c£
\o Xn
\w -h-N ssZh
ngels ARMY
OCTOBER 2014
PRAYER TO THE GUARDIAN ANGEL O my dear guardian Angel, protect me from all dangers. Help me, so that I may remain a beloved child of my Jesus. Safeguard me from all dangers and bad dreams tonight.
PRAYER TO ST. MICHAEL, THE ARCH ANGEL St. Michael the Arch Angel, be our guide and our guard during the time of our spiritual warfare. Protect us from the evil designs of Satan, our enemy. We humbly pray that God rebuke him. O chief of the heavenly army, expel all the wicked spiritual forces that roam the earth with the intention of destroying souls. Drive them to the fires of hell by the power of God.
ANGELS ARMY MAGAZINE
SEPTEMBER 2014
Editor Sunil Elias Executive Editor Preetha Joseph Executive Manager Sinjo P.K. Editorial Board Fr. Cherian Nereveettil, Renny Njarakulam, Tintu Sony Suja Siju Martin Jose, Rose, Mini Wilson, Justin Printer & Publisher Jose Dominic Layout : Diason D’Silva
ANGELS ARMY
Patrons Bishop Mar Raphael Thattil (Chairman, Charismatic Commission, KCBC) Rt. Rev. Dr. Joseph Karikkassery (Charismatic Commission, Vice Chairman, KCBC) Bishop Samuel Mar Irenios (Charismatic Commission, Vice Chairman, KCBC) Spiritual Advisor Rev. Fr. Varghese Manavalan Advisory Board : Rev. Fr. Justin Kaiparambadan, Sr. Sergius, Dr. Edward Edezhath, Baby Chacko, Boney Chellanam Animator Rev. Fr. Abraham Pallivathukal S.J. Jesus Youth, Emmaus, H.M.T.Colony P.O. Kalamassery-683503, Kochi, Kerala Ph: 0484 6444702. Email: info@angelsarmy.in www.angelsarmy.in
The little saint of the Eucharist
St. Tarcisius Have you heard of St. Tarcisius, Martyr of the Eucharist? He was a little boy just like you. At the age of 12, he became a martyr. Do you want to know how this little friend who lived in the 3rd century became a saint? In those days, the Roman Empire was the most well known and strongest empire in the entire world. Valerian was the Roman Emperor. It was a time of great persecution for the Christians in Rome. Christians were thrown in prison, cruelly beaten up, fed alive to wild animals or burnt alive in the streets. They did not have the freedom to pray or offer Holy Mass. So, in order to protect themselves from the pagan Roman soldiers, they 4
OCTOBER 2014
used to dig underground hiding places called "catacombs" in isolated spots, where they used to gather in secret to pray and offer Holy Mass. In spite of maintaining this level of secrecy, they would
sometimes get caught. If caught, they would be severely persecuted and killed. After offering Holy Mass, they had the custom of carefully wrapping the "Holy Eucharist" and carrying it in secret to the Christians in prisons who had been condemned to die. One day, after Holy Mass, there were no grownups around who could carry the Eucharist to the prison. That's when our brave little Tarcisius came forward. The orphan boy said to the priest "I am willing to carry the Eucharist to our brothers in prison. No one would suspect me as I am just a child." The priest tried to make him change his mind as he knew that if Tarcisius would be caught, death would be certain. But the little boy stood by his decision. He carefully hid the Eucharist in his tunic, close to his heart. His joy knew no bounds. He beamed with pride when he thought of the golden opportunity that he had received, to hold his most beloved Jesus close to his heart. He said to Jesus
"My Jesus, you chose me as your messenger. Like your servants in prison, I am also willing to lay down my life for you. I love you so much." On the way, some of his friends saw him. They were the children of the pagans who were persecuting the Christians. They called him to join them for a game. But he told them that he was on an important errand and had no time to play. He hurried to leave. Seeing his worried expression, his friends grew suspicious. They noticed that he was hiding something in his tunic, and were curious to know what it was. They held him tight and would not let him go. During this time, Tarcisius was praying in a low voice "My Jesus, help me....", "My Jesus, strenghten me...." One of the boys heard him pray. He told his friends "He is a Christian. He is hiding some mystery of the Christians in his tunic." This made them more curious and to know what he was hiding, they held him even more tight. Meanwhile, a OCTOBER 2014
5
person who was passing by asked the kids what all the commotion was about. One of them replied in a loud voice "He is a Christian. He is hiding something." Hearing this, the man got furious. He came running to little Tarcisius asking him "Are you a Christian?" and then started beating him severely. Suddenly, a soldier came that way. He drove away the crowd that was attacking Tarcisius. He then came up to Tarcisius and lifted him up. Tarcisius couldn't believe his eyes. He recognized the soldier as the person who used to participate with him in the Holy Mass in the catacombs. Tarcisius said to him "Sir, I am dying. But I kept my Lord safe till now and did not let Him fall into their hands." Handing over the "Eucharist" which he had 6
OCTOBER 2014
hidden in his tunic to the soldier, he continued "Please carry this Precious Treasure safely as soon as possible to our brothers in prison." As soon as he finished saying these words, his little soul, flew to the presence of his God, for whom he had been more than willing to give up his life. His relics have been most reverently preserved in the San Silvestro church in Italy. He is one of the patron saints of First Communicants and his feast day falls on August 15th. Dear little friends of Jesus, do we have the desire to become a saint like St.Tarcisius? Let us try to imitate this little holy soul and say to Jesus in the Most Blessed Sacrament "O My Jesus, I love you. Strengthen me and come to my aid."
5
TIN DE PO AR
RR
ES
ST. M
(Sam's selections of stories from the lives of Saints)
45 years have passed since Martin joined the Dominican friary. His life was dedicated to the service of the poor. Everyone, even the little children of Lima were fond of Brother Martin. Let us continue our story. 60 year old Martin. Brother Martin, you look really happy today in your new robe. Anything special?
I am going to die in four days. I am getting ready for my funeral.
OCTOBER 2014
7
Brother Martin, please take this medicine.
Now, there is no need for any medicine. It is time for me to go to my heavenly abode. Crowds flock to the friary on hearing the news that Brother Martin's days are drawing to a close. The King's Viceroy comes to visit Brother Martin.
Please do not enter his room now. St. Dominic and the Blessed Virgin Mary are speaking to Brother Martin. Martin is truly a saint.
We have to save Brother Martin's life. Do not worry about the cost of treatment. Come, let us go to his room. In that case, we shall wait.
After a while....
Dear Friend, please pray for me that I may perform my duties well.
8
OCTOBER 2014
Certainly. When I go to heaven I will present your case before God.
Before long, Martin passed away. The whole night, those at the friary took turns to pray beside his dead body. His best friend Fr. Cyprian could not control his tears as he stood close to the body of Martin. O Dear friend of my soul! If you are in heaven now, do show us a sign. Do this for me and for all who are heartbroken at your leaving us..
At that very moment, Martin's body became warm and his flesh became soft. The crowds were pressing in to touch the body.
Brother Martin, You are a saint. God has answered your prayers by healing me.
Let us try to follow his example of simplicity, humility and readiness to serve. We shall meet again next month in Martin’s funeral. Till then, Goodbye.
To be Continued.... OCTOBER 2014
9
MARY our dear mother
As it was the holiday time, Amy and little John went to Rosy Aunt’s place as usual. “Where were you Aunty? - We have been looking for you everywhere”. “Oh, I was in my prayer room praying the Rosary.” “Now! Don’t we pray the Rosary just for the evening prayer. Isn’t it boring to say the ‘Hail Mary’ over and over again?” Amy expressed her cynical feelings. “Well it is a good question. Now come on and 10
OCTOBER 2014
sit here; let me explain it to you in detail. Listen, Rosary is not just for the evening prayer. We can pray the Rosary any time in between. As you hold the Rosary tight in one hand, Mother Mary will hold your other hand. Well, don’t you like Mother Mary holding your hand?” “Oh, sure! I would love that. I had no idea that she would be near me when I pray the Rosary, holding my hand. Still I am wondering why we repeat this ‘Hail Mary’ so many times” – asked Amy. “Well, I will explain why” said Rosy. “Each Hail Mary is a powerful weapon against evil. We are repeating the Word of God in each Hail Mary and the Word of God is as powerful as God himself.” “Wow! Isn't that awesome! ” Little John was amazed. “God sent His angel to ask Mother Mary if she was willing to be the Mother of God”. Rosy continued. “Aunty, wasn’t it angel
Gabriel? We learnt that in our Catechism class”, said little John. “Oh yeah, didn’t the angel say ‘Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee’?”, asked Amy. “Very good!, you both are smart kids. It was indeed angel Gabriel and this message was not his idea; it was composed by Father God. When we say these words to the Blessed Virgin Mary, whom God saw as full of grace, we need to join the Holy angel Gabriel, and salute our Mother with much reverence. Now, do you know how the rest of the prayer goes?" “Yeah, ‘blessed are you among women and blessed is the fruit of your womb Jesus’ wasn’t it Elizabeth, Mother Mary’s aunt, who said that?”, Amy asked. “Great! You got it right. Now, Mother Mary went to take care of her aunt Elizabeth. On hearing Mary's greeting, both Elizabeth and the baby in her womb were filled with the Holy Spirit. The baby in her womb leaped with joy. No one had told Elizabeth that Mary was with child. It was the Holy Spirit who
revealed this great secret to Elizabeth and she realized that in her womb, Mary carries the Saviour of the world and that is why she called her ‘blessed among women’. Now, when we pray this with Elizabeth, we too shall be filled with the Holy Spirit and He speaks to us in our hearts. We also get to be wise like Elizabeth and her son.” “Going forward, we pray to the Queen of Heaven and earth to pray for us, now and at the time of our death. On hearing this, our loving Mother instantly acts upon our request. Listen dear children, now onwards, try to pray one more rosary; in addition to the one that you pray for your usual evening prayer. On your way to school, you can pray 10 Hail Mary. Then pray a few during the break and more on your way back from school. Thus, little by little you can pray one additional Rosary during the day. Thereby you can walk hand in hand with our Mother throughout the day!” “Wow...That would be great!”The children were thrilled. OCTOBER 2014
11
“Aunty, Amy tells me that we should bow our heads while praying the Sign of the Cross”. Is that true? “When we say the names of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, we need to do it with much reverence. So, now onwards, please remember to bow while praying the Sign of the Cross.” “Aunty, can you please explain the meaning of the prayer ‘Our Father’ that we pray in the Rosary?” “Once, the disciples asked Jesus to teach them to pray, and this is the prayer that Jesus taught them. Through this prayer Jesus taught us to call God as ‘Our Father’. Remember, this beautiful prayer came out of the mouth of God. His Words are so powerful and creative and he used just His Words and nothing else to create this beautiful world we see around us. When we pray ‘Our Father’ we get to say God's own Words, so powerful and alive and it is a great privilege.” "Wow! I never thought about it like that!" Amy exclaimed. “Now, aunty, I have 12
OCTOBER 2014
another question. Why do we meditate on different mysteries on different days? Isn’t it enough to recite the same mysteries each day?” “See dear children, the complete Rosary includes the joyful mysteries, the luminous mysteries, the sorrowful mysteries and the glorious mysteries. Through all these four mysteries, we meditate on all the major events in the life of Jesus. Rosary is indeed the Bible on a string. As we recall the events of the mysteries and pause to think about them for a moment, we can be drawn into a deeper relationship with God.” "Aunty, now we have a great desire to pray the Rosary." “Do you remember what Jesus on the cross said to John? ‘Behold, your mother’. Isn't it wonderful to have the Mother of Jesus as our Mother too? Let us always ask for the intercession of our heavenly Mother.” “Dear children, let us together pray one Hail Mary right away! ” Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with you..
u u KittM itt
Mittu, why is it very quiet over here?
That's because our Joseph is very sick. He is dying. I didn't know that. He is definitely a holy man! His entire life has been revolving around Mary and Jesus.
Jesus, come over here. Your father seems to be very sick.
Mother..
OCTOBER 2014
13
How blessed are we Mary, to have Jesus in our lives!
Jesus recites the Psalms in a low voice. Lord, look with mercy on me.
Mary, Let the lord bless you.
Father, I want to thank you on behalf of me and my mother. You were a just father for me.
Eternal Father has chosen you as the keeper of Christ and his ark. 14
OCTOBER 2014
Joseph dies. Father, now you go in peace. To eternal rest...
Mittu, this home is so peaceful. Just as Joseph said - if we have Jesus, we have everything. Without him, we have nothing.
Mother, please don't be sad.... Father, you will be glorified. I will come back soon to take you and the forefathers who have gone before you... I will welcome you to glory.
This is the peace that man longs for.
To be continued.... 15
OCTOBER 2014
YOUCAT 360 CCC 2157, 2166
What is the meaning of the Sign of the Cross? Through the Sign of the Cross we place ourselves under the protection of the Triune God.
Child
Grandma
Child Grandma
Child Grandma
Child
16
OCTOBER 2014
: Grandma, my classmate Neha makes the Sign of the Cross on her, and on her book before she begins studying. She says it helps her concentrate on her studies. Could that be true? : It is true, my dear. When we make the Sign of the Cross before we begin something, we are submitting it and surrendering ourselves to God. God then sanctifies everything, we are about to do. Tell me, how do we begin our prayers? : In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of he Holy Spirit. Amen. : See that? By making the Sign of the Cross, we are signifying exactly that; we are nonverbally calling upon the name of the Triune God, who abides with us. : When we surrender our plans to God, He will help us to do them well - right, Grandma? : Definitely. Besides, Prayer also strengthens us in our difficulties. So it is a very good practice to make the Sign of the Cross on our foreheads, on the things we use, and on the food we eat. : Grandma, from now on I will make the Sign of the Cross at the beginning of everything I do - just like Neha.
October 1 - 4 "Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb!" (Luke 1:42) - O Mother of God, grant me the virtue of humility October 5 - 11 "Rejoice always, pray constantly, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you." (1Thessalonians 5:16-18) - O Jesus, help me to live in accordance with your Will.
October 12 - 18 "So for one who knows the right thing to do and does not do it, it is a sin." (James 4:17) O Holy Spirit, help me to discern between good and evil. October 19 - 25 "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." (Philippians 4:13) My Lord! My God! October 26 - 31 "For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for the good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should live in them." (Ephesians 2:10) O God, grant me a merciful heart. OCTOBER 2014
17
Joy of Labour They used to do their work joyfully.
Children, did you pay attention to what I said about the Holy Family? What did I say?
You are correct; the Holy Family , loved to work. How about you? Do each of you love to work?
I don't really like to work, Father.
St.Joseph, Mother Mary and Jesus worked hard for a living.
Father, I love to work hard.
Kids who do their chores with enthusiasm bring joy to their parents. Moreover good work habits will stop children from being lazy. How beautiful are the families where everyone does their work with joy!
18
OCTOBER 2014
Father, everyday, after coming home from school, I spend some time weeding the garden, and watering the plants. I also help my mom mop the floor...sometimes, I even help her in kitchen!
After reaching home Mom, Dad, Father told us today that we need to help our parents, everyday at home.
Hey, How about we make a schedule today itself? In that schedule you can have time for praying, studying, playing and helping.
You are a good boy, Jose! Children, all of you should help your parents at home. A reasonable goal would be . half an hour on school days and one hour on weekends. Next Sunday, I will ask all of you, how you helped your parents at home.
That's good. If you practice doing chores at an early age, you will never be lazy in your life.
Alright, let's do it! Love you Mom and Dad!
OCTOBER 2014
35
c£
ngels \o Xn
kXyw
- h- N ssZh
\w
w mk hniz
ARMY
Quotes by Venerable
Mar Thomas Kurialacherry
• Our days are filled with small incidents. They may appear trivial to us. But for the Bishop, even the smallest incident was a sign reminding him of God's presence in his life. • For example, whenever he saw a hibiscus (shoe flower), he would be reminded of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. • Bishop Kurialacherry’s favorite prayer was "My Jesus, I love You." • While the clock chimes, pray unceasingly. • While entering through a door, pray "Bless me to enter through the doors of heaven." • While opening a window or door, pray "Open the doors of heaven for me." While closing a window or door, pray "Shut the doors of hell to me." • While passing by another person, praise our Lord Jesus who dwells in him or her. • When we lay our eyes upon a crucifix or a picture of a saint, let us remember God and pray the Act of Love "O My God, I love you above all things, with my whole heart and soul, because you are all-good and worthy of all love. I love my neighbor as myself for the love of you. I forgive all who have injured me, and ask pardon of all whom I have injured. Amen. We shall try to put into practice what Venerable Kurialacherry suggests—to pray unceasingly. In every moment, let us pray to God, thanking Him, and remembering Him in everything that we do.
To get Angels Army Magazine by Post Send us your address and phone number or SMS the detail to the following number 9142674490, 0484 6444702 Email: info@angelsarmy.in Ph: 0484 6444702 www.angelsarmy.in