In appreciation of our Soldiers

"Greater love than this no man hath, that a man lay down his life for his friends." John (15:13)

Behold at your feet, O Mother of Perpetual Help, * a wretched sinner who has recourse to you and confides in you. * O Mother of Mercy, have pity on me. * I hear you called by all * the refuge and the hope of sinners; * be then, my refuge and my hope. * Assist me for the love of Jesus Christ; * stretch forth your hand to a miserable, fallen creature * who recommends himself to you, * and who devotes himself to your service forever. I bless and thank Almighty God, * Who in His mercy has given me this confidence in you, * which I hold to be a pledge of my eternal salvation. * It is true, dearest Mother, * that in the past I have miserably fallen into sin * because I had not recourse to you. * I know, however, that with your help I shall conquer; * I know, too, that you will assist me * if only I recommend myself to you. * But I fear, dear Mother, * that in time of danger * I may neglect to call on you and thus lose my soul. * This grace, then, I ask of you, * and this I beg with all the fervor of my soul, * that in all the attacks of hell * I may ever have recourse to you. * O Mary, help me! * O Mother of Perpetual Help, never suffer me to lose my God.

Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee; blessed are 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.
Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee; blessed are 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.
Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee; blessed are 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.

O Mother of Perpetual Help! * grant that I may ever invoke your most powerful name, * which is the safeguard of the living and the salvation of the dying. * O Purest Mary! O Sweetest Mary! * let your name be ever on my lips. * Delay not, O Blessed Lady! * to help me whenever I call on you: * for, in all my temptations, in all my needs, * I shall never cease to call on you, * ever repeating your Sacred Name, Mary! Mary!* Oh, what consolation, * what sweetness, * what confidence, * what emotion fills my soul * when I utter your Sacred Name, * or even only think of you * I thank the Lord for having given you, for my good, * so sweet, so powerful, so lovely a name. * But I will not be content with merely pronouncing your name, * let my love for you prompt me ever to hail you, * Mother of Perpetual Help. *

Pause for a few moments in silent prayer to recommend to our Mother of Perpetual Help all our wants both spiritual and temporal.

O Mother of Perpetual Help, * you are the dispenser of all the goods * which God grants to us miserable sinners, * and for this reason He has made you so powerful, so rich, and so bountiful, * that you may help us in our misery. * You are the advocate of the most wretched and abandoned sinners * who have recourse to you. * Come then, to my help, dearest Mother, * for I recommend myself to you. * In your hands I place my eternal salvation * and to you do I entrust my soul. * Count me among your most devoted servants; * take me under your protection, and it is enough for me. * For, if you protect me, dear Mother, * I fear nothing: * not from my sins, * because you will obtain for me the pardon of them: * nor from the devils, * because you are more powerful than all hell together; * nor even from Jesus, my Judge Himself, * because by one prayer from you * He will be appeased. * But one thing I fear, * that in the hour of temptation * I may neglect to call on you * and thus perish miserably. * Obtain for me, then, the pardon of my sins, * love for Jesus, * final perseverance, * and the grace always to have recourse to you, * O Mother of Perpetual Help.

You have been made for us, O Lady, a refuge. A helper in need and tribulation. Let us pray: O Lord Jesus Christ, Who has given us Your Mother, Mary, whose renowned image we venerate, to be a mother ever ready to help us, grant, we beseech You, that we who constantly implore her help may merit always to experience the fruits of Your redemption, You Who lives and reigns world without end. Amen.

Most Holy and Immaculate Virgin and my Mother, Mary, * to you, who are the Mother of my Lord, the Queen of the world, * the advocate, the hope, and the refuge of sinners, * I have recourse today, * I who am the most miserable of all. * I render you my most humble homage, O great Queen, * and I thank you for all the graces * you have obtained for me until now, * and in particular for having saved me from hell which I have so often deserved. * I love you, O most amiable Lady; * and, for the love which I bear you, * I promise to serve you always, and to do all in my power to make others also love you. * I place in you all my hopes * and I confide my salvation to your care. * Accept me for your servant * and receive me under your mantle, * O Mother of Mercy. * And since you are so powerful with God, * deliver me from all temptations * or, rather, obtain for me the strength to triumph over them until death. * Of you I ask a perfect love for Jesus Christ; * through you I hope to die a good death. * O my Mother, * by the love which you bear to God, * I beseech you to help me at all times * but especially at the last moment of my life. * Leave me not, I beseech you, * until you see me safe in heaven, * blessing you and singing your mercies for all eternity. * Amen, so I hope; so may it be.

O Mother of Perpetual Help, * with the greatest confidence, we come before your sacred Picture, * in order to invoke your aid. * You have seen the wounds which Jesus has been pleased to receive for our sake; * you have seen the Blood of Your Son flowing for our salvation; * you know how your Son desires to apply to us the fruits of His Redemption. * Behold, we cast ourselves at your fee, * and pray you to obtain for our souls the graces we stand so much in need of. * O Mary, most loving of all mothers, * obtain for us from the heart of Jesus, the source of every good * these graces * (here mention them). O Mother of Perpetual Help, * you desire our salvation far more than we ourselves: * your Son has given you to us for our Mother; * you have yourself chosen to be called Mother of Perpetual Help. * We trust not in our merits, but in your powerful intercession; * we trust in your goodness; * we trust in your motherly love. * Mother of Perpetual Help, * for the love of our souls, * obtain for us the graces we ask from you. * Amen.

O Mother of Perpetual Help, * numerous clients continually surround your holy Picture, * all imploring your mercy. * All bless you as the assured help of the miserable; * all feel the benefit of your motherly protection. * With confidence, then, do we present ourselves before you in our misery. * See, dear Mother, the many evils to which we are exposed; * see how numerous are our wants. * Trials and sorrows often depress us; * reverses of fortune and privations, often grievous, bring misery into our lives; * everywhere we meet the cross. * Have pity, compassionate Mother, on us and on our dear ones, * especially in this our necessity * (here mention it). Help us, dear Mother, in our distress; * deliver us from all our ills; * or, if it be the will of God that we should suffer still longer, * grant that we may endure all with love and patience. * These graces we expect of you with confidence, * because you are our Perpetual Help. * Amen. End of novena prayers.

The pious practice of making a novena dates back to the time when our Blessed Lady and the Apostles remained nine days in prayer, after the ascension of Our Lord into heaven. They did this to prepare for the coming of the Holy Spirit. A novena consists of saying the novena prayers once each day for nine consecutive days.
When saying these prayers in a group, pause at the *.

O Holy Virgin Mary* who to inspire us with boundless confidence * has been pleased to take the sweet name of Perpetual Help * I implore you to come to my aid always and everywhere * in my temptations * after my falls * in my difficulties * in all the miseries of life * and above all at the hour of my death. * Give me, O loving Mother the desire * rather, the habit * always to have recourse to you * for I feel assured that if I invoke you with fidelity * you will be faithful to come to my assistance. * Obtain for me then this grace of graces, * the grace to pray to you * without ceasing and with childlike prayer * that I may ensure your perpetual help * and final perseverance. * O Mother of Perpetual Help * pray for me now and at the hour of my death. Amen

O Mother of Perpetual Help, you whose very name inspires confidence.
Help me, O loving Mother.

That I may be victorious in the trying time of temptation.
Help me, O loving Mother.

That I may quickly rise again should I have the misfortune to fall into sin.
Help me, O loving Mother.

That I may break asunder any bonds of satan in which I may become entangled.
Help me, O loving Mother.

Against the seductions of the world, evil companions, and bad books.
Help me, O loving Mother.

That I may soon return to my former fervor should I ever become lukewarm.
Help me, O loving Mother.

Against my own inconstancy that I may persevere to the end.
Help me, O loving Mother.

That I may ever love you and serve you and invoke your assistance.
Help me, O loving Mother.

That I may be able to induce others to love, serve and pray to you.
Help me, O loving Mother.

O Mother, to my last hour, to my last breath do watch over me.
Help me, O loving Mother.

Praying to Jesus and Mary is a good way of showing your love for Them.
Explanation of photo.

(2) Greek Initials for "St. Michael the Archangel". He is depicted holding the lance and spear with the
vessel of vinegar and gall of Christ's Passion.

(3) Greek Initials for "St. Gabriel the Archangel". He holds the cross and the nails.

Tradition holds that the original of this painting was made by St. Luke, the evangelist. The picture depicts Jesus thinking about the day when he would suffer The Passion. He ran to his mother for comfort and in doing so, his sandal fell off.

My shoulders ache beneath my pack
(Lie easier, Cross, upon His back).

I march with feet that burn and smart
(Tread, Holy Feet, upon my heart).

Men shout at me who may not speak
(They scourged Thy back and smote Thy cheek).

I may not lift a hand to clear
My eyes of salty drops that sear.

(Then shall my fickle soul forget
Thy Agony of Bloody Sweat?)

My rifle hand is stiff and numb
(From Thy pierced palm red rivers come).

Lord, Thou didst suffer more for me
Than all the hosts of land and sea.

So let me render back again
This millionth of Thy gift. Amen.

by Joyce Kilmer

Do not waste your daily suffering, instead offer it to Jesus when you wake up in the morning and when you go to sleep at night.

"All for you, dear Jesus, one more day for heaven."

Are all religions the same?
No, there is only one true religion, Christianity. It was established by the only true God, the God of the Bible, the God of Abraham.

Is Christianity really necessary?
Yes, for several reasons--

God demands that every human being follow His plan of life.

Without Christianity, life is meaningless.

Lack of Christianity causes unhappiness, both in this life and the next.

God gave us the Ten Commandments to guide our lives; and without them our lives are filled with chaos and misery.

What will happen to those who do not practice Christianity?
They will be punished with the everlasting torments of Hell.

What will Christianity give you in this life?
Peace of mind, which is greater than anything money can buy.

"Blessed are they who hear the word of God, and keep it." (Luke 11:28)

"Much peace have they that love thy law, and to them there is no stumbling block." (Psalm 118:165)

PRAYER FOR GRACE

O my God and my All, in Your goodness and mercy, grant that before I die I may regain all the graces which I have lost through my carelessness and folly.
Permit me to attain that degree of merit and perfection to which you did desire to lead me, and which I failed by my unfaithfulness to reach.
Mercifully grant also that others regain the Graces which they have lost through my fault.
This I humbly beg through the merits of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and Immaculate Heart of Mary. Amen.

AN ACT OF CONTRITION

Forgive me my sins, O Lord, forgive me my sins; the sins of my youth, the sins of my age, the sins of my soul, the sins of my body; my idle sins, my serious voluntary sins, the sins I know, the sins I do not know; the sins I have concealed so long, and which are now hidden from my memory.
I am truly sorry for every sin, mortal and venial, for all the sins of my childhood up to the present hour.
I know my sins have wounded your Tender Heart, O my Savior. Let me be freed from the bonds of evil through the most bitter passion of my Redeemer.
O my Jesus, forget and forgive what I have been. Amen.

How to Spiritually Prepare for Death:

1) Turn to Jesus
2) Repent of all sins.
3) Give 100% effort to sin no more.
*Tell Jesus you are sorry and strive for perfect contrition