The Apostles Creed

I believe in God, the Father Almighty, Creator of Heaven and earth;
 

I believe in Jesus Christ, His only Son Our Lord,
He was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit, 

Born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, 

Was crucified, died, and was buried.
 

He descended into the dead; on the third day He rose again;
He ascended into Heaven, 

And is seated at the right hand of God, The Father.

He will come again to judge the living and the dead.

I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy Catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body and life everlasting. 

Amen.

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"The Apostles' Creed is considered to be a faithful summary of the apostles' faith. It is the ancient baptismal symbol of the Church of Rome. Its great authority arises from this fact: it is 'the Creed of the Roman Church, the See of Peter, the first of the apostles, to which he brought the common faith."
- from the Catechism of the Catholic Church; 194.

"This Creed is the spiritual seal, our heart's meditation and an ever-present guardian; it is, unquestionably, the treasure of our soul."
- Saint Ambrose.

The Angelus

The Angel of the Lord declared to Mary:
And she conceived of the Holy Spirit. 

Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee; blessed art thou among women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death. Amen. 

Behold the handmaid of the Lord: Be it done unto me according to Thy word. 

Hail Mary . . . 

And the Word was made Flesh: And dwelt among us. 

Hail Mary . . . 

Pray for us, O Holy Mother of God, that we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.

Let us pray: 

Pour forth, we beseech Thee, O Lord, Thy grace into our hearts; that we, to whom the incarnation of Christ, Thy Son, was made known by the message of an angel, may by His Passion and Cross be brought to the glory of His Resurrection, through the same Christ Our Lord.

Amen. 

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"Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with you" (Lk 1:28) 

 "Blessed are you among women,
 and blessed is the fruit of your womb"
(Lk 1:42). 

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"Angelus" comes from the latin "Angelus Domini" that means "Angel of the Lord", which refers to the moment of Annunciation when Mary was announced by the Angel Gabriel to be carrying the child Jesus. This is prayed three times a day at 6 AM, Noon, and 6 PM. This prayer is a constant reminder of Christ's gift of Himself - to be born, to die, and to save humanity.

Poverty is Relative

When we cross paths with the poor, how do we react? Often we are too busy with our daily preoccupations to even bother to react. But the good in us also always can't help but feel an initial sense of sympathy, that can be followed by either a shrugging of our shoulders or an instinctive impulse to help. Take your pick, and depending on your mood, you can do anything when you happen to cross paths with the poor.

Some people shrug their shoulders and move on, saying to themselves: "That's the way it is in this world." Some shrug their shoulders, too, but offer a silent prayer or blessing for the poor person they meet. Some shrug their shoulders as well, and pray to God to uplift, if only for a day, the condition of the person in poverty. Some shrug their shoulders and console themselves, saying, "If I am rich, I could help you, but as it is now, I am only slightly better off than you, so...."

But poverty is relative. Who is the true poor in these cases? Many passages in the Bible, and even the Beatitudes reveal that the poor are God's favorite people and He blesses them more than others. The poor need Him, while the "rich" ignore Him most of the time. The poor cling to Him, and their hopes are pinned only to the omnipotent God's mercy, while the "rich" are often blinded by worldly affairs.

So which is better -- being poor in material possession, or poor in God's love? To walk the streets well-heeled but loved by the world, or unshod yet loved by God? Take your pick!

Short Prayer:

Lord, let me never lose Your love. Let me be poor in all things but rich in Your mercy. Let me lack in worldly possessions but be filled daily with Your Presence. Amen.