Pope Benedict's Final Angelus

Our prayers are with you, Holy Father!!!



The Piazza San Pietro was full of loving pilgrims wishing to give Pope Benedict XVI a final salute and farewell before he takes time off. The Angelus is the prayer based upon the angel Gabriel's "Annunciation" to Mary about the birth of Jesus. From Preces-Latinae:

The Angelus is recited at three particular times during the day; 6 am, 12 noon, and 6 pm. Traditionally it is recited kneeling while a bell is rung. During the Easter Season, the Angelus is replaced by the Regina Caeli, a practice first instituted in 1743.The origins of the Angelus undoubtedly lie with an 11th century custom of reciting three Hail Mary's during the evening bell. Pope Gregory IX (d 1241) ordered a bell to be rung in the evening to remind people to pray for the Crusades. In 1269 St. Bonaventure urged the faithful to adopt the custom of the Franciscans of saying three Hail Mary's as the evening bell was rung. Pope John XXII indulgenced this practice in 1318 and then again in 1327. The custom of reciting it in the morning apparently grew from the monastic custom of saying three Hail Mary's while a bell rang at Prime. The noon time custom apparently arose from the noon time commemoration of the Passion on Fridays. Pope Callistus III (1455-1458) commended the practice as a prayer for protection against the Turkish invasions of his time. By the sixteenth century the form of the prayer was standardized and it has been highly popular since the 17th century. Popes such as Benedict XIV, Leo XIII, Pius XI, and Pius XII have recommended it. More recently, Pope Paul VI wrote about it in Marialis Cultus and Pope John Paul II holds a weekly noon time Angelus address at St. Peter's Square. A partial indulgence is granted to those who devoutly recite it according to the time of the year.  It would be good to memorize it if you were ever to go to Rome or to be with the pope when he prayed it: In the Angelus, the first part of the Hail Mary is said by the leader, while the others respond with the second part. The Hail Mary can be found in English and Latin on the "Prayers of the Rosary" page. English V. The angel of the Lord declared unto Mary. R. And she conceived by the Holy Spirit. Hail Mary... V. Behold the handmaid of the Lord. R. Be it done unto me according to your word. Hail Mary...  V. And the Word was made flesh. R. And dwelt among us. Hail Mary...  V. Pray for us, O Holy Mother of God. R. That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ. Let us pray. Pour forth, we beseech Thee, O Lord, Thy grace into our hearts, that we to whom the incarnation of Christ, Thy Son, was made known by the message of an angel, may by His passion and cross be brought to the glory of His resurrection, through the same Christ our Lord. Amen. Latine V. Angelus Domini nuntiavit Mariae. R. Et concepit de Spiritu Sancto. Ave Maria...  V. Ecce ancilla Domini. R. Fiat mihi secundum verbum tuum. Ave Maria...  V. Et Verbum caro factum est. R. Et habitavit in nobis. Ave Maria...  V. Ora pro nobis, sancta Dei Genitrix. R. Ut digni efficiamur promissionibus Christi. Oremus. Gratiam tuam, quaesumus, Domine, mentibus nostris infunde; ut, qui, angelo nuntiante, Christi Filii tui incarnationem cognovimus, per passionem ejus et crucem, ad resurrectionis gloriam perducamur. Per eumdem Christum Dominum nostrum. R. Amen. Electronic text copyright (c) 1996 EWTN. All rights reserved.  The end is added for blessings from bishops or from the pope:V. Sit nomen Domini benedictum. / R. Ex hoc nunc et usque in saeculum V. Adjutorium nostrum in nomine Domini. / R. Qui fecit caelum et terram. V. Benedicat vos omnipotens Deus, + Pater, + et Filius, + et Spiritus Sanctus. / R. Amen  ----------------------------------------------- V. The Lord be with you. / R. And also with you. V. Blessed be the name of the Lord. / R. Both now and forever. V. Our help is in the name of the Lord. / R. Who made heaven and earth. V. May almighty God bless you, + the Father, + and the Son, + and the Holy Spirit. Read more:http://www.ewtn.com/devotionals/prayers/EpiscopalBlessing .htm#ixzz2M0Hac3g4

A 10 mile Pilgrimage to Guaratiba, Brazil

We have just learned that we will make a 13km (roughly 10 miles) pilgrimage hike to Guaratiba, Brazil, near the Ocean for a Vigil and Morning Mass with the new pope! We are hoping to do some hikes in March (haha, AFTER the Marathon!) to prepare ourselves. We will also have to hike back to Rio when the day is done. What sacrifices would you be willing to make to grow closer to Jesus?

The Journey to One Goal

One sometimes starts out a year setting goals like, losing weight to look like a top model or maybe setting the goal of traveling to the place one have always dreamed of. In my case, these were my goals for about five years straight and to be honest I did not achieve them. Actually, I think I even gained a “few more extra” pounds and traveled only to my native country, and not the place I have dreamed of going…Israel. Now that another year has started, I have realized that in this life, there is only one goal and I have to do the best I can to reach it. I will have to say that there will be a “few slight changes” to achieve this goal, which will consist on focusing in three resolutions in my day-to-day life.

            The first resolution would be to encounter an intimate relationship with my Father, by having constant one on one conversation with Him and also by reading the experiences His friends had with Him. The second resolution would be to discern what my Father wants for me. This is, discovering what my vocation is in this life and working with it, as my Father desires. The third resolution to be able to reach the goal is to apply my vocation to the mission, that my Father gives to me and gives to all my brothers and sisters, and that is to deliver the Good News to all nations. The mission as well, includes doing a radical change in our life so we can serve Him. Serving Him is also serving others, the needy, the poor, and also giving love to all, respecting, and much more… to put it in simple words, trying to do and be the best we can be day by day.

            I believe that the resolutions I plan to do, make my “few slightly changes” more than I expected, to reach the goal. I know that to reach this goal, it will not be easy, like it was not easy to do the first two goals I had for the last five years, but now I know that I will have the support and the strength of my Father, Jesus Christ,  to help me achieve His objective, which would be obtaining holiness, giving us true happiness in the eternal life. 

Was the Pope Forced to Resign?

I have been asked by many, even priests, whether I think Pope Benedict was forced to renounce the papacy by some conspiracy. No. And I am not worried at all. He said in his general audience on Ash Wednesday that he with full freedom has decided to retire for the good of the Church. You can read his General Audience here:

General Audience

http://www.news.va/en/news/general-audience-27

Vía ThePopeApp

The Holy Father

So by Easter we will have a new Holy Father. I am saddened that we are losing such a great man as the  Vicar of Christ, but I know his decision is made with love, for as the "servant of servants", he has our best interest always in mind. As someone posted on my Facebook Wall:   I think, in part, that he's making sure that there will be a Pope to see and hear when you go to Brazil this summer." 

That's a beautiful thought, and I believe it. 

Although we will most likely see another pontiff in Rio, we will always pray for Pope Benedict's health and will dedicate the remainder of February to praying for his intentions and for his mission while he is still the Bishop of Rome. Viva il Papa!

The Beginnings of a Band of Disciples

Last August, I hosted an open meeting for anyone interested in going to World Youth Day in Rio. I also started a Facebook group which gained considerable interest. Who wouldn't want a chance to go to Brazil for 10 days? As with most things, time and money limited many from committing. Through the months, twelve have stayed strong. We are now a little flock. Twelve plus me, Fr. James. And while I am very very far from being Jesus, I am excited that our group is Twelve. And plus me, thirteen. Like the first group (well, let's say, the group with Matthias replacing Judas!!!) 

We are excited to be preparing for our journey to World Youth Day. The motto for WYD RIO 2013 is "Go and make disciples of all nations"  ~Matthew 28:19. And so we want to share with you our spiritual and physical journey. It is in a way an endeavor to first make ourselves disciples and then to evangelize our world. Just like the first disciples. He started with Twelve. So do we. We spend time with the Lord because that's what they did. We break Bread together at Mass, we pray, we spend time and we, of course, fundraise together. Although we use new media and may have to beg some dollars here and there, may everything we do be filled with Jesus' Spirit. May the answer to everything we do be: "Because that's what Jesus did."