Miraculous Medal Novena

Monday at 9:00 a.m. Mass followed by the Novena 

"O Immaculate Virgin Mary,  Mother of Our Lord Jesus and our Mother, penetrated with the most lively confidence in your all-powerful and never-failing intercession, manifested so often through the Miraculous Medal, we your loving and trustful children implore you to obtain for us the graces and favors we ask during this novena, if they be beneficial to our immortal souls, and the souls for whom we pray. (Here form your petition)

You know, O Mary, how often our souls have been the sanctuaries of your Son who hates iniquity. 
Obtain for us then a deep hatred of sin and that purity of heart which will attach us to God alone so that our every thought, word and deed may tend to His greater glory. 

Obtain for us also a spirit of prayer and self-denial that we may recover by penance what we have lost by sin and at length attain to that blessed abode where you are the Queen of angels and of men. Amen. 

History of the Miraculous Medal Novena

The Miraculous Medal, originally known as the medal of the Immaculate Conception, was shown to Saint Catherine Labouré on November 27, 1830 by the Blessed Virgin Mary. Catherine saw Our Lady standing on a globe, with Brilliant rays of light streaming down from her outstretched fingers. Around the figure was the inscription: O Mary, conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee. Mary instructed Catherine: "Have a medal struck upon this model. Those who wear it will receive great graces, especially if they wear it around the neck." 

On the reverse she was shown the letter M with a cross monogram, below it was the Sacred Heart of Jesus crowned with thorns, and the Immaculate Heart of Mary pierced with a sword.

The medals were first made and distributed in Paris in 1832, upon approval by the Catholic Church. Almost immediately many blessings were bestowed upon wearers of the medal, just as Mary had promised. Use of the medal today is worldwide, and the stories of the blessings continue to be spread.

Devotion to and wearing of the Miraculous Medal is second to the Rosary in popularity among traditional Catholic devotions. The below set of prayers is but one of the novenas which come from the Central Association of the Miraculous Medal. It may be said daily for nine consecutive days.

Our Lady of Perpetual Help Novena and Benediction

Wednesday at 8:00 p.m. 

"My name is Mother of Perpetual Help, No century or country can claim me. 

I belong to all ages and all peoples."

Many names have been given to me. I have been called the "Virgin of the Passion," "the Golden Madonna," the Mother of the Redemptorist Missionaries, the Mother of Catholic homes."

The name of my own choosing is "Mother of Perpetual Help." It is also the name by which Pope Pius IX requested the Redemptorist Missionaries to make me known. My story is of how Heaven hallows human happenings for purposes Divine. it is a history of a straight line drawn through human history.

It is the story of an unknown artist, a repentant thief, a curious little girl, an abandoned church, and old religious and a Pope.

And above all, it is the story of my presence in the apostolic life of the Missionaries of the Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer.1. The merchant who stole "our Lady" There is a tradition from the 16th century that tells of a merchant from Crete who stole a miraculous picture from one of its churches.

He hid it among his wares and set out westward. It was only through Divine Providence that he survived a wild tempest and landed on shore. After a year he arrived in Rome with his stolen picture.

It was there that he became mortally ill and looked for a friend to care for him. At his hour of death, he revealed his secret of the picture and begged his friend to return it to the church. His friend promised that he would do so, but because his wife did not want to relinquish such a beautiful treasure, the friend also died without fulfilling the promise. At last the Blessed Virgin appeared to the six year old daughter of this Roman family and told her to tell her mother and grandmother that the picture of Holy Mary of Perpetual Help should be placed in the Church of St. Matthew the Apostle, located between the basilicas of St. Mary Major and St. John Lateran.

The tradition relates, how, after many doubts and difficulties, "the mother obeyed and after consulting with the priests in charge of the church, the picture of the Virgin was placed in St. Matthew's on the 27th of March, 1499." There it would be venerated during the next 300 years. thus began the second phase of the history of the icon, and devotion to Our Mother of Perpetual Help began to spread throughout the city of Rome.

Légion de Marie

Friday 5:45 p.m. in the Rectory & Saturday 9:30 a.m. in the Rectory

The Legion of Mary was born September 7, 1921, at the celebration of Vespers of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary. In Dublin (Ireland), a dozen people gathered around Frank Duff, to hear about the "Treatise on True Devotion to the Blessed Virgin" of St. Louis Marie Grignon de Montfort. They invoked the Holy Spirit, meditated the Rosary, and have created a form of apostolate starting with visit, two by two, like the apostles, the sick and those in distress. They also expressed the desire to return the following week.

From the beginning, the lines of movement are set: common prayer, apostolic work and the weekly meeting at which all active members have a duty to participate.

The Legion of Mary always has the desire to work closely with the ecclesiastical authorities, which allows it to flourish.

"Adoration is the first attitude of man acknowledging that he is a creature before his Creator. It exalts the greatness of the Lord who made us and the almighty power of the Savior who sets us free from evil. Adoration is homage of the spirit to the "King of Glory," respectful silence in the presence of the "ever greater" God. Adoration of the thrice-holy and sovereign God of love blends with humility and gives assurance to our supplications."

—Catechism of the Catholic Church, no. 2628
 

Benediction and Expositoin of the Blessed Sacrament

Thursday at 8:00 p.m. - 10:00 p.m in the Main Church in spanish with Decon José Peña

Friday at 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. with Divine Mercy Chaplet and Benediction 

There can be no reasonable doubt that the practice of exposition came in the wake of that most epoch-making liturgical development, the Elevation of the Host in the Mass. The Elevation itself, of which we first hear in its present sense about the year 1200, was probably adoptedas a practical protest against the teaching of Peter Comestor and Peter the Chanter, who held that the bread was not consecrated in the Massuntil the words of institution had been spoken over both bread and wine. Those who believed that when the words "Hoc est enim corpus meum" had been pronounced, the bread was at once changed into the flesh of our Lord, supported their opinion by adoring the Sacrament, and holding It up for the adoration of the people, without waiting for the words to be spoken over the chalice. At Paris, this elevation became a matter of synodal precept, probably before the year 1200. Before long it came to be regarded as a very meritorious act to look upon and salute the Body of the Lord. In this way, even before the middle of the thirteenth century, all kinds of fanciful promises were in circulation regarding the special privileges enjoyed by him, who, on any day, saw the Body of his Maker. He was believed to be protected from sudden death, or from loss of sight. Further, on that day he would be duly nourished by the food he took, and would grow no older, with many other extravagances. The development of these popular beliefs was also probably much assisted by a legendary element current in the romances of the Holy Grail, then at the height of their popularity. What is certain is, that among all classes the seeing the Host, at the moment It was lifted on high in the hands of the priest, became a primary object of devotion, and various devices — for example, the hanging of a black curtain at the back of the altar, or the lighting of torches held behind the priest by a deacon or server — were resorted to, to make the looking upon the Body of Christ more easy.