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GLORY BE TO JESUS CHRIST
Dear Apostles and Benefactors of the Living Rosary, We often hear of man’s search for God. It is a noble phrase, but it is misleading. The truth is that God is searching for man. God always takes the initiative and, far from passively waiting for man to turn to Him, God is the Hunter, for God has loved us first. The life of a Christian is a life of love, an effort to a deeper union with God Who both desires and makes possible this union. We move towards God through prayer and humility, and the love and service of our neighbor. Grace is God’s gift of Himself to us. To love God is to receive the gift of His Love. God sends the cross to those He loves, for it transforms them entirely. When we receive His gift, we are emptied of everything; nothing remains but the joy of abiding in the Will of God. We desire nothing but to see His Will accomplished in us, everything in us is pliant to His Will; it is not simply that we know He desires our good, but something much truer and more profound: God’s Will is our only good and To obtain God’s Love, we must simply desire it. We will be judged on the strength of our desire. When we appear before Him, God will greet us not as a severe Master demanding a strict account, but as a Father Who wants only to give to each one of us what we ask. The important consideration in this is not so much to find God or to think we have found Him – but never to grow weary of seeking Him! Desire for God is our most precious good for it is, so to speak, a magnet in our soul which attracts Grace. Our love is accepted by the Father, because it is His Love in which we have a part. To the sufferings which Christ offered for our sake, we join our own and His merit becomes ours. The whole of mankind must make this response. Mary is present in all the mysteries in which God reveals Himself and gives Himself to us. She is the pledge of the boundless generosity with which He bestows the gifts of His Love. Through humility and simplicity, we open ourselves to God’s Love. LOVE IS PEACE: a peace made of gentleness, patience, renunciation and humility. Faithfulness and forgetfulness of self will obtain God’s victory. Never give up praying! Never allow yourself to be discouraged! The Cross will purify every soul who yields to it with docility. We must penetrate the mystery of the Cross. Suffering brings us to the heart of things; it forces us back towards God. Sanctification is difficult and austere. It cannot be achieved except by sacrifice. We must welcome with simplicity what God sends us. The struggle in which we are engaged is the redemption of the world! It is a difficult one which requires of each one of us much hidden patience and humility. Christ acts on our behalf, but He also wills that we should act for one another. The poverty and infirmities we see in others are our own. Had we been more faithful to Grace, they might not be what they are. The more generously this redemptive Grace is granted to us, the more responsible we are for It. We become more obligated to make Grace effective in this world which God wills to save. The Cross of Christ is the sole source of life; from It flows every Grace by whatever channel it comes down to us. Our whole existence should be a participation in the Death and Resurrection of Christ. This is the daily bread of Christian life. It is a mystery of humiliation and obedience. “Here I am, O God, I come to do Thy Will.” (Heb. 10, 7)
Obedience is the supreme proof of love. The Christian cannot live for himself. He is engaged in a work that surpasses him – the work of Christ Himself, the redemption of the world in which there is a job for him to do. The gift of self is an unconditional surrender of ourselves into the Hands of God. All suffering and trials borne in a Christian way – in a true Christian spirit of poverty, gentleness and peace, make us share in the Mystery of the Cross and thereby, through this very humility which expands into confidence, we are brought to the joy of the Resurrection, the Life of God with Christ, in His Everlasting Love! Personally, I thank you for your generous stipends as they help so much our poor village priests to heat the chapels, pay for medicines and put food on the table. The sacrifices of our priests to serve the faithful are hard for you to imagine, but they make the offering of their lives with joy and generosity. All the grateful members of Living Rosary join me in praying for you and your loved ones, daily, during every Sacred Mass and Rosary prayers. I wish you courage, strong health, protection from evil, happiness and joy. May Saint Philomena, who helps so many people in Ukraine and other countries of East Europe, always help you in every possible way! I assure you that you and your intentions are remembered in my personal prayers and Sacred Masses each day. I impart to you all, my priestly blessing: + In the Name of the Father, Son and Holy Ghost. Amen.
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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, Santa, Universal