Little Crown of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Little Crown of the Blessed Virgin Mary

INTRODUCTORY PRAYER
 

Come Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of Thy faithful and enkindle
winthin them the fire of Thy love!

V. Send forth Thy Spirit and they shall be created.
R. And Thou shalt renew the face of the earth.

Let us pray.

O God, Who by the light of the Holy Spirit dost instruct the hearts of
the faithful, grant us by this same Spirit to relish what is right and
ever to rejoice in His consolation, through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.

 I. CROWN OF EXCELLENCE

[To honor the Divine Maternity of the Blessed Virgin, her ineffable Virginity,
her purity without stain and her innumerable virtues.]

1. Our Father, Hail Mary.
Blessed art thou, O Virgin Mary, who didst bear the
Lord, the Creator of the world; thou didst give birth to Him Who
made thee, and remainest a Virgin forever.
Rejoice, O Virgin Mary; Rejoice a thousand times!

2. Hail Mary.
O holy and immaculate Virgin, I know not with what
praise to extol thee, since thou didst bear in thy womb the very
One Whom the Heavens cannot contain.
Rejoice, O Virgin Mary; Rejoice a thousand times!

3. Hail Mary.
Thou are all fair, O Virgin Mary, and there is no stain in thee.
Rejoice, O Virgin Mary; Rejoice a thousand times!

4. Hail Mary.
Thy virtues, O Virgin, surpass the stars in number.
Rejoice, O Virgin Mary; Rejoice a thousand times!

Glory be to the Father.

II. CROWN OF POWER

[To honor the royalty of the Blessed Virgin, her magnificence, her
universal mediation and the strength of her rule.]

5.  Our Father, Hail Mary.
Glory be to thee, O Empress of the world! Bring us with thee to the joys of Heaven.
Rejoice, O Virgin Mary; Rejoice a thousand times!

6. Hail Mary.
Glory be to thee, O treasure house of the Lord's graces! Grant us a share in thy riches.
Rejoice, O Virgin Mary; Rejoice a thousand times!

7. Hail Mary.
Glory be to thee, O Mediatrix between God and man!Through thee may the Almighty be favorable to us. Rejoice, O Virgin Mary; Rejoice a thousand times!

8. Glory be to thee who destroyest heresies and crushest demons! Be thou our loving guide. Rejoice, O Virgin Mary; Rejoice a thousand times! Glory be to the Father.

Glory be to the Father.

III. CROWN OF GOODNESS

[To honor the mercy of the Blessed Virgin toward sinners, the poor,
the just and the dying.]

9.  Our Father, Hail Mary.
Glory be to thee, O refuge of sinners! Intercede for us with God.
Rejoice, O Virgin Mary; Rejoice a thousand times!

10. Hail Mary.
Glory be to thee, O Mother of orphans! Render the Almighty favorable to us.
Rejoice, O Virgin Mary; Rejoice a thousand times!

11. Hail Mary.
Glory be to thee, O joy of the just! Lead us with thee to the joys of Heaven.
Rejoice, O Virgin Mary; Rejoice a thousand times!

12. Hail Mary.
Glory be to thee who are ever ready to assist us in lifeand death! Lead us with thee to the kingdom of Heaven! Rejoice, O Virgin Mary; Rejoice a thousand times!

Glory be to the Father.
 

CONCLUDING PRAYER

Let Us Pray.

Hail, Mary, Daughter of God the Father; Hail, Mary, Mother of God the Son; Hail, Mary, Spouse of the Holy Ghost; Hail, Mary, Temple of the most Holy Trinity; Hail, Mary, my Mistress, my treasure, my joy, Queen of my heart; my Mother, my life, my sweetness, my dearest hope ---- yea, my heart and my soul! I am all thine and all that I have is Thine, O Virgin blessed above all things! Let thy soul be in me to magnify the Lord; let thy spirit be in me to rejoice in God. Set thyself, O faithful Virgin, as a seal upon my heart, that in thee and through thee I may be found faithful to God. Receive me, O gracious Virgin, among those whom thou lovest and teachest, whom thou leadest, nourishest and protectest as thy children. Grant that for love of thee I may despise all earthly consolations and ever cling to those of Heaven until, through thee, His faithful spouse, Jesus Christ thy Son be formed in me for the glory of the Father.  Amen.

Thirty Day Prayer of the Blessed Virgin Mary

IN HONOR OF THE SACRED PASSION OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST

Ever glorious and blessed Mary, Queen of Virgins, Mother of Mercy, hope and comfort of dejected and desolate souls, through that sword of sorrow which pierced thy tender heart whilst thine only Son, Christ Jesus, our Lord, suffered death and ignominy on the cross; through that filial tenderness and pure love He had for thee, grieving in thy sorrows, whilst from His cross He recommended thee to the care and protection of His blessed disciple, St. John, take pity, I beseech thee, on my poverty and necessities; have compassion on my anxieties and cares; assist and comfort me in all my infirmities and miseries.

Thou art the Mother of Mercies, the sweet Consolatrix and refuge of the needy and the orphan, of the desolate and afflicted. Cast therefore, an eye of pity on a miserable, forlorn child of Eve, and hear my prayer; for since in just punishment of my sins, I now find myself encompassed by a multitude of evils, and oppressed with much anguish of spirit, whither can I fly for more secure shelter, O amiable Mother of my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, than under the wings of thy maternal protection?

Attend, therefore, I beseech thee, with an ear of pity and compassion, to my humble and earnest request. I ask it, through the bowels of mercy of thy dear Son; through that love and condescension wherewith He embraced our nature, when in; compliance with thy divine will, thou gavest thy consent, and whom, after the expiration of nine months, thou didst bring forth from the chaste womb, to visit this world, and bless it with His presence.

I ask it, through that anguish of mind wherewith thy beloved Son, our dear Saviour, was overwhelmed on Mount Olivet, when He besought His eternal Father, to remove from Him, if possible, the bitter chalice of His future passion.

I ask it, through the threefold repetition of His prayers in the Garden, from whence afterwards, with sorrowful steps and mournful tears, thou didst accompany Him to the doleful theatre of His death and sufferings.

I ask it, through the stripes and sores of His virginal flesh, occasioned by the cords and whips wherewith He was bound and scourged, when stripped of His seamless garment, for which His executioners afterwards cast lots.

I ask it, through the scoffs and ignominies by which He was insulted; the false accusations and unjust sentence by which He was condemned to death, and which He bore with heavenly patience.

I ask it, through His bitter tears and bloody sweat; His silence and resignation; His sadness and grief of heart. 

I ask it, through the blood which trickled from His royal and sacred head, when struck with the sceptre of a reed, and pierced with His crown of thorns.

I ask it, through the excruciating torments He suffered, when His hands and feet were fastened with large nails to the tree of the cross.

I ask it, through His vehement thirst, and bitter potion of vinegar and gall.

I ask it, through His dereliction on the cross, when He exclaimed: "My God! My God! Why hast Thou forsaken me?" 

I ask it, through His mercy extended to the repentant thief, and through His recommending His precious soul and spirit into the hands of His eternal Father before He expired, saying: "All is consummated." 

I ask it, through the blood mixed with water, which issued from His sacred side when pierced with a lance, and whence a flood of grace and mercy has flowed to us. 

I ask it, through His immaculate life, bitter passion, and ignominious death on the cross, at which nature itself was thrown into convulsions, by the bursting of rocks, rending of the veil of the Temple, the earthquake, and darkness of the sun and moon. 

I ask it, through His descent into hell, where He comforted the Saints of the old law with His presence, and led captivity captive. 

I ask it, through His glorious victory over death, when He arose again to life on the third day, and through the joy which His appearance for forty days after gave thee, His blessed Mother, His Apostles, and the rest of His Disciples; when in thine and their presence He miraculously ascended into heaven. 

I ask it, through the grace of the Holy Ghost, infused into the hearts of His Disciples; when He descended upon them in the form of fiery tongues; and by which they were inspired with zeal in the conversion of the world, when they went to preach the gospel. 

I ask it, through the awful appearance of thy Son, at the last dreadful day, when He shall come to judge the living and the dead, and destroy the world by fire. 

I ask it, through the compassion He bore thee in this life, and the ineffable joy thou didst feel at thine assumption into heaven, where thou art eternally absorbed in the sweet contemplation of His divine perfections.

O glorious and ever blessed Virgin! Comfort the heart of thy supplicant, by obtaining for me, --

(Here mention or reflect on your lawful request, with the reservation of its being agreeable to the will of God, who sees whether it will contribute towards your spiritual good)

And as I am persuaded my Divine Saviour doth honour thee as His beloved Mother, to whom He refuses nothing, because you ask nothing contrary to His honour, so let me speedily experience the efficacy of thy powerful intercession, according to the tenderness of thy maternal affection, and His filial loving heart, who mercifully granteth the requests and complieth with the desires of those that love and fear Him. 

Wherefore, O most blessed Virgin, beside the object of my  petition, and whatever else I may stand in need of, obtain for me also of thy dear Son, our Lord and our God, a lively faith, firm hope, perfect charity, true contrition of heart, a horror of sin, love of God and my neighbour, contempt of the world, patience to suffer affronts and ignominies, nay, even, if necessary, an opprobrious death itself, for love of thy Son, our Saviour Jesus Christ.

Obtain likewise for me, O sacred Mother of God, perseverance in good works, performance of good resolutions, mortification of self-will, a pious conversation through life, and at my last moments, strong and sincere repentance, accompanied by such a lively and attentive presence of mind, as may enable me worthily to receive the last Sacrament of the Church , and die in thy friendship and favor. 

Lastly, obtain , I beseech thee, for the souls of my parents, brethren, relatives and benefactors, both living and dead, life everlasting.

Amen

Senior Slideshow 2016

My yearly gift to the graduating seniors, Senior Slideshow 2016.

Trivia Fun-where did that saying come from????

Interesting....fun facts of old...

A SHOT OF WHISKEY
In the old west a .45 cartridge for a six-gun cost 12 cents, so did a glass of whiskey. If a cowhand was low on cash he would often give the bartender a cartridge in exchange for a drink. This became known as a "shot" of whiskey.


THE WHOLE NINE YARDS
American fighter planes in WW2 had machine guns that were fed by a belt of cartridges. The average plane held belts that were 27 feet (9 yards) long. If the pilot used up all his ammo he was said to have given it the whole nine yards.

BUYING THE FARM
This is synonymous with dying. During WW1 soldiers were given life insurance policies worth $5,000. This was about the price of an average farm so if you died you "bought the farm" for your survivors.

IRON CLAD CONTRACT
This came about from the ironclad ships of the Civil War. It meant something so strong it could not be broken.


PASSING THE BUCK / THE BUCK STOPS HERE
Most men in the early west carried a jack knife made by the Buck knife company. When playing poker it as common to place one of these Buck knives in front of the dealer so that everyone knew who he was. When it was time for a new dealer the deck of cards and the knife were given to the new dealer. If this person didn't want to deal he would "pass the buck" to the next player. If that player accepted then "the buck stopped there."

RIFF RAFF
The Mississippi River was the main way of traveling from north to south. River-boats carried passengers and freight but they were expensive so most people used rafts. Everything had the right of way over rafts which were considered cheap. The steering oar on the rafts was called a "riff" and this transposed into riff-raff, meaning low class.

COBWEB
The Old English word for "spider" was "cob."

SHIP STATE ROOMS
Traveling by steamboat was considered the height of comfort. Passenger cabins on the boats were not numbered. Instead they were named after states. To this day cabins on ships are called staterooms.

SLEEP TIGHT
Early beds were made with a wooden frame. Ropes were tied across the frame in a criss-cross pattern. A straw mattress was then put on top of the ropes. Over time the ropes stretched, causing the bed to sag. The owner would then tighten the ropes to get a better night's sleep. Also, those straw mattresses were full of bugs, so thus the expression: “Good night, sleep tight, and don’t let the bed bugs bite.”

SHOWBOAT
These were floating theaters built on a barge that was pushed by a steamboat. These played small town along the Mississippi River. Unlike the boat shown in the movie "Showboat" these did not have an engine. They were gaudy and attention grabbing which is why we say someone who is being the life of the party is "showboating."

OVER A BARREL
In the days before CPR a drowning victim would be placed face down over a barrel and the barrel would be rolled back and forth in an effort to empty the lungs of water. It was rarely effective. If you are over a barrel you are in deep trouble.

BARGE IN
Heavy freight was moved along the Mississippi in large barges pushed by steamboats. These were hard to control and would sometimes swing into piers or other boats. People would say they "barged in."

HOGWASH
Steamboats carried both people and animals. Since pigs smelled so bad they would be washed before being put on board. The mud and other filth that was washed off was considered useless "hog wash."

CURFEW
The word "curfew" comes from the French phrase "couvre-feu", which means "cover the fire". It was used to describe the time of blowing out all lamps and candles. It was later adopted into Middle English as "curfeu", which later became the modern "curfew". In the early American colonies homes had no real fireplaces so a fire was built in the center of the room. In order to make sure a fire did not get out of control during the night it was required that, by an agreed upon time, all fires would be covered with a clay pot called a "curfew."


BARRELS OF OIL
When the first oil wells were drilled they had made no provision for storing the liquid so they used water barrels. That is why, to this day, we speak of barrels of oil rather than gallons.


HOT OFF THE PRESS
As the paper goes through the rotary printing press friction causes it to heat up. Therefore, if you grab the paper right off the press, it’s hot. The expression means to get immediate information.

 

Dance Class

Each school year our younger children participate in a tap, tumble, ballet class and each spring we have a recital. Gwendalyn joined in this year. They did very well in their recital this year. Evelyn has decided this is her last year as next year she begins highschool. The boys especially enjoy tap but also like tumbling. Gwena loves tap shoes. Rosalyn is a born performer. Evelyn and Madelyn did a very graceful dance this year. 

Happy April

April is already here and one of the busiest times of our year has begun and is in full swing.  

We had a glorious Easter, filled with the holiness of the church in her wise remembrance of the path our Lord took to give us redemption. As we participated in fasting and preparing for the most glorious of feasts, and the celebration of Easter.  The children with great anticipation to that moment at midnight at Mass with the bells ringing and seeing the little ones big eyes, finally say, "is if finally Easter?" was so joyful. 

We enjoyed decorating easter eggs, playing games, the easter egg hunt on Sunday after we slept in from attending midnight Mass.  Me and Steve built the children a jungle gym this year and it was with our joy to watch their excitement when the surprise in the back yard was finally unveiled.  My mom, brother, and nephews were here this year to celebrate Easter Dinner.

Then Easter Vacation started, this year it was a working holiday time for me.  About 40 hours of building the Senior Slideshow 2016. This year I do not have a graduating Senior but it is now my job and I do like it despite the work. Our family friend Olivia Sabella will be graduating this year and rearing up for the last party with our family and the Sabella family on May 15, since this is their youngest child. So party planning is underway right now.

Spring has happily sprung, and despite our seasonal allergies we are all very happy about it, with summer around the corner we are in full swing and super busy mode. Just weeks away until Summer time!