Rosary #49 The Crowning with Thorns

The Crowning with Thorns (Matthew 27:24-31)

"After Pilate had passed judgement to satisfy the desires of the wicked,
those sacrilegious soldiers were not satisfied to crucify the Savior until
they had heaped his soul full of mockery. The entire cohort assembled in the
praetorium, stripped him of his clothes, dressed him in a scarlet tunic and
placed a purple cloak around him, a crown of thorns on his head and a reed in his
right hand. They genuflected in mockery, gave him blows, spat upon him and
struck that sacred head with the reed." Saint Bonaventure

First Mystery
24 When Pilate saw that he was not succeeding at all, but that a riot was breaking out instead, he took water and washed his hands in the sight of the crowd, saying, "I am innocent of this man's blood. Look to it yourselves." And the whole people said in reply, "His blood be upon us and upon our
children."

Second Mystery
26 Then he released Barabbas to them, but after he had Jesus scourged, he handed him over to be crucified.

Third Mystery
27 Then the soldiers of the governor took Jesus inside the praetorium and gathered the whole cohort around him. 28 They stripped off his clothes and threw a scarlet military cloak about him.

Fourth Mystery
29 Weaving a crown out of thorns, they placed it on his head, and a reed in his right hand. And kneeling before him, they mocked him, saying, "Hail, King of the Jews!" They spat upon him and took the reed and kept striking him on the head.

Fifth Mystery
31 And when they had mocked him, they stripped him of the cloak, dressed him in his own clothes, and led him off to crucify him.

Rosary #48 - The Agony in the Garden

Agony in the Garden (Mark 14:32-42)

The Rosary selects certain moments from the Passion, inviting the faithful to contemplate them in their hearts and to relive them. The sequence of meditations begins with Gethsemane, where Christ experiences a moment of great anguish before the will of the Father, against which the weakness of the flesh would be tempted to rebel. There Jesus encounters all the temptations and confronts all the sins of humanity, in order to say to the Father: "Not my will but yours be done" (Lk 22:42 and parallels). This "Yes" of Christ reverses the "No" of our first parents in the Garden of Eden. And the cost of this faithfulness to the Father's will is made clear in the following mysteries; by his scourging, his crowning with thorns, his carrying the Cross and his death on the Cross, the Lord is cast into the most abject suffering: Ecce homo! (Pope John Paul II, Rosarium Virginis Mariae, #22)

First Mystery
Then they came to a place named Gethsemane, and he said to his disciples, "Sit here while I pray." He took with him Peter James and John and began to be troubled and distressed. Then he said to them, "My soul is sorrowful even to death. Remain here and keep watch."

Second Mystery
He advanced a little and fell to the ground and prayed that if it were possible the hour might pass by him.; he said, "Abba, Father, all things are possible to you. Take this cup away from me, but now what I will but what you will."

Third Mystery
When he returned, he found them asleep. He said to Peter, "Simon, are you asleep? Could you not keep watch for one hour? Watch and pray that you may not undergo the test. The spirit is willing but the flesh is weak."

Fourth Mystery
Withdrawing again, he prayed, saying the same thing. Then he returned once more and found them asleep, for they could not keep their eyes open and did not know what to answer him.

Fifth Mystery
He returned a third time and said to them, "Are you still sleeping and taking your rest? It is enough. The hour has come. Behold, the Son of man is to be handed over to sinners. Get up, let us go. See, my betrayer is at hand."

Rosary #47 - Feast of Mary!

An Encounter with Jesus – with Our Lady and St. Paul

Pray for the intentions of the General Assembly

When we receive communion with awareness and live it not as merely liturgical ritual but as a deep personal encounter with Christ, we become the givers of the same reality. –

+G. Giaquinta

The First Mystery

Mary conceived the Word first with her mind than with her body. In fact, Augustine adds, it would have been no value to her to carry Christ in her womb, if she had not first carried him in her heart.

The Second Mystery

The Christian must also receive Christ in his mind, before receiving him in his body. And to receive Christ in the mind means, concretely, to think of him, to have one’s gaze turned to him, to remember him, contemplating the sign that he himself chose to remain among us (St. Augustine)

The Third Mystery

Pause before you receive the Word, Jesus, as Mary and Paul did before the Spirit moved them, and say, “Amen”. So be it.

The Fourth Mystery

Receive Jesus into your heart, and then, go in haste, from Mass to Mission as Mary did after her annunciation and Paul did after his conversion on the road to Damascus!

The Fifth Mystery

What we receive in contemplation and Communion, we then give as fruit to our brothers and sisters in the spirit of Mary and Paul (St. Thomas Aquinas).

Rosary #45=444

Pray for the intention of our General Assembly

Gospel Rosary #45

Fourth Week of Lent – Monday

Now this was the second sign Jesus did when he came to Galilee from Judea. John 4:43-54

Authentic prayer both transcends and unfolds all human realities. It becomes confidence, humility, deep faith and poverty acting on behalf of our brothers and sisters.

G. Giaquinta

First Mystery: Jesus suffers humiliation by those who did not believe in him.

At that time Jesus left [Samaria] for Galilee. For Jesus himself testified that a prophet has no honor in his native place.

Second Mystery: Jesus gave seven signs to help our faith expand

When he came into Galilee, the Galileans welcomed him, since they had seen all he had done in Jerusalem at the feast; for they themselves had gone to the feast. Then he returned to Cana in Galilee, where he had made the water wine.

Third Mystery: Jesus heals us from death and faith is the door.

Now there was a royal official whose son was ill in Capernaum. When he heard that Jesus had arrived in Galilee from Judea, he went to him and asked him to come down and heal his son, who was near death.

Fourth Mystery: Jesus comes to brings eternal life and faith is the key

Jesus said to him, "Unless you people see signs and wonders, you will not believe." The royal official said to him,"Sir, come down before my child dies." Jesus said to him, "You may go; your son will live." The man believed what Jesus said to him and left. While the man was on his way back, his slaves met him and told him that his boy would live.

Fifth Mystery: Jesus, heals in order to lift us to new life and faith

He asked them when he began to recover. They told him, "The fever left him yesterday, about one in the afternoon." The father realized that just at that time Jesus had said to him, "Your son will live," and he and his whole household came to believe.

Lord, grant us firm faith, ardent love, and sure hope.

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Rosary # 44 - Agony in the Garden (Mark 14:32-42)

The Rosary selects certain moments from the Passion, inviting the faithful to contemplate them in their hearts and to relive them. The sequence of meditations begins with Gethsemane, where Christ experiences a moment of great anguish before the will of the Father, against which the weakness of the flesh would be tempted to rebel. There Jesus encounters all the temptations and confronts all the sins of humanity, in order to say to the Father: "Not my will but yours be done" (Lk 22:42 and parallels). This "Yes" of Christ reverses the "No" of our first parents in the Garden of Eden. And the cost of this faithfulness to the Father's will is made clear in the following mysteries; by his scourging, his crowning with thorns, his carrying the Cross and his death on the Cross, the Lord is cast into the most abject suffering: Ecce homo! (Pope John Paul II, Rosarium Virginis Mariae, #22)

First Mystery
Then they came to a place named Gethsemane, and he said to his disciples, "Sit here while I pray." He took with him Peter James and John and began to be troubled and distressed. Then he said to them, "My soul is sorrowful even to death. Remain here and keep watch."

Second Mystery
He advanced a little and fell to the ground and prayed that if it were possible the hour might pass by him.; he said, "Abba, Father, all things are possible to you. Take this cup away from me, but now what I will but what you will."

Third Mystery
When he returned, he found them asleep. He said to Peter, "Simon, are you asleep? Could you not keep watch for one hour? Watch and pray that you may not undergo the test. The spirit is willing but the flesh is weak."

Fourth Mystery
Withdrawing again, he prayed, saying the same thing. Then he returned once more and found them asleep, for they could not keep their eyes open and did not know what to answer him.

Fifth Mystery
He returned a third time and said to them, "Are you still sleeping and taking your rest? It is enough. The hour has come. Behold, the Son of man is to be handed over to sinners. Get up, let us go. See, my betrayer is at hand."

Rosary #43 - St. Joseph

Rosary for Saint Joseph
From the Antiphons for the Liturgy of the Hours

Introduction: Pontiff's Reflection on St. Joseph at Vesper Service
Jesus declared: "You have only one Father" (Mt 23:9). There is but one fatherhood, that of God the Father, the one Creator of the world, "of all that is seen and unseen". Yet man, created in the image of God, has been granted a share in this one paternity of God (cf. Eph 3:15).

Saint Joseph is a striking case of this, since he is a father, without fatherhood according to the flesh. He is not the biological father of Jesus, whose Father is God alone, and yet he lives his fatherhood fully and completely.

To be a father means above all to be at the service of life and growth. Saint Joseph, in this sense, gave proof of great devotion. For the sake of Christ he experienced persecution, exile and the poverty which this entails. He had to settle far from his native town. His only reward was to be with Christ. His readiness to do all these things illustrates the words of Saint Paul: "It is Christ the Lord whom you serve" (Col 3:24).

First Mystery
Jacob became the father of Joseph the husband of Mary. She gave birth to Jesus who is called Christ.

Second Mystery
The Angel Gabriel was sent by God to a town of Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man named Joseph.

Third Mystery
Mary the mother of Jesus was betrothed to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be with child through the power of the Holy Spirit. The angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph and said: Joseph, son of David, to not be afraid to take Mary as your wife; she will give birth to a son, and you will name him Jesus.

Fourth Mystery
When he awoke Joseph did as the angel of the Lord had directed him, and took Mary as his wife. Joseph left Nazareth and set out for the town of David called Bethlehem to register with Mary. The shepherds went in haste and found Joseph and Mary, and the infant lying in the manger.

Fifth Mystery
Joseph rose in the night and took the child and his mother into Egypt. There they stayed until the death of Herod.

Rosary # 42 St Patrick

Rosary # 42 - Saint Patrick

Saint Patrick was born around the year 385 in Great Britain. His father was a deacon and his grandfather had been a priest. When he was a teenager, he was captured and brought to Ireland as a slave and was forced to work as a herdsman. While tending sheep for six years, he had much time to think and pray. He escaped to Gaul where he spent four years in a monastery under the direction of Saint Martin of Tours. In a dream he felt summoned to go back to Ireland, but this time as a missionary. He eventually returned to Ireland as a Bishop, many years after his escape from slavery. Known for his holiness, friendliness, intelligence and eloquence, Patrick converted both royalty and ordinary people to the Catholic faith. He worked alongside many people, including Saint Brigid, before his death on March 17, 461.

First Mystery
On coming to Ireland," he says in his Confessions, "I was daily tending sheep, and many times in the day I prayed, and more and more the love of God, and His fear grew in me, and the spirit was strengthened, so that in a single day I have said as many as a hundred prayers, and in the night nearly as many; so that I remained in the woods and on the mountain, and before the dawn I was summoned to prayer by the snow, the ice, and the rain, and I did not suffer from them, nor was there any sloth in me, as I see now, because then the Spirit was burning within me."

Second Mystery
I cannot keep silent, nor would it be proper, so many favours and graces has the Lord deigned to bestow on me in the land of my captivity. For after chastisement from God, and recognizing him, our way to repay him is to exalt him and confess his wonders before every nation under heaven.

Third Mystery
I came to the Irish heathens to preach the Good News and to put up with insults from unbelievers. I heard my mission abused, I endured many persecutions even to the extent of chains; I gave up my free-born status for the good of others. Should I be worthy I am ready to give even my life, promptly and gladly, for his name; and it is there that I wish to spend it until I die, if the Lord should graciously allow me.

Fourth Mystery
I arise today, through the strength of heaven; Light of the sun, splendor of fire, swiftness of wind, depth of the sea, stability of earth, firmness of rock. I arise today through God's strength to pilot me; God's might to uphold me, God's wisdom to guide me, God's hand to guard me. afar and anear, alone or in a multitude.

Fifth Mystery
Christ shield me today against wounding: Christ with me, Christ before me, Christ behind me, Christ on my right, Christ on my left, Christ beneath me, Christ above me, Christ in me. I arise today through the mighty strength of the Lord of Creation. Amen.

Rosary #41 Luminious Mysteries

Rosary #41 - Reflections on the Luminous Mysteries

 

We are called to live full our call and to proclaim the message of God's limitless love; this must be an appeal for an on-going conversion (G. Giaquinta)

First Mystery - The Baptism of the Lord

After thirty years of preparation, the Lord is ready for his public ministry.  Only three years of his life would be given to actual teaching and healing.  In his baptism he hears the voice of the Father tell him that he is the beloved Son, the delight of the Father.  Jesus is so close to us that he was willing to be baptized even though he had no sin himself

Second Mystery - The Wedding Feast at Cana

Being at the celebration for the marriage of an unknown young couple, the Lord shows us how much he listens to the words and the prompting of Mary, his Mother.  She gives us wonderful advice - "Do whatever he tells you" - which we can build our life upon.  May all married couples follow this same advice and build their lives on Jesus.

Third Mystery - The Call to Conversion and the Proclamation of the Kingdom

The first message of Jesus was to be converted and believe in the Gospel  The Kingdom was at hand because Jesus was near and he taught us all to seek the Kingdom above all else.  This message is a light for the human heart because it places everything else in its proper perspective.

Fourth Mystery - The Transfiguration

Jesus reveals the glory he has with the Father from the beginning of all time. The Apostles saw the glory and were made ready for the suffering he and they were going to have to face.  The light shone from the Lord Jesus in brilliance, making it difficult for Peter James and John to understand what was happening.  Later they would understand after Jesus rose from the dead.

Fifth Mystery - The Institution of the Eucharist

Jesus not only came to be with us, he remains with us.  Jesus, who is light from light and true God from true God, remains in the Most Blessed Sacrament.  God had seemed distant and remote but now God stays near in the form of bread and wine.  Nothing is too much for Jesus to do to help us stay close to him and to want to remain united with him in our mind and soul.

 

O, Jesus, Bread of Life, loving Son of Mary, be with me all my days, that I may love You.  Amen.

 

Rosary #37: Joyful Mysteries

ROSARY - Reflections on the Joyful Mysteries - # 37

Come, Holy Spirit, Spirit of love and Holiness. You who overshadowed Mary making her Mother of the Eternal Word, dwell in us and make us apostles of holiness (G. Giaquinta).

First Mystery - The Annunciation
Mary receives the message from the angel Gabriel that she is to become the mother of the Savior. It does not fit the plans that already had been made with Joseph. Woman of faith that she is, though, she opens her heart to God's will and receives not only the message of God but the Son of God! It is hard to think of Mary without Jesus, but it was at this decisive moment that he came to dwell within her.

Second Mystery - The Visitation
Elizabeth receives her young cousin Mary with great joy. Few things surpass the joy of bringing Christ to another person or receiving Christ into your home. Mary and Elizabeth together share the great joys of life, because Christ is with them.

Third Mystery - The Nativity
Mary and Joseph share the joy of being with Jesus the first time he sees the light of day. Jesus who is "light from light" is born in the darkness of a stable. Mary and Joseph are simple and poor but they are filled with the riches the Lord has given to them, the wealth of a family.

Fourth Mystery - The Presentation
Mary and Joseph bring Jesus to the Temple in obedience to the Law of Moses. These two saints are told of the sufferings that Jesus will experience and that Mary also will endure. The love and care of Joseph brought great comfort to Mary, not only on this days but in the years to come.

Fifth Mystery - The Finding of Jesus in the Temple
Mary and Joseph search for Jesus among all the people they are traveling with but do not find him. It is only in the Father's house that heir search will end in peace. All parents know their children will one day set out on their own but Mary and Joseph did not know how long Jesus would remain with them. At least Mary and Joseph can rejoice that they have him for a while longer.

The power of the Spirit of Truth, united to Christ

ROSARY #40– The power of the Spirit of Truth, united to Christ

Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati, Turin, Italy
(1901-1925)

Pope John Paul II beatified him on May 20, 1990

Like Pier Giorgio, follow Mary's guidance, which brings you closer to Christ. You can then become His witnesses with the conviction and keenness which characterized Pier Giorgio's apostolic activity. (Angelus at the Marian Shrine of Oropa, July 16, 1989)

FIRST MYSTERY: Live the Spirit of Truth, united to Christ, witnesses to hope

"Sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts. Always be ready to give an explanation to anyone who asks you for a reason for your hope" (1 Peter 3:15). In our century, Pier Giorgio Frassati incarnated these words of St. Peter in his own life. The power of the Spirit of Truth, united to Christ, made him a modern witness to the hope which springs from the Gospel and to the grace of salvation which works in human hearts. Thus he became a living witness and courageous defender of this hope in the name of Christian youth of the twentieth century.

SECOND MYSTERY: Faith and charity the driving force of our existence.

Faith and charity, the true driving forces of his existence, made him active and diligent in the milieu in which he lived, in his family and school, in the university and society; they transformed him into a joyful, enthusiastic apostle of Christ, a passionate follower of his message and charity.

THIRD MYSTERY: Immersed in the mystery if God; totally dedicated for others

Frassati's lifestyle, that of a modern young man who was full of life, does not present anything out of the ordinary. This, however, is the originality of his virtue, which invites us to reflect upon it and impels us to imitate it. In him faith and daily events are harmoniously fused, so that adherence to the Gospel is translated into loving care for the poor and the needy in a continual crescendo until the very last days of the sickness which led to his death.

FOURTH MYSTERY: Indwelling of the Trinity; a life of love

Pier Giorgio's entire life seems to sum up Christ's words which we find in John's Gospel: "Whoever loves me will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come and make our dwelling with him" (Jn 14:23). This is the "inner" person loved by the Father, loved because he or she has loved much! Is love not possibly what is most needed in our twentieth century, at its beginning, as well as at its end? Is it perhaps not true that the only thing that lasts, without ever losing its validity, is the fact that a person "has loved"?

FIFTH MYSTERY: Holiness is possible for everyone

By his example he proclaims that a life lived in Christ's Spirit, the Spirit of the Beatitudes, is "blessed", and that only the person who becomes a "man or woman of the Beatitudes" can succeed in communicating love and peace to others. He repeats that it is really worth giving up everything to serve the Lord. He testifies that holiness is possible for everyone, and that only the revolution of charity can enkindle the hope of a better future in the hearts of people.

(Passages for the mysteries taken from Beatification Mass, May 20, 1990)

Closing: Pier Giorgio's secret to success…

The secret of his apostolic zeal and holiness is to be sought in the ascetical and spiritual journey which he traveled; in prayer, in persevering adoration, even at night, of the Blessed Sacrament, in his thirst for the Word of God, which he sought in Biblical texts; in the peaceful acceptance of life's difficulties, in family life as well; in chastity lived as a cheerful, uncompromising discipline; in his daily love of silence and life's "ordinariness." It is precisely in these factors that we are given to understand the deep well-spring of his spiritual vitality. Indeed, it is through the Eucharist that Christ communicates his Spirit; it is through listening to the word that the readiness to welcome others grows, and it is also through prayerful abandonment to God's will that life's great decisions mature. Only by adoring God who is present in his or her own heart can the baptized Christian respond to the person who "asks you for a reason for your hope" (1 Pt 3:15).

(Beatification Mass, May 20, 1990)

Rosary #39 "Singing Eagle"

ROSARY #39 – "Singing Eagle" Model for Lay Apostles

Dedicated to St. Juan Diego Cuahtlatoatizn

Pope John Paul II beatified him on May 6, 1990 and canonized on July 31, 2002

INTRODUCTION: "I thank you, Father ... that you have hidden these things from the wise and understanding and revealed them to babes; yea, Father, for such was your gracious will" (Mt 11:25-26). (Passage taken from Mass Reading for July 31, 2002)

FIRST MYSTERY: Accepting the Gospel of Jesus

Similar to ancient Biblical personages who were collective representations of all the people, we could say that Juan Diego represents all the indigenous peoples who accepted the Gospel of Jesus, thanks to the maternal aid of Mary, who is always inseparable from the manifestation of her Son and the spread of the Church, as was her presence among the Apostles on the day of Pentecost. (Beatification Homily of 6 May 1990)

REPEAT AFTER EACH DECADE: Beloved Juan Diego, "the talking eagle"! Show us the way that leads to the "Dark Virgin" of Tepeyac, that she may receive us in the depths of her heart, for she is the loving, compassionate Mother who guides us to the true God. Amen.

SECOND MYSTERY: Holiness and Trust

The information about Juan Diego that has reached us praises his Christian virtues: his simple faith, nourished by catechesis and open to the mysteries; his hope and trust in God and in the Virgin; his love, his moral coherence, his unselfishness and evangelical poverty. (Beatification Homily of 6 May 1990)

THIRD MYSTERY: Our Lady's presence

Living the life of a hermit here near Tepeyac, he was a model of humility. The Virgin chose him from among the most humble as the one to receive that loving and gracious manifestation of hers which is the Guadalupe apparition. Her maternal face and her Saint image which she left us as a priceless gift is a permanent remembrance of this. In this manner she wanted to remain among you as a sign of the communion and unity of all those who were to live together in this land. (Beatification Homily of 6 May 1990)

FOURTH MYSTERY: Holiness in the world for others

The lay faithful share in the prophetic, priestly and royal role of Christ (cf. Lumen Gentium, 31), but they carry out this vocation in the ordinary situations of daily life. Their natural and immediate field of action extends to all the areas of human coexistence and to everything that constitutes culture in the widest and fullest sense of the term…"In order to achieve their task directed to the Christian animation of the temporal order, in the sense of serving persons and society, the lay faithful are never to relinquish their participation in public life, that is, in the many different economic, social, legislative, administrative and cultural areas, which are intended to promote organically and institutionally the common good" (CF n. 42). (Beatification Homily of 6 May 1990)

FIFTH MYSTERY: All children of God; All children of Mary

"The Lord looks down from heaven, he sees all the sons of men" (Ps 33:13), we recited with the Psalmist, once again confessing our faith in God, who makes no distinctions of race or culture. In accepting the Christian message without forgoing his indigenous identity, Juan Diego discovered the profound truth of the new humanity, in which all are called to be children of God. Thus he facilitated the fruitful meeting of two worlds and became the catalyst for the new Mexican identity, closely united to Our Lady of Guadalupe, whose mestizo face expresses her spiritual motherhood which embraces all Mexicans. (Canonization Homily July 31, 2002)

Closing:

Happy Juan Diego, true and faithful man! We entrust to you our lay brothers and sisters so that, feeling the call to holiness, they may imbue every area of social life with the spirit of the Gospel. Bless families, strengthen spouses in their marriage, sustain the efforts of parents to give their children a Christian upbringing. Look with favor upon the pain of those who are suffering in body or in spirit, on those afflicted by poverty, loneliness, marginalization or ignorance. May all people, civic leaders and ordinary citizens, always act in accordance with the demands of justice and with respect for the dignity of each person, so that in this way peace may be reinforced. (Canonization Homily July 31, 2002)

rosary #38

ROSARY #38 – Hardships for the Kingdom of God

 

Dedicated to St. Josephine Bakhita

…who lived the way of the cross with heroic dignity.

Pope John Paul II beatified her on May 17, 1992 and canonized her October 2, 2000

 

INTRODUCTION: They strengthened the spirits of the disciples and exhorted them to persevere in the faith, saying, "It is necessary for us to undergo many hardships to enter the kingdom of God."  Acts 14:22 (Passage taken from Mass Reading for May 17, 2009)

 

FIRST MYSTERY: The law of the Lord is perfect, ... it gives wisdom to the simple" (Ps 19: 8). These words from today's Responsorial Psalm resound powerfully in the life of Sr Josephine Bakhita. Abducted and sold into slavery at the tender age of seven, she suffered much at the hands of cruel masters. But she came to understand the profound truth that God, and not man, is the true Master of every human being, of every human life. This experience became a source of great wisdom for this humble daughter of Africa. . (Sunday 1 October 2000 Pope John II)

 

Recite after each decade: May Mary, Queen of All Saints, support the steps of Christians and of all who are docile to the Spirit of God, so that the light of Christ the Savior will spread to every part of the world.

 

SECOND MYSTERY: This holy daughter of Africa showed herself truly to be a child of God:  the love and forgiveness of God were tangible realities that transformed her life in an extraordinary way. She even came to feel gratitude to the slave-traders who captured her and to those who mistreated her:  for, as she herself would later say, if these things had not happened, she would not have become a Christian or a professed sister in the Canossian community. (Beatification Homily, May 17, 1992)

 

THIRD MYSTERY: Through the intercession of St Bakhita let us pray that all men and women will come to know the saving presence of the Lord Jesus and thus be freed from slavery to sin and death. And in particular, let us be mindful of her homeland, Sudan, where war and violence continue to sow destruction and despair:  may the Lord's healing hand touch the hearts of those responsible for this suffering and open the way to reconciliation, forgiveness and peace. (Beatification Homily, May 17, 1992)

 

FOURTH MYSTERY: My thoughts turn to the new saint's country, which has been torn by a cruel war for the past 17 years, with little sign of a solution in sight. In the name of suffering humanity I appeal once more to those with responsibility:  open your hearts to the cries of millions of innocent victims and embrace the path of negotiation.  (Sunday 1 October 2000 Pope John II)

 

FIFTH MYSTERY: From the example of St Josephine Bakhita may they be able to draw renewed encouragement for generous dedication in the service of God and neighbor." We find a shining advocate of genuine emancipation. The history of her life inspires not passive acceptance but the firm resolve to work effectively to free girls and women from oppression and violence, and to return them to their dignity in the full exercise of their rights." (Sunday 1 October 2000 Pope John II)

 

Closing:

Your word is truth; sanctify us in your love" (Gospel Acclamation, Italian Lectionary; cf. Jn 17: 17). This invocation, an echo of Christ's prayer to the Father after the Last Supper, seems to rise from the host of saints and blesseds whom the Spirit of God continues to raise up in his Church from generation to generation.

Lord, give us saints!

 

(Sunday 1 October 2000 Pope John II)

 

Rosary #36 The Image of God

The Image of God

The measure of our love for God is our love for neighbor.  We must love those who live around us and see in them the image of God. G. Giaquinta

 

INTRODUCTION: We will not relent in helping our neighbor, even when we see in them more human elements than the image of the Creator. We will discover the image of God in them, perhaps marred and distorted, or perhaps even made unrecognizable by passions and sin. Our supernatural vision - which is not ruled by either affinity, aversion or a purely human estimation - will be able to see in our neighbor's soul what human eyes are unable to see.

 

From a supernatural perspective, we must conclude that we must never discriminate against anyone or show partiality for one person or another, nor may we entertain feelings of human preferences; rather, we must try to love everyone in the Lord. Moreover, we must extend our apostolate to all those to whom - in our enlightened zeal – we believe we can offer some good.

 Program of Spiritual Life, Chapter 9

1st Mystery: The Redeemer of the world! In him has been revealed in a new and more wonderful way the fundamental truth concerning creation to which the Book of Genesis gives witness when it repeats several times: "God saw that it was good". The good has its source in Wisdom and Love. In Jesus Christ the visible world which God created for man-the world that, when sin entered, "was subjected to futility"- recovers again its original link with the divine source of Wisdom and Love. Indeed, "God so loved the world that he gave his only Son"

2^nd Mystery:  Christ the new Adam, in the very revelation of the mystery of the Father and of his love, fully reveals man to himself and brings to light his most high calling". And the Council continues: "He who is the 'image of the invisible God' (Col 1:15), is himself the perfect man who has restored in the children of Adam that likeness to God which had been disfigured ever since the first sin. #8

3rd Mystery Jesus Christ, the Son of the living God, become our reconciliation with the Father. He it was, and he alone, who satisfied the Father's eternal love, that fatherhood that from the beginning found expression in creating the world, giving man all the riches of creation, and making him "little less than God"⁴⁹, in that he was created "in the image and after the likeness of God". He and he alone also satisfied that fatherhood of God and that love which man in a way rejected by breaking the first Covenant and the later covenants that God "again and again offered to man".#9

4^th Mystery: Every man comes into the world through being conceived in his mother's womb and being born of his mother, and precisely on account of the mystery of the Redemption is entrusted to the solicitude of the Church. Her solicitude is about the whole man and is focused on him in an altogether special manner. The object of her care is man in his unique unrepeatable human reality, which keeps intact the image and likeness of God himself.#9

5^th Mystery: The "price" of our redemption is likewise a further proof of the value that God himself sets on man and of our dignity in Christ. For by becoming "children of God", adopted sons, we also become in his likeness "a kingdom and priests" and obtain "a royal priesthood", that is to say we share in that unique and irreversible restoration of man and the world to the Father that was carried out once for all by him, who is both the eternal Son and also true Man.

 

Rosary Meditations taken from Pope John Paul II, Encyclical Redeemer of Man

Rosary #35 "Mary is Really the Woman Who Listens" (contributed by Franca)

Rosary

"Mary is Really the Woman Who Listens"
Drawn from Benedict XVI' s Answer to Priests on  Feb.26, 2009

Intention: Please pray for the AO General Assembly

1st Mystery:  Mary is really the woman who listens: We see it in the meeting with the angel, and we see it again in all the scenes of her life, from the wedding at Cana to the cross and to the day of Pentecost, when she was in the midst of the Apostles precisely to receive the Spirit. She is the symbol of openness, of the Church that awaits the coming of the Holy Spirit.

2^nd Mystery: At the moment of the proclamation we can already have an attitude of listening -- a true listening, a listening that is internalized, which does not simply say yes, but which assimilates the Word, takes the Word, and then follows with true obedience, as if it were an internalized Word, that is, converted into a Word in me and for me, almost the form of my life. This seems very beautiful to me: to see this active listening, a listening that attracts the Word so that it enters and becomes Word in me, reflecting on it and accepting it in the depth of my heart. Thus the Word becomes incarnate.

3^rd Mystery:  We see the same in the Magnificat. We know that it is a fabric made up of words of the Old Testament. We see that Mary is really a woman who listens, who knew the Scriptures in her heart. She did not just know some texts, but was so identified with the Word that the words of the Old Testament became synthesized, a song in her heart and on her lips. We see that her life was really penetrated by the Word, she had entered the Word, had assimilated it and it had become life in her, transforming itself again in a Word of praise and proclamation of the greatness of God.

4^th Mystery: Referring to Mary, I think that St. Luke says at least three times, perhaps four times, that she assimilated and kept the Word in her heart. For the Fathers, she was the model of the Church, the model of the believer that keeps the Word, bears the Word in himself; who does not just read it or interpret it with his intelligence in order to know what happened at that time, what the philological problems are. All this is interesting and important, but it is more important to listen to the Word that is kept and that becomes Word in me, life and the Lord's presence in me.

5^th Mystery: That is why I find the connection important between Mariology and theology of the Word, of which the synodal fathers spoke and of which we shall speak in the post-synodal document. It is obvious: The Virgin is the word of listening, silent word, but also word of praise, of proclamation, because in listening, the Word again becomes flesh and thus becomes the presence of God's greatness.

 

Converting to Christ with the help of Mary

ROSARY #34 – Converting to Christ with the help of Mary

INTRODUCTION: Together with fasting and works of mercy, prayer forms the essential structure of our spiritual life. Dear brothers and sisters, I exhort you to find in this time of Lent moments of prolonged silence, perhaps a retreat, to reflect again on your life in the light of heavenly Father's plan of love.

Let the Virgin Mary, teacher and model of prayer, be your guide in this more intense listening to God. Even in the deepest darkness of Christ's passion she did not lose but safeguarded the light of the Divine Son in her soul. For this reason let us call upon Mary with confidence and hope! Pope Benedict XVI - March 8, 2009

FIRST MYSTERY: Following Jesus along the way of his passion we see not only Jesus' passion but we see all those who are suffering in the world. And this is the profound intention of the prayer of the Way of the Cross, to open our hearts, to help us to see with the heart. Papal Reflection After Way of the Cross April 7, 2007

SECOND MYSTERY: The Fathers of the Church considered the greatest sin of the pagan world to be their insensitivity, their hardness of heart, and they loved the prophesy of the prophet Ezekiel: "I will take away your heart of stone and will give you a heart of flesh" (Ezekiel 36:26). Papal Reflection After Way of the Cross April 7, 2007

THIRD MYSTERY: Converting to Christ, becoming Christian, meant receiving a heart of flesh, a heart sensitive to the passion and the suffering of others. Our God is not a distant God, untouchable in his blessedness. Our God has a heart, indeed a heart of flesh. Papal Reflection After Way of the Cross April 7, 2007

FOURTH MYSTERY: Jesus became flesh precisely to suffer with us and to be with us in our sufferings. He became man to give us a heart of flesh and to awaken in us a love for those who suffer, for those in need. Papal Reflection After Way of the Cross April 7, 2007

FIFTH MYSTERY: In the Heart of the Redeemer we adore God's love for humanity, His will for universal salvation, His infinite mercy…The heart that resembles that of Christ more than any other is without a doubt the Heart of Mary, His Immaculate Mother.
Pope Benedict XVI, June 5, 2005

...Our Lady of Trust is a model of steadfast faith, of generous availability to the action of the Spirit, and of fidelity to His requests. She is a Mother who gives certainty and strength in our personal and communal journey toward perfection (Const. Commentary #21).

Rosary #33 Faith

#34 ROSARY FOR THE YEAR OF SAINT PAUL - Faith
I will unite myself to you crucified Lord, to your redemptive will, to the ineffable suffering of your loving Mother, so that all humanity will hear the voice of your suffering love and respond to your invitation toward the perfection of the Father…. G. Giaquinta

 

First Mystery - Faith of Abraham (Romans 4:20-22)
20 [Abraham] did not doubt God's promise in unbelief; rather he was empowered by faith and gave glory to God 21 and was fully convinced that what he had promised he was also able to do.  22 That is why "it was credited to him as righteousness."


Second Mystery - Faith leads to salvation (Romans 10:10-13)
9 for, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.  10 For one believes with the heart and so is justified, and one confesses with the mouth and so is saved.  11 For the scripture says, "No one who believes in him will be put to shame."  12 For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; the same Lord is Lord of all, enriching all who call upon him.  13 For "everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved."


Third Mystery - Faith in Providence (1 Corinthians 1:27-29)
27 Rather, God  chose the foolish of the world to shame the wise, and God chose the weak of the world to shame the strong 28 and God chose the lowly and despised of the world, those who count for nothing, to reduce to nothing those who are something, 29 so that no human being might boast before God.


Fourth Mystery - Faith is subservient to Love (1 Corinthians 13: 2)
And if I have the gift of prophecy and comprehend all mysteries and all knowledge; if I have all faith so as to move mountains but do not have love, I am nothing.


Fifth Mystery - Faith in the Risen Lord (1 Corinthians 15:12-17)
12 But if Christ is preached as raised from the dead, how can some among you say there is no resurrection of the dead? 13 If there is no resurrection of the dead, then neither has Christ bee raised.  14 And if Christ has not been raised, then empty too is our preaching; empty too, your faith. 15 Then we are also false witnesses to God, because we testified against God that he raised Christ, whom he did not raise if in fact the dead are not raised. 16 For if the dead are not raised, neither has Christ been raised, 17 and if Christ has not been raised, your faith is in vain; you are still in your sins.

Rosary #32 Conversion, inside and out!

Rosary # 32 – Conversion, inside and out!
Jesus’ victory over the evil one assures us that we will not succumb at the moment of trial as long as we remain united to the Lord. In this perspective, Lent invites us to make special commitment to the process of spiritual growth. Pope John Paul II, Feb. 29, 2004

 

Pray for the intention of the General Assembly.

 

FIRST MYSTERY: Jesus is condemned to death – for our sins.

[Mat 15:17-18] Do you not realize that everything that enters the mouth passes into the stomach and is expelled into the latrine? But the things that come out of the mouth come from the heart, and they defile.

 

SECOND MYSTERY: Jesus is crowned with thorns – for our sins.

[Mat 15:19-20] For from the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, unchastity, theft, false witness, blasphemy. These are what defile a person, but to eat with unwashed hands does not defile."

 

THIRD MYSTERY: Jesus is scourged at the pillar – for our sins.

[Mark 1:25-26] Jesus rebuked him and said, "Quiet! Come out of him!" The unclean spirit convulsed him and with a loud cry came out of him.

 

FOURTH MYSTERY: Jesus carries the cross – for our sins.

[Eph 4:29 - 32] 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. And do not grieve the holy Spirit of God, with which you were sealed for the day of redemption.   All bitterness, fury, anger, shouting, and reviling must be removed from you, along with all malice. (And) be kind to one another, compassionate, forgiving one another as God has forgiven you in Christ.

 

FIFTH MYSTERY: Jesus dies on the cross – for our sins.

[Mat 6:19-23] "Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and decay destroy, and thieves break in and steal…For where your treasure is, there also will your heart be.”The lamp of the body is the eye. If your eye is sound, your whole body will be filled with light; but if your eye is bad, your whole body will be in darkness. And if the light in you is darkness, how great will the darkness be.

 

*****************************************

Very often we are closed inside ourselves; inside our selfishness, our sensitivity, our tastes, our point of view, our memories; and we do not succeed at coming out of ourselves, at leaving ourselves out of the picture and opening ourselves to others.

(The Alternate Proposal of Christ – G. Giaquinta).

 

 

Rosary #31 The Inner Journey

CONVERSION TO THE INNER JOURNEY

A priest I know was celebrating his twenty-fifth anniversary of ordination.  He gathered with his classmates and went to Rome.  There they had an audience with the Holy Father.  They were standing in the room and the Holy Father came in and greeted them and congratulated them.  As was the custom went around and greeted each of them individually.  He stopped and they told a bit about themselves.  As my friend was on the line, he tried to listen to hear what the Pope was saying to those in front of him.  Finally the Holy Father came to him.  My friend bowed and reverenced, the Holy Father said to him, “Tell me about your spiritual journey.”  My friend responded, “Holy Father every day I try to be a good priest.”  The Holy Father move on but moments later returned to him and said, “don’t be afraid to make the inner journey.”

 

AO Constitution 1&2

 

First Mystery: Jesus is condemned to death

We are devoted to the apostolate for spirituality and the spreading of the universal call to holiness.

 

Second Mystery: Jesus is scourged at the pillar.

We are consecrated to the Lord for the apostolate. Let us pray for deep conversion in this area.

 

Third Mystery: Jesus is crowned with thorns.

We live in the world, committed to the sanctification of the world and operate in the midst of the world. When life becomes heavy and difficult may we recall the reasons for our vocation.

 

Fourth Mystery: Jesus carries the cross.

We are for the others: through our consecration and our apostolate, we offer ourselves unconditionally to others so that our brothers and sisters may journey towards holiness.

 

Fifth Mystery: Jesus dies on the cross.

Oblation: We are offered to God for the apostolate in the world. Oblation is an invitation to go all the way! May it be so.

 

"Vale la pena dare la vita per la meraviglia che è la nostra vocazione." Giovanna Spanu

 

Rosary #30 - Ephesians 6

ROSARY FOR THE YEAR OF SAINT PAUL - Ephesians 6
The gift of peace that Christ gives us (Jn. 14:27) and Paul's insistent invitation to joy are realities.  Pain and suffering, which come not from Christ but from our human nature, are a part of our lives but they are not triumphant.  Even though the Christian message, strong and demanding, does mortify human passions, Jesus is not a bearer of suffering.  He is a bearer of strength.

It is the responsibility of the family to give its members an experience of joy so that each person can find in it the strength to face the inevitable difficulties of life.  Joy has always been a human need, but today it is an imperative because so often our world is terribly and tragically sad.

Family Community of Love, G. Giaquinta

First Mystery - Family Relations (Ephesians 6:1-4)
1 Children, obey your parents (in the Lord), for this is right. 2 "Honor your father and mother." This is the first commandment with a promise, 3 "that it may go well with you and that you may have a long life on earth." 4 Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up with the training and instruction of the Lord.

Second Mystery - Put on the armor of God (Ephesians 6:10-13)
10 Finally, draw your strength from the Lord and from his mighty power. 11 Put on the armor of God so that you may be able to stand firm against the tactics of the devil. 12 For our struggle is not with flesh and blood but with the principalities, with the powers, with the world rulers of this present darkness, with the evil spirits in the heavens. 13 Therefore, put on the armor of God, that you may be able to resist on the evil day and, having done everything, to hold your ground.

Third Mystery - Hold on to faith and the Word of God (Ephesians 6:14-17)
14 So stand fast with your loins girded in truth, clothed with righteousness as a breastplate, 15 and your feet shod in readiness for the gospel of peace. 16 In all circumstances, hold faith as a shield, to quench all (the) flaming arrows of the evil one. 17 And take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

Fourth Mystery - Pray always (Ephesians 6:18-20)
18 With all prayer and supplication, pray at every opportunity in the Spirit. To that end, be watchful with all perseverance and supplication for all the holy ones 19 and also for me, that speech may be given me to open my mouth, to make known with boldness the mystery of the gospel 20 for which I am an ambassador in chains, so that I may have the courage to speak as I must.

Fifth Mystery - Nearness brings encouragement (Ephesians 6:21-24)
21 So that you also may have news of me and of what I am doing, Tychicus, my beloved brother and trustworthy minister in the Lord, will tell you everything. 22 I am sending him to you for this very purpose, so that you may know about us and that he may encourage your hearts. 23 Peace be to the brothers, and love with faith, from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. 24 Grace be with all who love our Lord Jesus Christ in immortality.

Rosary #29 - Unity

ROSARY #29

CHRIST PRAYS FOR OUR COMPLETE UNITY AND CHARITY

 

FIRST MYSTERY:

[John 17:17] Consecrate them in the truth. Your word is truth.

 

Only when the community and, consequently, the Institute, becomes a living dialogue, an expression of the Spirit, can we reach complete unity and full charity (G Giaquinta, 1974).

 

SECOND MYSTERY:

 [John 17:18] As you sent me into the world, so I sent them into the world.

 

Unity is not just a feeling, but leads to solidarity and co-responsibility (Cenacle 81).

 

THIRD MYSTERY:

[John 17:19] And I consecrate myself for them, so that they also may be consecrated in truth.

 

If the Cenacle is to renew the spiritual life of the Church, the double aspects of unity and love must be included in a concrete and practical way (Cenacle 77).

 

FOURTH MYSTERY:

[John 17:20-21] "I pray not only for them, but also for those who will believe in me through their word so that they may all be one, as you, Father, are in me and I in you, that they also may be in us, that the world may believe that you sent me.

 

Christ prays for unity as a practical reality and not a vague dream (Cenacle 77)

 

FIFTH MYSTERY

[John 17:22-23] And I have given them the glory you gave me, so that they may be one, as we are one, I in them and you in me, that they may be brought to perfection as one, that the world may know that you sent me, and that you loved them even as you loved me.

 

Our goal is to reach maximal unity and fusion, within our human limitations, in imitation of Trinitarian unity (Cenacle 77).