The Anima Christi of St. Elizabeth Seton

Soul of Jesus,
Sanctify me.
Blood of Jesus,
Wash me.
Passion of Jesus,
Comfort me.
Wounds of Jesus,
Hide me.
Heart of Jesus,
Receive me.
Spirit of Jesus,
Enliven me.
Goodness of Jesus,
Pardon me.
Beauty of Jesus,
Draw me.
Humility of Jesus,
Humble me.
Peace of Jesus,
Pacify me.
Love of Jesus, Inflame me.
Kingdom of Jesus,
Come to me.
Grace of Jesus,
Replenish me.
Mercy of Jesus,
Pity me.
Sanctity of Jesus,
Sanctify me.
Purity of Jesus,
Purify me.
Cross of Jesus,
Support me.
Nails of Jesus,
Hold me.
Mouth of Jesus,
Bless me in life, in death, in time and eternity.
Mouth of Jesus,
Defend me in the hour of death.
Mouth of Jesus,
Call me to come to Thee.
Mouth of Jesus,
Receive me with Thy Saints in glory evermore.

Let Us Pray.

Unite me to Thyself, O adorable Victim. Life-giving heavenly Bread,
feed me, sanctify me, reign in me, transform me to Thyself, live in me;
let me live in Thee; let me adore Thee in Thy life-giving Sacrament as
my God, listen to Thee as to my Master, obey Thee as my King, imitate
Thee as my Model, follow Thee as my Shepherd, love Thee as my Father,
seek Thee I as my Physician who wilt heal all the maladies of my
soul. Be indeed my Way, Truth and Life; sustain me, O heavenly
Manna, through the desert of this world, till I shall behold
Thee unveiled in Thy glory. R. Amen.

Mary and Martha

'Blessed the one who sits in his cell with all devotion, as Mary sat at the Lord's feet, and hastens, like Martha, to receive him, the Lord and Saviour.' St. Ephrem of Syria

As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him. ³⁹ She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet listening to what he said. ⁴⁰ But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, “Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!”“Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “you are worried and upset about many things, ⁴² but few things are needed—or indeed only one.Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.”

I have been pondering on what to write about on my blog. I've been praying hard about what to write about and the Good Lord gave me this inspiration. I decided to write about one of my favorite Bible story in the Bible that I can relate to so well.. I am writing about Mary and Martha for you all.

I am a Martha type of person. I obsess over the housework,my spiritual life and always thriving to be perfect for my family and God. I forget sometimes to sit down and patiently wait on the Lord and be quiet in his present. I am constantly saying my prayers, devoting myself to my job and housework.. I forget to sit down and smell the roses sometimes.

One of my new year resolutions is to be silent more, and not talk too much and pay more attention to silence in my spiritual life.

Jesus was coming. Martha took off to go find Jesus.Mary had a purpose. The Bible does not say she was crying, weeping or anxious or being useless. She was waiting on Jesus Our Lord.

We can assume that Mary was preparing her heart through prayer. Whereas Martha was preparing the house and anxiously preparing for Our Lord. She forgot to be silent and wait on Jesus. Martha was Impatient and Anxious. She couldn't rely on herself or trust Jesus enough to wait on him. We need to remember to be more like Mary. She trusted Our Lord so much, that she waited on him and prayed silently for him..

Our Beloved Jesus Christ spoke to Martha but Martha wasn't paying Our Lord one bit of attention. She was focused on what she had to say to Him and running her mouth. Martha talked at Our Lord not to Him and after she had her say, she left Him. The sad thing was that Martha missed what Jesus was saying to her and the mystery behind his words to her. Do we often do the same ourselves in our lives and spiritual life? I often do this myself in my spiritual life. I often rant to God about my problems, and forget to be silent and listen to him. I forget to be quiet in my ordinary life and pay attention to what people are really saying to me.

Mary then went to see Jesus - at the right time. She went when He called her, once He has come or had come. She went without delay or haste. She went when she was properly prepared because she had been praying and waiting on Our Beloved Lord. Mary was sitting and waiting on Jesus, preparing our hearts and responding appropriately when He calls us to him.

Both Mary and Martha were in love with Our Beloved Merciful Savior. But, their journey were not the same. Mary was meditating and quietly waiting on Our Beloved because she had gotten quiet and alone with him. Mary met Jesus in the same place as she did when Jesus was in her home at His feet!

On the other hand, Martha had not spent the time in God’s presence. Martha, just as in Luke 10 was overcome by her feelings. Her faith was not at a high level.

This story tells us we should meditate on Our Lord and listen to him. He could be calling us right now and we aren't listening to him properly. He is seeking us in everybody and everything. Our Lord is a hidden mystery in which we should seek 24/7 in our daily lives.

Are you more like Mary or Martha?

Examination of Conscience

Every night before I go to bed I always do 3 hail marys, a our father, apostles creed, and I do a Examination of Conscience.. The Examination helps me understand all my faults,sins, and where I was weak and strong during the day.. Even if you do this once a week, it's good for your soul. It helps you understand yourself and guide you to a closer relationship with Our Lord Jesus Christ :)

I am posting my own special Examination of Conscience to share with you all.

1. Did I doubt that God exist?

2. Did I refuse to believe what God has revealed to us?

3. Did I deny I was Christian?

4. Did I leave the Christian faith?

5. Did I give time to God each day in prayer?

6. Did I love God with my whole heart?

7. Did I have false Gods in my life that I gave greater attention too?

8. Did I insult God?

9. Did I take God's name carelessly?

10. Did I get angry with God?

11. Did I miss mass or church service at my own fault?

12. Did I come to mass or church service on time or did I leave early?

13. Did I work on Sunday when there was no necessary?

14.Did I set aside Sunday as a day of rest and family day?

15. Did I disrespect or disobey my parents?

16. Did I neglect my duties to my husband, wife, children or parents?

17. Did I neglect to give good religious example to my family?

18. Did I fail to actively take an interest in the religious education and formation of my children?

19. Did I fail to educate myself on the true teachings of the Church?

20. Did I give scandal by what I said or did, especially to the young?

21. Did I cause anyone to leave the faith?

22. Did I cause tension and fights in my family?

23. Did I care for my aged and infirm relatives?

24. Did I give a full day's work for a full day's pay?

25. Did I give a fair wage to my employees?

26. Did I kill or physically injure anyone?

27. Did I have an abortion, or advise someone else to have an abortion? (One who procures and abortion is automatically excommunicated, as is anyone who is involved in an abortion, Canon 1398. The excommunication will be lifted in the Sacrament of Reconciliation.)

28.Did I use or cause my spouse to use birth control pills (whether or not realizing that birth control pills do abort the fetus if and when conceived)?

29. Did I attempt suicide?

30. Did I take part in or approve of "mercy killing" (euthanasia)?

31. Did I get angry, impatient, envious, unkind, proud, revengeful, jealous, hateful toward another, lazy?

32. Did I give bad example by drug abuse, drinking alcohol to excess, fighting, quarreling?

33. Did I abuse my children?

34. Did I willfully entertain impure thoughts or desires?

35. Did I use impure or suggestive words? Tell impure stories? Listen to them?

36. Did I deliberately look at impure TV, videos, plays, pictures or movies? Or deliberately read impure materials?

37. Did I commit impure acts by myself (masturbation)?

38. Did I commit impure acts with another - fornication (premarital sex), adultery (sex with a married person)?

39. Did I practice artificial birth control (by pills, device, withdrawal)?

40. Did I marry or advise anyone to marry outside the Church?

41. Did I avoid the occasions of impurity?

42. Did I try to control my thoughts?

43. Did I engage in homosexual activity?

44. Did I respect all members of the opposite sex, or have I thought of other people as objects?

45.Did I or my spouse have sterilization done?

46. Did I abuse my marriage rights?

47. Did I steal, cheat, help or encourage others to steal or keep stolen goods? Have I made restitution for stolen goods?

48. Did I fulfill my contracts; give or accept bribes; pay my bills; rashly gamble or speculate; deprive my family of the necessities of life?

49. Did I waste time at work, school or at home?

50. Did I envy other people's families or possessions?

51. Did I make material possessions the purpose of my life?

52. Did I lie?

53. Did I deliberately deceive others, or injure others by lies?

54. Did I commit perjury?

55. Did I gossip or reveal others' faults or sins?

56. Did I fail to keep secret what should be confidential?

57. Did I fast on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday?

58. Did I eat meat on the Fridays of Lent or Ash Wednesday?

59. Did I fail to receive Holy Communion during Eastertime?

60. Did I go to Holy Communion in a state of mortal sin? Without fasting (water and medicine permitted) for one hour from food and drink?

61. Did I make a bad confession?

62. Did I fail to contribute to the support of the Church?

Jesus wants you to love him and be his friend

"Blessed is he who appreciates what it is to love Jesus and who despises himself for the sake of Jesus. Give up all other love for His, since He wishes to be loved alone above all things.
Affection for creatures is deceitful and inconstant, but the love of Jesus is true and enduring. He who clings to a creature will fall with its frailty, but he who gives himself to Jesus will ever be strengthened.
Love Him, then; keep Him as a friend. He will not leave you as others do, or let you suffer lasting death. Sometime, whether you will or not, you will have to part with everything. Cling, therefore, to Jesus in life and death; trust yourself to the glory of Him who alone can help you when all others fail.
Your Beloved is such that He will not accept what belongs to another -- He wants your heart for Himself alone, to be enthroned therein as King in His own right. If you but knew how to free yourself entirely from all creatures, Jesus would gladly dwell within you.
You will find, apart from Him, that nearly all the trust you place in men is a total loss. Therefore, neither confide in nor depend upon a wind-shaken reed, for "all flesh is grass" and all its glory, like the flower of grass, will fade away.
You will quickly be deceived if you look only to the outward appearance of men, and you will often be disappointed if you seek comfort and gain in them. If, however, you seek Jesus in all things, you will surely find Him. Likewise, if you seek yourself, you will find yourself -- to your own ruin. For the man who does not seek Jesus does himself much greater harm than the whole world and all his enemies could ever do."
-- Imitation of Christ by Thomas à Kempis

Prayer

Right now I am in a point in my discernment, where I needed this prayer. I am trying to find God's vocation for my life.... This prayer is my new favorite prayer..

St Alphonsus pray for us :)

Spirit of God, you made Mary full of grace and set the hearts of the apostles aflame.
You are the Spirit of God. Be my strength against evil.
You are fire. Make me bright with love.
You are light. Give me insight into what really matters.
You are a dove. Give me purity of heart.
You are a breath that is full of sweetness. Temper the storms within and around me.
You are a tongue. Teach me to praise you without ceasing.
You are a cloud. Cover me in the shadow of your protection.
You are the giver of heaven’s choicest gifts. Give them to me in abundance.
Grant that I may love you always, then, do with me as you will.
St. Alphonsus, pray for me.
Our Mother of Perpetual Help, pray for me.

“Your God is ever at your side – indeed, within you.”

Coming Home

I feel a calling,
An urge of a different kind.
The Spirit guides me to a new faith,
More loving, leave my cares behind.

An unction never known before,
A change in the wind, the opening of a new door.
The Lord and my Mother, Jesus and Mary,
Standing side by side, my heart with love adores.

I'm coming Home,
A place never known, so welcoming and sweet.
To be a Catholic Christian, a joyous life,
When finally confirmed, my new family to greet.

Prayers

Oh, my Lord and Savior,

support me in that hour

in the strong arms of Your sacraments,

and by the fresh fragrance of Your consolations,

Let the absolving words be said over me

and the holy oil sign and seal me,

and Your own Body be my food

and Your Blood my sprinkling,

and let my sweet Mother Mary breathe on me,

and my angel whisper peace to me,

and my glorious saints smile upon me;

that in them all and through them all,

I may receive the gift of perseverance,

and die, as I desire to live,

in Your Faith, in Your Church,

in Your service and in Your Love.

Amen

Lord, grant that I may always allow myself to be guided by You,
always follow Your plans, and perfectly accomplish Your holy will.
Grant that in all things, great and small,
today and all the days of my life
I may do whatever You may require of me.
Help me to respond to the slightest prompting of Your grace
so that I may be Your trustworthy instrument.
May Your will be done in time and eternity
by me, in me, and through me.
Amen.

Prayer to Christ the King

O Christ Jesus, I acknowledge You King of the Universe. All that has been created has been made for You. Exercise upon me all Your rights. I renew my Baptismal Promises, renouncing satan and all his works and pomps. I promise to live a good Christian life and do all in my power to procure the triumph of the rights of God and Your Church. Divine Heart of Jesus, I offer you my poor actions in order to obtain that all hearts may acknowledge Your Sacred Royalty, and that thus the reign of Your peace may be established throughout the universe. Amen.

Prayer of St. Ignatius Loyola

Take, O Lord, and receive my entire liberty, my memory, my understanding and my whole will. All that I have and all You have given me I surrender to You to be disposed of according to Your will. Give me only Your love and Your grace; with these I will be rich enough and will desire nothing more.