Nov 2nd - Poor Souls in Purgatory

 

Nov. 2^nd is All Souls Day, the day we remember and pray for the poor souls in purgatory. The word Trinity is not in the bible, but the Holy Trinity is in the bible, Jesus said, “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit”.

The word purgatory is not in the bible, but the doctrine of purgatory is in the bible. We read in Holy Scripture: The book of Maccabees also states, “Turning to supplication, they prayed that the sinful deed might be fully blotted out.” "It is a holy and wholesome thought to pray for the dead, that they may be loosed from sins."

“Thus (Judas Maccabees) made atonement for the dead that they might be freed from this sin.” (2 Maccabees 12:42-46)

St. Paul in his letter to the Corinthians states, “He himself will be saved, but as one fleeing from fire.” (1 Corinthians 3:15)

Jesus mentions purgatory in the Gospel of Matthew, “Settle with your opponent quickly while on the way to court with him. Otherwise, your opponent will hand you over to the judge, and the judge will hand you over to the guard, and you will be thrown into prison. Amen, I say to you, you will not be released until you have paid the last penny.” (Matthew 5:25-26)

The book of Revelation describes why there is purgatory. It states, “But nothing unclean will enter [heaven], nor any[one] who does abominable things or tells lies. Only those will enter whose names are written in the Lamb’s book of life.” (Rev 21:27).

St. Augustine said this about purgatory. He said, “The pain and suffering in purgatory is greater than any pain one can suffer on earth.”

Just imagine for a moment, what would be the greatest pain and sufferings in this life. Slowly being crushed to death, being burned in a fire, and yet, the pain and suffering of purgatory is greater than these.

With regard trying to go to heaven, we shouldn’t settle for a statement like this, “I will be happy if I just make it to purgatory.” St. Teresa of Avila corrected others who had this attitude. She said, “How sweet will death be, for the person, who has fully repented of all personal sins and can leap over purgatory.”

Who then would want to go to purgatory? There is a book written by Fr. Paul O’ Sullivan called “How to Avoid Purgatory”. Here is a portion of what he has to say.

He said, “The reason why we have to pass through Purgatory after death is that we have committed sins and have not made satisfaction for them. Every individual sin must be expiated—in this life or the next! Not even the slightest shadow of sin or evil can enter the all-holy presence of God. The graver, the more frequent the sins, the longer will be the period of expiation and the more intense pain. Even after sin, God, in His infinite goodness places at our disposal many easy and efficacious means by which we may considerably lessen our term of expiation, or even entirely cancel it.” Here are ways to Avoid Purgatory:

1. Remove the cause– Sin. Therefore we should avoid deliberate venial sin, break off bad habits and make a strong resolution to not sin. And most importantly avoid Mortal Sin.

2. Penance — Make satisfaction for our sins. We do this by offering little mortifications and practice self-denial. We need to avoid selfishness and avoid constantly choosing our likes over our dislikes. “Daily acts of self-restraint, of patience with others, of kindness to others and the exact fulfillment of duty are splendid penances and a great aid to happiness.”

3. Suffering– by bearing patiently what we cannot avoid. “every pain and sorrow and disappointment in this life lessons our suffering in Purgatory and also brings us happiness and glory in heaven.”

4. Frequent Confession, Holy Communion and daily attendance at Mass. Confession wipes away our sins, fills us with horror of sin and strength to overcome sin. “In Holy Communion, we receive the God of infinite mercy and love, the God of all sanctity, who comes expressly to pardon our sin and help us to sin no more.” “The Mass is identical with the Sacrifice of Calvary in its essence, in its value in the graces it bestows.” By attending and participating at Mass, we can apply all these oceans of graces to our souls, and that not once, but every day.

5. Ask God to Give You the Grace to Avoid Purgatory– We should pray expressly everyday of our life that God will free us from Purgatory.

6. Resignation of Death. “They say that when a sick person becomes aware that he is dying and offers to God his death with perfect resignation, it is very likely that he will go straight to heaven.”

7. Last Rites (Last Anointing, the Apostolic Pardon and Last Communion)- “Extreme Unction, if devoutly received, prepares the dying Christian for immediate entrance into heaven.”

8. Always wish to do God’s Will.

9. Pray for Souls in Purgatory everyday.

10. Daily Visit the Blessed Sacrament. “Kneeling in the presence of Jesus with eyes fixed on the Tabernacle, sure that He is looking at us, let us for a few minutes repeat some little prayer like these, “My Jesus, give me a happy death.”

11. Wear the Brown Scapular. (Three conditions: practice chastity, wear the scapular, daily recite the Rosary) The scapular has two promises. First, “Whoever dies wearing this scapular shall not suffer eternal fire”. “and the Sabbatine privilege, “I, the Mother of Grace, shall descend on the Saturday after their death, and whomsoever, I shall find in Purgatory, I shall free.”

12. Indulgence– There are two kinds of indulgences, partial and plenary. They can be either offered for our self or a soul in purgatory. (Requirements: Confession 8 days before or after. Receive Holy Communion. Pray for Our Father, Hail Mary for the Pope. One must be free from all attachment to sin) Here are some ways to gain a Plenary Indulgence: Visit Blessed Sacrament for at least 30 min. Read Scripture for 30 min. Make the Way of the Cross. Recite the Rosary in Church or in a group or as a family.

And what can we do to help the poor souls of purgatory to gain heaven?

To bring refreshment to the souls in purgatory and shorten their time, we can offer the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass for them. The Mass is the greatest prayer and most efficacious way to free souls from purgatory. The primary purpose of the Mass is to atone for our sins. We can offer Masses on special days of our beloved faithful departed. For example, some offer Masses on the anniversary of their death, or on what was traditionally their birthday, or a their wedding day.

We can also offer up our Holy Communions for particular souls. We can pray personal prayers for them, especially the rosary. We can also offer up our works, sacrifices and sufferings for particular souls. We can also obtain indulgences for them as well. The ancient practice of sprinkling holy water to relieve their suffering is noteworthy as well.

With the help of the Blessed Virgin Mary, today and throughout the month of November dedicated to the poor souls of purgatory, let us pray for them especially the rosary, and offer sacrifices and works, for a deceased loved one, and let's not forget the most powerful means to free a soul from purgatory, by offering the sacrifice of the Mass for their holy souls.

May perpetual light shine upon them-- and may the souls of all the faithful departed through the mercy of God, rest in peace!

30th Sunday Tax Collector & Pharisee Pride & Humility

 

The Gospel reveals Our Blessed Lord’s desire for us to pray with a humble heart. The Lord never despises a poor, contrite and humble heart. Rather He resists the proud and gives grace and mercy to the humble. The parable represents two opposite types. The Pharisee, who is meticulous, about the external fulfillment of the law. And the tax collector, who in fact, is a public sinner.

The Pharisee’s prayer is not pleasing to God. Although he begins by thanking God, he lacks true gratitude. His pride causes him to be self-centered and to despise others. He boasts about all the good he has done and fails to recognize his sins. He regards himself as self-righteous, and doesn’t see his need of pardon. He remains in his sinful state, and so, he is blind. His guilt remains, and walks away unjustified.

The tax collector, however, recognizes his unworthiness, and is sincerely sorry for his sins. He has the necessary dispositions for God to truly pardon him. His prayer, “O God, be merciful to me a sinner.” wins God’s forgiveness.

There are 17 evidences of a lack of humility, they are: 1. To think that one says or does is better than what others say or do. 2. To always want to get your way. 3. To argue with stubbornness and bad manners whether you are right or wrong. 4. To give your opinion when it is not requested or when charity does not demand it. 5. To look down on another’s point of view. 6. Not to look on your own gifts and abilities as coming from God and to not be thankful for our gifts and talents and attribute them to our self. 7. To use yourself as an example in conversations. 8. To speak badly of yourself so that others will think well of you. 9. To excuse yourself when you are corrected. 10. To hide humiliating faults so that others will have a good impression of you. 11. To take pleasure in praise and compliments and desire to receive them. 12. To desire to be served, rather than to serve. 13. To be saddened because others are held in higher esteem than you. 14. To refuse to perform lowly tasks. 15. To seek to stand out. 16. To refer in conversation about your own honesty, intelligence, abilities, or professional prestige. 17. To be ashamed because you lack certain goods.

The Virgin Mary gives us an example of humility. Mary always had such a humble opinion of herself that, as was revealed to Saint Matilda, although she saw herself enriched with more graces than all other people, she never put herself ahead of anyone.

Humility is truth, as Saint Teresa of Avila remarks, and Mary knew that she had never offended God. She also knew that she had received more graces from God than all other creatures. A humble heart always acknowledges the special favors of the Lord in order to humble itself all the more. But the Blessed Mother, because of greater light made her aware of the infinite greatness and goodness of God, was also aware of her own nothingness. That is why she humbled herself more than everybody else.

The Blessed Virgin was always vividly conscious of the majesty of God and her own nothingness. She told Saint Elizabeth of Hungary that she looked upon herself as a worthless creature and unworthy of the grace of God. And that is why Saint Bernadine says that "after the Son of God, no one in the whole world was ever so exalted as Mary, because no one ever humbled himself to the extent that She did."

It is characteristic of humility to conceal heavenly gifts. Mary wished to conceal from Saint Joseph the favor which made her the Mother of God. And so She did not tell Joseph, that She had become pregnant by the power of the Holy Spirit. Instead, She waited until the angel told Joseph in a dream.

A soul that is truly humble does not allow her-self to be praised. And if praises are showered on her, she refers them all to God. Mary said, “My soul magnifies the Lord...He who is mighty has done great things for me.”

It is also characteristic of humility to serve others. Mary did not hesitate to go to help Her cousin, Elizabeth, for three months during her pregnancy with John the Baptist.

Humble persons choose the least honorable places for themselves. Therefore, as Saint Bernard remarks, "when Jesus was preaching in a house (as we learn in Saint Matthew), Mary, wishing to speak to him, would not enter on her own accord but remained outside, and did not avail herself of her maternal right to interrupt him."

The sincerely humble do not look for favor. In fact, love to be despised. That is why Mary did not show herself in Jerusalem on Palm Sunday when the people received Jesus with so much honor. On the other hand, at His death, She did not hesitate to appear on Calvary.

O Most Blessed Lady, help me to have a low opinion of myself and to realize that humility is truth. Grant, O most gracious Virgin, that I may be conscious of the majesty of God and of my own nothingness. Inspire me to conceal any heavenly gifts, which God in His goodness may bestow upon me. Do not, O Sweet Mother, allow me to desire to be praised! May I serve others with a humble heart like yours. I choose to take the least of all places. May I not desire to be favored, but rather love to be despised and please assist me in meditating and imitating your humility, you who are the most incomprehensible of all creatures. Amen.

Rosary Talk (Family Rosary Rally)

 

Welcome to the Family Rosary Rally! You just heard our bishop’s amazing Rosary talk, followed by five powerful and inspiring testimonies. The purpose of this rally is to encourage families to pray the Rosary together every day.

First, I will give you some tips on praying the Rosary, then I will speak about some fruits and miracles of the Rosary. And finally, I will give you an exhortation to daily pray the family Rosary.

The first tip on praying the Rosary is slow down. Before I was a priest, when I lived in Hays, there was a German woman lead the Rosary. She sounded like an auctioneer. I don’t mean to pick on the Irish, but when I was in seminary, if we wanted a quick Rosary, we’d ask an Irish seminarian to lead it. We are praying to a person, the Blessed Virgin Mary.

Before praying the Rosary, we should mention our intentions and pray for the intentions of the Virgin Mary.

How many rosaries can you pray in 20 minutes? I suspect the woman at Hays could pray 2 Rosaries in 20 minutes, which is way too fast. St. Padre Pio prayed 35 Rosaries a day.

Did you know you can pray 30 rosaries in 20 minutes. What! St. Louis de Montfort said, “Somebody who says his Rosary alone only gains the merit of one Rosary, but if he says it together with thirty other people, he gains the merit of thirty Rosaries. This is the law of public prayer. How profitable, how advantageous this is!” 

To pray the Rosary with a group, you receive the same graces as the number of rosaries prayed with the group.

The Rosary is a double prayer. We pray with our mind and we pray with our voice. We need to meditate when we pray the Rosary. Before Mary appeared to St. Dominic in 1205, when the Rosary was prayed, there were no meditations to it. But, when Our Lady gave St. Dominic the joyful, sorrowful and glorious mysteries, and people began to meditate on them, thousands of heretics came back to the Church. The Albigensians believed the body was evil and marriage was bad. When Our Lady gave Dominic the mysteries of the Rosary and told him to preach the Rosary, it helped Catholics return to the true teachings of the Church.

The meditations are really the Gospel in miniature because it covers important events often called mysteries in the lives of Jesus and Mary. When we meditate on the sacred mysteries Mary pours many graces and gifts into our soul, through Her prayers and intercession. The mystery becomes present to us. It increases our faith. We become more like Christ. We grow in virtue by meditating on and attempting to imitate the virtue associated with the mystery. God gives us insights into the mystery, which is what Alex Flood said happens when he prays the Rosary. We receive grace into our souls. Our mind is reminded of the truth associated with the mystery. We avoid falling into error because we experience the divine truth. Because the events involve God, they have eternal effects on our soul. St. Louis de Montfort said to pray the Rosary without meditating is like a body without a soul.

Mary treasured all the mysteries in Her Heart. She helps us to meditate on them, so we too can treasure them in our heart. When we gaze upon the mysteries, we are gazing upon them with the eyes of Mary. We begin to love Jesus as Mary loves Jesus. We feel what Jesus feels. We see what Jesus sees. When we are meditating on a mystery of the Rosary, allow the mystery to come alive in your mind. And be there at the mystery and participate in it. For example, when meditating on the Birth of Jesus, allow Mary to hand the baby Jesus to you and you hold Him in your arms. You see His smile and reach out your finger to touch His nose.

Here are some of the many fruits of the Rosary. The Rosary will bring back fallen away Catholics. The Rosary brought me to Confession from being away from it for 20 years (from 3^rd grade until I was 27). I had never seen my parents go to Confession, nor did they ever encourage me to go to Confession. When my grandmother was dying, I promised her I would pray a Rosary for her. Because I hadn’t prayed the Rosary since I was a child, this motivated me to learn how to pray the Rosary. EWTN was very helpful! The sorrowful mysteries convicted me of my sins and how I hurt Jesus, moved me to go to Confession. Then, after hearing about Our Lady’s messages from Medjugorje, I began to pray the Rosary daily, go to Confession monthly, read the Bible everyday, and attend daily Mass.

When we pray the Rosary, Mary will pray for us, now and at the hour of our death, as April Owens testified on behalf of her brother, who received the Last Rites before he died. The Rosary brought her family members back to the Church and her father became Catholic. The Rosary helped a protestant pastor, Alex Flood and his family become Catholic. Little Molly Leonard woke up and began to eat after her parents prayed the Rosary for her. Angie Marlett testifies the Rosary helps her to stay sober from her battle with alcohol addiction.

Jared and Katie testify that due to their daughter, Julian praying for a new baby girl everyday when the family prayed the Rosary together, they conceived, Kaci, a baby girl.

Jared said men are the spiritual leaders of the family and are responsible for daily family prayer. St. Paul said, “Husbands love your wives as Christ loved the Church and was handed over for her, so that she may be a spotless bride.” Jesus laid down his life for His bride the Church and this is what all husbands and fathers are to do. Today, we have a crisis of men, who don’t live up to their Christian role has husband and father. Men are called to guardians, defenders and protectors of their wife and family, like St. Joseph was for the Holy Family. It is the duty of the father, the spiritual leader of the house to lead and encourage his family to pray the Rosary.

Men, take up the sword and fight to spiritually protect your wife and family. What is this sword? Do you remember when Boko Ha-ram kidnapped all those girls in Africa? The bishop of that diocese didn’t know what to do, so he went before Jesus in Eucharistic Adoration and begged the Lord to help him. Jesus came out of the Eucharistic Host, and Our Lord handed the bishop a sword. The bishop was astonished and reached out to take the sword and when he grabbed it, it suddenly turned into a large Rosary. Jesus then said to the Bishop, “Boko Haram is gone. Boko Haram is gone. Boko Haram is gone.” After this experience, the bishop told the people his diocese to pray the Rosary as a weapon against Boko Haram and Boko Haram slowly returned the girls on their own. The Rosary overcame this terrible evil.

St. Padre Pio said, “The Rosary is the weapon for these times. Some people are so foolish that they think they can go through life without the help of the Blessed Mother. Love the Madonna and pray the rosary, for her Rosary is the weapon against the evils of the world today. All graces given by God pass through the Blessed Mother.”

The Rosary has helped win wars. In 1213, the Battle of Muret was won by the Rosary. 800 crusaders were outnumbered by 20,000. Catholics spent the night praying the rosary. In the morning all went to confession and received Holy Communion. During the battle St. Dominic prayed before a statue of Mary in a nearby church. The opposing army indulged in a night of drunkenness and debauchery. The following day, the Catholics won the war.

On October 7 of 1571 was the Battle of Lepanto off the Italian coast. Before the battle, all 81,000 sailors confessed & received Holy Communion. From the Ottoman Empire 274 Muslim ships outnumbered 208 Christian ships. Pope Saint Pius V asked all Catholics to pray the Holy Rosary. On the day of the battle the wind shifted causing the Catholics to handily beat the Muslims saving Europe from an invasion.

Our Lady of Fatima said if people do not cease offending God, a worse war (World War II) will break out. She said Russia will spread her errors causing wars and persecutions of the Church. The good will be martyred; the Holy Father will have much to suffer; various nations will be annihilated. Sister Lucia said Russia’s errors involve atheistic communism. At every apparition of Our Lady of Fatima in 1917, She asked the three children to pray the Rosary.

On August 6, 1945 the first nuclear bomb was detonated over Hiroshima, Japan, killing 140,000 people. Everything within a mile of the blast was annihilated with nothing left standing, no survivors. Yet, just eight blocks from ground zero, there was a two-story house with no damage to it. The community of eight Jesuit priests, who lived there, never suffered any health issues. They prayed the Rosary.

At St. Mark’s parish, they have an ongoing miracle. When WWII started, Msgr. Hackenbroich, the pastor had the parish pray the Rosary, so that all the soldiers would come home after the war. He promised Our Lady that he would build a grotto, if they did. All came home and so the grotto was built. No soldier from St. Mark’s has ever died in World War II, the Korean War, Vietnam war or any war since then.

The Rosary helped convert a satanist, Bartolo Longo. He was raised Catholic, but fell away from the Church and became a satanic priest. He eventually went to Confession, but fell into despair. One day, he heard Friar Alberto say, ‘One who propagates my rosary shall be saved.’ From that moment, Bartolo Longo’s life was consumed with devotion to Our Lady and promoting Her Rosary. He built the world’s largest basilica dedicated to Our Lady of the Rosary in Pompeii, Italy. St. Pope John Paul II added the Luminous mysteries to the Rosary due to St. Bartolo. Today in Rome, Bartolo Longo was canonized by Pope Leo.

Religious orders who pray the Rosary daily have many vocations, and they all wear their habits, including our own Immaculate Heart of Mary Sisters of Wichita, the Dominican Sisters of Nashville, the Poor Clare Nuns of Perpetual Adoration, the Sisters of Life, the Benedictine Sisters of Gower, Missouri, etc…

Fr. Don Calloway, a priest of the Marians of the Immaculate Conception, said if you pray 3 or 4 Rosaries a day, you will break free of impurity & pornography.

The Rosary has even put our fires. On October 9 of 1871, was the great Peshtigo fire in Wisconsin and Michigan, the greatest fire tragedy in US history killing between 1,200-2,400 people. Near Champion, Wisconsin, Sister Adele Briese and her companions processed a statue of Mary, around the grounds, praying the Rosary and singing hymns to Jesus and the Blessed Mother. A rain came and the fire halted at the fence of the land consecrated to the Blessed Virgin Mary, containing the chapel, school and convent.

When I went to Medjugorje for the first time in 1991, there happened to be popular priest from another country in Medjugorje. Two young ladies and I wanted to go to Confession to him. One of the ladies suggested we pray a Rosary, so that the priest will come to hear our confessions. There were about 20 outdoor confessionals. I told them I thought that foolish to pray the Rosary to get a priest to come to us, especially since he was nowhere around. But I relented and we prayed the Rosary. Just as we finished the Hail Holy Queen, the priest goes directly into the Confessional in front of us and we each confessed to him.

In 2005, in our diocese of Wichita, many parishes put in their bulletin a Seven Sorrows Rosary Novena from May 16^th to May 24th to close the abortion clinic on Central. On the last day of the Rosary Novena, May 24^th, the former feast of Our Lady Help of Christians, the abortion clinic was closed.

A few years after I was ordained, a priest, I went to the March for Life in Washington, DC. While vesting for Mass in the crypt church, since I didn’t know any of the priests there, I decided to pray the Rosary with the intention of priests coming to me to go to Confession. After about a decade, a priest came up to me and said, “Father, will you hear my confession?” I said, “Sure!” After he left, I continued saying the Rosary. By the time I finished praying the Rosary, I heard the Confession of three priests, who I had never met before.

In Africa, in 2014, over 10,000 people in western Africa died from the Ebola outbreak. The Bishop of the Diocese of Gbarnga told the people to daily pray the Rosary. One village gathered faithfully everyday to pray the Rosary and not one person died who lived in that village, while hundreds of people died in the surrounding villages.

A sorority girl went to bed praying the Rosary, and when serial killer, Ted Bundy, came to her room, an invisible force caused him to drop the knife and pushed him out of the room. A priest later determined the Rosary saved her life.

Medjugorje apparitions have not been fully approved, but messages now have ecclesiastical approval. In some messages of Our Lady of Medjugorje, She asks families to daily pray the Rosary together. She asked everyone to pray 3 rosaries a day (joyful, sorrowful and glorious mysteries). Here are some quotes, that Our Lady said, “Even the rosary alone can work miracles in the world and in your lives.” “I request the families of the parish to pray the family Rosary.” “Dear children! Little children, pray the Rosary and meditate the mysteries of the Rosary because, in your life, you are also passing through joys and sorrows.”

When I was a child, my mother taught my siblings and I to pray the Rosary kneeling before a statue of the Virgin Mary. I also didn’t know how to read and write, yet I learned to pray the Rosary. I wish we would have continued to pray the Rosary as a family, but we didn’t. It would have helped us through the terrible and sad years that were to follow.

Harrison Butker, the Kansas City Chiefs kicker, states that he and his wife and their small children daily pray the Rosary together, even before the children could read and write. He said they learn quickly and even can pray the Rosary in English and Latin.

Several families today testified how they daily pray the Rosary together, even with small children. It’s never perfect, but if you consistently do it daily, it becomes easier and all begin to expect it as their normal routine.

Children complain and fuss when they are told to do their chores, or their homework or to go bed? So don’t be afraid and don’t expect things to be perfect. It’s part of family life. Don’t give in to something so important as praying the family Rosary everyday.

When a family prays the Rosary together, wonderful things will happen. It helps fathers and sons to reconcile. It removes strife from mothers and daughters. It helps husbands and wives to forgive each other. Removes jealousy from siblings. Takes away competitive aspirations between brothers. It causes conversion away from sin. Daily praying the Rosary as a family, fosters love, peace & unity between family members. The Rosary can help the family to grow by bringing a new child into the world. The daily family Rosary can be the cause of physical, spiritual and emotional healing. Praying the Rosary as a family will prevent divorce and maintain marital faithfulness. Two couples independently told me the same thing. They both said, “When we began to pray the Rosary as a couple, we fell in love with each other.”

Today, many distance themselves from God. Prayer has disappeared in families because parents have no time for their children. Many external influences, TV, social media, sports are oppressing families today and making families distant from God. Our Lady of Medjugorje said social media is like cancer destroying the healthy body of the world.

We work a lot, we are busy. Don’t say you don’t have time to pray the Rosary as a family. Time is not the problem. The problem is love. When someone likes something, they find time for it. When there is love, one always finds time for what one wants to do. With love we are capable of anything.

There is so much pain, suffering, hurt feelings and unforgiveness in families and individuals. Our Lady gives us the Rosary to soothe us, console us, and heal our emotional and spiritual wounds. Through the Rosary, we are safe under Mary’s mantle. We fly to our Mother for refuge. What Mary said to Juan Diego, She says to us today, “Am I not your Mother? Do you need anything more?” “Are you not under the shadow of my protection? Am I not the source of your joy? Are you not in the hollow of my mantle, in the crossing of my arms? Do you need anything more? Let nothing worry you or disturb you.”

When we pray the Rosary as a family, Our heavenly Mother comes to us. She intercedes for us to help us in our family relationships. Our Lady will help you to forgive and to love. Our Lady will help you to be strong in your faith.

When the family is strong, when the family has faith, when the family loves, it builds up society and the world around us, and so there is peace in our hearts, in our families and in the world.

Pope Pius XI said, “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."

Soon we will pray a Family Rosary during the family Holy Hour and at that time you have the opportunity to consecrate your family to the Hearts of Jesus, Mary and Joseph. The word “consecrate” means to set aside for a sacred purpose or to make holy. By consecrating your family the Hearts of Jesus, Mary and Joseph, your family will be protected and set aside to be made holy. Through the consecration, you will allow Jesus, Mary and Joseph to reign over your family and they will help you as a family in all your difficulties. You may wish to consecrate your family regularly, once a month or at least once a year or whenever you have any difficulty.

There are Pledge Forms so you can pledge to daily pray the Rosary as a family. The pledge is a resolution, and is not binding to sin. But, out of love of Jesus, Mary and Joseph, you will resolve to imitate the Holy Family.

Sister Lucia of Fatima once said, “There is no problem, I tell you, no matter how difficult it is, that we cannot resolve by the prayer of the Holy Rosary."

May Our Blessed Mother, Our Lady of the Rosary, Our Lady Queen of Peace inspire families to daily pray the Rosary together, and peace will reign peace in your hearts, in your families and peace in the world.

29th Sunday Rosary & Persevering in Prayer

 

Today’s readings cause us to reflect upon persistent prayer. The story from the book of Exodus, when understood as being symbolic of prayer, shows us that if we keep praying and do not give up, our prayers will be answered. The Israelites battled against the Amalek, who waged war against them. During the battle, when Moses raised his hands, God’s strength and power would be given to the Israelites. But when Moses lowered his hands, the enemy would begin to win. When we raise our hands in prayer, God’s blessings and graces are with us. But when we lower our hands in prayer, because we give up—we lose God’s graces.

This is analogous of praying the Rosary, and so to speak, holding up our hands in prayer for a specific intention.

Some people accuse Catholics of vain repetition when we pray the Rosary, because all they hear are the repeated Hail Marys. But, what they don’t realize is we are meditating on the mystery and when we pray the Hail Marys and Our Fathers we are doing it in love.

Have you ever got tired of telling your spouse, “I love you”? Of course not. So it is with prayer. God never tires of hearing our prayers and we should never tire of praying-- because we love Him, even if we don’t get what we want, when we want it.

God never tires of the angels in heaven repeatedly singing to Him. The book of Revelation describes four living creatures who, day and night, ceaselessly say, "Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty, who was, and is, and is to come." (Revelation 4:8)

Pope John Paul II in his encyclical “Rosary of the Virgin Mary”, said, “The rosary is nothing more than to contemplate with Mary, the face of Christ.” When we pray the Rosary we pray it in two ways. First, we pray with vocal prayers, as we recite the Our Fathers and the Hail Marys. But second, as we pray the vocal prayers, we also meditate on the life of Jesus and Mary in the mysteries we contemplate. For example, if we meditate on the Birth of Jesus praying the Our Father and 10 Hail Marys, we think about His birth in Bethlehem. In our heart--- we see the face of the Infant Jesus, as Mary holds Him in Her arms and lays Him in a manger.

In the first reading, Joshua mowed down Amalek and his army with the edge of the sword because Moses’ hands were lifted in prayer, so as to defeat the enemy.

Today, what is this sword, with regard to prayer? Do you remember when Boko Ha-ram kidnapped all those girls in Africa? The bishop of that diocese didn’t know what to do, so he went before Jesus in Eucharistic Adoration and begged the Lord to help him. Jesus came out of the Eucharistic Host, and Our Lord handed the bishop a sword. The bishop was astonished and reached and took the sword and when he grabbed it, it suddenly turned into a large Rosary. Jesus then said to the Bishop, “Boko Haram is gone. Boko Haram is gone. Boko Haram is gone.” After this experience, the bishop told the people his diocese to pray the Rosary as a weapon against Boko Haram and Boko Haram slowly returned the girls on their own. The Rosary overcame this terrible evil.

St. Padre Pio said, “The Rosary is the weapon for these times. Some people are so foolish that they think they can go through life without the help of the Blessed Mother. Love the Madonna and pray the rosary, for her Rosary is the weapon against the evils of the world today. All graces given by God pass through the Blessed Mother.”

The Rosary has helped win wars. In 1213, the Battle of Muret was won by the Rosary. 800 crusaders were outnumbered by 20,000 heretics. Catholics spent the night praying the rosary. In the morning all went to confession and received Holy Communion. During the battle St. Dominic prayed before a statue of Mary in a nearby church. The opposing army indulged in a night of drunkenness and debauchery. The following day, the Catholics won the war.

On October 7 of 1571 was the Battle of Lepanto off the Italian coast. Before the battle, all 81,000 sailors confessed & received Holy Communion. From the Ottoman Empire 274 Muslim ships outnumbered 208 Christian ships. Pope Saint Pius V asked all Catholics to pray the Holy Rosary. On the day of the battle the wind shifted causing the Catholics to handily beat the Muslims saving Europe from an invasion.

Our Lady of Fatima said if people do not cease offending God, a worse war (World War II) will break out. She said Russia will spread her errors causing wars and persecutions of the Church. The good will be martyred; the Holy Father will have much to suffer; various nations will be annihilated. Sister Lucia said Russia’s errors involve atheistic communism. At every apparition of Our Lady of Fatima in 1917, She asked the three children to pray the Rosary. It is clear to many Communism is spreading throughout the world today including here in our own country. A communist is running for mayor of New York City and many socialist and Marxist politicians have gained office.

On Sunday, in Wichita, the Diocese is holding a Family Rosary Rally at St. Catherine parish at 3pm. Our own Dave and Emily Leonard will speak about how the Rosary helped Molly when she was in the hospital. April Owens will testify how her atheist brother came back to God and received the Last Rites due to the Rosary and how the Rosary caused her mother to go Confession and her father to become Catholic. Kate and Jared Reichenberger will testify that when the family prayed the Rosary every night, their daughter prayed for a baby sister for six years, and how the Rosary helped them conceive their youngest child. Angie Marlett will give witness to how the Rosary keeps her sober from her alcohol addiction. Alex and Erin Flood were Protestants after watching a movie on Fatima, they began to pray the Rosary as a family, which led them to become Catholic.

The Rosary helped convert a satanist, Bartolo Longo. He was raised Catholic, but fell away from the Church and became a satanic priest. He eventually went to Confession, but fell into despair. He said, “I experienced a deep sense of despair and almost committed suicide. Then I heard an echo in my ear of the voice of Friar Alberto repeating the words of the Blessed Virgin Mary: ‘One who propagates my rosary shall be saved.’ Falling to my knees, I exclaimed: ‘If your words are true that he who propagates your rosary will be saved, I shall reach salvation because I shall not leave this earth without propagating your rosary.” From that moment, Bartolo Longo’s life was consumed with devotion to Our Lady and Her Rosary. He began to spread the Rosary wherever he could – preaching missions, giving out rosaries, teaching others to pray it, and encouraging public processions and recitations of the Rosary in areas where the faith had grown cold. He understood the Rosary not only as a private devotion but as a public proclamation of the truths of the Faith. He built the world’s largest basilica dedicated to Our Lady of the Rosary in Pompeii, Italy.

Pope Leo XIII was elected on May 8^th, the anniversary of the feast of Our Lady of Pompeii. Today, by divine providence, the same day as the Family Rosary Rally, Bartolo Longo, was canonized and made a saint by Pope Leo. Saint Bartolo and St. Preca influenced St. Pope John Paul II to add the Luminous mysteries to the Rosary.

There is no better way to be persistent in prayer then by repeatedly praying the Hail Mary while meditating on the mysteries of the Rosary and God will answer our prayer because He loves when we pray with love to His Mother asking Her to pray for us now and at the hour of our death.

Saint Bartolo Longo once said, “Oh, if only I could have an immense voice so as to invite all the sinners of the world to love the Rosary of Mary!”

My friends, what we need to do is pray the Rosary every day with your family and pray it when you make your Holy Hour, for by doing so, we will mow down the enemy, Satan and his evil spirits, by the power of the Holy Rosary. Our country and the world will become free of atheistic communism.

And our country and the world will become free of atheistic communism.