Devotion to Our Lady |
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THE JESSE TREE 2017 CALENDAR
Listing the Holy Days of Obligation and other important feasts of the Liturgical Year This poster is available in TWO SIZES. (1) Adobe PDF file (11 inches x 17 inches) (2) Adobe PDF file (13 inches x 19 inches) CLICK HERE FOR THE DOWNLOADS PAGE |
OUR LADY DE LA BRECHE, CHARTRES, FRANCE (1568)
The Abbot Orsini wrote: “Our Lady de la Breche, at Chartres, where a procession takes place every year, in thanksgiving for Our Lady’s having delivered the city, when besieged by heretics, in the year 1568. It was during this siege that the image of Our Lady, placed upon the Drouaise gate, could not be injured by the cannon and musket balls, which the besiegers fired at it, and the marks of which are still seen at two or three inches from the image.” “I shall place enmity between thee and the Woman. She shall crush thy head…” is indeed verified at the shrine of la Breche. The procession mentioned by the good abbot was a custom that took place annually in commemoration of the miracle until the time of the French Revolution. The mayor, or on occasion some other important personage who happened to be the guest of the town at the time, traditionally lit the first candle before the shrine of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Our Lady de la Breche. Thereafter the procession began, winding its way from the Cathedral down the steep curves of the Rue Muret towards the Porte Drouaise. Those who took part could read the inscription engraved on the ramparts which recorded the events of the siege in Latin for the instruction and example of posterity. Pursuing their way up the Rue de la Breche, the procession would next arrive at the Chapel of Notre-Dame-de-la-Breche. Inside there was a statue of the Blessed Virgin which stood on the keystone of the old chapel that was erected in 1599 in memory of this event, and near the site of the famous breach. About the altar are there were numerous cannon-balls of stone which were relics of the siege. Entering the large annex on the right the visitor would see a still more curious relic of the siege – the fourteenth or fifteenth-century statue of Notre-Dame-de-la-Breche, whose name was graven on the keystone above mentioned. And if he should inquire how that name was earned, he would be told that this was the very statue which had been set over the Porte Drouaise and, by a miraculous intervention, had saved the town. The contemporary chronicler Duparc informs us that for all that the men of the Huguenot army were esteemed the greatest soldiers in Europe, yet were they miraculously blinded by a manifest miracle. And the miracle was on this wise. The defenders of Chartres placed above the gate of Drouaise the statue of Our Lady de la Breche against which the enemy fired many shots from cannon and arquebus alike, but without being able to ever hit it. And to demonstrate how many shots were fired at the gate on which was the said image, the bridge of that gate was broken and cut in two by the cannon-balls, and all round the image up to a few inches of it the marks of many bullets may still be seen. Through it all the statue remained whole and intact; in spite of the efforts of the enemy to destroy that image, for it was never struck by a single shot. I know well, Duparc adds, that the heretics and some others will scoff at this, but Herod also mocked at Christ when he beheld Him. The chapel mentioned above was destroyed during the French Revolution. |
OUR LADY OF THE UNDERGROUND, CHARTRES, FRANCE (1568)
The Abbot Orsini wrote: “In the year 911, the city of Chartres was miraculously delivered from the siege laid to it by Rollo or Raoul, Duke of the Normans; for as he was on the point of taking the city, Gaucelin, the forty-seventh Bishop of Chartres, mounted on the top of the ramparts, holding a relic of Our Lady as an ensign, which struck such terror in the camp, that all retreated in disorder; in memory of this fact, the meadows of the gate of Drouaise are called, to this day, the meadows of the fugitives (des Recules).” Due to the circumstances of its geographic location, the city of Chartres was subject to Viking raids during the 9th and 10th century. In the year 858, the city was sacked and burned. Early in the 10th century a Viking chieftain (later known as Normans, having founded Normandy) named Rollo came to power, and he led an army of a few thousand Vikings against Chartres in the spring of the year 911. Chartres was surrounded by a strong wall which held the Vikings in check, so the Vikings were forced to lay siege to the city, his men spoiling the surrounding countryside as the days progressed. Eventually Duke Robert and Duke Richard assembled an army south of Chartres to oppose the fierce Vikings. The relieving force was made up mainly of Burgundians and Franks, and they hoped they were strong enough to attack and drive off the Vikings as the inhabitants of Chartres continued to resist. They finally attacked the Vikings on July 20th, 911, before the walls of Chartres. When the Franks and Burgundians advanced, Rollo had his army drawn up in a concave pattern which pressed hard against the center of the opposing army. Huge, berserk Vikings smote the French line, and Duke Richard, under great pressure, began to slowly give ground, which would mean the collapse of his army. Rollo was fighting valiantly, certain he was about to vanquish his enemy, when suddenly Bishop Gaucelin, who led the defense of Chartres, sallied forth from the gates of Chartres surrounded by the steel clad defenders of the city. Unmistakable in his Episcopal mitre, holding aloft the tunic of the Blessed Virgin Mary, a relic then kept at Chartres, the defenders of the city fell upon the Vikings with sword and spear. The Vikings, caught between the enemy forces, retreated in defeat. Dudo, the Norman historian of Saint Quentin, wrote: “Rollo, mighty and powerful and vigorous and most fierce in arms, Do not feel ashamed if you now are considered a runaway. No Frankish or Burgundian assembly Of manifold nations and hosts puts you to flight, fells you, But the nourishing tunic of the Virgin mother of God and Likewise amulets and relics and the reverend cross Which the reverend prelate carries in his worthy hands.” |
OUR LADY OF THE FOUNTAIN, CONSTANTINOPLE (460)
The Abbot Orsini wrote: “Our Lady of the Fountain, at Constantinople, built, by the Emperor Leo, in the year 460, in thanksgiving for the Blessed Virgin’s having appeared to him on the margin of a spring, to which he was charitably leading a blind man, when he was no more than a common soldier, and foretold to him that he would be emperor.” Emperor Leo I, also known as Leo I the Thracian, Leo the Great, and even Leo the Butcher, was the emperor of the Byzantine Empire from the year 457 until 474. Leo had begun with a career in the military, eventually rising to the rank of tribune in 457. When the emperor then reigning died, Leo was acclaimed the new emperor. It is interesting to note that he is a saint in the Orthodox Church. In a certain manner, the shrine of Our Lady of the Fountain still exists. Instead of the title the abbot had given it, the shrine is now known as the Mother of God of the Life-Giving Spring, and the story surrounding it is as follows. Our Lady of the Fountain, Life Giving Spring, cont: According to the legend, the man who would later become Emperor Leo I of the Byzantine Empire was a good and pious man long before he became Emperor. One day in his travels he had come upon a blind man, who, being tormented with thirst, begged Leo to find water to quench his thirst. Feeling compassion for this man, Leo went in search of a source of water, but found none. As he was about to cease his search, he heard a voice telling him: “Leo, you do not need to tire yourself for there is water nearby.” Leo looked again, but still found no water. Then he heard the voice again, this time telling him: “Emperor Leo, enter into the deepest part of the woods and you will find a lake; draw some cloudy water from it with your hands and give it to the blind man to quench his thirst, then anoint his darkened eyes with the clay and you will immediately know who I am, for I have dwelt in this place for a long time. Build a church here that all who come here will find answers to their petitions.” Leo found the lake, and did as he was instructed. As soon as the blind man’s eyes were anointed, he received his sight. Leo became emperor a short time later, and then built a large and beautiful church in honor of the Blessed Virgin at that place just outside the Golden Gate near the Seven Towers district. Many miracles began to occur there, including resurrections from the dead, through the intercession of the Mother of God. When this church was damaged by earthquakes, it was rebuilt by subsequent emperors who also experience miraculous healings. The church was razed to the ground when Constantinople fell to the Turks in the year 1453. The material that remained was taken to be used to construct the mosque of Sultan Beyazid. Even then people continued to come to the place seeking relief, for the spring remained intact beneath the ruins. The shrine had twenty-five steps going down to it, and a window in the roof above from which it received a little light. In 1821 the shrine was destroyed during the Greek War of Independence. In 1833 the Sultan Mahmud allowed the Orthodox Christians to rebuild the shrine. Later, on the night of September 6, 1955, the Turks killed the abbot was hung and the shrine desecrated and burned to the ground. The shrine has since been restored yet again, but appears nothing like it once had in the distant past. Still, it is said that the water from the spring still has healing properties. |
OUR LADY OF IRELAND
During the difficult times of Oliver Cromwell, one of the bishops forced to leave Ireland was Doctor Lynch, Bishop of Clonfert. He traveled about Europe and finally came to Hungary in 1654. He was kindly received by John Pusky, Bishop of Gyer, and eventually became auxiliary bishop of the Diocese. Ten years later Bishop Lynch planned to return to his native land. Almighty God prevented this; during his dying hours he gave to the Bishop of Gyer his only material treasure – the picture of the Madonna of Ireland. Soon after, as a memory of the Irish Bishop, the picture of Our Lady was hung on the wall of the Cathedral at Gyer. Years passed. On the feast of Saint Patrick, while large numbers of the faithful were present in the Cathedral, an awe-inspiring event took place. A bloody sweat was observed to come over the figure of the Blessed Lady in the picture. Drops of blood fell onto the Infant Jesus; as the bleeding continued for three hours. Linen towels, which are still retained under glass at her shrine, were used to wipe the blood from the blood-perspiring face. In the archives of the Cathedral of Gyer, there is a document written in 1697 on parchment, relating this event. It is signed not only by the clergy and the laity who were present at the Mass, but by the mayor and the councilmen, by the governor, Lutheran and Calvanist preachers, a Rabbi – over one hundred signatures represent eye-witnesses to the miracle. In 1874, Pope Pius IX granted a plenary indulgence on the feasts of Saint Patrick and the Assumption, before which feast public novenas are held. In 1913 Archbishop Schrembs of Toledo, visited Gyer in Hungary. He saw the beautiful painting and was deeply moved when told of the wonderful event. He requested a copy for the many Irish Catholics in his diocese who would be happy to learn the history and to possess the picture of Our Lady of Ireland. The copy was placed face to face with the original and then given to Bishop Schrembs. On August 23, 1914, Archbishop Schrembs dedicated the new St Stephen’s Church in Toledo, Ohio. The Hungarian people had paid about 2/3 of the expenses of the building. The Bishop presented the Madonna to this church, saying: “I am convinced that the picture will be treasured in a Hungarian Church just as much as it would be in an Irish one.” Both Hungarians and Irish were thrilled. The image depicts Mary crowned as queen, Our Lady of Ireland, and before her, lying on several circular pillows, is the Infant, also crowned as the Little King, and covered with royal robes. |
St. Michael Poster # 1
Available in THREE SIZES. (1) PDF file (8.5 inches x 11 inches) (2) PDF file (11 inches x 17 inches) (3) PDF file (13 inches x 19 inches) |
St. Michael Poster # 2
Available in THREE SIZES. (1) PDF file (8.5 inches x 11 inches) (2) PDF file (11 inches x 17 inches) (3) PDF file (13 inches x 19 inches) |
St. Michael Poster # 3
Available in THREE SIZES. (1) PDF file (8.5 inches x 11 inches) (2) PDF file (11 inches x 17 inches) (3) PDF file (13 inches x 19 inches) |
St. Michael Poster # 4
Available in TWO SIZES. (1) PDF file (11 inches x 17 inches) (2) PDF file (13 inches x 19 inches) |
READ THE "UNPUBLISHED MANUSCRIPT ON PURGATORY"
CLICK HERE OR ON THE BOOK COVER TO GO TO THE APPROPRIATE PAGE At the expressed desire of the Directors of the Bulletin Notre Dame de la Bonne Mort (Our Lady of the Good Death), this pamphlet is published with all the reservations ordered by the Church in the decree of Pope Urban VIII, and as a purely historical document. It was sent to that periodical by a zealous and devout missionary and is a pious document based on alleged conversations between a nun and a soul in Purgatory. This manuscript contains very interesting statements about the life beyond the grave, particularly about Purgatory. The details are intermingled with much spiritual direction. Its authenticity is beyond doubt. A nun, identified for us merely as Sister M. de L. C., of a convent at V., without warning began to hear prolonged sighs beside her. This was in November 1873. She cried out, “Oh, who are you, you frighten me. Whatever you do, don’t show yourself. Tell me, who are your?” No answer was forthcoming. The sighs continued and even came nearer. In vain did the poor Sister multiply her prayers, communions, ways of the cross, and rosaries. The sighs did not cease and remained unexplained until February 15, 1874, when a voice she recognized was heard saying: “Do not be afraid, you will not see me in my sufferings. I am Sister M. G.” Sister M. G. was a nun who had died at V., a victim to devotion and duty, February 22nd, 1871, at the age of 36.
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PRAY MORE, PLAY LESS
Poster available in THREE sizes 1. PDF 8.5 inches by 11 inches 2. PDF 11 inches by 17 inches 3. PDF 13 inches by 19 inches (click here) to go to downloads page |
THE HOLY SOUL-UTION TO YOUR PROBLEMS!
Poster available in THREE sizes 1. Adobe PDF 8.5 inches by 11 inches 2. Adobe PDF 11 inches by 17 inches 3. Adobe PDF 13 inches by 19 inches (click here) to go to downloads page |
SHAME ON YOU!
Poster available in THREE sizes 1. PDF 8.5 inches by 11 inches 2. PDF 11 inches by 17 inches 3. PDF 13 inches by 19 inches (click here) to go to downloads page |
Poster FATIMA MIRACLE OF THE SUN Poster available in TWO sizes only 1. Adobe PDF 11 inches by 17 inches 2. Adobe PDF 13 inches by 19 inches (click here) to go to downloads page |
HOW MANY ROSARY ROUNDS FIRED?
Poster available in THREE sizes (1) A PDF poster measuring 11 x 8.5 inches (Letter Size) (2) A PDF poster measuring 17 x 11 inches (Tabloid Size) (3) A PDF poster measuring 19 x 13 inches (Super Photo Size) Praying like a machine-gun may be fun,
But with fast prayers battles are seldom won! Yet victory needs bullets to fly through the air. Likewise the Church's triumph needs lots of prayer. In war a soldier fights more than just ten minutes a day Soldiers of Christ must force themselves much more to pray. |
WHICH GROUP DO YOU BELONG TO?
Poster available in LETTER size only (click here) to go to downloads page (1) A PDF poster measuring 11 x 8.5 inches (Letter Size) Our thorn-crowned Savior stands alone
His "faithful" followers have all away flown The banner of the Cross is unfurled Yet they prefer the banner of the world No prayer, or penance, or sacrifice is found As the worldlings prefer to flock around The allurements that the world presents Making Hell rejoice, while Heaven laments Blindly they follow the broad wide road Seeking fun, rejecting the Cross and its load For pleasure and wealth is before their eyes Blinding them to their ultimate demise |
ANGEL COP SPEEDING TICKET
Poster available in THREE sizes (1) A PDF poster measuring 11 x 8.5 inches (Letter Size) (2) A PDF poster measuring 17 x 11 inches (Tabloid Size) (3) A PDF poster measuring 19 x 13 inches (Super Photo Size) Do you have a license to pray?
Or do you wing it every day? The Rules of Prayer do you heed? Or do you disregard them as you speed? Prayer can be a matter of life and death So don't blurt out prayers in one single breath! He who prays well, also lives well But he who prays badly may end up in ....! |
CHAINED TO THE WORLD
Poster available in THREE sizes (1) A PDF poster measuring 11 x 8.5 inches (Letter Size) (2) A PDF poster measuring 17 x 11 inches (Tabloid Size) (3) A PDF poster measuring 19 x 13 inches (Super Photo Size) Our Lord came the world to save
Yet we make ourselves of the world a slave! The Kingdom of God we first should seek, Yet most seek the world all through the week! We gorge on the world with appetite unrestrained, Until the prince of the world has us entangled and chained! |
A saint who is sad, is indeed a sad saint!
Yet if your god is your belly, a saint you ain't! A bit of humor with a little truth, Can help us change, as we grow long in the sweet tooth! Many a true word can be said in jest, If their goal is to bring out of us our best! Faith grows dim when we God no longer seek; And that, in turn, makes our love of God weak! For we were made to love God with all our heart! Yet today God is forsaken and many from Him depart! When man turns from God to material things, Inevitably chastisement this brings! |
Crosswords can be a fun way of reminding ourselves of what we already know and also learning new facts that we did not know. We hope to regularly post crosswords that deal with a variety of aspects concerning Our Lady: her life, her apparitions, her messages and devotion to her in general. We hope you find time over your favorite snack or drink to tackle these not-too-difficult crosswords.
You can download each crossword in an Adobe PDF format (which will include the blank crossword, the clues and a filled-in crossword showing the correct answers; or you can print the crossword from what you see online, that is on your computer screen (which will include the blank crossword and the clues, BUT NO ANSWERS, as the answers will be posted a day or two later. Enjoy! Ave Maria! (CLICK HERE TO GO TO THE CROSSWORD PUZZLE PAGE) |