From: richarra@gmail.com   
      
   September 8th  - The Birth of the Blessed Virgin Mary   
      
   Today we celebrate the birthday of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of God.   
   This   
   feast dates back at least to the 6th century or before. It was celebrated in   
   the   
   Oriental Church and is written about by Romanos Melodos about the year 550.   
      
   The popularity of this feast developed slowly in the West. How the date of   
   September 8th was chosen is uncertain, but we do know that it was the date   
   of   
   the dedication of a Church in Mary's honor, in Jerusalem. The feast itself   
   does   
   not celebrate the actual birth of Mary per se, but rather, her role in   
   salvation   
   history. From the Gospel of Luke 1:26-38, we read:   
      
   "In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a town in Galilee   
   called Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man named Joseph, of the House   
   of   
   David; and the virgin's name was Mary. He went in and said to her, 'Rejoice,   
   so   
   highly favored! The Lord is with you.' She was deeply disturbed by these   
   words   
   and asked herself what this greeting could mean, but the angel said to her,   
   'Mary, do not be afraid; you have won God's favor. Listen! You are to   
   conceive   
   and bear a son, and you must name him Jesus. He will be great and will be   
   called   
   Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his ancestor   
   David; he will rule over the house of David forever and his reign will have   
   no   
   end.' Mary said to the angel, 'But how can this come about since I am a   
   virgin?'   
   'The Holy Spirit will come upon you' the angel answered' and the power of   
   the   
   Most High will cover you with it's shadow. And so the child will be holy and   
   will be called Son of God. Know this too: your kinswoman Elizabeth has, in   
   her   
   old age, herself conceived a son, and she whom people called barren is now   
   in   
   her sixth month, for nothing is impossible to God.' 'I am the handmaid of   
   the   
   Lord,' said Mary 'let what you have said be done to me.' And the angel left   
   her." (Jerusalem Bible) Mary was destined to be the Mother of Our Lord and   
   Savior Jesus Christ. Today our celebration focuses on the great blessings   
   God   
   bestowed upon her and the never-ending FIAT... YES... that she said to Him.   
   May   
   the example of her life encourage us to say yes to God in all aspects of our   
   life.   
      
   Saint Quote:   
   Compassion my dear brother is preferable to cleanliness. Reflect that with a   
   little soap I can easily clean my bed covers but even with a torrent of   
   tears I   
   would never wash from my soul the stain that my harshness toward the   
   unfortunate   
   would create.   
   -Saint Martin de Porres   
      
   Bible Quotes:   
   "Again I say to you, that if two of you agree on earth about anything that   
   they   
   may ask, it shall be done for them by My Father who is in heaven. For where   
   two   
   or three have gathered together in My name, there I am in their midst."   
   (Matthew   
   18:19,20)   
      
   I will praise the Lord no matter what happens. I will constantly speak of   
   his   
   glories and grace.   
   (Psalm 34: 1 verse 1)   
      
      
   <><><><>   
   THIRTY-ONE DAYS OF PRAYER FOR THE HOLY SOULS   
   FROM THE PURGATORIAN MANUAL   
    (Imprimatur 1946)   
      
   Fifteenth Day   
      
   WE SHOULD BE IN THE STATE OF GRACE WHEN GAINING INDULGENCES FOR THE POOR   
   SOULS   
      
        Holy Church teaches us that the state of grace is necessary to perform   
   works that are merit-bearing for ourselves, and many Saints and holy   
   teachers of   
   the science of God apply this same teaching to works and prayers which have   
   indulgences attached to them and are to be applied to the Poor Souls. It is   
   certain that if confession and Holy Communion are demanded for gaining the   
   particular indulgence, the indulgence is not gained unless the person who   
   performs these works is in God's favor at the time. A person who may be,   
   unfortunately, in the state of mortal sin, can have Masses said for the   
   faithful   
   departed. He himself will acquire no merit thereby, but the suffering souls   
   will   
   derive the full benefit of the Holy Sacrifice. As we should always strive to   
   be   
   in the friendship and grace of God, if we have any doubt about our condition   
   or   
   are certain that we have lost God's favor then before trying to gain an   
   Indulgence let us confess our sins or at least strive to make an act of   
   perfect   
   contrition.   
      
        "He that abideth in Me," says Christ, and I in him, the same beareth   
   much   
   fruit, for without Me you can do nothing."  (John xv, 5 )  If, then, we are   
   incapable of gaining merit for ourselves, how can we expect to benefit   
   others?   
   St. Francis Xavier says: "Before being intent upon delivering souls from   
   Purgatory, take heed to redeem your own souls from hell," and here we may   
   add   
   the word of the Lord spoken by His prophet: "Wash yourselves, clean, take   
   away   
   the evil of your devices from my eyes: cease to do perversely." (Isaias I.   
   16.)   
      
   Prayer: Grant us the grace, O lord ! to avoid sin at all times, and confirm   
   us   
   in Thy charity, that, by Thy bounty, our supplications for the suffering   
   souls   
   may be acceptable to Thee, and beneficial to them. Through Christ, our Lord:   
   Amen.   
      
   Special Intercession: Pray for the souls of those who were careful never to   
   lose   
   the grace of God.   
      
   Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon   
   them;   
   may they rest in peace. Amen.   (Three times)   
      
   Practice: Make an act of perfect contrition.   
      
   Invocation: My Jesus, mercy!   
      
      
   See entire 31day prayer at:   
   http://www.faithfuldeparted.net/prayers.html   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)