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 Dear Apostles and Benefactors of the Living Rosary,
We extend to you our profound thanks and ask God’s abundant blessings upon you. The strength of your prayer for the Church in Ukraine is felt. We continue to suffer greatly as the persecution increases. Crimea is open to Russian mercenaries and revolutionaries, the whole Nation is being stalked and no one is safe. We step onto Calvary to take our place beside our Crucified Savior. The magnitude of Christ’s sufferings is unimaginable. He suffered in Body and Soul. The Son of God suffered, the Son of God died. All through His Life, He was never free from suffering for His Passion was ever present to Him. The Cross was the central point of all His thoughts. Consider the road of agony He traveled from the Garden of Gethsemane stained with the sweat of blood, to the house of the high priest; from the high priest to Pilot, who sent Him laden with the Cross to Calvary and to death; His way was lined with enemies on all sides: priests, people, pagans and Jews, men of high and low degree. How numerous were His wounds! How cruel the blows with which He was struck! How great His loss of blood! There was no member of His Body, no power of His Soul that did not suffer. To this desolation, His friends and apostles contributed, for they too forsook Him. The most cruel torment was the thought of the many souls for whom all His sufferings would be in vain. His suffering was voluntary and He embraced it with all His Heart, “Not my will, but Thine be done.” Christ’s Life was one of devoted patience, meekness and holiness; it was full of strength and resoluteness, animated and inspired by the love of God and obedience to the heavenly Father. His patient suffering is beautiful and loveable, worthy to be admired and imitated. May it fill our hearts with love and sympathy, making our patient endurance of pain meritorious and precious in the sight of God! We gaze upon the Man of Sorrows and begin to grasp the horror of sin. Who will know the depths of the sorrow of the crucified Heart of Mary as the lifeless and mangled Body of Her Son was placed in Her arms? Daily now, during the Penitential Season of Lent and of our own martyrdom, we remember you at the Sacred Altar, where we are all bathed in the Most Precious Blood of Jesus, one day to bask in His Eternal Glory. Have Courage! I impart to you all, my priestly blessing: + In the Name of the Father, Son and Holy Ghost. Amen.
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INFINITE LOVE OF THE DIVINE EUCHARIST (continued) POVERTY OF JESUS CHRIST Oh, you who call yourselves Christians, do you merit this title? For all the favors Jesus manifests in His adorable Sacrament, neither your zeal nor your ardor is excited. Why? Because this generous God consents to dwell in the darkest and saddest recesses? How wretched we are! Where, then, is our faith? We take no pains to remedy the shackled churches or the ornaments which surround Him. The priest has poor vestments. The sacred vessels which enclose the Sacred Host would be cast aside with contempt if they appeared on the table of a lord of the land. Where is your faith? We know that even in the country of our birth, there exist many churches so miserable that they resemble the thatched cottage of a poor shepherd rather than the house of God. We have this sad spectacle beneath our eyes. Can we be so lazy as to tolerate that Jesus Christ be treated so unworthily? We fear to make sacrifices to repair His dwelling and foster Eucharistic Adoration! Nothing for Jesus Christ! Nothing for the glory of His temples! Yet, we incur excessive expenses to decorate our own homes so that our body will be conveniently and agreeably lodged. We dedicate considerable sums to adorn this same body which is the house of clay, while Eternal Beauty is buried in the most monstrous forgetfulness. How dare we show ourselves in public to attract attention, all the while the Sun of Justice is eclipsed beneath clouds of poverty and scorn! Were it given to the Guardian Angels and the Cherubim who surround the Eucharistic throne to see the luxury of the world, all its displays and pomp, the homes of the great and the rich so magnificently furnished, the places where treasures are hidden, would not this sight break their hearts? Yes, no doubt, O my Jesus, if Thy angels could overcome the barriers of silence which Thou hast imposed upon them, they would make resound all the echoes of the universe with the just reproaches we all merit in Thy regard. They would tear away with indignation the crowns and the ornaments with which we array ourselves and would adorn Thy temples. They would strip our homes of all that which is most precious and would make it serve for decoration in Thy sanctuaries. They would make the hoarders, in spite of themselves, relinquish their gold and silver and use this for Thy exterior devotion. Meanwhile, O Jesus, all this would not render to Thee the homage of which Thou art deserving because it would destroy our free will! Honor is only valued by Thee when it is given freely. Oh, what hard and ungrateful hearts we have! We do not understand that the exterior devotion which Jesus Christ demands is more for our benefit than His. It is by the goodness of His Love that He inspires the faithful with zeal for His house. Our soul, enveloped here below by a material body, has need of the ministry of the senses to be sustained in piety. The senses must be its servants and its slaves to help ascend the mountain of Zion. The magnificence of the Lord’s temples is very useful and even absolutely necessary to sustain most men in the faith. It is uniquely for our happiness that Infinite Goodness has wanted this exterior devotion to be the result of faith, that faith might sustain itself by visible devotion. It is not the poverty which surrounds Our Savior in some churches which offends Him whose throne is Heaven and Earth, it is the weak faith and the appalling indifference of those who leave Him in such complete poverty! The material temples are the habitation of man. It is for man that He desires to see them adorned. The spiritual temples, that is to say our hearts, are God’s dwelling place. He is jealous to receive all the incense of our love because He is God. Jesus can only allow our senses to reign when His Heart is one with ours. From the Incarnation to His Sacrifice on Calvary, He has done so much to reduce the sensual. Our hearts must be a place for Him alone from which He can reign supreme. BLINDNESS OF SOULS In our century, the senses reign supreme. “Progress” with its glitter tends to flatter them. Our hearts no longer understand the things of God unless our senses perceive them. Thus, Thy word, O my Savior, no longer has any charm unless it is announced with a great eloquence and in an agreeable tone of voice. Thy praises touch us only if they are raised on the wings of sweet harmony and resound with melodious chants. Thy Love is hardly felt or tasted but in the exterior gifts of Thy power, and this, but rarely. When we view a brilliant dawn on the horizon or when, at the end of its course, the sun majestically sinks behind the mountains, we cry out: “O beautiful heavenly body, who can dispute or deny your Maker?” At the sight of a meadow dotted with flowers, or a rich countryside shaded by a thousand diverse colors, we say: “O earth, who can forget the Creative Hand which has so magnificently adorned you?” In seeing the ocean, a few spectators will admire the Power of Him Who has prescribed boundaries to its furious waves. At the aspect of the firmament in the midst of a lovely night, a small number will experience a passing feeling of admiration and say: “Celestial arch, brilliant stars, you ravish my sight! Poor blind heart and soul! What will the contemplation of creations and the knowledge of a Creative Hand serve you for eternal life, if you do not change your ways and if you do not resist your passions? How will you be able to resist them? How will you work toward your salvation with success if you do not understand that the stars, the earth, the sea, the rivers; in a word, all creation are for you the figure of Our Lord Jesus Christ? Why do you continue to render to God a homage purely exterior without reflect-ing that the beauties of creation are placed under your eyes only to show you, in a sensible manner, that He alone Who is their Author, is lovable and He alone merits your affection? Divinity enters into the apartment of your senses which are but the exterior vestibule. He must enter into your heart, which is the interior temple, the spiritual temple, there to be adored in spirit and in truth. Why do you stop with the objects of comparison without seeking their significance? Do you not see that the sun which warms the earth and makes it produce a thousand excellent fruits, however admirable, is but a weak and obscure image of the Sun of Justice, Who from the depths of His majestic Tabernacles lights up, fertilizes and vivifies the heritage of His Church and makes It sprout thousands and thousands of virtues? The earth dotted with flowers, agreeable and varied, shows you but feebly the multitude and the diversity of the Divine Graces of which the Eucharist is the perennial source. The ocean is but a pale reflection of the immense goodness of the Heart of Jesus Christ. Victim of His Love on our Altars, He is submerged in an ocean of mercy and of charity burning night and day without ever being consumed. The planets receiving the sun’s light represent the Teaching Church which receives the Sun of Justice. Jesus Christ is present in the Sacrament of Love. His strength, His beauty and His light shine by its doctrine in the midst of the darkness of our mortal world and direct the steps of voyagers toward the celestial City. The horizon, which makes you notice the sky touching the earth, speaks to you in a sublime manner of a God Who has drawn near to you, not only in appearance but in reality. This generous God is always Jesus Christ in the Divine Eucharist. Not content to be companion to our exile and the confidant of our sorrows in this valley of tears, He deigns to give Himself to us as a Guest in the house of our soul. He wishes to be one with us. Why is it that you do not know all these things? It is because you focus on the works of the Creator rather than reaching out to Him in love. You limit your homage to a sterile admiration and do not take the pains to look to the perfection of your soul. If only you knew how to recall the immense Love that Jesus Christ bears for you in His adorable Sacrament! What will it serve you to have studied the earth’s movements and the course of the stars, if you have not understood that the Love of Jesus Christ is necessary to the life of your soul? The Divine Eucharist is as essential to your salvation as bread is essential to your existence on earth. When you consider the works of creation in a manner so vague and so cold, what advantage or fruit do you reap from your research and observations? Your pride will be confounded and, in time, you will be forced to acknowledge your complete ignorance. You cannot explain the smallest thing in this vast universe. Only those possessed of a humble heart can come close to the Creator of so many marvels and learn the secrets of His Love. Rather than consulting your limited senses, which are incapable of teaching you anything solid and profound, wouldn’t it be infinitely more advantageous for you to cultivate the life of your soul? Your eternal soul is intelligent, immortal, and filled with the capability of knowing and loving God Himself. Let us know and love God through Jesus Christ in the Sacrament of His Love. It is for this that we have been given our existence. It is for this that God has placed that knowledge and love within our reach. Would a language so simple be understood by the scholars of our Age? We are tempted to doubt this due to their increased pride and the great degree Jesus, in proportion, has lowered Himself. It would seem impossible for the proud to adore Jesus Christ as God. They have already distanced themselves from Him as much as the sun is distant from the depths of the ocean. Filled with pride, how will they be able to approach our Sweet Savior, humiliated to complete annihilation? If so many prodigies of old were needed to dissipate the dark clouds of idolatry, will lesser ones be enough to dispel the dark night of our pride and modern impiety? |
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SHELTERING THE DIVINE OUTCAST (continued) “HE CAME UNTO HIS OWN, AND HIS OWN RECEIVED HIM NOT.” (St. John, 1:11) Words of cruel sadness – and true even today! What about your soul? Are you robbing God of anything? Does everything within your castle belong to Him? Does He have all your love? Is He first in your heart? Have you a hatred of sin? Your house is meant to be a House of Prayer. In order to make your soul a House of Prayer and, thus, acquire a loving docility to the Divine Guest of your soul, your memory, understanding and will must be under strict discipline and their natural activity must be constantly turned toward God. There is always to be an indefinable loving remembrance of God, as well as a frequent communing with your Divine Guest. Accustom yourself, by your own activity assisted by grace, to always converse affectionately and simply with Jesus, thus acquiring a real devotion to Him Who dwells within your soul. “Behold, I am with you all your days.” WE ARE NEVER ALONE! Christ is with us in our JOYS, showing us how to make use of them by pouring them into the hearts of others. He is with us in our SORROWS, infusing strength, not necessarily comfort; but strength – STRENGTH to go on bravely, STRENGTH to smile, STRENGTH to be tender and STRENGTH to sympathize. Oh, the beauty of that smile when the heart is sad! Oh, the power of that tenderness and the comfort to others of that sympathy, given by the soul in anguish! This truly must be supreme joy to the Heart of Christ! Christ abides with us in the Blessed Sacrament so that we may get to know Him and to feel, at liberty, to bring Him our cares and sorrows. It is there, also, before the Tabernacle that we learn the tremendous secrets of the Saints, and it is there before the Tabernacle where much is made impossible, as well as possible, to us who follow Christ lovingly and constantly: Impossible to judge hastily! And, it is there, too, before the Tabernacle that many things begin to happen within us. It is there that our soul grows silent over many things. It is there that some mysteries disappear, and much is made clear to us. It is there that we learn to wait: to wait for God’s Will to be made known to us, to wait for God’s Grace to work in other hearts and to wait for God’s sweet influence to subdue our restlessness. It is there that we talk over matters with Jesus that only He can ever understand. It is there that we place our heart’s most secret cares and most secret sorrows — and there that we rise, calmed and strengthened, with love replenished. It is there that we are fashioned into Saints. “If anyone love Me, he will keep My Word, and My Father will love him, and We will come to him, and make Our abode with him. (St. John, XIV: 23) “I know,” says Saint ‘Little Thérèse’, “and I have experienced that the Kingdom of God is within us!’ (St. Luke. XVII, 21) Our Lord teaches without the sound of words. I have never heard Him speak, but I know He is within me. It is Jesus alone Who has instructed me.” Truly, Saint ‘Little Térèse’ was a Living Tabernacle. Let your soul, too, be a Tabernacle before which you often prostrate yourself on account of the Divine Guest Who dwells within it. Take counsel of Him a minute before you speak or act. Words do no good unless they are the result of silent prayer for, without being united to God, there can be no fruitful undertaking and no fruitful apostolate for the winning of souls for Christ. St. Francis de Sales says that, just as bees return to the hive attracted by the sweetness of the honey, so the interior soul loves to seek God within herself, knowing by experience how pleasant is His company. Everything is done together with the Lover of your soul. You go hand in hand with Him. The soul will bring forth fruit exactly in the same measure in which the inner life is developed in it. If there is no inner life, however great may be the zeal, the high intention, the hard work, no fruit will come forth. It is like a spring that would give out sanctity to others, but cannot, because it has none to give. One can give only that which one has. It is, in solitude, that God gives Himself to such a soul. Saint Teresa of Avila states, “I advise whoever wishes to acquire this habit of interior recollection not to grow tired of persevering in trying to gradually obtain mastery over self.” To win this grace, two things are necessary: Firstly, in each day must be an unchanging regularity to and loving fulfillment of all our prayers. Secondly, there must be constant prayer during all of the rest of one’s time. That is to say, during the many occupations that fill the day, our minds must be fixed on God, and our eyes must always be turned toward Him, either by ejaculatory prayer, or by simply turning inward toward Our Divine Guest. It matters little what method we use, so long as the soul gazes on her Beloved, now and again. We must lower our eyes to our heart and remain in recollection for a few seconds, thinking: “You are within me, my God! How I love You!” Thus, will we develop the habit of interior recollection and we will, therefore, feel the sweet Companionship of the God of our heart. “Unless the grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains alone but, if it die, it brings forth much fruit.” (St. John, XII: 24-25) If our harvest of souls is to be great, we must die to ourselves. This entails great suffering. We are so close to self, that if we choose to die to self, we must examine the matter, and strive to become familiar with the weapons that will help toward this death of self. It will help us accept all calmly and silently. What Saints we should be, were we always wide awake to the constantly recurring opportunities for self-conquest! Bitterness of sacrifice would give place to the vigor of love. Love eases the struggle, until human nature has grown submissive to the soul. Union with God is surrender to His Will! |
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| Dear Mother Patti,This morning, 20 teachers and 980 pupils of the Holy Family Elementary School received their enrolled materials. While I was still in the school, some of the teachers brought more lists of names of their husbands, children and relatives to be enrolled. I came back with about 50 lists of names to be enrolled. They loved the new Rosaries and showed appreciation of the Living Rosary method and spirit of praying. Some said that it is the simplest form of praying the Rosary of Mary. Photos included.
I was told of a senior nurse who had sharp pain in her left leg; she placed the Green Scapular on the affected spot and the pain stopped till today. Others reported how the cords helped: they use to have frightful dreams and many nightmares but, since they began wearing the wrist cords, all disappeared. Another parcel was prepared for a promoter in a distant region. I gave the Stations of the Cross pictures to two Parishes. They send their appreciation. Ave Maria! Paul
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| Dear Mother Patti,Thank you for the two boxes just received! I will contact Michael Adzege, Living Rosary promoter of Nigeria as soon as I have his address. Fr. Michael is expecting me between June and July. I will arrange how to meet with Michael Adzege then.
Meanwhile, I am happy to inform you that the Archdiocese of Yaounde appointed Fr. Louis Marie Mbida Otele as the Spiritual Director of the Living Rosary. Yesterday, he met the members of the association in a Recollection that was organized for that occasion. About 70 members attended the recollection that took place at St. Augustine’s Parish at Nguosso neighbourhood. The topic of the recollection was “Catholics in the face of the New Religious Movements”? The Spiritual Guide called on all members present to be firm in our Catholic Faith and belief. He told them that one of the most powerful instruments against the temptation of joining Pentecostal Churches is PRAYER; a prayer that comprises the Eucharist and recitation of the Holy Rosary. “You are members of the Living Rosary; you must live the Rosary that you pray.” Father said. (photos are included). I have enrolled some priests in the Living Rosary; they spoke well about Saint Philomena. A number of parcels have been sent to promoters. Ave Maria! Paul
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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