Living Without School: Our Lady Help of Christians

Monday, May 25, 2009

Our Lady Help of Christians

We had a fiesta at our parish yesterday...in honour of Our Lady..and today we celebrate the solemnity of Our Lady Help of Christians...With Mass, reading some of our Pictorial History of the Catholic Church in Australia, baking Nigella's Chocolate Fudge cake, and the consecration below.

Oh, and I'm doing Kumon and the kids are playing computer, doing Maths and Chemistry. And we are all working at Kumon today...

A statue of Mary, Help of Christians, stands in the Chapel of the Sacred Heart, St. Mary's Cathedral, here in Sydney. It was donated in the 19th century. Our Lady , Help of Christians is Patroness of Australia and the Cathedral was dedicated in her honour by the Irish pioneer priest, Fr. John Therry who arrived in Sydney in 1820. Fr. Therry had responsibility for the planning and initial construction of the Cathedral. The foundation stone was laid in October 1821 by the Governor of the ( then) Colony of New South Wales, Lachlan Macquarie.

Act of Consecration to the Immaculate Heart of Mary

O Mary Help of Christians, Patroness of Australia, Mother of Mercy, Queen of Heaven and earth, refuge of sinners, we consecrate ourselves to thine Immaculate Heart.
To thee we consecrate our country, our families, our hearts, our souls and all that we have.
And in order that this consecration may be truly effective and lasting, we renew today the promise of our Baptism and Confirmation; we undertake to live as good Christians -faithful to God, the Church and the Holy Father. We desire to pray the Rosary, partake in the Holy Eucharist, attach special importance to the first Saturday of the month and work for the conversion of sinners. Furthermore we promise, O most holy Virgin, that we will zealously spread devotion to thee, so that through our consecration to thine Immaculate Heart and through thine own intercession, the coming of the Kingdom of Christ in the world may be hastened. Amen

1 comment:

Anonymous said...: Leonie I am sorry I haven't said it earlier I am really enjoying your religious posts ! I usually am reading via facebook when you post them . Thanks so much; 11:44 am

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Prayer of Consecration of St. Maximilian Kolbe

O Immaculata, Queen of Heaven and earth, refuge of sinners and our most loving Mother, God has willed to entrust the entire order of mercy to thee. I, N___, a repentant sinner, cast myself at thy feet humbly imploring thee to take me with all that I am and have, wholly to thyself as thy possession and property. Please make of me, of all my powers of soul and body, of my whole life, death and eternity, whatever most pleases thee. If it pleases thee, use all that I am and have without reserve, wholly to accomplish what was said of thee: "She will crush your head," and, "Thou alone have destroyed all heresies in the whole world."

Let me be a fit instrument in thine Immaculate and merciful hands for introducing and increasing the maximum in all the many strayed and indifferent souls, and thus help extend as far as possible the blessed Kingdom of the most Sacred Heart of Jesus. For wherever thou enters, one obtains the grace of conversion and growth in holiness, since it is through thy hands that all graces come to us from the most Sacred Heart of Jesus.

V. Allow me to praise thee O Sacred Virgin.
R. Give me strength against thy enemies.

Prayer of St Bonaventure

Pierce, O most Sweet Lord Jesus, my inmost soul with the most joyous and healthful wound of Thy love, with true, serene, and most holy apostolic charity, that my soul may ever languish and melt with love and longing for Thee, that it may yearn for Thee and faint for Thy courts, and long to be dissolved and to be with Thee.Grant that my soul may hunger after Thee, the bread of angels, the refreshment of holy souls, our daily and supersubstantial bread, having all sweetness and savor and every delight of taste; let my heart ever hunger after and feed upon Thee, upon whom the angels desire to look, and may my inmost soul be filled with the sweetness of Thy savor; may it ever thirst after Thee, the fountain of life, the fountain of wisdom and knowledge, the fountain of eternal light, the torrent of pleasure, the richness of the house of God.May it ever compass Thee, seek Thee, find Thee, run to Thee, attain Thee, meditate upon Thee, speak of Thee, and do all things to the praise and glory of Thy name, with humility and discretion, with love and delight, with ease and affection, and with perseverance unto the end.May Thou alone be ever my hope, my entire assurance, my riches, my delight, my pleasure, my joy, my rest and tranquility, my peace, my sweetness, my fragrance, my sweet savor, my food, my refreshment, my refuge, my help, my wisdom, my portion, my possession and my treasure, in whom may my mind and my heart be fixed and firmly rooted immovably henceforth and for ever. Amen.