Consecration to the Holy Family

O Jesus, our most loving Redeemer, who having come to enlighten the world with Thy teaching and example, didst will to pass the greater part of Thy life in humility and subjection to Mary and Joseph in the poor home of Nazareth, thus sanctifying the Family that was to be an example for all Christian families, graciously receive our family as it dedicates and consecrates itself to Thee this day. Do Thou protect us, guard us and establish amongst us Thy holy fear, true peace and concord in Christian love: in order that by living according to the divine pattern of Thy family we may be able, all of us without exception, to attain to eternal happiness.

 

Mary, dear Mother of Jesus and Mother of us, by the kindly intercession make this our humble offering acceptable in the sight of Jesus, and obtain for us His graces and blessings.

 

O Saint Joseph, most holy Guardian of Jesus and Mary, help us by thy prayers in all our spiritual and temporal needs; that so we may be enabled to praise our divine Savior Jesus, together with Mary and thee, for all eternity.

 

Our Father, Hail Mary and Glory be three times. Amen

Laudate Dominum

Laudáte Dóminum omnes gentes
(laudáte éum) omnes populi
Quóniam confirmáta est
súper nos misericordia eius
et véritas Domini mánet in æternum
Glória Pátri et Filio et Spiritui Sáncto.
Sicut érat in pricipio et nunc et semper
et in sáecula sáeculorum Amen.

 

The hymn "Laudate Dominum" which we sing at most of our functions here in Mangalore is actually the 117th Psalm - the shortest Psalm/Chapter in the Bible. For the meaning you may simply look up the Psalm in any modern English translation of the Bible. However, in the older translations, the Psalm is numbered 116, following the Greek rather than the Hebrew sources used in current translations. That explains the difference in the numbering. The Greek numbering is still retained in our liturgy. So far as the verse numbering is concerned, the Hebrew generally begins numbering the verses from the body of the Psalm leaving its preceding title out of account.

 

Numbering of Psalms in the Greek and Hebrew

 

Greek Septuagint   1-8 9 10-112 113 114-115 116-145 146-147 148-150

Hebrew   1-8 9-10 11-113 114-115 116 117-146 147 148-150

 

 

Here is the text of the Psalm from the Latin & English Old Testaments

 

From the Latin Vulgate

Psalm 116

I

116:1 alleluia laudate Dominum omnes gentes laudate eum omnes populi

116:2 quoniam confirmata est super nos misericordia eius et veritas Domini manet in saeculum

II

116:1 laudate Dominum omnes gentes conlaudate eum universi populi

116:2 quia confortata est super nos misericordia eius et veritas Domini in aeternum alleluia

 

From the Nova Vulgata

PSALMUS 117 (116)

1 ALLELUIA. Laudate Dominum, omnes gentes; collaudate eum, omnes populi.

2 Quoniam confirmata est super nos misericordia eius, et veritas Domini manet in aeternum

 

From the Douay Rheims Bible

Psalms Chapter 116

Laudate Dominum.

All nations are called upon to praise God for his mercy and truth.

Alleluia.

116:1. O Praise the Lord, all ye nations: praise him, all ye people.

116:2. For his mercy is confirmed upon us: and the truth of the Lord remaineth for ever.

 

The second part of the song is nothing but the doxology, the 'Glory Be', which is said at the end of every Psalm or Canticle in the 'Offices' (ex. The Divine Office) and for that matter even at the end of every decade of the Rosary which itself is known as 'Mary's Psalter'.

 

Glory Be

'Gloria Patri, et Filio, et Spiritui Sancto. Sicut erat in principio et nunc et semper et in saecula saeculorum. Amen'

The Holy Family Church

Now I beseech you, brethren,
by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ,
that you all speak the same thing
and that there be no schisms among you:
but that you be perfect in the same mind
and in the same judgment.
(1 Corinthians 1:10, DRB)

Established in 1934, the Holy Family Church at Brahmavar is one of the few Churches standing by the National Highway. This beautiful house of God is a testimony of God's grace in the lives of Catholics who once left the fold. The scars of a painful history remain, but the mercy of God is all the more consoling. Thus we have a powerful hope urging us to labour for unity and peace. The Late Bishop of Mangalore Basil S. D'Souza saw in this a great ecumenical dimension. "This demands", he wrote in his letter dated 9th April 1985, "both from the clergy and faithful, an apostolate by which, unity with the Catholic Church may be achieved."
 
As we get closer to the Platinum Jubilee of the Holy Family Church in Brahmavar in 2009, we see the need for much preparation. This preparation has many dimensions but the most important of these is the preparation of the heart without which all else is vain. For the Most High himself showed that he dwells in hearts; "What kind of house can you build for me?" (Acts 7:49, NAB)
 
This weblog is born out of that much felt need and with His blessings, I'm sure it will go a long way as an instrument in the hands of God, who from age to age gathers a people for himself so that from east to west a perfect offering may be made to the glory of his name.

"To him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus,
unto all generations, world without end. Amen."
(Ephesians 3:21, DRB)