The Unprofitable Servant: Blog Abstinence Friday

Sunday, February 13, 2011

Blog Abstinence Friday

Having a blog is a wonderful thing. I can write about anything I want and people are free to read it or ignore it. Sometimes, it's little too much of a good thing. I don't watch television except for sports and some news here and there. I would hope this blog offers something worthwhile, but let's face it. The world will go on without my drivel, like talking about my job or my menagerie of kids and/or animals. Truth be told, I enjoy blogging just a little too much. Maybe if I had been doing this for a few years and had hundreds of followers like the Crescat, I could complain of boredom, but I'm in a different place. I look forward to signing on and sharing some burning thought or revelation.

In light of the horror that has made Philadelphia the epicenter of moral decay, perhaps you will join me in making this Friday a day of blog abstinence. We will use the time we normally spend reading our favorite blogs, commenting and posting, in prayer for all the outrages committed against the Sacred Heart of Jesus, particularly here in the City of Brotherly Love.

What do you say? Will you join me? We will abstain from reading and writing on Friday, February 18th. We will offer this small sacrifice in reparation. Can you get the word out to other bloggers?

God Bless you

10 comments:

JulieFebruary 13, 2011 at 5:06 PM
Sounds good.
And by the way, I very much enjoy your blog. It enhances my day.
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TLWFebruary 13, 2011 at 6:38 PM
Thank you Julie, that's so kind of you. Let's keep each other in prayer.
Joyce
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Kathy Felsted UsherFebruary 13, 2011 at 7:10 PM
I can do this too- could you post a reminder on Thursday.. . if you can. Any suggestions on prayers, readings etc?

I suggested to my husband that for Lent we need to do a couple of things every day- of course the diet and exercise thing, but I thought some joint readings might be good. I'm not used to doing that so I suggested something like the Psalms; however, maybe this would be better. You're really good at it. Any suggestions for a weekly cause and links to appropriate readings/prayers?
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CarolineFebruary 13, 2011 at 7:22 PM
I think it's a great idea. You can count on me to lay down the blogs on Friday.
Prayer is much better than anything I would have to say anyways.
I'm a lapsed Catholic too..love your blog.
+PAX
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TLWFebruary 13, 2011 at 7:30 PM
Kathy, something that might be really easy is to read Morning and Evening Prayer together. You could start with one of those and see how it goes before deciding whether or not to add the other. You and your husband can alternate reading the verses, e.g. he reads the first third and fifth verses, etc you read the second fourth and sixth, etc. You can alternate doing the readings, and pray some of the prayers together, like the Our Father. You can go to a Catholic online bookstore like Leaflet Missal Company and find "Shorter Version of Christian Prayer", which is an abbreviate breviary that many lay people use. It will contain all the necessary readings and psalms. With it should come a St. Joseph's Guide which will tell you on what page to find that day's prayers, readings, etc. I'm sure if you Google Liturgy of the Hours, you can find Morning Prayer or Vespers online and you won't have to buy the books or the guide, unless you would just like to have them.

As for a cause, you can think about someone who is in need of conversion. It can be a public figure, like perhaps a Catholic politician who supports abortion, and the two of you can pray for that person by name and perhaps do some small penance, like skip morning coffee that day or some other act of sacrifice and offer it for their intention. There are many "little ways" that could endure a penance that no one would even know about. For instance, dressing in one layer less than you're comfortable in when going out of doors, or wearing an extra sweater in the house when you're already warm. Just little things because as St. Therese said, "God does not look so much at the greatness of our acts as the love with which we do them."

Hope that helps and yes, I'll post a reminder on Thursday.

Joyce
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Mary ChristineFebruary 13, 2011 at 7:50 PM
Hmmmm. Interesting.
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TLWFebruary 13, 2011 at 7:54 PM
Hi Caroline, thank you very much for your kind comments. Is "Bell of the Wanderer" your blog? I confess I have not seen that one before but now that I have, I will visit often. It's beautiful!
In Him
Joyce
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CarolineFebruary 13, 2011 at 8:05 PM
Hi Joyce..yes, that's my blog..I've not been around long, but consider it a joy to be able to help people know the love of Jesus in our great church. Thanks for visiting.
+PAX
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MannyFebruary 13, 2011 at 8:35 PM
I will try too, but I will also need a reminder...lol. I get on the computer by habit. I will dedicate those Friday prayers to the souls of the aborted. I can't pray for politicians. Most don't deserve it. (Only kidding :-P)
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KellyFebruary 14, 2011 at 6:55 AM
Lovely idea Joyce! I'm in. A quiet, prayerful Friday. (I probably will post my 7 quick takes on Thursday night then, LOL. I am just getting started with that). Caroline, looking forward to checking out your blog!
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Mary, Queen of Peace

Ever glorious and blessed Mary, Queen of Virgins, Mother of Mercy, hope and comfort of dejected and desolate souls, through that sword of sorrow which pierced thy tender heart whilst thine only Son, Christ Jesus, our Lord, suffered death and ignominy on the cross; through that filial tenderness and pure love He had for thee, grieving in thy grief, whilst from His cross He recommended thee to the care and protection of His beloved disciple, St. John, take pity, I beseech thee, on my poverty and necessities; have compassion on my anxieties and cares; assist and comfort me in all my infirmities and miseries, of every kind whatsoever. Thou art the Mother of Mercies, the sweet comforter and only refuge of the needy and the orphan, of the desolate and afflicted. Cast, therefore, an eye of pity on a miserable, forlorn child of Eve, and hear my prayer; for since, in just punishment of my sins, I find myself encompassed by a multitude of evils, and oppressed with much anguish of spirit, wither can I fly for more secure shelter, O amiable Mother of my Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, than under the wings of thy maternal protection? Attend, therefore, I beseech thee, with an ear of pity and compassion, to my humble and earnest request. I ask it, through the bowels of mercy of thy dear Son; Through that love and condescension wherewith He embraced our nature, when, in compliance with the divine Will, thou gavest thy consent, and whom, after the expiration of nine months thou didst bring forth from the chaste enclosure of thy womb, to visit the world, and bless it with His presence. I ask it, through that anguish of mind wherewith thy beloved Son, our dear Saviour, was overwhelmed on the Mount of Olives, when He besought His eternal Father to remove from Him, if possible, the bitter chalice of His future passion. I ask it, through the threefold repetition of His prayers in the garden, whence afterwards, with dolorous steps and mournful tears, thou didst accompany Him to the doleful theatre of His death and sufferings. I ask it, through the welts and bruises of His virginal flesh, occasioned by the cords and whips wherewith He was bound and scourged, when stripped of His seamless garment, for which His executioners afterwards cast lots. I ask it, through the scoffs and ignominies by which He was insulted; the false accusations and unjust sentence by which He was condemned to death, and which He bore with heavenly patience. I ask it, through His bitter tears and bloody sweat; His silence and resignation; His sadness and grief of heart. I ask it, through the blood which trickled from His royal and Sacred Head, when struck with the sceptre of a reed and pierced with His crown of thorns. I ask it, through the excruciating torments He suffered, when His hands and feet were fastened with gross nails to the tree of the cross. I ask it, through His vehement thirst, and bitter potion of vinegar and gall. I ask it, through His dereliction on the cross when He exclaimed, "My God! my God! why hast Thou forsaken me?" I ask it, through His mercy extended to the good thief, and through His recommending His precious soul and spirit into the hands of His eternal Father before He expired, saying, "It is consummated." I ask it, through the blood mixed with water, which issued from His Sacred Side when pierced with a lance, and whence a flood of grace and mercy has flowed to us. I ask it, through His immaculate life, bitter passion and ignominious death on the cross, at which nature itself was thrown into convulsions, by the bursting of rocks, rending of the veil of the Temple, the earthquake, and the darkness of the sun and moon. I ask it, through His descent into hell, where He confronted the Saints of the old law with His presence, and led the captivity captive. I ask it, through His glorious victory over death, when He arose again to life on the third day, and through the joy which His appearance for forty days after gave thee, His blessed Mother, His Apostles, and the rest of His Disciples; when in thine and their presence He miraculously ascended into heaven. I ask it, through the grace of the Holy Spirit, infused into the hearts of His Disciples, when He descended upon them in the form of fiery tongues, and by which they were inspired with zeal in the conversion of the world, when they went to preach the gospel. I ask it, through the awful appearance of thy Son, at the last dreadful day, when He shall come to judge the living and the dead, and the world, by fire. I ask it, through the compassion He bore thee in His life, and the unspeakable joy thou didst feel at thine assumption into heaven, where thou art eternally absorbed in the sweet contemplation of His divine perfections. O glorious and ever blessed Virgin! comfort the heart of thy supplicant, by obtaining for me, (Mention your prayer intention here...) And as I am persuaded my Divine Saviour doth honour thee as His beloved Mother, to whom He refuses nothing, because thou asketh nothing contrary to His honour, so let me speedily experience the efficacy of thy powerful intercession, according to the tenderness of thy maternal affection, and His filial loving heart, who mercifully granteth the requests and complieth with the desires of those that love and fear Him. Wherefore, O most blessed Virgin, beside the object of my present petition, and whatever else I may stand in need of, obtain for me also of thy dear Son, our Lord and our God, a lively faith, firm hope, perfect charity, true contrition of heart, unfeigned tears of compunction, sincere confession, condign satisfaction, abstinence from sin, love of God and my neighbour, contempt of the world, patience to suffer affronts and ignominies, nay, even, if necessary, an opprobrious death itself, for love of thy Son, our Saviour Jesus Christ. Obtain likewise for me, O sacred Mother of God, perseverance in good works, performance of good resolutions, mortification of self-will, a pious conversation through life, and, at my last moments, strong and sincere repentance, accompanied by such a lively and attentive presence of mind, as may enable me to receive the last Sacrament of the Church worthily, and die in thy friendship and favour. Lastly, obtain through thy Son, I beseech thee, for the souls of my parents, brethren, relatives and benefactors, both living and dead, life everlasting, from the only Giver of every good and perfect gift, the Lord God Almighty, to Whom be all power now and forever. Amen.

Prayer of St. Bonaventure

Pierce, O most sweet Lord Jesus, my inmost soul with the most joyous and healthful wound of Thy love, and with true, calm and most holy apostolic charity, that my soul may ever languish and melt with entire love and longing for Thee, may yearn for Thee and for thy courts, may long to be dissolved and to be with Thee.
Grant that my soul may hunger after Thee, the Bread of Angels, the refreshment of holy souls, our daily and super substantial bread, having all sweetness and savor and every delightful taste.
May my heart ever hunger after and feed upon Thee, Whom the angels desire to look upon, and may my inmost soul be filled with the sweetness of Thy savor; may it ever thirst for Thee, the fountain of life, the fountain of wisdom and knowledge, the fountain of eternal light, the torrent of pleasure, the fullness of the house of God;
may it ever compass Thee, seek Thee, find Thee, run to Thee, come up to Thee, meditate on Thee, speak of Thee, and do all for the praise and glory of Thy name, with humility and discretion, with love and delight, with ease and affection, with perseverance to the end; and be Thou alone ever my hope, my entire confidence, my riches, my delight, my pleasure, my joy, my rest and tranquility, my peace, my sweetness, my food, my refreshment, my refuge, my help, my wisdom, my portion, my possession, my treasure; in Whom may my mind and my heart be ever fixed and firm and rooted immovably. Amen.

What You Read On This Blog....

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God Bless You!

The Unprofitable Servant

Sunday, February 13, 2011

Blog Abstinence Friday

10 comments:

Mary, Queen of Peace

St Michael the Archangel

St. Mary Magdalene de Pazzi

St. Teresa Benedicta of The Cross