All Saints Day

All Saints Day

Heaven is populated with uncanonized holy men and women known to God alone

Martyrs were so revered in the early Church that their places and dates of death were sanctified by the candles, prayers, and votive offerings of the faithful grateful for their witness. So many were the martyrs, though, that by the early fourth-century it became impossible to solemnize each individually on the Church’s crowded calendar. There thus arose, over centuries, and in different ways in different regions, the custom of commemorating the memory of all the holy ones on one specific day of the year. By the early eighth-century, a Feast of All Saints was celebrated in Rome on November 1. The Feast was extended to the entire Church in the next century.

The universal sanctoral calendar of the Catholic Church is like a saint’s All-Star team. Only the most talented make the cut. There are many more canonized saints besides those on the universal calendar. Some saints are commemorated only locally or regionally, others are historically obscure, and still others did not give a sufficiently universal witness to merit inclusion on the Church’s universal calendar. The Church defines a saint as a soul enjoying the Beatific Vision in heaven. So, besides the famous saints found on the universal calendar and the lesser-known saints not on that calendar, there are still many more souls in heaven not officially recognized as saints at all. These are the saints we celebrate in a particular way today.

The Solemnity of All Saints commemorates all those holy men, women, children, martyrs, confessors and unknown others who lived lives of such holiness that upon death they either entered directly into God’s presence in heaven or duly purified their soul of every imperfection in purgatory before then advancing into His presence. All-Star saints such as Saint Augustine and Saint Francis of Assisi stand shoulder to shoulder in heaven with forgotten grandmas, quiet uncles, and unknown martyrs. These unrecognized but holy souls did not convert entire tribes, found religious communities, or have their bones crushed by the jaws of lions in the arena. Maybe they just kept their mouth shut when they had just the right words to humiliate a family member. Magnanimity. Perhaps they cooked dinner night after night for their family out of a sense of duty, while they gazed out the kitchen window, dreaming of another life far away doing greater deeds. Humility. Or maybe they refused to cooperate with an immoral boss and lost their job, never to recover financially, their dreams ruined for a principled stance. Fortitude.

The dense population of heaven is unknown to us on earth, but not to God, the audience of One we should most desire to please. There are as many pathways to God as there are people, since God wants to make a project of each and every one of us. All the saints lived heroic lives in their own unique ways. Some were the steeple to the village, seen by all and inspiring others to greatness. But most saints had lower profiles. They were more like the squat stone blocks forming the church’s foundation, silently holding up the entire structure. They received little notice or credit despite buttressing the entire building. Without their support the church, and all of its flash, would collapse. Today we commemorate those silent and sturdy ones who, without cease and without complaint, buttressed the family, the marriage, the parish, the Church, the community, the faith. Among the communion of saints are some few illustrious citizens whose virtues sparkle on their special days. But today we honor, remember, and seek to imitate that broader population of heaven never raised to the public altars but who offered their lives in quiet ways to God. They received the Body of Christ and lived His teachings in an exemplary manner in season and out of season until all seasons converged and God called them back to Himself.

All holy men and women, so close to us yet still so far, gather our prayers to yourselves and intercede in heaven on our behalf. May our holy desires be accomplished through that chorus of prayers you constantly present to the Father surrounded by all His angels in heaven.

Ten Commandments of Intercession

Ten Commandments of Intercession

Intercession may be the ultimate ministry in God's plan of salvation. Jesus forever lives to make intercession for us (Heb 7:25). He lived a simple life in Nazareth for thirty years and had a public ministry for three years. And now He has been interceding for us for almost two thousand years. That may tell us something of the inestimable importance of intercession.

The Church teaches that the intercession of the saints in heaven is "their most exalted service to God's plan" (Catechism of the Catholic Church [CCC], 2683) — no matter how great was their work on earth. St. Dominic taught on his death bed: "Do not weep, for I shall be more useful to you after my death and I shall help you then more effectively than during my life" (CCC, 956).

One of many kinds of prayer is the prayer of petition. Intercession is a form of petition (CCC, 2634). It is petitioning God in the place of another person (see Ez 22:30, 13:5; Ps 106:23; CCC, 2741). Intercession implies that a person is unable or unwilling to petition God on his own behalf (Rm 8:26) and that the Lord sometimes permits us to substitute for others in prayer. Because God has given us authority (Gn 1:28) that He will not usurp, and because He will not usually impose His blessings on us, intercession makes a great difference. We don't receive because we don't ask (Jas 4:3). Intercession often is the difference between life and death, war and peace, healing or sickness, success or failure.

Protestants, Catholics, evangelicals, and charismatics all agree that intercession is God's urgent call to His people at this moment in history. Some maintain that Jesus' mother Mary has been repeatedly sent during this century to encourage us to intercede. We may be on the threshold of a golden age of intercession. Let us intercede to the maximum.

THE TEN COMMANDMENTS OF INTERCESSION

1. "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, with all thy soul, and with all thy strength" (Dt 6:5, our translation).
2. Thou shalt have God choose each member of an intercessory prayer group.
3. Thou shalt not intercede without first hearing God.
4. Thou shalt be as specific as possible.
5. Thou shalt have expectant faith.
6. Thou shalt love thy enemies.
7. Thou shalt expect spiritual warfare.
8. Thou shalt commit thyself to intercede for a set period of time.
9. Thou shalt change thy life-style.
10. Thou shalt not be too rigid about some of these guidelines.

THE FIRST COMMANDMENT

"Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, with all thy soul, and with all thy strength" (Dt 6:5; Mt 22:37; Mk 12:30; Lk 10:27; our translation).

Intercession is not a matter of saying the right words but of having the right heart. If we love the Lord with all our heart, we have the right heart.

Furthermore, if Jesus is our Lord, we can hear Him (Jn 8:47; 18:37). The Lord will baptize us in the Holy Spirit (Mk 1:8), Who will teach us everything, remind us, and guide us to all truth (Jn 14:26; 16:13). Under Jesus' lordship, Jesus either originates every event or makes all things work together for the good of those who love Him (Rm 8:28). Under these circumstances, every happening, phone call, meeting, or conversation is a call to intercede. Under Jesus' lordship, His callings to intercede are self-evident.

THE SECOND COMMANDMENT

Thou shalt have God choose each member of an intercessory prayer group.

We want to motivate you to set up an intercessory prayer group. A good intercessory prayer group can be more used of God than some governments, corporations, or churches. An intercessory prayer group can direct the course of world events, prevent wars, change elections, and transform the world. Because intercessory prayer groups can be extremely powerful, they are a great threat to the devil, who will try to hinder their development. Therefore, we must have God form the group by handpicking each participant. Although all Christians are called to intercede, not all are called to be members of any intercessory prayer group. The group is usually small. Unity in this group is crucial so that the participants will be of one mind (Mt 18:19). The Lord often limits the number of participants in any intercessory prayer group, as He decreased the number of soldiers in Gideon's army (Jgs 7:4) and put the people out of the room before raising Jairus' daughter (Mk 5:40). However, there should be enough people in the group so as to have several gifts of the Spirit active in the group.

THE THIRD COMMANDMENT

Thou shalt not intercede without first hearing God.

When we petition God, we do not inform or persuade Him. He already knows what we need (Mt 6:8, 32), and He loves us much more than we love ourselves. When we intercede, it is God Who persuades and informs us. We're not putting words in His mouth; He's putting them in ours.

To help you hear God, begin an intercessory prayer time with praise. Pray in the Spirit. As you pray in another language, God may give you His word for your intercession. Fix your eyes on the Lord and let Him clear the air of your own preoccupations. Be slow to speak but quick to hear (Jas 1:19). "Where words are many, sin is not wanting; but he who restrains his lips does well" (Prv 10:19). Don't be afraid to be quiet or even bored. Occasionally, you may not intercede at all because you do not know God's will. Let the Lord speak to you through His word and seek prophecy above all else (see 1 Cor 14:1). Intercession is lip-reading Jesus, the great Intercessor and eternal High Priest. (See our pamphlet, Hearing God.)

THE FOURTH COMMANDMENT

Thou shalt be as specific as possible.

It is often good to write down our intercessions. This may force us to be more specific. We should keep asking God questions about our prayer intention in order to get all the specifics He wants to reveal. For example, it's usually not wise merely to pray for God to "bless" someone. Specifically, what blessing does God want to give at this time? We should not pray for people in general, but for certain people. If God tells us, we should mention the people by name. Let's not pray for intercessions to be fulfilled "in God's time," but let's find out what God's time is. "Will not God then do justice to His chosen who call out to Him day and night? Will He delay long over them, do your suppose?" (Lk 18:7) Often God does not want us to pray generically for "His will to be done." Let's ask Him what His will is, and then pray for that. If we're too lazy or spiritually deaf to find out God's will, we should not try to live with this or adapt our prayer to this situation by praying in generalities. We should challenge ourselves to grow in hearing God. This is His will for us. For example, a good intercessory prayer may be: "I intercede for Sally to forgive Tom for what he did last Monday. Lord, may Sally repent and forgive before 3 PM this afternoon." Of course, sometimes we don't know the details of our intercessory prayer because God isn't telling us. It isn't because we're not listening. However, most of the time we can be more specific.

Many times our intercessions are so general there is no way to recognize the answer to our prayer. Especially at the early stages of intercessory ministry, it is important to see the connection between our intercessions and the unfolding of events.

THE FIFTH COMMANDMENT

Thou shalt have expectant faith.

Intercessors need the spiritual gift of faith to move mountains (1 Cor 12:9; Mt 17:20). When some use the term "expectant faith," they often just mean better faith or a faith one step up from doubt. By "expectant faith," we mean international, world-vision faith. "The intercession of Christians recognizes no boundaries: 'for all men, for kings and all who are in high positions' for persecutors, for the salvation of those who reject the Gospel' " (CCC, 2636). Intercessory prayer groups should expect to deal in international affairs, affect the election of world leaders, and affect the course of world events. After interceding for John's mother-in-law and the car to be repaired, it is not unusual for us to be led by the Lord from the local to the international. Intercessory prayer groups can be called to intercede for China, the Muslim nations, Russia, the World Bank, etc. Just think: possibly two elderly ladies sitting in the back of a church in Iowa may be "calling the shots" for world affairs. "God chose those whom the world considers absurd to shame the wise; He singled out the weak of this world to shame the strong" (1 Cor 1:27).

THE SIXTH COMMANDMENT

Thou shalt love thy enemies.

Although we need faith to intercede, love may be even more important. When we intercede, we take another person's place. Sometimes people don't take their own places in prayer because we all have our human limitations. At other times, we sin and are unfaithful in our prayer responsibilities. Intercessors fill the gap (Ez 22:30) and suffer because of others' weaknesses or sinful lack of responsibility. Intercessors naturally get tired of doing other people's jobs. We have enough to do without having to make up for others' lack of prayer. Intercessors are often unjustly burdened. Consequently, there's a fine line between interceding and cursing the persons for whom we're interceding (Nm 11:14; Jer 15:11, 15). Those for whom we intercede can easily become our enemies. We take their places but are usually not appreciated. Sometimes we are even persecuted by the persons whose burdens we carry in intercession. To be great intercessors, we must love our enemies, or we will refuse some of our most important intercessory opportunities. "In intercession he who prays looks 'not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others,' even to the point of praying for those who do him harm" (CCC, 2635).

THE SEVENTH COMMANDMENT

Thou shalt expect spiritual warfare.

Because intercession is so powerful and of international and eternal significance, it is a tremendous threat to the devil. The devil will even contest your reading of this teaching. Only by God's grace have you been able to read this far. Great intercessors need some kind of intercessory prayer group not only for the power that comes with the use of more spiritual gifts, but also for protection from the evil one. An intercessory prayer group is a major offensive against the evil one. We must be ready to fight, rally the troops, and not be foolish enough to go it alone.

Furthermore, we must repent of sin so as not to give the devil an opportunity to infiltrate our lives and sabotage the movement of the Spirit in our intercession. We owe it to God, ourselves, the body of Christ, and those who will be affected by our intercession to go to Confession at least monthly. Because of our sinfulness, we will have casualties in the ministry of intercession, but these will be minimized by Christian community life and repentance from sin.

THE EIGHTH COMMANDMENT

Thou shalt commit thyself to intercede for a set period of time.

Because intercession often entails heavy-duty spiritual warfare, we will feel like quitting. This will prevent us from fully devoting ourselves to the work of intercession. Furthermore, it sometimes takes years for an intercessory prayer group to grow in unity, prophecy, and faith so as to be a world- force. In the military, soldiers usually commit themselves for four years. Intercessory prayer warriors need to commit themselves for a set time to an intercessory prayer group. We're not fit for the kingdom if we keep looking back after having put our hand to the plow of intercession (Lk 9:62).

In addition to long-term commitment, intercessors need to specify certain times each day for intercession. Traditionally, morning and evening have been used as special intercessory times. We intercede repeatedly throughout the day and even during the night, but we need set aside certain times to focus on intercessory needs.

THE NINTH COMMANDMENT

Thou shalt change thy life-style.

Intercession involves work, pain, and spiritual warfare. It is not an avocation but a vocation. Intercessors are "on call" twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week, with no retirement. Because of these demands, intercessors find they have to simplify their life-style (see 1 Pt 2:11), crucify their flesh with its passions and desires (Gal 5:24), and follow the Spirit's lead in opposing the flesh (Gal 5:17).

The life-style of a widow seems to be especially appropriate for the intercessory ministry (1 Tm 5:5). Also, those homebound, sick, or elderly often have a good opportunity to devote themselves to intercession. Jobs which include mundane tasks (e.g., factory work or truck driving) often leave workers free to intercede. Intercession is such an important ministry that some choose to be celibate or to take a lower paying job to have a life-style more appropriate to their ministry of intercession. Whether a person is willing to make life-style decisions often makes the difference between a mediocre or a great intercessory ministry.

THE TENTH COMMANDMENT

Thou shalt not be too rigid about some of these guidelines.

What we have shared in this pamphlet is based on the Holy Spirit's wisdom expressed in God's word. It is confirmed by the experiences of many intercessors. Therefore, we ask you to take seriously these "ten commandments." However, while some of these guidelines are absolute (e.g., the first and sixth commandments), others admit of exceptions. For example, sometimes God calls for general prayers, spiritual warfare is not so intense, or a fast-talker is a good intercessor. However, these are exceptions. Let the Holy Spirit be your Guide (Jn 16:13). "The Spirit too helps us in our weakness, for we do not know how to pray as we ought; but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us" (Rm 8:26).

CONCLUSION

Jesus said: "I solemnly assure you, the man who has faith in Me will do the works I do, and greater far than these. Why? Because I go to the Father, and whatever you ask in My name I will do" (Jn 14:12-13). Evagrius Ponticus has taught: "Do not be troubled if you do not immediately receive from God what you ask Him; for He desires to do something even greater for you" (CCC, 2737). One of our greatest privileges and responsibilities is to share in Jesus' intercessory ministry. In this write-up we seek to motivate all believers to intercede to the maximum. We encourage the formation of intercessory prayer groups, and we wish to help such groups persevere in intercession until Jesus' final coming. Finally, ask God for permission to intercede that this write-up bear a hundredfold harvest.

(First published on June 8, 2002 by Presentation Ministries)

THE SECRET OF THE ROSARY

 THE SECRET OF THE ROSARY

"When the designated time had come, God sent forth His Son born of a woman." —Galatians 4:4

THE HOLY SPIRIT, THE ROSARY, AND HARD TIMES

As we come closer to the end of the world, the emergence of the antichrist, and the mass apostasy (2 Thes 2:3), we urgently need the Spirit to guide us to the truth of the rosary (see Jn 16:13). The Lord is calling us to rediscover why He gave us the rosary as a form of prayer. After developing for centuries, the rosary was given through Mary to Dominic when he was fighting a losing battle against the Albigensian heresy, which denied that Jesus came in the flesh. This is the spirit of the antichrist (1 Jn 4:2-3). Dominic did not know how to pray as he ought, so the Spirit helped him in his weakness by giving him the rosary (Rm 8:26). And, as Dominic prayed the rosary, an impossible victory was won. We likewise need to claim by prayer a victory which seems impossible.

THE ROSARY, PROPHECY, AND THE BIBLE

Throughout the centuries, Jesus' disciples have asked the Master to teach them to pray (Lk 11:1). Many people have maintained they had received prophecies or revelations from the Spirit about how to pray. Many of these experiences are authentic, and many are not. We must not despise prophecy (1 Thes 5:20), while at the same time we must test the spirit of the prophets (1 Jn 4:1). The revelation of the rosary is possibly one of the most tested in history.

The rosary is of the Spirit because it is Biblical. The "Our Father" and the "Glory Be," as well as half of the "Hail Mary," are straight from the Bible. When we pray the rosary, we are for the most part repeating God's word. The rosary also has a special relationship to the Psalms. The full rosary is 150 "Hail Marys" representing the 150 psalms. Also, the fifteen mysteries that we reflect on during the rosary are either taken from or based on the Scriptures. Because the rosary is a Biblical prayer in thought, history, and word, we have good reason to discern that it is of the Spirit.

THE FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT (Galatians 5:22-23)

"You can tell a tree by its fruit" (Mt 12:33), and the fruit for those praying the rosary has been exceptional, especially for families. I grew up praying the family rosary nightly, and I can testify that "the family that prays together stays together." The rosary is a means of inestimable blessings for a family. Pope Paul VI and Pope John Paul II affirm, "There is no doubt that ... the rosary should be considered as one of the best and most efficacious prayers in common that the Christian family is invited to recite" (The Role of the Christian Family in the Modern World, #61).

The rosary has also been a way of praying for victory (Lepanto), evangelization (Guadalupe), healing (Lourdes), and peace (Fatima). In effect, the rosary is part of the Spirit renewing the face of the earth.

I had largely given up praying the rosary in my mid-twenties. I thought I was too sophisticated for such a simple prayer. But as soon as I was "renewed in the Spirit," I was inspired by the Spirit to return to praying the rosary. The first time I ever prayed in tongues was during the praying of the rosary. Also, one of the greatest evangelistic explosions I have ever seen began with a rosary march. The rosary in my experience has borne the fruit of the Spirit.

THE SECRET OF THE ROSARY

When I share these experiences, some people are skeptical, because for them the rosary has not been so Spirit-filled. Possibly, they don't know the secret of praying the rosary. They know the wording and order of the prayers, but they may not know how to pray the rosary in the freedom of the Spirit. The rosary is especially for simple, childlike, and creative people. The rosary was originally a poor, illiterate man's way of praying the 150 psalms. He substituted part of Luke 1 for each psalm and in this way prayed the psalms in Spirit, even if he couldn't read. Then he got his hands into the action by carving out some wooden beads, stringing them together, and fingering the beads. Consequently, the rosary is a "hands on" prayer rather than just a "head trip".

But even so, the Spirit did teach those praying the rosary to reflect on "mysteries" from the Scriptures, in addition to repeating verses from the Bible and praying with their hands. However, this was also done creatively in the Spirit. For centuries there were many different mysteries to pray and, even though the mysteries are standardized today, there's no reason why we must limit ourselves to these. We should feel free to pray "new" mysteries.

Furthermore, when we pray individually, we need not always pray ten "Hail Marys" every "decade". We should begin with the "Our Father" and then pray as the Spirit leads. So a "decade" could be five, nine, twelve, or fifteen "Hail Marys." When the Spirit calls us to move on, we should thank the Lord for what He's doing with a concluding "Glory Be" and begin another "decade".

The Lord blesses Spirit-led creativity in praying the rosary. We see this in innovations such as adding the prayer: "O my Jesus, forgive us..." We also see the Lord working through the rosary of Jesus, the Franciscan rosary, the Scriptural rosary, and the rosary in which we add intercessory prayers before each decade or even before each bead. Also there are many chaplets, which are shortened variations of the rosary.

We may be called not only to be creative in how we pray the rosary but also in where we pray. The rosary is a perfect prayer not so much for the church as for the streets. Despite noise and traffic, the rosary is a way to pray together with others. The streets are where the Holy Spirit sent the church. We should be out in "the highways and byways," leading people to Christ (Lk 14:23). We are called to put our faith on the lampstand (Lk 8:16) by publicly witnessing to the truth and waging spiritual warfare against abortion, pornography, perversions, and injustices of all kinds. For example, some of the greatest rosaries I have ever prayed have been before an abortion chamber where I've seen the Lord save babies' lives.

These examples indicate that the Lord blesses us when we pray the rosary in the creative freedom of the Spirit. Openness to the Spirit is the secret to deep and powerful prayer, including praying the rosary.

THE ROSARY, COMMUNICATION, AND LOVE

In conclusion, the purpose of any prayer, including the rosary, is to extend our communication with God so as to grow in His love. We talk to God in our own words but what we want to express is often beyond words. So we look for a way to extend our power to communicate. We sing, clap, shout, and gesture. But still our power to communicate is inadequate to express our love for the Lord. We receive the gift of praying in tongues (1 Cor 12:10), but still we need more. The rosary gives us one more form of communication with the Lord.

Thank You, Holy Spirit, for teaching us to pray, giving us freedom and creativity, extending our power to communicate with the Lord, and revealing to us the secret of the rosary.

 

(Taken from Presentation Ministries)

14 Questions on Forgiveness

 

14 Questions on Forgiveness

1) What is forgiveness?

Forgiveness is our decision to accept God's grace to let go of the hurt due to sins committed against us and to express this by acts of mercy and love toward the offender (see Lk 15:20-24).

"Forgiveness is the restoration of freedom to oneself. It is the key held in our own hand to our prison cell" (Pope John Paul II).

2) How often must I forgive?

70 x 7, that is, indefinitely, always (see Mt 18:22).

3) Are there any sins committed against me which I don't have to forgive?

No. The Lord calls us to forgive all sins — even rape, murder, abuse, adultery, etc. We never have the occasion to forgive others for their character, attitude, or motives. We are not to judge these things.

4) When I forgive, am I condoning sin?

No, the Lord forgives all our sins and condones none of them (see Jn 8:11).

5) Must I forgive if the person offending me isn't sorry?

Yes, for-giveness is before-giveness — to give pardon before asked forgiveness or even if never asked forgiveness.

6) Must I forgive if a person continues to hurt me?

Yes. While hanging on the cross, Jesus forgave His enemies even as they continued to spit at Him and blaspheme Him (see Lk 23:34).

7) If I forgive a person, do I stay in an abusive situation?

No. You free yourself to obey God and remove yourself from an abusive situation until it is changed. If you do not forgive, you will often enable others' irresponsible behavior by becoming co-dependent.

8) How do I forgive?

None of us can forgive by our own power. "To err is human, to forgive divine," and we are not divine. However, the Lord promised us His divine power to forgive. Therefore, forgiveness is our decision to accept God's grace to forgive.

9) What if I don't want to forgive?

We should pray and ask the Lord to change our hearts.

10) How quickly must I forgive?

Immediately (Mt 5:25). We're in a self-made jail and at a stand-still in our relationship with God until we forgive.

11) What if I forgive and not forget?

Forgetting offenses against us does not mean we have amnesia but that there is no special sting in us when we remember offenses. If it hurts us to remember offenses against us, either we need healing or have not truly forgiven.

12) How do I forgive myself?

The Bible does not speak of our forgiving ourselves. Not forgiving ourselves is a symptom which will take care of itself if we truly forgive others and receive prayers for healing.

13) What if I don't forgive?

1. We "give the devil a chance to work on" us (see Eph 4:27).

2. We are handed over to the torturers (Mt 18:34). These torturers are such things as fear, loneliness, depression, frustration, anxiety, and self-hatred.

3. We cut ourselves off from receiving forgiveness (Mt 6:12, 15), healing (Sir 28:3), prayer (Mk 11:25), worship (Mt 5:23-24), and Christian community.

4. We lose our appetite for prayer, the Scriptures, the Mass, and Christian fellowship. We become spiritually anorexic.

5. If we persist in unforgiveness, we cut ourselves off from God forever and thereby damn ourselves.

14) How do I know if I have forgiven?

Forgiveness is not a feeling but a decision. Moreover, forgiveness is not only praying for those who have hurt us or treating them politely. We know if we have made the decision to forgive when we show it in acts of love and mercy to those who have offended us. For example, the father of the prodigal son threw his arms around his son, kissed him, gave him gifts, honored him, and celebrated his return (Lk 15:20-24). By God's grace, we must go and do likewise. Even if the persons we need to forgive have died, we should give love and mercy to their family members.

Right now, decide to accept God's grace to forgive all who have sinned against you in any way. Say: "By God's grace, I decide to forgive ___ for ___." Fill in the blanks and repeat this statement until you have forgiven everyone who has ever offended you. Then thank Jesus forever for the miracle of forgiveness.

(Taken from Presentation Ministries)

Worried about your children? Place them under the protection of St. Joseph with this prayer

Worried about your children? Place them under the protection of St. Joseph with this prayer

St. Joseph knew well the worries and anxieties of being a parent and is known as a powerful intercessor for parents.

While being a parent has its many joys, it also has its many crosses. One of them is being constantly worried about your children, especially when they grow up and are no longer under your direct care and influence. It can be a stressful situation, but one that can be eased with faith and trust in God.

St. Joseph, foster-father of Jesus, similarly knew the anxieties of parenthood. He did not always fully understand his son and the mission for which he came to earth. Joseph simply had to trust that all would be well.

For these reasons many parents have turned to St. Joseph over the centuries and ask for his special protection over their children. He is known to be a powerful intercessor and can ensure that God will hear the cry of any parent who calls out in faith. Below is one such prayer that will consecrate your children to St. Joseph and entrust them to his loving care.

O glorious St. Joseph, to you God committed the care of His only begotten Son amid the many dangers of this world. We come to you and ask you to take under your special protection the children God has given us. Through holy baptism they became children of God and members of His holy Church. We consecrate them to you today, that through this consecration they may become your foster children. Guard them, guide their steps in life, form their hearts after the hearts of Jesus and Mary.

St. Joseph, who felt the tribulation and worry of a parent when the child Jesus was lost, protect our dear children for time and eternity. May you be their father and counsellor. Let them, like Jesus, grow in age as well as in wisdom and grace before God and men. Preserve them from the corruption of his world, and give us the grace one day to be united with them in Heaven forever. Amen.

By Philip Kosloski - first published on 05/01/19

Want to Change Your Life? Go to Mary

Want to Change Your Life? Go to Mary

True stories of hearts changed and guided through Marian devotion and how the Blessed Mother is the builder of better lives.

When Thomas Hogan was growing up in Newport, New Hampshire, his family prayed the Rosary together every night. But then came “a stretch when I was not practicing my faith, and it was the Rosary that was the biggest thing I wanted to get away from,” he said. He didn’t know why he avoided it, yet during that same time in high school, he made his Marian consecration “kind of begrudgingly” because his godmother asked him to. He knew it would make her and his mother, Catherine, happy. “My mom told me after I made it, ‘You may not have taken your consecration seriously, but Our Lady did.’”

Two years later, in the living room, Hogan accidently knocked over his mother’s statue of Our Lady of Lourdes. “When I picked up the broken statue,” he remembers distinctly, “I heard a voice very clearly in my heart say, ‘This is what you’re doing to me by running away.’ That was a very powerful and eye-opening moment for me. My mom looked at me and said, ‘I told you Our Lady took you seriously.’”

That wake-up call prompted Hogan to renew his praying of the Rosary and return to the faith — and like many other Catholics, it helped him discover the deep riches found in the Church’s Marian devotions.

Today, the 21-year-old is part of the Marian Missionaries of Divine Mercy started by Marian Father Michael Gaitley and has completed his first year at Northeast Catholic College in Warner, New Hampshire, where he continues to spread Marian devotion.

Today, he says, he doesn’t know what “I would do in my life without the Blessed Mother.”

 

Deeper Devotion

In the Detroit area, Patty Breen remembers how her mother always prayed the Memorare while driving the children to school, but not until after college did “Our Lady become a real person to me,” she said. 

Then this past Lent changed her life,  after deciding to make praying the Rosary daily her Lenten penance. Breen continues to pray the daily Rosary — and the Memorare, too. 

“It’s becoming more a pattern for me to pray the Rosary,” she explained. “There’s peace and comfort in it.” In turning to Mary, she’s learned to “let go and give over things that I was worried about or not in control of. For me, it’s something really powerful.”

Father Donald Calloway of the Marians of the Immaculate Conception and author of several books on Mary, understands well why and how Marian devotion changes lives: “Because she’s our spiritual mother, she wants all of us to resemble her firstborn Son. We are supposed to be her spiritual children. She really brings a person to a deeper intimacy with Jesus because of her incredible knowledge of him. The more Marian a person is, the more they’re going to be in love with Jesus.”

Our Lady does that in many ways, but the centuries-old tried-and-true way is though her Rosary. In nearly every approved Marian apparition, Our Lady has consistently asked the faithful to pray the Rosary.

“The Rosary is a very concrete way of spending time with Mary every day and drawing closer to Christ,” said Father Calloway. “It’s going to change your life, and that’s what Mary wants.”

 

Mother-Daughter Relationship

As a cradle Catholic child with a strong personality, Jeannie Ewing had the impression Mary was “a lofty, distant, figure … hard to understand and relate to.” She was taught Our Lady “was always this meek figure, quiet because she was so humble,” she recalled. “At that point I really struggled how to understand she was my spiritual mother.”

Fast-forward to married life with husband Ben. Of their four children, the middle child, Sarah, was born with a rare condition that has required several surgeries.

And Mary guides the family through every challenge. 

As Jeannie shared, “I was really struggling to find my way as a mother. I felt everything completely turned upside down in my life. Everything I thought I knew about God and life was gone. I was in a dark place. But when I found my way to Mary, subtlety and gradually coming into her arms, I found I could talk to her like I talk to my earthly mother. I pleaded with her, cried to her. ... That was the turning point in my relationship with the Blessed Mother that has grown over the past five years.”

After moving to northern Indiana, the family enthroned the united hearts of Jesus and Mary in their new home. “I started to talk to our Blessed Mother and meditate on the Sorrowful Mysteries and the Seven Sorrows and her life more deeply,” Jeannie said. The Memorare and other Marian prayers have also become Ewing household staples.

Next, Jeannie started asking Mary to help her to better understand her role as a wife “and how can I be my husband’s partner and encourage him in leading our home spiritually.”

At night she and Ben pray together, too. “The Blessed Mother’s presence in our home and family has kept us together and turning to Jesus in times of desperation,” Jeannie admits. The Blessed Mother has brought “so much healing and peace to our relationship and helped heal my relationship with my earthly mother.”

And Jeannine said the “fruits of this devotion to the Blessed Mother” are also evident in how she and Ben collaborated on the book Parenting With the Beatitudes: Eight Holy Habits for Daily Living (TAN Books), incorporating the Blessed Mother and St. Joseph with each beatitude.

 

Enstrusted to Our Lady

Mary has been a mainstay for Ryan and Marianna Williams, too. Ryan proposed to Marianna at the Seminary of the Immaculate Conception in the Diocese of Rockville Center, New York, when he was academic dean there; they married at the altar of the Immaculate Conception in St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome; they consecrated themselves to Our Lady early in their marriage; and their first of four children was born on Our Lady’s birthday.

Last year, when Ryan was laid off, Marianna prayed for Mary to intercede as Ryan sought a new endeavor “which would bring him light.” Mary surely did.

The family is now heading to Ontario, Canada’s Our Lady Seat of Wisdom College, where Ryan has been named the school’s new president. It’s a big move from Texas, but they are confident in Mary’s care, says Marianna: “She gives us that confidence when we start to be a little nervous and anxious. She gives me confidence and peace.”

“We trust in our Blessed Mother,” she added. “We give her our joys, sufferings, every decision — everything. We want to do what Our Lord wants us to do.”

Ryan emphasized: “The closer we come to her, the readier we are to say Yes,” even though we do “not understand how it’s going to work out,” he said. “She’s helped us through struggles. Every time we resolve a problem it’s because we placed it in her hands. It’s a beautiful family experience, the more we focus on devotion in our family to her. Friendship and devotion to her has no downside. When you speak with her, she will speak with her Son. We can’t image our life without having devoted ourselves to her.”

Added Ryan, “There’s no way to go wrong with her.”

Taken from National Catholic Register written by Joseph Pronechen

Joseph Pronechen is a staff writer with the National Catholic Register since 2005 and before that a regular correspondent for the paper. His articles have appeared in a number of national publications including Columbia magazine, Soul, Faith and Family, Catholic Digest, Catholic Exchange, and Marian Helper. His religion features have also appeared in Fairfield County Catholic and in major newspapers. He is the author of Fruits of Fatima — Century of Signs and Wonders. He holds a graduate degree and formerly taught English and courses in film study that he developed at a Catholic high school in Connecticut. Joseph and his wife Mary reside on the East Coast.

Understanding the Bible

The Bible is all around us. People hear Scripture readings in church. We have Good Samaritan (Luke 10) laws, welcome home the Prodigal Son (Luke 15), and look for the Promised Land (Exodus 3, Hebrews 11). Some biblical passages have become popular maxims, such as "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you (Matthew 7:12)," "Thou shalt not steal (Exodus 20:15), and "love thy neighbor" (Matthew 22:39).

Today's Catholic is called to take an intelligent, spiritual approach to the bible.
Listed here are 10 points for fruitful Scripture reading.

1. 1. Bible reading is for Catholics. The Church encourages Catholics to make reading the Bible part of their daily prayer lives. Reading these inspired words, people grow deeper in their relationship with God and come to understand their place in the community God has called them to in himself.

1. 2. Prayer is the beginning and the end. Reading the Bible is not like reading a novel or a history book. It should begin with a prayer asking the Holy Spirit to open our hearts and minds to the Word of God. Scripture reading should end with a prayer that this Word will bear fruit in our lives, helping us to become holier and more faithful people.

1. 3. Get the whole story! When selecting a Bible, look for a Catholic edition. A Catholic edition will include the Church's complete list of sacred books along with introductions and notes for understanding the text. A Catholic edition will have an imprimatur notice on the back of the title page. An imprimatur indicates that the book is free of errors in Catholic doctrine.

1. 4. The Bible isn't a book. It's a library. The Bible is a collection of 73 books written over the course of many centuries. The books include royal history, prophecy, poetry, challenging letters to struggling new faith communities, and believers' accounts of the preaching and passion of Jesus. Knowing the genre of the book you are reading will help you understand the literary tools the author is using and the meaning the author is trying to convey.

1. 5. Know what the Bible is – and what it isn't. The Bible is the story of God's relationship with the people he has called to himself. It is not intended to be read as history text, a science book, or a political manifesto. In the Bible, God teaches us the truths that we need for the sake of our salvation.

1. 6. The sum is greater than the parts. Read the Bible in context. What happens before and after – even in other books – helps us to understand the true meaning of the text.

1. 7. The Old relates to the New. The Old Testament and the New Testament shed light on each other. While we read the Old Testament in light of the death and resurrection of Jesus, it has its own value as well. Together, these testaments help us to understand God's plan for human beings.

1. 8. You do not read alone. By reading and reflecting on Sacred Scripture, Catholics join those faithful men and women who have taken God's Word to heart and put it into practice in their lives. We read the Bible within the tradition of the Church to benefit from the holiness and wisdom of all the faithful.

1. 9. What is God saying to me? The Bible is not addressed only to long-dead people in a faraway land. It is addressed to each of us in our own unique situations. When we read, we need to understand what the text says and how the faithful have understood its meaning in the past. In light of this understanding, we then ask: What is God saying to me?

1. 10. Reading isn't enough. If Scripture remains just words on a page, our work is not done. We need to meditate on the message and put it into action in our lives. Only then can the word be "living and effective."(Hebrews 4:12).

1. (By Mary Elizabeth Sperry, Associate Director for Utilization of the New American Bible).

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