OneInTheirHearts: March 2016

Wednesday, March 30, 2016

Novena for the Annunciation of the BVM - Fifth Day

Novena for the Annunciation of the

BLESSED VIRGIN MARY

Fifth Day

THE SOLUTION

PREPARATORY PRAYER

My Queen, my Mother, remember I am thine own. Keep me, guard me, as thy property and possession!

Indulgence. 40 days, every time. (Pius IX, August 5, 1851.)

MEDITATION

The angel explains to Mary how, without detriment to her virginity, she will become a mother. He says, "The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Most High shall overshadow thee. And therefore also the Holy which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God" (Luke i. 35). St. Bernard remarks: "Let him who can, comprehend it. Who, but that most happy Virgin who was worthy to experience the influence and effect of the power of the Most High and to penetrate this sublime mystery, can understand how the divine Light was poured into the Virgin's womb? The Most Holy Trinity alone co-operated in the sacred act, and it remains an impenetrable mystery to all, except to her who was called to so sublime a destiny."

PRACTICE

Mary did not entertain a single doubt concerning the wonders which the angel announced to her about the coming Messias and His kingdom. She believed with simple faith the words of the heavenly messenger. Only about that which concerned her personally she asked a question. When the wonderful mystery was explained to her, she did not ask how this can be done, but only how it shall be done. And after the angel had declared to her that she shall conceive by the Holy Ghost, she was fully resigned and announced her implicit belief in these humble words: "Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it done to me according to thy word" (Luke i. 38). Therefore the Holy Ghost Himself praised her by the mouth of Elizabeth: "Blessed art thou that hast believed" (Luke i. 45).

Let us remain steadfast in the profession of all articles of faith, and let us oppose, like a strong shield, the words, "Nothing is impossible with God," to all attacks of unbelievers, and to all doubts that may arise in our own minds.

PRAYER OF THE CHURCH

Pour forth, we beseech Thee, O Lord, Thy grace into our hearts, that we unto 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 the resurrection. Through the same Christ our Lord. Amen.

The Litany of Loreto

Lord, have mercy on us.
Christ, have mercy on us.
Lord, have mercy on us,
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 Ghost, have mercy on us.
Holy Trinity, one God, have mercy on us.
Holy Mary, pray for us.
Holy Mother of God, pray for us.
Holy Virgin of virgins, pray for us.
Mother of Christ, pray for us.
Mother of divine grace, pray for us.
Mother most pure, pray for us.
Mother most chaste, pray for us.
Mother inviolate, pray for us.
Mother undefiled, pray for us.
Mother most amiable, pray for us.
Mother most admirable, pray for us.
Mother of good counsel, pray for us.
Mother of our Creator, pray for us.
Mother of our Redeemer, pray for us.
Virgin most prudent, pray for us.
Virgin most venerable, pray for us.
Virgin most renowned, pray for us.
Virgin most powerful, pray for us.
Virgin most merciful, pray for us.
Virgin most faithful, pray for us.
Mirror of justice, pray for us.
Seat of wisdom, pray for us.
Cause of our joy, pray for us.
Spiritual vessel, pray for us.
Vessel of honor, pray for us.
Singular vessel of devotion, pray for us.
Mystical rose, pray for us.
Tower of David, pray for us.
Tower of ivory, pray for us.
House of gold, pray for us.
Ark of the covenant, pray for us.
Gate of heaven, pray for us.
Morning star, pray for us.
Health of the sick, pray for us.
Refuge of sinners, pray for us.
Comforter of the afflicted, pray for us.
Help of Christians, pray for us.
Queen of angels, pray for us.
Queen of patriarchs, pray for us.
Queen of prophets, pray for us.
Queen of apostles, pray for us.
Queen of martyrs, pray for us.
Queen of confessors, pray for us.
Queen of virgins, pray for us.
Queen of all saints, pray for us.
Queen conceived without original sin, pray for us.
Queen of the most holy rosary, pray for us.
Lamb of God, who takest away the sins of the world: Spare us, O Lord.
Lamb of God, who takest away the sins of the world: Graciously hear us, O Lord.
Lamb of God, who takest away the sins of the world: Have mercy on us, O Lord.
V. Pray for us, O holy Mother of God:
R. 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.

V. Pray for us, O holy Mother of God.
R. That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.

Let us pray

Vouchsafe, O Lord, that we may be helped by the merits of Thy most holy Mother's spouse; that what of ourselves we can not obtain may be given us through his intercession. Who livest and reignest, world without end. Amen.

PRAYER

Mary most holy, I see that thy obedience united thee so closely to God, that all creation never shall know again union so fair and so perfect. I am overwhelmed with confusion in seeing how my sins have separated me from God. Help me, then, gentle Mother, to repent sincerely of my sins, that I may be reunited to thy loving Jesus.

Hail Mary

Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee; blessed art thou amongst 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 death. Amen.

Ejaculation

Virgin Mary, Mother of God, pray to Jesus for me!

Indulgence. 50 days, once a day. (Leo XIII, March 20, 1894.)

Tuesday, March 29, 2016

Novena for the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary - Fourth Day

Annunciation of the Virgin by Fra Filippo Lippi

Novena for the Annunciation of the

BLESSED VIRGIN MARY

FOURTH DAY

Mary's Question

PREPARATORY PRAYER

My Queen, my Mother, remember I am thine own. Keep me, guard me, as thy property and possession!

Indulgence. 40 days, every time. (Pius IX, August 5, 1851.)

MEDITATION

Well versed as Mary was in Holy Scripture, she fully understood the words she had heard and knew their great import. She was destined to become the Mother of the Most High, the Son of God. But there is an obstacle which prevents her from giving immediate assent. She has solemnly vowed her virginity to God. Not knowing how the mystery announced to her was to be accomplished, and intent above all on keeping inviolate her vow, she interrupts her silence by the short but comprehensive question, "How shall this be done, because I know not man?" (Luke i. 34.) This is the first word of Mary recorded in the Gospel.

PRACTICE

Let us admire the prudence shining forth in Mary. After hearing the angel's words of praise she was silent and thought within herself what kind of a salutation this was. She is very careful and prudent. On this her conduct St. Thomas Aquinas remarks: "Mary did not refuse to believe, nor did she receive the message with credulity. She avoided Eve's gullibility and the distrust of Zachary the high priest." And St. Bernard writes: "Mary preferred to remain silent in humility, rather than to speak inconsiderately." Let us strive always to speak and act with deliberation. Our conversation ought always to be judicious; for often a word spoken inconsiderately causes bitter regret. St. Thomas Aquinas observes: "Song was given to a number of creatures, but human beings alone were endowed with the faculty of speech, to indicate that in speaking we should use our reason." And St. Chrysostom says: "Let us always guard our tongue; not that it should always be silent, but that it should speak at the proper time."

Because No word shall be impossible with God. St. Luke 1:37 (DRB)

"How shall this be done, because I know not man?"

Truly a momentous question, proceeding from her knowledge of the great excellence and value before God of virginity, which, before Mary, was unknown to the world.

Let us follow Mary's example and esteem holy purity and chastity above all things. Let us remember how highly Holy Scripture extols this virtue. "O how beautiful is the chaste generation with glory; for the memory thereof is immortal, because it is known both with God and with men" (Wis. iv. 1). St. Athanasius writes: "O chastity, thou precious pearl, found by few, even hated by some, and sought only by those who are worthy of thee! Thou art the joy of the prophets, the ornament of the apostles, the life of the angels, the crown of the saints." Let us therefore carefully guard this inestimable treasure.

PRAYER OF THE CHURCH

The Litany of Loreto

Let us pray

V. Pray for us, O holy Mother of God.
R. That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.

Let us pray

Indulgence. (1) 300 days, every time. (2) A plenary indulgence on the following five feasts of the Blessed Virgin: Immaculate Conception, Nativity, Purification, Annunciation, and Assumption; under the usual conditions, to all who shall have said it daily during the year. (Pius VII, September 30, 1817.) These indulgences are granted for the litany alone; hence the prayers following it may be omitted.

PRAYER

Mary, mighty Virgin, thou who on the day of thy annunciation wast found by the archangel so prompt and ready to do God's will, and to correspond with the desires of the august Trinity, who wished for thy consent in order to redeem the world; obtain for me that, whatever happens, good or ill, I may turn to my God, and with resignation say, "Be it done unto me according to thy word."

Hail Mary

Ejaculation

Virgin Mary, Mother of God, pray to Jesus for me!

Indulgence. 50 days, once a day. (Leo XIII, March 20, 1894.)

TUESDAY IN EASTER WEEK - MASS PROPERS

Basilica of Saint Paul Outside the Walls - The Holy Door

TUESDAY IN EASTER WEEK

Our Pasch is the Lamb, let us attentively consider those words of sacred Scripture, where, speaking of the Pasch, it says: ‘It is the Phase, that is, the passage of the Lord.’ God Himself adds these words: ‘I will pass through the land of Egypt that night, and will kill every ﬁrst-born in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgments.’ So that the Pasch is a day of judgment, a day of terrible justice upon the enemies of God; but, for that very reason, it is a day of deliverance for Israel. The lamb is slain; but his immolation is the signal of redemption to the holy people of the Lord.

The people of Israel are slaves to the cruel Pharaoh. Their bondage is the heaviest that can be. Their male children are to be put to death. The race of Abraham, on which repose the promises of the world’s salvation, is doomed. It is time for God to interpose: the Lion of the tribe of Juda, He whom none can resist, must show Himself.

But in this, the Israelites are a type of another and a far more numerous people,—the whole human race; and it is the slave of satan, a tyrant worse than Pharaoh. Its bondage is at its height. It is debased by the vilest idolatry. It has made every base thing its god; and the God that made all things is ignored or blasphemed. With a few rare exceptions out of each generation, men are the victims of hell. Has God’s creation of man, then, been a failure? Not so. The time is come for Him to show the might of His arm: He will pass over the earth, and save mankind.

Jesus, the true Israelite, the true Man come down from heaven, He too is made a captive. His enemies have prevailed against Him, and His bleeding, lifeless Body has been laid in the tomb. The murderers of the just One have even ﬁxed a seal upon the sepulchre, and set a guard to watch it. Here again, the Lord must pass, and confound His enemies by His triumphant passage.

In that Egypt of old, each Israelite family was commanded to slay and eat the Paschal Lamb. Then, at midnight, the Lord passed, as He had promised, over this land of bondage and crime. The destroying Angel followed, slaying with his sword the ﬁrst-born of the Egyptians, ‘from the ﬁrst-born of Pharaoh, who sat on his throne, unto the ﬁrst-born of the captive woman that was in prison, and all the ﬁrst born of the cattle.’ A cry of mourning resounded through Mesraim: but God is just, and His people was made free!

The same victory was gained in the Resurrection which now gladdens us. The midnight was over, and the last shades of darkness were ﬂeeing from before the rising light: it was then that our Lord passed through the sealed stone of His tomb, unperceived by his guards. His Resurrection was a stroke of death to His ﬁrst-born people,who had refused to receive Him as their Messias, or to ‘ know the time of their visitation.’ The Synagogue was hard-of heart, like Pharaoh; it would fain have held captive Him of whom the prophet had said, that He would be ‘free among the dead.’ Hereupon, a cry of impotent rage was heard in Jerusalem: but God is just, and Jesus made Himself free! And oh! what a happiness was this passage of our Lord for the human race! He had adopted us as His brethren, and loved us too tenderly to leave us slaves of satan: therefore, He would have His own Resurrection be ours too, and give us light and liberty. The ﬁrst-born of satan were routed by such a victory; the power of hell was broken. Yet a little while, and the altars of the false gods shall everywhere be destroyed; yet a little while, and man, regenerated by the preaching of the Apostles, shall acknowledge his Creator and abjure his idols: for this is the day which the Lord hath made: ‘it is the Phase, that is, the passage of the Lord!’

But observe how the two mysteries,—the Lamb and the Passover,—are united in our Pasch. The Lord passes, and bids the destroying Angel slay the ﬁrst-born in every house, the entrance of which is not marked with the blood of the lamb. This is the shield of protection; where it is, there divine justice passes by and spares. Pharaoh and his people are not signed with the blood of the lamb: yet have they witnessed the most extraordinary miracles, and suffered unheard-of chastisements. All this should have taught them that the God of Israel is not like their own gods, which have no power; but their heart is hard as stone, and neither the works nor the words of Moses have been able to soften it. Therefore does God strike them and deliver His people.

But this very people, this Israel, ungratefully turns against his deliverer; he is content with the types of the good things promised; he will have no other lamb but the material one. In vain do the prophets tell him, that ‘a Lamb is to be sent forth, who shall be King of the earth; that he shall come from the desert to the mount of the daughter of Sion.’ Israel refuses to acknowledge this Lamb as his Messias; he persecutes Him and puts Him to death; and persists in putting all his conﬁdence in the blood of victims, that have no longer the power to propitiate the anger of God. How terrible will be the Passage of the Lord over Jerusalem, when the sword of the Roman legions shall destroy a whole people!

Satan too, and his wicked angels, had scoffed at this Lamb, they had despised Him, as being too meek and humble to be dreaded; and when they saw Him shedding His Blood on the cross, a shout of exultation rang through the regions of hell. But what was their dismay, when they saw this Lamb descending like a lion into limbo, and setting free from their bondage the countless prisoners of the four thousand previous years? and after this returning to our earth, and inviting all mankind to receive ‘the liberty of the glory of the children of God?

O Jesus! how terrible is Thy Passover to Thine enemies! but how glorious for them that serve Thee!

The people of Israel feared it not, because their houses were marked with the blood of the ﬁgurative lamb. We are more favoured than they: our Lamb is the Lamb of God, and Thy Blood is signed, not upon our dwellings, but upon our souls. Thy prophet foretold the great mystery, when he said, that on the day of Thy vengeance upon Jerusalem, they would be spared whose foreheads should be marked with the Tau*. Israel despised the prophecy, which is our joy. The Tau is the sign of Thy cross, dear Jesus! It is Thy cross that shields, and protects, and gladdens us in this Pasch of Thy Passover, wherein Thy anger is all for Thine enemies, and Thy blessings all for us!

Footnote: Ezechiel, ix. 6.

* Mark Thau: Thau, or Tau, is the last letter in the Hebrew alphabet, and signifies a sign, or a mark; which is the reason why some translators render this place set a mark, or mark a mark without specifying what this mark was. But St. Jerome, and other interpreters, conclude it was the form of the letter Thau, which in the ancient Hebrew character, was the form of a cross.

At Rome, the Station for today is in the basilica of Saint Paul. The Church is impatient to lead her white-robed troop of neophytes to the Apostle of the Gentiles. Though he is not the foundation of the Church, yet is he companion of Peter’s labours in Rome, his fellow-martyr, and the preacher of the Gospel to the Gentiles. As he says of himself, he has laboured to form children in God—who could tell the number he has given to Christ? How must he rejoice to see these newly made Christians approach his sacred shrine, there to receive instruction from his epistles, wherein he still speaks to all generations!

Very Ven. Dom Guéranger – The Liturgical year

TUESDAY IN THE OCTAVE OF EASTER

Station at St. Paul-without the walls

(Indulgence of 30 years and 30 quarantines)

Double – First Class

White vestments

Missa’Aqua sapiéntiæ’

INTROITUS

Ecclus. 15: 3, 4

Aqua sapiéntiæ potávit eos, allelúia: firmábitur in illis et non flectétur, allelúia: et exaltábit eos in ætérnum, allelúia, allelúia.

Psalm 104: 1

Confitémini Dómino et invocáte nomen ejus: annuntiáte inter gentes ópera ejus. Glória Patri.

INTROIT

Ecclus. 15: 3, 4

He gave them the water of wholesome wisdom to drink, alleluia; and she shall be made strong in them, and shall not be moved, alleluia: And she shall exalt them forever, allelúia, allelúia.

Psalm 104: 1

Give glory to the Lord, and call upon his name: declare his deeds among the Gentiles. Glory be to the Father.

ORATIO

Deus, qui Ecclésiam tuam novo semper fetu multíplicas: concéde fámulis tuis; ut sacraméntum vivéndo téneant, quod fide percepérunt. Per Dominum.

COLLECT

O God, Who art ever multiplying the children of thy Church, grant unto the same thy servants that they may hold fast in their lives the mystery which they have received by faith. Through our Lord.

EPISTLE

Acts 13: 16, 26-33

In those days, Paul rising up, and with his hand bespeaking silence, said: Ye men of Israel, and you that fear God, give ear. Men, brethren, children of the stock of Abraham, and whosoever among you fear God, to you the word of this salvation is sent. For they that inhabited Jerusalem, and the rulers thereof, not knowing him, nor the voices of the prophets, which are read every sabbath, judging him have fulfilled them. And finding no cause of death in him, they desired of Pilate, that they might kill him. And when they had fulfilled all things that were written of him, taking him down from the tree, they laid him in a sepulchre. But God raised him up from the dead the third day: Who was seen for many days, by them who came up with him from Galilee to Jerusalem, who to this present are his witnesses to the people. And we declare unto you, that the promise which was made to our fathers, This same God hath fulfilled it to our children, raising up our Lord Jesus Christ.

GRADUAL

Psalm 117: 24; 106: 2

This is the day which the Lord hath made: let us be glad and rejoice therein. V. Let them say so that have been redeemed by the Lord, whom he hath redeemed from the hand of the enemy: and gathered out of the nations.

ALLELUIA

Matthew 28: 2

Alleluia, alleluia. V. The Lord is risen from the sepulcher, He, who hangeth on the tree.

SEQUENCE

Let Christians offer to the Paschal victim the sacrifice of praise.

The Lamb hath redeemed the sheep: the innocent Jesus hath reconciled sinners to his Father.

Death and Life fought against each other, and wondrous was the duel: The King of Life was put to death; yet now he lives and reigns.

Tell us, O Mary! what sawest thou on the way? I saw the Sepulchre of the living Christ; I saw the glory of him that had risen. I saw the Angels that were the witnesses; I saw the winding-sheet and the cloth. Christ, my hope, hath risen! He shall go before you into Galilee.

We know that Christ hath truly risen from the dead. Do thou, O Conqueror and King! have mercy upon us. Amen. Alleluia.

There will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents

GOSPEL

Luke 24: 36-47

At that time Jesus stood in the midst of them, and saith to them: Peace be to you; it is I, fear not. But they being troubled and frightened, supposed that they saw a spirit. And he said to them: Why are you troubled, and why do thoughts arise in your hearts? See my hands and feet, that it is I myself; handle, and see: for a spirit hath not flesh and bones, as you see me to have. And when he had said this, he shewed them his hands and feet. But while they yet believed not, and wondered for joy, he said: Have you any thing to eat? And they offered him a piece of a broiled fish, and a honeycomb. And when he had eaten before them, taking the remains, he gave to them. And he said to them: These are the words which I spoke to you, while I was yet with you, that all things must needs be fulfilled, which are written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the psalms, concerning me. Then he opened their understanding, that they might understand the scriptures. And he said to them: Thus it is written, and thus it behoved Christ to suffer, and to rise again from the dead, the third day: And that penance and remission of sins should be preached in his name, unto all nations.

OFFERTORY

Psalm 17: 14, 16

And the Lord thundered from heaven, and the highest gave his voice: Then the fountains of waters appeared, alleluia.

SECRET

Accept, O Lord we beseech thee, the prayers with the sacrifices of the people, and grant that what we have begun at these rites of our piety and devotion, we may pass to the glory of heaven Through our Lord.

PREFACE OF EASTER

It is truly meet and just, right and availing unto salvation that at all times, but more especially at this season, we should extol Thy glory, O Lord, when Christ our Pasch was sacrificed. For He is the true Lamb that hath taken away the sins of the world: Who by dying hath overcome our death, and by rising again hath restored our life. And therefore with Angels and Archangels, with Thrones and Dominations, and with all the heavenly hosts, we sing a hymn to Thy glory, saying without ceasing:

COMMUNION

Col. 3: 1, 2

If you be risen with Christ, seek the things that are above; where Christ is sitting at the right hand of God: alleluia. Mind the things that are above, alleluia.

POSTCOMMUNION

Grant, we beseech thee, Almighty God, that the grace of the Paschal sacrament which we have received may ever abide in our souls. Through our Lord.

The Tennessee PASTOR who was shot by police when he was able to pull a gun in the Capitol building!!

Larry Russell Dawson, of Antioch, Tennessee, was arrested after he pulled a gun on in the Capitol's visitor center - just hours after an active shooter drill in the government building

Pictured: The Tennessee PASTOR who was shot by police when he was able to pull a gun in the Capitol building - despite being banned months ago for shouting he was a 'prophet of God!'

Pastor Larry Russell Dawson was gunned down by police after he pulled a gun at the Capitol's visitor center

The incident at just before 3pm Eastern Time came a few hours after a scheduled active shooter drill in the building

Visitors were seen screaming and running from the building

Dawson, of Antioch, Tennessee was banned from entering the Capitol building after he disrupted Congress last October

He was arrested after shouting Bible verses and yelling 'I am a prophet of God' from the House's balcony

Dawson was shot by officers when he produced the weapon as it triggered the metal detectors

The 66-year-old was taken to hospital for surgery. A bystander was hit by police officer's shrapnel

Meanwhile the Obamas are hosting the Easter Egg Roll just meters away

White House was briefly placed on lockdown but that was soon lifted

The visitor center's underground entrance was built to provide greater security after two officers were shot and killed in the building in 1998

Exit

By U2

(A crazed, fanatical, delusional Preacher)

You know he got the cure

You know he went astray

He used to stay awake

To drive the dreams he had away

He wanted to believe

In the hands of love

His head it felt heavy

As he cut across the land

A dog started crying

Like a broken hearted man

At the howling wind

He went deeper into black

Deeper into white

Could see the stars shining

Like nails in the night

He felt the healing

Healing, healing

Healing hands of love

Like the stars shiny shiny

From above

Hand in the pocket

Finger on the steel

The pistol weighed heavy

His heart he could feel

Was beating, beating

Beating, beating oh my love

Oh my love, oh my love

Oh my love

My love

Saw the hands that build

Can also pull down

The hands of love...
________________________

Tennessee PASTOR who was shot by police when he was able to pull a gun in the Capitol building...

A Tennessee pastor has pulled a gun in the Capitol, just months after he was banned from the building for disrupting Congress by yelling that he was a 'prophet of God.'

Larry Russell Dawson was shot by police when he produced the weapon after it triggered metal detectors at the Capitol's visitor center - hours after an active shooter drill in the government building.

The 66-year-old, who has been taken to hospital where he remains in a 'stable but critical condition', was gunned down before he was able to fire the gun shortly before 3pm today. A female visitor was hit by shrapnel from the police's gunfire.

He has now been charged with assault with a deadly weapon and assault on a police officer while armed, authorities told DailyMail.com.

Dawson, a married pastor at St Luke's Spiritual Church in Antioch, Nashville, had been banned from entering the Capitol building after an incident last year.

In October, he was arrested in the US Capitol for disrupting Congress by yelling 'I am a prophet of God' from the balcony of the House of Representatives.

Larry Russell Dawson, of Antioch, Tennessee, was arrested after he pulled a gun on in the Capitol's visitor center - just hours after an active shooter drill in the government building

Dawson was arrested in the US Capitol last October for yelling 'I am a prophet of God' from the balcony of the House of Representatives

Visitors run from the US Capitol building after shots were fired at around 3pm on Easter Monday

Two students hug after being evacuated from the building, apparently with a school group

Crowds of visitors swarmed around outdoors as police stand guard once the shooter had been detained

According to court documents Dawson, who also shouted bible verses was removed from gallery but but attempted to flee from police.

He was charged with assaulting a police officer during his arrest and unlawful conduct at the Capitol, the Daily Beast reports.

Dawson was slapped with a Stay Away Order - which barred him from entering the U.S. Capitol building, grounds and all Congressional buildings, NBC Washington reports.

The pastor has previously visited Washington on a number of occasions to call for a higher minimum wage as part of his church's Movement.

Today's incident began at around 2.40pm when Dawson tried to walk through the metal detector of the visitor center and set the bleepers off.

In response, he pulled a 'pellet gun' according to some reports, and pointed it at a screener - but was immediately shot and wounded by police.

Lone gunman Dawson was stretchered to an ambulance after being shot by police, and transported to hospital

A female bystander, who was struck by bullet fragments when Dawson was shot, was also transported to the hospital

An officer stands guard as the US Capitol is secured after a visitor opened fire in the visitor center on Monday

The government building (pictured after the shooting) is just meters away from the White House

Dawson was taken to hospital for surgery and police said this evening he remains in a stable but critical condition.

He will be presented to the District of Columbia Superior Court once he is discharged.

Officers have also seized his car which was found nearby the Capitol building and is due to be searched.

The shooting sparked confusion at the Capitol building as reports came soon after a scheduled active shooter drill, which staff had been notified about via email.

Video posted on Instagram shows crowds running and screaming after the gunshots sounded. Many were shoe-less, having just taken them off to go through the security barrier.

Capitol Police told DailyMail.com that the Capitol was in lock-down for around an hour after the shooting.

Chief Verderosa praised the 'heroic and quick actions of the officers involved' in the incident.

'They performed their jobs flawlessly and I am thankful to have these officers as members of the USCP protecting our nation's greatest symbol of democracy,' he added.

Verderosa added that security would be back to business as usual by tomorrow.

'I want to assure the American public and all visitors to the United States Capitol that the USCP continues to proudly and professionally protect the Capitol, CVC, and all other Congressional Buildings,' he said. 'We expect regular order of business by tomorrow morning at the CVC.'

There was confusion as the shooting came soon after a scheduled active shooter drill in the building

A member of the uniformed Secret Service walks near the press briefing room and the North Lawn of the White House minutes after. The White House was briefly placed on lockdown before the suspect was detained

Officers stand guard after crowds fled screaming from the US Capitol

Underground security entrance

One visitor, Cathryn Leff from California, described crowds running and screaming after gunshots sounded as she was walking through security

Leff described a chaotic scene unfolding. It took place while Congress was on recess for the holiday

On Monday, visitor Cathryn Leff, who came to D.C. from California for the holiday, tweeted: 'Was at the #Visitor's Center... shots heard while going through #security it was a scramble... #Capitol #Evacuated after hiding behind wall.'

She added: 'That moment when it goes down ..everyone is screaming & running and you can't see where the #shotsfired are from.'

An email was sent to workers describing the 'potential security threat'.

The email added: 'If you are outside, seek cover.'

Meanwhile... the President and First Lady were hosting 35,000 people - including Beyonce, Jay Z, Shaquille O'Neal, and Idina Menzel - at the White House Easter Egg Roll ~~just a few hundred meters away.~~ More like 16 blocks away!

The underground visitor center of the Capitol building was created to provide greater security after two police officers, Jacob Chestnut and John Gibson, were shot dead by a visitor in 1998.

Visitors enter through a metal detector and bag check.

Part of the building's security measures involve exercise drills.

Indeed, staff received an email at 8am on Monday morning alerting them that they would be doing an active shooter drill.

The email read in part: 'This is a Shelter-in-Place EXERCISE message from the USCP. (...) Exercise, Exercise. SHELTER IN PLACE. Gunshots have been reported on Capitol Hill requiring staff and visitors in the US Capitol Building to immediately shelter in place.'

The exercise drill email also featured a bullet-point list, saying the building was locked down and staff outside should seek cover.

It concluded 'THIS IS A DRILL. EXERCISE EXERCISE.'

But just hours later, staff received that same bullet-point list, causing some confusion.

The underground visitor center of the building was created for greater security after two officers, Jacob Chestnut and John Gibson, were shot dead in 1998. Visitors enter through a metal detector and bag check

Meanwhile the president was hosting the White House's annual Easter Egg Roll just meters away (???) 16 blocks away is more accurate.

Around 35,000 people were at the White House for the event as the US Capitol was locked down

This map shows the proximity of the White House to the US Capitol, just the other side of the National Mall

The event unfolded with Congress on recess and lawmakers back in their districts. The White House was briefly put on lockdown, but that was soon lifted.

Visitors were being turned away from the Capitol as emergency vehicles flooded the street and the plaza on the building's eastern side.

Police, some carrying long guns, cordoned off the streets immediately around the building, which were thick with tourists visiting for spring holidays and the Cherry Blossom Festival.

Traffic was jammed in the vicinity, but despite the obvious emergency the scene was relatively calm.

A work crew on the north side of the Supreme Court, across the street, was asked to stop work and move away from the building as a precaution.

Capitol Police did not immediately return calls.

Daily Mail