Devotion for today: Feast of the Archangels

Today’s devotion is taken from “Christian Prayer: The Liturgy of the Hours” for Sept. 29^th, the Feast of the Archangels.

Morning Prayer Selections

Hymn: Praise the Lord, Ye Heavens Adore Him (vs. 3, by Edward Osler, 1836)

Worship, honor, glory, blessing, Lord, we offer unto thee;
Young and old, thy praise expressing, in glad homage bend the knee.
All the saints in heaven adore thee; we would bow before thy throne,
As thine angels serve before thee, so on earth thy will be done.

Ant. 1: Let us join the angels in praising the Lord, as the cherubim and seraphim sing: Holy, holy, holy.

Ant. 2: Angels of the Lord, sing praise to the Lord forever.
Ant. 3: All the angels in heaven praise you, O Lord, and with one voice they say: To you we owe our hymn of praise, O God.

Canticle of Daniel (3:57-88, 56) Let all creatures praise the Lord

Bless the Lord, all you works of the Lord; sing praise to him and highly exalt him forever.
Bless the Lord, you heavens; sing praise to him and highly exalt him forever.
Bless the Lord, you angels of the Lord; sing praise to him and highly exalt him forever.
Bless the Lord, all you waters above the heavens; sing praise to him and highly exalt him forever.
Bless the Lord, all you powers of the Lord; sing praise to him and highly exalt him forever.
Bless the Lord, sun and moon; sing praise to him and highly exalt him forever.
Bless the Lord, stars of heaven; sing praise to him and highly exalt him forever.
Bless the Lord, all rain and dew; sing praise to him and highly exalt him forever.
Bless the Lord, all you winds; sing praise to him and highly exalt him forever.
Bless the Lord, fire and heat; sing praise to him and highly exalt him forever.
Bless the Lord, winter cold and summer heat; sing praise to him and highly exalt him forever.
Bless the Lord, dews and falling snow; sing praise to him and highly exalt him forever.
Bless the Lord, nights and days; sing praise to him and highly exalt him forever.
Bless the Lord, light and darkness; sing praise to him and highly exalt him forever.
Bless the Lord, ice and cold; sing praise to him and highly exalt him forever.
Bless the Lord, frosts and snows; sing praise to him and highly exalt him forever.
Bless the Lord, lightnings and clouds; sing praise to him and highly exalt him forever.
Let the earth bless the Lord; let it sing praise to him and highly exalt him forever.
Bless the Lord, mountains and hills; sing praise to him and highly exalt him forever.
Bless the Lord, all that grows in the ground; sing praise to him and highly exalt him forever.
Bless the Lord, seas and rivers; sing praise to him and highly exalt him forever.
Bless the Lord, you springs; sing praise to him and highly exalt him forever.
Bless the Lord, you whales and all that swim in the waters; sing praise to him and highly exalt him forever.

Bless the Lord, all birds of the air; sing praise to him and highly exalt him forever.

Bless the Lord, all wild animals and cattle; sing praise to him and highly exalt him forever.
Bless the Lord, all people on earth; sing praise to him and highly exalt him forever.
Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, and his mercy endures forever. All who worship the Lord, bless the God of gods, sing praise to him and give thanks to him, for his mercy endures forever.

Reading: Genesis 28: 12-13

Jacob had a dream: a stairway rested on the ground, with its top reaching to the heavens; and God’s messengers were going up and down on it. And there was the Lord standing beside him and saying: “I, the Lord, am the God of your forefather Abraham and the God of Isaac.”
 

Responsory

An angel stood by the altar.
__an angel stood by the altar
And held a golden censer
__by the altar.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever.
__an angel stood by the altar.

Intercessions:

With one voice the choirs of angels sing their unceasing praise of the Lord. Let us join in their worship as we proclaim:
Angels of the Lord, bless the Lord.
You commanded your angels to guard us in all our ways,
---keep us from sin as you lead us in your path this day.
Angels of the Lord, bless the Lord.
Father, the angels stand for ever before your face,
---nourish in us a never-failing hope of coming at last into your presence.
Angels of the Lord, bless the Lord.
Your angels will be like the angels in heaven,
---grant us chastity in both mind and body.
Angels of the Lord, bless the Lord.
Send Michael, the prince of the heavenly hosts, to the aid of your people,
---may he defend them against Satan and his angels on the day of battle.
Angels of the Lord, bless the Lord.
Our Father…

Prayer

God our Father, in a wonderful way you guide the work of angels and men. May those who serve you constantly in heaven keep our lives safe from all harm on earth. Grant this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your son, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Devotion for today: Tomorrow is the Feast of the Archangels (Sept. 29)

To prepare for tomorrow’s great feast, let us spend time today learning about the Archangels: Michael, Gabriel and Raphael. The following instruction is taken from http://www.ewtn.com/library/MARY/ANGNAME.htm (by the way, check out the EWTN website for information on their novena for the USA which starts tomorrow)

ANGELS WITH NAMES

Pat Bartos

Michael, Gabriel and Raphael are the only angels to have come down through the ages with names and strongly defined images. Invisible beings of light, carrying out God's will among mankind, angels’ cries-cross through the stories in Scripture. The Bible is filled with these mysterious, anonymous presences. St. Gregory the Great said that "almost all the pages of the sacred books bear witness to the existence of angels and archangels." They are so numerous that God is known as "Lord of hosts." Yet just three have come down through the ages with names and with strongly defined images, assumed through their roles in carrying out God's mandates. Archangels Michael, Gabriel and Raphael—all of their names ending in "el," a Semitic name of God—are accorded a special liturgical feast day, celebrated on Sept. 29 each year. Michael, the fearless warrior, Gabriel, the angel of the Incarnation, and Raphael, known as the angel of prayer, were joined together liturgically just 25 years ago(article written in 1996) from their separate feasts and given the date, which for centuries had honored Michael alone. Venerated since ancient times, Michael is known in the Old Testament as the "Guardian of the Hebrew Nation," and by other titles, "Viceroy of Heaven," and "Prince of the Heavenly Hosts." He stands as the most prominent of the three. His name translates as "Who is like God?" and his image of bravery traces to the text in Revelation where he leads the angels in heaven in battle to oust the seven-headed dragon. He has long been synonymous with defending the Church. Defined by his heroism and unquestioning faithfulness to God Michael is thought to be the angel who guided the Jews on their wanderings in the desert, and the angel who fought with Satan over the soul of Moses. The Emperor Constantine attributed his victories in battle to Michael, as did Joan of Arc who also credited her vocation to him. It was St. Augustine who devised the concepts of honor and love as the proper approach to venerating angels, and the earliest devotions to angels centered on Michael. Medieval knights often consecrated themselves to him, and devotions in his honor play prominent roles in many countries. He was the sole angel honored in liturgical feasts in the Church before the ninth century. In Eastern tradition, this devotion traces back to the fourth century. In the East, Michael is depicted in art in imperial purple, in the West, in a long tunic or the armor of a medieval knight. He appears in scenes of the Last Judgment battling the dragon or the forces of Satan. He has often been depicted in literature, and Milton in "Paradise Lost" predicts Michael will blow the trumpet, announcing the Final Judgment. Both Gabriel and Raphael appeared in Scripture in the guise of human form, speaking audible words. Gabriel (whose name translates as "God's fortitude" or "God is powerful") is depicted as the angel of the Incarnation, for his joyful announcements to Mary and to Zacharias foretelling the births of Christ and John the Baptist. He is also thought to be the angel who announced Christ's birth to the shepherds in Bethlehem. Appearing to Zechariah as the priest is offering incense in the temple, he announces, "I am Gabriel, who stands in the presence of God. And I was sent to speak to you and to bring you this good news." His profound greeting to Mary lives on, repeated daily in popular prayer. "Hail Mary! Full of grace, the Lord is with you. Blessed are you among women." Gabriel had appeared to a troubled Daniel some 500 years earlier, in the Old Testament. As Daniel's prayer ascends, one biblical scholar explained, the angel descends. Gabriel, "in rapid flight," touched Daniel and explained his vision. Each of his four appearances in Scripture deals with the coming of the Messiah. He is depicted in a fifth-century mosaic of the Annunciation at St. Mary Major in Rome, in what is the oldest known illustration of an angel with feet and two wings. In Jewish lore, he foretold the birth of Samson. In Islam, he dictated the Koran to Mohammed. Gabriel is the patron of workers in communications. Raphael is called the angel of prayer by Tertullian because of his words to Tobias: "I have offered your prayers to God." His name means "medicine of God," or "God heals," and he is called upon to aid travelers and members of the medical profession. He is said by scholars to embody the ability of angels to intervene in the affairs of mankind while never ceasing to contemplate the face of God in heaven, and is thus seen as a model for the integration of the outward and interior life. "How can I repay him?" Tobias asks his father Tobit in the Old Testament, after he returns from his long journey, on which he had unknowingly been accompanied by Raphael, disguised in human form as Azarias ("God helps"). This companion, Tobias explains, "...led me back to you safely, he cured my wife, he obtained the money for me from Raphael, filled my parents with joy. He protected me from the fish that was going to eat me, he has healed your blindness, how could I possibly repay him?" The Book of Tobit is seen as depicting life as a journey and reflecting God's design to help mankind. Veneration for Raphael has been infrequent, and the earliest church honoring him dates to the 7th century. He is depicted in art works as walking with Tobias, accompanied by a small dog and carrying a fish. Raphael is regarded as the patron of light, love, health and joy. Pat Bartos writes from Pittsburgh This article was taken from the March-April 1996 issue of "Catholic Heritage".

 

Devotion for today: Jesus is a friend who walks in when the world has walked out.

We will take a little detour from our normal type of reflection today…

Scripture for reflection: John 16:33

These things I have spoken unto you, that in me you might have peace. In the world you shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.

 I found this little inspiration in the book “God’s Little Devotional Book” and I thought I would share it with you today: Babe Ruth hit 714 home runs during his baseball career, but on this particular day toward the end of his career, the Braves were playing the Reds in Cincinnati, and the great Bambino was no hero. He fumbled the ball and threw badly. In one inning alone, his errors were responsible for most of the five runs scored by Cincinnati. As the Babe walked off the field and headed toward the dugout after the third out, a crescendo of angry cries and boos rose to greet him. Then…a boy jumped over the railing and ran out onto the field. With tears streaming down his face, he threw his arms around the legs of his hero. Ruth didn’t hesitate for a second. He picked up the boy, hugged him, then set him down and patted his head. The cries from the crowd abruptly stopped. A hush fell over the entire park. In that brief moment, the fans saw two heroes on the field: Ruth, who, in spite of his own dismal day in fielding, cared about the feelings of a young fan; and a small boy, who cared about the feelings of another human being. No matter your performance on the playing field of life today, the Lord has a hug awaiting you at the day’s end. He is your Number One Fan! (Honor Books, Inc. 1995)

Prayer: Prayer of St. Francis

Lord, make me an instrument of Your peace. Where there is hatred, let me sow love; where there is injury, pardon; where there is doubt, faith; where there is despair, hope; where there is darkness, light; and where there is sadness, joy. O Divine Master, grant that I may never seek so much to be consoled as to console; to be understood as to understand; to be loved as to love; for it is in giving that we receive; it is in pardoning that we are pardoned; and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life. Amen.

Song for today: You’ve got a friend (and just remember his name is Jesus)

Sit back relax, close your eyes and enjoy http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9SxToTUoWGM

When you're down and troubled and you need a helping hand
and nothing, whoa, nothing is going right.
Close your eyes and think of me and soon I will be there to brighten up even your darkest nights.

You just call out my name, and you know where ever I am
I'll come running to see you again.
Winter, spring, summer, or fall, all you have to do is call and I'll be there, yeah, yeah,
you've got a friend.

If the sky above you should turn dark and full of clouds
and that old north wind should begin to blow,
keep your head together and call my name out loud.
Soon I will be knocking upon your door.
You just call out my name, and you know where ever I am
I'll come running to see you again.
Winter, spring, summer, or fall, all you have to do is call and I'll be there.

Hey, ain't it good to know that you've got a friend? People can be so cold.
They'll hurt you and desert you. Well, they'll take your soul if you let them,
oh yeah, but don't you let them.

You just call out my name, and you know where ever I am
I'll come running to see you again.
Winter, spring, summer, or fall, all you have to do is call, Lord, I'll be there, yeah, yeah,
you've got a friend. You've got a friend.
Ain't it good to know you've got a friend. Ain't it good to know you've got a friend.
Oh, yeah, yeah, you've got a friend.