St. Ignatius Loyola One of the greatest Catholic prayers is the Suscipe, a prayer of abandonment to Divine Providence, of turning ourselves over, wholly and completely, to God. The most famous Suscipe prayer comes from St. Ignatius of Loyola . After a brief reflection on the blessings of Creation and Redemption, as well as the unique blessings… Continue reading Giving Ourselves Over to God (The Suscipe Prayer)
Tag: prayer
Novena Request for a Seminarian with Brain Cancer
From Fishing in the Tiber: Bishop Burbidge Requests Novena for Seminarian Philip Johnson Bishop Burbidge Requests Novena for Seminarian Philip Johnson The Most Reverend Michael F. Burbidge has announced a novena to Our Holy Mother, patroness of the Diocese of Raleigh, on behalf of seminarian Philip Johnson. The novena will begin on Wednesday, November 30, 2011, and… Continue reading Novena Request for a Seminarian with Brain Cancer
Reflecting on the Parable of the Talents: You Are Not St. Francis
Yesterday’s Gospel, the parable of the talents (Mt 25:14-30), has some interesting elements: the Master gives one servant 5 talents, another servant 2 talents, and the third servant 1 talent. . Talents, if you’re not familiar, are a unit of currency (which we’ll get to below). The first two servants invest these talents, doubling their investments, while… Continue reading Reflecting on the Parable of the Talents: You Are Not St. Francis
Prayer Request: Heart Surgeries for Girls with Down Syndrome
Kevin Heldt wrote in response to the post on Down syndrome, abortion, and forced starvation: The [abortion] statistic (and 92% is what I’ve seen) is chilling. Our society is desperately sick. Just last month, after a long wait, my wife and I brought home our newest daughters, two girls with Down syndrome from Ethiopia. After… Continue reading Prayer Request: Heart Surgeries for Girls with Down Syndrome
Come and Stay with Christ: Abp. Dolan’s Call for Eucharistic Adoration
Archbishop Dolan really seems to “get” it. It’s so refreshing to hear the Gospel laid out in such bar and beautiful terms, particularly by the Archbishop of New York City. In a beautiful blog post about Eucharistic Adoration (with a nod towards Kansas City’s International House of Prayer, a non-denominational church which does 24/7 prayer), +… Continue reading Come and Stay with Christ: Abp. Dolan’s Call for Eucharistic Adoration
Why Pray to Mary in Front of the Blessed Sacrament?
Yesterday, I was asked one of the best questions about praying to Mary that I’ve come across: why do we pray to Mary in front of the Blessed Sacrament? If we really believe that the Eucharist is Jesus, why focus on His mortal Mother instead of Him, when He’s right there? Let me provide some background.… Continue reading Why Pray to Mary in Front of the Blessed Sacrament?
The Gifts of the Holy Spirit: What They Are and How to Use Them
If you ask Catholics and Pentecostals about the number of gifts of the Holy Spirit, and what those gifts are, you’ll likely get two different answers. The gifts of the Holy Spirit, not to be confused with the fruit of the Holy Spirit (Gal. 5:22-23, CCC 1832) are understood differently by the two groups. I.… Continue reading The Gifts of the Holy Spirit: What They Are and How to Use Them
Can Classical Protestantism Affirm the Lord’s Prayer?
Called to Communion had a great discussion on this topic in regards to Calvinism, but I wanted to look at the same thing in regards to traditional Lutheranism. Pastor Hemmer of Hope Lutheran Church contrasts the Lutheran position with Catholicism quite neatly: Can you be forgiven of sins you have not yet committed? The answer to… Continue reading Can Classical Protestantism Affirm the Lord’s Prayer?
Prayers for the Dead: Memorial Day in 2 Maccabees
Since this Monday is Memorial Day, I thought it would be fitting to talk briefly about prayers for the dead. This is particularly so since the most explicit Scriptural depiction of prayers for the dead involves praying for the souls of dead soldiers. It comes from 2 Maccabees 12:38-46: Judas rallied his army and went to… Continue reading Prayers for the Dead: Memorial Day in 2 Maccabees
Why (and How) Catholics Pray to Saints
A non-Catholic friend of mine who’d been following the news about JPII’s beatification wanted to know how prayer to saints worked. Specifically, he asked: (1) Can you pray to any Saint you want? (2) Do you have to wait until they’re canonized? (3) Is it form prayers or extemporaneous? (4) Doesn’t this violate Christ as Sole Mediator… Continue reading Why (and How) Catholics Pray to Saints