Blessed Maria of the Divine Heart.

 

“My only burning desire was to belong to my beloved saviour; it seemed to me that he was inviting me, and all the words related to this subject seemed to be spoken to me.”— Blessed Maria of the Divine Heart.

 

Maria and her twin brother, Max, were born in Erdbrostenhof Palace in Münster, Germany, into a wealthy and distinguished family that had proven his faithfulness during the anti-Catholic persecutions of the Kulturkampf.

An intelligent and lively child, she was educated by the Sacré-Coeur Sisters in Riedensburg, Bavaria. It was during her time in school that she developed a special devotion to the Heart of Christ. During a mystical experience in 1883, she came to understand that she was called to dedicate herself to the Sacred Heart as a religious sister.

After an encountered with a young woman in a hospital in Darfield, she discerned that she was called to the Sisters of the Good Shepherd, a community that showed special care for unwed mothers and young women in who were victims of trafficking and exploitation. She entered the community on November 21, 1888 and received the religious name Sister Maria of the Divine Heart.

In her spirituality, she always brought together devotion to the Heart of Jesus with devotion to the Blessed Sacrament, but her spirituality was always manifest in the care she showed for the girls entrusted to her care, reflecting that “the most needy, the most miserable, the most forsaken are the children I love best.”

In 1894, she was sent to the community’s foundation in Lisbon, Portugal, before being name superior of the mission in Porto only a few months later.

Inspired by another mystical experience, Sister Maria of the Divine Heart urged Pope Leo XIII to consecrated the world to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. Although she was initially ignored, she expanded her petition to include the practice of devoting the first Friday of each month to the Sacred Heart. Ultimately, the pope accepted her proposal and in 1899, in the encyclical Annum sacrum, he decreed that the consecration would take place on June 11 of that year.

Blessed Maria “of the Sacred Heart” Droste zu Vischering died on June 8, 1899, the vigil of the Feast of the Sacred Heart and three days before the consecration was to take place. She was beatified in 1975 by Pope Paul VI.

 

Daily Offering to the Sacred Heart of Jesus (in Latim and English)

 

Domine Iesu Christe, in unione illius divinae intentionis, qua in terris per sanctissimum Cor tuum laudes Deo persolvisti et nunc in Eucharistiae Sacramento ubique terrarum persolvis usque ad consummationem saeculi, ego per hanc diem integram, ad imitationem sanctissimi Cordis beatae Mariae semper Virginis immaculatae, tibi libentissime offero omnes meas intentiones et cogitationes, omnes meos affectus et desideria, omnia mea opera et verba. Amen.

Lord Jesus Christ, in union with that divine intention wherewith on earth Thou didst offer to God Thy praises through Thy Most Sacred Heart, and dost now offer them in the Sacrament of the Eucharist everywhere on earth even to the end of time, I most gladly offer Thee throughout this entire day, all my thoughts and intentions, all my affections and desires, all my words and deeds, in imitation of the most sacred Heart of the blessed and ever Virgin Mary Immaculate. Amen.

Blessed Isidore Bakanja.

 Prayer for the canonsation of Blessed Isidore Bakanja:

Loving God, your servant, blessed Isidore, gave his life because of his faith in you. Through his intercession I ask for your mercy and help. Father, in his name, I come to you with my needs: (mention requests.) Lord, help me always to imitate the great faith of Isidore. Glorify your servant as he wished to glorify you. Amen.

Dear Mary, Mother of Carmel, pray for us.

Dear Isidore, Martyr, pray for us.

Amen.

 

“One of the holy men remembered by the Church… on 15th August, is Blessed Isidore Bakanja. He was born in 1887 at Bokendela, now in the Democratic Republic of Congo. At the age of 18 years Blessed Isidore was baptised and welcomed into the Catholic Church through the missionary work of Cistercians.

Blessed Isidore was a devout convert and catechist. He had a great love for the Blessed Virgin Mary, expressed through his frequent praying of the Rosary and being invested in the Brown Scapular of Our Lady of Mount Carmel.

At his first employment Blessed Isidore was permitted by his supervisor to speak of Jesus to the other co-workers which led to many converts to the Faith. At his next employment, however, the supervisor, who was intolerant of religion, forbade Blessed Isidore from teaching other workers how to pray, ‘You’ll have the whole village praying and no one will work’, he was told.

Blessed Isidore refused to stop and also refused to take off his scapular, as ordered by the supervisor. The supervisor then flogged Blessed Isidore twice and then pinned Blessed Isidore on the ground, ripping the scapular from his neck. Blessed Isidore was then beaten over 100 times with a whip with nails at the end. He was then put in chains.

His wounds became severely infected and the supervisor wished to keep Blessed Isidore from the view of the plantation inspector who was visiting. Blessed Isidore was taken outside of the plantation for this visit but he managed to hide in the forest and then dragged himself back and was seen by the plantation inspector, who was horrified at what he saw.

The plantation inspector took Blessed Isidore to his own home and looked after him. The inspector wrote, ‘I saw a man come from the forest with his back torn apart by deep, festering, malodorous wounds, covered with filth, assaulted with flies. He leaned on two sticks in order to get near me – he wasn’t walking; he was dragging himself.’ Blessed Isidore said to the plantation inspector, ‘If you see my mother, or if you go to the judge, or if you meet a Priest, tell them that I am dying because I am a Christian.’

Missionaries came to be with Blessed Isidore and reported that he devoutly received his last sacraments. The Missionaries asked Blessed Isidore to forgive the supervisor who had beaten him and he assured them that he had already done so. ‘I shall pray for him. When I am in heaven, I shall pray for him very much’, Blessed Isidore replied. After six months of suffering, Blessed Isidore died from his wounds at the age of 21 years with his Rosary beads in his hands and a Scapular of Our Lady of Mount Carmel around his neck. Blessed Isidore Bakanja was beatified in 1994 by Pope John Paul II.”

 

 

Triduum to the Sacred Heart of Jesus

 

1^st Day

    O my Jesus, you have said: "Truly I say to you, ask and you will receive, seek and you will find, knock and it will be opened to you."

    Behold I knock, I seek and ask for the grace of (State your intention here.)

    Our Father...

    Hail Mary...

    Glory Be to the Father...

    Sacred Heart of Jesus, I place all my trust in you.

 

2^nd Day

    O my Jesus, you have said: "Truly I say to you, if you ask anything of the Father in my name, he will give it to you."

    Behold, in your name, I ask the Father for the grace of (State your intention here.)

    Our Father...

    Hail Mary...

    Glory Be to the Father...

    Sacred Heart of Jesus, I place all my trust in you.

 

3^rd Day

    O my Jesus, you have said: "Truly I say to you, heaven and earth will pass away but my words will not pass away."

    Encouraged by your infallible words I now ask for the grace of (State your intention here.)

    Our Father...

    Hail Mary...

    Glory Be to the Father...

    Sacred Heart of Jesus, I place all my trust in you.

 

Lets pray: O Sacred Heart of Jesus, for whom it is impossible not to have compassion on the afflicted, have pity on us miserable sinners and grant us the grace which we ask of you, through the Sorrowful and Immaculate Heart of Mary, your tender Mother and ours.

Saint Joseph of Cupertino: various miracles of levitation

 

It is known that over 200 saints experienced levitation. This extraordinary gift involves the elevation of the human body without the participation of any physical force.

It is a gift, a divine blessing given to certain souls that are spiritually elevated. Saint Joseph of Cupertino had numerous levitations.

One Sunday, on the Feast of the Good Shepherd, Saint Joseph of Cupertino appeared with a lamb on his shoulders, and when he thought of Jesus the Good Shepherd, he rose into the air.

He often fell into ecstasies during Mass or when praying the Psalms.

During the 17 years he spent at the Convent of Grotella, his fellow community members observed 70 ecstasies.

He levitated while carrying a heavy cross up a mountain - The most famous of his ecstasies occurred when ten workers at the Convent tried to carry a heavy cross up a high mountain, but they couldn't because of the weight and the distance.

Brother Joseph took the cross by himself, placed it on his shoulders, and began to rise up the mountain, where he placed the cross under the astonished gaze of his brothers.

Apologizing for Levitation - The virtue of obedience: When he took too long to return from his ecstasies, his brothers would poke him with needles, hit him with sticks, and even place lit candles to burn his fingers, but nothing would make him return except when he heard the voice of his Superior calling him back.

When he returned from the ecstasies, he would constantly apologize, saying to his companions: "Forgive me for these dizzy spells that happen to me."

Levitation out of Love for the Blessed Virgin: One day, the Spanish Ambassador and his wife arrived at the Convent and asked for Brother Joseph to attend them for a spiritual consultation.

He arrived running, but when he saw a painting of the Virgin Mary on the wall, he gave his typical little shout and began to rise into the air until he was face-to-face with the sacred image.

The Ambassador and his wife watched this divine act in awe, something they had never seen before.

The saint prayed for a few moments and then gently descended to the ground, extremely embarrassed, ran back to his room, and didn't leave his quarters for the rest of the day.

In Osimo, where the saint spent his last six years, he was seen by the friars levitating towards an image of the Blessed Virgin Mary, which was three and a half meters high, and giving a kiss to the Infant Jesus. There, along with the Mother and Child, he spent a long time praying with intense emotion, suspended in the air.

Levitating during Mass: On the Feast of the Assumption of the Virgin in 1663, one month before his death, he celebrated his last Mass. During the celebration, he became suspended in the air as if he were in heaven, before God. Many people witnessed this event.

Levitation before the Pope and Persecuted by the Inquisition: At a time when the heresy of Luther was trying to spread through Catholic countries, the Holy Inquisition kept a close watch for any abnormal occurrences.

Seeing the large crowds that Brother Joseph of Cupertino attracted, the institution decided, with the Pope’s approval, to move him to a less well-known convent where he would live practically in seclusion.

He was prohibited from speaking to anyone except the friars of the convent, and even from writing letters to anyone.

Many enemies began to claim that his levitations were frauds and accused him of being a deceiver, which caused him numerous troubles.

He was sent to the Superior General of the Franciscans in Rome, and upon realizing how pious and humble he was, the superior recognized that the friar was a holy man.

He was then sent to Pope Urban VII, who wanted to know whether the rumors about Brother Joseph’s ecstasies were true.

While speaking with the Pope, Joseph became so emotional that he immediately entered into an ecstasy and began to rise into the air.

Flying While Praying: On a day of the Immaculate Conception, he invited the guardian priest to repeat with him: Pulchra Maria! (Mary is beautiful!)

As soon as the priest repeated these words, the saint, entering into ecstasy, put his arm around the waist of his superior and carried him with him into the air, repeating together: Pulchra Maria! Pulchra Maria!

Healing a Sick Man in Flight: Another time, a gentleman in a state of dementia was brought to him to be healed by God.

The saint told him to kneel and, placing his hand on his head, said: "Mr. Balthazar, do not be afraid. I recommend you to God and to His Blessed Mother..."

At that moment, the saint gave his typical cry announcing the ecstasy, grabbed the man by the hair, and lifted him into the air. He kept the man suspended for a while, and when his feet finally touched the ground, the sick man was cured.

St. John Bosco's Prayer to Our Lady Help of Christians.

 

           O Maria Ausiliatrice, Madre benedetta del Salvatore, validissimo è il tuo aiuto in favore dei cristiani. Per te le eresie furono sconfitte e la Chiesa uscì vittoriosa da ogni insidia. Per te le famiglie e i singoli furono liberati ed anche preservati dalle più gravi disgrazie. Fa', o Maria, che sia sempre viva la mia fiducia in te, affinché in ogni difficoltà possa anch'io sperimentare che tu sei veramente il soccorso dei poveri, la difesa dei perseguitati, la salute degli infermi, la consolazione degli afflitti, il rifugio dei peccatori e la perseveranza dei giusti.

              O Mary, Help of Christians, Blessed Mother of the Savior, your help is most powerful in favor of Christians. Through you, heresies were defeated, and the Church emerged victorious from every threat. Through you, families and individuals were liberated and also preserved from the gravest misfortunes. Grant, O Mary, that my trust in you may always remain alive, so that in every difficulty I too may experience that you are truly the help of the poor, the defense of the persecuted, the health of the sick, the consolation of the afflicted, the refuge of sinners, and the perseverance of the righteous.

Memorare

 You can know more about this prayer here.

      

        Memorare, O piissima Virgo Maria, non esse auditum a saeculo, quemquam ad tua currentem praesidia, tua implorantem auxilia, tua petentem suffragia, esse derelictum. Ego tali animatus confidentia, ad te, Virgo Virginum, Mater, curro, ad te venio, coram te gemens peccator assisto. Noli, Mater Verbi, verba mea despicere; sed audi propitia et exaudi. Amen.

        Remember, O most gracious Virgin Mary, that never was it known that anyone who fled to thy protection, implored thy help, or sought thy intercession was left unaided. Inspired with this confidence, I fly to thee, O Virgin of virgins, my Mother; to thee do I come; before thee I stand, sinful and sorrowful. O Mother of the Word Incarnate, despise not my petitions, but in thy mercy hear and answer me. Amen.