The June “subscription development” drive is now, thankfully, over, and the sticky post at the top of the page is gone (yay!).  I cannot express sufficient gratitude for the extreme munificence once again shown by all of you.  All I can do is remind you that the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass is offered for you and your intentions twice per day most days.  Please remember that, especially if you are feeling low, for whatever reason. Twice per day, with Our Lord upon the altar, a priest whispers a commemoration of you – and the entire Church Triumphant joins in the prayer.  And Our Lord hears it, and receives it.  Don’t fear.  Don’t despair.  Don’t lose hope.

Here is an edifying quote:

“But if Mass is offered as intercession for persons while still alive and in the state of grace—i.e., no unrepented serious sin (1 John 5:16), these living persons receive three added benefits not available to the dead, namely:

1) Increase of merit (assigned heavenly joy and glory) forever—CCC 2010).

2) Added sanctifying grace (a deeper sharing in the life of God—2 Pet. 1:4).

3) Actual graces (conscience-nudges to do good and avoid evil—CCC 2000),

The dead cannot “grow spiritually”. Their level of holiness and resultant reward can be increased only before death: “Wherever the tree falls, there it will lie,” as Solomon proverbialized. The state of one’s soul at death “decides its ultimate destiny, as the Catechism (1013) reminds us, for that’s when individual judgment occurs (Heb. 9:27), to be reaffirmed publicly at the Last global Judgment (Matt. 25:46).

Hence, while a Mass offered for a deceased person can provide great relief, a Mass offered for a living person can provide great growth.”

The very, very least I can do for you is pray for your growth in sanctity, and that you be as close to Our Lord in the Beatific Vision as possible.

Starting today, in Thanksgiving, I am going to pray a Novena to the Infant Jesus of Prague, who is in charge of all of my financial “stuff”.  In addition to pure Thanksgiving, I will also pray this Novena for all of you, my Benefactors and Supporters, to ADVANCE IN SANCTITY AND INCREASE IN MERIT, AND FOR A SUPERABUNDANCE OF SANCTIFYING AND ACTUAL GRACES.

Please feel free to join me in this Novena for your own specific intentions.

HERE IS THE TEXT OF THE NOVENA TO BOOKMARK.

Again, thank you from “the bottom of my heart”.

Here is a lovely video of Pope Benedict XVI crowning the Infant Jesus in Prague in ARSH 2009.

Infant Jesus of Prague, have mercy on us, and on Your Holy Church, and on Your Vicar, Pope Benedict XVI.