Christus natus est nobis, venite adoremus.

Christ is born for us, come let us adore.

Today Christ is born.
Today a Savior appeared.
Today the Angels sang on earth and the Archangels rejoiced.
Today the just exult, saying:
Glory to God in the highest, Alleluia!

A blessed Christmas to all readers of
Mother of Perpetual Help.
May the Divine Infant Jesus
fill your hearts with His
Love, Peace, and Joy.

Fr. Scott Bailey, C.Ss.R.

Pray for Persecuted Christians

Let us recommend to Our Mother of Perpetual Help her children suffering persecution in Orissa, India, at the hands of Hindu extremists who have burned several Catholics alive, gang raped nuns and laywomen, burned dozens of churches and convents and hundreds of homes, and committed other autrocities.

That evil-doers will see the error of their ways and work for the good of all, we pray:
- hear us, O Mary, and come to our help.
That the enemies of the Church, the Body of Christ, will turn from persecuting her to building her up, we pray:
- hear us, O Mary, and come to our help.
That non-Catholics will be enlightened to the darkness of their ways and follow Christ the true and only Light, we pray:
- hear us, O Mary, and come to our help.
For the triumph of holy Church, we pray:
- hear us, O Mary, and come to our help.
That those who suffer persecution for the sake of your Son Jesus Christ will find strength and consolation in His Blood shed upon the Cross, we pray:
- hear us, O Mary, and come to our help.
That the suffering endured by your children will be a means of grace for them and their persecutors, we pray:
- hear us, O Mary, and come to our help.
That in all things, even in these horrible autrocities, God will be glorified, we pray:
- hear us, O Mary, and come to our help.

V. Be to us, O Mary, a helper.
R. A refuge in every trial and need.

Grant, O Lord, that the prayers we pour forth on behalf of our persecuted and suffering brethren through the intercession of our Mother of Perpetual Help, may be heard by Your Divine Majesty. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Comments Are Now Moderated

A fellow blogger who goes by the name of Festes has been leaving blasphemous and disgusting comments on this blog. In one sense I rejoice in this because it indicates that this blog is doing much good in bringing people closer to God. Were this not the case such things would not be happening. However, in another sense I am saddened as this might inhibit people from posting comments and asking for prayers. Thus I have decided to moderate comments so that no evil will be posted.

Festes' Blogger profile indicates that he is a 27 year old male living in Alberta, Canada. He proudly proclaims that he desecrates the Most Blessed Sacrament and other sacred objects. There is only one way to deal with such people. I ask everyone who reads this blog, whether regularly or occasionally to take a moment each day and pray the Hail Mary and the Saint Michael Prayer for Festes. Consciously direct your thoughts to him as you do so asking God to surround him with love and mercy. I also ask those of you who are able to make a Holy Hour of Reparation for the sins and blasphemies of this young man and for his conversion. Remember, the only way for evil to prevail is for the good to do nothing.

For your convenience:

Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee, blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the Fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now, and at the hour of our death. Amen.

Saint Michael the Archangel, defend us in battle. Be our defense against the wickedness and snares of the devil. Rebuke him, O God, we humbly pray and beseech thee. And do thou, O Prince of the Heavenly Host, by the power of God, cast unto hell, satan and all the evil spirits, who prowl about the world and seek the ruin of souls. Amen.
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My Jesus, for all the blasphemies and outrages Thou hast received, we console Thee and implore Thy mercy upon us and those who offend against Thee.
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For the sake of Thy sorrowful Passion, have mercy on us and on the whole world!

Day of Prayer for the Church in China

Today, May 24 is the Feast of Our Lady, Help of Christians. Under this title, the most Blessed Virgin is venerated at the shrine of Sheshan near Shanghai, China. A place of great devotion, thousands of Chinese pilgrims will make their way to this, one of the most important shrines in China dedicated to Our Lady. Because of this, Pope Benedict XVI designated May 24th as a day of prayer for the Church in China in a letter to Chinese Catholics:

"On that same day, the Catholics of the whole world – in particular those who are of Chinese origin – will demonstrate their fraternal solidarity and solicitude for you, asking the Lord of history for the gift of perseverance in witness, in the certainty that your sufferings past and present for the Holy Name of Jesus and your intrepid loyalty to his Vicar on earth will be rewarded, even if at times everything can seem a failure."

Let us join our brothers and sisters throughout the world on this day of prayer for Chinese Catholics by praying this prayer to Our Lady of Sheshan composed by Pope Benedict:

Virgin Most Holy, Mother of the Incarnate Word and our Mother,

venerated in the Shrine of Sheshan under the title "Help of Christians",

the entire Church in China looks to you with devout affection.

We come before you today to implore your protection.

Look upon the People of God and, with a mother’s care,

guide them along the paths of truth and love,

so that they may always be a leaven of harmonious coexistence

among all citizens.

When you obediently said "yes" in the house of Nazareth,

you allowed God’s eternal Son to take flesh in your virginal womb

and thus to begin in history the work of our redemption.

You willingly and generously cooperated in that work,

allowing the sword of pain to pierce your soul,

until the supreme hour of the Cross,

when you kept watch on Calvary, standing beside your Son,

who died that we might live.

From that moment, you became, in a new way,

the Mother of all those who receive your Son Jesus in faith

and choose to follow in his footsteps by taking up his Cross.

Mother of hope, in the darkness of Holy Saturday

you journeyed with unfailing trust towards the dawn of Easter.

Grant that your children may discern at all times,

even those that are darkest,

the signs of God’s loving presence.

Our Lady of Sheshan,

sustain all those in China, who, amid their daily trials,

continue to believe, to hope, to love.

May they never be afraid to speak of Jesus to the world,

and of the world to Jesus.

In the statue overlooking the Shrine you lift your Son on high,

offering him to the world with open arms in a gesture of love.

Help Catholics always to be credible witnesses to this love,

ever clinging to the rock of Peter on which the Church is built.

Mother of China and all Asia, pray for us, now and for ever. Amen!

Our Lady of Sheshan, Help of Christians, pray for us!

Prayer Request

Please keep Senator Ted Kennedy (D) of Massachusetts in your prayers. He has just been diagnosed with brain cancer. He may have anywhere from a few months to a few years to live. He is in great need of our Mother of Perpetual Help.

I know that many Catholics have difficulty with Senator Kennedy because some of his political positions are contrary to Church teaching. Do consider that he is elected to represent a constituency. This puts him between the proverbial rock and hard place. As a politician he must accurately work for the concerns of those whom he represents. As a Catholic he must accept the teaching of the Church. In a perfect world these two facets would not be in opposition. We do not live in a perfect world. And none of us are privy to the struggles of conscience he or any politician must endure in such a situation. So I ask that you not comment on his political or moral positions. Should that happen I will close the comment boxes. This is strictly a devotional blog.

If people offer prayerful support either through the the comment box or the guest book I will transcribe them and forward them to the senator.

Fr. Scott Bailey, C.Ss.R.

May Devotions

At our affiliated blog, Evening Devotions, you will find a daily reflection for the Month of May taken from the Glories of Mary by Saint Alphonsus de Liguori. Please pass this information on to your families and friends as a wonderful way to honor our Blessed Lady during the monthe dedicated to her.

Hymn to Our Mother of Perpetual Succour (Help)

Mary from Thy sacred image, With those eyes so sadly sweet,
Mother of Perpetual Succour See us kneeling at Thy feet.
In Thine arms Thy Child Thou bearest, Source of all Thy joy and woe;
What Thy bliss, how deep Thy sorrows, Mother, Thou Alone canst know.

On Thy face He is not gazing, Nor on us is turned His glance,
For His anxious look He fixes On the Cross, and reed and lance.
To Thy hand His hands are clinging, As a child would cling in fear;
Of that vision of the torment, Of His passion drawing near.

And for Him Thine eyes are pleading, While to us they look and cry,
"Sinners, see My Child, your Saviour, Who for love of you will die!"
Yes, we hear Thy words, sweet Mother But poor sinners we are weak;
At Thy feet Thy helpless children, Thy perpetual succour seek.

Succour us when stormy passions Sudden rise within the heart;
Quell the tempest, calm the billows, Peace secure to us impart.
Through this life of weary exile, Succour us in every need;
And when death shall come to free us, Succour us, ah, then indeed!