Archive for January, 2014
Weekly News Flash from the Universal Living Rosary Association of Saint Philomena – Wednesday January 15, 2014
Friday, January 17th, 2014Weekly News Flash from the Universal Living Rosary Association of Saint Philomena – Wednesday January 8, 2014
Friday, January 17th, 2014Weekly News Flash from the Universal Living Rosary Association of Saint Philomena – Happy and Holy New Year 2014!
Friday, January 17th, 2014Weekly News Flash from the Universal Living Rosary Association of Saint Philomena, Wednesday, December 18, 2013
Friday, January 17th, 2014PATHWAYS TO PEACE (By Most Rev. Luis Martinez) ![]() In all my doubts, perplexities and temptations, JESUS, HELP ME! In hours of loneliness, weariness and trials, JESUS, HELP ME! When I feel impatient, and my cross irritates me, JESUS, HELP ME! When others fail me, and Thy Grace alone can assist me, JESUS, HELP ME! When I throw myself on Thy tender Love as a Father and Savior, JESUS, HELP ME! The Angels, while announcing to the world the unique and incomparable joy of the Birth of Jesus Christ, made two promises – one for Heaven, the other for earth: For Heaven, the Glory of God; for earth, Peace to MEN of GOOD WILL. These two promises embrace and sum up the whole work of Jesus Christ in this world. PEACE is what Jesus Christ brought from Heaven. It is HIS Gift, the Gift of God; a Gift so beautiful, so profound, so efficacious that we shall never be able to fully comprehend it. If we but realized what peace is! If we but understood all the treasures Our Lord has placed in it! Peace is the resume, the crowning and the synthesis of all graces and all heavenly blessings. Peace is the Seal of Christ! The life of the Church is nothing else but the same Canticle of Bethlehem: “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth, Peace to Men of Good Will.” The Church has done nothing else, nor does it intend to do anything else, nor has it any other mission than to give glory to God and peace to men of good will. It is God’s Peace, a Peace which the world can neither give nor understand. The world falsifies everything: it falsifies happiness into something artificial and grotesque; it falsifies wisdom casting into darkness those who would believe; it falsifies love giving this sacred name to brutal passion and egoism. The world, the child of Satan, the father of lies, is essentially a liar, falsifying everything. But, there is something it cannot falsify: PEACE. The world cannot give peace because it is something DIVINE. The world, today, tries mightily to do away with PEACE by crushing all religion and all belief in Jesus Christ as the Son of God: God Himself, the Second Person of the Most Blessed Trinity. The Peace which Our Blessed Lord gives us is Profound! It is not superficial or purely exterior like the peace that reigns in sepulchres – solitude, emptiness and desolation. God’s Peace touches the depth of our hearts; it is something that pervades us like an exquisite, penetrating perfume – reaching to the very depth of our soul and spirit. It is plentitude, IT IS LIFE! It is indestructible. Nothing and no one can deprive a soul of this gift which it has received from God. Neither the persecutions of tyrants, nor the assaults of the demon, nor all the vicissitudes of earth can trouble a heart in which God has established His Peace. On the eve of His Passion, Our Lord told His Apostles that He would give them His Joy: “and your joy, no man shall take from you.” The very same may be said of God’s Peace. Men may deprive us of everything, but the Peace of Christ can still reign in our hearts despite all miseries, sadness and bitterness of life. The Peace of Christ is full of sweetness and tenderness. It is the mark of a Christian and the Seal of Jesus Christ.
We, Christians, have a right to suffer, to be afflicted, to be persecuted; but we have no right to lose our peace. Where there is God, there is peace and we bear God within our hearts. Neither life nor death, nor the powers of Heaven or those of hell, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, can tear from our hearts this God whom we possess; then, why is not our entire life embalmed with His Peace? Nothing is so necessary as to discover the secret of peace. Peace is not a thing to be sought after with lukewarmness and negligence, but with ardor and with solicitude. We should constantly seek peace. To lose our peace and live in a state of inquietude is a great evil! Affliction, YES! Pain, YES! Desolation, YES! But, inquietude and anxiety, NO! A THOUSAND TIMES, NO! All our inquietudes have their origin in ignorance, selfishness or want of confidence in God. |
|
![]() Good morning to you, Sr. Patti, and team. I greet you all in the Holy Name of Our Almighty God and Creator! It’s been a while now since I wrote to you due to some internet problems. I can’t stop thanking Our Mother Mary and Her beloved daughter St. Philomena, you and the team for everything that we receive from the Centre: all the powerful prayer cards, DVDs, Rosaries, Scapulars, Medals, and posters. I have also received materials from Sr. Margaret Mary Uutoni as you can see in the picture. Since I joined the ULRA group, it’s been such a pleasure for me to share with all my friends and family about the Living Rosary, St. Philomena and Ven. Pauline Jaricot. This year, so many miracles have happened to me whereby I developed a desire of giving back to Our Heavenly Father, an unforgettable thanks to Our Mother for Her Son’s Mercy and Graces. The Holy Spirit helped me so much to go on a missionary trip. I decided to take my yearly leave of two weeks to visit three Parishes: Holy Trinity Parish in Karasburg, Mater Dolorosa Parish in Aroab and my birth town Most Holy Name of Jesus Parish, Gibeon in the Southern Africa. I started to prepare the program which I would use at all three Parishes. I made copies of prayers and posters for each Parish, and compiled a prayer book with Novenas, Litanies, Chaplets and some information. After I finished, I contacted our director, Sr. Uutoni who gave me the contact phone number of Bishop Phillip Pollitzer, OMI, from the Keetmanshoop Diocese to present the program. I informed him that I would visit those Parishes since he gave his permission. He was very happy about it. It was a blessed journey down to the South. St. Philomena and our finance lady, Ven. Pauline, took care of my transportation, accommodation and food. The group in Keetmanshoop is already growing. I lost my camera in the photo shop but found it the next day just before my travel to Gibeon, which is my birth place. I was so proud and happy that I could share the Universal Living Rosary Association with the adults and school mates who were attending the talk. The next morning, I had to travel back and stayed in Windhoek. It so happened I could visit my old Primary School principal and his wife. The house assistant called me to visit them because both of them had pain in their legs. I managed to visit them. We prayed together and I applied St. Philomena’s oil on them. While I was there, I received a call to visit a young girl who had knots in both her breasts after giving birth. I gave her some oil and a Rosary, and I told her to pray the Rosary and apply the oil with deep faith and told her that she would be healed if she really believes. After two weeks, I received a call from the girl’s aunty saying that Natasha is healed. I was very happy after my mission. The ULRA group has grown slowly but surely. Fr. Joseph from another small town, Luderitz, in the South, heard that I was there, so he invited me to visit them. I said “YES” with a big smile and happiness, praying that I will save some souls. Thanks to Our Immaculate Heart of Mary! I traveled on 15th November to meet with them on the 17th. We are assured of your prayers and thank you and your team in advance. Sr. Patti, I will attach some pictures of the places I visit. Therefore, I promise that my missionary trips will carry on till I cover all the parishes in the South. I am looking forward for that big box as I am planning with God’s Grace for the first Annual Conference next year in September. Thank you and your team for the hard work, patience, love and care to make sure everyone gets something. May God bless you abundantly! We deeply appreciated it from our hearts. Keep up the good work! Regards, lots of love and prayers, |
|
Dear Patti,
I am really happy that two boxes reached me safe. Rosaries and other religious books are very much appreciated. We launched a mission of making good and quality Scapulars and this has become a reality. Here are our promoters, they sacrifice their food even for the mission. We are reaching out to so many and we are indeed happy. Your toils and sac-rifices are bearing fruits here. May God be blessed every where forever. The names of the promoters sent by you reached me today by post. Among them Msgr. Ruban and Mrs. Muriel have gone to their eternal rest. Please pray for them. Please don’t send any one any sacramental as some freely distribute and others sell, but ULRA doesn’t grow. Please forward their requests and addresses to us we will find out their need and real situation and do the needful. Many thanks! May Almighty God bless you + the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit! Fr. Andrew |
|
Weekly Newsletter from the Universal Living Rosary Association of Saint Philomena, Wednesday, December 11, 2013
Friday, January 17th, 2014Weekly News Flash from the Universal Living Rosary Association of Saint Philomena, Wednesday, December 4, 2013
Friday, January 17th, 2014![]() During this season of Advent, we wait and watch and pray. From the beginning to end, our lives are one of ceaseless combat. Our mission during our earthly sojourn is to become saints. This is an awesome challenge which we cannot achieve without God’s help. We need not go in search of great penances or accomplish feats of strength or valor, nor is there need to use instruments of discipline, make long pilgrimages or wear a hair-shirt. Our daily life produces ample opportunity for penances. We must generously live life as God has planned it for us with great love! We must make the “FIAT” of Mary our own fiat to all that God asks of us. If we embrace our crosses with great love, they will take wings that will carry us aloft! Love of the Eucharist, Love of Souls and Love of Immolation: These will be our wings! Christ is born poor, tiny and helpless, clothed in the garment of our fallen nature. He spent 30 years obedient to Jesus and Mary. No one has ever been more human than Jesus. Think of His compassion for the sick, suffering, poor, sad and feeble. He seemed unable to resist sorrow. All who came to Him were healed. Jesus came to wipe away tears, ease the wounds of souls, and lighten the crosses which we all must bear. He was crucified for us so that His Eucharistic Heart might reign. We fail to appreciate Jesus in the Holy Eucharist because our faith is weak and a ‘burning love’ is lacking in us. The Holy Sacrifice of the Mass is a daily Christmas. The crib is the altar, the hands of Our Lady, the hands of the priest. The altar is Calvary. The altar is Mount Tabor. There is no miracle that can possibly be compared with the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. Jesus remains in the Tabernacle as in the prison of Caiaphas, crowned with the thorns of sacrilege, loneliness, desertion, treacheries and hate. Yet, He will ever continue to be our Prisoner of Love! The harvest is great and the laborers are few. It is a tremendous and sweet duty to love God and love our neighbor. We have a serious obligation of bringing souls to Christ. In His Wisdom, Our Lord permitted that there would be rich and poor, in order to save the rich by obliging them to be generous and charitable to the poor. Those who are rich in grace must liberally share with the many who are suffering from want of spiritual light and help. Everyone is called to be an apostle, most especially those who are suffering, carrying heavy crosses, and who are poor, weak and alone. Fastened with Christ to the Cross of suffering, we can convert sinners, purify, make reparation and save the souls of our children, our spouse and our parents. Those who suffer are the favorites of Christ, for their hidden martyrdom of love is the greatest apostolate! We must never be discouraged. Difficulties are indispensable to divine works. Our confidence must be placed in God, not in ourselves. We must become men and women of prayer. Through the Eucharist, our lives will be transformed into a radiating power and our homes into a tabernacle of peace and of Christian happiness. May the Kingdom of Christ come within us and through us, to the world! May we shake off the shroud of indifference and coldness, a sin which pierces the Heart of our Savior! The more true love for Mary progresses and intensifies, the brighter will glow the Eucharistic flame. Devotion to Mary and love of the Tabernacle are one and the same. Love of Mary is the best preparation for the Triumph of the Eucharistic Heart of Jesus. Let us ask Our Divine Infant Jesus to grant us the privilege to love Our Sweet Mother this Christmas night with His own divine Heart. During the month of December and through the Christmas octave, we will remember at the Holy Altar all of those whose names have been mailed in, our sick and suffering members, the religious and lay apostles, the young and the old. May the peace of the Holy Family reign in your hearts and in your homes! I impart to you all, my priestly blessing: + In the Name of the Father, Son and Holy Ghost. Amen.
|
|
Pauline’s Offering:“My hope is in Jesus Christ! My Only Treasure is the Cross!”
“The role given to me is most excellent and my heritage is a precious one, indeed! I will bless the Lord unceasingly in life and in death. May the very just, high and holy Will of God be done in all things! May It be praised and glorified forever! I adore Thee, Will of my God, Will of my Creator, Will of my Savior, Will of my King, Will of my Brother, Will of my Spouse, Will of my Friend, Will of my Sponsor, Almighty Will, fertile Will, Will of generous Love, Will infinitely wise, Will full of tenderness, Will full of devotion, Will generous, warming, constant and kind! It matters little therefore, O all-powerful and all lovable Will of my Savior, if Thou takest from me all earthly goods, reputation, honor, health, life itself and that, through humiliations, Thou shouldst make me go down into the lowest depths. It matters little if, instead of water, I find only mud in the deep pit of the valley and if I am plunged over my head in mud, provided I find under this mud the hidden fire of divine love, and if I am so inflamed with this love that, when it draws me forth, I may at length offer Thee my holocaust, and consume myself entirely in love for Thee and for souls. I long to water the Altar of sacrifice with my tears and my blood. Oh, I shall, indeed be blessed a thousand times if, in thus dying for Thy Holy Will and my brethren, I can say: It is for this I was born! My task is finished! Jesus, Priest and Victim, living Host, Sacrifice and Sanctifier, I unite the sacrifice of my life to the sacrifice of the Cross, the tears that I shed to the Blood Thou didst shed for me. In Thy Wounds, I find life. From Thee alone, I receive strength. My heart is ready, O Lord, my heart is ready! I seek nothing but Thy Will, and aspire for nothing save its perfect accomplishment, this being Thy glory and my happiness. I await all from Thee, my God, Thou art faithful, and will never suffer a soul to be tempted beyond its strength. I believe, I shall not stumble in the way of the cross, nor cause Thee shame when the supreme hour comes. I have always trusted Thee and not myself. I confess that I am weakness itself, and that I naturally shrink from suffering and from the rage of the wicked. The cries of nature do not disturb me, nor do I dread the time when I must pay my debt of love to Thy merciful justice. I have placed my hope in Thy mercy, which surpasses all Thy works. I accept Thy chalice as a delicious cup of Thy sweetest blessings. I confess myself to be utterly unworthy of drinking it. It is from Thee that I await my own transformation and the consumption of my sacrifice for Thy greater glory and for the salvation of my brethren, especially for those who have been the cause of making me merit in Thy sight. To Thee dear Savior, I commend those to whom I remain in debt. I have sacrificed all for Thee, and trust that Thy friends will fulfill all justice for me after my death.” This life offering made by Pauline so often in life, was placed in the shadow of the Tabernacle, under the protection of the Immaculate Heart of Mary on August 23, 1856. |
|
“I have loved Jesus Christ more than all the earth, and for the love of Him, I have loved more than myself all those who are in travail and pain.I have looked at Him, I have loved Him, and I have understood; that is why I forgive all.” Ven. Pauline-Marie Jaricot My hope is in Jesus, my only treasure is the Cross … I will bless the Lord at all times and His praise shall be always in my mouth. I adore the Will of my God. What does it matter to me, O beloved and loveable Will of God, if Thou shalt take from me all earthly goods, reputation, honor, health and life? What does it matter that Thou shalt make me descend into the depth of humiliations? What does it matter if only I find the hidden fire of Thy heavenly Love? How happy I should be if I could die for Thee and for my fellow creatures! Jesus Christ, Priest and Victim, I unite the sacrifice of my life and the cross I carry to Thy Blood shed for me. I shelter myself in Thy wounds and I expect all strength from Thee. My heart is ready, O Lord; my heart is ready. I only wish to do all for Thy greater glory. I rely upon Thy strength when the supreme moment comes and not upon my own. I have placed all my hopes in Thy mercy. MARY, O MY MOTHER, I AM THINE! LITANY TO VEN. PAULINE-MARIE JARICOT: Lord, have mercy on us. Holy Mary, pray for us. LET US PRAY: Lamb of God, who takest away the sins of the world, spare us, O Lord. Heart of Jesus, hear us. Pray for us, O Venerable Pauline-Marie Jaricot, that we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ. LET US PRAY Almighty and merciful God, Who hast chosen a humble virgin, Marie Pauline of Jesus Christ, the poor one of Mary, to found the great Catholic works of the Propagation of the Faith and the Living Rosary, and who hast wished in the midst of humiliations, trials and persecutions to purify her works, deign to hasten the day when the Church will recognize publicly her saintly life. We pray that, by her example of patience and love for the Cross, her life-time prayer will be realized in its fullness: “PROPAGATION OF THE FAITH IN ALL ITS PURITY THROUGHOUT THE WORLD!” Amen
|
|
Weekly News Flash from the Universal Living Rosary Association of Saint Philomena, Wednesday, November 27, 2013
Friday, January 17th, 2014My dear Patti,Special greetings to you and your staff! May Our Lord continue to shower His blessings on you for strength and wisdom! I always imagine how you manage the entire world from that little office and a small staff. I can attribute it to the feeding of the multitude with only a few loaves of bread and fish by Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Attached are only six lists. I could enroll only 90 members because of lack of materials. You realize I have to use Sr. Mary Gladys’ registration forms.
This picture was taken on the feast of the Assumption on 15th August when we had the First Holy Communion Day in St. Agnes Parish. Fr. Leonard Che is standing directly behind the two girls with pictures in their hands and one of my volunteers, Nelly, is on the extreme right. I am happy to inform you of the posting of French speaking Rev. Father to our Parish and another to St. Agnes parish (a neighbouring Parish). These two priests will assist the French speaking in other parishes in Kumba. Their presence has increased our congregation as many Francophones have started attending Masses and taking part in other church activities, apostolic groups, etc. You will now see why I have to ask for double of what I requested in my last letter. Please include French language pamphlets, letters, books, etc. You may have to double the parcel you promised in your last letter – Sacramentals, Decade cards, St. Philomena oil/cord and very large St. Philomena images. You know what we need. Please don’t forget to extend my special greetings to your little staff, to your mother and those taking care of her in your absence. OBASI CLETUS |
|
The Mission of Pauline-Marie Jaricot is one with the Church!The Church by its nature is missionary. The mission of Pauline is Universal. She addresses the entire world. She longs to bring the multitude to Christ through prayer and sacrifice. Her ambition is as immense as the one of Christ Himself.
Pauline never identified herself with anyone of her works. Her vocation is not limited. She never intended to simply “get something done” but she placed herself on a totally different plane. Putting her hand in the Hand of God, she reached out beyond self and sacrificed her whole being that all might be animated and illumined by the Divine Light of Christ. Pauline joined the magnificent vision of St. Paul for the Church: “You will represent my Church; therefore, I will unite with you by the same union I have united with the Virgin Mary, your unique Mother and Mother of the Church. While devoted to the salvation of all, you will endure everything that the Church will suffer from the impious, and they will exhaust upon you their hate against Her.” Pauline’s mission inserts itself in the missionary vocation of Lyon and France. Since the first century, Lyon was the cradle of Christianity in the West. The church of St. Nizier where Pauline spent so many hours in prayer, and vowed herself to God and is buried, is connected to the memory of the first forty-eight martyrs of Lyon and Gaul, executed in 177, among them were St. Pothinus, St. Blandina and St. Irenaeus. Pauline has been chosen by God to keep alive this tradition. France was going to lose forever the price of the blood of her martyrs. God chose Pauline as the vase, which would receive and preserve their precious merits. Pauline-Marie Jarocot is the glory of Lyon! Pauline is the glory of France! (Cardinal Tomko). This great contemplative is the mother of the missions. She was God’s instrument to give the Church the admirable works, which today procure the extension of His reign to the ends of the earth. By her life, we are reminded that intimacy with Christ is the source of all apostolic fertilization. Her profound interior allowed her to carry her heavy cross with love. Pauline confirmed with joy that the ardors of fire which consumed her, the torments which assaulted her, the serious sickness that overwhelmed her for many years, were to prepare her for the sorrows that would befall her one after the other, almost without interruption, from her 40th year to her death. All were nothing compared to the pleasures and glory given to her as God’s servant. Death by Love for all men ~ Holiness, the Triumph of Love! |
|
WAIT!
Desperately, helplessly, longingly, I cried; “Wait! You say, wait!” my indignant reply. My future and all to which I relate hangs in the balance And Lord, You promised that, if we believe, Then quietly, softly, I learned of my fate, He seemed then to kneel, and His Eyes met with mine … “All you seek, I could give and pleased you would be. “You would never experience that fullness of love “The glow of my comfort late into the night, “You would never know, should your pain quickly flee, So, be silent, My child, and in time you will see |
|