Wednesday after the Third Sunday after the Epiphany.

Twenty-sixth day for the Preparation of Total Consecration.
Eighth day for the Chair of Unity prayers.
Second day for the Novena to Our Lady of Success.

Wednesday after the Third Sunday after the Epiphany.
On the Reasons for the Loss of Jesus.

PRAYER BEFORE MEDITATION.

My God, I firmly believe that Thou art here present. I acknowledge that on account of my many sins I am utterly unworthy to appear before Thy sacred countenance. Yet, confiding in Thy infinite goodness and mercy, I venture to address Thee, to call upon Thy holy name, and meditate upon Thy commandments, in order that I may acquire a better knowledge of Thy holy will, and accomplish it with more fidelity. Wherefore enlighten my understanding that I may perceive what I ought to do or leave undone for the promotion of Thy glory and my own salvation; at the same time excite my will, that I may repent with my whole heart of my past sins, and resolve for the future to do all that Thou requirest of me. Grant me above all to know Jesus, my divine Teacher and Guide, more clearly, that I may love Him more dearly, and consequently labor, struggle and suffer with greater generosity and self-sacrifice in imitation of His example. Holy Mary, Mother of God and my Mother, show Jesus to me now, and let me study thy divine Son to the salvation of my soul. Holy Guardian Angel, keep far from me all distracting thoughts; my patron saint, come to my assistance. Amen.

Wednesday after the Third Sunday after the Epiphany.
On the Reasons for the Loss of Jesus.

Represent to yourself forcibly once again, my soul, the great misfortune, the harm, the misery, which the loss of Jesus and His grace occasions; learn to gauge it aright by the grief and distress which, as you saw yesterday, Joseph and Mary experienced when He was lost, and then examine into the causes which brought about that sorrowful loss.

1st. Consider first that the divine Child Jesus was not lost by His parents on the way up to Jerusalem, but in going down from Jerusalem. Observe this point attentively: As long as the pilgrimage of your life is in an upward direction, while you are journeying towards the heavenly Jerusalem, as long as you are animated by higher aspirations, by the eager desire to progress onward, you need entertain no fear that you will lose Jesus. But if you begin to grow lax and negligent in the spiritual life, if you begin to tend downwards, to consider venial sins of no account, the violation of the Rule a matter of little moment, then you are in the greatest danger of losing Jesus. Look into your own heart, and see whether your every fall into sin was not preceded by more or less indifference and lack of earnest striving to do right; then warned by this meditation, return to-day to your former fervor.

2d. Consider that Joseph and Mary lost the divine Child because they believed Him to be in safe guardianship. The pious pilgrims travelled in well-regulated companies, men and women apart. Thus, Joseph thought the divine Child was with Mary, and on the other hand His blessed Mother imagined Him to be in Joseph’s company. Hence trusting overmuch to probability, they made too sure of His safety. Here you see a second reason why Jesus is often lost. It is through false security. There are many who lose Jesus and His grace because they do not regard such a loss as possible, and they despise or at least underrate the danger that threatens them. Instead of working out their salvation in fear and trembling, as the Apostle bids them, they go on their way with as much self-confidence as if it were quite impossible for them to fall. Despite all the warnings they have received they think there is nothing wrong in making the acquaintance of this person or that; they consider that there is no peril for them in looking at dangerous persons of the other sex, or even in conversing in an intimate manner with them, for they are not weak, but strong; they tell themselves that it is after all no mortal sin to indulge their inclination somewhat more freely; and thus they gradually rock themselves to slumber in a false security; they play with fire until all of a sudden their soul bursts into flame, and Jesus Christ is lost to them. Now, my soul, acknowledge this yourself: when do you examine your conscience with an easier mind – at the close of the day when on rising in the morning you said confidently to yourself, all will go well with me to-day; to-day I shall be safe enough – or on the evening of the day at the commencement of which you humbly and not without timidity entreated our Lord and the blessed saints to grant you assistance and protection throughout the day?

3d. Consider that Jesus is lost in the bustling throng. Joseph did not lose the sweet Child Jesus in the little town of Bethlehem, on the way through the solitary, desolate wilderness, or in the quiet village of Nazareth; no, but in Jerusalem, whither the people flocked in great numbers from all sides, so that the town was very much crowded, there even the holy Virgin, careful and anxious as she was, lost sight of her divine Child. In the quietude of the cloister, in the solitude of your cell, in the retirement of prayer, in silence, reflection and recollection, you may rest assured that you will possess Jesus. But if you once begin to look with a longing eye beyond the walls of the convent which affords you such secure protection, if but for once you mix in the turmoil and tumult of the world, or if you admit that same world into the cloister or into your heart by indulging in idle, useless thoughts, in frivolous conversation or gossip, oh then you will soon have cause to lament bitterly and bewail the loss of Jesus, the loss of His consolations and of His grace.

PRAYER AFTER MEDITATION.

My God, I give Thee heartfelt thanks for all the graces and all the light Thou hast conferred on me during this meditation. Pardon me all the negligence and the distractions of which I have been guilty, and give me strength to carry out the resolutions that I have made. Fortify me, that from henceforth I may diligently practise this virtue . . . avoid this fault . . . perform this action . . . to Thy honor. Help me to do this, sweet Virgin Mary; and if I ever forget my good resolutions, I entreat my Angel Guardian to recall them to my memory. Amen.

_________________________________________________

Litany of the Most Holy Name of Jesus

Lord, have mercy on us.
Christ, have mercy on us.
Lord, have mercy on us.
Jesus, hear us.
Jesus, graciously hear us.
God, the Father of Heaven, have mercy on us.
God the Son, Redeemer of the world, have mercy on us.
God, the Holy Ghost, have mercy on us.
Holy Trinity, one God, have mercy on us.
Jesus, Son of the living God, have mercy on us.
Jesus, splendor of the Father, have mercy on us.
Jesus, brightness of eternal light, have mercy on us.
Jesus, King of glory, have mercy on us.
Jesus, sun of justice, have mercy on us.
Jesus, Son of the Virgin Mary, have mercy on us.
Jesus, most amiable, have mercy on us.
Jesus, most admirable, have mercy on us.
Jesus, the mighty God, have mercy on us.
Jesus, father of the world to come, have mercy on us.
Jesus, Angel of great counsel, have mercy on us.
Jesus, most powerful, have mercy on us.
Jesus, most patient, have mercy on us.
Jesus, most obedient, have mercy on us.
Jesus, meek and humble of heart, have mercy on us.
Jesus, lover of Chastity, have mercy on us.
Jesus, lover of us, have mercy on us.
Jesus, God of peace, have mercy on us.
Jesus, author of life, have mercy on us.
Jesus, example of virtues, have mercy on us.
Jesus, zealous lover of souls, have mercy on us.
Jesus, our God, have mercy on us.
Jesus, our refuge, have mercy on us.
Jesus, father of the poor, have mercy on us.
Jesus, treasure of the faithful, have mercy on us.
Jesus, good Shepherd, have mercy on us.
Jesus, true light, have mercy on us.
Jesus, eternal wisdom, have mercy on us.
Jesus, infinite goodness, have mercy on us.
Jesus, our way and our life, have mercy on us.
Jesus, joy of the Angels, have mercy on us.
Jesus, King of the Patriarchs, have mercy on us.
Jesus, Master of the Apostles, have mercy on us.
Jesus, Teacher of the Evangelists, have mercy on us.
Jesus, strength of Martyrs, have mercy on us.
Jesus, light of Confessors, have mercy on us.
Jesus, purity of Virgins, have mercy on us.
Jesus, crown of all Saints, have mercy on us.
Be merciful, spare us, O Jesus!
Be merciful, graciously hear us, O Jesus!
From all evil, deliver us, O Jesus.
From all sin, deliver us, O Jesus.
From Thy wrath, deliver us, O Jesus.
From the snares of the devil, deliver us, O Jesus.
From the spirit of fornication, deliver us, O Jesus.
From everlasting death, deliver us, O Jesus.
From the neglect of Thine inspirations, deliver us, O Jesus.
By the mystery of Thy holy Incarnation, deliver us, O Jesus.
By Thy Nativity, deliver us, O Jesus.
By Thine Infancy, deliver us, O Jesus.
By Thy most divine life, deliver us, O Jesus.
By Thy labors, deliver us, O Jesus.
By Thine agony and Passion, deliver us, O Jesus.
By Thy Cross and dereliction, deliver us, O Jesus.
By Thy sufferings, deliver us, O Jesus.
By Thy death and burial, deliver us, O Jesus.
By Thy Resurrection, deliver us, O Jesus.
By Thine Ascension, deliver us, O Jesus.
By Thine institution of the most Holy Eucharist, deliver us, O Jesus.
By Thy joys, deliver us, O Jesus.
By Thy glory, deliver us, O Jesus.
Lamb of God, Who takest away the sins of the world, spare us, O Jesus!
Lamb of God, Who takest away the sins of the world, hear us, O Jesus!
Lamb of God, Who takest away the sins of the world, have mercy on us, O Jesus!
Jesus, hear us.
Jesus, graciously hear us.
Let Us Pray.

O Lord Jesus Christ, who has said, Ask and ye shall receive, seek, and ye shall find, knock, and it shall be opened unto you, mercifully attend to our supplications, and grant us the gift of Thy divine charity, that we may ever love Thee with our whole heart and with all our words and deeds, and may never cease from praising Thee.

Make us, O Lord, to have a perpetual fear and love of Thy holy Name, for Thou never failest to help and to govern those whom Thou dost bring up in Thy steadfast love: who livest and reignest forever and ever. Amen.

– Raccolta 113

An indulgence of 7 years.

A plenary indulgence once a month on the usual conditions, for the daily and devout recitation of this litany (S. C. Ind., Jan. 16, 1886; S. P. Ap., Jan. 2, 1933).

_________________________________________________

Prayer in honor of the Most Holy Name

O sweet Name of Jesus, holy above all names in heaven and on earth, and to which every knee, both of men and of angels in heaven, on earth and in hell bends. Thou are the the way of the just, the glory of the saints, the hope of those in need, the balm of the sick, the love of the devout and the consolation of those that suffer.
O Jesus be to me a help and a protector so that Thy Name may be blessed for all times. – Thomas A. Kempis

_________________________________________________

Prayer of Reparation in Praise of the Holy Name of God entitled:
“The Golden Arrow”

May the most holy, most sacred, most adorable, most incomprehensible and unutterable Name of God be always praised, blessed, loved, adored and glorified in heaven on earth and under the earth, by all the creatures of God, and by the Sacred Heart of our Lord Jesus Christ in the most Holy Sacrament of the altar. Amen.

_________________________________________________

Prayer in honor of the Holy Name

O my Jesus, Thou art the Savior who hast given Thy blood and Thy life for me, I pray Thee to write Thy adorable name on my poor heart; so that having it always imprinted in my heart by love, I may also have it ever on my lips, by invoking it in all my necessities. If the devil tempts me, Thy name will give me strength to resist him; if I lose confidence, Thy name will animate me to hope; if I am in affliction, Thy name will comfort me, by reminding me of all Thou hast endured for me. If I find myself cold in Thy love, Thy name will inflame me by reminding me of the love Thou hast shown me. Hitherto I have fallen into so many sins, because I did not call on Thee; from henceforth Thy name shall be my defense, my refuge, my hope, my only consolation, my only love. Thus do I hope to live, and so do I hope to die, having Thy name always on my lips.
Most holy Virgin, obtain for me the grace of invoking the name of Thy Son Jesus in all my necessities, together with thine own, my Mother Mary; but let me invoke them always with confidence and love, so that I may be able also to say to thee as did the devout Alphonsus Rodriguez: “Jesus and Mary, may I suffer for thee; may I die for thee; may I be wholly thine, and in nothing my own!” O my beloved Jesus! O Mary, my beloved Lady! give me the grace to suffer and to die for thy love. I will be no longer my own, but altogether thine; thine in life, and thine in death, when I hope by thy help to expire saying, Jesus and Mary, help me! Jesus and Mary, I recommend myself to thee; Jesus and Mary, I love thee, and I give and deliver up to thee my whole soul. Amen.

The Incarnation, Birth and Infancy of Jesus Christ by St. Alphonsus de Liguori. p. 163 (Imprimatur 1927)

_________________________________________________

Copyright © Holy Cross Publications, 2013 – 2023. All rights reserved. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this site’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Holy Cross Publications with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.