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St. Peter Canisius was born on May 8, 1621 in the Netherlands. He died on December 21, 1597. He is considered to be the Second Apostle of Germany. Boniface is the original Apostle of Germany. He is a Doctor of the Church. Image found at https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/saint/st-peter-canisius-91 used as being in the public domain He was born in Nijmegen in the Duchy of Guelders. At the time, it was part of the Habsburg Netherlands of the Holy Roman Empire. Today, it is the Netherlands. His father was a wealthy burgermeister, which is roughly the equivalent to a Chief Magistrate (a judge) or a mayor of a city. His father was named Jakob Kanis. His mother, who died when he was very young, was named Ægidia van Houweningen. She died shortly after Peter's birth. Peter was sent to the University of Cologne. He earned his Master's Degree in theology at the age of 19 in 1540. During his time at Cologne, he had heard about a new order of priests called the Soviet of Jesus (the Jesuits). One of its founders, Saint Peter Faber, S.J., was in Mainz at the time and our Peter traveled to Mainz to meet him. Father Fber led Canisius on a 30-day retreat for young men. During the second week, he opted to join the Jesuit Order. He was accepted as a novice on birthday, May 8, 1543. He was then 22. Peter returned to Cologne where he completed his doctoral degree in theology. He was ordained as a Jesuit priest in 1546. Even before his ordination, our Peter taught scripture and published new editions of texts of the writings of both Saint Cyril of Alexandria and Pope Saint Leo the Great (Leo I whose papacy, according to Pope Benedict XVI, was one of the most important in history). He attended sessions of the Council of Trent in 1547. Much of the Council of Trent dealt with the Protestant Reformation. Note that the root word of Protestant is PROTEST, meaning one who is in a state of protest with Rome. Peter created the German Catechism. This book put the basics ideals of into a written form ion the German language, This made the catechism easier to understand for many Germans as Latin was, by then, a dead language as its is today. While Peter was offered the bishopric of Vienna, hue turned it down so that he would be free to preach and travel as he saw fit, although he did serve as Administrator of the Diocese of Vienna for one year until a suitable bishop was identified and properly consecrated and placed into office. In 1562, Peter founded a college that is now known as the University of Innsbruck. When he left Germany, the Society of Jesus was huge compared to its humble beginnings there. Peter converted most of the Rhineland (Central Germany) and Bayern (Bavaria in southern Germany) back to , hence his identification as the Second Apostle of Germany. Peter went to Fribourg for the last 20 years of lhjis life, where he founded a Jesuit college, College Saint Michael. This college trained young men for their careers and/olr for future university studies. When he was 70 years old, Peter suffered a debilitating stroke. However, with the aid of an assistant, he was able to write and to preach until his death in Fribourg on December 21, 1576 at the ripe old age of 76. And 76 was old for people to live to back then. After the first of the year, we are going to start praying the 3 Hail Mary Novena. It is as perpetual novena. We will pray that Novena unless we are on a different Novena. Towards the end of May, we will start praying there Novena to Saint Boniface leading up to his feast on June 5. He will have been in Heaven 1,270 years by then. Yes, I have a strong devotion to Saint Boniface. He is my confirmation saint. If I were being confirmed today, I would be tempted to take a double name such as Boniface Therese. Much of the information gleaned herein came from wikipedia.org Saint Andrew's Christmas Novena Hail and blessed be the hour and moment in which the Son of God was born of the most pure Virgin Mary, at midnight, in Bethlehem, in a stable, in the piercing cold. In that hour vouchsafe, we beseech Thee, O my God, to hear our prayers and grant our desires, through the merits of Our Saviour Jesus Christ, and of His blessed Mother. Amen. (Prayer copied from EWTN) Join me at 3:30 p.m. Eastern for the Chaplet of Divine Mercy, to leafrn about St. Lucy and to pray the St. Andrew Christmas Novena at: https://www.blogtalkradio.com/the4persons/2023/12/18/divine-mercy-saint-of-the-day-and-daily-update If you have not watched our Christmas Special, the Case for Christmas, you can find it here: Part I. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0rv8kymNnl4 Part 2 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HnW9m7kSwIc Part 3 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wlL1gpVoN8A Here is a link to my interview with Lisa Marie Nicole from Sunday, December 10, 2023. I lovingly refer to Lisa as the Catholic version of Stryper: https://www.blogtalkradio.com/the4persons/ If you want to listen top some great interviews, John Benko and I interviewed the original modern-day Catholic Defender, Steve Ray, https://www.blogtalkradio.com/the4persons/2023/12/05/steve-ray-with-john-benko-talking-about-going-to-the-holy-land, and we interviewed acclaimed Catholic musical artist Donna Cori Gibson at https://www.blogtalkradio.com/the4persons/2023/12/05/t4p-welcomes-donna-cori-gibson. Be sure to check out our friends at https://therockcompanyshop.com/.

St. Dominic of Silos was born around the year 1000. He died on December 20, 1073. His Feast day, December 20.. Image located at https://dailydoseofpositiveliving.in/2020/12/20/saint-of-the-day-saint-dominic-of-silos/ used as being in the public domain. St. Dominic of Silos was born in the year 1000 - about 1023 years ago. He lived exactly one millennia from the current day. I found that to be fascinating. He was born to a peasant shepherding family in Navarre, Spain. He grew ups as a shepherd in the Pyrenees Mountains. He spent his time tending to his father's sheep. Shepherding is a lonely life and he spent a lot of his time by himself, a fact that he became both used to and comfortable with. This led him to enter the Benedictine monastery. Dominic eventually became the prior of the monastery, but was run out by the king, Garcia III, who demanded the lands owned and occupied by the monastery. Dominic would flee to another monastery, the monastery of St. Sebastian (which would become the Monastery of Saint Dominic of Silos), under the protection of King Ferdinand I, who was king of Leon. The monastery was in really bad state of decay and was crumbling down. The six monks who were there also seemed to have lost their spiritual way. The Monastery of Saint Sebastian was both physically and spiritually lacking. Dominic came in and took on both of those issues. He did so well at restoring the monastery that it became a center of scholarship and charity to the poor. Dominic also used monastery funds to ransom enslaved captives away from Musilmrs who were trying to invade and take over all of Spain. Saint Dominic was known for working miracles both before and after his death in 1073. The mother of Dominic de Guzmán went to the shrine of Saint Dominic for a son. When she gave birth to a son, she named him for Dominic. Dominic de Guzmán would go on to found the Dominican Order and is now referred to as Saint Dominic. Saint Dominic of Silos soon became the patron saint of pregnant mothers. Interestingly, his crozier was always brought to the bedside of Spanish queens who were in labor. He is additionally the patron saint of shepherds and of prisoners. He was canonized by public acclaim because the Congregation for Causes of Saints had not yet been created. St. Dominic of Silos, pray for us! Saint Andrew's Christmas Novena Hail and blessed be the hour and moment in which the Son of God was born of the most pure Virgin Mary, at midnight, in Bethlehem, in a stable, in the piercing cold. In that hour vouchsafe, we beseech Thee, O my God, to hear our prayers and grant our desires, through the merits of Our Saviour Jesus Christ, and of His blessed Mother. Amen. (Prayer copied from EWTN) Join me at 3:30 p.m. Eastern for the Chaplet of Divine Mercy, to leafrn about St. Lucy and to pray the St. Andrew Christmas Novena at: https://www.blogtalkradio.com/the4persons/2023/12/18/divine-mercy-saint-of-the-day-and-daily-update If you have not watched our Christmas Special, the Case for Christmas, you can find it here: Part I. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0rv8kymNnl4 Part 2 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HnW9m7kSwIc Part 3 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wlL1gpVoN8A Here is a link to my interview with Lisa Marie Nicole from Sunday, December 10, 2023. I lovingly refer to Lisa as the Catholic version of Stryper: https://www.blogtalkradio.com/the4persons/2023/12/10/t4p-artist-lmn-wins-big-divine-mercy-saint-of-the-day-and-daily-update If you want to listen top some great interviews, John Benko and I interviewed the original modern-day Catholic Defender, Steve Ray, https://www.blogtalkradio.com/the4persons/2023/12/05/steve-ray-with-john-benko-talking-about-going-to-the-holy-land, and we interviewed acclaimed Catholic musical artist Donna Cori Gibson at https://www.blogtalkradio.com/the4persons/2023/12/05/t4p-welcomes-donna-cori-gibson. Be sure to check out our friends at https://therockcompanyshop.com/.

Saint Winebald is the nephew of my Confirmation Saint, Saint Boniface of Mainz (whose birth name was Winfrid and from whom we get the Christmas tree - I'll tell you that story ion June 5). Saint Winebald was born circa 702 and comes from an entrire family of saints including his parents, Saint Richard the King (or Richard the Piulgrim - being named Richard, I am particularly inclined to use king) and Saint Wunna of Wessex (possibly a sister of Saint Boniface), his briother, Saint Willebald (the biographer and companion of Saint Boniface), and his sister, Saint Walliburga, the Abbess. Image located at https://www.prayersandpetitions.org/feast-of-saint-winibald-18th-december/ used as being in the public domain. Saint Winebald accompanied his father and his brother on a pilgrimage to the Holy Land. However, when their father died at Lucca (in northwestern Italy), where they buried him, the brothers proceeded to Rome. Willibald would proceed on to the Holy Land, being the first known Englishman to visit the Holy Land). Winebald stayed in Rome and studied. He stayed in Rome for seven years before returning to England around 730. However, he would soon return to Rome with a strong determination to enter the religious life, which he did at Monte Cassino prior to 737). He was in Rome in 737 and had taken vows as a Benedictine when his uncle, Boniface, arrived in Rome snd recruited him to travel to Germany to help convert the pagans there. It was to be Boniface's second misasion to Germany, the first failing before Pope Saint Gregory II changed his name from Winfried to Boniface (Bonifatius - one who does good). Winebald arrived in Germany around 739 where he was ordained to the priesthood. He worked hard to convert the pagans in Thuringia (central Germany) and Bayern (Bavaria, in southeastern Germany). After being ordained, he was charged with overseeing seven (7) different churches. Saint Winebald was prone to illness and had, while in Rome, contracted either the Black Plague or malaria, the recovery from which caused him to stay in Rome and study for an extended period of time while his brother went on to the Holy Land. While in Germany, Winebald founded a monstery at Schwanfeld, but subsequently moved it to Heidenheim in 742, establishing it as a double monastery - part for study and part for the training of priests. Winebald became the first abbott of this monastery, with his sister, Williburga, serving as the first Abbess. In 742 or 743, Winnebald participated in the Concilium Germanicum (Council of Germany). The Concilium Germanicum was the first church synod in the Frankish Kingdom and was presided over by Winnebald's uncle, Boniface. Concilium Germanicum was shrouded in secrecy as to the location and, to history, even the exact timing of it. Among the decisions reached at the Concilium Germanicum were: All archbishops and bishops had fixed sees in dioceses that were previously assigned to laymen by Charles Martel; Clergy were expected and required to annually appear before their bishop to give an account of their activities over the previous year; Bishops, with the aid of Auxillary Bishops, were expected to visit each parish in their diocese annually; Clergy were not allowed to carry weapons and were not allowed to hunt; On Maundy Thursday (Holy Thursdasy) of each year, the bishops were required to consecrate oil (chrism) to be distributed to the parishes in his diocese; and The Rule of Saint Benedict became mandatory in all monasteries in Germany. Image of Saint Boniface found on wikipedia.com and used as in the public domain Boniface was martyred in 754 at Dokkum, Frisia (a territory overlapping northeastern Germany and northern Netherlands. Boniface's remains were returned to the Cathedral at Fulda, where he was interred in a sarcofagus there. The site instantly became (and remains today) a site of Christian pilgrimage (which I hope to visit sooner rather thasn later). In 761, Winnebald visited the shrine of his uncle at Fulda. He fell ill on the way home and died at Heidenheim. The date of his death was December 18, 761. He was made a saint by popular acclamation rather than through the Congregation for the Causes of the Saints because it didn't exist until the twelfth century. He is venerated as a patron saint of construction workers. As you can readily see, it was impossible to tell the story of Saint Winnebald without talking about Saint Boniface. As I discuss the other saints mentioned herein, I will try to link the pages for ease of reading. These six saints (Boniface, Willibald, Winebald, Richard, Wunna and Walliburga), like so many other saintly families (the Martin family cvomes to mind with Therese, Luis and Zelie already canonized and Leonie beatified) or saints whose lives crossed paths multiple times, like John of the Cross and Teresa of Avila, are inextricably intertwined. Information for this post was derived from wikipedia.com, https://www.morningoffering.com, https://www.catholic.org/saints/saint.php?saint_id=2055, and https://www.prayersandpetitions.org/feast-of-saint-winibald-18th-december/ Saint Andrew's Christmas Novena Hail and blessed be the hour and moment in which the Son of God was born of the most pure Virgin Mary, at midnight, in Bethlehem, in a stable, in the piercing cold. In that hour vouchsafe, we beseech Thee, O my God, to hear our prayers and grant our desires, through the merits of Our Saviour Jesus Christ, and of His blessed Mother. Amen. (Prayer copied from EWTN) Join me at 3:30 p.m. Eastern for the Chaplet of Divine Mercy, to leafrn about St. Lucy and to pray the St. Andrew Christmas Novena at: https://www.blogtalkradio.com/the4persons/2023/12/18/divine-mercy-saint-of-the-day-and-daily-update Here is a link to my interview with Lisa Marie Nicole from Sunday, December 10, 2023. I lovingly refer to Lisa as the Catholic version of Stryper: https://www.blogtalkradio.com/the4persons/2023/12/10/t4p-artist-lmn-wins-big-divine-mercy-saint-of-the-day-and-daily-update If you want to listen top some great interviews, John Benko and I interviewed the original modern-day Catholic Defender, Steve Ray, https://www.blogtalkradio.com/the4persons/2023/12/05/steve-ray-with-john-benko-talking-about-going-to-the-holy-land, and we interviewed acclaimed Catholic musical artist Donna Cori Gibson at https://www.blogtalkradio.com/the4persons/2023/12/05/t4p-welcomes-donna-cori-gibson. Be sure to check out our friends at https://therockcompanyshop.com/.

TODAY'S CATECHISM . WE BEGIN OUR CATECHISM IN THE NAME OF THE FATHER AND OF THE SON AND OF THE HOLY SPIRIT, AMEN TOPIC: INFANT BAPTISM => INTRODUCTION => INFANT BAPTISM => PROTESTANTS' VIEW => REASONS FOR INFANT BAPTISM => BIBLE REFRENCES TO INFANT BAPTISM => CONCLUSION => REFERENCE INTRODUCTION Infant baptism (according to wikipedia) is the practice of baptising infants or young children. In theological discussions, the practice is sometimes referred to as paedobaptism, or pedobaptism, from the Greek pais meaning "child". This can be contrasted with what is called " believer's baptism" (or credobaptism, from the Latin word credo meaning "I believe"), which is the religious practice of baptising only individuals who personally confess faith in Jesus, therefore excluding underage children. Opposition to infant baptism is termed catabaptism. INFANT BAPTISM Infant baptism-is a mystery to those who do not have the clear understanding of the Word Baptism. A simple meaning of the word BAPTISM is INITIATION ( adoption, admission, possessed or acquired something to function). In the old testament you would have been hearing about circumcision on the eight day which was a sign of spiritual cleansing of the new born from inherited impurity. In the olden days if you are not circumcised, you are not counted as Jew or not illegible to partake in the worship of Yahweh. In the new testament circumcision has been replaced with baptism. Baptism is a sacrament, because it is an "instrument instituted by Jesus Christ to impact Grace to it's recipients. So infants are traditionally baptised on the eighteth day, recalling the biblical injunction to circumcision on the day. PROTESTANTS' VIEW The Catholic church is often been criticized by protestants of the practice of baptizing infants. According to them, baptism is for adults and older children, because it is to be administered only after one has undergone a “born again” experience. That is, after one has “accepted Jesus Christ as his personal Lord and Saviour.” Although the above objection might be clear in scripture (Cf. Acts 2:28, 41; 8:16), However, since the New Testament era & based on the same scripture, the Catholic Church has always understood baptism differently, teaching that it is a sacrament which accomplishes several things. The first of which is the remission of sin, both original sin and actual sin - only original sin in the case of infants and young children, since they are incapable of actual sin; and both original and actual sin in the case of older persons. REASONS FOR INFANT BAPTISM 1. From Peter's Sermon On Baptism, he explained what happens at baptism when he said, “Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; (...)” (Acts 2:38). The phrase "Everyone of You" in the above text means he (Peter) did not restrict this teaching to Only adults. This even becomes clear when he (Peter) added, “For the promise is to you and to your CHILDREN and to all that are far off, EVERY ONE whom the Lord our God calls to him” (Acts 2:39). Now from the above text if baptism is connected with salvation then it must be for ALL since salvation is a universal phenomenon. 2. Baptism Replaces Circumcision Furthermore, Paul notes that baptism has replaced circumcision (Col. 2:11–12). In that passage, he refers to baptism as “the circumcision of Christ” and “the circumcision made without hands.” If Paul meant to exclude infants, he would not have chosen circumcision as a parallel for baptism. Since the time of Abraham right to the present, Jews have circumcised infants and brought them into the Covenant on the eighth day after birth, based on the faith of the parents, just as we do now in Christian Baptism. The pattern is the same. BIBLE REFERENCES TO INFANT BAPTISM But one might ask, does the Bible ever say that infants can be baptized? The indications are clear. In the New Testament we read that Lydia was converted by Paul’s preaching and that “She was baptized, with her household” (Acts 16:15). Also, in his greetings to the Corinthians, Paul recalled that, “I did baptize also the household of Stephanas” (1 Cor. 1:16). In all these cases, 'whole households' were baptized. Therefore, the children must have been baptized as well. Again, according to Scripture, Baptism is the an essential prerequisite for entering into the Kingdom of Heaven. "(...) Amen, amen, I say to you, no one can enter the kingdom of God without being born of water and Spirit" (John 3:3-5). . Now if Jesus says also that the Kingdom of God belongs to infants and children, it would make no sense if He then withheld the gift of Baptism that would give them entrance to this very Kingdom. CONCLUSION St Gregory of Nazianz summarizes the answer for us perfectly in his "Oration on Holy Baptism". "Do you have an infant child? Allow sin no opportunity; rather, let the infant be sanctified from childhood. From his most tender age let him be consecrated by the Spirit." Let Bible be the basement for our responses.........!!!!!!! Infant baptisms is a mystery to those who do not have the clear understanding of the Word Baptism. A simple meaning of the word BAPTISM is INITIATION ( adoption, admission, possessed or acquired something to function). In the old testament you would have been hearing about circumcision on the eight day which was a sign of spiritual cleansing of the new born from inherited impurity. In the olden days if you are not circumcised, you are not counted as Jew or not illegible to partake in the worship of Yahweh. In the new testament circumcision has been replaced with baptism. Baptism is a sacrament, because it is an "instrument instituted by Jesus Christ to impact Grace to it's recipients. So infants are traditionally baptised on the eightieth day, recalling the biblical injunction to circumcision on the day. READ THE FOLLOWING BIBLE PASSAGES. Baptism is of spiritual mandate to every soul irrespective of the age if the soul must be cleansed of original sin and being impacted of grace, David said l was conceived of sin from my mother's womb and born of sin (Psalm 51:5 GNB) so with this how can we exempt children from congenital sin? The will of God is to save every soul and Baptism is one of the first mandatory instrument instituted by Jesus Christ to make heaven. In John 3:5 Jesus replied Nicodemus " I am telling you the truth," "No one can enter ,the kingdom of God without being born of water and the spirit. In Mark 16:16 Jesus said, " Whoever believes and is baptised Will be saved; Whoever does not believe Will be condemned ( a clear affirmative command of salvative requirement). In Acts 2:39 For God's promise was made to you and your Children,and to all who are far away,all whom the Lord our God call to himself. In Acts 16:29-33 "The jailer's entire house hold was baptised (that means included children). In 1Cor 10:1-4 " 2,all the Israelites were Baptised as followers of Moses ( 'all' means,no one was left out). So some one should read the above passages and digest it. Catholic Church is not doing anything on their own but according to Christ's command. REFERENCES Osei-Bonsu, J. (2011). Catholic Beliefs & Practices.Takoradi: Franciscan Publishing. Osborne, G. (2011). "Why does the Catholic Church baptize babies?" The B.C. Catholic press. We have come to a conclusion on the topic INFANT BAPTISM. Thanks for your participation, support and contributions. May the God in his infinite mercy continue to be bless and grant you more understanding of his words; in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen PLEASE WE ARE ENCOURAGE TO CONTRIBUTE AND ASK QUESTIONS IN REGARDS TO THIS GREAT TOPIC. WE ARE CATHOLIC By Echofu FrancisMary Young & Michael Adoyi

We know very little of St. Lucy of Syracuse. Of course, we know that she was from Syracuse. Syracuse is a historical city on the Island of Sicily in the provence of Syracuse. We also know that she lived sometime between 242 and 305 becuase she was martyred under the Roman Emperor Diocletian, who was born somewhere between 242 and 245 and was emporer from 284 to 305, so we may be able to narrow it down a bit more to between 264 and 305. We know that she was young and unwed (moving her potential birth into the 380's), but that her motherr had promised her in marriage to a young Roman citizen who was a pagan. On information and belief, Lucy did not like this one iota. When she refused to go through with the nuptials, this pagan turned her over to the Roman Governor of Syracuse, Paschasius. We know that she was martyred under Paschasius. But that's really all that we know. Image of Saint Lucy of Syracuse found at https://catholicprayerservices.blogspot.com/p/novena-to-saint-lucy-of-syracuse.html and used in the public domain Legends about her abound throughout the Church. Some have stood the test of time. Others have not. I will delve into one in particular, only to provide some context. As I mention4eed, Lucy was promised in marriage to a pagan man. She chose to live her life in the sertvice of Christ. She also knew that the arguments of a young girkl would not be enough to disuade her mother from forcing Lucy into the marriage. She went often to the tomb of St. Agatha, where she would pray for a way out of this arranged marrtiage. After one such trip, St. Agatha came to Lucy in a dream. Lucy's mother had fallen ill. St. Agatha toild Lucy that it would be through Faith that her mother would be cured. It was as St. Agatha told Lucy that Lucy's mother's illness was cured by faith and faith alone. Lucy used this to persuade her mother to agree that Christ was the better partner for Lucy and to give her dowry money away to the poor. T^he bridegroom was beyond anger with Lucy and allowed his anger to let him turn her over to the Governor ogt Syracuse, Paschasius. Paschasius ordered Lucy to be killed. First, Paschasius ordered that Lucy be defiled in a brothel. When the guards came to take her, she could not be moved even when attached to a team of oxen. Next an attaempt was made to burn her, but she would not burn. Finally, she met her end by a sword to the throat. When Paschasius ordered Lucy to be martyred, she warned him that he would be punished. When Paschasius heard thius, he ordered that her eyes be gouged out. Other legends tell us that she gouged out her own eryes to disuade other suitors from being interested in her since, apparently, she had very beautiful eyes. The oldest record we have of Lucy comes from the fifth century writings, Acts of the Martyrs, according to http://www.stlucy-campbell.org/about-staint-lucy/. The one fact upon which historians can agree is that she was accused of being a Christian by a disappointed suitor and that she was martyred about the year 304. Another legend says that, as her body was being prepared for burial in a family mausoleum in Sicily, her eyes had been restored. Sigebert of Gembloux stated that her relics lay undisturbed for 400 years in his sermo de Sancta Lucia. That is when Faraold I, the Duke of Spoleto, captured Sicily and took possession of her relics. They were transferred to Corfinium in Abruzzo, Italy. In 972, the Emperpr Otho I transferred the relics to St. Vincent Church in Metz in northeastern France. From there, they were transferred to a monastery near Luitburg in western Germany. From there, according to Umberto Benigni, Pope Pope Stephen I had the relics moved to Constantinople for protection against incursions and attqcks by the Saracens. When the French captured Constantinople in 1204, the relics were once again moved, this time to the Monastery of St. George in Venice in noftheastern Italy. In 1513, rhe Venetians presented St. Lucy's head to Louis XII of France. He moved it to the cathedral located at Bourges, France. Lucy is the patron saint of the blind. Information gleaned from catholic.org and wikipedia.com Saint Andrew's Christmas Novena Hail and blessed be the hour and moment in which the Son of God was born of the most pure Virgin Mary, at midnight, in Bethlehem, in a stable, in the piercing cold. In that hour vouchsafe, we beseech Thee, O my God, to hear our prayers and grant our desires, through the merits of Our Saviour Jesus Christ, and of His blessed Mother. Amen. (Prayer copied from EWTN) Join me at 3:30 p.m. Eastern for the Chaplet of Divine Mercy, to leafrn about St. Lucy and to pray the St. Andrew Christmas Novena at: https://www.blogtalkradio.com/the4persons/2023/12/13/divine-mercy-saint-of-the-day-and-daily-update Here is a link to my interview with Lisa Marie Nicole from Sunday, December 10, 2023. I lovingly refer to Lisa as the Catholic version of Stryper: https://www.blogtalkradio.com/the4persons/2023/12/10/t4p-artist-lmn-wins-big-divine-mercy-saint-of-the-day-and-daily-update If you want to listen top some great interviews, John Benko and I interviewed the original modern-day Catholic Defender, Steve Ray, https://www.blogtalkradio.com/the4persons/2023/12/05/steve-ray-with-john-benko-talking-about-going-to-the-holy-land, and we interviewed acclaimed Catholic musical artist Donna Cori Gibson at https://www.blogtalkradio.com/the4persons/2023/12/05/t4p-welcomes-donna-cori-gibson. Be sure to check out our friends at https://therockcompanyshop.com/.

Originally, I was going to write about Our Lady of Guadalupe, but I hold her story in the Saint Juan Diego story three days ago, https://www.the4persons.net/post/saint-of-the-day-saint-juan-diego. Thus, I decided to publish the Chaplet of Our Lady of Gusdalupe, which we will pray this afternoon on the Divine Mercy Chaplet show. Image of Our Lady of Guadalupe found at https://thedialog.org/catechetical-corner/our-lady-of-guadalupe-queen-of-peoples-hearts/ and used as beiung in the public domain How to pray the Chaplet of Our Lady of Guadalupe The Chaplet of Guadalupe has a cross, 21 beads and a medal. Between the cross and the medal, there appears a bead, a set of 4 beads and then another bead. Elsewhere on the Chaplet, there are 4 sets of 3 beads, each separated by 1 bead (total of 4). Begin with the following prayer: "Our Lady of Guadalupe, Mystical Rose, make intercession for our Holy Church, protect the sovereign Pontiff, help all those who invoke you in their necessities, and since you are the ever Virgin Mary and Mother of the true God, obtain for us from your most Holy Son the grace of keeping our faith, of sweet hope in the midst of the bitterness of life, of burning charity, and the precious gift of final perseverance."  Amen. On the first bead, pray 1 Pater. 4 Aves on the set of 4 beads in honour of Our Lady of Guadalupe's 4 apparitions to Saint Juan Diego.Pray. 1 Gloria. Each set of 3 beads represents on apparition. The First Apparition: Our Lady of Guadalupe appears to Saint Juan Diego. Our Lady requests a temple in her honour. Pray 1 Pater Prayer:  Our Lady of Guadalupe, my Queen and my Mother, I thank you for your first apparition to Saint Juan Diego when you revealed that you are the Most Pure Virgin Mary, Mother of the True God and Mother of all mankind.  I thank you for requesting a temple to be built where you stood, to bear witness to your love, your compassion, your aid and your protection for all who would love you, trust you, and invoke your help. 3 Aves  1 Gloria. The Second Apparition:  Our Lady of Guadalupe gives Saint Juan Diego encouragement after his return from the Bishop’s house. 1 Pater Prayer:  "Our Lady of Guadalupe, my Queen and my Mother, I thank you for your second apparition to Saint Juan Diego when, upon his return from the Bishop’s house, he knelt in humiliation and defeat before you since he was unable to accomplish your mission.  I thank you for the courage and encouragement you gave to Saint Juan Diego to make a second appeal to the Bishop." 3 Aves1 and  Gloria. The Third Apparition:  Our Lady of Guadalupe promises a sign to Saint Juan Diego for the Bishop. 1 Pater Prayer:  "Mother, I thank you for your third apparition to Saint Juan Diego when, after this unsuccessful attempt to have a temple built, you said to him, 'So be it, son.  Return tomorrow in order that you may secure for the Bishop, the sign for which he has asked. When this is in your possession, he will believe you; he will no longer doubt your word and suspect your good faith.  Be assured that I shall reward you for all that you have undergone.'" 3 Aves  1 Gloria. The Fourth Apparition:  Our Lady of Guadalupe fulfils her promise by showing herself on the tilma of Blessed Juan Diego. 1 Pater Prayer:  Our Lady of Guadalupe, my Queen and my Mother, I thank you for your fourth apparition to Saint Juan Diego when you ordered him to pick the roses he would find on the summit of the hill and bring them to you.  I thank you for arranging them in his tilma when you said, 'This cluster of roses is the sign that you shall take to the Bishop.  You are to tell him, in my name, that in this he will recognize my will and that he must fulfil it.  You will be my ambassador, wholly worthy of my confidence.  Only in the presence of the Bishop shall you unfold your mantle and disclose that which you carry.'  I thank you for your image printed on the tilma which appeared when the roses were released. 3 Aves  1 Gloria. Closing Prayer: Remember, 0 most gracious Virgin of Guadalupe,that in thy celestial apparition on the Mount of Tepeyac, thou didst promise to show thy compassion and pity towards all who, loving and trusting thee, seek thy help and call upon thee in their necessities and afflictions; also to hearken to our supplications, to dry our tears and to give us consolation and relief.  Inspired with this confidence we come before thy august presence, certain that thou wilt deign to fulfil thy merciful promises.  We are full of hope that,standing beneath thy protection nothing will trouble or afflict us.Thou has desired to remain with us through thy admirable image,thou who art our Mother, our health and our life.  O Mary, Mother of God, hear our petitions and in thy mercy answer us.  Amen Optional Prayer to Our Lady of Guadalupe Our Lady of Guadalupe, my mother, into your hands joined in prayer,take my prayers, petitions and hopes, and present them to Jesus for me. Remembering the love and care your hands rendered to Him, He will not refuse what they hold now, even though they are from me.  Amen. Saint Andrew's Christmas Novena Hail and blessed be the hour and moment in which the Son of God was born of the most pure Virgin Mary, at midnight, in Bethlehem, in the piercing cold. In that hour vouchsafe, I beseech Thee, O my God, to hear our prayers and grant our desires, through the merits of Our Saviour Jesus Christ, and of His blessed Mother. Amen. (Prayer copied from EWTN) Join me at 3:30 p.m. Eastern for the Chaplet of Divine Mercy, to pray the Chaplet of Our Lady of Guadasluoe and to pray the St. Andrew Christmas Novena at: https://www.blogtalkradio.com/the4persons/2023/12/12/divine-mercy-saint-of-the-day-and-daily-update Here is a link to my interview with Lisa Marie Nicole from Sunday, December 10, 2023. I lovingly refer to Lisa as the Catholic version of Stryper: https://www.blogtalkradio.com/the4persons/2023/12/10/t4p-artist-lmn-wins-big-divine-mercy-saint-of-the-day-and-daily-update If you want to listen top some great interviews, John Benko and I interviewed the original modern-day Catholic Defender, Steve Ray, https://www.blogtalkradio.com/the4persons/2023/12/05/steve-ray-with-john-benko-talking-about-going-to-the-holy-land, and we interviewed acclaimed Catholic musical artist Donna Cori Gibson at https://www.blogtalkradio.com/the4persons/2023/12/05/t4p-welcomes-donna-cori-gibson.

Pope Saint Damasus is the pope who charged Saint Jerome with translating the Bible from its original Greek into Latin, or the Vulgate ("the language of the people"). He also changed the liturgical language of the Church from Greek to Latin, which would continue for more than 1,600 years until it was changed in 1970 by Pope Saint Paul VI and the Second Vatican Council. Image cound at https://mycatholic.life/; used as public domain Damasus was elected pope in 366. At the time, he was a sixty-year-old Deacon at the Basilica of Saint Lawrence in Rome, where his father served as priest. After the death of Pope Liberius in 366. Interestingly, Liberius is not mentioned in the martyrology of the Chuirch and is, thus, the earliest pope not to be venerated as a saint in the Catholic Church, but I digress.. Pope Saint Damasus I served as the Bishop of Rome from 366 until his death in 384. There was a lot of violence during his papacy. At the time he was elected pope, a different group elected a different man as pope. This was the cause of the violence at the outset of his papacy. He was declared the rightful Successor to Peter by the Roman Emporer. The anti-pope was banished from the city. While Pope Saint Damasus I was pope, Christianity was declared to be the religion of the Roman Empire. When we say Christianity before the fifteenth century, we mean what is now referred to as Catholicism. The Church does not refer to itself as catholic (which is Greek for "universal"). The Church simply calls itself the Church. Notice that all Papal encylcicals are addressed to "the Church"). If you don't believe me, look for yourself. Pope Saint Damasus I was also a writer in his own right. However, his writings were generally short ephitaphs and not volumes of books like Pope Saint John Paul II or Pope Benedict XVI. Damasus had a spot picked out to be buried in the catacombs, All of him that is there is this ephitaph: "I, Damasus, wished to be buried here, but I feared to offend the ashes of these holy ones." Instead, he was buried with his mother and one of his siblings, his sister, to be exact. Another example comes from the Decree of Damasus: The arrangement of the names of Christ, however, is manifold: Lord, because He is Spirit; Word, because He is God; Son, because He is the only-begotten son of the Father; Man, because He was born of the Virgin; Priest, because He offered Himself as a sacrifice; Shepherd, because He is a guardian; Worm, because He rose again; Mountain, because He is strong; Way, because there is a straight path through Him to life; Lamb, because He suffered; Corner-Stone, because instruction is His; Teacher, because He demonstrates how to live; Sun, because He is the illuminator; Truth, because He is from the Father; Life, because He is the creator; Bread because He is flesh; Samaritan, because He is the merciful protector; Christ, because He is anointed; Jesus, because He is a mediator; Vine, because we are redeemed by His blood; Lion, because he is king; Rock, because He is firm; Flower, because He is the chosen one; Prophet, because He has revealed what is to come. This may or may not have been written by him. In 382, Pope Saint Damasus called the Council of Rome to clarify the Canons of Sacred Scripture. He also opposed heresies. He was born in 306 and died in the year 384. Information taken from catholic.org and morningoffering.com The Saint Andrew Christmas Novena: Hail and blessed be the hour and moment in which the Son of God was born of the most pure Virgin Mary, at midnight, in Bethlehem, in the piercing cold. In that hour vouchsafe, I beseech Thee, O my God, to hear our prayers and grant our desires, through the merits of Our Saviour Jesus Christ, and of His blessed Mother. Amen. (Prayer copied from EWTN). Join me at 3:30 p.m. Eastern fore the Chaplet of Divine Mercy, to learn about Pope Saint Damasus I and to pray the St. Andrew Christmas Novena at: https://www.blogtalkradio.com/the4persons/2023/12/11/divine-mercy-saint-of-the-day-and-daily-update If you want to listen top some great interviews, John Benko and I interviewed the original modern-day Catholic Defender, Steve Ray and we interviewed acclaimed Catholic musical artist Donna Cori Gibson. You can find those interviews at: https://www.blogtalkradio.com/the4persons?fbclid=IwAR0OPOLJeYkhF4JF_mr1gCkjSQ5EEqZ3EO6fdXYwwBs1o-4xU1pBwkRlNgA

TODAY'S CATECHISM . WE BEGIN OUR CATECHISM IN THE NAME OF THE FATHER AND OF THE SON AND OF THE HOLY SPIRIT, AMEN TOPIC: PRAYER => INTRODUCTION/DEFINITIONS => PRAYER => METHODS OF PRAYER => TYPES OF PRAYERS => FACTS ABOUT PRAYER => CONCLUSION => REFERENCE INTRODUCTION/DEFINITIONS According to catholic catechism Prayer is the raising up of the mind and heart to God. love Prayer is also the response of faith to the free promise of salvation and also a response of to the thirst of the only Son of God. prayer is a surge of the heart; it is a simple look turned toward heaven, it is a cry of recognition and of love, embracing both trial and joy. when we pray, do we speak from the height of our pride and will, or out of the depths of a humble and contrite heart? He who humbles himself will be exalted; humility is the foundation of prayer, Only when we humbly acknowledge that we do not know how to pray as we ought, then we are ready to receive freely the gift of prayer. PRAYER Since prayer is the raising up of our mind and heart to God so we raise up our mind and heart to God by thinking of God; by adoring, praising, and thanking him; and by begging of him all blessings for soul and body. Whether we realize it or not, prayer is the encounter of God's thirst with ours. God thirsts that we may thirst for him. CCC 143 Do those pray well who, at their prayers, think neither of God nor of what they say? Those who, at their prayers, think neither of God nor of what they say, do not pray well; but they offend God, if their distractions are willful. CCC 144 Which is the best of all prayers? The best of all prayers is the 'Our Father', or the Lord's Prayer. Jesus Christ himself made the Lord’s prayer. This is how to say the Lord’s prayer: Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name; thy kingdom come; thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven; give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us; and lead us not into temptation; but deliver us from evil. Amen. METHODS OF PRAYER Prayer can be say or done through meditative, vocal and contemplative. Meditative prayer, is meditation in which we spend the time thinking of God or of one or more of the truths He has revealed, that by these thoughts we may be persuaded to lead holier lives. Vocal prayer, in which we express these pious thoughts in words. Contemplative prayer is a type of prayer made in silence in which we are in one with Christ. It is a communion of love and gaze of faith. Meditative prayer is most useful to us because it compels us, while we are engaged in it, to keep our attention fixed on God and His holy laws and to keep our hearts and minds lifted up to Him. We can make a meditation by remembering that we are in the presence of God; By asking the Holy Ghost to give us grace to benefit by the meditation; By reflecting seriously on some sacred truth regarding our salvation; By drawing some good resolution from the thoughts we have had; and By thanking God for the knowledge and grace bestowed on us through the meditation. TYPES OF PRAYERS I. Adoration II. Petition III. Contrition IV. Intercession V. Thanksgiving I. BLESSING/ADORATION The prayer of blessing is man's response to God's gifts: because God blesses, the human heart can in return bless the One who is the source of every blessing. Adoration is homage of the spirit to the "King of Glory," 100 respectful silence in the presence of the "ever greater" God. II. PRAYER OF PETITION by prayer of petition we express awareness of our relationship with God. We are creatures who are not our own beginning, not the masters of adversity, not our own last end. III. PRAYER OF INTERCESSION Intercession is a prayer is the prayer we make for others which leads us to pray as Jesus did. He is the one intercessor with the Father on behalf of all men, especially sinners. he who prays looks "not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others," even to the point of praying for those who do him harm. IV. PRAYER OF THANKSGIVING This is the prayer of giving thanks to God for what he has done, doing and yet to do for us. It characterizes the prayer of the Church which, in celebrating the Eucharist. "Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you"; "Continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving." V. PRAYER OF PRAISE Praise is the form of prayer which recognizes most immediately that God is God. It lauds God for his own sake and gives him glory, quite beyond what he does, but simply because HE IS FACTS ABOUT PRAYER 1. A prayer life is essential to the Christian life. Prayer is “a vital and personal relationship with the living and true God.” (Catechism, 2558) Prayer the lifeblood of your faith. Without prayer, your faith will die. (Catechism, 2744) 2. Prayer is compatible with everyday life. You do need a small amount of quiet time each day to learn how to pray. But it’s not difficult — just 5 or 10 minutes to start is fine. “It is possible to offer fervent prayer even while walking in public or strolling alone, or seated in your shop, … while buying or selling, … or even while cooking.” — St. John Chrysostom 3. Even the smallest faith will blossom through prayer St. Paul tells us, “The Spirit helps us in our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes with sighs too deep for words.” (Rom 8:26) 4. Learning how to pray is simple. Throughout the ages, all kinds of people have learned how to pray. For me, prayer is a surge of the heart; it is a simple look turned toward heaven, it is a cry of recognition and of love, embracing both trial and joy. — St. Therese of Lisieuxus. CONCLUSION The Holy Spirit who teaches the Church and recalls to her all that Jesus said also instructs her in the life of prayer, inspiring new expressions of the same basic forms of prayer: blessing, petition, intercession, thanksgiving, and praise. So therefore; let us learn how to pray, praying for ourselves and others. REFERENCE => The Holy Bible => Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC) => https://www.catholic.com => https://www.vatican.va => https://mycatholic.life We have come to a conclusion on the topic PRAYER. Thanks for your participation, support and contributions. May the God in his infinite mercy continue to be bless and grant you more understanding of his words; in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen PLEASE WE ARE ENCOURAGE TO CONTRIBUTE AND ASK QUESTIONS IN REGARDS TO THIS GREAT TOPIC.

You may recognize Saint Juan Diego as the seer of the Virgin of Guadalupe, and he was. But he was so much more. Read on ... Juan Diego was a natural-born Mexican, meaning he was born in what we call Mexico today. At birth, his name was Cuauhtlatoatzin. He was born in 1474. Juan was very young when his fatherr died and, like so many other saints, was sent to live with an uncle after the death of his father. With his uncle, Juan was given the classical upbringing in the Aztec pagan religion of the region. Even as a young child, Juan showed some signs of being a mystic. In 1524, a group of 12 Franciscans arrived in the area. Juan was among the first to convert to the Catholic Faith and be baptized in the region. He was well known for his love of the Blessed Virgin Mary and respect to his local ordinary, Bishop Juan de Zumarraga. Juan was also known to travel long distances in order to receive religious instruction in his deeply-held Catholic Faith. Juan's life was about to change radically when, on December 9, 1531, Juan was on his way to church to participate in Mass for the Feast of the Immaculate Conception. He was running late, so he was in a hurry. On his way, he was stopped by a beautiful and radiant woman who introdced herself to Juan in his native tongue, saying that she was "ever-perfect holy Mary, who has the honor to be the mother of the true God." Our Lady told Juan that she wanted a chapel built in her honor on Tepeyac Hill, the site of a former pagan shrine. Juan was to tell his Bishop about this. When he approached Bishop de Zumarraga, he was told to give him time to reflect on all of this, which was clearly very shocking. On the same day, Juan again encountered the beautiful and radiant lady, the Blessed Virgin Mary. He told her of his failure of the assigned mission and told her that he was not an important man and that someone else would have to do it. She insisted that he was the man for the job. On the next day, Juan again went to Bishop de Zumarraga and repeated his request from the previous day. This time, the bishop asked for proof that the lady was the Blessed Virgin Mary. After leaving the bishop, Juan went straight to see the lady on Tepeyac Hill asnd told her what the bishop had said. She told him that she would provide the proof the next day. She instructed Juan to return then for the proof to take to the bishop. However, on the next day, Juan's uncle was sick. Juan was very devoted to his uncle who had raised him. Juan loved him as a son loves a father. Juan stayed home to take care of his uncle. This was December 11, 1531. The next day, Juan took a different route to town to find a priest for his uncle because he did not want to encounter the Blessed Virgin Mary. He was embarassed for having failed to come to her the day before. However, even on this different route, Juan encountered the beautiful and radiant lady. She asked him what was wrong, and he explained that his uncle was sick and he needed to get a priest for his uncle. He promised to return after he found a priest. Then Our Lady said, "No estoy yo aqui que soy tu madre?" (Am I not here, I who am your mother?). At this point, she told Juan that his uncle would recover (and he did). Then Our Lady asked Juan to walk up the hill and collect the flowers at the top of the hill and put them in his tilma (similar to a cloak) and returned to Mary. Despite the arid and near desert conditions there, flowers were growing atop of the hill on rocky land. These roses happened to be Castillian roses which grow only in Spain and were the favorite flower of Bishop de Zumarraga. Juan returned to Our Lady, and she arranged them and sent Juan to Bishop de Zumarraga with the proof of who she was. Juan returned to tjhe bishop and opened his tilma, where the roses fell out. Bishop de Zumarraga was faced with an image of Ourt Lady on the tilma of Juan Diego. Image from https://www.reddit.com/r/pics/comments/5zsscb/the_tilma_of_juan_diego_better_known_as_our_lady/ When Juan returned home, he found his uncle cured and discovered that he, too, had had a vision of Our Lady and she told him that she wanted the name Guadalupe to be part of her name. For a time, Bishop de Zumarraga kept the tilma in a private chapel. However, when the church on Tepeyac Hill opened the next yerar, he put it on permanernt display. Juan moved to a small hermitage on Tepeyac Hill and lived out his life of work and prayer there. He died on December 9, 1548, which was seventeen years to the day after the first apparitiion. He was beatified on May 6, 1990 by Pope Saint John Paul II and canonized on July 31, 2002 also by Pope Saint John Paul II. The Saint Andrew Christmas Novena: Hail and blessed be the hour and moment in which the Son of God was born of the most pure Virgin Mary, at midnight, in Bethlehem, in the piercing cold. In that hour vouchsafe, I beseech Thee, O my God, to hear our prayers and grant our desires, through the merits of Our Saviour Jesus Christ, and of His blessed Mother. Amen. (Prayer copied from EWTN). Join me at 3:30 p.m. Eastern fore the Chaplet of Divine Mercy, to learn about San Juan Diego and to pray the St. Andrew Christmas Novena at: https://www.blogtalkradio.com/the4persons/2023/12/09/divine-mercy-saint-of-the-day-and-daily-update If you want to listen top some great interviews, John Benko and I interviewed the original modern-day Catholic Defender, Steve Ray and we interviewed acclaimed Catholic musical artist Donna Cori Gibson. You can find those interviews at: https://www.blogtalkradio.com/the4persons?fbclid=IwAR0OPOLJeYkhF4JF_mr1gCkjSQ5EEqZ3EO6fdXYwwBs1o-4xU1pBwkRlNgA

I work at a hospital in the Washington DC Tri-state area. The name and specific location of the hospital is not important. I will tell you this. It is a hospital that designates itself as being of Christian affiliation. I will be working- for the first time in my life- on Christmas day. I worked for a Catholic hospital in New Jersey some years back and there was no mistaking. The hospital was resplendant with crosses and statues and iconography especially during holy seasons like Advent and Christmas. In the hospital where I work now, there is nothing that says Christmas in the Christmas decorations. There are no manger scenes, no paintings of baby Jesus, no angels. In fact, even the color scheme of blue and white speaks more of Judaism than Christmas (Green and Red are the traditional Christmas colors). The stated reason for this is that there are many faith traditions in the area and that the desire is....well you know...inclusive...tolerant....respectful. Thus, you allow the secularists to force you to participate in their sterilized Christmas. Am I being to harsh? Hardly. Granted. Many professing Christian demoninations and sects (as the one I am employed with) are not big on icons, statues and such. That's fair. How about a big banner with a relevant scripture passage? For unto us a child is born ~Isaiah 9 Instead, all the decorations, save 1, are distinctly non religious. Winter decorations rather than Christmas. The one, however, is a glaring contradiction. Make no mistake, the Menorah is a religious symbol. It commemorates the religious aspect of Hannukah, the celebration of the rededication of the Temple in Jerusalem. John 10:

Here is a YouTube link to my Friday morning show on the Immaculate Conception You can also find it on my FaceBook page here. https://www.facebook.com/Ken.Litchfield/videos/1428661087863317

I was invited to participate in the Catholic Answers Game Show. It was a great honor and a lot of fun. Here is a link to the show that is available later in the day on December 8th.