In Christ Alone

In Christ alone my hope is found,
He is my light, my strength, my song;
this Cornerstone, this solid Ground,
firm through the fiercest drought and storm.
What heights of love, what depths of peace,
when fears are stilled, when strivings cease!
My Comforter, my All in All,
here in the love of Christ I stand.

In Christ alone! who took on flesh
Fulness of God in helpless babe!
This gift of love and righteousness
Scorned by the ones he came to save:
Till on that cross as Jesus died,
The wrath of God was satisfied -
For every sin on Him was laid;
Here in the death of Christ I live.

There in the ground His body lay
Light of the world by darkness slain:
Then bursting forth in glorious Day
Up from the grave he rose again!
And as He stands in victory
Sin's curse has lost its grip on me,
For I am His and He is mine -
Bought with the precious blood of Christ.

No guilt in life, no fear in death,
This is the power of Christ in me;
From life's first cry to final breath.
Jesus commands my destiny.
No power of hell, no scheme of man,
Can ever pluck me from His hand;
Till He returns or calls me home,
Here in the power of Christ I'll stand.




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February 8 - St Josephine Bakhita - From Slave to Saint

Saint Josephine BAKHITA - Canonized by Pope John Paul II on 1st October 2000

8 February 2015: First International Day of Prayer against Human Trafficking
http://www.news.va/en/news/8-february-first-international-day-of-prayer-again

On the day, the faithful are invited to recite the following prayer:

 

“O God, when we hear of children and adults

deceived and taken to unknown places for

purposes of sexual exploitation, forced labour, and

organ ‘harvesting’, our hearts are saddened and

our spirits angry that their dignity and rights are

ignored through threats, lies, and force.

We cry out against the evil practice of this modern

slavery, and pray with St. Bakhita for it to end.

Give us wisdom and courage to reach out and

stand with those whose bodies, hearts and spirits

have been so wounded, so that together we may

make real your promises to fill these sisters and

brothers with a love that is tender and good.

Send the exploiters away empty-handed to be

converted from this wickedness, and help us all to

claim the freedom that is your gift to your

children. Amen”.

St. Josephine Bakhita




Readings for the Feast of  Josephine Bakhita
http://www.liturgies.net/saints/josephinebakhita/readings.htm


http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/john_paul_ii/homilies/2000/documents/hf_jp-ii_hom_20001001_canonization_en.html

JOSEPHINE BAKHITA (1869-1947)
http://www.vatican.va/news_services/liturgy/saints/ns_lit_doc_20001001_giuseppina-bakhita_en.html


GIUSEPPINA BAKHITA (1869-1947)
http://www.vatican.va/news_services/liturgy/documents/ns_lit_doc_20001001_giuseppina-bakhita_it.html

Ġużeppina Bakhita (Sudan, 1869 -- Vicenza, Italja, 8 ta' Frar, 1947) kienet skjava Sudaniża li saret Kattolika u soru Kanossjana fl-Italja, fejn għexet u ħadmet għal 45 sena. Nhar l-1 ta' Ottubru 2000, il-Papa Ġwanni Pawlu II ddikjaraha qaddisa.

Bakhita twieldet lejn is-sena 1869 -- hi stess ma kinitx taf id-data preċiża --f'Darfur, fis-Sudan. Meta kellha disa' snin ħatfuha t-traffikanti tal-ilsiera, sawtuha, xerrdulha demmha u bigħuha ħames darbiet fis-swieq ta' El Obeid u Khartoum fis-Sudan. Minħabba t-trawma li ġarrbet insiet saħansitra x'jisimha: dawk li ħatfuha semmewha Bakhita, li bl-Għarbi tfisser "iffurtunata". Imma ma tantx kienet iffurtunata għax batiet ħafna, fosthom b'tatwaġġ krudil li sar meta kienet skjava ta' ġeneral Tork: għamlulha iktar minn mitt sinjal fuq sidirha, fuq żaqqha u fuq idha l-leminija, ħafruhomlha b'xafra u mlewhom bil-melħ biex jibqgħulha marki permanenti. Matul ħajjitha kollha baqgħu jidhru f'ġisimha 144 sinjal tal-ġrieħi.

Fl-aħħar, fl-1882 xtraha merkant Taljan għall-konslu Taljan Callisto Legnani, li quddiem l-invażjoni tas-segwaċi tal-Maħdi, reġa' lejn l-Italja. Hemm Bakhita bdiet tgħix mal-familja ta' Augusto Michieli ħabib ta' Legnani u saret il-babysitter ta' bintu Mimmina. Papa Benedittu XVI, fl-enċiklika tiegħu Spe Salvi, jgħid hekk: "Hawnhekk, wara "sidien" daqshekk ħorox li tagħhom sa dak il-waqt hi kienet proprjetà, Bakhita kellha "sid" differenti għal kollox -- bid-djalett Venezjan, li issa kienet tgħallmitu, kienet issejjaħ "paron" lil Alla l-ħaj, lil Alla ta' Ġesu Kristu. Sa dak il-waqt kellha biss sidien jew padruni li kienu jkasbruha u jittrattawha ħażin, jew l-aktar kienu jqisuha lsira ma tiswa għal xejn. Issa, iżda, kienet tisma' 'l min jgħidilha li jeżisti "paron" li hu 'l fuq mis-sidien kollha, is-Sinjur tas-sinjuri kollha, u li dan is-Sinjur hu tajjeb, it-tjubija nfisha. Saret taf li das-Sinjur kien jaf lilha wkoll, ħalaq lilha wkoll -- anzi li kien iħobbha. Hi wkoll kienet maħbuba, u sewwa sew mill-"Paron" suprem, li quddiemu s-sidien l-oħrajn kollha huma biss qaddejja li ma jiswew għal xejn. Hi kienet magħrufa u maħbuba u kienet mistennija. Anzi das-Sid ħabbat wiċċu hu nnifsu mad-destin li jkun imsawwat u issa kien qiegħed jistennieha "fin-naħa tal-lemin ta' Alla l-Missier". Issa hi kellha t-"tama" -- mhux aktar dik it-tama biss li ssib sidien anqas ħorox, imma t-tama l-kbira: jiena maħbuba għal dejjem u jiġri x'jiġri, din l-Imħabba qiegħda tistennieni. U għalhekk ħajti hija tajba. Permezz tal-għarfien ta' din it-tama hija kienet "mifdija", ma ħassithiex aktar ilsira, iżda bint ħielsa ta' Alla. Fehmet dak li ried ifisser Pawlu meta fakkar lill-Efesin li qabel kienu bla tama u bla Alla fid-dinja -- bla tama għax bla Alla. Għalhekk meta riedu jerċgħu jeħduha lejn is-Sudan, Bakhita ma riditx; ma riditx terġa' tinfired mill-"Paron" tagħha."

Wara tliet snin Michieli reġa' lura l-Afrika fejn kellu lukanda u ħalla lil bintu u lil Bakhita f'idejn l-Istitut tal-Katekumeni ta' Venezja tas-Sorijiet Kanossjani. Bakhita saret katekumena u bdiet titgħallem ir-reliġjon Kattolika.

Meta mart Michieli marret lura biex tieħu lil bintha u lil Bakhita l-Afrika, Bakhita rrifjutat b'kuraġġ u determinazzjoni u riedet tibqa' mas-sorijiet Kanossjani. Michieli irrikorriet għand il-Prokuratur tar-Re, u daħal ukoll fil-kwistjoni l-Kardinal Patrijarka ta' Venezja Domenico Agostini, li ma setgħu jagħmlu xejn għax fl-Italja ma kienx hemm liġi tal-iskjavitù: u nhar id-29 ta' Novembru 1889 Bakhita ġiet iddikjarata legalment libera.

Fid-9 ta' Jannar 1890, hija tgħammdet, għamlet il-Griżma tal-Isqof u rċeviet l-Ewwel Tqarbina minn idejn il-Patrijarka ta' Venezja u tawha l-isem ta' Giuseppina Margherita Fortunata.

Fit-8 ta' Diċembru 1896, f'Verona, għamlet il-professjoni tal-voti fi ħdan il-Kongregazzjoni tas-Sorijiet Kanossjani. Fl-1902 kienet trasferita fi Schio fil-provinċja ta' Viċenza fejn kellha tibqa' sal-aħħar ta' ħajjitha. Minn dak iż-żmien -- flimkien mal-ħidmiet tagħha fis-sagristija u l-portinerija tal-kunvent -- fittxet l-aktar permezz ta' bosta vjaġġi fl-Italja li tgħin lill-missjoni: il-ħelsien li ħadet bil-laqgħa ma' Alla ta' Ġesù Kristu, ħasset li kellha tferrxu, kellu jingħata wkoll lill-oħrajn, lill-akbar għadd possibbli ta' persuni. It-tama, li twieldet għaliha u "fdietha", ma setgħetx iżżommha għaliha; din it-tama kellha tilħaq lil ħafna, lil kulħadd. F'Vicenza għadhom isejħulha l-"Madre Sewda", bit-Taljan "Madre Moretta".




Bakhita CD1



Bakhita CD2

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Come, Thou Long Expected Jesus --- Fernando Ortega

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Act of Total Consecration to Mary - according to the method of St Louis de Montfort (1673-1716)

  



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Act of Total Consecration according to the method of St Louis de Montfort (1673-1716)




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