May He Rest In Peace

Please pray for the repose of the soul of my father, Harold "Bill" Bailey. Dad died on Tuesday, April 14 around 3 pm.

I ask you also to pray for my Mom, sisters, and all those who mourn Dad's death.

Pray for me as well. I am finding this very difficult to deal with.

Fr. Scott Bailey, C.Ss.R.

Easter Message and Prayer Request

Dear Friends,

I want to wish you all a blessed and holy Easter. The Paschal Mystery of death and resurrection is one we all encounter in our daily lives to a greater or lesser extent. If we allow God's grace to enter into our hearts we can be transformed in the great and the small here in this life so that we will one day share in the fullness of Redemption with Our Lady and all the saints.

I want to thank all of you who have prayed for my Dad, and once again I am asking you for your prayers for my him, Harold "Bill" Bailey. His doctor told us today that there isn't anything more they can do but keep him comfortable. I ask you to pray to the Divine Mercy and the Immaculate Heart of Mary, our Mother of Perpetual Help, that Dad will die in God's grace. My only regret is that Dad was never received into the Catholic Church though at times he expressed the desire. I would also ask you to pray that if he does so desire, this can happen before he dies.

Please know that I thank all of your for your prayers and best wishes. May the joy of the Resurrection fill your hearts and lives.

Fr. Scott Bailey, C.Ss.R.

Prayer Request

I ask your prayers for my father, Harold "Bill" Bailey, who will be undergoing exploratory surgery today (Friday, March 27). The doctors aren't sure what the issue is and hope to both find the problem and take care of it. I ask that you especially recommend him to our Mother of Perpetual Help and her Immaculate Heart.

Immaculate Heart of Mary, pray for us now and at the hour of our death.

Fr. J. Scott Bailey, C.Ss.R.

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!