October--the Month of the Holy Rosary of the Blessed Virgin Mary

REMEMBER, O most gracious Virgin Mary, that never was it known that anyone who fled to thy protection, implored thy help, or sought thy intercession was left unaided. Inspired with this confidence, I fly to thee, O Virgin of virgins, my Mother; to thee do I come; before thee I stand, sinful and sorrowful. O Mother of the Word Incarnate, despise not my petitions, but in thy mercy hear and answer me. Amen.

The word Rosary means "Crown of Roses".

I heard once that Our Lady had revealed to several people that each time they say a Hail Mary they are giving her a beautiful rose and that each complete Rosary makes her a crown of roses.

The rose is the queen of flowers, and so the Rosary is the rose of all devotions and it is, in my opinion, the most important devotion after the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass.

The Holy Rosary is considered a perfect prayer because within it lies the awesome story of our salvation.

When we pray the Rosary we meditate the mysteries of joy, of light, of sorrow and the glory of Jesus along with Mary. It's a simple prayer, and humble; so much like Mary.

It's a prayer we can all say together with her, the Mother of God. With the Hail Mary we invite her to pray for us.  She joins her prayer to ours. What Mary asks for she always receives, because Jesus will never say no to anything His Mother asks of Him.

In every apparition, the heavenly Mother has invited us to say the Rosary as a powerful weapon against evil, to bring us to true peace.

With our prayer made together with our heavenly Mother, we can obtain the great gift of bringing about a change of hearts and conversion. Each day, through prayer we can drive away from ourselves and from our homeland many dangers and many evils.

It can seem a repetitive prayer but instead it is like two sweethearts who many times say one another the words: "I love you!”.

Loosely speaking

Let the words of my mouth be acceptable,

the thoughts of my heart before you,

LORD, my rock and my redeemer.  (Psalms 19:15)

Whoever listens to you, listens to me. . . . (Luke 10:13-16)

If others know you are a Christian and a Catholic, when you speak, you speak representing that faith and God's Church and by extension God Himself. Every word out of our mouths is a word by which the truth that we live will be weighed.

In the letter of James we are warned that loose speaking is the enemy of God's work (James 3). If we speak loosely about people, events, or things, people will see that in us. They will say, “Ah, so this is Christianity”.  It isn't fair, but it is the way that people work. No, we're not always in good moods; we're not always the best representatives of Jesus. But when we speak and people listen, they are listening to a representative of Jesus. For other people we are Jesus, our words are His words.

This is not to say that we shouldn't talk, but only that we should, through prayer and requesting help from the Holy Spirit, speak only what is edifying or helpful to those in need. We needn't always be mouthing empty pieties, but we also needn't be trash-talking our neighbors, our government (well, maybe just a little bit), or for that matter, anything. We need to listen with the Spirit within us and respond as He dictates - with counsel and advice or with joy and merriment. After all, Jesus did attend the festivities at Cana (John 2:1-11), and there's no need to think He's always solemn or somber. Let our words reveal our hearts and He who dwells in them.



Trying to understand archangels

Heavenly King, You have given us archangels to assist us during our pilgrimage on earth.

Saint Michael is our protector; I ask him to come to my aid, fight for all my loved ones, and protect us from danger.

Saint Gabriel is a messenger of the Good News; I ask him to help me clearly hear Your voice and to teach me the truth.

Saint Raphael is the healing angel; I ask him to take my need for healing and that of everyone I know, lift it up to Your throne of grace and deliver back to us the gift of recovery.

Help us, O Lord, to realize more fully the reality of the archangels and their desire to serve us.

Holy angels, pray for us.  Amen.

 I do not understand everything.  And I do not understand anything at all in a perfect manner, and far from it.  And as I get older and see how rich and complex even the most simple things are in their nature and in what they imply, in their role as only a small part of God's creative love for us, I feel less and less sure of being able to adequately express any bit of my understanding whatsoever.

I do not understand angels.  I see dirt and rocks, moss and flowers, insects and fish and babies, and I can sense a growth in presence, power, and promise in that sequence.  I grasp a part of what human life is and is called to be, and I have no question that Jesus has bridged the upward gap that separates us creatures from rising to and living with His very own Godly life.

I can see where a being somewhat like me might fill a niche in that scheme, a being who is all that I am, and then some, but without a body, a being who is, like God, all at once and not living its existence in creeping moments and incomplete acts.  But I do not understand what an angel really is, much less archangels, dominions, and the others.

Pope Saint Gregory the Great has the following to say in one of his homilies I read in the Office of Readings for September 29^th:

You should be aware that the word “angel” denotes a function rather than a nature. Those holy spirits of heaven have indeed always been spirits. They can only be called angels when they deliver some message. Moreover, those who deliver messages of lesser importance are called angels; and those who proclaim messages of supreme importance are called archangels.

Some angels are given proper names to denote the service they are empowered to perform. In that holy city, where perfect knowledge flows from the vision of almighty God, those who have no names may easily be known. But personal names are assigned to some, not because they could not be known without them, but rather to denote their ministry when they come among us. Thus, Michael means “Who is like God”; Gabriel is “The Strength of God”; and Raphael is “God’s Remedy.”

I pass into simple and unconstrained faith concerning their existence, and I stand astonished at the beauty of God's love for me, love that is filled with such marvels that not only pass my comprehension but my very imagination.  I live in gratitude that I do not have to understand the Unknowable One, or any of his creatures or acts, in order to believe and love.

I am reminded of the story of Jesus meeting Nathanael. (John 1:47-51) Jesus knows the heart of this man, reveals details about him that no human could know, and Nathanael is instantly convinced that Jesus is the Son of God, the King of Israel. Jesus assures him that he will see the heaven opened and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man. This is a reference to the Old Testament story of Jacob who dreamed about a ladder that on it had the angels of God going up and down. Jacob awoke and named the place “Bethel,” the house of God. To him it was the very gate of heaven, the entrance and exit point for the angels of God going from heaven to earth and earth to heaven. Jesus to Nathanael: I am that gate. I am the one who is the very opening into the presence of God. Or, as John’s Gospel records in another passage, Jesus is “the way” to the Father. (John 14:6)

I revel in being thus reduced to the simplest child, living in the joy of my Father's love for me, shining in trust, gratitude, and praise.  And so I cherish the angels in all their glory, their simple majesty, the purity of their service, and their delight in seeing always the Father's face.

I celebrate God's love for me, a love that passes now and will always pass my simple and clumsy understanding.

The Grace to See His Blessings

O MY GOD and MY ALL, in Thy goodness and mercy, grant that before I die I may regain all the graces which I have lost through my carelessness and folly. Permit me to attain the degree of merit and perfection to which Thou didst desire to lead me, and which I failed by my unfaithfulness to reach. Mercifully grant also that others regain the graces which they have lost through my fault. This I humbly beg through the merits of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and Immaculate Virgin Mary.  Amen.

Yesterday, I spent the day with a co-worker as he performed his duties.  A lot of driving was involved, so we had the time to get to know one another.   As I was “hitting the highlights” of my life during our discussion, I found myself frequently getting reminded how God has been there for me and my family through it all.  While I was relating some of the negative experiences in my life, like deaths of loved ones, job changes, and the stresses of everyday life I saw, in hindsight, how these events had all played a part in my heavenly Father’s plan to bring me closer to Him.   I have no idea what I have done to warrant all the blessings He has given me, but I pray that He continues to bless me and my family and that He continues to shower the graces upon me to recognize His involvement in my daily life.  Praise God!

If you haven’t yet done so, take a few moments to read Nehemiah 2:1-8,Psalm 137:1-2, 3, 4-5, 6 and Luke 9:57-62.  Read them aloud.  They are truly beautiful, poetic readings with rich and interesting messages for us.  The first reading tells us the story of Nehemiah choosing to leave his comfortable position to return to his ruined ancestral city of Jerusalem to help rebuild it - a task that would involve hardship and many risks.  He has to take a chance in even asking for permission to do this. Nehemiah throughout the passage, prays to God, and then voices his faith that it was God’s favorable hand that led the king and queen to say yes to his request.  What a reminder to us to pray for God’s help and then to recognize God’s favorable hand!  And then the psalm reminds us that we, like the psalmist, are to always remember Zion - the kingdom of God.

The Gospel at first reading seems to tell us not to care about or take care of the needs of our family.  Of course, Jesus is not really telling us to disregard family!  There are many other scripture passages that speak of our roles and obligations as family members, and we know that we are called to fulfill these obligations. 

I think the best way of looking at these readings is to see them as reflecting the radical nature of being true to God’s call. All of us at some time have to make a decision about following God.   Sometimes it is going to cost us dearly.  We will have to give up things that we may value deeply.  We have to ask ourselves if this cost is more than I am willing to pay. The enthusiasm for beginning is there, but what are we willing to give up in order to “stay the course”?   We often forget that it is a radical move when we follow Jesus.  It’s not the way of the world; it’s not the easy path.

The Gospel shows us that Jesus is calling us to put following Him as our top priority.  Nothing else, not burying our dead, tending to our crops, or any other task can ever be more important than following Christ.  As true disciples we must accept that following Christ requires a commitment that is always our highest priority, and we must be willing to pay the cost.

Things not going your way? Don't be discouraged!

“Lord, open my eyes to see your presence in everyone—even those I disagree with. Shower them with your blessings today, Father!”

 

Jesus’ teachings are not easy. The disciples accompanied Jesus and heard His teachings numerous times, yet even in Jesus’ presence, they wanted to fight back against those who didn’t treat them fairly. (Luke 9:51-56)  

Jesus calls us to more than what is our human nature. He urges us to fight not against those who do us wrong, but against what separates us from each other: perceived differences, hatred, fear.

Luke’s Gospel  reminds me that just because people don’t meet our expectations it doesn’t mean we should condemn them. God created all of us as unique individuals who have unique roles to play in life. Maybe the people of the Samaritan village were not to be the people holding a reception for Jesus; another village was to take on that role. We can’t get discouraged when life “appears to not go our way” - rather we need to stay in relationship with God and again, trust that events happen for a reason. 

We need to be people with prayerful hope who do not incite fear but rather trust that God will lead us to our destinations.

"A wise man changes his mind sometimes; a fool, never!"

Prayer for the Day

“O Lord, remember the word  you spoke to me, your servant, which made me live in hope and consoled me when I was downcast.”  (Ps. 119, 49-50)

Reflection

Sorry about no posts Friday or Saturday night—I was experiencing a bit of lethargy.  I thought tonight might be another night to just let it go, but the readings at Mass were powerful for me today; almost as though they were “Spiritual Wheaties”.  And, since I had a rather long drive from home to Fresno (a full stomach makes me sleepy, and a ride seem longer), I had plenty of time to meditate on them.

Several well-known sayings were going through my mind as I listened to the readings today; “Better late than never!”  “You’re just paying “lip service”.”  “You can talk the talk, but you don’t walk the walk.”  

In all three readings (and the Psalm) God is giving us advice on when to change our minds, and when not to. If we're pretty well secure in habits of virtue, then it's not a good idea to give in to the persuasions of friends who call us old-fashioned or foolish for following the teachings of our parents and childhood religion classes - and act contrary to our principles. To change because of fear of losing face or being the butt of ridicule could risk God's displeasure, loss of grace, and even loss of eternal happiness.

There's another kind of change discussed in the readings. And that's the kind of change that may be defined as conversion - from sinful ways to virtuous ones. The prophet Ezekiel (Ezekiel 18:25-28) tried to persuade his fellow-exiles in Babylon that, as long as they persisted in their sinful rejection of God's commandments, God would continue their exile. When they refused to change, God allowed the destruction of the Temple as well as the whole city of Jerusalem. Eventually, they stopped blaming God for their crimes, repented of their stubbornness, and again followed the commandments.

That's the kind of change that also won the approval of Jesus in today's Gospel (Matthew 21:28-32). The first son in the parable stubbornly said "no" to his father's request. He was ready to risk the father's displeasure and even punishment. Then, wisely, he began to feel guilty. He decided it wouldn't kill him to cut short a good time with his friends to work for his father. Let's hope that it was really love that made him change his mind. But even if it was just shame, and maybe a little fear of the consequences of his refusal, he did change his mind.

This brings to mind an incident we (Marilyn and I) had with Lily this weekend.  Evidently sometime during the week last week Lily started playing with an electronic alarm clock that I keep on an end table next to the sofa in our family room and somehow set it off.  Marilyn told her quite sternly that she was not to touch the alarm clock again. 

So when I was watching her while Marilyn was out shopping, she thought it would be her chance to play with it again.  I didn’t know about Marilyn’s admonition to Lily at this point, and I thought it was “cute” that she was reading the numbers and telling me about the clock.  Marilyn came in the door, and Lily immediately dropped the clock on the floor, then smiled at Marilyn as if to say, “Who, me?” 

Marilyn expressed disappointment in Lily and she came to me for comfort.  A little later, I saw her inching close to the clock again, and just as she was about to touch it, I gently reminded her that “Mar-Mar” doesn’t like it when she plays with the clock.  She backed right off.  My thought was that she was not really concerned about a possible spanking; rather, she was more concerned about losing Marilyn’s approval than with playing with the clock!  She doesn’t know it, but Lily taught me something.  She did not want to do anything that would keep her Mar-Mar from loving her, even for a minute!  And neither do I want to do anything that would separate me from my Loving Father, even for a second!  But, just as I know Lily will probably try to play with the clock when she thinks no one is looking and I (and Mar-Mar) will forgive her, so it is with me and God.  I try not to offend Him, but I am weak.  I am ever so grateful that His love is greater than my weakness.

How do we know when to change our minds and when not to? Saint Paul gives us sound advice: "Do nothing out of selfishness . . . rather, have that mind in you which is in Christ Jesus who humbled himself even to the point of death." (Philippians Phil 2:1-11)  To change one's mind is often humbling, especially if we risk the ridicule of worldly friends or even worldly family members. But isn't it far better to heed the truth than to stubbornly keep to the road that will eventually send us over a cliff?