“O MARY, HELP ME AT MY LAST HOUR”

O most holy Virgin Mary, who stands for ever before the Most Holy Trinity; and to whom it is granted at all times to pray for us to your most beloved Son; pray for me in all my needs; help me, beg and obtain for me the pardon of all my sins.

Help me especially at my last hour; and when I can no longer give any sign of the use of reason, then encourage me, make the sign of the cross for me, and fight for me against the enemy. Make in my name an act of faith; favour me with a sign of my salvation, and never let me despair of the mercy of God.

Help me to defeat the wicked enemy. When I can no longer say, “Jesus, Mary and Joseph, I place my soul in your hands”, say it for me. When I can no longer hear human words of consolation, comfort me.

Do not leave me before I have been judged, and when my soul needs purifying from sin in purgatory, pray for me without ceasing, and inspire my friends on earth to pray for me, so that I may soon enjoy the blessed sight of God. Lighten my sufferings, deliver me quickly, and lead my soul into heaven with you, so that united with you and all the saints, I may bless and praise God for all eternity. Amen.
– St John Vianney

 

MARTYRDOM OF PAUL YUN JI-CHUNG AND COMPANIONS RECOGNISED

“Pope Francis has recognised the martyrdom of 124 Catholics who were killed during widespread persecution in Korea in the 18th and 19th centuries. He also approved a decree recognising the martyrdom of Conventual Franciscan Father Francesco Zirano, an Italian priest killed in Algeria in 1603.

THE CAUSE OF PAUL YUN JI-CHUNG

The Korean cause, referred to as the cause of Paul Yun Ji-Chung and 123 companions, recognises the sacrifices of those killed for their faith between 1791 and 1888. More than 10,000 Catholics in Korea were killed during that period, starting in 1785.

Blessed Pope John Paul II declared Paul Yun and his companions ‘servants of God’ in 2003. He had already canonised Fr Andrew Kim and 102 other Korean martyrs during a trip to South Korea in 1984.

While no date has been set for the beatification of Yun and his companions, the Vatican has said it is studying the possibility of Pope Francis visiting South Korea, perhaps in mid-August to coincide with the celebration of Asian Youth Day in Daejeon.

The Pope has also approved three other decrees, recognising the Mexican founder of a religious order, an Italian Franciscan priest and a Spanish nun for having lived the Christian virtues in a heroic way and declaring them ‘venerable.’

Recognition of a miracle directly attributed to each candidate’s intercession is needed before beatification.”
– This article was published in “The Catholic Universe” issue Sunday 23rd February, 2014. For subscriptions please visit http://www.thecatholicuniverse.com (external link).

 

2nd MARCH, GOSPEL READING (MATTHEW 6:24-34)

SET YOUR HEART ON THE KINGDOM

No one can serve two masters; for he will either hate one and love the other, or he will be loyal to the first and look down on the second. You cannot at the same time serve God and money.

This is why I tell you not to be worried about food and drink for yourself, or about clothes for your body. Is not life more important than food, and is not the body more important than clothes? Look at the birds in the air; they do not sow, they do not harvest and do not store food in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you less worthy than they are?

Can any of you add a day to your life by worrying about it? Why are you so worried about your clothes? Look at how the flowers in the fields grow. They do not toil or spin. But I tell you that not even Solomon in all his wealth was clothed like one of these. If God so clothes the grass in the field, which blooms today and is to be burned tomorrow in an oven, how much more will he clothe you? What little faith you have!

Do not worry and say: What are we going to eat? What are we going to drink? or: What shall we wear? The pagans busy themselves with such things; but your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. Set your heart first on the kingdom and justice of God, and all these things will also be given to you. Do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

V. The Gospel of the Lord.
R. Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

 

2nd MARCH, BIBLE READING II (1 CORINTHIANS 4:1-5)

STEWARDS OF THE SECRET WORKS OF GOD

Let everyone then see us as the servants of Christ and stewards of the secret works of God. Being stewards, faithfulness shall be demanded of us; but I do not mind if you or any human court judges me. I do not even judge myself; my conscience indeed does not accuse me of anything, but that is not enough for me to be set right with God: the Lord is the one who judges me.

Therefore, do not judge before the time, until the coming of the Lord. He will bring to light whatever was hidden in darkness and will disclose the secret intentions of the hearts. Then each one will receive praise from God.

V. The word of the Lord.
R. Thanks be to God.

 

2nd MARCH, BIBLE READING I (ISAIAH 49:14-15)

Sing, O heavens, and rejoice, O earth;
break forth into song, O mountains:
For the Lord comforted his people
and taken pity on those who are afflicted.

But Zion said: “The Lord has forsaken me,
my Lord has forgotten me.”
Can a woman forget the baby at her breast
and have no compassion on the child of her womb?
Yet though she forget, I will never forget you.

V. The word of the Lord.
R. Thanks be to God.

 

I WILL WALK IN THE PRESENCE OF THE LORD IN THE LAND OF THE LIVING

Antiphon: The Lord turned his ear to me.

In Paschaltide: Ant. Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia.

PSALM 114

I love the Lord for he has heard
the cry of my appeal;
for he turned his ear to me
in the day when I called him.

They surrounded me, the snares of death,
with the anguish of the tomb;
they caught me, sorrow and distress.
I called on the Lord’s name.

O Lord my God, deliver me!
How gracious is the Lord, and just;
our God has compassion.
The Lord protects the simple hearts;
I was helpless and he saved me.

Turn back, my soul, to your rest
for the Lord has been good;
he has kept my soul from death,
my eyes from tears
and my feet from stumbling.

I will walk in the presence of the Lord
in the land of the living.
– From the Divine Office (Liturgy of Hours)

 

ABOUT ST WALBURGA, PATRON SAINT AGAINST RABIES

“CANONISED ON WALPURGIS NIGHT (WALPURGISNACHT)

St Walburga was born in Devonshire and descended from an aristocratic family. She was an English missionary to the Frankish Empire, and was canonised [declared a Saint] on May 1, 870 by Pope Adrian II. Walpurgis Night (or Walpurgisnacht) is the name for the eve of her day, which coincides with May Day.

OF A SAINTLY FAMILY

Walburga was the daughter of St Richard the pilgrim, one of the under-kings of the West Saxons and of Winna, sister of St Boniface, the Apostle of Germany who had travelled from his native Devon to convert the Saxons on the continent. Her brother St Winibald is buried in the Basilica of San Frediano, Lucca, where he died on pilgrimage in 722. Her other brother was St Willibald, making hers one of the saintliest families in English history.

BROUGHT UP AT WIMBORNE ABBEY

When St Richard went on pilgrimage with his two sons to the Holy Land, he entrusted St Walburga, just 11 years old, to the abbess of Wimborne. She was educated by the nuns of Wimborne Abbey in Dorset and remained there for 26 years. She then joined her brothers and mother in Germany in order to evangelise the pagans there.

A MISSIONARY IN GERMANY

Walburga became a nun in the double monastery of Heidenheim am Hahnenkamm, which was founded by her brother, Willibald, who she succeeded following his death in 751, when she became the abbess.

Walburga died on February 25 in 777 or 779 and was laid to rest in Heidenheim. In the 1870s her remains were transferred to Eichstaett.

SHE WAS LAID TO REST IN BAVARIA

Walburga is the patroness of Eichstaett, Oudenarde, Furdes, Antwerp, Weilburg, and Zutphen, and is the patron saint against hydrophobia (the condition that rabies victims suffer from), storms, and also sailors.

St Walburga’s Abbey is situated in Eichsmett, Bavaria and there is another Benedictine Abbey of St Walburga in Virginia Dale, Colorado.

She also gave her name to the historic St Walburga’s church in Preston, which at 309ft remains the tallest parish church in England, and shorter than only two cathedrals…”
– This article was published in “The Catholic Herald” issue February 21 2014. For subscriptions please visit http://www.catholicherald.co.uk (external link).

 

FOR YOUR DIARY: TAIZE LENTEN PRAYER, LONDON, UK

“‘Pilgrimage of trust on earth’

LENTEN PRAYER AROUND THE CROSS

This will take place

• VENUE: St George’s Cathedral (Lambeth Road, London SE1 6HR)

• DATE: Friday, 14th March 2014

• 7.45pm. Song practice will start at 7.15pm.

It will be led by a brother of the Taize community and will include a meditation by Bernadette Farrell.

÷ All are invited to attend. ÷

For further details, go to http://www.taize.fr/en-article683.html [external link].”

 

“DESPISE THE MAXIMS OF THE WORLD, THEY ARE ALL FALSE, HOLLOW AND CONTRARY TO DIVINE LAW”

PRAYER: “O Jesus, I do not deserve to live, unless I serve You with all my life.”

PERFECT UNITY WITH JESUS.

THE WORLD IS DEAD TO ME AND I AM DEAD TO THE WORLD.

Do you want perfect unity with Jesus? Then you must renounce the world. Reading the Gospels, it is clear that He launched many an attack on the world through His words and actions. He condemned it, and even excluded it from His divine prayers.

Worldliness then must be seen as the great enemy that you, O Christian, must wholly hate, seeing that it was so hated by our Lord Jesus, Eternal Truth and Infinite Wisdom. Despise the goods of the world, they contain nothing but seductions and the poison of death. Despise the maxims of the world, they are all false, hollow and contrary to divine law. Think nothing of the hatred of the world, if Jesus Christ was treated as a madman, it is no surprise that His followers are likewise treated.

The world is mired in malice, friendship with it means enmity with God, and if you follow the world, you too will become worldly with the worldly, corrupt with the corrupt and damned with the damned. Therefore despise it all, so as to be able to say with St Paul, the world is dead to me and I am dead to the world.
– Mons. Nicola Tafuri

 

ST DAVID’S DAY, GOSPEL READING (MATTHEW 5:13-16)

ST DAVID, BISHOP, PATRON OF WALES: 1st MARCH. ENGLAND: FEAST; WALES: SOLEMNITY

Antiphon: “My teaching, which I have put in your mouth, will never fail, says the Lord; the gifts which you offered on my altar will be accepted.”

SALT AND LIGHT

Jesus said to his disciples: “You are the salt of the earth. But if salt becomes tasteless, what can make it salty again? It is good for nothing, and can only be thrown out to be trampled underfoot by men.

You are the light of the world. A city built on a hill top cannot be hidden. No one lights a lamp to put it under a tub; they put it on the lamp-stand where it shines for everyone in the house. In the same way your light must shine in the sight of men, so that, seeing your good works, they may give praise to your Father in heaven.”

V. The Gospel of the Lord.
R. Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.