite you to pray especially for peace. Dear children, without peace you cannot experience the birth of the infant Jesus either today nor in your daily lives.
Therefore, pray to the Lord of Peace that he May protect you with his mantle and help you to comprehend the great importance of having peace in your hearts. In this way you will be able to spread peace in hearts around the whole world. I am with you and intercede for you before God.
Pray , for Satan wants to destroy my plans for peace. Be reconciled with one another and, through your lives, help peace to reign over the whole earth. (Monthly Message December 25, 1990).
The psalmist voices a prayer for peace:
Show us your steadfast love, O Lord, And grant us your salvation. Let me hear what God the Lord will speak, For he will speak peace to his people, To his faithful, to those who turn to him in their hearts.
---Psalm 85:7-8
Reflections:
On this Memorial Day, it is appropriate that we have heard Our Lady speak again of peace, for this is the cause for which so many of our countrymen have given their lives. Their courage and sacrifice have led us closer to that time when, as Isaiah says, "nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more."
Application:
In memory and in appreciation of all those who gave their lives for freedom, democracy and peace, let us offer the following prayer today:
Lord Jesus Christ, today we honor the memory of those men and women who have given their lives for America in the cause of freedom. They have worked, fought, and died for the heritage of freedom, brotherhood, and peace that they have passed on to us. In scripture you said to us:
"Greater love than this no man has: that he lay down his life for his friends." We recall that you yourself gave up your life for all people in the cause of true freedom -to save us from sin and selfishness.
As we remember our honored dead, teach us to appreciate the virtue of patriotism-a true and Christian love of country. May we love this Land of the Free and seek to make it a land of goodness, refuge, and equality for all Americans. We place our nation unreservedly in your hands, for in you we hope and trust. Amen.
Medjugorje Day By Day May 28 - LIVE LOVE
Medjugorje Day By Day May 28 - LIVE LOVE
Message of May 25, 2006
"Dear children!
Also today I call you to put into practice and to live my messages that I am giving you. Decide for holiness, little children, and think of heaven. Only in this way, will you have peace in your heart that no one will be able to destroy. Peace is a gift, which God gives you in prayer.
Little children, seek and work with all your strength for peace to win in your hearts and in the world.
Thank you for having responded to my call."
Message of May 25, 2005 from Our Lady of Medjugorje
"Dear children! Anew I call you to live my messages in humility. Especially witness them now when we are approaching the anniversary of my apparitions. Little children, be a sign to those who are far from God and His love. I am with you and bless you all with my motherly blessing. Thank you for having responded to my call."
This is the business of our life. By labor and prayer to advance in the grace of God, till we come to that height of perfection in which, with clean hearts, we may behold God. -St. Augustine
Mother Teresa
Without prayer I could not work for even half an hour. I get my strength from God through prayer.
Meditations by Padre Pio -
May 28 Let us become saints so that after having been together on earth we will be together forever in heaven.
Archbishop Fulton Sheen
Pride and Prejudice!
"We can set ourselves above others, and feel superior to them in either of two ways: by our knowledge, or by our power; by flaunting what we know, or by using money and influence to make ourselves supreme. Such forms of behavior always spring from pride."
St. Faustina's diary http://www.marian.org/directory_flash.html -
February 2, [1938]. Darkness of the soul. Today is the Feast of the Mother of God, and in my soul it is so dark. The Lord has hidden Himself, and I am alone, all alone. My mind has become so dimmed that I see only fantasies about me.
Not a single ray of light penetrates my soul. I do not understand myself or those who speak to me. Frightful temptations regarding the holy faith assail me. O my Jesus, save me. I cannot say anything more. I cannot describe these things in detail, for I fear lest someone be scandalized on reading this. I am astounded that such torments could befall a soul. O hurricane, what are you doing to the boat of my heart? This storm has lasted the whole day and night.
When Mother Superior [Irene] came in to see me and asked, "Would you like to take advantage of this occasion, Sister, since Father An. [Andrasz] is coming to hear confessions?" I answered, no. It seemed to me that Father would not understand me, nor would I be able to make a confession.
I spent the whole night with Jesus in Gethsemane. From my breast there escaped one continuous moan. A natural dying will be much easier, because then one is in agony and will die; while here, one is in agony, but cannot die. O Jesus, I never thought such suffering could exist. Nothingness: that is the reality.
O Jesus, save me! I believe in You with all my heart. So many times have I seen the radiance of Your face, and now, where are You, Lord?... I believe, I believe, and again I believe in You, Triune God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, and in all the truths which Your holy Church gives me to believe... But the darkness does not recede, and my spirit plunges into even greater agony. And at that moment, such terrible torment overwhelmed me that now I am amazed at myself that I did not breathe my last, but this was for only a brief instant. (1558)
MEDJUGORJE DAY BY DAY
These thoughts for a day are taken from a daily meditation book based on the Messages of Our Lady of Medjugorje by Father Richard J. Beyer, Ave Maria Press.
May 28 - LIVE LOVE
Our Lady speaks of love today:
Dear children, I wish to thank you for all your sacrifices and I also call you to the greatest sacrifice, the sacrifice of love. Without love, you will be unable to accept either me or my Son. Without love, you will not be able to convey your experiences to others. Therefore, dear children, live love within your hearts. (Weekly Message March 27, 1986).
And from St. John's first letter, a famous passage on love:
Beloved, let us love one another, because love is from God. Whoever does not love does not know God, for God is love. God's love was revealed among us in this way: God sent his only Son into the world so that we might live through him.
In this is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the atoning sacrifice for our sins. Beloved, since God loved us so much, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God lives in us, and his love is perfected in us ( 1 Jn 4:7-12).
Reflection:
Love can do the impossible. The New York Times once ran a story of a crippled woman leaving her crutches and running up a flight of stairs to rescue her 3 year old daughter, when fire threatened to trap the child in an upstairs bedroom.
The mother, injured in a car crash 2 years previously, had been unable to walk without crutches ever since the accident. Realizing that the life of her little daughter was at stake, she momentarily forgot her own physical handicap. She rushed to the upper floor, grabbed the sleeping child and carried her to safety.
For most of us, there are times when our capacity to love is obstructed by self-concern, worry, or a flagging faith. In such a case, the Blessed Mother recommends that we surrender these obstacles to her Son and, through prayer, seek the gift of divine love with a sincere heart.
Application:
Today, reflect prayerfully on John's full discourse on love (1 Jn 4:7-21), and then ask the Lord to instill this love within your heart.
Medjugorje Day By Day May 29 - WITNESS TO THIS PEACE
"All the saints of history . . . have been distinguished for the love of Our Lord in the Eucharist and for Mary . . . . So there is no canonized saint to whom I cannot cry out with confidence to obtain for me a great love for Mary so that I may borrow her Immaculate Heart to come closer to the Sacred Heart of Our Lord in the Eucharist" (John Haffert).
Mother Teresa
Start and end the day with prayer. Come to God as a child. If you find it hard to pray you can say, "Come Holy Spirit, guide me, protect me, clear out my mind so that I can pray." When you pray, give thanks to God for all His gifts because everything is His and a gift from Him. Your soul is a gift of God.
Meditations by Padre Pio -
May 29 Oh God!, let yourself always be heard, more and more, by my poor heart, and accomplish in me the work you have begun. I hear an interior voice which assiduously says to be: Sanctify yourself and others. Well, my dearest, I want to do this, but I don't know where to begin. Help me, you also. I know that Jesus is very fond of you, and you deserve this. Therefore, speak to Him for me, that He might grant me the grace of making me and less unworthy son of St. Francis, so that I can be an example to my confreres, in order that fervour might continue to grow more and more within me, making me have perfect capuchin.
Archbishop Fulton Sheen
The beast is loose!
"It was not that many years ago that H.G. Wells and others, in their false optimism, were telling us that in a short time we would be as gods, and that happiness would increase with economic prosperity. Religion, for the moment, was regarded as a kind of ambulance which took care of the sick until scientific progress could take over. Now alas, the beast who was evolving to become a god, has suddenly gone berserk before he has become a man."
St. Faustina's diary http://www.marian.org/directory_flash.html -
At that moment I saw Jesus, and from His Heart there issued those same two rays, which enveloped me, whole and entire. At the same moment, all my torments vanished. My daughter,the Lord said, know that of yourself you are just what you have gone through, and it is only by My grace that you are a participant of eternal life and all the gifts I lavish on you. And with these words of the Lord, there came to me a true knowledge of myself. Jesus is giving me a lesson in deep humility and, at the same time, one of total trust in Him. My heart is reduced to dust and ashes, and even if all people were to trample me under their feet, I would still consider that a favor.
I feel and am, in fact, very deeply permeated with the knowledge that I am nothing, so that real humiliations will be a refreshment for me. (1559)
And at that very moment I saw myself in some kind of a palace; and Jesus gave me His hand, sat me at His side, and said with kindness, My bride, you always please Me by your humility. The greatest misery does not stop Me from uniting Myself to a soul, but where there ispride, I am not there.
When I came to myself, I reflected on what had happened in my heart, thanking God for His love and for the mercy that He had shown me. (1563)
MEDJUGORJE DAY BY DAY
These thoughts for a day are taken from a daily meditation book based on the Messages of Our Lady of Medjugorje by Father Richard J. Beyer, Ave Maria Press.
May 29 - WITNESS TO THIS PEACE
The Blessed Mother speaks of peace today:
Dear children, God has permitted me, in union with him, to found this oasis of peace. I call you to protect it. Through their indifference, some people destroy prayer and peace. And so I beseech you, witness to this peace by your lives, that it May be preserved (Weekly Message June 26, 1986).
And in Isaiah, the Lord promises a covenant of peace
For the mountains May depart, And the hills be removed, But my steadfast love shall not depart from you, And my covenant of peace shall not be removed, Says the Lord, who has compassion on you. --Isaiah 54:10
Reflection:
Sometimes a story of men living peace is more valuable than words about peace. F. H. Drinkwater tells such a story, set in Italy during World War II.
In the mountain village of Giazza, north of Verona, German paratroopers were going to execute some villagers, presumably for showing resistance. The parish priest, Fr. Domenico Mercante, offered himself as a hostage. The German accepted his offer, and decided to shoot him. When the time came, one of the firing-party refused to obey orders. "I can't shoot a priest," he said. He was placed at the priest's side, and both were shot together. The soldier's name is unknown.
Fifteen years later, the Bishop of Verona unveiled a simple white monument commemorating the two heroes.
The German embassy in Rome was represented, and the Italian Minister of Justice gave an address. He said, "The example of a priest and a soldier dying by the same rifle fire, in order that not only the written law but the unwritten law too should be respected, provides an example of great moral value. It gives rise to the hope that the cause for peace May find its strongest protection in the conscience of humble but heroic spirits."
Application:
Jesus and Our Lady both call us to live peace and pray for peace. Today, pray especially for peace, and strive to be a peacemaker this week within your family, at your workplace, and among your friends.
Medjugorje Day By Day May 27 - ESPECIALLY YOU, THE YOUNGEST
Medjugorje Monthly Message of May 25, 2004
Message of May 25, 2004 "Dear children! Also today, I urge you to consecrate yourselves to my Heart and to the Heart of my Son Jesus. Only in this way will you be mine more each day and you will inspire each other all the more to holiness. In this way joy will rule your hearts and you will be carriers of peace and love. Thank you for having responded to my call." 05/2004
"Helping Christ carry His cross fills one with a strong and pure joy, and those who may and can do so, the builders of God's kingdom are the most authentic children of God." -- St. Teresa Benedicta of the Cross
Mother Teresa
If you are searching for God and do not know where to begin, learn to pray and take the trouble to pray every day. You can pray at work - work doesn't have to stop prayer and prayer doesn't have to stop work. Tell Him everything, talk to Him. He is our father, He is to us all whatever religion we are. We are all created by God, we are his children. We have to put our trust in Him, believe in Him, work for Him. And if we pray, we will get all the answers we need.
Meditations by Padre Pio -
May 27 We should make an great effort to become holy, and render great service to God and our neighbor.
Archbishop Fulton Sheen
We can accept or reject our crosses, but we can't avoid them
"There are only two things we can do with crosses - carry them or kick against them. We can merge them in God's plan for life and thus make them serve our inner peace and happiness, or we can stumble over them to the glen of weeping. Selfishness is the cause of much mental sickness; otherness, sympathy, forgiveness and self-discipline are the cure."
St. Faustina's diary http://www.marian.org/directory_flash.html -
O my Jesus, in terrible bitterness and pain,
I yet feel the caress of Your Divine Heart.
Like a good mother, You press me to Your bosom,
And even now You give me to experience what the veil hides.
O my Jesus, in this wilderness and terror which surround me,
My heart still feels the warmth of Your gaze,
Which no storm can blot out from me,
As You give me the assurance of Your great love, O God.
O my Jesus, midst the great miseries of this life,
You shine like a star, O Jesus, protecting me from shipwreck.
And though my miseries be great,
I have great trust in the power of Your mercy.
O hidden Jesus, in the many struggles of my last hour,
May the omnipotence of Your grace be poured out upon my soul,
That at death's moment I may gaze upon You
And see You face to face, as do the chosen in heaven.
O my Jesus, midst the dangers which surround me,
I go through life with a cry of joy, my head raised proudly,
Because against Your Heart so filled with love, O Jesus,
All enemies will be crushed, all darkness dispelled. (1479)
MEDJUGORJE DAY BY DAY
These thoughts for a day are taken from a daily meditation book based on the Messages of Our Lady of Medjugorje by Father Richard J. Beyer, Ave Maria Press.
May 27 - ESPECIALLY YOU, THE YOUNGEST
The following was given to Ivan's prayer group on Mt. Podbrdo in July of 1990:
Dear children, tonight your Mother would like to invite you again to prayer. Especially you, the youngest, who will be here in large numbers during these days. I call you to prayer.
Pray, pray, pray, and renew your hearts so you can accept all that I tell you in my messages. Thank you, dear children, for you make me happy by your prayers (Visionary Prayer Group July 30, 1990).
St. John also affirms the young:
I write to you, children,
Because you know the Father.
I write to you fathers,
Because you know him who is from the beginning.
I write to you, young people,
Because you are strong
And the word of God abides in you,
And you have overcome the evil one.
--1 John 2:14
Reflection:
Two fifteen-year-old boys alarmed onlookers in Norfolk, Virginia, who watched them drift down the forty-foot-deep Elizabeth River on a makeshift raft. It was a 3 X 6 foot mortar box used by brick masons. The Coast Guard finally rescued them as they were floating toward the open ocean in their unseaworthy craft.
Young people are blessed with a daring and adventurous spirit. But it is important that their enthusiasm and resourcefulness be wisely directed. At the same time, great care must be taken not to suppress their spirit and potential.
The Lord himself encouraged his apostles to "launch out into the deep" as fishers of men. But at the same time he made sure they were rooted in divine truth and love. Through prayer and example, we can help young people to be daring in faith and in living the messages of Our Lady.
Application:
In prayer today, call to mind the young people of your family as well as others that you know. Commend them to the Blessed Mother that she May renew their hearts and help them to live her messages. Also today, be especially conscious of your example of faith to the young people around you.
SHORT POWERFUL PRAYER THROUGH ST. JOSEPH
"Glorious St. Joseph, tenderhearted father, faithful
guardian of Jesus, chaste spouse of the Mother of
God, I ask you to join me in praising God the Father
through His Divine Son who died on the cross and
rose again to give us sinners new life. Through the
Holy Name of Jesus, pray with me that we may obtain
from the eternal Father the favor we ask. (here
state your intention)."
Say this prayer for nine consecutive days.
Fear not! God is your shelter (the 23rd Psalm and the Lord’s Prayer. God never fails). Don’t fail him. Call on Jesus. Jesus on the mainline, tell him what you want!
http://www.live365.com/stations/283424
BLACK CATHOLIC GOSPEL RADIO (Afrocentric Rosary, Stations of Cross, Chaplet of Divine Mercy)
AFROCENTRIC CHAPLET OF DIVINE MERCY DEVOTION
http://www.angelfire.com/realm/blackcatholics/blog/ChapletofDivineMercy.mp3
http://www.angelfire.com/realm/blackcatholics/blog/ChapletPtII.wma
http://www.angelfire.com/realm/blackcatholics/streamaudio/Chaplet_Pt_lII.wma
FRIDAY-AFROCENTRIC SORROWFUL MYSTERIES OF ROSARY , AND STATIONS OF THE CROSS
Part I
http://www.angelfire.com/realm/blackcatholics/blog/11_AfrocentricSorrowfulMysteries--TheCrossScourge_Artis.mp3
Part II
http://www.angelfire.com/realm/blackcatholics/blog/12_AfrocentricSorrowfulMysteries-CrownofThorns-Carrying.mp3
Part IIII
http://www.angelfire.com/realm/blackcatholics/blog/13_StationsoftheCrossI-VII_Artist_Album.mp3
STATIONS OF THE CROSS
Part I
http://www.angelfire.com/realm/blackcatholics/blog/13_StationsoftheCrossI-VII_Artist_Album.mp3"
Part II
http://www.angelfire.com/realm/blackcatholics/blog/14_StationsoftheCrossVIII-End_Artist_Album.mp3"
For further information:
BLACK CHRISTIANITY’S AFRICAN BEGINNINGS
http://www.angelfire.com/realm/blackcatholics/
BLACK CATHOLICS BLOG
http://blackcatholicsprophecymeditations.blogspot.com
Black, African Saints
www.angelfire.com/realm/blackcatholics/BlackSaintsMysticHoly.html
Black and African Catholics Prophecy Meditations
www.angelfire.com/realm/blackcatholics/recentmeditations.html
http://www.angelfire.com/realm/blackcatholics/blog/
Black African Catholics Coptic, Latin rite, Orthodox Prophecies Meditations
http://www.angelfire.com/realm/blackcatholics/blog/
Black Saints Videos
http://www.angelfire.com/realm/blackcatholics/BlackSaintsVideos.html
Black Saints Videos
Black Saints Videos Part I
LINKS
YouTube, Yahoo, MySpace, Google, DailyMotion, Blip.tv, Veoh, Stupid Videos, Sclipo, Viddler and Howcast
Part II
http://www.youtube.com/watchv=jMnYwZEfBg4
LINKS
YouTube, Yahoo, MySpace, Google, Revver, DailyMotion, Blip.tv, Veoh, Stupid Videos, Sclipo, Viddler and Howcast
A writer/producer of more than 30 audio visual film projects on the Black Genesis of Christianity, with an emphasis on the early African Liturgical Churches, Attorney James Wesly Smith ‘s 30 year effort resulted in the reference tome, Black Saints, Mystics, Holy Folk, (Ancient African Liturgical Church) Volume I, and II, detailing Black involvement in the Church from before 1 A.D. (See: Out of Africa I called my Son, Hosea 11:1, Matthew 2:13-15). Smith may be reached at stbernice@yahoo.com