Pray the rosary

What Happens When We Pray The Rosary?

“The soul is filled with gratitude and love before these proofs of Divine love; its hope becomes enlarged and its desire is increased for those things which Christ has prepared for such as have united themselves to Him in imitation of His example and in participation in His sufferings” – Pope Leo XIII, his encyclical on the Rosary

“The word ‘Rosary’ means ‘Crown of Roses,’ that is to say that every time someone says the Rosary devoutly, they place a crown of one hundred fifty-three red roses and sixteen white roses upon the heads of Jesus and Mary. Being heavenly roses they will never fade or lose their exquisite beauty” – St. Louis De Montfort, The Secret of the Rosary

“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.” – Pope John Paul II, his apostolic letter on the Rosary

“There is no surer means of calling down God’s blessings upon the family . . . than the daily recitation of the Rosary” – Pius XII

Who Supports Praying the Rosary?

“The Rosary is the most excellent form of prayer and the most efficacious means of attaining eternal life. It is the remedy for all our evils, the root of all our blessings. There is no more excellent way of praying” – Pope Leo XIII

“The greatest method of praying is to pray the Rosary” – St. Francis de Sales

“The Rosary is my favorite prayer. A marvellous prayer! Marvellous in its simplicity and in its depth. . .the simple prayer of the Rosary beats the rhythm of human life” – John Paul II

“Give me an army saying the Rosary and I will conquer the world” – Pope Pius IX

Praying the Rosary daily will put you in some pretty awesome company: St. Jose Maria Escrivia, St. Louis de Monfort, St. Maximilian Kolbe, St. Padre Pio, St. Bernadine, St. Bernard, St. Dominic, St. John Vianney, St. Alphonsus Liguori, St. Albert, St. Bonaventure, St. Teresa of Avila, St. Robert Bellarmine and many more!

And as for those who don’t see purpose in the repetitive nature of the Rosary, Fulton Sheen said it best: “The beautiful truth is that there is no repetition in ‘I love you.’”



Our Lady of the Rosary, pray for us!

Consecration to Mary

Saint Louis de Montfort said that Consecration to Mary consists of giving ourselves entirely to the Blessed Virgin, in order to belong entirely to Jesus through her. Consecration to Mary means that we dedicate ourselves, our lives, our work, our hearts and minds, our bodies and our souls, for a sacred purpose: that God may be glorified in us, by us, and through us, as in the example of the Blessed Virgin Mary. In the Consecration to Mary, even our goods, both interior and exterior, and even the value of our good deeds, past, present and future, are entrusted to Mary in consecration to her, for her to dispose as she wishes, for the greater glory of God.

Consecration to Mary, is therefore, an act of dying to ourselves, in self-denial and self-surrender, in the spirit of Totus Tuus, dedicating everything that is ours for a sacred purpose, the purpose for which God created us, for us to belong entirely to Him. With our Consecration, Mary becomes our personal intercessor and Mediatrix with God the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, bringing us to the abundant life promised by Jesus when He said: “I come to bring them life that they might have it in abundance.” This abundant life is Life in the Spirit, the life of the Holy Trinity. Through this act of complete entrustment to Mary, Jesus fulfils His promise to us of a life of abundance as Mary brings us into the Life of the Trinity, the true life of a Christian.

What happens when we consecrate ourselves to Mary? In the same manner as when Mary gave her Fiat during the Annunciation, the Holy Spirit uses our own fiat, united with the Fiat of Mary, to act in us, and Jesus is reborn in us and we are born again in Him. We become true sons and daughters of Mary, true Christians and disciples of Christ.

Through the Holy Eucharist, the blood of Jesus is infused in us; it is the blood that He took from Mary, making us truly the blood children of Mary. With Mary as our blood Mother, and Christ our brother, we can now claim our full inheritance from the Father.

Why do we consecrate ourselves to Mary’s Immaculate Heart? Because, as Jesus Himself taught us, our heart is where our treasure is. The Heart is the seat of love and it can only love one master. Either we love God or the world. We cannot have it both ways. Jesus said we will love one and hate the other. So is it with Mary’s Immaculate Heart which is totally given to God. Her greatest treasure is the Heart of Jesus who resides in her Heart. When we consecrate ourselves to Mary’s Heart, we become part of her treasure and her direct beneficiaries with access to all the graces that pass through her as Mediatrix of All Grace.



O Mary, we surrender all to you so we can belong entirely to your Beloved Son Jesus.

The Wedding at Cana

Do whatever He tells you.



2nd Luminous Mystery of the Rosary
Jesus, His Mother and the disciples were invited to a wedding in Cana. During the wedding feast the wine ran short. Mary turned to Jesus: "They have no wine." Jesus replied: "What would you have me do? My hour has not yet come." Mary said to the waiters: "Do whatever he tells you." There were six stone water jars, each holding fifteen to twenty gallons. Jesus bids the waiters to fill the jars with water, and then draw some out and take it to the chief steward. The chief steward said to the groom: "Every man serves the good wine first... but you have saved the good wine until now." At Mary’s request, Jesus worked His first miracle. By His presence, Christian marriage was raised to the dignity of a Sacrament.

Blessed Mother Mary, we entrust all these babies and little ones to you. We believe miracles happen all around us, in the name of Jesus.

Saint Anne and Saint Joachim

Today is the Feast Day of Saints Anne and Joachim, the parents of the Blessed Virgin Mary. They nurtured Mary, taught her and brought her up to be the worthy Mother of God. It was their teaching that led her to respond to God's request with faith, "Let it be done to me according to Your Will." It was their example of parenting that Mary must have followed as she brought up her own Son, Jesus. It was their faith that laid the foundation of courage and strength that allowed her to stand at the foot of the cross as her Son was crucified. Such parents are examples and models for all parents.

In the Scriptures, Matthew and Luke traced ancestry to show that Jesus is the culmination of great promises. The heroism and holiness of the parents of Mary established the whole family atmosphere around her in the Scriptures. We see in her a fulfillment of many generations of prayerful persons, herself steeped in the religious traditions of her people.

The strong character of Mary in making decisions, her continuous practice of prayer, her devotion to the laws of her faith, her steadiness at moments of crisis, and her devotion to her relatives, all indicate a close-knit, loving family. Saints Joachim and Anne faithfully performed their duties and practiced their faith quietly.

Saint Anne is the patron saint of mothers, grandmothers and pregnant women. Devotion to her was the beginning of this prayer ministry. The novena to Saint Anne had a powerful impact on the pregnancy and birth of Lily Grace because of a community of people who were praying the novena to her that this precious baby would have abundant life. The prayers were answered in the gift of this child who brings love and joy to everyone she meets.

"Joachim and Ann, how blessed and spotless a couple! You will be known by the fruit you have born, as the Lord says: By their fruits you will know them. The conduct of your life pleased God and was worthy of your daughter. For by the chaste and holy life you led together, you have fashioned a jewel of virginity: she who remained a virgin before, during and after giving birth. She alone for all time would maintain her virginity in mind and soul as well as in body." Saint John Damascene, Early Church Father and Doctor of the Church

Good Saint Anne and Saint Joachim, pray for us and for all those for whom we pray.

Saint Pio of Pietrelcina

Pray, hope and don't worry.

Saint Pio was a man of simple prayer.

May your heart always be the temple of the Holy Spirit. May Jesus always be the helmsman of your little spiritual ship. May Mary be the star which shines on your path and may she show you the safe way to reach the Heavenly Father. Amen.

Words of Padre Pio about Our Blessed Mother

"Hold on tightly to the Rosary. Be very grateful to the Madonna because it was she who gave us Jesus. Love Our Lady and make her loved; always recite the Rosary and recite it as often as possible."

"May the Mother of Jesus, and our Mother, obtain for us from her Son the grace to live a life according to the heart of God, a life that is entirely interior and hidden in Him. Give yourself up into the arms of your Heavenly Mother. She will take good care of your soul."



Saint Pio, patron of all who suffer, pray for us and for all the names we receive through this baby prayer ministry.

Our Lady of Mount Carmel

Garment of Mary's Grace
Today is the Feast Day of Our Lady of Mount Carmel. Hermits lived on Mount Carmel near the Fountain of Elijah in northern Israel in the 12th century. They had a chapel dedicated to Our Lady. By the 13th century they became known as “Brothers of Our Lady of Mount Carmel.” They soon celebrated a special Mass and Office in honor of Mary and founded the Carmelite Order devoted to contemplative life and sacrificial prayer for others. In 1726 it became a celebration of the universal Church under the title of Our Lady of Mount Carmel. For centuries, the Carmelites have seen themselves as specially related to Mary. Their great saints and theologians have promoted devotion to her and often championed the mystery of her Immaculate Conception.

Saint Teresa of Avila called Carmel “the Order of the Virgin.” While Teresa was in a crisis, her mother died. Afflicted and lonely, Teresa appealed to the Blessed Virgin to be her mother. Saint John of the Cross credited Mary with saving him from drowning as a child, leading him to Carmel and helping him escape from prison. Saint Theresa of the Child Jesus believed that Mary cured her from illness. On her First Communion, she dedicated her life to Mary. During the last days of her life, she frequently spoke of Mary.

Our Blessed Mother appeared to Saint Simon Stock, a leader of the Carmelites. He pleaded with Mary for some special sign of her protection. On July 16, 1251, she designated the scapular as the special mark of her maternal love. Mary told him to promote devotion to it. The scapular is a modified version of Mary’s own garment. It symbolizes her special protection. She calls the wearers to consecrate themselves to her in a special way. The scapular reminds us of the Gospel call to prayer and penance, a call that Mary models in a splendid way.

Devotion to Our Lady of Mount Carmel is worldwide, and most Catholics are familiar with the Scapular of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, also known as the Brown Scapular. Mary appeared to St. Simon Stock on July 16, 1251, and gave him the scapular with the following words, which are preserved in a fourteenth century narrative: "This will be for you and for all Carmelites the privilege, that he who dies in this will not suffer eternal fire." The feast of Our Lady of Mount Carmel was instituted for the Carmelites in 1332, and extended to the whole Church by Benedict XIII in 1726.



Our Lady of Mount Carmel, protect us and all the little ones for whom we pray. Lead us always to your Beloved Son Jesus.

Lily of the Mohawks

Today is the Feast Day of Blessed Kateri Tekawitha, Virgin and patron of consecrated virgins, the environment and ecology. Kateri was born near the town of Auriesville, New York, in the year 1656, the daughter of a Mohawk warrior. She was four years old when her mother died of smallpox. The disease also attacked Kateri and transfigured her face. She was adopted by her two aunts and an uncle. Kateri became converted as a teenager. She was baptized at the age of twenty and incurred the great hostility of her tribe. Although she had to suffer greatly for her faith, she remained firm in it. Kateri went to the new Christian colony of Indians in Canada where she lived a life dedicated to prayer, penances, and caring for the sick and aged. Every morning, even in bitterest winter, she stood before the chapel door until it opened at four and remained there until after the last Mass. She became known as the "Lily of the Mohawks."

Kateri's family did not accept her choice to embrace Christ. After her baptism, Kateri became the village outcast. Her family refused her food on Sundays because she would not work. Children would taunt her and throw stones. She was threatened with torture or death if she did not renounce her religion. Because of increasing hostility from her people and because she wanted to devote her life to working for God, Kateri left her village and fled more than 200 miles through woods, rivers, and swamps to the Catholic mission of St. Francis Xavier at Sault Saint-Louis, near Montreal. Kateri's journey through the wilderness took more than two months. Because of her determination in proving herself worthy of God and her undying faith, she was allowed to receive her First Holy Communion on Christmas Day, 1677.

Although not formally educated and unable to read and write, she taught the young and helped those in the village who were poor or sick. Her favorite devotion was to fashion crosses out of sticks and place them throughout the woods. These crosses served as stations that reminded her to spend a moment in prayer. Kateri's motto became, "Who can tell me what is most pleasing to God that I may do it?" She spent much of her time in prayer before the Blessed Sacrament, kneeling in the cold chapel for hours. When the winter hunting season took Kateri and many of the villagers away from the village, she made her own little chapel in the woods by carving a Cross on a tree and spent time in prayer there, kneeling in the snow. Often people would ask, "Kateri, tell us a story." Kateri remembered everything she was told about the life of Jesus and his followers. People would listen for a long time. They enjoyed being with her because they felt the presence of God. One time a priest asked the people why they gathered around Kateri in church. They told him that they felt close to God when Kateri prayed. They said that her face changed when she was praying. It became full of beauty and peace, as if she were looking at God's face.

On March 25, 1679, Kateri made a vow of perpetual virginity, meaning that she would remain unmarried and totally devoted to Christ for the rest of her life. Kateri hoped to start a convent for Native American sisters in Sault St. Louis but her spiritual director, Father Pierre Cholonec discouraged her. Kateri's health, never good, was deteriorating rapidly due in part to the penances she inflicted on herself. Father Cholonec encouraged Kateri to take better care of herself but she laughed and continued with her "acts of love." She died on April 17, 1680 at the age of twenty-four.

Devotion to Kateri is responsible for establishing Native American ministries in Catholic Churches all over the United States and Canada. Kateri was declared venerable by the Catholic Church in 1943 and she was Beatified in 1980. Work is currently underway to have her Canonized by the Church.

Kateri loved the Rosary and carried it around her neck always. She was devoted to the Holy Eucharist and to Jesus Crucified.

I have felt a connection in prayer with Blessed Kateri ever since we began praying for baby Lily Grace and I discovered she was known as Lily of the Mohawks. I feel even more connected with her because of her love of Jesus and Mary.

Novena to Blessed Kateri
Kateri, favored child and Lily of the Mohawks, I come to seek your intercession in my present need: (State your intention here) I admire the virtues which adorned your soul: love of God and neighbor, humility, obedience, patience, purity and the spirit of sacrifice. Help me to imitate your example in my state of life. Through the goodness and mercy of God, Who has blessed you with so many graces which led you to the true faith and to a high degree of holiness, pray to God for me and help me.

Obtain for me a very fervent devotion to the Holy Eucharist so that I may love Holy Mass as you did and receive Holy Communion as often as I can. Teach me also to be devoted to my crucified Savior as you were, that I may cheerfully bear my daily crosses for love of Him Who suffered so much for love of me. Most of all I beg you to pray for me that I may avoid sin, lead a holy life and save my soul. Amen.

In Thanksgiving to God for the graces bestowed upon Kateri: (Recite the following prayers) Our Father...Hail Mary...Glory Be...(3 times)

Blessed Kateri, pray for us and for all the babies and little ones we pray for in this ministry.

Total Consecration to Jesus through Mary

True Devotion to Mary
Beginning the 33 day preparation of Total Consecration to Jesus through Mary by Saint Louis Marie de Montfort today, the consecration will be completed on Mary's Feast Day, the Assumption, August 15th. As a way to prepare for this most beautiful feast day of the Assumption of Our Lady, we consecrate our lives to Jesus through Mary. The devotion, Total Consecration to Jesus through Mary, has been practiced for centuries. It involves 33 days of preparatory devotions, with the Total Consecration made on the 34th day. St. Louis de Montfort left a wonderful gift to Catholics who wish to better serve Jesus and the Holy Trinity. His gift is the Total Consecration to Jesus through Mary because it is giving oneself, fully and completely to God, without conditions, without strings, without reservation. We are giving back to God, freely of our own will, the very gift of our life

It is a spiritual devotion developed by St. Louis de Montfort under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit to bring souls to a perfect imitation of Christ by imitating His Mother. This Consecration or Entrustment is accomplished through a 33 day exercise of prayer (about 5-10 minutes per day) under His Mother’s care. Total Consecration is the renewal of our Baptismal vows, which in most cases were made on our behalf by parents and godparents, but instead we now choose to make this commitment of our own free will. Pope Benedict XVI and Blessed John Paul II urged Catholics to make this Act of Entrustment, which God highlighted at Fatima, with Our Mother’s plea: “God wishes to establish devotion to my Immaculate Heart and promises salvation to those who embrace it.”

Be Not Afraid
By making this consecration to Mary, you are placing yourself completely and totally in her hands. You are giving her permission to form you, discipline you, and mold you into a true follower of Christ. Do not be afraid, though, because she loves you. She will always take care of you, and knows better than anybody how to do so. It is always good to remember her words to Saint Juan Diego in Mexico, "Hear and let it penetrate into your heart, my dear little son: let nothing discourage you, nothing depress you: let nothing alter your heart or your countenance. Also do not fear any illness or vexation, anxiety or pain. Am I not here who am your Mother? Are you not under my shadow and protection? Am I not your fountain of life? Are you not in the folds of my mantle, in the crossing of my arms? Is there anything else that you need?"

Blessed John Paul II chose this Marian devotion as a way of life. His proclamation, Totus Tuus, I am completely yours, O Mary was the motto he chose for his papacy.



O Mary, we choose you as our Mother and Queen. As we begin our 33 days of prayer today, we surrender and consecrate our lives to you. Help us imitate you and your Beloved Son.

Draw me close to You

Children around the world in prayer




"I am Joseph," he said to his brothers. "Is my father still in good health?" But his brothers could give him no answer, so dumbfounded were they at him. "Come closer to me," he told his brothers. When they had done so, he said: "I am your brother Joseph, whom you once sold into Egypt. But now do not be distressed, and do not reproach yourselves for having sold me here. It was really for the sake of saving lives that God sent me here ahead of you.
Genesis 45:3-5

Israel had sent Judah ahead to Joseph, so that he might meet him in Goshen. On his arrival in the region of Goshen, Joseph hitched the horses to his chariot and rode to meet his father Israel in Goshen. As soon as Joseph saw him, he flung himself on his neck and wept a long time in his arms.
Genesis 46:28-20

Heavenly Father, help us to be like Joseph, filled with love and forgiveness. Help us to see the plans You have for us. Sweet Jesus, stay with us and keep us close to You. Blessed Mother Mary, protect your little ones. Come Holy Spirit! Come through Mary!

Mary Undoer of Knots

How this devotion started?
To show us the mission granted to the Virgin Mary by Her Son, an unknown artist painted Mary Undoer of Knots with great grace. Since 1700, his painting has been venerated in the Church of St. Peter in Perlack, Germany.

It was originally inspired by a meditation of Saint Irenaeus, Bishop of Lyon, martyred in 202, based on the parallel made by Saint Paul between Adam and Christ.

Saint Irenaeus made a comparison between Eve and Mary, saying:

"Eve, by her disobedience, tied the knot of disgrace for the human race; whereas Mary, by her obedience, undid it."

But what are these knots?
They are the problems and struggles we face for which we do not see any solution. They are knots of discord in your family, lack of understanding between parents and children, disrespect, violence, the knots of deep hurts between husband and wife, the absence of peace and joy at home. They are also the knots of anguish and despair of separated couples, the dissolution of the family, the knots of a drug addict son or daughter, sick or separated from home or God, knots of alcoholism, fear, the practice of abortion, depression, unemployment, loneliness. The knots of our life! How they suffocate the soul, beat us down and betray the heart’s joy and separate us from God.

Look at the picture of Mary Undoer of Knots.
In this angelic court, two angels stand out. One of them holds on to a ribbon, the ribbon of our life, which is full of knots big and small, loose and tight. The good hearted angel looks to our Queen and holding onto the ribbon of our life, presents to Mary, the Undoer of Knots and says, “We trust you, Mother; You can help us. Undo, then, the knots of this life!” Then, Mary takes our life into Her compassionate hands and with her long fingers of mercy goes on to undo each knot, one after the other. Look at Her. Feel the attention, love and tenderness with which She does this, hearing our plea, the supplication of a beloved child! See what happens? This ribbon becomes free of any type of knot, reflecting all the mercy and freeing power of the holy hands of Mary Undoer of Knots. Another angel comes over, then, and taking the ribbon of our life, freed of all knots, looks at us and seems to say, “See what She did. Look at what Mary, through her intercession can do again. Trust Her, place your problems and afflictions in Her hands!”

The power of praying the Novena to Mary Undoer of Knots is the unlimited hope which through our faith we put in our Mother’s hands. This Novena is known around the world and it can change your life. Why a Novena? Why nine days? Mary stayed during nine days surrounded by the apostles in the cenacle, praying for the presence of the Holy Spirit. In this persevering type prayer, She taught us the constancy of faith, so that we do not get discouraged when direct a petition to God. The Mother of God prayed and gave courage to the apostles to pray for the duration of nine days, in order to receive the most important and precious treasure for human life, The Holy Spirit.

O Mary, Undoer of Knots, pray for us.

Saint Maria Goretti, Virgin and Martyr

Fidelity and Forgiveness
Today is the feast day of Saint Maria Goretti. She was born in 1890 in Corinaldi, Italy. Blessed John Paul II often commented on the virtues and example of Saint Maria Goretti. In a Homily commemorating the 100th Anniversary of the virgin martyr's birth, he emphasized her importance for our own troubled times. She did not flee from the voice of the Holy Spirit, from the voice of her conscience. Through the gift of fortitude, the Holy Spirit helped her to judge and to choose with her young spirit. She chose death when there was no other way to defend her virginal purity.

Maria Goretti's blood was shed in a sacrifice of total fidelity to God. She reminds us that we are also called to offer ourselves to the Father. We are called to seek the Divine Will and to be holy and pleasing in His sight. Our call to holiness, which is the vocation of every baptized person, is encouraged by the example of this young martyr. She is a special model for adolescents and young people, defending purity of heart and body and being committed to the struggle against evil and sin. Her life shows us not to be afraid to take a counter-cultural stance, to reject the things of the world and to be courageous witnesses by love, purity and virginity.

In her silent heroism, Maria Goretti is a teacher of truth and true love. She teaches us to see in Christ the value of the truth which frees us from slavery "to the world" by seeking good which always overcomes evil. Before she died at the age of twelve, Maria forgave her attacker, Allesandro. He was sent to prison for her death. After six years of prison, he was near the brink of despair. Then one night, Maria appeared to him in his cell. She smiled at Alessandro and she was surrounded by lilies, the flower symbolic of purity. From that moment, peace invaded Alessandro's heart, and he began to live a constructive life. After serving his sentence, Alessandro lived at a Capuchin monastery, working in the garden as a tertiary. He asked pardon of Maria's mother and accompanied her to Christmas Mass in the parish church where he spoke before the hushed congregation, acknowledging his sin and asking God's forgiveness and the pardon of the community. Forty years later, on June 24, 1950, Maria was canonized at St. Peter's basilica in Rome, with Alessandro's heart now firmly converted to the Lord. A miraculous fruit of Maria's life of forgiveness!

"Oh Saint Maria Goretti who, strengthened by God's grace, did not hesitate even at the age of twelve to shed your blood and sacrifice life itself to defend your virginal purity, look graciously on the unhappy human race which has strayed far from the path of eternal salvation. Teach us all, and especially youth, with what courage and promptitude we should flee for the love of Jesus anything that could offend Him or stain our souls with sin. Obtain for us from our Lord victory in temptation, comfort in the sorrows of life, and the grace which we earnestly beg of thee (here insert intention), and may we one day enjoy with thee the imperishable glory of Heaven. Amen."

My Jesus, as you gave Saint Maria Goretti the crown of martyrdom, help us keep faithful to your teachings with her courage.

Two Holy Hearts: The Sacred Heart of Jesus and The Immaculate Heart of Mary

In memory of my dear friend Loretta. I can only imagine...



The Twelve Promises of Devotion to the Sacred Heart given by Jesus to Saint Margaret Mary
1. I will give them all the graces necessary for their state of life.
2. I will give peace in their families.
3. I will console them in all their troubles.
4. They shall find in My Heart an assured refuge during life and especially at the hour of death.
5. I will pour abundant blessings on all their undertakings.
6. Sinners shall find in My Heart the source and infinite ocean of mercy.
7. Tepid souls shall become fervent.
8. Fervent souls shall speedily rise to great perfection.
9. I will bless the homes in which the image of My Sacred Heart shall be exposed and honored.
10. I will give to priests the power to touch the most hardened hearts.
11. Those who propagate this devotion shall have their name written in My Heart, and it shall never be effaced.
12. The all-powerful love of My Heart will grant to all those who shall receive Communion on the First Friday of nine consecutive months the grace of final repentance; they shall not die under My displeasure, nor without receiving their Sacraments; My Heart shall be their assured refuge at that last hour.

The Fifteen Promises to those who pray the Rosary given by Mary to Saint Dominic and Blessed Alan
1. Whosoever shall faithfully serve Me by the recitation of the Rosary shall receive signal graces.
2. I promise My special protection and the greatest graces to all those who shall recite the Rosary.
3. The Rosary shall be a powerful armor against Hell, it will destroy vice, decrease sin and defeat heresies.
4. It will cause good works to flourish; it will obtain for souls the abundant mercy of God; it will withdraw the hearts of men from the love of the world and its vanities, and will lift them to the desire for Eternal Things. Oh, that souls would sanctify themselves by this means.
5. The soul which recommends itself to Me by the recitation of the Rosary shall not perish.
6. Whosoever shall recite the Rosary devoutly, applying himself to the consideration of its Sacred Mysteries shall never be conquered by misfortune. God will not chastise him in His justice, he shall not perish by an unprovided death; if he be just he shall remain in the grace of God, and become worthy of Eternal Life.
7. Whoever shall have a true devotion for the Rosary shall not die without the Sacraments of the Church.
8. Those who are faithful to recite the Rosary shall have during their life and at their death the Light of God and the plenitude of His Graces; at the moment of death they shall participate in the Merits of the Saints in Paradise.
9. I shall deliver from Purgatory those who have been devoted to the Rosary.
10. The faithful children of the Rosary shall merit a high degree of Glory in Heaven.
11. You shall obtain all you ask of Me by recitation of the Rosary.
12. All those who propagate the Holy Rosary shall be aided by Me in their necessities.
13. I have obtained from My Divine Son that all the advocates of the Rosary shall have for intercessors the entire Celestial Court during their life and at the hour of death.
14. All who recite the Rosary are My Sons, and brothers of My Only Son Jesus Christ.
15. Devotion to My Rosary is a great sign of predestination.

O Sacred Heart of Jesus, have mercy on us.
Immaculate Heart of Mary, pray for us.

Immaculate Heart of Mary

Devotion to the Immaculate Heart of Mary is primarily based upon the Sacred Scriptures. In the New Testament, there are two references to the Heart of Mary in the Gospel according to Saint Luke: "Mary treasured all these things and reflected on them in her heart." Luke 2:19 and "His mother meanwhile kept all these things in her heart." Luke 2:51 In the Old Testament, the heart is seen as the symbol of the depths of the human soul, the center of its choices and commitments. For all mankind, it is a symbol of love. In the Book of Deuteronomy we are told, "You shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, and with all your soul and with all your strength." Deuteronomy 6:5 When Our Lord Jesus Christ was asked by the scribes which was the first commandment, he answered them by quoting this verse to them.

It was the Heart of Mary which expressed her "yes" to God. This was her response to the message sent through the angel at the Annunciation. By her loving consent, Mary first conceived Christ in her heart and then in her womb. Our Lord Jesus, Himself: when reminded by a woman in the crowd how blessed was the womb which gave birth to Him, responds, "Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and keep it." Luke 11:28 Blessed John Paul II, in his first encyclical, Redemptor Hominis, wrote "the mystery of Redemption was formed under the heart of the Virgin of Nazareth when she pronounced her fiat."



In 1942, the twenty-fifth anniversary of Fatima, Pope Pius XII consecrated the world to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. That same year, he assigned the feast day to August 22, the octave of the Assumption. On May 4, 1944, he extended the Feast of the Immaculate Heart of Mary to the Universal Church. With the liturgical reforms of the Second Vatican Council in 1969, the feast was given a more suitable place on the day following the Feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. That is the Saturday after the second Sunday after Pentecost.

Today we celebrate the Feast of the Immaculate Heart of Mary. The opening prayer for the liturgical celebration helps us focus on the important message of this feast day. "God prepared the heart of Mary as a fitting home to the Holy Spirit. May we, His chosen people, become temples of His glory. We ask Mary to help us, her spiritual children, so dear to her heart, to stay ever united in friendship with her Son and never separate ourselves by sin."

Immaculate Heart of Mary, pray for us and all the names we have received through this baby prayer ministry.

Sacred Heart of Jesus

Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque was born in 1647 in France. She was an invalid, but the Blessed Virgin Mary cured her. To thank God for the cure she promised to give her life to His service. Margaret sought refuge in the Most Blessed Virgin Mary. She made her a vow that if she would heal her, she would become one of her daughters. Immediately after making this promise, she recuperated her health. Saint Margaret Mary recalled: “As soon as I made this vow, I was cured, with a new protection from the most Blessed Virgin, who now became so completely the mistress of my heart that She looked upon me as belonging to her and governed me as being dedicated to her, reproving me for my faults, and teaching me to do the will of my God.”

Aside from obtaining her health, this vow accomplished in her a deep sense of union with the Blessed Virgin Mary. However, her road to sanctity was not free of detours. “On recovering my health,” she later confessed, “I thought only of seeking pleasure in the enjoyment of my liberty, without concerning myself much about the fulfillment of my promise. I gave myself up to vanity and the affection of creatures, flattering myself that the tenderness which my mother and brothers had for me would allow me to amuse and enjoy myself as much as I liked.” The Blessed Mother reprimanded her when she saw her almost yielding to the terrible struggle that she felt within herself. On one occasion, while seated and reciting the Holy Rosary, Our Lady appeared to her and gave her the following reprimand, which she never forgot: “I am surprised, my daughter,” she said, “that you serve me so negligently!” These words left such an impression on her soul that they served her as warning for her whole life but our Blessed Virgin is also tender and consoling. One day, she told Margaret: "Do not fear anything; you will be my true daughter, and I will always be your good mother.”

Saint Margaret Mary made another vow to Our Lady: to fast every Saturday and to recite her Office of the Immaculate Conception. Seeing her ardent desire of total consecration, the Blessed Mother helped her reach her goal. When she was seventeen, Jesus appeared to her just as He looked after He was scourged. At once, she entered into the Order of the Visitation.

Sister Margaret Mary loved Our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament very much. Jesus showed her His Sacred Heart in four visions. The flames that come forth from His Heart remind us of His burning love for us and His desire that we love Him in return. The crown of thorns around His Heart reminds us of sacrifice to make up for sin.

Jesus made twelve promises to her telling her how he would help those who honor His Sacred Heart. Jesus said to her: “Look at this Heart which has loved people so much, and yet they do not want to love Me in return. Through you My divine Heart wishes to spread its love everywhere on earth.”

Saint Margeret Mary wrote: “And He showed me that it was His great desire of being loved by men and of withdrawing them from the path of ruin into which Satan hurls such crowds of them, that made Him form the design of manifesting His Heart to men, with all the treasures of love, of mercy, of grace, of sanctification and salvation which it contains, in order that those who desire to render Him and procure for Him all the honor and love possible, might themselves be abundantly enriched with those divine treasures of which this Heart is the source. He should be honored under the figure of this Heart of flesh, and Its image should be exposed ... He promised me that wherever this image should be exposed with a view to showing it special honor, He would pour forth His blessings and graces. This devotion was the last effort of His love that He would grant to men in these latter ages, in order to withdraw them from the empire of Satan which He desired to destroy, and thus to introduce them into the sweet liberty of the rule of His love, which He wished to restore in the hearts of all those who should embrace this devotion.”

Through the visions of Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque, the devotion became universal. In all of these visions, in which Jesus appeared to Saint Margaret Mary, the Sacred Heart of Jesus played a central role. The “great apparition,” which took place on June 16, 1675, during the octave of the Feast of Corpus Christi, is the source of the modern Feast of the Sacred Heart which we celebrate today. The Sacred Heart of Jesus represents His physical heart and His love for all mankind.



LOVE HIM, fervently. PRAY TO HIM, constantly. TRUST HIM, in everything. VISIT HIM, frequently. RECEIVE HIM, as often as possible.

O Sacred Heart of Jesus, have mercy on us.