Devotion to Our Mother Of Perpetual Help

According to tradition when handing over the Icon to the Redemptorsit in 1866. Pope Pius IX expressed the desire that they should make her known to the world. From that time until the present, devotion to the Mother of Perpetual Help has spread all over the world. Thousands of copies of the Picture have been dispatched throughout the world and there are many shrines where copies of the original Icon are venerated and regarded as miraculous.

Among the best known shrines are those in Boston and New York (USA), Haiti, where Our Lady of Perpetual Help is the Patroness of the country; Santiago in Chile, Curitiba, Belém and Manaus in Brazil, Tequisquiapan in Mexico; Belfast and Limerick in Ireland; Bussolengo in Italy; Torun and Cracow in Poland; Singapore and the most famous of all in Manila (Philippines).

The Perpetual Novena which began in St. Loius (USA) in 1927, has made a notable contribution to the spread of this devotion. The Novena has been called ‘Perpetual’, because it is held on a fixed day each week of the year. During the Novena devotions, the faithful not only say the traditional prayer, but they also present written petitions and thanksgivings for favours received. There is also a meditation on some aspect of the spiritual life.

Each year in the month of June, in preparation of the feast of Our Lady of Perpetual Help, There is a Solemn Novena, nine days of prayer and reflection on the christian life.

Source:  http://www.baclaranovena.org/i

The Holy Spirit - Interpreter of Scripture

Attentiveness and Study Needed (109-110)

The correct interpretation of Scripture demands attentiveness to what the human author wanted to say and to what God wanted to reveal.
Discovering the human author's intention demands a study of the culture, the modes of narrating, and the different forms of writing (history, poetry, prophecy, etc.).

Three Criteria (111-114)

Scripture must be interpreted in light of the Spirit who wrote the Scriptures. Correct interpretation requires that the reader:

1. Be attentive to the "content and unity of the whole Scripture." God's plan (in the Old and New Testament) has a unity in Christ. "Sacred Scripture, like the ‘heart of Christ' was closed before the Passion. Since the Passion, the Scriptures have been opened" (St. Thomas Aquinas).
2. Read the Scriptures within the Church's living Tradition. "According to the spiritual meaning which the Spirit grants to the Church" (Origin).
3. Apply the "analogy of faith" (the coherence of all truths among themselves and within God's plan).

Three Spiritual Senses (115-119)

Scripture has both a literal sense (the words themselves) and three different spiritual senses:

1. Allegorical sense - Recognizing events in the light of Christ (the parting of the Red Sea) as a sign of Baptism
2. Moral sense - Using as a help to act justly
3. Anagogical sense - Seeing the truths in light of eternal happiness

All interpretation is subject to the Church and exegetes must help the Church form a firmer judgment. "I believe in the Gospel because of the authority of the Church" (St. Augustine).

Kailan tayo nakaka-alaalang magpasalamat

Pag ang tao pinakikinabangan natin, lahat ng panuyo at magandang papuri ibinibigay natin sa kanya. Pag ang tao nakagawa sa atin ng kabutihan, napakarami nating ibinabalik na parangal --- siya'y napakabait, napakamaalalahanin o napalamatulungin. Sa lahat ng mga nagawang tama ng isang kaibigan, kakilala o kahit isang estrangero, ang nakikita natin ay ang naging mabuting dulot nito para sa sarili natin. May silbi ang taong ito, at ninanais pa natin na sana patuloy siyang makagawa ng kabutihan.

May mga tao naman na sa kabila ng ibinigay mo na ang lahat, hindi pa rin nasisiyahan. Hindi niya nakikita ang naging epekto nito sa kanya. Minsan nga buhay na ang ipinagkaloob, parang bale wala pa rin. Iniaalay mo ng buong puso ang iyong pag-ibig, pero bakit parang may hinahanap pa, bakit parang nakukulangan pa.

Hanggang kailan ang sukdulan ng ating kasiyahan? Ganyan din sa  ating Panginoon. Lumalapit lang tayo sa Kanya pag may kailangan, pag wala na tayong takbuhan at wala nang madaingan. Sa mahiwagang paraan sinasagot Niya ang ating mga daing, tinatanggap Niya ang ating mga papuri at pasasalamat. Yun eh kung nagpapasalamat talaga tayo. Nagpapasalamat tayo sa lahat ng buting ibinigay nya. Pero hindi sa lahat ng masama at problemang dinadanas natin. Minsan kailangan dumaan tayo sa mga pagsubok para mabatid natin na ito pala ang sinasabi kong mahiwagang sagot ng Diyos. Kung hindi natin malalagpasan ang pagsubok hindi natin malalaman ang ating kakulangan at kahinaan.

Sa panahon na tayo'y malakas, masigla at sagana nagpapasalamat tayo, pero sa panahon ng pighati, kalungkutan o paghihirap -- kulang na lang sumbatan natin Siya. Kung bakit ginawa naman nating maging mabuting lingkod Nya, pero bakit natin dinadanas ang hindi natin gusto o hindi natin gustong mangyari sa mga mahal natin.

Ang Panginoon sa ating paglapit sa Kanya, ay nagpapasalamat na, "Hay! Salamat na lang anak at naalala mo Ako." baka ang nasambit Nya. Sa ating pagdarasal, maikli o mahaba isa lang ang ninais Nya ang maging malaya at bukas ang ating isipan sa iniaalay Niyang pag-ibig sa ating lahat. Kaya sa anu pa man pagdurusa, pagkabigo, pagkabasag at maging kasiyahan, tagumpay at kaluwagan ng puso maging mapagsalamat, walang oras at walang pagkakataon. Parang bahagi na nang ating buhay, parang umiinom na lang ng tubig at naglalakad sa daan, na  ang nasasambit natin ay salamat sa Diyos, sa pagiging kaagapay namin sa lahat ng pagsubok.