The Country of Heaven

I saw all the flags of the world in a dream. They were being sewn together by Mary and Jesus. Then Mary and Jesus took the flags of the world which they had sewn together and dipped them in white paint. Then they painted a picture of the "sacred heart of Jesus" on one side and a picture of the "immaculate heart of Mary" right beside it.

When we put ourselves under the flags of princes or nations, we put our trust in those nations that will protect us. Psalm 118:9 says "It is better to take refuge in the LORD Than to trust in princes".

An Acrostic for Mary

A is for Ann, the Mother of Mary
B is for Birth, Mary gave birth to our Savior, Jesus
C is for Cradle, Mary laid the "word made flesh" in his cradle
D is for Devoted, Mary was a devoted woman of God
E is for Elizabeth, her cousin and friend who was the first to acknowledge Jesus
F is for Faith, Mary had a strong faith in God
G is for Gabriel, the angel who told Mary she would give birth to a son
H is for Heaven, Jesus honored his mother by taking her body and soul into heaven
I is for Israel, in figurative language, Mary is the mother of Christians who are the new Israel
J is for Jesus, her son, the Lamb of God
K is for Kindness, Mary was always kind
L is for Light, Mary was the mother of the "light of the world"
M is for Manger, Mary laid her son in the manger after he was born
N is for Nazareth, Mary's home town
O is for Open, we should open our hearts to Mary
P is for Peter and Paul, Mary's friends
Q is for Queen, Mary is the Queen of heaven and earth
R is for Redemption, Mary's son died for the redemption of the world
S is for Sacrifice, both Mary and her son made a huge sacrifice for all of us
T is for Trust, we put our trust in Mary and Jesus
U is for Unity, Mary brings families together
V is for Veritas, Mary's son was referred to as the truth
W is for Women, Mary is blessed among women
X is for eXtra, for Mary is extra special to God and to all mankind
Y is for Yarn, Mary made the swaddling clothes for Jesus out of yarn
Z is for Zachariah, the father of John the Baptist , the cousin of Jesus

The Gospel Rocks Project

Rachel has begun painting rocks and adding messages from the bible to them and then placing them along walking paths in Bend. Here is a picture of her "hiding" the first rock with the beginning of the "Our Father" prayer on it.

Mary, Mother of Yahweh

Oh Mary, great mother of our lord

Mediatrix of all the graces our lord wishes to give to mankind 

Mother of all truth, all kindness, all compassion. 

Amen

Mother Mary Most Compassionate

We praise you for being the mother of our God.

We praise you for being the first person, man or women, who trusted in Christ by name.

We praise you for being the kindest, most compassionate mother to Christ Jesus.

We praise you for being the most compassionate wife to St. Joseph.

We pray that everyone in the RCIA class will learn about Christ and accept him.

We pray that you will help me to be a better person.

Amen

Biblical Acrostic

A is for Abraham, the father of our faith.
B is for Bible, the book of our Lord.
C is for Christ, who died for our sins.
D is for Disciples, who were loyal to our Lord.
E is for Ephesians, because the church is the body of Christ.
F is for Faith, which is trusting in God.
G is for Galilee, the place where Jesus taught and did miracles.
H is for Heaven, which we hope will someday be our home.
I is for Isaiah, who predicted the virgin birth and crucifixion of our Lord.
J is for Joseph, husband of Mary and step-father of Jesus.
K is for King David, the King of Israel and an ancestor of our Lord.
L is for Love, the greatest of all virtues.
M is for Mary, the mother of our Lord.
N is for Noah, the preacher of righteousness.
O is for Obed, the father of Jesse, who was the father of King David.
P is for Peter, the rock upon which Jesus built His church.
Q is for Quiet, Elijah heard God in a still, small voice.
R is for Resurrection, the foundation of our faith.
S is for Samuel, the prophet of our Lord.
T is for Teaching, the job of our Lord who taught in parables.
U is for Unity, all Christians should unite.
V is for Victory, the resurrection of our Lord was a great victory for mankind.
W is for Water, a symbol used in baptism.
X is for St. Andrew's cross.
Y is for Yahweh, the Hebrew name of God the Father.
Z is for Zacchaeus, who gave his money to the poor when he converted to Christianity.

Amen

The Name of Jesus

Jesus is the Son of God and the son of Mary.
It is the name above all names.
The name God gave to his only generated son.
The name of Jesus is the most compassionate name in the Universe.

Amen

Litany on how to be a Better Christian

Talk truth

Be lovin

May God help us respect others

Pray without ceasing

Be compassionate

May God help us do our duty to others and himself 

May God give us strength for loving and caring for our friends, neighbors, and all the world 

May God give us the ability to be the salt of the earth and light of the world 

May God give us the ability to show friends and neighbors that we love them even when it is hard Help us to know what is right and wrong and to choose what is right always 

Amen 

Prayer for our nation

Dear Jesus

Help me to do what is right, just, fair and compassionate.

Help our nation to do what is right , just, fair, and compassionate 

Amen

Jesus Speaks to the Women of Jerusalem

Oh Jesus you spoke to the weeping women of Jerusalem

To try and console them

You show us how serious our sins are,

That our sins pull us away from the truth, 

And the vine of life.

They pull us away from life eternal.

But humility, true humility 

Brings us back to life, peace, and joy.

Amen

Oh God, Help our Deacons

Make them loving to their wife and children

Make them able to work with all people

Make them trustworthy with the church, their wife, and their employer

Make them humble of heart and mind

Make them friends of all people

Give the strength, courage, and ability to perform works of charity

Amen

A Prayer for Seminarians

Protect them from all the diseases we know and we don't know in mind and body

Make them compassionate priests

Priests after your own heart 

Priests that will work to restore the Catholic faith 

Priests who will treat those who are less fortunate than them with respect, honor, and generosity

Priests who will give those in need of food, some food

Priests who will be a friend to anyone, regardless of their faith, gender, or age

Priests who will treat animals with kindness

Priests who will do what is right, just, and fair. 

Amen

Teach Your Children God's Virtues

Oh heavenly Father, who gave the virtues of 

kindness, compassion and all other virtues to men

That we may teach virtue to our children

and that they may teach virtue to their children

That we may do what is right before both God and men

Amen

The Way of Holiness

Oh God, writer of both old and new testaments

Our God who has given us light, truth, and the way of holiness.

Show all men the path to righteousness, help them to be holy.

Tutor them in kindness, compassion, and all the virtues of Christ.

Help them to do what is right, just, and fair.

Amen

Psalm 24

To our God belongs the whole world and all it contains

the whole world and all who live in it.

This means that God owns the entire world, all people, nations, and species of creatures.

He founded it upon the oceans and established it on the waters beneath.

This is symbolic of God who founded our world on the purification of baptism.

Who may ascend to Yahweh's mountain, who may stand at Yahweh's holy shrine.

The mountain is the mountain of our hearts and the shrine is the shrine of the blessed sacrament.

The man who has clean hands and a pure heart is one that 

Speaks truth and his heart is meek and humble.

He does not lift up his sole to a false God.

This means that his God, Jesus, has first place in his heart.

Amen

Queen of Esther Symbolizes Queen Mary

King Ahasuerus represents King Jesus

Queen Esther represents Queen Mary

Haman represents the devil

Queen Esther prayed for her people

For three days and three nights with her hand maidens

In order to go into the King's presence and ask him for a favor

The King put out his royal scepter to her 

And she invited him and Haman to come to a banquet

At the banquet they asked her what is her request 

And she invited them to come to a second banquet

Because she found favor in the King's eyes.

Just like Mary found favor in the eyes of Jesus

At the second banquet everyone ate

Queen Esther begged for the life of her people

This is equivalent to Mary asking God for our eternal life

And to be spared from the hand of the devil.

Amen

Isiah 53 and the Fulfillment in Christ

As the prophet Isaiah saw, in the time before crucifixion

He saw a prophecy about the crucifixion of Christ.

In his words, "he bore our grief and carried our sorrows"

This is symbolic of the cross that Jesus literally and figuratively carried.

Isiah said he was wounded for our transgressions and bruised for our iniquities.

In New Testament Jesus was whipped for our transgressions 

And a crown of thorns was laid upon his head for our iniquities.

Isiah said, "we all, like sheep, have gone astray. 

We have turned everyone his own way, 

And the Lord has laid on him the iniquities of us all."

The Romans laid the cross on Jesus which was symbolic of our iniquities.

Our iniquities are not actually heavy, but they are heavy to the Lord,

Just like the cross on Jesus' shoulders was heavy.

Just as a crucified man would smell bad to us,

So would sin smell bad to a Holy God.

Amen

The Millennial Reign of Christ

Oh Christ, you will reign for a thousand years

And then forever and ever.

During the millennial reign there shall be peace on earth.

The lion shall lay down with the lamb

People shall beat their swords into plowshares,

Their spears into pruning hooks,

Neither shall there war nor injustice.

Those who were once vulnerable, shall be safe.

Crimes will disappear from the earth.

Amen

Red Carnations Represent the Blood of Christ

Oh Jesus, you shed your blood on the via della rosa and golgotha

And every time your blood dripped, 

Red carnations sprung from the earth in mercy and kindness and love.

Over the years, people continue to use red carnations as a symbol of your love.

Pink carnations grew from Mary's tears mixed with the blood of Jesus

These flowers symbolize the love you one's son.

Amen

David and Goliath

Oh David, you were brave and strong, but small.

Goliath, a giant, was strong and huge.

When no one in Israel would fight the giant Goliath

You, by the power of God, 

Took your slingshot and five smooth stones into battle.

Then you swirled the stone in your slingshot

And slayed the giant.

In this story, the giant Goliath represents satan

David represents Jesus

And the stone represents God's power to go into battle 

Against our own sin and become more virtuous.

Amen

Jairus's Daughter

Oh Jesus, you came to earth to do mighty miracles

And teach the people.

Among your miracles was one unique to you as Messiah

For both Elijah and Elisha had raised the dead, 

But they had only raised little boys.

Unique to your ministry was 

Your raising of a 12-year old girl from the dead,

The daughter of Jairus.

Through this you showed that you love all people, 

Both men and women alike.

Amen

Abraham and Isaac

Oh God, you gave the instruction to Abraham

To sacrifice his son Isaac

Oh Abraham, you did not hesitate to show your loyalty to God

By sacrificing your son

Oh God, the story of Abraham sacrificing Isaac

Is a picture of our redemption

Just as Isaac went up to Mt. Mariah carrying the wood on his back

Asking Abraham, "Where is the lamb?"

At the top of the mountain, Abraham built an altar out of stones

And tied Isaac onto it!

As Abraham raised the knife to kill Isaac, 

An angel stopped him, and said,

"I know you are loyal to God"

For you were willing to sacrifice your only son.

Just then he saw a ram caught by his horns in a thicket

He untied Isaac and sacrificed the ram instead.

This symbolizes Jesus, 

Because just as God asked Abraham to sacrifice his son,

God sacrificed his only son, Jesus 

For our sins and sins of the world.

Amen

The Stations Of The Cross: Pilate condemns Jesus to die

Oh Jesus, you were condemned to death

By a Roman Magistrate 

Because you said you would be the King of the Jews

But you accepted this as a sacrifice 

For our sins and for the sins of the world

You loved mankind

Your cross was given as an instrument of salvation

For all people and languages

Amen

The Cure of the Rosary

Oh God, you gave the Rosary to mankind

Through the hands of St. Dominick

That it might cure sin,

And cleanse the mind of all who pray it.

Our Lady promised that if you pray the Rosary daily,

You will either give up sin or give up the Rosary.

Help us to do what is right.

Amen

The Jar of Manna Represents Christ in the Eucharist

Oh God, you gave instructions to the Israelites 

To make a golden jar and put in it an omer of manna.

They put the jar in the Arc of the Covenant,

But  how does the jar of manna represent the eucharist?

Just as manna was the food from heaven, 

So the eucharist is food from heaven.

Jesus also told us in John chapter 6,

Your ancestors ate manna in the desert and died,

But whoever eats the bread I will give them,

Will have everlasting life.

The bread I will give them,

Is my flesh, given for the life of the world.

Amen

The Ark of the Covenant

Oh God, who gave instructions on 

How to make the golden ark of the covenant

It was made from acacia wood 

And overlaid with pure gold

The ark of the covenant was the most beautiful object in all of Israel

On either side of the ark were two golden cherubim

Inside the ark was the ten commandments,

Aaron's rod that had budded flowers,

And a golden jar with manna

The ark was the most beautiful object in all of Israel

Just like Mary was one of the most beautiful women in Israel

King David brought the ark up to Jerusalem in the hill country of Judea 

He said, "who am I that the ark should come to me?"

Mary went to visit her cousin in the hill country of Judea

And Elizabeth said, "who am I that the Mother of my Lord should come to me?"

Just like King David leapt and danced before the ark,

John the Baptist leapt in his mother's womb before Mary.

Just as the ark held the 10 commandments, Aaron's rod, and the jar of manna

Mary held the the living bread, the living word, and the great high priest in her womb.

Amen

The Path to Righteousness

There is a path that seems right

But do not take the way of pride or arrogance

Let humility be your guide

For self-righteousness is not pleasing to God

For God wants to make us righteous and virtuous

And God can help us only when we have humility

Amen

Sainthood is the Fondant on the Cake of a Life of Holiness

If your life is holy

And you do good,

And you live virtuously,

Then the fondant will be yours.

The cake of life is filled with holiness, 

Courage, sacrifice, joy, peace, patience, 

Kindness, gentleness, and self-control.

It is filled with prayer, honor, 

Love of God and neighbor.

Beatification is the frosting

Sainthood is the fondant.

Scourging at the Pillar

Oh Jesus, thank you for your sacrifice of love.

What seemed like a barbaric act on the part of the Romans

Turned into an act of love on the part of your Father,

Towards all humanity

For you sacrificed yourself for the world

That you might rid the world of sin

And bring people to conversion.

Amen

Palm Sunday

Oh Jesus, you came into Jerusalem riding on a donkey

While the crowd waved palm leaves

And laid them down at your feet like a carpet

Shouting hosanna in the highest and 

Praise to the Son of David

Everyone thought you would be King

Looking over the city of Jerusalem

You said, "Oh Jerusalem, Oh Jerusalem

How I long to gather [my] people,

As a hen gathers her chicks beneath her wings,

But you were unwilling"

We remember Palm Sunday by going to church

and the priest blesses the palm crosses.

Then we keep these palm crosses until the following year

And burn them on Ash Wednesday.

Amen

The Assumption of the Blessed Mother Mary

Oh blessed Mother Mary, 

You were assumed into Heaven

Both body and soul

Because you were an example 

To men and women everywhere

Just as Elijah was an example in the Old Testament

Bringing people back to repentance,

Your prayers and actions 

Brought people to conversion.

We celebrate this act 

On the Feast of the Assumption (August 15)

Amen

The Eucharist

Oh bread of light and truth, 

Our sacrifice of all things

You represent holiness, compassion and all things good.

Help us to do what is right

Help us to be the Joy of Christ 

In the lives of others forever and ever

Amen

The Crucifiction

Oh Jesus, you died on the cross

Under a Roman order,

Which God allowed to be carried out.

There were two thieves next to you,

One on your left, one on your right.

You comforted the one on your right by saying,

"Today you will be with me in paradise"

From the cross you forgave your enemies by saying,

"Father, forgive them for they know not what they do"

You turned to your beloved disciple, John and said,

"Son, this is your mother, woman, this is your son"

So that they would take care of each other.

You cried out to God, 

"My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?"

You said you were thirsty and a Roman soldier gave you a drink.

Then, you said "it is finished"

Meaning your sacrifice was paid in full.

Finally, you said, "Father, into your hands I commit my spirit"

Then you bowed your head and gave up the ghost.

Amen

Crown of Thorns

Oh Jesus, with your back beaten and bloody

The soldiers stuck a crown of thorns on your head

Blood dripped down from your head, 

As you suffered terrible pain 

But you suffered all this for the good of our souls 

And to bring virtue into the world

Amen

The Transfiguration

Oh Jesus, who spent much time in prayer

You took your apostles, 

Peter, James, and John, up onto a mountain

So you could pray with them

As you were praying, 

Moses and Elijah wearing dazzling white robes 

Came to talk to you

They told you about the cross

And how much you needed to suffer

For the sins of mankind

Amen

Agony in the garden

Oh Jesus, you were in agony in the garden of Gethsemane

You prayed to the father that he might take away the cup of suffering.

But you knew your father's will must be done, not your will. 

His will must be done to save our souls. 

An angel came to strengthen you and you accepted your fate. 

Amen

Simon of Cyrene Helps Jesus Carry the Cross

Oh Simon of Cyrene, at first you were unwilling,

But when the Romans saw that Jesus was tired 

They drew you out of the crowd and forced you to help

You helped him carry it up the big hill to Calvary

After you helped him carry it, 

He was stripped of his garments and

Nailed to the Cross as a sacrifice for our sins and

The sins of the world.

Amen

The Stations of the Cross: Jesus Meets His Mother

Oh Jesus, you met your mother on the way to Calvary

She was sad and sorrowful

But you could not comfort her at the time

But she knew you were doing the most important sacrifice of them all

Dying for the sins of everyone

Amen

The Ascension of Jesus

Oh Jesus, who appeared to your apostles after the resurrection 

Teaching them what was needed for the mission God had sent them on

Your apostles and closest friends saw you ascend into heaven 

And two angels said "Oh men of Galilee, why do you stand staring at the sky? 

Jesus, whom you have seen ascend to heaven, will come back in the same manner

As Jesus ascended into heaven

A cloud received him out of the sight of his apostles

And now he is seated at the right hand of the Father. 

Amen

The Resurrection of Jesus Christ

Oh Jesus, who rose from the dead, 

Defeating death and sin, 

Bringing virtue and joy into our lives

Granting us the joy of god

Helping us to be virtuous in all of our actions

That we may join him in Heaven. 

Amen

Links to Interesting Religious Videos

What Does the Litany of Mary Mean? - Tells why Mary has specific titles

SAINTS SPEAK: St. John of Damascus (Holy Repentance) - One of the early church fathers

Mary, Blessed Art Thou Among Women

Two early Church Fathers on the Eucharist - 

The Autobiography of Saint Gemma Galgani 

The Coming of the Holy Spirit

Oh Holy Spirit who descended on the apostles

And Jesus' closest friends

That they might speak in many languages

Telling the glorious gospel of our Lord and Savior

There were Jews from every nation under heaven

Gathered in Jerusalem to celebrate the feast of Pentecost

Then you taught the words of Christ 

And baptized 3000 people in one hour

Amen

Veronica's Veil

Oh St. Veronica, who had compassion on the Lord

When you saw him dying for our sins

You took off your veil and wiped his face

Wiping the blood and spit off of his face

You did not care what others thought of your actions

You only cared what God thought of your actions in that moment

Amen

The Finding of Jesus in the Temple in Jerusalem

Oh Mary and Joseph who looked for your child Jesus 

Among family and friends

Not finding him you returned to Jerusalem to look for him

Not finding him in any people's house in Jerusalem

You looked for him a third day and

Found him sitting among theologians in the Temple

Discussing the teachings of the Old Testament

When asked what he was doing for the last three days,

He said, "don't you know I must be about my Father's business"

Amen

The Great Commission

Oh Jesus, who gave us the great commission

Who told us to preach the gospel in every nation

To teach all things which he taught us

And to make disciples of every nation

Baptising them in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit

He told us he is with us always until the end of the age

Amen

The Name of Jesus Represents the Teachings of Jesus

When we pray to Jesus, not according to teachings 

Be careful, because he may not answer them.

James says, "you have not, because you ask not

And even if you do ask, you ask for the wrong reasons"

If we truly want to glorify God the Father in prayer

Pray with the teachings of Christ in mind

Amen 

A Meditation on the Word of God: The Rosary

The rosary is the greatest meditation on the gospel of Christ

King David said in the psalms, 

"Blessed is he who meditates on the word of God, day and night. 

He shall be like a tree planted by rivers of living water."

Because it is a meditation on the gospel of Christ,

It is the greatest prayer ever made.

In the book of Exodus, Miriam takes a tambourine and 

Sings praise to the Lord for delivering the children of Israel from Egypt.

In the New Testament times, the rosary is the psalm of our Lady 

Which we sing to the Blessed Trinity 

Who delivered us from sin and death

Blessed is he who prays the rosary.

Amen

No Apologies #18 - Statues, images, and the Rosary

A link to a video that provides a response entitled,

No Apologies #18 - Statues, images, and the Rosary

The Way to Calvary

Oh Jesus, you carried the cross on the way to Calvary

That you might teach us to do the same in our day-to-day walk

But the cross is significant for another reason,

Because with the cross you forgave our sins.

And redeemed us to God.

Amen

One Bread One Body

A link to a musical video entitled,

One Bread One Body

Links to Catholic Videos

Here are a few of my favorite videos on the catholic faith:

Mysteries of the Church: Seminary

Our Lady of Fatima: The Timeliness of Her Message

Mary Our Mother, Queen of Heaven & Why We Pray to Mary

Rosary Musical "SORROW" The Agony of Jesus in the Garden (Song)

The Last Supper

Oh Jesus who ate the last supper with your chosen twelve apostles

That you might prepare them for your death on the cross

During the meal you took bread in your hands and said, 

"This is my body do this in remembrance of me"

You also took wine and said, 

"This is my blood, shed for you 

And all mankind for the forgiveness of sin. 

Do this in remembrance of me".

By this event you instituted the ritual of the eucharist 

And the process of transubstantiation.

Amen