THE PROPHECY OF SIMEON; When Jesus was a baby, Mary and Joseph present him in the temple. There the wise Simeon said that Mary's soul would be pierced by suffering. THE FLIGHT INTO EGYPT; An angel of the Lord warned Joseph that king Herod was about to kill the child Jesus, so the holy family fled in night. THE LOSS OF CHILD JESUS IN THE TEMPLE; When he was twelve, Jesus was again presented in the temple. This time he stay and spoke with the priest, but his mother and Joseph did not find him for three days. MEETING JESUS ON THE WAY OF THE CROSS; Our Lady saw her dear Son, all beath torn, crowned with thorns and carrying a heavy Cross.  THE DEATH OF JESUS ON THE CROSS; Mary would not leave his side, his suffering became her suffering. RECEIVING THE BODY OF JESUS INTO HER ARMS; Jesus had come into the world to die for sinners, and now his mother held his dead body. THE BURIAL OF THE BODY OF JESUS; Now the Son that Mary loved so much was dead and being buried in a tomb, how empty her

  The Catholic Diocese of Abeokuta was created on the 21st of November 1997 by His Holiness Pope John Paul II.  It was carved out of archdiocese of Lagos. His Lordship Most Revd. Dr. Adewale Mathin and he was the the first bishop ordained and is installed the first bishop 24th January 1998 at the same ceremony in which the diocese was inaugurated. The area inguestion covered the Abeokuta province of the British Colonial axea which now comprises the egba and yawa division of Ogun state. The other division in the state being Ijebu-ode which is cotaminous  with the diocese of Ijebu-ode and Abeokuta. Thus, there are presently two diocese in Ogun state "Ijebu-ode" and "Abeokuta" diocese. 

  ST DOMINIC RECEIVED THE HOLY ROSARY FROM OUR BLESSED MOTHER MARY. At this serious time of Threat to Christianity in Europe Lived a Spanish priest named Dominic Guzman. Fr Dominic later became known as Saint Dominic, founder of the  "DOMINICAN" order of preacher still in existence today.  In the year 1208, Fr. Dominic was traveling the southern french country side preaching the truth of Christianity to the Cathars Albigenses, but mostly with rejection and insult. The Saint prayed fervently and a remedy for this failure to influence them.  Then Mary appeared to him with the following message: WONDER not that you have obtained so little fruit by your labour! You have spent them on a barran soil, not yet watered with the dew of divine grace. When God willed to renew the face of the earth. He began by sending down on it The fertilizer rain of the Angelic Salutation. Therefore, preach my psalter composed of 150 angelic salutations and 15 our Fathers, and you will obtain an abunda

  The LORD is my shepherd; I have everything I need. ²He lets me rest in fields of green grass    and leads me to the quiet pools of fresh water. ³He gives me new strength. He guides me in the right paths,  as he has promised. ⁴Even if I go through the deepest darkness, I will not be afraid, LORD, for you are with me. Your shepherd's rod and staff protect me. ⁵You prepare a banquet for me,  where all my enemies can see me; you welcome me as an honoured guest and fill my cup to the brim. ⁶I know that your goodness and love will be with me all my life; and your house will be my home as  Long as I live Amen. The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not want; he makes me lie down in green pastures. ²He leads me beside still waters; he restores my soul. ³He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake. ⁴Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil; for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff, they comfort me. ⁵Thou preparest a table before me in the

  Answer me when I pray, O God, my defender! When I was in trouble, you help me. Be kind to me now and hear my prayer. ²How long will you people insult me? How long will you love what is        worthless an go after what is false? ³Remember that the LORD has chosen the righteous for his own, and hears me when I call him. ⁴Tremble with fear and stop sinning;     think deeply about this, when you lie in silence on your beds. ⁵Offer the right sacrifices to the LORD, and put your trust in him. ⁶There are many who pray:    "Give us more blessings, O LORD. Look on us with kindness!" ⁷But the joy that you have given me is more than they will ever have with all their corn and wine. ⁸When I lie down, I go to sleep in peace; you alone, O LORD, keep me perfectly safe. Amen. 

  I look to the mountains;        where will my help comes from? ²My help will come from the LORD,     who made heaven and earth. ³He will not let us fall; your Protector is always awake. ⁴The protector of Israel never dozes or sleeps. ⁵The LORD will guard you;  he is by your side to protect you. ⁶The sun will not hurt you during the day, nor the moon during the night. ⁷The LORD will protect you from all danger; he will keep you safe. ⁸He will protect you as you come and go now and for ever. Amen. 

  Whoever geos to the LORD for safety, whoever remains under the protection of the Almighty, ²Can say to him, "You are my defender and protector. You are my God; in you I trust." ³He will keep you safe from all hidden dangers and from all deadly diseases. ⁴He will cover you with his wings;  You will be safe in his care; his faithfulness will protect and defend you. ⁵You need not to fear any dangers at night or sudden attacks during the day ⁶or the plagues that strike in the dark or the evils that kill in daylight. ⁷A thousand may fall dead beside you, ten thousand all around you, but you will not be harmed. ⁸You will look and see how the wicked are punished. ⁹You have made the LORD your defender,  the Most High your Protector, ¹⁰and so no disaster will strike you,  no violence will come near your home. ¹¹God will put his angels in charge of you to protect you wherever you go. ¹²They will hold you up with their hands to keep you from hurting your feet on the stones. ¹³You will

  Be merciful to me, O God, because of your constant love. Because of your great mercy wipe away my sins! ²Wash away all my evil and make me clean from my sin! ³I recognize my faults; I am always conscious of my sins. ⁴I have sinned against you - only against you - and done what you consider evil. So you are right in judging me; you are justified in condemning me. ⁵I have been evil from the day I was born; from the time I was conceived, I have been sinful. ⁶Sincerity and truth are what you require; fill my mind with your wisdom. ⁷Remove my sin, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow. ⁸Let me hear the sounds of joy and gladness; and though you have crushed me and broken me, I will be happy once again. ⁹Close your eyes to my sins and wipe out all my evil. ¹⁰Create a pure heart in me, O God, and put a new and loyal spirit in me. ¹¹Do not banish me from your presence; do not take your holy spirit away from me. ¹²Give me again the joy that comes from your salvation, an

All powerful and merciful Father, You are the God of Justice, love and peace. You rule over all the nations of the earth, power and might are in your hands and no one can withstand you. We present our country  Nigeria before you. We praise and thank you for you are the source of all we have and are. We are sorry for all the sins we have committed and for the good deeds we have failed to do, In your loving forgiveness keep us safe from the punishment we deserve.  Lord, we are weighed down not only by uncertainties, but also by moral, economic and political problems. Listen to the cries of your people who confidently turn to you. God of infinities goodness, our strength in adversity, our health in weakness, our comfort in sorrow, be merciful to us your people.  Spare this nation from chaos, anarchy, and doom. Bless us with your kingdom of justice, love and peace. We ask this through Jesus Christ our Lord. AMEN.

Father in heaven, you always provide for all your creature so that all may live as you have willed. You have blessed our country Nigeria with Rich human and natural resources to be used for your glory and for the well being of every Nigerian. We are deeply sorry for the wrong use of this your gifts and blessings through act of injustice, bribery and corruption, as a result of which many of our people are hungry, sick, ignorant and defenseless. Father, you alone can heal us and our nation of this sickness. We beg you, touch our lives and the lives of our leaders and people so that we may all realize the evil of bribery and corruption and work hard to eliminate it. Raise up for us God - fearing people and leaders who care for us and who will lead us in the path of peace, prosperity, and progress. We ask this through Christ Our Lord. AMEN. 

  Lord, we are your people in need of help. Heal those who are wounded,  Comfort those who are sorrowful,  Enlightened those who are confused, Refresh those who weary,  Bring back to those who have gone astray. Forgive us all sin           Help us to know the Father's Love           Through the holy shepherd            And through the holy spirit             Help us lift up that love             And show it all over this land. Help us to build love on justice, And justice on on love, Help us to believe mightily, Hope joyfully, Love divinely, Renew us,  Renew your Church, Renew the face of the earth.           AMEN. Holy Mary, Mother of the Church,  Pray for us.    

  Creator of all things, through Source of light and wisdom, origin of all being, graciously let a ray of your light penetrate the darkness of my understanding. Take from me the double darkness in which I have been born, an obscurity of Sin and Ignorance. Give me a sharp sense of understanding, a retentive memory and the ability to grasp things correctly and found mentally. Grant me the talent of being exact in my explanations and the ability to express my self with thoroughness and charm. Point out the beginning, direct the progress and help in the completion.  I ask this through Jesus Christ Our Lord.          AMEN. 

  Watch, Lord, with those who wake or weep tonight, Give the angels and Saints charge over those who sleep. O Lord Jesus Christ  tend your sick ones, rest your weary ones, bless your dying ones, soothe the suffering ones, pity all the afflicted ones, shield the joyful ones and all for your love's sake.             AMEN. 

  As I arise today, May the strength of God pilot me, The power of God uphold me, The wisdom of God guide me, May the eye of God look before me, The ear of God hear me,  The word of God Speak for me. May the hand of God protect me, The way of God lie before me,  The shield of God defend me, The host of God Save me. May Christ shield me today. Christ with me, Christ before me, Christ behind me,  Christ in me, Christ beneath me, Christ above me,  Christ on my right, Christ on my left,  Christ when I lie down, Christ when I sit, Christ when I stand, Christ in the heart of everyone who think of me, Christ in the mouth of everyone who speak of me, Christ in every eye that sees me,  Christ in every ear that hears me.             AMEN.  

   Start with the sign of the cross. In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit... Amen You expired,  Jesus, but the source of life gushed out for souls, and the ocean of Mercy Opened up for the whole world. O Fount of life, unfathomable Divine Mercy, envelope the whole world and empty your self out upon us. O Blood and Water, which gushed forth from the Heart of Jesus as a fount of Mercy for us, I TRUST IN YOU.  (3times). Dairy 84 CHAPLET OF THE DIVINE MERCY One, Our Father..... One, Hail Mary...... One, Apostle Creed...... PRAYING THE FIVE DECADES, EACH DECADE BEGINS: ON THE LARGE BEAD PRAY: ETERNAL FATHER,  I offer you the body and blood, Soul and Divinity of your dearly beloved Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, in atonement for our sins and those of the whole world. ON THE TEN SMALL BRADS: (FIVE DECADES) For the Sake of his sorrowful passion,  Have Mercy on us and on the whole world. AT THE CONCLUSION OF THE FIVE DECADES PRAY: Holy God, Holy Might One, Holy Immorta

  On Oct 1, 1884, Pope Leo XIII had a deeply disturbing mystical experience at Mass. He had just finished celebrating in his private chapel when he suddenly stood transfixed in front of the altar. For perhaps 10 minutes he stood there as if in a trance, his face drained of color. He explained that he heard two voices in the vicinity of the Tabernacle. He believed they were the voices of Satan. Pope Leo heard Satan boast that he could destroy the Church in 75 or 100 years, if given the opportunity. Then he heard Our Lord give Satan permission to try. (This sounds somewhat similar to what we read in Job 1.) The Pope explained that he had heard two voices in the vicinity of the tabernacle: the arrogant voice of Satan, and the kind, gentle voice of Our Lord Jesus. The conversion was as follows:  Satan says to Jesus: "I can destroy your Church." Jesus replies: "You can? Then go ahead and do so." Satan: "To do so, I need more time and more power.!"  Jesus: "

 INTRODUCTION -  "IT IS IMPORTANT TO NOTE THAT THE CHURCH GIVES US TWO MAJOR" No matter what, "prayer is as necessary as the air, as the blood in our bodies, as anything to keep us alive,-to keep us alive to the grace of God."* So, whether our prayers are answered or not, *never stop prayer. *Why? *"Prayer is the best armour we have, it is the best key that opens the heart of God." *Hence, the disciples in Luke 11:1b, begged our Lord Jesus: "Lord teach us to pray..." Prayer is a communication and a relationship with God. To deepen our relationship with God, we must never stop praying. As the Catechism explain, "We cannot pray 'at all times ' if we do not pray at specific times, consciously willing it. These are special times of Christian prayer, both in intensity and duration" (CCC 2697). Importantly, St. John Paul II teaches: "It is through prayer that Jesus leads us to his Father. It is in prayer that the Holy Spirit tran

  Rev Sis Adenike Adeniran. In the days of our grandparents or early church, the Father's will gather the whole family and match them to church for prayers. Most of the times the priest is not there and the catechist lead the whole people in In prayer. This made many of us today to still hold on to the Faith given to us by them. As a saying goes, "the family that prays together stays together". In the evening, they pray the family rosary, study the bible and do other ejaculatory prayers in turn as they have family roster. After that, they recreate among themselves, share what they experienced during the day, the Father will tell some stories to the children in order to learn some morals, family, societal and spiritual values and at night before they go to sleep, the Father still gathers them for family prayers. This build the respect in the lives of the members of the family, to themselves and their neighbors. The morals instill in them made them value a lot of things lik