http://www.totus2us.com/podcasts/novenas/ en-us ℗ & © 2010-2019 Totus2us.com 22 Novenas to date. Most with the writings of our Holy Fathers - eg Pope Francis's encyclical on faith and exhortation on the joy of the Gospel, BXVI's encyclicals on love and hope, JPII's teachings on Jesus, the Holy Spirit, the Eucharist, the Gospel of life, faith and reason, Europe and the meaning of suffering. Novenas to Mary Immaculate, Saint Joseph, St Thérèse of Lisieux and St Padre Pio. For much more, visit Totus2us.com which is dedicated to Our Lady and inspired by our holy fathers - St John Paul II, Papa Benedict XVI and Pope Francis. Totus Tuus was JPII's motto to Our Lady; Mary is also everything 2us - Totus2us. Totus2us 22 Totus2us novenas are: 22) Novena to Sacred Heart of Jesus with quotes from Pope St John Paul II; music by Franciscan Friars of the Renewal; 21) Novena to Sacred Heart of Jesus with music by Fr Rob Galea (20) Novena for Peace, with extracts from St John Paul II's homily at Pentecost in England 1982 and Pope Francis's prayer in the Holy Land 19) Novena to Mary, Source of Joy for the Little Ones, with Pope Francis's exhortation on the joy of the Gospel 18) Novena to Mary, Mother of our faith, with Pope Francis's encyclical on faith 17) Novena to Our Lady of Lourdes with quotes from Pope John Paul II's letter, Salvifici Doloris, on the salvific meaning of suffering. 16) Novena to Mary Immaculate, Star of Hope - with quotes from Benedict XVI's encyclical on hope, Spe Salvi; music sung by Holy Redeemer choir. 15) Novena to Papa John Paul II - with quotes from the homilies of Cardinal Ratzinger / Pope Benedict XVI at JPII's funeral and beatification 14) Novena to St Padre Pio - with prayers to the Sacred Heart ; music by Edwin Fawcett 13) Novena to St Joseph - with quotes from St John Paul II's apostolic exhortation, Redemptoris Custos; music by Olen Cesari; 12) Novena for Europe (in preparation for the 30th annivesary of the reported apparitions in Medjugorje) - with quotes from St John Paul II's apostolic exhortation on the Church in Europe; Ave Marias sung by Anna Johnstone; 11) Ecclesia de Eucharistia - on John Paul II's encyclical, the Church of the Eucharist; music sung by the Holy Redeemer Choir. 10) Evangelium Vitae - on John Paul II's encyclical the Gospel of Life; Ave Marias sung by Anna Johnstone; 9) Redemptor Hominis - on John Paul II's encyclical on the Redeemer of Man; prayer from WYD 2002; music by Fr Stan Fortuna CFR 8) Fides et Ratio - on John Paul II's encyclical on Faith and Reason; prayer by St Thomas Aquinas; music by Benedict Nichols; 7) God is Love - the quotes and prayer are from Pope Benedict's encyclical Deus Caritas Est. Music by Benedict Nichols; 6) a novena to St Thérèse of the Child Jesus and the Holy Face (also known as St Teresa of Lisieux and 'the Little Flower') - music is by Edwin Fawcett; 5) a Novena to Our Lady - music by London Oratory School Schola. Quotes from John Paul II's encyclical on the Blessed Virgin Mary in the life of the Pilgrim Church, Redemptoris Mater; prayer - Consecration to Jesus through the Immaculate Heart of Mary; 4) a novena to the Sacred Heart of Jesus - music by Fr Stan Fortuna CFR; quotes - Angeluses by Pope John Paul II on the theme of the Sacred Heart of Jesus; Litany to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. 3) a novena to the Holy Spirit - Veni Sancte Spiritus sung by the Poor Clare Sisters TMD; quotes - John Paul II's encyclical on the Holy Spirit, Dominum et Vivificantem. 2) the Divine Mercy Novena - music sung by the Holy Redeemer Choir; Jesus especially asked St Faustina to start this novena on Good Friday, 9 days before Divine Mercy Sunday; and 1) a novena in thanksgiving for the life of Pope John Paul II - Ave Marias sung by Anna Johnstone; this 1st novena was prompted by the providential gift of having John Paul II's 5th anniversary fall on Good Friday. For much more visit Totus2us.com - dedicated to Our Lady, it is inspired by our holy fathers: St John Paul II, Papa Benedict XVI and Pope Francis. Totus Tuus (All Yours) was JPII's motto to Mary. Our Lady is also everything to us - Totus2us. 22 Totus2us novenas are: 22) Novena to Sacred Heart of Jesus with quotes from Pope St John Paul II; music by Franciscan Friars of the Renewal; 21) Novena to Sacred Heart of Jesus with music by Fr Rob Galea (20) Novena for Peace, with extracts from St John Paul II's homily at Pentecost in England 1982 and Pope Francis's prayer in the Holy Land 19) Novena to Mary, Source of Joy for the Little Ones, with Pope Francis's exhortation on the joy of the Gospel 18) Novena to Mary, Mother of our faith, with Pope Francis's encyclical on faith 17) Novena to Our Lady of Lourdes with quotes from Pope John Paul II's letter, Salvifici Doloris, on the salvific meaning of suffering. 16) Novena to Mary Immaculate, Star of Hope - with quotes from Benedict XVI's encyclical on hope, Spe Salvi; music sung by Holy Redeemer choir. 15) Novena to Papa John Paul II - with quotes from the homilies of Cardinal Ratzinger / Pope Benedict XVI at JPII's funeral and beatification 14) Novena to St Padre Pio - with prayers to the Sacred Heart ; music by Edwin Fawcett 13) Novena to St Joseph - with quotes from St John Paul II's apostolic exhortation, Redemptoris Custos; music by Olen Cesari; 12) Novena for Europe (in preparation for the 30th annivesary of the reported apparitions in Medjugorje) - with quotes from St John Paul II's apostolic exhortation on the Church in Europe; Ave Marias sung by Anna Johnstone; 11) Ecclesia de Eucharistia - on John Paul II's encyclical, the Church of the Eucharist; music sung by the Holy Redeemer Choir. 10) Evangelium Vitae - on John Paul II's encyclical the Gospel of Life; Ave Marias sung by Anna Johnstone; 9) Redemptor Hominis - on John Paul II's encyclical on the Redeemer of Man; prayer from WYD 2002; music by Fr Stan Fortuna CFR 8) Fides et Ratio - on John Paul II's encyclical on Faith and Reason; prayer by St Thomas Aquinas; music by Benedict Nichols; 7) God is Love - the quotes and prayer are from Pope Benedict's encyclical Deus Caritas Est. Music by Benedict Nichols; 6) a novena to St Thérèse of the Child Jesus and the Holy Face (also known as St Teresa of Lisieux and 'the Little Flower') - music is by Edwin Fawcett; 5) a Novena to Our Lady - music by London Oratory School Schola. Quotes from John Paul II's encyclical on the Blessed Virgin Mary in the life of the Pilgrim Church, Redemptoris Mater; prayer - Consecration to Jesus through the Immaculate Heart of Mary; 4) a novena to the Sacred Heart of Jesus - music by Fr Stan Fortuna CFR; quotes - Angeluses by Pope John Paul II on the theme of the Sacred Heart of Jesus; Litany to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. 3) a novena to the Holy Spirit - Veni Sancte Spiritus sung by the Poor Clare Sisters TMD; quotes - John Paul II's encyclical on the Holy Spirit, Dominum et Vivificantem. 2) the Divine Mercy Novena - music sung by the Holy Redeemer Choir; Jesus especially asked St Faustina to start this novena on Good Friday, 9 days before Divine Mercy Sunday; and 1) a novena in thanksgiving for the life of Pope John Paul II - Ave Marias sung by Anna Johnstone; this 1st novena was prompted by the providential gift of having John Paul II's 5th anniversary fall on Good Friday. For much more visit Totus2us.com - dedicated to Our Lady, it is inspired by our holy fathers: St John Paul II, Papa Benedict XVI and Pope Francis. Totus Tuus (All Yours) was JPII's motto to Mary. Our Lady is also everything to us - Totus2us. www.Totus2us.com totus2us.com@googlemail.com no Totus2us.com Day 9, Novena to the Sacred Heart. St John Paul II: "We all desire to approach this source of living water. We all desire to drink from the divine heart, which is source of life and holiness. In it is given to us the Holy Spirit, who is constantly given to all those who with adoration and love approach Christ, approach his heart." Music by the Franciscan Friars of the Renewal. Visit Totus2us.com for much more - dedicated to Our Lady, it is inspired by our holy fathers - St John Paul II, Papa Benedict XVI and Pope Francis. Day 9, Novena to the Sacred Heart. St John Paul II: "We all desire to approach this source of living water. We all desire to drink from the divine heart, which is source of life and holiness. In it is given to us the Holy Spirit, who is constantly given to all those who with adoration and love approach Christ, approach his heart." Music by the Franciscan Friars of the Renewal. Visit Totus2us.com for much more - dedicated to Our Lady, it is inspired by our holy fathers - St John Paul II, Papa Benedict XVI and Pope Francis. Fri, 8 Jun 2018 12:00:00 GMT 7:16 http://www.totus2us.eu/Novenas/Totus2us-Novena_2_Sacred_Heart_of_Jesus-Day9.mp3 Sacred, Heart, Jesus, Love, God, Father, faith, prayer, Christian, Catholic Totus2us.com Day 8, Novena to the Sacred Heart. St John Paul II: "Through this generosity love does not run out, but grows. It grows constantly. Such is the mysterious nature of love. And such is also the mystery of the heart of Jesus, which is generous to all. It is open for everyone and for each one. It opens completely from itself. And in this generosity it does not run out. The generosity of the heart bears testimony to the fact that love is not subject to the laws of death, but to the laws of resurrection and life. It bears testimony to the fact that love grows with love. Such is its nature." Music by the Franciscan Friars of the Renewal. Visit Totus2us.com for much more - dedicated to Our Lady, it is inspired by our holy fathers - St John Paul II, Papa Benedict XVI and Pope Francis. Day 8, Novena to the Sacred Heart. St John Paul II: "Through this generosity love does not run out, but grows. It grows constantly. Such is the mysterious nature of love. And such is also the mystery of the heart of Jesus, which is generous to all. It is open for everyone and for each one. It opens completely from itself. And in this generosity it does not run out. The generosity of the heart bears testimony to the fact that love is not subject to the laws of death, but to the laws of resurrection and life. It bears testimony to the fact that love grows with love. Such is its nature." Music by the Franciscan Friars of the Renewal. Visit Totus2us.com for much more - dedicated to Our Lady, it is inspired by our holy fathers - St John Paul II, Papa Benedict XVI and Pope Francis. Thu, 7 Jun 2018 12:00:00 GMT 10:33 http://www.totus2us.eu/Novenas/Totus2us-Novena_2_Sacred_Heart_of_Jesus-Day8.mp3 Sacred, Heart, Jesus, Love, God, Father, faith, prayer, Christian, Catholic Totus2us.com Day 7, Novena to the Sacred Heart. St John Paul II: "Let us look, together with Mary, inside this heart! Let us reread it in the entire Gospel! However, above all, let us re-read this heart at the moment of the crucifixion. When it was pierced with a lance. When the mystery written in it was revealed in its depth. The patient heart, as it is open to all the sufferings of man. The patient heart, as it itself willing to accept a suffering immeasurable with a human meter! The patient heart, as it is immensely merciful! What indeed is mercy, if not that very particular measure of love, which expresses itself in suffering? What indeed is mercy, if not that definitive measure of love, which descends into the very center of evil so as to conquer it with good? What is it, if not the love that conquers the sin of the world through suffering and death?" Music by the Franciscan Friars of the Renewal. Visit Totus2us.com for much more - dedicated to Our Lady, it is inspired by our holy fathers - St John Paul II, Papa Benedict XVI and Pope Francis. Day 7, Novena to the Sacred Heart. St John Paul II: "Let us look, together with Mary, inside this heart! Let us reread it in the entire Gospel! However, above all, let us re-read this heart at the moment of the crucifixion. When it was pierced with a lance. When the mystery written in it was revealed in its depth. The patient heart, as it is open to all the sufferings of man. The patient heart, as it itself willing to accept a suffering immeasurable with a human meter! The patient heart, as it is immensely merciful! What indeed is mercy, if not that very particular measure of love, which expresses itself in suffering? What indeed is mercy, if not that definitive measure of love, which descends into the very center of evil so as to conquer it with good? What is it, if not the love that conquers the sin of the world through suffering and death?" Music by the Franciscan Friars of the Renewal. Visit Totus2us.com for much more - dedicated to Our Lady, it is inspired by our holy fathers - St John Paul II, Papa Benedict XVI and Pope Francis. Wed, 6 Jun 2018 12:00:00 GMT 6:59 http://www.totus2us.eu/Novenas/Totus2us-Novena_2_Sacred_Heart_of_Jesus-Day7.mp3 Sacred, Heart, Jesus, Love, God, Father, faith, prayer, Christian, Catholic Totus2us.com Day 6, Novena to the Sacred Heart. St John Paul II: "Is this heart "desire" of the world? Looking at the world as it visibly surrounds us, we must observe with Saint John that it is subject to the concupiscence of the flesh, to the concupiscence of the eyes and to pride of life and this "world" seems to be far from the desire of Jesus' heart. It does not share his desires. It remains a stranger and, at times, even hostile towards him. This is the "world", of which the Council says that it is "placed under the slavery of sin" (Gaudium et Spes, 2). And it says this in accordance with the entire revelation, with Holy Scripture and with Tradition (and even, let us say, with our human experience). Simultaneously, however, the same "world" has been called into existence through the love of the Creator and through this love it is constantly maintained in existence. It is about the world as the whole of visible and invisible creatures, and in particular "the entire human family in the context of all those realities within which it lives"." Music by the Franciscan Friars of the Renewal. Visit Totus2us.com for much more - dedicated to Our Lady, it is inspired by our holy fathers - St John Paul II, Papa Benedict XVI and Pope Francis. Day 6, Novena to the Sacred Heart. St John Paul II: "Is this heart "desire" of the world? Looking at the world as it visibly surrounds us, we must observe with Saint John that it is subject to the concupiscence of the flesh, to the concupiscence of the eyes and to pride of life and this "world" seems to be far from the desire of Jesus' heart. It does not share his desires. It remains a stranger and, at times, even hostile towards him. This is the "world", of which the Council says that it is "placed under the slavery of sin" (Gaudium et Spes, 2). And it says this in accordance with the entire revelation, with Holy Scripture and with Tradition (and even, let us say, with our human experience). Simultaneously, however, the same "world" has been called into existence through the love of the Creator and through this love it is constantly maintained in existence. It is about the world as the whole of visible and invisible creatures, and in particular "the entire human family in the context of all those realities within which it lives"." Music by the Franciscan Friars of the Renewal. Visit Totus2us.com for much more - dedicated to Our Lady, it is inspired by our holy fathers - St John Paul II, Papa Benedict XVI and Pope Francis. Tue, 5 Jun 2018 12:00:00 GMT 7:16 http://www.totus2us.eu/Novenas/Totus2us-Novena_2_Sacred_Heart_of_Jesus-Day6.mp3 Sacred, Heart, Jesus, Love, God, Father, faith, prayer, Christian, Catholic Totus2us.com Day 5, Novena to the Sacred Heart. St John Paul II: "It is a heart full of love for the Father: full in a divine and also human way. Indeed, Jesus' heart is truly the human heart of God the Son. It is thus full of filial love: everything that He did and said on earth bears witness to this filial love." Music by the Franciscan Friars of the Renewal. Visit Totus2us.com for much more - dedicated to Our Lady, it is inspired by our holy fathers - St John Paul II, Papa Benedict XVI and Pope Francis. Day 5, Novena to the Sacred Heart. St John Paul II: "It is a heart full of love fpr the Father: full in a divine and also human way. Indeed, Jesus' heart is truly the human heart of God the Son. It is thus full of filial love: everything that He did and said on earth bears witness to this filial love." Music by the Franciscan Friars of the Renewal. Visit Totus2us.com for much more - dedicated to Our Lady, it is inspired by our holy fathers - St John Paul II, Papa Benedict XVI and Pope Francis. Mon, 4 Jun 2018 12:00:00 GMT 10:32 http://www.totus2us.eu/Novenas/Totus2us-Novena_2_Sacred_Heart_of_Jesus-Day5.mp3 Sacred, Heart, Jesus, Love, God, Father, faith, prayer, Christian, Catholic Totus2us.com Day 4, Novena to the Sacred Heart. St John Paul II: "At the end Christ accomplished this will by being obedient unto death on the cross, and then that eternal delight of the Father in the Son, which belongs to the intimate mystery of the Triune God, became part of the history of man. Indeed, the Son himself was made man, and as such he had a man's heart, with which he loved and responded to love. First of all to the love of the Father." Music by the Franciscan Friars of the Renewal. Visit Totus2us.com for much more - dedicated to Our Lady, it is inspired by our holy fathers - St John Paul II, Papa Benedict XVI and Pope Francis. Day 4, Novena to the Sacred Heart. St John Paul II: "At the end Christ accomplished this will by being obedient unto death on the cross, and then that eternal delight of the Father in the Son, which belongs to the intimate mystery of the Triune God, became part of the history of man. Indeed, the Son himself was made man, and as such he had a man's heart, with which he loved and responded to love. First of all to the love of the Father." Music by the Franciscan Friars of the Renewal. Visit Totus2us.com for much more - dedicated to Our Lady, it is inspired by our holy fathers - St John Paul II, Papa Benedict XVI and Pope Francis. Sun, 3 Jun 2018 12:00:00 GMT 6:59 http://www.totus2us.eu/Novenas/Totus2us-Novena_2_Sacred_Heart_of_Jesus-Day4.mp3 Sacred, Heart, Jesus, Love, God, Father, faith, prayer, Christian, Catholic Totus2us.com Day 3, Novena to the Sacred Heart. St John Paul II: "The mystery of Christ, God-man, has a particular eloquence when we look at the cross: here is the man! Here is the Crucified One! Here is the man totally stripped! Here is the man "broken because of our sins". Here is the man "covered with opprobrium"! And, at the same time: here is the man-God! In Him dwells all the fullness of divinity. Of the same substance as the Father! God from God. Light from light! Generated, not created. The eternal Word. One in divinity with the Father and the Holy Spirit." Music by the Franciscan Friars of the Renewal. Visit Totus2us.com for much more - dedicated to Our Lady, it is inspired by our holy fathers - St John Paul II, Papa Benedict XVI and Pope Francis. Day 3, Novena to the Sacred Heart. St John Paul II: "The mystery of Christ, God-man, has a particular eloquence when we look at the cross: here is the man! Here is the Crucified One! Here is the man totally stripped! Here is the man "broken because of our sins". Here is the man "covered with opprobrium"! And, at the same time: here is the man-God! In Him dwells all the fullness of divinity. Of the same substance as the Father! God from God. Light from light! Generated, not created. The eternal Word. One in divinity with the Father and the Holy Spirit." Music by the Franciscan Friars of the Renewal. Visit Totus2us.com for much more - dedicated to Our Lady, it is inspired by our holy fathers - St John Paul II, Papa Benedict XVI and Pope Francis. Sat, 2 Jun 2018 12:00:00 GMT 7:16 http://www.totus2us.eu/Novenas/Totus2us-Novena_2_Sacred_Heart_of_Jesus-Day3.mp3 Sacred, Heart, Jesus, Love, God, Father, faith, prayer, Christian, Catholic Totus2us.com Day 2, Novena to the Sacred Heart. St John Paul II: "We know these things because God Himself has deigned to reveal them to us through the Son, who is the wisdom of God (1 Cor 1, 24). All things, which are on earth and in the heavens, have been created through him and in view of him (Col 1, 16). The wisdom of Christ is greater than that of Solomon (Lk 11, 31). His riches are inscrutable (Eph 3, 8). His love surpasses all knowledge. But with faith we are able to understand, together with all the saints, the breadth, the length, the height, the depth (Eph 3, 18). Knowing Jesus, we also know God. Who sees Him, sees the Father (Jn 14, 9). With Him, the love of God is poured out into our hearts (Rom 5, 5)." Music by the Franciscan Friars of the Renewal. Visit Totus2us.com for much more - dedicated to Our Lady, it is inspired by our holy fathers - St John Paul II, Papa Benedict XVI and Pope Francis. Day 2, Novena to the Sacred Heart. St John Paul II: "We know these things because God Himself has deigned to reveal them to us through the Son, who is the wisdom of God (1 Cor 1, 24). All things, which are on earth and in the heavens, have been created through him and in view of him (Col 1, 16). The wisdom of Christ is greater than that of Solomon (Lk 11, 31). His riches are inscrutable (Eph 3, 8). His love surpasses all knowledge. But with faith we are able to understand, together with all the saints, the breadth, the length, the height, the depth (Eph 3, 18). Knowing Jesus, we also know God. Who sees Him, sees the Father (Jn 14, 9). With Him, the love of God is poured out into our hearts (Rom 5, 5)." Music by the Franciscan Friars of the Renewal. Visit Totus2us.com for much more - dedicated to Our Lady, it is inspired by our holy fathers - St John Paul II, Papa Benedict XVI and Pope Francis. Fri, 1 Jun 2018 12:00:00 GMT 10:32 http://www.totus2us.eu/Novenas/Totus2us-Novena_2_Sacred_Heart_of_Jesus-Day2.mp3 Sacred, Heart, Jesus, Love, God, Father, faith, prayer, Christian, Catholic Totus2us.com Day 1, Novena to the Sacred Heart. St John Paul II: "Heart of Jesus, ardent furnace of charity. A furnace, while it burns, illuminates the darkness of the night and warms the bodies of the frozen wayfarers. Today we desire to pray to the Mother of the eternal Word, because on the horizon of the life of each and every one of us never ceases to burn the heart of Jesus, ardent furnace of charity. Because it reveals to us the love that does not go out and never deteriorates, the love that is eternal. Because it illuminates the darkness of the earthly night and warms hearts." Music by the Franciscan Friars of the Renewal. Visit Totus2us.com for much more - dedicated to Our Lady, it is inspired by our holy fathers - St John Paul II, Papa Benedict XVI and Pope Francis. Day 1, Novena to the Sacred Heart. St John Paul II: "Heart of Jesus, ardent furnace of charity. A furnace, while it burns, illuminates the darkness of the night and warms the bodies of the frozen wayfarers. Today we desire to pray to the Mother of the eternal Word, because on the horizon of the life of each and every one of us never ceases to burn the heart of Jesus, ardent furnace of charity. Because it reveals to us the love that does not go out and never deteriorates, the love that is eternal. Because it illuminates the darkness of the earthly night and warms hearts." Music by the Franciscan Friars of the Renewal. Visit Totus2us.com for much more - dedicated to Our Lady, it is inspired by our holy fathers - St John Paul II, Papa Benedict XVI and Pope Francis. Thu, 30 May 2018 12:00:00 GMT 6:59 http://www.totus2us.eu/Novenas/Totus2us-Novena_2_Sacred_Heart_of_Jesus-Day1.mp3 Sacred, Heart, Jesus, Love, God, Father, faith, prayer, Christian, Catholic Totus2us.com Day 9, Novena to the Sacred Heart. Meditation: Jesus has promised to come and take us to heaven when our life's journey is over. We were made for a life of complete fulfilment and happiness forever. Our prayer life is meant to prepare us for this. Prayer: Lord, you gave us life so that we could be with you in heaven forever. Help us to persevere in a life of heart-prayer, no matter how little progress we seem to be making. Sacred Heart of Jesus, make us ready for heaven. Music by Fr Rob Galea www.FrRobGalea.com - ℗ 2011 Robert Galea - used with permission. Visit Totus2us.com for much more - dedicated to Our Lady, it is inspired by our holy fathers - St John Paul II, Papa Benedict XVI and Pope Francis. Day 9, Novena to the Sacred Heart. Meditation: Jesus has promised to come and take us to heaven when our life's journey is over. We were made for a life of complete fulfilment and happiness forever. Our prayer life is meant to prepare us for this. Prayer: Lord, you gave us life so that we could be with you in heaven forever. Help us to persevere in a life of heart-prayer, no matter how little progress we seem to be making. Sacred Heart of Jesus, make us ready for heaven. Music by Fr Rob Galea www.FrRobGalea.com - ℗ 2011 Robert Galea - used with permission. Visit Totus2us.com for much more - dedicated to Our Lady, it is inspired by our holy fathers - St John Paul II, Papa Benedict XVI and Pope Francis. Fri, 27 Jun 2014 12:00:00 GMT 8:32 http://www.totus2us.eu/Novenas/Totus2us-Novena_to_Sacred_Heart-Day9.mp3 Sacred, Heart, Jesus, Love, God, Father, faith, prayer, Christian, Catholic Totus2us.com Day 8, Novena to the Sacred Heart. Meditation: True friends do not desert each other in times of sorrow and trouble. Jesus invited his disciples to stay with him in his passion. By uniting our crosses with his, we can enter more deeply into his life, and become more like him. Prayer: Lord, help us to pray each Friday on your passion and death, and so to stay with you in your real human suffering. Help us to realize that you are close to us, especially in our times of suffering. Sacred Heart of Jesus, stay with us in our suffering. Music by Fr Rob Galea www.FrRobGalea.com - ℗ 2011 Robert Galea - used with permission. Visit Totus2us.com for much more - dedicated to Our Lady, it is inspired by our holy fathers - St John Paul II, Papa Benedict XVI and Pope Francis. Day 8, Novena to the Sacred Heart. Meditation: True friends do not desert each other in times of sorrow and trouble. Jesus invited his disciples to stay with him in his passion. By uniting our crosses with his, we can enter more deeply into his life, and become more like him. Prayer: Lord, help us to pray each Friday on your passion and death, and so to stay with you in your real human suffering. Help us to realize that you are close to us, especially in our times of suffering. Sacred Heart of Jesus, stay with us in our suffering. Music by Fr Rob Galea www.FrRobGalea.com - ℗ 2011 Robert Galea - used with permission. Visit Totus2us.com for much more - dedicated to Our Lady, it is inspired by our holy fathers - St John Paul II, Papa Benedict XVI and Pope Francis. Thu, 26 Jun 2014 12:00:00 GMT 9:07 http://www.totus2us.eu/Novenas/Totus2us-Novena_to_Sacred_Heart-Day8.mp3 Sacred, Heart, Jesus, Love, God, Father, faith, prayer, Christian, Catholic Totus2us.com Day 7, Novena to the Sacred Heart. Meditation: One of the main fruits of faithfulness in prayer is the gradual opening of our eyes, so that we learn to take Christ at his words. Very few Christians really believe that our God lives within hearts that truly seek him. How different our lives would be if we could accept this. Prayer: Lord Jesus, help us truly to believe in your words. While on earth, your greatest happiness was to encounter real faith. Teach us in prayer to recognise your presence within us, and how to really live our faith. Sacred Heart of Jesus, increase our faith. Music by Fr Rob Galea www.FrRobGalea.com - ℗ 2011 Robert Galea - used with permission. Visit Totus2us.com for much more - dedicated to Our Lady, it is inspired by our holy fathers - St John Paul II, Papa Benedict XVI and Pope Francis. Day 7, Novena to the Sacred Heart. Meditation: One of the main fruits of faithfulness in prayer is the gradual opening of our eyes, so that we learn to take Christ at his words. Very few Christians really believe that our God lives within hearts that truly seek him. How different our lives would be if we could accept this. Prayer: Lord Jesus, help us truly to believe in your words. While on earth, your greatest happiness was to encounter real faith. Teach us in prayer to recognise your presence within us, and how to really live our faith. Sacred Heart of Jesus, increase our faith. Music by Fr Rob Galea www.FrRobGalea.com - ℗ 2011 Robert Galea - used with permission. Visit Totus2us.com for much more - dedicated to Our Lady, it is inspired by our holy fathers - St John Paul II, Papa Benedict XVI and Pope Francis. Wed, 25 Jun 2014 12:00:00 GMT 8:40 http://www.totus2us.eu/Novenas/Totus2us-Novena_to_Sacred_Heart-Day7.mp3 Sacred, Heart, Jesus, Love, God, Father, faith, prayer, Christian, Catholic Totus2us.com Day 6, Novena to the Sacred Heart. Meditation: It is true that from our earliest days Jesus has stood knocking at the door of our hearts, and will do so until the end of our lives, with infinite patience. It is never too late to open the door to our hearts and to invite him in. Prayer: Lord, we do not understand why you love us so much and are so patient with us. It can only be because you are love itself, and so want only the joy and happiness of the beloved. Help us to be open to you. Sacred Heart of Jesus, help us to listen to you. Music by Fr Rob Galea www.FrRobGalea.com - ℗ 2011 Robert Galea - used with permission. Visit Totus2us.com for much more - dedicated to Our Lady, it is inspired by our holy fathers - St John Paul II, Papa Benedict XVI and Pope Francis. Day 6, Novena to the Sacred Heart. Meditation: It is true that from our earliest days Jesus has stood knocking at the door of our hearts, and will do so until the end of our lives, with infinite patience. It is never too late to open the door to our hearts and to invite him in. Prayer: Lord, we do not understand why you love us so much and are so patient with us. It can only be because you are love itself, and so want only the joy and happiness of the beloved. Help us to be open to you. Sacred Heart of Jesus, help us to listen to you. Music by Fr Rob Galea www.FrRobGalea.com - ℗ 2011 Robert Galea - used with permission. Visit Totus2us.com for much more - dedicated to Our Lady, it is inspired by our holy fathers - St John Paul II, Papa Benedict XVI and Pope Francis. Tue, 24 Jun 2014 12:00:00 GMT 8:34 http://www.totus2us.eu/Novenas/Totus2us-Novena_to_Sacred_Heart-Day6.mp3 Sacred, Heart, Jesus, Love, God, Father, faith, prayer, Christian, Catholic Totus2us.com Day 5, Novena to the Sacred Heart. Meditation: It is the Master who is calling us now to come to him in prayer. In every human heart, there is a deep longing for God, because we are all made for him. We need to take time out for prayer. Prayer: Lord, grant that our personal meetings with you in prayer may become the joy of our lives. Every moment spent in your company changes us slowly. Give us grace to allow you to love us, and to transform our lives. Sacred Heart of Jesus, help us grow in prayer. Music by Fr Rob Galea www.FrRobGalea.com - ℗ 2011 Robert Galea - used with permission. Visit Totus2us.com for much more - dedicated to Our Lady, it is inspired by our holy fathers - St John Paul II, Papa Benedict XVI and Pope Francis. Day 5, Novena to the Sacred Heart. Meditation: It is the Master who is calling us now to come to him in prayer. In every human heart, there is a deep longing for God, because we are all made for him. We need to take time out for prayer. Prayer: Lord, grant that our personal meetings with you in prayer may become the joy of our lives. Every moment spent in your company changes us slowly. Give us grace to allow you to love us, and to transform our lives. Sacred Heart of Jesus, help us grow in prayer. Music by Fr Rob Galea www.FrRobGalea.com - ℗ 2011 Robert Galea - used with permission. Visit Totus2us.com for much more - dedicated to Our Lady, it is inspired by our holy fathers - St John Paul II, Papa Benedict XVI and Pope Francis. Mon, 23 Jun 2014 12:00:00 GMT 9:01 http://www.totus2us.eu/Novenas/Totus2us-Novena_to_Sacred_Heart-Day5.mp3 Sacred, Heart, Jesus, Love, God, Father, faith, prayer, Christian, Catholic Totus2us.com Day 4, Novena to the Sacred Heart. Meditation: It is especially when we are in difficulties that our prayer life becomes a source of strength and peace for us. In ever crisis we face, Jesus is bidding us come across the troubled waters to him. Through each event of our lives, our God is shaping us for a future of happiness. Prayer: Lord, it is so hard for us to recognise you in the difficult times in our lives. Yet you are always there in the midst of them, ready to reach out your hand to hold and save us. Help us to grow in trust of you. Sacred Heart of Jesus, I place all my trust in you. Music by Fr Rob Galea www.FrRobGalea.com - ℗ 2011 Robert Galea - used with permission. Visit Totus2us.com for much more - dedicated to Our Lady, it is inspired by our holy fathers - St John Paul II, Papa Benedict XVI and Pope Francis. Day 4, Novena to the Sacred Heart. Meditation: It is especially when we are in difficulties that our prayer life becomes a source of strength and peace for us. In ever crisis we face, Jesus is bidding us come across the troubled waters to him. Through each event of our lives, our God is shaping us for a future of happiness. Prayer: Lord, it is so hard for us to recognise you in the difficult times in our lives. Yet you are always there in the midst of them, ready to reach out your hand to hold and save us. Help us to grow in trust of you. Sacred Heart of Jesus, I place all my trust in you. Music by Fr Rob Galea www.FrRobGalea.com - ℗ 2011 Robert Galea - used with permission. Visit Totus2us.com for much more - dedicated to Our Lady, it is inspired by our holy fathers - St John Paul II, Papa Benedict XVI and Pope Francis. Sun, 22 Jun 2014 12:00:00 GMT 8:38 http://www.totus2us.eu/Novenas/Totus2us-Novena_to_Sacred_Heart-Day4.mp3 Sacred, Heart, Jesus, Love, God, Father, faith, prayer, Christian, Catholic Totus2us.com Day 3, Novena to the Sacred Heart. Meditation: In prayer, we come as loved and forgiven sinners to meet Jesus. He told us that he came to call sinners to repentance, and that he would give his life for love of them. He sought out their company, as he did Zacchaeus, and changed their lives. Prayer: Lord, you came to invite sinners to be your friends. Help us to recognise our need for your healing and forgiveness. When you forgive, you also forget our sins. Help us to do the same for ourselves and others. Sacred Heart of Jesus, heal us in body and spirit. Music by Fr Rob Galea www.FrRobGalea.com - ℗ 2011 Robert Galea - used with permission. Visit Totus2us.com for much more - dedicated to Our Lady, it is inspired by our holy fathers - St John Paul II, Papa Benedict XVI and Pope Francis. Day 3, Novena to the Sacred Heart. Meditation: In prayer, we come as loved and forgiven sinners to meet Jesus. He told us that he came to call sinners to repentance, and that he would give his life for love of them. He sought out their company, as he did Zacchaeus, and changed their lives. Prayer: Lord, you came to invite sinners to be your friends. Help us to recognise our need for your healing and forgiveness. When you forgive, you also forget our sins. Help us to do the same for ourselves and others. Sacred Heart of Jesus, heal us in body and spirit. Music by Fr Rob Galea www.FrRobGalea.com - ℗ 2011 Robert Galea - used with permission. Visit Totus2us.com for much more - dedicated to Our Lady, it is inspired by our holy fathers - St John Paul II, Papa Benedict XVI and Pope Francis. Sat, 21 Jun 2014 12:00:00 GMT 8:37 http://www.totus2us.eu/Novenas/Totus2us-Novena_to_Sacred_Heart-Day3.mp3 Sacred, Heart, Jesus, Love, God, Father, faith, prayer, Christian, Catholic Totus2us.com Day 2, Novena to the Sacred Heart. Meditation: If we are busy that we do not have even 15 minutes each day to feed our spirit in prayer, then we are too busy. Our human nature longs for the truth, beauty and love that are in God, and for the joy and peace to be found in being with him. Prayer: Lord, help us to hear your invitation to take our time out each day to turn aside and rest in your company. Teach us to speak to you in our own words, and teach us how to listen to you in our hearts. Sacred Heart of Jesus, stay with us always. Music by Fr Rob Galea www.FrRobGalea.com - ℗ 2011 Robert Galea - used with permission. Visit Totus2us.com for much more - dedicated to Our Lady, it is inspired by our holy fathers - St John Paul II, Papa Benedict XVI and Pope Francis. Day 2, Novena to the Sacred Heart. Meditation: If we are busy that we do not have even 15 minutes each day to feed our spirit in prayer, then we are too busy. Our human nature longs for the truth, beauty and love that are in God, and for the joy and peace to be found in being with him. Prayer: Lord, help us to hear your invitation to take our time out each day to turn aside and rest in your company. Teach us to speak to you in our own words, and teach us how to listen to you in our hearts. Sacred Heart of Jesus, stay with us always. Music by Fr Rob Galea www.FrRobGalea.com - ℗ 2011 Robert Galea - used with permission. Visit Totus2us.com for much more - dedicated to Our Lady, it is inspired by our holy fathers - St John Paul II, Papa Benedict XVI and Pope Francis. Fri, 20 Jun 2014 12:00:00 GMT 9:05 http://www.totus2us.eu/Novenas/Totus2us-Novena_to_Sacred_Heart-Day2.mp3 Sacred, Heart, Jesus, Love, God, Father, faith, prayer, Christian, Catholic Totus2us.com Day 1, Novena to the Sacred Heart. Meditation: Because prayer is a relationship of love, Jesus always leaves us free to respond or not. He asks each of us what it is we really want. To those who really want to find him, he says 'Come, and meet me in real prayer, and open your hearts to me.' Prayer: Lord Jesus, you are saying to each of us 'Come and see.' Help us to meet you truly in prayer, and to discover the joy of coming to know and love you. Teach us how to spend time with you every day. Sacred Heart of Jesus, open our hearts to you. Music by Fr Rob Galea www.FrRobGalea.com - ℗ 2011 Robert Galea - used with permission. Visit Totus2us.com for much more - dedicated to Our Lady, it is inspired by our holy fathers - St John Paul II, Papa Benedict XVI and Pope Francis. Day 1, Novena to the Sacred Heart. Meditation: Because prayer is a relationship of love, Jesus always leaves us free to respond or not. He asks each of us what it is we really want. To those who really want to find him, he says 'Come, and meet me in real prayer, and open your hearts to me.' Prayer: Lord Jesus, you are saying to each of us 'Come and see.' Help us to meet you truly in prayer, and to discover the joy of coming to know and love you. Teach us how to spend time with you every day. Sacred Heart of Jesus, open our hearts to you. Music by Fr Rob Galea www.FrRobGalea.com - ℗ 2011 Robert Galea - used with permission. Visit Totus2us.com for much more - dedicated to Our Lady, it is inspired by our holy fathers - St John Paul II, Papa Benedict XVI and Pope Francis. Thu, 19 Jun 2014 12:00:00 GMT 8:39 http://www.totus2us.eu/Novenas/Totus2us-Novena_to_Sacred_Heart-Day1.mp3 Sacred, Heart, Jesus, Love, God, Father, faith, prayer, Christian, Catholic Totus2us.com Day 9, Novena for Peace. Extracts from St John Paul II's homily at Pentecost in England, 1982: "“How many are your works, O Lord!” (Ps 104, 24). These words of the responsorial psalm evoke gratitude from our hearts and a hymn of praise from our lips. Indeed how many are the works of the Lord, how great are the effects of the Holy Spirit’s action in Confirmation! When this Sacrament is conferred, the words of the psalm are fulfilled among us: “You send forth your spirit, they are created; and you renew the face of the earth” (Ps 104 30). On the first day of Pentecost the Holy Spirit came upon the Apostles and upon Mary and filled them with his power. Today we remember that moment and we open ourselves again to the gift of that same Holy Spirit. In that Spirit we are baptized. In that Spirit we are confirmed. In that Spirit we are called to share in the mission of Christ. In that Spirit we shall indeed become the People of Pentecost, the apostles of our time. “Come, O Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful and kindle in them the fire of your love.” Amen." Music: Traditional Arabic Hymn to the Virgin, played by The Seminarians. Visit Totus2us.com for much more - dedicated to Our Lady, it is inspired by our holy fathers - St John Paul II, Papa Benedict XVI and Pope Francis. Day 9, Novena for Peace. Extracts from St John Paul II's homily at Pentecost in England, 1982: "“How many are your works, O Lord!” (Ps 104, 24). These words of the responsorial psalm evoke gratitude from our hearts and a hymn of praise from our lips. Indeed how many are the works of the Lord, how great are the effects of the Holy Spirit’s action in Confirmation! When this Sacrament is conferred, the words of the psalm are fulfilled among us: “You send forth your spirit, they are created; and you renew the face of the earth” (Ps 104 30). On the first day of Pentecost the Holy Spirit came upon the Apostles and upon Mary and filled them with his power. Today we remember that moment and we open ourselves again to the gift of that same Holy Spirit. In that Spirit we are baptized. In that Spirit we are confirmed. In that Spirit we are called to share in the mission of Christ. In that Spirit we shall indeed become the People of Pentecost, the apostles of our time. “Come, O Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful and kindle in them the fire of your love.” Amen." Music: Traditional Arabic Hymn to the Virgin, played by The Seminarians. Visit Totus2us.com for much more - dedicated to Our Lady, it is inspired by our holy fathers - St John Paul II, Papa Benedict XVI and Pope Francis. Sat, 7 Jun 2014 12:00:00 GMT 6:22 http://www.totus2us.eu/Novenas/Totus2us-Novena_for_Peace-Day9.mp3 Joy, Gospel, Love, God, Father, Jesus, faith, Christ, Pope Francis, Mary Totus2us.com Day 8, Novena for Peace. Extracts from St John Paul II's homily at Pentecost in England, 1982: "Jesus breathed on them and said: ‘Receive the Holy Spirit. For those whose sins you forgive, they are forgiven; for those whose sins you retain, they are retained’.” On that first Pentecost our Saviour gave the Apostles the power to forgive sins when he poured into their hearts the gift of the Holy Spirit. The same Holy Spirit comes to you today in the Sacrament of Confirmation, to involve you more completely in the Church’s fight against sin and in her mission of fostering holiness. He comes to dwell more fully in your hearts and to strengthen you for the struggle with evil. My dear young people, the world of today needs you, for it needs men and women who are filled with the Holy Spirit. It needs your courage and hopefulness, your faith and your perseverance. The world of tomorrow will be built by you. Today you receive the gift of the Holy Spirit so that you may work with deep faith and with abiding charity, so that you may help to bring to the world the fruits of reconciliation and peace. Strengthened by the Holy Spirit and his manifold gifts, commit yourselves wholeheartedly to the Church’s struggle against sin. Strive to be unselfish; try not to be obsessed with material things. Be active members of the People of God; be reconciled with each other and devoted to the work of justice, which will bring peace on earth." Music: Traditional Arabic Hymn to the Virgin, played by The Seminarians. Visit Totus2us.com for much more - dedicated to Our Lady, it is inspired by our holy fathers - St John Paul II, Papa Benedict XVI and Pope Francis. Day 8, Novena for Peace. Extracts from St John Paul II's homily at Pentecost in England, 1982: "Jesus breathed on them and said: ‘Receive the Holy Spirit. For those whose sins you forgive, they are forgiven; for those whose sins you retain, they are retained’.” On that first Pentecost our Saviour gave the Apostles the power to forgive sins when he poured into their hearts the gift of the Holy Spirit. The same Holy Spirit comes to you today in the Sacrament of Confirmation, to involve you more completely in the Church’s fight against sin and in her mission of fostering holiness. He comes to dwell more fully in your hearts and to strengthen you for the struggle with evil. My dear young people, the world of today needs you, for it needs men and women who are filled with the Holy Spirit. It needs your courage and hopefulness, your faith and your perseverance. The world of tomorrow will be built by you. Today you receive the gift of the Holy Spirit so that you may work with deep faith and with abiding charity, so that you may help to bring to the world the fruits of reconciliation and peace. Strengthened by the Holy Spirit and his manifold gifts, commit yourselves wholeheartedly to the Church’s struggle against sin. Strive to be unselfish; try not to be obsessed with material things. Be active members of the People of God; be reconciled with each other and devoted to the work of justice, which will bring peace on earth." Music: Traditional Arabic Hymn to the Virgin, played by The Seminarians. Visit Totus2us.com for much more - dedicated to Our Lady, it is inspired by our holy fathers - St John Paul II, Papa Benedict XVI and Pope Francis. Fri, 6 Jun 2014 12:00:00 GMT 7:04 http://www.totus2us.eu/Novenas/Totus2us-Novena_for_Peace-Day8.mp3 Joy, Gospel, Love, God, Father, Jesus, faith, Christ, Pope Francis, Mary Totus2us.com Day 7, Novena for Peace. Extracts from St John Paul II's homily at Pentecost in England, 1982: "I cannot come to the Midlands without remembering that great man of God, that pilgrim for truth, Cardinal John Henry Newman. His quest for God and for the fullness of truth - a sign of the Holy Spirit at work within him - brought him to a prayerfulness and a wisdom which still inspire us today. Indeed Cardinal Newman’s many years of seeking a fuller understanding of the faith reflect his abiding confidence in the words of Christ: “I shall ask the Father and he will give you another Advocate to be with you for ever, that Spirit of truth whom the world can never receive since it neither sees nor knows him” (Jn 14, 16-17). And so I commend to you his example of persevering faith and longing for the truth. He can help you to draw nearer to God, in whose presence he lived, and to whose service he gave himself totally. His teaching has great importance today in our search for Christian unity too, not only in this country but throughout the world. Imitate his humility and his obedience to God; pray for a wisdom like his, a wisdom that can come from God alone." Music: Traditional Arabic Hymn to the Virgin, played by The Seminarians. Visit Totus2us.com for much more - dedicated to Our Lady, it is inspired by our holy fathers - St John Paul II, Papa Benedict XVI and Pope Francis. Day 7, Novena for Peace. Extracts from St John Paul II's homily at Pentecost in England, 1982: "I cannot come to the Midlands without remembering that great man of God, that pilgrim for truth, Cardinal John Henry Newman. His quest for God and for the fullness of truth - a sign of the Holy Spirit at work within him - brought him to a prayerfulness and a wisdom which still inspire us today. Indeed Cardinal Newman’s many years of seeking a fuller understanding of the faith reflect his abiding confidence in the words of Christ: “I shall ask the Father and he will give you another Advocate to be with you for ever, that Spirit of truth whom the world can never receive since it neither sees nor knows him” (Jn 14, 16-17). And so I commend to you his example of persevering faith and longing for the truth. He can help you to draw nearer to God, in whose presence he lived, and to whose service he gave himself totally. His teaching has great importance today in our search for Christian unity too, not only in this country but throughout the world. Imitate his humility and his obedience to God; pray for a wisdom like his, a wisdom that can come from God alone." Music: Traditional Arabic Hymn to the Virgin, played by The Seminarians. Visit Totus2us.com for much more - dedicated to Our Lady, it is inspired by our holy fathers - St John Paul II, Papa Benedict XVI and Pope Francis. Thu, 5 Jun 2014 12:00:00 GMT 6:29 http://www.totus2us.eu/Novenas/Totus2us-Novena_for_Peace-Day7.mp3 Joy, Gospel, Love, God, Father, Jesus, faith, Christ, Pope Francis, Mary Totus2us.com Day 6, Novena for Peace. Extracts from St John Paul II's homily at Pentecost in England, 1982: "Let me recall for a moment the memory of two great Englishmen who can inspire you today. Study the example of Saint Boniface, born at Crediton in Devon, one of your greatest fellow-countrymen and also one of the Church’s greatest missionaries. And the Holy Spirit, given to Boniface through the sacraments of Baptism and Confirmation, strengthened his personal love for Christ and brought him to a maturity of faith. This faith radiated through his whole life. He longed to share it with others, even with those in other lands. And so, with complete trust in God and with courage and perseverance, he helped to establish the Church on the continent of Europe. You too are strengthened inwardly today by the gift of the Holy Spirit so that each of you, in your own way, can carry the Good News to your companions and friends. You, too, must show courage and perseverance in living by the standards of the Gospel in all the circumstances of your lives." Music: Traditional Arabic Hymn to the Virgin, played by The Seminarians. Visit Totus2us.com for much more - dedicated to Our Lady, it is inspired by our holy fathers - St John Paul II, Papa Benedict XVI and Pope Francis. Day 6, Novena for Peace. Extracts from St John Paul II's homily at Pentecost in England, 1982: "Let me recall for a moment the memory of two great Englishmen who can inspire you today. Study the example of Saint Boniface, born at Crediton in Devon, one of your greatest fellow-countrymen and also one of the Church’s greatest missionaries. And the Holy Spirit, given to Boniface through the sacraments of Baptism and Confirmation, strengthened his personal love for Christ and brought him to a maturity of faith. This faith radiated through his whole life. He longed to share it with others, even with those in other lands. And so, with complete trust in God and with courage and perseverance, he helped to establish the Church on the continent of Europe. You too are strengthened inwardly today by the gift of the Holy Spirit so that each of you, in your own way, can carry the Good News to your companions and friends. You, too, must show courage and perseverance in living by the standards of the Gospel in all the circumstances of your lives." Music: Traditional Arabic Hymn to the Virgin, played by The Seminarians. Visit Totus2us.com for much more - dedicated to Our Lady, it is inspired by our holy fathers - St John Paul II, Papa Benedict XVI and Pope Francis. Wed, 4 Jun 2014 12:00:00 GMT 6:00 http://www.totus2us.eu/Novenas/Totus2us-Novena_for_Peace-Day6.mp3 Joy, Gospel, Love, God, Father, Jesus, faith, Christ, Pope Francis, Mary Totus2us.com Day 5, Novena for Peace. Extracts from St John Paul II's homily at Pentecost in England, 1982: "Today you must understand that you are not alone. We are one body, one people, one Church of Christ. The sponsor who stands at your side represents for you the whole community. Together, with a great crowd of witnesses drawn from all peoples and every age, you represent Christ. You are young people who have received a mission from Christ, for he says to you today: “As the Father sent me, so I am sending you.”" Music: Traditional Arabic Hymn to the Virgin, played by The Seminarians. Visit Totus2us.com for much more - dedicated to Our Lady, it is inspired by our holy fathers - St John Paul II, Papa Benedict XVI and Pope Francis. Day 5, Novena for Peace. Extracts from St John Paul II's homily at Pentecost in England, 1982: "Today you must understand that you are not alone. We are one body, one people, one Church of Christ. The sponsor who stands at your side represents for you the whole community. Together, with a great crowd of witnesses drawn from all peoples and every age, you represent Christ. You are young people who have received a mission from Christ, for he says to you today: “As the Father sent me, so I am sending you.”" Music: Traditional Arabic Hymn to the Virgin, played by The Seminarians. Visit Totus2us.com for much more - dedicated to Our Lady, it is inspired by our holy fathers - St John Paul II, Papa Benedict XVI and Pope Francis. Tue, 3 Jun 2014 12:00:00 GMT 4:53 http://www.totus2us.eu/Novenas/Totus2us-Novena_for_Peace-Day5.mp3 Joy, Gospel, Love, God, Father, Jesus, faith, Christ, Pope Francis, Mary Totus2us.com Day 4, Novena for Peace. Extracts from St John Paul II's homily at Pentecost in England, 1982: "Christ’s gift of the Holy Spirit is going to be poured out upon you in a particular way. You will hear the words of the Church spoken over you, calling upon the Holy Spirit to confirm your faith, to seal you in his love, to strengthen you for his service. You will then take your place among fellow-Christians throughout the world, full citizens now of the People of God. You will witness to the truth of the Gospel in the name of Jesus Christ. You will live your lives in such a way as to make holy all human life. Together with all the confirmed, you will become living stones in the cathedral of peace. Indeed you are called by God to be instruments of his peace." Music: Traditional Arabic Hymn to the Virgin, played by The Seminarians. Visit Totus2us.com for much more - dedicated to Our Lady, it is inspired by our holy fathers - St John Paul II, Papa Benedict XVI and Pope Francis. Day 4, Novena for Peace. Extracts from St John Paul II's homily at Pentecost in England, 1982: "Christ’s gift of the Holy Spirit is going to be poured out upon you in a particular way. You will hear the words of the Church spoken over you, calling upon the Holy Spirit to confirm your faith, to seal you in his love, to strengthen you for his service. You will then take your place among fellow-Christians throughout the world, full citizens now of the People of God. You will witness to the truth of the Gospel in the name of Jesus Christ. You will live your lives in such a way as to make holy all human life. Together with all the confirmed, you will become living stones in the cathedral of peace. Indeed you are called by God to be instruments of his peace." Music: Traditional Arabic Hymn to the Virgin, played by The Seminarians. Visit Totus2us.com for much more - dedicated to Our Lady, it is inspired by our holy fathers - St John Paul II, Papa Benedict XVI and Pope Francis. Mon, 2 Jun 2014 12:00:00 GMT 5:21 http://www.totus2us.eu/Novenas/Totus2us-Novena_for_Peace-Day4.mp3 Joy, Gospel, Love, God, Father, Jesus, faith, Christ, Pope Francis, Mary Totus2us.com Day 3, Novena for Peace. Extracts from St John Paul II's homily at Pentecost in England, 1982: "I would now like to speak especially to the young people who are about to receive the Sacrament of Confirmation. Today’s Gospel has special meaning for you, for it says that Jesus came and stood among them. He said to them, ‘Peace be with you’, and showed them his hands and his side. The disciples were filled with joy when they saw the Lord, and he said to them again, ‘Peace be with you. As the Father sent me, so I am sending you.’ After saying this he breathed on them and said: ‘Receive the Holy Spirit’” (Jn 20, 20-22)." Music: Traditional Arabic Hymn to the Virgin, played by The Seminarians. Visit Totus2us.com for much more - dedicated to Our Lady, it is inspired by our holy fathers - St John Paul II, Papa Benedict XVI and Pope Francis. Day 3, Novena for Peace. Extracts from St John Paul II's homily at Pentecost in England, 1982: "I would now like to speak especially to the young people who are about to receive the Sacrament of Confirmation. Today’s Gospel has special meaning for you, for it says that Jesus came and stood among them. He said to them, ‘Peace be with you’, and showed them his hands and his side. The disciples were filled with joy when they saw the Lord, and he said to them again, ‘Peace be with you. As the Father sent me, so I am sending you.’ After saying this he breathed on them and said: ‘Receive the Holy Spirit’” (Jn 20, 20-22)." Music: Traditional Arabic Hymn to the Virgin, played by The Seminarians. Visit Totus2us.com for much more - dedicated to Our Lady, it is inspired by our holy fathers - St John Paul II, Papa Benedict XVI and Pope Francis. Sun, 1 Jun 2014 12:00:00 GMT 4:56 http://www.totus2us.eu/Novenas/Totus2us-Novena_for_Peace-Day3.mp3 Joy, Gospel, Love, God, Father, Jesus, faith, Christ, Pope Francis, Mary Totus2us.com Day 2, Novena for Peace. Extracts from St John Paul II's homily at Pentecost in England, 1982: "Yet the cathedral of peace is built of many small stones. Each person has to become a stone in that beautiful edifice. Al people must deliberately and resolutely commit themselves to the pursuit of peace. Mistrust and division between nations begin in the heart of individuals. Work for peace starts when we listen to the urgent call of Christ: “Repent and believe in the gospel” (Mk 1, 15). We must turn from domination to service; we must turn from violence to peace; we must turn from ourselves to Christ, who alone can give us a new heart, a new understanding. Each individual, at some moment in his or her life, is destined to hear this call from Christ. Each person’s response leads to death or to life. Faith in Christ, the Incarnate Word of God, will bring us into the way of peace." Music: Traditional Arabic Hymn to the Virgin, played by The Seminarians. Visit Totus2us.com for much more - dedicated to Our Lady, it is inspired by our holy fathers - St John Paul II, Papa Benedict XVI and Pope Francis. Day 2, Novena for Peace. Extracts from St John Paul II's homily at Pentecost in England, 1982: "Yet the cathedral of peace is built of many small stones. Each person has to become a stone in that beautiful edifice. Al people must deliberately and resolutely commit themselves to the pursuit of peace. Mistrust and division between nations begin in the heart of individuals. Work for peace starts when we listen to the urgent call of Christ: “Repent and believe in the gospel” (Mk 1, 15). We must turn from domination to service; we must turn from violence to peace; we must turn from ourselves to Christ, who alone can give us a new heart, a new understanding. Each individual, at some moment in his or her life, is destined to hear this call from Christ. Each person’s response leads to death or to life. Faith in Christ, the Incarnate Word of God, will bring us into the way of peace." Music: Traditional Arabic Hymn to the Virgin, played by The Seminarians. Visit Totus2us.com for much more - dedicated to Our Lady, it is inspired by our holy fathers - St John Paul II, Papa Benedict XVI and Pope Francis. Sat, 31 May 2014 12:00:00 GMT 5:35 http://www.totus2us.eu/Novenas/Totus2us-Novena_for_Peace-Day2.mp3 Joy, Gospel, Love, God, Father, Jesus, faith, Christ, Pope Francis, Mary Totus2us.com Day 1, Novena for Peace. Extracts from St John Paul II's homily at Pentecost in England, 1982: "Wherever the strong exploit the weak; wherever the rich take advantage of the poor; wherever great powers seek to dominate and to impose ideologies, there the work of making peace is undone; there the cathedral of peace is again destroyed. Today, the scale and the horror of modern warfare - whether nuclear or not - makes it totally unacceptable as a means of settling differences between nations. War should belong to the tragic past, to history; it should find no place on humanity’s agenda for the future. And so, this morning, I invite you to pray with me for the cause of peace. Let us pray earnestly for the Special Session of the United Nations on Disarmament which begins soon. The voices of Christians join with others in urging the leaders of the world to abandon confrontation and to turn their backs on policies which require the nations to spend vast sums of money for weapons of mass destruction. We pray this Pentecost that the Holy Spirit may inspire the leaders of the world to engage in fruitful dialogue. May the Holy Spirit lead them to adopt peaceful ways of safeguarding liberty which do not involve the threat of nuclear disaster." Music: Traditional Arabic Hymn to the Virgin, played by The Seminarians. Visit Totus2us.com for much more - dedicated to Our Lady, it is inspired by our holy fathers - St John Paul II, Papa Benedict XVI and Pope Francis. Day 1, Novena for Peace. Extracts from St John Paul II's homily at Pentecost in England, 1982: "Wherever the strong exploit the weak; wherever the rich take advantage of the poor; wherever great powers seek to dominate and to impose ideologies, there the work of making peace is undone; there the cathedral of peace is again destroyed. Today, the scale and the horror of modern warfare - whether nuclear or not - makes it totally unacceptable as a means of settling differences between nations. War should belong to the tragic past, to history; it should find no place on humanity’s agenda for the future. And so, this morning, I invite you to pray with me for the cause of peace. Let us pray earnestly for the Special Session of the United Nations on Disarmament which begins soon. The voices of Christians join with others in urging the leaders of the world to abandon confrontation and to turn their backs on policies which require the nations to spend vast sums of money for weapons of mass destruction. We pray this Pentecost that the Holy Spirit may inspire the leaders of the world to engage in fruitful dialogue. May the Holy Spirit lead them to adopt peaceful ways of safeguarding liberty which do not involve the threat of nuclear disaster." Music: Traditional Arabic Hymn to the Virgin, played by The Seminarians. Visit Totus2us.com for much more - dedicated to Our Lady, it is inspired by our holy fathers - St John Paul II, Papa Benedict XVI and Pope Francis. Fri, 30 May 2014 12:00:00 GMT 7:01 http://www.totus2us.eu/Novenas/Totus2us-Novena_for_Peace-Day1.mp3 Joy, Gospel, Love, God, Father, Jesus, faith, Christ, Pope Francis, Mary Totus2us.com Day 9, Novena to Mary, Mother of our faith. Quote from Papa Francisco's encyclical on faith, Lumen Fidei: " In the family, faith accompanies all the stages of life, starting with childhood: children learn to trust in the love of their parents. This is why it is important that parents cultivate in the family common practices of the faith, which accompany the maturation of the faith of their children. Above all young people, who go through a stage of life so complex, rich and important for their faith, must feel the closeness and attention of the family and of the ecclesial community on their pathway of growth in faith. We have all seen how, at the World Youth Days, young people show the joy of faith, the commitment to live a faith ever firmer and more generous. Young people have the desire for a great life/desire a life that is great. The encounter with Christ, letting oneself be caught and guided by his love, widens the horizon of existence, gives it a solid hope which does not deceive. Faith is not a refuge for people without courage, but the expansion of life. It makes one discover a great call, the vocation to love, and assures one that this love is trustworthy, that it is worth surrendering oneself to it, because its foundation is found in God's faithfulness, stronger than our every fragility." Music performed by seminarians Daniel Weatherley and John Watts. For much more, visit Totus2us.com which is dedicated to Our Lady and inspired by our holy Papas - Blessed John Paul II, Benedict XVI and Pope Francis. Day 9, Novena to Mary, Mother of our faith. Quote from Papa Francisco's encyclical on faith, Lumen Fidei: " In the family, faith accompanies all the stages of life, starting with childhood: children learn to trust in the love of their parents. This is why it is important that parents cultivate in the family common practices of the faith, which accompany the maturation of the faith of their children. Above all young people, who go through a stage of life so complex, rich and important for their faith, must feel the closeness and attention of the family and of the ecclesial community on their pathway of growth in faith. We have all seen how, at the World Youth Days, young people show the joy of faith, the commitment to live a faith ever firmer and more generous. Young people have the desire for a great life/desire a life that is great. The encounter with Christ, letting oneself be caught and guided by his love, widens the horizon of existence, gives it a solid hope which does not deceive. Faith is not a refuge for people without courage, but the expansion of life. It makes one discover a great call, the vocation to love, and assures one that this love is trustworthy, that it is worth surrendering oneself to it, because its foundation is found in God's faithfulness, stronger than our every fragility." Music performed by seminarians Daniel Weatherley and John Watts. For much more, visit Totus2us.com which is dedicated to Our Lady and inspired by our holy Papas - Blessed John Paul II, Benedict XVI and Pope Francis. Wed, 14 Aug 2013 12:00:00 GMT 12:45 http://www.totus2us.eu/Novenas/Totus2us-Novena_to_Mary_Mother_of_our_Faith-Day9.mp3 Love, God, Father, Jesus, hope, faith, Christ, Pope Francis, Mother, Mary Totus2us.com Day 8, Novena to Mary, Mother of our faith. Quote from Papa Francisco's encyclical on faith, Lumen Fidei: " In the family, faith accompanies all the stages of life, starting with childhood: children learn to trust in the love of their parents. This is why it is important that parents cultivate in the family common practices of the faith, which accompany the maturation of the faith of their children. Above all young people, who go through a stage of life so complex, rich and important for their faith, must feel the closeness and attention of the family and of the ecclesial community on their pathway of growth in faith. We have all seen how, at the World Youth Days, young people show the joy of faith, the commitment to live a faith ever firmer and more generous. Young people have the desire for a great life/desire a life that is great. The encounter with Christ, letting oneself be caught and guided by his love, widens the horizon of existence, gives it a solid hope which does not deceive. Faith is not a refuge for people without courage, but the expansion of life. It makes one discover a great call, the vocation to love, and assures one that this love is trustworthy, that it is worth surrendering oneself to it, because its foundation is found in God's faithfulness, stronger than our every fragility." Music performed by seminarians Daniel Weatherley and John Watts. For much more, visit Totus2us.com which is dedicated to Our Lady and inspired by our holy Papas - Blessed John Paul II, Benedict XVI and Pope Francis. Day 8, Novena to Mary, Mother of our faith. Quote from Papa Francisco's encyclical on faith, Lumen Fidei: " In the family, faith accompanies all the stages of life, starting with childhood: children learn to trust in the love of their parents. This is why it is important that parents cultivate in the family common practices of the faith, which accompany the maturation of the faith of their children. Above all young people, who go through a stage of life so complex, rich and important for their faith, must feel the closeness and attention of the family and of the ecclesial community on their pathway of growth in faith. We have all seen how, at the World Youth Days, young people show the joy of faith, the commitment to live a faith ever firmer and more generous. Young people have the desire for a great life/desire a life that is great. The encounter with Christ, letting oneself be caught and guided by his love, widens the horizon of existence, gives it a solid hope which does not deceive. Faith is not a refuge for people without courage, but the expansion of life. It makes one discover a great call, the vocation to love, and assures one that this love is trustworthy, that it is worth surrendering oneself to it, because its foundation is found in God's faithfulness, stronger than our every fragility." Music performed by seminarians Daniel Weatherley and John Watts. For much more, visit Totus2us.com which is dedicated to Our Lady and inspired by our holy Papas - Blessed John Paul II, Benedict XVI and Pope Francis. Tue, 13 Aug 2013 12:00:00 GMT 15:43 http://www.totus2us.eu/Novenas/Totus2us-Novena_to_Mary_Mother_of_our_Faith-Day8.mp3 Love, God, Father, Jesus, hope, faith, Christ, Pope Francis, Mother, Mary Totus2us.com Day 7, Novena to Mary, Mother of our faith. Quote from Papa Francisco's encyclical on faith, Lumen Fidei: "Two other elements are essential to/in the faithful transmission of the memory of the Church. First, the Lord’s Prayer, the Our Father. In it the Christian learns to share in the same spiritual experience as Christ and begins to see with the eyes of Christ. Starting from the One who is Light from Light, from the Only Begotten Son of the Father, we too know God and can light in others the desire to draw near to Him. Just as important is the connection between faith and the Decalogue. Faith, we have said, appears like a pathway, a road to be taken/followed/tread, open to the encounter with the living God. For this reason, to the light of faith, of total entrustment to God who saves, the Decalogue acquires its deepest truth, contained in the words which introduce the ten commandments: I am the Lord your God who has brought you out of the land of Egypt" (Ex 20, 2). The Decalogue is not a set of negative precepts, but of concrete directions for leaving the desert of one's self-referential "I", closed in on itself, and entering into dialogue with God, letting oneself be embraced by his mercy so as to bear/bring his mercy. Faith confesses thus the love of God, origin and support/upholder of all, lets itself be moved by this love so as to walk towards the fullness of communion with God. The Decalogue appears as the pathway of gratitude, of the response of love, possible because, in faith, we are open to the experience of God's transforming love for us. And this pathway receives a new light from what Jesus taught in the Sermon on the Mount (cf Mt 5-7)." Music performed by seminarians Daniel Weatherley and John Watts. For much more, visit Totus2us.com which is dedicated to Our Lady and inspired by our holy Papas - Blessed John Paul II, Benedict XVI and Pope Francis. Day 7, Novena to Mary, Mother of our faith. Quote from Papa Francisco's encyclical on faith, Lumen Fidei: "Two other elements are essential to/in the faithful transmission of the memory of the Church. First, the Lord’s Prayer, the Our Father. In it the Christian learns to share in the same spiritual experience as Christ and begins to see with the eyes of Christ. Starting from the One who is Light from Light, from the Only Begotten Son of the Father, we too know God and can light in others the desire to draw near to Him. Just as important is the connection between faith and the Decalogue. Faith, we have said, appears like a pathway, a road to be taken/followed/tread, open to the encounter with the living God. For this reason, to the light of faith, of total entrustment to God who saves, the Decalogue acquires its deepest truth, contained in the words which introduce the ten commandments: I am the Lord your God who has brought you out of the land of Egypt" (Ex 20, 2). The Decalogue is not a set of negative precepts, but of concrete directions for leaving the desert of one's self-referential "I", closed in on itself, and entering into dialogue with God, letting oneself be embraced by his mercy so as to bear/bring his mercy. Faith confesses thus the love of God, origin and support/upholder of all, lets itself be moved by this love so as to walk towards the fullness of communion with God. The Decalogue appears as the pathway of gratitude, of the response of love, possible because, in faith, we are open to the experience of God's transforming love for us. And this pathway receives a new light from what Jesus taught in the Sermon on the Mount (cf Mt 5-7)." Music performed by seminarians Daniel Weatherley and John Watts. For much more, visit Totus2us.com which is dedicated to Our Lady and inspired by our holy Papas - Blessed John Paul II, Benedict XVI and Pope Francis. Mon, 12 Aug 2013 12:00:00 GMT 11:51 http://www.totus2us.eu/Novenas/Totus2us-Novena_to_Mary_Mother_of_our_Faith-Day7.mp3 Love, God, Father, Jesus, hope, faith, Christ, Pope Francis, Mother, Mary Totus2us.com Day 6, Novena to Mary, Mother of our faith. Quote from Papa Francisco's encyclical on faith, Lumen Fidei: "The sacramental nature of faith finds its highest expression in the Eucharist. It is the precious nourishment of faith, the encounter with Christ present in a real way with the supreme act of love, the gift of his very Self which generates life. In the Eucharist we find the intersection of the two axes on which faith treads its pathway. On one side, the axis of history: the Eucharist is the act of memory, the actualisation of the mystery, in which the past, as the event of the death and resurrection, shows its capacity to open up to the future, of anticipating the final fullness. The liturgy reminds us with its hodie, the "today" of the mysteries of salvation. From another side, there is the axis which leads from the visible world towards the invisible. In the Eucharist we learn to see the depth of the real. The bread and wine are transformed into the body and blood of Christ, who makes himself present in his paschal pathway towards the Father: this movement introduces us, both and soul, into the movement of all that is created towards its fullness in God." Music performed by seminarians Daniel Weatherley and John Watts. For much more, visit Totus2us.com which is dedicated to Our Lady and inspired by our holy Papas - Blessed John Paul II, Benedict XVI and Pope Francis. Day 6, Novena to Mary, Mother of our faith. Quote from Papa Francisco's encyclical on faith, Lumen Fidei: "The sacramental nature of faith finds its highest expression in the Eucharist. It is the precious nourishment of faith, the encounter with Christ present in a real way with the supreme act of love, the gift of his very Self which generates life. In the Eucharist we find the intersection of the two axes on which faith treads its pathway. On one side, the axis of history: the Eucharist is the act of memory, the actualisation of the mystery, in which the past, as the event of the death and resurrection, shows its capacity to open up to the future, of anticipating the final fullness. The liturgy reminds us with its hodie, the "today" of the mysteries of salvation. From another side, there is the axis which leads from the visible world towards the invisible. In the Eucharist we learn to see the depth of the real. The bread and wine are transformed into the body and blood of Christ, who makes himself present in his paschal pathway towards the Father: this movement introduces us, both and soul, into the movement of all that is created towards its fullness in God." Music performed by seminarians Daniel Weatherley and John Watts. For much more, visit Totus2us.com which is dedicated to Our Lady and inspired by our holy Papas - Blessed John Paul II, Benedict XVI and Pope Francis. Sun, 11 Aug 2013 12:00:00 GMT 22:10 http://www.totus2us.eu/Novenas/Totus2us-Novena_to_Mary_Mother_of_our_Faith-Day6.mp3 Love, God, Father, Jesus, hope, faith, Christ, Pope Francis, Mother, Mary Totus2us.com Day 5, Novena to Mary, Mother of our faith. Quote from Papa Francisco's encyclical on faith, Lumen Fidei: "Christian faith, inasmuch as it proclaims the truth of God's total love and opens to the power of this love, arrives at the deepest centre of the experience of every man, who comes to the light thanks to love and is called to love so as to remain in the light. Motivated by a desire to illuminate the whole of reality starting from the love of God made manifest in Jesus, in seeking to love with this same love, the first Christians found in the Greek world, with its hunger for truth, a suitable partner for dialogue. The encounter of the Gospel message with the philosophical thought of the ancient world constituted a decisive passage for the Gospel to come to all peoples, and encouraged a fruitful interaction between faith and reason, which went on developing through the centuries, down to the present day. Blessed John Paul II, in his encyclical Letter Fides et ratio, showed how faith and reason each strengthen the other. When we find the full light of Jesus's love, we discover that in each of our loves there was present a glimmer of that light and we understand what was its ultimate goal. And, at the same time, the fact that our love bears with it a light, helps us to see the pathway of love towards the fullness of the total self-gift of the Son of God for us. In this circular movement, the light of faith illuminates all our human relationships, which can be lived in union with the love and tenderness of Christ." Music performed by seminarians Daniel Weatherley and John Watts. For much more, visit Totus2us.com which is dedicated to Our Lady and inspired by our holy Papas - Blessed John Paul II, Benedict XVI and Pope Francis. Day 5, Novena to Mary, Mother of our faith. Quote from Papa Francisco's encyclical on faith, Lumen Fidei: "Christian faith, inasmuch as it proclaims the truth of God's total love and opens to the power of this love, arrives at the deepest centre of the experience of every man, who comes to the light thanks to love and is called to love so as to remain in the light. Motivated by a desire to illuminate the whole of reality starting from the love of God made manifest in Jesus, in seeking to love with this same love, the first Christians found in the Greek world, with its hunger for truth, a suitable partner for dialogue. The encounter of the Gospel message with the philosophical thought of the ancient world constituted a decisive passage for the Gospel to come to all peoples, and encouraged a fruitful interaction between faith and reason, which went on developing through the centuries, down to the present day. Blessed John Paul II, in his encyclical Letter Fides et ratio, showed how faith and reason each strengthen the other. When we find the full light of Jesus's love, we discover that in each of our loves there was present a glimmer of that light and we understand what was its ultimate goal. And, at the same time, the fact that our love bears with it a light, helps us to see the pathway of love towards the fullness of the total self-gift of the Son of God for us. In this circular movement, the light of faith illuminates all our human relationships, which can be lived in union with the love and tenderness of Christ." Music performed by seminarians Daniel Weatherley and John Watts. For much more, visit Totus2us.com which is dedicated to Our Lady and inspired by our holy Papas - Blessed John Paul II, Benedict XVI and Pope Francis. Sat, 10 Aug 2013 12:00:00 GMT 18:53 http://www.totus2us.eu/Novenas/Totus2us-Novena_to_Mary_Mother_of_our_Faith-Day5.mp3 Love, God, Father, Jesus, hope, faith, Christ, Pope Francis, Mother, Mary Totus2us.com Day 4, Novena to Mary, Mother of our faith. Quote from Papa Francisco's encyclical on faith, Lumen Fidei: "If love needs truth, truth also needs love. Love and truth cannot be separated. Without love, the truth becomes cold, impersonal, oppressive for the concrete life of the person. The truth which we seek, that which offers meaning to our steps, illuminates us when we are touched by love. The one who loves understands that love is an experience of truth, that it opens our eyes to see all of reality in a new way, in union with the person loved. On this meaning, Saint Gregory the Great wrote that "amore ipse notitia est", love itself is a knowledge, bears with it a new logic. It is a relational way of looking at the world, that becomes shared knowledge, a vision in the vision of another and a common vision upon all things. William of Saint Thierry, in the Middle Ages, follows this tradition when he comments on a verse in the Song of Songs in which love says to the beloved: Your eyes are the eyes of a dove (cf Song 1, 15). The two eyes, explains William, are believing reason and love, which become a single eye so as to reach the contemplation of God, when the intellect/intelligence is made "intellect of an illuminated love."" Music performed by seminarians Daniel Weatherley and John Watts. For much more, visit Totus2us.com which is dedicated to Our Lady and inspired by our holy Papas - Blessed John Paul II, Benedict XVI and Pope Francis. Day 4, Novena to Mary, Mother of our faith. Quote from Papa Francisco's encyclical on faith, Lumen Fidei: "If love needs truth, truth also needs love. Love and truth cannot be separated. Without love, the truth becomes cold, impersonal, oppressive for the concrete life of the person. The truth which we seek, that which offers meaning to our steps, illuminates us when we are touched by love. The one who loves understands that love is an experience of truth, that it opens our eyes to see all of reality in a new way, in union with the person loved. On this meaning, Saint Gregory the Great wrote that "amore ipse notitia est", love itself is a knowledge, bears with it a new logic. It is a relational way of looking at the world, that becomes shared knowledge, a vision in the vision of another and a common vision upon all things. William of Saint Thierry, in the Middle Ages, follows this tradition when he comments on a verse in the Song of Songs in which love says to the beloved: Your eyes are the eyes of a dove (cf Song 1, 15). The two eyes, explains William, are believing reason and love, which become a single eye so as to reach the contemplation of God, when the intellect/intelligence is made "intellect of an illuminated love."" Music performed by seminarians Daniel Weatherley and John Watts. For much more, visit Totus2us.com which is dedicated to Our Lady and inspired by our holy Papas - Blessed John Paul II, Benedict XVI and Pope Francis. Fri, 9 Aug 2013 12:00:00 GMT 23:45 http://www.totus2us.eu/Novenas/Totus2us-Novena_to_Mary_Mother_of_our_Faith-Day4.mp3 Love, God, Father, Jesus, hope, faith, Christ, Pope Francis, Mother, Mary Totus2us.com Day 3, Novena to Mary, Mother of our faith. Quote from Papa Francisco's encyclical on faith, Lumen Fidei: "Now, the death of Christ reveals the total reliability of God's love in the light of his Resurrection. As the risen one, Christ is the reliable witness, worthy of faith (cf Ap 1, 5; Heb 2, 17), the solid support for our faith. "If Christ is not risen, your faith is in vain", affirms St Paul (1 Cor 15, 17). If the Father's love had not made Jesus rise from the dead, if it had not been able to restore life to his body, then it would not be a fully reliable love, capable of illuminating even the darkness of death. When St Paul speaks of his new life in Christ, he refers to "faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me" (Gal 2:20). This "faith in the Son of God" is certainly the faith of the Apostle of the gentiles in Jesus, but also presupposes the reliability of Jesus, which is based, yes, on his love even unto death, but also in his being the Son of God. Precisely because Jesus is the Son, because he is rooted in an absolute way in the Father, he was able to conquer death and make life shine forth in its fullness. Our culture has lost the perception of this concrete presence of God, of his action in the world. We think that God is found only in the beyond, in another level of reality, separated from our concrete relationships. But if this were so, if God were incapable of acting in the world, his love would not be truly powerful, truly real, and would then not even be true love, capable of accomplishing this happiness which it promises. To believe or not to believe in Him would thus be a totally indifferent matter. Christians, on the contrary, confess the concrete and powerful love of God, which truly works in history and determines its final destiny, a love which has made itself encounterable, which has fully revealed itself in the Passion, Death and Resurrection of Christ." Music performed by seminarians Daniel Weatherley and John Watts. For much more, visit Totus2us.com which is dedicated to Our Lady and inspired by our holy Papas - Blessed John Paul II, Benedict XVI and Pope Francis. Day 3, Novena to Mary, Mother of our faith. Quote from Papa Francisco's encyclical on faith, Lumen Fidei: "Now, the death of Christ reveals the total reliability of God's love in the light of his Resurrection. As the risen one, Christ is the reliable witness, worthy of faith (cf Ap 1, 5; Heb 2, 17), the solid support for our faith. "If Christ is not risen, your faith is in vain", affirms St Paul (1 Cor 15, 17). If the Father's love had not made Jesus rise from the dead, if it had not been able to restore life to his body, then it would not be a fully reliable love, capable of illuminating even the darkness of death. When St Paul speaks of his new life in Christ, he refers to "faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me" (Gal 2:20). This "faith in the Son of God" is certainly the faith of the Apostle of the gentiles in Jesus, but also presupposes the reliability of Jesus, which is based, yes, on his love even unto death, but also in his being the Son of God. Precisely because Jesus is the Son, because he is rooted in an absolute way in the Father, he was able to conquer death and make life shine forth in its fullness. Our culture has lost the perception of this concrete presence of God, of his action in the world. We think that God is found only in the beyond, in another level of reality, separated from our concrete relationships. But if this were so, if God were incapable of acting in the world, his love would not be truly powerful, truly real, and would then not even be true love, capable of accomplishing this happiness which it promises. To believe or not to believe in Him would thus be a totally indifferent matter. Christians, on the contrary, confess the concrete and powerful love of God, which truly works in history and determines its final destiny, a love which has made itself encounterable, which has fully revealed itself in the Passion, Death and Resurrection of Christ." Music performed by seminarians Daniel Weatherley and John Watts. For much more, visit Totus2us.com which is dedicated to Our Lady and inspired by our holy Papas - Blessed John Paul II, Benedict XVI and Pope Francis. Thu, 8 Aug 2013 12:00:00 GMT 20:53 http://www.totus2us.eu/Novenas/Totus2us-Novena_to_Mary_Mother_of_our_Faith-Day3.mp3 Love, God, Father, Jesus, hope, faith, Christ, Pope Francis, Mother, Mary Totus2us.com Day 2, Novena to Mary, Mother of our faith. Quote from Papa Francisco's encyclical on faith, Lumen Fidei: "Faith opens the pathway before us and accompanies our steps in history. This is why, if we want to understand what faith is, we must recount its course, the way of believers, testified in the first place in the Old Testament. A unique place belongs to Abraham, our father in faith. In his life an overwhelming fact happens: God gives him the Word, reveals himself as a God who speaks and who calls him by name.Faith is linked to hearing. Abraham does not see God, but hears his voice. In this way faith assumes a personal character. God is thus not the God of a place, nor the God tied to a specific sacred time, but the God of a person, (indeed) the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, capable of entering into contact with man and establishing with him a covenant. Faith is the response to a Word which summons personally, to a You who calls us by name." Music performed by seminarians Daniel Weatherley and John Watts. For much more, visit Totus2us.com which is dedicated to Our Lady and inspired by our holy Papas - Blessed John Paul II, Benedict XVI and Pope Francis. Day 2, Novena to Mary, Mother of our faith. Quote from Papa Francisco's encyclical on faith, Lumen Fidei: "Faith opens the pathway before us and accompanies our steps in history. This is why, if we want to understand what faith is, we must recount its course, the way of believers, testified in the first place in the Old Testament. A unique place belongs to Abraham, our father in faith. In his life an overwhelming fact happens: God gives him the Word, reveals himself as a God who speaks and who calls him by name.Faith is linked to hearing. Abraham does not see God, but hears his voice. In this way faith assumes a personal character. God is thus not the God of a place, nor the God tied to a specific sacred time, but the God of a person, (indeed) the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, capable of entering into contact with man and establishing with him a covenant. Faith is the response to a Word which summons personally, to a You who calls us by name." Music performed by seminarians Daniel Weatherley and John Watts. For much more, visit Totus2us.com which is dedicated to Our Lady and inspired by our holy Papas - Blessed John Paul II, Benedict XVI and Pope Francis. Wed, 7 Aug 2013 12:00:00 GMT 15:47 http://www.totus2us.eu/Novenas/Totus2us-Novena_to_Mary_Mother_of_our_Faith-Day2.mp3 Love, God, Father, Jesus, hope, faith, Christ, Pope Francis, Mother, Mary Totus2us.com Day 1, Novena to Mary, Mother of our faith. Quote from Papa Francisco's encyclical on faith, Lumen Fidei: "The light of faith: with this expression, the tradition of the Church has indicated/shown the great gift brought by Jesus, who, in the Gospel of John, presents himself thus: "I have come as light into the world, that everyone who believes in me may not remain in darkness" (Jn 12:46). Saint Paul also expresses it in these terms: "And God who said ‘Let light shine out of darkness,’ shines in our hearts" (2 Cor 4:6). In the pagan world, hungry for light, the cult to the Sun god developed, Sol Invictus, invoked each day at sunrise. Yet though the sun was born anew each morning, it was clearly incapable of radiating its light on man's entire existence. The sun, in fact, does not illuminate the whole of reality, its beam cannot pierce through to the shadow of death, there where the human eye is closed to its light. "No one — affirms Saint Justin (the) Martyr — has ever been ready to die for his faith in the sun". Aware of the great horizon which faith opened to them, the Christians called Christ the true sun "whose rays give life". To Martha, who wept over the death of her brother Lazarus, Jesus said: "Did I not tell you that if you believed, you would see the glory of God?" (Jn 11:40). The one who believes, sees; sees with a light that illuminates the whole route of the road, because it comes to us from the risen Christ, the morning star that never sets." Music performed by seminarians Daniel Weatherley and John Watts. For much more, visit Totus2us.com which is dedicated to Our Lady and inspired by our holy Papas - Blessed John Paul II, Benedict XVI and Pope Francis. Day 1, Novena to Mary, Mother of our faith. Quote from Papa Francisco's encyclical on faith, Lumen Fidei: "The light of faith: with this expression, the tradition of the Church has indicated/shown the great gift brought by Jesus, who, in the Gospel of John, presents himself thus: "I have come as light into the world, that everyone who believes in me may not remain in darkness" (Jn 12:46). Saint Paul also expresses it in these terms: "And God who said ‘Let light shine out of darkness,’ shines in our hearts" (2 Cor 4:6). In the pagan world, hungry for light, the cult to the Sun god developed, Sol Invictus, invoked each day at sunrise. Yet though the sun was born anew each morning, it was clearly incapable of radiating its light on man's entire existence. The sun, in fact, does not illuminate the whole of reality, its beam cannot pierce through to the shadow of death, there where the human eye is closed to its light. "No one — affirms Saint Justin (the) Martyr — has ever been ready to die for his faith in the sun". Aware of the great horizon which faith opened to them, the Christians called Christ the true sun "whose rays give life". To Martha, who wept over the death of her brother Lazarus, Jesus said: "Did I not tell you that if you believed, you would see the glory of God?" (Jn 11:40). The one who believes, sees; sees with a light that illuminates the whole route of the road, because it comes to us from the risen Christ, the morning star that never sets." Music performed by seminarians Daniel Weatherley and John Watts. For much more, visit Totus2us.com which is dedicated to Our Lady and inspired by our holy Papas - Blessed John Paul II, Benedict XVI and Pope Francis. Tue, 6 Aug 2013 12:00:00 GMT 13:26 http://www.totus2us.eu/Novenas/Totus2us-Novena_to_Mary_Mother_of_our_Faith-Day1.mp3 Love, God, Father, Jesus, hope, faith, Christ, Pope Francis, Mother, Mary Totus2us.com Day 9, Novena to Our Lady of Lourdes. Quote from John Paul II's apostolic letter on the salvific meaning of suffering, Salvifici Doloris: "" Music sung by the Holy Redeemer Choir. Visit Totus2us.com for much more. Day 9, Novena to Our Lady of Lourdes. Quote from John Paul II's apostolic letter on the salvific meaning of suffering, Salvifici Doloris: "" Music sung by the Holy Redeemer Choir. Visit Totus2us.com for much more. Fri, 10 Feb 2012 12:00:00 GMT 11:15 http://www.totus2us.eu/Novenas/Totus2us-Novena_to_Our_Lady_of_Lourdes-Day9.mp3 Love, God, Father, Jesus, hope, faith, Christ, John Paul II, Mother, Mary, suffering Totus2us.com Day 8, Novena to Our Lady of Lourdes. Quote from John Paul II's apostolic letter on the salvific meaning of suffering, Salvifici Doloris: "" Music sung by the Holy Redeemer Choir. Visit Totus2us.com for much more. Day 8, Novena to Our Lady of Lourdes. Quote from John Paul II's apostolic letter on the salvific meaning of suffering, Salvifici Doloris: "" Music sung by the Holy Redeemer Choir. Visit Totus2us.com for much more. Thu, 9 Feb 2012 12:00:00 GMT 19:50 http://www.totus2us.eu/Novenas/Totus2us-Novena_to_Our_Lady_of_Lourdes-Day8.mp3 Love, God, Father, Jesus, hope, faith, Christ, John Paul II, Mother, Mary, suffering Totus2us.com Day 7, Novena to Our Lady of Lourdes. Quote from John Paul II's apostolic letter on the salvific meaning of suffering, Salvifici Doloris: "" Music sung by the Holy Redeemer Choir. Visit Totus2us.com for much more. Day 7, Novena to Our Lady of Lourdes. Quote from John Paul II's apostolic letter on the salvific meaning of suffering, Salvifici Doloris: "" Music sung by the Holy Redeemer Choir. Visit Totus2us.com for much more. Wed, 8 Feb 2012 12:00:00 GMT 26:22 http://www.totus2us.eu/Novenas/Totus2us-Novena_to_Our_Lady_of_Lourdes-Day7.mp3 Love, God, Father, Jesus, hope, faith, Christ, John Paul II, Mother, Mary, suffering Totus2us.com Day 6, Novena to Our Lady of Lourdes. Quote from John Paul II's apostolic letter on the salvific meaning of suffering, Salvifici Doloris: "Does this mean that the Redemption accomplished by Christ is not complete? No. It only means that the Redemption, worked through the power of reparatory love, remains constantly open to all love which is expressed in human suffering. In this dimension — in the dimension of love — the Redemption already totally and fully accomplished is, in a certain sense, being accomplished constantly. Christ has worked the Redemption completely and to the very end; but, at the same time, he has not closed it: in this redemptive suffering, through which is worked the Redemption of the world, Christ has opened himself from the beginning, and constantly opens himself to every human suffering. Yes, it seems to be part of the very essence of the redemptive suffering of Christ that it requires to be unceasingly completed. In this way, with such an openness to every human suffering, Christ has worked through his own suffering the Redemption of the world. For indeed, this Redemption, even though accomplished in all its fullness by the suffering of Christ, lives and develops at the same time in its own way in the history of man. It lives and develops as the body of Christ, which is the Church, and in this dimension every human suffering, by virtue of the union in the love of Christ, completes the suffering of Christ. It completes it as the Church completes the redemptive work of Christ. The mystery of the Church — of this body which completes also in itself the crucified and risen body of Christ — indicates at the same time that space in which human sufferings complete the sufferings of Christ. Only within this radius and in this dimension of the Church-Body of Christ, which continually develops in space and time, can one think and speak of "what is lacking" in the afflictions of Christ. The Apostle, moreover, puts this clearly in relief when he writes of "completing" what is lacking in the afflictions of Christ for the sake of his body, which is the Church." Music sung by the Holy Redeemer Choir. Visit Totus2us.com for much more. Day 6, Novena to Our Lady of Lourdes. Quote from John Paul II's apostolic letter on the salvific meaning of suffering, Salvifici Doloris: "Does this mean that the Redemption accomplished by Christ is not complete? No. It only means that the Redemption, worked through the power of reparatory love, remains constantly open to all love which is expressed in human suffering. In this dimension — in the dimension of love — the Redemption already totally and fully accomplished is, in a certain sense, being accomplished constantly. Christ has worked the Redemption completely and to the very end; but, at the same time, he has not closed it: in this redemptive suffering, through which is worked the Redemption of the world, Christ has opened himself from the beginning, and constantly opens himself to every human suffering. Yes, it seems to be part of the very essence of the redemptive suffering of Christ that it requires to be unceasingly completed. In this way, with such an openness to every human suffering, Christ has worked through his own suffering the Redemption of the world. For indeed, this Redemption, even though accomplished in all its fullness by the suffering of Christ, lives and develops at the same time in its own way in the history of man. It lives and develops as the body of Christ, which is the Church, and in this dimension every human suffering, by virtue of the union in the love of Christ, completes the suffering of Christ. It completes it as the Church completes the redemptive work of Christ. The mystery of the Church — of this body which completes also in itself the crucified and risen body of Christ — indicates at the same time that space in which human sufferings complete the sufferings of Christ. Only within this radius and in this dimension of the Church-Body of Christ, which continually develops in space and time, can one think and speak of "what is lacking" in the afflictions of Christ. The Apostle, moreover, puts this clearly in relief when he writes of "completing" what is lacking in the afflictions of Christ for the sake of his body, which is the Church." Music sung by the Holy Redeemer Choir. Visit Totus2us.com for much more. Tue, 7 Feb 2012 12:00:00 GMT 34:13 http://www.totus2us.eu/Novenas/Totus2us-Novena_to_Our_Lady_of_Lourdes-Day6.mp3 Love, God, Father, Jesus, hope, faith, Christ, John Paul II, Mother, Mary, suffering Totus2us.com Day 5, Novena to Our Lady of Lourdes. Quote from John Paul II's apostolic letter on the salvific meaning of suffering, Salvifici Doloris: "The Song of the Suffering Servant contains a description in which it is possible, in a certain sense, to identify the stages of Christ's Passion in their various details: the arrest, the humiliation, the blows, the spitting, the contempt for the prisoner, the unjust sentence, and then the scourging, the crowning with thorns and the mocking, the carrying of the Cross, the crucifixion, the agony. Even more than this description of the Passion, what strikes us in the words of the prophet is the depth of the sacrifice of Christ. Here, He, though innocent, takes upon himself the sufferings of all men, because he takes upon himself the sins of everyone. "The Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all": all the sin of man in its breadth and depth becomes the true cause of the suffering of the Redeemer. If the suffering "is measured" by the evil suffered, then the words of the prophet enable us to understand the extent of this evil and this suffering, which Christ loaded upon himself. It can be said that this is "substitutive" suffering; but above all it is "redemptive". The Man of Sorrows of that prophecy is truly that "Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world". In his suffering, sins are erased precisely because he alone as the only-begotten Son could take them upon himself, accept them with that love for the Father which overcomes the evil of every sin; in a certain sense he annihilates this evil in the spiritual space of the relationship between God and humanity, and fills this space with good. Here we touch upon the dual nature of a single personal subject of redemptive suffering. He, who by his Passion and death on the Cross brings about the Redemption, is the only-begotten Son whom God "gave". At the same time this Son who is consubstantial with the Father suffers as a man. His suffering has human dimensions; it also has - unique in humanity's history - a depth and intensity which, while being human, can also be an incomparable depth and intensity of suffering, as the Man who suffers is in person the same only-begotten Son: " God from God". Therefore, only he — the only-begotten Son — is capable of embracing the measure of evil contained in the sin of man: in every sin and in "total" sin, according to the dimensions of the historical existence of humanity on earth." Music sung by the Holy Redeemer Choir. Visit Totus2us.com for much more. Day 5, Novena to Our Lady of Lourdes. Quote from John Paul II's apostolic letter on the salvific meaning of suffering, Salvifici Doloris: "The Song of the Suffering Servant contains a description in which it is possible, in a certain sense, to identify the stages of Christ's Passion in their various details: the arrest, the humiliation, the blows, the spitting, the contempt for the prisoner, the unjust sentence, and then the scourging, the crowning with thorns and the mocking, the carrying of the Cross, the crucifixion, the agony. Even more than this description of the Passion, what strikes us in the words of the prophet is the depth of the sacrifice of Christ. Here, He, though innocent, takes upon himself the sufferings of all men, because he takes upon himself the sins of everyone. "The Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all": all the sin of man in its breadth and depth becomes the true cause of the suffering of the Redeemer. If the suffering "is measured" by the evil suffered, then the words of the prophet enable us to understand the extent of this evil and this suffering, which Christ loaded upon himself. It can be said that this is "substitutive" suffering; but above all it is "redemptive". The Man of Sorrows of that prophecy is truly that "Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world". In his suffering, sins are erased precisely because he alone as the only-begotten Son could take them upon himself, accept them with that love for the Father which overcomes the evil of every sin; in a certain sense he annihilates this evil in the spiritual space of the relationship between God and humanity, and fills this space with good. Here we touch upon the dual nature of a single personal subject of redemptive suffering. He, who by his Passion and death on the Cross brings about the Redemption, is the only-begotten Son whom God "gave". At the same time this Son who is consubstantial with the Father suffers as a man. His suffering has human dimensions; it also has - unique in humanity's history - a depth and intensity which, while being human, can also be an incomparable depth and intensity of suffering, as the Man who suffers is in person the same only-begotten Son: " God from God". Therefore, only he — the only-begotten Son — is capable of embracing the measure of evil contained in the sin of man: in every sin and in "total" sin, according to the dimensions of the historical existence of humanity on earth." Music sung by the Holy Redeemer Choir. Visit Totus2us.com for much more. Mon, 6 Feb 2012 12:00:00 GMT 17:45 http://www.totus2us.eu/Novenas/Totus2us-Novena_to_Our_Lady_of_Lourdes-Day5.mp3 Love, God, Father, Jesus, hope, faith, Christ, John Paul II, Mother, Mary, suffering Totus2us.com Day 4, Novena to Our Lady of Lourdes. Quote from John Paul II's apostolic letter on the salvific meaning of suffering, Salvifici Doloris: "Above all Christ drew close to the world of human suffering through the fact of having taken this suffering upon his very self. During his public activity, he experienced not only fatigue, homelessness, misunderstanding even by those closest to him, but, more than anything, he was ever more tightly encircled by hostility encircled by hostility and the preparations for putting him to death became ever clearer. Christ is aware of this, and often speaks to his disciples of the sufferings and death that await him: "Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem; and the Son of man will be delivered to the chief priests and the scribes; they will condemn him to death, hand him over to the Gentiles, they will mock him and spit upon him, scourge him and kill him; but after three days he will rise again". Christ goes towards his Passion and death with full awareness of the mission that he has to fulfil precisely in this way. Precisely by means of this suffering he must bring it about "that man should not perish, but have eternal life". Precisely by means of his Cross he must get at the roots of evil, planted in the history of man and in human souls. Precisely by means of his Cross he must accomplish the work of salvation. This work, in the plan of eternal Love, has a redemptive character. And therefore Christ severely reproves Peter when the latter wants to make him abandon the thoughts of suffering and of death on the Cross. And when, during his arrest in Gethsemane, Peter tries to defend him with the sword, Christ says, " Put your sword back into its place... But how then should the Scriptures be fulfilled, according to which it must be so?" And he also says, "Shall I not drink the chalice which the Father has given me?". This response - like others that reappear in different points of the Gospel - shows how profoundly Christ was imbued with the thought that he had already expressed in the conversation with Nicodemus: "For God so loved the world that he gave his only-begotten Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life". Christ goes toward his own suffering, aware of its saving power, he goes in obedience to the Father, but above all he is united to the Father in this love with which He has loved the world and man in the world. And for this reason St Paul will write of Christ: "He loved me and gave himself for me." Music sung by the Holy Redeemer Choir. Visit Totus2us.com for much more. Day 4, Novena to Our Lady of Lourdes. Quote from John Paul II's apostolic letter on the salvific meaning of suffering, Salvifici Doloris: "Above all Christ drew close to the world of human suffering through the fact of having taken this suffering upon his very self. During his public activity, he experienced not only fatigue, homelessness, misunderstanding even by those closest to him, but, more than anything, he was ever more tightly encircled by hostility encircled by hostility and the preparations for putting him to death became ever clearer. Christ is aware of this, and often speaks to his disciples of the sufferings and death that await him: "Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem; and the Son of man will be delivered to the chief priests and the scribes; they will condemn him to death, hand him over to the Gentiles, they will mock him and spit upon him, scourge him and kill him; but after three days he will rise again". Christ goes towards his Passion and death with full awareness of the mission that he has to fulfil precisely in this way. Precisely by means of this suffering he must bring it about "that man should not perish, but have eternal life". Precisely by means of his Cross he must get at the roots of evil, planted in the history of man and in human souls. Precisely by means of his Cross he must accomplish the work of salvation. This work, in the plan of eternal Love, has a redemptive character. And therefore Christ severely reproves Peter when the latter wants to make him abandon the thoughts of suffering and of death on the Cross. And when, during his arrest in Gethsemane, Peter tries to defend him with the sword, Christ says, " Put your sword back into its place... But how then should the Scriptures be fulfilled, according to which it must be so?" And he also says, "Shall I not drink the chalice which the Father has given me?". This response - like others that reappear in different points of the Gospel - shows how profoundly Christ was imbued with the thought that he had already expressed in the conversation with Nicodemus: "For God so loved the world that he gave his only-begotten Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life". Christ goes toward his own suffering, aware of its saving power, he goes in obedience to the Father, but above all he is united to the Father in this love with which He has loved the world and man in the world. And for this reason St Paul will write of Christ: "He loved me and gave himself for me." Music sung by the Holy Redeemer Choir. Visit Totus2us.com for much more. Sun, 5 Feb 2012 12:00:00 GMT 18:40 http://www.totus2us.eu/Novenas/Totus2us-Novena_to_Our_Lady_of_Lourdes-Day4.mp3 Love, God, Father, Jesus, hope, faith, Christ, John Paul II, Mother, Mary, suffering Totus2us.com Day 3, Novena to Our Lady of Lourdes. Quote from John Paul II's apostolic letter on the salvific meaning of suffering, Salvifici Doloris: "But in order to perceive the true answer to the "why" of suffering, we must turn our gaze to the revelation of divine love, the ultimate source of the meaning of everything that exists. Love is also the richest source of the meaning of suffering, which always remains a mystery: we are conscious of the insufficiency and inadequacy of our explanations. Christ makes us enter into the mystery and makes us discover the "why" of suffering, in so far as we are capable of understanding the sublimity of divine love. In order to discover the profound meaning of suffering, following the revealed word of God, we must open ourselves wide to the human subject in his manifold potentiality. We must above all accept the light of Revelation not only insofar as it expresses the transcendent order of justice but also insofar as it illuminates this order with Love, as the definitive source of everything that exists. Love is: also the fullest source of the answer to the question of the meaning of suffering. This answer has been given by God to man in the Cross of Jesus Christ." Music sung by the Holy Redeemer Choir. Visit Totus2us.com for much more. Day 3, Novena to Our Lady of Lourdes. Quote from John Paul II's apostolic letter on the salvific meaning of suffering, Salvifici Doloris: "But in order to perceive the true answer to the "why" of suffering, we must turn our gaze to the revelation of divine love, the ultimate source of the meaning of everything that exists. Love is also the richest source of the meaning of suffering, which always remains a mystery: we are conscious of the insufficiency and inadequacy of our explanations. Christ makes us enter into the mystery and makes us discover the "why" of suffering, in so far as we are capable of understanding the sublimity of divine love. In order to discover the profound meaning of suffering, following the revealed word of God, we must open ourselves wide to the human subject in his manifold potentiality. We must above all accept the light of Revelation not only insofar as it expresses the transcendent order of justice but also insofar as it illuminates this order with Love, as the definitive source of everything that exists. Love is: also the fullest source of the answer to the question of the meaning of suffering. This answer has been given by God to man in the Cross of Jesus Christ." Music sung by the Holy Redeemer Choir. Visit Totus2us.com for much more. Sat, 4 Feb 2012 12:00:00 GMT 20:12 http://www.totus2us.eu/Novenas/Totus2us-Novena_to_Our_Lady_of_Lourdes-Day3.mp3 Love, God, Father, Jesus, hope, faith, Christ, John Paul II, Mother, Mary, suffering Totus2us.com Day 2, Novena to Our Lady of Lourdes. Quote from John Paul II's apostolic letter on the salvific meaning of suffering, Salvifici Doloris: "Thus the reality of suffering prompts the question about the essence of evil: what is evil? This question, in a certain sense, seems inseparable from the theme of suffering. The Christian response to it is different from that given by certain cultural and religious traditions which hold that existence is an evil from which we must be liberated. Christianity proclaims the essential good of existence and the good of that which exists, acknowledges the goodness of the Creator and proclaims the good of creatures. Man suffers because of evil, which is a certain lack, limitation or distortion of good. We could say that man suffers because of a good in which he does not participate, from which in a certain sense he is cut off, or of which he has deprived himself. He particularly suffers when he 'ought' — in the normal order of things — to partake in this good and does not. Thus, in the Christian view, the reality of suffering is explained through evil, which always, in some way, refers to a good. Human suffering in itself constitutes as it were a specific "world" which exists together with man, which appears in him and passes, and sometimes does not pass, but which consolidates itself and becomes deeply rooted in him. This world of suffering, divided into many, numerous subjects, exists as it were "in dispersion". Every man, through his personal suffering, constitutes not only a small part of that a world", but at the same time" that world" is present in him as a finite and unrepeatable entity. Parallel with this, however, is the interhuman and social dimension. The world of suffering possesses as it were its own solidarity. People who suffer become similar to one another through the analogy of their situation, the trial of their destiny, or through their need for understanding and care, and perhaps above all through the persistent question of the meaning of suffering. Thus, although the world of suffering exists "in dispersion", at the same time it contains within itself a singular challenge to communion and solidarity." Music sung by the Holy Redeemer Choir. Visit Totus2us.com for much more. Day 2, Novena to Our Lady of Lourdes. Quote from John Paul II's apostolic letter on the salvific meaning of suffering, Salvifici Doloris: "Thus the reality of suffering prompts the question about the essence of evil: what is evil? This question, in a certain sense, seems inseparable from the theme of suffering. The Christian response to it is different from that given by certain cultural and religious traditions which hold that existence is an evil from which we must be liberated. Christianity proclaims the essential good of existence and the good of that which exists, acknowledges the goodness of the Creator and proclaims the good of creatures. Man suffers because of evil, which is a certain lack, limitation or distortion of good. We could say that man suffers because of a good in which he does not participate, from which in a certain sense he is cut off, or of which he has deprived himself. He particularly suffers when he 'ought' — in the normal order of things — to partake in this good and does not. Thus, in the Christian view, the reality of suffering is explained through evil, which always, in some way, refers to a good. Human suffering in itself constitutes as it were a specific "world" which exists together with man, which appears in him and passes, and sometimes does not pass, but which consolidates itself and becomes deeply rooted in him. This world of suffering, divided into many, numerous subjects, exists as it were "in dispersion". Every man, through his personal suffering, constitutes not only a small part of that a world", but at the same time" that world" is present in him as a finite and unrepeatable entity. Parallel with this, however, is the interhuman and social dimension. The world of suffering possesses as it were its own solidarity. People who suffer become similar to one another through the analogy of their situation, the trial of their destiny, or through their need for understanding and care, and perhaps above all through the persistent question of the meaning of suffering. Thus, although the world of suffering exists "in dispersion", at the same time it contains within itself a singular challenge to communion and solidarity." Music sung by the Holy Redeemer Choir. Visit Totus2us.com for much more. Fri, 3 Feb 2012 12:00:00 GMT 14:55 http://www.totus2us.eu/Novenas/Totus2us-Novena_to_Our_Lady_of_Lourdes-Day2.mp3 Love, God, Father, Jesus, hope, faith, Christ, John Paul II, Mother, Mary, suffering Totus2us.com Day 1, Novena to Our Lady of Lourdes. Quote from John Paul II's apostolic letter on the salvific meaning of suffering, Salvifici Doloris: "Human suffering evokes compassion; it also evokes respect, and in its own way it intimidates. For in suffering is contained the greatness of a specific mystery. This special respect for all human suffering must be set at the beginning of what will be expressed here later by the deepest need of the heart, and also by the deep imperative of faith. These two reasons seem to draw particularly close to each other and join together on the theme of suffering: the need of the heart commands us to overcome fear, and the imperative of faith — formulated, for example, in the words of St Paul quoted at the beginning — provides the content, in the name of which and by virtue of which we dare to touch what seems so intangible in every man: for man, in his suffering, remains an intangible mystery." Music sung by the Holy Redeemer Choir. Visit Totus2us.com for much more. Day 1, Novena to Our Lady of Lourdes. Quote from John Paul II's apostolic letter on the salvific meaning of suffering, Salvifici Doloris: "Human suffering evokes compassion; it also evokes respect, and in its own way it intimidates. For in suffering is contained the greatness of a specific mystery. This special respect for all human suffering must be set at the beginning of what will be expressed here later by the deepest need of the heart, and also by the deep imperative of faith. These two reasons seem to draw particularly close to each other and join together on the theme of suffering: the need of the heart commands us to overcome fear, and the imperative of faith — formulated, for example, in the words of St Paul quoted at the beginning — provides the content, in the name of which and by virtue of which we dare to touch what seems so intangible in every man: for man, in his suffering, remains an intangible mystery." Music sung by the Holy Redeemer Choir. Visit Totus2us.com for much more. Thu, 2 Feb 2012 12:00:00 GMT 10:47 http://www.totus2us.eu/Novenas/Totus2us-Novena_to_Our_Lady_of_Lourdes-Day1.mp3 Love, God, Father, Jesus, hope, faith, Christ, John Paul II, Mother, Mary, suffering Totus2us.com Day 9, Novena to Mary Immaculate, Star of Hope. Prayer by Papa Benedetto. Quote from Benedict XVI's encyclical on hope, Spe Salvi: "From the Cross you became a mother in a new way: the mother of all those who believe in your Son Jesus and wish to follow him. The sword of sorrow pierced your heart. Did hope die? Did the world remain definitively without light, and life without purpose? At that moment, deep down, you probably listened again to the word spoken by the angel in answer to your fear at the time of the Annunciation: “Do not be afraid, Mary!” How many times had the Lord, your Son, said the same thing to his disciples: do not be afraid! In your heart, you heard this word again during the night of Golgotha. Before the hour of his betrayal he had said to his disciples: “Be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.” “Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.” “Do not be afraid, Mary!” In that hour at Nazareth the angel had also said to you: “Of his kingdom there will be no end.” Could it have ended before it began? No, at the foot of the Cross, on the strength of Jesus's own word, you became the mother of believers. In this faith, which even in the darkness of Holy Saturday bore the certitude of hope, you made your way towards Easter morning. The joy of the Resurrection touched your heart and united you in a new way to the disciples, destined to become the family of Jesus through faith. In this way you were in the midst of the community of believers, who in the days following the Ascension prayed with one voice for the gift of the Holy Spirit and then received that gift on the day of Pentecost. The “Kingdom” of Jesus was not as might have been imagined. It began in that hour, and of this “Kingdom” there will be no end. Thus you remain in the midst of the disciples as their Mother, as the Mother of hope. Holy Mary, Mother of God, our Mother, teach us to believe, to hope, to love with you. Show us the way to his Kingdom! Star of the Sea, shine upon us and guide us on our way!" Ave Maria sung by the Holy Redeemer Choir. Visit Totus2us.com for more. Day 9, Novena to Mary Immaculate, Star of Hope. Prayer by Papa Benedetto. Quote from Benedict XVI's encyclical on hope, Spe Salvi: "From the Cross you became a mother in a new way: the mother of all those who believe in your Son Jesus and wish to follow him. The sword of sorrow pierced your heart. Did hope die? Did the world remain definitively without light, and life without purpose? At that moment, deep down, you probably listened again to the word spoken by the angel in answer to your fear at the time of the Annunciation: “Do not be afraid, Mary!” How many times had the Lord, your Son, said the same thing to his disciples: do not be afraid! In your heart, you heard this word again during the night of Golgotha. Before the hour of his betrayal he had said to his disciples: “Be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.” “Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.” “Do not be afraid, Mary!” In that hour at Nazareth the angel had also said to you: “Of his kingdom there will be no end.” Could it have ended before it began? No, at the foot of the Cross, on the strength of Jesus's own word, you became the mother of believers. In this faith, which even in the darkness of Holy Saturday bore the certitude of hope, you made your way towards Easter morning. The joy of the Resurrection touched your heart and united you in a new way to the disciples, destined to become the family of Jesus through faith. In this way you were in the midst of the community of believers, who in the days following the Ascension prayed with one voice for the gift of the Holy Spirit and then received that gift on the day of Pentecost. The “Kingdom” of Jesus was not as might have been imagined. It began in that hour, and of this “Kingdom” there will be no end. Thus you remain in the midst of the disciples as their Mother, as the Mother of hope. Holy Mary, Mother of God, our Mother, teach us to believe, to hope, to love with you. Show us the way to his Kingdom! Star of the Sea, shine upon us and guide us on our way!" Ave Maria sung by the Holy Redeemer Choir. Visit Totus2us.com for more. Thu, 8 Dec 2011 12:00:00 GMT 17:58 http://www.totus2us.eu/Novenas/Totus2us-Novena_to_Mary_Immaculate_Star_of_Hope-Day9.mp3 Love, God, Father, Jesus, hope, faith, Christ, Pope Benedict, Mother, Mary Totus2us.com Day 8, Novena Prayer by Papa Benedetto to Mary Immaculate, Star of Hope: "What does Mary tell the city? Of what does her presence remind us? It reminds us that "where sin increased, grace abounded all the more (Rom 5: 20), as the Apostle Paul wrote. She is the Immaculate Mother who tells people in our day too: Do not be afraid, Jesus has defeated evil, he has uprooted it, delivering us from its rule. How great is our need of this good news! Every day, in fact, in the newspapers, on television and on the radio bad news is broadcast, repeated, amplified, so that we become used to the most terrible things and inured to them, and in a certain way poisoned, since the negative effect is never completely eliminated but accumulates day after day. The heart hardens and thoughts grow gloomy. For this reason, the city needs Mary whose presence speaks of God, reminds us of the victory of Grace over sin and leads us to hope, even in the most difficult human situations. In the city invisible people live or survive who every now and then hit the front page headlines or television news and are exploited to the very last, as long as the news and images are newsworthy. This is a perverse mechanism which unfortunately few are able to resist. The city first hides them and then exposes them to public scrutiny, pitilessly or with false pity. Instead, there is in every person the desire to be accepted as a person and considered a sacred reality, for every human history is a sacred history and demands the utmost respect. The city, dear brothers and sisters, is all of us! Each one of us contributes with his life to its moral atmosphere, for better or for worse. The border between good and evil runs through every heart and none of us should feel entitled to judge others. Rather, each one must feel duty bound to improve him or herself. The mass media always tends to make us feel like "spectators", as if evil concerned only others and certain things could never happen to us. Instead, we are all "actors" and, for better or for worse, our behaviour has an influence on others. We often complain of the pollution of the atmosphere that in some parts of the city is unbreathable. It is true. Everyone must do his or her part to make the city a cleaner place. Yet, there is another kind of contamination, less perceptible to the senses, but equally dangerous. It is the pollution of the spirit; it makes us smile less, makes our faces gloomier, less likely to greet each other or look each other in the eye.... The city has many faces but unfortunately collective dynamics can make us lose our in-depth perception of them. We perceive everything superficially. People become bodies and these bodies lose their soul, they become things, faceless objects that can be exchanged and consumed. Mary Immaculate helps us to rediscover and defend what lies within people, for in her is a perfect transparency of the soul in the body. She is purity in person, in the sense that spirit, soul and body are fully consistent with one another and with God's will. Our Lady teaches us to be open to God's action and to see others as he sees them: starting with the heart. And to look at them with compassion, with love, with infinite tenderness, especially those who are lonely, despised, or exploited. "Where sin increased, grace abounded all the more"." Ave Maria sung by the Holy Redeemer Choir. Visit Totus2us.com for more. Day 8, Novena Prayer by Papa Benedetto to Mary Immaculate, Star of Hope: "What does Mary tell the city? Of what does her presence remind us? It reminds us that "where sin increased, grace abounded all the more (Rom 5: 20), as the Apostle Paul wrote. She is the Immaculate Mother who tells people in our day too: Do not be afraid, Jesus has defeated evil, he has uprooted it, delivering us from its rule. How great is our need of this good news! Every day, in fact, in the newspapers, on television and on the radio bad news is broadcast, repeated, amplified, so that we become used to the most terrible things and inured to them, and in a certain way poisoned, since the negative effect is never completely eliminated but accumulates day after day. The heart hardens and thoughts grow gloomy. For this reason, the city needs Mary whose presence speaks of God, reminds us of the victory of Grace over sin and leads us to hope, even in the most difficult human situations. In the city invisible people live or survive who every now and then hit the front page headlines or television news and are exploited to the very last, as long as the news and images are newsworthy. This is a perverse mechanism which unfortunately few are able to resist. The city first hides them and then exposes them to public scrutiny, pitilessly or with false pity. Instead, there is in every person the desire to be accepted as a person and considered a sacred reality, for every human history is a sacred history and demands the utmost respect. The city, dear brothers and sisters, is all of us! Each one of us contributes with his life to its moral atmosphere, for better or for worse. The border between good and evil runs through every heart and none of us should feel entitled to judge others. Rather, each one must feel duty bound to improve him or herself. The mass media always tends to make us feel like "spectators", as if evil concerned only others and certain things could never happen to us. Instead, we are all "actors" and, for better or for worse, our behaviour has an influence on others. We often complain of the pollution of the atmosphere that in some parts of the city is unbreathable. It is true. Everyone must do his or her part to make the city a cleaner place. Yet, there is another kind of contamination, less perceptible to the senses, but equally dangerous. It is the pollution of the spirit; it makes us smile less, makes our faces gloomier, less likely to greet each other or look each other in the eye.... The city has many faces but unfortunately collective dynamics can make us lose our in-depth perception of them. We perceive everything superficially. People become bodies and these bodies lose their soul, they become things, faceless objects that can be exchanged and consumed. Mary Immaculate helps us to rediscover and defend what lies within people, for in her is a perfect transparency of the soul in the body. She is purity in person, in the sense that spirit, soul and body are fully consistent with one another and with God's will. Our Lady teaches us to be open to God's action and to see others as he sees them: starting with the heart. And to look at them with compassion, with love, with infinite tenderness, especially those who are lonely, despised, or exploited. "Where sin increased, grace abounded all the more"." Ave Maria sung by the Holy Redeemer Choir. Visit Totus2us.com for more. Wed, 7 Dec 2011 12:10:00 GMT 10:26 http://www.totus2us.eu/Novenas/Totus2us-Novena_to_Mary_Immaculate_Star_of_Hope-Day8b.mp3 Love, God, Father, Jesus, hope, faith, Christ, Pope Benedict, Mother, Mary Totus2us.com Day 8, Novena to Mary Immaculate, Star of Hope. Quote from Benedict XVI's encyclical on hope, Spe Salvi: "Christians likewise can and must constantly learn from the strict rejection of images that is contained in God's first commandment (cf Ex 20:4). The truth of negative theology was highlighted by the Fourth Lateran Council, which explicitly stated that however great the similarity that may be established between Creator and creature, the dissimilarity between them is always greater. In any case, for the believer the rejection of images cannot be carried so far that one ends up, as Horkheimer and Adorno would like, by saying “no” to both theses — theism and atheism. God has given himself an “image”: in Christ who was made man. In him who was crucified, the denial of false images of God is taken to an extreme. God now reveals his true face in the figure of the sufferer who shares man's God-forsaken condition by taking it upon himself. This innocent sufferer has attained the certitude of hope: there is a God, and God can create justice in a way that we cannot conceive, yet we can begin to grasp it through faith. Yes, there is a resurrection of the flesh. There is justice. There is an “undoing” of past suffering, a reparation that sets things aright. For this reason, faith in the Last Judgement is first and foremost hope—the need for which was made abundantly clear in the upheavals of recent centuries. I am convinced that the question of justice constitutes the essential argument, or in any case the strongest argument, in favour of faith in eternal life. The purely individual need for a fulfilment that is denied to us in this life, for an everlasting love that we await, is certainly an important motive for believing that man was made for eternity; but only in connection with the impossibility that the injustice of history should be the final word does the necessity for Christ's return and for new life become fully convincing." Ave Maria sung by the Holy Redeemer Choir. Visit Totus2us.com for more. Day 8, Novena to Mary Immaculate, Star of Hope. Quote from Benedict XVI's encyclical on hope, Spe Salvi: "Christians likewise can and must constantly learn from the strict rejection of images that is contained in God's first commandment (cf Ex 20:4). The truth of negative theology was highlighted by the Fourth Lateran Council, which explicitly stated that however great the similarity that may be established between Creator and creature, the dissimilarity between them is always greater. In any case, for the believer the rejection of images cannot be carried so far that one ends up, as Horkheimer and Adorno would like, by saying “no” to both theses — theism and atheism. God has given himself an “image”: in Christ who was made man. In him who was crucified, the denial of false images of God is taken to an extreme. God now reveals his true face in the figure of the sufferer who shares man's God-forsaken condition by taking it upon himself. This innocent sufferer has attained the certitude of hope: there is a God, and God can create justice in a way that we cannot conceive, yet we can begin to grasp it through faith. Yes, there is a resurrection of the flesh. There is justice. There is an “undoing” of past suffering, a reparation that sets things aright. For this reason, faith in the Last Judgement is first and foremost hope—the need for which was made abundantly clear in the upheavals of recent centuries. I am convinced that the question of justice constitutes the essential argument, or in any case the strongest argument, in favour of faith in eternal life. The purely individual need for a fulfilment that is denied to us in this life, for an everlasting love that we await, is certainly an important motive for believing that man was made for eternity; but only in connection with the impossibility that the injustice of history should be the final word does the necessity for Christ's return and for new life become fully convincing." Ave Maria sung by the Holy Redeemer Choir. Visit Totus2us.com for more. Wed, 7 Dec 2011 12:00:00 GMT 23:52 http://www.totus2us.eu/Novenas/Totus2us-Novena_to_Mary_Immaculate_Star_of_Hope-Day8a.mp3 Love, God, Father, Jesus, hope, faith, Christ, Pope Benedict, Mother, Mary Totus2us.com Day 7, Novena to Mary Immaculate, Star of Hope. Prayer by Papa Benedetto. Quote from Benedict XVI's encyclical on hope, Spe Salvi: "To suffer with the other and for others; to suffer for the sake of truth and justice; to suffer out of love and in order to become a person who truly loves — these are fundamental elements of humanity, and to abandon them would destroy man himself. Yet once again the question arises: are we capable of this? Is the other important enough to warrant my becoming, on his account, a person who suffers? Does truth matter to me enough to make suffering worthwhile? Is the promise of love so great that it justifies the gift of myself? In the history of humanity, it was the Christian faith that had the particular merit of bringing forth within man a new and deeper capacity for these kinds of suffering that are decisive for his humanity. The Christian faith has shown us that truth, justice and love are not simply ideals, but enormously weighty realities. It has shown us that God — Truth and Love in person — desired to suffer for us and with us. Bernard of Clairvaux coined the marvellous expression: Impassibilis est Deus, sed non incompassibilis — God cannot suffer, but he can suffer with. Man is worth so much to God that he himself became man in order to suffer with man in an utterly real way — in flesh and blood — as is revealed to us in the account of Jesus's Passion. Hence in all human suffering we are joined by one who experiences and carries that suffering with us; hence con-solatio is present in all suffering, the consolation of God's compassionate love — and so the star of hope rises. Certainly, in our many different sufferings and trials we always need the lesser and greater hopes too — a kind visit, the healing of internal and external wounds, a favourable resolution of a crisis, and so on. In our lesser trials these kinds of hope may even be sufficient. But in truly great trials, where I must make a definitive decision to place the truth before my own welfare, career and possessions, I need the certitude of that true, great hope of which we have spoken here. For this too we need witnesses — martyrs — who have given themselves totally, so as to show us the way — day after day. We need them if we are to prefer goodness to comfort, even in the little choices we face each day — knowing that this is how we live life to the full. Let us say it once again: the capacity to suffer for the sake of the truth is the measure of humanity. Yet this capacity to suffer depends on the type and extent of the hope that we bear within us and build upon. The saints were able to make the great journey of human existence in the way that Christ had done before them, because they were brimming with great hope." Ave Maria sung by the Holy Redeemer Choir. Visit Totus2us.com for more. Day 7, Novena to Mary Immaculate, Star of Hope. Prayer by Papa Benedetto. Quote from Benedict XVI's encyclical on hope, Spe Salvi: "To suffer with the other and for others; to suffer for the sake of truth and justice; to suffer out of love and in order to become a person who truly loves — these are fundamental elements of humanity, and to abandon them would destroy man himself. Yet once again the question arises: are we capable of this? Is the other important enough to warrant my becoming, on his account, a person who suffers? Does truth matter to me enough to make suffering worthwhile? Is the promise of love so great that it justifies the gift of myself? In the history of humanity, it was the Christian faith that had the particular merit of bringing forth within man a new and deeper capacity for these kinds of suffering that are decisive for his humanity. The Christian faith has shown us that truth, justice and love are not simply ideals, but enormously weighty realities. It has shown us that God — Truth and Love in person — desired to suffer for us and with us. Bernard of Clairvaux coined the marvellous expression: Impassibilis est Deus, sed non incompassibilis — God cannot suffer, but he can suffer with. Man is worth so much to God that he himself became man in order to suffer with man in an utterly real way — in flesh and blood — as is revealed to us in the account of Jesus's Passion. Hence in all human suffering we are joined by one who experiences and carries that suffering with us; hence con-solatio is present in all suffering, the consolation of God's compassionate love — and so the star of hope rises. Certainly, in our many different sufferings and trials we always need the lesser and greater hopes too — a kind visit, the healing of internal and external wounds, a favourable resolution of a crisis, and so on. In our lesser trials these kinds of hope may even be sufficient. But in truly great trials, where I must make a definitive decision to place the truth before my own welfare, career and possessions, I need the certitude of that true, great hope of which we have spoken here. For this too we need witnesses — martyrs — who have given themselves totally, so as to show us the way — day after day. We need them if we are to prefer goodness to comfort, even in the little choices we face each day — knowing that this is how we live life to the full. Let us say it once again: the capacity to suffer for the sake of the truth is the measure of humanity. Yet this capacity to suffer depends on the type and extent of the hope that we bear within us and build upon. The saints were able to make the great journey of human existence in the way that Christ had done before them, because they were brimming with great hope." Ave Maria sung by the Holy Redeemer Choir. Visit Totus2us.com for more. Tue, 6 Dec 2011 12:00:00 GMT 24:27 http://www.totus2us.eu/Novenas/Totus2us-Novena_to_Mary_Immaculate_Star_of_Hope-Day7.mp3 Love, God, Father, Jesus, hope, faith, Christ, Pope Benedict, Mother, Mary Totus2us.com Day 6, Novena to Mary Immaculate, Star of Hope. Prayer by Papa Benedetto. Quote from Benedict XVI's encyclical on hope, Spe Salvi: "A first essential setting for learning hope is prayer. When no one listens to me any more, God still listens to me. When I can no longer talk to anyone or call upon anyone, I can always talk to God. When there is no longer anyone to help me deal with a need or expectation that goes beyond the human capacity for hope, he can help me. When I have been plunged into complete solitude ...; if I pray I am never totally alone. The late Cardinal Nguyen Van Thuan, a prisoner for 13 years, 9 of them spent in solitary confinement, has left us a precious little book: Prayers of Hope. During 13 years in jail, in a situation of seemingly utter hopelessness, the fact that he could listen and speak to God became for him an increasing power of hope, which enabled him, after his release, to become for people all over the world a witness to hope — to that great hope which does not wane even in the nights of solitude." Ave Maria sung by the Holy Redeemer Choir. Visit Totus2us.com for more. Day 6, Novena to Mary Immaculate, Star of Hope. Prayer by Papa Benedetto. Quote from Benedict XVI's encyclical on hope, Spe Salvi: "A first essential setting for learning hope is prayer. When no one listens to me any more, God still listens to me. When I can no longer talk to anyone or call upon anyone, I can always talk to God. When there is no longer anyone to help me deal with a need or expectation that goes beyond the human capacity for hope, he can help me. When I have been plunged into complete solitude ...; if I pray I am never totally alone. The late Cardinal Nguyen Van Thuan, a prisoner for 13 years, 9 of them spent in solitary confinement, has left us a precious little book: Prayers of Hope. During 13 years in jail, in a situation of seemingly utter hopelessness, the fact that he could listen and speak to God became for him an increasing power of hope, which enabled him, after his release, to become for people all over the world a witness to hope — to that great hope which does not wane even in the nights of solitude." Ave Maria sung by the Holy Redeemer Choir. Visit Totus2us.com for more. Mon, 5 Dec 2011 12:00:00 GMT 16:37 http://www.totus2us.eu/Novenas/Totus2us-Novena_to_Mary_Immaculate_Star_of_Hope-Day6.mp3 Love, God, Father, Jesus, hope, faith, Christ, Pope Benedict, Mother, Mary Totus2us.com Day 5, Novena to Mary Immaculate, Star of Hope. Prayer by Papa Benedetto. Quote from Benedict XVI's encyclical on hope, Spe Salvi: "In this sense it is true that anyone who does not know God, even though he may entertain all kinds of hopes, is ultimately without hope, without the great hope that sustains the whole of life (cf. Eph 2:12). Man's great, true hope which holds firm in spite of all disappointments can only be God—God who has loved us and who continues to love us “to the end,” until all “is accomplished” (cf. Jn 13:1 and 19:30). Whoever is moved by love begins to perceive what “life” really is. He begins to perceive the meaning of the word of hope that we encountered in the Baptismal Rite: from faith I await “eternal life”—the true life which, whole and unthreatened, in all its fullness, is simply life. Jesus, who said that he had come so that we might have life and have it in its fullness, in abundance (cf. Jn 10:10), has also explained to us what “life” means: “this is eternal life, that they know you the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent” (Jn 17:3). Life in its true sense is not something we have exclusively in or from ourselves: it is a relationship. And life in its totality is a relationship with him who is the source of life. If we are in relation with him who does not die, who is Life itself and Love itself, then we are in life. Then we “live”." Ave Maria sung by the Holy Redeemer Choir. Visit Totus2us.com for more. Day 5, Novena to Mary Immaculate, Star of Hope. Prayer by Papa Benedetto. Quote from Benedict XVI's encyclical on hope, Spe Salvi: "In this sense it is true that anyone who does not know God, even though he may entertain all kinds of hopes, is ultimately without hope, without the great hope that sustains the whole of life (cf. Eph 2:12). Man's great, true hope which holds firm in spite of all disappointments can only be God—God who has loved us and who continues to love us “to the end,” until all “is accomplished” (cf. Jn 13:1 and 19:30). Whoever is moved by love begins to perceive what “life” really is. He begins to perceive the meaning of the word of hope that we encountered in the Baptismal Rite: from faith I await “eternal life”—the true life which, whole and unthreatened, in all its fullness, is simply life. Jesus, who said that he had come so that we might have life and have it in its fullness, in abundance (cf. Jn 10:10), has also explained to us what “life” means: “this is eternal life, that they know you the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent” (Jn 17:3). Life in its true sense is not something we have exclusively in or from ourselves: it is a relationship. And life in its totality is a relationship with him who is the source of life. If we are in relation with him who does not die, who is Life itself and Love itself, then we are in life. Then we “live”." Ave Maria sung by the Holy Redeemer Choir. Visit Totus2us.com for more. Sun, 4 Dec 2011 12:00:00 GMT 24:33 http://www.totus2us.eu/Novenas/Totus2us-Novena_to_Mary_Immaculate_Star_of_Hope-Day5.mp3 Love, God, Father, Jesus, hope, faith, Christ, Pope Benedict, Mother, Mary Totus2us.com Day 4, Novena to Mary Immaculate, Star of Hope. Prayer by Papa Benedetto. Quote from Benedict XVI's encyclical on hope, Spe Salvi: "As far as the two great themes of “reason” and “freedom” are concerned, here we can only touch upon the issues connected with them. Yes indeed, reason is God's great gift to man, and the victory of reason over unreason is also a goal of the Christian life. But when does reason truly triumph? When it is detached from God? When it has become blind to God? Is the reason behind action and capacity for action the whole of reason? If progress, in order to be progress, needs moral growth on the part of humanity, then the reason behind action and capacity for action is likewise urgently in need of integration through reason's openness to the saving forces of faith, to the differentiation between good and evil. Only thus does reason become truly human. It becomes human only if it is capable of directing the will along the right path, and it is capable of this only if it looks beyond itself. Otherwise, man's situation, in view of the imbalance between his material capacity and the lack of judgement in his heart, becomes a threat for him and for creation. Thus where freedom is concerned, we must remember that human freedom always requires a convergence of various freedoms. Yet this convergence cannot succeed unless it is determined by a common intrinsic criterion of measurement, which is the foundation and goal of our freedom. Let us put it very simply: man needs God, otherwise he remains without hope. Given the developments of the modern age, the quotation from Saint Paul with which I began (Eph 2:12) proves to be thoroughly realistic and plainly true. There is no doubt, therefore, that a “Kingdom of God” accomplished without God — a kingdom therefore of man alone — inevitably ends up as the “perverse end” of all things as described by Kant: we have seen it, and we see it over and over again. Yet neither is there any doubt that God truly enters into human affairs only when, rather than being present merely in our thinking, he himself comes towards us and speaks to us. Reason therefore needs faith if it is to be completely itself: reason and faith need one another in order to fulfil their true nature and their mission." Ave Maria sung by the Holy Redeemer Choir. Visit Totus2us.com for more. Day 4, Novena to Mary Immaculate, Star of Hope. Prayer by Papa Benedetto. Quote from Benedict XVI's encyclical on hope, Spe Salvi: "As far as the two great themes of “reason” and “freedom” are concerned, here we can only touch upon the issues connected with them. Yes indeed, reason is God's great gift to man, and the victory of reason over unreason is also a goal of the Christian life. But when does reason truly triumph? When it is detached from God? When it has become blind to God? Is the reason behind action and capacity for action the whole of reason? If progress, in order to be progress, needs moral growth on the part of humanity, then the reason behind action and capacity for action is likewise urgently in need of integration through reason's openness to the saving forces of faith, to the differentiation between good and evil. Only thus does reason become truly human. It becomes human only if it is capable of directing the will along the right path, and it is capable of this only if it looks beyond itself. Otherwise, man's situation, in view of the imbalance between his material capacity and the lack of judgement in his heart, becomes a threat for him and for creation. Thus where freedom is concerned, we must remember that human freedom always requires a convergence of various freedoms. Yet this convergence cannot succeed unless it is determined by a common intrinsic criterion of measurement, which is the foundation and goal of our freedom. Let us put it very simply: man needs God, otherwise he remains without hope. Given the developments of the modern age, the quotation from Saint Paul with which I began (Eph 2:12) proves to be thoroughly realistic and plainly true. There is no doubt, therefore, that a “Kingdom of God” accomplished without God — a kingdom therefore of man alone — inevitably ends up as the “perverse end” of all things as described by Kant: we have seen it, and we see it over and over again. Yet neither is there any doubt that God truly enters into human affairs only when, rather than being present merely in our thinking, he himself comes towards us and speaks to us. Reason therefore needs faith if it is to be completely itself: reason and faith need one another in order to fulfil their true nature and their mission." Ave Maria sung by the Holy Redeemer Choir. Visit Totus2us.com for more. Sat, 3 Dec 2011 12:00:00 GMT 23:41 http://www.totus2us.eu/Novenas/Totus2us-Novena_to_Mary_Immaculate_Star_of_Hope-Day4.mp3 Love, God, Father, Jesus, hope, faith, Christ, Pope Benedict, Mother, Mary Totus2us.com Day 3, Novena to Mary Immaculate, Star of Hope. Prayer by Blessed John Paul II. Quote from Benedict XVI's encyclical on hope, Spe Salvi: "I think that in this very precise and permanently valid way, Augustine is describing man's essential situation, the situation that gives rise to all his contradictions and hopes. In some way we want life itself, true life, untouched even by death; yet at the same time we do not know the thing towards which we feel driven. We cannot stop reaching out for it, and yet we know that all we can experience or accomplish is not what we yearn for. This unknown “thing” is the true “hope” which drives us, and at the same time the fact that it is unknown is the cause of all forms of despair and also of all efforts, whether positive or destructive, directed towards worldly authenticity and human authenticity. The term “eternal life” is intended to give a name to this known “unknown”. Inevitably it is an inadequate term that creates confusion. “Eternal”, in fact, suggests to us the idea of something interminable, and this frightens us; “life” makes us think of the life that we know and love and do not want to lose, even though very often it brings more toil than satisfaction, so that while on the one hand we desire it, on the other hand we do not want it. To imagine ourselves outside the temporality that imprisons us and in some way to sense that eternity is not an unending succession of days in the calendar, but something more like the supreme moment of satisfaction, in which totality embraces us and we embrace totality — this we can only attempt. It would be like plunging into the ocean of infinite love, a moment in which time — the before and after — no longer exists. We can only attempt to grasp the idea that such a moment is life in the full sense, a plunging ever anew into the vastness of being, in which we are simply overwhelmed with joy. This is how Jesus expresses it in Saint John's Gospel: “I will see you again and your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take your joy from you” (16:22). We must think along these lines if we want to understand the object of Christian hope, to understand what it is that our faith, our being with Christ, leads us to expect.'" Ave Maria sung by the Holy Redeemer Choir. Visit Totus2us.com for more. Day 3, Novena to Mary Immaculate, Star of Hope. Prayer by Blessed John Paul II. Quote from Benedict XVI's encyclical on hope, Spe Salvi: "I think that in this very precise and permanently valid way, Augustine is describing man's essential situation, the situation that gives rise to all his contradictions and hopes. In some way we want life itself, true life, untouched even by death; yet at the same time we do not know the thing towards which we feel driven. We cannot stop reaching out for it, and yet we know that all we can experience or accomplish is not what we yearn for. This unknown “thing” is the true “hope” which drives us, and at the same time the fact that it is unknown is the cause of all forms of despair and also of all efforts, whether positive or destructive, directed towards worldly authenticity and human authenticity. The term “eternal life” is intended to give a name to this known “unknown”. Inevitably it is an inadequate term that creates confusion. “Eternal”, in fact, suggests to us the idea of something interminable, and this frightens us; “life” makes us think of the life that we know and love and do not want to lose, even though very often it brings more toil than satisfaction, so that while on the one hand we desire it, on the other hand we do not want it. To imagine ourselves outside the temporality that imprisons us and in some way to sense that eternity is not an unending succession of days in the calendar, but something more like the supreme moment of satisfaction, in which totality embraces us and we embrace totality — this we can only attempt. It would be like plunging into the ocean of infinite love, a moment in which time — the before and after — no longer exists. We can only attempt to grasp the idea that such a moment is life in the full sense, a plunging ever anew into the vastness of being, in which we are simply overwhelmed with joy. This is how Jesus expresses it in Saint John's Gospel: “I will see you again and your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take your joy from you” (16:22). We must think along these lines if we want to understand the object of Christian hope, to understand what it is that our faith, our being with Christ, leads us to expect.'" Ave Maria sung by the Holy Redeemer Choir. Visit Totus2us.com for more. Fri, 2 Dec 2011 12:00:00 GMT 15:08 http://www.totus2us.eu/Novenas/Totus2us-Novena_to_Mary_Immaculate_Star_of_Hope-Day3.mp3 Love, God, Father, Jesus, hope, faith, Christ, Pope Benedict, Mother, Mary Totus2us.com Day 2, Novena to Mary Immaculate, Star of Hope. Prayer by Blessed John Paul II. Quote from Benedict XVI's encyclical on hope, Spe Salvi: "The First Letter to the Corinthians (1:18-31) tells us that many of the early Christians belonged to the lower social strata, and precisely for this reason were open to the experience of new hope, as we saw in the example of Bakhita. Yet from the beginning there were also conversions in the aristocratic and cultured circles, since they too were living “without hope and without God in the world”. Myth had lost its credibility; the Roman State religion had become fossilized into simple ceremony which was scrupulously carried out, but by then it was merely “political religion”. Philosophical rationalism had confined the gods within the realm of unreality. The Divine was seen in various ways in cosmic forces, but a God to whom one could pray did not exist. Paul illustrates the essential problem of the religion of that time quite accurately when he contrasts life “according to Christ” with life under the dominion of the “elemental spirits of the universe” (Col 2:8). In this regard a text by Saint Gregory Nazianzen is enlightening. He says that at the very moment when the Magi, guided by the star, adored Christ the new king, astrology came to an end, because the stars were now moving in the orbit determined by Christ. This scene, in fact, overturns the world-view of that time, which in a different way has become fashionable once again today. It is not the elemental spirits of the universe, the laws of matter, which ultimately govern the world and mankind, but a personal God governs the stars, that is, the universe; it is not the laws of matter and of evolution that have the final say, but reason, will, love — a Person. And if we know this Person and he knows us, then truly the inexorable power of material elements no longer has the last word; we are not slaves of the universe and of its laws, we are free. In ancient times, honest enquiring minds were aware of this. Heaven is not empty. Life is not a simple product of laws and the randomness of matter, but within everything and at the same time above everything, there is a personal will, there is a Spirit who in Jesus has revealed himself as Love." Ave Maria sung by the Holy Redeemer Choir. Visit Totus2us.com for more. Day 2, Novena to Mary Immaculate, Star of Hope. Prayer by Blessed John Paul II. Quote from Benedict XVI's encyclical on hope, Spe Salvi: "The First Letter to the Corinthians (1:18-31) tells us that many of the early Christians belonged to the lower social strata, and precisely for this reason were open to the experience of new hope, as we saw in the example of Bakhita. Yet from the beginning there were also conversions in the aristocratic and cultured circles, since they too were living “without hope and without God in the world”. Myth had lost its credibility; the Roman State religion had become fossilized into simple ceremony which was scrupulously carried out, but by then it was merely “political religion”. Philosophical rationalism had confined the gods within the realm of unreality. The Divine was seen in various ways in cosmic forces, but a God to whom one could pray did not exist. Paul illustrates the essential problem of the religion of that time quite accurately when he contrasts life “according to Christ” with life under the dominion of the “elemental spirits of the universe” (Col 2:8). In this regard a text by Saint Gregory Nazianzen is enlightening. He says that at the very moment when the Magi, guided by the star, adored Christ the new king, astrology came to an end, because the stars were now moving in the orbit determined by Christ. This scene, in fact, overturns the world-view of that time, which in a different way has become fashionable once again today. It is not the elemental spirits of the universe, the laws of matter, which ultimately govern the world and mankind, but a personal God governs the stars, that is, the universe; it is not the laws of matter and of evolution that have the final say, but reason, will, love — a Person. And if we know this Person and he knows us, then truly the inexorable power of material elements no longer has the last word; we are not slaves of the universe and of its laws, we are free. In ancient times, honest enquiring minds were aware of this. Heaven is not empty. Life is not a simple product of laws and the randomness of matter, but within everything and at the same time above everything, there is a personal will, there is a Spirit who in Jesus has revealed himself as Love." Ave Maria sung by the Holy Redeemer Choir. Visit Totus2us.com for more. Thu, 1 Dec 2011 12:00:00 GMT 17:34 http://www.totus2us.eu/Novenas/Totus2us-Novena_to_Mary_Immaculate_Star_of_Hope-Day2.mp3 Love, God, Father, Jesus, hope, faith, Christ, Pope Benedict, Mother, Mary Totus2us.com Day 1, Novena to Mary Immaculate, Star of Hope. Prayer by Blessed John Paul II. Quote from Benedict XVI's encyclical on hope, Spe Salvi: "We see how decisively the self-understanding of the early Christians was shaped by their having received the gift of a trustworthy hope, when we compare the Christian life with life prior to faith, or with the situation of the followers of other religions. Paul reminds the Ephesians that before their encounter with Christ they were “without hope and without God in the world” (Eph 2:12). Of course he knew they had had gods, he knew they had had a religion, but their gods had proved questionable, and no hope emerged from their contradictory myths. Notwithstanding their gods, they were “without God” and consequently found themselves in a dark world, facing a dark future. In nihil ab nihilo quam cito recidimus (How quickly we fall back from nothing to nothing): so says an epitaph of that period. In this phrase we see in no uncertain terms the point Paul was making. In the same vein he says to the Thessalonians: you must not “grieve as others do who have no hope” (1 Th 4:13). Here too we see as a distinguishing mark of Christians the fact that they have a future: it is not that they know the details of what awaits them, but they know in general terms that their life will not end in emptiness. Only when the future is certain as a positive reality does it become possible to live the present as well. So now we can say: Christianity was not only “good news”—the communication of a hitherto unknown content. In our language we would say: the Christian message was not only “informative” but “performative”. That means: the Gospel is not merely a communication of things that can be known - it is one that makes things happen and is life-changing. The dark door of time, of the future, has been thrown open. The one who has hope lives differently; the one who hopes has been granted the gift of a new life." Ave Maria sung by the Holy Redeemer Choir. Visit Totus2us.com for more. Day 1, Novena to Mary Immaculate, Star of Hope. Prayer by Blessed John Paul II. Quote from Benedict XVI's encyclical on hope, Spe Salvi: "We see how decisively the self-understanding of the early Christians was shaped by their having received the gift of a trustworthy hope, when we compare the Christian life with life prior to faith, or with the situation of the followers of other religions. Paul reminds the Ephesians that before their encounter with Christ they were “without hope and without God in the world” (Eph 2:12). Of course he knew they had had gods, he knew they had had a religion, but their gods had proved questionable, and no hope emerged from their contradictory myths. Notwithstanding their gods, they were “without God” and consequently found themselves in a dark world, facing a dark future. In nihil ab nihilo quam cito recidimus (How quickly we fall back from nothing to nothing): so says an epitaph of that period. In this phrase we see in no uncertain terms the point Paul was making. In the same vein he says to the Thessalonians: you must not “grieve as others do who have no hope” (1 Th 4:13). Here too we see as a distinguishing mark of Christians the fact that they have a future: it is not that they know the details of what awaits them, but they know in general terms that their life will not end in emptiness. Only when the future is certain as a positive reality does it become possible to live the present as well. So now we can say: Christianity was not only “good news”—the communication of a hitherto unknown content. In our language we would say: the Christian message was not only “informative” but “performative”. That means: the Gospel is not merely a communication of things that can be known - it is one that makes things happen and is life-changing. The dark door of time, of the future, has been thrown open. The one who has hope lives differently; the one who hopes has been granted the gift of a new life." Ave Maria sung by the Holy Redeemer Choir. Visit Totus2us.com for more. Wed, 30 Nov 2011 12:00:00 GMT 15:15 http://www.totus2us.eu/Novenas/Totus2us-Novena_to_Mary_Immaculate_Star_of_Hope-Day1.mp3 Love, God, Father, Jesus, hope, faith, Christ, Pope Benedict, Mother, Mary Totus2us Day 9, Novena to Bl John Paul II - Pope Benedict XVI, at JPII's beatification: ""In his Testament, the new Blessed wrote: “When, on 16 October 1978, the Conclave of Cardinals chose John Paul II, the Primate of Poland, Cardinal Stefan Wyszynski, said to me: ‘The task of the new Pope will be to lead the Church into the Third Millennium’”. And the Pope added: “I would like once again to express my gratitude to the Holy Spirit for the great gift of the Second Vatican Council, to which, together with the whole Church – and especially with the whole episcopate – I feel indebted. I am convinced that it will long be granted to the new generations to draw from the treasures that this Council of the twentieth century has lavished upon us. As a Bishop who took part in the Council from the first to the last day, I desire to entrust this great patrimony to all who are and will be called in the future to put it into practice. For my part, I thank the Eternal Shepherd, who has enabled me to serve this very great cause in the course of all the years of my Pontificate”. And what is this “cause”? It is the same one that John Paul II presented during his first solemn Mass in Saint Peter’s Square in the unforgettable words: “Do not be afraid! Open, open wide the doors to Christ!” What the newly-elected Pope asked of everyone, he was himself the first to do: society, culture, political and economic systems he opened up to Christ, turning back with the strength of a titan – a strength which came to him from God – a tide which appeared irreversible. By his witness of faith, love and apostolic courage, accompanied by great human charisma, this exemplary son of Poland helped believers throughout the world not to be afraid to be called Christian, to belong to the Church, to speak of the Gospel. In a word: he helped us not to fear the truth, because truth is the guarantee of liberty. To put it even more succinctly: he gave us the strength to believe in Christ, because Christ is Redemptor hominis, the Redeemer of man. This was the theme of his first encyclical, and the thread which runs though all the others. When Karol Wojtyla ascended to the throne of Peter, he brought with him a deep understanding of the difference between Marxism and Christianity, based on their respective visions of man. This was his message: man is the way of the Church, and Christ is the way of man. With this message, which is the great legacy of the Second Vatican Council and of its “helmsman”, the Servant of God Pope Paul VI, John Paul II led the People of God across the threshold of the Third Millennium, which thanks to Christ he was able to call “the threshold of hope”. Throughout the long journey of preparation for the great Jubilee he directed Christianity once again to the future, the future of God, which transcends history while nonetheless directly affecting it. He rightly reclaimed for Christianity that impulse of hope which had in some sense faltered before Marxism and the ideology of progress. He restored to Christianity its true face as a religion of hope, to be lived in history in an “Advent” spirit, in a personal and communitarian existence directed to Christ, the fullness of humanity and the fulfillment of all our longings for justice and peace." 'Blessed are you, beloved Pope John Paul II, because you believed! Continue, we implore you, to sustain from heaven the faith of God's people.' Visit Totus2us.com for more. Totus Tuus (All Yours) was the motto of Blessed John Paul II to Mary. Our Lady is also everything to us - Totus 2us. Day 9, Novena to Bl John Paul II - Pope Benedict XVI, at JPII's beatification: ""In his Testament, the new Blessed wrote: “When, on 16 October 1978, the Conclave of Cardinals chose John Paul II, the Primate of Poland, Cardinal Stefan Wyszynski, said to me: ‘The task of the new Pope will be to lead the Church into the Third Millennium’”. And the Pope added: “I would like once again to express my gratitude to the Holy Spirit for the great gift of the Second Vatican Council, to which, together with the whole Church – and especially with the whole episcopate – I feel indebted. I am convinced that it will long be granted to the new generations to draw from the treasures that this Council of the twentieth century has lavished upon us. As a Bishop who took part in the Council from the first to the last day, I desire to entrust this great patrimony to all who are and will be called in the future to put it into practice. For my part, I thank the Eternal Shepherd, who has enabled me to serve this very great cause in the course of all the years of my Pontificate”. And what is this “cause”? It is the same one that John Paul II presented during his first solemn Mass in Saint Peter’s Square in the unforgettable words: “Do not be afraid! Open, open wide the doors to Christ!” What the newly-elected Pope asked of everyone, he was himself the first to do: society, culture, political and economic systems he opened up to Christ, turning back with the strength of a titan – a strength which came to him from God – a tide which appeared irreversible. By his witness of faith, love and apostolic courage, accompanied by great human charisma, this exemplary son of Poland helped believers throughout the world not to be afraid to be called Christian, to belong to the Church, to speak of the Gospel. In a word: he helped us not to fear the truth, because truth is the guarantee of liberty. To put it even more succinctly: he gave us the strength to believe in Christ, because Christ is Redemptor hominis, the Redeemer of man. This was the theme of his first encyclical, and the thread which runs though all the others. When Karol Wojtyla ascended to the throne of Peter, he brought with him a deep understanding of the difference between Marxism and Christianity, based on their respective visions of man. This was his message: man is the way of the Church, and Christ is the way of man. With this message, which is the great legacy of the Second Vatican Council and of its “helmsman”, the Servant of God Pope Paul VI, John Paul II led the People of God across the threshold of the Third Millennium, which thanks to Christ he was able to call “the threshold of hope”. Throughout the long journey of preparation for the great Jubilee he directed Christianity once again to the future, the future of God, which transcends history while nonetheless directly affecting it. He rightly reclaimed for Christianity that impulse of hope which had in some sense faltered before Marxism and the ideology of progress. He restored to Christianity its true face as a religion of hope, to be lived in history in an “Advent” spirit, in a personal and communitarian existence directed to Christ, the fullness of humanity and the fulfillment of all our longings for justice and peace." 'Blessed are you, beloved Pope John Paul II, because you believed! Continue, we implore you, to sustain from heaven the faith of God's people.' Visit Totus2us.com for more. Totus Tuus (All Yours) was the motto of Blessed John Paul II to Mary. Our Lady is also everything to us - Totus 2us. Fri, 21 Oct 2011 12:00:00 GMT 12:40 http://www.totus2us.eu/Novenas/Totus2us-Novena_to_Blessed_John_Paul_II-Day9.mp3 John Paul II, God, Love, Jesus, prayer, novena, Karol Woytyla, Pope, Benedict Totus2us Day 8, Novena to Bl John Paul II - Pope Benedict XVI, at JPII's beatification: "Today’s second reading also speaks to us of faith. Saint Peter himself, filled with spiritual enthusiasm, points out to the newly-baptized the reason for their hope and their joy. I like to think how in this passage, at the beginning of his first Letter, Peter does not use language of exhortation; instead, he states a fact. He writes: “you rejoice”, and he adds: “you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and rejoice with an indescribable and glorious joy, for youare receiving the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls” (1 Pet 1:6, 8-9). All these verbs are in the indicative, because a new reality has come about in Christ’s resurrection, a reality to which faith opens the door. “This is the Lord’s doing”, says the Psalm (118:23), and “it is marvelous in our eyes”, the eyes of faith. Dear brothers and sisters, today our eyes behold, in the full spiritual light of the risen Christ, the beloved and revered figure of John Paul II. Today his name is added to the host of those whom he proclaimed saints and blesseds during the almost 27 years of his pontificate, thereby forcefully emphasizing the universal vocation to the heights of the Christian life, to holiness, taught by the conciliar Constitution on the Church Lumen Gentium. All of us, as members of the people of God – bishops, priests, deacons, laity, men and women religious – are making our pilgrim way to the heavenly homeland where the Virgin Mary has preceded us, associated as she was in a unique and perfect way to the mystery of Christ and the Church. Karol Wojtyla took part in the Second Vatican Council, first as an auxiliary Bishop and then as Archbishop of Kraków. He was fully aware that the Council’s decision to devote the last chapter of its Constitution on the Church to Mary meant that the Mother of the Redeemer is held up as an image and model of holiness for every Christian and for the entire Church. This was the theological vision which Blessed John Paul II discovered as a young man and subsequently maintained and deepened throughout his life. A vision which is expressed in the scriptural image of the crucified Christ with Mary, his Mother, at his side. This icon from the Gospel of John (19:25-27) was taken up in the episcopal and later the papal coat-of-arms of Karol Wojtyla: a golden cross with the letter “M” on the lower right and the motto“Totus tuus”, drawn from the well-known words of St Louis Marie Grignion de Montfort in which Karol Wojtyla found a guiding light for his life: “Totus tuus ego sum et omnia mea tua sunt. Accipio te in mea omnia. Praebe mihi cor tuum, Maria – I belong entirely to you, and all that I have is yours. I take you for my all. O Mary, give me your heart” (Treatise on True Devotion to the Blessed Virgin)." Visit Totus2us.com for more. Totus Tuus (All Yours) was the motto of Blessed John Paul II to Mary. Our Lady is also everything to us - Totus 2us. Day 8, Novena to Bl John Paul II - Pope Benedict XVI, at JPII's beatification: "Today’s second reading also speaks to us of faith. Saint Peter himself, filled with spiritual enthusiasm, points out to the newly-baptized the reason for their hope and their joy. I like to think how in this passage, at the beginning of his first Letter, Peter does not use language of exhortation; instead, he states a fact. He writes: “you rejoice”, and he adds: “you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and rejoice with an indescribable and glorious joy, for youare receiving the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls” (1 Pet 1:6, 8-9). All these verbs are in the indicative, because a new reality has come about in Christ’s resurrection, a reality to which faith opens the door. “This is the Lord’s doing”, says the Psalm (118:23), and “it is marvelous in our eyes”, the eyes of faith. Dear brothers and sisters, today our eyes behold, in the full spiritual light of the risen Christ, the beloved and revered figure of John Paul II. Today his name is added to the host of those whom he proclaimed saints and blesseds during the almost 27 years of his pontificate, thereby forcefully emphasizing the universal vocation to the heights of the Christian life, to holiness, taught by the conciliar Constitution on the Church Lumen Gentium. All of us, as members of the people of God – bishops, priests, deacons, laity, men and women religious – are making our pilgrim way to the heavenly homeland where the Virgin Mary has preceded us, associated as she was in a unique and perfect way to the mystery of Christ and the Church. Karol Wojtyla took part in the Second Vatican Council, first as an auxiliary Bishop and then as Archbishop of Kraków. He was fully aware that the Council’s decision to devote the last chapter of its Constitution on the Church to Mary meant that the Mother of the Redeemer is held up as an image and model of holiness for every Christian and for the entire Church. This was the theological vision which Blessed John Paul II discovered as a young man and subsequently maintained and deepened throughout his life. A vision which is expressed in the scriptural image of the crucified Christ with Mary, his Mother, at his side. This icon from the Gospel of John (19:25-27) was taken up in the episcopal and later the papal coat-of-arms of Karol Wojtyla: a golden cross with the letter “M” on the lower right and the motto“Totus tuus”, drawn from the well-known words of St Louis Marie Grignion de Montfort in which Karol Wojtyla found a guiding light for his life: “Totus tuus ego sum et omnia mea tua sunt. Accipio te in mea omnia. Praebe mihi cor tuum, Maria – I belong entirely to you, and all that I have is yours. I take you for my all. O Mary, give me your heart” (Treatise on True Devotion to the Blessed Virgin)." Visit Totus2us.com for more. Totus Tuus (All Yours) was the motto of Blessed John Paul II to Mary. Our Lady is also everything to us - Totus 2us. Thu, 20 Oct 2011 12:00:00 GMT 10:34 http://www.totus2us.eu/Novenas/Totus2us-Novena_to_Blessed_John_Paul_II-Day8.mp3 John Paul II, God, Love, Jesus, prayer, novena, Karol Woytyla, Pope, Benedict Totus2us Day 7, Novena to Bl John Paul II - Pope Benedict XVI, at JPII's beatification: "Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have come to believe” (Jn 20:29). In today’s Gospel Jesus proclaims this beatitude: the beatitude of faith. For us, it is particularly striking because we are gathered to celebrate a beatification, but even more so because today the one proclaimed blessed is a Pope, a Successor of Peter, one who was called to confirm his brethren in the faith. John Paul II is blessed because of his faith, a strong, generous and apostolic faith. We think at once of another beatitude: “Blessed are you, Simon, son of Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father in heaven” (Mt 16:17). What did our heavenly Father reveal to Simon? That Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God. Because of this faith, Simon becomes Peter, the rock on which Jesus can build his Church. The eternal beatitude of John Paul II, which today the Church rejoices to proclaim, is wholly contained in these sayings of Jesus: “Blessed are you, Simon” and “Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have come to believe!” It is the beatitude of faith, which John Paul II also received as a gift from God the Father for the building up of Christ’s Church. Our thoughts turn to yet another beatitude, one which appears in the Gospel before all others. It is the beatitude of the Virgin Mary, the Mother of the Redeemer. Mary, who had just conceived Jesus, was told by Saint Elizabeth: “Blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfilment of what was spoken to her by the Lord” (Lk 1:45). The beatitude of faith has its model in Mary, and all of us rejoice that the beatification of John Paul II takes place on this first day of the month of Mary, beneath the maternal gaze of the one who by her faith sustained the faith of the Apostles and constantly sustains the faith of their successors, especially those called to occupy the Chair of Peter. Mary does not appear in the accounts of Christ’s resurrection, yet hers is, as it were, a continual, hidden presence: she is the Mother to whom Jesus entrusted each of his disciples and the entire community. In particular we can see how Saint John and Saint Luke record the powerful, maternal presence of Mary in the passages preceding those read in today’s Gospel and first reading. In the account of Jesus’ death, Mary appears at the foot of the cross (Jn 19:25), and at the beginning of the Acts of the Apostles she is seen in the midst of the disciples gathered in prayer in the Upper Room." 'Blessed are you, beloved Pope John Paul II, because you believed! Continue, we implore you, to sustain from heaven the faith of God's people.' 'Blessed are you, beloved Pope John Paul II, because you believed! Continue, we implore you, to sustain from heaven the faith of God's people.' Visit Totus2us.com for more. Totus Tuus (All Yours) was the motto of Blessed John Paul II to Mary. Our Lady is also everything to us - Totus 2us. Day 7, Novena to Bl John Paul II - Pope Benedict XVI, at JPII's beatification: "Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have come to believe” (Jn 20:29). In today’s Gospel Jesus proclaims this beatitude: the beatitude of faith. For us, it is particularly striking because we are gathered to celebrate a beatification, but even more so because today the one proclaimed blessed is a Pope, a Successor of Peter, one who was called to confirm his brethren in the faith. John Paul II is blessed because of his faith, a strong, generous and apostolic faith. We think at once of another beatitude: “Blessed are you, Simon, son of Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father in heaven” (Mt 16:17). What did our heavenly Father reveal to Simon? That Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God. Because of this faith, Simon becomes Peter, the rock on which Jesus can build his Church. The eternal beatitude of John Paul II, which today the Church rejoices to proclaim, is wholly contained in these sayings of Jesus: “Blessed are you, Simon” and “Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have come to believe!” It is the beatitude of faith, which John Paul II also received as a gift from God the Father for the building up of Christ’s Church. Our thoughts turn to yet another beatitude, one which appears in the Gospel before all others. It is the beatitude of the Virgin Mary, the Mother of the Redeemer. Mary, who had just conceived Jesus, was told by Saint Elizabeth: “Blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfilment of what was spoken to her by the Lord” (Lk 1:45). The beatitude of faith has its model in Mary, and all of us rejoice that the beatification of John Paul II takes place on this first day of the month of Mary, beneath the maternal gaze of the one who by her faith sustained the faith of the Apostles and constantly sustains the faith of their successors, especially those called to occupy the Chair of Peter. Mary does not appear in the accounts of Christ’s resurrection, yet hers is, as it were, a continual, hidden presence: she is the Mother to whom Jesus entrusted each of his disciples and the entire community. In particular we can see how Saint John and Saint Luke record the powerful, maternal presence of Mary in the passages preceding those read in today’s Gospel and first reading. In the account of Jesus’ death, Mary appears at the foot of the cross (Jn 19:25), and at the beginning of the Acts of the Apostles she is seen in the midst of the disciples gathered in prayer in the Upper Room." 'Blessed are you, beloved Pope John Paul II, because you believed! Continue, we implore you, to sustain from heaven the faith of God's people.' 'Blessed are you, beloved Pope John Paul II, because you believed! Continue, we implore you, to sustain from heaven the faith of God's people.' Visit Totus2us.com for more. Totus Tuus (All Yours) was the motto of Blessed John Paul II to Mary. Our Lady is also everything to us - Totus 2us. Wed, 19 Oct 2011 12:00:00 GMT 9:38 http://www.totus2us.eu/Novenas/Totus2us-Novena_to_Blessed_John_Paul_II-Day7.mp3 John Paul II, God, Love, Jesus, prayer, novena, Karol Woytyla, Pope, Benedict Totus2us Day 6, Novena to Bl John Paul II - Cardinal Ratzinger, at JPII's funeral: "Divine Mercy: the Holy Father found the purest reflection of God’s mercy in the Mother of God. He, who at an early age had lost his own mother, loved his divine mother all the more. He heard the words of the crucified Lord as addressed personally to him: "Behold your Mother." And so he did as the beloved disciple did: he took her into his own home" (eis ta idia: Jn 19:27) – Totus tuus. And from the mother he learned to conform himself to Christ." 'Blessed are you, beloved Pope John Paul II, because you believed! Continue, we implore you, to sustain from heaven the faith of God's people.' Visit Totus2us.com for more. Totus Tuus (All Yours) was the motto of Blessed John Paul II to Mary. Our Lady is also everything to us - Totus 2us. Day 6, Novena to Bl John Paul II - Cardinal Ratzinger, at JPII's funeral: "Divine Mercy: the Holy Father found the purest reflection of God’s mercy in the Mother of God. He, who at an early age had lost his own mother, loved his divine mother all the more. He heard the words of the crucified Lord as addressed personally to him: "Behold your Mother." And so he did as the beloved disciple did: he took her into his own home" (eis ta idia: Jn 19:27) – Totus tuus. And from the mother he learned to conform himself to Christ." 'Blessed are you, beloved Pope John Paul II, because you believed! Continue, we implore you, to sustain from heaven the faith of God's people.' Visit Totus2us.com for more. Totus Tuus (All Yours) was the motto of Blessed John Paul II to Mary. Our Lady is also everything to us - Totus 2us. Tue, 18 Oct 2011 12:00:00 GMT 7:07 http://www.totus2us.eu/Novenas/Totus2us-Novena_to_Blessed_John_Paul_II-Day6.mp3 John Paul II, God, Love, Jesus, prayer, novena, Karol Woytyla, Pope, Benedict Totus2us Day 5, Novena to Bl John Paul II - Cardinal Ratzinger "He interpreted for us the paschal mystery as a mystery of divine mercy. In his last book, he wrote: The limit imposed upon evil "is ultimately Divine Mercy" (Memory and Identity, pp. 60-61). And reflecting on the assassination attempt, he said: "In sacrificing himself for us all, Christ gave a new meaning to suffering, opening up a new dimension, a new order: the order of love ... It is this suffering which burns and consumes evil with the flame of love and draws forth even from sin a great flowering of good" (pp. 189-190). Impelled by this vision, the Pope suffered and loved in communion with Christ, and that is why the message of his suffering and his silence proved so eloquent and so fruitful." 'Blessed are you, beloved Pope John Paul II, because you believed! Continue, we implore you, to sustain from heaven the faith of God's people.' Visit Totus2us.com for more. Totus Tuus (All Yours) was the motto of Blessed John Paul II to Mary. Our Lady is also everything to us - Totus 2us. Day 5, Novena to Bl John Paul II - Cardinal Ratzinger: "He interpreted for us the paschal mystery as a mystery of divine mercy. In his last book, he wrote: The limit imposed upon evil "is ultimately Divine Mercy" (Memory and Identity, pp. 60-61). And reflecting on the assassination attempt, he said: "In sacrificing himself for us all, Christ gave a new meaning to suffering, opening up a new dimension, a new order: the order of love ... It is this suffering which burns and consumes evil with the flame of love and draws forth even from sin a great flowering of good" (pp. 189-190). Impelled by this vision, the Pope suffered and loved in communion with Christ, and that is why the message of his suffering and his silence proved so eloquent and so fruitful." 'Blessed are you, beloved Pope John Paul II, because you believed! Continue, we implore you, to sustain from heaven the faith of God's people.' Visit Totus2us.com for more. Totus Tuus (All Yours) was the motto of Blessed John Paul II to Mary. Our Lady is also everything to us - Totus 2us. Mon, 17 Oct 2011 12:00:00 GMT 8:16 http://www.totus2us.eu/Novenas/Totus2us-Novena_to_Blessed_John_Paul_II-Day5.mp3 John Paul II, God, Love, Jesus, prayer, novena, Karol Woytyla, Pope, Benedict Totus2us Day 4, Novena to Bl John Paul II - Cardinal Ratzinger, at JPII's funeral: "Follow me! Together with the command to feed his flock, Christ proclaimed to Peter that he would die a martyr’s death. With those words, which conclude and sum up the dialogue on love and on the mandate of the universal shepherd, the Lord recalls another dialogue, which took place during the Last Supper. There Jesus had said: "Where I am going, you cannot come." Peter said to him, "Lord, where are you going?" Jesus replied: "Where I am going, you cannot follow me now; but you will follow me afterward." (Jn 13:33,36). Jesus from the Supper went towards the Cross, went towards his resurrection – he entered into the paschal mystery; and Peter could not yet follow him. Now – after the resurrection – comes the time, comes this "afterward." By shepherding the flock of Christ, Peter enters into the paschal mystery, he goes towards the cross and the resurrection. The Lord says this in these words: "... when you were younger, you used to fasten your own belt and to go wherever you wished. But when you grow old, you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will fasten a belt around you and take you where you do not wish to go" (Jn 21:18). In the first years of his pontificate, still young and full of energy, the Holy Father went to the very ends of the earth, guided by Christ. But afterwards, he increasingly entered into the communion of Christ’s sufferings; increasingly he understood the truth of the words: "Someone else will fasten a belt around you." And in this very communion with the suffering Lord, tirelessly and with renewed intensity, he proclaimed the Gospel, the mystery of that love which goes to the end (cf Jn 13:1)." 'Blessed are you, beloved Pope John Paul II, because you believed! Continue, we implore you, to sustain from heaven the faith of God's people.' Visit Totus2us.com for more. Totus Tuus (All Yours) was the motto of Blessed John Paul II to Mary. Our Lady is also everything to us - Totus 2us. Day 4, Novena to Bl John Paul II - Cardinal Ratzinger, at JPII's funeral: "Follow me! Together with the command to feed his flock, Christ proclaimed to Peter that he would die a martyr’s death. With those words, which conclude and sum up the dialogue on love and on the mandate of the universal shepherd, the Lord recalls another dialogue, which took place during the Last Supper. There Jesus had said: "Where I am going, you cannot come." Peter said to him, "Lord, where are you going?" Jesus replied: "Where I am going, you cannot follow me now; but you will follow me afterward." (Jn 13:33,36). Jesus from the Supper went towards the Cross, went towards his resurrection – he entered into the paschal mystery; and Peter could not yet follow him. Now – after the resurrection – comes the time, comes this "afterward." By shepherding the flock of Christ, Peter enters into the paschal mystery, he goes towards the cross and the resurrection. The Lord says this in these words: "... when you were younger, you used to fasten your own belt and to go wherever you wished. But when you grow old, you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will fasten a belt around you and take you where you do not wish to go" (Jn 21:18). In the first years of his pontificate, still young and full of energy, the Holy Father went to the very ends of the earth, guided by Christ. But afterwards, he increasingly entered into the communion of Christ’s sufferings; increasingly he understood the truth of the words: "Someone else will fasten a belt around you." And in this very communion with the suffering Lord, tirelessly and with renewed intensity, he proclaimed the Gospel, the mystery of that love which goes to the end (cf Jn 13:1)." 'Blessed are you, beloved Pope John Paul II, because you believed! Continue, we implore you, to sustain from heaven the faith of God's people.' Visit Totus2us.com for more. Totus Tuus (All Yours) was the motto of Blessed John Paul II to Mary. Our Lady is also everything to us - Totus 2us. Sun, 16 Oct 2011 12:00:00 GMT 8:16 http://www.totus2us.eu/Novenas/Totus2us-Novena_to_Blessed_John_Paul_II-Day4.mp3 John Paul II, God, Love, Jesus, prayer, novena, Karol Woytyla, Pope, Benedict Totus2us Day 3, Novena to Bl John Paul II - Cardinal Ratzinger, at JPII's funeral: "Follow me! In October 1978 Cardinal Wojtyla once again heard the voice of the Lord. Once more there took place that dialogue with Peter reported in the Gospel of this Mass: "Simon, son of John, do you love me? Feed my sheep!" To the Lord’s question, "Karol, do you love me?," the Archbishop of Krakow answered from the depths of his heart: "Lord you know everything; you know that I love you." The love of Christ was the dominant force in the life of our beloved Holy Father. Anyone who ever saw him pray, who ever heard him preach, knows that. Thanks to his being profoundly rooted in Christ, he was able to bear a burden which transcends merely human abilities: that of being the shepherd of Christ’s flock, his universal Church. This is not the time to speak of the specific content of this rich pontificate. I would like only to read two passages of today’s liturgy which reflect central elements of his message. In the first reading, Saint Peter says – and with Saint Peter, the Pope himself – "I truly understand that God shows no partiality, but in every nation anyone who fears him and does what is right is acceptable to him. You know the message he sent to the people of Israel, preaching peace by Jesus Christ - he is Lord of all" (Acts10:34-36). And in the second reading, Saint Paul – and with Saint Paul, our late Pope – exhorts us, crying out: "My brothers and sisters, whom I love and long for, my joy and my crown, stand firm in the Lord in this way, my beloved" (Phil 4:1)." 'Blessed are you, beloved Pope John Paul II, because you believed! Continue, we implore you, to sustain from heaven the faith of God's people.' Visit Totus2us.com for more. Totus Tuus (All Yours) was the motto of Blessed John Paul II to Mary. Our Lady is also everything to us - Totus 2us. Day 3, Novena to Bl John Paul II - Cardinal Ratzinger, at JPII's funeral: "Follow me! In October 1978 Cardinal Wojtyla once again heard the voice of the Lord. Once more there took place that dialogue with Peter reported in the Gospel of this Mass: "Simon, son of John, do you love me? Feed my sheep!" To the Lord’s question, "Karol, do you love me?," the Archbishop of Krakow answered from the depths of his heart: "Lord you know everything; you know that I love you." The love of Christ was the dominant force in the life of our beloved Holy Father. Anyone who ever saw him pray, who ever heard him preach, knows that. Thanks to his being profoundly rooted in Christ, he was able to bear a burden which transcends merely human abilities: that of being the shepherd of Christ’s flock, his universal Church. This is not the time to speak of the specific content of this rich pontificate. I would like only to read two passages of today’s liturgy which reflect central elements of his message. In the first reading, Saint Peter says – and with Saint Peter, the Pope himself – "I truly understand that God shows no partiality, but in every nation anyone who fears him and does what is right is acceptable to him. You know the message he sent to the people of Israel, preaching peace by Jesus Christ - he is Lord of all" (Acts10:34-36). And in the second reading, Saint Paul – and with Saint Paul, our late Pope – exhorts us, crying out: "My brothers and sisters, whom I love and long for, my joy and my crown, stand firm in the Lord in this way, my beloved" (Phil 4:1)." 'Blessed are you, beloved Pope John Paul II, because you believed! Continue, we implore you, to sustain from heaven the faith of God's people.' Visit Totus2us.com for more. Totus Tuus (All Yours) was the motto of Blessed John Paul II to Mary. Our Lady is also everything to us - Totus 2us. Sat, 15 Oct 2011 12:00:00 GMT 8:30 http://www.totus2us.eu/Novenas/Totus2us-Novena_to_Blessed_John_Paul_II-Day3.mp3 John Paul II, God, Love, Jesus, prayer, novena, Karol Woytyla, Pope, Benedict Totus2us Day 2, Novena to Bl John Paul II - Cardinal Ratzinger, at JPII's funeral: "Follow me! In July 1958 the young priest Karol Wojtyla began a new stage in his journey with the Lord and in the footsteps of the Lord. Karol had gone to the Masuri lakes for his usual vacation, along with a group of young people who loved canoeing. But he brought with him a letter inviting him to call on the Primate of Poland, Cardinal Wyszynski. He could guess the purpose of the meeting: he was to be appointed as the auxiliary Bishop of Kraków. Leaving the academic world, leaving this challenging engagement with young people, leaving the great intellectual endeavour of striving to understand and interpret the mystery of that creature which is man and of communicating to today’s world the Christian interpretation of our being – all this must have seemed to him like losing his very self, losing what had become the very human identity of this young priest. Follow me – Karol Wojtyla accepted the appointment, for he heard in the Church’s call the voice of Christ. And then he realized how true are the Lord’s words: "Those who try to make their life secure will lose it, but those who lose their life will keep it" (Lk 17:33). Our Pope – and we all know this – never wanted to make his own life secure, to keep it for himself; he wanted to give of himself unreservedly, to the very last moment, for Christ and thus also for us. And thus he came to experience how everything which he had given over into the Lord’s hands came back to him in a new way. His love of words, of poetry, of literature, became an essential part of his pastoral mission and gave new vitality, new urgency, new attractiveness to the preaching of the Gospel, even when it is a sign of contradiction." 'Blessed are you, beloved Pope John Paul II, because you believed! Continue, we implore you, to sustain from heaven the faith of God's people.' Visit Totus2us.com for more. Totus Tuus (All Yours) was the motto of Blessed John Paul II to Mary. Our Lady is also everything to us - Totus 2us. Day 2, Novena to Bl John Paul II - Cardinal Ratzinger, at JPII's funeral: "Follow me! In July 1958 the young priest Karol Wojtyla began a new stage in his journey with the Lord and in the footsteps of the Lord. Karol had gone to the Masuri lakes for his usual vacation, along with a group of young people who loved canoeing. But he brought with him a letter inviting him to call on the Primate of Poland, Cardinal Wyszynski. He could guess the purpose of the meeting: he was to be appointed as the auxiliary Bishop of Kraków. Leaving the academic world, leaving this challenging engagement with young people, leaving the great intellectual endeavour of striving to understand and interpret the mystery of that creature which is man and of communicating to today’s world the Christian interpretation of our being – all this must have seemed to him like losing his very self, losing what had become the very human identity of this young priest. Follow me – Karol Wojtyla accepted the appointment, for he heard in the Church’s call the voice of Christ. And then he realized how true are the Lord’s words: "Those who try to make their life secure will lose it, but those who lose their life will keep it" (Lk 17:33). Our Pope – and we all know this – never wanted to make his own life secure, to keep it for himself; he wanted to give of himself unreservedly, to the very last moment, for Christ and thus also for us. And thus he came to experience how everything which he had given over into the Lord’s hands came back to him in a new way. His love of words, of poetry, of literature, became an essential part of his pastoral mission and gave new vitality, new urgency, new attractiveness to the preaching of the Gospel, even when it is a sign of contradiction." 'Blessed are you, beloved Pope John Paul II, because you believed! Continue, we implore you, to sustain from heaven the faith of God's people.' Visit Totus2us.com for more. Totus Tuus (All Yours) was the motto of Blessed John Paul II to Mary. Our Lady is also everything to us - Totus 2us. Fri, 14 Oct 2011 12:00:00 GMT 10:20 http://www.totus2us.eu/Novenas/Totus2us-Novena_to_Blessed_John_Paul_II-Day2.mp3 John Paul II, God, Love, Jesus, prayer, novena, Karol Woytyla, Pope, Benedict Totus2us Day 1, Novena to Bl John Paul II - Cardinal Ratzinger, at JPII's funeral: "Follow me – as a young student Karol Wojtyla was thrilled by literature, the theatre, and poetry. Working in a chemical plant, surrounded and threatened by the Nazi terror, he heard the voice of the Lord: Follow me! In this extraordinary setting he began to read books of philosophy and theology, and then entered the clandestine seminary established by Cardinal Sapieha. After the war he was able to complete his studies in the faculty of theology of the Jagiellonian University of Kraków. How often, in his letters to priests and in his autobiographical books has he spoken to us about his priesthood, to which he was ordained on 1 November 1946. In these texts he interprets his priesthood with particular reference to three sayings of the Lord. First: "You did not choose me, but I chose you. And I appointed you to go and bear fruit, fruit that will last" (Jn 15:16). The second saying is: "The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep" (Jn 10:11). And then: "As the Father has loved me, so I have loved you; abide in my love" (Jn 15:9). In these three sayings we see the heart and soul of our Holy Father. He really went everywhere, untiringly, in order to bear fruit, fruit that lasts. "Rise, Let us be on our Way!" is the title of his next-to-last book. "Rise, let us be on our way!" – with these words he roused us from a lethargic faith, from the sleep of the disciples of both yesterday and today. "Rise, let us be on our way!" he continues to say to us even today. The Holy Father was a priest to the last, for he offered his life to God for his flock and for the entire human family, in a daily self-oblation for the service of the Church, especially amid the sufferings of his final months. And in this way he became one with Christ, the Good Shepherd who loves his sheep. Finally, "abide in my love:" the Pope who tried to meet everyone, who had an ability to forgive and to open his heart to all, tells us once again today, with these words of the Lord, that by abiding in the love of Christ we learn, at the school of Christ, the art of true love." 'Blessed are you, beloved Pope John Paul II, because you believed! Continue, we implore you, to sustain from heaven the faith of God's people.' Visit Totus2us.com for more. Totus Tuus (All Yours) was the motto of Blessed John Paul II to Mary. Our Lady is also everything to us - Totus 2us. Day 1, Novena to Bl John Paul II - Cardinal Ratzinger, at JPII's funeral: "Follow me – as a young student Karol Wojtyla was thrilled by literature, the theatre, and poetry. Working in a chemical plant, surrounded and threatened by the Nazi terror, he heard the voice of the Lord: Follow me! In this extraordinary setting he began to read books of philosophy and theology, and then entered the clandestine seminary established by Cardinal Sapieha. After the war he was able to complete his studies in the faculty of theology of the Jagiellonian University of Kraków. How often, in his letters to priests and in his autobiographical books has he spoken to us about his priesthood, to which he was ordained on 1 November 1946. In these texts he interprets his priesthood with particular reference to three sayings of the Lord. First: "You did not choose me, but I chose you. And I appointed you to go and bear fruit, fruit that will last" (Jn 15:16). The second saying is: "The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep" (Jn 10:11). And then: "As the Father has loved me, so I have loved you; abide in my love" (Jn 15:9). In these three sayings we see the heart and soul of our Holy Father. He really went everywhere, untiringly, in order to bear fruit, fruit that lasts. "Rise, Let us be on our Way!" is the title of his next-to-last book. "Rise, let us be on our way!" – with these words he roused us from a lethargic faith, from the sleep of the disciples of both yesterday and today. "Rise, let us be on our way!" he continues to say to us even today. The Holy Father was a priest to the last, for he offered his life to God for his flock and for the entire human family, in a daily self-oblation for the service of the Church, especially amid the sufferings of his final months. And in this way he became one with Christ, the Good Shepherd who loves his sheep. Finally, "abide in my love:" the Pope who tried to meet everyone, who had an ability to forgive and to open his heart to all, tells us once again today, with these words of the Lord, that by abiding in the love of Christ we learn, at the school of Christ, the art of true love." 'Blessed are you, beloved Pope John Paul II, because you believed! Continue, we implore you, to sustain from heaven the faith of God's people.' Visit Totus2us.com for more. Totus Tuus (All Yours) was the motto of Blessed John Paul II to Mary. Our Lady is also everything to us - Totus 2us. Thu, 13 Oct 2011 12:00:00 GMT 10:06 http://www.totus2us.eu/Novenas/Totus2us-Novena_to_Blessed_John_Paul_II-Day1.mp3 John Paul II, God, Love, Jesus, prayer, novena, Karol Woytyla, Pope, Benedict Totus2us.com Day 9, Novena to St Padre Pio: "Humble Saint Pio of Pietrelcina, you who loved the Roman Catholic Church, pray for us. May the Master send workers to the harvest and give them the strength and knowledge needed to be children of God. Pray that Our Holy Lady will unite Christian people everywhere, comforting all of them in one great house of the Lord, the lighthouse of our salvation in the storm of life ... just as a lighthouse is a beacon for safe return when there is a storm at sea." Padre Pio: "You must always keep yourself on the straight and narrow path in the Holy Catholic Church because she is the only Bride of Christ and can bring you peace. She alone possesses Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament, who is the true Prince of Peace." Music by Edwin Fawcett. Visit Totus2us.com for more. Totus Tuus (All Yours) was the motto of Blessed John Paul II to Mary. Our Lady is also everything to us - Totus 2us. Day 9, Novena to St Padre Pio: "Humble Saint Pio of Pietrelcina, you who loved the Roman Catholic Church, pray for us. May the Master send workers to the harvest and give them the strength and knowledge needed to be children of God. Pray that Our Holy Lady will unite Christian people everywhere, comforting all of them in one great house of the Lord, the lighthouse of our salvation in the storm of life ... just as a lighthouse is a beacon for safe return when there is a storm at sea." Padre Pio: "You must always keep yourself on the straight and narrow path in the Holy Catholic Church because she is the only Bride of Christ and can bring you peace. She alone possesses Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament, who is the true Prince of Peace." Music by Edwin Fawcett. Visit Totus2us.com for more. Totus Tuus (All Yours) was the motto of Blessed John Paul II to Mary. Our Lady is also everything to us - Totus 2us. Thu, 22 Sep 2011 12:00:00 GMT 9:06 http://www.totus2us.eu/Novenas/Totus2us-Novena_to_St_Padre_Pio-Day9.mp3 Saint, Padre Pio, God, Love, Jesus, prayer, novena, faith Totus2us.com Day 8, Novena to St Padre Pio: "Pure Saint Pio of Pietrelcina, you experienced great love for your spiritual children and have helped them by purchasing them for Christ with the giving of your blood. Please grant us, who have not met you personally, the opportunity to be considered your spiritual children. In this way, with your protection, guidance and strength, you will obtain for us a special blessing from God, so that we may meet Him on the day of our death at the gates of Heaven." Padre Pio: "It would be most fulfilling, if God would grant me just one wish (if it were possible); that He would say, “Enter Heaven!” This is my one true wish; “That God would take me to Heaven at the same time that the last of my children and the last of the people who submitted to my priestly care have entered." Music by Edwin Fawcett. Visit Totus2us.com for more. Totus Tuus (All Yours) was the motto of Blessed John Paul II to Mary. Our Lady is also everything to us - Totus 2us. Day 8, Novena to St Padre Pio: "Pure Saint Pio of Pietrelcina, you experienced great love for your spiritual children and have helped them by purchasing them for Christ with the giving of your blood. Please grant us, who have not met you personally, the opportunity to be considered your spiritual children. In this way, with your protection, guidance and strength, you will obtain for us a special blessing from God, so that we may meet Him on the day of our death at the gates of Heaven." Padre Pio: "It would be most fulfilling, if God would grant me just one wish (if it were possible); that He would say, “Enter Heaven!” This is my one true wish; “That God would take me to Heaven at the same time that the last of my children and the last of the people who submitted to my priestly care have entered." Music by Edwin Fawcett. Visit Totus2us.com for more. Totus Tuus (All Yours) was the motto of Blessed John Paul II to Mary. Our Lady is also everything to us - Totus 2us. Wed, 21 Sep 2011 12:00:00 GMT 9:40 http://www.totus2us.eu/Novenas/Totus2us-Novena_to_St_Padre_Pio-Day8.mp3 Saint, Padre Pio, God, Love, Jesus, prayer, novena, faith Totus2us.com Day 7, Novena to St Padre Pio: "Blessed Saint Pio of Pietrelcina, you have worked in 'God’s plan for salvation', by offering your sufferings to free sinners from the chains of the devil. We beg you to pray for us, so that unbelievers will be converted to the faith, that all sinners will repent in their hearts and that those with lukewarm hearts will find renewed enthusiasm for a Christian life. Finally, pray for all those who are faithful, so that they will persevere on their way to salvation." Padre Pio: "If the people of the world could only see the beauty of ones soul when it is in the grace of God, all sinners and unbelievers of this world would be instantly converted." Music by Edwin Fawcett. Visit Totus2us.com for more. Totus Tuus (All Yours) was the motto of Blessed John Paul II to Mary. Our Lady is also everything to us - Totus 2us. Day 7, Novena to St Padre Pio: "Blessed Saint Pio of Pietrelcina, you have worked in 'God’s plan for salvation', by offering your sufferings to free sinners from the chains of the devil. We beg you to pray for us, so that unbelievers will be converted to the faith, that all sinners will repent in their hearts and that those with lukewarm hearts will find renewed enthusiasm for a Christian life. Finally, pray for all those who are faithful, so that they will persevere on their way to salvation." Padre Pio: "If the people of the world could only see the beauty of ones soul when it is in the grace of God, all sinners and unbelievers of this world would be instantly converted." Music by Edwin Fawcett. Visit Totus2us.com for more. Totus Tuus (All Yours) was the motto of Blessed John Paul II to Mary. Our Lady is also everything to us - Totus 2us. Tue, 20 Sep 2011 12:00:00 GMT 8:39 http://www.totus2us.eu/Novenas/Totus2us-Novena_to_St_Padre_Pio-Day7.mp3 Saint, Padre Pio, God, Love, Jesus, prayer, novena, faith Totus2us.com Day 6, Novena to St Padre Pio: "Obedient Saint Pio of Pietrelcina, you have loved the sick more than yourself, because you were able to see Jesus in them. You have performed many miracles by healing patients in the name of Jesus and thereby giving them peace of mind. We beg you to pray for us, so that sick patients, through the intercession of Mary, can be healed and their bodies restored so that they may benefit from the Holy Spirit and, therefore, thank and praise God forever." Padre Pio: "If I knew that a person was afflicted in his mind, body or soul, I would beg God to set him free of his affliction. I would gladly accept the transfer of his affliction to myself, so that he may be saved, and I would ask that he benefit from the fruits of these sufferings... if the Lord would allow me to do it." Music by Edwin Fawcett. Visit Totus2us.com for more. Totus Tuus (All Yours) was the motto of Blessed John Paul II to Mary. Our Lady is also everything to us - Totus 2us. Day 6, Novena to St Padre Pio: "Obedient Saint Pio of Pietrelcina, you have loved the sick more than yourself, because you were able to see Jesus in them. You have performed many miracles by healing patients in the name of Jesus and thereby giving them peace of mind. We beg you to pray for us, so that sick patients, through the intercession of Mary, can be healed and their bodies restored so that they may benefit from the Holy Spirit and, therefore, thank and praise God forever." Padre Pio: "If I knew that a person was afflicted in his mind, body or soul, I would beg God to set him free of his affliction. I would gladly accept the transfer of his affliction to myself, so that he may be saved, and I would ask that he benefit from the fruits of these sufferings... if the Lord would allow me to do it." Music by Edwin Fawcett. Visit Totus2us.com for more. Totus Tuus (All Yours) was the motto of Blessed John Paul II to Mary. Our Lady is also everything to us - Totus 2us. Mon, 19 Sep 2011 12:00:00 GMT 8:25 http://www.totus2us.eu/Novenas/Totus2us-Novena_to_St_Padre_Pio-Day6.mp3 Saint, Padre Pio, God, Love, Jesus, prayer, novena, faith Totus2us.com Day 5, Novena to St Padre Pio: "Prudent Saint Pio of Pietrelcina, you have had a great devotion for the souls in Purgatory for whom you have offered yourself as a victim to remit their punishments. Please pray for us and ask God to send us the same interest, compassion and love that you have for these souls. In this way, we will also contribute to reducing their suffering and, with our sacrifices and prayers, win for them their necessary indulgences." Padre Pio: "My God, I beg you; let me bear the punishments that have been prepared for sinners and the souls in Purgatory. Multiply these punishments for me, so that you may forgive and save the sinners and free their souls from purgatory." Music by Edwin Fawcett. Visit Totus2us.com for more. Totus Tuus (All Yours) was the motto of Blessed John Paul II to Mary. Our Lady is also everything to us - Totus 2us. Day 5, Novena to St Padre Pio: "Prudent Saint Pio of Pietrelcina, you have had a great devotion for the souls in Purgatory for whom you have offered yourself as a victim to remit their punishments. Please pray for us and ask God to send us the same interest, compassion and love that you have for these souls. In this way, we will also contribute to reducing their suffering and, with our sacrifices and prayers, win for them their necessary indulgences." Padre Pio: "My God, I beg you; let me bear the punishments that have been prepared for sinners and the souls in Purgatory. Multiply these punishments for me, so that you may forgive and save the sinners and free their souls from purgatory." Music by Edwin Fawcett. Visit Totus2us.com for more. Totus Tuus (All Yours) was the motto of Blessed John Paul II to Mary. Our Lady is also everything to us - Totus 2us. Sun, 18 Sep 2011 12:00:00 GMT 9:44 http://www.totus2us.eu/Novenas/Totus2us-Novena_to_St_Padre_Pio-Day5.mp3 Saint, Padre Pio, God, Love, Jesus, prayer, novena, faith Totus2us.com Day 4, Novena to St Padre Pio: "Chaste Saint Pio of Pietrelcina, you loved your Guardian Angel, who served you well as your guide and as a defender and messenger. The Angels brought the prayers of your spiritual children to you. We beg you to pray for us, so that we may learn to call on our Guardian Angel who is always ready to guide us to what is good and to avoid falling into sinful actions." Padre Pio: "Invoke your Guardian Angel, who will enlighten you and guide you. God has given him to you for your protection, therefore, you should use him accordingly." Music by Edwin Fawcett. Visit Totus2us.com for more. Totus Tuus (All Yours) was the motto of Blessed John Paul II to Mary. Our Lady is also everything to us - Totus 2us. Day 4, Novena to St Padre Pio: "Chaste Saint Pio of Pietrelcina, you loved your Guardian Angel, who served you well as your guide and as a defender and messenger. The Angels brought the prayers of your spiritual children to you. We beg you to pray for us, so that we may learn to call on our Guardian Angel who is always ready to guide us to what is good and to avoid falling into sinful actions." Padre Pio: "Invoke your Guardian Angel, who will enlighten you and guide you. God has given him to you for your protection, therefore, you should use him accordingly." Music by Edwin Fawcett. Visit Totus2us.com for more. Totus Tuus (All Yours) was the motto of Blessed John Paul II to Mary. Our Lady is also everything to us - Totus 2us. Sat, 17 Sep 2011 12:00:00 GMT 8:39 http://www.totus2us.eu/Novenas/Totus2us-Novena_to_St_Padre_Pio-Day4.mp3 Saint, Padre Pio, God, Love, Jesus, prayer, novena, faith Totus2us.com Day 3, Novena to St Padre Pio: "Virtuous Saint Pio of Pietrelcina, you love Our Holy Mother very much and have received daily graces and consolations from her. Please, we beg you to pray to the Holy Mother for us. Place in her hands the sorrow for our sins and our prayers of reparation, so that, as at Cana of Galilee, her Son says ‘yes’ to His Mother and our name may be written in the Book of Eternal Life." Padre Pio: "Mary has to be the star that illuminates your path and she will show you the secure way to go to the celestial Father. She will be an anchor to which you must cling in the hour of temptation." Music by Edwin Fawcett. Visit Totus2us.com for more. Totus Tuus (All Yours) was the motto of Blessed John Paul II to Mary. Our Lady is also everything to us - Totus 2us. Day 3, Novena to St Padre Pio: "Virtuous Saint Pio of Pietrelcina, you love Our Holy Mother very much and have received daily graces and consolations from her. Please, we beg you to pray to the Holy Mother for us. Place in her hands the sorrow for our sins and our prayers of reparation, so that, as at Cana of Galilee, her Son says ‘yes’ to His Mother and our name may be written in the Book of Eternal Life." Padre Pio: "Mary has to be the star that illuminates your path and she will show you the secure way to go to the celestial Father. She will be an anchor to which you must cling in the hour of temptation." Music by Edwin Fawcett. Visit Totus2us.com for more. Totus Tuus (All Yours) was the motto of Blessed John Paul II to Mary. Our Lady is also everything to us - Totus 2us. Fri, 16 Sep 2011 12:00:00 GMT 7:48 http://www.totus2us.eu/Novenas/Totus2us-Novena_to_St_Padre_Pio-Day3.mp3 Saint, Padre Pio, God, Love, Jesus, prayer, novena, faith Totus2us.com Day 2, Novena to St Padre Pio: "St Pio of Pietrelcina, together with Our Lord Jesus Christ, you’ve been able to withstand the temptations of the devil. You suffered the beatings and the oppression of the demon of hell, who wanted to have you abandon your journey of holiness. We beg you to pray for us so that, with your help and the help of all of the Heavenly Kingdom, we will be able to find the strength to set sin aside and to persevere in our faith until the day of our death." Padre Pio: "Have courage and do not fear the assaults of the Devil. Remember this forever; it is a healthy sign if the devil shouts and roars around your conscience, since this shows that he is not inside your will." Music by Edwin Fawcett. Visit Totus2us.com for more. Totus Tuus (All Yours) was the motto of Blessed John Paul II to Mary. Our Lady is also everything to us - Totus 2us. Day 2, Novena to St Padre Pio: "St Pio of Pietrelcina, together with Our Lord Jesus Christ, you’ve been able to withstand the temptations of the devil. You suffered the beatings and the oppression of the demon of hell, who wanted to have you abandon your journey of holiness. We beg you to pray for us so that, with your help and the help of all of the Heavenly Kingdom, we will be able to find the strength to set sin aside and to persevere in our faith until the day of our death." Padre Pio: "Have courage and do not fear the assaults of the Devil. Remember this forever; it is a healthy sign if the devil shouts and roars around your conscience, since this shows that he is not inside your will." Music by Edwin Fawcett. Visit Totus2us.com for more. Totus Tuus (All Yours) was the motto of Blessed John Paul II to Mary. Our Lady is also everything to us - Totus 2us. Thu, 15 Sep 2011 12:00:00 GMT 7:07 http://www.totus2us.eu/Novenas/Totus2us-Novena_to_St_Padre_Pio-Day2.mp3 Saint, Padre Pio, God, Love, Jesus, prayer, novena, faith Totus2us.com Day 1, Novena to St Padre Pio: "Beloved St Pio of Pietrelcina, you have had the signs of the Passion of Our Lord Jesus Christ on your body. You have carried this stigmata for everyone, enduring both the physical and mental sufferings that racked your soul and body in a continual sacrifice. We beg you to pray for us, so that we will be able to accept both the little and the larger crosses we too must bear during our life on earth and to offer these sufferings to God, assuring us a place with him in Eternal Life." Padre Pio: "It is to your advantage to commit yourself to the sufferings that Jesus will send to you. Jesus cannot tolerate seeing you afflicted and he will come to you and comfort you, blessing you with many graces for your soul." Music by Edwin Fawcett. Visit Totus2us.com for more. Totus Tuus (All Yours) was the motto of Blessed John Paul II to Mary. Our Lady is also everything to us - Totus 2us. Day 1, Novena to St Padre Pio: "Beloved St Pio of Pietrelcina, you have had the signs of the Passion of Our Lord Jesus Christ on your body. You have carried this stigmata for everyone, enduring both the physical and mental sufferings that racked your soul and body in a continual sacrifice. We beg you to pray for us, so that we will be able to accept both the little and the larger crosses we too must bear during our life on earth and to offer these sufferings to God, assuring us a place with him in Eternal Life." Padre Pio: "It is to your advantage to commit yourself to the sufferings that Jesus will send to you. Jesus cannot tolerate seeing you afflicted and he will come to you and comfort you, blessing you with many graces for your soul." Music by Edwin Fawcett. Visit Totus2us.com for more. Totus Tuus (All Yours) was the motto of Blessed John Paul II to Mary. Our Lady is also everything to us - Totus 2us. Wed, 14 Sep 2011 12:00:00 GMT 7:21 http://www.totus2us.eu/Novenas/Totus2us-Novena_to_St_Padre_Pio-Day1.mp3 Saint, Padre Pio, God, Love, Jesus, prayer, novena, faith Totus2us.com Day 9, Novena to St Joseph - Blessed John Paul II's apostolic exhortation, Redemptoris Custos: "The Second Vatican Council made all of us sensitive once again to the "great things which God has done," and to that "economy of salvation" of which St. Joseph was a special minister. Commending ourselves, then, to the protection of him to whose custody God "entrusted his greatest and most precious treasures," let us at the same time learn from him how to be servants of the "economy of salvation." May St Joseph become for all of us an exceptional teacher in the service of Christ's saving mission, a mission which is the responsibility of each and every member of the Church." Music by Olen Cesari. Visit Totus2us.com for more. Totus Tuus (All Yours) was the motto of Blessed John Paul II to Mary. Our Lady is also everything to us - Totus 2us. Day 9, Novena to St Joseph - Blessed John Paul II's apostolic exhortation, Redemptoris Custos: "The Second Vatican Council made all of us sensitive once again to the "great things which God has done," and to that "economy of salvation" of which St. Joseph was a special minister. Commending ourselves, then, to the protection of him to whose custody God "entrusted his greatest and most precious treasures," let us at the same time learn from him how to be servants of the "economy of salvation." May St Joseph become for all of us an exceptional teacher in the service of Christ's saving mission, a mission which is the responsibility of each and every member of the Church." Music by Olen Cesari. Visit Totus2us.com for more. Totus Tuus (All Yours) was the motto of Blessed John Paul II to Mary. Our Lady is also everything to us - Totus 2us. Sun, 14 Aug 2011 12:00:00 GMT 9:39 http://www.totus2us.eu/Novenas/Totus2us-Novena_to_St_Joseph-Day9.mp3 Saint Joseph, God, Love, Jesus, faith, prayer, novena, John Paul II Totus2us.com Day 8, Novena to St Joseph - Blessed John Paul II's apostolic exhortation, Redemptoris Custos: "Why should the "fatherly" love of Joseph not have had an influence upon the "filial" love of Jesus? And vice versa why should the "filial" love of Jesus not have had an influence upon the "fatherly" love of Joseph, thus leading to a further deepening of their unique relationship? Those souls most sensitive to the impulses of divine love have rightly seen in Joseph a brilliant example of the interior life. Furthermore, in Joseph, the apparent tension between the active and the contemplative life finds an ideal harmony that is only possible for those who possess the perfection of charity. Following St Augustine's well-known distinction between the love of the truth and the practical demands of love, we can say that Joseph experienced both love of the truth - that pure contemplative love of the divine Truth which radiated from the humanity of Christ - and the demands of love - that equally pure and selfless love required for his vocation to safeguard and develop the humanity of Jesus, which was inseparably linked to his divinity." Music by Olen Cesari. Visit Totus2us.com for more. Totus Tuus (All Yours) was the motto of Blessed John Paul II to Mary. Our Lady is also everything to us - Totus 2us. Day 8, Novena to St Joseph - Blessed John Paul II's apostolic exhortation, Redemptoris Custos: "Why should the "fatherly" love of Joseph not have had an influence upon the "filial" love of Jesus? And vice versa why should the "filial" love of Jesus not have had an influence upon the "fatherly" love of Joseph, thus leading to a further deepening of their unique relationship? Those souls most sensitive to the impulses of divine love have rightly seen in Joseph a brilliant example of the interior life. Furthermore, in Joseph, the apparent tension between the active and the contemplative life finds an ideal harmony that is only possible for those who possess the perfection of charity. Following St Augustine's well-known distinction between the love of the truth and the practical demands of love, we can say that Joseph experienced both love of the truth - that pure contemplative love of the divine Truth which radiated from the humanity of Christ - and the demands of love - that equally pure and selfless love required for his vocation to safeguard and develop the humanity of Jesus, which was inseparably linked to his divinity." Music by Olen Cesari. Visit Totus2us.com for more. Totus Tuus (All Yours) was the motto of Blessed John Paul II to Mary. Our Lady is also everything to us - Totus 2us. Sat, 13 Aug 2011 12:00:00 GMT 7:32 http://www.totus2us.eu/Novenas/Totus2us-Novena_to_St_Joseph-Day8.mp3 Saint Joseph, God, Love, Jesus, faith, prayer, novena, John Paul II Totus2us.com Day 7, Novena to St Joseph - Blessed John Paul II's apostolic exhortation, Redemptoris Custos: "What is crucially important here is the sanctification of daily life, a sanctification which each person must acquire according to his or her own state, and one which can be promoted according to a model accessible to all people: "St. Joseph is the model of those humble ones that Christianity raises up to great destinies;...he is the proof that in order to be a good and genuine follower of Christ, there is no need of great things-it is enough to have the common, simple and human virtues, but they need to be true and authentic." Music by Olen Cesari. Visit Totus2us.com for more. Totus Tuus (All Yours) was the motto of Blessed John Paul II to Mary. Our Lady is also everything to us - Totus 2us. Day 7, Novena to St Joseph - Blessed John Paul II's apostolic exhortation, Redemptoris Custos: "What is crucially important here is the sanctification of daily life, a sanctification which each person must acquire according to his or her own state, and one which can be promoted according to a model accessible to all people: "St. Joseph is the model of those humble ones that Christianity raises up to great destinies;...he is the proof that in order to be a good and genuine follower of Christ, there is no need of great things-it is enough to have the common, simple and human virtues, but they need to be true and authentic." Music by Olen Cesari. Visit Totus2us.com for more. Totus Tuus (All Yours) was the motto of Blessed John Paul II to Mary. Our Lady is also everything to us - Totus 2us. Fri, 12 Aug 2011 12:00:00 GMT 5:10 http://www.totus2us.eu/Novenas/Totus2us-Novena_to_St_Joseph-Day7.mp3 Saint Joseph, God, Love, Jesus, faith, prayer, novena, John Paul II Totus2us.com Day 6, Novena to St Joseph - Blessed John Paul II's apostolic exhortation, Redemptoris Custos: "This bond of charity was the core of the Holy Family's life, first in the poverty of Bethlehem, then in their exile in Egypt, and later in the house of Nazareth. The Church deeply venerates this Family, and proposes it as the model of all families. Inserted directly in the mystery of the Incarnation, the Family of Nazareth has its own special mystery. And in this mystery, as in the Incarnation, one finds a true fatherhood: the human form of the family of the Son of God, a true human family, formed by the divine mystery. In this family, Joseph is the father: his fatherhood is not one that derives from begetting offspring; but neither is it an "apparent" or merely "substitute" fatherhood. Rather, it is one that fully shares in authentic human fatherhood and the mission of a father in the family. This is a consequence of the hypostatic union: humanity taken up into the unity of the Divine Person of the Word-Son, Jesus Christ. Together with human nature, all that is human, and especially the family - as the first dimension of man's existence in the world - is also taken up in Christ. Within this context, Joseph's human fatherhood was also "taken up" in the mystery of Christ's Incarnation." Music by Olen Cesari. Visit Totus2us.com for more. Totus Tuus (All Yours) was the motto of Blessed John Paul II to Mary. Our Lady is also everything to us - Totus 2us. Day 6, Novena to St Joseph - Blessed John Paul II's apostolic exhortation, Redemptoris Custos: "This bond of charity was the core of the Holy Family's life, first in the poverty of Bethlehem, then in their exile in Egypt, and later in the house of Nazareth. The Church deeply venerates this Family, and proposes it as the model of all families. Inserted directly in the mystery of the Incarnation, the Family of Nazareth has its own special mystery. And in this mystery, as in the Incarnation, one finds a true fatherhood: the human form of the family of the Son of God, a true human family, formed by the divine mystery. In this family, Joseph is the father: his fatherhood is not one that derives from begetting offspring; but neither is it an "apparent" or merely "substitute" fatherhood. Rather, it is one that fully shares in authentic human fatherhood and the mission of a father in the family. This is a consequence of the hypostatic union: humanity taken up into the unity of the Divine Person of the Word-Son, Jesus Christ. Together with human nature, all that is human, and especially the family - as the first dimension of man's existence in the world - is also taken up in Christ. Within this context, Joseph's human fatherhood was also "taken up" in the mystery of Christ's Incarnation." Music by Olen Cesari. Visit Totus2us.com for more. Totus Tuus (All Yours) was the motto of Blessed John Paul II to Mary. Our Lady is also everything to us - Totus 2us. Thu, 11 Aug 2011 12:00:00 GMT 14:14 http://www.totus2us.eu/Novenas/Totus2us-Novena_to_St_Joseph-Day6.mp3 Saint Joseph, God, Love, Jesus, faith, prayer, novena, John Paul II Totus2us.com Day 5, Novena to St Joseph - Blessed John Paul II's apostolic exhortation, Redemptoris Custos: "From the time of the Annunciation, both Joseph and Mary found themselves, in a certain sense, at the heart of the mystery hidden for ages in the mind of God, a mystery which had taken on flesh: "The Word became flesh and dwelt among us" (Jn 1:14). He dwelt among men, within the surroundings of the Holy Family of Nazareth - one of many families in this small town in Galilee, one of the many families of the land of Israel. There Jesus "grew and became strong, filled with wisdom; and the favour of God was upon him" (Lk 2:40). The Gospels summarize in a few words the long period of the "hidden" life, during which Jesus prepared himself for his messianic mission. Only one episode from this "hidden time" is described in the Gospel of Luke: the Passover in Jerusalem when Jesus was twelve years old. Together with Mary and Joseph, Jesus took part in the feast as a young pilgrim. "And when the feast was ended, as they were returning, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem. His parents did not know it" (Lk 2:43). After a day's journey, they noticed his absence and began to search "among their kinsfolk and acquaintances." "After 3 days they found him in the temple, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions; and all who heard him were amazed at his understanding and his answers" (Lk 2:47). Mary asked: "Son, why have you treated us so? Behold, your father and I have been looking for you anxiously" (Lk 2:48). The answer Jesus gave was such that "they did not understand the saying which he spoke to them." He had said, "How is it that you sought me? Did you not know that I must be in my Father's house?" Music by Olen Cesari. Visit Totus2us.com for more. Totus Tuus (All Yours) was the motto of Blessed John Paul II to Mary. Our Lady is also everything to us - Totus 2us. Day 5, Novena to St Joseph - Blessed John Paul II's apostolic exhortation, Redemptoris Custos: "From the time of the Annunciation, both Joseph and Mary found themselves, in a certain sense, at the heart of the mystery hidden for ages in the mind of God, a mystery which had taken on flesh: "The Word became flesh and dwelt among us" (Jn 1:14). He dwelt among men, within the surroundings of the Holy Family of Nazareth - one of many families in this small town in Galilee, one of the many families of the land of Israel. There Jesus "grew and became strong, filled with wisdom; and the favour of God was upon him" (Lk 2:40). The Gospels summarize in a few words the long period of the "hidden" life, during which Jesus prepared himself for his messianic mission. Only one episode from this "hidden time" is described in the Gospel of Luke: the Passover in Jerusalem when Jesus was twelve years old. Together with Mary and Joseph, Jesus took part in the feast as a young pilgrim. "And when the feast was ended, as they were returning, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem. His parents did not know it" (Lk 2:43). After a day's journey, they noticed his absence and began to search "among their kinsfolk and acquaintances." "After 3 days they found him in the temple, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions; and all who heard him were amazed at his understanding and his answers" (Lk 2:47). Mary asked: "Son, why have you treated us so? Behold, your father and I have been looking for you anxiously" (Lk 2:48). The answer Jesus gave was such that "they did not understand the saying which he spoke to them." He had said, "How is it that you sought me? Did you not know that I must be in my Father's house?"" Music by Olen Cesari. Visit Totus2us.com for more. Totus Tuus (All Yours) was the motto of Blessed John Paul II to Mary. Our Lady is also everything to us - Totus 2us. Wed, 10 Aug 2011 12:00:00 GMT 14:49 http://www.totus2us.eu/Novenas/Totus2us-Novena_to_St_Joseph-Day5.mp3 Saint Joseph, God, Love, Jesus, faith, prayer, novena, John Paul II Totus2us.com Day 4, Novena to St Joseph - Blessed John Paul II's apostolic exhortation, Redemptoris Custos: "St Joseph was called by God to serve the person and mission of Jesus directly through the exercise of his fatherhood. It is precisely in this way that, as the Church's Liturgy teaches, he "cooperated in the fullness of time in the great mystery of salvation" and is truly a "minister of salvation." His fatherhood is expressed concretely "in his having made his life a service, a sacrifice to the mystery of the Incarnation and to the redemptive mission connected with it; in having used the legal authority which was his over the Holy Family in order to make a total gift of self, of his life and work; in having turned his human vocation to domestic love into a superhuman oblation of self, an oblation of his heart and all his abilities into love placed at the service of the Messiah growing up in his house." Music by Olen Cesari. Visit Totus2us.com for more. Totus Tuus (All Yours) was the motto of Blessed John Paul II to Mary. Our Lady is also everything to us - Totus 2us. Day 4, Novena to St Joseph - Blessed John Paul II's apostolic exhortation, Redemptoris Custos: "St Joseph was called by God to serve the person and mission of Jesus directly through the exercise of his fatherhood. It is precisely in this way that, as the Church's Liturgy teaches, he "cooperated in the fullness of time in the great mystery of salvation" and is truly a "minister of salvation." His fatherhood is expressed concretely "in his having made his life a service, a sacrifice to the mystery of the Incarnation and to the redemptive mission connected with it; in having used the legal authority which was his over the Holy Family in order to make a total gift of self, of his life and work; in having turned his human vocation to domestic love into a superhuman oblation of self, an oblation of his heart and all his abilities into love placed at the service of the Messiah growing up in his house."" Music by Olen Cesari. Visit Totus2us.com for more. Totus Tuus (All Yours) was the motto of Blessed John Paul II to Mary. Our Lady is also everything to us - Totus 2us. Tue, 9 Aug 2011 12:00:00 GMT 13:04 http://www.totus2us.eu/Novenas/Totus2us-Novena_to_St_Joseph-Day4.mp3 Saint Joseph, God, Love, Jesus, faith, prayer, novena, John Paul II Totus2us.com Day 3, Novena to St Joseph - Blessed John Paul II's apostolic exhortation, Redemptoris Custos: "Together with Mary, Joseph is the first guardian of this divine mystery. Together with Mary, and in relation to Mary, he shares in this final phase of God's self-revelation in Christ and he does so from the very beginning. .. One can also say that Joseph is the first to share in the faith of the Mother of God and that in doing so he supports his spouse in the faith of the divine annunciation. He is also the first to be placed by God on the path of Mary's "pilgrimage of faith." It is a path along which - especially at the time of Calvary and Pentecost - Mary will precede in a perfect way." Music by Olen Cesari. Visit Totus2us.com for more. Totus Tuus (All Yours) was the motto of Blessed John Paul II to Mary. Our Lady is also everything to us - Totus 2us. Day 3, Novena to St Joseph - Blessed John Paul II's apostolic exhortation, Redemptoris Custos: "Together with Mary, Joseph is the first guardian of this divine mystery. Together with Mary, and in relation to Mary, he shares in this final phase of God's self-revelation in Christ and he does so from the very beginning. .. One can also say that Joseph is the first to share in the faith of the Mother of God and that in doing so he supports his spouse in the faith of the divine annunciation. He is also the first to be placed by God on the path of Mary's "pilgrimage of faith." It is a path along which - especially at the time of Calvary and Pentecost - Mary will precede in a perfect way." Music by Olen Cesari. Visit Totus2us.com for more. Totus Tuus (All Yours) was the motto of Blessed John Paul II to Mary. Our Lady is also everything to us - Totus 2us. Mon, 8 Aug 2011 12:00:00 GMT 7:25 http://www.totus2us.eu/Novenas/Totus2us-Novena_to_St_Joseph-Day3.mp3 Saint Joseph, God, Love, Jesus, faith, prayer, novena, John Paul II Totus2us.com Day 2, Novena to St Joseph - Blessed John Paul II's apostolic exhortation, Redemptoris Custos: "Joseph is visited by the messenger as "Mary's spouse," as the one who in due time must give this name to the Son to be born of the Virgin of Nazareth who is married to him. It is to Joseph, then, that the messenger turns, entrusting to him the responsibilities of an earthly father with regard to Mary's Son. "When Joseph woke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him and took Mary as his wife." He took her in all the mystery of her motherhood. He took her together with the Son who had come into the world by the power of the Holy Spirit. In this way he showed a readiness of will like Mary's with regard to what God asked of him through the angel." Music by Olen Cesari. Visit Totus2us.com for more. Totus Tuus (All Yours) was the motto of Blessed John Paul II to Mary. Our Lady is also everything to us - Totus 2us. Day 2, Novena to St Joseph - Blessed John Paul II's apostolic exhortation, Redemptoris Custos: "Joseph is visited by the messenger as "Mary's spouse," as the one who in due time must give this name to the Son to be born of the Virgin of Nazareth who is married to him. It is to Joseph, then, that the messenger turns, entrusting to him the responsibilities of an earthly father with regard to Mary's Son. "When Joseph woke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him and took Mary as his wife." He took her in all the mystery of her motherhood. He took her together with the Son who had come into the world by the power of the Holy Spirit. In this way he showed a readiness of will like Mary's with regard to what God asked of him through the angel." Music by Olen Cesari. Visit Totus2us.com for more. Totus Tuus (All Yours) was the motto of Blessed John Paul II to Mary. Our Lady is also everything to us - Totus 2us. Sun, 7 Aug 2011 12:00:00 GMT 9:52 http://www.totus2us.eu/Novenas/Totus2us-Novena_to_St_Joseph-Day2.mp3 Saint Joseph, God, Love, Jesus, faith, prayer, novena, John Paul II Totus2us.com Day 1, Novena to St Joseph - Blessed John Paul II's apostolic exhortation, Redemptoris Custos: "I am convinced that by reflection upon the way that Mary's spouse shared in the divine mystery, the Church - on the road towards the future with all of humanity - will be enabled to discover ever anew her own identity within this redemptive plan, which is founded on the mystery of the Incarnation. This is precisely the mystery in which Joseph of Nazareth "shared" like no other human being except Mary, the Mother of the Incarnate Word. He shared in it with her; he was involved in the same salvific event; he was the guardian of the same love, through the power of which the eternal Father "destined us to be his sons through Jesus Christ" (Eph 1:5)." Music by Olen Cesari. Visit Totus2us.com for more. Totus Tuus (All Yours) was the motto of Blessed John Paul II to Mary. Our Lady is also everything to us - Totus 2us. Day 1, Novena to St Joseph - Blessed John Paul II's apostolic exhortation, Redemptoris Custos: "I am convinced that by reflection upon the way that Mary's spouse shared in the divine mystery, the Church - on the road towards the future with all of humanity - will be enabled to discover ever anew her own identity within this redemptive plan, which is founded on the mystery of the Incarnation. This is precisely the mystery in which Joseph of Nazareth "shared" like no other human being except Mary, the Mother of the Incarnate Word. He shared in it with her; he was involved in the same salvific event; he was the guardian of the same love, through the power of which the eternal Father "destined us to be his sons through Jesus Christ" (Eph 1:5)." Music by Olen Cesari. Visit Totus2us.com for more. Totus Tuus (All Yours) was the motto of Blessed John Paul II to Mary. Our Lady is also everything to us - Totus 2us. Sat, 6 Aug 2011 12:00:00 GMT 4:35 http://www.totus2us.eu/Novenas/Totus2us-Novena_to_St_Joseph-Day1.mp3 Saint Joseph, God, Love, Jesus, faith, prayer, novena, John Paul II Totus2us.com Day 9, Novena for Europe - Blessed John Paul II's apostolic exhortation, Ecclesia in Europa - Entrustment to Mary: "The Church's journey through history is accompanied by “signs” which are visible to all, yet need to be interpreted. Among such signs the Book of Revelation presents the “great portent” which appeared in the sky, which speaks of a conflict between the woman and the dragon. The woman, clothed with the sun, in travail and ready to give birth, can be seen as the Israel of the Prophets which gives birth to the Messiah “who is to rule all the nations with a rod of iron.” But she is also the Church, the People of the New Covenant, subjected to persecution and yet protected by God. The dragon is “the ancient serpent, who is called the Devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world.” The conflict is an uneven one: the dragon seems to prevail, so great is his arrogance before the defenceless and suffering woman. Yet in reality the triumph belongs to the son born of the woman. In this conflict one thing is certain: the great dragon has already been defeated; “he was cast down to the earth, and his angels were cast down with him.” He was defeated by Christ, God made man, through his death and resurrection, and by the martyrs “through the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony.” And even when the dragon continues his opposition, there is no reason for fear, since his defeat has already taken place." Ave Maria sung by Anna Johnstone. Visit Totus2us.com for more. Totus Tuus (All Yours) was the motto of Blessed John Paul II to Mary. Our Lady is also everything to us - Totus 2us. Day 9, Novena for Europe - Blessed John Paul II's apostolic exhortation, Ecclesia in Europa - Entrustment to Mary: "The Church's journey through history is accompanied by “signs” which are visible to all, yet need to be interpreted. Among such signs the Book of Revelation presents the “great portent” which appeared in the sky, which speaks of a conflict between the woman and the dragon. The woman, clothed with the sun, in travail and ready to give birth, can be seen as the Israel of the Prophets which gives birth to the Messiah “who is to rule all the nations with a rod of iron.” But she is also the Church, the People of the New Covenant, subjected to persecution and yet protected by God. The dragon is “the ancient serpent, who is called the Devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world.” The conflict is an uneven one: the dragon seems to prevail, so great is his arrogance before the defenceless and suffering woman. Yet in reality the triumph belongs to the son born of the woman. In this conflict one thing is certain: the great dragon has already been defeated; “he was cast down to the earth, and his angels were cast down with him.” He was defeated by Christ, God made man, through his death and resurrection, and by the martyrs “through the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony.” And even when the dragon continues his opposition, there is no reason for fear, since his defeat has already taken place." Ave Maria sung by Anna Johnstone. Visit Totus2us.com for more. Totus Tuus (All Yours) was the motto of Blessed John Paul II to Mary. Our Lady is also everything to us - Totus 2us. Fri, 24 Jun 2011 12:00:00 GMT 9:14 http://www.totus2us.eu/Novenas/Totus2us-Novena-Ecclesia_in_Europa-Day9.mp3 Europe, God, Love, Jesus, faith, prayer, novena, John Paul II Totus2us.com Day 8, Novena for Europe - Blessed John Paul II's apostolic exhortation, Ecclesia in Europa: "Do not be afraid! The Gospel is not against you, but for you. This is confirmed by the fact that Christian inspiration is capable of transforming political, cultural and economic groupings into a form of coexistence in which all Europeans will feel at home and will form a family of nations from which other areas of the world can draw fruitful inspiration. Be confident! In the Gospel, which is Jesus, you will find the sure and lasting hope to which you aspire. This hope is grounded in the victory of Christ over sin and death. He wishes this victory to be your own, for your salvation and your joy. Be certain! The Gospel of hope does not disappoint! Throughout the vicissitudes of your history, yesterday and today, it is a the light which illumines and directs your way; it is the strength which sustains you in trials; it is the prophecy of a new world; it is the sign of a new beginning; it is the invitation to everyone, believers and non- believers alike, to blaze new trails leading to a “Europe of the spirit”, in order to make the continent a true “common home” filled with the joy of life.." Ave Maria sung by Anna Johnstone. Visit Totus2us.com for more. Totus Tuus (All Yours) was the motto of Blessed John Paul II to Mary. Our Lady is also everything to us - Totus 2us. Day 8, Novena for Europe - Blessed John Paul II's apostolic exhortation, Ecclesia in Europa: "Do not be afraid! The Gospel is not against you, but for you. This is confirmed by the fact that Christian inspiration is capable of transforming political, cultural and economic groupings into a form of coexistence in which all Europeans will feel at home and will form a family of nations from which other areas of the world can draw fruitful inspiration. Be confident! In the Gospel, which is Jesus, you will find the sure and lasting hope to which you aspire. This hope is grounded in the victory of Christ over sin and death. He wishes this victory to be your own, for your salvation and your joy. Be certain! The Gospel of hope does not disappoint! Throughout the vicissitudes of your history, yesterday and today, it is a the light which illumines and directs your way; it is the strength which sustains you in trials; it is the prophecy of a new world; it is the sign of a new beginning; it is the invitation to everyone, believers and non- believers alike, to blaze new trails leading to a “Europe of the spirit”, in order to make the continent a true “common home” filled with the joy of life.." Ave Maria sung by Anna Johnstone. Visit Totus2us.com for more. Totus Tuus (All Yours) was the motto of Blessed John Paul II to Mary. Our Lady is also everything to us - Totus 2us. Thu, 23 Jun 2011 12:00:00 GMT 28:50 http://www.totus2us.eu/Novenas/Totus2us-Novena-Ecclesia_in_Europa-Day8.mp3 Europe, God, Love, Jesus, faith, prayer, novena, John Paul II Totus2us.com Day 7, Novena for Europe - Blessed John Paul II's apostolic exhortation, Ecclesia in Europa: "Church in Europe, welcome every day with renewed freshness the gift of charity which your Lord offers to you and enables you to accept. Learn from him the content and the measure of love. Be the Church of the Beatitudes, constantly conformed to Christ. Free from all forms of hindrance and dependency, be poor yourself and a friend to the poor, welcoming every person and attentive to all forms of poverty, both old and new. Continuously purified by the Father's goodness, see in the attitude of Christ, who always defended the truth yet still showed mercy towards sinners, the supreme norm of all your actions. In Jesus, at whose birth peace was proclaimed, in him whose death broke down the walls of enmity and brought true peace, be a builder of peace. Encourage your sons and daughters to allow their hearts to be purified of all hostility, selfishness and partisanship, and to favour at all times mutual dialogue and respect. In Jesus, who is the justice of God, never grow weary of denouncing injustice in all its forms. Living in the world with the values of the Kingdom to come, you will be a Church of charity and you will make your indispensable contribution to the building in Europe of a civilization ever more worthy of man." Ave Maria sung by Anna Johnstone. Visit Totus2us.com for more. Totus Tuus (All Yours) was the motto of Blessed John Paul II to Mary. Our Lady is also everything to us - Totus 2us. Day 7, Novena for Europe - Blessed John Paul II's apostolic exhortation, Ecclesia in Europa: "Church in Europe, welcome every day with renewed freshness the gift of charity which your Lord offers to you and enables you to accept. Learn from him the content and the measure of love. Be the Church of the Beatitudes, constantly conformed to Christ. Free from all forms of hindrance and dependency, be poor yourself and a friend to the poor, welcoming every person and attentive to all forms of poverty, both old and new. Continuously purified by the Father's goodness, see in the attitude of Christ, who always defended the truth yet still showed mercy towards sinners, the supreme norm of all your actions. In Jesus, at whose birth peace was proclaimed, in him whose death broke down the walls of enmity and brought true peace, be a builder of peace. Encourage your sons and daughters to allow their hearts to be purified of all hostility, selfishness and partisanship, and to favour at all times mutual dialogue and respect. In Jesus, who is the justice of God, never grow weary of denouncing injustice in all its forms. Living in the world with the values of the Kingdom to come, you will be a Church of charity and you will make your indispensable contribution to the building in Europe of a civilization ever more worthy of man." Ave Maria sung by Anna Johnstone. Visit Totus2us.com for more. Totus Tuus (All Yours) was the motto of Blessed John Paul II to Mary. Our Lady is also everything to us - Totus 2us. Wed, 22 Jun 2011 12:00:00 GMT 34:00 http://www.totus2us.eu/Novenas/Totus2us-Novena-Ecclesia_in_Europa-Day7.mp3 Europe, God, Love, Jesus, faith, prayer, novena, John Paul II Totus2us.com Day 6, Novena for Europe - Blessed John Paul II's apostolic exhortation, Ecclesia in Europa: "The Gospel of hope, as a proclamation of the truth which sets us free is meant to be celebrated. Before the Lamb of the Book of Revelation there begins a solemn liturgy of praise and adoration: “To him who sits upon the throne and to the Lamb be blessing and honour and glory and might for ever and ever!” This vision, which reveals both God and the meaning of all history, takes place “on the Lord's day”, the day of the resurrection, as re-lived by the Sunday assembly... Church of God dwelling in Europe, you too are called to be a community which prays, celebrating your Lord in the Sacraments, in the liturgy and in your whole life. In prayer you will discover the Lord's life-giving presence. By making him the foundation of all your activity, you will thus be able to invite Europeans to an encounter with him, our true hope, the One who alone knows how to satisfy fully the yearning for God hidden in the different forms of religious quest now reappearing in contemporary Europe." Ave Maria sung by Anna Johnstone. Visit Totus2us.com for more. Totus Tuus (All Yours) was the motto of Blessed John Paul II to Mary. Our Lady is also everything to us - Totus 2us. Day 6, Novena for Europe - Blessed John Paul II's apostolic exhortation, Ecclesia in Europa: "The Gospel of hope, as a proclamation of the truth which sets us free is meant to be celebrated. Before the Lamb of the Book of Revelation there begins a solemn liturgy of praise and adoration: “To him who sits upon the throne and to the Lamb be blessing and honour and glory and might for ever and ever!” This vision, which reveals both God and the meaning of all history, takes place “on the Lord's day”, the day of the resurrection, as re-lived by the Sunday assembly... Church of God dwelling in Europe, you too are called to be a community which prays, celebrating your Lord in the Sacraments, in the liturgy and in your whole life. In prayer you will discover the Lord's life-giving presence. By making him the foundation of all your activity, you will thus be able to invite Europeans to an encounter with him, our true hope, the One who alone knows how to satisfy fully the yearning for God hidden in the different forms of religious quest now reappearing in contemporary Europe." Ave Maria sung by Anna Johnstone. Visit Totus2us.com for more. Totus Tuus (All Yours) was the motto of Blessed John Paul II to Mary. Our Lady is also everything to us - Totus 2us. Tue, 21 Jun 2011 12:00:00 GMT 27:02 http://www.totus2us.eu/Novenas/Totus2us-Novena-Ecclesia_in_Europa-Day6.mp3 Europe, God, Love, Jesus, faith, prayer, novena, John Paul II Totus2us.com Day 5, Novena for Europe - Blessed John Paul II's apostolic exhortation, Ecclesia in Europa: "As I stepped through the Holy Door at the beginning of the Great Jubilee of the Year 2000, I held high the Book of the Gospels, showing it to the Church and to the world. This same ritual action, carried out by all the Bishops in the different cathedrals of the world, points to the task awaiting the Church of our Continent now and for ever. Church in Europe, enter the new millennium with the Book of the Gospels! May every member of the faithful hear the Council's plea “to learn 'the surpassing knowledge of Jesus Christ' (Phil 3:8) by frequent reading of the divine Scriptures. 'Ignorance of the Scriptures is ignorance of Christ' ”. May the Holy Bible continue to be a treasure for the Church and for every Christian: in the careful study of God's word we will daily find nourishment and strength to carry out our mission. Let us take up this book! Let us receive it from the Lord who continually offers it to us through his Church. Let us devour it, so that it can become our very life. Let us savour it deeply: it will make demands of us, but it will give us joy because it is sweet as honey. Filled with hope, we will be able to share it with every man and woman whom we encounter on our way." Ave Maria sung by Anna Johnstone. Visit Totus2us.com for more. Totus Tuus (All Yours) was the motto of Blessed John Paul II to Mary. Our Lady is also everything to us - Totus 2us. Day 5, Novena for Europe - Blessed John Paul II's apostolic exhortation, Ecclesia in Europa: "As I stepped through the Holy Door at the beginning of the Great Jubilee of the Year 2000, I held high the Book of the Gospels, showing it to the Church and to the world. This same ritual action, carried out by all the Bishops in the different cathedrals of the world, points to the task awaiting the Church of our Continent now and for ever. Church in Europe, enter the new millennium with the Book of the Gospels! May every member of the faithful hear the Council's plea “to learn 'the surpassing knowledge of Jesus Christ' (Phil 3:8) by frequent reading of the divine Scriptures. 'Ignorance of the Scriptures is ignorance of Christ' ”. May the Holy Bible continue to be a treasure for the Church and for every Christian: in the careful study of God's word we will daily find nourishment and strength to carry out our mission. Let us take up this book! Let us receive it from the Lord who continually offers it to us through his Church. Let us devour it, so that it can become our very life. Let us savour it deeply: it will make demands of us, but it will give us joy because it is sweet as honey. Filled with hope, we will be able to share it with every man and woman whom we encounter on our way." Ave Maria sung by Anna Johnstone. Visit Totus2us.com for more. Totus Tuus (All Yours) was the motto of Blessed John Paul II to Mary. Our Lady is also everything to us - Totus 2us. Mon, 20 Jun 2011 12:00:00 GMT 22:24 http://www.totus2us.eu/Novenas/Totus2us-Novena-Ecclesia_in_Europa-Day5.mp3 Europe, God, Love, Jesus, faith, prayer, novena, John Paul II Totus2us.com Day 4, Novena for Europe - Blessed John Paul II's apostolic exhortation, Ecclesia in Europa: "The vision of the Book of Revelation tells us of “a scroll written within and on the back, sealed with seven seals” and held “in the right hand of him who was seated on the throne.” This writing contains the God's plan of creation and salvation, his detailed design for all things, for persons, things and events. No created being, on earth or in heaven, is able to “open the scroll or to look into it” so as to understand its contents. In the confusion of human affairs, no one is able to declare the unfolding of the future and the ultimate meaning of things. Only Jesus Christ gains possession of the sealed scroll; only he is “worthy to take the scroll and open its seals.” Only Jesus is able to reveal and bring about the plan of God hidden therein. Left to himself, man is not capable of giving meaning to history and to human affairs: life remains without hope. Only the Son of God is able to dispel the shadows and to show the way...." Ave Maria sung by Anna Johnstone. Visit Totus2us.com for more. Totus Tuus (All Yours) was the motto of Blessed John Paul II to Mary. Our Lady is also everything to us - Totus 2us. Day 4, Novena for Europe - Blessed John Paul II's apostolic exhortation, Ecclesia in Europa: "The vision of the Book of Revelation tells us of “a scroll written within and on the back, sealed with seven seals” and held “in the right hand of him who was seated on the throne.” This writing contains the God's plan of creation and salvation, his detailed design for all things, for persons, things and events. No created being, on earth or in heaven, is able to “open the scroll or to look into it” so as to understand its contents. In the confusion of human affairs, no one is able to declare the unfolding of the future and the ultimate meaning of things. Only Jesus Christ gains possession of the sealed scroll; only he is “worthy to take the scroll and open its seals.” Only Jesus is able to reveal and bring about the plan of God hidden therein. Left to himself, man is not capable of giving meaning to history and to human affairs: life remains without hope. Only the Son of God is able to dispel the shadows and to show the way...." Ave Maria sung by Anna Johnstone. Visit Totus2us.com for more. Totus Tuus (All Yours) was the motto of Blessed John Paul II to Mary. Our Lady is also everything to us - Totus 2us. Sun, 19 Jun 2011 12:00:00 GMT 18:10 http://www.totus2us.eu/Novenas/Totus2us-Novena-Ecclesia_in_Europa-Day4.mp3 Europe, God, Love, Jesus, faith, prayer, novena, John Paul II Totus2us.com Day 3, Novena for Europe - Blessed John Paul II's apostolic exhortation, Ecclesia in Europa: "The words of him who holds the seven stars in his right hand, who walks among the golden lampstands..., the first and the last, who died and came to life..., the Son of God” (Rev 2:1,8,18). It is Jesus himself who speaks to his Church. His message is addressed to all the individual Particular Churches and concerns their inner life, which is at times marked by the presence of ideas and ways of thinking incompatible with the Gospel tradition, frequently subjected to different forms of persecution and, what is yet more dangerous, beset by troubling symptoms of worldliness, the loss of an earlier faith, and compromise with the “logic” of the world. Not infrequently communities have lost their first love. One sees how our ecclesial communities are struggling with weaknesses, weariness and divisions. They too need to hear anew the voice of the Bridegroom, who invites them to conversion, spurs them on to bold new undertakings and calls forth their commitment to the great task of the “new evangelization”. The Church must constantly submit to the judgment of Christ's word and live her human reality in a state of purification, so as to be ever more perfectly the Bride without spot or wrinkle, adorned with fine linen, bright and pure. In this way Jesus Christ is calling our Churches in Europe to conversion, and they, with their Lord and by the power of his presence, are becoming bearers of hope for humanity." Ave Maria sung by Anna Johnstone. Visit Totus2us.com for more. Totus Tuus (All Yours) was the motto of Blessed John Paul II to Mary. Our Lady is also everything to us - Totus 2us. Day 3, Novena for Europe - Blessed John Paul II's apostolic exhortation, Ecclesia in Europa: "The words of him who holds the seven stars in his right hand, who walks among the golden lampstands..., the first and the last, who died and came to life..., the Son of God” (Rev 2:1,8,18). It is Jesus himself who speaks to his Church. His message is addressed to all the individual Particular Churches and concerns their inner life, which is at times marked by the presence of ideas and ways of thinking incompatible with the Gospel tradition, frequently subjected to different forms of persecution and, what is yet more dangerous, beset by troubling symptoms of worldliness, the loss of an earlier faith, and compromise with the “logic” of the world. Not infrequently communities have lost their first love. One sees how our ecclesial communities are struggling with weaknesses, weariness and divisions. They too need to hear anew the voice of the Bridegroom, who invites them to conversion, spurs them on to bold new undertakings and calls forth their commitment to the great task of the “new evangelization”. The Church must constantly submit to the judgment of Christ's word and live her human reality in a state of purification, so as to be ever more perfectly the Bride without spot or wrinkle, adorned with fine linen, bright and pure. In this way Jesus Christ is calling our Churches in Europe to conversion, and they, with their Lord and by the power of his presence, are becoming bearers of hope for humanity." Ave Maria sung by Anna Johnstone. Visit Totus2us.com for more. Totus Tuus (All Yours) was the motto of Blessed John Paul II to Mary. Our Lady is also everything to us - Totus 2us. Sat, 18 Jun 2011 12:00:00 GMT 34:13 http://www.totus2us.eu/Novenas/Totus2us-Novena-Ecclesia_in_Europa-Day3.mp3 Europe, God, Love, Jesus, faith, prayer, novena, John Paul II Totus2us.com Day 2, Novena for Europe - Blessed John Paul II's apostolic exhortation, Ecclesia in Europa: "From the synodal Assembly there emerged the clear and passionate certainty that the Church has to offer Europe the most precious of all gifts, a gift which no one else can give: faith in Jesus Christ, the source of the hope that does not disappoint; a gift which is at the origin of the spiritual and cultural unity of the European peoples and which both today and tomorrow can make an essential contribution to their development and integration. After twenty centuries, the Church stands at the beginning of the third millennium with a message which is ever the same, a message which constitutes her sole treasure: Jesus Christ is Lord; in him, and in no one else, do we find salvation. Christ is the source of hope for Europe and for the whole world, “and the Church is the channel in which the grace pouring from the pierced Heart of the Saviour flows and spreads”. This confession of faith causes our hearts and lips to raise “a joyful confession of hope: 'Risen and living Lord, you are the new hope of the Church and of humanity. You are the one true hope for the human family and for history. Already in this life, and in the life to come you are “among us the hope of glory” (Col 1:27). In you and with you, we find truth: our life has meaning, communion is possible, diversity can become richness, and the power of the kingdom is at work in history and helps to build the city of mankind. Love gives an eternal value to human efforts. Suffering becomes salvific, life will conquer death, creation will share in the glory of the children of God' ”." Ave Maria sung by Anna Johnstone. Visit Totus2us.com for more. Totus Tuus (All Yours) was the motto of Blessed John Paul II to Mary. Our Lady is also everything to us - Totus 2us. Day 2, Novena for Europe - Blessed John Paul II's apostolic exhortation, Ecclesia in Europa: "From the synodal Assembly there emerged the clear and passionate certainty that the Church has to offer Europe the most precious of all gifts, a gift which no one else can give: faith in Jesus Christ, the source of the hope that does not disappoint; a gift which is at the origin of the spiritual and cultural unity of the European peoples and which both today and tomorrow can make an essential contribution to their development and integration. After twenty centuries, the Church stands at the beginning of the third millennium with a message which is ever the same, a message which constitutes her sole treasure: Jesus Christ is Lord; in him, and in no one else, do we find salvation. Christ is the source of hope for Europe and for the whole world, “and the Church is the channel in which the grace pouring from the pierced Heart of the Saviour flows and spreads”. This confession of faith causes our hearts and lips to raise “a joyful confession of hope: 'Risen and living Lord, you are the new hope of the Church and of humanity. You are the one true hope for the human family and for history. Already in this life, and in the life to come you are “among us the hope of glory” (Col 1:27). In you and with you, we find truth: our life has meaning, communion is possible, diversity can become richness, and the power of the kingdom is at work in history and helps to build the city of mankind. Love gives an eternal value to human efforts. Suffering becomes salvific, life will conquer death, creation will share in the glory of the children of God' ”." Ave Maria sung by Anna Johnstone. Visit Totus2us.com for more. Totus Tuus (All Yours) was the motto of Blessed John Paul II to Mary. Our Lady is also everything to us - Totus 2us. Fri, 17 Jun 2011 12:00:00 GMT 16:32 http://www.totus2us.eu/Novenas/Totus2us-Novena-Ecclesia_in_Europa-Day2.mp3 Europe, God, Love, Jesus, faith, prayer, novena, John Paul II Totus2us.com Day 1, Novena for Europe - Blessed John Paul II's apostolic exhortation, Ecclesia in Europa: "At a time of persecution, tribulation and bewilderment for the Church, the message resounding throughout the vision of the writer of the Book of Revelation is a message of hope: “Fear not, I am the first and the last, and the living one, I died and behold I am alive for ever more, and I have the keys of Death and Hades” (Rev 1:17-18). We thus find ourselves before the Gospel, the “good news”, that is Jesus Christ himself. He is the First and the Last: in him all history finds its beginning, its meaning, its direction and its fulfilment. In him and with him, in his death and resurrection, everything has already been said. He is the Living One: once he was dead yet now he lives for ever. He is the Lamb standing before the throne of God: sacrificed, because he shed his blood for us on the wood of the Cross. He is standing, because he has come back to unending life and has shown us the infinite power of the Father's love. He holds in his hands the seven stars, the persecuted Church of God, which struggles against evil and sin, yet nonetheless has every right to be joyful and victorious since she is in the hands of the One who has already triumphed over evil. He walks among the seven golden lampstands, for he is present and active in his Church at prayer. He is also “the one who comes” (Rev 1:4), thanks to the Church's mission and the activity throughout human history; he will come as the eschatological reaper, at the end of time, in order to bring all things to completion." Ave Maria sung by Anna Johnstone. Visit Totus2us.com for more. Totus Tuus (All Yours) was the motto of Blessed John Paul II to Mary. Our Lady is also everything to us - Totus 2us. Day 1, Novena for Europe - Blessed John Paul II's apostolic exhortation, Ecclesia in Europa: "At a time of persecution, tribulation and bewilderment for the Church, the message resounding throughout the vision of the writer of the Book of Revelation is a message of hope: “Fear not, I am the first and the last, and the living one, I died and behold I am alive for ever more, and I have the keys of Death and Hades” (Rev 1:17-18). We thus find ourselves before the Gospel, the “good news”, that is Jesus Christ himself. He is the First and the Last: in him all history finds its beginning, its meaning, its direction and its fulfilment. In him and with him, in his death and resurrection, everything has already been said. He is the Living One: once he was dead yet now he lives for ever. He is the Lamb standing before the throne of God: sacrificed, because he shed his blood for us on the wood of the Cross. He is standing, because he has come back to unending life and has shown us the infinite power of the Father's love. He holds in his hands the seven stars, the persecuted Church of God, which struggles against evil and sin, yet nonetheless has every right to be joyful and victorious since she is in the hands of the One who has already triumphed over evil. He walks among the seven golden lampstands, for he is present and active in his Church at prayer. He is also “the one who comes” (Rev 1:4), thanks to the Church's mission and the activity throughout human history; he will come as the eschatological reaper, at the end of time, in order to bring all things to completion." Ave Maria sung by Anna Johnstone. Visit Totus2us.com for more. Totus Tuus (All Yours) was the motto of Blessed John Paul II to Mary. Our Lady is also everything to us - Totus 2us. Thu, 16 Jun 2011 12:00:00 GMT 25:29 http://www.totus2us.eu/Novenas/Totus2us-Novena-Ecclesia_in_Europa-Day1.mp3 Europe, God, Love, Jesus, faith, prayer, novena, John Paul II Totus2us.com Day 9, Novena - The Church of the Eucharist - Pope John Paul II's encyclical, Ecclesia de Eucharistia: "Allow me, dear brothers and sisters, to share with deep emotion, as a means of accompanying and strengthening your faith, my own testimony of faith in the Most Holy Eucharist. Ave verum corpus natum de Maria Virgine, vere passum, immolatum, in cruce pro homine! Here is the Church's treasure, the heart of the world, the pledge of the fulfilment for which each man and woman, even unconsciously, yearns. A great and transcendent mystery, indeed, and one that taxes our mind's ability to pass beyond appearances. Here our senses fail us: visus, tactus, gustus in te fallitur, in the words of the hymn Adoro Te Devote; yet faith alone, rooted in the word of Christ handed down to us by the Apostles, is sufficient for us. Allow me, like Peter at the end of the Eucharistic discourse in John's Gospel, to say once more to Christ, in the name of the whole Church and in the name of each of you: “Lord to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life” (Jn 6:68)." Music is from 'Triduum - Contemporary Sacred Music' by David Bevan and Neil Wright, and sung by the Holy Redeemer Choir. Visit Totus2us.com for more. Totus Tuus (All Yours) was the motto of John Paul II to Mary. Our Lady is also everything to us - Totus 2us. Day 9, Novena - The Church of the Eucharist - Pope John Paul II's encyclical, Ecclesia de Eucharistia: "Allow me, dear brothers and sisters, to share with deep emotion, as a means of accompanying and strengthening your faith, my own testimony of faith in the Most Holy Eucharist. Ave verum corpus natum de Maria Virgine, vere passum, immolatum, in cruce pro homine! Here is the Church's treasure, the heart of the world, the pledge of the fulfilment for which each man and woman, even unconsciously, yearns. A great and transcendent mystery, indeed, and one that taxes our mind's ability to pass beyond appearances. Here our senses fail us: visus, tactus, gustus in te fallitur, in the words of the hymn Adoro Te Devote; yet faith alone, rooted in the word of Christ handed down to us by the Apostles, is sufficient for us. Allow me, like Peter at the end of the Eucharistic discourse in John's Gospel, to say once more to Christ, in the name of the whole Church and in the name of each of you: “Lord to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life” (Jn 6:68)." Music is from 'Triduum - Contemporary Sacred Music' by David Bevan and Neil Wright, and sung by the Holy Redeemer Choir. Visit Totus2us.com for more. Totus Tuus (All Yours) was the motto of John Paul II to Mary. Our Lady is also everything to us - Totus 2us. Thu, 21 Apr 2011 13:00:00 GMT 13:51 http://www.totus2us.eu/Novenas/Totus2us-Novena-Ecclesia_de_Eucharistia-Day9.mp3 Eucharist, God, Blessed Sacrament, Jesus, faith, love, encyclical, John Paul II Totus2us.com Day 8, Novena - The Church of the Eucharist - Pope John Paul II's encyclical, Ecclesia de Eucharistia: "Mysterium fidei! If the Eucharist is a mystery of faith which so greatly transcends our understanding as to call for sheer abandonment to the word of God, then there can be no one like Mary to act as our support and guide in acquiring this disposition. In repeating what Christ did at the Last Supper in obedience to his command: “Do this in memory of me!”, we also accept Mary's invitation to obey him without hesitation: “Do whatever he tells you” (Jn 2:5). With the same maternal concern which she showed at the wedding feast of Cana, Mary seems to say to us: “Do not waver; trust in the words of my Son. If he was able to change water into wine, he can also turn bread and wine into his body and blood, and through this mystery bestow on believers the living memorial of his passover, thus becoming the 'bread of life.”" Music is from 'Triduum - Contemporary Sacred Music' by David Bevan and Neil Wright, and sung by the Holy Redeemer Choir. Visit Totus2us.com for more. Totus Tuus (All Yours) was the motto of John Paul II to Mary. Our Lady is also everything to us - Totus 2us. Day 8, Novena - The Church of the Eucharist - Pope John Paul II's encyclical, Ecclesia de Eucharistia: "Mysterium fidei! If the Eucharist is a mystery of faith which so greatly transcends our understanding as to call for sheer abandonment to the word of God, then there can be no one like Mary to act as our support and guide in acquiring this disposition. In repeating what Christ did at the Last Supper in obedience to his command: “Do this in memory of me!”, we also accept Mary's invitation to obey him without hesitation: “Do whatever he tells you” (Jn 2:5). With the same maternal concern which she showed at the wedding feast of Cana, Mary seems to say to us: “Do not waver; trust in the words of my Son. If he was able to change water into wine, he can also turn bread and wine into his body and blood, and through this mystery bestow on believers the living memorial of his passover, thus becoming the 'bread of life."" Music is from 'Triduum - Contemporary Sacred Music' by David Bevan and Neil Wright, and sung by the Holy Redeemer Choir. Visit Totus2us.com for more. Totus Tuus (All Yours) was the motto of John Paul II to Mary. Our Lady is also everything to us - Totus 2us. Wed, 20 Apr 2011 13:00:00 GMT 14:55 http://www.totus2us.eu/Novenas/Totus2us-Novena-Ecclesia_de_Eucharistia-Day8.mp3 Eucharist, God, Blessed Sacrament, Jesus, faith, love, encyclical, John Paul II Totus2us.com Day 7, Novena - The Church of the Eucharist - Pope John Paul II's encyclical, Ecclesia de Eucharistia: "Like the woman who anointed Jesus in Bethany, the Church has feared no “extravagance”, devoting the best of her resources to expressing her wonder and adoration before the unsurpassable gift of the Eucharist. No less than the first disciples charged with preparing the “large upper room”, she has felt the need, down the centuries and in her encounters with different cultures, to celebrate the Eucharist in a setting worthy of so great a mystery. In the wake of Jesus' own words and actions, and building upon the ritual heritage of Judaism, the Christian liturgy was born. Could there ever be an adequate means of expressing the acceptance of that self-gift which the divine Bridegroom continually makes to his Bride, the Church, by bringing the Sacrifice offered once and for all on the Cross to successive generations of believers and thus becoming nourishment for all the faithful? Though the idea of a “banquet” naturally suggests familiarity, the Church has never yielded to the temptation to trivialize this “intimacy” with her Spouse by forgetting that he is also her Lord and that the “banquet” always remains a sacrificial banquet marked by the blood shed on Golgotha. The Eucharistic Banquet is truly a “sacred” banquet, in which the simplicity of the signs conceals the unfathomable holiness of God: O sacrum convivium, in quo Christus sumitur! The bread which is broken on our altars, offered to us as wayfarers along the paths of the world, is panis angelorum, the bread of angels, which cannot be approached except with the humility of the centurion in the Gospel: “Lord, I am not worthy to have you come under my roof ” (Mt 8:8; Lk 7:6)." Music is from 'Triduum - Contemporary Sacred Music' by David Bevan and Neil Wright, and sung by the Holy Redeemer Choir. Visit Totus2us.com for more. Totus Tuus (All Yours) was the motto of John Paul II to Mary. Our Lady is also everything to us - Totus 2us. Day 7, Novena - The Church of the Eucharist - Pope John Paul II's encyclical, Ecclesia de Eucharistia: "Like the woman who anointed Jesus in Bethany, the Church has feared no “extravagance”, devoting the best of her resources to expressing her wonder and adoration before the unsurpassable gift of the Eucharist. No less than the first disciples charged with preparing the “large upper room”, she has felt the need, down the centuries and in her encounters with different cultures, to celebrate the Eucharist in a setting worthy of so great a mystery. In the wake of Jesus' own words and actions, and building upon the ritual heritage of Judaism, the Christian liturgy was born. Could there ever be an adequate means of expressing the acceptance of that self-gift which the divine Bridegroom continually makes to his Bride, the Church, by bringing the Sacrifice offered once and for all on the Cross to successive generations of believers and thus becoming nourishment for all the faithful? Though the idea of a “banquet” naturally suggests familiarity, the Church has never yielded to the temptation to trivialize this “intimacy” with her Spouse by forgetting that he is also her Lord and that the “banquet” always remains a sacrificial banquet marked by the blood shed on Golgotha. The Eucharistic Banquet is truly a “sacred” banquet, in which the simplicity of the signs conceals the unfathomable holiness of God: O sacrum convivium, in quo Christus sumitur! The bread which is broken on our altars, offered to us as wayfarers along the paths of the world, is panis angelorum, the bread of angels, which cannot be approached except with the humility of the centurion in the Gospel: “Lord, I am not worthy to have you come under my roof ” (Mt 8:8; Lk 7:6)." Music is from 'Triduum - Contemporary Sacred Music' by David Bevan and Neil Wright, and sung by the Holy Redeemer Choir. Visit Totus2us.com for more. Totus Tuus (All Yours) was the motto of John Paul II to Mary. Our Lady is also everything to us - Totus 2us. Tue, 19 Apr 2011 13:00:00 GMT 17:16 http://www.totus2us.eu/Novenas/Totus2us-Novena-Ecclesia_de_Eucharistia-Day7.mp3 Eucharist, God, Blessed Sacrament, Jesus, faith, love, encyclical, John Paul II Totus2us.com Day 6, Novena - The Church of the Eucharist - Pope John Paul II's encyclical, Ecclesia de Eucharistia: "The Eucharist thus appears as the culmination of all the sacraments in perfecting our communion with God the Father by identification with his only-begotten Son through the working of the Holy Spirit. With discerning faith a distinguished writer of the Byzantine tradition voiced this truth: in the Eucharist “unlike any other sacrament, the mystery [of communion] is so perfect that it brings us to the heights of every good thing: here is the ultimate goal of every human desire, because here we attain God and God joins himself to us in the most perfect union”. Precisely for this reason it is good to cultivate in our hearts a constant desire for the sacrament of the Eucharist." Music is from 'Triduum - Contemporary Sacred Music' by David Bevan and Neil Wright, and sung by the Holy Redeemer Choir. Visit Totus2us.com for more. Totus Tuus (All Yours) was the motto of John Paul II to Mary. Our Lady is also everything to us - Totus 2us. Day 6, Novena - The Church of the Eucharist - Pope John Paul II's encyclical, Ecclesia de Eucharistia: "The Eucharist thus appears as the culmination of all the sacraments in perfecting our communion with God the Father by identification with his only-begotten Son through the working of the Holy Spirit. With discerning faith a distinguished writer of the Byzantine tradition voiced this truth: in the Eucharist “unlike any other sacrament, the mystery [of communion] is so perfect that it brings us to the heights of every good thing: here is the ultimate goal of every human desire, because here we attain God and God joins himself to us in the most perfect union”. Precisely for this reason it is good to cultivate in our hearts a constant desire for the sacrament of the Eucharist." Music is from 'Triduum - Contemporary Sacred Music' by David Bevan and Neil Wright, and sung by the Holy Redeemer Choir. Visit Totus2us.com for more. Totus Tuus (All Yours) was the motto of John Paul II to Mary. Our Lady is also everything to us - Totus 2us. Mon, 18 Apr 2011 13:00:00 GMT 24:00 http://www.totus2us.eu/Novenas/Totus2us-Novena-Ecclesia_de_Eucharistia-Day6.mp3 Eucharist, God, Blessed Sacrament, Jesus, faith, love, encyclical, John Paul II Totus2us.com Day 5, Novena - The Church of the Eucharist - Pope John Paul II's encyclical, Ecclesia de Eucharistia: "If, as I have said, the Eucharist builds the Church and the Church makes the Eucharist, it follows that there is a profound relationship between the two, so much so that we can apply to the Eucharistic mystery the very words with which, in the Nicene-Constantinopolitan Creed, we profess the Church to be “one, holy, catholic and apostolic”. The Eucharist too is one and catholic. It is also holy, indeed, the Most Holy Sacrament." Music is from 'Triduum - Contemporary Sacred Music' by David Bevan and Neil Wright, and sung by the Holy Redeemer Choir. Visit Totus2us.com for more. Totus Tuus (All Yours) was the motto of John Paul II to Mary. Our Lady is also everything to us - Totus 2us. Day 5, Novena - The Church of the Eucharist - Pope John Paul II's encyclical, Ecclesia de Eucharistia: "If, as I have said, the Eucharist builds the Church and the Church makes the Eucharist, it follows that there is a profound relationship between the two, so much so that we can apply to the Eucharistic mystery the very words with which, in the Nicene-Constantinopolitan Creed, we profess the Church to be “one, holy, catholic and apostolic”. The Eucharist too is one and catholic. It is also holy, indeed, the Most Holy Sacrament." Music is from 'Triduum - Contemporary Sacred Music' by David Bevan and Neil Wright, and sung by the Holy Redeemer Choir. Visit Totus2us.com for more. Totus Tuus (All Yours) was the motto of John Paul II to Mary. Our Lady is also everything to us - Totus 2us. Sun, 17 Apr 2011 13:00:00 GMT 16:35 http://www.totus2us.eu/Novenas/Totus2us-Novena-Ecclesia_de_Eucharistia-Day5.mp3 Eucharist, God, Blessed Sacrament, Jesus, faith, love, encyclical, John Paul II Totus2us.com Day 4, Novena - The Church of the Eucharist - Pope John Paul II's encyclical, Ecclesia de Eucharistia: "By its union with Christ, the People of the New Covenant, far from closing in upon itself, becomes a “sacrament” for humanity, a sign and instrument of the salvation achieved by Christ, the light of the world and the salt of the earth, for the redemption of all. The Church's mission stands in continuity with the mission of Christ: “As the Father has sent me, even so I send you” (Jn 20:21). From the perpetuation of the sacrifice of the Cross and her communion with the body and blood of Christ in the Eucharist, the Church draws the spiritual power needed to carry out her mission. The Eucharist thus appears as both the source and the summit of all evangelization, since its goal is the communion of mankind with Christ and in him with the Father and the Holy Spirit." Music is from 'Triduum - Contemporary Sacred Music' by David Bevan and Neil Wright, and sung by the Holy Redeemer Choir. Visit Totus2us.com for more. Totus Tuus (All Yours) was the motto of John Paul II to Mary. Our Lady is also everything to us - Totus 2us. Day 4, Novena - The Church of the Eucharist - Pope John Paul II's encyclical, Ecclesia de Eucharistia: "By its union with Christ, the People of the New Covenant, far from closing in upon itself, becomes a “sacrament” for humanity, a sign and instrument of the salvation achieved by Christ, the light of the world and the salt of the earth, for the redemption of all. The Church's mission stands in continuity with the mission of Christ: “As the Father has sent me, even so I send you” (Jn 20:21). From the perpetuation of the sacrifice of the Cross and her communion with the body and blood of Christ in the Eucharist, the Church draws the spiritual power needed to carry out her mission. The Eucharist thus appears as both the source and the summit of all evangelization, since its goal is the communion of mankind with Christ and in him with the Father and the Holy Spirit." Music is from 'Triduum - Contemporary Sacred Music' by David Bevan and Neil Wright, and sung by the Holy Redeemer Choir. Visit Totus2us.com for more. Totus Tuus (All Yours) was the motto of John Paul II to Mary. Our Lady is also everything to us - Totus 2us. Sat, 16 Apr 2011 13:00:00 GMT 13:29 http://www.totus2us.eu/Novenas/Totus2us-Novena-Ecclesia_de_Eucharistia-Day4.mp3 Eucharist, God, Blessed Sacrament, Jesus, faith, love, encyclical, John Paul II Totus2us.com Day 3, Novena - The Church of the Eucharist - Pope John Paul II's encyclical, Ecclesia de Eucharistia: "The Church has received the Eucharist from Christ her Lord not as one gift – however precious – among so many others, but as the gift par excellence, for it is the gift of himself, of his person in his sacred humanity, as well as the gift of his saving work. Nor does it remain confined to the past, since “all that Christ is – all that he did and suffered for all men – participates in the divine eternity, and so transcends all times." Music is from 'Triduum - Contemporary Sacred Music' by David Bevan and Neil Wright, and sung by the Holy Redeemer Choir. Visit Totus2us.com for more. Totus Tuus (All Yours) was the motto of John Paul II to Mary. Our Lady is also everything to us - Totus 2us. Day 3, Novena - The Church of the Eucharist - Pope John Paul II's encyclical, Ecclesia de Eucharistia: "The Church has received the Eucharist from Christ her Lord not as one gift – however precious – among so many others, but as the gift par excellence, for it is the gift of himself, of his person in his sacred humanity, as well as the gift of his saving work. Nor does it remain confined to the past, since “all that Christ is – all that he did and suffered for all men – participates in the divine eternity, and so transcends all times." Music is from 'Triduum - Contemporary Sacred Music' by David Bevan and Neil Wright, and sung by the Holy Redeemer Choir. Visit Totus2us.com for more. Totus Tuus (All Yours) was the motto of John Paul II to Mary. Our Lady is also everything to us - Totus 2us. Fri, 15 Apr 2011 13:00:00 GMT 25:02 http://www.totus2us.eu/Novenas/Totus2us-Novena-Ecclesia_de_Eucharistia-Day3.mp3 Eucharist, God, Blessed Sacrament, Jesus, faith, love, encyclical, John Paul II Totus2us.com Day 2, Novena - The Church of the Eucharist - Pope John Paul II's encyclical, Ecclesia de Eucharistia: "This varied scenario of celebrations of the Eucharist has given me a powerful experience of its universal and, so to speak, cosmic character. Yes, cosmic! Because even when it is celebrated on the humble altar of a country church, the Eucharist is always in some way celebrated on the altar of the world. It unites heaven and earth. It embraces and permeates all creation. The Son of God became man in order to restore all creation, in one supreme act of praise, to the One who made it from nothing. He, the Eternal High Priest who by the blood of his Cross entered the eternal sanctuary, thus gives back to the Creator and Father all creation redeemed. He does so through the priestly ministry of the Church, to the glory of the Most Holy Trinity. Truly this is the mysterium fidei which is accomplished in the Eucharist: the world which came forth from the hands of God the Creator now returns to him redeemed by Christ." Music is from 'Triduum - Contemporary Sacred Music' by David Bevan and Neil Wright, and sung by the Holy Redeemer Choir. Visit Totus2us.com for more. Totus Tuus (All Yours) was the motto of John Paul II to Mary. Our Lady is also everything to us - Totus 2us. Day 2, Novena - The Church of the Eucharist - Pope John Paul II's encyclical, Ecclesia de Eucharistia: "This varied scenario of celebrations of the Eucharist has given me a powerful experience of its universal and, so to speak, cosmic character. Yes, cosmic! Because even when it is celebrated on the humble altar of a country church, the Eucharist is always in some way celebrated on the altar of the world. It unites heaven and earth. It embraces and permeates all creation. The Son of God became man in order to restore all creation, in one supreme act of praise, to the One who made it from nothing. He, the Eternal High Priest who by the blood of his Cross entered the eternal sanctuary, thus gives back to the Creator and Father all creation redeemed. He does so through the priestly ministry of the Church, to the glory of the Most Holy Trinity. Truly this is the mysterium fidei which is accomplished in the Eucharist: the world which came forth from the hands of God the Creator now returns to him redeemed by Christ." Music is from 'Triduum - Contemporary Sacred Music' by David Bevan and Neil Wright, and sung by the Holy Redeemer Choir. Visit Totus2us.com for more. Totus Tuus (All Yours) was the motto of John Paul II to Mary. Our Lady is also everything to us - Totus 2us. Thu, 14 Apr 2011 13:00:00 GMT 11:43 http://www.totus2us.eu/Novenas/Totus2us-Novena-Ecclesia_de_Eucharistia-Day2.mp3 Eucharist, God, Blessed Sacrament, Jesus, faith, love, encyclical, John Paul II Totus2us.com Day 1, Novena - The Church of the Eucharist - Pope John Paul II's encyclical, Ecclesia de Eucharistia: "The Church draws her life from the Eucharist. This truth does not simply express a daily experience of faith, but recapitulates the heart of the mystery of the Church. In a variety of ways she joyfully experiences the constant fulfilment of the promise: “Lo, I am with you always, to the close of the age” ( Mt 28:20), but in the Holy Eucharist, through the changing of bread and wine into the body and blood of the Lord, she rejoices in this presence with unique intensity. Ever since Pentecost, when the Church, the People of the New Covenant, began her pilgrim journey towards her heavenly homeland, the Divine Sacrament has continued to mark the passing of her days, filling them with confident hope." Music is from 'Triduum - Contemporary Sacred Music' by David Bevan and Neil Wright, and sung by the Holy Redeemer Choir. Visit Totus2us.com for more. Totus Tuus (All Yours) was the motto of John Paul II to Mary. Our Lady is also everything to us - Totus 2us. Day 1, Novena - The Church of the Eucharist - Pope John Paul II's encyclical, Ecclesia de Eucharistia: "The Church draws her life from the Eucharist. This truth does not simply express a daily experience of faith, but recapitulates the heart of the mystery of the Church. In a variety of ways she joyfully experiences the constant fulfilment of the promise: “Lo, I am with you always, to the close of the age” ( Mt 28:20), but in the Holy Eucharist, through the changing of bread and wine into the body and blood of the Lord, she rejoices in this presence with unique intensity. Ever since Pentecost, when the Church, the People of the New Covenant, began her pilgrim journey towards her heavenly homeland, the Divine Sacrament has continued to mark the passing of her days, filling them with confident hope." Music is from 'Triduum - Contemporary Sacred Music' by David Bevan and Neil Wright, and sung by the Holy Redeemer Choir. Visit Totus2us.com for more. Totus Tuus (All Yours) was the motto of John Paul II to Mary. Our Lady is also everything to us - Totus 2us. Wed, 13 Apr 2011 13:00:00 GMT 12:24 http://www.totus2us.eu/Novenas/Totus2us-Novena-Ecclesia_de_Eucharistia-Day1.mp3 Eucharist, God, Blessed Sacrament, Jesus, faith, love, encyclical, John Paul II Totus2us.com Day 9, Novena - The Gospel of Life - Pope John Paul II's encyclical, Evangelium Vitae: "Mary thus helps the Church to realize that life is always at the centre of a great struggle between good and evil, between light and darkness. The dragon wishes to devour "the child brought forth", a figure of Christ, whom Mary brought forth "in the fullness of time" and whom the Church must unceasingly offer to people in every age. But in a way that child is also a figure of every person, every child, especially every helpless baby whose life is threatened, because-as the Council reminds us-"by his Incarnation the Son of God has united himself in some fashion with every person". It is precisely in the "flesh" of every person that Christ continues to reveal himself and to enter into fellowship with us, so that rejection of human life, in whatever form that rejection takes, is really a rejection of Christ. This is the fascinating but also demanding truth which Christ reveals to us and which his Church continues untiringly to proclaim: "Whoever receives one such child in my name receives me"; "Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brethren, you did it to me"." Ave Marias sung by Anna Johnstone. Visit Totus2us.com for more. Totus Tuus (All Yours) was John Paul II's motto to Mary. Our Lady is also everything to us - Totus 2us. Day 9, Novena - The Gospel of Life - Pope John Paul II's encyclical, Evangelium Vitae: "Mary thus helps the Church to realize that life is always at the centre of a great struggle between good and evil, between light and darkness. The dragon wishes to devour "the child brought forth", a figure of Christ, whom Mary brought forth "in the fullness of time" and whom the Church must unceasingly offer to people in every age. But in a way that child is also a figure of every person, every child, especially every helpless baby whose life is threatened, because-as the Council reminds us-"by his Incarnation the Son of God has united himself in some fashion with every person". It is precisely in the "flesh" of every person that Christ continues to reveal himself and to enter into fellowship with us, so that rejection of human life, in whatever form that rejection takes, is really a rejection of Christ. This is the fascinating but also demanding truth which Christ reveals to us and which his Church continues untiringly to proclaim: "Whoever receives one such child in my name receives me"; "Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brethren, you did it to me"." Ave Marias sung by Anna Johnstone. Visit Totus2us.com for more. Totus Tuus (All Yours) was John Paul II's motto to Mary. Our Lady is also everything to us - Totus 2us. Thu, 24 Mar 2011 13:10:00 GMT 13:09 http://www.totus2us.eu/Novenas/Totus2us-Novena-Evangelium_Vitae-Day9.mp3 truth, God, life, Jesus, hope, faith, love, encyclical, John Paul II Totus2us.com Day 8, Novena - The Gospel of Life - Pope John Paul II's encyclical, Evangelium Vitae: "The first and fundamental step towards this cultural transformation consists in forming consciences with regard to the incomparable and inviolable worth of every human life. It is of the greatest importance to re-establish the essential connection between life and freedom. These are inseparable goods: where one is violated, the other also ends up being violated. There is no true freedom where life is not welcomed and loved; and there is no fullness of life except in freedom. Both realities have something inherent and specific which links them inextricably: the vocation to love. Love, as a sincere gift of self, is what gives the life and freedom of the person their truest meaning. No less critical in the formation of conscience is the recovery of the necessary link between freedom and truth. As I have frequently stated, when freedom is detached from objective truth it becomes impossible to establish personal rights on a firm rational basis; and the ground is laid for society to be at the mercy of the unrestrained will of individuals or the oppressive totalitarianism of public authority. It is therefore essential that man should acknowledge his inherent condition as a creature to whom God has granted being and life as a gift and a duty. Only by admitting his innate dependence can man live and use his freedom to the full, and at the same time respect the life and freedom of every other person. Here especially one sees that "at the heart of every culture lies the attitude man takes to the greatest mystery: the mystery of God". Where God is denied and people live as though he did not exist, or his commandments are not taken into account, the dignity of the human person and the inviolability of human life also end up being rejected or compromised." Ave Marias sung by Anna Johnstone. Visit Totus2us.com for more. Totus Tuus (All Yours) was John Paul II's motto to Mary. Our Lady is also everything to us - Totus 2us. Day 8, Novena - The Gospel of Life - Pope John Paul II's encyclical, Evangelium Vitae: "The first and fundamental step towards this cultural transformation consists in forming consciences with regard to the incomparable and inviolable worth of every human life. It is of the greatest importance to re-establish the essential connection between life and freedom. These are inseparable goods: where one is violated, the other also ends up being violated. There is no true freedom where life is not welcomed and loved; and there is no fullness of life except in freedom. Both realities have something inherent and specific which links them inextricably: the vocation to love. Love, as a sincere gift of self, is what gives the life and freedom of the person their truest meaning. No less critical in the formation of conscience is the recovery of the necessary link between freedom and truth. As I have frequently stated, when freedom is detached from objective truth it becomes impossible to establish personal rights on a firm rational basis; and the ground is laid for society to be at the mercy of the unrestrained will of individuals or the oppressive totalitarianism of public authority. It is therefore essential that man should acknowledge his inherent condition as a creature to whom God has granted being and life as a gift and a duty. Only by admitting his innate dependence can man live and use his freedom to the full, and at the same time respect the life and freedom of every other person. Here especially one sees that "at the heart of every culture lies the attitude man takes to the greatest mystery: the mystery of God". Where God is denied and people live as though he did not exist, or his commandments are not taken into account, the dignity of the human person and the inviolability of human life also end up being rejected or compromised." Ave Marias sung by Anna Johnstone. Visit Totus2us.com for more. Totus Tuus (All Yours) was John Paul II's motto to Mary. Our Lady is also everything to us - Totus 2us. Wed, 23 Mar 2011 13:00:00 GMT 33:29 http://www.totus2us.eu/Novenas/Totus2us-Novena-Evangelium_Vitae-Day8.mp3 truth, God, life, Jesus, hope, faith, love, encyclical, John Paul II Totus2us.com Day 7, Novena - The Gospel of Life - Pope John Paul II's encyclical, Evangelium Vitae: "This involves above all proclaiming the core of this Gospel. It is the proclamation of a living God who is close to us, who calls us to profound communion with himself and awakens in us the certain hope of eternal life. It is the affirmation of the inseparable connection between the person, his life and his bodiliness. It is the presentation of human life as a life of relationship, a gift of God, the fruit and sign of his love. It is the proclamation that Jesus has a unique relationship with every person, which enables us to see in every human face the face of Christ. It is the call for a "sincere gift of self" as the fullest way to realize our personal freedom." Ave Marias sung by Anna Johnstone. Visit Totus2us.com for more. Totus Tuus (All Yours) was John Paul II's motto to Mary. Our Lady is also everything to us - Totus 2us. Day 7, Novena - The Gospel of Life - Pope John Paul II's encyclical, Evangelium Vitae: "This involves above all proclaiming the core of this Gospel. It is the proclamation of a living God who is close to us, who calls us to profound communion with himself and awakens in us the certain hope of eternal life. It is the affirmation of the inseparable connection between the person, his life and his bodiliness. It is the presentation of human life as a life of relationship, a gift of God, the fruit and sign of his love. It is the proclamation that Jesus has a unique relationship with every person, which enables us to see in every human face the face of Christ. It is the call for a "sincere gift of self" as the fullest way to realize our personal freedom." Ave Marias sung by Anna Johnstone. Visit Totus2us.com for more. Totus Tuus (All Yours) was John Paul II's motto to Mary. Our Lady is also everything to us - Totus 2us. Tue, 22 Mar 2011 13:00:00 GMT 41:13 http://www.totus2us.eu/Novenas/Totus2us-Novena-Evangelium_Vitae-Day7.mp3 truth, God, life, Jesus, hope, faith, love, encyclical, John Paul II Totus2us.com Day 6, Novena - The Gospel of Life - Pope John Paul II's encyclical, Evangelium Vitae: "Quite different from this is the way of love and true mercy, which our common humanity calls for, and upon which faith in Christ the Redeemer, who died and rose again, sheds ever new light. The request which arises from the human heart in the supreme confrontation with suffering and death, especially when faced with the temptation to give up in utter desperation, is above all a request for companionship, sympathy and support in the time of trial. It is a plea for help to keep on hoping when all human hopes fail. As the Second Vatican Council reminds us: "It is in the face of death that the riddle of human existence becomes most acute" and yet "man rightly follows the intuition of his heart when he abhors and repudiates the absolute ruin and total disappearance of his own person. Man rebels against death because he bears in himself an eternal seed which cannot be reduced to mere matter"." Ave Marias sung by Anna Johnstone. Visit Totus2us.com for more. Totus Tuus (All Yours) was John Paul II's motto to Mary. Our Lady is also everything to us - Totus 2us. Day 6, Novena - The Gospel of Life - Pope John Paul II's encyclical, Evangelium Vitae: "Quite different from this is the way of love and true mercy, which our common humanity calls for, and upon which faith in Christ the Redeemer, who died and rose again, sheds ever new light. The request which arises from the human heart in the supreme confrontation with suffering and death, especially when faced with the temptation to give up in utter desperation, is above all a request for companionship, sympathy and support in the time of trial. It is a plea for help to keep on hoping when all human hopes fail. As the Second Vatican Council reminds us: "It is in the face of death that the riddle of human existence becomes most acute" and yet "man rightly follows the intuition of his heart when he abhors and repudiates the absolute ruin and total disappearance of his own person. Man rebels against death because he bears in himself an eternal seed which cannot be reduced to mere matter"." Ave Marias sung by Anna Johnstone. Visit Totus2us.com for more. Totus Tuus (All Yours) was John Paul II's motto to Mary. Our Lady is also everything to us - Totus 2us. Mon, 21 Mar 2011 13:00:00 GMT 43:40 http://www.totus2us.eu/Novenas/Totus2us-Novena-Evangelium_Vitae-Day6.mp3 truth, God, life, Jesus, hope, faith, love, encyclical, John Paul II Totus2us.com Day 5, Novena - The Gospel of Life - Pope John Paul II's encyclical, Evangelium Vitae: "God's commandment is never detached from his love: it is always a gift meant for man's growth and joy. As such, it represents an essential and indispensable aspect of the Gospel, actually becoming "gospel" itself: joyful good news. The Gospel of life is both a great gift of God and an exacting task for humanity. It gives rise to amazement and gratitude in the person graced with freedom, and it asks to be welcomed, preserved and esteemed, with a deep sense of responsibility. In giving life to man, God demands that he love, respect and promote life. The gift thus becomes a commandment, and the commandment is itself a gift." Ave Marias sung by Anna Johnstone. Visit Totus2us.com for more. Totus Tuus (All Yours) was John Paul II's motto to Mary. Our Lady is also everything to us - Totus 2us. Day 5, Novena - The Gospel of Life - Pope John Paul II's encyclical, Evangelium Vitae: "God's commandment is never detached from his love: it is always a gift meant for man's growth and joy. As such, it represents an essential and indispensable aspect of the Gospel, actually becoming "gospel" itself: joyful good news. The Gospel of life is both a great gift of God and an exacting task for humanity. It gives rise to amazement and gratitude in the person graced with freedom, and it asks to be welcomed, preserved and esteemed, with a deep sense of responsibility. In giving life to man, God demands that he love, respect and promote life. The gift thus becomes a commandment, and the commandment is itself a gift." Ave Marias sung by Anna Johnstone. Visit Totus2us.com for more. Totus Tuus (All Yours) was John Paul II's motto to Mary. Our Lady is also everything to us - Totus 2us. Sun, 20 Mar 2011 13:00:00 GMT 38:52 http://www.totus2us.eu/Novenas/Totus2us-Novena-Evangelium_Vitae-Day5.mp3 truth, God, life, Jesus, hope, faith, love, encyclical, John Paul II Totus2us.com Day 4, Novena - The Gospel of Life - Pope John Paul II's encyclical, Evangelium Vitae: "Man's life comes from God; it is his gift, his image and imprint, a sharing in his breath of life. God therefore is the sole Lord of this life: man cannot do with it as he wills. God himself makes this clear to Noah after the Flood: "For your own lifeblood, too, I will demand an accounting ... and from man in regard to his fellow man I will demand an accounting for human life". The biblical text is concerned to emphasize how the sacredness of life has its foundation in God and in his creative activity: "For God made man in his own image." Ave Marias sung by Anna Johnstone. Visit Totus2us.com for more. Totus Tuus (All Yours) was John Paul II's motto to Mary. Our Lady is also everything to us - Totus 2us. Day 4, Novena - The Gospel of Life - Pope John Paul II's encyclical, Evangelium Vitae: "Man's life comes from God; it is his gift, his image and imprint, a sharing in his breath of life. God therefore is the sole Lord of this life: man cannot do with it as he wills. God himself makes this clear to Noah after the Flood: "For your own lifeblood, too, I will demand an accounting ... and from man in regard to his fellow man I will demand an accounting for human life". The biblical text is concerned to emphasize how the sacredness of life has its foundation in God and in his creative activity: "For God made man in his own image." Ave Marias sung by Anna Johnstone. Visit Totus2us.com for more. Totus Tuus (All Yours) was John Paul II's motto to Mary. Our Lady is also everything to us - Totus 2us. Sat, 19 Mar 2011 13:00:00 GMT 42:58 http://www.totus2us.eu/Novenas/Totus2us-Novena-Evangelium_Vitae-Day4.mp3 truth, God, life, Jesus, hope, faith, love, encyclical, John Paul II Totus2us.com Day 3, Novena - The Gospel of Life - Pope John Paul II's encyclical, Evangelium Vitae: "Eternal life is therefore the life of God himself and at the same time the life of the children of God. As they ponder this unexpected and inexpressible truth which comes to us from God in Christ, believers cannot fail to be filled with ever new wonder and unbounded gratitude. They can say in the words of the Apostle John: "See what love the Father has given us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are. ... Beloved, we are God's children now; it does not yet appear what we shall be, but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is". Here the Christian truth about life becomes most sublime. The dignity of this life is linked not only to its beginning, to the fact that it comes from God, but also to its final end, to its destiny of fellowship with God in knowledge and love of him. In the light of this truth Saint Irenaeus qualifies and completes his praise of man: "the glory of God" is indeed, "man, living man", but "the life of man consists in the vision of God." Ave Marias sung by Anna Johnstone. Visit Totus2us.com for more. Totus Tuus (All Yours) was John Paul II's motto to Mary. Our Lady is also everything to us - Totus 2us. Day 3, Novena - The Gospel of Life - Pope John Paul II's encyclical, Evangelium Vitae: "Eternal life is therefore the life of God himself and at the same time the life of the children of God. As they ponder this unexpected and inexpressible truth which comes to us from God in Christ, believers cannot fail to be filled with ever new wonder and unbounded gratitude. They can say in the words of the Apostle John: "See what love the Father has given us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are. ... Beloved, we are God's children now; it does not yet appear what we shall be, but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is". Here the Christian truth about life becomes most sublime. The dignity of this life is linked not only to its beginning, to the fact that it comes from God, but also to its final end, to its destiny of fellowship with God in knowledge and love of him. In the light of this truth Saint Irenaeus qualifies and completes his praise of man: "the glory of God" is indeed, "man, living man", but "the life of man consists in the vision of God." Ave Marias sung by Anna Johnstone. Visit Totus2us.com for more. Totus Tuus (All Yours) was John Paul II's motto to Mary. Our Lady is also everything to us - Totus 2us. Fri, 18 Mar 2011 13:00:00 GMT 32:23 http://www.totus2us.eu/Novenas/Totus2us-Novena-Evangelium_Vitae-Day3.mp3 truth, God, life, Jesus, hope, faith, love, encyclical, John Paul II Totus2us.com Day 2, Novena - The Gospel of Life - Pope John Paul II's encyclical, Evangelium Vitae: "As I emphatically stated at Denver, on the occasion of the 8th World Youth Day, "with time the threats against life have not grown weaker. They are taking on vast proportions. They are not only threats coming from the outside, from the forces of nature or the 'Cains' who kill the 'Abels'; no, they are scientifically and systematically programmed threats. The twentieth century will have been an era of massive attacks on life, an endless series of wars and a continual taking of innocent human life. False prophets and false teachers have had the greatest success". Aside from intentions, which can be varied and perhaps can seem convincing at times, especially if presented in the name of solidarity, we are in fact faced by an objective "conspiracy against life", involving even international Institutions, engaged in encouraging and carrying out actual campaigns to make contraception, sterilization and abortion widely available. Nor can it be denied that the mass media are often implicated in this conspiracy, by lending credit to that culture which presents recourse to contraception, sterilization, abortion and even euthanasia as a mark of progress and a victory of freedom, while depicting as enemies of freedom and progress those positions which are unreservedly pro-life." Prayer: "O Mary, bright dawn of the new world, Mother of the living, to you do we entrust the cause of life. Look down O Mother, upon the vast numbers of babies not allowed to be born, of the poor whose lives are made difficult, of men and women who are victims of brutal violence, of the elderly and the sick killed be indifference or out of misguided mercy. Grant that all who believe in your Son may proclaim the Gospel of life with honesty and love to the people of our time. Obtain for them the grace to accept that Gospel as a gift ever new, the joy of celebrating it with gratitude throughout their lives and the courage to bear witness to it resolutely, in order to build, together with all people of good will, the civilization of truth and love, to the praise and glory of God, the Creator and lover of life." Ave Marias sung by Anna Johnstone. Visit Totus2us.com for more. Totus Tuus (All Yours) was John Paul II's motto to Mary. Our Lady is also everything to us - Totus 2us. Day 2, Novena - The Gospel of Life - Pope John Paul II's encyclical, Evangelium Vitae: "As I emphatically stated at Denver, on the occasion of the 8th World Youth Day, "with time the threats against life have not grown weaker. They are taking on vast proportions. They are not only threats coming from the outside, from the forces of nature or the 'Cains' who kill the 'Abels'; no, they are scientifically and systematically programmed threats. The twentieth century will have been an era of massive attacks on life, an endless series of wars and a continual taking of innocent human life. False prophets and false teachers have had the greatest success". Aside from intentions, which can be varied and perhaps can seem convincing at times, especially if presented in the name of solidarity, we are in fact faced by an objective "conspiracy against life", involving even international Institutions, engaged in encouraging and carrying out actual campaigns to make contraception, sterilization and abortion widely available. Nor can it be denied that the mass media are often implicated in this conspiracy, by lending credit to that culture which presents recourse to contraception, sterilization, abortion and even euthanasia as a mark of progress and a victory of freedom, while depicting as enemies of freedom and progress those positions which are unreservedly pro-life." Prayer: "O Mary, bright dawn of the new world, Mother of the living, to you do we entrust the cause of life. Look down O Mother, upon the vast numbers of babies not allowed to be born, of the poor whose lives are made difficult, of men and women who are victims of brutal violence, of the elderly and the sick killed be indifference or out of misguided mercy. Grant that all who believe in your Son may proclaim the Gospel of life with honesty and love to the people of our time. Obtain for them the grace to accept that Gospel as a gift ever new, the joy of celebrating it with gratitude throughout their lives and the courage to bear witness to it resolutely, in order to build, together with all people of good will, the civilization of truth and love, to the praise and glory of God, the Creator and lover of life." Ave Marias sung by Anna Johnstone. Visit Totus2us.com for more. Totus Tuus (All Yours) was John Paul II's motto to Mary. Our Lady is also everything to us - Totus 2us. Thu, 17 Mar 2011 12:00:00 GMT 1:08:33 http://www.totus2us.eu/Novenas/Totus2us-Novena-Evangelium_Vitae-Day2.mp3 truth, God, life, Jesus, hope, faith, love, encyclical, John Paul II Totus2us.com Day 1, Novena - The Gospel of Life - Pope John Paul II's encyclical, Evangelium Vitae: "The Gospel of life is at the heart of Jesus' message. Lovingly received day after day by the Church, it is to be preached with dauntless fidelity as "good news" to the people of every age and culture. At the dawn of salvation, it is the Birth of a Child which is proclaimed as joyful news: "I bring you good news of a great joy which will come to all the people; for to you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, who is Christ the Lord". The source of this "great joy" is the Birth of the Saviour; but Christmas also reveals the full meaning of every human birth, and the joy which accompanies the Birth of the Messiah is thus seen to be the foundation and fulfilment of joy at every child born into the world. When he presents the heart of his redemptive mission, Jesus says: "I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly". In truth, he is referring to that "new" and "eternal" life which consists in communion with the Father, to which every person is freely called in the Son by the power of the Sanctifying Spirit. It is precisely in this "life" that all the aspects and stages of human life achieve their full significance." Prayer: "O Mary, bright dawn of the new world, Mother of the living, to you do we entrust the cause of life. Look down O Mother, upon the vast numbers of babies not allowed to be born, of the poor whose lives are made difficult, of men and women who are victims of brutal violence, of the elderly and the sick killed be indifference or out of misguided mercy. Grant that all who believe in your Son may proclaim the Gospel of life with honesty and love to the people of our time. Obtain for them the grace to accept that Gospel as a gift ever new, the joy of celebrating it with gratitude throughout their lives and the courage to bear witness to it resolutely, in order to build, together with all people of good will, the civilization of truth and love, to the praise and glory of God, the Creator and lover of life." Ave Marias sung by Anna Johnstone. Visit Totus2us.com for more. Totus Tuus (All Yours) was John Paul II's motto to Mary. Our Lady is also everything to us - Totus 2us. Day 1, Novena - The Gospel of Life - Pope John Paul II's encyclical, Evangelium Vitae: "The Gospel of life is at the heart of Jesus' message. Lovingly received day after day by the Church, it is to be preached with dauntless fidelity as "good news" to the people of every age and culture. At the dawn of salvation, it is the Birth of a Child which is proclaimed as joyful news: "I bring you good news of a great joy which will come to all the people; for to you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, who is Christ the Lord". The source of this "great joy" is the Birth of the Saviour; but Christmas also reveals the full meaning of every human birth, and the joy which accompanies the Birth of the Messiah is thus seen to be the foundation and fulfilment of joy at every child born into the world. When he presents the heart of his redemptive mission, Jesus says: "I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly". In truth, he is referring to that "new" and "eternal" life which consists in communion with the Father, to which every person is freely called in the Son by the power of the Sanctifying Spirit. It is precisely in this "life" that all the aspects and stages of human life achieve their full significance." Prayer: "O Mary, bright dawn of the new world, Mother of the living, to you do we entrust the cause of life. Look down O Mother, upon the vast numbers of babies not allowed to be born, of the poor whose lives are made difficult, of men and women who are victims of brutal violence, of the elderly and the sick killed be indifference or out of misguided mercy. Grant that all who believe in your Son may proclaim the Gospel of life with honesty and love to the people of our time. Obtain for them the grace to accept that Gospel as a gift ever new, the joy of celebrating it with gratitude throughout their lives and the courage to bear witness to it resolutely, in order to build, together with all people of good will, the civilization of truth and love, to the praise and glory of God, the Creator and lover of life." Ave Marias sung by Anna Johnstone. Visit Totus2us.com for more. Totus Tuus (All Yours) was John Paul II's motto to Mary. Our Lady is also everything to us - Totus 2us. Wed, 16 Mar 2011 12:00:00 GMT 17:15 http://www.totus2us.eu/Novenas/Totus2us-Novena-Evangelium_Vitae-Day1.mp3 truth, God, life, Jesus, hope, faith, love, encyclical, John Paul II Totus2us.com Day 9, Novena - The Redeemer of Man. Quotes from Pope John Paul II's encyclical, Redemptor Hominis: "We can say that the mystery of the Redemption took shape beneath the heart of the Virgin of Nazareth when she pronounced her "fiat". From then on, under the special influence of the Holy Spirit, this heart, the heart of both a virgin and a mother, has always followed the work of her Son and has gone out to all those whom Christ has embraced and continues to embrace with inexhaustible love. For that reason her heart must also have the inexhaustibility of a mother. The special characteristic of the motherly love that the Mother of God inserts in the mystery of the Redemption and the life of the Church finds expression in its exceptional closeness to man and all that happens to him. It is in this that the mystery of the Mother consists. The Church, which looks to her with altogether special love and hope, wishes to make this mystery her own in an ever deeper manner. For in this the Church also recognizes the way for her daily life, which is each person. The Father's eternal love, which has been manifested in the history of mankind through the Son whom the Father gave, "that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life", comes close to each of us through this Mother and thus takes on tokens that are of more easy understanding and access by each person. Consequently, Mary must be on all the ways for the Church's daily life. Through her maternal presence the Church acquires certainty that she is truly living the life of her Master and Lord and that she is living the mystery of the Redemption in all its life-giving profundity and fullness. Likewise the Church, which has struck root in many varied fields of the life of the whole of present-day humanity, also acquires the certainty and, one could say, the experience of being close to man, to each person, of being each person's Church, the Church of the People of God." Prayer: O Lord Jesus Christ, keep us in your love. Let us hear your voice and believe what you say, for you alone have the words of life. Teach us how to profess our faith, bestow our love and impart our hope to others. Make us convincing witnesses to your Gospel in a world so much in need of your saving grace. Make us the new people of the Beatitudes, that we may be the salt of the earth and the light of the world at the beginning of the 3rd Christian millennium. Amen. Mary, Mother of Christ and of the Church, pray for us. Music by Fr Stan Fortuna CFR. Visit Totus2us.com for more info. Day 9, Novena - The Redeemer of Man. Quotes from Pope John Paul II's encyclical, Redemptor Hominis: "We can say that the mystery of the Redemption took shape beneath the heart of the Virgin of Nazareth when she pronounced her "fiat". From then on, under the special influence of the Holy Spirit, this heart, the heart of both a virgin and a mother, has always followed the work of her Son and has gone out to all those whom Christ has embraced and continues to embrace with inexhaustible love. For that reason her heart must also have the inexhaustibility of a mother. The special characteristic of the motherly love that the Mother of God inserts in the mystery of the Redemption and the life of the Church finds expression in its exceptional closeness to man and all that happens to him. It is in this that the mystery of the Mother consists. The Church, which looks to her with altogether special love and hope, wishes to make this mystery her own in an ever deeper manner. For in this the Church also recognizes the way for her daily life, which is each person. The Father's eternal love, which has been manifested in the history of mankind through the Son whom the Father gave, "that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life", comes close to each of us through this Mother and thus takes on tokens that are of more easy understanding and access by each person. Consequently, Mary must be on all the ways for the Church's daily life. Through her maternal presence the Church acquires certainty that she is truly living the life of her Master and Lord and that she is living the mystery of the Redemption in all its life-giving profundity and fullness. Likewise the Church, which has struck root in many varied fields of the life of the whole of present-day humanity, also acquires the certainty and, one could say, the experience of being close to man, to each person, of being each person's Church, the Church of the People of God." Prayer: O Lord Jesus Christ, keep us in your love. Let us hear your voice and believe what you say, for you alone have the words of life. Teach us how to profess our faith, bestow our love and impart our hope to others. Make us convincing witnesses to your Gospel in a world so much in need of your saving grace. Make us the new people of the Beatitudes, that we may be the salt of the earth and the light of the world at the beginning of the 3rd Christian millennium. Amen. Mary, Mother of Christ and of the Church, pray for us. Music by Fr Stan Fortuna CFR. Visit Totus2us.com for more info. Sat, 12 Mar 2011 12:00:00 GMT 24:34 http://www.totus2us.eu/Novenas/Totus2us-Novena-Redemptor_Hominis-Day9.mp3 truth, God, Father, Jesus, hope, faith, Christ, encyclical, John Paul II Totus2us.com Day 8, Novena - The Redeemer of Man. Quotes from Pope John Paul II's encyclical, Redemptor Hominis: "In the mystery of the Redemption, that is to say in Jesus Christ's saving work, the Church not only shares in the Gospel of her Master through fidelity to the word and service of truth, but she also shares, through a submission filled with hope and love, in the power of his redeeming action expressed and enshrined by him in a sacramental form, especially in the Eucharist. The Eucharist is the centre and summit of the whole of sacramental life, through which each Christian receives the saving power of the Redemption, beginning with the mystery of Baptism, in which we are buried into the death of Christ, in order to become sharers in his Resurrection, as the Apostle teaches. In the light of this teaching, we see still more clearly the reason why the entire sacramental life of the Church and of each Christian reaches its summit and fullness in the Eucharist. For by Christ's will there is in this Sacrament a continual renewing of the mystery of the Sacrifice of himself that Christ offered to the Father on the altar of the Cross, a Sacrifice that the Father accepted, giving, in return for this total self-giving by his Son, who "became obedient unto death", his own paternal gift, that is to say the grant of new immortal life in the resurrection, since the Father is the first source and the giver of life from the beginning. That new life, which involves the bodily glorification of the crucified Christ, became an efficacious sign of the new gift granted to humanity, the gift that is the Holy Spirit, through whom the divine life that the Father has in himself and gives to his Son is communicated to all men who are united with Christ." Prayer: O Lord Jesus Christ, keep us in your love. Let us hear your voice and believe what you say, for you alone have the words of life. Teach us how to profess our faith, bestow our love and impart our hope to others. Make us convincing witnesses to your Gospel in a world so much in need of your saving grace. Make us the new people of the Beatitudes, that we may be the salt of the earth and the light of the world at the beginning of the 3rd Christian millennium. Amen. Mary, Mother of Christ and of the Church, pray for us. Music by Fr Stan Fortuna CFR. Visit Totus2us.com for more info. Day 8, Novena - The Redeemer of Man. Quotes from Pope John Paul II's encyclical, Redemptor Hominis: "In the mystery of the Redemption, that is to say in Jesus Christ's saving work, the Church not only shares in the Gospel of her Master through fidelity to the word and service of truth, but she also shares, through a submission filled with hope and love, in the power of his redeeming action expressed and enshrined by him in a sacramental form, especially in the Eucharist. The Eucharist is the centre and summit of the whole of sacramental life, through which each Christian receives the saving power of the Redemption, beginning with the mystery of Baptism, in which we are buried into the death of Christ, in order to become sharers in his Resurrection, as the Apostle teaches. In the light of this teaching, we see still more clearly the reason why the entire sacramental life of the Church and of each Christian reaches its summit and fullness in the Eucharist. For by Christ's will there is in this Sacrament a continual renewing of the mystery of the Sacrifice of himself that Christ offered to the Father on the altar of the Cross, a Sacrifice that the Father accepted, giving, in return for this total self-giving by his Son, who "became obedient unto death", his own paternal gift, that is to say the grant of new immortal life in the resurrection, since the Father is the first source and the giver of life from the beginning. That new life, which involves the bodily glorification of the crucified Christ, became an efficacious sign of the new gift granted to humanity, the gift that is the Holy Spirit, through whom the divine life that the Father has in himself and gives to his Son is communicated to all men who are united with Christ." Prayer: O Lord Jesus Christ, keep us in your love. Let us hear your voice and believe what you say, for you alone have the words of life. Teach us how to profess our faith, bestow our love and impart our hope to others. Make us convincing witnesses to your Gospel in a world so much in need of your saving grace. Make us the new people of the Beatitudes, that we may be the salt of the earth and the light of the world at the beginning of the 3rd Christian millennium. Amen. Mary, Mother of Christ and of the Church, pray for us. Music by Fr Stan Fortuna CFR. Visit Totus2us.com for more info. Fri, 11 Mar 2011 12:00:00 GMT 14:42 http://www.totus2us.eu/Novenas/Totus2us-Novena-Redemptor_Hominis-Day8.mp3 truth, God, Father, Jesus, hope, faith, Christ, encyclical, John Paul II Totus2us.com Day 7, Novena - The Redeemer of Man. Quotes from Pope John Paul II's encyclical, Redemptor Hominis: "This union of Christ with man is in itself a mystery. From the mystery is born "the new man", called to become a partaker of God's life, and newly created in Christ for the fullness of grace and truth. Christ's union with man is power and the source of power, as Saint John stated so incisively in the prologue of his Gospel: "(The Word) gave power to become children of God". Man is transformed inwardly by this power as the source of a new life that does not disappear and pass away but lasts to eternal life. This life, which the Father has promised and offered to each man in Jesus Christ, his eternal and only Son, who, "when the time had fully come", became incarnate and was born of the Virgin Mary, is the final fulfilment of man's vocation. It is in a way the fulfilment of the "destiny" that God has prepared for him from eternity. This "divine destiny" is advancing, in spite of all the enigmas, the unsolved riddles, the twists and turns of "human destiny" in the world of time. Indeed, while all this, in spite of all the riches of life in time, necessarily and inevitably leads to the frontier of death and the goal of the destruction of the human body, beyond that goal we see Christ. "I am the resurrection and the life, he who believes in me... shall never die". In Jesus Christ, who was crucified and laid in the tomb and then rose again, "our hope of resurrection dawned... the bright promise of immortality", on the way to which man, through the death of the body, shares with the whole of visible creation the necessity to which matter is subject. We intend and are trying to fathom ever more deeply the language of the truth that man's Redeemer enshrined in the phrase "It is the spirit that gives life, the flesh is of no avail". In spite of appearances, these words express the highest affirmation of man - the affirmation of the body given life by the Spirit." Prayer: O Lord Jesus Christ, keep us in your love. Let us hear your voice and believe what you say, for you alone have the words of life. Teach us how to profess our faith, bestow our love and impart our hope to others. Make us convincing witnesses to your Gospel in a world so much in need of your saving grace. Make us the new people of the Beatitudes, that we may be the salt of the earth and the light of the world at the beginning of the 3rd Christian millennium. Amen. Mary, Mother of Christ and of the Church, pray for us. Music by Fr Stan Fortuna CFR. Visit Totus2us.com for more info. Day 7, Novena - The Redeemer of Man. Quotes from Pope John Paul II's encyclical, Redemptor Hominis: "This union of Christ with man is in itself a mystery. From the mystery is born "the new man", called to become a partaker of God's life, and newly created in Christ for the fullness of grace and truth. Christ's union with man is power and the source of power, as Saint John stated so incisively in the prologue of his Gospel: "(The Word) gave power to become children of God". Man is transformed inwardly by this power as the source of a new life that does not disappear and pass away but lasts to eternal life. This life, which the Father has promised and offered to each man in Jesus Christ, his eternal and only Son, who, "when the time had fully come", became incarnate and was born of the Virgin Mary, is the final fulfilment of man's vocation. It is in a way the fulfilment of the "destiny" that God has prepared for him from eternity. This "divine destiny" is advancing, in spite of all the enigmas, the unsolved riddles, the twists and turns of "human destiny" in the world of time. Indeed, while all this, in spite of all the riches of life in time, necessarily and inevitably leads to the frontier of death and the goal of the destruction of the human body, beyond that goal we see Christ. "I am the resurrection and the life, he who believes in me... shall never die". In Jesus Christ, who was crucified and laid in the tomb and then rose again, "our hope of resurrection dawned... the bright promise of immortality", on the way to which man, through the death of the body, shares with the whole of visible creation the necessity to which matter is subject. We intend and are trying to fathom ever more deeply the language of the truth that man's Redeemer enshrined in the phrase "It is the spirit that gives life, the flesh is of no avail". In spite of appearances, these words express the highest affirmation of man-the affirmation of the body given life by the Spirit." Prayer: O Lord Jesus Christ, keep us in your love. Let us hear your voice and believe what you say, for you alone have the words of life. Teach us how to profess our faith, bestow our love and impart our hope to others. Make us convincing witnesses to your Gospel in a world so much in need of your saving grace. Make us the new people of the Beatitudes, that we may be the salt of the earth and the light of the world at the beginning of the 3rd Christian millennium. Amen. Mary, Mother of Christ and of the Church, pray for us. Music by Fr Stan Fortuna CFR. Visit Totus2us.com for more info. Thu, 10 Mar 2011 12:00:00 GMT 19:55 http://www.totus2us.eu/Novenas/Totus2us-Novena-Redemptor_Hominis-Day7.mp3 truth, God, Father, Jesus, hope, faith, Christ, encyclical, John Paul II Totus2us.com Day 6, Novena - The Redeemer of Man. Quotes from Pope John Paul II's encyclical, Redemptor Hominis: "These rights are rightly reckoned to include the right to religious freedom together with the right to freedom of conscience. The Second Vatican Council considered especially necessary the preparation of a fairly long declaration on this subject. This is the document called Dignitatis Humanae, in which is expressed not only the theological concept of the question but also the concept reached from the point of view of natural law, that is to say from the "purely human" position, on the basis of the premises given by man's own experience, his reason and his sense of human dignity. Certainly the curtailment of the religious freedom of individuals and communities is not only a painful experience but it is above all an attack on man's very dignity, independently of the religion professed or of the concept of the world which these individuals and communities have. The curtailment and violation of religious freedom are in contrast with man's dignity and his objective rights. The Council document mentioned above states clearly enough what that curtailment or violation of religious freedom is. In this case we are undoubtedly confronted with a radical injustice with regard to what is particularly deep within man, what is authentically human. Indeed, even the phenomenon of unbelief, a-religiousness and atheism, as a human phenomenon, is understood only in relation to the phenomenon of religion and faith. It is therefore difficult, even from a "purely human" point of view, to accept a position that gives only atheism the right of citizenship in public and social life, while believers are, as though by principle, barely tolerated or are treated as second-class citizens or are even-and this has already happened- entirely deprived of the rights of citizenship." Prayer: O Lord Jesus Christ, keep us in your love. Let us hear your voice and believe what you say, for you alone have the words of life. Teach us how to profess our faith, bestow our love and impart our hope to others. Make us convincing witnesses to your Gospel in a world so much in need of your saving grace. Make us the new people of the Beatitudes, that we may be the salt of the earth and the light of the world at the beginning of the 3rd Christian millennium. Amen. Mary, Mother of Christ and of the Church, pray for us. Music by Fr Stan Fortuna CFR. Visit Totus2us.com for more info. Day 6, Novena - The Redeemer of Man. Quotes from Pope John Paul II's encyclical, Redemptor Hominis: "These rights are rightly reckoned to include the right to religious freedom together with the right to freedom of conscience. The Second Vatican Council considered especially necessary the preparation of a fairly long declaration on this subject. This is the document called Dignitatis Humanae, in which is expressed not only the theological concept of the question but also the concept reached from the point of view of natural law, that is to say from the "purely human" position, on the basis of the premises given by man's own experience, his reason and his sense of human dignity. Certainly the curtailment of the religious freedom of individuals and communities is not only a painful experience but it is above all an attack on man's very dignity, independently of the religion professed or of the concept of the world which these individuals and communities have. The curtailment and violation of religious freedom are in contrast with man's dignity and his objective rights. The Council document mentioned above states clearly enough what that curtailment or violation of religious freedom is. In this case we are undoubtedly confronted with a radical injustice with regard to what is particularly deep within man, what is authentically human. Indeed, even the phenomenon of unbelief, a-religiousness and atheism, as a human phenomenon, is understood only in relation to the phenomenon of religion and faith. It is therefore difficult, even from a "purely human" point of view, to accept a position that gives only atheism the right of citizenship in public and social life, while believers are, as though by principle, barely tolerated or are treated as second-class citizens or are even-and this has already happened- entirely deprived of the rights of citizenship." Prayer: O Lord Jesus Christ, keep us in your love. Let us hear your voice and believe what you say, for you alone have the words of life. Teach us how to profess our faith, bestow our love and impart our hope to others. Make us convincing witnesses to your Gospel in a world so much in need of your saving grace. Make us the new people of the Beatitudes, that we may be the salt of the earth and the light of the world at the beginning of the 3rd Christian millennium. Amen. Mary, Mother of Christ and of the Church, pray for us. Music by Fr Stan Fortuna CFR. Visit Totus2us.com for more info. Wed, 9 Mar 2011 12:00:00 GMT 24:27 http://www.totus2us.eu/Novenas/Totus2us-Novena-Redemptor_Hominis-Day6.mp3 truth, God, Father, Jesus, hope, faith, Christ, encyclical, John Paul II Totus2us.com Day 5, Novena - The Redeemer of Man. Quotes from Pope John Paul II's encyclical, Redemptor Hominis: "The Church cannot abandon man, for his "destiny", that is to say his election, calling, birth and death, salvation or perdition, is so closely and unbreakably linked with Christ. We are speaking precisely of each man on this planet, this earth that the Creator gave to the first man, saying to the man and the women: "subdue it and have dominion". Each man in all the unrepeatable reality of what he is and what he does, of his intellect and will, of his conscience and heart. Man who in his reality has, because he is a "person", a history of his life that is his own and, most important, a history of his soul that is his own. Man who, in keeping with the openness of his spirit within and also with the many diverse needs of his body and his existence in time, writes this personal history of his through numerous bonds, contacts, situations, and social structures linking him with other men, beginning to do so from the first moment of his existence on earth, from the moment of his conception and birth. Man in the full truth of his existence, of his personal being and also of his community and social being - in the sphere of his own family, in the sphere of society and very diverse contexts, in the sphere of his own nation or people (perhaps still only that of his clan or tribe), and in the sphere of the whole of mankind - this man is the primary route that the Church must travel in fulfilling her mission: he is the primary and fundamental way for the Church, the way traced out by Christ himself, the way that leads invariably through the mystery of the Incarnation and the Redemption." Prayer: O Lord Jesus Christ, keep us in your love. Let us hear your voice and believe what you say, for you alone have the words of life. Teach us how to profess our faith, bestow our love and impart our hope to others. Make us convincing witnesses to your Gospel in a world so much in need of your saving grace. Make us the new people of the Beatitudes, that we may be the salt of the earth and the light of the world at the beginning of the 3rd Christian millennium. Amen. Mary, Mother of Christ and of the Church, pray for us. Music by Fr Stan Fortuna CFR. Visit Totus2us.com for more info. Day 5, Novena - The Redeemer of Man. Quotes from Pope John Paul II's encyclical, Redemptor Hominis: "The Church cannot abandon man, for his "destiny", that is to say his election, calling, birth and death, salvation or perdition, is so closely and unbreakably linked with Christ. We are speaking precisely of each man on this planet, this earth that the Creator gave to the first man, saying to the man and the women: "subdue it and have dominion". Each man in all the unrepeatable reality of what he is and what he does, of his intellect and will, of his conscience and heart. Man who in his reality has, because he is a "person", a history of his life that is his own and, most important, a history of his soul that is his own. Man who, in keeping with the openness of his spirit within and also with the many diverse needs of his body and his existence in time, writes this personal history of his through numerous bonds, contacts, situations, and social structures linking him with other men, beginning to do so from the first moment of his existence on earth, from the moment of his conception and birth. Man in the full truth of his existence, of his personal being and also of his community and social being - in the sphere of his own family, in the sphere of society and very diverse contexts, in the sphere of his own nation or people (perhaps still only that of his clan or tribe), and in the sphere of the whole of mankind - this man is the primary route that the Church must travel in fulfilling her mission: he is the primary and fundamental way for the Church, the way traced out by Christ himself, the way that leads invariably through the mystery of the Incarnation and the Redemption." Prayer: O Lord Jesus Christ, keep us in your love. Let us hear your voice and believe what you say, for you alone have the words of life. Teach us how to profess our faith, bestow our love and impart our hope to others. Make us convincing witnesses to your Gospel in a world so much in need of your saving grace. Make us the new people of the Beatitudes, that we may be the salt of the earth and the light of the world at the beginning of the 3rd Christian millennium. Amen. Mary, Mother of Christ and of the Church, pray for us. Music by Fr Stan Fortuna CFR. Visit Totus2us.com for more info. Tue, 8 Mar 2011 12:00:00 GMT 19:30 http://www.totus2us.eu/Novenas/Totus2us-Novena-Redemptor_Hominis-Day5.mp3 truth, God, Father, Jesus, hope, faith, Christ, encyclical, John Paul II Totus2us.com Day 4, Novena - The Redeemer of Man. Quotes from Pope John Paul II's encyclical, Redemptor Hominis: "When Jesus Christ himself appeared as a prisoner before Pilate's tribunal and was interrogated by him about the accusation made against him by the representatives of the Sanhedrin, did he not answer: "For this I was born, and for this I have come into the world, to bear witness to the truth"? It was as if with these words spoken before the judge at the decisive moment he was once more confirming what he had said earlier: "You will know the truth, and the truth will make you free". In the course of so many centuries, of so many generations, from the time of the Apostles on, is it not often Jesus Christ himself that has made an appearance at the side of people judged for the sake of the truth? And has he not gone to death with people condemned for the sake of the truth? Does he ever cease to be the continuous spokesman and advocate for the person who lives "in spirit and truth"? Just as he does not cease to be it before the Father, he is it also with regard to the history of man. And in her turn the Church, in spite of all the weaknesses that are part of her human history, does not cease to follow him who said: "The hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshippers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for such the Father seeks to worship him. God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth"." Prayer: O Lord Jesus Christ, keep us in your love. Let us hear your voice and believe what you say, for you alone have the words of life. Teach us how to profess our faith, bestow our love and impart our hope to others. Make us convincing witnesses to your Gospel in a world so much in need of your saving grace. Make us the new people of the Beatitudes, that we may be the salt of the earth and the light of the world at the beginning of the 3rd Christian millennium. Amen. Mary, Mother of Christ and of the Church, pray for us. Music by Fr Stan Fortuna CFR. Visit Totus2us.com for more info. Day 4, Novena - The Redeemer of Man. Quotes from Pope John Paul II's encyclical, Redemptor Hominis: "When Jesus Christ himself appeared as a prisoner before Pilate's tribunal and was interrogated by him about the accusation made against him by the representatives of the Sanhedrin, did he not answer: "For this I was born, and for this I have come into the world, to bear witness to the truth"? It was as if with these words spoken before the judge at the decisive moment he was once more confirming what he had said earlier: "You will know the truth, and the truth will make you free". In the course of so many centuries, of so many generations, from the time of the Apostles on, is it not often Jesus Christ himself that has made an appearance at the side of people judged for the sake of the truth? And has he not gone to death with people condemned for the sake of the truth? Does he ever cease to be the continuous spokesman and advocate for the person who lives "in spirit and truth"? Just as he does not cease to be it before the Father, he is it also with regard to the history of man. And in her turn the Church, in spite of all the weaknesses that are part of her human history, does not cease to follow him who said: "The hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshippers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for such the Father seeks to worship him. God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth"." Prayer: O Lord Jesus Christ, keep us in your love. Let us hear your voice and believe what you say, for you alone have the words of life. Teach us how to profess our faith, bestow our love and impart our hope to others. Make us convincing witnesses to your Gospel in a world so much in need of your saving grace. Make us the new people of the Beatitudes, that we may be the salt of the earth and the light of the world at the beginning of the 3rd Christian millennium. Amen. Mary, Mother of Christ and of the Church, pray for us. Music by Fr Stan Fortuna CFR. Visit Totus2us.com for more info. Mon, 7 Mar 2011 12:00:00 GMT 14:22 http://www.totus2us.eu/Novenas/Totus2us-Novena-Redemptor_Hominis-Day4.mp3 truth, God, Father, Jesus, hope, faith, Christ, encyclical, John Paul II Totus2us.com Day 3, Novena - The Redeemer of Man. Quotes from Pope John Paul II's encyclical, Redemptor Hominis: "Man cannot live without love. He remains a being that is incomprehensible for himself, his life is senseless, if love is not revealed to him, if he does not encounter love, if he does not experience it and make it his own, if he does not participate intimately in it. This, as has already been said, is why Christ the Redeemer "fully reveals man to himself". If we may use the expression, this is the human dimension of the mystery of the Redemption. In this dimension man finds again the greatness, dignity and value that belong to his humanity. In the mystery of the Redemption man becomes newly "expressed" and, in a way, is newly created. He is newly created! "There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus". The man who wishes to understand himself thoroughly-and not just in accordance with immediate, partial, often superficial, and even illusory standards and measures of his being-he must with his unrest, uncertainty and even his weakness and sinfulness, with his life and death, draw near to Christ. He must, so to speak, enter into him with all his own self, he must "appropriate" and assimilate the whole of the reality of the Incarnation and Redemption in order to find himself. If this profound process takes place within him, he then bears fruit not only of adoration of God but also of deep wonder at himself. How precious must man be in the eyes of the Creator, if he "gained so great a Redeemer", and if God "gave his only Son "in order that man "should not perish but have eternal life"." Prayer: O Lord Jesus Christ, keep us in your love. Let us hear your voice and believe what you say, for you alone have the words of life. Teach us how to profess our faith, bestow our love and impart our hope to others. Make us convincing witnesses to your Gospel in a world so much in need of your saving grace. Make us the new people of the Beatitudes, that we may be the salt of the earth and the light of the world at the beginning of the 3rd Christian millennium. Amen. Mary, Mother of Christ and of the Church, pray for us. Music by Fr Stan Fortuna CFR. Visit Totus2us.com for more info. Day 3, Novena - The Redeemer of Man. Quotes from Pope John Paul II's encyclical, Redemptor Hominis: "Man cannot live without love. He remains a being that is incomprehensible for himself, his life is senseless, if love is not revealed to him, if he does not encounter love, if he does not experience it and make it his own, if he does not participate intimately in it. This, as has already been said, is why Christ the Redeemer "fully reveals man to himself". If we may use the expression, this is the human dimension of the mystery of the Redemption. In this dimension man finds again the greatness, dignity and value that belong to his humanity. In the mystery of the Redemption man becomes newly "expressed" and, in a way, is newly created. He is newly created! "There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus". The man who wishes to understand himself thoroughly-and not just in accordance with immediate, partial, often superficial, and even illusory standards and measures of his being-he must with his unrest, uncertainty and even his weakness and sinfulness, with his life and death, draw near to Christ. He must, so to speak, enter into him with all his own self, he must "appropriate" and assimilate the whole of the reality of the Incarnation and Redemption in order to find himself. If this profound process takes place within him, he then bears fruit not only of adoration of God but also of deep wonder at himself. How precious must man be in the eyes of the Creator, if he "gained so great a Redeemer", and if God "gave his only Son "in order that man "should not perish but have eternal life"." Prayer: O Lord Jesus Christ, keep us in your love. Let us hear your voice and believe what you say, for you alone have the words of life. Teach us how to profess our faith, bestow our love and impart our hope to others. Make us convincing witnesses to your Gospel in a world so much in need of your saving grace. Make us the new people of the Beatitudes, that we may be the salt of the earth and the light of the world at the beginning of the 3rd Christian millennium. Amen. Mary, Mother of Christ and of the Church, pray for us. Music by Fr Stan Fortuna CFR. Visit Totus2us.com for more info. Sun, 6 Mar 2011 12:00:00 GMT 18:41 http://www.totus2us.eu/Novenas/Totus2us-Novena-Redemptor_Hominis-Day3.mp3 truth, God, Father, Jesus, hope, faith, Christ, encyclical, John Paul II Totus2us.com Day 2, Novena - The Redeemer of Man. Quotes from Pope John Paul II's encyclical, Redemptor Hominis: "What shall I say of all the initiatives that have sprung from the new ecumenical orientation? The unforgettable Pope John XXIII set out the problem of Christian unity with evangelical clarity as a simple consequence of the will of Jesus Christ himself, our Master, the will that Jesus stated on several occasions but to which he gave expression in a special way in his prayer in the Upper Room the night before he died: "I pray... Father... that they may all be one". The Second Vatican Council responded concisely to this requirement with its Decree on ecumenism. Pope Paul VI, availing himself of the activities of the Secretariat for Promoting Christian Unity, began the first difficult steps on the road to the attainment of that unity. Have we gone far along that road? Without wishing to give a detailed reply, we can say that we have made real and important advances. And one thing is certain: we have worked with perseverance and consistency, and the representatives of other Christian Churches and Communities have also committed themselves together with us, for which we are heartily grateful to them. It is also certain that in the present historical situation of Christianity and the world the only possibility we see of fulfilling the Church's universal mission, with regard to ecumenical questions, is that of seeking sincerely, perseveringly, humbly and also courageously the ways of drawing closer and of union." Prayer: O Lord Jesus Christ, keep us in your love. Let us hear your voice and believe what you say, for you alone have the words of life. Teach us how to profess our faith, bestow our love and impart our hope to others. Make us convincing witnesses to your Gospel in a world so much in need of your saving grace. Make us the new people of the Beatitudes, that we may be the salt of the earth and the light of the world at the beginning of the 3rd Christian millennium. Amen. Mary, Mother of Christ and of the Church, pray for us. Music by Fr Stan Fortuna CFR. Visit Totus2us.com for more info. Day 2, Novena - The Redeemer of Man. Quotes from Pope John Paul II's encyclical, Redemptor Hominis: "What shall I say of all the initiatives that have sprung from the new ecumenical orientation? The unforgettable Pope John XXIII set out the problem of Christian unity with evangelical clarity as a simple consequence of the will of Jesus Christ himself, our Master, the will that Jesus stated on several occasions but to which he gave expression in a special way in his prayer in the Upper Room the night before he died: "I pray... Father... that they may all be one". The Second Vatican Council responded concisely to this requirement with its Decree on ecumenism. Pope Paul VI, availing himself of the activities of the Secretariat for Promoting Christian Unity, began the first difficult steps on the road to the attainment of that unity. Have we gone far along that road? Without wishing to give a detailed reply, we can say that we have made real and important advances. And one thing is certain: we have worked with perseverance and consistency, and the representatives of other Christian Churches and Communities have also committed themselves together with us, for which we are heartily grateful to them. It is also certain that in the present historical situation of Christianity and the world the only possibility we see of fulfilling the Church's universal mission, with regard to ecumenical questions, is that of seeking sincerely, perseveringly, humbly and also courageously the ways of drawing closer and of union. " Prayer: O Lord Jesus Christ, keep us in your love. Let us hear your voice and believe what you say, for you alone have the words of life. Teach us how to profess our faith, bestow our love and impart our hope to others. Make us convincing witnesses to your Gospel in a world so much in need of your saving grace. Make us the new people of the Beatitudes, that we may be the salt of the earth and the light of the world at the beginning of the 3rd Christian millennium. Amen. Mary, Mother of Christ and of the Church, pray for us. Music by Fr Stan Fortuna CFR. Visit Totus2us.com for more info. Sat, 5 Mar 2011 12:00:00 GMT 15:01 http://www.totus2us.eu/Novenas/Totus2us-Novena-Redemptor_Hominis-Day2.mp3 truth, God, Father, Jesus, hope, faith, Christ, encyclical, John Paul II Totus2us.com Day 1, Novena - The Redeemer of Man. Quotes from Pope John Paul II's encyclical, Redemptor Hominis: "The Redeemer of Man, Jesus Christ, is the centre of the universe and of history. To him go my thoughts and my heart in this solemn moment of the world that the Church and the whole family of present-day humanity are now living. In fact, this time, in which God in his hidden design has entrusted to me, after my beloved Predecessor John Paul I, the universal service connected with the Chair of Saint Peter in Rome, is already very close to the year 2000. At this moment it is difficult to say what mark that year will leave on the face of human history or what it will bring to each people, nation, country and continent, in spite of the efforts already being made to foresee some events. For the Church, the People of God spread, although unevenly, to the most distant limits of the earth, it will be the year of a great Jubilee. We are already approaching that date, which, without prejudice to all the corrections imposed by chronological exactitude, will recall and reawaken in us in a special way our awareness of the key truth of faith which Saint John expressed at the beginning of his Gospel: "The Word became flesh and dwelt among us", and elsewhere: "God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life"." Prayer: O Lord Jesus Christ, keep us in your love. Let us hear your voice and believe what you say, for you alone have the words of life. Teach us how to profess our faith, bestow our love and impart our hope to others. Make us convincing witnesses to your Gospel in a world so much in need of your saving grace. Make us the new people of the Beatitudes, that we may be the salt of the earth and the light of the world at the beginning of the 3rd Christian millennium. Amen. Mary, Mother of Christ and of the Church, pray for us. Music by Fr Stan Fortuna CFR. Visit Totus2us.com for more info. Day 1, Novena - The Redeemer of Man. Quotes from Pope John Paul II's encyclical, Redemptor Hominis: "The Redeemer of Man, Jesus Christ, is the centre of the universe and of history. To him go my thoughts and my heart in this solemn moment of the world that the Church and the whole family of present-day humanity are now living. In fact, this time, in which God in his hidden design has entrusted to me, after my beloved Predecessor John Paul I, the universal service connected with the Chair of Saint Peter in Rome, is already very close to the year 2000. At this moment it is difficult to say what mark that year will leave on the face of human history or what it will bring to each people, nation, country and continent, in spite of the efforts already being made to foresee some events. For the Church, the People of God spread, although unevenly, to the most distant limits of the earth, it will be the year of a great Jubilee. We are already approaching that date, which, without prejudice to all the corrections imposed by chronological exactitude, will recall and reawaken in us in a special way our awareness of the key truth of faith which Saint John expressed at the beginning of his Gospel: "The Word became flesh and dwelt among us", and elsewhere: "God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life"." Prayer: O Lord Jesus Christ, keep us in your love. Let us hear your voice and believe what you say, for you alone have the words of life. Teach us how to profess our faith, bestow our love and impart our hope to others. Make us convincing witnesses to your Gospel in a world so much in need of your saving grace. Make us the new people of the Beatitudes, that we may be the salt of the earth and the light of the world at the beginning of the 3rd Christian millennium. Amen. Mary, Mother of Christ and of the Church, pray for us. Music by Fr Stan Fortuna CFR. Visit Totus2us.com for more info. Fri, 4 Mar 2011 12:00:00 GMT 16:46 http://www.totus2us.eu/Novenas/Totus2us-Novena-Redemptor_Hominis-Day1.mp3 truth, God, Father, Jesus, hope, faith, Christ, encyclical, John Paul II Totus2us.com Day 9, Novena - Faith and Reason. Quotes from Pope John Paul II's encyclical, Fides et Ratio: "I ask everyone to look more deeply at man, whom Christ has saved in the mystery of his love, and at the human being's unceasing search for truth and meaning. Different philosophical systems have lured people into believing that they are their own absolute master, able to decide their own destiny and future in complete autonomy, trusting only in themselves and their own powers. But this can never be the grandeur of the human being, who can find fulfilment only in choosing to enter the truth, to make a home under the shade of Wisdom and dwell there. Only within this horizon of truth will people understand their freedom in its fullness and their call to know and love God as the supreme realization of their true self." Prayer of St Thomas Aquinas: Grant me, O Lord my God, a mind to know you, a heart to seek you, wisdom to find you, conduct pleasing to you, faithful perseverance in waiting for you, and a hope of finally embracing you. Amen.' Mary, seat of wisdom, pray for us. Music by Benedict Nichols. For more info, visit Totus2us.com Day 9, Novena - Faith and Reason. Quotes from Pope John Paul II's encyclical, Fides et Ratio: "I ask everyone to look more deeply at man, whom Christ has saved in the mystery of his love, and at the human being's unceasing search for truth and meaning. Different philosophical systems have lured people into believing that they are their own absolute master, able to decide their own destiny and future in complete autonomy, trusting only in themselves and their own powers. But this can never be the grandeur of the human being, who can find fulfilment only in choosing to enter the truth, to make a home under the shade of Wisdom and dwell there. Only within this horizon of truth will people understand their freedom in its fullness and their call to know and love God as the supreme realization of their true self." Prayer of St Thomas Aquinas: Grant me, O Lord my God, a mind to know you, a heart to seek you, wisdom to find you, conduct pleasing to you, faithful perseverance in waiting for you, and a hope of finally embracing you. Amen.' Mary, seat of wisdom, pray for us. Music by Benedict Nichols. For more info, visit Totus2us.com Sat, 5 Feb 2011 12:00:00 GMT 16:34 http://www.totus2us.eu/Novenas/Totus2us-Novena-Fides_et_Ratio-Day9.mp3 truth, God, Father, Jesus, hope, faith, Christ, philosophy, wisdom, freedom Totus2us.com Day 8, Novena - Faith and Reason. Quotes from Pope John Paul II's encyclical, Fides et Ratio: "Wherever men and women discover a call to the absolute and transcendent, the metaphysical dimension of reality opens up before them: in truth, in beauty, in moral values, in other persons, in being itself, in God. We face a great challenge at the end of this millennium to move fromphenomenon to foundation, a step as necessary as it is urgent. We cannot stop short at experience alone; even if experience does reveal the human being's interiority and spirituality, speculative thinking must penetrate to the spiritual core and the ground from which it rises. Therefore, a philosophy which shuns metaphysics would be radically unsuited to the task of mediation in the understanding of Revelation." Prayer of St Thomas Aquinas: Grant me, O Lord my God, a mind to know you, a heart to seek you, wisdom to find you, conduct pleasing to you, faithful perseverance in waiting for you, and a hope of finally embracing you. Amen.' Mary, seat of wisdom, pray for us. Music by Benedict Nichols. For more info, visit Totus2us.com Day 8, Novena - Faith and Reason. Quotes from Pope John Paul II's encyclical, Fides et Ratio: "Wherever men and women discover a call to the absolute and transcendent, the metaphysical dimension of reality opens up before them: in truth, in beauty, in moral values, in other persons, in being itself, in God. We face a great challenge at the end of this millennium to move fromphenomenon to foundation, a step as necessary as it is urgent. We cannot stop short at experience alone; even if experience does reveal the human being's interiority and spirituality, speculative thinking must penetrate to the spiritual core and the ground from which it rises. Therefore, a philosophy which shuns metaphysics would be radically unsuited to the task of mediation in the understanding of Revelation." Prayer of St Thomas Aquinas: Grant me, O Lord my God, a mind to know you, a heart to seek you, wisdom to find you, conduct pleasing to you, faithful perseverance in waiting for you, and a hope of finally embracing you. Amen.' Mary, seat of wisdom, pray for us. Music by Benedict Nichols. For more info, visit Totus2us.com Fri, 4 Feb 2011 12:00:00 GMT 41:25 http://www.totus2us.eu/Novenas/Totus2us-Novena-Fides_et_Ratio-Day8.mp3 truth, God, Father, Jesus, hope, faith, Christ, philosophy, wisdom, freedom Totus2us.com Day 7, Novena - Faith and Reason. Quotes from Pope John Paul II's encyclical, Fides et Ratio: "Christian Revelation becomes the true point of encounter and engagement between philosophical and theological thinking in their reciprocal relationship. It is to be hoped therefore that theologians and philosophers will let themselves be guided by the authority of truth alone so that there will emerge a philosophy consonant with the word of God. Such a philosophy will be a place where Christian faith and human cultures may meet, a point of understanding between believer and non-believer. It will help lead believers to a stronger conviction that faith grows deeper and more authentic when it is wedded to thought and does not reject it. It is again the Fathers who teach us this: “To believe is nothing other than to think with assent... Believers are also thinkers: in believing, they think and in thinking, they believe... If faith does not think, it is nothing”. And again: “If there is no assent, there is no faith, for without assent one does not really believe"." Prayer of St Thomas Aquinas: Grant me, O Lord my God, a mind to know you, a heart to seek you, wisdom to find you, conduct pleasing to you, faithful perseverance in waiting for you, and a hope of finally embracing you. Amen.' Mary, seat of wisdom, pray for us. Music by Benedict Nichols. For more info, visit Totus2us.com Day 7, Novena - Faith and Reason. Quotes from Pope John Paul II's encyclical, Fides et Ratio: "Christian Revelation becomes the true point of encounter and engagement between philosophical and theological thinking in their reciprocal relationship. It is to be hoped therefore that theologians and philosophers will let themselves be guided by the authority of truth alone so that there will emerge a philosophy consonant with the word of God. Such a philosophy will be a place where Christian faith and human cultures may meet, a point of understanding between believer and non-believer. It will help lead believers to a stronger conviction that faith grows deeper and more authentic when it is wedded to thought and does not reject it. It is again the Fathers who teach us this: “To believe is nothing other than to think with assent... Believers are also thinkers: in believing, they think and in thinking, they believe... If faith does not think, it is nothing”. And again: “If there is no assent, there is no faith, for without assent one does not really believe"." Prayer of St Thomas Aquinas: Grant me, O Lord my God, a mind to know you, a heart to seek you, wisdom to find you, conduct pleasing to you, faithful perseverance in waiting for you, and a hope of finally embracing you. Amen.' Mary, seat of wisdom, pray for us. Music by Benedict Nichols. For more info, visit Totus2us.com Thu, 3 Feb 2011 12:00:00 GMT 35:00 http://www.totus2us.eu/Novenas/Totus2us-Novena-Fides_et_Ratio-Day7.mp3 truth, God, Father, Jesus, hope, faith, Christ, philosophy, wisdom, freedom Totus2us.com Day 6, Novena - Faith and Reason. Quotes from Pope John Paul II's encyclical, Fides et Ratio: "There are signs of a widespread distrust of universal and absolute statements, especially among those who think that truth is born of consensus and not of a consonance between intellect and objective reality. In a world subdivided into so many specialized fields, it is not hard to see how difficult it can be to acknowledge the full and ultimate meaning of life which has traditionally been the goal of philosophy. Nonetheless, in the light of faith which finds in Jesus Christ this ultimate meaning, I cannot but encourage philosophers—be they Christian or not—to trust in the power of human reason and not to set themselves goals that are too modest in their philosophizing. The lesson of history in this millennium now drawing to a close shows that this is the path to follow: it is necessary not to abandon the passion for ultimate truth, the eagerness to search for it or the audacity to forge new paths in the search. It is faith which stirs reason to move beyond all isolation and willingly to run risks so that it may attain whatever is beautiful, good and true. Faith thus becomes the convinced and convincing advocate of reason." Prayer of St Thomas Aquinas: Grant me, O Lord my God, a mind to know you, a heart to seek you, wisdom to find you, conduct pleasing to you, faithful perseverance in waiting for you, and a hope of finally embracing you. Amen.' Mary, seat of wisdom, pray for us. Music by Benedict Nichols. For more info, visit Totus2us.com Day 6, Novena - Faith and Reason. Quotes from Pope John Paul II's encyclical, Fides et Ratio: "There are signs of a widespread distrust of universal and absolute statements, especially among those who think that truth is born of consensus and not of a consonance between intellect and objective reality. In a world subdivided into so many specialized fields, it is not hard to see how difficult it can be to acknowledge the full and ultimate meaning of life which has traditionally been the goal of philosophy. Nonetheless, in the light of faith which finds in Jesus Christ this ultimate meaning, I cannot but encourage philosophers—be they Christian or not—to trust in the power of human reason and not to set themselves goals that are too modest in their philosophizing. The lesson of history in this millennium now drawing to a close shows that this is the path to follow: it is necessary not to abandon the passion for ultimate truth, the eagerness to search for it or the audacity to forge new paths in the search. It is faith which stirs reason to move beyond all isolation and willingly to run risks so that it may attain whatever is beautiful, good and true. Faith thus becomes the convinced and convincing advocate of reason." Prayer of St Thomas Aquinas: Grant me, O Lord my God, a mind to know you, a heart to seek you, wisdom to find you, conduct pleasing to you, faithful perseverance in waiting for you, and a hope of finally embracing you. Amen.' Mary, seat of wisdom, pray for us. Music by Benedict Nichols. For more info, visit Totus2us.com Wed, 2 Feb 2011 12:00:00 GMT 30:00 http://www.totus2us.eu/Novenas/Totus2us-Novena-Fides_et_Ratio-Day6.mp3 truth, God, Father, Jesus, hope, faith, Christ, philosophy, wisdom, freedom Totus2us.com Day 5, Novena - Faith and Reason. Quotes from Pope John Paul II's encyclical, Fides et Ratio: "In an age when Christian thinkers were rediscovering the treasures of ancient philosophy, and more particularly of Aristotle, Thomas had the great merit of giving pride of place to the harmony which exists between faith and reason. Both the light of reason and the light of faith come from God, he argued; hence there can be no contradiction between them. More radically, Thomas recognized that nature, philosophy's proper concern, could contribute to the understanding of divine Revelation. Faith therefore has no fear of reason, but seeks it out and has trust in it. Just as grace builds on nature and brings it to fulfilment, so faith builds upon and perfects reason. Illumined by faith, reason is set free from the fragility and limitations deriving from the disobedience of sin and finds the strength required to rise to the knowledge of the Triune God. Although he made much of the supernatural character of faith, the Angelic Doctor did not overlook the importance of its reasonableness; indeed he was able to plumb the depths and explain the meaning of this reasonableness. Faith is in a sense an “exercise of thought”; and human reason is neither annulled nor debased in assenting to the contents of faith, which are in any case attained by way of free and informed choice." Prayer of St Thomas Aquinas: Grant me, O Lord my God, a mind to know you, a heart to seek you, wisdom to find you, conduct pleasing to you, faithful perseverance in waiting for you, and a hope of finally embracing you. Amen.' Mary, seat of wisdom, pray for us. Music by Benedict Nichols. For more info, visit Totus2us.com Day 5, Novena - Faith and Reason. Quotes from Pope John Paul II's encyclical, Fides et Ratio: "In an age when Christian thinkers were rediscovering the treasures of ancient philosophy, and more particularly of Aristotle, Thomas had the great merit of giving pride of place to the harmony which exists between faith and reason. Both the light of reason and the light of faith come from God, he argued; hence there can be no contradiction between them. More radically, Thomas recognized that nature, philosophy's proper concern, could contribute to the understanding of divine Revelation. Faith therefore has no fear of reason, but seeks it out and has trust in it. Just as grace builds on nature and brings it to fulfilment, so faith builds upon and perfects reason. Illumined by faith, reason is set free from the fragility and limitations deriving from the disobedience of sin and finds the strength required to rise to the knowledge of the Triune God. Although he made much of the supernatural character of faith, the Angelic Doctor did not overlook the importance of its reasonableness; indeed he was able to plumb the depths and explain the meaning of this reasonableness. Faith is in a sense an “exercise of thought”; and human reason is neither annulled nor debased in assenting to the contents of faith, which are in any case attained by way of free and informed choice." Prayer of St Thomas Aquinas: Grant me, O Lord my God, a mind to know you, a heart to seek you, wisdom to find you, conduct pleasing to you, faithful perseverance in waiting for you, and a hope of finally embracing you. Amen.' Mary, seat of wisdom, pray for us. Music by Benedict Nichols. For more info, visit Totus2us.com Tue, 1 Feb 2011 12:00:00 GMT 34:45 http://www.totus2us.eu/Novenas/Totus2us-Novena-Fides_et_Ratio-Day5.mp3 truth, God, Father, Jesus, hope, faith, Christ, philosophy, wisdom, freedom Totus2us.com Day 4, Novena - Faith and Reason. Quotes from Pope John Paul II's encyclical, Fides et Ratio: ".. From all that I have said to this point it emerges that men and women are on a journey of discovery which is humanly unstoppable—a search for the truth and a search for a person to whom they might entrust themselves. Christian faith comes to meet them, offering the concrete possibility of reaching the goal which they seek. Moving beyond the stage of simple believing, Christian faith immerses human beings in the order of grace, which enables them to share in the mystery of Christ, which in turn offers them a true and coherent knowledge of the Triune God. In Jesus Christ, who is the Truth, faith recognizes the ultimate appeal to humanity, an appeal made in order that what we experience as desire and nostalgia may come to its fulfilment" Prayer of St Thomas Aquinas: Grant me, O Lord my God, a mind to know you, a heart to seek you, wisdom to find you, conduct pleasing to you, faithful perseverance in waiting for you, and a hope of finally embracing you. Amen.' Mary, seat of wisdom, pray for us. Music by Benedict Nichols. For more info, visit Totus2us.com Day 4, Novena - Faith and Reason. Quotes from Pope John Paul II's encyclical, Fides et Ratio: ".. From all that I have said to this point it emerges that men and women are on a journey of discovery which is humanly unstoppable—a search for the truth and a search for a person to whom they might entrust themselves. Christian faith comes to meet them, offering the concrete possibility of reaching the goal which they seek. Moving beyond the stage of simple believing, Christian faith immerses human beings in the order of grace, which enables them to share in the mystery of Christ, which in turn offers them a true and coherent knowledge of the Triune God. In Jesus Christ, who is the Truth, faith recognizes the ultimate appeal to humanity, an appeal made in order that what we experience as desire and nostalgia may come to its fulfilment." Prayer of St Thomas Aquinas: Grant me, O Lord my God, a mind to know you, a heart to seek you, wisdom to find you, conduct pleasing to you, faithful perseverance in waiting for you, and a hope of finally embracing you. Amen.' Mary, seat of wisdom, pray for us. Music by Benedict Nichols. For more info, visit Totus2us.com Mon, 31 Jan 2011 12:00:00 GMT 24:00 http://www.totus2us.eu/Novenas/Totus2us-Novena-Fides_et_Ratio-Day4.mp3 truth, God, Father, Jesus, hope, faith, Christ, philosophy, wisdom, freedom Totus2us.com Day 3, Novena - Faith and Reason. Quotes from Pope John Paul II's encyclical, Fides et Ratio: ".. For the sacred author, the task of searching for the truth was not without the strain which comes once the limits of reason are reached. This is what we find, for example, when the Book of Proverbs notes the weariness which comes from the effort to understand the mysterious designs of God. Yet, for all the toil involved, believers do not surrender. They can continue on their way to the truth because they are certain that God has created them “explorers”, whose mission it is to leave no stone unturned, though the temptation to doubt is always there. Leaning on God, they continue to reach out, always and everywhere, for all that is beautiful, good and true.. " Prayer of St Thomas Aquinas: Grant me, O Lord my God, a mind to know you, a heart to seek you, wisdom to find you, conduct pleasing to you, faithful perseverance in waiting for you, and a hope of finally embracing you. Amen.' Mary, seat of wisdom, pray for us. Music by Benedict Nichols. For more info, visit Totus2us.com Day 3, Novena - Faith and Reason. Quotes from Pope John Paul II's encyclical, Fides et Ratio: ".. For the sacred author, the task of searching for the truth was not without the strain which comes once the limits of reason are reached. This is what we find, for example, when the Book of Proverbs notes the weariness which comes from the effort to understand the mysterious designs of God. Yet, for all the toil involved, believers do not surrender. They can continue on their way to the truth because they are certain that God has created them “explorers”, whose mission it is to leave no stone unturned, though the temptation to doubt is always there. Leaning on God, they continue to reach out, always and everywhere, for all that is beautiful, good and true.." Prayer of St Thomas Aquinas: Grant me, O Lord my God, a mind to know you, a heart to seek you, wisdom to find you, conduct pleasing to you, faithful perseverance in waiting for you, and a hope of finally embracing you. Amen.' Mary, seat of wisdom, pray for us. Music by Benedict Nichols. For more info, visit Totus2us.com Sun, 30 Jan 2011 12:00:00 GMT 20:10 http://www.totus2us.eu/Novenas/Totus2us-Novena-Fides_et_Ratio-Day3.mp3 truth, God, Father, Jesus, hope, faith, Christ, philosophy, wisdom, freedom Totus2us.com Day 2, Novena - Faith and Reason. Quotes from Pope John Paul II's encyclical, Fides et Ratio: "Underlying all the Church's thinking is the awareness that she is the bearer of a message which has its origin in God himself. The knowledge which the Church offers to man has its origin not in any speculation of her own, however sublime, but in the word of God which she has received in faith. At the origin of our life of faith there is an encounter, unique in kind, which discloses a mystery hidden for long ages but which is now revealed: “In his goodness and wisdom, God chose to reveal himself and to make known to us the hidden purpose of his will, by which, through Christ, the Word made flesh, man has access to the Father in the Holy Spirit and comes to share in the divine nature”. This initiative is utterly gratuitous, moving from God to men and women in order to bring them to salvation. As the source of love, God desires to make himself known; and the knowledge which the human being has of God perfects all that the human mind can know of the meaning of life.." Prayer of St Thomas Aquinas: Grant me, O Lord my God, a mind to know you, a heart to seek you, wisdom to find you, conduct pleasing to you, faithful perseverance in waiting for you, and a hope of finally embracing you. Amen.' Mary, seat of wisdom, pray for us. Music by Benedict Nichols. For more info, visit Totus2us.com Day 2, Novena - Faith and Reason. Quotes from Pope John Paul II's encyclical, Fides et Ratio: "Underlying all the Church's thinking is the awareness that she is the bearer of a message which has its origin in God himself. The knowledge which the Church offers to man has its origin not in any speculation of her own, however sublime, but in the word of God which she has received in faith. At the origin of our life of faith there is an encounter, unique in kind, which discloses a mystery hidden for long ages but which is now revealed: “In his goodness and wisdom, God chose to reveal himself and to make known to us the hidden purpose of his will, by which, through Christ, the Word made flesh, man has access to the Father in the Holy Spirit and comes to share in the divine nature”. This initiative is utterly gratuitous, moving from God to men and women in order to bring them to salvation. As the source of love, God desires to make himself known; and the knowledge which the human being has of God perfects all that the human mind can know of the meaning of life.." Prayer of St Thomas Aquinas: Grant me, O Lord my God, a mind to know you, a heart to seek you, wisdom to find you, conduct pleasing to you, faithful perseverance in waiting for you, and a hope of finally embracing you. Amen.' Mary, seat of wisdom, pray for us. Music by Benedict Nichols. For more info, visit Totus2us.com Sat, 29 Jan 2011 12:00:00 GMT 23:25 http://www.totus2us.eu/Novenas/Totus2us-Novena-Fides_et_Ratio-Day2.mp3 truth, God, Father, Jesus, hope, faith, Christ, philosophy, wisdom, freedom Totus2us.com Day 1, Novena - Faith and Reason. Quotes from Pope John Paul II's encyclical, Fides et Ratio: "Faith and reason are like two wings on which the human spirit rises to the contemplation of truth; and God has placed in the human heart a desire to know the truth—in a word, to know himself—so that, by knowing and loving God, men and women may also come to the fullness of truth about themselves ..." Prayer of St Thomas Aquinas: Grant me, O Lord my God, a mind to know you, a heart to seek you, wisdom to find you, conduct pleasing to you, faithful perseverance in waiting for you, and a hope of finally embracing you. Amen.' Mary, seat of wisdom, pray for us. Music by Benedict Nichols. For more info, visit Totus2us.com Day 1, Novena - Faith and Reason. Quotes from Pope John Paul II's encyclical, Fides et Ratio: "Faith and reason are like two wings on which the human spirit rises to the contemplation of truth; and God has placed in the human heart a desire to know the truth—in a word, to know himself—so that, by knowing and loving God, men and women may also come to the fullness of truth about themselves ..." Prayer of St Thomas Aquinas: Grant me, O Lord my God, a mind to know you, a heart to seek you, wisdom to find you, conduct pleasing to you, faithful perseverance in waiting for you, and a hope of finally embracing you. Amen.' Mary, seat of wisdom, pray for us. Music by Benedict Nichols. For more info, visit Totus2us.com Fri, 28 Jan 2011 12:00:00 GMT 20:26 http://www.totus2us.eu/Novenas/Totus2us-Novena-Fides_et_Ratio-Day1.mp3 truth, God, Father, Jesus, hope, faith, Christ, philosophy, wisdom, freedom Totus2us.com Day 9, Novena - God is Love. Quotes and prayer from Pope Benedict XVI's encyclical, Deus Caritas Est: "The lives of the saints are not limited to their earthly biographies but also include their being and working in God after death. In the saints one thing becomes clear: those who draw near to God do not withdraw from men, but rather become truly close to them. In no one do we see this more clearly than in Mary. The words addressed by the crucified Lord to his disciple—to John and through him to all disciples of Jesus: “Behold, your mother!” (Jn 19:27)—are fulfilled anew in every generation. Mary has truly become the Mother of all believers. Men and women of every time and place have recourse to her motherly kindness and her virginal purity and grace, in all their needs and aspirations, their joys and sorrows, their moments of loneliness and their common endeavours. They constantly experience the gift of her goodness and the unfailing love which she pours out from the depths of her heart. The testimonials of gratitude, offered to her from every continent and culture, are a recognition of that pure love which is not self- seeking but simply benevolent. At the same time, the devotion of the faithful shows an infallible intuition of how such love is possible: it becomes so as a result of the most intimate union with God, through which the soul is totally pervaded by him—a condition which enables those who have drunk from the fountain of God's love to become in their turn a fountain from which “flow rivers of living water” (Jn 7:38). Mary, Virgin and Mother, shows us what love is and whence it draws its origin and its constantly renewed power. To her we entrust the Church and her mission in the service of love: Holy Mary, Mother of God, you have given the world its true light, Jesus, your Son – the Son of God. You abandoned yourself completely to God's call and thus became a wellspring of the goodness which flows forth from him. Show us Jesus. Lead us to him. Teach us to know and love him, so that we too can become capable of true love and be fountains of living water in the midst of a thirsting world. Amen." Music by Benedict Nichols. For more info, visit Totus2us.com Day 9, Novena - God is Love. Quotes and prayer from Pope Benedict XVI's encyclical, Deus Caritas Est: "The lives of the saints are not limited to their earthly biographies but also include their being and working in God after death. In the saints one thing becomes clear: those who draw near to God do not withdraw from men, but rather become truly close to them. In no one do we see this more clearly than in Mary. The words addressed by the crucified Lord to his disciple—to John and through him to all disciples of Jesus: “Behold, your mother!” (Jn 19:27)—are fulfilled anew in every generation. Mary has truly become the Mother of all believers. Men and women of every time and place have recourse to her motherly kindness and her virginal purity and grace, in all their needs and aspirations, their joys and sorrows, their moments of loneliness and their common endeavours. They constantly experience the gift of her goodness and the unfailing love which she pours out from the depths of her heart. The testimonials of gratitude, offered to her from every continent and culture, are a recognition of that pure love which is not self- seeking but simply benevolent. At the same time, the devotion of the faithful shows an infallible intuition of how such love is possible: it becomes so as a result of the most intimate union with God, through which the soul is totally pervaded by him—a condition which enables those who have drunk from the fountain of God's love to become in their turn a fountain from which “flow rivers of living water” (Jn 7:38). Mary, Virgin and Mother, shows us what love is and whence it draws its origin and its constantly renewed power. To her we entrust the Church and her mission in the service of love: Holy Mary, Mother of God, you have given the world its true light, Jesus, your Son – the Son of God. You abandoned yourself completely to God's call and thus became a wellspring of the goodness which flows forth from him. Show us Jesus. Lead us to him. Teach us to know and love him, so that we too can become capable of true love and be fountains of living water in the midst of a thirsting world. Amen." Music by Benedict Nichols. For more info, visit Totus2us.com Fri, 24 Dec 2010 12:00:00 GMT 9:45 http://www.totus2us.eu/Novenas/T2us-Novena_for_Christmas-God_is_Love-Day9.mp3 Love, God, Father, Jesus, hope, faith, Christ, Pope Benedict, Mother, Mary Totus2us.com Day 8, Novena - God is Love. Quotes and prayer from Pope Benedict XVI's encyclical, Deus Caritas Est: "Faith, hope and charity go together. Hope is practised through the virtue of patience, which continues to do good even in the face of apparent failure, and through the virtue of humility, which accepts God's mystery and trusts him even at times of darkness. Faith tells us that God has given his Son for our sakes and gives us the victorious certainty that it is really true: God is love! It thus transforms our impatience and our doubts into the sure hope that God holds the world in his hands and that, as the dramatic imagery of the end of the Book of Revelation points out, in spite of all darkness he ultimately triumphs in glory. Faith, which sees the love of God revealed in the pierced heart of Jesus on the Cross, gives rise to love. Love is the light—and in the end, the only light—that can always illuminate a world grown dim and give us the courage needed to keep living and working. Love is possible, and we are able to practise it because we are created in the image of God. To experience love and in this way to cause the light of God to enter into the world—this is the invitation I would like to extend with the present Encyclical." Music by Benedict Nichols. For more info, visit Totus2us.com Day 8, Novena - God is Love. Quotes and prayer from Pope Benedict XVI's encyclical, Deus Caritas Est: "Faith, hope and charity go together. Hope is practised through the virtue of patience, which continues to do good even in the face of apparent failure, and through the virtue of humility, which accepts God's mystery and trusts him even at times of darkness. Faith tells us that God has given his Son for our sakes and gives us the victorious certainty that it is really true: God is love! It thus transforms our impatience and our doubts into the sure hope that God holds the world in his hands and that, as the dramatic imagery of the end of the Book of Revelation points out, in spite of all darkness he ultimately triumphs in glory. Faith, which sees the love of God revealed in the pierced heart of Jesus on the Cross, gives rise to love. Love is the light—and in the end, the only light—that can always illuminate a world grown dim and give us the courage needed to keep living and working. Love is possible, and we are able to practise it because we are created in the image of God. To experience love and in this way to cause the light of God to enter into the world—this is the invitation I would like to extend with the present Encyclical." Music by Benedict Nichols. For more info, visit Totus2us.com Thu, 23 Dec 2010 12:00:00 GMT 7:18 http://www.totus2us.eu/Novenas/T2us-Novena_for_Christmas-God_is_Love-Day8.mp3 Love, God, Father, Jesus, hope, faith, Christ, Pope Benedict, Mother, Mary Totus2us.com Day 7, Novena - God is Love. Quotes and prayer from Pope Benedict XVI's encyclical, Deus Caritas Est: Prayer, as a means of drawing ever new strength from Christ, is concretely and urgently needed. People who pray are not wasting their time, even though the situation appears desperate and seems to call for action alone. Piety does not undermine the struggle against the poverty of our neighbours, however extreme. In the example of Blessed Teresa of Calcutta we have a clear illustration of the fact that time devoted to God in prayer not only does not detract from effective and loving service to our neighbour but is in fact the inexhaustible source of that service. In her letter for Lent 1996, Blessed Teresa wrote to her lay co-workers: “We need this deep connection with God in our daily life. How can we obtain it? By prayer”. Music by Benedict Nichols. For more info, visit Totus2us.com Day 7, Novena - God is Love. Quotes and prayer from Pope Benedict XVI's encyclical, Deus Caritas Est: Prayer, as a means of drawing ever new strength from Christ, is concretely and urgently needed. People who pray are not wasting their time, even though the situation appears desperate and seems to call for action alone. Piety does not undermine the struggle against the poverty of our neighbours, however extreme. In the example of Blessed Teresa of Calcutta we have a clear illustration of the fact that time devoted to God in prayer not only does not detract from effective and loving service to our neighbour but is in fact the inexhaustible source of that service. In her letter for Lent 1996, Blessed Teresa wrote to her lay co-workers: “We need this deep connection with God in our daily life. How can we obtain it? By prayer”. Music by Benedict Nichols. For more info, visit Totus2us.com Wed, 22 Dec 2010 12:00:00 GMT 6:47 http://www.totus2us.eu/Novenas/T2us-Novena_for_Christmas-God_is_Love-Day7.mp3 Love, God, Father, Jesus, hope, faith, Christ, Pope Benedict, Mother, Mary Totus2us.com Day 6, Novena - God is Love. Quotes and prayer from Pope Benedict XVI's encyclical, Deus Caritas Est. “If you see charity, you see the Trinity”, wrote Saint Augustine. In the foregoing reflections, we have been able to focus our attention on the Pierced one (cf. Jn 19:37, Zech12:10), recognizing the plan of the Father who, moved by love (cf. Jn 3:16), sent his only-begotten Son into the world to redeem man. By dying on the Cross—as Saint John tells us—Jesus “gave up his Spirit” (Jn 19:30), anticipating the gift of the Holy Spirit that he would make after his Resurrection (cf. Jn 20:22). This was to fulfil the promise of “rivers of living water” that would flow out of the hearts of believers, through the outpouring of the Spirit (cf.Jn 7:38-39). The Spirit, in fact, is that interior power which harmonizes their hearts with Christ's heart and moves them to love their brethren as Christ loved them, when he bent down to wash the feet of the disciples (cf. Jn 13:1-13) and above all when he gave his life for us (cf.Jn 13:1, 15:13). Music by Benedict Nichols. For more info, visit Totus2us.com Day 6, Novena - God is Love. Quotes and prayer from Pope Benedict XVI's encyclical, Deus Caritas Est. “If you see charity, you see the Trinity”, wrote Saint Augustine. In the foregoing reflections, we have been able to focus our attention on the Pierced one (cf. Jn 19:37, Zech12:10), recognizing the plan of the Father who, moved by love (cf. Jn 3:16), sent his only-begotten Son into the world to redeem man. By dying on the Cross—as Saint John tells us—Jesus “gave up his Spirit” (Jn 19:30), anticipating the gift of the Holy Spirit that he would make after his Resurrection (cf. Jn 20:22). This was to fulfil the promise of “rivers of living water” that would flow out of the hearts of believers, through the outpouring of the Spirit (cf.Jn 7:38-39). The Spirit, in fact, is that interior power which harmonizes their hearts with Christ's heart and moves them to love their brethren as Christ loved them, when he bent down to wash the feet of the disciples (cf. Jn 13:1-13) and above all when he gave his life for us (cf.Jn 13:1, 15:13). Music by Benedict Nichols. For more info, visit Totus2us.com Tue, 21 Dec 2010 12:00:00 GMT 12:16 http://www.totus2us.eu/Novenas/T2us-Novena_for_Christmas-God_is_Love-Day6.mp3 Love, God, Father, Jesus, hope, faith, Christ, Pope Benedict, Mother, Mary Totus2us.com Day 5, Novena - God is Love. Quotes and prayer from Pope Benedict XVI's encyclical, Deus Caritas Est. "True, no one has ever seen God as he is. And yet God is not totally invisible to us; he does not remain completely inaccessible. God loved us first, says the Letter of John quoted above (cf. 4:10), and this love of God has appeared in our midst. He has become visible in as much as he “has sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him” (1 Jn 4:9). God has made himself visible: in Jesus we are able to see the Father (cf. Jn 14:9). Indeed, God is visible in a number of ways. In the love-story recounted by the Bible, he comes towards us, he seeks to win our hearts, all the way to the Last Supper, to the piercing of his heart on the Cross, to his appearances after the Resurrection and to the great deeds by which, through the activity of the Apostles, he guided the nascent Church along its path. Nor has the Lord been absent from subsequent Church history: he encounters us ever anew, in the men and women who reflect his presence, in his word, in the sacraments, and especially in the Eucharist. In the Church's Liturgy, in her prayer, in the living community of believers, we experience the love of God, we perceive his presence and we thus learn to recognize that presence in our daily lives. He has loved us first and he continues to do so; we too, then, can respond with love. God does not demand of us a feeling which we ourselves are incapable of producing. He loves us, he makes us see and experience his love, and since he has “loved us first”, love can also blossom as a response within us." Music by Benedict Nichols. For more info, visit Totus2us.com Day 5, Novena - God is Love. Quotes and prayer from Pope Benedict XVI's encyclical, Deus Caritas Est. "True, no one has ever seen God as he is. And yet God is not totally invisible to us; he does not remain completely inaccessible. God loved us first, says the Letter of John quoted above (cf. 4:10), and this love of God has appeared in our midst. He has become visible in as much as he “has sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him” (1 Jn 4:9). God has made himself visible: in Jesus we are able to see the Father (cf. Jn 14:9). Indeed, God is visible in a number of ways. In the love-story recounted by the Bible, he comes towards us, he seeks to win our hearts, all the way to the Last Supper, to the piercing of his heart on the Cross, to his appearances after the Resurrection and to the great deeds by which, through the activity of the Apostles, he guided the nascent Church along its path. Nor has the Lord been absent from subsequent Church history: he encounters us ever anew, in the men and women who reflect his presence, in his word, in the sacraments, and especially in the Eucharist. In the Church's Liturgy, in her prayer, in the living community of believers, we experience the love of God, we perceive his presence and we thus learn to recognize that presence in our daily lives. He has loved us first and he continues to do so; we too, then, can respond with love. God does not demand of us a feeling which we ourselves are incapable of producing. He loves us, he makes us see and experience his love, and since he has “loved us first”, love can also blossom as a response within us." Music by Benedict Nichols. For more info, visit Totus2us.com Mon, 20 Dec 2010 12:00:00 GMT 11:20 http://www.totus2us.eu/Novenas/T2us-Novena_for_Christmas-God_is_Love-Day5.mp3 Love, God, Father, Jesus, hope, faith, Christ, Pope Benedict, Mother, Mary Totus2us.com Day 4, Novena - God is Love. Quotes and prayer from Pope Benedict XVI's encyclical, Deus Caritas Est. "Jesus gave this act of oblation an enduring presence through his institution of the Eucharist at the Last Supper. He anticipated his death and resurrection by giving his disciples, in the bread and wine, his very self, his body and blood as the new manna (cf. Jn 6:31-33). The ancient world had dimly perceived that man's real food—what truly nourishes him as man—is ultimately the Logos, eternal wisdom: this same Logos now truly becomes food for us—as love. The Eucharist draws us into Jesus' act of self-oblation. More than just statically receiving the incarnate Logos, we enter into the very dynamic of his self-giving. The imagery of marriage between God and Israel is now realized in a way previously inconceivable: it had meant standing in God's presence, but now it becomes union with God through sharing in Jesus' self-gift, sharing in his body and blood. The sacramental “mysticism”, grounded in God's condescension towards us, operates at a radically different level and lifts us to far greater heights than anything that any human mystical elevation could ever accomplish." Music by Benedict Nichols. For more info, visit Totus2us.com Day 4, Novena - God is Love. Quotes and prayer from Pope Benedict XVI's encyclical, Deus Caritas Est. "Jesus gave this act of oblation an enduring presence through his institution of the Eucharist at the Last Supper. He anticipated his death and resurrection by giving his disciples, in the bread and wine, his very self, his body and blood as the new manna (cf. Jn 6:31-33). The ancient world had dimly perceived that man's real food—what truly nourishes him as man—is ultimately the Logos, eternal wisdom: this same Logos now truly becomes food for us—as love. The Eucharist draws us into Jesus' act of self-oblation. More than just statically receiving the incarnate Logos, we enter into the very dynamic of his self-giving. The imagery of marriage between God and Israel is now realized in a way previously inconceivable: it had meant standing in God's presence, but now it becomes union with God through sharing in Jesus' self-gift, sharing in his body and blood. The sacramental “mysticism”, grounded in God's condescension towards us, operates at a radically different level and lifts us to far greater heights than anything that any human mystical elevation could ever accomplish." Music by Benedict Nichols. For more info, visit Totus2us.com Sun, 19 Dec 2010 12:00:00 GMT 9:45 http://www.totus2us.eu/Novenas/T2us-Novena_for_Christmas-God_is_Love-Day4.mp3 Love, God, Father, Jesus, hope, faith, Christ, Pope Benedict, Mother, Mary Totus2us.com Day 3, Novena - God is Love. Quotes and prayer from Pope Benedict XVI's encyclical, Deus Caritas Est. "God's passionate love for his people—for humanity—is at the same time a forgiving love. It is so great that it turns God against himself, his love against his justice. Here Christians can see a dim prefigurement of the mystery of the Cross: so great is God's love for man that by becoming man he follows him even into death, and so reconciles justice and love." Music by Benedict Nichols. For more info, visit Totus2us.com Day 3, Novena - God is Love. Quotes and prayer from Pope Benedict XVI's encyclical, Deus Caritas Est. "God's passionate love for his people—for humanity—is at the same time a forgiving love. It is so great that it turns God against himself, his love against his justice. Here Christians can see a dim prefigurement of the mystery of the Cross: so great is God's love for man that by becoming man he follows him even into death, and so reconciles justice and love." Music by Benedict Nichols. For more info, visit Totus2us.com Sat, 18 Dec 2010 12:00:00 GMT 8:40 http://www.totus2us.eu/Novenas/T2us-Novena_for_Christmas-God_is_Love-Day3.mp3 Love, God, Father, Jesus, hope, faith, Christ, Pope Benedict, Mother, Mary Totus2us.com Day 2, Novena - God is Love. Quotes and prayer from Pope Benedict XVI's encyclical, Deus Caritas Est. "It is part of love's growth towards higher levels and inward purification that it now seeks to become definitive, and it does so in a twofold sense: both in the sense of exclusivity (this particular person alone) and in the sense of being “for ever”. Love embraces the whole of existence in each of its dimensions, including the dimension of time. It could hardly be otherwise, since its promise looks towards its definitive goal: love looks to the eternal. Love is indeed “ecstasy”, not in the sense of a moment of intoxication, but rather as a journey, an ongoing exodus out of the closed inward-looking self towards its liberation through self-giving, and thus towards authentic self-discovery and indeed the discovery of God: “Whoever seeks to gain his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life will preserve it” (Lk 17:33), as Jesus says throughout the Gospels (cf. Mt 10:39; 16:25; Mk 8:35; Lk 9:24; Jn 12:25). In these words, Jesus portrays his own path, which leads through the Cross to the Resurrection: the path of the grain of wheat that falls to the ground and dies, and in this way bears much fruit. Starting from the depths of his own sacrifice and of the love that reaches fulfilment therein, he also portrays in these words the essence of love and indeed of human life itself." Music by Benedict Nichols. For more info, visit Totus2us.com Day 2, Novena - God is Love. Quotes and prayer from Pope Benedict XVI's encyclical, Deus Caritas Est. "It is part of love's growth towards higher levels and inward purification that it now seeks to become definitive, and it does so in a twofold sense: both in the sense of exclusivity (this particular person alone) and in the sense of being “for ever”. Love embraces the whole of existence in each of its dimensions, including the dimension of time. It could hardly be otherwise, since its promise looks towards its definitive goal: love looks to the eternal. Love is indeed “ecstasy”, not in the sense of a moment of intoxication, but rather as a journey, an ongoing exodus out of the closed inward-looking self towards its liberation through self-giving, and thus towards authentic self-discovery and indeed the discovery of God: “Whoever seeks to gain his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life will preserve it” (Lk 17:33), as Jesus says throughout the Gospels (cf. Mt 10:39; 16:25; Mk 8:35; Lk 9:24; Jn 12:25). In these words, Jesus portrays his own path, which leads through the Cross to the Resurrection: the path of the grain of wheat that falls to the ground and dies, and in this way bears much fruit. Starting from the depths of his own sacrifice and of the love that reaches fulfilment therein, he also portrays in these words the essence of love and indeed of human life itself." Music by Benedict Nichols. For more info, visit Totus2us.com Fri, 17 Dec 2010 12:00:00 GMT 7:27 http://www.totus2us.eu/Novenas/T2us-Novena_for_Christmas-God_is_Love-Day2.mp3 Love, God, Father, Jesus, hope, faith, Christ, Pope Benedict, Mother, Mary Totus2us.com Day 1, Novena - God is Love. Quotes and prayer from Pope Benedict XVI's encyclical, Deus Caritas Est. "We have come to believe in God's love: in these words the Christian can express the fundamental decision of his life. Being Christian is not the result of an ethical choice or a lofty idea, but the encounter with an event, a person, which gives life a new horizon and a decisive direction. Saint John's Gospel describes that event in these words: “God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should ... have eternal life." Music by Benedict Nichols. For more info, visit Totus2us.com Day 1, Novena - God is Love. Quotes and prayer from Pope Benedict XVI's encyclical, Deus Caritas Est. "We have come to believe in God's love: in these words the Christian can express the fundamental decision of his life. Being Christian is not the result of an ethical choice or a lofty idea, but the encounter with an event, a person, which gives life a new horizon and a decisive direction. Saint John's Gospel describes that event in these words: “God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should ... have eternal life." Music by Benedict Nichols. For more info, visit Totus2us.com Thu, 16 Dec 2010 12:00:00 GMT 5:45 http://www.totus2us.eu/Novenas/T2us-Novena_for_Christmas-God_is_Love-Day1.mp3 Love, God, Father, Jesus, hope, faith, Christ, Pope Benedict, Mother, Mary Totus2us.com Day 9, St Theresa of Lisieux Novena. "O St Thérèse, seraphic virgin, beloved spouse of our Crucified Lord, you who on earth did burn with a love so intense toward your God and my God, and now glow with a bright and purer flame in paradise, obtain for me, I beseech you, a spark of that same holy fire which shall help me to put things of the world in their proper place and live my life always conscious of the presence of God. As I conclude my novena I also beg of you to secure for me the special favour I seek at this time..." Music by Edwin Fawcett. For more info, visit www.totus2us.com Day 9, St Theresa of Lisieux Novena. "O St Thérèse, seraphic virgin, beloved spouse of our Crucified Lord, you who on earth did burn with a love so intense toward your God and my God, and now glow with a bright and purer flame in paradise, obtain for me, I beseech you, a spark of that same holy fire which shall help me to put things of the world in their proper place and live my life always conscious of the presence of God. As I conclude my novena I also beg of you to secure for me the special favour I seek at this time..." Music by Edwin Fawcett. For more info, visit www.totus2us.com Thu, 30 Sep 2010 12:00:00 GMT 10:20 http://www.totus2us.eu/Novenas/T2us-Novena-St_Therese-Day9.mp3 Saint Thérèse, Theresa, God, Father, love, Lisieux, mission, mercy, prayer, carmelite Totus2us.com Day 8, St Theresa of Lisieux Novena. "O glorious St Thérèse, who, burning with the desire of increasing the glory of God, invariably attended to the sanctification of your soul by the constant practice of prayer and charity so that, becoming in the Church a model of holiness, you are now in Heaven the protector of all those who have recourse to you in faith, look down upon me who invokes your powerful patronage and join your petition to mine that I be granted the favour I seek in this novena..." Music by Edwin Fawcett. For more info, visit www.totus2us.com Day 8, St Theresa of Lisieux Novena. "O glorious St Thérèse, who, burning with the desire of increasing the glory of God, invariably attended to the sanctification of your soul by the constant practice of prayer and charity so that, becoming in the Church a model of holiness, you are now in Heaven the protector of all those who have recourse to you in faith, look down upon me who invokes your powerful patronage and join your petition to mine that I be granted the favour I seek in this novena..." Music by Edwin Fawcett. For more info, visit www.totus2us.com Wed, 29 Sep 2010 12:00:00 GMT 9:25 http://www.totus2us.eu/Novenas/T2us-Novena-St_Therese-Day8.mp3 Saint Thérèse, Theresa, God, Father, love, Lisieux, mission, mercy, prayer, carmelite Totus2us.com Day 7, St Theresa of Lisieux Novena. "Thérèse of the Child Jesus, most loving Saint, in union with you I adore the divine Majesty. My heart is filled with joy at the remembrance of the marvellous favours with which God blessed your life on earth and of the great glory that came to you after death. In union with you, I praise God, and offer him my humble tribute of thanksgiving. I implore you to obtain for me, through your powerful intercession, the greatest of all blessings -- that of living and dying in the state of grace. I also beg of you to secure for me the special favour I seek in this novena...." Music by Edwin Fawcett. For more info, visit www.totus2us.com Day 7, St Theresa of Lisieux Novena. "Thérèse of the Child Jesus, most loving Saint, in union with you I adore the divine Majesty. My heart is filled with joy at the remembrance of the marvellous favours with which God blessed your life on earth and of the great glory that came to you after death. In union with you, I praise God, and offer him my humble tribute of thanksgiving. I implore you to obtain for me, through your powerful intercession, the greatest of all blessings -- that of living and dying in the state of grace. I also beg of you to secure for me the special favour I seek in this novena...." Music by Edwin Fawcett. For more info, visit www.totus2us.com Tue, 28 Sep 2010 12:00:00 GMT 9:09 http://www.totus2us.eu/Novenas/T2us-Novena-St_Therese-Day7.mp3 Saint Thérèse, Theresa, God, Father, love, Lisieux, mission, mercy, prayer, carmelite Totus2us.com Day 6, St Theresa of Lisieux Novena. "O Little Flower of Jesus, you have shown yourself so powerful in your intercession, so tender and compassionate toward those who honour you and invoke you in suffering and distress, that I kneel at your feet with perfect confidence and beseech you most humbly and earnestly to take me under your protection in my present necessity and obtain for me the favour I ask in this novena...Vouchsafe to recommend my request to Mary, the merciful Queen of Heaven, that she may plead my cause with you before the throne of Jesus, her divine Son. Cease not to intercede for me until my request is granted." Music by Edwin Fawcett. For more info, visit www.totus2us.com Day 6, St Theresa of Lisieux Novena. "O Little Flower of Jesus, you have shown yourself so powerful in your intercession, so tender and compassionate toward those who honour you and invoke you in suffering and distress, that I kneel at your feet with perfect confidence and beseech you most humbly and earnestly to take me under your protection in my present necessity and obtain for me the favour I ask in this novena...Vouchsafe to recommend my request to Mary, the merciful Queen of Heaven, that she may plead my cause with you before the throne of Jesus, her divine Son.. Cease not to intercede for me until my request is granted." Music by Edwin Fawcett. For more info, visit www.totus2us.com Mon, 27 Sep 2010 12:00:00 GMT 9:00 http://www.totus2us.eu/Novenas/T2us-Novena-St_Therese-Day6.mp3 Saint Thérèse, Theresa, God, Father, love, Lisieux, mission, mercy, prayer, carmelite Totus2us.com Day 5, St Theresa of Lisieux Novena. "O Little Flower of Carmel, Almighty God endowed you, consumed by love for him, with wondrous spiritual strength to follow the way of perfection during the days of your short life. Sickness touched you early but you remained firm in faith and prayer was your life. O pray for me that I may benefit by your intercession and be granted the favour I ask in this novena..." Music by Edwin Fawcett. For more info, visit www.totus2us.com Day 5, St Theresa of Lisieux Novena. "O Little Flower of Carmel, Almighty God endowed you, consumed by love for him, with wondrous spiritual strength to follow the way of perfection during the days of your short life. Sickness touched you early but you remained firm in faith and prayer was your life. O pray for me that I may benefit by your intercession and be granted the favour I ask in this novena..." Music by Edwin Fawcett. For more info, visit www.totus2us.com Sun, 26 Sep 2010 12:00:00 GMT 8:54 http://www.totus2us.eu/Novenas/T2us-Novena-St_Therese-Day5.mp3 Saint Thérèse, Theresa, God, Father, love, Lisieux, mission, mercy, prayer, carmelite Totus2us.com Day 4, St Theresa of Lisieux Novena. "O Little Flower of Jesus, who at an early age had your heart set on Carmel and in your brief earthly life did become the mirror of angelic purity, of courageous love and of whole hearted surrender to Almighty God, turn your eyes of mercy upon me who trusts in you. Obtain for me the favour I seek in this novena... and the grace to keep my heart and mind pure and clean. O dear saint, grant me to feel in every need the power of your intercession; help to comfort me in all the bitterness of this life and especially at its end, that I may be worthy to share eternal happiness with you in heaven. Amen." Music by Edwin Fawcett. For more info, visit www.totus2us.com Day 4, St Theresa of Lisieux Novena. "O Little Flower of Jesus, who at an early age had your heart set on Carmel and in your brief earthly life did become the mirror of angelic purity, of courageous love and of whole hearted surrender to Almighty God, turn your eyes of mercy upon me who trusts in you. Obtain for me the favour I seek in this novena... and the grace to keep my heart and mind pure and clean. O dear saint, grant me to feel in every need the power of your intercession; help to comfort me in all the bitterness of this life and especially at its end, that I may be worthy to share eternal happiness with you in heaven. Amen." Music by Edwin Fawcett. For more info, visit www.totus2us.com Sat, 25 Sep 2010 12:00:00 GMT 9:39 http://www.totus2us.eu/Novenas/T2us-Novena-St_Therese-Day4.mp3 Saint Thérèse, Theresa, God, Father, love, Lisieux, mission, mercy, prayer, carmelite Totus2us.com Day 3, St Theresa of Lisieux Novena. "O Thérèse of the Child Jesus, lily of purity, ornament and glory of Carmel, I greet you, great saint, seraph of divine love. I rejoice in the favours our Lord so liberally bestowed on you. In humility and confidence I ask you to help me, for I know God has given you love and pity as well as power. Tell Him, now, I beseech you, of the favour I seek in this novena... Your request will crown my petition with success and bring joy to my heart. Remember your promise to do good here on earth. "I shall spend my heaven doing good on earth. After death I shall let fall a shower of roses." Music by Edwin Fawcett. For more info, visit www.totus2us.com Day 3, St Theresa of Lisieux Novena. "O Thérèse of the Child Jesus, lily of purity, ornament and glory of Carmel, I greet you, great saint, seraph of divine love. I rejoice in the favours our Lord so liberally bestowed on you. In humility and confidence I ask you to help me, for I know God has given you love and pity as well as power. Tell Him, now, I beseech you, of the favour I seek in this novena... Your request will crown my petition with success and bring joy to my heart. Remember your promise to do good here on earth. "I shall spend my heaven doing good on earth. After death I shall let fall a shower of roses." Music by Edwin Fawcett. For more info, visit www.totus2us.com Fri, 24 Sep 2010 12:00:00 GMT 9:01 http://www.totus2us.eu/Novenas/T2us-Novena-St_Therese-Day3.mp3 Saint Thérèse, Theresa, God, Father, love, Lisieux, mission, mercy, prayer, carmelite Totus2us.com Day 2, St Theresa of Lisieux Novena. "Almighty God, giver of all good gifts, who did will that Blessed Thérèse, being watered by the heavenly dew of your guiding grace, should bloom in Carmel with the beauty of virginity and patience in suffering, grant that I your servant may go forward in the order of her sweetness and may be found worthy to become a devoted and loyal follower of Christ. Amen." Music by Edwin Fawcett. For more info, visit www.totus2us.com Day 2, St Theresa of Lisieux Novena. "Almighty God, giver of all good gifts, who did will that Blessed Thérèse, being watered by the heavenly dew of your guiding grace, should bloom in Carmel with the beauty of virginity and patience in suffering, grant that I your servant may go forward in the order of her sweetness and may be found worthy to become a devoted and loyal follower of Christ. Amen." Music by Edwin Fawcett. For more info, visit www.totus2us.com Thu, 23 Sep 2010 12:00:00 GMT 8:57 http://www.totus2us.eu/Novenas/T2us-Novena-St_Therese-Day2.mp3 Saint Thérèse, Theresa, God, Father, love, Lisieux, mission, mercy, prayer, carmelite Totus2us.com Day 1, St Theresa of Lisieux Novena. "O Thérèse of the Child Jesus, well beloved and full of charity, in union with you, I reverently adore the majesty of God, and since I rejoice with exceeding joy in the singular gifts of grace bestowed upon you during your life, and your gifts of glory after death, I give Him deepest thanks for them; I beseech you with all my heart's devotion to be pleased to obtain for me (.. mention request here). But if what I ask of you so earnestly does not tend to the glory of God and the greater good of my soul, do you, I pray, obtain for me that which is more profitable to both these ends. Amen." Music by Edwin Fawcett. For more info, visit www.totus2us.com Day 1, St Theresa of Lisieux Novena. "O Thérèse of the Child Jesus, well beloved and full of charity, in union with you, I reverently adore the majesty of God, and since I rejoice with exceeding joy in the singular gifts of grace bestowed upon you during your life, and your gifts of glory after death, I give Him deepest thanks for them; I beseech you with all my heart's devotion to be pleased to obtain for me (.. mention request here). But if what I ask of you so earnestly does not tend to the glory of God and the greater good of my soul, do you, I pray, obtain for me that which is more profitable to both these ends. Amen." Music by Edwin Fawcett. For more info, visit www.totus2us.com Wed, 22 Sep 2010 12:00:00 GMT 8:30 http://www.totus2us.eu/Novenas/T2us-Novena-St_Therese-Day1.mp3 Saint Thérèse, Theresa, God, Father, love, Lisieux, mission, mercy, prayer, carmelite Totus2us.com Day 9, Our Lady Novena. Quotes from Pope John Paul II's encyclical, Redemptoris Mater (Mother of the Redeemer). "The Church sees Mary maternally present and sharing in the many complicated problems which today beset the lives of individuals, families and nations; she sees her helping the Christian people in the constant struggle between good and evil, to ensure that it "does not fall", or, if it has fallen, that it "rises again"." Ave Maria sung by the London Oratory School Schola. For more info, visit www.totus2us.com Day 9, Our Lady Novena. Quotes from Pope John Paul II's encyclical, Redemptoris Mater (Mother of the Redeemer). "The Church sees Mary maternally present and sharing in the many complicated problems which today beset the lives of individuals, families and nations; she sees her helping the Christian people in the constant struggle between good and evil, to ensure that it "does not fall", or, if it has fallen, that it "rises again"." Ave Maria sung by the London Oratory School Schola. For more info, visit www.totus2us.com Tue, 7 Sep 2010 12:00:00 GMT 12:10 http://www.totus2us.eu/Novenas/T2us-Novena-Our_Lady-Day9.mp3 Our Lady, Blessed, God, Father, love, John Paul, Mother, Mary Totus2us.com Day 8, Our Lady Novena. Quotes from Pope John Paul II's encyclical, Redemptoris Mater (Mother of the Redeemer). "The Virgin of Nazareth became the first "witness" of this saving love of the Father, and she also wishes to remain its humble handmaid always and everywhere. For every Christian, for every human being, Mary is the one who first "believed", and precisely with her faith as Spouse and Mother she wishes to act upon all those who entrust themselves to her as her children. And it is well known that the more her children persevere and progress in this attitude, the nearer Mary leads them to the "unsearchable riches of Christ"(Eph. 3:8). And to the same degree they recognize more and more clearly the dignity of man in all its fullness and the definitive meaning of his vocation, for "Christ...fully reveals man to man himself." Ave Maria sung by the London Oratory School Schola. For more info, visit www.totus2us.com Day 8, Our Lady Novena. Quotes from Pope John Paul II's encyclical, Redemptoris Mater (Mother of the Redeemer). "The Virgin of Nazareth became the first "witness" of this saving love of the Father, and she also wishes to remain its humble handmaid always and everywhere. For every Christian, for every human being, Mary is the one who first "believed", and precisely with her faith as Spouse and Mother she wishes to act upon all those who entrust themselves to her as her children. And it is well known that the more her children persevere and progress in this attitude, the nearer Mary leads them to the "unsearchable riches of Christ"(Eph. 3:8). And to the same degree they recognize more and more clearly the dignity of man in all its fullness and the definitive meaning of his vocation, for "Christ...fully reveals man to man himself." Ave Maria sung by the London Oratory School Schola. For more info, visit www.totus2us.com Mon, 6 Sep 2010 12:00:00 GMT 11:36 http://www.totus2us.eu/Novenas/T2us-Novena-Our_Lady-Day8.mp3 Our Lady, Blessed, God, Father, love, John Paul, Mother, Mary Totus2us.com Day 7, Our Lady Novena. Quotes from Pope John Paul II's encyclical, Redemptoris Mater (Mother of the Redeemer). "And since Mary was given as a mother to him personally, the statement indicates, even though indirectly, everything expressed by the intimate relationship of a child with its mother. And all of this can be included in the word "entrusting". Such entrusting is the response to a person's love, and in particular to the love of a mother." Ave Maria sung by the London Oratory School Schola. For more info, visit www.totus2us.com Day 7, Our Lady Novena. Quotes from Pope John Paul II's encyclical, Redemptoris Mater (Mother of the Redeemer). "And since Mary was given as a mother to him personally, the statement indicates, even though indirectly, everything expressed by the intimate relationship of a child with its mother. And all of this can be included in the word "entrusting". Such entrusting is the response to a person's love, and in particular to the love of a mother." Ave Maria sung by the London Oratory School Schola. For more info, visit www.totus2us.com Sun, 5 Sep 2010 12:00:00 GMT 8:50 http://www.totus2us.eu/Novenas/T2us-Novena-Our_Lady-Day7.mp3 Our Lady, Blessed, God, Father, love, John Paul, Mother, Mary Totus2us.com Day 6, Our Lady Novena. Quotes from Pope John Paul II's encyclical, Redemptoris Mater (Mother of the Redeemer). "Mary guides the faithful to the Eucharist." Ave Maria sung by the London Oratory School Schola. For more info, visit www.totus2us.com Day 6, Our Lady Novena. Quotes from Pope John Paul II's encyclical, Redemptoris Mater (Mother of the Redeemer). "Mary guides the faithful to the Eucharist." Ave Maria sung by the London Oratory School Schola. For more info, visit www.totus2us.com Sat, 4 Sep 2010 12:00:00 GMT 6:32 http://www.totus2us.eu/Novenas/T2us-Novena-Our_Lady-Day6.mp3 Our Lady, Blessed, God, Father, love, John Paul, Mother, Mary Totus2us.com Day 5, Our Lady Novena. Quotes from Pope John Paul II's encyclical, Redemptoris Mater (Mother of the Redeemer). "Mary believed in the fulfillment of what had been said to her by the Lord." Ave Maria sung by the London Oratory School Schola. For more info, visit www.totus2us.com Day 5, Our Lady Novena. Quotes from Pope John Paul II's encyclical, Redemptoris Mater (Mother of the Redeemer). "Mary believed in the fulfillment of what had been said to her by the Lord." Ave Maria sung by the London Oratory School Schola. For more info, visit www.totus2us.com Fri, 3 Sep 2010 12:00:00 GMT 9:41 http://www.totus2us.eu/Novenas/T2us-Novena-Our_Lady-Day5.mp3 Our Lady, Blessed, God, Father, love, John Paul, Mother, Mary Totus2us.com Day 4, Our Lady Novena. Quotes from Pope John Paul II's encyclical, Redemptoris Mater (Mother of the Redeemer). "This basic fact of being the Mother of the Son of God is from the very beginning a complete openness to the person of Christ, to his whole work, to his whole mission. The words "Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord" testify to Mary's openness of spirit: she perfectly unites in herself the love proper to virginity and the love characteristic of motherhood, which are joined and, as it were, fused together." Ave Maria sung by the London Oratory School Schola. For more info, visit www.totus2us.com Day 4, Our Lady Novena. Quotes from Pope John Paul II's encyclical, Redemptoris Mater (Mother of the Redeemer). "This basic fact of being the Mother of the Son of God is from the very beginning a complete openness to the person of Christ, to his whole work, to his whole mission. The words "Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord" testify to Mary's openness of spirit: she perfectly unites in herself the love proper to virginity and the love characteristic of motherhood, which are joined and, as it were, fused together." Ave Maria sung by the London Oratory School Schola. For more info, visit www.totus2us.com Thu, 2 Sep 2010 12:00:00 GMT 11:50 http://www.totus2us.eu/Novenas/T2us-Novena-Our_Lady-Day4.mp3 Our Lady, Blessed, God, Father, love, John Paul, Mother, Mary Totus2us.com Day 3, Our Lady Novena. Quotes from Pope John Paul II's encyclical, Redemptoris Mater (Mother of the Redeemer). "Mary is totally dependent upon God and completely directed towards him, and at the side of her Son, she is the most perfect image of freedom and of the liberation of humanity and of the universe." Ave Maria sung by the London Oratory School Schola. For more info, visit www.totus2us.com Day 3, Our Lady Novena. Quotes from Pope John Paul II's encyclical, Redemptoris Mater (Mother of the Redeemer). "Mary is totally dependent upon God and completely directed towards him, and at the side of her Son, she is the most perfect image of freedom and of the liberation of humanity and of the universe." Ave Maria sung by the London Oratory School Schola. For more info, visit www.totus2us.com Wed, 1 Sep 2010 12:00:00 GMT 12:05 http://www.totus2us.eu/Novenas/T2us-Novena-Our_Lady-Day3.mp3 Our Lady, Blessed, God, Father, love, John Paul, Mother, Mary Totus2us.com Day 2, Our Lady Novena. Quotes from Pope John Paul II's encyclical, Redemptoris Mater (Mother of the Redeemer). "And so this 'new motherhood of Mary', generated by faith, is the fruit of the 'new' love which came to definitive maturity in her at the foot of the Cross, through her sharing in the redemptive love of her Son." Ave Maria sung by the London Oratory School Schola. For more info, visit www.totus2us.com Day 2, Our Lady Novena. Quotes from Pope John Paul II's encyclical, Redemptoris Mater (Mother of the Redeemer). "And so this 'new motherhood of Mary', generated by faith, is the fruit of the 'new' love which came to definitive maturity in her at the foot of the Cross, through her sharing in the redemptive love of her Son." Ave Maria sung by the London Oratory School Schola. For more info, visit www.totus2us.com Tue, 31 Aug 2010 12:00:00 GMT 11:59 http://www.totus2us.eu/Novenas/T2us-Novena-Our_Lady-Day2.mp3 Our Lady, Blessed, God, Father, love, John Paul, Mother, Mary Totus2us.com Day 1, Our Lady Novena. Quotes from Pope John Paul II's encyclical, Redemptoris Mater (Mother of the Redeemer). "As the Council says, Mary is "the Mother of the Son of God. As a result she is also the favorite daughter of the Father and the temple of the Holy Spirit. Because of this gift of sublime grace, she far surpasses all other creatures, both in heaven and on earth." Ave Maria sung by the London Oratory School Schola. For more info, visit www.totus2us.com Day 1, Our Lady Novena. Quotes from Pope John Paul II's encyclical, Redemptoris Mater (Mother of the Redeemer). "As the Council says, Mary is "the Mother of the Son of God. As a result she is also the favorite daughter of the Father and the temple of the Holy Spirit. Because of this gift of sublime grace, she far surpasses all other creatures, both in heaven and on earth." Ave Maria sung by the London Oratory School Schola. For more info, visit www.totus2us.com Mon, 30 Aug 2010 12:00:00 GMT 11:53 http://www.totus2us.eu/Novenas/T2us-Novena-Our_Lady-Day1.mp3 Our Lady, Blessed, God, Father, love, John Paul, Mother, Mary Totus2us.com Day 9, Sacred Heart Novena. Quotes from John Paul II's Angelus'. Music by the Fr Stan Fortuna CFR. "Heart of Jesus, king and centre of all hearts." Day 9, Sacred Heart Novena. Quotes from John Paul II's Angelus'. Music by the Fr Stan Fortuna CFR. "Heart of Jesus, king and centre of all hearts." Fri, 11 Jun 2010 12:00:00 GMT 7:40 http://www.totus2us.eu/Novenas/T2us-Novena-Sacred_Heart_of_Jesus-Day9.mp3 Sacred Heart, Jesus, God, Father, love, prayer, John Paul II, Stan Fortuna CFR Totus2us.com Day 8, Sacred Heart Novena. Quotes from John Paul II's Angelus'. Music by the Fr Stan Fortuna CFR. "Heart of Jesus, abyss of all virtues." Day 8, Sacred Heart Novena. Quotes from John Paul II's Angelus'. Music by the Fr Stan Fortuna CFR. "Heart of Jesus, abyss of all virtues." Thu, 10 Jun 2010 12:00:00 GMT 8:20 http://www.totus2us.eu/Novenas/T2us-Novena-Sacred_Heart_of_Jesus-Day8.mp3 Sacred Heart, Jesus, God, Father, love, prayer, John Paul II, Stan Fortuna CFR Totus2us.com Day 7, Sacred Heart Novena. Quotes from John Paul II's Angelus'. Music by the Fr Stan Fortuna CFR. "Heart of Jesus, overflowing with goodness and love." Day 7, Sacred Heart Novena. Quotes from John Paul II's Angelus'. Music by the Fr Stan Fortuna CFR. "Heart of Jesus, overflowing with goodness and love." Wed, 9 Jun 2010 12:00:00 GMT 7:30 http://www.totus2us.eu/Novenas/T2us-Novena-Sacred_Heart_of_Jesus-Day7.mp3 Sacred Heart, Jesus, God, Father, love, prayer, John Paul II, Stan Fortuna CFR Totus2us.com Day 6, Sacred Heart Novena. Quotes from John Paul II's Angelus'. Music by the Fr Stan Fortuna CFR. "Heart of Jesus, sanctuary of justice and love." Day 6, Sacred Heart Novena. Quotes from John Paul II's Angelus'. Music by the Fr Stan Fortuna CFR. "Heart of Jesus, sanctuary of justice and love." Tue, 8 Jun 2010 12:00:00 GMT 7:39 http://www.totus2us.eu/Novenas/T2us-Novena-Sacred_Heart_of_Jesus-Day6.mp3 Sacred Heart, Jesus, God, Father, love, John Paul II, Stan Fortuna CFR Totus2us.com Day 5, Sacred Heart Novena. Quotes from John Paul II's Angelus'. Music by the Fr Stan Fortuna CFR. "Heart of Jesus, holy temple of God; heart of Jesus, tabernacle of the Most High." Day 5, Sacred Heart Novena. Quotes from John Paul II's Angelus'. Music by the Fr Stan Fortuna CFR. "Heart of Jesus, holy temple of God; heart of Jesus, tabernacle of the Most High." Mon, 7 Jun 2010 12:00:00 GMT 8:20 http://www.totus2us.eu/Novenas/T2us-Novena-Sacred_Heart_of_Jesus-Day5.mp3 Sacred Heart, Jesus, God, Father, love, John Paul II, Stan Fortuna CFR Totus2us.com Day 4, Sacred Heart Novena. Quotes from John Paul II's Angelus'. Music by the Fr Stan Fortuna CFR. "Through the immaculate heart of Mary we want to turn to the divine heart of her son, to the heart of Jesus, of infinite majesty." Day 4, Sacred Heart Novena. Quotes from John Paul II's Angelus'. Music by the Fr Stan Fortuna CFR. "Through the immaculate heart of Mary we want to turn to the divine heart of her son, to the heart of Jesus, of infinite majesty." Sun, 6 Jun 2010 12:00:00 GMT 7:30 http://www.totus2us.eu/Novenas/T2us-Novena-Sacred_Heart_of_Jesus-Day4.mp3 Sacred Heart, Jesus, God, Father, love, John Paul II, Stan Fortuna CFR Totus2us.com Day 3, Sacred Heart Novena. Quotes from John Paul II's Angelus'. Music by the Fr Stan Fortuna CFR. "Heart of Jesus, substantially united to the Word of God, have mercy on us." Day 3, Sacred Heart Novena. Quotes from John Paul II's Angelus'. Music by the Fr Stan Fortuna CFR. "Heart of Jesus, substantially united to the Word of God, have mercy on us." Sat, 5 Jun 2010 12:00:00 GMT 8:20 http://www.totus2us.eu/Novenas/T2us-Novena-Sacred_Heart_of_Jesus-Day3.mp3 Sacred Heart, Jesus, God, Father, love, John Paul II, Stan Fortuna CFR Totus2us.com Day 2, Sacred Heart Novena. Quotes from John Paul II's Angelus'. Music by the Fr Stan Fortuna CFR. "Heart of Jesus, Son of the eternal Father." Day 2, Sacred Heart Novena. Quotes from John Paul II's Angelus'. Music by the Fr Stan Fortuna CFR. "Heart of Jesus, Son of the eternal Father." Fri, 4 Jun 2010 12:00:00 GMT 7:30 http://www.totus2us.eu/Novenas/T2us-Novena-Sacred_Heart_of_Jesus-Day2.mp3 Sacred Heart, Jesus, God, Father, John Paul II, Stan Fortuna CFR Totus2us.com Day 1, Sacred Heart Novena. Quotes from John Paul II's Angelus'. Music by the Fr Stan Fortuna CFR. "Heart of Jesus, formed by the Holy Spirit in the womb of the Virgin Mary, have mercy on us." Day 1, Sacred Heart Novena. Quotes from John Paul II's Angelus'. Music by the Fr Stan Fortuna CFR. "Heart of Jesus, formed by the Holy Spirit in the womb of the Virgin Mary, have mercy on us." Thu, 3 Jun 2010 12:00:00 GMT 8:29 http://www.totus2us.eu/Novenas/T2us-Novena-Sacred_Heart_of_Jesus-Day1.mp3 Sacred Heart, Jesus, God, Father, John Paul II, Stan Fortuna CFR Totus2us.com Day 9, Holy Spirit Novena. Quotes from John Paul II's encyclical, Dominum et Vivificantem. Venite Sancte Spiritus sung by the Poor Clare Sisters of Ty Mam Duw. "Since the way of peace passes in the last analysis through love and seeks to create the civilization of love, the Church fixes her eyes on him who is the love of the Father and the Son, and in spite of increasing dangers she does not cease to trust, she does not cease to invoke and to serve the peace of man on earth." Day 9, Holy Spirit Novena. Quotes from John Paul II's encyclical, Dominum et Vivificantem. Venite Sancte Spiritus sung by the Poor Clare Sisters of Ty Mam Duw. "Since the way of peace passes in the last analysis through love and seeks to create the civilization of love, the Church fixes her eyes on him who is the love of the Father and the Son, and in spite of increasing dangers she does not cease to trust, she does not cease to invoke and to serve the peace of man on earth." Sat, 22 May 2010 12:00:00 GMT 9:00 http://www.totus2us.eu/Novenas/T2us-Novena-Holy_Spirit-Day9.mp3 Holy Spirit, Paraclete, Pentecost, prayer, John Paul II, Veni Sancte Spiritus Totus2us.com Day 8, Holy Spirit Novena. Quotes from John Paul II's encyclical, Dominum et Vivificantem. Venite Sancte Spiritus sung by the Poor Clare Sisters of Ty Mam Duw. "The breath of the divine life, the Holy Spirit, in its simplest and most common manner, expresses itself and makes itself felt in prayer." Day 8, Holy Spirit Novena. Quotes from John Paul II's encyclical, Dominum et Vivificantem. Venite Sancte Spiritus sung by the Poor Clare Sisters of Ty Mam Duw. "The breath of the divine life, the Holy Spirit, in its simplest and most common manner, expresses itself and makes itself felt in prayer." Fri, 21 May 2010 12:00:00 GMT 6:26 http://www.totus2us.eu/Novenas/T2us-Novena-Holy_Spirit-Day8.mp3 Holy Spirit, Paraclete, Pentecost, prayer, John Paul II, Veni Sancte Spiritus Totus2us.com Day 7, Holy Spirit Novena. Quotes from John Paul II's encyclical, Dominum et Vivificantem. Venite Sancte Spiritus sung by the Poor Clare Sisters of Ty Mam Duw. "And we rejoice to realize ever more clearly that within the work carried out by the Church in the history of salvation, which is part of the history of humanity, the Holy Spirit is present and at work - he who with the breath of divine life permeates man's earthly pilgrimage and causes all creation, all history, to flow together to its ultimate end, in the infinite ocean of God." Day 7, Holy Spirit Novena. Quotes from John Paul II's encyclical, Dominum et Vivificantem. Venite Sancte Spiritus sung by the Poor Clare Sisters of Ty Mam Duw. "And we rejoice to realize ever more clearly that within the work carried out by the Church in the history of salvation, which is part of the history of humanity, the Holy Spirit is present and at work - he who with the breath of divine life permeates man's earthly pilgrimage and causes all creation, all history, to flow together to its ultimate end, in the infinite ocean of God." Thu, 20 May 2010 12:00:00 GMT 7:26 http://www.totus2us.eu/Novenas/T2us-Novena-Holy_Spirit-Day7.mp3 Holy Spirit, Paraclete, Pentecost, prayer, John Paul II, Veni Sancte Spiritus Totus2us.com Day 6, Holy Spirit Novena. Quotes from John Paul II's encyclical, Dominum et Vivificantem. Venite Sancte Spiritus sung by the Poor Clare Sisters of Ty Mam Duw. "Gift and love: this is the eternal power of the opening of the Triune God to man and the world, in the Holy Spirit." Day 6, Holy Spirit Novena. Quotes from John Paul II's encyclical, Dominum et Vivificantem. Venite Sancte Spiritus sung by the Poor Clare Sisters of Ty Mam Duw. "Gift and love: this is the eternal power of the opening of the Triune God to man and the world, in the Holy Spirit." Wed, 19 May 2010 12:00:00 GMT 6:52 http://www.totus2us.eu/Novenas/T2us-Novena-Holy_Spirit-Day6.mp3 Holy Spirit, Paraclete, Pentecost, prayer, John Paul II, Veni Sancte Spiritus Totus2us.com Day 5, Holy Spirit Novena. Quotes from John Paul II's encyclical, Dominum et Vivificantem. Venite Sancte Spiritus sung by the Poor Clare Sisters of Ty Mam Duw. "The gift made by the Son completes the revelation and giving of the eternal love: the Holy Spirit, who in the inscrutable depths of the divinity is a Person-Gift, through the work of the Son, that is to say by means of the Paschal Mystery, is given to the Apostles and to the Church in a new way, and through them is given to humanity and the whole world." Day 5, Holy Spirit Novena. Quotes from John Paul II's encyclical, Dominum et Vivificantem. Venite Sancte Spiritus sung by the Poor Clare Sisters of Ty Mam Duw. "The gift made by the Son completes the revelation and giving of the eternal love: the Holy Spirit, who in the inscrutable depths of the divinity is a Person-Gift, through the work of the Son, that is to say by means of the Paschal Mystery, is given to the Apostles and to the Church in a new way, and through them is given to humanity and the whole world." Tue, 18 May 2010 12:00:00 GMT 7:59 http://www.totus2us.eu/Novenas/T2us-Novena-Holy_Spirit-Day5.mp3 Holy Spirit, Paraclete, Pentecost, prayer, John Paul II, Veni Sancte Spiritus Totus2us.com Day 4, Holy Spirit Novena. Quotes from John Paul II's encyclical, Dominum et Vivificantem. Venite Sancte Spiritus sung by the Poor Clare Sisters of Ty Mam Duw. "Jesus rejoices at the fatherhood of God: he rejoices because it has been given to him to reveal this fatherhood; he rejoices, finally, as at a particular outpouring of this divine fatherhood on the "little ones". And the evangelist describes all this as "rejoicing in the Holy Spirit." Day 4, Holy Spirit Novena. Quotes from John Paul II's encyclical, Dominum et Vivificantem. Venite Sancte Spiritus sung by the Poor Clare Sisters of Ty Mam Duw. "Jesus rejoices at the fatherhood of God: he rejoices because it has been given to him to reveal this fatherhood; he rejoices, finally, as at a particular outpouring of this divine fatherhood on the "little ones". And the evangelist describes all this as "rejoicing in the Holy Spirit." Mon, 17 May 2010 12:00:00 GMT 6:51 http://www.totus2us.eu/Novenas/T2us-Novena-Holy_Spirit-Day4.mp3 Holy Spirit, Paraclete, Pentecost, prayer, John Paul II, Veni Sancte Spiritus Totus2us.com Day 3, Holy Spirit Novena. Quotes from John Paul II's encyclical, Dominum et Vivificantem. Venite Sancte Spiritus sung by the Poor Clare Sisters of Ty Mam Duw. "At the price of the Cross which brings about the Redemption, in the power of the whole Paschal Mystery of Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit comes in order to remain from the day of Pentecost onwards with the Apostles, to remain with the Church and in the Church, and through her in the world." Day 3, Holy Spirit Novena. Quotes from John Paul II's encyclical, Dominum et Vivificantem. Venite Sancte Spiritus sung by the Poor Clare Sisters of Ty Mam Duw. "At the price of the Cross which brings about the Redemption, in the power of the whole Paschal Mystery of Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit comes in order to remain from the day of Pentecost onwards with the Apostles, to remain with the Church and in the Church, and through her in the world." Sun, 16 May 2010 12:00:00 GMT 5:15 http://www.totus2us.eu/Novenas/T2us-Novena-Holy_Spirit-Day3.mp3 Holy Spirit, Paraclete, Pentecost, prayer, John Paul II Totus2us.com Day 2, Holy Spirit Novena. Quotes from John Paul II's encyclical, Dominum et Vivificantem. Venite Sancte Spiritus sung by the Poor Clare Sisters of Ty Mam Duw. "In his intimate life, God "is love", the essential love shared by the three divine Persons: personal love is the Holy Spirit as the Spirit of the Father and the Son." Day 2, Holy Spirit Novena. Quotes from John Paul II's encyclical, Dominum et Vivificantem. Venite Sancte Spiritus sung by the Poor Clare Sisters of Ty Mam Duw. "In his intimate life, God "is love", the essential love shared by the three divine Persons: personal love is the Holy Spirit as the Spirit of the Father and the Son." Sat, 15 May 2010 12:00:00 GMT 5:47 http://www.totus2us.eu/Novenas/T2us-Novena-Holy_Spirit-Day2.mp3 Holy Spirit, Paraclete, Pentecost, prayer, John Paul II Totus2us.com Day 1, Holy Spirit Novena. Quotes from John Paul II's encyclical, Dominum et Vivificantem. Venite Sancte Spiritus sung by the Poor Clare Sisters of Ty Mam Duw. "The Church feels herself called to this mission of proclaiming the Spirit." Day 1, Holy Spirit Novena. Quotes from John Paul II's encyclical, Dominum et Vivificantem. Venite Sancte Spiritus sung by the Poor Clare Sisters of Ty Mam Duw. "The Church feels herself called to this mission of proclaiming the Spirit." Fri, 14 May 2010 12:00:00 GMT 6:55 http://www.totus2us.eu/Novenas/T2us-Novena-Holy_Spirit-Day1.mp3 Holy Spirit, Paraclete, Pentecost, prayer, John Paul II Totus2us.com Day 9, Divine Mercy Novena - "Today bring to Me The Souls Who Have Become Lukewarm and immerse them in the abyss of My mercy. These souls wound My Heart most painfully. My soul suffered the most dreadful loathing in the Garden of Olives because of lukewarm souls. They were the reason I cried out: 'Father, take this cup away from Me, if it be Your will.' For them the last hope of salvation is to run to My mercy." Day 9, Divine Mercy Novena - "Today bring to Me The Souls Who Have Become Lukewarm and immerse them in the abyss of My mercy. These souls wound My Heart most painfully. My soul suffered the most dreadful loathing in the Garden of Olives because of lukewarm souls. They were the reason I cried out: 'Father, take this cup away from Me, if it be Your will.' For them the last hope of salvation is to run to My mercy." Sat, 10 Apr 2010 15:00:00 GMT 10:42 http://www.totus2us.eu/Novenas/T2us-Novena-Divine_Mercy-Day9.mp3 Jesus, Divine Mercy, novena, prayer, Sister Faustina Totus2us.com Day 8, Divine Mercy Novena - "Today bring to Me The Souls Who Are Detained in Purgatory and immerse them in the abyss of My mercy. Let the torrents of My Blood cool down their scorching flames. All these souls are greatly loved by Me. They are making retribution to My justice. It is in your power to bring them relief. Draw all the indulgences from the treasury of My Church and offer them on their behalf. Oh, if you only knew the torments they suffer, you would continually offer for them the alms of the spirit and pay off their debt to My justice." Day 8, Divine Mercy Novena - "Today bring to Me The Souls Who Are Detained in Purgatory and immerse them in the abyss of My mercy. Let the torrents of My Blood cool down their scorching flames. All these souls are greatly loved by Me. They are making retribution to My justice. It is in your power to bring them relief. Draw all the indulgences from the treasury of My Church and offer them on their behalf. Oh, if you only knew the torments they suffer, you would continually offer for them the alms of the spirit and pay off their debt to My justice." Fri, 9 Apr 2010 15:00:00 GMT 10:30 http://www.totus2us.eu/Novenas/T2us-Novena-Divine_Mercy-Day8.mp3 Jesus, Divine Mercy, novena, prayer, Sister Faustina Totus2us.com Day 7, Divine Mercy Novena - "Today bring to Me The Souls Who Especially Venerate and Glorify My Mercy and immerse them in My mercy. These souls sorrowed most over my Passion and entered most deeply into My spirit. They are living images of My Compassionate Heart. These souls will shine with a special brightness in the next life. Not one of them will go into the fire of hell. I shall particularly defend each one of them at the hour of death." Day 7, Divine Mercy Novena - "Today bring to Me The Souls Who Especially Venerate and Glorify My Mercy and immerse them in My mercy. These souls sorrowed most over my Passion and entered most deeply into My spirit. They are living images of My Compassionate Heart. These souls will shine with a special brightness in the next life. Not one of them will go into the fire of hell. I shall particularly defend each one of them at the hour of death." Thu, 8 Apr 2010 15:00:00 GMT 10:20 http://www.totus2us.eu/Novenas/T2us-Novena-Divine_Mercy-Day7.mp3 Jesus, Divine Mercy, novena, prayer, Sister Faustina Totus2us.com Day 6, Divine Mercy Novena - "Today bring to Me The Meek and Humble Souls and the Souls of Little Children and immerse them in My mercy. These souls most closely resemble My Heart. They strengthened Me during My bitter agony. I saw them as earthly Angels who will keep vigil at My altars. I pour out upon them whole torrents of grace. Only the humble soul is capable of receiving My grace. I favor humble souls with My confidence." Day 6, Divine Mercy Novena - "Today bring to Me The Meek and Humble Souls and the Souls of Little Children and immerse them in My mercy. These souls most closely resemble My Heart. They strengthened Me during My bitter agony. I saw them as earthly Angels who will keep vigil at My altars. I pour out upon them whole torrents of grace. Only the humble soul is capable of receiving My grace. I favor humble souls with My confidence." Wed, 7 Apr 2010 15:00:00 GMT 10:37 http://www.totus2us.eu/Novenas/T2us-Novena-Divine_Mercy-Day6.mp3 Jesus, Divine Mercy, novena, prayer, Sister Faustina Totus2us.com Day 5, Divine Mercy Novena - "Today bring to Me the Souls of those who have separated themselves from My Church and immerse them in the ocean of My mercy. During My bitter Passion they tore at My Body and Heart, that is My Church. As they return to unity with the Church My wounds heal and in this way they alleviate My Passion." Day 5, Divine Mercy Novena - "Today bring to Me the Souls of those who have separated themselves from My Church and immerse them in the ocean of My mercy. During My bitter Passion they tore at My Body and Heart, that is My Church. As they return to unity with the Church My wounds heal and in this way they alleviate My Passion." Tue, 6 Apr 2010 15:00:00 GMT 10:23 http://www.totus2us.eu/Novenas/T2us-Novena-Divine_Mercy-Day5.mp3 Jesus, Divine Mercy, novena, prayer, Sister Faustina Totus2us.com Day 4, Divine Mercy Novena - "Today bring to Me Those Who Do Not Believe In God and Those Who Do Not Yet Know Me. I was thinking also of them during My bitter Passion, and their future zeal comforted My heart. Immerse them in the ocean of My mercy." Day 4, Divine Mercy Novena - "Today bring to Me Those Who Do Not Believe In God and Those Who Do Not Yet Know Me. I was thinking also of them during My bitter Passion, and their future zeal comforted My heart. Immerse them in the ocean of My mercy." Mon, 5 Apr 2010 15:00:00 GMT 10:09 http://www.totus2us.eu/Novenas/T2us-Novena-Divine_Mercy-Day4.mp3 Jesus, Divine Mercy, novena, prayer, Sister Faustina Totus2us.com Day 3, Divine Mercy Novena - "Today bring to Me All Devout and Faithful Souls and immerse them in the ocean of My mercy. These souls brought Me consolation on the Way of the Cross. They were that drop of consolation in the midst of an ocean of bitterness." Day 3, Divine Mercy Novena - "Today bring to Me All Devout and Faithful Souls and immerse them in the ocean of My mercy. These souls brought Me consolation on the Way of the Cross. They were that drop of consolation in the midst of an ocean of bitterness." Sun, 4 Apr 2010 15:00:00 GMT 10:06 http://www.totus2us.eu/Novenas/T2us-Novena-Divine_Mercy-Day3.mp3 Jesus, Divine Mercy, novena, prayer, Sister Faustina Totus2us.com Day 2, Divine Mercy Novena - "Today bring to Me the Souls of Priests and Religious and immerse them in My unfathomable mercy. It was they who gave Me strength to endure My bitter Passion. Through them as through channels My mercy flows out upon mankind." Day 2, Divine Mercy Novena - "Today bring to Me the Souls of Priests and Religious and immerse them in My unfathomable mercy. It was they who gave Me strength to endure My bitter Passion. Through them as through channels My mercy flows out upon mankind." Sat, 3 Apr 2010 15:00:00 GMT 9:59 http://www.totus2us.eu/Novenas/T2us-Novena-Divine_Mercy-Day2.mp3 Jesus, Divine Mercy, novena, prayer, Sister Faustina Totus2us.com Day 1, Divine Mercy Novena - "Today bring to Me all mankind, especially all sinners, and immerse them in the ocean of My mercy. In this way you will console Me in the bitter grief into which the loss of souls plunges Me." Day 1, Divine Mercy Novena - "Today bring to Me all mankind, especially all sinners, and immerse them in the ocean of My mercy. In this way you will console Me in the bitter grief into which the loss of souls plunges Me." Fri, 2 Apr 2010 15:00:00 GMT 10:06 http://www.totus2us.eu/Novenas/T2us-Novena-Divine_Mercy-Day1.mp3 Jesus, Divine Mercy, novena, prayer, Sister Faustina Totus2us.com Day 9, JP2 Novena - "Divine Mercy reaches human beings through the heart of Christ crucified: "My daughter, say that I am love and mercy personified", Jesus will ask Sr Faustina. Christ pours out this mercy on humanity though the sending of the Spirit who, in the Trinity, is the Person-Love." Day 9, JP2 Novena - "Divine Mercy reaches human beings through the heart of Christ crucified: "My daughter, say that I am love and mercy personified", Jesus will ask Sr Faustina. Christ pours out this mercy on humanity though the sending of the Spirit who, in the Trinity, is the Person-Love." Fri, 2 Apr 2010 12:00:00 GMT 4:35 http://www.totus2us.eu/Novenas/T2us-Novena-JPII-Day9.mp3 Pope, John Paul II, novena, prayer, thanksgiving Totus2us.com Day 8, JP2 Novena - "The same logic of love presides at the Incarnation of the Word in Mary's womb, and at his becoming present in the Eucharist. It is "agape", charity, love in its beautiful, pure sense. Jesus insistently asked his disciples to abide in this love of his" Day 8, JP2 Novena - "The same logic of love presides at the Incarnation of the Word in Mary's womb, and at his becoming present in the Eucharist. It is "agape", charity, love in its beautiful, pure sense. Jesus insistently asked his disciples to abide in this love of his" Thu, 1 Apr 2010 12:00:00 GMT 4:30 http://www.totus2us.eu/Novenas/T2us-Novena-JPII-Day8.mp3 Pope, John Paul II, novena, prayer, thanksgiving Totus2us.com Day 7, JP2 Novena - "Mysterium fidei! Every time he proclaims these words after consecrating the bread and wine, the priest expresses his ever-renewed amazement at the extraordinary miracle worked at his hands. It is a miracle which only the eyes of faith can perceive." Day 7, JP2 Novena - "Mysterium fidei! Every time he proclaims these words after consecrating the bread and wine, the priest expresses his ever-renewed amazement at the extraordinary miracle worked at his hands. It is a miracle which only the eyes of faith can perceive." Wed, 31 Mar 2010 12:00:00 GMT 4:00 http://www.totus2us.eu/Novenas/T2us-Novena-JPII-Day7.mp3 Pope, John Paul II, novena, prayer, thanksgiving Totus2us.com Day 6, JP2 Novena - "Dear young people, the Church needs genuine witnesses for the new evangelisation: men and women whose lives have been transformed by meeting with Jesus, men and women who are capable of communicating this experience to others. The Church needs saints. All are called to holiness, and holy people alone can renew humanity." Day 6, JP2 Novena - "Dear young people, the Church needs genuine witnesses for the new evangelisation: men and women whose lives have been transformed by meeting with Jesus, men and women who are capable of communicating this experience to others. The Church needs saints. All are called to holiness, and holy people alone can renew humanity." Tue, 30 Mar 2010 12:00:00 GMT 3:40 http://www.totus2us.eu/Novenas/T2us-Novena-JPII-Day6.mp3 Pope, John Paul II, novena, prayer, thanksgiving Totus2us.com Day 5, JP2 Novena - "In sickness, or in any other suffering, we must abandon ourselves to the love of God, like a child who entrusts everything he holds most dear to those who love him, especially his parents. Thus we need the capacity that children have to entrust ourselves to the One who is love." Day 5, JP2 Novena - "In sickness, or in any other suffering, we must abandon ourselves to the love of God, like a child who entrusts everything he holds most dear to those who love him, especially his parents. Thus we need the capacity that children have to entrust ourselves to the One who is love." Mon, 29 Mar 2010 12:00:00 GMT 3:35 http://www.totus2us.eu/Novenas/T2us-Novena-JPII-Day5.mp3 Pope, John Paul II, novena, prayer, thanksgiving Totus2us.com Day 4, JP2 Novena - "May you experience a look like that! May you experience the truth that he, Christ, looks upon you with love!" Day 4, JP2 Novena - "May you experience a look like that! May you experience the truth that he, Christ, looks upon you with love!" Sun, 28 Mar 2010 12:00:00 GMT 4:00 http://www.totus2us.eu/Novenas/T2us-Novena-JPII-Day4.mp3 Pope, John Paul II, novena, prayer, thanksgiving Totus2us.com Day 3, JP2 Novena - "Christ is with us: this certainty spreads immense peace and profound joy in our hearts. We know we can count on him here and everywhere, now and forever. He is the friend who understands us and supports us in our dark moments, because he is the "man of sorrows who is acquainted with grief." Day 3, JP2 Novena - "Christ is with us: this certainty spreads immense peace and profound joy in our hearts. We know we can count on him here and everywhere, now and forever. He is the friend who understands us and supports us in our dark moments, because he is the "man of sorrows who is acquainted with grief." Sat, 27 Mar 2010 12:00:00 GMT 3:03 http://www.totus2us.eu/Novenas/T2us-Novena-JPII-Day3.mp3 Pope, John Paul II, novena, prayer, thanksgiving Totus2us.com Day 2, JP2 Novena - "By dying on the Cross, Christ reveals to us the meaning of our suffering. In His Passion we find the encouragement and strength to avoid every temptation to bitterness and, through pain, to grow into a new life." Day 2, JP2 Novena - "By dying on the Cross, Christ reveals to us the meaning of our suffering. In His Passion we find the encouragement and strength to avoid every temptation to bitterness and, through pain, to grow into a new life." Fri, 26 Mar 2010 12:00:00 GMT 3:30 http://www.totus2us.eu/Novenas/T2us-Novena-JPII-Day2.mp3 Pope, John Paul II, novena, prayer, thanksgiving Totus2us.com Day 1, JP2 Novena - "We are called on to be great in small things. It is also the attitude of Mary, who at the angel's announcement said: "Behold I am the handmaid of the Lord, let it be to me according to your word." Day 1, JP2 Novena - "We are called on to be great in small things. It is also the attitude of Mary, who at the angel's announcement said: "Behold I am the handmaid of the Lord, let it be to me according to your word." Thu, 25 Mar 2010 12:00:00 GMT 3:54 http://www.totus2us.eu/Novenas/T2us-Novena-JPII-Day1.mp3 Pope, John Paul II, novena, prayer, thanksgiving