Rosary #27 Mortification for the sake of the others

ROSARY #27

In our desire to conform to the poor and crucified Jesus, we must strive to develop a spirit of mortification (CONST. 29).

 

FIRST MYSTERY: LITTLE FLOWERS FOR JESUS

The first small step in following Jesus is to offer little flowers: little things, little offerings, tiny sacrifices that we make with a certain frequency, offering them to the Lord secretly, according to his command: "When you fast, do not look gloomy like the hypocrites. They neglect their appearance, so that they may appear to others to be fasting. Amen, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, so that you may not appear to be fasting, except to your Father who is hidden. And your Father who sees what is hidden will repay you. (Mt. 6: 16-18). 

 

It is important 'to us to make a secret of these multiple little occasions on which we exercise the spirit of external mortification, for this must be a habitual thing in communal life (G. Giaquinta).

 

SECOND MYSTERY: PRAYER AND FASTING

We learn about humility from the Gospel passage that says that the Apostles were unable to expel demons. The Fathers of the Church concluded that this incident was an indication and symbolic of the sin of impurity. In fact, the Apostles were amazed that Jesus could so easily expel such demons. Thus, they asked Him why they could not expel such demons, and Jesus replied: “This kind of demons can only be expelled with prayer and fasting” (Mk 9:28-29).

 

Therefore, prayer is the first requirement, and then mortification of the senses, of the imagination, of the memory, of the eyes, and of all that surrounds us; mortification, both ordinary and extra-ordinary, in order to attain total control over our inclinations (G. Giaquinta).

 

THIRD MYSTERY: SPIRIT OF MORTIFICATION

As St. Paul wrote, “What I do is to discipline my own body and master it, for fear that after having preached to others I myself should be rejected” (1 Cor 9:27).

 

The spirit of mortification must be one of our characteristics... This spirit of mortification encompasses all levels: apparel, entertainment, and many other things…we are based on certain principles of austerity - principles that perhaps are a little strong, or better yet, very strong (G. Giaquinta).

 

FOURTH MYSTERY: BEAR WITH HIM THE CROSS

God forbid that I should glory save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world. (Gal. 6:14)

 

Jesus has many who love His Kingdom in heaven, but few who bear His Cross. He has many who desire comfort, but few who desire suffering. He finds many to share His feast, but few His fasting. All desire to rejoice with Him, but few are willing to suffer for His sake (G. Giaquinta).

 

FIFTH MYSTERY: MARY OUR HELP WITH THE SPIRTUAL BATTLE

Today's mentality is vigorously antithetical to any ascetic spirit of mortification. To overcome that mentality we must go against the tide and acquire a solid formation based on the mystery of the cross of Christ (Commentary to #29)  "Through fasting and praying, we allow Him to come and satisfy the deepest hunger that we experience in the depths of our being: the hunger and thirst for God" (Pope Benedict XVI 2009).

 

May Mary, Mother and faithful Servant of the Lord, help believers to enter the “spiritual battle” of Lent, armed with prayer, fasting and the practice of almsgiving, so as to arrive at the celebration of the Easter Feasts, renewed in spirit (Pope Benedict XVI 2008).

 

Rosary #26 Imitate Christ

ROSARY FOR THE YEAR OF SAINT PAUL - Ephesians 5

Poverty has various aspects: christological, apostolic, eschatological, sociological.  The essential, though not exclusive, point for us is christological.  We want to be poor in order to conform ourselves to Christ in our daily lives. Our poverty  is also apostolic, for we economize and sacrifice on behalf  of our brothers and sisters. Although this facet  is essential, it is only  consequential since, in the unlikely event  that the Institute should  acquire abundant assets for the apostolate, we would still live the virtue of poverty in full imitation of Christ

 (Const. # 53 commentary)

First Mystery - Imitate God by imitating Christ (Ephesians 5:1-2)
1 So be imitators of God, as beloved children, 2 and live in love, as Christ loved us and handed himself over for us as a sacrificial offering to God for a fragrant aroma.

Second Mystery - Avoid Impurity (Ephesians 5:3-5)
3 Immorality or any impurity or greed must not even be mentioned among you, as is fitting among holy ones, 4 no obscenity or silly or suggestive talk, which is out of place, but instead, thanksgiving. 5 Be sure of this, that no immoral or impure or greedy person, that is, an idolater, has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God.

Third Mystery - Live in the light (Ephesians 5:8-14)
8 For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light, for light produces every kind of goodness and righteousness and truth. 10 Try to learn what is pleasing to the Lord. 11 Take no part in the fruitless works of darkness; rather expose them, 12 for it is shameful even to mention the things done by them in secret; 13 but everything exposed by the light becomes visible, 14 for everything that becomes visible is light. Therefore, it says: "Awake, O sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Christ will give you light."

Fourth Mystery - Live Wisely (Ephesians 5:15-16)
15 Watch carefully then how you live, not as foolish persons but as wise, 16 making the most of the opportunity, because the days are evil.  17 Therefore, do not continue in ignorance, but try to understand what is the will of the Lord. 18 And do not get drunk on wine, in which lies debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit,

Fifth Mystery - Give thanks always (Ephesians 5:19-20)
Addressing one another (in) psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and playing to the Lord in your hearts, 20 giving thanks always and for everything in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to God the Father.

Rosary #25 - Lent Begins

Lent begins… a true itinerary of conversion!

Mark 1:12-15

Pray for the intention of the General Assembly!

Let us promote a universal fraternity of communion and love This effort to pay a greater and more loving attention to God, to people, and to things, can become for us not only a true itinerary of conversion, especially during this liturgical season of Lent, but also an occasion for redemption. This is an occasion not only to be reached more intimately by the grace and by the holiness of God, but also to become involved more deeply with the mystery of redemptive instrumentality.

Guilana Spigone 2007

 

FIRST MYSTERY: The Gospel reminds us that Jesus, after being baptized in the River Jordan and impelled by the Holy Spirit who settled upon him and revealed him as the Christ, withdrew for forty days into the desert of Judea where he overcame the temptations of Satan.

We pray this Lent for docility to the Holy Spirit's movements in our hearts.

SECOND MYSTERY:  Following their Teacher and Lord, Christians also enter the Lenten desert in spirit in order to face with him the "fight against the spirit of evil."

We pray to immerse ourselves fully in the spirit of Lent his year and ask for the grace of conversion.

THIRD MYSTERY: The image of the desert is very eloquent metaphor of the human condition. The Book of Exodus recounts the experience of the people of Israel who, after leaving Egypt, wandered through the desert of Sinai for forty years before they reached the promise land.

We pray for strength and endurance in our times of mediocrity, darkness and temptation this Lent.

FOURTH MYSTERY:  During the long journey the Jews experienced the full force and persistence of the tempter, who urged them to lose trust in the Lord and turn back; but at the same time thanks to Moses' mediation, they learned to listen to God's voice calling them to be his holy people.

May this Lent give us the ears to hear God's call to holiness in our daily lives.

FIFTH MYSTERY:  In meditating on this biblical passage, we understand that to live life to the full in freedom, we must overcome the test that freedom entails, that is, temptation. Only if he is freed from the slavery of falsehood and sin can the human person, through the obedience of faith that opens him to the truth, find the full meaning of his life and attain peace, love, and joy.

May we listen and obey all that that the Lenten Scriptures reveal to us for our growth in freedom and holiness.

Meditations take from Pope Benedict XVI, Angelus, March 5, 2006

Rosary #24 Ash Wednesday a Call to Conversion!

To convert means to let Jesus win our hearts (cf. Philippians 3:12) and "to return" with him to the Father.

ROSARY

FIRST MYSTERY: Convert and Believe!

Upon placing ashes on the faithful, the celebrant says: "Remember that you are dust and to dust you shall return" (cf. Genesis 3:19), or he repeats Jesus' exhortation: "Convert and believe in the Gospel" (cf. Mark 1:15). Both practices recall the truth of human existence: We are limited creatures, sinners constantly in need of penitence and conversion. How important it is in our day and age to listen and welcome such a call!

 

SECOND MYSTERY: Convert to the arms of God

When proclaiming his independence from God, the contemporary man becomes his own slave and often finds himself inconsolably alone. The invitation to convert is therefore a spur to return to the arms of God, caring and merciful Father, to trust him, to entrust oneself to him like adopted children, regenerated by his love.

 

THIRD MYSTERY: Conversion is grace

Teaching with wisdom the Church reiterates that conversion is above all a grace, a gift that opens the heart to God's infinite love. Through his grace he anticipates our desire for conversion and supports our efforts toward full adherence to his saving will. To convert means to let Jesus win our hearts (cf. Philippians 3:12) and "to return" with him to the Father.

 

FOURTH MYSTERY: Conversion is obedience

Conversion therefore means to give oneself to the teachings of Jesus and to obediently follow in his footprints. The words he uses to explain how to be his true disciples are enlightening. After affirming that "he who wants to save his own life will lose it; but he who will lose his own life for me and the Gospel will save it." He adds: "To what good can man earn the whole world, if he loses his own soul"? (Mark 8:35-36).

 

FIFTH MYSTERY: Conversion to the Cross

At first Jesus' invitation to take up our cross and follow him can seem hard and against our wishes -- even mortifying because of our desire for personal success. But if we look closer we discover that it is not like that: The saints are proof that in the Cross of Christ, in the love that is given renouncing self-possession, we find a profound serenity that is the foundation of generous devotion to our brothers, especially the poor and the needy.

 

Rosary #23 - Ephesians 4 - #2

ROSARY FOR THE YEAR OF SAINT PAUL - Ephesians 4 (#2)

On living with each other
  "In St. Paul's warning we must also find a call to examine our own

consciences today: not thinking we are better than others, but discovering

ourselves in the humility of Christ, in the humility of the Virgin Mary,

entering the obedience of the faith. In this way the great spaces of truth

and freedom in love open before us". Pope Benedict XVI – February 21 2009

First Mystery - Speak the truth (Ephesians 4:25, 29)
25 Therefore, putting away falsehood, speak the truth, each one to his neighbor, for we are members one of another… 29 No foul language should come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for needed edification, that it may impart grace to those who hear.


Second Mystery - Do not let anger take hold (Ephesians 4:26 - 27)
26 Be angry but do not sin; do not let the sun set on your anger, 27 and do not leave room for the devil.


Third Mystery - Do not grieve the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 4:30)
30 And do not grieve the holy Spirit of God, with which you were sealed for the day of redemption.


Fourth Mystery - Purification of our hearts and actions (Ephesians 4:31)
31 All bitterness, fury, anger, shouting, and reviling must be removed from you, along with all malice.


Fifth Mystery - Live in compassion and mercy (Ephesians 4:32)
32 (And) be kind to one another, compassionate, forgiving one another as God has forgiven you in Christ.

Rosary #19 & Rosary 20 Holiness of Mary

Mary, All Holy

FIRST MYSTERY: Mary, "full of grace", has been recognized by the Church as "all holy and free from every stain of sin", "enriched from the first instant of her conception with the splendour of an entirely unique holiness" (Lumen gentium, n. 56).

SECOND MYSTERY:  The Council recalls that the Church Fathers alluded to this truth when they called Mary the "all-holy one", affirming at the same time that she was "fashioned as it were by the Holy Spirit and formed as a new creature" (Lumen gentium, n. 56).

THIRD MYSTERY:  Grace, understood in the sense of "sanctifying grace" which produces personal holiness, brought about the new creation in Mary, making her fully conformed to God's plan (Pope John Paul II,  May 22, 1996).

FOURTH MYSTERY:  …Indeed, she who was destined to become the Saviour's Mother had to have had a perfectly holy, completely stainless origin (Pope John Paul II, May 22, 1996).

FIFTH MYSTERY: "Today humanity, in all the radiance of her immaculate nobility, receives its ancient beauty. The shame of sin had darkened the splendour and attraction of human nature; but when the Mother of the Fair One par excellence is born, this nature regains in her person its ancient privileges and is fashioned according to a perfect model truly worthy of God.... The reform of our nature begins today and the aged world, subjected to a wholly divine transformation, receives the first fruits of the second creation" (St. Andrew of Crete, Serm. I on the Birth of Mary).

 

The Holiness of Mary

 Mary's pure and immaculate conception is thus seen as the beginning of the new creation. It is a question of a personal privilege granted to the woman chosen to be Christ's Mother, who ushers in the time of abundant grace willed by God for all humanity (Pope John Paul 11 – May 22 1996).

 

FIRST MYSTERY: [Gen 3:15]  I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; He will strike at your head, while you strike at his heel.

 

SECOND MYSTERY: [Luke 1:28] And coming to her, he said, "Hail, favored one! The Lord is with you." Mary is called by her name, "favored one", full of grace. This is who she is, fashioned by grace as the object of God who chose her.

 

THIRD MYSTERY: [Luke 1:42] Elizabeth cried out in a loud voice and said, "Most blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb.

 

FOURTH MYSTERY: [Eph 1:3] Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavens, as he chose us in him, before the foundation of the world, to be holy and without blemish before him. In love he destined us for adoption to himself through Jesus Christ, in accord with the favor of his will,

 

FIFTH MYSTERY: [Col 1:15-16}From before time, Mary was prepared to be Mother of God. He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For in him were created all things in heaven and on earth, the visible and the invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers; all things were created through him and for him.  He is before all things, and in him all things hold together.

Rosary #18 Lent 2009

Preparation for Lent

 

"He fasted for forty days and forty nights,
and afterwards he was hungry" (Mt 4,1-2)^[1]

 

First Mystery

“Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. He fasted for forty days and forty nights, and afterwards he was hungry” (Mt 4,1-2). Like Moses, who fasted before receiving the tablets of the Law (cf. Ex 34,28) and Elijah’s fast before meeting the Lord on Mount Horeb (cf. 1 Kings 19,8), Jesus, too, through prayer and fasting, prepared Himself for the mission that lay before Him, marked at the start by a serious battle with the tempter.

 

During this mystery let us ask for the grace to prepare for Lent in a serious manner in preparation for the mission entrusted to us.

 

Second Mystery

Saint Basil observes that “fasting was ordained in Paradise,” and “the first commandment in this sense was delivered to Adam.” He thus concludes: “ ‘You shall not eat’ is a law of fasting and abstinence” (cf. Sermo de jejunio: PG 31, 163, 98). Since all of us are weighed down by sin and its consequences, fasting is proposed to us as an instrument to restore friendship with God.

 

In this mystery let us ask for the grace to fast from all that keeps us from growing in deep and profound friendship with God.

 

Third Mystery

In the New Testament, Jesus brings to light the profound motive for fasting, condemning the attitude of the Pharisees, who scrupulously observed the prescriptions of the law, but whose hearts were far from God. as the divine Master repeats elsewhere, is rather to do the will of the Heavenly Father, who “sees in secret, and will reward you” (Mt 6,18).

 

We pray for the spirit of fasting that opens us to the grace of serenity which derives from a joyous adherence to the will of our Heavenly Father.

 

Fourth Mystery

He Himself sets the example, answering Satan, at the end of the forty days spent in the desert that “man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God” (Mt 4,4). The true fast is thus directed to eating the “true food,” which is to do the Father’s will (cf. Jn 4,34).

 

Let us ask the Lord for the grace to respond in love to the Father’s will by fasting from all negative behavior.

 

Fifth Mystery

“Fasting is the soul of prayer, mercy is the lifeblood of fasting. So if you pray, fast; if you fast, show mercy; if you want your petition to be heard, hear the petition of others. If you do not close your ear to others, you open God’s ear to yourself” (Sermo 43: PL 52, 320. 322).

 

Let us ask for the grace to live a true fast this lent and maturing in conformity with the poor and crucified Jesus.

 

---

^[1] Pope Benedict XVI Lenten Message 2009

Rosary #16

Rosary #16

 

Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, as in all wisdom you teach and admonish one another, singing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God (Colossians 3:16).

 

First Mystery

The Scriptures are then in the heart and hands of the Church as the “Letter sent by God to humankind.” — St. Gregory the Great 

 

Second Mystery

“Whoever has experienced the spiritual sense of the Scriptures knows that the simplest word of Scripture and the most profound are uniquely one, both having the salvation of humankind as their purpose.” — St. Peter Damascene 

 

Third Mystery

“Your prayer is your word addressed to God. When you read the Bible, God speaks to you; when you pray you speak to God.” — St. Augustine

 

Fourth Mystery 

“We should clearly understand that the fulfilment and goal of the Law and all Holy Scripture is the love of an object which is to be enjoyed and the love of an object which we can enjoy in fellowship with others. No one needs to be commanded to love himself. The whole temporal dispensation was framed for our salvation by the Providence of God that we might know this truth and be able to act upon it....Whoever, then, thinks that he understands the Holy Scriptures, or any part of them, but interprets them in a way not leading to building up this twofold love of God and neighbor, does not yet understand them as he should.” — St. Augustine

 

Fifth Mystery

St. Ambrose maintains that when a person begins to read Sacred Scripture, God walks with him in an earthly paradise. — No. 27 

 

For your conversion:

Pope John Paul II reminds us: “The Word of God is the first source of all Christian spirituality. It gives rise to a personal relationship with the living God and with his saving and sanctifying will. It is for this reason that from the very beginning of the Institutes of Consecrated Life, and in a special way in monasticism, what is called lectio divina has been held in the highest regard. By means of it, the Word of God is brought to bear on life, on which it projects the light of that wisdom which is a gift of the Spirit.” — No. 26

 

Resolve!

Diligently practice prayer and lectio divina. When you pray, you speak with God; when you read, God speaks with you.” — St. Cyprian

 

Rosary # 16 St. Paul and Const. #7

Rosary for the Year of Saint Paul - Ephesians 3 and Constitution #7

First Mystery - The mystery of Christ is made known (Ephesians 3:4-7)
4 When you read this you can understand my insight into the mystery of Christ,
5 which was not made known to human beings in other generations as it has now been revealed to his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit, 6 that the Gentiles are coheirs, members of the same body, and copartners in the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel. 7 Of this I became a minister by the gift of God's grace that was granted me in accord with the exercise of his power.
In their response to God's call, the Apostolic Oblates choose total consecration to Christ and His redemptive love.

Second Mystery - Paul is an instrument of bringing the mystery to light (Ephesians 3:8-10)
8 To me, the very least of all the holy ones, this grace was given, to preach to the Gentiles the inscrutable riches of Christ, 9 and to bring to light [for all] what is the plan of the mystery hidden from ages past in God who created all things, 10 so that the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known through the church to the principalities and authorities in the heavens.
Thus they live to the utmost their baptismal commitment in order to help others accept and respond to God’s infinite love for them.

Third Mystery - The Lord Jesus gives boldness and confidence (Ephesians 3:11-12)
11 This was according to the eternal purpose that he accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord, 12 in whom we have boldness of speech and confidence of access through faith in him.
Their consecration is lived in the world at the service of the apostolic aims of the Institute. 

Fourth Mystery - Paul prays for spiritual gifts for his disciples (Ephesians 3:14-19)
14 For this reason I kneel before the Father, 15 from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, 16 that he may grant you in accord with the riches of his glory to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in the inner self, 17 and that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, rooted and grounded in love, 18 may have strength to comprehend with all the holy ones what is the breadth and length and height and depth,  19 and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, so that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.
After an appropriate period of formation, the Apostolic Oblates take the vows of chastity, poverty and obedience and the promise of apostolate.

Fifth Mystery - Praise to the Father (Ephesians 3:20-21)
20 Now to him who is able to accomplish far more than all we ask or imagine, by the power at work within us, 21 to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.
We thank God for the gift of our consecration and for all that He is able to work through our littleness!

Rosary #14

Sixth Sunday of Ordinary Time

Gospel
Mk 1:40-45

 

First Mystery

A leper came to Jesus and kneeling down begged him and said,
"If you wish, you can make me clean."

Recognizing the weakness and poverty of His disciples, Jesus is moved to multiply His gestures of tenderness G. Giaquinta, Cenacle 50

 

Second Mystery

Moved with pity, he stretched out his hand,
touched him, and said to him,
"I do will it. Be made clean."

The leprosy left him immediately, and he was made clean.

Poverty is fought if humanity becomes more fraternal as a result of shared values and ideals, founded on the dignity of the person, on freedom joined to responsibility, on the effective recognition of the place of God in the life of man. Pope Benedict XV

 

Third Mystery

Then, warning him sternly, he dismissed him at once.
He said to him, "See that you tell no one anything,
but go, show yourself to the priest
and offer for your cleansing what Moses prescribed;
that will be proof for them."

We need to make an examination of conscience and see how willing we are to overcome our timidity, our fears and insecurities in order to be heralds. You are the voices that must herald the word of truth entrusted to us by the Lord through the Church. G. Giaquinta

 

Fourth Mystery

The man went away and began to publicize the whole matter.
He spread the report abroad
so that it was impossible for Jesus to enter a town openly.

Give us a Spirit of love to guide us in living out your message. Form in us the image of your Son and grant us the courage to extend to all your invitation to holiness. G. Giaquinta

 

Fifth Mystery

Jesus remained outside in deserted places,
and people kept coming to him from everywhere.

To pray is to walk in the presence of God: a presence leading us to conversion, calling us to compare our daily life with the Lord's wishes and encouraging us to be fully receptive and docile to the action of the Holy Spirit. G. Giaquinta

Rosary #12 Mary, Our Mother in Consecration

Our Lady

 

O Mary, we, your children, come to you. Pray for us, Mother of God. (G. Giaquinta)

 

 

FIRST MYSTERY:

 

Actually, in the order of things, if there was no need for redemption, we would have had no need for Jesus.  Mary, too, would have had no reason to exist. In a sense, Mary owes her existence to Eve, for had Eve not sinned, Mary would have had no reason to become the Mother of God. For us and for our salvation Jesus came down from heaven.

 

O Mary, we, your children, come to you. Pray for us, Mother of God.

 

SECOND MYSTERY:

 

As a matter of fact, Jesus became flesh because of our sins, and Mary the Mother of God, the Mother of Jesus the Redeemer. Mary is the great Co-redemptix. We all turn to Mary as the model of our mission, as help and strength in our apostolate; she is our stronghold and our trust in the difficulties of our consecration. Therefore, we invoke Mary “My Mother, My Confidence” not in a generic way, but as a specific supplication for the assistance we need in the development of our spirituality, in the spreading of our vocation, and in our apostolic dedication for the work of redemption.

 

O Mary, we, your children, come to you. Pray for us, Mother of God.

 

THIRD MYSTERY:

 

Mary is the perfect answer to God’s design, and consequently she is the creature within whom redemptive love resonates perfectly. Mary’s holiness – besides being an exceptional gift from God to her – is the result of her total correspondence to the infinite love of her Son.

 

O Mary, we, your children, come to you. Pray for us, Mother of God.

 

 

FOURTH MYSTERY:

 

Mary is the highest fulfillment of Jesus’ redemptive love. She is  the woman in whom redemptive love is reproduced in a most complete and faithful way. This response of Mary to redemptive love makes her the co-redemptrix par excellence, and the perfect instrument of redemption, from beginning to end, when at the foot of the cross Mary dies interiorly as the Mother of a humanity that needs redemption.

 

O Mary, we, your children, come to you. Pray for us, Mother of God.

 

FIFTH MYSTERY:

 

Mary is consecrated to redemption, for consecration is an act of total, exclusive, and perpetual self-offering. As redemption is the essence and the purpose of Jesus’ life, so it is for Mary. Redemption is so much a part of the life of Jesus that Jesus could never cease, not even for an instant, to be Redeemer – it would go against His very nature. Every act of Jesus is a meritorious and redeeming act. Likewise Mary, both in time and in eternity, acts exclusively in view of redemption. Thus Mary becomes the model of our consecration to redemptive love.

 

O Mary, we, your children, come to you. Pray for us, Mother of God.

 

 

Thought for the day ... G. Giaquinta

The rosary accurately presents some aspects of the life of Jesus, both in his Physical and mystical body. When I say the mystery’s I should stretch my imagination to see Jesus with me and I with Him.

 

 

Rosary #10 - 151st Anniversary of the Appari...

Rosary #10 for the 151^ST Anniversary of the Apparitions at Lourdes

First Mystery: Mystery of God's love for our littleness.

 Today is the Feast of the Blessed Virgin Mary of Lourdes, 151 years ago appeared to a simple youth, St Bernadette Soubirous, showing herself as the Immaculate Conception. Also in that apparition the Blessed Mother has shown herself as a tender mother to her children, recalling that the little, the poor are the beloved of God and to them the mystery of the Kingdom of Heaven is revealed.

Second Mystery: Mystery of Jesus Healer

 

Jesus came to heal and is the healer: In a passage from St. Matthew, it says: "He went around all of Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the Gospel of the Kingdom, and curing every disease and illness among the people" (Matthew 4:23). Pope Benedict reminds us: Jesus does not leave room for doubt: God -- whose face he himself has revealed -- is the God of life, who frees us from all evil. The signs of this, his power of love are the healings that he carries out: He thus shows that the Kingdom of God is near, restoring men and women to their full integrity in spirit and body

 

Third Mystery: Mystery of Mary and the victory of hope over anguish

"Contemplated in the episodes of the Gospels and in the reality which she already possesses in the City of God, the Blessed Virgin Mary offers a calm vision and a reassuring word to modern man, torn as he often is between anguish and hope, defeated by the sense of his own limitations and assailed by limitless aspirations, troubled in his mind and divided in his heart, uncertain before the riddle of death, oppressed by loneliness while yearning for fellowship, a prey to boredom and disgust. She shows forth the victory of hope over anguish, of fellowship over solitude, of peace over anxiety, of joy and beauty over boredom and disgust, of eternal visions over earthly ones, of life over death" (Marialis Cultus n. 57).  

Fourth Mystery: Mystery of Mary's comfort for her children

In the Evening in Lourdes a meaningful candlelight procession will reawaken the atmosphere that is created among pilgrims and those devoted to Lourdes. Our thought goes to the grotto of Massabielle, where human sorrows and hopes, fears and trust, meet. How many pilgrims, comforted by the gaze of their Mother, find at Lourdes the strength to accomplish more easily the will of God even when it costs renunciation and pain, aware that, as the Apostle Paul affirms, all works to the good of those who love the Lord (cf. Rom 8:28)!

Fifth Mystery:  Mystery of Jesus Reconciler

The Pope referring the healing signs of Jesus and is continued in Lourdes;  They guide toward the message of Christ, they guide us toward God and make us understand that man's truest and deepest illness is the absence of God, who is the fount of truth and love. And only reconciliation with God can give us true healing, true life, because a life without love and without truth would not be a true life. The Kingdom of God is precisely the presence of truth and love, and thus it is healing in the depths of our being..

 

 

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Dear brothers and sisters, in a short while, this evening, a meaningful candlelight procession will reawaken the atmosphere that is created among pilgrims and those devoted to Lourdes. Our thought goes to the grotto of Massabielle, where human sorrows and hopes, fears and trust, meet. Benedict XVI

151^st anniversary of the apparitions at Lourdes. Four years after the proclamation of the dogma of the Immaculate Conception by Blessed Pius IX, Mary appeared to St. Bernadette Soubirous in the grotto of Massabielle for the first time on Feb. 11, 1858. Other appearances followed, accompanied by extraordinary events, and at the end the Holy Virgin, bidding farewell to the young visionary, told her in the local dialect, "I am the Immaculate Conception."

 

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Posted By Teresa Monaghen to Saints with Mary in the Making at 2/10/2009 10:08:00 PM

Rosary #9 Hour of HOPE

Rosary for the Year of Saint Paul - Ephesians 2

I think of the Institute as a river running the same course, and yet always renewed in its flowing waters; like a river within which availability is placed before the Lord who, in His mercy, calms and redeems all our imperfections and makes the Institute a spring of clear water, flowing from His love, nurtured in faith, and ready to sprinkle the land with its showers of hope. IT IS THE HOUR OF HOPE. Many are the hopes that we carry in our hearts: hope for new vocations, hope for new expansions, hope for a productive apostolate, etc.

 

First Mystery - Our spiritual death in sin (Ephesians 2:1-3)
1 You were dead in your transgressions and sins 2 in which you once lived following the age of this world, following the ruler of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the disobedient. 3 All of us once lived among them in the desires of our flesh, following the wishes of the flesh and the impulses, and we were by nature children of wrath, like the rest.

Second Mystery - God is rich in mercy (Ephesians 2:4-7)
4 But God, who is rich in mercy, because of the great love he had for us, 5 even when we were dead in our transgressions, brought us to life with Christ (by grace you have been saved), 6 raised us up with him, and seated us with him in the heavens in Christ Jesus,
7 that in the ages to come he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus.

Third Mystery - Faith and the Gift of Salvation (Ephesians 2:8-9)
8 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not from you; it is the gift of God; 9 it is not from works, so no one may boast. 10 For we are his handiwork, created in Christ Jesus for the good works that God has prepared in advance, that we should live in them.

Fourth Mystery - Christ is our peace (Ephesians 2:13-16)
13 But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have become near by the blood of Christ. 14 For he is our peace, he who made both one and broke down the dividing wall of enmity, through his flesh, 15 abolishing the law with its commandments and legal claims, that he might create in himself one new person in place of the two, thus establishing peace, 16 and might reconcile both with God, in one body, through the cross, putting that enmity to death by it. 17 He came and preached peace to you who were far off and peace to those who were near, 18 for through him we both have access in one Spirit to the Father.

Fifth Mystery - The House of God (Ephesians 2:19-21)
19 So then you are no longer strangers and sojourners, but you are fellow citizens with the holy ones and members of the household of God, 20 built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the capstone. 21 Through him the whole structure is held together and grows into a temple sacred in the Lord; 22 in him you also are being built together into a dwelling place of God in the Spirit.

In this atmosphere of hope, I would like to invite each and every one of us to deepen the value of our redemptive spirituality and the meaning of our presence in the world, as two unique and valid dimensions of our life. Each day we must seek the Lord ever more deeply, be apostles of holiness and good Samaritans for the world. Giuliana Spigone 2004

Rosary #7-8 Holiness and Service

Rosary for the General Assembly 2009

It is with joy that we welcome the announcement of this solemn convocation (the General Assembly). With joy we wish to respond to whatever the Spirit demands from each of us and from the Institute. With joy we entrust to Our Lady this event so near and dear to us. With renewed devotion to Mary, through the Rosary, we will tirelessly pronounce her name, and in faith, with trust-filled and unconditional love, present to Her our needs: we want to enter and abide in your heart, O Mary, and there find Jesus, whom we love as our Brother; we want not only to love Him, but proclaim Him to all our brothers and sisters. This is the holiness in which we believe, and the hope that sustains us. This is the heart of the Assembly, which is presented to our Institute today as a gift and a sign of God's work among us. Giuliana Spigone

First Mystery - The call of Paul to be an Apostle (Ephesians 1:1-2)
Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, to the holy ones who are (in Ephesus) faithful in Christ Jesus: grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Second Mystery - Blessed be God who blesses us (Ephesians 1:3)
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavens,

Third Mystery - Called to holiness (Ephesians 1:4-6,18-20)
as he chose us in him, before the foundation of the world, to be holy and without blemish before him. In love he destined us for adoption to himself through Jesus Christ, in accord with the favor of his will, for the praise of the glory of his grace that he granted us in the beloved…
May the eyes of (your) hearts be enlightened, that you may know what is the hope that belongs to his call, what are the riches of glory in his inheritance among the holy ones,
and what is the surpassing greatness of his power for us who believe, in accord with the exercise of his great might, which he worked in Christ, raising him from the dead and seating him at his right hand in the heavens,

Fourth Mystery - Gifts God has given to us in abundance (Ephesians 1:7-10)
In him we have redemption by his blood, the forgiveness of transgressions, in accord with the riches of his grace that he lavished upon us. In all wisdom and insight, he has made known to us the mystery of his will in accord with his favor that he set forth in him as a plan for the fullness of times, to sum up all things in Christ, in heaven and on earth.

Fifth Mystery - God has chosen us for his glory (Ephesians 1:11-14)
In him we were also chosen, destined in accord with the purpose of the one who accomplishes all things according to the intention of his will, so that we might exist for the praise of his glory, we who first hoped in Christ. In him you also, who have heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and have believed in him, were sealed with the promised holy Spirit,
which is the first installment of our inheritance toward redemption as God's possession, to the praise of his glory.

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ROSARY #7
«Jesus grasped her hand and helped her up»
Scripture: Genesis 1:1-19. Psalm 104:1-2,5-6.10.12.24.35. Mark 6:53-56. Lectionary # 329:

The Oblates shall strive to make of their lives a continuous response of maximum love to the infinite love with which Jesus the Redeemer, perfect image of the Father, has loved us. Constitution #10

FIRST MYSTERY: «Jesus approached her, grasped her hand and helped her up.» For indeed, the sick woman was unable to get up on her own. Since she was confined to bed, she could not come before Jesus. This compassionate doctor came to her bed himself and he who carried a sick lamb on his shoulders now drew near to this bed... He draws closer that he might heal more fully.

SECOND MYSTERY: Take good note of what is written here... «You should certainly have come to meet me, you should have come to greet me at the threshold of your house, but in that case your healing would have been the result, less of my compassion than of your will. But since such a strong fever oppresses you and prevents you from getting up, I am coming myself.»

THIRD MYSTERY: «And he helped her up.» As she couldn't stand up by herself, it was the Lord who helped her. «He grasped her hand and helped her up.» When Peter was in danger on the sea, just as he was going to drown, he too was grasped by the hand and raised up... What a beautiful sign of friendship and love towards this sick woman!

FOURTH MYSTERY: He helped her up by taking her hand; his hand healed the sick woman's hand. He grasped that hand as a doctor would have done, he who was both doctor and remedy took her pulse and assessed the gravity of the fever. Jesus touched it and the fever vanished.

FIFTH MYSTERY: Let us want him to touch our hand so that in this way what we do may be made pure. Should he enter our house, let us get off our bed at last and not remain lying down. Jesus stands at our bedside and will we remain lying down? Come on! To your feet!... «There is one among you whom you do not recognize» (Jn 1,26); «the kingdom of God is among you» (Lk 17,21). Let us have faith and we shall see Jesus among us.

Meditations by St. Jerome


Charity‑service is to be exercised toward all, but principally among one's own sisters in consecration. It must constitute the intimate bond of the Institute and be the motivating force of every apostolic activity. Constitution #26

Rosary #6

Imitate Paul as he Imitated Christ

World Day of Prayer for Consecrated Life

Pope Benedict XVI, Feb. 2, 2009

 

 

First Mystery – Imitate Christ

In this year dedicated to St. Paul the Pope focused his remarks on the Apostle “who”, he said, “has always been recognized as father and master of those who, called by the Lord, have chosen to dedicate themselves unconditionally to Him and His Gospel. … Imitating him by following Jesus is the best way to respond fully to your vocation of special consecration in the Church”, he said.

Second Mystery – Live Poverty

St. Paul’s lifestyle “expresses the substance of a consecrated life inspired by the evangelical counsels of poverty, chastity and obedience. In the life of poverty he saw a guarantee that the Gospel would be announced gratuitously. At the same time, such a life is an expression of real solidarity towards brothers and sisters in need”.

 

Third Mystery – Give all for Christ

St. Paul was “under daily pressure because of his anxiety for all the churches”, and how this “inspired, shaped and consumed his life, making it a sacrifice agreeable to God”.

 

Fourth Mystery – Live Chastity

“Accepting God’s call to chastity”, noted the Holy Father, the Apostle of the Gentiles “gave his heart entirely to the Lord in order to be able to serve his brethren with greater freedom and dedication. Moreover, in a world in which the values of Christian chastity enjoyed little popularity, he offered secure guidelines of behavior”.

 

Fifth Mystery – Live for Jesus

Another fundamental aspect of Paul’s consecrated life was that of mission. He was entirely for Jesus in order to be, like Jesus, for everyone. … In him, so closely bound to the person of Christ, we recognize a profound capacity to unite spiritual life and missionary activity. In him, these two dimensions support one another”.

 

Closing Exhortation by the Holy Father: The Pope told the consecrated people of his hope that the Pauline Year may “give you further encouragement to welcome the witness of St. Paul, meditating daily upon the Word of God through the faithful practice of ‘lectio divina’, and singing ‘psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts’. May the Apostle help you to accomplish your apostolic service in and with the Church, with an unreserved spirit of communion, making a gift of your charisms to others and bearing witness to the greatest charism of all, which is charity”.

 

Rosary Day 5

Rosary for the Conversion of Saint Paul 

(Based on Acts 9:1-30)

TAKE A MOMENT TO REFLECT WITH CARDINAL PIRONIO: How important it is to stress the penitential aspect of a General Assembly! It means a serene and profound examination of conscience, with the consequent change of mentality and life; and it means a painful search for God’s will in the present necessities of consecrated life. How can we deepen our integration in the Christ of Easter by means of the baptismal confirmation of consecrated life? What can we do so that consecrated life may really be today a sign of the holiness of God and of the presence of His Kingdom?

 

First Mystery - Saul's persecution of the Church (Acts 9:1-2)
Now Saul, still breathing murderous threats against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest and asked him for letters to the synagogues in Damascus, that, if he should find any men or women who belonged to the Way, he might bring them back to Jerusalem in chains.

Second Mystery - Saul encounters Jesus on the road to Damascus (Acts 9:3-5)
On his journey, as he was nearing Damascus, a light from the sky suddenly flashed around him. He fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, "Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?" He said, "Who are you, sir?" The reply came, "I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. Now get up and go into the city and you will be told what you must do."

Third Mystery - Saul enters Damascus blind (Acts 9: 7-9)
The men who were traveling with him stood speechless, for they heard the voice but could see no one. Saul got up from the ground, but when he opened his eyes he could see nothing; so they led him by the hand and brought him to Damascus. For three days he was unable to see, and he neither ate nor drank.

Fourth Mystery - The Lord prepares Ananias to help Saul (Acts 9:10-16)
There was a disciple in Damascus named Ananias, and the Lord said to him in a vision, "Ananias." He answered, "Here I am, Lord." The Lord said to him, "Get up and go to the street called Straight and ask at the house of Judas for a man from Tarsus named Saul. He is there praying, and (in a vision) he has seen a man named Ananias come in and lay (his) hands on him, that he may regain his sight." But Ananias replied, "Lord, I have heard from many sources about this man, what evil things he has done to your holy ones in Jerusalem.  And here he has authority from the chief priests to imprison all who call upon your name." But the Lord said to him, "Go, for this man is a chosen instrument of mine to carry my name before Gentiles, kings, and Israelites, and I will show him what he will have to suffer for my name."

Fifth Mystery - Saul gives witness to Jesus (Acts 9:26-30)
When he arrived in Jerusalem he tried to join the disciples, but they were all afraid of him, not believing that he was a disciple. Then Barnabas took charge of him and brought him to the apostles, and he reported to them how on the way he had seen the Lord and that he had spoken to him, and how in Damascus he had spoken out boldly in the name of Jesus. He moved about freely with them in Jerusalem, and spoke out boldly in the name of the Lord.  He also spoke and debated with the Hellenists, but they tried to kill him. And when the brothers learned of this, they took him down to Caesarea and sent him on his way to Tarsus.