Good Friday: let's pray for the conversion of the Jews

 

OREMVS ET PRO PERFIDIS IVDAEIS VT DEVS ET DOMINVS NOSTER AVFERAT VELAMEN DE CORDIBVS EORVM VT ET IPSI AGNOSCANT IESVM CHRISTVM DOMINVM NOSTRVM (Non respondetur Amen, nec dicitur Oremus, aut Flectamus genua, aut Levate, sed statim dicitur:) OMNIPOTENS SEMPITERNE DEVS QVI ETIAM IVDAICAM PERFIDIAM A TVA MISERICORDIA NON REPELLIS EXAVDI PRECES NOSTRAS QVAS PRO ILLIVS POPVLI OBCAECATIONE DEFERIMVS VT AGNITA VERITATIS TVAE LVCE QVAE CHRISTVS EST A SVIS TENEBRIS ERVANTVR PER EVDEM DOMINVM NOSTRVN IESVM CHRISTVM FILIVM TVVM QVI TECVM VIVIT ET REGNAT IN VNITATE SPIRITVS SANCTI DEVS PER OMNIA SAECVLA SAECVLORUM AMEN

Let us pray also for the faithless Jews: that almighty God may remove the veil from their hearts; so that they too may acknowledge Jesus Christ our Lord. Almighty and eternal God, who dost not exclude from thy mercy even Jewish faithlessness: hear our prayers, which we offer for the blindness of that people; that acknowledging the light of thy Truth, which is Christ, they may be delivered from their darkness. Through the same our Lord Jesus Christ, Amen.

The famous liturgist Dom Prosper Guéranger, O.S.B., said:

Here [at this prayer] the deacon does not invite the faithful to kneel. The Church has no hesitation in offering up a prayer for the descendants of Jesus' executioners; but in doing so she refrains from genuflecting, because this mark of adoration was turned by the Jews into an insult against our Lord during the Passion. She prays for His scoffers; but she shrinks from repeating the act wherewith they scoffed at Him.

Saint Augustine of Hippo

The Jews should be invited to conversion with love, resisting they shall continue as sinners

Saint John Chrysostom

• The Jews when be forgiven neither by circumcision nor by other deeds, but only by Baptism

 “For this is my covenant unto them, when I shall take away their sins” (Rom 11:27). Not when they are circumcised, not when they sacrifice, not when they do the other deeds of the Law, but when they attain to the forgiveness of sins. If then this hath been promised, but has never yet happened in their case, nor have they ever enjoyed the remission of sins by baptism, certainly it will come to pass. Hence he proceeds, “For the gifts and calling of God are without repentance” (Rom 11:29).  (Saint John Chrysostom, Homily XIX, Letter to the Romans, no. 6)

Saint Bernard of Clairvaux

One should seek the conversion of the Jews, and not their persecution

Council of Florence (Ecumenical XVII)
-The legalities of the Law of Moses may not be observed without the loss of eternal salvation.


Benedict XIV
-The observance of the annulled ceremonies of the Mosaic Law constitutes a sin.

Council of Florence (XVII Ecumenical)
-No one living outside the Catholic Church, not even the Jews, can participate in eternal life.

Saint Cyril of Jerusalem

• God the Father does not accept the service of those who do not worship the Son

For the Father has indignation when the Only-begotten Son is set at nought. For it is grievous to a king that merely his soldier should be dishonoured; and when one of his nobler officers or friends is dishonoured, then his anger is greatly increased: but if any should do despite to the king’s only-begotten son himself, who shall appease the father’s indignation on behalf of his only-begotten son? If, therefore, any one wishes to show piety towards God, let him worship the Son, since otherwise the Father accepts not his service. (Saint Cyril of Jerusalem, Catechetical Lecture 10, In one Lord Jesus Christ, no. 1 – 2)

Saint John Chrysostom
-The Jews when be forgiven neither by circumcision nor by other deeds, but only by Baptism
-Beloved, because of their ancestors, the virtue of the latter is useless to them till they believe.

The New Testamente and our Lady of the Miraculous Medal contradicts the heresy  that the Jews do not need to convert

"The cross will be despised and trodden under foot, Our Lord's side will be opened again" "My child, the Cross of Jesus will be hated, many priests will be put to death".

The Virgin to Sister Catherine Laboure

Veneration of the Cruxifix on Good Friday

                   

℣. We adore You, O Christ, and we praise You.

℟. Because, by Your holy cross, You have redeemed the world.

Good Friday: let's pray for the conversion of the Jews

Good Friday (by Fr. Prosper Gueranger 1870)

THE VENERATION OF THE CROSS.

The "Prayers" are ended. The charity and zeal of the Church have embraced the whole universe of men, invoking upon them the merciful effusion of that precious Blood, which is now flowing from the Wounds of her Crucified Lord. She turns next to her faithful Children. Filled with holy indignation at the humiliations heaped upon her Jesus, she invites us to an act of solemn reparation: it is to consist in our venerating that Cross, which our Divine Lord has borne to the summit of Calvary, and to which He is to be fastened with nails. The Cross is a stumbling-block to the Jeivs, and foolishness to the Gentiles (I. Cor. i . 23.); but to us Christians, it is the trophy of Jesus' victory, and the instrument of the world's Redemption. It is worthy of our deepest veneration, because of the honour conferred upon it by the Son of God: He consecrated it by his own Blood, he worked our salvation by its means. No time could be more appropriate than this for the honouring it with the humble tribute of our veneration.

The holy ceremony of venerating the Cross on Good Friday was first instituted at Jerusalem, in the 4th century. Owing to the pious zeal of the Empress St. Helen, the True Cross had then recently been discovered, to the immense joy of the whole Church. The Faithful, as might be expected, were desirous to see the precious Relic, and, accordingly, it was exposed every Good Friday. This brought a very great number of pilgrims to Jerusalem; and yet how few, comparatively, could hope to have the happiness of such a visit, or witness the magnificent ceremony? An imitation of what was done, on this day, at Jerusalem, was a natural result of these pious desires. It was about the 7th century, that the practice of publicly venerating the Cross on Good Friday was introduced into other Churches. True, it was but an image of the True Cross that these other Churches could show to the people; but as the respect that is paid to the True Cross refers to Christ himself, the Faithful could offer Him a like homage of adoration, even though not having present before their eyes the sacred Wood which had been consecrated by the Blood of Jesus. Such was the origin of the imposing ceremony, at which holy Church now invites us to assist.

The Celebrant takes off the Chasuble, which is the badge of the Priesthood; it is in order that the Reparation, which he is to be first to offer to our outraged Jesus, may be made with all possible humility. He then stands on the step near the Epistle side of the Altar, and turns his face towards the people. The Deacon takes down the Cross from the Altar, and gives it to the Celebrant, who then unveils the upper part as far as the arms; He raises it a little, and sings these words:

Behold the wood of the Cross;

Then he continues, joined by the Deacon and Subdeacon:

on which hung the salvation of the world.

The people then kneel down, and venerate the Cross, while the Choir sings these words:

Come, let us adore.

This first exposition, which is made at the side of the Altar, and in a low tone of voice, represents the first preaching of the Cross, that, namely, which the Apostles made, when, for fear of the Jews, they dared not to speak of the great Mystery except to the few faithful Disciples of Jesus. For the same reason, the Priest but slightly elevates the Cross. The homage here paid to it is intended as a reparation for the insults and injuries offered to our Redeemer in the house of Caiphas.

The Priest then comes to the front of the step, and is thus nearer to the people. He unveils the right arm of the Cross, and holds up the holy Sign of our Redemption higher than the first time. He then sings, and on a higher note:

Behold the wood of the Cross;

Then he continues, joined by the Deacon and Subdeacon:

on which hung the salvation of the world.

The people then kneel down, and venerate the Cross, while the Choir sings these words:

Come, let us adore.

This second elevation of the holy Cross signifies the Apostles' extending their preaching the mystery of our Redemption to the Jews, after the descent of the Holy Ghost; by which preaching they made many thousand converts, and planted the Church in the very midst of the Synagogue. It is intended as a reparation to our Saviour, for the treatment he received in the Court of Pilate.

The Priest then advances to the middle of the Altar, and, with his face still turned towards the people, he removes the veil entirely from the Cross. He elevates it more than he did the two preceding times, and triumphantly sings on a still higher note:

Behold the wood of the Cross;

Then he continues, joined by the Deacon and Subdeacon:

on which hung the salvation of the world.

The people then kneel down, and venerate the Cross, while the Choir sings these words:

Come, let us adore.

This third and unreserved manifestation represents the mystery of the Cross being preached to the whole earth, when the Apostles, after being rejected by the majority of the Jewish people, turned towards the Gentiles, and preached Jesus Crucified, even far beyond the limits of the Roman Empire. It is intended as a Reparation to our Lord for the outrages offered to him on Calvary.

There is also another teaching embodied in this ceremony of holy Church. By this gradual unveiling of the Cross, she would express to us the contrast of the Jewish and the Christian view. The one finds nothing in Christ Crucified but shame and ignominy: the other discovers in Him the power and the wisdom of God (1. Cor. i. 24.). Honour, then, and veneration to His Cross! The veil is removed by Faith. Unveiled let it be upon our Altar, for He that died upon it is soon to triumph by a glorious Resurrection! Yea, let every Crucifix in our Church be unveiled, and every Altar beam once more with the vision of the glorious Standard!

But the Church is not satisfied with showing her Children the Cross that has saved them; she would have them approach, and kiss it. The Priest leads the way. He has already taken off his Chasuble; he now takes off his shoes also, and then advances towards the place where he has put the Crucifix. He makes three genuflexions at intervals, and finally kisses the Cross. The Deacon and Subdeacon follow him, then the clergy, and lastly the people.

The chants which are used during this ceremony are exceedingly fine. First of all, there are the Improperia, that is, the Reproaches made by our Saviour to the Jews. Each of the first three stanzas of this plaintive Hymn is followed by the Trisagion, or Prayer to the Thrice Holy God, Who, as Man, suffers death for us. Oh! let us fervently proclaim him to be The Holy, The Immortal! This form of prayer was used at Constantinople, so far back as the fifth Century. The Roman Church adopted it, retaining even the original Greek words, to which, however, she adds a Latin translation. The rest of this beautiful chant contains the comparison made by our Lord, between the favours he has bestowed upon the Jewish people, and the injuries He has received from them in return.

A Parent’s Prayer to Saint Joseph

 O glorious St. Joseph,

to you God committed the care
of His only begotten Son
amid the many dangers of this world.
We come to you
and ask you to take under your special protection
the children God has given us.
Through holy baptism
they became children of God
and members of His holy Church.
We consecrate them to you today,
that through this consecration
they may become your foster children.
Guard them,
guide their steps in life,
form their hearts
after the hearts of Jesus and Mary.

St. Joseph,
who felt the tribulation and worry of a parent
when the child Jesus was lost,
protect our dear children for time and eternity.
May you be their father and counsellor.
Let them, like Jesus,
grow in age as well as in wisdom and grace
before God and men.
Preserve them from the corruption of his world,
and give us the grace one day to be united
with them in Heaven forever.

Amen.

St. Joseph, Spouse of the Mother of God, pray for us! St. Joseph, Zealous Defender of Christ and His Church, pray for us!

Prayer to Saint Charbel for a genuine conversion

O Lord, infinitely holy and glorified in your saints, you inspired Saint Charbel, the saintly monk, to lead the perfect life of a hermit. We thank you for having granted him the blessing and the strength to detach himself from the world so that the heroism of the monastic virtues of poverty, obedience, and chastity might triumph in his hermitage.

O God, for the blessing of all people you have deigned to choose Saint Charbel as a model of all virtues, and you have converted many souls through his works and example.

We now ask you to grant by his merits and intercession that we may be truly converted, renounce all sins and sinful desire, and become more and more pleasing to you by the practice of true virtue, through Jesus Christ, our Lord. 

Amen.

Prayer to Pope St. Pius X

 

O God, who gave Pope St. Pius X to Your Church as a courageous reformer and defender of the faith, grant that we may follow his example in our commitment to holiness and our dedication to preserving the teachings of the Church. Through his intercession, help us to deepen our spiritual life and to remain steadfast in our faith. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

"For the priest cannot be good or bad for himself alone; his conduct and way of life have far-reaching consequences for the people. A truly good priest is an immense gift wherever he may be."

(Pope St. Pius X, "Haerent Animo", 1908 A.D.)

"Woe then to the priest who so far forgets himself that he abandons the practice of prayer, rejects the nourishment of spiritual reading and never turns his attention inwards upon himself to hear the accusing voice of conscience. Neither the festering wounds on his conscience, nor even the tearful pleas of his mother the Church, will move such an unfortunate priest until those fearsome threats come upon him: Blind the heart of this people, make dull their ears, and close their eyes, lest they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart and be converted and I should heal them.

(Pope St. Pius X, "Haerent Animo", 1908 A.D.)

"Woe to the priest who fails to respect his high dignity, and defiles by his infidelities the name of the holy God for whom he is bound to be holy. Corruptio optimi pessima. 'Sublime is the dignity of the priest, but great is his fall, if he is guilty of sin; let us rejoice for the high honor, but let us fear for them lest they fall; great is the joy that they have scaled the heights, but it is insignificant compared with the sorrow of their fall from on high.'"

(Pope St. Pius X, "Haerent Animo", 1908 A.D.)

"Likewise, a priest who neglects his own sanctification can never be the salt of the earth; what is corrupt and contaminated is utterly incapable of preserving from corruption; where sanctity is lacking, there corruption will inevitably find its way. Hence Christ, continuing this comparison, calls such priests salt that has lost its savor, which is good for nothing any more, but to be cast out and to be trodden on by men."

(Pope St. Pius X, "Haerent Animo", 1908 A.D.)

"It is from self-denial chiefly that the strength and power and fruit of every priestly function derive; it is when this virtue is neglected that there appears in the priest's conduct whatever may be of a nature to cause offense to the eyes and hearts of the faithful."

(Pope St. Pius X, "Haerent Animo", 1908 A.D.)

Novena to St. Charbel

 

Day 1 O Miraculous Saint Charbel, from whose immaculate body, which overpowers corruption, radiates the scent of heaven, come to my rescue and grant me from God the petition(s) which I am in need of (make your petition(s) here). O Saint Charbel pray for me. O Lord, who was bestowed on Saint Charbel the grace of faith, I plead to you to grant me through his intercession that divine grace to live according to your commandments and Bible. The glory is yours till the end. Amen.

Day 2 O Saint Charbel, Martyr of monastic life, who experienced suffering, and whom Lord Jesus made of you a bright beacon, I resort to you and ask through your intercession the petition(s) (make your petition(s) here). I confide in you. Amen. O Saint Charbel, vase of perfume, intercede for me. O God of complete benevolence, who honoured Saint Charbel by giving him the grace to perform miracles, have mercy on me and grant me what I ask from you through his intercession. The Glory is yours till the end. Amen. Pray one Our Father, one Hail Mary and Glory be to the Father.

Day 3 O Saint Charbel, the amiable, who shines like a bright star in the church sky, brighten my way and fortify my hope. From you I ask for the petitions (make your petition(s) here). Ask for it from Jesus the crucified whom you perpetually worship. Amen. O Saint Charbel, the example of patience and silence, intercede for me. O Lord Jesus, who sanctified Saint Charbel and helped him to carry his cross, give me the courage to bear life’s difficulties with patience and submission to your divine will through Saint Charbel’s intercession, to you is gratefulness forever. Amen. Pray one Our Father, one Hail Mary and Glory be to the Father.

Day 4 O Father, Saint Charbel, the affectionate, I resort to you. My confidence in you fills my heart. With the power of your intercession with God, I am waiting for the petition(s) which I ask from you (make your petitions here). Show me your affection once more. Amen. O Saint Charbel, garden of virtue, intercede for me. O God, you who granted Saint Charbel the grace of your resemblance, grant me the help to grow in the Christian virtues and have mercy on me to be able to praise you till the end. Amen. Pray one Our Father, one Hail Mary and Glory be to the Father.

Day 5 O Saint Charbel, loved by God, enlighten me, help me and teach me how to please God. Hurry to my rescue. Oh affectionate Father, I beg of you to ask God for this petition(s) (make your petitions here). Amen. O Saint Charbel, friend of the crucified, intercede for me. O God hear my demand through Saint Charbel’s intercession. Save my poor heart and give me peace. Calm the troubles of my soul. Glory to you till the end. Amen. Pray one Our Father, one Hail Mary and Glory be to the Father.

Day 6 O Saint Charbel, all powerful intercessor, I ask you to fulfill the petition(s) which I am in need of (make your petition(s) here). A single word from you to Jesus is enough to forgive me, to have mercy on me and to grant me my wish. Amen. O Saint Charbel, joy of heaven and earth, intercede for me. O God, who chose Saint Charbel to defend us before your divine power, grant me through his intercession this petition(s) to glorify you with him till the end. Amen. Pray one Our Father, one Hail Mary and Glory be to the Father.

Day 7 O Saint Charbel, loved by everyone, helper of the needy, I have firm hope in your intercession before God. Fulfil this petition(s) for me (make your petitions here). Amen. O Saint Charbel, a star that counsels the bewildered, intercede for me. O God, my numerous sins hinder your grace to reach me. Grant me the grace to repent. Answer me through Saint Charbel’s intercession. Return the joy to my sad heart and grant me my petition(s). You, the embodiment of graces, glory and gratefulness be to you. Amen. Pray one Our Father, one Hail Mary and Glory be to the Father

Day 8 O Saint Charbel, whenever I see you kneeling down on the cane mat, fasting, abstaining and absorbed in calling God, my hope and faith in you increases. I beg of you to help me to receive the petition(s) that I am asking for (make your petitions here). Amen. O Saint Charbel, absorbed in God, intercede for me. O Jesus, the most peaceful, you who has raised your beloved Charbel to biblical perfection, I solemnly ask you to grant me the grace to spend the rest of my life according to your demand. I love you, oh God, my savior. Amen. Pray one Our Father, one Hail Mary and Glory be to the Father.

Day 9 O Father, Saint Charbel, here I am at the end of the Novena. My heart gets nourished when I speak to you. I have great hope that I will obtain from Jesus the petition(s) I asked for through your intercession. I repent, and I promise that I will never ever fall into sin. I ask you to fulfill my petition(s) (make your petition(s) here). Amen. O Saint Charbel, crowned with glory, intercede for me. O Lord, you listened to Saint Charbel’s prayers and you fulfilled the grace of unison with you, have mercy on me in my moment of distress. Save me from malice which I cannot bear. Glory and gratefulness be to you till the end. Amen. Pray one Our Father, one Hail Mary and Glory be to the Father.

Nine Elevations of the Soul to the Sacred Heart of Jesus

 

Heart of Jesus, perfect adorer of God, teach me to adore Thy heavenly Father with thee and by Thee.

Heart of Jesus, inflamed with love for me, inflame me with Thy divine love.

Heart of Jesus, victim alone worthy of God, unite me to Thy divine sacrifice.

Heart of Jesus, overwhelmed with bitterness for the sins of men, break my heart with sorrow for my sins.

Heart of Jesus, infinitely humble, annihilate my pride.

Heart of Jesus, perfect model of meekness, inspire me with that salutary virtue.

Heart of Jesus, infinitely pure and spotless, give me an inviolable purity of body, mind, and heart.

Heart of Jesus, full of zeal for the glory of Thy heavenly Father, animate my heart with an ardent zeal for Thy glory and my own sanctification.

Heart of Jesus, reign for ever in my heart, and grant me grace to reign one day with Thee in heaven.--

Amen