Church of Saint Augustine

LIGHT OF GOD PRAYER The light of God surrounds us, The love of God enfolds us, The power of God protects us,... The presence of God watches over us, Wherever we are, God is, And where God is, all is well. St. Matthew, St. Mark, St. Luke, St. John, Like unto the prophet Jonas, as a type of Christ, Who was guarded for three days and Three nights in the belly of a whale, Thus shall the Almighty God, As a Father, guard and protect me from all evil. Grant me Protection Grant, O Lord, Thy protection And in protection, strength And in strength, understanding And in understanding, knowledge And in knowledge, the knowledge of justice And in the knowledge of justice, the love of it And in the love of it, the love of all existences And in that love, the love of spirit and all creation. See more

What Are Special Masses? Question: Why do Parishes Offer Special Masses like Thanksgiving and Memorial Day, even though they’re not Holy Days of Obligation? Am I obligated to attend? Answer: Out of respect for the various civil celebrations that take place during the year, many dioceses and parishes will host special Masses. However, while it always worthwhile to come together to worship as a community, Catholics are not obligated to attend these celebrations. As the Cate...chism of the Catholic Church notes, the only times that we are obligated to participate in celebrations of the Eucharist are on Sundays and holy days of obligation: The first precept ("You shall attend Mass on Sundays and holy days of obligation and rest from servile labor") requires the faithful to sanctify the day commemorating the Resurrection of the Lord as well as the principal liturgical feasts honoring the mysteries of the Lord, the Blessed Virgin Mary, and the saints; in the first place, by participating in the Eucharistic celebration, in which the Christian community is gathered, and by resting from those works and activities which could impede such a sanctification of these days. LPi See more

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Pope John Paul II recited this prayer on the occasion of the canonization of Padre Pio: Teach us, we pray, humility of heart, so that we may be counted among the little ones of the Gospel to whom the Father promised to reveal the mysteries of His Kingdom. Help us to pray without ceasing, certain that God knows what we need even before we ask Him. Obtain for us the eyes of faith that will help us recognize in the poor and suffering, the very face of Jesus. Sustain us in the hour of trouble and trial and, if we fall, let us experience the joy of the sacrament of forgiveness. Grant us your tender devotion to Mary, mother of Jesus and our Mother. Accompany us on our earthly pilgrimage toward the blessed Homeland, where we too, hope to arrive to contemplate forever the Glory of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen

The Tradition of Genuflection Question: Why do Catholics genuflect?... Answer: Genuflection is an act of devotion that literally means to bend the knee. For many Catholics, it’s an almost automatic gesture that we perform before entering our pew or row of seats at Mass. But, like many of the symbols and gestures of our faith tradition, genuflecting can also be an invitation for deeper reflection. The practice of bending the knee is an ancient way of recognizing the presence of someone greater than we are. It has been said that the practice dates back to the time of Alexander the Great, but it became a common part of etiquette in the royal courts of the Middle Ages. From throne rooms and palaces, it was a small step to genuflecting becoming part of the devotional lives of Christians, who used this secular gesture as a way of recognizing the presence of the One who is King of Kings, especially in the Eucharist. Today, Catholics are asked to genuflect in the presence of the Blessed Sacrament (whether in the tabernacle or exposed on the altar during eucharistic adoration). So, while it has become second nature to genuflect before entering your seat in church, we should pay attention to where the Blessed Sacrament is kept in each church or chapel that we visit, and genuflect in the direction of the tabernacle where the Blessed Sacrament is kept. In churches or chapels in which the tabernacle is in a separate space, we are invited to simply bow toward the altar. In addition to genuflecting before the Blessed Sacrament, we are also instructed to genuflect before the cross used for veneration on Good Friday (during the solemn celebrations of the Lord’s Passion) and any time a relic of the True Cross is displayed for veneration. This long-standing tradition is a way of honoring the cross as the great sign of our salvation and of showing devotion to the passion of Jesus. LPi

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