I wonder if what happened in Austria is the only such example of that kind of phenomonon. This is a letter sent in 1654 from Fr Peter Talbot, the future Archbishop of Dublin, to the Bishop of Clonmacnoise: "You will desire, no doubt, to learn something about our most afflicted country. No history, sacred or profane, presents anything to be compared to its miseries. Such tyranny has never been heard of... It is now fourteen days since I quitted London, where everything was in indescribable confusion, stirred up in great part, as many suppose, by Cromwell himself, that thus he might have an opportunity of throwing into gaol those that could thwart his government. He is now busy imprisoning the Papists and priests. Of the latter four have been arrested, and a vast number of the former, twenty of whom were Irish, all of them being quite guiltless of any conspiracy... As regards Ireland, the Transplantation scheme is being carried out; for although a promise was made to Sir Robert Talbot and the other Irish agents that it would not be proceeded with and in fact it was suspended for six weeks nevertheless, just when I was summoned hither, a new edict ordered it to be carried out with the greatest rigour, which is the same as to cut off by famine in one year all the nobility and people of Ireland. Through Colonel Axtell the Puritans made the offer that any Papists renouncing the Mass and Popery would be exempt from the Transplantation, but not even one individual accepted this condition. It was ordered by the clergy that the whole people would fast on bread and water for three Saturdays, and purify their conscience in the Sacrament of Penance, and receive the Blessed Eucharist. Everyone in the kingdom complied with the order: even the infants only three or four years old kept the fast, to the great confusion of the heretics. The condition of things in Connaught is this: Lands are assigned to the natives in proportion to the number of their cattle, and this is but little indeed. For instance, they have adjudged thirty acres to Lord Dunboyne, and so, in proportion, to the rest. Even thus provided for, however, they must maintain in Connaught seventy English garrisons; and, when all their means are exhausted, the men and women are sold to agents at twenty shillings each, to be transported to the American islands, as has already happened to some respectable persons of noble birth and hereditary possessions. Thousands of the poorer class are forced away in like manner, and are sold at twenty shillings per head. Throughout the whole kingdom there is nothing but lamentations and tears and striking of hands in grief... There are not in Ireland ten families who have wherewith to support themselves for six months on bread and milk: this I learned by my own experience in the districts which I visited, and I have heard the same from the first noblemen of every quarter of the kingdom." (Fr Patrick Francis Moran, Persecutions of Irish Catholics (Dublin, 1884), p.297.)
The Rosary Protects Jesuit Priests from The Atom Bomb at Hiroshima ~ 1945 On August 6, 1945 during World War II, an atomic bomb was dropped on the town of Hiroshima, Japan. 140,000 people were killed or injured. There was a home eight blocks (about 1 kilometer) from where the A-Bomb went off . This home had a church attached to it which was completely destroyed, but the home survived, and so did the eight German Jesuit missionaries who prayed the rosary in that house faithfully every day. These men weremissionaries to the Japanese people, they were non-military, but because Germany and Japan were allies during WWII they were permitted to live and minister within Japan during the war. Not only did they all survive with (at most) relatively minor injuries, but they all lived well past that awful day with no radiation sickness, no loss of hearing, or any other visible long term defects or maladies. Naturally, they were interviewed and examined numerous times (Fr. Schiffer, a survivor, said over 200 times) by scientists and health care people about their remarkable experience and they say "we believe that we survived because we were living the message of Fatima. We lived and prayed the rosary daily in that home."
1.I didn't see this posted here yet, so apologies if it is a repeat: 15 promises for those who recite the Rosary Whosoever shall faithfully serve me by the recitation of the Rosary shall receive signal graces. Signal Graces are those special and unique Graces to help sanctify us in our state in life. See the remaining promises for an explanation for which these will consist. St. Louis de Montfort states emphatically that the best and fastest way to union with Our Lord is via Our Lady [True Devotion to Mary, chapter four]. 2.I promise my special protection and the greatest graces to all those who shall recite the Rosary. Our Lady is our Advocate and the channel of all God's Grace to us. Our Lady is simply highlighting that She will watch especially over us who pray the Rosary. (seeLumen Gentium chapter VIII - Our Lady #62) [a great more detail is available on this topic in True Devotion to Mary, chapter four, by St. Louis de Montfort] 3.The Rosary shall be a powerful armor against hell, it will destroy vice, decrease sin and defeat heresies. This promise, along with the next, is simply the reminder on how fervent prayer will help us all grow in holiness by avoiding sin, especially a prayer with the excellence of the Rosary. An increase in holiness necessarily requires a reduction in sin, vice, and doctrinal errors (heresies). If only the Modernists could be convinced to pray the Rosary! (see Lumen Gentium chapter V - The Call to Holiness #42) St. Louis de Montfort states "Since Mary alone crushed all heresies, as we are told by the Church under the guidance of the Holy Spirit (Office of the Blessed Virgin Mary)..." [True Devotion to Mary #167] 4.It will cause good works to flourish; it will obtain for souls the abundant mercy of God; it will withdraw the hearts of men from the love of the world and its vanities, and will lift them to the desire for Eternal Things. Oh, that souls would sanctify themselves by this means. This promise, along with the previous, is the positive part, that being to live in virtue. Becoming holy is not only avoiding sin, but also growing in virtue. (see Lumen Gentium chapter V - The Call to Holiness #42) 5.The soul which recommends itself to me by the recitation of the Rosary shall not perish. Since Our Lady is our Mother and Advocate, She always assists those who call on Her implicitly by praying the Rosary. The Church reminds us of this in the Memorareprayer, "... never was it known that anyone who fled to your protection, implored your help or sought your intercession, was left unaided ..." 6.Whosoever shall recite the Rosary devoutly, applying himself to the consideration of its Sacred Mysteries shall never be conquered by misfortune. God will not chastise him in His justice, he shall not perish by an unprovided death; if he be just he shall remain in the grace of God, and become worthy of Eternal Life. This promise highlights the magnitude of Graces that the Rosary brings to whomever prays it. One will draw down God's Mercy rather than His Justice and will have a final chance to repent (see promise #7). One will not be conquered by misfortune means that Our Lady will obtain for the person sufficient Graces to handle said misfortune (i.e. carry the Crosses allowed by God) without falling into despair. As Sacred Scripture tells us, "For my yoke is sweet and my burden light." (Matthew 11:30) 7.Whoever shall have a true devotion for the Rosary shall not die without the Sacraments of the Church. This promise highlights the benefits of obtaining the most possible Graces at the hour of death via the Sacraments of Confession, Eucharist, and Extreme Unction (Anointing of the Sick). Being properly disposed while receiving these Sacraments near death ensures one's salvation (although perhaps with a detour through Purgatory) since a final repentance is possible. 8.Those who are faithful to recite the Rosary shall have during their life and at their death the Light of God and the plenitude of His Graces; at the moment of death they shall participate in the Merits of the Saints in Paradise. Our Lady highlights the great quantity of Graces obtain through praying the Rosary, which assist us during life and at the moment of death. The merits of the Saints are the gift of God's rewards to those persons who responded to His Grace that they obtained during life, and so Our Lady indicates that She will provide a share of that to us at death. With this promise and #7 above, Our Lady is providing the means for the person to have a very holy death. 9.I shall deliver from purgatory those who have been devoted to the Rosary. Should one require Purgatorial cleansing after death, Our Lady will make a special effort to obtain our release from Purgatory through Her intercession as Advocate. 10.The faithful children of the Rosary shall merit a high degree of Glory in Heaven. This promise is a logical consequence of promises #3 and #4 since anyone who truly lives a holier life on earth will obtain a higher place in Heaven. The closer one is to God while living on earth, the close that person is to Him also in Heaven. The Catechism of the Catholic Church states "Spiritual progress tends toward ever more union with Christ." (Catechism of the Catholic Church paragraph 2014) 11.You shall obtain all you ask of me by recitation of the Rosary. This promise emphasizes Our Lady's role as our Advocate and Mediatrix of all Graces. Of course, all requests are subject to God's Most Perfect Will. God will always grant our request if it is beneficial for our soul, and Our Lady will only intercede for us when our request is good for our salvation. (see Lumen Gentium chapter VIII - Our Lady #62) 12.All those who propagate the Holy Rosary shall be aided by me in their necessities. If one promotes the praying of the Rosary, Our Lady emphasizes Her Maternal care for us by obtaining many Graces (i.e. spiritual necessities) and also material necessities (neither excess nor luxury), all subject to the Will of God of course. 13.I have obtained from my Divine Son that all the advocates of the Rosary shall have for intercessors the entire Celestial Court during their life and at the hour of death. Since Our Lady is our Advocate, She brings us additional assistance during our life and at our death from all the saints in Heaven (the Communion of Saints). See paragraphs 954 through 959 in the Catechism of the Catholic Church. 14.All who recite the Rosary are my Sons, and brothers of my Only Son Jesus Christ. Since the Rosary is a most excellent prayer focused on Jesus and His Life and activities in salvation history, it brings us closer to Our Lord and Our Lady. Doctrinally, Our Lady is our Mother and Jesus is our Eldest Brother, besides being our God. (see Lumen Gentium chapter VIII - Our Lady #62) 15.Devotion to my Rosary is a great sign of predestination. Predestination in this context means that, by the sign which is present to a person from the action of devoutly praying the Rosary, God has pre-ordained your salvation. Absolute certainty of salvation can only be truly known if God reveals it to a person because, although we are given sufficient Grace during life, our salvation depends upon our response to said Grace. (See Summa Theologica, Question 23 for a detailed theological explanation). Said another way, if God has guaranteed a person's salvation but has not revealed it to Him, God would want that person to pray the Rosary because of all the benefits and Graces obtained. Therefore the person gets a hint by devotion to the Rosary. This is not to say that praying the Rosary guarantees salvation - by no means. In looking at promises #3 and #4 above, praying the Rosary helps one to live a holy life, which is itself a great sign that a soul is on the road to salvation. (See also paragraphs 381, 488, 600, 2782 in the Catechism of the Catholic Church.) In fact, St. Louis de Montfort says even more strongly that "an infallible and unmistakable sign by which we can distinguish a heretic, a man of false doctrine, an enemy of God, from one of God's true friends is that the hardened sinner and heretic show nothing but contempt and indifference to Our Lady..." [True Devotion to Mary, #30]
In the last couple of weeks I have noticed a change in my concentration regarding the sorrowful mysteries especially during the 4th and 5th sorrowful mysteries when I am reflecting on the mystery. Each Hail Mary within the last 2 decades has become this in my focus: 4th Sorrowful Mystery: The way of the Cross 1. Hail Mary - Jesus embraces his cross: Lord give us the strength to joyfully embrace ours 2. Hail Mary - Jesus carries his cross: I just picture the pain of this cross on his shoulder per St. Bernard 3. Hail Mary - Jesus falls the first time 4. Hail Mary - Jesus meets his sorrowful mother Mary 5. Hail Mary - Jesus is helped by Simon: He needs our help too 6. Hail Mary - Jesus's face is wiped by Veronica: Our reflection on this journey continues to give him comfort too 7. Hail Mary - Jesus falls the second time 8. Hail Mary - Jesus meets the women of Jerusalem 9. Hail Mary - Jesus falls the third time 10. Hail Mary - Jesus is stripped of His clothes 5th Sorrowful Mystery: The Crucifixion and death of Our Lord 1. Hail Mary - Jesus is stretched on the cross 2. Hail Mary - Jesus's hands are nailed 3. Hail Mary - Jesus's feet are nailed 4. Hail Mary - Jesus asks the father to forgive those who mock him and crucified him 5. Hail Mary - Jesus forgives the good thief 6. Hail Mary - Jesus cries out to God as he sees his Mother, "My God Why have you Forsaken me" 7. Hail Mary - Jesus speaks, "It is finished" and dies 8. Hail Mary - Jesus side and heart are punctured with the spear releasing what blood and water is left 9. Hail Mary - Jesus is held in the arms of His Mother one last time 10. Hail Mary - Jesus is placed in the tomb It has become so emotional and powerful for me of late when I think of these events during each Hail Mary of the last 2 decades of the sorrowful mysteries. The stations of the cross are also observed while doing it this way all accept the first station which reflect on with the first Hail Mary of the second decade of the sorrowful mysteries where Jesus is scourged. This reflection also allows us to reflect on each of His Holy Wounds even the somewhat forgotten wound of his most painful shoulder which he told St. Bernard.
Andy, this is a good reflection you have laid out. I have been taking up what St. Bernard had suggested and apply the sufferings you detailed and am applying them to my time and my (our) sins. For instance, since the sorrowful mysteries deal with His sufferings for our sins, I think of my sins those of each member of my family, friends, church, society etc.... on each Hail Mary and beg for our Lords forgiveness. In this manner, I use Jesus' sufferings and apply it to my (our) sins for His mercy, while keeping those close to me in prayer. There are many ways to pray the rosary, but hte worst way is just lip sinking the words without reflection.
Charity, Reminds me a little of Garth Brook's song "the dance", if he changed the words to "our lives, are better left to God's will".
Lately I've been really led to focus on the Our Father in my rosaries. I'm having great difficulty focusing, and feel compelled to back up and say it again. And again. I find I really have to slow down and focus on each word to keep from wandering off half-way through. I've started offering these prayers in the Divine Will as reparation for all the distracted, automatic prayers that must be a great sorrow to our Father. Interestingly, the place I seem to "wander off" is at "forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us." It seems like our Mother wants this impressed on my heart, so I can really live it.
Kathy I just heard father John Riccardo yesterday talking about that part of the Our Father. He said don't realize how often and much we break the commandment of taking The Lord's name in vain. Many do it every time they say this part of the Our Father. We are asking the father to forgive us and yet we don't forgive others as we would want them to forgive us. We take The Lord's name in vain by asking him to treat us as we are treating others and yet we expect forgiveness when we do not give it to our neighbor. So powerful and interesting for you to bring this up. Maybe we really need to focus on every word better and live it better every day as you have discovered.
Thanks everyone who posted Prayers. I have them written down now and try to include them. I really like this thread.
"If I had an army to say the Rosary, I could conquer the world." (Blessed Pope Piux IX) 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 labors.~Pope Pius XI
The Rosary: A Prayer for All Times The Indispensible Prayer for Our Times by Fr. John A. Hardon, S.J. Our title for this conference is, “The Rosary: A Prayer for All Times.” I would like to add a subtitle, so that the full title will read: “The Rosary: A Prayer for All Times - The Indispensable Prayer for Our Times." There are so many wonderful things we can say about the Rosary that I thought we should focus on what I sincerely believe. The Rosary is necessary in order to obtain from God the miraculous graces that the world so desperately needs in our day. The moment we say the modern world needs miraculous graces we imply that these graces are indeed to be obtained from God; but they must come through the intercession of the Mother of God. Here is the logic I wish to follow in speaking to you. It comes in a series of five questions: Why was the Feast of the Holy Rosary instituted? Why is it so important to stress Mary's Divine Maternity in our day? How is Mary the Mother of Divine Grace? How is Mary the Mother of Miracles? How is the Rosary such an effective form of the apostolate?......http://www.therealpresence.org/archives/Prayer/Prayer_047.htm
The Third Joyful Mystery. The Nativity. At night time I often go spiritually, back in time to San Giovanni Rotundo, to the the little Franciscan Church , in the choir stalls above and sit before the beautiful picture of Our Lady of Graces. View attachment 2010 I sit silently in prayer behind Padre Pio as he says the rosary watching and learning from him, just by being with him. It has been said of Father Pio that the rosary beads were never out of his hands and were as it where welded in place, part of his body. What a great lesson. The person who says the rosary is rather like a little bee who goes to the flowers to collect the pollen which carried in her heart she brings back to be made into honey in the hive if her so busy life. View attachment 2011 Padre Pio collected from the flowers of the mysteries of the rosary that his honey was the richest of the rich. This is shown so clearly in his wonderful meditation on Nativity of the Lord, a meditation that has gone all over the world and touched, with its honey, the hearts of millions. Far into the night, at the coldest time of the year, in a chilly grotto, more suitable for a flock of beasts than for humans, the promised Messiah – Jesus – the savior of mankind, comes into the world in the fullness of time. There are none who clamor around him: only an ox and an ass lending their warmth to the newborn infant; with a humble woman, and a poor and tired man, in adoration beside him. Nothing can be heard except the sobs and whimpers of the infant God. And by means of his crying and weeping he offers to the Divine justice the first ransom for our redemption. He had been expected for forty centuries; with longing sighs the ancient Fathers had implored his arrival. The sacred scriptures clearly prophesy the time and the place of his birth, and yet the world is silent and no one seems aware of the great event. Only some shepherds, who had been busy watching over their sheep in the meadows, come to visit him. Heavenly visitors had alerted them to the wondrous event, inviting them to approach his cave. So plentiful, O Christians, are the lessons that shine forth from the grotto of Bethlehem! Oh how our hearts should be on fire with love for the one who with such tenderness was made flesh for our sakes! Oh how we should burn with desire to lead the whole world to this lowly cave, refuge of the King of kings, greater than any worldly palace, because it is the throne and dwelling place of God! Let us ask this Divine child to clothe us with humility, because only by means of this virtue can we taste the fullness of this mystery of Divine tenderness. Glittering were the palaces of the proud Hebrews. Yet, the light of the world did not appear in one of them. Ostentatious with worldly grandeur, swimming in gold and in delights, were the great ones of the Hebrew nation; filled with vain knowledge and pride were the priests of the sanctuary. In opposition to the true meaning of Divine revelation, they awaited an officious savoir, who would come into the world with human renown and power. But God, always ready to confound the wisdom of the world, shatters their plans. Contrary to the expectations of those lacking in Divine wisdom, he appears among us in the greatest abjection, renouncing even birth in St. Joseph’s humble home, denying himself a modest abode among relatives and friends in a city of Palestine. Refused lodging among men, he seeks refuge and comfort among mere animals, choosing their habitation as the place of his birth, allowing their breath to give warmth to his tender body. He permits simple and rustic shepherds to be the first to pay their respects to him, after he himself informed them, by means of his angels, of the wonderful mystery. Oh wisdom and power of God, we are constrained to exclaim – enraptured along with your Apostle – how incomprehensible are your judgments and unsearchable your ways! Poverty, humility, abjection, contempt, all surround the Word made flesh. But we, out of the darkness that envelops the incarnate Word, understand one thing, hear one voice, perceive one sublime truth: you have done everything out of love, you invite us to nothing else but love, speak of nothing except love, give us naught except proofs of love. The heavenly babe suffers and cries in the crib so that for us suffering would be sweet, meritorious and accepted. He deprives himself of everything, in order that we may learn from him the renunciation of worldly goods and comforts. He is satisfied with humble and poor adorers, to encourage us to love poverty, and to prefer the company of the little and simple rather than the great ones of the world. This celestial child, all meekness and sweetness, wishes to impress in our hearts by his example these sublime virtues, so that from a world that is torn and devastated an era of peace and love may spring forth. Even from the moment of his birth he reveals to us our mission, which is to scorn that which the world loves and seeks. Oh let us prostrate ourselves before the manger, and along with the great St. Jerome, who was enflamed with the love of the infant Jesus, let us offer him all our hearts without reserve. Let us promise to follow the precepts which come to us from the grotto of Bethlehem, which teach us that everything here below is vanity of vanities, nothing but vanity.
Leviticus talks about giving the very best of our livestock and all we own to God. It's the same with prayer and saying the rosary. We should be aiming to give the very best of ourselves back to God. In a sense what you give is what you get, if all we give is a load of mumbled words without heart, feeling or meaning then all we wil lget back is an empty echo. Matthew 15:8 "'These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. 9'BUT IN VAIN DO THEY WORSHIP ME What we should be aiming at is setting aside the very best part of the day, the time we most value, our free time. Some of us are morning people, some day, some evening, some night. Put aside the very best for God and in giving our very best time we must do the very best we can, paying strict attention of the heart and doing this each and every day no matter what. This may seem a lot. but when we consider that the average person wastes 9 years of their life watching TV it is little to ask.
May We now have the love, joy and hope in our hearts as Mary, Joseph and the shepherds had in theirs at the time of His birth- may He be born into our hearts anew each day and every time we receive the Eucharist.
