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Dear Apostle of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, Thank you for your wonderfully generous donations in support of our missionary effort in the world today. What a glorious blessing for all those who receive the precious Sacramentals of Our Immaculate Mother through your sacrifice and love! Daily, you are remembered in our every prayer. Self-esteem is hateful in God’s Eyes. The Publican was laden with iniquities but he humbled himself and was pardoned. The Pharisee was an exact observer of the law, but indulged in self-esteem and he was condemned. God has chosen for the performance of His greatest works the most incapable of men that human pride might never be able to attribute to itself the glory that belongs to God. From the first moment of His Incarnation to His last sigh, Jesus Christ taught us humility by His example. Humility is the foundation and guardian of all virtues! Self-love can produce nothing but sin. Humility is the true seat of grace and the seed of glory. True Charity suffers everything from others without making anyone suffer; it does not allow itself to be irritated and it is never embittered against or annoyed with anyone, no matter what manner of ridicule it may receive. Charity always excuses and forgives. “MASTER, WHAT MUST I DO TO POSSESS ETERNAL LIFE?” “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with thy whole heart, with thy whole soul, The Good Samaritan is our prime example: he is on his knees before the wounded traveler, dressing his wounds, conveying him to the nearest inn, laying him on his bed as a mother would her child and providing for the cost of his care during his absence. Humility is the remedy for all our miseries and the key to all graces. He who has high esteem of his own virtue puts it to death; he who has a high opinion of his own piety, kills it! He who takes pleasure in the good works he does, spoils his harvest, throws down his edifice and destroys his work. We must prefer that which causes us to be hidden. We have faults which shock everyone and, yet, we alone do not even suspect them or allow ourselves to hear of them. We fancy we are laboring for God when we are laboring only for ourselves. We flatter ourselves to be exempt from the faults we censure in others. The proud man is ready to believe that which is evil and slow to believe that which is good. Having sinned, we deserve to suffer. O Lord, have pity upon me, for I am proud! PATTI MELVIN, Director ULRA |
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“WILL YOU SUFFER AND DIE FOR ME?” Pauline prayed daily at the chapel of Our Lady of Grace located in the Church of St. Nizier. It is here, she was granted the most singular graces. Since 1935, her body rests in the chapel of Notre Dame of the Graces of St. Nizier. On Palm Sunday (1817) while at this chapel, she heard a voice, the same one that had spoken to her earlier. The voice said: “Do you want to suffer and die for Me?” It was then that she offered herself as a victim of Divine Mercy, not without shaking in fear, but depending entirely upon God’s Grace. Christ then said, “Prepare yourself for death.” He told her that, if she wanted to be faithful and obedient, He would use the Holy Eucharist to transform her into Him and He absorbed her into His Infinite Being. (V tl. P 181) During the long hours of adoration and intimacy spent before the Most Blessed Sacrament, Pauline discovered the Mystery of God’s greatness, perfections and love. By an inward light, she saw the evils of society increase visibly. Humanity had despised the Mysteries of God and His Covenant. At the root of this evil were impiety, rationalism, and naturalism — in one word ATHEISM. The volcano of impiety will act as the tomb of mankind, which ultimately will destroy it. The final consequence of man’s impiety will be annihilation of the human race. (ADL 1.9.5.8) Our Lord made Pauline feel His just indignation against His people. His Hand was raised in justice to them that they might return to His merciful Heart. He assured Pauline that the power of prayer would disarm Him. The Bible is replete with the threats of Yahweh against His disobedient people and full of His promises to be merciful if they are faithful. Our Blessed Lord asked Pauline if she would offer herself for the conversion of sinners, and the redemption of the world. Would she compensate for the refusal of the world to accept His Love and for their revolt against their Savior, thereby averting His anger on the world? If she would do this, He promised to pour out upon France abundant graces of mercy. Would she offer her life that He may be merciful? She consented without hesitation! Pauline offered herself as a living sacrifice to the merciful Love of Christ that God might be glorified. To carry the weight of the sins of the world, she made the sacrifice of her own life. Christ would transform her into His being if she will be true to her “YES.” It is Himself who will live in her through the Holy Eucharist, thus enabling her to accomplish His mission. Pauline understood well just what Christ was asking of her. It was a privilege and a sign of predilection. She sensed its grandeur. “I am nothing, a weak reed upon which rests the building of the salvation of many souls.” (ADl 1,8,19) God chose Pauline to pour out His mercy upon the world. From that moment, she lived with an intense desire that it be accomplished. It was her mission of which she often spoke: “my sacrifice.” She was haunted by the desire to shed her blood for the love of Christ. His sorrows imprinted upon her heart, she longed to die for Him. Our Lord had promised to accept her sacrifice for the salvation of the world, especially for France, and she was anxious for the moment of its realization… she set out for Calvary! Wishing to imitate Christ in His Passion, with generosity, she gave Him her all. Her life was strongly ascetic with penances and deprivations. In advance, she made the sacrifice to God of her health, reputation, affections and her whole person. (AAL 3,7 58) Our Lord warned Pauline that she must undergo a terrible test. “They, who are angry with your tears, will pour out your blood and Heaven itself will be armed against you.” (AAL 3,7,66) Having read the lives of the martyrs, Pauline imagined a triumphant and glorious martyrdom of blood, but did not realize that Our Lord was asking of her something quite different, a martyrdom of heart which would be even more painful. To sacrifice oneself suddenly is more comfortable than to immolate oneself in detail day-by-day, hour by hour, every moment of one’s life. Having made this total sacrifice of self, its fruit was born one evening in the corner of her home. Pauline clearly conceived in her mind the design for THE PROPAGATION OF THE FAITH! |
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Share Your Gift of FaithFor centuries, our cherished Catholic faith has been passed from person to person, parent to child, etc. Each of us carries in our heart a special memory of how God first graced us with the knowledge of the faith and how Our Blessed Mother, Saint Philomena, Venerable Pauline Jaricot and other saints changed our lives and brought us closer to Christ. In our work in the Universal Living Rosary Association, we see first hand how millions of souls are currently living without that knowledge of God and are living outside of His grace. We have been given a beautiful opportunity to carry out Christ’s work and pass on our faith and blessings to others who would otherwise never be introduced to Our Lord, the Savior of all mankind. Just as we pray for the souls in Purgatory who have no one to pray for them, we should also make it a part of our life’s mission to pass on our faith to as many souls as possible who have no one else to pass it on to them, who don’t know Our Lord and His promise of salvation.
This is the box we send out to the foreign Missions $77.95. It contains Rosaries, Scapulars, Miraculous Medals, Cord & Oil, Newsletters, Calendars, Catechism books, 2 TAN books, large color prints, lists and encouragement for our Promoters. |
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Tags: Association, Catholic, Filomena, Living, Philomena, Philomene, Rosary, Saint, Universal