Reflection: Pray the Rosary

The rosary is one of my favorite prayers. By praying and meditating on the mysteries of the rosary, I draw close to Jesus and Mary and they give me strength in my own life. The rosary has been called the School of Mary. Through her intercession, she comes into our hearts. She teaches us and works in us. Mary always leads us to her Beloved Son Jesus.

Praying the Rosary daily will put you in some pretty awesome company: St. Josemaria 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 Venerable Fulton Sheen and many more!

What Happens When We Pray The Rosary?

"The rosary is a powerful weapon. Use it with confidence and you will be amazed at the results. St. Josemaria Escrivia

"Go to the Madonna. Love her! Always say the Rosary. Say it well. Say it as often as you can! Be souls of prayer. Never tire of praying, it is what is essential. Prayer shakes the Heart of God, it obtains necessary graces! St. Padre Pio

“The soul is filled with gratitude and love before these proofs of Divine love; it's hope becomes enlarged and it's 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.” Saint John Paul II, 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.” St. John Paul II

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

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

Pray the rosary daily for peace and for the family.

Continue to pray the rosary every day.  Our Lady of Fatima to Sr. Lucia

Our Lady of the Rosary, pray for us and for all the intentions we receive through this ministry.

Reflection: Mary, Seat of Wisdom, pray for us!

Mary, the Mother of Jesus and the Mother of God, is the Seat of Wisdom. In the Litany of Loreto, she is given this title because she gave flesh to Jesus, the Son of God, whom the Scriptures refer to as the Wisdom of God. During Jesus’ early years, Mary sat Him on her lap and nurtured Him, thus becoming the “seat” of Wisdom. Art renditions of this image show Mary on a throne with the child Jesus in her lap.

Through Mary, Jesus entered the world as our Savior. Through Mary’s guidance and love, Jesus grew into a loving and caring man, who left His parent’s home to do the work God had given Him to do. Throughout His life, Mary was near, rejoicing with Him in all His good works, supporting and comforting Him in His days of doubt and suffering. Mary was the first disciple of Jesus.

Are you seeking wisdom?

Wisdom is a gift from God that helps us understand what God’s plan and purpose is for our lives. Wisdom needs to be cultivated so that the soil of our hearts can hear God’s voice, as Mary did. Mary’s parents helped her to use her gift of wisdom so that she was ready to understand God’s plan and purpose for her life when the angel came to announce it.

Turn to Mary. Ask her for wisdom. Sit in the Presence of Jesus in Eucharistic adoration. Pray the rosary and meditate on the Scriptures. Spend time in silent prayer. In the silence, you will hear God's voice. Ask Mary to teach you how to be silent in the Presence of the Lord.

"When I was young and innocent, I sought wisdom openly in my prayer. She came to me in her beauty and until the end I will cultivate her." Sirach 51:13-14  

O Mary, Seat of Wisdom, pray for us and for all the names we receive through this prayer ministry.

Reflection: Saint Anne and Saint Joachim...

Today is the Feast Day of Saint Anne and Saint Joachim, parents of our Blessed Mother Mary.

They nurtured Mary and taught her how to listen and respond to God's request with faith, "Let it be done to me according to Your Word." Their example of faith gave Mary the courage to stand at the foot of the Cross as her Beloved Son was crucified. They are examples and models for all parents and for all married couples. Their heroism and holiness set the atmosphere for Mary.

The Scriptures were central to their family. Through the Word of God, Mary developed a strong character to make decisions, a continuous practice of prayer, devotion to the laws of her faith, steadiness in moments of crisis, and devotion to her relatives.

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 our family, our parish community and beyond were praying the Novena to Saint Anne that this precious baby would have abundant life. She is eleven years old now. Her life is the fruit of prayer. The prayers were answered in the gift of this child who brings love and joy to everyone she meets.

Good Saint Anne, mother of her who is our life, our sweetness and our hope, pray to her for us and obtain our request.  Good Saint Anne, pray for us.  Jesus, Mary, Anne

"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.

The Angelus

The Angelus Prayer calls to mind the Incarnation of Jesus. In Latin it is “Angelus Domini nuntiavit Mariæ.”  The word Angelus means Angel.

This prayer is prayed at 6:00 am, noon, 6:00 pm and a bell is rung to announce the time of prayer.

Praying the Angelus gives us time to interrupt the day and turn to the Lord, to our Blessed Mother and to thoughts of our eternal home.

During the year, the Angelus is prayed. During Easter time, the Regina Caeli (Queen of Heaven) is prayed.  When we pray the Angelus with faith and love, we imitate Mary, a humble servant of the Lord.

The Angelus
The Angel of the Lord declared unto Mary...And she conceived of the Holy Spirit.
Hail Mary...
Behold the handmaid of the Lord...May it be done to me according to thy word.
Hail Mary...
And the Word was made Flesh...And dwelt among us.
Hail Mary...
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.

What a beautiful, simple devotion praying three Hail Marys three times a day!

Reflection: Come away and rest awhile...

Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest. Matthew 11:28

The call to Eucharistic adoration came to me through praying the rosary. There have been times in my life when Our Lady has invited me to go on pilgrimages to some of her Shrines. There have been so many miracles of grace for me during these pilgrimages.

As I reflect over the years, I see Mary's powerful presence in my life. She is the most loving, gentle Mother, but she is so much more. She has a powerful strength through her intercession. I picture her in both ways, gentle and strong, a Mother who comforts and a powerful warrior and protector of her children.

I have always known and loved Mary, but during Eucharistic adoration, she entered my heart in a new way through the power of the Holy Spirit.

Our Lady is calling you to spend time in the Presence of the Lord in Eucharistic adoration. It is there, in the silence, where Jesus and Mary will speak to your heart.

Come away by yourselves to a deserted place and rest awhile.
Mark 6:31

Our Lady of Mount Carmel, pray for us!

Garment of Mary's Grace
Today is the Feast Day of Our Lady of Mount Carmel. 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. When Mary appeared to Saint Simon Stock and gave him the scapular, she said: "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.

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 Lady of Mount Carmel, protect us and all those for whom we pray and lead us to your Beloved Son Jesus.

Saint Kateri Tekakwitha, Lily of the Mohawks, pray for us!

Today we celebrate the Feast Day of Saint Kateri Tekakwitha, 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. As a teenager, she converted and was baptized at the age of twenty under the hostility of her family and tribe. 

She suffered greatly for her faith, was treated as an outcast, but never wavered in it. She went to a new Christian colony of Indians in Canada where she lived a life dedicated to prayer, penances, and caring for the sick and aged. In 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.

Her health deteriorated rapidly due in part to the penances she inflicted on herself. Father Cholonec encouraged her to take better care of herself but she laughed and continued with her "acts of love." She died in 1680 at the age of twenty-four. Devotion to Saint Kateri led to the establishment of Native American ministries in Catholic Churches all over the United States.

Kateri became known as the "Lily of the Mohawks." She loved the Rosary and carried it around her neck always. She was devoted to the Holy Eucharist and to Jesus Crucified.

People enjoyed being with her because they felt the presence of God. One time, a priest asked 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.

I have felt a connection in prayer with 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 for Jesus in the Eucharist and Mary and the Rosary.

Novena to Saint 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)

Saint Kateri, pray for us and for all the families we pray for through this ministry.

Saints Louis and Zelie Martin, pray for us!

Today is the Feast Day of Saints Louis and Zelie Martin, parents of Saint Therese of Lisieux, the Little Flower, They were married at midnight between July 12 and July 13, 1858.  Louis designed a marriage medallion for Zelie with the Biblical pictures of Sarah and Tobias on one side with the date on the other side and the initials of their names. symbolizing the coming together of two families.

They were models of holiness and were canonized saints on October 18, 2015. Their marriage was one of love, as well as suffering. They are models of the beauty of the Sacrament of Marriage and powerful intercessors for the fidelity and faith of married love of a man and woman; 

They were open to children and the gift of life and had nine children, five of whom entered religious life. They lost four children at a young age. Their desire to have many children was for the Glory of God. Louis and Zelie did not want to be canonized. They wanted to become saints in their daily lives and made the mission of their lives to serve God. They lived modestly, reached out to help the poor and needy and led daily prayers in their home. Zelie died of breast cancer at the age of 45 and Louis suffered greatly and had a three year stay in a psychiatric hospital. Through all their trials, Louis and Zelie were devoted to a life of family and prayer.

God created man in His image, in the Divine Image, He created him; male and female, He created them. Genesis 1:27

We live in a culture which undermines holiness and the sacredness of life and marriage. Saint Louis and Zelie are models for holiness within the family.

Saints Louis and Zelie, intercede for all families and pray for us and all the intentions we hold in our hearts.

Reflection: Saint Maria Goretti, Little Mercy Saint, Virgin and Martyr

Today we celebrate the Feast Day of Saint Maria Goretti (1890-1902), Virgin and Martyr. She led a life of heroic virtue.

Heroic virtues are the theological virtues of faith, hope and charity and the cardinal virtues of prudence, justice, temperance and fortitude.

Maria lived her brief life for God with fidelity, fortitude and forgiveness. 

When her purity was being threatened, she had the courage to choose death. She was stabbed fourteen times. Before she died, she forgave her attacker, a neighbor, Allesandro.

Maria had a pure heart and she kept her body pure.

Allesandro was sent to prison for her death. One night, Maria appeared to him in his prison cell and smiled at him. She was surrounded by lilies, the flower symbolic of purity. She handed him fourteen lilies, one at a time. From that moment, he was converted and his heart was filled with peace. After serving his sentence, he lived in a Capuchin monastery, working in the garden. He asked forgiveness of Maria's mother and he went with her to Christmas Mass. There, he acknowledged his sin and asked forgiveness from God and the community. Forty years later, on June 24, 1950, Maria was canonized at St. Peter's Basilica in Rome. Alessandro attended her canonization. His heart was converted, a miraculous fruit of Maria's life of forgiveness!

Have you experienced a deep hurt? Do you find it difficult to forgive? 

Jesus gave the Sacrament of Reconciliation for the forgiveness of sins. Go to confession and talk to the priest, who is Jesus, in Persona Christi. Tell him about the wound in your heart, your deep hurt, tell him you want to forgive and ask him to help you.

Saint Maria Goretti can help you forgive. Pray to her for the person who hurt you. When you pray in this way, God expands your heart with love and peace and He gives you a forgiving heart. 

Official Prayer to Saint Maria Goretti
"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."

O my Jesus, You gave Saint Maria Goretti the crown of martyrdom; help us to be unafraid, to be faithful to Your teachings of fidelity and forgiveness with her courageous witness and give us an increase in the virtues of faith, hope, charity, prudence, justice, temperance and fortitude.

Saint Maria Goretti, Little Mercy Saint, pray for us!

God bless America!

Magnificat in America 

Cardinal Francis Spellman +1967 Archbishop of New York

America, Our America! Hold to the Vision of Mary, Mary Immaculate. Her glory fills the earth. She is our race. Its solitary boast. She, alone without sin, keeps the doom of wrath from thee, Who art defending Her glory. She, conqueror of evil, conquers evil for thee, Who art resisting evil.

America, Our America! Pray always to Mary, Mary Immaculate. She, the Mother to nations. She, the Mother of Christ, The Lord of all nations. She guards them and guides, subduing their hates, inspiring their spirits. She mourns for the prodigals, as children mourn, torn by their treasons.

America, Our America! Give thy heart to Mary, Mary Immaculate. Join Her prayer of praise. All Heaven attending, for our land that is free. Sing thou Her song of joy, all nations listening, giving thanks to God. Sing thou the song of souls, The Magnificat of Mary, The Magnificat of America.

Mary, the Immaculate Conception, you are the Patroness of our country. We call upon your powerful intercession on this day, the 4th of July 2018, to restore the protection and sanctity of life and marriage and to defend our freedoms of religion and conscience. We ask in the Name of your Beloved Son Jesus. In our prayers for our country through this ministry, we pray for families, for the sanctity of all life and for vocations to marriage, the priesthood and consecrated life, which are born and nurtured in families.

From the Declaration of Independence July 4, 1776
We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness.

SWEET VIDEO (posted on the first blog posting on May 1, 2010)
A Mother's Prayer

Reflection: My Lord and my God...Let us also go to die with Him

When Jesus appeared in the midst of the disciples, Thomas was not with them. When they saw Thomas later, they told him that they had seen the Lord. Thomas doubted and said, "Unless I see the mark of the nails in His hands and put my finger into the nailmarks and put my hand into His side, I will not believe." John 20:25  

I recall a beautiful homily my pastor gave about Thomas. He said not to focus on his disbelief. He said that Thomas went from hearing to disbelief and from disbelief to touching and from touching to believing.

When we hear Jesus, even when we do not believe, He touches us and we come to believe. An encounter with Jesus always changes us.

A week later, the disciples were in the locked room again and Thomas was with them. Jesus appeared in their midst and said, "Peace be with you." He said to Thomas, "Put your finger here and see my hands, and bring your hand and put it into my side, and do not be unbelieving but believe." Thomas answered Him, My Lord and my God." John 20:26-28

HEAR, UNBELIEF, TOUCH, BELIEF

When we hear Jesus, even when we do not believe, He touches us and we come to believe. An encounter with Jesus always changes us.

During the homily at Mass this morning, the priest said that Thomas is remembered as the one who doubted. He said that we should not remember him in this way. He said to read the story of Lazarus. Jesus went to Bethany, a very dangerous place for Him to go because it was near to the place where so many wanted to kill Him. Jesus was speaking to the disciples and He said:

So then Jesus said to them clearly. "Lazarus has died. And I am glad for you that I was not there, that you may believe. Let us go to him." So Thomas, called Didymus said to his fellow disciples. "Let us also go to die with Him." John 11:14-16

Jesus waited for Lazarus to die because he was going to raise him from the dead. Jesus did this so that they would believe in Him. When He told the disciples this, it was Thomas who understood and believed. Immediately, Thomas said to the disciples, "Let us also go to die with Him."

Let us remember Thomas as a saint and martyr. He doubted but came to believe and he witnessed to Jesus as his Lord and his God. Let us never judge someone who has made a mistake and only remember them for that mistake. God is so much bigger than one mistake. Let us remember Thomas and his words:

"My Lord and My God."

"Let us also go to die with Him."

Blessed are those who have not seen but still believe.  John 20:29