As we continue through October, rosary month, I want to pass along this article from the Catholic News Agency. Archbishop of Argentina, Jose Luis Mollaghan of Rosario, said that in praying the rosary we “can find a respite for their hurried lives and a source of true peace for every person and family.” I know many of us do not usually think of prayer as a break but only one more obligation or inconvenience in our lives. But as October ends we should make a renewed effort to integrate prayer, especially the rosary, into our daily routine. Not only will it make us more spiritually fit, but it also provides a source of peace.
Image by Quiplash! via Flickr
As we continue through October, rosary month, I want to pass along this article from the Catholic News Agency. Archbishop of Argentina, Jose Luis Mollaghan of Rosario, said that in praying the rosary we “can find a respite for their hurried lives and a source of true peace for every person and family.” I know many of us do not usually think of prayer as a break but only one more obligation or inconvenience in our lives. But as October ends we should make a renewed effort to integrate prayer, especially the rosary, into our daily routine. Not only will it make us more spiritually fit, but it also provides a source of peace.
When we pray we acknowledge that there is something more to our existence that what we see around us. Prayer connects us with something far greater than what we see on television, hear on the radio, and see around us. It offers us comfort knowing that everything in this world will one day end and we can make a new start in God’s kingdom of Heaven. All our suffering, worries, fears, and anxiety will no longer exist one day. Prayer keeps us centered on what’s really important — our eternal souls. Without consistent prayer we can become so consumed by our day-to-day fears and worries that we go into a downward spiral where our happiness is solely determined by the physical world, not God’s grace and love. As October ends, try to make time to pray the rosary so that you can experience a lasting happiness that cannot be sold to you in any shop, advertised on any billboard, nor taken away from you by anyone.
October is Mary’s month and so the Catholic Church is particularly interested in spreading knowledge of the holy rosary. Since this is a Catholic blog site, I want to do my part and share with you some thoughts on the importance and power of the rosary. But why listen to me when you can read about the rosary from people who understand it infinitely better.
Image via Wikipedia
October is Mary’s month and so the Catholic Church is particularly interested in spreading knowledge of the holy rosary. Since this is a Catholic blog site, I want to do my part and share with you some thoughts on the importance and power of the rosary. But why listen to me when you can read about the rosary from people who understand it infinitely better.
On October 6, Pope Benedict, in his general audience, said that the rosary was a “simple but efficient prayer” and “a spiritual weapon for each of us.” Upon reading this I couldn’t help but think of my article on the Hail Mary as our spiritual push up. Like the push up, the rosary is an incredibly simple prayer in its design. However, its simplicity is what makes it so powerful in that anyone can pray it. Since anyone can pray it, anyone can communicate with God and receive His graces.
The rosary is also a weapon in that praying it defends us and others from the evils of satan. Think about it. When you are praying the rosary earnestly, you are communicating with God and not engaging in any sinful behavior even if it is just for a short time. For many, it is about as close to God as we can possibly get throughout the day as we are distracted or busy in so many other ways (work, home, family, friends, etc.). But even a precious few minutes spent praying the rosary can give you enough strength to resist evil and live according to God’s plan for us.
On October 8, Bishop Jorge Luis Lona of San Luis, Argentina praised rosary prayer because of its “repetitive rhythm of praise and supplication, like a sort of spiritual breathing.” This really drives home the idea that praying the rosary gets us into a spiritual state similar to how an athletes “get into the zone” and enter a deeper state of focus and concentration. Breathing is something we do without thinking — it is just something that comes naturally to us. Similarly, once we really dive into praying the rosary regularly, living in a constant state of prayer, like the Good Samaritan, becomes second nature to us. It takes practice to get the most out of the rosary. You may not feel its benefits the first few times you pray it, but every saint in Heaven will tell you just how powerful the rosary is and how it can help bring you into God’s grace.
The bishop went on to say, “God gives us an immense aid. In order to be able to recognize and receive His gifts, He teaches us to practice praise and supplication.” Let’s take the bishop’s words to heart and take advantage of this great tool. We have about half of October left. If you haven’t done so already, give daily rosary prayer a try. Priests, bishops, popes, and saints all say that it is one of our best tools in achieving holiness. How many other endorsements do you need?
On his visit to Palermo, Sicily, Pope Benedict and 30,000 others prayed to the Virgin Mary for strength and support. The Catholic News Agency followed the story: He asked Our Lady to give people “courage in trials, hope in difficulties and renewed impetus to do good.”
Image by AndrewEick via Flickr
On his visit to Palermo, Sicily, PopeBenedict and 30,000 others prayed to the Virgin Mary for strength and support. The Catholic News Agency followed the story:
He asked Our Lady to give people “courage in trials, hope in difficulties and renewed impetus to do good.”
I find the Pope’s use of the word “trial” interesting given Mary’s September message at Medjugorje. In the September 2 message She offers Her assistance in our trials in life. We should all be mindful that Mary and the saints’ greatest desire is for us to live in God’s grace and eventually in His kingdom of Heaven. All we have to do is have the courage to ask for their help and the will to follow it.
Pope Benedict also mentioned Anna Maria Adorni and her devotion to praying the holy Catholic rosary and called us to remember that October is Mary’s month:
The Holy Father prayed that the “daily meditation of the mysteries of Christ in union with Mary, the ‘praying Virgin’, might fortify us all in faith, hope and charity.”
In the spirit of Mary’s month, try to make it priority to pray the rosary every day. Even if you cannot pray an entire mystery, try to set aside five minutes to pray a decade. When our eternal souls are at stake, is five minutes too much to set aside for God?
Read this article, “Ten Facts Most Catholics Don’t Know (But Should!).” There is some pretty interesting (although heated at times) debate in the article’s comments. This article reminds me of something I said in a previous article on Lent that to succeed in our endeavours (sports, business, personal faith, etc.) you need to understand the rules of the game. Enjoy!
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I read this story on Catholic Exchange and then heard an interview on ETWN radio by the author, Gary Zimak. Gary was a “Mass once a week only” Catholic before he had some medical difficulties. That was a turning point in his life where he decided to learn more about the Catholic faith and educate others. He’s not a priest and does not hold a theology degree. He is just someone who got really excited about learning and teaching the faith. Wanting to explore my faith and share it with others was one of the main reasons why I started rosaryMeds. So Gary’s story really hit home. Maybe one of these days EWTN will interview me about rosaryMeds!
Read his article, “Ten Facts Most Catholics Don’t Know (But Should!).” Also, there is some pretty interesting (although heated at times) debate in the article’s comments. This article reminds me of something I said in a previous article on Lent that to succeed in our endeavours (sports, business, personal faith, etc.) you need to understand the rules of the game. Enjoy!
Thursday, April 1 is the feast day of St. Mary of Egypt. I came across her story of forgiveness and redemption on EWTN News and thought I would share it with you since it ties in so nicely with many mysteries of the rosary. Mary of Egypt was born in 344 A.D. and worked as a prostitute for 17 years. She joined a pilgrimage to Jerusalem so that she could sell her services to those travelling to venerate the relic of the True Cross. Upon arriving at the church where she intended to lead many into sin, a mysterious force prevented her from entering with the other pilgrims. After trying several times she gave up, went into a small courtyard, and began to cry in remorse. Upon seeing a statue of the Virgin Mary, she prayed for permission to enter the church promising to give up her sinful ways. Mary granted her permission. Changed by the experience and touched by God’s mercy Mary of Egypt lived as a hermit in the desert for 47 years.
Image by Wolfgang Staudt via Flickr
Thursday, April 1 is the feast day of St. Mary of Egypt. I came across her story of forgiveness and redemption on EWTN News and thought I would share it with you since it ties in so nicely with many mysteries of the rosary. Mary of Egypt was born in 344 A.D. and worked as a prostitute for 17 years. She joined a pilgrimage to Jerusalem so that she could sell her services to those travelling to venerate the relic of the True Cross. Upon arriving at the church where she intended to lead many into sin, a mysterious force prevented her from entering with the other pilgrims. After trying several times she gave up, went into a small courtyard, and began to cry in remorse. Upon seeing a statue of the Virgin Mary, she prayed for permission to enter the church promising to give up her sinful ways. Mary granted her permission. Changed by the experience and touched by God‘s mercy Mary of Egypt lived as a hermit in the desert for 47 years.
I find this story inspiring in this last week of Lent. As I said in my earlier post about Holy Week, it is not how you start but how you finish that counts. We see this theme played out in Jesus‘ parable of the workers. Each worker received the same wage regardless of when they started working. Similarly, we all receive the same grace no matter what time in our lives we start to follow Jesus. Or look at the parable of the Prodigal Son. He left his family and squandered his inheritance. And yet his father welcomed him back with open arms. And even a prostitute of 17 years not only found redemption, but was ultimately exalted by becoming a saint.
So you haven’t been as vigilant as you would have liked for Lent. Maybe you didn’t abstain from meat on Fridays, fast, or keep your Lenten sacrifice. But if Mary of Egypt’s example is any indication, there is always time to turn around and embrace the way of our Lord.
Mary of Egypt’s story fits into many mysteries of the rosary. Here are some meditation ideas the next time you pray the rosary:
The First Joyful Mystery — Like the Virgin Mary, think about how God is calling you in your life. And like Mary of Egypt, God often calls those who seem the most unlikely and unworthy. Maybe sometimes you feel like someone undeserving of God’s grace. But He calls you all the same. You just have to have the courage to say yes to God’s plan for you.
The Fifth Joyful Mystery — I talk about how it is never too late to look for God in your life. Mary and Joseph could not find Jesus for three days. Mary of Egypt “lost” Jesus for 17 years as a prostitute. And yet she found her way back, received forgiveness, and lived in God’s grace.
The First Luminous Mystery — John the Baptist called all of us to repent and make way for the Lord. That is exactly what Mary of Egypt did. It is no coincidence that after being allowed into the Church, Mary of Egypt travelled to Jordan and received communion at a church dedicated to St. John the Baptist. Her healing and coming back to God started by renouncing sin, receiving forgiveness, and making room in her life for God.
The Second Luminous Mystery — At the wedding at Cana, Mary instructed the servants to do whatever Jesus asked of them. Mary of Egypt also did whatever Jesus asked of her which meant living out her life alone in prayer. That could not have been an easy life. But it shows that when we put our faith in God, miracles do happen. What miracle did the Lord give Mary of Egypt? The gift of grace and the solitude for her to fully embrace it.
Mary of Egypt’s story relates to many more lessons in the mysteries of the rosary such as doing God’s will, receiving forgiveness, and never giving up on God who never gives up on us. Remember, it’s not how you start, but how you end that counts! And I hope you all have a wonderful and blessed Easter.
This website is dedicated to rosary meditations, 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 hopefully you will find something (even if it is just one small phrase) that inspires you to look at prayer a little differently.
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!
December 11 came and went and I didn’t even realize that it was the one year anniversary of RosaryMeds going live. I’ve had a great time writing posts, reading your comments, and learning how to run an online blog site. Most importantly, writing articles about the rosary and the Catholic Church made me set aside time in my week to just think about my faith. Like I’ve said before, how can you love your faith if you don’t take the time to understand it?
December 11 came and went and I didn’t even realize that it was the one year anniversary of RosaryMeds going live. I’ve had a great time writing posts, reading your comments, and learning how to run an online blog site. Most importantly, writing articles about the rosary and the Catholic Church made me set aside time in my week to just think about my faith. Like I’ve said before, how can you love your faith if you don’t take the time to understand it?
As RosaryMeds now enters its second year I have a few goals. First, I definitely need to finish writing meditations on all the mysteries of the rosary. I then need to compile that into some sort of ebook download. I don’t have many plans after that except the usual blogging goals (more visitors, more discussion in the articles’ comments section, etc.). And that is where you, the reader, come in. Please let me know if there are topics that you think would be really interesting for me to discuss or ways that I can improve the site.
And now some statistics from the first year:
59 articles
52 comments
2,736 unique visitors
6,236 pages viewed at an average time of 1.88 minutes/page
Visitors came from 83 different countries speaking 39 languages
The most popular Google search term that brought people to RosaryMeds: “luminous mysteries meditation”
Thank you for visiting this site. Thank you for telling other people about this site. Thank you for visiting my advertisers. Here’s to another great year of RosaryMeds! Happy Praying.
I read this article on the Catholic News Agency today and thought it was worth sharing. Fr. Robert J. Spitzer, S.J, PhD is a philosopher and physicist who says that the more we learn about our universe, the more it points to the idea that it must have a creator.
Image by gari.baldi via Flickr
I read this article on the Catholic News Agency today and thought it was worth sharing. Fr. Robert J. Spitzer, S.J, PhD is a philosopher and physicist who says that the more we learn about our universe, the more it points to the idea that it must have a creator.
Here is a snippet from the article explaining the theory of of “singularities”:
“Every single Big Bang model shows the existence of what scientists call a ‘singularity,’ and the existence of each singularity demands the existence of an external ‘element’ to the universe,” Fr. Spitzer said.
The priest physicist then proceeded to explain the different, complex versions of the various Bing Bang theories.
He quoted Roger Penrose, the world-famous English mathematician and physicist, who corrected some of the theories of his friend and colleague Stephen Hawkins to conclude that every Big Bang theory, including the one known as Quantum theory, confirms the existence of singularities. Therefore, said Spitzer, the need to find an explanation to the universe’s existence drives us to seek “a force that is previous and independent from the universe.”
Fr. Spitzer also quoted the 2003 experiments by three leading cosmologists, Arvin Borde, Alan Guth, and Alexander Vilenkin, who were able to prove that any universe which has, on average, been expanding throughout its history cannot be infinite in the past but must have a past space-time boundary.
“The concept at this point is clear: nothing is nothing, and from nothing, nothing comes, since nothing is… nothing!” Fr. Spitzer said, to explain the fact that contemporary astrophysics demands “something with sufficient power to bring the universe into existence.”
“It sounds like a theological argument, but is really a scientific conclusion.
“There is no way to ignore the fact that it demands the existence of a singularity and therefore of a Creator outside space and time,” he added.
According to Fr. Spitzer, “this theory has become so scientifically solid, that 50% of astrophysicists are “coming out of the closet” an accepting a metaphysical conclusion: the need of a Creator.”
Personally, I’ve always seen it as very logical that something must have existed outside of the universe and created the dense matter that would later become the Big Bang. Read the full here.
Along with the rewards and benefits that come with membership in the Catholic Church comes duties, obligations, and even sacrifices. This article on the Catholic News Agency discusses how the secretary of the Congregation for Catholic Education, Archbishop Jean-Louis Brugues, says that modern society has lost the ideas of duty and sacrifice. I see the theme of duty represented in the Fifth Sorrowful Mystery and the importance of sacrifice shown in the Third Luminous Mystery. We should meditate on these mysteries for the strength and courage to do all that God asks of us.
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Along with the rewards and benefits that come with membership in the Catholic Church come duties, obligations, and even sacrifices. This article on the Catholic News Agency discusses how the secretary of the Congregation for Catholic Education, Archbishop Jean-Louis Brugues, says that modern society has lost the ideas of duty and sacrifice. I see the theme of duty represented in the Fifth Sorrowful Mystery and the importance of sacrifice shown in the Third Luminous Mystery. We should meditate on these mysteries for the strength and courage to do all that God asks of us.
Through His death, Jesus showed us that we all have a duty to live and defend our faith. As I said in my Crucifixion meditation, I feel that Jesus’ crucifixion is the ultimate example that we are all called to follow God’s plan even in the face of great difficulty. It is our duty, as Catholics, to remain faithful no matter the earthly consequences our faith might bring. I see so many instances where peoples’ duty to the Catholic faith stops as soon as it comes in conflict with their personal views, beliefs, or lifestyle. However, the Church always reminds us that we have an obligation to put God first in our lives. And while that can cause great hardship in this life, God rewards our dedication with everlasting life in His kingdom.
The Third Luminous Mystery, The Proclamation of the Kingdom of Heaven and the Call to Conversion, outlines the need for sacrifice. I typically see sacrifice in terms of fasting. However, I often wonder what difference it makes whether I fast or not. After all, am I a better person because I skip a dessert or give up drinking soda? Do my prayers carry any more weight because I didn’t eat meat on a Friday? When put into the context of the Third Luminous Mystery, sacrifice and fasting make more sense. In his book, “Fasting,” Fr. Slavko Barbaric explains the sacrifice of fasting as “a call for conversion directed to our body… by which we become free from and independent of all material things.” Notice how he echos the idea of sacrifice being a tool for conversion. When we fast and sacrifice, we detach ourselves from the fleeting pleasures of this world and open ourselves to the much greater gift of God’s grace. In other words, God is no more receptive to us because we fast (after all, He is already infinitely receptive to everyone) but we become more receptive to God.
Our duty as Catholics to live a life of sacrifice will not be easy. However, Archbishop Jean-Louis Brugues is very direct when he says, “God’s plan cannot be fulfilled except through sacrifice.” In other words, sacrifice is not something optional for Catholics nor is it something we should only think about during holy seasons like Lent. Yes, our faith can present challenges. But what challenge can be so great that it is not worth the promise of God’s Heavenly kingdom?
Here’s a little snippet from the movie, “Rocky Balboa” where Rocky explains to his son that winning means being able to make sacrifices and endure life’s challenges. Think about this philosophy in terms of your faith. Are you a fighter or are you letting life’s hardships keep you down? Do you have the conviction to really live for God’s kingdom by always striving to do God’s will even in the face of great difficulty?
PS: “Fasting” is out of print, but it is worth picking up a used copy. It is only 47 pages (large type), but it is a great introduction on the importance of fasting.
I’m going to diverge a little from my usual posts and talk about a topic that combines charity, investing, and entrepreneurship. I’m going to talk about Kiva. Kiva is a website that allows you to give small loans to people, typically who live in poor areas of the world. Kiva describes itself as the world’s first person-to-person micro-lending website, empowering individuals to lend directly to unique entrepreneurs around the globe. Its mission is to help alleviate poverty.
Image via CrunchBase
I’m going to diverge a little from my usual posts and talk about a topic that combines charity, investing, and entrepreneurship. I’m going to talk about Kiva. Kiva is a website that allows you to give small loans to people, typically to those who live in poor areas of the world. Kiva describes itself as the world’s first person-to-person micro-lending website, empowering individuals to lend directly to unique entrepreneurs around the globe. Its mission is to help alleviate poverty.
I discovered Kiva by accident. I received a gift certificate for it as an award at work. At first I was a little disappointed because previous award winners received items like a new iPod. And who doesn’t like receiving a shiny, new gadget? Not knowing anything about Kiva, I felt like someone had made a donation to charity in my name. That would have been fine and I would have been quite happy if that had been the case. But there was still that little, materialistic part of me that really wanted the cool gizmo. But that was before I learned what Kiva was all about.
Kiva is not a charity in the way you traditionally think of one. You do not just write a check that goes into a large pool of money to be handed out or used for administrative costs. Instead, you are contributing directly to individuals who are trying to improve their lives and the lives of their families. You are not giving people a handout, rather you are loaning them money so they can do something constructive with it. The whole concept reminds me of the saying, “Give a man a fish and you will feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and you will feed him for a lifetime.” Kiva is the opportunity to “teach people to fish” since they are using this money to build a business, get an education, or improve their situation some other way. It feels great knowing that there is a specific person, with specific goals, who is helped by a small contribution. It is amazing how we have the power to transform lives for the cost of a book or DVD.
You do not earn interest from your loans on Kiva. But you do get your principle investment back and can loan it to others (Kiva has a 98% repayment rate). And that is the most amazing aspect of the whole operation — you have the ability to perpetually help many people for years with a very small initial investment. Think of it like this — a one-time donation of $100 to a typical charity is spent once and is gone. However, putting that same $100 into a Kiva account has the potential to help people achieve their dreams indefinitely. How often can you say that $25 (the minimum loan amount) transformed people’s lives by allowing someone to fix his taxi, grow fruit to sell at a market, and build a home? Those are just some real examples of how my loans were utilized.
It is rare in this world that so little can go such a long way. I’m reminded about the story of Jesus multiplying the fish and bread to feed the masses (John 6). At first no one would have thought that a young boy’s meager offer of a few loaves and some fish would be enough to satisfy so many people. But through the power of Jesus Christ, the boy’s sacrifice did produce enough to feed everyone. In a similar vein, a seemingly small contribution to Kiva can go a long way in helping those who are trying to help themselves. So whose behavior do you want to imitate? Do you want to act like the apostles and doubt that a small contribution might do any good? Or do you want to be like the boy and offer what you can and see miracles happen?
PS: I do not work for Kiva or benefit personally in any way from it. I just think it is something everyone should know about.
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