Archive for 2010

The Passion and Death of Our Lord

Friday, April 2nd, 2010

Jesus suffers and dies for us upon the cross.
      Both in living and in dying, Jesus shows us how to love. In the Sermon on the Mount, He taught us to pray for our persecutors; on Mount Calvary He prays for those who have condemned and crucified Him. In the parables of the Good Shepherd and the Prodigal Son, Jesus taught us about God’s love for repentant sinners; on the cross He forgives and saves the repentant thief.
      Words cannot describe the great evil of sin, but the suffering and death of our Savior give us an insight into the damage caused by our disobedience.
      We pray for an increased sense of sin and sorrow for sin.
Our Father
1. They crucified Him there, and the robbers, one on his right hand, the other on his left.
      Hail Mary
2. And Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.”
      Hail Mary
3. One of the robbers mocked Him saying: “If you are the Christ, save yourself and us!”
      Hail Mary
4. But the other said to Jesus, “Lord, remember me when You come into your kingdom.”
      Hail Mary
5. Jesus said to him, “Amen, I say to you, this day you shall be with Me in paradise.”
      Hail Mary
6. When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple whom He loved standing by, He said to his mother, “Woman, behold thy son.”
      Hail Mary
7. Then He said to the disciple, “Behold thy mother.”
      Hail Mary
8. And about the ninth hour, Jesus cried out with a loud voice, “Father, into your hands I commend my spirit.”
      Hail Mary
9. Knowing that all was now completed, Jesus said, “I thirst,” in order to fulfill the scripture.
      Hail Mary
10. And after taking the wine, Jesus said, “It is consummated”; and bowing his head, He gave up his spirit.
      Hail Mary
Glory be
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References: Luke 23:33-49; John 19:25-30

From the Seven Day Bible Rosary

The Last Supper

Thursday, April 1st, 2010

The third mystery of the Last Supper
Jesus gives us his body and blood as our spiritual food and drink
In the Blessed Sacrament of the Eucharist, Jesus remains with us, body and blood, soul and divinity. Under the appearances of bread and wine, He is personally and physically present in order to nourish us as we journey through life with Him.1
      At each Mass we ought to pray in thanksgiving for all the teaching of Jesus, for his suffering and dying for us, for his resurrection and ascension, for his continued presence in his Church, and for his Real Presence in the Eucharist.
In prayerful adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, we can show and sometimes feel our love for our Savior.
      We thank you, Jesus, for being with us in the Eucharist.
Our Father
1. “Amen, amen, I say to you, he who believes in Me has eternal life. I am the bread of life.”
      Hail Mary
2. “I am the living bread that has come down from heaven; if anyone eats of this bread he shall live forever;
      Hail Mary
3. “And the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh.”
      Hail Mary
4. “Amen, amen, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you shall not have life in you.
      Hail Mary
5. “He who eats my flesh and drinks my blood has everlasting life, and I will raise him up on the last day.”
      Hail Mary
6. While they were at supper, Jesus took bread, and blessed and broke it and gave it to his disciples,
      Hail Mary
7. Saying “Take and eat, this is my body.”
      Hail Mary
8. And taking a cup, He gave thanks and gave it to them saying “Drink of this, all of you;
      Hail Mary
9. “For this is my blood of the new covenant which is being shed for many for the forgiveness of sins;
      Hail Mary
10. “Do this in remembrance of Me.”
      Hail Mary
Glory be
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References John 647-65; Matthew 2626-28; Luke 2219
1. Personally and physically present “The body and blood together with the soul and divinity of our Lord Jesus Christ and therefore the whole Christ (totum Christum) is truly, really and substantially contained in the Sacrament of the most holy Eucharist,” Council of Trent, 11 October, 1551.
“Under these [species], Christ whole and entire is there in his physical reality, indeed bodily present although not in the same way that bodies are present in a given place,” Pope Paul VI, Mysterium Fidei, Enchiridion Vaticanum, #427. For a convenient English text The Mystery of Faith, (Boston St. Paul Editions, 1965) p. 20.
From the Seven Day Bible Rosary

Fr. Marx, Manual Update, and Doering Study

Sunday, March 28th, 2010

Fr. Paul Marx, OSB
At about 8:10 a.m. on Saturday, March 20, just shy of his 90th birthday, Father Paul Marx, OSB, went to his eternal reward.  In his college years at St. John’s in Collegeville, MN, he and Dr. Konald Prem played on the same football team.  He was ordained a Benedictine priest in 1947 and then earned his doctorate in Family Sociology.  In the Fifties and Sixties, as a professor at St. John’s, he promoted natural family planning in his sociology courses.  He liked to tell us newcomers to the pro-chastity movement that he used to be called Father Temperature.  He was the priestly patriarch of the pro-life movement, and he knew from the beginning that a society’s acceptance of contraception inevitably leads that society to accept abortion.  He founded the Human Life Center at St. John’s University in 1972 to promote natural family planning, and in 1980 he founded Human Life International to continue that work and to focus even more on combating the growing international acceptance of abortion.  When he returned to St. John’s Abbey about ten years ago, he continued to support pro-life endeavors behind the scenes.  Since we founded NFP International in 2004, Father Marx has been a regular contributor and correspondent.  John has been privileged to visit him three times in those years.  We pray for him and to him for his intercession for this pro-family and pro-life apostolate.

Updated First Edition of NFPI Manual
An updated version of Natural Family Planning: The Complete Approach has been posted to the NFP International website and is also available for purchase from Lulu.com.  At the website, the manual is now in one PDF instead of ten separate PDFs.  We are also asking for registration and a donation of $10.  For those who are truly poor, it is still available for free.  

Doering’s Temperature Study Available in English
In 1967 Professor and Doctor G. K. Doering published his temperature-only NFP study in a German language medical journal.  We have quoted from its abstract in English for many years, but we did not have an English translation.  Recently, we hired a translator who produced a good literal translation.  Then our Czech-Republic and German-speaking colleague, David Prentis reviewed it and modified it in terms of specialized NFP terminology.  We are pleased to have it available at the NFP International website.  It provides excellent support for continuing to teach and use the temperature sign, and it is well worth your reading.