Category Archives: Prayer

The Hour of Grace, December 8th, Noon to 1PM local time

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This is from an approved apparition (see: Green light for devotion to Our Lady Mystical Rose, plus, you can just look up stuff yourself on Our Lady of the Mystical Rose/Mary, Mystical Rose/Our Lady of Montichiari/ or the seer Pierina Gilli)

Image courtesy: Luisa Piccarreta

The Hour Of Grace is on December 8th, the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary

From 12 Noon To 1 PM, (your local time, so this should cover the Earth with graces for a 24 hour period.)

THE REQUEST OF OUR BLESSED MOTHER FOR THE HOUR OF GRACE:

1. The Hour of Grace is to be one full hour of prayer, beginning at 12:00 Noon and continuing until 1:00 PM, on December 8th, Feast of the Immaculate Conception.

2. During this hour, the person making the “Hour of Grace” either at home, church, the grotto, must put away all distractions (do not answer the phones or answer any doors or do anything but totally concentrate on your union with God during this special Hour of Grace).

3. Begin the Hour of Grace by praying Psalm 51 three times with out-stretched arms.

4. The rest of the Hour of Grace may be spent in silent communication with God meditating upon the Passion of Jesus, saying the Holy Rosary, Precious Blood Chaplet, Divine Mercy Chaplet, Chaplet of St. Michael, Sorrowful Mother Chaplet, etc.

The Blessed Virgin has requested that Her important message be sent throughout the entire world. Please help Her Mission: “that all souls be drawn to God and that Jesus will be loved in every heart.”

If the children cannot recite Psalm 51 between 12 noon and 1:00 p.m., because they may be in school, say it in the evening as a family.

The Blessed Virgin Mary promised that whatever a person asked Her for during this Hour of Grace (even in impossible cases) would be granted to them, in accordance with the Will of the Eternal Father.

Here’s more info on the Devotion to Mary, Mystical Rose: Devotions to honor Our Lady, the Mystical Rose

I have a new book! "The Sober Catholic Way" is a handbook on how anyone can live a sober life, drawn from over 17 years of SoberCatholic posts! It's out now on "Amazon," "Apple Books," "B&N" and and others!"!

My two other books are still available! "The Stations of the Cross for Alcoholics" and "The Recovery Rosary: Reflections for Alcoholics and Addicts" (Thank you!!)

Meditations on the Nicene Creed

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The year 2025 marks the 1700th anniversary of the Council of Nicea, where the Nicene Creed was composed and approved by the bishops of the Latin and Greek Rites of the Catholic Church. 

Pope Leo XIV recently traveled during November 27-30th to Iznik, Turkey (modern day Nicea) to honor this anniversary. The thought occurred to me to try come up with some thoughtful meditations for Sober Catholics. We say this Creed often (usually at Mass) and with anything said repeatedly, we might lose the meaning or impact of the words.

Here it goes (the Creed is in bold  typeface, my meditations are in italics.)

The Nicene Creed

I believe in one God,
the Father almighty,
maker of heaven and earth,
of all things visible and invisible.

I think we overlook the  impact or significance of this first stanza; we are literally declaring belief that there is one God Who created everything and there is nothing in existence that was made without His making it. And when we read the opening lines of the Gospel of John, we realize that God the Father did all that through His Son, Jesus Christ. This is mind-boggling. A simple statement of faith and belief, and yet enormous in its meaning. Just dwell on that for a few moments. How does this place things in context? I would think that our petty Earthly concerns, like battles over politics and economics (and the ideological and partisan fighting over them) can best be seen in a different light.

I believe in one Lord Jesus Christ,
the Only Begotten Son of God,
born of the Father before all ages.
God from God, Light from Light,
true God from true God,
begotten, not made, consubstantial with the Father;
through him all things were made.

I think we often become too familiar with Jesus; again, for the reasons I mentioned above regarding anything said repeatedly often loses its impact. If this stanza is read “with fresh eyes,” that is, if you try to read it as if for the first time, you become reconnected to Whom (and What) Jesus is. He isn’t just some nice person who lived long ago with nice teachings. He wasn’t just born in time like everyone else. He is eternal, without beginning or end, and once again, we are reminded that it was He through Whom all of Creation came into being. Quite an awesome (in the original sense of the word) thought. 

For us men and for our salvation
he came down from heaven,
and by the Holy Spirit was incarnate of the Virgin Mary,
and became man.

And now we come to His mission on Earth; that this Person Who existed from all Eternity and through Whom all creation was made, became one of us. And not in the manner you’d naturally think: that of an already grown adult, perhaps mighty in appearance and stature. No, He decided that it was fitting and necessary to become this through a woman; just like every other human who ever lived. Just think a bout that for a few more minutes. God Eternal became just like one of us (excepting that He couldn’t sin.) How’s that for identification? He. the Lord of the Universe, decided that it was right and proper to join in our humanity as an infant. His self-identication screams ‘humility,’ quite unlike contemporary 21st  Century identity politics. 

For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate,
he suffered death and was buried,
and rose again on the third day
in accordance with the Scriptures.
He ascended into heaven
and is seated at the right hand of the Father.

And here we come to the core reason for His mission on Earth: that of suffering and dying for us to redeem us for our sins. I often think it is unfair for Pontius Pilate to be constantly recalled for his role in Jesus’ death; after all, it was the Jews who demanded His crucifixion and the Romans who executed Him (not ignoring at all that all this was done on account of our sins.) Pilate was merely the political coward who failed to honor his original conviction that Jesus was innocent and just caved in to public pressure (political expediency.) Perhaps he is commemorated in the Creed to be that constant reminder to political leaders (and regular folk) that their actions have repercussions long after death.

He will come again in glory
to judge the living and the dead
and his kingdom will have no end.

The great promise for all who believe in Him who is our brother. He will return one day and set all things right. Justice will reign forever. Things are bad today? Fear not, have faith and persevere to the end and you will receive your just reward: an everlasting life of peace and love with the Trinity and the saints.

I believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life,
who proceeds from the Father and the Son,
who with the Father and the Son is adored and glorified,
who has spoken through the prophets.

It is often said that the Holy Spirit is the forgotten member of the Trinity; that the Father and the Son get almost all of the attention and devotion, except perhaps when we are nearing Pentecost and are reminded of the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives and in the Church. This entire stanza focuses our attention on the Third Person of the Trinity and reminds us just who and what the Spirit is. Each section is worthy of  some focus during meditation. Do we really ever dwell much on the Holy Spirit as the “Lord, the giver of life?” As sober Catholics we should pay special care to this aspect of the Spirit. We had “lost or life” to our drug of choice and only regained it through an action of  the Holy Spirit: something happened which redirected our lives away from the drug or drink; someone reached out to us and got past our defenses….. This stanza reminds us that we really need to include the Holy Spirit in our spiritual life, along with the Father and the Son.

I believe in one, holy, catholic and apostolic Church.
I confess one Baptism for the forgiveness of sins
and I look forward to the resurrection of the dead
and the life of the world to come.

Now comes the Really Important Stuff that you are committing to. Just like people forget the significance of the final petitions of the Our Father (“…forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us…” ) and what that all implies, with the final stanza of the Nicene Creed we are attesting our assent to certain things we declare and agree to be True. And we may not realize that God will hold us to it when the time comes for us to stand before Him in Judgment. Do you really believe in the “one, holy, catholic and apostolic Church,” and that unity, holiness, universality, and apostolic Church is the Catholic Church; that all others are schismatic or heretic? Do you assent to the efficacy of the sacraments in the role they play for salvation? 

Amen.

I hope that when you recite the Nicene Creed, it come alive to you and you see it like you’ve not seen it before. 

I have a new book! "The Sober Catholic Way" is a handbook on how anyone can live a sober life, drawn from over 17 years of SoberCatholic posts! It's out now on "Amazon," "Apple Books," "B&N" and and others!"!

My two other books are still available! "The Stations of the Cross for Alcoholics" and "The Recovery Rosary: Reflections for Alcoholics and Addicts" (Thank you!!)

The St. Andrew’s Christmas Novena begins November 30th!

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Annual post: The St. Andrew’s Christmas Novena begins November 30th. It is piously believed that if you say this prayer fifteen times a day from November 30th (The Feast Day of St. Andrew, the Apostle) until December 24th, you will obtain what you prayed for. I think that the usual conditions apply: that it be in accordance with God’s will, that it not be detrimental to your salvation, and if it requires some effort on your part, that you do that (i.e. job hunting, finding a spouse, etc.) It is believed to have originated in Ireland in the late 19th Century.

 

You might think that fifteen times a day is difficult. I break it up: five times with my Morning Prayers, five times with my Evening Prayers, and perhaps five times during the 3 PM Hour of Mercy or at bedtime. Another schedule is 5 times at breakfast, 5 times at lunch, and 5 times at dinnertime.

Here it is:

St. Andrew Christmas Novena
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, I beseech Thee, 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.

[Pray this prayer 15 times daily from November 30-December 24 for your special intention]

I just remembered that I blogged about it before.

I have a new book! "The Sober Catholic Way" is a handbook on how anyone can live a sober life, drawn from over 17 years of SoberCatholic posts! It's out now on "Amazon," "Apple Books," "B&N" and and others!"!

My two other books are still available! "The Stations of the Cross for Alcoholics" and "The Recovery Rosary: Reflections for Alcoholics and Addicts" (Thank you!!)

Indulgenced Cemetery Visits Devotion for November 1-8

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This is an annual post on a fruitful pious devotion for November:

Catholic Culture has an excellent article regarding a very beneficial pious activity that can aid in your own spiritual progression. It also is a good reminder of where we’ll end up someday. (A grave. Morbid, true, but you wouldn’t be here unless you’re more aware than most people that you will die someday.)

Praying for the Dead and Gaining Indulgences During November is something I blog about here annually. It is about the act of visiting a cemetery during the first 8 days of November.

To summarize from the “Catholic Culture” site: “Indulgenced Acts for the Poor Souls: A partial indulgence can be obtained by devoutly visiting a cemetery and praying for the departed, even if the prayer is only mental. One can gain a plenary indulgence visiting a cemetery each day between November 1 and November 8. These indulgences are applicable only to the Souls in Purgatory.

A plenary indulgence, again applicable only the Souls in Purgatory, is also granted when the faithful piously visit a church or a public oratory on November 2. In visiting the church or oratory, it is required, that one Our Father and the Creed be recited. A partial indulgence, applicable only to the Souls in Purgatory, can be obtained when the Eternal Rest  is prayed. This is a good prayer to recite especially during the month of November:  ‘Eternal rest grant to them, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon them. May the souls of the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace. Amen.'”

The article explains the differences between plenary and partial indulgences.

I have a new book! "The Sober Catholic Way" is a handbook on how anyone can live a sober life, drawn from over 17 years of SoberCatholic posts! It's out now on "Amazon," "Apple Books," "B&N" and and others!"!

My two other books are still available! "The Stations of the Cross for Alcoholics" and "The Recovery Rosary: Reflections for Alcoholics and Addicts" (Thank you!!)

Not a destructive drug among them

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From the Office of Readings for the Thirtieth Sunday in Ordinary Time in the Divine Office:

For he fashioned all things that they might have being;
and the creatures of the world are wholesome,
And there is not a destructive drug among them
nor any domain of the nether world on earth,
For justice is undying.

Courtesy of Divine Office – Liturgy of the Hours of the Roman Catholic Church (Breviary)

The phrase “not a destructive drug among them” popped right out at me; I’m surprised I never noticed it before (perhaps I did, but don’t recall.) Anyway, the phrase is connected to ‘justice,’ which I consider to be significant. Whether ‘destructive drug’ is associated with alcohol or addictive substances, I doin’t know, but I’m associating it for the purposes of this blog! 

This is what the CATHOLIC ENCYCLOPEDIA has to say on Justice:

Justice is here taken in its ordinary and proper sense to signify the most important of the cardinal virtues. It is a moral quality or habit which perfects the will and inclines it to render to each and to all what belongs to them. Of the other cardinal virtues, prudence perfects the intellect and inclines the prudent man to act in all things according to right reason. Fortitude controls the irascible passions; and temperance moderates the appetites according as reason dictates. While fortitude and temperance are self-regarding virtues, justice has reference to others. Together with charity it regulates man’s intercourse with his fellow men. But charity leads us to help our neighbour in his need out of our own stores, while justice teaches us to give to another what belongs to him.

Ok, we see that justice is that ”moral quality or habit which perfects the will.’ We alcoholics and addicts hardly had a ‘perfected will,’ we were driven at great lenghts to support our habits and our wills were aligned to that, which often involved behaviour what was immoral, disorded and often criminal. We lacked the sense of justice in our lives. Our definition of what is ‘just’ was whatever was orderd to satisfy our needs and desires and we lacked consideration or compassion for anyone else.

From this arose the behaviour for which we had to make amends upon recovery.

Have we cultivated a sense of justice? Do we place God first, others second and ourselves third? Do we grant others that which is their due (“render to each and to all what belongs to them.”)? Once we have cultivated this sense of justice, when we seek only which is rightfully ours (and not so based on pride, vanity, ego, and selfishness) and we grant others the same right, could we reasonably claim to be “recovered” (or steadfastly “recovering”) from our addictions. 

I have a new book! "The Sober Catholic Way" is a handbook on how anyone can live a sober life, drawn from over 17 years of SoberCatholic posts! It's out now on "Amazon," "Apple Books," "B&N" and and others!"!

My two other books are still available! "The Stations of the Cross for Alcoholics" and "The Recovery Rosary: Reflections for Alcoholics and Addicts" (Thank you!!)

Homemade Holy Face Chaplet

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This is apparently the season for me to repurpose chaplets and rosaries. A while back I posted about The Six Decade Rosary of Lourdes and St. Bridget, followed by: My Homemade St. Rita Chaplet and How to say the Chaplets of St. Rita of Cascia.

Well, today I bring you my Homemade Holy Face Chaplet:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It was “repurposed” from one of those “Little Flower Rosaries” that get sent out in mailings or found in churches all over. I think the Little Flower Society makes them (not sure, but they’re the likely source.) I retained the centerpiece medal which I think is appropriate given her name in religious life was “St.Therese of the Child Jesus and the Holy Face.” The rosary had a few missing beads and I took a look, did some figuring, and grabbed my pliers and went to work. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The crucifix was a spare part from another rosary; it matchef the Holy Face medal I already had. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The chaplet of the Holy Face is comprised of 33 beads divided into five groups of six beads, headed by another bead, with three extra ones at the end. At the head of the Chaplet are an image of the Holy Face of Jesus and a Cross. The chaplet of the Holy Face has the purpose of honoring of the five senses of Our Lord Jesus Christ, all of which were abused during His Passion. The 33 beads represent the 33 years He spent on Earth.

On the cross you recite the prayer: “God, come to my assistance; Lord, Make haste to help me,” and then the “Glory be…”

Then on the each first large beads announce the sense of our Lord (for the first section, “Touch”) and say “My Jesus, Mercy,” followed by the “Glory Be.” Then on each of the six smaller beads say, “Arise, O God, let thy enemies be scattered and let those who hate thee flee before Thy Face.”

Then repeat this for each of the next four sections, each one representing the senses of hearing, sight, smell and finally taste.

After “Taste,” say “My Jesus, Mercy,” followed by the “Glory Be” on the next large bead. After follows three small beads on which you recite on each bead, “Arise, O God, let thy enemies be scattered and let those who hate thee flee before Thy Face.”

Then on the image of His Face dangling from near the cross you say, “O God, Our Protector, please look upon us and cast your gaze upon the Face of Thy Christ.” 

I have a new book! "The Sober Catholic Way" is a handbook on how anyone can live a sober life, drawn from over 17 years of SoberCatholic posts! It's out now on "Amazon," "Apple Books," "B&N" and and others!"!

My two other books are still available! "The Stations of the Cross for Alcoholics" and "The Recovery Rosary: Reflections for Alcoholics and Addicts" (Thank you!!)

Ensuring salvation “…at the hour of our death.”

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Have you ever thought about the hour of your death? Not just about your death in general, or how long you might live. But exactly when you’ll die?

This is the last chance for Satan to snatch you from the Lord. Unless you’ve prepared yourself by way of the Sacraments, prayer and a lifetime of “spiritual progress,” your final minutes on Earth will be The Enemy’s last chance to get you for Itself for all Eternity.

Worried? There’s a prayer for that!

It’s Mom to the rescue! Doesn’t Mom make everything better? Well, same thing for when you’re about to face the end of your mortal existence.

The venerable and ancient prayer of the Church to the Blessed Mother, said by millions of Catholics daily in the Rosary is the succor for such a worry.

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

Amen.”

See those last six words? “…at the hour of our death.”

Mary will watch over you. But not just you, when you say the “Hail Mary” on the Rosary or just by itself in moments of need, you are offering it up for other people as well. It does not say “pray for me, a sinner,  at the hour of my death,” but rather,  “pray for us sinners,” so you’re not just praying for yourself, but for other people, too, now, and at the hour of their death. And when you think of it that way, all of these people are also praying for Our Lady’s intercession at the hour of your death, too. It’s a community thing of the Church Militant (those members of the Mystical Body of Christ still alive on Earth.)

Now, here’s where I wander over into left field a little (or, score a “wonder goal” or have a “moment of magic,” which are the soccer/futbol equivalents of baseball’s “out of left field” idiom, I’m told.)

I have been dwelling on the Hail Mary recently, especially that petition to pray for us sinners, now, and at the hour of our death and its connection to the persistent teaching of numerous saints, especially St. Maximilian Kolbe, St, Louis DeMontfort, St. Alphonsus Liguori, and St. Leonard of Port-Maurice, that those who are devoted, or consecrated, to the Blessed Virgin Mary are never “lost,” that is, “damned.” Their salvation is ensured (but not necessarily guaranteed. You still have to maintain sincerity of faith and steer clear of mortal sins. But that all should be easier with Mary’s help.)

This is NOT the Catholic version of the deeply heretical and unbiblical “Once Saved, Always Saved” idea that a few non-Catholics hold. (Don’t these people read St. Paul?) But is infers that as Our Lady is also our Mother, and as she loves us more than we can ever know, if we give ourselves to her, she will protect us at the hour of our death from the attacks of Hell.

Let’s take an example of one of these devotional promises. There’s a practice known as The Three Hail Marys. You are recommended to pray three Hail Mary’s every morning upon rising and again upon retiring to bed; at the end of the prayers you ask Mary to “preserve me from mortal sin this day (or night.”) You do this every day and when you die, you will not go to Hell (Purgatory, however, maybe!) 

This may be easier to comprehend and accept when you really understand the importance of the collective prayer of the Church Militant when praying the Rosary or a Hail Mary. The sheer number of prayers ascending to Heaven asking Our Lady to intervene for us during our final moments here in Time is huge. Just think about it: there are hundreds of millions, perhaps billions, of Hail Marys are said every day. There’re 53 said in the Rosary alone, plus numerous other times in other prayers. Multiply those by however many are reciting their prayers… Now multiply that for every day until the final day for you on Earth. That’s potentially hundreds of billions of petitions, if not trillions over the course of  a life, for Our Lady to protect you from Hell’s final furious assault on your soul. 

Therefore, it stands to reason that this is not pious silliness, but a reasonable conviction of the faithful and a reliable promise by Our Mother. If you sincerely pray the Rosary every day, or recite the Three Hail Marys, or some other Marian devotion related to all this, then you will not be damned. And one thing bears mentioning: it doesn’t mean that you can do this and then intentionally go off and commit serious sins, and often, thinking that we’re going to be saved just because we’re saying three Hail Mary’s or a daily Rosary. We all lead sinful lives, but the difference is the willful intent to sin versus the willful intent to not sin, and to reinforce that desire through repentance and frequenting the sacraments. Presumption of God’s mercy and exploiting Our Lady’s priviliges will quickly land you in the hot place. 

There is another method to ensure our salvation. I won’t go into it here as I’ve covered it already (quite well, if I say so myself 😉) in this post on Marian Consecration and the Guarantee of Eternal life. PLEASE READ THAT, TOO! It goes well with this post. Here’s another post on the subject, written wayback in the early days of SoberCatholic: “Now and at the Hour of Our Death”

 A RECOMMENDATION FOR YOU: The I Miss Christendom YouTube Channel lists 5 Things Catholics Can Do To Ensure Salvation. These are:

  • The Three Hail Marys (post on that here.)
  • The Brown Scapular (I don’t think I’ve written anything on that, but a post on sacramentals is being drafted.)
  • The Daily Rosary (I’ve written numerous posts on the Rosary, as well as a book on the Rosary.)
  • The Nine First Fridays  (My post on that is here.)
  • The Five First Saturdays (I wrote on that here.)

Note: This was previously published on Paul Sofranko Space. It’s been edited and significantly expanded for SoberCatholic.

I have a new book! "The Sober Catholic Way" is a handbook on how anyone can live a sober life, drawn from over 17 years of SoberCatholic posts! It's out now on "Amazon," "Apple Books," "B&N" and and others!"!

My two other books are still available! "The Stations of the Cross for Alcoholics" and "The Recovery Rosary: Reflections for Alcoholics and Addicts" (Thank you!!)

My Homemade St. Rita Chaplet and How to say the Chaplets of St. Rita of Cascia

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In this post: The Six Decade Rosary of Lourdes and St. Bridget, I mentioned that a couple of months ago I made a Chaplet of St. Rita. I had already posessed one commercially made from the National Shrine of St.Rita of Cascia, but it had contained no instructions on how to pray it. So, I spent some time online looking for them. I found some instructions, but they didn’t match the arrangement of the beads I had. 

This is the Chaplet I ordered from the Shrine:

Just ten beads, arranged in a circlet. But I kept finding instructions all over the web for a chaplet of three groups of three beads, like this one: (SPOILER ALERT!! this is “My Homemade St. Rita Chaplet”)

After a while, I managed to find a site which had the correct prayer instructions, (courtesy of the Shrine, no less!) and here are those instructions:

The Chaplet of St. Rita of Cascia
(from the National Shrine of St.Rita of Cascia; Philadelphia, PA, USA)

This chaplet consists of 10 beads on which are recited, alternately the Our Father and the  Hail Mary while reflecting on the following meditations:

 a) beginning at the centre piece of St. Rita, compose yourself for prayer and begin with a spiritual  communion, or Apostles Creed. Then move on to the first set of two beads and announce the meditation.

 1) I rejoice with you, O blessed Saint Rita, who were showered by God with blessings of sweetness whereby you remained always faithful to your baptismal consecration. Pray for me that I may avoid every sin.

 Our Father, then a Hail Mary.

 2) I rejoice with you, O glorious Saint Rita, who from childhood were blessed with the gift of prayer and the contemplation of Jesus crucified. Obtain for me fervour in my prayer and compassionate love for Jesus in his sufferings.

Our Father, then a Hail Mary.

3) I rejoice with you, O fortunate Saint Rita, who learned how to draw from your Crucified Saviour the strength and the courage to bear the trials of life out of love for him. Pray for me that I may imitate your virtues and experience the favour of Jesus crucified.

Our Father, then a Hail Mary.

4) I rejoice with you, O most blessed Saint Rita, who were so loving as to suffer for Jesus, and so came to receive on your forehead a thorn from his crown. Obtain for me a sign of heartfelt contrition and the grace of sorrow for my sins.

Our Father, then a Hail Mary

5) I rejoice with you, O Saint Rita, who walked always the path of faith, hope, and love, as wife and mother, widow and religious, and who now enjoy the rewards of heavenly glory. Look upon me in my needs and obtain for me the grace to follow your example, fulfilling all the duties of my state of life so as to share with you some day the Father’s presence.

Our Father, then a Hail Mary

b) (optional) The chaplet may be completed with the following prayer:

O Holy Saint Rita, exemplary Augustinian Sister, we honour you for your devotion to the Passion of Christ. Although your early life was filled with disappointment, frustration, and unceasing tragedy, you never lost faith and trust in God. For this you are the patroness of the impossible, and our inspiration and advocate in desperate circumstances.
Amen.

Novena Prayer (optional):

O holy patroness of those in need, St. Rita, whose pleadings before thy Divine Lord are almost irresistible, who for thy lavishness in granting favours hast been called the Advocate of the Hopeless and even of the Impossible; St. Rita, so humble, so pure, so mortified, so patient and of such compassionate love for thy Crucified Jesus that thou couldst obtain from Him whatsoever thou askest, on account of which all confidently have recouse to thee, expecting, if not always relief, at least comfort; be propitious to our petition, showing thy power with God on behalf of thy suppliant; be lavish to us, as thou hast been in so many wonderful cases, for the greater glory of God, for the spreading of thine own devotion, and for the consolation of those who trust in thee. We promise, if our petition is granted, to glorify thee by making known thy favour, to bless and sing thy praises forever. Relying then upon thy merits and power before the Sacred Heart of Jesus, we pray thee grant that (here mention your request)

(These instructions generously given by The National Shrine of Saint Rita of Cascia, 1166 South Broad Street, Philadelphia, PA 19146-(215)546-8333)  

But what about the other kind? The three groups of three beads? I hadn’t felt like finding a source online and ordering one; I figured the one from the National Shrine is THE CHAPLET. But still, I really love St. Rita and not having “the other kind” bothered me.

As I mentioned in that post on the Lourdes and Brigittine Rosaries, I have a lot of rosary parts lying about, many are reddish and I attribute that color to St. Rita. So I set about to salvage parts of this or that rosary and came up with “the other chaplet,” pictured here, again:

I did have to order the medal of St. Rita; that is courtesy of the National Shrine (a little blurry, but good enough):

How to pray the “Other version”

This chaplet in honor of St. Rita, patroness of the impossible, consists of nine beads. The chaplet is comprised of three sets of three prayers each as shown below, completed with the recitation of the prayer to St. Rita.

Intentions may be made at the beginning or end of the chaplet.

Make the Sign of the Cross on the Crucifix.

Recite the Our Father
on each of the first three beads.

Recite the Hail Mary
on each on each of the second three beads..

Recite the Glory Be to the Father
on each of the last three beads:.

On the medal of Saint Rita, recite:

O Holy St. Rita, exemplary Augustinian Sister, we honor you for your devotion to the Passion of Christ. Although your early life was filled with disappointment, frustration, and unceasing tragedy, you never lost faith and trust in God. For this you are the patroness of the impossible, and our inspiration and advocate in desperate circumstances.

NOTE: This concluding prayer, “O Holy St. Rita, exemplary Augustinian Sister…” is a common prayer for St. Rita (I think it’s even in the Mass in her honor, but I’m not sure and don’t feel like looking it up. 😝)  

I have a new book! "The Sober Catholic Way" is a handbook on how anyone can live a sober life, drawn from over 17 years of SoberCatholic posts! It's out now on "Amazon," "Apple Books," "B&N" and and others!"!

My two other books are still available! "The Stations of the Cross for Alcoholics" and "The Recovery Rosary: Reflections for Alcoholics and Addicts" (Thank you!!)

The SIx Decade Rosary of Lourdes and St. Bridget

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A six-decade rosary was held by Our Lady when she appeared to St. Bernadette at Lourdes, France in 1858. The peasants around that area of France commonly used this kind of rosary; it differs from the the more common six-decade Brigittine Rosary (see below) only in the Mysteries prayed. The peasants used the accepted mysteries of the common everyday rosary that Catholics pray (known as the “Dominican Rosary”) but added a sixth decade for the Holy Souls in Purgatory. 🙏 From what I can find out online, the residents of the area still practice this devotion.

I’ve been obsessed with a book I’ve started reading: Champions Of The Rosary: The History And Heroes Of A Spiritual Weapon by Fr. Donald Calloway. (I’ll write up a review of it soon.)

I have learned quite a lot about the Rosary and while I have deeply loved it from my reversion through today, reading nearly 200 pages on its history and the saints who’ve championed it has really made me appreciate the extent by which it is critical for Catholics to pray the Dominican Rosary, especially every day. Its role in the salvation of souls is underappreciated and perhaps even little known. Anyway, and more to the point of this post, after reading a few chapters of the heroes of the rosary, I suddenly became obsessed very needful of having my own six-decade rosary, which is odd considering the book doesn’t mention it much. It must be some sort of God-incidental thing where my subconscious mind connected Calloway’s book to my increasing devotion to Our Lady of Lourdes and the lore surrounding the Apparition that I finally thought “I must have one of my own!”

I started looking online for “six decade rosaries” and discovered they’re called “Brigittine Rosaries.” (OK, so I forgot that Calloway did mention those.) They’re just like the cDominican Rosaries except there’s the additional sixth decade. Many online stores sell them; often for a lot more money than I’m willing to spend. I did find one nice source from Canada that offers quite a huge variety, and many are very affordable; but I was turned off by the high shipping costs (tariffs? 😡🤬 ) (If you’re curious, they are Discount Rosaries. They offer a great selection of rosaries and chaplets and other resources for Catholics. If I had a longer shopping list, I might have risked the shipping fees. Please patronize them to make up for my not having done so! 🥺😇 )

So then I thought, “I’ve got a lot of broken and busted rosaries around here. Maybe I can salvage parts from some and make my own!” My first attempt was succesful for about 2 minutes (if that) before it fell to pieces. 😢 After the typical feeling sorry for myself period ran its course, I thought, “There’s a LOT MORE parts left, let me try again!” 💪🏻

SUCCESS! 🎆🎉

It looks a little odd, but after much trial and error (and squinting,) I managed to make a six-decade rosary out of three damaged or broken ones. Saves me money in not having to buy one. 😃

Mine’s a far cry from the gold chain-and-white-beaded rosary Mary held, but I’m happy with it. 😇😃 Like I said above, you pray the Lourdes Six-Decade Rosary using the same Mysteries as the regular rosary, just that the sixth Mystery is for the Holy Souls in Purgatory.

Just two months ago I made a St. Rita Chaplet from busted rosaries! 🤜🏻🤛🏻 There will be a post on that soon!

The “Brigittine Rosary” is named after St. Bridget of Sweden who propagated it. It was often referred to as the “peasant’s rosary” which had no assigned mysteries to it. The peasants made up whatever suited their fancy.  However, the Brigittine Rosary does have formal, assigned Mysteries. (I guess the peasants didn’t care. 🫤 )

The Brigittine Rosary was instituted and propagated by St. Bridget of Sweden. She was favored with visions and extacies but remained profoundly humble with a deep devotion to the Passion of Our Lords and His Holy Wounds, and great love for the Blessed Virgin and made a rosary in her honor. When describing the rosary she constructed, she explained it was 63 Hail Mary beads to honour the 63 years of life the Blessed Virgin lived on earth. This is why it has 6 decades.

How to recite the Brigittine Rosary:

The Eighteen Mysteries of the Brigittine Crown Chaplet

Joyful Mysteries:

 

The Immaculate Conception

The Annunciation of Gabriel to Mary

The Visitation of Mary to Elizabeth

The Birth of Jesus

The Presentation of Jesus In The Temple

The Finding of Jesus In The Temple

 

The Sorrowful Mysteries:

 

The Agony of Jesus In The Garden

Jesus Is Scourged At The Pillar

Jesus Is Crowned With Thorns

Jesus Carries His Cross

The Crucifixion

The Body of the Lord was placed in the Arms of His Sorrowful Mother

 

The Glorious Mysteries:

 

The Resurrection of Jesus

The Ascension of Jesus

The Descent of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost

The Assumption of Mary into Heaven

The Coronation of Mary as Queen of Heaven and Earth

The Patronage of Mary, Mediatrix of All Grace (Brigittine Rosary)

or

The Patronage of Mary, Queen and Beauty of Carmel (Carmelite Rosary)

 

To St Bridgett, Queen of Sweden

 

WITH confident hearts we fly to thee, blessed Bridgett, and ask, in these times of darkness and unbelief,

thy intercession on behalf of those who are separated from the Church of JESUS CHRIST. By the clear

knowledge which thou hadst of the cruel sufferings of our crucified SAVIOUR, the price of our

redemption, we beg of thee to obtain for those who are outside the one fold the grace of faith, so that the

scattered sheep may return to the one true Shepherd.

Through CHRIST our LORD. Amen.

St Bridgett, fearless servant of GOD, pray for us.

St Bridgett, patient in sufferings and humiliations, pray for us.

St Bridgett, wonderful in thy love towards JESUS and Mary, pray for us.

PATER, Ave, Gloria.

Source: Discover a Lost Devotion of Brigittine Crown Chaplet

This source has the Luminous Mysteries: OCDS Tulsa.

If you are curious as to how it became a part of the Carmelite tradition:

How Did it Become Part of the Carmelite Habit?

St. Teresa of Avila prayed the rosary daily and it is believed that when she was traveling throughout Spain founding her monasteries of the reform, she would visit the Brigittine Monastery. It was there that she learned about their six-decade Rosary. As time went on, the six-decade Rosary became part of the Carmelite Habit, with a large medal of Our Lady of Mount Carmel in addition to, or even in place of, the crucifix found on the Dominican Rosary.

Source: The little Brown Scapular Coloring Book

I hope you liked this!

I have a new book! "The Sober Catholic Way" is a handbook on how anyone can live a sober life, drawn from over 17 years of SoberCatholic posts! It's out now on "Amazon," "Apple Books," "B&N" and and others!"!

My two other books are still available! "The Stations of the Cross for Alcoholics" and "The Recovery Rosary: Reflections for Alcoholics and Addicts" (Thank you!!)

Memorial of the First Martyrs of the Church in Rome

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Today is the Memorial of the First Martyrs of the Church in Rome. As I prayed the Divine Office this morning, I was struck by the Intercessory Prayers from the Morning Hour:

INTERCESSIONS

Our Savior’s faithfulness is mirrored in the fidelity of his witnesses who shed their blood for the Word of God. Let us praise him in remembrance of them:

You redeemed us by your blood.

Your martyrs freely embraced death in bearing witness for the faith,

– give us the true freedom of the Spirit, O Lord.

Your martyrs professed their faith by shedding their blood,

– give us a faith, O Lord, that is constant and pure.

Your martyrs followed in your footstep by carrying the cross,

– help us to endure courageously the misfortunes of life.

Your martyrs washed their garments in the blood of the Lamb,

– Help us to avoid the weaknesses of the flesh and worldly allurements.

Courtesy: Common of Several Martyrs – Morning Prayer

I was reminded that we all may be called to be martyrs. But even if not, some of the intercessions do remind us alcoholics and addicts of the road we are called to trudge along, especially:

Your martyrs followed in your footstep by carrying the cross,

– help us to endure courageously the misfortunes of life.

and:

Your martyrs freely embraced death in bearing witness for the faith,

– give us the true freedom of the Spirit, O Lord.

For the first one, evryday we are beset with annoyances and trials. “Normal people,” i.e, the ones who can drink safely, either take these in stride or resort to a few drinks to “take the edge off.” We, of corse, cannot. Furthermore, while in the past we abused the privilege of being able to drink by resorting to it for any reason, we also failed to learn socially acceptavle ways to “take things in stride.” In our recovery we had to relearn basic skills we somehow missed when others learned them. Even long after sobriety, we sometimes have to engage these new coping mechanisms willfully, so as to avoid the drink. Normal respond in stride, alcoholics have to think about how to cope. As Sober Catholics, we’ve learned to “offer it up.”

For the second one, we can reframe the martyrdom as having witnessed our old self dying for recovery. This means that in willingly turning away from the drink, we killed that old addicted version of ourselves and are reborn in Christ Jesus. In essense, we have found what true freedom is; liberation from the chains of addiction and having our souls fed by Holy Mother church via the Mass and Sacraments. We become free to become our truer selves.

I have a new book! "The Sober Catholic Way" is a handbook on how anyone can live a sober life, drawn from over 17 years of SoberCatholic posts! It's out now on "Amazon," "Apple Books," "B&N" and and others!"!

My two other books are still available! "The Stations of the Cross for Alcoholics" and "The Recovery Rosary: Reflections for Alcoholics and Addicts" (Thank you!!)