George Washington's Thanksgiving Proclamation

Portrait of Geo.Washington
by Rembrandt Peale, c. 1846

During the time of the founding fathers Thanksgiving was a day set aside more for prayer and fasting than for revelry and feasting. Though the ethic was a Protestant one in colonial America, there was no shyness regarding religion, no hesitation in acknowledging Christ as the king and ruler of all nations, no question to Whom Americans owed their many blessings.

This is the first Presidential (instead of state or congressional) Thanksgiving Day Proclamation, issued by George Washington in 1789.

Whereas it is the duty of all Nations to acknowledge the providence of almighty God, to obey his will, to be grateful for his benefits, and humbly to implore his protection and favor - and Whereas both Houses of Congress have by their joint Committee requested me "to recommend to the People of the United States a day of public thanksgiving and prayer to be observed by acknowledging with grateful hearts the many signal favors of Almighty God, especially by affording them an opportunity peaceably to establish a form of government for their safety and happiness."

Now therefore I do recommend and assign Thursday the 26th day of November next to be devoted by the People of these States to the service of that great and glorious Being, who is the beneficent Author of all the good that was, that is, or that will be

– That we may then all unite in rendering unto him our sincere and humble thanks

– for his kind care and protection of the People of this country previous to their becoming a Nation

– for the signal and manifold mercies, and the favorable interpositions of his providence, which we experienced in the course and conclusion of the late war

– for the great degree of tranquility, union, and plenty, which we have since enjoyed

– for the peaceable and rational manner in which we have been enabled to establish constitutions of government for our safety and happiness, and particularly the national One now lately instituted, for the civil and religious liberty with which we are blessed, and the means we have of acquiring and diffusing useful knowledge; and in general for all the great and various favors which he hath been pleased to confer upon us.

And also that we may then unite in most humbly offering our prayers and supplications to the great Lord and Ruler of Nations and beseech him to pardon our national and other transgressions

– to enable us all, whether in public or private stations, to perform our several and relative duties properly and punctually

– to render our national government a blessing to all the People, by constantly being a government of wise, just, and constitutional laws, discreetly and faithfully executed and obeyed

– to protect and guide all Sovereigns and Nations (especially such as have shewn kindness unto us) and to bless them with good government, peace, and concord

– To promote the knowledge and practice of true religion and virtue, and the increase of science among them and Us

– and generally to grant unto all mankind such a degree of temporal prosperity as he alone knows to be best.

Given under my hand at the City of New York the third day of October in the year of our Lord 1789.

GO. WASHINGTON.

A Catholic Mom's Trying-To-Remember-It-All Advent Calendar

Can you believe it? 

THREE days until Thanksgiving, which means only SIX days 'til Advent! Are you ready?  I'm sure not! It seems like we only just got through All Saints and All Souls Day, took a breath, and here we are!  We've been working this past week to deep clean the garage and barn, so I at least know where the Advent wreath is, which is an improvement over some years, anyway! But I can't say I've wrapped my brain around the season quite yet.  So, in an effort to get myself organized, I came over to the old blog to dig out my Advent spirit. Here  is the listing of Advent prayers and activities I posted many moons ago for anyone else looking to corral ideas and devotions.


NOVEMBER 28th

*We'll set up the Advent Wreath to be ready for the first Sunday of Advent . 

Note to self: Print out the Advent prayers and have handy to pray on Sunday.

NOVEMBER 30th
* On the Feast of St. Andrew, which is on a Monday this year, we begin:

 The Christmas Novena

The most common Christmas novenas
in a nutshel. 

“Hail and blessed be the hour and the moment

 when the Son of God was born of the most pure Virgin Mary, at midnight, in Bethlehem, in piercing cold.

In that hour vouchsafe, O my God, to hear my prayer and grant my petitions,

through the merits of Our Savior Jesus Christ, and of His Blessed Mother. Amen"

We'll repeat this prayer 15 times a day until Christmas for our various special intentions, ending on Christmas Eve. It doesn't matter how it's done; you can say all fifteen repetitions at once, or split them up during the day, whichever is easiest for you. We tend to do a little of both methods, intending to split them up at mealtimes, five prayers three times a day -- but often enough, missing out and having to bunch them all together at bedtime prayers.  It doesn't matter, though, so long as you get them all in there!  Many many intentions, personal, and general to include in our Christmas novena this year so we don't want to blow it!

A beautiful "click and print" card to post somewhere obvious where we won't forget!

NOVEMBER 30th -- DECEMBER 25th
(Ongoing)
* During the first week of Advent (beginning Monday!), we'll start building our Nativity Scene -- though we're not sure where we'll build it this year in the new "forever"house! The process will continue all the way up until Christmas.  We're going to try to observe more closely the traditional manner and order of constructing the creche than we usually do, adding the traditional prayers and ceremonies you can find at the link.

Note to self:  Find the littlest critters first this year (the ones that don't specifically belong to the Nativity set) and have the children add only one critter a day, then make a bigger production out of the placing of the "official" animals (the sheep, dogs, donkey, and cow) and shepherds on the 18th, and the Holy Family and Shepherds when everyone is together the week before Christmas.  Perhaps have Father over to bless the Creche?

Here's Dominic next to last year's Nativity Scene. He's been the Creche
mastermind for several years now, and not like we're helpless without him...
but we're grateful that he'll be here this weekend to consult with us!

DECEMBER 1st
* In addition to the Christmas Novena, we'll start the daily Christmas Crib Prayers on Tuesday, the 1st.

We found copies of this sweet little devotion when our big grown up boys were tots and prayed it for years until we lost the prayers during some move or another.  But we found it again a couple years ago, reprinted by the lovely lady at House and Hold ! We were all so pleased; we love this simple devotion. It's especially good for families with little ones.
* See below for the entire read-out.

Note to self: Make some more copies and have available for everyone! 


DECEMBER 5th
* On Saturday, begin Novena to St. Lucy (see below)! St. Lucy is the patroness of: the blind or those with eye problems, martyrs, epidemics, salesmen, throat infections and writers!

DECEMBER 6th

*  On the second Sunday of Advent this year, we come to the Feast of St. Nicholas, which  of course we'll celebrate with goodies in the children's shoes in the morning (but no nibbling on any of it until we get back from morning Mass!) and  then a big batch of crockpot peppermint mocha in the afternoon.

(Note to self: Order holy cards and patron saint medals from Aquinas and More or now, in order to get them in time for St. Nick's Day!)

December 8th
* The Eighth of December,  which falls on Tuesday, is the Feast of the Immaculate Conception. (And our grandson, Gavin's, birthday, lucky guy!) It's not a Holy Day of Obligation in the United States, but is a great feast of the Blessed Mother, and we wouldn't miss greeting her on this day for anything!  We'll get flowers to decorate our Blesed Mother shrine, and along with Mass that day, we'll decorate and light a Mary Candle:

"The Mary candle: Some families have the custom of decorating a Christ candle with a blue veil on December 8th, the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception. On this great feast, others place a candle with a blue ribbon before a statue or picture of the Blessed Virgin, whose “yes” to God enabled our Lord’s coming at Christmas. The candle is lit during meal times to serve as a delightful reminder of Mary’s eager expectation of the “Light of the World.” It can also serve as a reminder to each family member to keep their own light of grace burning as a preparation for Christ’s coming."
(From CERC)


(Note to self: Get Hobby Lobby coupon to bring with me to offset cost of pillar candle.)

DECEMBER 10th
* The feast of Our Lady of Loreto. This feast commemorates the miraculous translation of Our Blessed Mother's home in Nazareth to Loreto, Italy, almost 1300 years after her assumption into heaven.  Read the wondrous story here!  In honor of Our Blessed Mother who is the glory of home life, and the perfect example of holy homemaking, we'll be giving the house some good "spit and polish" today.  We'll also take special care to dust and care for all of our holy images: statues, crucifixes, and hanging pictures. And we'll pray the Litany of Loreto in addition to our rosary in Our Lady's honor.

DECEMBER 13th
* On Sunday, the thirteenth of December and the third Sunday of Advent, we get to celebrate The Feast of St. Lucy, with all of its special traditions .  The novena to St. Lucy may be begun on Monday, December 5th, if you like, to finish on her feast day.

Novena to St. Lucy

St. Lucy, Your beautiful name signifies light.  By the light of faith which God bestowed upon you, preserve and increase this light in my soul, so that I may avoid evil, be zealous in the performance of good works, and abhor nothing so much as the blindness and the darkness of evil and of sin.  By your intercession with God, obtain for me perfect vision for my bodily eyes and the grace to use them for God's greater honor and glory and the salvation of all men.  St. Lucy, virgin and martyr, hear my prayers and obtain my petitions.  Amen.

(Note to self: Get copy of Lucia, Saint of Light!)

* We won't make our oldest daughter (or the oldest daughter still at home, which would be Theresa...)  bring everyone breakfast while balancing lit candles on her head. She'd do it, mind you!  But I'd be a nervous wreck.  (I'm still a little traumatized by her First Holy Communion Day eleven years ago, when she caught her hair on fire) I think instead, we'll  let her be the one to decorate and hang up the Mistletoe on this day, though. (History and customs of  mistletoe, here.)

December 16th, 18th, and 19th
* Advent Embertide comes around again, on Wednesday, Friday in the third week of Advent (December December 16th, 18th, and 19th). Adults between the ages of 21 and 59 must fast on all three days, abstain completely on Friday (as usual), and partially abstain on Wednesday and Saturday. Ember days are a particular time to pray for our priests, and are traditionally set aside as well, for prayers for safety from natural disaster, and expecting mothers. These are also days when the Church remembers the poor and suffering.  This would be a good time to make Christmas donations to the needy! 

DECEMBER 16th
* Today, Ember Wednesday, we can begin the Christmas Novena to finish on Christmas Eve. To finish on Christmas day, start on December 17th. There are several novenas from which to choose:  One here, which is lengthy, involves the entire family and corresponds with the O Antiphons; and another one here, which is shorter and less complicated. (And certainly many more upon a google search!)

DECEMBER 18th  
* This day marks the feast of the Expectation of the Blessed Virgin Mary, exactly an octave until the birth of Our Lord.   Originating as early as the 7th century and widely celebrated in the Spanish Church, this feast was called the feast of "St. Maria de la O," because on this day the clerics in the choir after Vespers used to utter a loud and protracted "O," to express the longing of the universe for the coming of the Redeemer.  As a mother, myself, I love this day for contemplating  Mary, the Mother of God, herself: her faith, her hope, her love -- the Christ Child kicking in her womb -- the wonder and joy of it. The expectation!  

Today, as we have since the beginning of the month, we pray our St. Andrew Novena, and meditate on our little Christmas Crib devotion. If we choose to do a nine day novena for Christmas, we will have started that already, too -- But now we ramp things up a bit more even as we approach the big day, adding the O antiphons to our bedtime prayers.  

(Incidentally, today is also the day we introduce the sheep, shepherds, cows and donkey to the stable in our Nativity scene -- a big day for the children.)

 O Antiphons
* And, last, but not least, we begin the  O Antiphons on Friday, the 18th. These are the prayers taken from the Breviary's Vespers during the last octave before the Birth of the Savior, wherein each "stanza" begins with "O." It's this fact that names the O Antiphons. They are correctly prayed in the evening and can also be sung.

* A Spiritual Christmas Crib

The following directions show you how to build a spiritual crib in your heart for Christ. Use it to put Christ into your Christmas in a real, living way.

Start on December 1. Read the thought indicated about Christ's first crib.

Practice it during the day.

Do this daily during December and make your heart a worthy crib for Christ on Christmas Day.

DEC. 1 - THE STABLE

Frequently during the day offer your heart to the little Infant Jesus. Ask Him to make it His home.

--Sweet Jesus, take my heart and make it meek and pure.

DEC. 2 - THE ROOF

See that the roof of the stable is in good condition, so that the Infant Jesus is protected from rain and snow. This you will do by carefully avoiding every uncharitable remark.

--Jesus, teach me to love my neighbor as myself.

DEC. 3 - CREVICES

Carefully stop every crevice in the walls of the stable, so that the wind and cold may not enter there. Guard your senses against temptations. Guard especially your ears against sinful conversations.

--Jesus, help me to keep temptations out of my heart.

DEC. 4 - COBWEBS

Clean the cobwebs from your spiritual crib. Diligently remove from your heart every inordinate desire of being praised. Renew this intention at least three times today.

--My Jesus, I want to please You in all I do today.

DEC. 5 - FENCE

Build a fence about the crib of your heart by keeping a strict watch over your eyes, especially at prayer.

--Sweet Jesus, I long to see You.

DEC. 6 - MANGER

Fix the best and warmest corner of your heart for the manger of Jesus. You will do so by abstaining from what you like most in the line of comfort and amusement.

--Dear Mother Mary, use these sacrifices to prepare my heart for Jesus in Holy Communion.

DEC. 7 - HAY

Supply the manger of your heart with hay, by overcoming all feelings of pride, anger or envy.

--Jesus, teach me to know and correct my greatest sins.

DEC. 8 - SOFT STRAW

Also provide your manger with soft straw by performing little acts of mortification; for instance, bear the cold without complaints; or sit and stand erect.

--Dear Jesus, Who suffered so much for me, let me suffer for love of You.

DEC. 9 - SWADDLING CLOTHES

Prepare these for the Divine Infant by folding your hands when you pray, and praying slowly and thoughtfully.

--Jesus, help me love you more and more.

DEC. 10 - BLANKETS

Provide the manger of your crib with soft warm blankets. Avoid harsh and angry words; be kind and gentle to all.

--Jesus, help me to be meek and humble like You.

DEC. 11 - FUEL

Bring fuel to the crib of Jesus. Give up your own will; obey your superiors cheerfully and promptly.

--Jesus, help me do Your will in all things.

DEC. 12 - WATER

Bring fresh, clean water to the crib. Avoid every untruthful word and every deceitful act.

--Dearest Mary, obtain for me true contrition for my sins.

DEC. 13 - PROVISIONS

Bring a supply of food to the crib. Deprive yourself of some food at mealtime or candy as a treat.

--Jesus, be my strength and nourishment.

DEC. 14 - LIGHT

See that the crib has sufficient light. Be neat and orderly about your person; keep everything in its place in your room.

--Jesus, be the life and light of my soul.

DEC. 15 - FIRE

Take care to have the crib of your heart warmed by a cozy fire. Be grateful to God for the love He has shown us in becoming man; behave with grateful respect towards your parents and relatives.

--Jesus, how can I return Your love; how can I show my gratitude to You?

DEC. 16 - THE OX

Lead the ox to the crib. Obey cheerfully without making excuses and without asking "why."

--I will obey for love of You, Jesus.

DEC. 17 - THE DONKEY

Bring the donkey to the crib. Offer to the Divine Infant your bodily strength; use it in the service of others.

--Jesus, accept my service of love; I offer it for those who do not love You.

DEC. 18 - GIFTS

Gather some presents for the Divine Infant and His Blessed Mother. Give alms for the poor and say an extra decade of the rosary.

--Come, Jesus, to accept my gifts and to take possession of my heart.

DEC. 19 - LAMBS

Strive to bring some little lambs, meek and patient. Do not murmur or complain.

--Jesus, meek and humble of heart, make my heart like unto Thine.

DEC. 20 - SHEPHERDS

Invite the shepherds to pay homage to our newborn King. Imitate their watchfulness; stress in your speech and thoughts the idea that Christmas is important because Jesus will be born again in you.

--Jesus, teach me to love You above all things.

DEC. 21 - THE KEY

Provide the stable with a key to keep out thieves. Exclude from your heart every sinful thought, every rash judgment.

-- Dear Jesus, close my heart to all that hurts You.

DEC. 22 - ANGELS

Invite the angels to adore God with you. Cheerfully obey the inspirations of your guardian angel and of your conscience.

--Holy Guardian Angel, never let me forget that you are with me always.

DEC. 23 - ST. JOSEPH

Accompany Saint Joseph from door to door. Learn from him silently and patiently to bear refusals and disappointments. Open wide your heart and beg him to enter with the Blessed Virgin Mary.

--Saint Joseph, help me to prepare for a worthy Christmas Communion.

DEC. 24 - THE BLESSED VIRGIN

Go meet your Blessed Mother. Lead her to the manger of your heart and beg her to lay the Divine Infant in it. Shorten your chats and telephone conversations and spend more time today thinking of Jesus and Mary and Joseph.

--Come, dear Jesus, Come; my heart belongs to You."

**From: Devotions in Preparation for the Coming of the Christchild, and at the Crib, from Christmas to Purification" by Rev. Frederic Nelson, published by Marian House, Powers Lake, ND 58773

Met this coming out of the loo...

Glad I'd already been.

How it's Done

 

And there you have it.  ;)

(I love being a homeschooling Mom!  I couldn't bear to miss all this kind of fun if I weren't!)

On the Feast off St. Raphael

Prayed today to St. Raphael the Archangel, who besides being the patron saint of apothecaries; blind people; bodily ills; the diocese of Madison, WI, druggists; the archdiocese of Dubuque, Iowa; eye problems; guardian angels, in general; happy meetings; insanity; lovers; mental illness; nightmares, nurses; pharmacists; physicians; the archdiocese of Seattle, Washington; shepherds; sick people; young people, and people who seek spouses...

 (breath)

is also the patron saint of travelers. 

So, yes, indeed we prayed to St. Raphael.  And to the good St. Thomas Aquinas, who has always been our automotive go-to saint...  because, we need a new car!

The Durango has an inoperable transmission illness and is no longer a dependable family vehicle. Doggonit, anyway. But, to be perfectly honest, we didn't really expect that it would be a long-term solution.  The Durango was rather a "stop-gap" car between Vegas and real life (when the a/c on the old Honda Odyssey died)  We have been expecting to replace it -- and, it seems that "sooner or later" is suddenly "now."

 So, after some looking around and researching, we found what looked like a good car for what looked like a good deal in (of all places) Overland Park, Kansas.  Which, though it sounds like an extreme commute to go car shopping (considering we live in Iowa) is only three hours away. 

So, it was just a little road trip today with Dan, St. Thomas Aquinas, St. Raphael, and me along.

And, though we went specifically to look at another Honda Odyssey, we came home with this:

A Toyota Sienna

Isn't it purty? It's a used car -- actually a 2004 -- but it's got a reasonable number of miles on it for the years and was meticulously cared for by its owner (unlike the Odyssey that was parked right next to it); it looks brand spanking new, inside and out (unlike the Odyssey) and drives like a dream (unlike... etc.).  And we got it for a song!  So, we're all very pleased.  An easy-to drive car for me (she's mine!), with good gas mileage (for Dan), and plenty of cup holders (to make the children happy!) Perfect!  Just what we prayed for.

Thank-you, St. Thomas and St. Raphael!

Disputes

Watching an excellent Ken Burns documentary about the Roosevelts this afternoon. (We love Ken Burns' documentaries!) Hearing of Teddy Roosevelt's Portsmouth Treaty (where he corralled the Russians and Japanese and for which he received the Nobel peace prize), William, in indignation, fixes me with an accusing eye and demands to know, "And why have I never heard of these disputes?!"

And why have I never heard of these disputes?

Uh, yeah... sorry about that, William. (Smirk) I guess it just never came up over tea and toast. (Sheesh. Too much pressure for a mom of just barely average IQ here... And, man oh man, do you remind me of TR!)

LOTR Risk

The little boys found out about this game by finding *just* the board at a thrift store... But couldn't find the whole game or replacement pieces for sale anywhere (we don't think they make them any more!). So, being the enterprising little Tolkien fans that they are, Gabe and William researched it, found the best price on eBay, bid on it, won the bid, paid for it (trading cash for Dad's cc) -- and it arrived today in the mail!

No more school this day!

And I'm good with that. Just one more beauty of being home schoolers! Real life education at its best + some good old-fashioned reading and understanding of instructions ( these are intricate!) + strategy and scoring -- and classic literature thrown in, to boot! Who needs text books!?

 

 

 

The Enthronement of the Sacred Heart of Jesus

Just in time for the Feast of St. Margaret Mary, the Saint to whom Our Lord revealed the devotion to His most Sacred Heart, we were able, with the assistance of our good friend, Fr. Borja, to bless our family and our home with the Enthronement of The Sacred Heart of Jesus.  We had agreed beforehand with Father, to set a date to come have dinner with us and be our master of ceremonies, so to speak, but a priest doesn't need to be present for this wonderful devotion.  Just make sure you have your image blessed first, and follow the following formula:

The Ceremony

1. All gather around the image of the Sacred Heart; father, mother, and children nearest to the priest
(in that order).
.
(Our Enthronement Ceremony: Thursday, October 15th, the feast of St. Teresa of Avila. Our five youngest children and big brother, Frater Philip, were present with Dan and me, along with my mother and my two sisters, Linda and Donna.  Our presiding priest was great family friend, Father Carlos Borja. If you cannot have a priest present, you may still enthrone the Sacred Heart with the father of the family presiding.  Just have the image blessed beforehand.)

2.  Priest, in surplice and white stole, blesses the image.

(Here's our image in a carefully chosen place of honor in the corner of the kitchen where everyone passes many times throughout the day. It's a combined statue of the Sacred and Immaculate Hearts, with a special place for a votive candle and a holy water font.  Found in rough shape in an antique shoppe in Florence, CO a couple years ago, Frater Philip recently restored it for us just for the occasion.It turned out just beautifully!)

The Blessing

v Adjutorium nostrum innomine Domini.
(v. Our help is in the name of the Lord.)

R. qui fecit coelum et terram.
(R. Who hath made heaven and earth.)

V. Dominus vobiscum.
(V. the Lord be with you.)

R. Et cum spiritu tuo.
(R. And with thy spirit.)

Oremus.  Omnipotens sempiterne Deus, qui Sanctorum tuorum imagines pingi non reprobas, ut quoties illas oculis corporis intuemur, toties eorum actus et sanctitatem ad imitandum memoriae oculis meditemur, hancquaesumus, imaginem in horem et memoriam sacratissimi Cordis Unigeniti Filii tui Domini Nostri Jesu Christi adaptatam bene + dicere et sancti + ficare digneris; et praesta ut quicumque coram illa, Cor Sacratissimum Unigeniti Filli tui suppkiceter colere et horare studuerit, illius meritis et obentu a te gratiam in praesenti, et aeternam gloriam obtineat in futurum. Per Christum Dominum nostrum. Amen.

Let us pray. Almighty and everlasting god, Who dost approve the painting and sculpturing of the images of Thy saints, so that as often as we gaze upon them we are reminded to imitate their deeds and sanctify; vouchsafe, we implore Thee, to bless and sanctify this image made in honor and in memory of the Most Sacred Heart of Thy only begotten Son, our Lord Jesus Christ; and grant, that whosoever, in its presence will suppliantly worship and honor the Most Sacred Heart of Thy only begotten Son, may obtain through His merits and intercession grace in this life and everlasting glory in the world to come.  through Christ our Lord. Amen.

(Here the priest sprinkles the image with holy water.)

3.  Then the father (or, in his absence, the mother or some other member of the family) enthrones the image in the place of honor prepared for it.  This is the symbolic act of Enthronement!

4. All stand while the Apostles' Creed is recited as an act of faith on the part of the family.

5. Everyone is seated while the priest addresses a few words to those present, reminding the members of the family of what the Sacred Heart expects from families which have acknowledged Him as King; recalling the magnificent promises of the Sacred Heart; urging the family to live its Enthronement, and frequently to renew the act of consecration which they are about to make.

6. All kneel, while the priest and the father (or father alone, or his representative) recite the official Act of Consecration.

Act of Consecration to the Sacred Heart

(Recited by the priest and the father together, or father alone -- or representative -- if priest is absent.  This formula is required for indulgences and may not be changed.)

O Sacred Heart of Jesus, Who didst make known to St. Margaret Mary Thine ardent desire to reign over Christian families, behold us assembled here today to proclaim Thine absolute dominion over our home.

Henceforth we purpose to lead a life like unto Thine so that amongst us may flourish the virtues for
which Thou didst promise peace on earth, and for this end we will banish from our midst the spirit of the world which Thou dost abhor so much.

Thou wilt reign over our understanding by the simplicity of our faith.  Thou wilt reign over our hearts by an ardent love for Thee; and may the flame of this love be ever kept burning in our hearts by the frequent reception of the Holy Eucharist.

Deign, O Divine Heart, to preside over our meetings, to bless our undertakings both spiritual and temporal, to banish all worry and care, to sanctify our joys and soothe our sorrows.  If any of us should ever have the misfortune to grieve Thy Sacred Heart, remind him of Thy goodness and mercy towards the repentant sinner.

Lastly when the hour of separation will sound and death will plunge our home into mourning, then shall we all and every one of us be resigned to Thy eternal decrees, and seek consolation in the thought that we shall one day be reunited in heaven, where we shall sing the praises and blessings of Thy Sacred Heart for all eternity.

May the Immaculate Heart of Mary and the glorious Patriarch St. Joseph off Thee this our Consecration and remind us of the same all the days of our life.

Glory to the Divine Heart of Jesus, our King and our Father!

7.  The priest here asks those present to say with him one Our Father and one hail Mary for all the absent members both living and dead, so that all may share in the graces of the Enthronement.

8.  All recite with the priest (or head of the family) the following:

Prayer of Thanksgiving

Glory be to Thee, O Sacred Heart of Jesus, for the infinite mercy Thou hast bestowed upon the privileged members of this family.  Thou has chosen it from thousands of others as a recipient of Thy love and a sanctuary of reparation wherein Thy most loving Heart shall find consolation for the ingratitude of men.  How great, O Lord Jesus, is the confusion of this portion of Thy faithful flock as we accept the unmerited honor of seeing Thee preside over our family!  Silently we adore Thee, overjoyed to see Thee sharing under the same roof the toils, cares, and joys of Thy innocent children!  It is true we are not worthy that though shouldst enter our humble abode, but Thou hast already reassured us, when Thou didst reveal Thy Sacred Heart to us, teaching us to find in the wound of Thy Sacred Sid the source of grace and life everlasting.  In this loving and trusting spirit, we give ourselves to Thee, Thou Who art unchanging Life.  Remain with us, Most Sacred Heart, for we feel an irresistible desire to love Thee and make Thee loved.

May our home be for Thee a haven as sweet as that of Bethany, where Thou canst find rest in the midst of loving friends, who like Mary have chosen the better part in loving intimacy of Thy Heart!  May this home be for Thee, O beloved Savior, a humble but hospitable refuge during the exile imposed on Thee by Thine enemies.

Come, then Lord Jesus, come, for here as at Nazareth, we have a tender love for the Virgin Mary, Thy sweet Mother, Whom Thou hast given us to be our Mother.  Come, to fill with Thy sweet presence the vacancies which misfortune and death have wrought in our midst.

O most faithful Friend, hadst Thou been here in the midst of sorrow, our tears would have been less bitter; the comforting balm of peace would then have soothed these hidden wounds. which are known to Thee alone.  Come, for even now perhaps, there is drawing near for us the twilight of tribulation and the decline of the passing days of our youth and our illusions. Stay with us, for already it is late, and a perverted world seeks to envelope us in the darkness of its denials while we wish to adhere to Thee Who alone art the Way, the Truth, and the Life. Repeat for us those words Thou didst utter of old, "This day I must abide in this home."

Yes, dear Lord, take up Thy abode with us, so that we may live in Thy love and in Thy presence, we who proclaim Thee as our King and wish no other!  May Thy triumphant Heart, O Jesus, be forever loved, blessed, and glorified in this home!  Thy Kingdom Come!  Amen!

9.  (All stand.)  To thank the Immaculate Heart of Mary for the grace of the Enthronement, and to proclaim this loving Mother as the queen of the home, all recite the Hail Holy Queen. (If so desired, an Act of Consecration to the Heart of Mary may be added, and her image installed near the Sacred Heart.)

10. Most Sacred Heart of Jesus: Have mercy on us! (3 times)
     Immaculate Heart of Mary: Pray for us
     St. Joseph: Pray for us.
     St. Margaret Mary: Pray for us.
     (All) Glory to the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus forever and ever! Amen.

11. The priest gives his blessing: Benectio Dei omnipontentis, Patris, et Filii, et Spiritus Sancti, descendat super vos et maneat semper. Amen. May the blessing of Almighty God, Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, descend upon you and remain forever. Amen.

12.  then the members of the family and the priest sign the Certificate of the Enthronement, which should be framed and hung near the image of the Sacred Heart or kept in the family archives.

13.  Then are announced the following indulgences to be gained by members of the family (Raccolta 1943, page 536)

   1. a plenary indulgence under the usual conditions, on the day of the Enthronement.
   2. an indulgence of 7 years for all the members of the family who, at least contrite of heart assist at the ceremony of the Enthronement in their home.
   3. an indulgence of 3 years -- once a year, on the day they renew their official act of consecration before the likeness of the Sacred Heart of Jesus.
   4. a plenary indulgence on the same day under the usual conditions.

Note: The CEREMONY of the Enthronement is only the beginning: the following practices will help you LIVE the Enthronement.

This is the TRUE reign of the Sacred Heart in your family:

1.  Frequent and even daily attendance at Mass by at least one member of the family, and Communion of Reparation.  Recite the "Mass of St. John" during the day.

2.  Observance of the First Friday of each month.

3.  Daily Family Rosary before the enthroned image of the Sacred Heart with renewal of the act of consecration (Short form).

4.  Celebration of the Feast of the Sacred Heart by the entire family; attendance at Mass, Communion for the extension of the reign of the Sacred Heart through the Enthronement; family gathering and celebration at home, with renewal of Enthronement; special party for the children.

5.  Observe the month of June, the month of June, the month of the Sacred Heart; keep flowers before the "throne."  Mass and Communion as often as possible.

6.  Assist at Holy Hour in Church.

7. Night Adoration in the home.  Any hour between 9 and 6, by any one or all the members of the family at least once a month.

8.  Celebrate the Feast of the Immaculate Heart of Mary on the 22nd of August. Mass \, Communion;Consecration of the family to the Immaculate Heart.

9.  Make the five First Saturdays in reparation to the Immaculate Heart of Mary.

10.  Practice devotion to the Holy Ghost. Recite the "Rosary of the Holy Ghost."

Special Occasions on Which the Family Should Renew the Act of Consecration

(Prayer of Thanksgiving may be added.)

1. Feast of the Sacred Heart; Christ the King.

2. Anniversary of the Enthronement.

3. Anniversary of parents and children.

4. At births: after Baptism in the Church consecrate the children to the Sacred Heart before the"throne" in the home.

5.  At First Communion: prepare the children before the image of the Sacred Heart in the home.  When they return from Church, let the children renew the act of consecration made for them by parents at birth.

6.  Before a departure from home: to join the army, the convent, the seminary, before marriage, etc.

7.  On the return of an absent member of the family.

8. On days of great family joys: in times of sorrow, sickness and death.

Note: There is no more appropriate way for a young couple to begin their married life, than to enthrone the Sacred Heart in their new home.

Renewal of the Consecration of the Family

(Can be said at night prayers in union with all families in which the Sacred Heart of Jesus has been enthroned.)

Most sweet Jesus, humbly kneeling at Thy feet, we renew the consecration of our family to Thy Divine Heart. Be Thou our King forever!  In Thee we have full and entire confidence.  May Thy spirit penetrate our thoughts, our desires, our words, and our woks. bless our undertakings, share in our joys, in our trials and in our labors.  Grant us to know Thee better, to love Thee more, to serve Thee without faltering.

By the Immaculate Heart of Mary, Queen of Peace, set up Thy kingdom inour country. Enter closely into the midst of our families and make them Thine own through the solemn enthronement of Thy Sacred Heart, so that soon one cry may resound from home to home: "May the triumphant Heart of Jesus be everywhere loved, blessed, and glorified forever!" Honor and glory to the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary! "Sacred Heart of Jesus, protect our families!"
+ 300 days indulgence, Raccolta, p. 143

Nihil Obstat: Vincent Davis, SS. CC.
Nihil Obstat: John Tracey Ellis, Censor Librorum

Imprimi Potest: William J. Condon, SS. CC., Provincialis, Aug. 5, 1955
Imprimatur: Patrick A. O'Boyle, Archbishop of Washington

* And when all is done...

Serve Cake!

(*Here, enjoying a feast of Tres Leche cake with Father Carlos and Frater Philip serving -- Gabe looking on in anticipation.)

On the Feast of St. Michael

This is the true story of a Marine wounded at war...

    Dear Mom,

    I am writing to you from a hospital bed. Don’t worry, Mom, I am okay. I was wounded, but the doctor says that I will be up in no time.

    But that’s not what I have to tell you, Mom. Something happened to me that I don’t dare tell anyone else for fear of their disbelief. But I have to tell you, the one person I can confide in, though even you may find it hard to believe.

    You remember the prayer to Saint Michael that you taught me to pray when I was little: “Michael, Michael of the morning,…” Before I left home for Korea, you urged me to remember this prayer before any confrontation with the enemy. But you really didn’t have to remind me, Mom. I have always prayed it, and when I got to Korea, I sometimes said it a couple of times a day while marching or resting.

    Well, one day, we were told to move forward to scout for Commies. It was a really cold day. As I was walking along, I perceived another fellow walking beside me, and I looked to see who it was.

    He was a big fellow, a Marine about 6’4” and built proportionally. Funny, but I didn’t know him, and I thought I knew everyone in my unit. I was glad to have the company and broke the silence between us:

    “Chilly today, isn’t it?” Then I chuckled because suddenly it seemed absurd to talk about the weather when we were advancing to meet the enemy. 
He chuckled too, softly.

    “I thought I knew everyone in my outfit,” I continued, “ but I have never seen you before.”

    “No,” he agreed, “I have just joined. The name is Michael.”

    “Really?! That’s mine, too.”

    “I know,” the Marine said, “Michael, Michael of the morning….”

    Mom, I was really surprised that he knew about my prayer, but I had taught  it to many of the other guys, so I supposed that the newcomer must have picked it up from someone else. As a matter of fact, it had gotten around to the extent that some of the fellows were calling me “Saint Michael.”

    Then, out of the blue, Michael said, “There’s going to be trouble ahead.”

    I wondered how he could know that. I was breathing hard from the march, and my breath hit the cold air like dense clouds of fog. Michael seemed to be in top shape because I couldn’t see his breath at all. Just then, it started to snow heavily, and soon it was so dense I could no longer hear or see the rest of my outfit. I got a little scared and yelled, “Michael!” Then I felt his strong hand on my shoulder and heard his voice in my ear, “It’s going to clear up soon.”
 

    It did clear up, suddenly. And then, just a short distance ahead of us, like so many dreadful realities, were seven Commies, looking rather comical in their funny hats. But there was nothing funny about them now; their guns were steady and pointed straight in our direction.

    “Down, Michael!!” I yelled as I dove for cover. Even as I was hitting the ground, I looked up and saw Michael still standing, as if paralyzed by fear, or so I thought at the time. Bullets were spurting all over the place, and Mom, there was no way those Commies could have missed at that short distance. I jumped up to pull him down, and then I was hit. The pain was like a hot fire in my chest, and as I fell, my head swooned and I remember thinking, “I must be dying…” Someone was laying me down, strong arms were holding me and laying me gently on the snow. Through the daze, I opened my eyes, and the sun seemed to blaze in my eyes. Michael was standing still, and there was a terrible splendor in his face. Suddenly, he seemed to grow, like the sun, the splendor increasing intensely around him like the wings of an angel. As I slipped into unconsciousness, I saw that Michael held a sword in his hand, and it flashed like a million lights.

    Later on, when I woke up, the rest of the guys came to see me with the sergeant.

    “How did you do it, son?” he asked me.

    “Where’s Michael?” I asked in reply.

    “Michael who?” The sergeant seemed puzzled.

    “Michael, the big Marine walking with me, right up to the last moment. I saw him there as I fell.”

    “Son,” the sergeant said gravely, “you’re the only Michael in my unit. I hand-picked all you fellows, and there’s only one Michael. You. And son, you weren’t walking with anyone. I was watching you because you were too far off from us, and I was worried.

    Now tell me, son,” he repeated, “how did you do it?”

    It was the second time he had asked me that, and I found it irritating.

    “How did I do what?”

    “How did you kill those seven Commies? There wasn’t a single bullet fired from your rifle.”

    “What?”

    “Come on, son. They were strewn all around you, each one killed by a swordstroke.”

    And that, Mom, is the end of my story. It may have been the pain, or the blazing sun, or the chilling cold. I don’t know, Mom, but there is one thing I am sure about. It happened.

    Love your son,

    Michael 

Note: The above true story of a Marine wounded in Korea in 1950.  Father Walter Muldy, a navy chaplain who spoke to the young Marine and his mother as well as to the outfit commander, always affirmed the veracity of this narrative. We heard it from someone who read the original letter and retell the story here in all its details and in the first person to better convey some of the impact it must have had when first told by the son to his mother. 

Michael of the Morning Prayer

Michael, Michael of the morning, Fresh chord of Heaven adorning, Keep me safe today, And in time of temptation Drive the devil away. Amen.