It’s here!  After a year of careful assembly, I’m proud to announce my first-ever, self-published book, “The Rosary for the Rest of Us: A Practical Guide to Our Most Powerful Prayer.”  Inspired by the articles on RosaryMeds, this book should help you get so much more out of your rosary prayers.  Full of meditations, intentions, and illustrations on all 20 mysteries, this book has a little something to boost everyone’s rosary prayers.  This will make the perfect companion to anyone who prays the rosary (or wants to start praying the rosary).  On sale now!

I want to acknowledge and thank everyone who helped make my goal of becoming a published author a reality.  I could not have done this without my editors — Barbara, Linda, Rebecca, Voytek, and Zofia.  Thanks for taking the time to read the book and provide feedback.  I also want to thank Jakub.  Originally, I was going to turn my rosary postings on this site into a pdf file and just distribute it as an ebook through the RosaryMeds website.  It was Jakub who urged me to publish it “for real” and make it available to a wider audience.  And so, now this book is available on Amazon in paperback and will hopefully be on the Kindle soon.

I really don’t know what to expect from this book now that’s its gone live.  Sometimes the delusional side of me envisions interviews on EWTN Catholic radio or the Catholic San Francisco newspaper writing a review on my book.  I would love to be at Mass and see someone with the book tucked under their arm or hear that rosary prayer groups are using it.  More realistically, it would be nice if enough people bought the book to cover operating costs of RosaryMeds.  But honestly, I will be enthused if this book motivates someone to pray the rosary who otherwise would not.  I truly hope that my efforts will bring at least one new person into the world of the rosary.

Just in time for Christmas.  Here are just a few ideas for purchasing “The Rosary for the Rest of Us”:

• Stocking stuffer for someone on your gift list
• Combine it with the purchase of a rosary to create the ultimate rosary prayer kit
• Us it to pad your Amazon order for free shipping

Order it now, either from the CreateSpace eStore or Amazon, to get it by Christmas.

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Technorati Tags: books, christmas, god, jesus, mary, prayer, Praying the Rosary, rosary, RosaryMeds

This website is dedicated to rosary meditation, the Catholic faith, and living a spiritually healthy lifestyle.  Whether you pray regularly or are looking to “jump start” your faith, you’ve come to the right place.  Look around, read my meditations on the mysteries of the rosary and my commentary of Catholic news and events. Hopefully you will find something (even if it is just one small phrase) that inspires you to look at prayer a little differently.

Always feel free to leave comments on the articles or contact me with questions, suggestions, and requests.  If you want to receive email updates when I post new articles (about once a week), then please sign up using the “Recieve Email Updates” box.  If you are a blogger and have content that you think my audience might find interesting, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with me.  Enjoy!

We really do stand at a juncture in the USA.  This is not like previous political fights like raising the debt ceiling or passing a budget.  In those fights, the various sides can make compromises and deals since the issue at hand is usually morally neutral.  But various religions cannot compromise their morality.  Unlike the typical politician that usually bends in whatever direction that will result in reelection, religions just can’t redefine intrinsic evils to make their situation politically convenient.  And it doesn’t matter if Obama gives Catholics one year, ten years, or ten centuries to comply with this mandate.  The Church’s position will be the same because morality is not a democracy.

I encourage you to read these articles and share them.  Sign petitions, make donations, and spread the word as we face this very real assault on our religious liberty.  I wish I had the time to comment on each one of these articles, but there are just too many outlets now covering this story.  Read the articles, read the comments, and pray for the conversion of hearts in our politicians and those who have so much hatred towards the Church.

• The National Catholic Register says we have to do more than pray.
• Recall President Obama’s own words about respecting the conscience of others.
• The bishops’ call to prayer and fasting.
• Read the comments in this article to get a taste of the hatred many still have towards Catholics
• Want to know more about prejudices against Catholics in America?  Read this interesting book.
• To put it bluntly, the Obama administration has said “To Hell with Catholics!“
• But we can win this fight!
• Support those who are fighting this mandate.

Remember the Fourth Joyful Mystery and how Simeon’s patience and endurance eventually paid off when he finally saw the baby Jesus.  He waited in the temple his whole life when others probably told him his mission was pointless and silly.  Pray that we too will show that same level of steadfastness as Simeon in this assault against our cherished values.  Right now we are like Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane in the First Sorrowful Mystery.  I fear that we will have trials ahead.  But like Jesus, we will find strength through God and the Holy Spirit to endure any challenge this world throws at us.

Technorati Tags: catholic, Catholic Church, jesus, National Catholic Register, Obama, United States

Is this the new face of morality?

Remember that laws reflect the morality of a civilization.  If morality played a more important role in peoples’ lives there is no way a law like this would even be considered.  For me, one of the largest problems with this contraception mandate is not that it’s a law, but that the general public doesn’t recognize or care that evil is becoming rooted in our laws.  Any civilization that makes intrinsic evils the cornerstone of its laws cannot thrive or even survive.  I’ve heard the saying, “Satan’s greatest weapon is making people believe he does not exist.”  That saying has never been more true than when intrinsic evils become the law of the land in the land of the free.

I could vent and rant about this topic for a thousand more words and look at it from a variety of angles.  I could dive into how the systematic dismantling of morality has led to a breakdown in all aspects of society whether it be education, economics, medicine, or crime.  But I’m going to leave that to other articles.  I want to focus on the central theme of RosaryMeds — discussing the need for prayer and the rosary.

I prefer his moral guidance

Look at the Fourth Glorious Mystery — Mary’s Assumption into Heaven.  God assumed Mary into Heaven and gave her a special role — bring us closer to her son, Jesus Christ.  Over centuries, she has appeared to many people with many messages.  She asks us to have a strong faith.  In order to have a strong faith, we need to be well versed in the Bible and the teachings of the Catholic Church.  How else are we to love God and do His will if we never learn His will?  How do we know right from wrong if we never study it and then meditate on it?  Part of the reason laws like the contraception mandate pass is in part due to Catholics not taking a true interest in learning and then defending their faith.

I also think we should turn to the Second Joyful Mystery — The Visitation.  Prayer is good and I truly believe it has the power to change the world.  But part of its effectiveness is that we must act on what God gives us through prayer.  Mary didn’t sit on the grace God gave her in the Annunciation, but she went out into the hostile world and shared that grace with her cousin Elizabeth.  And her son, Jesus, didn’t spend all His time in meditation but instead went out in the world and converted people.  His life was a living prayer since all His actions reflected God’s power and glory.  And so, He calls us to also go out into the world, powered by the guidance of the Holy Spirit from our prayers, to convert souls.

Finally, think about the Fifth Joyful Mystery — the finding of Jesus in the Temple.  Mary and Joseph travelled for three days before realizing Jesus was not with them.  And when they did realize He was missing, they searched in sorrow before finding Him.  I believe we are in a world that has gone very far and still hasn’t realized that Jesus is missing in it.  Hopefully, one day soon, we will realize that Jesus is missing and have the courage to turn around and find Him.  Like Mary and Joseph searching for Jesus “in sorrow,” our return to God’s grace and the rebuilding of morality will not be easy.  There will be setbacks.  There will be those who will stand in our way every chance they get.  But we must have the conviction to endure and continue our arduous mission to bring Jesus’ love into this world.

It’s simple physics.  The world will stay on its course unless opposed by an opposite counter action.  It’s not like one day laws will suddenly appear that will magically turn the world into a moral place.  If we want to change the laws, we have to first start by converting souls.  It takes people like you and me, fueled by prayer, to influence others and change this world for the better.  Without moral people speaking up, this world will continue on its course.  And if you think things are bad now, just wait and see where we go if we sit on our hands.  That’s all I can say for now or else my blood pressure will shoot through the roof.  But believe me, I will revisit this topic and do what I can to fight the further legalization of intrinsic evils.

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• Pope Hits Out at Radical Secularism (maboulette.wordpress.com)
• Abp. Dolan: “…the president is saying we have a year to figure out how to violate our consciences.” (insightscoop.typepad.com)
• Why Catholicism is not a Democracy (rosarymeds.com)
• Do you Pray with Purpose? (rosarymeds.com)
• Do You See God’s Gifts? (rosarymeds.com)
• Would Jesus Occupy Wall Street? (rosarymeds.com)
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• Pope to American Bishops: Secularism Threatens Liberty, Church Must Respond (palamas.info)

Technorati Tags: annunciation, Bible, Catholic Church, glorious mysteries, god, Holy Spirit, jesus, Jesus Christ, joyful mysteries, mary, rosary

Morther Teresa isn't the only one called to be holy

At its core, holiness is the recognition that God has set us apart from the rest of His creation for a special purpose.  We are called to imitate God for He is good.  Hence, we are meant to be good.  We must understand that holiness is a cause, not an effect.  It is the root from which all good things flow.  For example, someone is not holy because he does works of charity.  He does works of charity because he is holy.  Notice that holiness is the cause and good works are the effect.  Someone is not holy because she prays.  She prays because she is holy.  Think of holiness as the seed God plants in all of us that enables us to live according to His will.  Without that seed, true good cannot flourish since we do not have that recognition of God in our life.

There are many mysteries of the rosary that refer to our call to live holy lives.  Think about the Third Luminous Mystery — The Proclamation of the Kingdom of Heaven and Jesus’ Call for Conversion.  Being holy means aligning our souls to be more in line with how God calls us.  And that is exactly what Jesus asks of us in this mystery — convert those aspects of your life that are not aligned with God to become more aligned with Him.  In other words, Jesus calls us to become holier.  This is challenging because how many people like to examine their lives, see what is wrong with it, and then resolve to change it?  Most of us would rather just continue living assuming we are holy enough and being any more holy would just cramp our lifestyle.  Being holy means that you also acknowledge that there is more you can do to imitate God’s ways.  When we pray the rosary, challenge yourself to examine those aspects of your life where you are not as holy as you could be and then ask God for more holiness.  I’m sure God will be more than happy to grant more holiness to those who sincerely ask for it.

If you still think holiness is not important, consider this study.  The Barna Group conducted a survey of church-going Christians.  Of those surveyed, 46% said that their lives were largely unchanged from going to church.  Furthermore, the study showed that Catholics felt less positive effects from Mass than Protestants.  This study points to what I said in a previous article — Mass is becoming more of a social gathering rather than an opportunity to connect with God (aka, become holier).  There is saying about exercise and athletics — You only get as much out of it as you put into it.  The same goes with Mass and prayer.  Do so many people get so little from their Mass experience because they aren’t putting much prayer into it?  Do they come to Mass with the intention of asking God for more holiness and how they can convert to live as God calls them?  Or do people put more thought into what they will eat after Mass is over?

Remember, holiness is the root of a spiritually healthy life.  Without holiness, truly good things cannot flourish.  And it will take more than a handful of holy priests, nuns, and saints for goodness to spread across this world.  It takes each and every one of us trying to be as holy as possible.  So the next time you pray and ask God to hear your intentions, make it a point to ask Him for the will and strength to be holier.

Did you find this article interesting?  Support RosaryMeds by buying my book.  Available now on Amazon.

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Technorati Tags: Barna Group, god, Holy Orders, Holy Spirit, jesus, luminous mysteries, Mass (liturgy), new year, prayer, rosary, third luminous mystery

Do you have a plan when you pray the rosary and for incorporating what you learn from prayer in your life?  Do you pray with purpose?  I thought about how I  pray the rosary while thinking about the three magi honoring Jesus in the Epiphany.  The three wise men didn’t just set out into the desert without a plan.  They did not wander aimlessly and happen to come across Jesus by chance.  And it wasn’t by chance that they had gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh on their arrival.  They observed, prepared, and followed the guidance of the Holy Spirit by following the star.  And all their hard work paid off as they were among the first to honor Christ our King and Savior.

Do we show that same level of preparation and intent when we pray the rosary?  Often times we pray the rosary without a lot of intent or purpose.  We just think that if we recite all the Our Fathers and Hail Marys that something good will magically happen to us.  That isn’t prayer.  That is more akin to reciting incantations and spells.  We too should follow some sort of guidance and have a purpose to praying the rosary.  That guidance can come from the divine inspiration from the Holy Spirit or we can get ideas from a prayer-book (hint, hint).  We should lay before God our personal concerns, intentions, sorrows, and thanksgivings while praying.  Say the words to the standard prayers, but back them up with your personal thoughts.  That is what makes prayer meaningful and truly a personal conversation between you and God.  The three magi reached their goal by putting in the effort to follow the star God put before them.  We reach our spiritual goals when we intentionally follow the Holy Spirit in prayer, really concentrate and think about what God tells us, and let Him guide our actions.

And what results from our prayers?  Do we glorify God with love, good works, and avoiding sin?  Or do we offer God lip service in our prayers without any intention of truly living as He calls us?  Do we treat prayer as our license to commit sin?  Do we think we are good and holy people because we pray when our actions might paint a different story?  Imagine if the three wise men did not adequately prepare themselves for meeting Jesus and forgot their gifts or did not give any respect to the baby Jesus.  That would make all their hard work look like a waste of time.  And yet we often do this when we receive Jesus in the Eucharist with sins on our soul or our stubborn pride prevents us from admitting our faults and receiving absolution through the Sacrament of Reconciliation.  Let us not pray in vain by ignoring how God asks us to live.  Rather, take to heart God’s words so that only good will come from your actions.

We should remember to pray the rosary with a purpose.  Prayer is a means of helping us live as one of Jesus’ disciples and isn’t an end in itself.  We should recall the Fifth Luminous Mystery and remember that we should approach Jesus in the Eucharist only when our souls are cleansed of all mortal sin.  We should remember the Second Joyful Mystery and how Mary put God’s grace to work by visiting and helping her cousin Elizabeth.  And we should remember the Fifth Glorious Mystery and how Mary, Queen of Heaven, is there to guide us always closer to Her son, Jesus Christ.  She is our guiding star to God’s heavenly kingdom.  The question is, are we observant, prepared, and have the resolve to follow the path God lays before us like the three magi?

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Technorati Tags: christ, eucharist, god, Hail Mary, Holy Spirit, jesus, mary, rosary

Just what you need, another New Year’s resolution idea right?  That is why I’m not going to suggest that you make a resolution to pray more in 2012.  I’m not suggesting this because I don’t want prayer to join “getting in better shape,” “getting more organized,” and “quitting [insert vice here]” in the pile of resolutions that you will abandon by February.  It almost feels like something labeled a “New Year’s Resolution” is almost guaranteeing it will be forgotten come Martin Luther King Day.  So no, I’m not going to suggest making “more prayer” a New Year’s resolution.

I think many New Year’s resolutions fail because they have no roots in your life.  A New Year’s resolution is like a thin layer of top soil that blows away with the slightest disturbance.  For example, your effort to exercise derails the first time you skip the gym.  Or your effort to lose weight flies out the window at the first social gathering.  The problem often lies in that we are still fundamentally the same person, with the same flaws and weaknesses, on 1/1 as we were on 12/31.  Our lives are not like nutrient-rich soil for our resolutions to take root and fundamentally transform who we are.

How do I transform my life into something better and more fulfilling?  Well, any long time reader of my articles or someone just glancing at the title of my website will know the answer.  Prayer!  Honest, heart-felt prayer (especially the rosary) is one of the key ingredients to transforming yourself into living a better life.  Unlike a resolution that addresses the outer layers of who we are, prayer helps builds and strengthen our foundation making us more receptive to how God calls us to live.  God, through the Holy Spirit, will give us the strength to do what is important, the understanding to ignore what is not so important, and the wisdom to know the difference between the two.

We remember our call to conversion in the Third Luminous Mystery of the rosary — Jesus‘ Proclamation of the Kingdom of Heaven AND the Call to Conversion.  Jesus does not ask us to make a few little tweaks and resolutions in our lives.  He goes much further than that.  Jesus calls us to fundamentally change who we are.  As humans we are fundamentally flawed, first by original sin and then by our weakness of committing other sins.  So there is little wonder why we are subject to fail living God’s will.  But Jesus and His Church teaches that we all have the ability to convert our lives and truly live in God’s grace.  We can do this through prayer and receiving the sacraments, particularly the Sacrament of Reconciliation.  When we focus our lives around prayer our souls become like nutrient-rich soil ready to bare the fruit of God’s grace.  Jesus used this soil analogy throughout His teachings.  In Mark 4:1-20, He talks about seed being scattered on the ground and how only the seed that fell on good soil grew strong.  Ask yourself, is your soul “good soil?”

Again, don’t make prayer a New Year’s resolution.  Make prayer the root of your life’s transformation!  Have the courage to allow God to fundamentally change who you are.  You will like what God can do to you when you let Him into your life and listen to Him in prayer.

Did you enjoy this article?  Support RosaryMeds, buy my new book, and pray harder.  Available now on Amazon.

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Technorati Tags: catholic, god, jesus, new year, new years resolution, prayer, rosary

I just heard an interesting Italian legend about La Befana.  She was a woman (or a witch in some accounts) who was approached by the Three Magi on their journey to see the baby Jesus.  She gave them shelter and food as she was known for being a great hostess.  When the three magi invited her to join them in their travel, she declined saying that she had too much housework to complete.  Later, once she understood the shortsightedness of turning down such an offer, she ran out in search of Jesus; leaving gifts at every house on her way in hope that the Holy Family was in one of them.  And so, on every Feast of the Epiphany, she leaves treats at each house as she still is looking for the baby Jesus.

La Befana was so consumed trying to be the perfect hostess that she lost sight of what was really important.  Instead of taking the opportunity to praise Jesus, she worried that the floors were swept, the fire was warm, and there was food for her visitors.  Ironically, her desire to provide that perfect, welcoming environment ended up excluding her from joining the real celebration in a small, dirty stable in Bethlehem.

Are we like La Befana during Christmas?  Are we so consumed with the physical and commercial aspects of this season that we forget that it’s about glorifying Jesus?  We should remember that all those physical things — having the right outfit, baking the Christmas cookies, buying the perfect gifts, and having matching napkins for all our guests, are not what make for a great Christmas anyway.  It’s about friends, family, and most importantly, our faith.  The real party is not what takes place on the 24th and 25th.  Instead, use Christmas to reflect that God, through Jesus and His Church, calls all of us to one day join the infinitely larger celebration in His Kingdom of Heaven.

The legend of La Befana echos the story of Martha from the Gospel of Luke 10:38-42:

As they continued their journey he entered a village where a woman whose name was Martha welcomed him.  She had a sister named Mary [who] sat beside the Lord at his feet listening to him speak.  Martha, burdened with much serving, came to him and said, “Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me by myself to do the serving? Tell her to help me.” The Lord said to her in reply, “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and worried about many things.  There is need of only one thing. Mary has chosen the better part and it will not be taken from her.”

I don’t think I need to go into too much commentary here as the parallels between Luke’s Gospel and La Befana should be clear.  Again we see Martha so concerned with providing a perfect hosting environment that she misses the opportunity to embrace and rejoice in Jesus’ presence.

I wrote about the “trappings” of Christmas in my article on the Third Joyful Mystery of the rosary — The Nativity.  La Befana trapped herself by her desire for housework and making the perfect home.  We often trap ourselves by thinking of all the physical and social aspects of Christmas while glossing over the spiritual aspects.  I think the word “trap” is appropriate in this case.  All those gifts and ornamental dressings can ensnare and prevent us from receiving a much better Christmas gift — God’s grace.

Challenge yourself this Christmas to fully embrace Christmas Mass and not just think of it as something you have to endure for an hour before the fun begins.  Remember, the best gift you receive for Christmas is the Eucharist during Mass.  That is Jesus, His love, His grace, and His promise for eternal happiness right there in front of you which no physical gift or scrumptious feast can even compare.  As I said in the Fifth Luminous Mystery, don’t receive Jesus so casually when you receive the Eucharist.  Truly embrace the Lord and listen to Him in prayer on how He calls you to live.  Don’t be La Befana and ignore Jesus’ invitation to live for His Kingdom of Heaven.  Don’t regret that you missed an opportunity to fully enjoy the grace God deeply desires for you.  May you have a Merry Christmas by remembering and rejoicing in the gift God gave the world through Mary through the person of Jesus.

Like this article?  Show your support and jump start your prayer life with my new book.  Available now on Amazon!

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Technorati Tags: Befana, christmas, Epiphany, god, Holy Family, jesus, La Befana, mary

Much like how we clean the house for Christmas guests, our souls could use a little house keeping during Advent.  Think about all the time you will spend making everything “just right” for your guests.  But there is one person you should remember on your guest list — Jesus Christ.  As the saying goes, “He’s the reason for the season.”  And Jesus isn’t awed by the size of your outdoor lighting display, how nice the dining room table is set, or any gifts under the tree.  What He would really like to see is a clean soul.  You want to make Jesus’ Christmas?  Think about receiving the Sacrament of Reconciliation.

I’m reminded of the First Luminous Mystery of the rosary — Jesus’ Baptism in the Jordan.  We hear the words of John the Baptist to repent and prepare the way for the Lord.  The whole point of Advent is that it is a time of preparation.  We prepare ourselves to fully celebrate Christmas and receive God‘s grace by receiving the Sacrament of Reconciliation.  I know many of you are probably thinking that going to Confession is real downer and that I mixed up Advent with Lent.  Many of us want to think about “happy things” during the holidays, not confess what we’ve done wrong.  But if you were willing to fight the crowds at midnight on Black Friday, battle for that last parking space at the mall, and wander throughout town to find the last Elmo doll, then Confession will a breaze.  And unlike some cheaply made trinket that will occupy closet space in a few weeks, the gifts from the Holy Spirit received during Confession is something you can keep for a long time.  Through Reconciliation, you have a brand new start in the Lord’s grace which might be the foundation for leading a holy life.  To borrow another common expression, “Today is the first day of the rest of your life.”  So why not start it on the best foot possible?

If you are scared to go to Confession, try picking up a rosary and praying a few decades every day.  Ask the Holy Spirit, Mary, and all the saints for the courage to receive the Sacrament of Reconciliation.  We have a little over three weeks left in Advent.  With a little prayer we can all find that energy to get that one last present on our gift list for Jesus.

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Technorati Tags: advent, Black Friday, christmas, Flickr, Holy Spirit, jesus, Jesus Christ, mary, rosary

You can see this breakdown in just about any Mass in America.  You walk in only to see people sitting in the pews talking to each other.  Throughout the Mass you might hear people whispering to one another (whispering if you’re lucky; talking in almost normal volume if you’re not).  Some priests use their homilies as if they were practicing a stand up comedy routine.  Sometimes the band or choir treat the Mass like a concert.  And many times people clap at the end of Mass.  Each one of these “details” is small and inconsequential.  None of them are heresies. And yet, when put together the Mass quickly breaks down from a sacred conversation with the Lord to just another social gathering.  This is what Pope Benedict warns us about and why he is so fond of preserving all the details of the Mass.

Now picture a church before Mass that is silent.  People come in, kneel, say a small prayer, and meditate before Mass starts.  The priest processes into the church and up to the altar and gives a solemn bow in front of the Blessed Sacrament.  His homily touches on serious issues of Heaven, Hell, sin, etc.  People approach the Body of Christ during Communion by either bowing or kneeling.  And at the end of Mass, people leave quietly so as not to disturb the people who are still praying.  Now in which Mass would one probably have a more constructive conversation with Jesus Christ.  What Mass was more focused on honoring Him?  It is true that Jesus is present in both Masses.  That’s not the question.  The real question is in what setting are you truly present and listening to Him?  Details matter.

Is your Mass like this?

 

 

Or does it feel more like this?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

These details also appear in the rosary.  What makes the rosary so great is that it provides a structured means of communicating with Jesus Christ.  It has those mysteries and prayers for a reason.  Each one draws attention to a certain aspect of our faith.  Praying the rosary is a journey through the entire Gospel.  We reflect on Jesus’ teachings, sufferings, and His ultimate glory.  Like the Mass, the rosary just doesn’t work very well when we don’t focus on the details.  We don’t get much out of the rosary when we pray it on auto-pilot.  I’m sure God appreciates that you at least took the effort to pray, but you are capable of receiving so much more from the rosary with a little more effort.

As an end note, I encourage everyone to read the “General Instruction of the Roman Missal” (GIRM).  See where your parish may be lacking in following these details and respectfully notify the pastor.  Priests probably do forget those details over the years but they might appreciate knowing that it means a lot to people in their parishes if they follow them.  Tell him how you read on some terrific little rosary web site how the Pope calls us all to follow the details of the Mass.
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Technorati Tags: catholic, jesus, pope, prayer, rosary