A Brighter Day

A nurse told my best friend today that her myeloma shows no sign of progressing and they don't need to see her for another 3 months. Happy news.

Two lovely prayers for a lovely soul (found here):

Heavenly Father, physician of our souls and bodies, Who have sent Your only-begotten Son and our Lord Jesus Christ to heal every sickness and infirmity, visit and heal also Your servant R. from all physical and spiritual ailments through the grace of Your Christ. Grant her patience in this sickness, strength of body and spirit, and recovery of health. Lord, You have taught us through Your word to pray for each other that we may be healed. I pray, heal Your servant R. and grant to her the gift of complete health. For You are the source of healing and to You I give glory, Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Amen.

O Lord our God, Who by a word alone did heal all diseases, Who did cure the kinswoman of Peter, You Who chastise with pity and heal according to Your goodness; Who are able to put aside every sickness and infirmity, do You Yourself, the same Lord, grant aid to Your servant R. and cure her of every sickness of which she is grieved; and send down upon her Your great mercy, and if it be Your will, give to her health and a complete recovery; for You are the Physician of our souls and bodies, and to You do we send up Glory: to the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, both now and forever, and to the ages of ages. Amen.

In Charity, please pray

for Rebecca, who is in the hospital fighting pneumonia. Her life immune system has been severely damaged by cancer and also by the treatments she has received for the cancer. Merciful God, please heal her.

Matthew 9:18-26

(with Haydock commentary)

18 And he was speaking these things unto them, behold a certain ruler came up, and adored him, saying: Lord, my daughter is even now dead; but come, lay thy hand upon her, and she shall live.	A certain ruler. [4] Lit. a prince of a synagogue. He is called Jairus. Mark v. Luke viii. — My daughter is just now dead: or, as the other evangelists express it, is at the point of death; and her father having left her dying, he might think and say she was already dead. Wi. — In effect, news was shortly after brought him that she was dead. It is thus that some commentators explain the apparent difference found in Mark v. 22, and Luke viii. 41. — But come, lay thy hand, &c. Let us admire and imitate the humility and kindness of our Redeemer; no sooner had he heard the request of the ruler, but rising up, he followed him. Though, says S. Chrysostom, he saw his earthly disposition, requesting him to come and lay his hand upon her.
19 And Jesus rising up followed him, with his disciples.
20 And behold a woman who was troubled with an issue of blood twelve years, came behind him, and touched the hem of his garment.	And behold a woman. This woman, according to Eusebius, came from Cæsarea Philippi, who, in honour of her miraculous cure, afterwards erected a brazen monument, descriptive of this event, before the door of her house in Cæsarea Philippi. Euseb.
21 For she said within herself: If I shall touch only his garment, I shall be healed.
22 But Jesus turning and seeing her, said: Be of good heart, daughter, thy faith hath made thee whole. And the woman was made whole from that hour.	Επιστραφεις και ιδων , turning about and seeing, as if he were ignorant, and wished to see who it was that had touched him, as the other evangelists relate. In S. Mark (v. 29,) we see she was cured on touching the garment; and Jesus only confirms the cure by what he says in verse 34. — But Jesus turning about. Our divine Saviour, fearing lest he might alarm the woman by his words, says immediately to her, Take courage; and at the same time calls her his daughter, because her faith had rendered her such. S. Chrysos.
23 And when Jesus was come into the house of the ruler, and saw the minstrels and the multitude making a rout,	And when Jesus . . . saw the minstrels. It was a custom among the Jews at funerals to hire persons to make some doleful music, and great lamentations. Wi. — Ovid also mentions the lugubrious music attendant on funerals. Cantabat mœstis tibia funeribus. 4. Fast.
24 He said: Give place, for the girl is not dead, but sleepeth. And they laughed him to scorn.	The girl is not dead. Christ, by saying so, insinuated that she was not dead in such a manner as they imagined; that is, so as to remain dead, but presently to return to life, as if she had been only asleep. Wi. — But sleepeth. In the xi. chapter of S. John, Christ again calls death a sleep. Our friend Lazarus sleepeth. Thus he teaches us to be no longer in dread of death, since it was reduced to the condition of a sleep. If you believe this, why do you vainly weep? why do you afflict yourself? this the Gentiles do, who have not faith. Your child is asleep, not dead, is gone to a place of rest, not to destruction. Therefore the royal prophet says, "Turn, O my soul, into thy rest, for the Lord hath been bountiful to thee." Psalm cxiv. If then it is a kindness, why should you weep? what else could you do at the death of an adversary, an enemy, the object of your greatest aversion? S. Chrysos. hom. xxxii. — Christ here asserts that the girl is only asleep, to shew that it was as easy for him to raise her from death as from sleep. Theophylactus.
25 And when the multitude was put forth, he went in, and took her by the hand. And the maid arose.	He took her by the hand, and as in his hands is the key both of life and death, (Apoc. i. 18,) so he commanded the soul to return and the girl to arise. A. — And when the crowd, &c. That is, if after a sinful and worldly life we wish to rise again, and be cleansed from the miserable condition of moral sin, denoted by the girl who was dead, we must cast out of our minds the great multitude of worldly concerns; for whilst these have possession, the mind is unable to recollect itself and apply seriously to consideration. S. Gregory.
26 And the fame hereof went abroad into all that country.

The gospel reading my friend R and I heard this evening at Mass.

Saint Peregrine, Pray for Her

A good friend is undergoing surgery early next week, for a blood cancer that has taken root in her bowels. Please, dear visitor, take a moment to pray for her.

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O great St. Peregrine, thou hast been called "The Mighty," "The Wonder-Worker" because of the numerous miracles which thou hast obtained from God for those who have had recourse to thee, thou who for so many years didst bear in thine own flesh this cancerous disease that destroys the very fiber of our being, and who had recourse to the Source of all grace when the power of man could do no more; thou who wast favored with the vision of Jesus coming down from His Cross to heal thy affliction, ask of God and Our Lady, the cure of R--- whom we entrust to thee.

Aided in this way by thy powerful intercession, we shall sing to God, now and for all eternity, a song of gratitude for His great goodness and mercy. Amen.

A Novena to the Holy Ghost for Healing (Day 9)

The Spirit of God hath made me, and the breath of the Almighty giveth me life.
Job 33:4

Our Father Who art in heaven...
Hail Mary, Full of Grace, ...
Glory be to the Father... (7 times)
Act of Consecration

Almighty and merciful Father, refuge and salvation of those who believe, I beg Thee: remember Thy daughter R-, please forgive her her sins, and heal her infirmities. O Holy Spirit, Giver of Life, I beg Thee: in loving-kindness grant Thy gift of healing to my friend. Condescend, most holy Lord, to repair Thy temple which is her body, and to abide there, keeping R- safe from all shadow of darkness. O Blessed Savior, Love incarnate, mighty God at Whose command the storms cease and the dead arise, I implore Thee, save Thy handmaid from her affliction. Heal her as Thou healed the Canaanite's daughter and the centurion's servant, and grant that she may give thanks to Thee in Thy church and bless Thy holy Name forever.

Amen.

A Novena to the Holy Ghost for Healing (Day 8)

And it happened that the father of Publius lay sick of a fever, and of a bloody flux. To whom Paul entered in; and when he had prayed, and laid his hands on him, he healed him.
Acts 28:8

Our Father Who art in heaven...

Hail Mary, Full of Grace, ...

Glory be to the Father... (7 times)

Act of Consecration

Almighty and merciful Father, refuge and salvation of those who believe, I beg Thee: remember Thy daughter R-, please forgive her her sins, and heal her infirmities. O Holy Spirit, Giver of Life, I beg Thee: in loving-kindness grant Thy gift of healing to my friend. Condescend, most holy Lord, to repair Thy temple which is her body, and to abide there, keeping R- safe from all shadow of darkness. O Blessed Savior, Love incarnate, mighty God at Whose command the storms cease and the dead arise, I implore Thee, save Thy handmaid from her affliction. Heal her as Thou healed the Canaanite's daughter and the centurion's servant, and grant that she may give thanks to Thee in Thy church and bless Thy holy Name forever.

Amen.

A Novena to the Holy Ghost for Healing (Day 7)

Now Peter and John went up into the temple at the ninth hour of prayer.
And a certain man who was lame from his mother's womb, was carried: whom they laid every day at the gate of the temple, which is called Beautiful, that he might ask alms of them that went into the temple.
He, when he had seen Peter and John about to go into the temple, asked to receive an alms.
But Peter with John fastening his eyes upon him, said: Look upon us.
But he looked earnestly upon them, hoping that he should receive something of them.
But Peter said: Silver and gold I have none; but what I have, I give thee: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, arise, and walk.
And taking him by the right hand, he lifted him up, and forthwith his feet and soles received strength.
And he leaping up, stood, and walked, and went in with them into the temple, walking, and leaping, and praising God.
And all the people saw him walking and praising God.
And they knew him, that it was he who sat begging alms at the Beautiful gate of the temple: and they were filled with wonder and amazement at that which had happened to him.
Acts 3:1-10

Our Father Who art in heaven...
Hail Mary, Full of Grace, ...
Glory be to the Father... (7 times)
Act of Consecration

Almighty and merciful Father, refuge and salvation of those who believe, I beg Thee: remember Thy daughter R-, please forgive her her sins, and heal her infirmities. O Holy Spirit, Giver of Life, I beg Thee: in loving-kindness grant Thy gift of healing to my friend. Condescend, most holy Lord, to repair Thy temple which is her body, and to abide there, keeping R- safe from all shadow of darkness. O Blessed Savior, Love incarnate, mighty God at Whose command the storms cease and the dead arise, I implore Thee, save Thy handmaid from her affliction. Heal her as Thou healed the Canaanite's daughter and the centurion's servant, and grant that she may give thanks to Thee in Thy church and bless Thy holy Name forever.

Amen.

A Novena to the Holy Ghost for Healing (Day 6)

And again going out of the coasts of Tyre, he came by Sidon to the sea of Galilee, through the midst of the coasts of Decapolis. And they bring to him one deaf and dumb; and they beseech him that he would lay his hand upon him. And taking him from the multitude apart, he put his fingers into his ears, and spitting, he touched his tongue: And looking up to heaven, he groaned, and said to him: Ephpheta, which is, Be thou opened. And immediately his ears were opened, and the string of his tongue was loosed, and he spoke right.
Mark 7:31-35

Our Father Who art in heaven...
Hail Mary, Full of Grace, ...
Glory be to the Father... (7 times)
Act of Consecration

Almighty and merciful Father, refuge and salvation of those who believe, I beg Thee: remember Thy daughter R-, please forgive her her sins, and heal her infirmities. O Holy Spirit, Giver of Life, I beg Thee: in loving-kindness grant Thy gift of healing to my friend. Condescend, most holy Lord, to repair Thy temple which is her body, and to abide there, keeping R- safe from all shadow of darkness. O Blessed Savior, Love incarnate, mighty God at Whose command the storms cease and the dead arise, I implore Thee, save Thy handmaid from her affliction. Heal her as Thou healed the Canaanite's daughter and the centurion's servant, and grant that she may give thanks to Thee in Thy church and bless Thy holy Name forever.

Amen.

A Novena to the Holy Ghost for Healing (Day 5)

When Mary therefore was come where Jesus was, seeing him, she fell down at his feet, and saith to him: Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died.
Jesus, therefore, when he saw her weeping, and the Jews that were come with her, weeping, groaned in the spirit, and troubled himself, And said: Where have you laid him?
They say to him: Lord, come and see.
And Jesus wept.
The Jews therefore said: Behold how he loved him. But some of them said: Could not he that opened the eyes of the man born blind, have caused that this man should not die?
John 11:32-37

Our Father Who art in heaven...
Hail Mary, Full of Grace, ...
Glory be to the Father... (7 times)
Act of Consecration

Almighty and merciful Father, refuge and salvation of those who believe, I beg Thee: remember Thy daughter R-, please forgive her her sins, and heal her infirmities. O Holy Spirit, Giver of Life, I beg Thee: in loving-kindness grant Thy gift of healing to my friend. Condescend, most holy Lord, to repair Thy temple which is her body, and to abide there, keeping R- safe from all shadow of darkness. O Blessed Savior, Love incarnate, mighty God at Whose command the storms cease and the dead arise, I implore Thee, save Thy handmaid from her affliction. Heal her as Thou healed the Canaanite's daughter and the centurion's servant, and grant that she may give thanks to Thee in Thy church and bless Thy holy Name forever.

Amen.

A Novena to the Holy Ghost for Healing (Day 4)

And behold, men brought in a bed a man, who had the palsy: and they sought means to bring him in, and to lay him before him. And when they could not find by what way they might bring him in, because of the multitude, they went up upon the roof, and let him down through the tiles with his bed into the midst before Jesus.
Luke 5:18-19

Our Father Who art in heaven...
Hail Mary, Full of Grace, ...
Glory be to the Father... (7 times)
Act of Consecration

Almighty and merciful Father, refuge and salvation of those who believe, I beg Thee: remember Thy daughter R-, please forgive her her sins, and heal her infirmities. O Holy Spirit, Giver of Life, I beg Thee: in loving-kindness grant Thy gift of healing to my friend. Condescend, most holy Lord, to repair Thy temple which is her body, and to abide there, keeping R- safe from all shadow of darkness. O Blessed Savior, Love incarnate, mighty God at Whose command the storms cease and the dead arise, I implore Thee, save Thy handmaid from her affliction. Heal her as Thou healed the Canaanite's daughter and the centurion's servant, and grant that she may give thanks to Thee in Thy church and bless Thy holy Name forever.

Amen.

A Novena to the Holy Ghost for Healing (Day 3)

And there arose a great storm of wind, and the waves beat into the ship, so that the ship was filled. And he was in the hinder part of the ship, sleeping upon a pillow; and they awake him, and say to him: Master, doth it not concern thee that we perish?
Mark 4:37-38

Our Father Who art in heaven...
Hail Mary, Full of Grace, ...
Glory be to the Father... (7 times)
Act of Consecration

Almighty and merciful Father, refuge and salvation of those who believe, I beg Thee: remember Thy daughter R-, please forgive her her sins, and heal her infirmities. O Holy Spirit, Giver of Life, I beg Thee: in loving-kindness grant Thy gift of healing to my friend. Condescend, most holy Lord, to repair Thy temple which is her body, and to abide there, keeping R- safe from all shadow of darkness. O Blessed Savior, Love incarnate, mighty God at Whose command the storms cease and the dead arise, I implore Thee, save Thy handmaid from her affliction. Heal her as Thou healed the Canaanite's daughter and the centurion's servant, and grant that she may give thanks to Thee in Thy church and bless Thy holy Name forever.

Amen.

Or know you not, that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost, who is in you, whom you have from God; and you are not your own ?
1 Corinthians 6:19

The nine days in between Ascension Thursday and Pentecost Sunday are the days of the traditional novena to the Holy Ghost.

I pray a different prayer this year, as my very dear friend R has multiple myeloma, and apparently now a 2 inch cancerous mass in her bowels. She will have surgery in the near future, and more treatment afterwards.

I pray that God will remember His faithful daughter, and heal her. That the Holy Ghost will repair the temple which is her body, and having restored it, dwell therein, and gladden her heart. I pray that Jesus our Savior will not delay, but will quickly send the Comforter to my good friend, who is now in great distress.

Holy God, blessed Trinity, I ask this in the name of our savior Jesus Christ. Pardon the weakness of my faith and grant that R may rejoice forever at your mercy.

Amen, amen I say to you, that you shall lament and weep, but the world shall rejoice; and you shall be made sorrowful, but your sorrow shall be turned into joy. A woman, when she is in labour, hath sorrow, because her hour is come; but when she hath brought forth the child, she remembereth no more the anguish, for joy that a man is born into the world. So also you now indeed have sorrow; but I will see you again, and your heart shall rejoice; and your joy no man shall take from you. And in that day you shall not ask me any thing. Amen, amen I say to you: if you ask the Father any thing in my name, he will give it you. Hitherto you have not asked any thing in my name. Ask, and you shall receive; that your joy may be full.
John 16:20-24

Ember Saturday

Lectio Isaiae Prophetae:

Thus saith the Lord: Get thee up upon a high mountain, thou that bringest good tidings to Sion: lift up thy voice with strength, thou that bringest good tidings to Jerusalem: lift it up, fear not. Say to the cities of Juda: Behold your God: behold the Lord God shall come with strength, and His arm shall rule: behold His reward is with Him, and His work is before Him. He shall feed His flock like a shepherd: He shall gather together the lambs with His arm, and shall take them up in His bosom, the Lord our God.

Gradual:

O Lord God of hosts, convert us: and show Thy face, and we shall be saved.
V.: Stir up Thy might, O Lord, and come to save us

Collect:

S. Let us pray.
V. Let us kneel.
R. Arise.

Grant, we beseech Thee, almighty God, that the coming solemnity of Thy Son, may both bestow upon us healing in this present life and grant to us rewards in the life to come. Through the same Jesus Christ, Thy Son, who liveth and reigneth with Thee in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, through all the ages of ages.

"Cold and warmth, bless the Lord; Ice and snow, bless the Lord; Lightnings and clouds, bless the Lord; praise and exalt him above all forever."

May This be a Day of Healing

O Lord, King of heaven, God the Father almighty:
O only-begotten Son of the Father, Lord Jesus Christ our Savior:
O Holy Spirit of the Father and the Son, and Comforter:
        hear us in our distress.

Through Thy mercy may R be speedily healed and strengthened. Do not let her soul be disturbed, but in loving-kindness let her abide in Thee, and draw strength and hope from Thee, and by her trials be perfected. By Thy grace, holy God, may she thank Thee always, in this world and the next.

In nomine Patris, et Filii, et Spiritus Sancti.

Our Lady, help of Christians, pray for her.
Saint Peregrine, pray for her.
Saint Michael, pray for her.
Good angels, guardians of our souls, pray for her.

A Prayer for Healing

O Sovereign Lord of every creature, look upon my friend R- with eyes of mercy. In Thy loving-kindness, rest Thy healing hand upon her and strengthen her. Blesséd Lord, please send Thy life-giving virtue into every cell of R's body and into the depths of her soul, cleansing, purifying and restoring her to wholeness and strength for service in Thy Kingdom. We ask this with faith and hope in Thy holy Name, O Lord, Who reign with the Father, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God in every age. Amen.

Holy angels, pray for her!

Today's Communion verse:

I was sick and you visited Me: Amen, amen I say to you as long as you did it to one of these My least brethren you did it to Me.

Matthew 25:36,40

Friday of Ember Week in Lent

Today's Gospel:

At that time there was a festival day of the Jews, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. Now there is at Jerusalem a pond, called Probatica, which in Hebrew is named Bethsaida, having five porches. In these lay a great multitude of sick, of blind, of lame, of withered; waiting for the moving of the water. And an angel of the Lord descended at certain times into the pond; and the water was moved. And he that went down first into the pond after the motion of the water, was made whole, of whatsoever infirmity he lay under.

And there was a certain man there, that had been eight and thirty years under his infirmity. Him when Jesus had seen lying, and knew that he had been now a long time, he saith to him: Wilt thou be made whole?

The infirm man answered him: Sir, I have no man, when the water is troubled, to put me into the pond. For whilst I am coming, another goeth down before me.

Jesus saith to him: Arise, take up thy bed, and walk.

And immediately the man was made whole: and he took up his bed, and walked.

And it was the sabbath that day. The Jews therefore said to him that was healed: It is the sabbath; it is not lawful for thee to take up thy bed. He answered them: He that made me whole, he said to me, Take up thy bed, and walk. They asked him therefore: Who is that man who said to thee, Take up thy bed, and walk? But he who was healed, knew not who it was; for Jesus went aside from the multitude standing in the place.

Afterwards, Jesus findeth him in the temple, and saith to him: Behold thou art made whole: sin no more, lest some worse thing happen to thee.

The man went his way, and told the Jews, that it was Jesus who had made him whole. [John 5:1-15]

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Omnipotent and eternal God, the everlasting Salvation of those who
believe, hear us on behalf of Thy sick servant, Rebecca, for whom we beg the aid of Thy pitying mercy, that, with her bodily health restored, she may give thanks to Thee in Thy church.

Through Christ our Lord,

Amen