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Mother Mary said at Fatima: "My Immaculate Heart will be your refuge and the sure way which will lead you to God." St. Thomas Aquinas said: "The things we love tell us who we are!" With that in mind, I will try to post each day something about Our Blessed Lady, items about the Holy Roman Catholic Church, and public domain Catholic books too! I pray you enjoy my ministry! Below are two albums of pictures that I created: 1. Our grand daughter Adrianna. 2. Tears of Mary!
Thursday, October 25, 2012
October 25, 2012 Medjugorje Message
Mary TV Daily Reflection 10/25/2012
(c)Felicity Nolan 2012
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J.M.J.
October 25, 2012
Dear Family of Mary!
As we prepare to receive a new message later today, it might be good to review Our Lady's message for September 25:
"Dear children! When in nature you look at the richness of the colors which the Most High gives to you, open your heart and pray with gratitude for all the good that you have and say: 'I am here created for eternity' - and yearn for heavenly things because God loves you with immeasurable love. This is why He also gave me to you to tell you: 'Only in God is your peace and hope, dear children'. Thank you for having responded to my call." (September 25, 2012)
"I am here created for eternity!" We could easily spend the entire day repeating these words to ourselves. Think what a difference it would make for us!
When we wake up, anticipating a new day with many responsibilities and challenges, these words would give us peace. All our struggles this day are stepping stones to eternity!
When we look in the mirror and see ourselves, imperfect or aging as we are, we might hear these words and give glory to God for heaven and eternal youth!
When we drive to work, go to school, or begin our daily chores we might hear these words and give thanks to God for the ways we are called to serve, knowing this service is the school of holiness, preparing us for eternity.
When we eat our evening meal, we might hear these words and give thanks to God for providing sustenance for one more day, one more day that leads to eternal life.
When we begin our prayers, Holy Mass, the Rosary, personal prayer, we might hear these words and rejoice because we are created for eternity! Every prayer brings us in touch with that eternal reality, draws us into the joy of God's presence.
And when we go to bed, we might hear these words and with trust and relief, say to God that we are here, created for eternity! Everything we entrust to You, Lord, we are in your hands!
"I am here created for eternity!"
Thank you, dear Mother, for teaching us what is important and keeping us focused on it! We await your message with joy!
(c)Felicity Nolan 2012
In Jesus, Mary, and Joseph!
Cathy Nolan
©Mary TV 2012
PS. Fruit of Medjugorje, Tonight!! 8:00 pm EDT!!! Don't miss it!
[Video] St. Luigi Guanella
Wednesday, October 24, 2012
[MaryVitamin] St. Anthony Mary Claret
Mary Vitamin
Topic: St. Anthony Mary Claret (October 24)
Quote:
St. Anthony Mary Claret
"The man who burns with the fire of divine love is a son of the Immaculate Heart of Mary "
Meditation
St. Anthony continues
" and wherever he goes, he enkindles that flame; he deserves and works with all this strength to inflame all men with the fire of God's love. Nothing deters him; he rejoices in poverty; he labors strenuously; he welcomes hardships; he laughs off false accusations; he rejoices in anguish. He thinks only of how he might follow Jesus Christ and imitate him by his prayers, his labors, his sufferings, and by caring always and only for the glory of God and the salvation of souls."
Patron Saints Index
Patron Saints Index
In the spiritual life we can become discouraged at the Lord's appeal "Be perfect as your heavenly father is perfect." It is an ideal attainable only by supernatural intercession. On our own, in mankind's condition, we cannot be perfect. But through grace, the gift of God's presence, we can step by step become perfect. In times of discouragement, the devil uses Christ’s ideals as a stumbling block. I can evade this wile of the devil by looking to the example of perfection in the Blessed Virgin Mary. Her goals are much closer to my reach than the divine. Each step towards Her brings me closer to Jesus. She will help me.
Resolution:
Today I will recall the words of St. Anthony Mary Claret:
"Nothing will deter me" and I will continue with my Marian devotions of the Angelus, the Rosary, and turning to my Heavenly Mother when in need.
"Nothing will deter me" and I will continue with my Marian devotions of the Angelus, the Rosary, and turning to my Heavenly Mother when in need.
Marian Vow:
Father Gabriel Allegra, O.F.M.
"And what more gratifying and more joyful thing can we do through Jesus than to search for Him in the garden of His delights, at the throne of grace, in this fiery furnace of divine love, which is the Immaculate Heart of His and our Mother? 'Let us go to the throne of grace.'"
Mary’s Immaculate Heart, A Way to God (Franciscan Herald Press: 1985), 27.
I give this resolution to the Blessed Virgin Mary.
Thanks be to God for graces received.
Related sites: Castle of the Immaculate & AirMaria
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Tuesday, October 23, 2012
Mary TV: October 24, 2012 Reflection
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[Video] Helping Priests in Need
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Opus Bono Sacerdotii | PO Box 663 | Oxford, MI 48371
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The cross in the desert: Thirteen-year saga
The following comes from an October 21 story in the Los Angeles Times.
See the update on the similar case in La Jolla CA and the recent Washington Post story on another threatened cross in Maryland.
…Mary Martin, superintendent of the Mojave National Preserve, read her
mail in the morning, and on a spring day in 1999 she picked up a
letter signed by Sherpa San Harold Horpa. It sounded like a joke.Horpa began by describing “a tasteful cross that stands on a small
hill.” The hill, known as Sunrise Rock, was in the preserve off Cima
Road, six miles south of Interstate 15.Horpa had a special request: He wanted to place another religious
symbol on the site.“I proposed to install a stupa equal in size, color, material and
taste to the cross,” he wrote.Martin had to look up what a stupa was — a Buddhist shrine — and that
afternoon she composed her reply: “Any attempt to erect a stupa will
be in violation of federal law and subject you to citation and or
arrest.”Martin was aware of that cross, which was erected in 1934, and she
suspected that one day she would have to remove it. But at this point
it was a low priority. The preserve was in its fifth year, and she and
her colleagues were busy buying property from ranchers, preserving the
habitat of the desert tortoise, and converting the old Union Pacific
station in Kelso into a visitor center….Herman Hoops’ friend Frank Buono had been visiting him that spring at his home
in Jensen, Utah, just outside Dinosaur National Monument. Buono had
first brought up the cross in a conversation about the Mojave National
Preserve. Both men — retired Park Service employees with more than 20
years each — felt that a religious symbol on federal land was wrong.With the sun setting on the river canyon of Dinosaur, Hoops sat down
at his computer, and they began composing. They made the argument for
the stupa, “complete with prayer wheels and flags,” and Hoops came up
with the pseudonym [Sherpa Horpa].When he opened Martin’s reply, Hoops wanted to continue with the
pretense, but Buono told his friend to hold off. He had contacted the
American Civil Liberties Union, which had agreed to investigate the
cross to see if there might be a case….Martin received the first letter from the ACLU in October 1999, urging
that the cross be removed because it was a violation of the First
Amendment. Ten months later a second letter arrived, this time setting
a deadline of 60 days.By then Martin had researched the cross and had learned about the
promise that Henry and Wanda Sandoz made to a sick friend who had
maintained it over the years. The Sandozes had agreed they would be
its caretaker.When their friend died in 1984, the cross had been missing for a
couple of years, and Henry built a new one. This cross was vandalized,
and he finally decided to replace it.In violation of park regulations, he and Wanda gathered with family
and friends at Sunrise Rock on Palm Sunday in 1998. They bolted a
cross, made of 5-inch-diameter pipe, to the granite and filled it with
concrete. Afterward, they crowded beneath it barbecuing hot dogs.Because the cross — raised to commemorate veterans of World War I —
wasn’t the original, Martin felt she had to take it down. But she
didn’t want to make a decision that would be unpopular among Mojave
residents who resented the changes that the Park Service had brought
to their lives.Martin needed an ally and found one in Rep. Jerry Lewis (R-Redlands).
Throughout 2000, Lewis had stayed apprised of the ACLU’s complaint.
The group’s accusation, he wrote, was “ridiculous,” and as a member of
the House Appropriations Committee, he would take legislative action,
if necessary, to save the cross.By late fall, Martin had exhausted her options, which included a
personal appeal to the Sandozes to take the cross down. She drafted a
letter for the Park Service’s regional director to send to the
congressman. “Absent legislative intervention,” it read, Martin would
have no choice but to remove the cross.Two weeks later the congressional budget passed with language
introduced by Lewis preventing the use of federal funds to remove the
cross. Three months later, the ACLU filed its lawsuit; Buono was a
plaintiff.When a judge in Riverside ruled that the cross couldn’t be displayed,
it was wrapped in a tarp that was fastened, Houdini-style, at the base
by chain and a padlock. After being shredded by vandals, the tarp was
replaced by a plywood box.“It looked like a big Popsicle,” said Dennis Schramm, who replaced
Martin as superintendent of the preserve in 2005.Artists painted landscapes that prominently featured the cross. Videos
were shot in its shadow. A website was created, and the Sandozes were
cast as crusaders.In the end, the ACLU won. A federal district judge in Riverside ruled
that the presence of the cross on federal land conveyed an endorsement
of religion. His opinion was upheld by the 9th Circuit U.S. Court of
Appeals.The only way the cross could remain was if Sunrise Rock were privately
owned. A compromise was arranged: a land swap between the Sandozes and
the Park Service. The California office of the Veterans of Foreign
Wars would take ownership of the property around the cross.But a district court ruled against the compromise. The U.S. Supreme
Court eventually took the case and determined that the ruling was
flawed. The district court reconsidered and in April approved the
transfer. By then the ACLU and Buono had stopped their fight.Not long after the Supreme Court’s decision in 2010, the cross was
stolen and was never recovered….Last July, the Sandozes — Henry, 73, and Wanda, 68 — and a few
supporters met Park Service officials at Sunrise Rock to work out the
final arrangements.With temperatures close to 120 degrees, they walked the perimeter of
the property. The Park Service has allocated $28,121 to pay for a
cable to section off the property, signs to designate it as private
property and a plaque to identify the cross as a war memorial.The Park Service hopes to hand the one-acre parcel over to the VFW by
the first week in November, and the Sandozes plan to commemorate the
site by Veterans Day.Henry Sandoz has a new cross ready. Partly covered by plywood and an
old washtub, it lies on the concrete floor of a barn — three pieces of
pipe, cut by an acetylene torch, welded together and, as yet,
unpainted.For entire story, click here.
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via cal-catholic.com
Quote of the Year
Barack Obama (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
This quote was translated into English from an article appearing in the Czech Republic as published in the Prager Zeitung of 28 April 2011."The danger to America is not Barack Obama, but a citizenry capable of entrusting an inexperienced man like him with the Presidency. It will be far easier to limit and undo the follies of an Obama presidency than to restore the necessary common sense and good judgment to a depraved electorate willing to have such a man for their president... The problem is much deeper and far more serious than Mr. Obama, who is a mere symptom of what ails America. Blaming the prince of the fools should not blind anyone to the vast confederacy of fools that made him their prince... The Republic can survive a Barack Obama. It is less likely to survive a multitude of Idiots such as those who made him president."
The Council in the Intimate Thoughts of Pope John XXIII
"La Civiltà Cattolica" publishes the diaries of Fr. Roberto Tucci, its director at the time. Here is the account of the five conversations he had with the pope who convoked Vatican II
by Sandro Magister
ROME, October 23, 2012 – The documentation on Vatican Council II was enriched a few days ago with a new text never published before. And of noteworthy value.It is made up of certain portions of the diary of Cardinal Roberto Tucci (in the photo), at the time the director of "La Civiltà Cattolica."And it was precisely this magazine of the Jesuits of Rome – on the basis of these diary entries – that opened its latest issue with the account of the five conversations that Tucci had with Pope John XXIII between 1959 and 1962, or the announcement and beginning of Vatican II."La Civiltà Cattolica" is a very special magazine. Before it is printed, its articles undergo inspection by the Vatican authorities, who sometimes approve them, other times modify them, and still others scrap them.With Pius XII, it was the pope himself who reviewed the articles. John XXIII passed this burden on to his secretary of state.But he continued to meet with the director of the magazine. Who afterward wrote about each conversation in his diary.The diary of Fr. Tucci therefore provides a very up-close description of how John XXIII approached the Council that he had proclaimed.For example, it confirms how the pope was struck by the silence that surrounded him when in 1959 he made the announcement of the council to the cardinals gathered in St. Paul's Outside the Walls: "He proposed the matter, asked them to tell him th
English: PORTRAIT OF JOHN XXIII Español: IMAGEN DE JUAN XXIII (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
eir views frankly, and no one spoke."
About other moments of the pope's preparation for the council there are in the diary of Tucci a few unexpected observations.For example, the idea of the voyage by train made by John XXIII to Loreto in order to invoke the protection of the Virgin Mary over the assembly appears to have been born from political calculations:"About his voyage to Loreto, the pope said that he had to do it in order to satisfy the minister of public works, who had spent a great deal in that area, and in order to give President Gronchi the opportunity for a meeting: [Gronchi] had been wanting to find a way to get the pope to go to the Quirinale."Also striking are the abrupt words of John XXIII against "the subtle evil" of the curia, made up of careerism and nepotism, and also his distaste for the Vatican apparatus.Pope John was even more irritated by those whom he later called "prophets of misfortune" in the memorable address with which he opened the council.But there is much more in the diary entries of its director during those years, made public by "La Civiltà Cattolica" in its issue of October 20, 2012.The following are the salient passages of the article.Read more here: http://chiesa.espresso.repubblica.it/articolo/1350349?eng=y
Mary TV Daily Reflection 10/23/2012
(c)Mary TV 2012
Time only for God in prayer
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J.M.J.
October 23, 2012
St. John of Capistrano
Dear Family of Mary!
"Dear children! I invite you to pray with the heart in order that your prayer may be a conversation with God. I desire each one of you to dedicate more time to God. Satan is strong and wants to destroy and deceive you in many ways. Therefore, dear children, pray every day that your life will be good for yourselves and for all those you meet. I am with you and I am protecting you even though satan wishes to destroy my plans and to hinder the desires which the Heavenly Father wants to realize here. Thank you for having responded to my call." (September 25, 1990)
Satan is a meddler. He constantly tries to get into our lives in order to mess them up. He wants to throw us off track, get us confused, lead us down the wrong roads, do anything he can to distract us from God. He has as many attack plans as there are minutes in a day. But he is powerless in our lives if we are "hearing" from God. If we are in a daily, meaningful relationship with the Lord, through prayer with the heart, then Satan's diversionary tactics are useless.
That is why Our Lady encourages us to pray with the heart. She wants us to have conversations with God every day. She wants us to approach the Lord, in the silence of our hearts, with the ears of our hearts wide open and ready to hear Him. She knows that we need to hear Him. It isn't enough to study Him, or think about Him. Those are good things. But they must lead us to go deeper, into the kind of time with Him that can only be called a conversation. It is the moment when we talk to God and He speaks back to us, touching us in the deepest places where we need Him most.
We will know when we have heard from the Lord, because all of a sudden our vision will be clear, we will understand ourselves much better, and we will know what is important for us in that day. We will see things clearly. In that seeing, Satan will not be able to lie to us or get us off track. He will not be able to dissuade us from doing God's will, because we will have heard from God and received His love which is our power to act. We will be able to do the good we are created to do, and God's plan will move forward.
Prayer of the heart which is a conversation with God is the best defense against the enemy. That is why Our Lady encourages us to it, almost continually! She is working hard to protect us, but we could help her so much, if we were all dedicating a time for God in prayer, in conversation with Him alone. I am convicted by this message, because personal prayer time is easily neglected. I can get too "busy" to take time for my daily conversation with the Lord. I say this as an open confession! I need you all to pray for me that I can repent and take that time with God. And I will pray for you to do the same.
"Dear children! I invite you to pray with the heart in order that your prayer may be a conversation with God. I desire each one of you to dedicate more time to God."
In Jesus, Mary and Joseph!
Cathy Nolan
©Mary TV 2012
From The Friars: Days of Grace
Check out this website I found at fromthefriars.blogspot.com
It has been a wonderful couple of days. Recently, a group of us were able to make a pilgrimage to the shrines of St. Kateri Tekakwitha and the North American Martyrs. The shrine is a mere three hour drive north of New York City. This spot is some of the holiest soil in our country. During the mid 17th Century three of the martyrs toiled and shed their blood for the faith on that spot. The remains of St. Rene Goupil are still buried somewhere in the revered ravine (find their story here).
Ten years after the martyrdom of St. John Lalande and St. Isaac Jogues, St. Kateri was born in this same blessed village. Recently canonized a saint, she was an amazing anomaly.
You may have heard of a famous quote by the 2nd-century Church Father Tertullian who wrote that "the blood of martyrs is the seed of the Church." This implies that the sacrifice of the martyrs will lead to an outpouring of grace and conversions. The truth of this insight is born by history. How did a small persecuted sect (Christianity) conquer the Roman Empire which sought to stamp it out?
St. Kateri is another example of inexplicable grace flowing from the yes of martyrs. May Saint Kateri pray for an outpouring of purity and prayer in our lives today (find the Pope's canonization homily here). http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/benedict_xvi/homilies/2012/documents/hf_ben...
Here is her inspiring story from the Vatican Press Release:
Monday, October 22, 2012
[Video] Blessed John Paul II
Mary TV Daily Reflection 10/22/2012
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The News You May Have Missed
FROM THE CURRENT ISSUE OF NEW OXFORD REVIEW
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Another Ark... Idola-tree... Your Money for My Life... Higher Caliber Entertainment?... Safe Swearing... And Then There Were Three
http://www.newoxfordreview.org/article.jsp?did=1012-news
Sunday, October 21, 2012
[video] Mission Sunday
The Rosary, in its own particular way, is part of this varied panorama of "ceaseless" prayer.
Defending the Rosary
by Arthur Policarpio
Why pray the rosary?
Many times have we heard people from non-Catholic religions and denominations condemning the rosary. There are even some Catholic priests and ordinary Catholics who criticize or belittle it. Not a few times have I personally heard during mass Catholic priests belittling those who love to recite this prayer, telling the faithful to either reduce the frequency of praying it or substitute it with daily scriptural reading. I am not even counting those Catholics who are plain indifferent to it.
This article is an attempt to answer some of the most common objections to this beloved Catholic prayer. With Our Lady's help, may this humble treatise help us to love and understand her prayer more and more, and spur us to defend this most beautiful devotion against the attacks of those who condemn and belittle it.
Too Repetitive?
On a purely psychological level, the constant repetition of the Hail Mary induces our minds to a state of relaxation, a state where our minds are freed from the worries of the world and we are thus able to meditate on the mysteries. In psychological terms, this is called the "alpha" state, a state of mind between deep sleep called "delta" and the state of full consciousness. This method of repetition is prevalent in other religions, and is likewise widely practiced in the field of psychology. It seems that God, who fully knows our human nature, designed the rosary in such a way that it will help our minds relax, enabling us to pray and meditate.
This meditative and "relaxing" nature of this prayer, as well as other prayers in general, is perhaps the reason why doctors and scientists around the world have proclaimed the "miracle of prayer" in healing. Research has shown that prayer has the power to heal, even on a purely scientific and psychological level. Sick people who have had a habit of prayer have demonstrated higher chances of healing versus those who did not pray regularly.
On a religious and spiritual level, the constant repetition of the Hail Mary is a manifestation of our love for Mary. When a person is in love, he or she cannot but constantly repeat and express his or her love to the beloved through the words, "I love you". The Hail Mary is a flower which we offer to Mary, our beloved - flowers which show our love and affection for her. A mystic once saw a vision of beautiful, red roses drifting up to the air towards Mary. The mystic saw that each Hail Mary recited by a devout disciple of Mary was converted to a beautiful, red rose which was gathered one by one by Mary. Our Lady, in turn, offered the roses to God.
No Emotional Appeal?
The rosary is a meditative prayer. It is not meant to drive us to the heights of exuberant ecstasy, as with the case of the animated praying- singing style of worship done by certain prayer groups. What it does, however, is bring us to the soothing realm of prayerful, meditative silence.
The essence of this prayer is in the meditation of the mysteries. When we pray the rosary, we ought to meditate on the mysteries. This meditation can be in different forms. We can try to imagine and recollect in our minds the mystery in focus. While meditating on the third Joyful Mystery, for example, we try to imagine how the birth of Jesus took place: we imagine how the manger looks like, how Mary looks like, and the devout support of St. Joseph.
Another way is to focus on a specific intention. In the first Glorious Mystery, for example, we can ask for the grace of hope. We hope that, in the same way that Jesus conquered death, we too with God's help can conquer a specific problem we are praying for.
Another way to meditate is to simply imagine ourselves in the presence of Jesus and Mary. We can close our eyes, and while the Hail Mary's flow from our lips, we imagine ourselves as little children sitting on the lap of Jesus. We imagine Him talking to us, comfortingly in our afflictions, listening to us.
The saints and great mystics often had such deep meditations that they went into blissful and joyful ecstasy. We may not have the spiritual giftedness to reach the ecstatic heights achieved by the saints in their meditations, but perhaps if only we learn to relax our minds, leave the worries of the world and be able to meditate each time we pray the rosary - how beautiful the bouquet of Hail Mary's Our Lady will be able to offer to God each time we recite this prayer!
Too Much Emphasis on Mary?
The rosary is very much a Christ-centered prayer. In fact, the Mysteries are nothing more than a re-cap of the entire life of Jesus, from His birth to His Presentation and Finding in the Temple, to His public ministry beginning with the Baptism at the River Jordan, all the way to His Passion and eventual glorious Resurrection. In fact, the reason the late Pope John Paul II added the luminous mysteries is to be able to include in the rosary an important part of Jesus' life not previously included.
The key thing to remember is that the rosary is a meditative prayer. While repeating the Hail Mary's, we are ultimately led to the more important part - the mysteries which we are supposed to reflect on. It is like Mary leading us to Jesus.
Personal Prayer Better?
There is nothing wrong with personal prayer. In fact, personal prayer is very important in terms of instilling in us the habit of talking to Jesus frequently, daily, as if talking to a friend. However, personal prayer and formula-based prayer should go hand-in-hand, for there are special merits that are given to those who pray formula-based prayers, especially the Rosary. In the Bible, we all remember that when the disciples asked Jesus to teach them to pray, the Lord taught them the Our Father, a set prayer which we repeat six times in the rosary.
The beautiful thing with this prayer is that here, we pray with Mary. The rosary is Mary's prayer, brought down from heaven and taught to us. In Fatima, during Our Lady's apparition to Lucia, Mary stayed with Lucia the whole time she prayed the rosary - she unites her prayer with ours.
Mass is Better?
"I already go to Mass three to four times a week. I no longer need to pray the rosary."
This objection was beautifully answered by the Pope himself in his apostolic letter, Rosarium Virginis Mariae. To quote:
....spiritual life is not limited solely to participation in the liturgy. Christians, while they are called to prayer in common, must also go to their own rooms to pray to their Father in secret (cf.Mt 6:6), indeed, according to the teaching of the Apostle, they must pray without ceasing (cf. 1 Thes 5:7). The Rosary, in its own particular way, is part of this varied panorama of "ceaseless" prayer.The Mass is the highest form of worship and prayer, and indeed nothing surpasses the value of going to Mass regularly. However, the fact is that even if we go to daily Mass, this is only the equivalent of one hour of prayer and worship, roughly 6% of our total waking hours. What about the 94%? Some say that the most probable reason as to why there are so many priests falling is that they have forgotten to pray. The prayer life of "fallen priests" may have been limited to a quick celebration of the daily Mass, after which God is "forgotten" the whole day.
If priests, who not only attend but celebrate and preside over daily Mass fall, what more us, ordinary laymen, who with our busy schedules can attend Mass only once or twice a week?
The beauty of the rosary is that we can complete it in fifteen minutes. We can pray it in the car, in the train on the way to work, or on our way home. Rosary tapes are available in most major bookstores, so that we can pray it even while driving. We can pray it during our lunch break. In school, we can even break it down per decade: one decade can be prayed before the first class, another one before the second class, a third decade before lunch time, the fourth and fifth in the afternoon. The Rosary is perfect for helping us "pray without ceasing" for helping us to be in God's company the whole day.
Too Busy?
"It's hard to gather the entire family to pray the rosary, especially in these busy and hectic times."
The rosary takes just fifteen minutes to pray. This is roughly the equivalent time we probably spend reading the sports section of the newspaper, or roughly the total time spent watching commercials in the TV shows we watch. If we are able to find time to read the papers, watch TV, sip a cup of coffee in the morning, or just lie down doing nothing, can't we find 15 minutes everyday to pray the rosary? Really, it is only a matter of priorities!
What it takes to instill in a family the daily devotion to the rosary is the strong, unwavering will power on the part of either the father or the mother in terms of bringing everyone, or at least a majority, together at an appointed time every day.
Reading the Bible a Better Use of Time?
"I prefer to read the Scriptures everyday instead of praying the rosary."
The Bible is not meant for arbitrary, personal reading subject to our own personal interpretations. There is such a thing as "exegesis" that is, the Scriptures must be taken within the context of the Church's official interpretation. We cannot just take up the Bible, read a passage, interpret it the way we want. Imagine if every day, the passages are about the illicit relationship of David with Bathsheba, Cain and Abel, or Jesus' words to Peter, "Get away from Me, you Satan!'' These statements, if taken literally, or out of context, will lead a person to confusion. As it is, the Bible has to be interpreted according to the teachings of the Church.
This is not to say that we should not study the Bible. But personal, private reading of the Bible can be difficult, especially if you are a beginner. There are many other ways for us to read the Bible and understand it according to its true interpretation; for example, through Church-approved Bible classes or through the scriptural interpretation of the priest during Mass.
However, reading the Bible everyday does not necessarily mean having to stop or neglect praying the rosary. The Bible and rosary are not contradictory; they are complementary. Scripture enriches our minds and the rosary enriches our souls. Both the Bible and the rosary, at their very essence, focus on one thing: the life, death and resurrection of Jesus.
Reading the Bible by ourselves may help us spiritually, but without the guidance of prayer, we will not be able to penetrate its true meaning. We need prayer, particularly a Christ-centered and scripturally-focused prayer like the rosary, to receive the graces we need to truly understand our faith through the Scriptures.
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Saturday, October 20, 2012
The Blessed Sacrament: the True Foretaste of Heaven
So immense are its spiritual benefits that Pope St. Pius X hailed perpetual Eucharistic adoration as the devotion which surpasses all others...It brings heaven’s choicest blessings on those generous souls who give our Lord an hour of personal, loving company. But because it is so extraordinarily powerful in grace, the benefits extend far beyond the individual adorer, touching the homes and families of the adorer and reaching out to the Parish Community and beyond. Daily Mass and weekly Adoration are so important to our own spiritual growth and the spiritual health of those we love....that is sad that so very, very few are willing to give our Lord this love.
Fr. Richard Foley
You can receive complimentary materials to make your Consecration to God through Mary’s Immaculate Heart ( important spiritual protection at this time in salvation history) at myconsecration.org... where you can also learn about Our Lady of Las Lajas.
You can learn more about our Lady of Fatima at www.wafusa.org.
God Bless you and your work,
Deacon Bob Tony
Deacon Bob Ellis Anthony Mullen
Executive Director MyConsecration.org
World Apostolate of Fatima, USA 222 S. Manoa Road
A Pontifical Association of the Faithful Havertown, PA 19083
visit us at: www.wafusa.org visit us at: www.myconsecration.org
Mary TV : Denis' update - October 20, 2012
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The conversions from Islam to Christianity issue has been addressed by half a dozen prelates at the Synod:
Vatican Diary / But the difficult thing is converting the Muslims
During the first two weeks of the synod on evangelization, seven bishops have broken the silence on a taboo subject: that of conversions from Islam to Christianity. This is what they have said
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During the first two weeks of the synod on evangelization, seven bishops have broken the silence on a taboo subject: that of conversions from Islam to Christianity. This is what they have said
http://chiesa.espresso.repubblica.it/articolo/1350347?eng=y
Maronite Patriarch Bechara Boutros Rai condemns the massacre in Beirut: "a criminal attack against peace and the joyful effects of the Pope's visit"
Coat of arms of Lebanon (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
ASIA/LEBANON -
Rome (Agenzia Fides) - The Patriarch of Antioch of the Maronites Bechara Boutros Rai "strongly condemns the horrific explosion which took place yesterday in Beirut", which killed general Wissam el-Hassan, head of the intelligence branch of Lebanon's Internal Security Forces, seven others were also killed and more than a hundred were wounded.
According to the head of the Maronite Church - contacted by Fides Agency in Rome, where he is attending the assembly of the Synod of Bishops - "this brutal attack directed against the head of the internal security forces, shows how the hands of Evil are criminal and that the perpetrators do not fear God or the judgment of History. Lebanon - continues Patriarch Rai - was still living on Benedict XVI's visit, during which the Pope signed the Apostolic Exhortation 'Ecclesia in the Middle East, Communion and Witness', and he proclaimed the peace of Christ from the Lebanese territory. Yesterday's was a criminal attack on peace and the joyful effects of the Pope's visit."
Before the deadly plans that again threaten the peaceful coexistence of Lebanon, Patriarch Rai invites all his countrymen to unite and work together for a peaceful future: "We are saddened and- says His Beatitude to Fides - the loss of life and material damage hurts us. But our faith and our hope, and that of all the Lebanese, will not collapse. The Risen Christ won over the Evil and sin. We beseech him for the dead, the wounded and the families affected. He alone is the great and true Comforter. We, together with all people of good will, will not cease to proclaim the Gospel of Peace and Hope, and will work with all our strength for the stability of our Country. Lebanon, wounded in its dignity, the dignity that was shown to the world during the
cardinal Tarcisio Bertone (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Pope's visit, remains the land of Saints and the Oasis of peace and hope."
This morning Patriarch Rai received a telegram from Benedict XVI in which His Holiness, through the Secretary of State, Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, expresses his closeness to the bereaved families and to all the Lebanese, condemning "the violence that generates so much suffering " and asking God to give Lebanon and the entire region, "the gift of peace and reconciliation." (GV) (Agenzia Fides 20/10/2012)
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