Category: OCTOBER – The HOLY ROSARY

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Thought for the Day – 25 October – “Hail Mary”

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Thought for the Day – 25 October – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)

“Month of the Holy Rosary”
“Hail Mary”

“After the Lord’s Prayer, there is no more beautiful prayer than the Hail Mary, which we should recite with particular devotion in the decades of the Holy Rosary.
At the beginning of the Rosary, we can imgine that we are witnesses of the Annunciation to Mary, in her home at Nazareth.
An Angel descends from Heaven and bows before the Blessed Virgin as she kneels, absorbed in prayer.
“Hail, full of grace,” he says, “the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou among women” (Lk 1:26-28).
We should join with the Angel of God in repeating these words fervently and devoutly.

The constant repetition of this prayer is very pleasing to Mary, the Mother of God and our Mother.
When we greet her with the words of the Angel, we remid her of the great mystery of the Incarnation, which was the beginning of her lofty mission as co-redemptrix and the dawn of Christian civilisation.

Even when we say these words over and over again, they can never become monotonous.
When a son is speaking to his mother, every word possesses an unlimited warmth and meaning because, it is the expression of a boundless love.
When we recite the decades of the Rosary, we should think of the heavenly Mother who is watching over us and listening to us, eager to console and assist us.
She loves us with a maternal love but, she requires us to love her also and to prove that we are her children by imitating her virtues.”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

Posted in OCTOBER - The HOLY ROSARY, POETRY, QUOTES - J R R Tolkien and MORE, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on GRACE, QUOTES on the FAMILY, ROSARY QUOTES, St JOHN HENRY Cardinal NEWMAN!, St Louis-Marie Grignion de MONTFORT

Quote/s of the Day – 26 October – “Month of the Most Holy Rosary”

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Quote/s of the Day – 26 October – “Month of the Most Holy Rosary”

“The Rosary is a treasure of graces”

Pope Paul V (1550-1621)

“The Rosary is the most powerful weapon
to touch the Heart of Jesus, Our Redeemer,
who loves His Mother.”

-St Louis Marie Grignion de Montfort (1673-1716)

“And so we contemplate
all the great mysteries of His life
and His birth in the manger
and so too, the mysteries of His suffering
and His glorified life.
But even Christians,
with all their knowledge of God,
have usually more awe than love of Him
and the special virtue of the Rosary,
lies in the special way,
in which it looks at these mysteries,
for with all our thoughts of Him
are mingled thoughts of His Mother
and in the relations between Mother and Son,
we have set before us the Holy Family,
the home in which God lived.”

St John Henry Newman (1801-1890)

Praise of the Rosary
From a sermon of St Francisco Coll

… Oh Rosary!
You are a book, brief yes
but that teaches the holiest
and most sacred of our Religion.
You are an ark, that conceals a very rich treasure
worthy of all men seeking it with great eagerness.
You are a gift from Heaven,
that you reveal to us the elements of religion,
the principles,
the motives
and the practice of all the virtues,
you light us in charity and love
towards that God
Who so deigned to do and suffer for us.
You wake up the drowsy,
enflame the lukewarm,
you push the lazy,
you embrace the righteous,
you convert sinners,
you reduce or confuse heretics,
you frighten the devil,
you tremble to hell or, to put it better,
you are a devotion
that includes
and contains
all the devotions.”

“Is this not a work of God
and admirable in our eyes?
Yes, yes, it is the work of God
and given to the world,
by the merits of my Father Saint Dominic.”

St Francisco Coll y Guitart OP (1812-1875)
“The Apostle of Modern Times”

“There is no surer means
of calling down God’s blessing
upon the family,
than the daily recitation
of the Rosary.”

Venerable Pope Pius XII (1876-1958)

“The Rosary is the best therapy for these
distraught, unhappy, fearful and frustrated souls,
precisely because it involves,
the simultaneous use of three powers –
the physical, the vocal and the spiritual
and in that order.”

Venerable Fulton J Sheen (1895-1979)

Posted in OCTOBER - The HOLY ROSARY, OPEN HOUSE...Conversations with..., QUOTES - J R R Tolkien and MORE, QUOTES on FORGIVENESS, QUOTES on SACRIFICE, The LORD'S PRAYER

Thought for the Day – 23 October – “As We Also Forgive Our Debtors”

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Thought for the Day – 23 October – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)

“Month of the Holy Rosary”
“As We Also Forgive Our Debtors”

“When we ask God to forgive us, we promise to forgive those who have offended us.
Unless we are to be guilty of deception, therefore, we must pardon them.
If we refuse to forgive, God will not forgive us.
Jesus tells us in the Gospel, to pardon offences not seven times but, seventy times seven (Cf Mt 18:22).
In other words, we must always be prepared to forgive.
He tells us to return good for evil and to turn the other cheek when someone strikes us.

Not alone did Jesus command us to do this but, He also set us an example.
While He was suffering fearful torments on the Cross and was surrounded by jeering enemies, He turned to His heavenly Father and uttered those sublime words: “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing” (Lk 23:24).

How could we gaze at the Crucifix and dare to refuse forgiveness to anyone?
No matter how grave may seem the injuries done to us by our neighbour, let us remember, that they are insignificant in comparison with the insults which we have dared to offer to the infinite majesty of our Creator.
They are as the hundred denarii compared with the ten thousand talents of Christ’s parable (Mt 18:24-28).

If we wish to receive God’s pardon, therefore, let us be prepared to forgive.
Let our forgiveness be sincere, however and, not a mere formal token.
The forgiveness freely granted by a heart scourged by the injuries of others, is a pleasing sacrifice offered to God.”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

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Thought for the Day – 22 October – “Forgive Us Our Debts”

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Thought for the Day – 22 October – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)

“Month of the Holy Rosary”
“Forgive Us Our Debts”

“When we have asked God for nourishment for soul and body, we go on to implore forgiveness for our debts, whether they have been contracted in the course of nature, or of grace, or of sin.
We owe everything to God.
There was a time when we did not exist and, in His divine omnipotence He created us from nothing.
Our bodily powers and spiritual faculties are His gifts to us.
If we enjoy health, it is He Who has given it to us.
If we have any ability, it comes from Him.
Anything which we have been able to achieve as the result of mental or manual labour, has been made possible by His help.

Who is it but God Who rescues us from the many perils which surround us?
Who but He enables us to overcome so many difficulties?
How many times we should have died, if He had not sustained us!

Let us think back over our past lives.
How much reason we have to be grateful to God, Who has watched over us continually like a loving Father.
The conservation of life, is a continuous act of creation.
When we recite the Pater Noster, therefore, we should express our filial gratitude to God and ask for His continued protection.
Every moment of life is a new gift of God and an act of His infinite love in our regard.
Let us be grateful and love Him generously in return.”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

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Thought for the Day – 19 October – Our Daily Bread

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Thought for the Day – 19 October – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)

“Month of the Holy Rosary”
Our Daily Bread

“In the Pater Noster, Jesus instructs us to ask for our daily bread – that is, for sufficient bread for today, not for tomorrow.
In this way, He warns us not to be too preoccupied with the future but, to trust in Providence and accept, from God’s hands, from day to day, whatever is necessary for us.
God is our Father and loves us as His children.
Knowing this, why should we worry about the future?

We are in the hands of God, Who looks after all His children.
Let us entrust ourselves completely to His care.
This does not mean that we should indulge in any kind of fatalism, expecting everything from God and doing nothing ourselves.
We cannot and should not expect unnecessary miracles.
We are under an obligation to work because work, is the result of and the punishment for, sin.
It enable us to co-operate with God in His work of creation and has ben ennobled and sanctified by Jesus Christ, Who chose to be “the carpenter’s son,” (Mt 13:55) and a carpenter Himself (Cf Mk 6:3).
We should work, therefore but, should not worry.

When we have done everything of which we ae capable, we should leave the rest to Divine Providence.”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

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Thought for the Day – 20 October – “Give Us this Day Our Daily Bread”

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Thought for the Day – 20 October – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)

“Month of the Holy Rosary”
“Give Us this Day Our Daily Bread”

“In the second part of the Lord’s Prayer, we ask the universal Father, on behalf of ourselves and of our brethren, for all things necessary for soul and body.
Since we have already paid homage to God, our Creator and our Redeemer and, have prayed for the triumph of His kingdom and for the accomplishment of His will in Heaven and on earth, Our Lord does not forbid us to think now of ourselves and to pray for our own needs.
“Give us this day our daily bread,” we ask, intending to pray, both for our spiritual and material requirements.

We should not delude ourselves into imagining that it is we who produce the fruits of the earth.
A grain of wheat dies beneath the soil but God has infused into it, a mysterious force as a result of which, in dying, it generates new life.

The moisture of the soil, the warmth of the air and the light of the sun combine to develop this mysterious life-force, which produces the green stalk and then the flaxen ear of corn which provides us with bread.
It is God Who has given this vital power to this tiny seed, as well as to all the other seeds of the soil.
It is He Who has endowed the soil with the nutritive elements from which the seeds draw life and it is He, Who sends the dew, the rain and the sunshine, which cause the flowers to blossom and the plants to bear fruit.

We should ask God humbly, therefore, to “give us this day our daily bread.”
Our own labours would be futile without the intervention of the all-powerful Creator.
We are capable, neither of producing, nor of destroying a single atom nor a single seedling.
Without God, we are incapable of achieving anything, either inthe natural or in the supernatural order.
Therefore, we must ask Him to provide us with what we need.
He is supremely good and loves us very much.
His Providence will not leave us in want, even if we are often obliged to work hard in co-operation with Him to procure the necessaries of life.
The birds have no granary, yet they manage to find enough seed to keep them alive because God is watching over them.
How could we suppose, that He will not look after us, if we turn to Him with trust and perseverance?”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

Posted in DOGMA, MARIAN REFLECTIONS, MARIAN TITLES, MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, OCTOBER - The HOLY ROSARY, QUOTES - J R R Tolkien and MORE, The 5th Glorious Mystery - The CROWNING of the BLESSED VIRGIN

Thought for the Day – 17 October – The Fifth Glorious Mystery – The Crowning of the Blessed Virgin Mary as Queen of Heaven and Earth

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Thought for the Day – 17 October – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)

“Month of the Holy Rosary”
The Fifth Glorious Mystery
The Crowning of the Blessed Virgin Mary
as Queen of Heaven and Earth

“When the Virgin Mary was borne into Heaven, soul and body, by the Angels, she was received with great rejoicing by the entire company of the blessed.
A halo of light surrounded her, as her Divine Son, Jesus Christ, placed her on His right hand and proclaimed her Queen of Heaven and Earth.
It was fitting that this supreme dignity should have been accorded her, for she was the beloved daughter of the Eternal Father, the Immaculate spouse of the Holy Spirit and the Mother of God, the Word made man and the Second Person of the Blessed Trinity.

Mary is Queen of the Angels because, even though she is inferior to them, by reason of her human nature, she is superior to them, by reason of her dignity as Mother of God.
What Angel could say to the Incarnate Word: “You are my son?”
What Angel could command Him, as she could, in her role of Mother?

Mary has yet another claim to her title which no Angel could ever have.
She participated in the Passion of her Son Jesus,offering herself along with Him, as a victim of expiation.
She made a contribution, in the supernatural order of the Redemption, which neither Angel nor Saint, could have made.
With Jesus, through Jesus and in Jesus, she is the co-redemptrix of the human race.
Let us bow low before such greatness and join with the choirs of the blessed, in paying homage to her.”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

Posted in MARIAN DEVOTIONS, MARIAN QUOTES, MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, OCTOBER - The HOLY ROSARY, QUOTES - J R R Tolkien and MORE, QUOTES on DEATH, QUOTES on MARTYRDOM, QUOTES on SIN, The 4th Glorious Mystery - The ASSUMPTION, THE ASSUMPTION

Thought for the Day – 16 October – The Fourth Glorious Mystery – The Assumption of the Blessed Virgin into Heaven

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Thought for the Day – 16 October – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)

“Month of the Holy Rosary”
The Fourth Glorious Mystery
The Assumption of the Blessed Virgin into Heaven

“The fourth Book of Kings tells us, that the prophet Elias was brought up into Heaven in a fiery chariot without having first endured the pains and humiliations of death (Cf 4 Kings 2:11).
Why did God not do likewise in the case of the Blessed Virgin, commanding His Angels to bear her to Heaven before death struck her innocent body?
As St Paul says, it was sin which caused death to enter the world.
From the moment of her conception, Mary was free from the slightest taint of sin, for she was immaculate and full of grace.
Nevertheless, according to the most widely held tradition, Mary chose to die, even as her divine Son had willed to die.
Jesus “was offered because it was his own will” (Isa 53:7).
The same is true in Mary’s case, with only this difference.
Jesus died a cruel death after the most hideous tortures in the midst of a blaspheming and hate-ridden mob.
Nothing like this happened to Mary, although she is called the Queen of Martyrs because of the sword which pierced her soul at the sight of her divine Son, dying in such agony.

Jesus willed, however, that the immaculate body of His Mother would remain intact.
It was only her great love and intense desire of being reunited with her Son, which gradually consumed her mortal life.
Her ever-incresing love for God, broke the bonds of her mortal frame until she went to sleep at last, in the Lord.

If only our death could be the same!”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

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Thought for the Day – 15 October – The Third Glorious Mystery – The Descent of the Holy Spirit

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Thought for the Day – 15 October – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)

“Month of the Holy Rosary”
The Third Glorious Mystery
The Descent of the Holy Spirit

“Before He left this earth for the glory of Heaven, Jesus promised His Apostles that He would not leave them orphans but would send them the Paraclete, the Spirit of Truth, “whom the world cannot receive because, it neither sees him, nor knows him” (1 Jn 14:16-18).
This promise was repeated by our divine Redeemer on the day of His Ascension, when He told them not to depart from Jerusalem until the promise would have been fulfilled.
In fact, the Apostles were obedient to His instructions.
They gathered together in the Cenacle, where, they spent the time in constant prayer, along with Mary and a number of the faithful.
On the feast of Pentecost, the house was shaken by a sound from Heaven as of a violent wind blowing and tongues of fire appeared, which settled on each one of them.
Then they were all filled with the Holy Spirit (Cf Act 1:2).

According to a pious tradition, the Holy Spirit descended first on the Blessed Virgin in the form of a ball of flame, from which emerged the tongues of fire, which alighted on the heads of all present.
There is a good deal of significance in this tradition.
As Mary took first place in sharing in the passion of Jesus, so, she ought to be first to share in the glory of the Redemption.
St Bernard compared the Blessed Virgin to an aquaduct, bearing the treasures of grace and the gifts of the Holy Spirit, to all the faithful (Sermo de Aquaeducru).
It is an apt comparison, for the Mother of the Redeemer occupies a position of supremacy in the Mystical Body of Jesus Christ.
Like the Apostles, we should persevere in prayer with Mary (Cf Acts 1:14).
We should ask for the light and the gifts of the Holy Spirit, for we need them very much, if we are to walk always, in the way of truth and goodness.”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

Posted in MARIAN REFLECTIONS, MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, OCTOBER - The HOLY ROSARY, The 1st Glorious Mystery - THE RESURRECTION of OUR LORD, The RESURRECTION

Thought for the Day – 13 October – The First Glorious Mystery – The Resurrection of Our Lord

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Thought for the Day – 13 October – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)

“Month of the Holy Rosary”
The First Glorious Mystery
The Resurrection of Our Lord”

“Jesus could not have remained lifeless in the sepulchre.
He is the Man-God, the conqueror of sin and of death.
He willed to be subject to all the conditions of human exiastence with the exception of sin, therefore, He suffered and died for love of us.

However, as He had foretold, He rose gloriously from the tomb on the third day.
This resurrection is proved historically in a most certin manner, by the behaviour of the Apostles, who, were at first downcast and incredulous and were transformed, into heroes and martyrs, by the glorious appearance of Jesus.
It is confirmed by the obstinacy and deceitfulness of the Jews, who went so far as to bribe the soldiers who were guarding the sepulchre, not to reveal the truth.
It is proved, moreover, by the fact, that the Apostle Thomas, refused to believe in the Resurrection until he had placed his fingers in the wounds of the Redeemer, Who afterwards appeared to him.

We read in the Gospels and in the Acts of the Apostles, that the risen Jesus appeared many times to the Apostles to confirm their faith, to speak with them of the Kingdom of God and to give them His final instructions and commands.
We read also, that He appeared to Mary Magdalen to reward her great love and to console her.
Nowhere, do we read that He appeared to His beloved Mother, Mary.
However, the heart tells us what the Gospels omit to mention.
Surely, it is impossible to suppose that the risen Jesus would not have hastened to embrace and to console her, who had borne Him in her chaste womb and had loved Him so much, that she followed Him to the foot of the Cross?

The apparitions of Jesus narrated in the Gospel, had a public purpose, being intended to confirm the faith of those who were fearful, discouraged or incredulous.
The apparitions to Mary, were intimate and affectionate meetings with His dear Mother, who had never doubted, for one moment, that He would rise again.
There may be another explanation, however.
It is possible, that Mary’s humility would have prevented her from discussing, with others, her happy moments of reunion with her risen Son.”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

Posted in HOLY WEEK, MARIAN DEVOTIONS, MARIAN REFLECTIONS, MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, OCTOBER - The HOLY ROSARY, The 4th Sorrowful Mystery- The ROAD to CALVARY, The PASSION

Thought for the Day – 11 October – The Fourth Sorrowful Mystery – The Road to Calvary

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Thought for the Day – 11 October – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)

“Month of the Holy Rosary”
The Fourth Sorrowful Mystery
The Road to Calvary

“Scourged, crowned with thorns and derided, Jesus is finally condemned to death.
Burdened with the Cross, He sets out for the place of execution in the midst of a crowd of enemies, blasphemers and idle speculators.
Among them , there is only a tiny group which sympathises with Jesus, namely, Mary His Mother, the devout women and the beloved Apostle, St John.

The divine Redeemer goes forward laboriously beneath the heavy weight of the Cross.
He has already lost a large quantity of blood in Gethsemane and during the scourging and crowning with thorns.
His strength seems to be failing but love sustains Him.
Looking feebly around Him, He sees the mocking Jews, the indifferent and disrespectful Roman soldiers and a throng of curious spectators looking for something to amuse them.
Is there nobody else?
Where are those whom He cured miraculously and those whom He comforted and forgave?
Has nobody any pity for Him?
Suddenly the crowd falls silent.
A woman, pale and tearful, is approaching Him, supported by her friends.
She defies the commands of soldiers and the scowls of the executions and comes close to Him.

Here and there, a murmur is heard – It must be His Mother, poor woman!
Jesus and Mary gaze at one another.
It would be impossible for us to guess at the immense depths of love contained in that loving exchange of glances.
Neither utters a word, for no words could express their anguish, nor manifest their love.
They look and understand one another, offering themselves as a holocaust for the redemption of wayward humanity.

Nevertheless, in this silent meeting, there was great consolation for the Heart of Jesus, for He had found someone who loved and understood Him, amongst those malicious throngs.
Why do we not sympathise with Him too and love Him with all our hearts?”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

Posted in LENTEN THOUGHTS, MARIAN DEVOTIONS, MARIAN REFLECTIONS, MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, OCTOBER - The HOLY ROSARY, QUOTES - J R R Tolkien and MORE, QUOTES on REPARATION, The 3rd Sorrowful Mystery - THE CROWNING with THORNS, The PASSION

Thought for the Day – 10 October – The Third Sorrowful Mystery – The Crowning with Thorns

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Thought for the Day – 10 October – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)

“Month of the Holy Rosary”
The Third Sorrowful Mystery
The Crowning with Thorns

“This new torture was a diabolical invention decreed by no law or authority.
Purely for their own savage entertainment, the soldiers procured a bundle of thorned reeds, which they wound into the shape of a crown and pressed into Jesus’ head.

Mary knew what was going on.
She was there with the holy women when Pilate brough her bloodstained Son before the people and, their blasphemous yells pierced her tender heart.
Her mother’s heart felt the sharp thorns too but, she accepted this affliction with resignation, silently protesting against the insults of the crowd by acts of adoration and of love.
We should behave in this way also.
We should participate in the passion of Jesus, by offering our own sufferings and we should make acts of love and of self-surrender, in reparation for these acts of blasphemy!”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

Posted in MARIAN DEVOTIONS, MARIAN POETRY, MARIAN PRAYERS, MARIAN Saturdays, MARIAN TITLES, OCTOBER - The HOLY ROSARY, Our MORNING Offering, POETRY, The HOLY ROSARY/ROSARY CRUSADE

Our Morning Offering – 10 October – Queen of the Holy Rosary

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Our Morning Offering – 10 October – “Month of the Most Holy Rosary” – Saturday of the Twenty SeventhWeek in Ordinary Time, Readings: Galatians 3: 22-29, Psalms 105: 2-3, 4-5, 6-7, Luke 11: 27-28 and a Marian Saturday

Queen of the Holy Rosary

Queen of the Holy Rosary!
Thee as our Queen we greet,
And lay our lowly, loving prayers
Like roses at thy feet.
Would that these blossoms of our souls
Were far more fair and sweet.

Queen of the Joyful Mysteries!
Glad news God’s envoy bore.
The Baptist’s mother thou didst tend;
Angels thy Babe adore,
Whom with two doves thou ransomest;
Lost, He is found once more.

Queen of the Dolorous Mysteries!
Christ ‘mid the olives bled,
Scourged at the pillar, crowned with thorns,
Beneath His Cross He sped
Up the steep hill and there once more
Thine arms embraced Him–dead!

Queen of the Glorious Mysteries!
Christ from the tomb has flown,
Has mounted to the highest heaven
And sent His Spirit down
And soon He raises thee on high
To wear thy heavenly crown.

Queen of the Holy Rosary!
We, too, have joys and woes.
May they, like thine, to triumph lead!
May labour earn repose,
And may life’s sorrows and life’s joys
In heavenly glory close.

Taken from:
Cyril Robert – Mary Immaculate: God’s Mother and Mine.
Poughkeepsie, New York: Marist Press, 1946

Posted in LENTEN THOUGHTS, MARIAN DEVOTIONS, MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, OCTOBER - The HOLY ROSARY, QUOTES - J R R Tolkien and MORE, QUOTES for CHRIST, The 2nd Sorrowful Mystery - THE SCOURGING, The PASSION

Thought for the Day – 9 October – The Second Sorrowful Mystery – The Scourging

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Thought for the Day – 9 October – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)

“Month of the Holy Rosary”
The Second Sorrowful Mystery
The Scourging

“Think about the manner in which Jesus was scourged.
His chaste body, is stripped by the jeering soldiers, His hands are tied and He is bound to a pillar.
The soldiers come forward with their whips and begin to beat Him mercilessly.
As His blood flows freely to the ground, Jesus quivers with pain and emits a half-suppressed groan.
But fresh blows continue to rain down on His bruised flesh.
So the prophecy is fulfilled in which Isaias described the punishment of the chosen people, whose sins and whose chastisement, the divine Redeemer has chosen to take on Himself.
“For the sole of the foot unto the top of the head, there is no soundness therein – wounds and bruises and swelling sores …” (Is 1:6).

By means of this fearful torment, Jesus willed to offer satisfaction in a special manner, for the sins of the flesh.
In ancient times, sins of impurity provoked the anger of God so much, that they were blotted out by the universal deluge.
Now these sins are still numberless, both in the pagan and, unfortunately, in the Christian world but, they are washed away by the saving blood of Jesus Christ, Who came on earth to make reparation for all the iniquities of men.

Kiss the wounds of Jesus, bleeding and suffering.
Ask for pardon if you have on occasions, failed to preseve the purity of your body, the dwelling of your immortal soul and the tabernacle of the Holy Spirit.
Resolve to die rather than stain again, with impurity, the soul, which was redeemed and sanctified, by the precious blood of the Redeemer.”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

Posted in MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, OCTOBER - The HOLY ROSARY, QUOTES - J R R Tolkien and MORE, QUOTES for CHRIST, QUOTES on HEAVEN, QUOTES on SACRIFICE, QUOTES on SELF-DENIAL, QUOTES on SUFFERING, The 2nd Sorrowful Mystery - THE AGONY IN THE GARDEN

Thought for the Day – 8 October – The First Sorrowful Mystery – The Agony of Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane

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Thought for the Day – 8 October – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)

“Month of the Holy Rosary”
The First Sorrowful Mystery
The Agony of Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane

The life of Mary, like that of her divine Son, was a life of suffering and of sacrifice.

When Simeon held the divine Child in his arms, he had prophesied: “This child is destined for the fall and for the rise of many in Israel and, for a sign that shall be contradicted. And thy own soul, a sword shall pierce” (Cf Lk 2:35).
There was suffering from the very beginning – in the arduous journey from Nazareth to Bethlehem to fulfil the obligation of the census; in the refusal of the people of Bethlehem to give shelter to the Holy Family; in the birth of Jesus in a cold cave; in the flight into Egypt to escape from the cruelty of Herod; in the loss of Jesus when He was twelve years old; in the hard life of a humble artisan in Nazareth; in the difficulties of the public life of Jeuse and, in the final tragedy which brought Jesus from Gethsemane to Calvary and, from Calvary to the sepulchre.

When faced with this spectacle of the Man-God and of His Mother Mary suffering for love of us, how can we complain that our own cross is too heavy?
How can we rebel against the merciful God Who afflicts us for our own good, purifies us with suffering and demands, that we should be detached from worldly things, so that we may give more thought to Heaven, for which our souls are destined?
To meditate on all that Jesus and Mary suffered for us, should be enough to make us embrace our cross generously and resign ourselves to the physical or moral afflictions which God sens us.”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

Posted in MARIAN DEVOTIONS, MARIAN PRAYERS, MARIAN REFLECTIONS, MARIAN TITLES, MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, OCTOBER - The HOLY ROSARY, PRAYERS of the CHURCH, St JOSEPH, The 5th Joyful Mystery-THE FINDING of JESUS in the TEMPLE

Thought for the Day – 7 October – The Fifth Joyful Mystery – The Finding of Jesus in the Temple

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Thought for the Day – 7 October – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)

“Month of the Holy Rosary”
The Fifth Joyful Mystery
The Finding of Jesus in the Temple

“Mary and Joseph came, according to custom, to celebrate the feast of the Pasch in Jerusalem.
They took with them, Jesus, Who was now twelve years of age.
When the feast was over, the pilgrims came together to return to Nazareth.
As usual, they gathered in the temple to say a final prayer and then divided into two companies, one consisting of men, the other of women.
The children were assigned to either caravan.

At any rate, when the two groups came together for the night after a day’s journey, Mary and Joseph looked in vain for Jesus.
He could not be found in either caravan!
We can imagine how they suffered.
However, they returned without delay to Jerusalem to look for their Child.
They searched for three days.
At last, when they went into the Temple to pour out their troubles to God, they found Jesus, sitting among the doctors, who were amazed at the wisdom of His answers and of His questions.
There was joy and sorrow in Mary’s countenance as she regarded Him.
“Son,” she said gently. “why hast thou done so to us? Behold, in sorrow, thy father and I have been seeking thee.”
Jesus’ reply was also mild and at the same time, mysterious.
“How is it that you sought me? Did you not know that I must be about my Father’s business?”

Then He returned with them to Nazareth, where He remained “subject to them.”
But His mother, we are told, “kept all these things carefully in her heart” (Cf Lk 2:41-51).

This Mystery of the Rosary is, at the same time, joyful and sorrowful.
We can learn a good deal by meditating on it.
We can admire the divine wisdom of Jesus, Who, even from childhood, desired to reveal a little of the truth and also His obedience to Mary and Joseph, until He reached thirty years of age.
We can admire, too, His hidden life in the workshop in Nazareth, interrupted only by this brief demonstration of His divinity and the anxiety of Mary and Joseph to find Jesus when they had lost Him, as well as their delight when He was restored to them.

If we should ever have the great misfortune of losing Jesus, let us have recourse at once to Mary and Joseph, who lost Him without any fault on their part, searched anxiously for Him and did not rest until they had found Him. Amen”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

Posted in OCTOBER - The HOLY ROSARY, QUOTES - J R R Tolkien and MORE, QUOTES of the SAINTS, The HOLY ROSARY/ROSARY CRUSADE

Quote/s of the Day – 7 October – On the Rosary by the Popes – pre-Vatican II

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Quote/s of the Day – 7 October – The Memorial of Our Lady of the Holy Rosary and the Month of the Most Holy Rosary

“The Rosary is the scourge of the devil.”

Pope Adrian VI (1459-1523)

“Among all the devotions
approved by the Church,
none has been favoured
by so many miracles,
as the devotion of the Most Holy Rosary.”

Blessed Pope Pius IX (1792-1878)

“If there were one million families
praying the Rosary everyday,
the entire world would be saved.”

Saint Pope Pius X (1835-1914)

“The Rosary is the most excellent form of prayer
and the most efficacious means
of attaining eternal life.
It is the remedy for all our evils,
the root of all our blessings.
There is no more excellent way of praying.”

Pope Leo XIII (1810-1903)

“The Rosary is a powerful weapon
to put the demons to flight
and to keep oneself from sin…
If you desire peace in your hearts,
in your homes
and in your country,
assemble each evening to recite the Rosary.
Let not even one day pass without saying it,
no matter how burdened you may be
with many cares and labours.”

Pope Pius XI (1857-1939)

“We put great confidence
in the Holy Rosary,
for the healing of evils
which afflict our times.”

Venerable Pope Pius XII (1876-1958)

More Here:
https://anastpaul.com/2019/10/07/quote-s-of-the-day-7-october-our-lady-of-the-rosary-2/
AND:
https://anastpaul.com/2018/10/07/quote-s-of-the-day-7-october-our-lady-of-the-rosary/

Posted in MARIAN Antiphons, MARIAN PRAYERS, MARIAN TITLES, OCTOBER - The HOLY ROSARY, Our MORNING Offering, PRAYERS of the CHURCH, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, SAINT of the DAY, The HOLY ROSARY/ROSARY CRUSADE

Our Morning Offering – 7 October – Supplication to the Queen of the Holy Rosary

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Our Morning Offering – 7 October – The Memorial of Our Lady of the Holy Rosary and the Month of the Most Holy Rosary

Excerpt from the
Petition to Our Lady of the Rosary of Pompeii
also known as
Supplication to the Queen of the Holy Rosary
By Blessed Bartholomew Longo (1841-1926)
Apostle of the Holy Rosary

O Blessed Rosary of Mary,
sweet Chain,
which binds us to God,
Bond of love,
which unites us to the Angels,
Tower of salvation
against the assaults of hell,
safe Port in our universal shipwreck,
we shall never abandon you.
You will be our comfort
in the hour of agony.
To you, the last kiss of our dying life.
And the last word from our lips
will be your sweet name,
O Queen of the Rosary of Pompeii,
O dearest Mother,
O Refuge of Sinners,
O Sovereign Consoler of the Afflicted.
Be Blessed everywhere,
today and always,
on earth and in Heaven.
Amen

Posted in MARIAN TITLES, OCTOBER - The HOLY ROSARY, The HOLY ROSARY/ROSARY CRUSADE

7 October – Blessed Virgin Mother of Victory of the Most Holy Rosary

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7 October – Blessed Virgin Mother of Victory of the Most Holy Rosary.

Can you imagine a hostile foreign navy just a few miles off the Italian coast, threatening not only to destroy Rom, but to wipe out Christianity in Italy and perhaps in all of Europe? This was the situation facing Pope Pius V in the autumn of 1571.Word had come that a huge navy from Turkey was on its way to try to add Italy to the Ottoman Empire and to make all Christians into Muslim slaves.

On 7 October, the Rosary Confraternity of Rome met at the Minerva, the church that served as Dominican headquarters, to recite the Rosary for a Christian victory over the Turkish navy. Meanwhile, in Venice, a Christian navy with ships from Venice, Naples, Genoa and Spain assembled under the leadership of Don John of Austria. They engaged the Turkish fleet on 7 October and routed the enemy in a sea battle near Lepanto, on the Greek coast. The Holy Father attributed the victory to Our Lady’s intercession after the campaign to pray the Rosary in Rome. 

The Blessed Virgin Mother of Victory with Pope Pius V and St Dominic

St Pope Pius V introduced in 1572, the Feast of the Blessed Virgin Mother of Victory.
In 1573, his successor, Pope Gregory XIII, changed this title to “Feast of the Holy Rosary” to be celebrated on the first Sunday of October. The privilege to celebrate this feast was granted to all those churches which had a Rosary altar. Pope Clemens XI extended it to the whole Church.

The Blessed Virgin Mother of Victory with St Pope Pius V by Cosali

Under St Pope Pius X, the Feast was again scheduled for 7 October; it changed name in 1960 and became “Feast of the Blessed Virgin Mary of the Rosary.” This appellation was changed again in 1969 to “Our Lady of the Rosary” and it is now a mandatory memorial.

The Blessed Mother of Victory of Lepanto by Paolo Veronese Girelli

The reference to victory or Our Lady of Victory was maintained in titles and for sanctuaries the world over, in particular in Spain, Italy, France and Germany. The title frequently commemorates, even before Lepanto, the victory over heresy and paganism. Already Gregory Pisides (c 600-650) sees in Mary, the only and unique victor over nature (miraculous birth of Christ and unarmed victory over the Avares in 626).

One of the most famous sanctuaries dedicated to Our Lady of Victories is in Paris (Notre Dame des Victoires, The sanctuary is intimately connected with the Miraculous Medal and the Archconfraternity devoted to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. This devotion had its origin at the Basilica of Notre Dame des Victoires in Paris and expanded during the latter half of last century over much of the Catholic world.

Our Lady of Victory in the Basilica of Notre Dame des Victoires in Paris
Posted in MARIAN TITLES, OCTOBER - The HOLY ROSARY, SAINT of the DAY, The HOLY ROSARY/ROSARY CRUSADE

Our Lady of the Holy Rosary/Our Lady of Victory and Memorials of the Saints – 7 October

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Our Lady of the Holy Rosary/Our Lady of Victory (Memorial) – (Commemorating the Victory of Lepanto – 1571 [Mandatory Memorial):
On Sunday 7 October 1571 the combined Christian fleets under Don John of Austria achieved a significant naval victory over the Turks in the Straits of Lepanto. Thousands of Christians were liberated, the Turkish fleet was destroyed and they suffered their first great defeat at sea. In gratitude to God and Our Lady, Pope Saint Pius V ordered an annual commemoration to be made of Our Lady of Victory. In 1573 Pope Gregory XIII transferred the feast to the first Sunday of October with the title Feast of the Most Holy Rosary since the victory was won through invocation of Our Lady of the Rosary. In 1716 Pope Clement XII extended the feast to the whole Latin Rite calendar, assigning it to the first Sunday in October. Saint Pope Pius X changed the date to 7 October in 1913. In 1969 Pope Paul VI changed the name of the feast to Our Lady of the Holy Rosary.

More here:
https://anastpaul.wordpress.com/2017/10/07/saint-of-the-day-7-october-our-lady-of-the-most-holy-rosaryour-lady-of-victory/

St Adalgis of Novara (Died c 850) Bishop
St Apuleius of Capua
St Augustus of Bourges
St Canog ap Brychan
St Dubtach of Armagh
St Gerold of Cologne
St Helanus
St Libaire the Great (Died 362) Martyr
Biography:
https://anastpaul.com/2019/10/07/saint-of-the-day-7-october-st-libaire-the-great-died-362/
Bl Jean Hunot Martyr of the French Revolution
St Julia the Martyr
St Justina of Padua
St Marcellus of Capua (Died Third or Fourth Century) Martyr
St Pope Mark (Died 336)
St Pope Mark’s Life:
https://anastpaul.com/2018/10/07/saint-of-the-day-7-october-st-pope-mark-died-336/
St Martin Cid
Bl Matthew Carreri
St Osith
St Palladius of Saintes
St Quarto of Capua
St Rigaldo

Martyrs of Arima: Eight lay people Japan who were martyred together in the persecutions of Christianity in Japan:
• Blessed Hadrianus Takahashi Mondo
• Blessed Ioanna Takahashi
• Blessed Leo Hayashida Sukeemon
• Blessed Martha Hayashida
• Blessed Magdalena Hayashida
• Blessed Didacus Hayashida
• Blessed Leo Takedomi Kan’Emon
• Blessed Paulus Takedomi Dan’Emon
They were martyred on 7 October 1613 in Arima, Hyogo, Japan and Beatified on 24 November 2008 by Pope Benedict XVI.

Mercedarian Nuns of Seville: Five Mercedarian nuns at the monastery of the Assumption in Seville, Spain noted for their piety – Sisters Agnese, Bianca, Caterina, Maddalena and Marianna.

Martyred in the Spanish Civil War
• Blessed José Llosá Balaguer

Posted in MARIAN DEVOTIONS, MARIAN PRAYERS, MARIAN TITLES, NOVENA, NOVENAS, OCTOBER - The HOLY ROSARY

Novena to Our Lady of the Rosary – Day Nine – 6 October

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Novena to Our Lady of the Rosary – Day Nine – 6 October

Day Nine: We Pray for the Virtue of Wisdom
and for our private intentions

At the end of this journey of prayer together,
Let us today, turn to Our Divine Father
and pray, so that we may be granted
the gift of wisdom and discernment,
to enable us to
Understand,
Distinguish,
Separate
and Decide between the good and evil.
We pray for the ability
to make the right judgement for
and about others, as well as for ourselves,
according to God’s Will.
Amen

Daily Prayer along with our Daily Rosary:

My dearest Mother Mary, behold me, your child, in prayer at your feet.
Accept this Holy Rosary, which I offer you in accordance with your requests at Fatima, as a proof of my tender love for you, for the intentions of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, in atonement for the offenses committed against your Immaculate Heart and for this special favour which I earnestly request in my Rosary Novena: ………………………….. (Mention your request).

I beg you to present my petition to your Divine Son.
If you will pray for me, I cannot be refused.
I know, dearest Mother, that you want me
to seek God’s holy Will concerning my request.
If what I ask for should not be granted,
pray that I may receive that which will be of greater benefit to my soul.

I offer you this spiritual Bouquet of Roses because I love you.
I put all my confidence in you,
since your prayers before God are most powerful.
For the greater glory of God and for the sake of Jesus,
your loving Son, hear and grant my prayer.
Sweet Heart of Mary, be my salvation.

Our Lady of the Rosary,
pray for our Holy Mother Church
and for our country.

Our Lady of Fatima,
obtain for humanity a lasting peace.

Sweet Heart of Jesus,
be my love.

Sweet Heart of Mary,
at the hour of my death,
lead me home.

Posted in MARIAN DEVOTIONS, MARIAN REFLECTIONS, MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, OCTOBER - The HOLY ROSARY, The 4th Joyful Mystery - THE PRESENTATION

Thought for the Day – 6 October – The Fourth Joyful Mystery – The Purification of Our Lady and The Presentation of the Child Jesus in the Temple

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Thought for the Day – 6 October – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)

“Month of the Holy Rosary”
The Fourth Joyful Mystery
The Purification of Our Lady and
The Presentation of the Child Jesus in the Temple

“Since the fall of our first parents, human mothers have carried in their wombs, souls dead to grace and have given birth to children stained with sin.
Therefore, it is necessary for the waters of Baptism to confer on these infants, a second life, the supernatural life.
A ceremony of purification is also required for these mothers, a rite which was of obligation under the Old Law but, under the New Law, remains only as a pious custom.

The Blessed Virgin was not subject to the rule of sin.
By a special privilege, she was preserved free from the stain of original sin and was created and conceived in the fullness of grace.
Moreover, she became a mother, not by any human agency but, by the power of the Holy Spirit, which preserved intact, her angelic virginity.
For this reason, Mary was not bound by the Mosaic Law which laid down the ceremony of purification as necessary for all mothers.
Nevertheless, in order to give us an example of humility and of absolute obedience to the law of God, she chose to fulfil this sacred rite.

How well do we comply with the law of God, with the precepts of the Church and with the commands of our superiors who represent divine authority?
Perhaps we can excuse ourselves too easily from our obligations.
Perhaps we are not sufficiently ready to give good example to others.
We may evade the sacrifices which our duty demands of us, or we may fail to see God in the person who gives us our instructions.

Let us learn from the Blessed Virgin.
Even when she was not obliged to do so, she obeyed the law and gave us a wonderful example of humility and submission to Almighty God.”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

Posted in MARIAN DEVOTIONS, MARIAN PRAYERS, MARIAN TITLES, NOVENA, NOVENAS, OCTOBER - The HOLY ROSARY

Novena to Our Lady of the Rosary – Day Eight – 5 October

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Novena to Our Lady of the Rosary – Day Eight – 5 October

Day Eight: We Pray for the Virtue of Faith
and for our private intentions

Thank You, Jesus
You our Great Mystery,
For Your life
that transcends our understanding,
For Your presence
from which we can never flee,
for Your Resurrection
which is never defeated
and for the gift of faith
that enables us to trust
even in the midst of our doubts
and fears.
Amen

Daily Prayer along with our Daily Rosary:

My dearest Mother Mary, behold me, your child, in prayer at your feet.
Accept this Holy Rosary, which I offer you in accordance with your requests at Fatima, as a proof of my tender love for you, for the intentions of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, in atonement for the offenses committed against your Immaculate Heart and for this special favour which I earnestly request in my Rosary Novena: ………………………….. (Mention your request).

I beg you to present my petition to your Divine Son.
If you will pray for me, I cannot be refused.
I know, dearest Mother, that you want me
to seek God’s holy Will concerning my request.
If what I ask for should not be granted,
pray that I may receive that which will be of greater benefit to my soul.

I offer you this spiritual Bouquet of Roses because I love you.
I put all my confidence in you,
since your prayers before God are most powerful.
For the greater glory of God and for the sake of Jesus,
your loving Son, hear and grant my prayer.
Sweet Heart of Mary, be my salvation.

Our Lady of the Rosary,
pray for our Holy Mother Church
and for our country.

Our Lady of Fatima,
obtain for humanity a lasting peace.

Sweet Heart of Jesus,
be my love.

Sweet Heart of Mary,
at the hour of my death,
lead me home.

Posted in "Follow Me", MARIAN DEVOTIONS, MARIAN TITLES, MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, OCTOBER - The HOLY ROSARY, QUOTES - J R R Tolkien and MORE, QUOTES on HEAVEN, QUOTES on HUMILITY, QUOTES on JUSTICE, QUOTES on SACRIFICE, QUOTES on SANCTITY, QUOTES on SELF-DENIAL, QUOTES on SUFFERING, QUOTES on WEALTH/RICHES, The 3rd Joyful Mystery - the NATIVITY, The HOLY ROSARY/ROSARY CRUSADE

Thought for the Day – 5 October – The Third Joyful Mystery – The Birth of Jesus

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Thought for the Day – 5 October – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)

“Month of the Holy Rosary”
The Third Joyful Mystery
The Birth of Jesus

“When God became man in order to instruct and redeem the lost and erring human race, the gesture would have been deprived of it’s real significance if He had chosen to be born in a palace, surrounded by the splendour of worldly glory and wealth.

It would have been meaningless, not only for God but also, for us, if He had abandoned the imperishable glory of Heaven and the inficnite wealth of everlasting happiness, in order to assume the kind of earthly grandeur which, in His eyes is but a vanishing cloud.
What we needed, was to learn the way of humility and of detachment from worldly things, which can so easily lead us to forget the supernatural.
We needed someone to come and sanctify suffering, which purifies and elevates the soul.
We needed someone to appease divine justice on our behalf and to teach us, that the way of the cross, is the only one which can lead to Heaven.
This was why the Eternal Word of God became a poor and lowly infant, choosing a stable, rather than a palace and the little village of Bethlehem in Judea, in preference to the imperial city of Rome.
He wished His extreme poverty and deprivation, to be His first lesson to mankind.”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

Posted in MARIAN DEVOTIONS, MARIAN PRAYERS, MARIAN QUOTES, OCTOBER - The HOLY ROSARY, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on HUMILITY, QUOTES on SANCTITY, QUOTES on SELF-DENIAL, QUOTES on SUFFERING, SAINT of the DAY, The HOLY ROSARY/ROSARY CRUSADE

Quote/s of the Day – 5 October – 3 Blesseds

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Quote/s of the Day – 5 October – the Memorial of Blessed Raymond of Capua OP (c 1330-1399) “The Second Founder,” Blessed Francis Xavier Seelos CSsR (1819-1867), Blessed Bartholomew Longo (1841-1926) “Apostle of the Holy Rosary”

“My brothers,
keep away from the beast of boasting
and concern for one’s reputation,
for these destroy and weaken,
every good work.”

Bl Raymond of Capua (c 1330-1399)

“It is only through suffering
that we become holy.
And to become holy is our only purpose in life,
our only preparation for heaven.”

TOP 10 Practical Guide to Holiness

  1. Go to Mass with deepest devotion.
  2. Spend a half hour to reflect upon your main failing
    and make resolutions to avoid it.
  3. Do daily spiritual reading for at least 15 minutes,
    if a half hour is not possible.
  4. Say the rosary every day.
  5. Also daily, if at all possible, visit the Blessed Sacrament
    and toward evening, meditate on the Passion of Christ for a half hour.
  6. Conclude the day with evening prayer
    and an examination of conscience over all the faults & sins of the day.
  7. Every month make a review of the month in confession.
  8. Choose a special patron every month
    and imitate that patron in some special virtue.
  9. Precede every great feast with a novena, that is, nine days of devotion.
  10. Try to begin and end every activity with a “Hail Mary.”

Bl Francis Xavier Seelos CSsR (1819-1867)

“The Rosary could very well be called,
the poem of human redemption.”

“The Rosary is the prayer dearest to Mary,
most loved by the Saints,
most frequently used by Christian peoples,
most honoured by God with astounding wonders,
most enriched with great promises,
by the Virgin.”

Bl Bartholomew Longo (1841-1926) “Apostle of the Holy Rosary

Posted in MARIAN DEVOTIONS, MARIAN PRAYERS, MARIAN TITLES, NOVENA, OCTOBER - The HOLY ROSARY

Novena to Our Lady of the Rosary – Day Seven – 4 October

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Novena to Our Lady of the Rosary – Day Seven – 4 October

Day Seven: We Pray for the Virtue of Fortitude
along with our private intentions.

Holy Spirit,
may we be granted today,
the virtue by which
we do the right thing,
even in the midst of hardship.
We ask Thee to consider our need
for courage and bravery,
so that we may stay strong,
to do what is good.
You alone know how often,
in our lives, many situations arise
in which it becomes difficult
to do the right thing,
even when we know what it is.
We ask this through Jesus Christ,
Our Lord

Daily Prayer along with our Daily Rosary:

My dearest Mother Mary, behold me, your child, in prayer at your feet.
Accept this Holy Rosary, which I offer you in accordance with your requests at Fatima, as a proof of my tender love for you, for the intentions of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, in atonement for the offenses committed against your Immaculate Heart and for this special favour which I earnestly request in my Rosary Novena: ………………………….. (Mention your request).

I beg you to present my petition to your Divine Son.
If you will pray for me, I cannot be refused.
I know, dearest Mother, that you want me
to seek God’s holy Will concerning my request.
If what I ask for should not be granted,
pray that I may receive that which will be of greater benefit to my soul.

I offer you this spiritual Bouquet of Roses because I love you.
I put all my confidence in you,
since your prayers before God are most powerful.
For the greater glory of God and for the sake of Jesus,
your loving Son, hear and grant my prayer.
Sweet Heart of Mary, be my salvation.

Our Lady of the Rosary,
pray for our Holy Mother Church
and for our country.

Our Lady of Fatima,
obtain for humanity a lasting peace.

Sweet Heart of Jesus,
be my love.

Sweet Heart of Mary,
at the hour of my death,
lead me home.

Posted in MARIAN DEVOTIONS, MARIAN PRAYERS, MARIAN REFLECTIONS, MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, OCTOBER - The HOLY ROSARY, PRACTISING CATHOLIC, QUOTES - J R R Tolkien and MORE, QUOTES on CHARITY, QUOTES on FAITH, QUOTES on GRACE, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, The 2nd Joyful Mystery - the VISITATION, The ANNUNCIATION

Thought for the Day – 4 October – The Second Joyful Mystery – Mary’s Visit to St Elizabeth

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Thought for the Day – 4 October – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)

“Month of the Holy Rosary”
The Second Joyful Mystery
Mary’s Visit to St Elizabeth

“When the Angel told Mary that she had been chosen to be the Mother of God, he proceeded to reveal also the imminent birth of the Precursor of Jesus Christ.
Her cousin, Elizabeth, he told her, who had been sterile for such a long time, would soon have the joy of bearing a son.
When the Blessed Virgin heard this good news, she set out for a long and difficult journey to congratulate her cousin.

The devout soul is always motivated by charity and pays no attention to difficulties or obstacles because, the grace of God possesses it completely.
We also have received and, continue to receive, many graces from our Creator.
We were nothing and God gave us being.
We were in darkness and He gave us the light of faith.
We were slaves of sin and Jesus Christ broke the bonds in which the devil held us and gave us the freedom of the children of God.
We were exiles on this earth and God became our companion and our guide.
We hungered for the supernatural and, He nourished us with the divine Bread in which He gave Himself to us completely!”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

Posted in MARIAN DEVOTIONS, MARIAN PRAYERS, MARIAN TITLES, NOVENA, NOVENAS, OCTOBER - The HOLY ROSARY

Novena to Our Lady of the Rosary – Day Six – 3 October

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Novena to Our Lady of the Rosary – Day Six – 3 October

Day Six: We Pray for the Virtue of Meekness
along with our private intentions.

O Jesus,
our pride, stubbornness
and lack of faith labelled each thorn
as it pierced Your Sacred Head.
Our exclusion of spiritual realities
tightened the branches around Your Head.
Our lack of confidence in Your Mercy
and the lukewarmness of our love,
braided torture into a wreath of unspeakable pain.
O Jesus, let us NEVER forget Your love for us all
and the reparation You offered the Father for our sake.
Let our soul magnify the Lord by humility of heart,
purity of mind
and a gentle spirit,
so that we may overcome pride, vainglory and resentments
and look forward for an increase in faith.
Send Your beloved Mother and ours, O Lord,
to teach us meekness and humility.
Make us like unto Yourself, O Lord,
“for I am meek and humble of heart.”
Amen

Daily Prayer along with our Daily Rosary:

My dearest Mother Mary, behold me, your child, in prayer at your feet.
Accept this Holy Rosary, which I offer you in accordance with your requests at Fatima, as a proof of my tender love for you, for the intentions of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, in atonement for the offenses committed against your Immaculate Heart and for this special favour which I earnestly request in my Rosary Novena: ………………………….. (Mention your request).

I beg you to present my petition to your Divine Son.
If you will pray for me, I cannot be refused.
I know, dearest Mother, that you want me
to seek God’s holy Will concerning my request.
If what I ask for should not be granted,
pray that I may receive that which will be of greater benefit to my soul.

I offer you this spiritual Bouquet of Roses because I love you.
I put all my confidence in you,
since your prayers before God are most powerful.
For the greater glory of God and for the sake of Jesus,
your loving Son, hear and grant my prayer.
Sweet Heart of Mary, be my salvation.

Our Lady of the Rosary,
pray for our Holy Mother Church
and for our country.

Our Lady of Fatima,
obtain for humanity a lasting peace.

Sweet Heart of Jesus,
be my love.

Sweet Heart of Mary,
at the hour of my death,
lead me home.

Posted in MARIAN DEVOTIONS, MARIAN PRAYERS, MARIAN REFLECTIONS, MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, OCTOBER - The HOLY ROSARY, The 1st Joyful Mystery - the ANNUNCIATION

Thought for the Day – 2 October – The First Joyful Mystery – The Annunciation

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Thought for the Day – 2 October – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)

“Month of the Holy Rosary”
The First Joyful Mystery
The Annunciation

The Rosary is both a vocal and a mental prayer.
When reciting the first five decades, we should meditate on the principal joyful mysteriest of our faith, beginning with the Annunciation to the Blessed Virgin.
In other words, during the first decade, we should visualise the scene described in the Gospel.

“The angel Gabriel was sent from God to a town of Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man named Joseph, of the house of David and the Virgin’s name was Mary. And, when the Angel had come to her, he said “Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou among women” (Lk 1:26-28).

Note the manner in which the Angel greets Mary.
He proclaims that she is full of grace, pleasing and acceptable to God.
He bows before her and says that she is blessed among women.
On previous occasions Angels had appeared to Patriarchs, Kings and Prophets but always, as superior beings bearing a command from Almighty God.
Why, then, does an Angel bow before this maiden and salute her with such reverence?
The reason is twofold.
Mary is the purest of creatures, immaculate from the moment of her concetion; she is also destined to become the Mother of God, a destiny of quasi-infinite dignity.
Let us poor sinners, bow before her also and beg her to obtain for us from God, the graces of forgiveness and of sanctification.
It is in this spirit of loving humility, that we should recite the first decade of the Holy Rosary.

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

Posted in MARIAN POETRY, MARIAN PRAYERS, OCTOBER - The HOLY ROSARY, Our MORNING Offering, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, The BLESSED VIRGIN MARY, The HOLY ROSARY/ROSARY CRUSADE

Our Morning Offering – 3 October – Through Thee, to Us, our Saviour Came – By St Amadeus of Lausanne

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Our Morning Offering – 3 October – “Month of the Holy Rosary” – Saturday of the Twenty Sixth week in Ordinary Time

Through Thee, to Us, our Saviour Came
To Our Lady of the Rosary
By St Amadeus of Lausanne O.Cist (1108-1159)

Through thee, to us, our Saviour came,
Through thee, to Him, we fain would go.
Our lives are marred by wrong and shame,
Yet, confidence in thee we know.
The friendship thou dost give to all
Who love thy name, shall ever be
Assurance thou wilt hear our call,
Sweet Lady of the Rosary!

Thou art our Strength upon the way,
Our Morning Star, to cheer and guide;
Our Beacon Light to show the day,
And lead us to the Saviour’s Side;
A Comforter in ev’ry pain
We find, O Mother blest, in thee,
And seek we, never, thee in vain,
Fair Lady of the Rosary!

Thy praises, Mary, we would sing,
And all our faculties employ,
That unto thee our hearts might bring
A glory-crown of love and joy.
Bless thou each humble effort made
In thy regard and grant that we,
May by thy influence be swayed,
Our Lady of the Rosary!