FATIMA CELL PROGRAM FOR MARCH

 

Themes:

THE PASSION OF OUR DIVINE LORD: This month of the Passion, which coincides with the penitential season of Lent, provides a critical opportunity to understand the urgency of Our Lady's plea at Fatima for Amendment of Life, that men "cease offending Almighty God, for He is already too much offended".  Her sorrowful entreaty can be fully comprehended only by a salutary realization of the terrible punishments inflicted by our sins upon the Sacred Person of our loving Redeemer in His bitter Passion.  If we would truly know God, that we might love and serve Him as we should, then we must meditate often on His Sufferings.  Such reflection will teach us, first, of the great malice of sin, which caused the Only-begotten Son of God to undergo so bitter a death to satisfy the Divine Justice, and thus to conceive a lively horror of sin and a healthy fear of committing it.  Meditation on the Passion, secondly, will convince us of the infinite love which our Divine Savior has shown us in choosing to suffer so much, precisely that He might prove to us the vehemence of His love, and thus inflame our cold hearts with love for Him, so full of love for us.  That we may prove our love for Him, we will then more willingly deny ourselves, take up our cross, and follow Him, making reparation for our previous offenses.  This is the goal of the Lenten liturgy and devotions, such as the Stations of the Cross.  Thus, the holy Season of Lent and its proper spirit may be summed up in the words of St. Paul to the Galatians: "With Christ I am nailed to the Cross – I live now, not I – but Christ liveth in me."  Let us reflect upon – and attempt to live – these words every day of Lent.  Let us make a constant effort to dwell on the Suffering and Agony of Jesus, and to imagine the love He manifested for each and every one of us in undergoing His sufferings, together with the sufferings of His Sorrowful Mother.  So few people love Jesus and Mary because they do not reflect upon Their tremendous sufferings.  They could not sin the way they do if Christ's Agony were constantly before them.  Let us strive for an intimate union with Jesus Crucified, and with Our Sorrowful Mother.  In the spirit of the requests of Our Lady at Fatima for sacrifice, penance, and reparation, let us carefully consider how, why, when, and where we will respond to her pleas; particularly by hours of reparation before the Blessed Sacrament; vigils of prayer; and individual acts of penance and self-denial.  For motivation, let us often reflect upon the great merit of suffering with and for Our Lord Jesus Christ, the glory of His Cross, the immense Sorrows of Our Lady and the great need of reparation for sins, especially for our own.

 

ST. JOSEPH: On October 13th, St. Joseph also appeared at Fatima in a tableau representing the Joyful Mysteries of the Rosary.  After the Blessed Virgin Mary, there is no saint who possesses a more intimate union with the Three Divine Persons, or a greater power of intercession.  Not only is St. Joseph a singular model for Fatima apostles in striving to faithfully fulfill their sacrifice of daily duty, as he did so perfectly; he has also been named by the Holy Fathers as the Patron of the Universal Church, which is now in mortal combat with the enemies of Christ in myriad form.  As we witness the spread of atheistic Communism and Materialism under new and innovative guises, with the final objective a new world of atheistic Socialism, we turn to St. Joseph who is also the Patron of the battle against this evil foe, that he may protect the Universal Church and her faithful children from all spiritual and temporal harm.

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 Our Mother of Sorrows           * Lenten Hymn

* Prayer of Pope Leo XIII to St. Joseph to be recited after the Rosary

 

MEDITATION:              * from the "Imitation of Christ" or  "The Friends of the Cross"

 

STUDY & DISCUSS:    * Officer's reports; Cell Memos; reading of Salve Maria Regina Bulletin or "Unless Ye Do Penance."

 


FIRST MEETING:

1.    CATHOLIC LITURGY & DEVOTION: Discuss Part II of "The Holy Season of Lent – The Mystery of Lent " (15 min. report; 10 min. discussion).  Reference: Article – "The Holy Season of Lent: Part II.”

2.    OUR MOTHER OF SORROWS: Discuss the articles “Our Sorrowful Mother: Co-Redemptrix” and “Mater Dolorosa, Lessons from the Queen of Martyrs” (10 min. report; 10 min. discussion).  Reference: Salve Maria Regina No. 120.

3.    COURT OF THE 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 us.  Read the list of saints' feasts observed during this month: Ven. Francisco Marto; St. Cunegunda; St. Casimir; St. Colette; St. Thomas Aquinas; St. Frances of Rome; St. Gregory the Great; St. Clement Maria Hofbauer; St. Heribert of Cologne; St. Cyril of Jerusalem; St. Benedict; St. Gabriel the Archangel; St. John Damascene; St. John of Capistrano.  How do the lives of these saints inspire us to a more perfect living of our holy Faith and our Consecration to the Immaculate Queen of Heaven?  Choose two or three saints from the first part of the list; briefly review their holy lives and the lessons and virtues we learn from them.  Discuss practical ways in which we can imitate them and apply their virtues in our own daily lives (10 min. report & discussion).  Reference: Martyrology; see links above.

 

SECOND MEETING:

1.    THE INCREDIBLE CATHOLIC MASS: Review pgs. 138-145 of Chapter 8 – “The Reason Why Christ Renews His Passion in Holy Mass” (15 min. report; 10 min. discussion).  Reference: The Incredible Catholic Mass by Fr. Martin von Cochem.

2.    ST. JOSEPH appeared at Fatima with Our Lady and the Christ Child on October 13th during the miracle of the sun, thus reminding the faithful of the importance of devotion to this glorious Patriarch.  Review Fr. Patrignani's article on St. Joseph, Patron of the Agonizing and of a Happy Death.  Discuss the three great motives which commend him to us at the dread hour of death and judgment: 1) he is the adopted Father of our Judge; 2) his power over the legions of Hell is very great; and 3) his own death in the company of Jesus and Mary is the wonder of the ages.  Consider ways in which we may secure the assistance of St. Joseph at the hour of our death (10 min. report; 10 min. discussion).  Reference: Manual of Practical Devotion to St. Joseph; Book One; Chapter XII – "Motives for Devotion to St. Joseph: St. Joseph is the Special Patron of the Dying", by Fr. Patrignani.

3.    THE MIRACULOUS STAIRS OF ST. JOSEPH: Discuss this still-evident sign of the power of St. Joseph’s intercession (15 min. report and discussion).  Reference:  Article – The Miraculous Stairs of St. Joseph.

 

THIRD MEETING:

1.    CATHOLIC LITURGY & DEVOTION: Discuss "The Holy Season of Lent: Part III – Practices During Lent" (15 min. report; 10 min. discussion).  Reference: Article – "The Holy Season of Lent: Part III".

2.    MARY IN DOCTRINE AND DEVOTION: The Feast of the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary and the Incarnation of Our Divine Savior in her womb.  Discuss the significance and importance of this primary Feast for consecrated slaves of Jesus through Mary (15 min. report; 10 min. discussion).  Reference: True Devotion to Mary (de Montfort); The Glories of Mary (Liguori); article – "The Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary", Salve Maria Regina Issue No. 110.

3.    COURT OF THE QUEEN: Choose two or three saints from the latter part of the list above (First Meeting); briefly review their holy lives and the lessons and virtues we learn from them.  Discuss practical ways in which we can imitate them and apply their virtues in our own daily lives (10 min. report & discussion).  Reference: Martyrology; article on St. Cyril of Jerusalem in Salve Maria Regina No. 147; article –  "St. Gabriel the Archangel – God's Ambassador", Salve Maria Regina Issue No. 110.

 

FOURTH MEETING:

1.    THE INCREDIBLE CATHOLIC MASS: Review Chapter 9 – “In the Holy Mass the Death of Christ is Renewed” (15 min. report; 10 min. discussion).  Reference: The Incredible Catholic Mass by Fr. Martin von Cochem.

2.    OUR LADY OF QUITO: Discuss the article, “Miracle of the Sorrowful Virgin of Quito” (15 min. report; 10 min. discussion).  Reference:  Salve Maria Regina No. 147.

3.    CATHOLIC DOCTRINE & MARIOLOGY: Discuss the Doctrine of Mary, Co-Redemptrix, which declares that Our Lady truly participated in the Redemption of mankind, having been chosen for this office by God Himself.  Consider the elements of this doctrine, including God's choice of Our Lady, and her intimate participation in all of the Sufferings of her Divine Son for our Redemption (10 min. report & discussion).  Reference: Article, "The Blessed Virgin Mary, Co-Redemptrix of Mankind", Salve Maria Regina Issue No. 130.

 

CLOSING PRAYERS:       * Litany of St. Joseph                 * Prayer Before a Crucifix

                                       * Fatima Prayers                        * Hymn to St. Joseph

 

PAMPHLETS

OF THE MONTH:     * New Hope         * Unless Ye Do Penance


Cell Plan of Apostolic Action for March

 

* To promote the Message of Fatima  * Sanctification of self, family, neighbor

* Conversion of sinners, salvation of souls       * Adoration, reparation, total consecration

 

*   Eucharistic all-night Vigil on First Friday – First Saturday of the month.

*   Promote a truly spiritual and penitential observance of Lent in your family, Cell, school, or among friends.

*   Special observance of the Feasts of Good St. Joseph and the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary – daily devotions to St. Joseph during March; Novena before the Feast of the Annunciation.

*   Family Practices: Pray the Angelus daily at noon and 6:00 p.m.; daily family reading on the Passion.

*   Personal Resolve: To accept all the crosses God sends in loving union with Jesus Crucified and Our Mother of Sorrows; resolve to perform greater penance, mortification, atonement, and reparation, in our daily life (as did the Fatima children) – to live every moment in union with Christ Crucified.

*   Make the Via Crucis & Via Matris Dolorosa (the Way of the Cross & the Chaplet of Our Sorrowful Mother) as a Cell (or family) weekly (or more often) during Lent.

*   Make visits to hospitals and homes for the elderly.  Brighten up their day with spiritual encouragement; distribute Fatima pledges, Brown Scapulars, Miraculous Medals, Sacred Heart badges, Salve Maria Regina Bulletins, The Reign of Mary, and leaflets to those open to receiving and properly using these spiritual aids.