You are called!

"I think I'll follow the voice that comes within"~ Pilgrim's Theme

 (Composed by: Fr. Manoling Francisco, SJ

Lyrics by: Fr. Johnny C. Go, SJ

Tired of weaving dreams too loose for me to wear
Tired of watching clouds repeat their dance on air
Tired of getting tied to doing what's required
Is life a mere routine in the greater scheme of things?

Through with taking roads someone else designed
Through with chasing stars that soon forget to shine
Through with going through one more day - what's new?
Does my life still mean a thing in the greater scheme of things?

REFRAIN 1:
I think I'll follow the voice that calls within
Dance to the silent song it sings
I hope to find my place
So my life can fall in place
I know in time I'll find my place
In the greater scheme of things

Each must go his way, but how can I decide?
Which path I should take, who will be my guide?
I need some kind of star to lead me somewhere far
To find a higher dream in the greater scheme of things

The road before me bends, I don't know what I'll find
Will I meet a friend or ghosts I left behind?
Should I even be surprised that You're with me in disguise?
For it's Your hand I have seen in the greater scheme of things (REFRAIN 1)

BRIDGE:
For Yours is the voice in my deepest dreams
You are the heart, the very heart
Of the greater scheme of things (REFRAIN 1)

REFRAIN 2:
Why don't we follow the voice that calls within
Dance to the silent song it sings
One day we'll find our place
For all things fall in place
For all things have a place
In the greater scheme of things

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"I have loved you with an everlasting love

I have called you and you are mine!" 

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PRAYER FOR VOCATIONS

Jesus, Son of God,
in whom the fullness of the Divinity dwells,
You call the baptized to ‘put out into the deep,”
taking the path that leads to holiness.
Waken in the hearts of young people the desire
to be witnesses in the world today
to the power of your love.
Fill them with your Spirit of Fortitude and prudence,
so that they may be able to discover the full truth 
about themselves and their own vocation.

Our Saviour,
sent by the Father to reveal His merciful love, 
give to your Church the gift 
of young people who are ready to put out into the deep,
to be the sign among their brothers 
of Your presence which renews and saves.

Holy Virgin, Mother of the Redeemer,
sure guide on the way towards God
and towards neighbor,
You who pondered his word in the depth of your heart,
sustain with your motherly intercession
our families and ecclesial communities,
so that they may help adolescents and young people 
to answer generously the call of the Lord.

Amen.

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Prayer for Vocations: Pope John Paul II 

Oh Jesus, our Good Shepherd, bless all our parishes with numerous priests, deacons, men and women in religious life, consecrated laity and missionaries, according to the needs of the entire world, which You love and wish to save. We especially entrust our community to You; grant us the spirit of the first Christians, so that we may be a cenacle of prayer, in loving acceptance of the Holy Spirit and His gifts. Assist our pastors and all who live a consecrated life. Guide the steps of those who have responded generously to Your call and are preparing to receive holy orders or to profess the evangelical counsels.

Look with love on so many well disposed young people and call them to follow You. Help them to understand that in You alone can they attain to complete fulfillment. To this end we call on the powerful intercession of Mary, Mother and Model of all vocations. We beseech you to sustain our faith with the certainty that the Father will grant what You have commanded us to ask. Amen

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“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways my ways, says the LORD. As high as the heavens are above the earth, so high are my ways above your ways and my thoughts above your thoughts. For just as from the heavens the rain and snow come down And do not return there till they have watered the earth, making it fertile and fruitful, Giving seed to him who sows and bread to him who eats, So shall my word be that goes forth from my mouth; It shall not return to me void, but shall do my will, achieving the end for which I sent it.”

Isaiah 55:6-11 

June 6, 1944 "D-Day!"

The Martin Sisters

                                                                         

Four months after Pauline’s beloved sister Marie died, France was invaded by Nazi Germany. It was a fear cast down by many Frenchmen and a fear that would soon be realized on May 10, 1940. A German dictator by the name of Adolph Hitler decided to invade France. The French army thought that the Germans would attack them on the  French and German border, where they had a strong line of defense. However, the Germans decided to attack France through Belgium instead. The French army made an enormous effort to stop the German army from  penetrating the front lines. However, they were no match to the German arsenal of weapons. On June 22, 1940 the French and German governments signed an Armistice agreement that called for two different zones. One zone occupied by the Germans and the other zone occupied by the French. Unfortunately, Caen and Lisieux were both positioned in the German occupied zone. The Germans setup outposts in most of the major cities in France, Caen and Lisieux being no exception

                            Mère Agnès de Jésus             Seour Genevieve de la Sainte Face

                                (Mother Agnes of Jesus)        (Sr. Genevieve of the Holy Face)

JUNE 6, 1994 ~D-Day "Normandy Landings" Normandy, France,  

landing operations of 

Allied Forces during WWII

~at this time Pauline (Mother Agnes of Jesus, 83) and Celine (Sr. Genevieve of the Holy Face, 75)

After four years of occupation of France by the Germans, the decision by the Allied Forces to invade France was imminent. On June 6, 1944, the first course of action by the Allies was the bombing missions prior to the troops landing on the beaches of Normandy. The barrage of bombs came several hours later, in the middle of the night, upon Lisieux on June 7th destroying two of the main churches as well as a couple other monasteries. The first bombing mission lasted for over forty-five minutes and the majority of the bombs fell on the city center as well as the railway station. The main objective of the Allies was to destroy the transportation routes of the Germans but due to the heavy cloud cover over Lisieux the bombs rained down on the small town indiscriminately.

Later that afternoon the second round of bombings commenced. This time the immediate area around the Carmelite monastery was on fire and they too were now in danger of losing their lives. As Pauline and her Carmelite sisters heard the sounds of the explosions of the bombs, one of the fathers, associated with the monastery, rushed to find Pauline and advised her to leave the monastery immediately with her sisters and take refuge at the Basilica. Pauline agreed to his request and was escorted with her sisters to the Basilica. The only thing Pauline and her sisters were able to take with them, while they were being bombarded, was Therese’s relics. They were forced to leave behind all of the other possessions associated with Therese and all of the work they had accomplished for decades with the risk of losing it forever. About eighty-five bombs landed in the Carmelite gardens, luckily not dropping on the main buildings of the monastery. Their gardens were destroyed, leaving them with little food to eat in the coming days. A barrage of fire had started to commence on the monastery as a result of the bombs. But luckily the fathers were able to put it out saving the monastery and the chapel.

After two days of bombing raids on Lisieux ended, over seven hundred people died including the majority of the nuns at the Benedictine monastery, which housed the relics of Therese’s First Holy Communion. Despite the dangers that were lurking in their sites, all of the Carmelite sisters made it to the Basilica unharmed. Many of the townspeople had already gathered in the crypt of the Basilica when they arrived. It was for Pauline as well as for Celine a great culture shock. They were forced back into the world once more, a world they had abandoned years ago.

Pauline and her Carmelite sisters went to the altar of the crypt and prayed in the chapel dedicated to Our Lady of the Smile. There they set up a temporary place for them to continue their life of prayer. Hours upon hours they would pray numerous prayers for their own safety and also for the safety of all who were involved in the fighting for the liberation of France.

Martin Sisters at Lisieux Carmel
with St. Therese at far right and their cousin Marie Guerin (Front)

Days after the initial bombings, the German army made their retreat from the Normandy beaches and set their sights on many small French towns as they retreated eastward. They made several attempts to regroup their armies so that they could make an attempt to counterattack the Allies invasion on June 8th. An order was sent to the German Panzer division to regroup in Lisieux but due to the Allied bombings, the German army became disoriented. German General Speidel changed his division’s direction from regrouping in Lisieux and turned around and headed to the town of Caen instead. As the fighting went on, a number of the German soldiers, after being separated by the fighting, retreated to Lisieux and took refuge in the upper half of the Basilica. The Germans made many attempts during the fighting to use the townspeople as a buffer between them and the Allies. Pauline and Celine as well as their Carmelite sisters and many of townspeople were also used as a buffer from the Allied forces while they were forced to stay in the crypt of the Basilica. The Germans also gathered up many of the townspeople and forced them to repair the roads and bridges that were destroyed by the Allied bombs.

To get a glance at the town they once knew from childhood, Pauline and Celine walked up the steps to the top of dome of the Basilica. It was very heartbreaking for Pauline to see all of the destruction that lay before them. As tears fell from her eyes, there were only memories left of the town she once knew for most of it was destroyed.

When fighting had stopped temporarily, the Carmelite nuns grouped themselves into pairs of two, risking their lives to try and find some food in Lisieux. Pauline and Celine traveled throughout the ravaged town several times trying to find anyone, which would be willing to share with them some food to eat as well as for their sisters. As they went searching for food, they took the opportunity to go to Les Buissonnets and see whether it survived the bombings, it of course did. When Pauline and Celine reached the door of the house that they once spent their childhood in, many of the fond memories that they had shared resurfaced.

When there was another opportunity for them to venture out in Lisieux, they walked to the cemetery where their family members were buried. Pauline and Celine prayed before the graves of their father and mother as well as their brothers and sisters. They also had the opportunity to see and pay their respects to the Carmelite sisters they once knew while they were in the monastery. These were the first and only times they were able to see what they thought they would never see again in their lifetime.

Due to the Germans having a stronghold in and around Caen, it delayed the liberation of Lisieux until August 23rd. Once the British troops reached the outskirts of Lisieux, word had spread throughout the town that the Allied forces were nearby. On the 21st of August, the British finally reached the outskirts of Lisieux. In the distance, they could hear the bells of the Basilica ringing even though the German army was still occupying the town. Soon, the German army retreated to a ridge overlooking the town, leaving snipers behind. The Germans waited for the British troops to arrive before they started to commence firing mortars on them and the townspeople. The rain delayed the British troops briefly but they soon took control of the town.

When the British troops arrived at the Basilica, their first intentions were to blow it up. Because it was thought that the Germans were still in the Basilica, however, they had already left. By a miracle alone, the British commander ultimately changed his mind and spared the Basilica. After the British troops had complete control of Lisieux on August 24th, it was time for Pauline, Celine and the sisters to return to the monastery. On August 27th, a procession carrying Therese’s relics made its way from the Basilica and back to the Carmelite monastery. It was a day filled with tears by both Pauline and Céline, the worst was finally over.


After they returned to the monastery, there was minor damage done to the monastery compound itself as well as to the Basilica. It was time to repair the damage that was done. Life soon resumed as normal or at least what could be thought of as normal. For years after, the Carmelite monastery and the town of Lisieux were still mending its wounds from the devastation that the war had caused. Much had been lost of the medieval houses that inhabited the town as
well as the damage done to the famous Cathedral. Life was very hard for all.
~source : Martin Sisters

"Normandy is marked by the landings. It is inscribed in people's hearts, in memories, in stone, in rebuilding, in memorial plaques, in street names, everywhere."

- the Rev. Rene-Denis Lemaigre, priest of Lisieux.

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This is the prayer originally entitled "Let Our Hearts Be Stout" written by President Franklin D. Roosevelt as Allied troops were invading German-occupied Europe during World War II. The prayer was read to the Nation on radio on the evening of D-Day, June 6, 1944, while American, British and Canadian troops were fighting to establish five beach heads on the coast of Normandy in northern France.

~The History Place

My Fellow Americans:

Last night, when I spoke with you about the fall of Rome, I knew at that moment that troops of the United States and our Allies were crossing the Channel in another and greater operation. It has come to pass with success thus far.

And so, in this poignant hour, I ask you to join with me in prayer:

Almighty God: Our sons, pride of our nation, this day have set upon a mighty endeavor, a struggle to preserve our Republic, our religion, and our civilization, and to set free a suffering humanity.

to their hearts, steadfastness in their faith.

They will need Thy blessings. Their road will be long and hard. For the enemy is strong. He may hurl back our forces. Success may not come with rushing speed, but we shall return again and again; and we know that by Thy grace, and by the righteousness of our cause, our sons will triumph.

They will be sore tried, by night and by day, without rest -- until the victory is won. The darkness will be rent by noise and flame. Men's souls will be shaken with the violences of war.

For these men are lately drawn from the ways of peace. They fight not for the lust of conquest. They fight to end conquest. They fight to liberate. They fight to let justice arise, and tolerance and goodwill among all Thy people. They yearn but for the end of battle, for their return to the haven of home.

Some will never return. Embrace these, Father, and receive them, Thy heroic servants, into Thy kingdom.

And for us at home -- fathers, mothers, children, wives, sisters, and brothers of brave men overseas, whose thoughts and prayers are ever with them -- help us, Almighty God, to rededicate ourselves in renewed faith in Thee in this hour of great sacrifice.

Many people have urged that I call the nation into a single day of special prayer. But because the road is long and the desire is great, I ask that our people devote themselves in a continuance of prayer. As we rise to each new day, and again when each day is spent, let words of prayer be on our lips, invoking Thy help to our efforts.

Give us strength, too -- strength in our daily tasks, to redouble the contributions we make in the physical and the material support of our armed forces.

And let our hearts be stout, to wait out the long travail, to bear sorrows that may come, to impart our courage unto our sons wheresoever they may be.

And, O Lord, give us faith. Give us faith in Thee; faith in our sons; faith in each other; faith in our united crusade. Let not the keenness of our spirit ever be dulled. Let not the impacts of temporary events, of temporal matters of but fleeting moment -- let not these deter us in our unconquerable purpose.

With Thy blessing, we shall prevail over the unholy forces of our enemy. Help us to conquer the apostles of greed and racial arrogances. Lead us to the saving of our country, and with our sister nations into a world unity that will spell a sure peace -- a peace invulnerable to the schemings of unworthy men. And a peace that will let all of men live in freedom, reaping the just rewards of their honest toil.

Thy will be done, Almighty God. Amen.

I am the little brush that Jesus has chosen to paint

St.Therese's prayer when she was tasked to be the Novice Mistress. Somewhat her prayer is more likely/ or maybe her prayer to God when we go to her praying for her intercession. 

...If an artist’s canvas could but think and speak, surely it would never complain of being touched and re-touched by the brush, nor would it feel envious thereof, knowing that all its beauty is due to the artist alone. So, too, the brush itself could not boast of the masterpiece it had helped to produce, for it must know that an artist is never at a loss; that difficulties do but stimulate him; and that at times it pleases him to make use of instruments the most unlikely and defective. 

                                                    

Dear Mother, I am the little brush that Jesus has chosen to paint His likeness in the souls you have confided to my care.

...From the moment I entered the sanctuary of souls, I saw at a glance that the task was beyond my strength. Throwing myself without delay into Our Lord’s Arms, I imitated those tiny children, who, when they are frightened, hide their faces on their father’s shoulder, and I said:

"Dear Lord, Thou seest that I am too small to feed these little ones, but if through me Thou wilt give to each what is suitable, then fill my hands, and without leaving the shelter of Thine Arms, or even turning away, I will distribute Thy treasures to the soul who come to me asking for food. Should they find it to their taste, I shall know that this is due not to me, but to Thee."

From Chapter 10: The New Commandment

-The Story of the Springtime of a Little White Flower ~St. Therese

Merci Beaucoup Therese!~

I WILL LET fall from heaven ... a shower of roses.

We are Gifts!

Composed by: Fr. Carlo Magno Marcelo 

From the album "Servant of All Jubilaeum A.D. 2000 "

It's been eleven years since the Great Jubilee 2000, (the celebration of the mercy of God and forgiveness of sins) may we always be a Gift & a blessing to others, an instrument to share God's gift, an instrument called to live His words...an instrument to be a light for those who are still blinded by the veil of darkness. Yes! We are His poor Servants, unworthy but despite our unworthiness he doesn't look unto that but to our hearts that we have emptied only for Him "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." (2 Cor 12:9).

Come! dwell in me! Come Holy Spirit! 

....

♪youtube link

Listen

Feel the Love around you and see how God touches you

With His immense and mercy filled call to go

And go where his steps have traced and live his words of love

So we begin to be a light for all to see

We can share the Father's gift to all

We are called to live Christ's grace  so all can share this gift

And filled the world with LOVE....and  PEACE

Let us be a gift to everyone

Let us thank the Lord for all he has done

So that all can be a gift

Blessed broken and shared....and made ONE

We are Gifts

Run the time is short and touch all the Love you see

Don't be afraid to receive the gift and believe

Blessed broken and shared

There's a light that shines and it comes form God's spirit

Our hearts rejoice this jubilee of God's love and grace