"CUM GRANDE HUMILITATE!"

"Preach the Gospel at all times, and when necessary, use words."

A special "Thank you!"
Goes out to
John Michael Talbot
for giving us permission
to use his song on our
"Come to the Quiet"
You Tube Video
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Showing posts with label Little Portion. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Little Portion. Show all posts

Sunday, September 10, 2023

Dangerous Ohio Constitutional Amendment

 



Beginning Friday, September 15th, Catholics across the state of Ohio will be joining in prayer for the protection of human life and dignity and the defeat of the dangerous constitutional amendment on the Ohio ballot this November. A 54-Day Rosary Novena will be prayed from September 15th through Election Day, November 7th. Visit www.pray54ohio.org for more information.


Fra Chris


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Saturday, September 11, 2021

Chris Dickson Along With Vice President Mike Pence On 9/11 Anniversary






 

May God continue to bless my very dear friend of the past 35 years, former Vice President Mike Pence (R-IN) for the bravery he and his wife Karen showed during the 9/11 attacks. 

(Left to Right: LTC Robert "Buzz" Patterson, Major Chris Dickson, Vice President Mike Pence)


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Tuesday, November 12, 2019

With How Great Reverence Christ Is To Be Received

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"Many run to sundry places to visit the relics of saints, and are astonished to hear their wonderful works; they behold the noble church buildings and kiss their sacred bones, wrapt up in silk and gold. And behold I have Thee here present on the altar, my God, the Saint of saints, the Creator of men, and the Lord of angels...But here, in the Sacrament of the Altar, Thou art wholly present, my God, the man Christ Jesus; where also the fruit of eternal salvation is plentifully reaped, as often as Thou art worthily and devoutly received."

THE IMITATION OF CHRIST
Thomas A' Kempis


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Saturday, November 09, 2019

The Suffering And Death Of A Worldly Cleric


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At one time, when St. Francis of Assisi lay ill in the bishops' palace in Rieti, Italy, a certain cleric, a dissolute and worldly man, was struck ill and lay in bed in immense suffering. He instructed others to carry him on a gurney before St. Francis and tearfully begged Francis to bless him with the sign of the cross. Francis said to the cleric, "Since you lived in the past according to the desires of the flesh, not according to to the judgments of God, why should I sign you with the sign of the cross?" Francis continued, "I sign you in the name of Christ; but know that you will suffer worse things if after you are delivered to return to your vomit." Francis again continued, "Because of the sin of ingratitude worse things than the first are inflicted." After Francis had made the sign of the cross over the cleric, the man arose completely healed, and broke out into praise, proclaiming, "I am freed!" However, the bones in his loins popped and crackled like sticks of dry wood being broken by hand.

After a short time, the cleric gave his body again to impurity. Then one evening after dining with another of his fellow clerics and slept there that night, all of a sudden the roof of the house collapsed on top of them. Everyone escaped the house but the wretched cleric who was cut in half.

Saint Francis of Asasisi
Celano, Second Life




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Praise of Sister Death: Thirty Second Sunday Of Ordinary Time

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Blessed Francis, despite the overpowering burden of his sickness, praised the Lord in a great joyful outburst of body and soul, saying to his companion: "Since I must soon die, have Brother Angelo and Brother Leo come and praise our Sister Death for me." Both arrived, and, forcing back their tears, sang the Canticle of Brother Sun and of other creatures, which the saint had composed during his sickness for the glory of God and for the consolation of his soul and of that of the others. Before the last strophe, they added a few verses on our Sister Death to his canticle:

All praise be yours, my Lord, through Sister Death,

From whose embrace no mortal can escape.

Woe to those who die in mortal sin!

Happy those She finds doing your will!

The second death can do no harm to them.

Saint Francis of Assisi
Legend of Perugia - 100


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Wednesday, November 06, 2019

Lay The Axe To The Root!

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"But let us lay the axe to the root, that, being purged from passions, we may possess a quiet mind."

THE IMITATION OF CHRIST
Thomas A' Kempis

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Gossipers Have No Time For God



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If we would simply withdraw ourselves from unnecessary chatter and lazy idleness with those around us, as listening to idle talk, news reports and poking our noses into other people's business, then we would be able to find sufficient time to concentrate more fully in meditating on holy things that are pleasing to God (as well as to our neighbors.)

Saint Francis of Assisi took said it best when he said, "Blessed that religious who finds all his joy and happiness in the words and deeds of our Lord and uses them to make people love God gladly. Woe to the religious who amuses himself with silly gossip, trying to make people laugh."

Chris Dickson

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Tuesday, November 05, 2019

An Admonition

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"In truth, sublime words make not a man holy and just: but a virtuous like maketh him dear to God. I would rather feel compunction, than know its definition."

THE IMITATION OF CHRIST
Thomas A' Kempis

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Shepherds Don't Make Sheep, Sheep Make Sheep!






All one has to do is see what Kanye West's followers are doing. Now that Kanye has become a staunch Christian and has released his new Christian Album, thousands of young people have given their lives over to Jesus Christ as their personal Lord and Savior. 

You don't have to have an appreciation of his music in order to have an appreciation of his message and see the good that he is doing in people's lives.

I only wish more of our pastors could get half as fired up with the Holy Spirit and begin leading our youth to Christ as Kanye West is doing.

Pace e Bene, Kanye!

Chris Dickson

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Sunday, August 24, 2014

The Real Presence in the Eucharist

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Saint Paulinus of Nola (353-431 A.D.) wrote: "It is a truly spiritual desire to see the places where Christ suffered, rose from and dead, and ascended into heaven....The manger of His birth, the river of His baptism, the garden of His betrayal, the palace of His condemnation, the column of His scourging, the thorns of His crowning, the wood of His crucifixion, the stone of His burial: all these things recall God's former presence on earth and demonstrate the ancient basis of our modern beliefs (in the Real Presence; Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, in the Eucharist).
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Sunday, March 30, 2014

Ceremony of Investment Into the Franciscan Lay Apostolate

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The investment of postulants with the scapular and cord takes place ordinarily twice a year at the monthly fraternity meeting of the Order. Only under special circumstances should private investments be permitted. The ceremonies of investment and profession can also be combined, to give more time for the monthly conference.

The postulants should receive a notification of investment beforehand, and the notification slip, bearing their name, address and new name in the Order should be presented to the Director as he invites each one. From these slips the record of investments is entered into the Fraternity Register of Investment and Professions. This same procedure should be followed by profession.

Postulants may be invested at the Communion rail, or preferably, at the altar step, the Novice Master and Mistress assisting to adjust the scapular and cord.

The Ritual of Investment
 
1. Opening the Meeting

Vested in surplice and stole, the priest kneels on the first step of the altar and begins the Prayers Before the Meeting on page 1. If, as is customary, the Come, Holy Ghost is sung before the sermon, the Veni Creator may be omitted at the beginning of the investment ceremony, i.e., after the blessing of the scapulars and cords. In this case, the priest may recite the Veni, Creator privately. After opening prayers the sermon is given.

2. The Petition

After the sermon, the priest, either standing or seated in a chair on the predella of the altar on the Epistle side, puts to the postulants kneeling before him the following question:
Quae est petition vestra? (What do you ask?)
Respondent postulantes: (The postulants answer together:)
Rev. pater, ego humiliter postulo habitum Tertii Ordinis de Poententia, ut cum eo salute aeternam facilious consequi valeam. (Reverend Father, I humbly ask of you the habit of the Third Order of Penance, * in order that with it * I may more easily obtain eternal salvation).
Tunc sacerdos ait: (The priest says:)
Deo gratias. (Thanks be to God.)
The priest addresses a few words of exhortation to the postulants. Then, facing the altar, he blesses the habits of the Third Order.

3. Blessing of the Scapulars and Cords


 Front view of the Caperon (Scapular) worn by the Franciscan Lay Apostolates

 
Rear view of the Caperon (Scapular) worn by the Franciscan Lay Apostolates



Photo of the Badge worn by the Franciscan Lay Apostolates
(St. Francis of Assisi Scapular with the Tau Cross Attached)
 
 
Photo of the Cincture worn by the Franciscan Lay Apostolates 
(aka the "White Cord of St. Francis of Assisi)


V. Adjutorium nostrum in nomine Domini
(Our help is in the name of the Lord.)
R. Qui fecit caelum et terram.
(Who made heaven and earth.)
V. Domine, exaudi orationem meam,
(O Lord, hear my prayer,)
R. Et clamor meus ad te ventiat.
(And let my cry come unto you.)
V. Dominus vobiscum.
(The Lord be with you.)
R. Et cum spiritu tuo.
(And with your spirit.)

In private receptions, the following prayer is omitted.

V: Oremus
(Let us pray:)

All: O Lord Jesus Christ, who have deigned to put on the garb of our mortality * and to be wrapped in swaddling clothes in the manger, * and who have graciously inspired your glorious confessor our blessed father Francis to institute three orders * and the Supreme Pontiffs of the Church, your vicars, * to approve them: * we humbly beseech the abundance of your clemency that you would deign to bless and sanctify these garments, * which the same blessed Francis enjoined his fellow soldiers, the Brothers of Penance, * to wear as a badge of penance and as a strong armor against the world, the flesh, and the Devil; * that these your servants, devoutly receiving them may so clothe themselves with you that they may in spirit of humility faithfully walk in the way of your commandments till death. Who live and reign world without end. Amen.

Benedictio cinguli seu chordae: (Blessing of the Cord:)

V. Oremus (Let us pray:)

All: O God,  who, to set the slave free, * would have your Son bound by the hands of impious men, * bless, we beseech you, * these cinctures * and grant that your servants who are girded with this bond of penance, * may be always mindful of the cords of our Lord Jesus Christ * and ever acknowledge themselves bound to your service. Through the same Jesus Christ, Our Lord. Amen.

The priest sprinkles the habits or scapulars and the cords, with holy water.
 
4. The Investment

The priest kneels before the altar and recites or sings alternately with the congregation or the choir the Veni Creator, unless it has been sung earlier in the meeting; or, while the priest recites it alone, the members can sing the Come, Holy Ghost:

The hymn being concluded, the priest rises, goes up to the altar steps to the predella, and turns to the postulants kneeling before the altar. Propriety requires that the following rites be done individually. If ever great numbers make it necessary to use the plural at the giving of the articles, the form may be said once for all, the priest then proceeding to bestow the respective articles on each postulant in succession.

May the Lord divest you of the old man with his acts, and turn away your heart from the pomps of the world, which you renounced when receiving Baptism
R. Amen.

The priest gives the scapular to each postulant, saying:

May the Lord clothe you with the new man, who according to God is created in justice and holiness of truth.
R. Amen

Giving the cord, the priest says:

May the Lord gird you with the cincture of purity and extinguish in your loins the passion of lust, that the virtue of continency and chastity may dwell in you.
R. Amen.

Then, a lighted candle is presented to the postulant, with the words:

Receive, dearest brother, the light of Christ as a sign of your immortality.
R. Amen.

Now the priest may give the novitiate a new name, saying:

Your name as a Tertiary shall be Brother (Sister) N.

And turning towards those present, the priests blesses everyone, saying:

May the blessing of almighty God, Father, Son and Holy Ghost, descend upon you, and remain forever. Amen.

The ceremony being concluded, each novice's Christian name, surname, residence, and the day of clothing must be entered in the register of the fraternity. It is customary to inscribe the date of reception on a page provided for this in the manual of prayers of the Third Order, The Tertiaries Companion. Certificates of reception can also be given to the novices.

RITUALS FOR PUBLIC FUNCTIONS
FRANCISCAN THIRD ORDER
by
Mark Hegener, O.F.M.

IMPRIMI POTEST:
Pius J. Barth, O.F.M.
Minister Provincial, Sacred Heart Province

NIHIL OBSTAT:
Conradin Wallbraun, O.F.M.
Marion Habig, O.F.M.
Censores Liborum

IMPRIMATUR:
Samuel Cardinal Stritch
Archbishop of Chicago

April 16, 1955

THE TERTIARY MONTHLY PLEDGE

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All:  Realizing the importance of saving my immortal soul * and the great value of the Third Order Rule * to achieve this all important goal in life * I hereby resolve to observe this sanctifying Rule * not only in part * but as fully as human frailty will allow.

With God's grade, * I will assist at Holy Mass on weekdays, whenever possible * recite my Seraphic Office faithfully * never omit grace before and after meals * and examine my conscience each night.

I will receive the Sacraments at least once a month * attend the fraternity meetings regularly * and contribute according to my means for the charities of the Order.

I will always carefully observe the Commandments of God and the Church * wear my Scapular and Cord * avoid extravagance in dress and manner of living * avoid dangerous amusements * be temperate in food and drink * set a good example to my family and fellow-man * avoid dangerous reading * be at peace with all * avoid vulgar and improper speech * and practice charity towards all * with special solicitude toward sick and deceased members.

May Saint Francis * so wonderful in penance and love of Jesus Crucified * grant me the necessary spirit of prayer * penance * love and sacrifice * so that I may faithfully observe his rule until death. Amen.

Ritual for Public Functions
FRANCISCAN THIRD ORDER
by
Mark Hegener, O.F.M.
Franciscan Herald Press, 1955

Saturday, March 08, 2014

Saint Francis Wandered Through the Villages Preaching Repentance and Penance

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"Saint Francis wandered through the cities, villages, and hamlets, and began to preach with increasing perfection, not using learned words of human wisdom, but through the doctrine of virtue of the Holy Spirit most confidently proclaiming the kingdom of God. He was a genuine preacher confirmed by apostolic authority; therefore he spoke no honeyed words of flattery or blandishment; what he preached to others he had already put into practice himself and his teaching of the truth was full of assurance."

Saint Francis of Assisi
Legend of the Three Companions
Chapter XIII


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The Simplicity of Pure Love

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"Dear Jesus, possess my whole heart and soul with the simplicity of pure love." ~ Fra Chris

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Silence

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"We must entertain silence in our hearts if we are to hear the voice of God." ~ Fra Chris


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Monday, March 03, 2014

Lent Begins On March 5th (Ash Wednesday)

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Lent Is A Special Time Of Fasting

 
 
The brothers are to fast from the feast of All Saints to the Nativity of the Lord. Then, as to the other fast which begins with the Epiphany and lasts uninterruptedly for forty days and which the Lord sanctif...ied with His own fast, those who keep it voluntarily, may they be blessed by the Lord, and those who do not wish to keep it, are not bound to do so. But the brothers are bound to keep the other fast which ends with the feast of the Resurrection of the Lord.

They are bound to no further fasting, then, except on Fridays. And whenever necessity requires that a brother not fast, he is not bound to corporal fasting.

Saint Francis of Assisi
The Rule of 1223 - Chapter III

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