FATIMA CELL PROGRAM FOR MAY

THEME – THE GLORIES OF MARY, OUR OWN DEAR MOTHER AND MAJESTIC QUEEN:

* Study afresh the life of your Heavenly Mother, Her integral role in the Divine Plan for the Redemption and Salvation of mankind, and Her apparitions – which testify to Her tender, constant, powerful, loving patronage.
* Fervent and zealous participation of all Fatima Crusaders in special daily devotions in Her honor.
* Ardent and loving participation in May processions and crownings honoring Our Lady, especially on the 100th Anniversary of her First Apparition at Fatima – and the Feast of Her Queenship – May 31.
* Total Consecration to Mary – the De Montfort "Holy Slavery of Love" – the precise fulfillment of Our Lady's request at Fatima for consecration to Her Immaculate Heart; truly living as a consecrated slave of Mary.

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OPENING PRAYERS: * Come Holy Ghost * The Rosary with meditation on each mystery

* The Litany of Our Lady of Loreto * Prayer to St. Michael the Archangel

* Prayer to St. Joseph after the Rosary * Hymn: 'Tis the Month of Our Mother

* Prayer to Our Lady of Fatima

MEDITATION: * from True Devotion to Mary; or The Path of Mary.

STUDY & DISCUSS: * Officer's reports; Cell Memos; reading of the Salve Maria Regina Bulletin.

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First Meeting:

  1. THE TRADITIONAL CATHOLIC LITURGY: Review the articles on the Feast of the Apparition of St. Michael the Archangel and Feast of Sts. Philip and James, Apostles (10 min. report; 5 min. discussion). Reference: See links above.
  2. MARY IN DOCTRINE AND DEVOTION: Review devotion to Mary under these titles: Our Lady of Pompeii, May 7; Our Lady of the Most Blessed Sacrament, May 13 and Mary, Queen of the Apostles, May 19 (10 min. report; 5 min. discussion). Reference: See links above.
  3. COURT OF OUR HEAVENLY QUEEN: We cannot hope to dwell one day in the Heavenly Court of Our Immaculate Queen unless we strive diligently in the pursuit of holiness. The blessed who already dwell in Her Heavenly Court are inspirations for us in this pursuit of that life of holiness to which Jesus calls everyone. Read the following list of feasts, and choose 2-3 saints to reflect upon during this meeting: St. Athanasius; St. Pius V; St. John before the Latin Gate; St. Stanislaus of Cracow; St. Achatius; St. Gregory Nazianzen. (15 min. report & reflection; discuss briefly the lessons learned and virtues taught by their lives, and how to practically apply these virtues in our own daily lives.) Reference: The Fourteen Holy Helpers by Fr. Hammer; see links above.

Second Meeting:

  1. THE LITTLE FLOWER OF JESUS – ST. THERESE OF LISIEUX: Discuss the seventh in the series – Lovers of St. Therese Love Mary (10 min. report; 5 min. discussion). Reference: See link above.
  2. LIVING THE MESSAGE OF FATIMA: The 100th Anniversary of the First Apparition of Our Lady on May 13, 1917; study Her words to the Fatima children on this occasion. Focus especially on Our Lady's request for souls to willingly and lovingly make reparation for sin. Examine how the little children responded so generously to Our Lady's plea by offering up heroic sacrifices of physical penance (and persecution) for the conversion of poor sinners and for the Holy Father (10 min. report, 5 min. discussion). Reference: "Our Lady Came to Fatima, the First Apparition".
  3. COURT OF OUR HEAVENLY QUEEN: Choose 2-3 saints to reflect upon during this meeting: St. Simon Stock; St. John Nepomucene; St. Andrew Bobola; St. Paschal Baylon; St. Bernardine of Siena; St. Rita of Cascia; St. Gregory VII (10 min. report and reflection; discuss briefly the lessons learned and virtues taught by their lives, and how to practically apply these virtues in our own daily lives.) Reference: See links above.

Third Meeting:

  1. THE TRADITIONAL CATHOLIC LITURGY: Review the articles on the Rogation Days and Ascension Thursday, May 25 (10 min. report & discussion). Reference: See links above.
  2. MARY, HELP OF CHRISTIANS:Review the articles on this Title and Feast – Mary, Help of Christians (10 min. report, 5 min. discussion). Reference: Salve Maria Regina No. 152; Salve Maria Regina No. 111.
  3. COURT OF OUR HEAVENLY QUEEN: Discuss the life and virtues of St. Philip Neri, May 26 (10 min. report and reflection). Reference: See link above.

Fourth Meeting:

  1. DEVOTION TO THE SACRED HEART OF JESUS: Discuss the origin of the Devotion as well as the teaching of Pope Pius XII in His Encyclical on devotion to the Sacred Heart entitled Haurietis Aquas (10 min. report and discussion). Reference: Article – Devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus: Historical Origin; excerpt from the Encyclical Haurietis Aquas in Salve Maria Regina No. 123.
  2. AD CÆLI REGINAM: Review the institution of the Feast of the Queenship of Mary by Pope Pius XII, promulgated in this Encyclical (10 min. report & discussion). Reference: Encyclical Ad Caeli Reginam of Pope Pius XII.
  3. COURT OF OUR HEAVENLY QUEEN: Choose 2-3 saints to reflect upon during this meeting: St. Ferdinand III; St. Erasmus, Holy Helper; St. Clotilde; St. Francis Caracciolo; St. Boniface (10 min. report and reflection.) Reference: The Fourteen Holy Helpers by Fr. Hammer; see links above.

CLOSING PRAYERS: Prayer to Mary, Immaculate Queen of the Universe ... The Fatima Prayers ... St. Louis Marie De Montfort's Prayer to Mary ... Hymn: Hail, Holy Queen

LEAFLET OF THE MONTH: Fatima Pledge ... Ad Caeli Reginam.

CELL PLAN OF APOSTOLIC ACTION FOR MAY

* Make an act of love and devotion to Our Immaculate Queen at every hour.

* Honor Our Blessed Mother every day by beautifully decorating Her shrine and image, and always keeping fresh flowers before Her.

* To promote the Message of Fatima ... * Adoration, reparation, total consecration

* Prayer and penance for the sanctification of self, conversion of sinners, salvation of souls

ADDITIONAL EXERCISES OF LOVE AND DEVOTION

The Seven Celestial Joys of Mary, Most Holy

St. Thomas Becket was accustomed to say daily Hail Mary’s in commemoration of Our Lady’s Seven Earthly Joys. On one occasion, while engaged in this devotion, the Blessed Virgin appeared to him and said: "Thomas, your devotion is most acceptable to Me; but why do you call to mind only the joys which I had on earth? Henceforth remember those also which are Mine in Heaven; for everyone who honors both of these, I will console, strengthen and present to My Most Dear Son at the hour of death." St. Thomas felt his soul filled with marvelous exaltation, and he cried out: "And how, Sweetest Lady, can I do this, when I do not so much as know what these joys are?" She answered: "Say the Hail Mary seven times daily. First because the Most Holy Trinity honors Me above all creatures; secondly because My Virginity has elevated Me above all the Angels and Saints; thirdly because the great light of My glory illumines the heavens; fourthly because all the Blessed honor Me as Mother of God; fifthly because My Son grants Me whatever I ask; sixthly for the grace bestowed on earth and the glory prepared in Heaven for My clients; lastly on account of My accidental glory, which will go on increasing until the day of general resurrection." It was after this that St. Thomas composed a Sequence on these joys – Gaude Flore Virginali.

The Brigittine Mysteries of the Rosary

It is well known that Saint Teresa of Avila prayed the Rosary daily. It is related that while she was traveling throughout Spain, she enjoyed the hospitality of at least one Brigittine Monastery and, from these Sisters, learned to say their six-decade Rosary. The six-decade Rosary was later adopted as the Rosary of the Discalced Carmelite habit, with a large medal of Our Lady of Mount Carmel in addition to, or even in place of, the crucifix found on the Dominican Rosary. Only six of the eighteen decades are worn, as opposed to the entire fifteen decades of the Dominican Rosary, which are worn with the religious habits of some other Orders.

The Brigittine (or "Saint Bridget") Rosary looks similar to a regular Rosary, but with an extra decade. The resultant seven Pater beads honor the Seven Sorrows of the Blessed Virgin Mary, and the sixty-three Ave Maria beads commemorate the sixty-three years it is believed Our Blessed Mother lived on this earth before her Assumption. In praying the Brigittine Rosary, there are a total of eighteen decades: In the six Joyful Mysteries, the first is the Immaculate Conception; the sixth of the Sorrowful Mysteries commemorates the Compassion of Mary, when the Body of Our Lord was placed in the arms of His Sorrowful Mother; and the sixth of the Glorious Mysteries is recited in honor of the Patronage of Mary, Mediatrix of All Grace (and, for the Carmelites, Mary, Queen Beauty of Carmel). The other mysteries are the same as in the Dominican Rosary.

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