Saturday, December 11, 2010

How to Make Vestments for Infant Jesus of Prague

One of the most captivating aspects of the Infant of Prague is the diversity of vestments with which we adorn the Child King. The pious practice of dressing the Infant of Prague brings His humanity closer to us. While some Infants don elaborate robes with exquisite beadwork and embroidery best done by professionals or, at the very least, extremely talented individuals, making vestments for your Infant of Prague is not at all hard to do. 
The original Infant of Prague and many that we see in our parishes have four components to their garments. First, the alb, which is a plain white undergarment which may have a small lace edge added to the hem. It looks like an old fashioned nightshirt. Over the alb is a gown referred to as a robe. It closes in the back and has ornamentation on the front. This is followed by the mantle or cape which can have a stand up collar. The last pieces are called ruffs.  These are the lacy cuffs for the hands and around the neck. Over the years I've handled more Infants and their vestments than I can count and frequently I've come across detachable ruffs. I thought these were the result of lazy seamstresses, but I recently learned that even the Infant housed in Prague has vestments with detachable ruffs! (There's always something new to learn!)  We'll deal with the crown in a separate area.
There are three basic ways of creating garments for the Infant of Prague. The first is by following a pattern that yields a separate gown and mantle (robe).  These are based on the now out-of-print McCall's Infant of Prague pattern.  You'll find a discussion of this method below.  The second method is the simplest and involves two half circles.  You won't believe how easy this one is.  We'll discuss that as well with photos of the diversity possible with this design. Finally, there is the version which involves the alb. (see photo at right)  This is where so many go astray.  Very few Infant of Prague statues are designed with arms that will accommodate an alb with sleeves. And once you make one, you're likely to find it is no mean trick to get it over His head and the sleeves onto the arms of the Infant.  Sort of like a real baby, isn't it? We'll cover that last.
A final note. There are people in this world who follow instructions and who seem not to be able to do much without instructions.  There are other, terribly talented people who make those instructions. Finally, there is that group who don't "stay within the lines" when they are coloring. They can't (or won't) follow instructions and don't seem to be troubled by not know things - like how to sew.  I fall into that last group and I'd like to invite you to join me there.  Look at the many images of the Infant of Prague I've posted here and find a little inspiration. Next, look around for fabric and trim you like. If you don't have a sewing machine, don't worry. These are relatively small items that you can easily make by hand. Then spend some time with your Infant and let Him guide you. Trust Him. He will never let you down.



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A Complete List of Popes

  1. St. Peter (32-67)
  2. St. Linus (67-76)
  3. St. Anacletus (Cletus) (76-88)
  4. St. Clement I (88-97)
  5. St. Evaristus (97-105)
  6. St. Alexander I (105-115)
  7. St. Sixtus I (115-125) Also called Xystus I
  8. St. Telesphorus (125-136)
  9. St. Hyginus (136-140)
  10. St. Pius I (140-155)
  11. St. Anicetus (155-166)
  12. St. Soter (166-175)
  13. St. Eleutherius (175-189)
  14. St. Victor I (189-199)
  15. St. Zephyrinus (199-217)
  16. St. Callistus I (217-22) Callistus and the following three popes were opposed by St. Hippolytus, antipope (217-236)
  17. St. Urban I (222-30)
  18. St. Pontain (230-35)
  19. St. Anterus (235-36)
  20. St. Fabian (236-50)
  21. St. Cornelius (251-53) Opposed by Novatian, antipope (251)
  22. St. Lucius I (253-54)
  23. St. Stephen I (254-257)
  24. St. Sixtus II (257-258)
  25. St. Dionysius (260-268)
  26. St. Felix I (269-274)
  27. St. Eutychian (275-283)
  28. St. Caius (283-296) Also called Gaius
  29. St. Marcellinus (296-304)
  30. St. Marcellus I (308-309)
  31. St. Eusebius (309 or 310)
  32. St. Miltiades (311-14)
  33. St. Sylvester I (314-35)
  34. St. Marcus (336)
  35. St. Julius I (337-52)
  36. Liberius (352-66) Opposed by Felix II, antipope (355-365)
  37. St. Damasus I (366-83) Opposed by Ursicinus, antipope (366-367)
  38. St. Siricius (384-99)
  39. St. Anastasius I (399-401)
  40. St. Innocent I (401-17)
  41. St. Zosimus (417-18)
  42. St. Boniface I (418-22) Opposed by Eulalius, antipope (418-419)
  43. St. Celestine I (422-32)
  44. St. Sixtus III (432-40)
  45. St. Leo I (the Great) (440-61)
  46. St. Hilarius (461-68)
  47. St. Simplicius (468-83)
  48. St. Felix III (II) (483-92)
  49. St. Gelasius I (492-96)
  50. Anastasius II (496-98)
  51. St. Symmachus (498-514) Opposed by Laurentius, antipope (498-501)
  52. St. Hormisdas (514-23)
  53. St. John I (523-26)
  54. St. Felix IV (III) (526-30)
  55. Boniface II (530-32) Opposed by Dioscorus, antipope (530)
  56. John II (533-35)
  57. St. Agapetus I (535-36) Also called Agapitus I
  58. St. Silverius (536-37)
  59. Vigilius (537-55)
  60. Pelagius I (556-61)
  61. John III (561-74)
  62. Benedict I (575-79)
  63. Pelagius II (579-90)
  64. St. Gregory I (the Great) (590-604)
  65. Sabinian (604-606)
  66. Boniface III (607)
  67. St. Boniface IV (608-15)
  68. St. Deusdedit (Adeodatus I) (615-18)
  69. Boniface V (619-25)
  70. Honorius I (625-38)
  71. Severinus (640)
  72. John IV (640-42)
  73. Theodore I (642-49)
  74. St. Martin I (649-55)
  75. St. Eugene I (655-57)
  76. St. Vitalian (657-72)
  77. Adeodatus (II) (672-76)
  78. Donus (676-78)
  79. St. Agatho (678-81)
  80. St. Leo II (682-83)
  81. St. Benedict II (684-85)
  82. John V (685-86)
  83. Conon (686-87)
  84. St. Sergius I (687-701) Opposed by Theodore and Paschal, antipopes (687)
  85. John VI (701-05)
  86. John VII (705-07)
  87. Sisinnius (708)
  88. Constantine (708-15)
  89. St. Gregory II (715-31)
  90. St. Gregory III (731-41)
  91. St. Zachary (741-52)
  92. Stephen II (752) Because he died before being consecrated, many authoritative lists omit him
  93. Stephen III (752-57)
  94. St. Paul I (757-67)
  95. Stephen IV (767-72) Opposed by Constantine II (767) and Philip (768), antipopes (767)
  96. Adrian I (772-95)
  97. St. Leo III (795-816)
  98. Stephen V (816-17)
  99. St. Paschal I (817-24)
  100. Eugene II (824-27)
  101. Valentine (827)
  102. Gregory IV (827-44)
  103. Sergius II (844-47) Opposed by John, antipope (855)
  104. St. Leo IV (847-55)
  105. Benedict III (855-58) Opposed by Anastasius, antipope (855)
  106. St. Nicholas I (the Great) (858-67)
  107. Adrian II (867-72)
  108. John VIII (872-82)
  109. Marinus I (882-84)
  110. St. Adrian III (884-85)
  111. Stephen VI (885-91)
  112. Formosus (891-96)
  113. Boniface VI (896)
  114. Stephen VII (896-97)
  115. Romanus (897)
  116. Theodore II (897)
  117. John IX (898-900)
  118. Benedict IV (900-03)
  119. Leo V (903) Opposed by Christopher, antipope (903-904)
  120. Sergius III (904-11)
  121. Anastasius III (911-13)
  122. Lando (913-14)
  123. John X (914-28)
  124. Leo VI (928)
  125. Stephen VIII (929-31)
  126. John XI (931-35)
  127. Leo VII (936-39)
  128. Stephen IX (939-42)
  129. Marinus II (942-46)
  130. Agapetus II (946-55)
  131. John XII (955-63)
  132. Leo VIII (963-64)
  133. Benedict V (964)
  134. John XIII (965-72)
  135. Benedict VI (973-74)
  136. Benedict VII (974-83) Benedict and John XIV were opposed by Boniface VII, antipope (974; 984-985)
  137. John XIV (983-84)
  138. John XV (985-96)
  139. Gregory V (996-99) Opposed by John XVI, antipope (997-998)
  140. Sylvester II (999-1003)
  141. John XVII (1003)
  142. John XVIII (1003-09)
  143. Sergius IV (1009-12)
  144. Benedict VIII (1012-24) Opposed by Gregory, antipope (1012)
  145. John XIX (1024-32)
  146. Benedict IX (1032-45) He appears on this list three separate times, because he was twice deposed and restored
  147. Sylvester III (1045) Considered by some to be an antipope
  148. Benedict IX (1045)
  149. Gregory VI (1045-46)
  150. Clement II (1046-47)
  151. Benedict IX (1047-48)
  152. Damasus II (1048)
  153. St. Leo IX (1049-54)
  154. Victor II (1055-57)
  155. Stephen X (1057-58)
  156. Nicholas II (1058-61) Opposed by Benedict X, antipope (1058)
  157. Alexander II (1061-73) Opposed by Honorius II, antipope (1061-1072)
  158. St. Gregory VII (1073-85) Gregory and the following three popes were opposed by Guibert ("Clement III"), antipope (1080-1100)
  159. Blessed Victor III (1086-87)
  160. Blessed Urban II (1088-99)
  161. Paschal II (1099-1118) Opposed by Theodoric (1100), Aleric (1102) and Maginulf ("Sylvester IV", 1105-1111), antipopes (1100)
  162. Gelasius II (1118-19) Opposed by Burdin ("Gregory VIII"), antipope (1118)
  163. Callistus II (1119-24)
  164. Honorius II (1124-30) Opposed by Celestine II, antipope (1124)
  165. Innocent II (1130-43) Opposed by Anacletus II (1130-1138) and Gregory Conti ("Victor IV") (1138), antipopes (1138)
  166. Celestine II (1143-44)
  167. Lucius II (1144-45)
  168. Blessed Eugene III (1145-53)
  169. Anastasius IV (1153-54)
  170. Adrian IV (1154-59)
  171. Alexander III (1159-81) Opposed by Octavius ("Victor IV") (1159-1164), Pascal III (1165-1168), Callistus III (1168-1177) and Innocent III (1178-1180), antipopes
  172. Lucius III (1181-85)
  173. Urban III (1185-87)
  174. Gregory VIII (1187)
  175. Clement III (1187-91)
  176. Celestine III (1191-98)
  177. Innocent III (1198-1216)
  178. Honorius III (1216-27)
  179. Gregory IX (1227-41)
  180. Celestine IV (1241)
  181. Innocent IV (1243-54)
  182. Alexander IV (1254-61)
  183. Urban IV (1261-64)
  184. Clement IV (1265-68)
  185. Blessed Gregory X (1271-76)
  186. Blessed Innocent V (1276)
  187. Adrian V (1276)
  188. John XXI (1276-77)
  189. Nicholas III (1277-80)
  190. Martin IV (1281-85)
  191. Honorius IV (1285-87)
  192. Nicholas IV (1288-92)
  193. St. Celestine V (1294)
  194. Boniface VIII (1294-1303)
  195. Blessed Benedict XI (1303-04)
  196. Clement V (1305-14)
  197. John XXII (1316-34) Opposed by Nicholas V, antipope (1328-1330)
  198. Benedict XII (1334-42)
  199. Clement VI (1342-52)
  200. Innocent VI (1352-62)
  201. Blessed Urban V (1362-70)
  202. Gregory XI (1370-78)
  203. Urban VI (1378-89) Opposed by Robert of Geneva ("Clement VII"), antipope (1378-1394)
  204. Boniface IX (1389-1404) Opposed by Robert of Geneva ("Clement VII") (1378-1394), Pedro de Luna ("Benedict XIII") (1394-1417) and Baldassare Cossa ("John XXIII") (1400-1415), antipopes
  205. Innocent VII (1404-06) Opposed by Pedro de Luna ("Benedict XIII") (1394-1417) and Baldassare Cossa ("John XXIII") (1400-1415), antipopes
  206. Gregory XII (1406-15) Opposed by Pedro de Luna ("Benedict XIII") (1394-1417), Baldassare Cossa ("John XXIII") (1400-1415), and Pietro Philarghi ("Alexander V") (1409-1410), antipopes
  207. Martin V (1417-31)
  208. Eugene IV (1431-47) Opposed by Amadeus of Savoy ("Felix V"), antipope (1439-1449)
  209. Nicholas V (1447-55)
  210. Callistus III (1455-58)
  211. Pius II (1458-64)
  212. Paul II (1464-71)
  213. Sixtus IV (1471-84)
  214. Innocent VIII (1484-92)
  215. Alexander VI (1492-1503)
  216. Pius III (1503)
  217. Julius II (1503-13)
  218. Leo X (1513-21)
  219. Adrian VI (1522-23)
  220. Clement VII (1523-34)
  221. Paul III (1534-49)
  222. Julius III (1550-55)
  223. Marcellus II (1555)
  224. Paul IV (1555-59)
  225. Pius IV (1559-65)
  226. St. Pius V (1566-72)
  227. Gregory XIII (1572-85)
  228. Sixtus V (1585-90)
  229. Urban VII (1590)
  230. Gregory XIV (1590-91)
  231. Innocent IX (1591)
  232. Clement VIII (1592-1605)
  233. Leo XI (1605)
  234. Paul V (1605-21)
  235. Gregory XV (1621-23)
  236. Urban VIII (1623-44)
  237. Innocent X (1644-55)
  238. Alexander VII (1655-67)
  239. Clement IX (1667-69)
  240. Clement X (1670-76)
  241. Blessed Innocent XI (1676-89)
  242. Alexander VIII (1689-91)
  243. Innocent XII (1691-1700)
  244. Clement XI (1700-21)
  245. Innocent XIII (1721-24)
  246. Benedict XIII (1724-30)
  247. Clement XII (1730-40)
  248. Benedict XIV (1740-58)
  249. Clement XIII (1758-69)
  250. Clement XIV (1769-74)
  251. Pius VI (1775-99)
  252. Pius VII (1800-23)
  253. Leo XII (1823-29)
  254. Pius VIII (1829-30)
  255. Gregory XVI (1831-46)
  256. Blessed Pius IX (1846-78)
  257. Leo XIII (1878-1903)
  258. St. Pius X (1903-14)
  259. Benedict XV (1914-22) Biographies of Benedict XV and his successors will be added at a later date
  260. Pius XI (1922-39)
  261. Pius XII (1939-58)
  262. Blessed John XXIII (1958-63)
  263. Paul VI (1963-78)
  264. John Paul I (1978)
  265. John Paul II (1978-2005)
  266. Benedict XVI (2005—)

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Friday, December 10, 2010

The Rosary




1. Make the Sign of the Cross
2. Say the Apostles Creed
3. Say the Our Father
4. Say three Hail Marys
5. Say the Glory Be
6. Announce the first Mystery and say the Our Father
7. Say ten Hail Marys while meditating on the Mystery
8. Say the Glory Be
9. Say the O My Jesus
10. Announce the second Mystery and say the Our Father
11. Say ten Hail Marys while meditating on the Mystery
12. Say the Glory Be
13. Say the O My Jesus
14. Announce the third Mystery and say the Our Father
15. Say ten Hail Marys while meditating on the Mystery
16. Say the Glory Be
17. Say the O My Jesus
18. Announce the fourth Mystery and say the Our Father
19. Say ten Hail Marys while meditating on the Mystery
20. Say the Glory Be
21. Say the O My Jesus
22. Announce the fifth Mystery and say the Our Father
23. Say ten Hail Marys while meditating on the Mystery
24. Say the Glory Be
25. Say the O My Jesus
26. Say the Hail Holy Queen
 
Sign Of The Cross
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

The Apostles Creed
I believe in God, the Father Almighty, Creator of Heaven and earth; and in Jesus Christ, his
only Son, our Lord; who was conceived by the Holy Spirit. born of the Virgin Mary, He
suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died and was buried. He descended into hell;
the third day He rose again from the dead; he ascended into Heaven sits at the right hand
of God, the Father almighty; from there he will come to judge the living and the dead. I
believe in the Holy Spirit, the Holy Catholic Church, the Communion of Saints, the
forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and life everlasting, Amen.

Our Father
Our Father, who art in Heaven; hallowed by Thy name; Thy kingdom come; Thy will be
done on earth as it is in Heaven. Give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our
trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us, and lead us not into temptation;
but deliver us from evil. Amen

Hail Mary
Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou among women and blessed
is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, mother of God, pray for us sinners now and at
the hour of our death. Amen

Glory Be
Glory be to the Father, to the Son and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning is now
and ever shall be, world without end, Amen.
O My Jesus
O my Jesus, forgive us our sins, save us from the fires of hell, and lead all souls to Heaven,
especially those in most need of your Mercy. Amen.
 
Hail, Holy Queen
Hail, Holy Queen, Mother of Mercy, our life, our sweetness and our hope.
To thee we cry, poor banished children of Eve.
To thee do we send up our sighs, mourning and weeping in this valley of tears.
Turn then most gracious advocate, thine eyes of mercy towards us,
And after this our exile, show unto us the blessed Fruit of they womb, Jesus.
O clement. O loving, O sweet Virgin Mary.
Pray for us, O holy Mother of God
That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.


Mysteries of the Rosary


The Joyful Mysteries Said on Mondays and Saturdays

1. The Annunciation (Humility) Luke 1:26-38
The Angel Gabriel appears to Mary, announcing she is to be the Mother of God

2. The Visitation (Charity) Luke 1:39-56
Elizabeth greets Mary: "Blessed art Thou amoung women and blessed is the fruit of
thy womb!"

3. The Nativity (Poverty) Luke 2:1-20
The Virgin Mary gives birth to the Redeemer of the World.

4. The Presentation (Obedience) Luke 2:22-39
The Blessed Mother presents the Child Jesus in the Temple

5. Finding in the Temple (Piety) Luke 2:42-52
The Blessed Mother finds Jesus in the Temple.


The Luminous Mysteries Said on Thursdays
 
1. The Baptism of Christ in the Jordan John 1:29-34
The heavens open wide and the voice of the Father declares Jesus the beloved Son

2. The Wedding Feast at Cana John 2:1-11
The first of the signs, when Christ changes water into wine and opens the hearts of
the disciples to faith, thanks to the intervention of Mary, the first among believers.

3. The Announcement of the Kingdom Matthew 4:17
Jesus proclaims the coming of the Kingdom of God, calls us to conversion and
forgives the sins of all who draw near to Him in humble trust.

4. The Transfiguration Matthew 17:1-8
The glory of the Godhead shines forth from the face of Christ as the Father
commands the astonished Apostles to "listen to him."

5. The Institution of the Eucharist (food for our salvation) Matthew 26:26-30
Christ offers his body and blood as food under the signs of bread and wine, and
testifies "to the end" His love for humanity, for whose salvation He will offer
Himself in sacrifice.


The Sorrowful Mysteries Said on Tuesdays and Fridays
 
1. The Agony in the Garden (Contrition) Luke 22:39-44
At Gethsemane, Jesus prays as He contemplates the sins of the world.

2. The Scourging at the Pillar (Purity) Matthew 27:26
Jesus is cruelly scourged until His mortified body could bear no more.

3. Crowning with Thorns (Courage) Matthew 27:28-31
A crown of thorns is placed on the head of Jesus.

4. Carrying of the Cross (Patience) Luke 23:26-32
Jesus carries the heavy cross upon His shoulders to Calvary.

5. The Crucifixion (Self-Denial) Matthew 27:33-50
Jesus is nailed to the cross and dies after hours of agony.

The Glorious Mysteries Said on Wednesdays and Sundays
1. The Resurrection (Faith) Matthew 28:1-20
Jesus rises glorious and immortal, three days after His death.

2. The Ascension (Hope) Luke 24:50-51
Jesus ascends into Heaven forty days after His Resurrection.

3. Descent of the Holy Spirit (Love) Acts 2:24
The Holy Spirit descends upon Mary and the Apostles.

4. The Assumption (Eternal Happiness)
The Blessed Mother is united with her Divine Son in Heaven.

5. The Coronation (Devotion to Mary)
Mary is gloriously crowned Queen of Heaven and earth.

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Stations of the Cross

[from a Douay-Rheims Bible]
 

The Stations of the Cross, also known as the Way of the Cross, is normally prayed each Friday during Lent.


In this prayer, fourteen traditional events in the passion of Jesus are recalled and meditated upon. Each station is visited as the prayers are made; icons or stations are traditionally hung along the perimeter of the inside walls of churches. The stations are:


1. Jesus condemned to death
2. Jesus carries his cross
3. Our Lord falls the first time
4. Jesus meets his mother
5. Simon the Cyrenean helps Jesus carry his cross
6. Veronica wipes the face of Jesus
7. The second fall of Jesus
8. Jesus consoles the women of Jerusalem
9. The third fall of Jesus
10. Jesus is stripped of his garments
11. Jesus is nailed to the cross
12. Jesus dies on the cross
13. Jesus is taken down from the cross
14. Jesus is laid in the tomb



Antiphon
We beseech Thee, O Lord! to assist and direct our actions by Thy powerful grace, and all our prayers and works may always begin and end with Thee. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.


A Preparatory Act of Contrition

O Jesus, treasure of my soul, infinitely good, infinitely merciful, behold me prostrate at Thy sacred feet! Sinner as I am, I fly to the arms of Thy mercy, and implore that grace which melts and converts - the grace of true compunction. I have offended Thee, adorable Jesus! I repent; let the favor of my love equal the baseness of my ingratitude. This Way of the Cross, grant me to offer devoutly in memory of that painful journey Thou hast travelled for our redemption, to the Cross of Calvary, with the holy design to reform my morals, amend my life and gain these indulgences granted by Thy vicars on earth. I apply one for my miserable soul, the rest in suffrage for the souls in purgatory, particularly N.N. [Here mention the souls for whom you intend to apply them.] I begin this devotion under Thy sacred protection, and in imitation of Thy dolorous Mother. Let then this holy exercise obtain for me mercy in this life, and glory in the next. Amen.

JESUS!

Station 1: Christ is sentenced to death by Pilate

V. We adore Thee, O Lord Jesus Christ, and bless Thee.
R. Because by Thy holy Cross Thou hast redeemed the world.
 

The Mystery

Our gracious Redeemer, after suffering blows and blasphemies before Annas and

Caiphas, after the cruel scourging, insulting contempts and bloody crown of piercing thorns, is unjustly condemned to death. This iniquitous a sentence your Jesus accepted with admirable humility. Innocence embraces condemnation to free the guilty.

Reflect that your sins were the false witnesses that condemned Him; your stubborn impenitence the tyrant that extorted from Pilate the bloody sentence. Propose now seriously an amendment of life, and while you reflect on the horrid injustice of Pilate, who condemns innocence, lest he should not appear a friend of Caesar, arraign yourself for your many sins of human respect; think how often you have offended God for fear of displeasing the eye of the world, and turning your loving Jesus, addressed Him rather with tears of the heart than with expressions of the tongue in the following Prayer


O MANGLED VICTIM OF MY SINS! O suffering Jesus! I have deserved those bloody scourges, that cruel sentence of death; and yet Thou didst die for me, that I should live for Thee. I am convinced that if I desire to please men, I cannot by Thy servant. Let me then displease the world and its vain admirers. I resign myself into Thy hands. Let love take possession of my heart; let my eyes behold with contempt everything that can alienate my affections from Thee; let my ears be ever attentive to Thy word; let me through this painful journey accompany Thee, sighing and demanding mercy. Mercy!Jesus! Amen.
Our Father & Hail Mary
Jesus Christ crucified, have mercy on us!
You pious Christians who do now draw near,
With relenting hearts now lend a tear,
Your Lord behold with great humility,
Sentenced to die on Mount Calvary.




Station 2: Christ takes the Cross on his shoulder

V. We adore Thee, O Lord Jesus Christ, and bless Thee.
R. Because by Thy holy Cross Thou hast redeemed the world.

The Mystery

This second Station represents the place where your most amiable Redeemer is clad in His usual attire, after His inhuman executioners had stripped Him of the purple garment of derision with which He was clothed, when as a visionary king they crowned Him with plaited thorns. The heavy burthen of the Cross is violently placed on His mangled shoulders.
Behold your gracious Saviour, though torn with wounds, covered with blood, a man of griefs, abandoned by all - with what silent patience He bears the taunts and injuries with which the Jews insult Him. He stretched out His bleeding arms, and tenderly embraces the Cross. Reflect with confusion on that sensitive pride which is fired with impatience at the very shadow of contempt - on your discontented murmurs in your lightest afflictions - and your obstinate resistance to the will of Heaven in the crosses of life, which are calculated to conduct you, not to a Calvary of Crucifixion, but to joys of eternal glory; and from your heart unite in the following

Prayer


Meek and humble Jesus! my iniquity and perverseness loaded Thy shoulders with the heavy burden of the Cross. Yet I, a vile worm of the earth, O shameful ingratitude! fly even the appearance of mortification, and everything which would check the violence of my passions; and if I suffered, it was with a murmuring reluctance. I now, O Saviour of the world! detest my past life, and by Thy grace am determined no more to offend Thee mortally. Let me only glory in the Cross of my Lord, by whom the world is crucified to me, and I to the world. Lay then on my stubborn neck the cross of true penance; let me, for the love of Thee, bear the adversities of this life, and cleave inseparably to Thee in the bonds pf perpetual charity. Amen, Jesus.


Our Father, Hail Mary & Glory be
Jesus Christ crucified, have mercy on us!
No pity for the Lamb was to be found;
As a mock King my loving Lord they crown'd,
To bear the heavy cross He does not tire,
To save my soul from everlasting fire.




Station 3: Jesus falls the first time under the Cross

V. We adore Thee, O Lord Jesus Christ, and bless Thee.
R. Because by Thy holy Cross Thou hast redeemed the world.

The Mystery
This third Station represents how our Lord Jesus Christ, overwhelmed by the weight of the Cross, fainting through loss of blood, falls to the ground the first time.

Contemplate the unwearied patience of the meek Lamb, amidst the insulting blows and curses of His brutal executioners; while you, impatient in adversity and infirmity, presume to complain, nay, to insult the Majesty of Heaven, by your curses and blasphemies. Purpose here firmly to struggle against the impatient sallies of temper; and beholding your amiable Jesus prostrate under the Cross, excite in yourself your Saviour, for love of you, was burdened, and thus you afflicted Jesus:
Prayer
Alas, my Jesus! the merciless violence of Thy inhuman executioners, the excessive weight of the Cross, or rather the more oppressive load of my sins, crush Thee to the earth. Panting for breath, exhausted as Thou art, Thou dost not refuse new tortures for me. Will I then refuse the light burden of Thy commandments; will I refuse to do violence to my perverse passions and sinful attachments; will I relapse into those very crimes for which I have shed false and delusive tears! O Jesus! stretch Thy holy hand to my assistance, that I may never more fall into mortal sin; that I may at the hour of my death secure the important affair of my salvation. Amen, Jesus.
Our Father, Hail Mary & Glory be
Jesus Christ crucified, have mercy on us!
From loss of blood He fell unto the ground,
No comfort for my Lord was to be found,
He rose again beneath their cruel blows,
And on His bitter way unmurmering goes.

Station 4: Jesus carrying the Cross, meets His most afflicted Mother

V. We adore Thee, O Lord Jesus Christ, and bless Thee.
R. Because by Thy holy Cross Thou hast redeemed the world.

The Mystery

The fourth Station represents to your contemplation the meeting of the desolate Mother and her bleeding Jesus, staggering under the weight of the Cross.

Consider what pangs rent her soul, when she beheld her beloved Jesus covered with blood, dragged violently to the place of execution, reviled and blasphemed by an ungrateful, outrageous rabble. Meditate on her inward feelings, the looks of silent agony exchanged between the Mother and the Son; her anguish in not being permitted to approach, to embrace and to accompany Him to death. Filled with confusion at the thought that neither the Son's pains or the Mother's grief have softened the hardness of your heart, contritely join in the following Prayer

O Mary! I am the cause of thy sufferings. O refuge of sinners! let me participate in these heart-felt pangs, which rent thy tender soul, when thou didst behold thy Son trembling with cold, covered with wounds, fainting under the Cross, more dead than alive!


Mournful Mother! fountain of love! let me feel the force of thy grief that I may weep with thee, and mingle my tears with thine, and thy Son's blood. O suffering Jesus! by Thy bitter passion, and the heart-breaking compassion of Thy afflicted Mother, grant me the efficacious grace of perseverance! Mother of Jesus, intercede for me! Jesus, behold me with an eye of pity, and in the hour of my death receive me to the arms of Thy mercy! Amen, Jesus.


Our Father, Hail Mary & Glory be
Jesus Christ crucified, have mercy on us!
Exhausted, spent, see Jesus onward go,
With feeble step, in anguish faint and slow,
At last His grief-worn Mother He can see
Exclaiming: My Son, my heart is rent for Thee.




Station 5: Christ assisted by Simon the Cyrenean to carry the Cross

V. We adore Thee, O Lord Jesus Christ, and bless Thee.
R. Because by Thy holy Cross Thou hast redeemed the world.

The Mystery

The fifth Station represents Christ fainting, destitute of strength, unable to carry the Cross. His sacrilegious executioners compel Simon the Cyrenean to carry it, not through compassionate pity to Jesus, but lest He should expire in their hand, before they could glut their vengeance by nailing Him to the Cross.
 

Consider here the repugnance of Simon to carry the Cross after Christ; and that you with repugnance, and by compulsion, carry the Cross that Providence has placed on your shoulders. Will you spurn the love of your Jesus, who invites you to take up your Cross and follow Him? Will you yet with shameless ingratitude refuse the Cross, sanctified by His suffering? Offer up devoutly the following
Prayer 

O suffering Jesus! to what excess did Thy impious executioners' cruelty proceed!


Beholding Thee faint under the Cross that Thou mightest expire on it in the most exquisite torture. But why should I complain of the cruelty of the Jews or the repugnance of Simon? Have I not again crucified Thee by my crimes? Have I not suffered with fretful impatience the light afflictions with which Thy mercy visited me? Inspire me not, my Jesus, to detest and deplore my sinful impatience, my ungrateful murmurs, and let me with all my heart cheerfully accompany Thee to Mount Calvary; let me live in Thee, and die in Thee. Amen, Jesus.


Our Father, Hail Mary & Glory be
Jesus Christ crucified, have mercy on us!
The furious Jews when Jesus fainting fell,
Simon the bear His Cross, by force compel;
Afflictions bear like Job most patiently,
And follow the Lamb with great humility.




Station 6: Veronica presents a handkerchief to Christ

V. We adore Thee, O Lord Jesus Christ, and bless Thee.
R. Because by Thy holy Cross Thou hast redeemed the world.

The Mystery

The sixth Station represents the place where the pious Veronica, compassionating our agonizing Redeemer, beholding His sacred face livid with blows and covered with blood and sweat, presents a handkerchief, with which Jesus wipes His face.

Consider the heroic piety of this devout woman, who is not intimidated by the presence of the executioners, or the clamor of the Jews; and the tender acknowledgement of Jesus. Reflect here, that though you cannot personally discharge the debt of humanity to your Saviour, you can discharge it to His suffering members, the poor. Though you cannot wipe away the blood and sweat from the face of Jesus, you can wipe away the tear of wretchedness from the eye of misery. Examine, then, what returns you have made from the singular graces and favors your bountiful Jesus bestowed on you; and conscious of your ingratitude, address your injured Saviour in the following


Prayer
O Jesus, grant me tears to weep my ingratitude. How often have I, infatuated wretch, turned my eyes from Thee and Thy sufferings, to fix them on the world and its vanities!

Let me henceforth be Thine without division. Stamp Thy image on my soul, that it may never admit another love. Take possession of my heart on earth, that my soul may takeeternal possession of thee in glory. Amen, Jesus.


Our Father, Hail Mary & Glory be
Jesus Christ crucified, have mercy on us!
Veronica pressed through to meet our Lord,
His streaming face a napkin to afford,
Lo, on its texture stamped by power divine
His sacred features breathe in every line.




Station 7: Jesus falls under the Cross the second time

V. We adore Thee, O Lord Jesus Christ, and bless Thee.
R. Because by Thy holy Cross Thou hast redeemed the world.

The Mystery

The seventh Station represents the gate of Jerusalem, called the gate of Judgment, at the entrance of which our Saviour, through anguish and weakness, falls to the ground.

He is compelled by blows and blasphemies to rise.

Consider your Jesus prostrate on the earth, bruised by His fall, and ignominiously treated by an ungrateful rabble. Reflect that your self-love and pride of preference were the cause of this humiliation. Implore, then, grace to detest sincerely your haughty spirit and proud disposition. It was your reiterated sins which again pressed Him to the ground. Will you then sin again, and add to the afflictions of your gracious Saviour?
Prayer

O Most Holy Redeemer! treated with the utmost contempt, deprived of fame and honor - led out to punishment - through excess of torments, and the weakness of Thy delicate and mangled body, Thou didst fall a second time to the earth. What impious hand has prostrated Thee? Alas, my Jesus! I am that impious, that sacrilegious offender: my ambitious pride, my haughty indignation, my contempt of others humbled by Thee to the earth. Banish forever from my mind the unhappy spirit of pride. Teach my heart the doctrine of humility, so that detesting pride, vain glory and human respect, I may forever be united with Thee, my meek and humble Jesus. Amen.
Our Father, Hail Mary & Glory be
Jesus Christ crucified, have mercy on us!
Prone at the city gate He fell once more,
To save our erring souls He suffered sore;
On His great mercy let us always call,
Since our vain pride has caused His triple fall.




Station 8: Christ consoles the Women of Jerusalem, who wept over Him

V. We adore Thee, O Lord Jesus Christ, and bless Thee.
R. Because by Thy holy Cross Thou hast redeemed the world.
 

The Mystery

This Station represents the place where several devout women meeting Jesus, and beholding Him wounded and bathed in His blood, shed tears of compassion over Him.

Consider the excessive love of Jesus, who, though languishing and half dead through the multitude of His torments, is nevertheless attentive to console the women who wept over Him. They merited that tender consolation from the mouth of Jesus, "Weep not over me, but over yourselves and your children." Weep for your sins, the sources of my affliction. Yes, O my soul! I will obey my suffering Lord, and pour out tears of compassion. Nothing is more eloquent than the voice of those tears which flow from the horror of those sins. Address Him the following
Prayer

O Jesus, only begotten Son of the Father! who will give water to my head, and a fountain of tears to my eyes, that I may day and night weep and lament my sins? I humbly beseech Thee by these tears of blood Thou didst shed for me, to soften my flinty bosom, that tears may plentifully flow from my eyes, and contrition rend my heart, this hardened heart, to cancel my crimes and render me secure in the day of wrath and examination, when Thou wilt come to judge the living and the dead, and demand a rigorous account of Thy blood. Amen, Jesus.


Our Father, Hail Mary & Glory be
Jesus Christ crucified, have mercy on us!
With tears of love the women they did weep,
Compassioning our Redeemer sweet;
Weep for your sins who caused Him here to be
O Lamb of God Thy mercy show to me.




Station 9: Jesus falls under the Cross the third time

V. We adore Thee, O Lord Jesus Christ, and bless Thee.
R. Because by Thy holy Cross Thou hast redeemed the world.

The Mystery

This Station represents the foot of Mount Calvary, where Jesus Christ, quite destitute of strength, falls a third time to the ground. The anguish of His wounds is renewed.

Consider here the many injuries and blasphemous derisions thrown out against Christ, so compel Him to rise and hasten to the place of execution, that His inveterate enemies might enjoy the savage satisfaction of beholding Him expire on the Cross. Consider that by your sins you daily hurry Him to the place of execution. Approach Him in thought to the foot of Mount Calvary, and cry out against the accursed weight of sin that prostrated Jesus, and had long since buried thee in the flames of hell, if His mercy and the merits of His passion had not preserved thee.


Prayer
O clement Jesus! I return Thee infinite thanks for not permitting me, ungrateful sinner, as Thou has permitted thousands less criminal, to die in their sins. I, who have added torments to Thy torments, by heaping sin on sin, kindle in my soul the fire of charity, fan it with Thy continual grace into perseverance, until, delivered from the body of this death, I can enjoy the liberty of the children of God and Thy co-heirs. Amen, Jesus!


Our Father, Hail Mary & Glory be
Jesus Christ crucified, have mercy on us!
On Calvary's height a third time see Him fall,
Livid with bruises that our sight appal.
O gracious Lord, this sufferest Thou for me,
To save my soul from endless misery.




Station 10: Jesus is stripped of His Garments & offered Vinegar and Gall

V. We adore Thee, O Lord Jesus Christ, and bless Thee.
R. Because by Thy holy Cross Thou hast redeemed the world.

The Mystery

This Station represents how our Lord Jesus Christ ascended Mount Calvary, and was by His inhuman executioners stripped of His garments. The skin and congealed blood are torn off with them, and His wounds renewed.
 

Consider the confusion of the modest Lamb, exposed naked to the contempt and derision of an insulting rabble. They present Him with vinegar and gall for a refreshment. Condemn here that delicacy of taste, that sensual indulgence, with which you flatter your sinful body. Pray here for the spirit of the Christian mortification. Think how happy you would die if, stripped of the world and its attachments, you could expire covered with the blood and agony of Jesus.


Prayer
Suffering Jesus! I behold Thee stripped of Thy garments, Thy old wounds renewed, and new ones added to the old. I behold Thee baked in the presence of thousands, exposed to the inclemency of the weather; cold, trembling from head to foot, insulted by the blasphemous derisions of the spectators. Strip, O mangled Lamb of God! my heart of the world and its deceitful affections. Divest my soul of its habits of sensual indulgence.
Embitter the poisoned cup of pleasure, that I may dash it with contempt from my lips, and through Christian mortification arrive at Thy never fading glory. Amen, Jesus!

Our Father, Hail Mary & Glory be
Jesus Christ crucified, have mercy on us!
O Queen of angels, how thy heart did bleed
To see thy Son stripped naked here indeed,
And to the vile and cruel throng exposed,
Who round Him now in furious hatred closed.



Station 11: Christ is nailed to the Cross

V. We adore Thee, O Lord Jesus Christ, and bless Thee.
R. Because by Thy holy Cross Thou hast redeemed the world.
 

The Mystery

This Station represents the place where Jesus Christ, in the presence of His afflicted mother, is stretched on the Cross, and nailed to it. How insufferable the torture - the nerves and sinews are rent by the nails.

Consider the exceeding desolation, the anguish of the tender Mother, eye-witness of this inhuman punishment of her beloved Jesus. Generously resolve then to crucify your criminal desires, and nail your sins to the wood of the Cross. Contemplate the suffering resignation of the Son of God to the will of His Father, while you are impatient in trifling afflictions, in trivial disappointments. Purpose henceforth to embrace your cross with ready resignation to the will of God.
Prayer

O patient Jesus! meek Lamb of God! who promised, "When I shall be exalted from earth I will draw all things to myself," attract my heart to Thee, and nail it the the Cross. I now renounce and detest my past impatience. Let me crucify my flesh with its concupiscence and vices. Here burn, here cut, but spare me for eternity. I throw myself into the arms of Thy mercy. Thy will be done in all things. Grant me resignation, grant me Thy love, I desire no more. Amen, Jesus!


Our Father, Hail Mary & Glory be
Jesus Christ crucified, have mercy on us!
You Christian hearts now join with Mary's grief;
Heaven and earth behold! deny relief;
Her heart was pierced with bitter grief to see
Her loving Jesus nailed unto a tree.

Station 12: Christ is exalted on the Cross, and dies

V. We adore Thee, O Lord Jesus Christ, and bless Thee.
R. Because by Thy holy Cross Thou hast redeemed the world.
 

The Mystery
This Station represents the place where Jesus Christ was publicly exalted on the Cross between two robbers, who, for their enormous crimes, were executed with the innocent Lamb.


Consider here the confusion of your Saviour, exposed naked to the profane view of a blasphemous multitude. Imagine yourself at the foot of the Cross. Behold that sacred body streaming blood from every part. Contemplate the divine countenance pale and languid, the heart throbbing in the last pangs of agony, the soul on the point of separation; yet charity triumphs over His agony; His last prayers petition forgiveness of His enemies: "Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do." His clemency is equally extended to the penitent thief: "This day shalt thou be with me in Paradise." He recommends in His last moments His disconsolate Mother to His beloved St. John. He recommends His soul to His heavenly Father, and bowing down His submissive, obedient head, resigns His spirit. Turn your eyes on the naked, bloody portrait of charity. Number His wounds. Wash them with tears of sympathizing love. Behold the arms extended to embrace you. Love of Jesus! thou diest to deliver us from eternal captivity.
Prayer
O suffering Son of God! I now behold Thee in last convulsive pangs of death - Thy veins opened, Thy sinews torn, Thy hands and feet, O Fountain of Paradise! distilling blood. I acknowledge, charitable Jesus, that my reiterated offences have been Thy merciless executioners, the cause of Thy bitter sufferings and death. Yet, God of mercy, look on my sinful soul, bathe it in Thy precious blood! Let me die to vanity of the world, and renounce its false pleasures. Thou didst pray, my Jesus, for Thy enemies. I forgive mine.

I embrace then in the bowels of Thy charity. I bury my resentment in Thy wounds.
Shelter me in the day of wrath in the sanctuary of Thy side. Let me live, let me die, in my crucified Jesus. Amen.


Our Father, Hail Mary & Glory be
Jesus Christ crucified, have mercy on us!
Behold the streams of blood from every part,
Behold the sharp lance that pierc'd His Sacred Heart;
On Calvary's Mount behold Him naked hang,
To suffer for our sins pain's utmost pang.

Station 13: Christ is taken down from the Cross

V. We adore Thee, O Lord Jesus Christ, and bless Thee.
R. Because by Thy holy Cross Thou hast redeemed the world.
The Mystery
 

This Station represents the place where Christ's most sacred body was taken down from the Cross by Joseph and Nicodemus, and laid in the bosom of His weeping Mother.
Consider the sighs and tears of the Virgin Mother, with what pangs she embraced the bloody remains of her beloved Jesus. Here unite your tears with those of the disconsolate Mother. Reflect that your Jesus would not descend from the Cross until He consummated the work of redemption; and that at His departure from, as well as at His entrance into the world, He would be placed in the bosom of His beloved Mother. Hence learn constancy in your pious resolutions! cleave to the standard of the Cross. Consider with what purity that soul should be adorned which receives, in the blessed Sacrament of the Eucharist, Christ's most sacred body and blood.

Prayer
At length, O Blessed Virgin! Mother of sorrow! thou art permitted to embrace thy beloved Son. But alas! the fruit of thy immaculate womb is all over mangled, in one continued wound. Yes, O Lord! the infernal fury of the Jews has at length triumphed; yet we renew their barbarity, crucifying Thee by our sins, inflicting new wounds. Most afflicted mother of my Redeemer, I conjure thee by the pains and torments thou sufferest in the common cause of Salvation, to obtain for me, by thy powerful intercession, pardon of my sins, and grace to weep with a sympathizing feeling, thine and thy Son's afflictions. As often as I appear at the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, let me embrace Thee, my Jesus, in the bosom of my heart. May I worthily receive Thee as the sacred pledge of my salvation. Amen, Jesus.
Our Father, Hail Mary & Glory be
Jesus Christ crucified, have mercy on us!
When from the Cross they took the blessed from,
His Mother cries, my Son, I am forlorn;
My child is dead, you virgins join with me,
Bewail in tears my love's sad destiny.

Station 14: Christ is laid in the Holy Sepulchre

V. We adore Thee, O Lord Jesus Christ, and bless Thee.
R. Because by Thy holy Cross Thou hast redeemed the world.
The Mystery
 

This Station represents Christ's Sepulchre, where His blessed body was laid with piety and devotion.
 

Consider the emotions of the Virgin - her eyes streaming with tears, her bosom heaving with sighs. What melancholy, what wistful looks she cast on that monument where treasure of her soul, her Jesus, her all, lay entombed. Here lament your want of contrition for your sins, and humbly adore your deceased Lord, who, poor even in death, is buried in another's tomb. Blush at your dependence on the world, at the eager solicitude with which you labor to grasp its perishable advantages. Despise henceforth the world, lest you perish with it.

Prayer
Charitable Jesus, for my salvation Thou performedst the painful journey of the Cross.


Let me press the footsteps marked by Thee, gracious Redeemer - the paths which, through the thorns of life, conduct to the heavenly Jerusalem. Would that Thou wert entombed in my heart, that being united to Thee, I might rise to a new life of grace, and persevere to the end. Grant me, in my last moments, to receive Thy precious Body, as the pledge of immortal life. Let my last words be Jesus and Mary, my least breath be united to Thy last breath on the Cross; that with a lively faith, a firm hope and ardent love, I may die with Thee and for Thee; that I may reign with Thee for ever and ever.
Amen, Jesus.
 

Our Father, Hail Mary & Glory be

Jesus Christ crucified, have mercy on us!
You pious Christians, raise your voices, raise,
And join with me to sing your Saviour's praise,
Who shed His blood for us and died in pain,
To save our souls from hell's eternal flame.

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Nicene Creed



We believe in one God, the Father, the Almighty,
maker of heaven and earth, and all that is seen and unseen.
We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ, 
the only Son of God, eternally begotten of the Father,
God from God, Light from Light,
true God from true God,
begotten, not made, one in Being with the Father.
Through Him all things were made.
For us men and for our salvation
He came down from heaven:
by the power of the Holy Spirit
He was born of the Virgin Mary,
and became man.
For our sake He was crucified under Pontius Pilate;
He suffered, died, and was buried.
On the third day He rose again
in fulfillment of the Scriptures;
He ascended into heaven
and is seated at the right hand of the Father.
He will come again in glory
to judge the living and the dead,
and His kingdom will have no end.
We believe in the Holy Spirit,
the Lord, the giver of life,
who proceeds from the Father and the Son.
With the Father and the Son
He is worshiped and glorified.
He has spoken through the Prophets.
We believe in one holy catholic and apostolic Church.
We acknowledge one baptism for the forgiveness of sins.
We look for the resurrection of the dead,
and the life of the world to come. Amen.

The Nicene Creed was originally formulated at the 1st Ecumenical Council of the Catholic Church held in Nicea in the year 325 and was later amplified, adopted and authorized as a true expression of the faith at the 2nd Ecumenical Council in Constantinople in 381.


The Nicene Creed built upon the profession of faith in the Apostles’ Creed, defending against many of the heresies of the time. The primary and most prominent was Arianism, a heresy of the 4th century that was named for its author, Arias, a priest in Alexandria. Arianism denied the full divinity of Jesus Christ and debate over his doctrine agitated the Church for more than half a century. Arias sought to safeguard the absolute transcendence of God by teaching that God is unbegotten and without beginning. The Son, because he is begotten, cannot be God in the same sense as the Father is. Arias taught that the Son was created like all other creatures and exists by the will of the Father. Although Arianism was the most troublesome heresy of the time, it was not the only one. The Nicene Creed was absolutely necessary at the time to ensure the witness of faith during that time.


One often overlooked, but nonetheless important, aspect of the Nicene Creed is that it was formulated before the Church made a determination of which books belonged in the New Testament. A list of the inspired books of the New Testament, as we have them in the Bible today, was first put together in the 39th Pastoral Letter of Saint Athanasius, Bishop of Alexandria, Egypt, in the year 367. He wanted a list of sacred books of the New Testament, listing the 27 books of the New Testament and declaring that all are apostolic and canonical. Saint Athanasius said, “In these alone is proclaimed the Good News of the teaching of true religion.” This list was confirmed by the Councils of Hippo (393) and Carthage (397). In 405, Pope Innocent I, responding to a question as to what formed the canon, provided this list as well.

Finally, the Council of Trent, meeting in 1545-1563, again promulgated the same list. Because the Nicene Creed was formulated to express the doctrines of the Christianity and to serve as a test of orthodox teaching, the Nicene Creed was, by nature, influential in compiling the New Testament.


Gradually the Nicene Creed came to be recognized as the proper profession of faith for candidates for the Sacrament of Baptism. It is the profession of the Christian Faith common to the Catholic Church, to all the Eastern Churches separated from Rome, and to many of the Protestant denominations today.


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The Apostles Creed

The Apostles Creed

I believe in God, the Father Almighty, Creator of Heaven and earth; and in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord; who was conceived by the Holy Spirit. born of the Virgin Mary,He suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died and was buried. He descended into hell; the third day He rose again from the dead; he ascended into Heaven sits at the right hand of God, the Father almighty; from there he will come to judge the living and the dead. I believe in the Holy Spirit, the Holy
Catholic Church, the Communion of Saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and life everlasting. Amen.

Throughout the Middle Ages, it was generally believed and accepted that this Apostles’ Creed was composed jointly by the twelve Apostles in Jerusalem, with each of the twelve contributing one clause of the Creed before embarking on their respective missions. This legend dates back to the 4th century.

Today, this is a point of argument and debate, especially within the ranks of the Protestant scholars.

Nevertheless, many continue to think of this creed as apostolic in nature because its basic teachings are agreeable to the theological formulations of the Apostolic Age. The Catholic Church does not hold a position one way or the other on this subject; however, it does hold that all of the points of the Creed are part of the Catholic Faith. Most of the western Christian faiths today profess the Apostles’ Creed as their core tenants of faith of Christianity.

Over history, the Apostles’ Creed functioned in many ways in the life of the Catholic Church:


$ In the early Church, it was a confession of faith necessary for those to be baptized.


$ Catechetical instruction was based on the major tenets of the creed. This was necessary, because many of the new Christians were not able to read and write; this, almost poetic, Creed was easy to memorize and make part of everyday life.

$ In time, the Apostles’ Creed became a “rule of faith” to clearly separate the true faith from heretical deviations.

$ By the 6th or 7th century the Creed had come to be accepted as a part of the official liturgy of the Church.

$ Finally, it was used, along with the Lord’s Prayer, by devout individuals as a part of their morning and evening devotions. The Apostles’ Creed contains three paragraphs, one for each person of the Trinity.


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Glory Be

Glory Be
Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son
and to the Holy Spirit.
As it was in the beginning
is now and ever shall be,
world without end.
Amen

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BENEDICTINE SISTERS of perpetual adoration

BENEDICTINE SISTERS of perpetual adoration
How will you make a difference with your life? You have many talents and many possibilities. And yet, maybe God is not asking that you do anything for Him, but that you give yourself to Him in a life of prayer, for the sake of the world. The God you seek is also seeking you. He has put a desire in your heart for holiness. It's nothing you could have planned. It's all His gift.

Your Catholic Store for All Gift Occasions

Your Catholic Store for All Gift Occasions
Shop our Catholic store for Baptism Gifts, Confirmation Gifts and First Communion Gifts. We also have saint medals, religious jewelry, rosaries, bibles, books, crosses, crucifixes, and inspirational items for home decor. We want to be your source for quality religious gifts for all occasions. Please let us know what we can do to help meet your Catholic and religious gift needs.

An Experience Offered by loyolapress

An Experience Offered by loyolapress
Other6.com is a new online community helping people recognize God in their daily life. Some of us find God at church on Sunday, but finding God the other six days of the week can be a puzzle. Sometimes, we recognize God’s presence quite clearly and sometimes we need help from others. The Other6.org community is formed by people answering two simple questions: * Where did you find God today? * Where do you need to find God today? Visit Other6.com now.

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