Prayer to St. Gabriel

O Captain and Leader of the armies of heaven, unworthy as we are, we beseech you without cease to surround us with your intercession and cover us beneath the shelter of the glory of your ethereal wings. We bend our kneee and cry out with perservance: "Deliver us from danger, O Prince of the Powers on high!" Amen.

Litany of St Raphael

Litany in Honor of St. Raphael

Lord, have mercy.
Christ, have mercy.
Lord, have mercy.
Christ, hear us.
Christ, graciously hear us.

God the father of heaven, have mercy on us.
God the Son, Redeemer of the world, have mercy on us.
God the Holy Spirit, have mercy on us.
Holy Trinity, one God, have mercy on us.
Jesus, King of Angels, have mercy on us.

Mary, Queen of the Angels, pray for us.
Saint Raphael, the Archangel, pray for us.
Saint Raphael, whose name means "God has healed", pray for us.
Saint Raphael, preserved with the good Angels in God's kingdom, pray for us.
Saint Raphael, one of the seven spirits that stand before the Most High, pray for us.
Saint Raphael, ministering to God in heaven, pray for us.
Saint Raphael, noble and mighty Messenger of God, pray for us.
Saint Raphael, devoted to the Holy Will of God, pray for us.
Saint Raphael, who offered to God the prayers of the father Tobit, pray for us.
Saint Raphael, traveling-companion of the young Tobiah, pray for us.
Saint Raphael, who guarded your friends from danger, pray for us.
Saint Raphael, who found a worthy wife for Tobiah, pray for us.
Saint Raphael, who delivered Sarah from the evil sririts, pray for us.
Saint Raphael, who healed the father Tobit of his blindness, pray for us.
Saint Raphael, guide and protector on our journey through life, pray for us.
Saint Raphael, strong helper in time of need, pray for us.
Saint Raphael, conqueror of evil, pray for us.
Saint Raphael, guide and counelor of your people. pray for us.
Saint Raphael, protector of pure souls, pray for us.
Saint Raphael, patron Angel of youth, pray for us.
Saint Raphael, Angel of joy, pray for us.
Saint Raphael, Angel of happy meetings, pray for us.
Saint Raphael, Angel of chaste courtship, pray for us.
Saint Raphael, Angel of those seeking a marriagepartner, pray for us.
Saint Raphael, Angel of a happy marriage, pray for us.
Saint Raphael, Angel of home life, pray for us.
Saint Raphael, Guardian of the Christian family, pray for us.
Saint Raphael, protector of travelers, pray for us.
Saint Raphael, patron of health, pray for us.
Saint Raphael, heavenly physician, pray for us.
Saint Raphael, helper of the blind, pray for us.
Saint Raphael, healer of the sick, pray for us.
Saint Raphael, patron of physicians, pray for us.
Saint Raphael, consoler of the afflicted, pray for us.
Saint Raphael, support of the dying, pray for us.
Saint Raphael, herald of blessings, pray for us.
Saint Raphael, defender of the church, pray for us.

Lamb of God, You take away the sins of the world; spare us, O Lord.
Lamb of God, You take away the sins of the world; graciously hear us, O Lord.
Lamb of God, You take away the sins of the world; have mercy on us.

Pray for us, O glorious Saint Raphael the Archangel,
That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.

  Let us pray:
God, you graciously gave the Archangel Raphael as a companion to Your servant Tobiah on his journey. Grant us, Your servants, that we may ever enjoy his protection and be strenghtened by his help. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.

St. Raphael, Angel of Happy Meetings

O Raphael, lead us towards those we are waiting for, those who are waiting for us! Raphael, Angel of Happy Meetings, lead us by the hand towards those we are looking for! May all our movements, all their movements, be guided by your Light and transfigured by your Joy.

Angel Guide of Tobias, lay the request we now address to you at the feet of Him on whose unveiled Face you are privileged to gaze. Lonely and tired, crushed by the separations and sorrows of earth, we feel the need of calling to you and of pleading for the protection of your wings, so that we may not be as strangers in the Province of Joy, all ignorant of the concerns of our country.

Remember the weak, you who are strong--you whose home lies beyond the region of thunder, in a land that is always peaceful, always serene, and bright with the resplendent glory of God. Amen.

Prayer to St. Michael

St Michael, the archangel, defend us in battle.  Be our protection against the wickedness and snares of the devil.  May God rebuke him we humbly pray and do thou O Prince of the Heavenly hosts, by the Divine Power of God, cast into Hell Satan and all the evil spirits who prowl throughout the world seeking the ruin of souls.  Amen.

Beginnings

Being that this is the first post, it might be important to explain a couple of things.  I can imagine you've been attracted to the title and might be wondering if you're in for a titillating ride of 3rd party indulgence in someone else's antics??  What kind of person and life will be outlined in a blog named "Confessions of a Former Jezebel"?  Are you going to hear a bunch of stories along the lines of "My Horizontal Life: A Collection of One-Night Stands"??  And what was with the blog description that makes some kind of "christian" reference, which might make you wonder and potentially worry if you're getting ready to dive into the ramblings of a potential fundamentalist nut job with intense issues stemming from the unnecessary oppressive rules and regulations that hinder the full expression of our sexuality and therefore identity??  

Well, to begin answering that, let me start by giving a little bit of context. At the moment, I'm sitting cozily in the front room of my future home, with my sweetie baby, whom I'm going to be marrying quite soon, sitting happily next to me as he bobs his head away to his beloved Stevie Wonder "Songs in the Key of Life" album.  It's a Sunday morning and while the weather is cool this quiet day in January, life courses through our veins and joy is bouncing in the air.  6 rose bushes went into the ground yesterday, and right now, we're happily making plans for our wedding while at the same time, analyzing what makes Stevie Wonder such an incredible genius musically and artistically.  What makes the discussion more enjoyable is the fact that my baby is an artist and quite a genius in his own right.  He's been working in the music industry for 20+ years, and is now in the process of seeing the fuller maturation of all that hard work and sacrifice bear fruit.  I work with him.  We create together, we maneuver through this industry together; we laugh, cry, dream and are building a future life together.

Another thing we do together, is pray.  This morning, when we came back from mass, I felt an inspiration.  It's the personal fruit of many years of prayer, suffering, hard work, growing, healing and learning on my part.  This inspiration was to sit down and begin to recount the journey that has brought me to this point… this point, which is the doorway to an as yet another unknown, but one which I welcome and to which I  am greatly looking forward.  To live a joyful life.  A fulfilled life.  One, where I am clear and sure of my heart and its' decisions.  One, where I can really enjoy someone and let them enjoy me.  One, where I get to daily move towards my most innocent dreams and goals of childhood.  A life of real intimacy and of plans and hopes outlined against a starry, open sky.

Something that is also important to know, is that there was a time when I couldn't even begin to envision any of what I'm experiencing now.  In fact, honestly, I didn't think it was possible.  Technically, it was impossible.  The idea of one day marrying and living a stable, solid, peaceful life was even more ludicrous.  In fact, most people would state it's impossible no matter where you are, who you are etc.  That in a society where more than 50% of all marriages fail, what in the world could ever guarantee the dream I was outlining above??

I understand all that.  I don't deny the statistics.  I don't deny the difficulties, the obstacles, the challenges… whatever you want to call them.  I don't deny that we're frail human beings that will always fail on some level.  I don't deny that there will be points in time when everything in you wants to give up.  Period.

Along with what I've just said, I'll put forth another idea that runs counter to it.  This blog is a message.  It's a message about the power of God.  The true power of freedom and what it really entails.
It's about believing in the impossible when the everything the world says… flies in the face of it.  I'll be frank, and at the same time, I'll do my best to be sensitive where it is necessary.  I'm unafraid of facing the reality of what it means to be a former Jezebel, because I KNOW the reality of being completely freed of it!  I know both sides, and everyday I see, that most of the women I know, are weighted down by "Jezebel" in some way or another.  And it doesn't have to be that way.

I'm here to encourage you… whoever you are.  To all the other gals in the world, who know what it's like to chase after the need to be known, to be loved, to be touched, to be experienced… this blog is for you.  The message is that there's a pathway out of the forest.  It exists. I've walked and continue to walk it everyday.  I've found it to be catalyzing, refreshing, enlivening, healing… and the list goes on.

This blog will be about everything stated above, because everything is affected by our sexual lives.  Sex is not separate of our identity.  It's a part of it.  A crucial part of it.  It's the direct reflection of our hearts.  This blog will explore my journey.  And maybe in hearing my story, it'll give a bit more hope to yours.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!
F.J.

"…to restore all things in Christ…" -Ephesians 1:10