BIG C CATHOLICS

President Abraham Lincoln instituted Thanksgiving in 1863 during the Civil War in order for Americans to celebrate their blessings and good fortune as a sign of unity and thanksgiving to God. His formal proclamation expressly calls upon all citizens to observe the holiday in prayerful gratitude to Our Father and Creator: " I do therefore invite my fellow citizens in every part of the United States, and also those who are at sea and those who are sojourning in foreign lands, to set apart and observe the last Thursday of November next, as a day of Thanksgiving and Praise to our beneficent Father who dwelleth in the Heavens. " — President Abraham Lincoln, Proclamation, October 3, 1863 We celebrate Thanksgiving as a sign of American unity and thanksgiving to God. No holiday so nearly reminds us of the symbolism and meaning of the Eucharist. Here is a Thanksgiving day table blessing by Msgr. Bernard W. Bourgeois: Thanksgiving Day Table Blessing God our Father, on t

Father Miguel Pro was a courageous witness to the Faith during his government’s brutal oppression of Catholicism. His magnanimity in death earned him the crown of martyrdom and renown among Mexican Catholics and those across the world. On November 23rd, the Church celebrates his remarkable devotion and example. ______________________________________ José Ramón Miguel Agustín Pro Juárez, also known as Blessed Miguel Pro, the eldest son of Miguel Pro and Josefa Juarez, was born in Guadalupe, Mexico, on January 12, 1891, into a wealthy family. His father was a mining executive in the state of Zacatecas. As a young boy, he was distinguished for his great sense of humor and personal piety. He wrote comics, played the guitar and was especially attuned to the poor. These qualities would help him immensely throughout his priestly ministry. Miguel was particularly close to his older sister, who joined a cloistered convent. This prompted him to discern his own calling to religious life.

Optional Memorial - November 23rd   Though he died nearly fourteen-hundred years ago, Saint Columban is a saint for our time, which bears an uncanny resemblance to his own. In the midst of great social and spiritual upheaval, he stands as an example of someone not afraid to be outspoken in the face of moral corruption and depravity—even when that involved bishops and kings. Many miracles were credited to him during his life. St. Columban was one of the great Irish missionaries who made his way to the continent of Europe near the close of the 6th century. He traveled there after spending some 30 years in a monastery in northern Ireland, where he had fled to overcome severe temptations of the flesh. Once in Gaul, he became known for his moral discipline, homilies, and deep commitment to charity and religious life. Countless souls went to hear him preach and to pray in the monasteries there. The devastation of the barbarian invasions had completely disrupted Gaul’s civil and re

November 23rd, is the optional memorial of Pope Saint Clement I, also known as Clement of Rome, the 1st century pontiff and martyr who was converted by Saint Peter [possibly along with Saint Paul] and ordained by the same. A seminal figure in early Christianity, he served as the forth Bishop of Rome and is considered the first Apostolic Father of the Church. Saint Clement of Alexandria called him an apostle; and Rufinus, (the monastic theologian and translator) almost an apostle. Clement accompanied Saint Paul to Philippi and was a companion of the latter, with Sts. Luke and Timothy, in many of his missionary journeys. St. Paul ranks him among those whose names are inscribed in the book of life. Clement's letter to the Corinthians is a precious treasure from the apostolic period. In his letter (1 Clement) dated around 95 AD to the Christian community in the Greek city of Corinth, he responds to a dispute in which presbyters of the Corinthian church were deposed. He asserts the

Fr. René J. Butler, M.S. Provincial Superior, La Salette Missionaries of North America Hartford, Connecticut ( Click here for today’s readings ) This is one scary Gospel. It is part of the inspiration for the Sequence we used to sing at funerals, Dies irae, dies illa ... “That day will be a day of wrath.” Near the end, the text reads: Grant me a place among the sheep, and take me out from among the goats, setting me on the right side. Can it be that our eternal fate depends on our response to those in need? Does faith no longer count for anything? No, faith has not lost its preeminent place. It is precisely as believers that we are challenged to put faith into action. The Letter of James has the famous passage: “If a brother or sister has nothing to wear and has no food for the day, and one of you says to them, ‘Go in peace, keep warm, and eat well,’ but you do not give them the necessities of the body, what good is it? So also faith of itself, if it does not have

A plenary indulgence is granted to the faithful who participate in the public recitation of the "Act of Dedication of the Human Race to Jesus Christ King." Requirements for Obtaining a Plenary Indulgence on the Feast of Christ the King: ◗ Publicly recite the prayer, "Most Sweet Jesus, Redeemer – Act of Dedication of the Human Race to Jesus Christ King" (see below) ◗ Say one "Our Father" and one "Hail Mary" for the Pope’s intentions ( those intentions designated by the Holy Father each month ). ◗ Worthily receive Holy Communion (ideally on the same day). ◗ Make a sacramental confession within 20 days of the Feast of Christ the King. ◗ For a plenary indulgence, be free from all attachment to sin, even venial sin (or the indulgence is partial, not plenary). You may gain one plenary indulgence a day. Most Sweet Jesus, Redeemer - Act of Dedication of the Human Race to Jesus Christ the King ( Iesu dulcissime, Redemptor ) Most Sw

Here we pray the Sorrowful Mysteries. Before each decade, we pray what concerns the particular mystery, and instead of ending the decades with Glory Be…, we pray: Lord, grant them eternal rest and let perpetual light shine upon them! Begin the Rosary normally, and then before the first decade is prayed, but after the 1st Sorrowful Mystery is stated, pray: Lord, Jesus Christ, through Thy bloody sweat of fear that Thou didst shed on the Mount of Olives, we ask Thee to have mercy on the Poor Souls in Purgatory. Deliver them from their fear and pain and console them with the cup of heavenly comfort! Before the second decade is prayed, but after the 2nd Sorrowful Mystery is stated, pray: Lord Jesus Christ, through Thy painful Scourging which Thou didst tolerate so patiently for us sinners, we ask Thee to have mercy on the Poor Souls in Purgatory. Retract from them the pain of Thy anger and give them eternal rest! Before the third decade is prayed, but after the 3rd Sorrowful Mys