Angelus News | February 23, 2024 | Vol. 9 No. 4

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a book containing prayers and pious devotions for which indulgences are attached. One is very short, a cry of pain, which St. Pope Pius X recommended in a rescript in his own hand: “O holy Angel who strengthened Jesus Christ Our Lord, come and strengthen us.” I know many people who, in their suffering, are in their own Gethsemane. This prayer helps one to identify with Jesus on the eve of his sacrifice and humbly ask for aid. St. Luke says the angel “strengthened Jesus.” Angels are personal beings, so we can ask for the Lord’s help through the intercession of the spiritual being given that special mission to be with Jesus in his suffering humanity. The second prayer to the angel of Gethsemane is longer and is more like a conversation with the angel. My version is in updated language: “I greet you, holy Angel who comforted my Jesus in his agony, and with you I praise the most Holy Trinity for having chosen you from among all the holy angels to console and strengthen him who is the consolation and strength of all who are suffering. “By that honor you received and the obedience, humility, and love with which you assisted the Sacred Humanity of Jesus, my Savior, as He fainted with sadness contemplating the sins of the world, and especially my sins, I beg you to pray that I may have perfect sorrow for my sins. Strengthen me in the afflictions that overwhelm me now and in all the other trials to come my way, especially in my own final agony.” The second prayer implies a dialogue in which we celebrate with the angel his mission to Gethsemane. (Angels do not have gender, but possessive pronouns are necessary in English, hence “his”). Asking for the angel’s help, the petitioner attempts to understand the angelic psychology, “by that honor which you received.” Our side of the conversation continues acknowledging the reason that Jesus was in agony: his apprehension of the weight of our sins that he was to carry. St. John Henry Newman has a wonderful meditation on Jesus contemplating the ugliness of the sin of the whole world which he took on himself. That point of meditation makes us think that part of that ugliness was made by our personal sins. The sins of the whole world included our own sins. We were there in the garden, represented by our sins which made Jesus sweat blood. Thus, we ask the angel to pray that we have a true repentance of our sins. Then we pray to the angel for strength: What you did for the Sacred Humanity of Jesus, please do for us, by the grace of God. In hospital rooms and funeral parlors, in nursing homes and hospice care, in the many lonely places of the human heart, the shadows of the olive trees in the moonlight of Gethsemane are present. The prayer to the angel who came to comfort Jesus, asking for consolation in imitation of Jesus, is a perfect example of the kind of colloquy de Sales recommended. It was customary when the Raccolta was printed to assign a numerical value of “indulgenced” days to the prayers and devotions. As Catholics, we believe an indulgence is a shortening of the “temporal punishment” that we deserve for our sins, a penalty that still must be paid, even though we have repented our sins and been forgiven in confession. It is about purification. Assigning a value of days was a metaphor of justice and proportion. These two prayers were granted 300 days and 500 days indulgence, respectively, amounts which now the Church calls simply, a “partial” indulgence. It is the Church’s way of saying that all prayer is fruitful for purifying our souls and helping us to make up for our past sins. Who would not be blessed (purified) by having a “moment” of conversation with an angel? Msgr. Richard Antall is pastor of Holy Name Church in Cleveland, Ohio, and the author of several books. He served as a missionary priest in El Salvador for more than 20 years and was named a “Noble Friend of El Salvador” in 2011 by the country’s National Assembly. 12 • ANGELUS • February 23, 2024
February 23, 2024 • ANGELUS • 13
Page 1 and 2: ANGELUS GETHSEMANE OF THE HEART Thi
Page 3 and 4: CONTENTS Pope Watch................
Page 5 and 6: NEW WORLD OF FAITH ARCHBISHOP JOS
Page 7 and 8: NATION Father Robert Hoeffner. | DI
Page 9 and 10: V IN OTHER WORDS... Letters to the
Page 12 and 13: A prayer made in the moonlight of G
Page 16 and 17: Roots worth celebrating Members of
Page 18 and 19: SCHOOLED IN FAITH Students, teacher
Page 20 and 21: TESTING THE WATERS At the annual Wo
Page 22 and 23: PILLARS OF LEADERSHIP Meet this yea
Page 24 and 25: Crystal Cathedral. Six decades late
Page 26 and 27: A study in contrasts When it comes
Page 28 and 29: WITH GRACE DR. GRAZIE POZO CHRISTI
Page 30 and 31: NOW PLAYING CABRINI MOTHER CABRINI
Page 32 and 33: DESIRE LINES HEATHER KING What is
Page 34 and 35: LETTER AND SPIRIT SCOTT HAHN Scott

Angelus News | February 23, 2024 | Vol. 9 No. 4

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