An initiative of the Mary of Nazareth Association December 5 – Our Lady of the Annunciation (1470) Portugal is spared from war In June 1952, Douglas Hyde, former director of a British communist newspaper, came to Fatima in Portugal, to thank Our Lady for his conversion. He also paid a visit to President Salazar, then head of the country. He asked Salazar: "Do you think the spiritual revival of Portugal is a result of the events in Fatima?” The president answered: “That's the general opinion here, everybody thinks so ... and I am one of them, but we have no reason to boast about it.” A member of the Congregation of Our Lady since the age of 13, Salazar often said: "Our Lady is a close friend." And one can add that it is probably thanks to his prayer that Portugal was spared from the war. Indeed, when Hitler announced his intention to invade Portugal, Salazar spent the whole night on the phone with Generalissimo Franco to convince him not to allow German troops into Spain. At the same time, he kept reciting the Rosary. He spent the night with the phone in one hand and his Rosary in the other and the miracle happened. Knowing the campaign that was waged against the Rosary, Salazar stated in public: "Our Lady loves this devotion. We must maintain it in our homeland." crc-resurrection.org www.mariedenazareth.com Douglas Hyde Let’s pray together 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 death. Amen.

While an anticlerical struggle raged through the country of Portugal

An initiative of the Mary of Nazareth Association December 4 – The Immaculate Virgin of Sameiro (Portugal) While an anticlerical struggle raged through the country Our Lady of Sameiro The Shrine of the Immaculate Conception was built in the 19th century on Mount Sameiro, near the city of Braga, in northern Portugal. It is the largest center of Marian devotion in Portugal, after Fatima. The people erected this shrine to Our Lady in 1863, during a fierce anticlerical surge. It was raised to the status of a basilica and quickly became one of the most important pilgrimage sites in Portugal. In 2004, many national ceremonies to mark the 150th anniversary of the proclamation of the Dogma of the Immaculate Conception took place at the Shrine of Our Lady Sameiro, and for this occasion, on December 8th, the shrine received the gift of a "Golden Rose" by Pope Saint John Paul II. www.mariedenazareth.com Wikipedia Images www.mariedenazareth.com Our Lady of Sameiro image on the altar. Let’s pray together 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 death. Amen.

These Stone Walls: Confronting the Truth

Silencing the truth is never in service of the Church. Speaking with parrhesia, that is, boldly for the common good even at great personal risk, bears witness to Jesus.

It has been said that "The truth will set you free." That depends. In some circles it will just knock you further down. Let's see how the truth plays out in the Year of Mercy. Please read and share this masterful guest post by Father George David Byers: "Prelude to the Year of Mercy, Confronting the Truth."

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These Stone Walls

www.TheseStoneWalls.com

From the Friars eLetter: Advent, Parousia, Panim

English: Advent candle (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

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Advent, Parousia, Panim If looked up in an English dictionary, the word Advent will be defined as: a coming of an event, a person, or place. Indeed Advent is an event, a great event, and likewise a coming, a person. The word ‘Advent’ is derived from the Latin word ‘Adventus’ which means ‘coming’. In the Liturgical season of Advent, we await in joyful expectation the coming of our Lord. Not only do we commemorate Christ’s first coming in the flesh, but as we find ourselves in these ‘last days’, we also await his 2nd coming in glory, in which He will consummate His Eternal Kingdom. However, the Latin word Adventus is actually a translation of the New Testament Greek word ‘Parousia’(παρουσία). I would argue the word Parousia is much richer than the word Adventus. The meaning of the word Parousia is two-fold in nature; it contains a double entendre. Not only does it mean coming or arrival but it also means presence. Know going even a step further back into the Old Testament Hebrew word used in place of Parousia is Panim(פָּנִים). This word absolutely blows my mind! This is not only the word for presence, but… it is also the word for ‘face’, actually this word is plural, so in essence ‘panim’ also means ‘faces’. Why all the buildup of these three words? Indeed we await joyfully the Advent of our Lord, but there is more than just the coming of an event, the mere commemoration of what happened at a ‘place’. Advent is the expectation of not only some abstract idea or commemoration of Christ. A true advent, namely, a parousia, is the celebration of a panim, a presence, a person, a face[s]… Christ! Does not this happen everyday at the sacred Liturgy? Does not Christ come in the fullness of His glory… with His presence, with His Face, with the other two persons of the Most Holy Trinity that are consubstantially united and inseparable with Him? Does not this Panim of Christ reside in our brother, in every Church, in every tabernacle throughout the world? This Advent, let us celebrated the sacred mystery of his True presence. Let us enter into this presence, this person, with a face, truly present, really present, substantially present… for you, for me, for all. He has come, He is here, and He is coming into the world. + Br. Roch Mary Greiner, CFR Yonkers, NY

Vandals target largest Catholic church in Los Angeles

Demonic symbols were painted on the doors, statues and signs

What appears to be a satanic star was painted on a religious statue at St. Emydius Catholic Church.(Screenshot from NBC video)

The following comes from a November 30NBC4 story by Conan Nolan and Jason Kandel:

Vandals targeted a Roman Catholic church in Lynwood, painting demonic symbols on the doors, statues and signs.

The vandals struck overnight Saturday or early Sunday morning at St. Emydius Church, at 10900 California Ave.

“It’s unacceptable,” said Lynwood Mayor Jose Luis Solache. “We will not tolerate it.”

Pastor Rigoberto Rodriguez thinks the person or people responsible either worship Satan or are on drugs.

From http://cal-catholic.com/

An initiative of the Mary of Nazareth Association December 2 – Establishment of the Fraternity of the Holy Heart of Mary at Notre-Dame-des-Victoires Church (Paris, France, 1836) “Anthony, if you win this victory, this crown is for you!” Anthony Claret was born in 1807 in Spain near Montserrat, a shrine dedicated to the Virgin Mary. As a young child, he already had a strong devotion to the Madonna. He was ordained to the priesthood in 1835. One day, Anthony was forced to stay in bed with a bad ‘flu. As he shook with fever, impure images came into his mind. So he called on the Blessed Virgin for help. She appeared to him holding in her hands a crown of roses. “Anthony,” she said, “if you win this victory, this crown is for you!” Anthony triumphed over temptation and calm returned to his soul. His apostolate was particularly effective because of his deep devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary. Wherever he went, he established the Confraternity of the Holy Heart of Mary and pushed for the recitation of the family Rosary. But his master-achievement was his founding of the Congregation of the Sons of the Immaculate Heart of Mary (the Claretian Missionaries) in Catalonia on July 16, 1849. Appointed Archbishop of Cuba in 1849, to mark his gratitude to the Blessed Virgin, he added the name of Mary to his name. In Cuba, Father Antony Mary Claret founded the "Institute of the Religious of Mary Immaculate, the Claretian Missionaries" for the education of girls. www.notredamedesvictoires.com www.mariedenazareth.com Let’s pray together 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 death. Amen.

* December 1st – Holy Mary of Graces (Italy, 1923)  * What is the link between the Rosary and the Eucharist?  --- An initiative of the Mary of Nazareth Association December 1st – Holy Mary of Graces (Italy, 1923)  What is the link between the Rosary and the Eucharist?  Benedict XVI insisted: “Actually, the Rosary is not an obstacle to meditation on the Word of God and liturgical prayer; indeed, it represents a natural and ideal complement to it, especially as a preparation and thanksgiving for the Eucharistic celebration. With Mary, we contemplate Christ encountered in the Gospel and in the Sacrament in the various moments of his life through the Joyful, Luminous, Sorrowful and Glorious Mysteries.” “If the Eucharist for Christians is the center of the day, the Rosary contributes in a privileged way to deepening communion with Christ.” (Angelus of October 16, 2005) “We are therefore asked to let ourselves be guided by Mary in this prayer, ancient and ever new, which is especially dear to her because it leads us directly to Jesus, contemplated in his Mysteries of salvation: joyful, luminous, sorrowful and glorious… The Rosary is a biblical prayer, interwoven with Sacred Scripture throughout… that helps us to meditate on the Word of God and to assimilate Eucharistic Communion, modeling ourselves after Mary.” (Angelus of October 10, 2010). Pope Benedict XVI www.mariedenazareth.com Let’s pray together  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 death. Amen.