May 29, 2010
Mary's Garden
Honoring Mary in Your Garden
The flowers that grow in our gardens can be reminders of Mary, the Mother of God. It was during the Middle Ages that people saw reminders of Mary, the Mother of God, in the flowers and herbs growing around them. Violets were symbols of her humility, lilies her purity and roses her glory. They called her “Flower of Flowers,” and named plants after her. Marigolds were Mary’s Gold, clematis was the Virgin’s Bower and lavender was Our Lady’s Drying Plant.
In the last century, prior to the Second Vatican Council of the early 1960’s, people also honored Mary with flowers. May crownings were the tradition in Catholic schools during Mary’s month of May, and makeshift home altars bearing an image of Mary were decorated with the choicest home-grown blossoms. Those traditions have almost disappeared, but the medieval custom of finding reminders of Mary’s attributes, glory and sorrows in flowers and herbs has left a legacy that can enrich our lives today.
Reflecting on the flower names, we can honor Mary and find relevance for our own lives. We model Mary’s humility as we gaze upon the humble violet, sing her praises with petunias and share her sorrows as we behold the purple blossoms and sword-like leaves of the blue flag iris. Flower and herb legends tell us about important moments in Mary’s life. The Madonna Lily was carried by the Angel Gabriel when he visited Mary to tell her God had chosen her to be the mother of the Savior. Our Lady’s Bedstraw, Holy Hay and other herbs became radiant in the humble manger where Mary gave birth to Jesus. Carnations and the Christmas Rose bloomed on that night. More than 30 flowers and herbs bear legends about Mary’s life. Many of the plants can be easily grown in your own Mary Garden, a garden dedicated to Mary and containing her image and plants associated with her by name or legend.
Excerpted from Mary’s Flowers: Gardens, Legends & Meditations (B3496), by Vincenzina Krymow. Illustrated by A. Joseph Barrish, S.M. Meditations by M. Jean Frisk. ©1999. Published in the United States and available from St. Anthony Messenger Press, 1615 Republic Street, Cincinnati, OH 45210.
"The Hail Mary is a blessed dew that falls from heaven upon the souls of the predestinate. It gives them a marvelous spiritual fertility so that they can grow in all virtues. The more the garden of the soul is watered by this prayer, the more enlightened one's intellect becomes, the more zealous his heart, and the stronger his armor against spiritual enemies."
The Secret of the Rosary by Saint Louis Marie de Montfort
We can make our hearts a garden for Jesus and Mary by praying the rosary every day.
May 13, 2010
"I am the Lady of the Rosary."
Today is the anniversary of the apparition of Our Lady to three shepherd children in the small village of Fatima in Portugal in 1917. She appeared six times to Lucia and her cousins Francisco and his sister Jacinta between May 13 and October 13 1917.
Pope Benedict XVI, in Fatima today for the anniversary said: "The recitation of the rosary allows us to fix our gaze and our hearts upon Jesus, just like his Mother, the supreme model of contemplation of the Son." He explained, "...Let us contemplate the intimate participation of Mary in the mystery of our life in Christ today, a life which is also made up of joy and sorrow, of darkness and light, of fear and hope."
On the 13th day of the month of Our Lady, May 1917, an apparition of ‘a woman all in white, more brilliant than the sun’ presented itself to the three children saying “Please don’t be afraid of me, I’m not going to harm you.” Lucia asked her where she came from and she responded, “I come from Heaven.” The woman wore a white mantle edged with gold and held a rosary in her hand. The woman asked them to pray and devote themselves to the Holy Trinity and to “say the Rosary every day, to bring peace to the world and an end to the war.”
She also revealed that the children would suffer, especially from the unbelief of their friends and families, and that the two younger children, Francisco and Jacinta would be taken to Heaven very soon but Lucia would live longer in order to spread her message and devotion to the Immaculate Heart.
In the last apparition the woman revealed her name in response to Lucia’s question: “I am the Lady of the Rosary.”
That same day, 70,000 people had turned out to witness the apparition, following a promise by the woman that she would show the people that the apparitions were true. They saw the sun make three circles and move around the sky in an incredible zigzag movement in a manner which left no doubt in their minds about the veracity of the apparitions. By 1930 the Bishop had approved of the apparitions and they have been approved by the Church as authentic.
The messages Our Lady imparted during the apparitions to the children concerned the violent trials that would afflict the world by means of war, starvation, and the persecution of the Church and the Holy Father in the twentieth century if the world did not make reparation for sins. She exhorted the Church to pray and offer sacrifices to God in order that peace may come upon the world, and that the trials may be averted.
Our Lady of Fatima revealed three prophetic “secrets,” and requested an ardent devotion to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. The assassination attempt on Pope John Paul II in 1981, took place on May 13, the 64th anniversary of the apparitions. The Holy Father attributed his escape from certain death to the intervention of Our Lady: “... it was a mother's hand that guided the bullet's path and in his throes the Pope halted at the threshold of death.”
What is the central meaning of the message of Fatima? Nothing different from what the Church has always taught: Before he became Pope Benedict XVI, Cardinal Ratzinger said, the message is “the exhortation to prayer as the path of “salvation for souls” and, likewise, the summons to penance and conversion.”
In one of her apparitions, Our Lady at Fatima spoke confidently, “My Immaculate Heart will triumph”. Cardinal Ratzinger interpreted the meaning as follows: “The Heart open to God, purified by contemplation of God, is stronger than guns and weapons of every kind. The fiat of Mary, the word of her heart, has changed the history of the world, because it brought the Saviour into the world because, thanks to her Yes, God could become man in our world and remains so for all time. The Evil One has power in this world, as we see and experience continually; he has power because our freedom continually lets itself be led away from God. But since God himself took a human heart and has thus steered human freedom towards what is good, the freedom to choose evil no longer has the last word. From that time forth, the word that prevails is this:
“In the world you will have tribulation, but take heart; I have overcome the world” John 16:33
The message of Fatima invites us to trust in this promise.
Pope Benedict XVI, in Fatima today for the anniversary said: "The recitation of the rosary allows us to fix our gaze and our hearts upon Jesus, just like his Mother, the supreme model of contemplation of the Son." He explained, "...Let us contemplate the intimate participation of Mary in the mystery of our life in Christ today, a life which is also made up of joy and sorrow, of darkness and light, of fear and hope."
On the 13th day of the month of Our Lady, May 1917, an apparition of ‘a woman all in white, more brilliant than the sun’ presented itself to the three children saying “Please don’t be afraid of me, I’m not going to harm you.” Lucia asked her where she came from and she responded, “I come from Heaven.” The woman wore a white mantle edged with gold and held a rosary in her hand. The woman asked them to pray and devote themselves to the Holy Trinity and to “say the Rosary every day, to bring peace to the world and an end to the war.”
She also revealed that the children would suffer, especially from the unbelief of their friends and families, and that the two younger children, Francisco and Jacinta would be taken to Heaven very soon but Lucia would live longer in order to spread her message and devotion to the Immaculate Heart.
In the last apparition the woman revealed her name in response to Lucia’s question: “I am the Lady of the Rosary.”
That same day, 70,000 people had turned out to witness the apparition, following a promise by the woman that she would show the people that the apparitions were true. They saw the sun make three circles and move around the sky in an incredible zigzag movement in a manner which left no doubt in their minds about the veracity of the apparitions. By 1930 the Bishop had approved of the apparitions and they have been approved by the Church as authentic.
The messages Our Lady imparted during the apparitions to the children concerned the violent trials that would afflict the world by means of war, starvation, and the persecution of the Church and the Holy Father in the twentieth century if the world did not make reparation for sins. She exhorted the Church to pray and offer sacrifices to God in order that peace may come upon the world, and that the trials may be averted.
Our Lady of Fatima revealed three prophetic “secrets,” and requested an ardent devotion to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. The assassination attempt on Pope John Paul II in 1981, took place on May 13, the 64th anniversary of the apparitions. The Holy Father attributed his escape from certain death to the intervention of Our Lady: “... it was a mother's hand that guided the bullet's path and in his throes the Pope halted at the threshold of death.”
What is the central meaning of the message of Fatima? Nothing different from what the Church has always taught: Before he became Pope Benedict XVI, Cardinal Ratzinger said, the message is “the exhortation to prayer as the path of “salvation for souls” and, likewise, the summons to penance and conversion.”
In one of her apparitions, Our Lady at Fatima spoke confidently, “My Immaculate Heart will triumph”. Cardinal Ratzinger interpreted the meaning as follows: “The Heart open to God, purified by contemplation of God, is stronger than guns and weapons of every kind. The fiat of Mary, the word of her heart, has changed the history of the world, because it brought the Saviour into the world because, thanks to her Yes, God could become man in our world and remains so for all time. The Evil One has power in this world, as we see and experience continually; he has power because our freedom continually lets itself be led away from God. But since God himself took a human heart and has thus steered human freedom towards what is good, the freedom to choose evil no longer has the last word. From that time forth, the word that prevails is this:
“In the world you will have tribulation, but take heart; I have overcome the world” John 16:33
The message of Fatima invites us to trust in this promise.
May 09, 2010
Consecration Prayer to the Immaculate Heart of Mary, Our Blessed Mother
O Blessed Mother, heart of love, heart of mercy, ever listening, caring, consoling, hear our prayer. As your children, we implore your intercession with Jesus, your Beloved Son. Receive with understanding and compassion the petitions we place before you on this special day, Mother's Day:
The John 10:10 Prayer Ministry
We consecrate all the names we have received and all the names we will receive and we entrust them to your gentle, motherly care.
We are comforted in knowing your heart is ever open to those who ask you for prayer. We ask for your intercession for these babies and little ones and those who love them. Help all of us, Holy Mother, to bear our burdens in this life until we may share eternal life and peace with God forever. Amen.
The John 10:10 Prayer Ministry
We consecrate all the names we have received and all the names we will receive and we entrust them to your gentle, motherly care.
We are comforted in knowing your heart is ever open to those who ask you for prayer. We ask for your intercession for these babies and little ones and those who love them. Help all of us, Holy Mother, to bear our burdens in this life until we may share eternal life and peace with God forever. Amen.
May 01, 2010
John 10:10 Prayer Ministry
We dedicate this prayer ministry to Our Lady of the Rosary.
We honor Our Blessed Mother on this first day of May, Mary's month.
"The Rosary, though clearly Marian in character, is at heart a Christocentric prayer. In the sobriety of its elements, it has all the depth of the Gospel message in its entirety, of which it can be said to be a compendium. It is an echo of the prayer of Mary, her perennial Magnificat for the work of the redemptive Incarnation which began in her virginal womb. With the Rosary, the Christian people sits at the school of Mary and is led to contemplate the beauty on the face of Christ and to experience the depths of his love. Through the Rosary the faithful receive abundant grace, as though from the very hands of the Mother of the Redeemer."
Apostolic Letter of Pope John Paul II Rosarium Virginis Mariae (the Rosary of the Virgin Mary)
"There is no surer means of calling down God's blessings upon the family...than the daily recitation of the Rosary."
Pope Pius XII
"Good and devout souls, who walk in the light of the Holy Spirit: I do not think you will mind my giving you this mystical rose tree which comes straight from heaven and which is to be planted in the garden of your soul. This mystical rose tree is Jesus and Mary, in life, death and eternity."
St. Louis Marie de Montfort
This prayer ministry began four years ago in May 2006, praying for an unborn baby, Lily Grace. There were medical problems with the baby and we began praying the novena to Saint Anne that "Lily Grace would have abundant life." Through the intercession of Saint Anne, mother of Our Blessed Mother and grandmother of Jesus, Lily Grace was born in November 2006. We give thanks for all the prayers for this precious little baby.
Over the past four years, as we pray each day, we have received other names to include in our novena prayers to Saint Anne. We have more than one hundred names to pray for now. We pray for unborn babies and for children who are healthy, sick or disabled. We pray for pregnant women, couples who are trying to become pregnant, couples who want to adopt, mothers who have had miscarriages. We pray for parents who have suffered the death of a baby or a child. We pray for grandparents and their grandchildren. We pray for mothers and fathers who have had an abortion or considered having one. We pray for parents who are struggling to accept their disabled child, as well as parents who embrace their disabled child and see, in that child, the beauty that was created by God.
We invite you to send prayer requests. If you would like to be a prayer partner of the John 10:10 Prayer Ministry, pray the Memorare every day for all the names we have received and all the names we will receive.
SWEET VIDEO
We honor Our Blessed Mother on this first day of May, Mary's month.
"The Rosary, though clearly Marian in character, is at heart a Christocentric prayer. In the sobriety of its elements, it has all the depth of the Gospel message in its entirety, of which it can be said to be a compendium. It is an echo of the prayer of Mary, her perennial Magnificat for the work of the redemptive Incarnation which began in her virginal womb. With the Rosary, the Christian people sits at the school of Mary and is led to contemplate the beauty on the face of Christ and to experience the depths of his love. Through the Rosary the faithful receive abundant grace, as though from the very hands of the Mother of the Redeemer."
Apostolic Letter of Pope John Paul II Rosarium Virginis Mariae (the Rosary of the Virgin Mary)
"There is no surer means of calling down God's blessings upon the family...than the daily recitation of the Rosary."
Pope Pius XII
"Good and devout souls, who walk in the light of the Holy Spirit: I do not think you will mind my giving you this mystical rose tree which comes straight from heaven and which is to be planted in the garden of your soul. This mystical rose tree is Jesus and Mary, in life, death and eternity."
St. Louis Marie de Montfort
This prayer ministry began four years ago in May 2006, praying for an unborn baby, Lily Grace. There were medical problems with the baby and we began praying the novena to Saint Anne that "Lily Grace would have abundant life." Through the intercession of Saint Anne, mother of Our Blessed Mother and grandmother of Jesus, Lily Grace was born in November 2006. We give thanks for all the prayers for this precious little baby.
Over the past four years, as we pray each day, we have received other names to include in our novena prayers to Saint Anne. We have more than one hundred names to pray for now. We pray for unborn babies and for children who are healthy, sick or disabled. We pray for pregnant women, couples who are trying to become pregnant, couples who want to adopt, mothers who have had miscarriages. We pray for parents who have suffered the death of a baby or a child. We pray for grandparents and their grandchildren. We pray for mothers and fathers who have had an abortion or considered having one. We pray for parents who are struggling to accept their disabled child, as well as parents who embrace their disabled child and see, in that child, the beauty that was created by God.
We invite you to send prayer requests. If you would like to be a prayer partner of the John 10:10 Prayer Ministry, pray the Memorare every day for all the names we have received and all the names we will receive.
SWEET VIDEO
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