+ J.M.J. October 22, 2012 Blessed John Paul II, Pope Dear Family of Mary! "I invite you to call on everyone to pray the Rosary. With the rosary you shall overcome all the adversities which Satan is trying to inflict on the Catholic Church. All you priests, pray the Rosary! Dedicate your time to the Rosary!"(June 25, 1985)
On this feast day of Blessed John Paul II, it seems right to talk about the Rosary! Doesn't it seem that Our Lady's words in 1985 were lived out by Blessed John Paul! His heart was pressed tightly against Our Lady's heart, that is for sure! We are nearing the end of October and since this month is dedicated to Our Lady of the Rosary, I want to recall some of Our Lady's messages about the Rosary. She has made it very clear that one of our most important jobs is to pray the Rosary every day. Our Lady appeared to Ivan once to emphasis this fact: This apparition was unexpected. Ivan was praying at home. After that he started to get ready to go to Church for the evening services. By surprise Our Lady appeared to him and told him to relate to the people. "I would like the people to pray along with me these days. And to pray as much as possible! And to fast strictly on Wednesdays and Fridays, and every day to pray at least one Rosary: the joyful, sorrowful and glorious mysteries." Our Lady asked that we accept this message with a firm will. She especially requested this of the parishioners and the faithful of the surrounding places. (August 14, 1984) Clearly, the Rosary was to become the main staple of prayer for Medjugorje and all those associated with it. And to this day, the Rosary is prayed with fervor during the Evening Program of prayer around St. James Church. The Rosary is the spiritual powerhouse of Medjugorje. Through the prayer of the Rosary, intense graces are called down from heaven. No wonder so many miracles of conversion, healing and faith happen in Medjugorje! Blessed John Paul II spoke with deep confidence of the prayer of the Rosary. Like Our Lady, he encouraged the entire Church to pray the Rosary and even declared a Year of the Rosary, October 2002 to 2003! He shared his personal confidence in the Rosary this way: I myself have often encouraged the frequent recitation of the Rosary. From my youthful years this prayer has held an important place in my spiritual life. I was powerfully reminded of this during my recent visit to Poland, and in particular at the Shrine of Kalwaria. The Rosary has accompanied me in moments of joy and in moments of difficulty. To it I have entrusted any number of concerns; in it I have always found comfort. Twenty-four years ago, on 29 October 1978, scarcely two weeks after my election to the See of Peter, I frankly admitted: "The Rosary is my favorite prayer. A marvelous prayer! Marvelous in its simplicity and its depth. [...]. It can be said that the Rosary is, in some sense, a prayer-commentary on the final chapter of the Vatican II Constitution Lumen Gentium, a chapter which discusses the wondrous presence of the Mother of God in the mystery of Christ and the Church. Against the background of the words Ave Maria the principal events of the life of Jesus Christ pass before the eyes of the soul. They take shape in the complete series of the joyful, sorrowful and glorious mysteries, and they put us in living communion with Jesus through - we might say - the heart of his Mother. At the same time our heart can embrace in the decades of the Rosary all the events that make up the lives of individuals, families, nations, the Church, and all mankind. Our personal concerns and those of our neighbor, especially those who are closest to us, who are dearest to us. Thus the simple prayer of the Rosary marks the rhythm of human life". (n.2 Rosarium Virginis Mariae. Blessed John Paul II) The Rosary puts us in "living communion with Jesus through - we might say - the heart of his Mother!" This is the power of the Rosary, a power most needed in these dark days. May we cherish the gift of the Rosary and pray it with love and humility!! And yes, the Rosary helps us to understand Lumen Gentium, chapter 8, "a chapter which discusses the wondrous presence of the Mother of God in the mystery of Christ and the Church." Our Lady is present in a most wonderful way for us today, through Medjugorje, and she is here to help the Church to navigate these difficult waters and find the safe harbor of heaven. We, who have experienced her presence, understand in a very tangible way how much Mary is with us in these days as the mystery of salvation nears its climax! Let's give thanks for the Rosary and cling to it with all our hearts!! 
Blessed John Paul II, pray for us! In Jesus, Mary and Joseph! Cathy Nolan ©Mary TV 2012 | 
No comments:
Post a Comment
Please no anonymous comments. I require at least some way for people to address each other personally and courteously. Having some name or handle helps.
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.