Hail and blessed be the hour and moment in which the Son of God was born of the most pure Virgin Mary, at midnight, in Bethlehem, in the piercing cold. In that hour, vouchsafe, O my God, to hear my prayer and grant my desires, through the merits of Our Savior Jesus Christ and of His Blessed Mother. Amen. The above prayer is a traditional prayer for the Advent season and a beautiful way to prepare one's heart for the coming of Christ at Christmas. It is piously believed that that whoever recites the above prayer fifteen times a day from the Feast of St. Andrew until Christmas will obtain what is asked. Even if said once daily - once at all! - with a pure and loving heart, this prayer would be a wonderful addition to one's Advent prayers.
May all of our hearts be open to Christ's coming - at Christmas, in the Sacraments, and at the end of time. To Jesus Christ, our sovereign King, Who is the world's salvation, All praise and homage do we bring, And thanks and adoration. Christ Jesus, Victor! Christ Jesus Ruler! Christ Jesus Lord and Redeemer! Thy reign extend, O King benign, To every land and nation, For in Thy Kingdom, Lord Divine, Alone we find salvation. Christ Jesus, Victor! Christ Jesus, Ruler! Christ Jesus Lord and Redeemer! To Thee and to Thy Church, great King, We pledge our hearts oblation, Until before Thy throne we sing, In endless jubilation. Christ Jesus, Victor! Christ Jesus, Ruler! Christ Jesus Lord and Redeemer! Our newest postulant, Sr. Sybille, was received on November 1st, the Feast of All Saints. There are pictures of her entrance into the convent (October 22nd) and postulancy ceremony in the gallery. Please keep Sr. Sybille in your prayers as continues to follow the voice of the Beloved. November is the month dedicated to the Holy Souls. Like the other monthly devotions, this one helps refresh and reinvigorate us in a devotion important to our spiritual lives. This devotion particularly strikes at the heart of Christian virtue - charity. Praying for the Holy Souls in Purgatory exercises charity in two ways. If we remember that charity is to love of God above all things for His own sake and to love our neighbor as ourselves for God's sake, we can see how this devotion is two-fold. By praying for the Holy Souls, we are trying to help them reach the eternal bliss of the Beatific Vision. This is both God's desire, for He desires all men to be saved, and the best possible thing we could want for another person. If I truly loved another person, truly was charitable towards them, I would will the best for them. What is better that eternal union with Love Himself? While we can pray for the Holy Souls all year long - and we ought to! - there are special practices and indulgences for the month of November. One can gain a plenary indulgence for the souls in Purgatory by visiting a cemetery to pray for the dead. One can also obtain a plenary indulgence for the Holy Souls under the usual conditions by visiting a church or oratory on All Souls Day, the 2nd of November. Additionally, praying the "Eternal rest..." prayer can gain a partial indulgence. The greatest things one can do for the Holy Souls is to have Holy Mass said for the faithful departed, and to hear Mass for this intention when one cannot be said for it. The Sisters have the practice of praying for dead daily and having Masses said for the dead in our chapel throughout the year. During November itself, we will have a High Mass for All Souls Day in our chapel, special daily prayers for the dead, additional Masses said throughout the month, and will visit local cemeteries to pray for the dead. What a blessing it is to be reminded of the importance of praying for the souls in Purgatory and how connected we truly are to the whole Church - Militant, Triumphant, and Suffering. "Requiem aeternam dona eis, Domine: |
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