Universal Living Rosary Association of Saint Philomena (ULRA)

Dear Apostles and Benefactors of the Living Rosary,

We greet each of you with respect, gratitude and filial affection. Together, we have borne the hardship and burden of the Lenten Season and, now, enter into the glory of Our Father’s House.

On Palm Sunday, Jesus made His triumphal entry into Jerusalem. He is the true and real King, who has proved His supremacy over nature and man in an unmistakable manner. The tempest roared upon the sea and the frail boat which held the apostles was in danger of sinking. Yet, with one word, He commanded the wind to abate. Where sickness, even the most terrible, seeks and finds its victims, there He halts its progress with one word. Thousands had witnessed His miracles. A most highly esteemed Jew, a friend and follower of Christ, lay dead in the tomb for three days. Jesus simply called upon Lazarus to rise from his grave and he did. Jesus was Master over the decay which had already set in. He must be Master over the whole of creation. He must be Divine. He does not enter Jerusalem like earthly kings, appearing in a golden chariot with prancing steeds, dragging the vanquished foe in chains behind Him, surrounded by the treasures He has amassed. All this is wanting in His triumphal entry this day. He is seated on a borrowed ass, meek and humble. Pride, ambition and avarice are not represented, but humility, mortification, and self-denial, total unselfishness and unworldliness surrounds Christ the King. His path is strewn with palm branches and olive leaves. The people cry out in reverence, “Hosanna to the Son of David. Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord.” These are the same people who, in a few days, will cry out, “Let His blood be upon us and our children, Crucify Him!”

Dear members, let us rejoice and triumph with Him on Easter Sunday. We look back to Holy Week and behold Jesus trodden upon like a worm; we saw Him drag His Cross to the place of execution; we heard the dull blows of the hammer which fastened His hands and feet to the cross. Holy Mother the Church wishes to give expression to Her mourning, the Altar is stripped, the Tabernacle empty, the bell is silenced, there is deathlike stillness. On Easter Sunday, our mourning turns into joy. The seal of the grave is broken, no stone or lock could withstand Him; HE IS RISEN! What joy for the poor disciples who had fled in every direction! JESUS LIVES! What joy for us who are baptized in the name of Jesus, for we live in the blessed hope that we, too, will one day rise again to a better life!

When Christ said He had come to found a kingdom which was not of this world, He was denounced as a seducer of the people and an enemy of Caesar. Falsehood struggled against truth, and it had seemed as if His enemies had really triumphed when Jesus hung bleeding upon the cross. Everything appeared to be over, the world seemed to conquer. Do not tremble. Christ has proven the glory of His divinity and placed the seal of completeness upon the work of Redemption. As Christ has risen, so we shall arise and enter upon a new life. Christian parents remain faithful to your marriage vows and bear one another’s burdens in peace. Bring up your children in the fear of the Lord. Christian sons and daughters, arise from the grave! Love your parents, be obedient and bring honor to your household, guard yourself from sin, make firm resolutions to walk in the path that will bring you blessings in this life and in the life to come.

When crosses and sufferings come upon us, let us likewise kneel in the Garden of Olives; let us drain the chalice of suffering and look up with courage and holy zeal. Good Friday is followed by the joy of Easter Sunday. If we are suffering with Christ, we will be glorified with Him! Our cross will be for us Jacob’s ladder upon which we will ascend from earth to Heaven, where there shall be no more weeping, no more pain, but where eternal joy, eternal peace and eternal rejoicing will reign. If, in our days, we look sorrowfully to the future as the enemy presses hard upon our Mother the Church, She, too, will arise from the grave of oppression. Every century testifies to this reality; the deeper they dig Her grave, the tighter they seal and close it, the more gloriously She has arisen from the grave, and the more victoriously does She unfurl Her flag: “The gates of Hell shall never prevail against Her!”

Peace be unto you, dear brethren! Let us break the bonds of sin and live in God. Let us stand fast in the Faith! One day, we shall be transformed and possess the Kingdom which has been prepared for us from the beginning.

Our Lenten Novena of Masses is ended and, now, begins the glorious Masses of the Octave of Easter. I carry each of you to the Altar with me and remember your personal needs and those of your family, living and departed. We are so grateful for the prayers and gifts you have showered upon us during these days of turmoil and persecution.

I impart to you all, my priestly blessing:

+ In the Name of the Father, Son and Holy Ghost. Amen.

Fr. IVAN KOLODIY
Byzantine Rite, Greek-Catholic Church, UKRAINE

Dear Apostle of the Immaculate Heart of Mary,

Thank you for your very generous donation in support of our missionary work in the world today. So many are suffering physical illness, persecution and the threat of martyrdom at each moment of the day. Ukraine, Sudan, Liberia, Myanmar, Albania, Nigeria, Central African Republic, Mexico and the whole world is in travail. Soon it will be at our own doors. Let us do all we can to help these suffering souls while it is still possible. May God give us courage and strength!

We pray your Easter be filled with
God’s Holy Blessings, Peace and Joy!

Oh, the Glory and Wisdom of God Who knows how to order all things so that they fulfill His eternal designs! Wisdom is concerned with decisions, made with a definite object in order to reach a particular end. Without end or purpose, there is no wisdom. We consider a man wise when he has before him a noble and sacred end which he reaches by just means. The man who works hard, denies himself, and puts forth the effort to bring his family up in the fear of God for eternal life, shows great wisdom. God can call out of nothing what is necessary to Him. His ends are the holiest and all means to accomplish them are at His command.

God’s Wisdom is evident in all His creation, its constitution, its preservation and its disposition, in the workings of nature as well as Grace. It behooves us to imitate Divine Wisdom by setting before ourselves a worthy end of life, toward which to direct all our efforts and labors. What is our ambition: to pass our lives as happily and comfortably as possible? Ah! What folly! Some may plan to acquire riches and, in their old age, be free from care. Fools! Some want to travel as pilgrims through this world to their heavenly home. This is wise. The end is right, but how to reach it? Seize hold of and employ the means which will lead you to it: horror of sin, fear of the occasions of sin, the practice of prayer, and absolute confidence in the wisdom of the guiding Hand of God

I remain, one with you in the Immaculate Heart of Mary.

PATTI MELVIN, Director ULRA

Let us pray for one another!

THE INFINITE LOVE OF THE DIVINE EUCHARIST (continued)

THE PRIESTS’ MISSION

You, the priest, have been drawn out of the world, as Moses was from the waters of the Nile, to guide and govern the people of God! We hear you also say: “All is well." A thankless people has forgotten its King! It has dethroned the altar of Jesus Christ in its heart. After having chased Him away, it has made of itself a god. You say: “ALL IS WELL" while your people prostitute themselves to idols of flesh, gold and silver. They incense with their love the shiny phantoms of pleasure, ambition, pride and voluptuousness. ALL IS WELL! It is to these gods of the earth that your people sacrifice its health, its rest, its youth, its honor, its works, its thoughts, its desires, its projects, its entire life: conscience, religion, salvation and eternity. O leaders of the Basque! Permit me to tell you what the apostles said to Jesus Christ Himself: “Awake, we are perishing!” A torrent of scandals has entered into the temple. It has inundated the nave. It has jumped over the barriers to the sanctuary. It threatens to carry away with it all those who will not take refuge on the steps of the Altar, at the feet of Our Crucified Savior. It is here alone that we will find salvation, here at the foot of the Infinite Victim immolated on our Altars.

O Priests of the Living God! Do not imitate the apostles who slept while Judas remained awake. Ah, would that I could with the price of my blood, prevent you priests from sleeping in the presence of the serpent. He is already conquered and eagerly awaits every occasion to sacrifice new victims to his fury! I would voluntarily consent to be beaten, ground like wheat, to be devoured like a piece of bread by the most cruel torments if, by this, I could preserve you from the dangerous stupor that “ALL IS WELL.” Oh, that I could awaken your solicitude for the cause of Jesus Christ and make you feel keenly the obligations which, at this moment, His Love imposes on you. But, Lord, I am not worthy to die for Thy priests. It belongs only to Thee to be their Victim. Ah, at least awaken them Thyself! Make them hear Thy complaints. Call them to be witnesses of Thy abandonment on our Altars and the anguish of Thy Heart so cruelly torn by the malice and indifference of Thy children. Make known to Thy ministers the peril which surrounds us so that they will abandon the ravings of human politics and attach themselves once again to Thy Cross.

It seems to me, O Lord, that Thy crown of thorns intertwines itself around my heart and that Thy adorable Heart pushes me aside and calls me at the same time. Thou dost keep a silence which astounds me and grieves me. I sense the deep suffering of Thy wounded Heart, and I beg Thy relief. My God, the sufferings of Thy Soul in the Garden of Olives have renewed themselves? Will Thy Passion begin again? Alas, I see it and understand it too clearly. Thou art condemned to death by the great majority of the men. And this, more severely than Thou wast formerly condemned by Pilate himself. At least, Pilate recognized Thy innocence while the men of our day judge Thee truly guilty. Thy law displeases them mightily and they have sworn to wipe it out. It is against Thee and against Thee alone that all the conspiracies of the evil one are directed. They are resolved not to rest until all Thy true worshippers have become secular. From time to time, it seems that we make laws which favor Thee. But these are full of weaknesses and compromise and serve only to impede Thy worship, to bind and to disarm Thy priests.

Yet, there is a hidden wound which is more bitter. A thick veil hides this secret of Thy Heart from me. My heart is torn and I follow Thee every-where to partake of Thy sorrow. I hardly dare to speak to Thee of my suffering. I am like a weak child who, unable to explain, receives many confidences from Thee. If I ask Thee for explanations, I fear Thou would judge me to be too weak to receive them. Consider only my tears and show me all the fire of Thy Love. Yes, I feel it. Thy concern is for priests. They are a thousand times dearer to Thy heart than the dearest wife is to her spouse. Nothing consoles a wounded love. It cannot make its mind up to punish and no sort of compensation will suffice.

SALVATION

Oh, dear priests, I dare to entreat you: Go to the Tabernacle to hear there the tender complaints of Jesus Christ! There, you will learn that He is your most faithful Friend. His Heart ardently desires that you go to Him with a sweet abandon, with a complete and perfect confidence. Do not come with cold and fearful respect which considers only the severity of His judgments without consideration of the proofs of His Love. No doubt, you hear Him telling you that all the treasures of His goodness are for you; that He awaits only a sign of your will to open them, that you must address yourself directly to Him, to experience immediately the effect of your petitions. No doubt, this tender reproach will show you the power you have over His Heart. It is you He obeys without delay and without restrictions. You will understand that, abandoning Himself into your hands, He will not resist you if you pray to Him for the salvation of your people, for the triumph of justice and for the deliverance of the Church.

Is your soul still dear to you? Take on the care of our souls without fearing anything. It is in your bosom where reposes the sacramental Life of Our Savior. We hope for all from you if you will show total confidence in your Master. It is in your bosom, as in the Heart of Jesus Christ Himself, that we come to take refuge. May you take up our defense against the fury of the godless! Do you fear them who are the subjects of your Sovereign Master – their sarcasms, their senseless discourses, their fleeting powers, their inflated pride? How could they intimidate you when the Conqueror of conquerors is at your head? Fear not! Jesus Christ, the all-powerful God is at your side and He is daily obedient to you at the Altar. He has given His promise to do battle with you. Fear not!

O kings! Your presence alone would turn back the Philistines’ army if you had the confidence which merits the King of kings. Consider, then, what you are and what the godless are. What are we all to become if Jesus Christ does not show Himself? Recognize and acknowledge your faults toward Our Savior, Who has given so much and, from Whom you have hardly asked anything. Cease to hope in man no matter what his power or talents be. Stop depending on yourself! Hope only in God Who has saved the world and Who alone can save it again. Hasten to knock at the Tabernacle door. Say to Jesus, “Arise! Render justice to Thyself!" Oh, Priests! Do not delay any longer the deliverance of God's people, the consolation of the Church, the salvation of our nation. Do not force Jesus Christ to hold back the greatness of His merciful justice.

What good does it serve to always be saying to Him: “Lord, give us good magistrates, good deputies, good ministers?" Say instead, “Lord, come Thyself to our aid. Thou alone art the Savior. There is no other than Thee. It is by the Cross that Thou hast confounded what was most vile in the universe. It was by the Cross that Thou didst confound all of hell. Dost Thou have need of greater instruments today? Only make a sign and all the earth will tremble. Make a sign and all the godless will bite the dust. Make a sign and all God's children will rejoice."

How long, O my great King, wilt Thou allow the enemies of Thy Name to insult piety? Oh, my priests, my priests, pardon a miserable creature, who dares to speak to you with so much confidence and abandon. Attribute it only to the lively interest which I take in the cause of Jesus Christ and your cause. I would rather suffer a thousand deaths than to stray from the filial piety which fills my heart for you. In gratitude and by your rights over me, I entreat you to recall the power and the rights of Jesus Christ over you. He knows to what extent I honor you. At your sight, my heart throbs, my body bows, and my spirit feels a new impression of faith. I adore Jesus Christ in your priesthood. All my being is penetrated with the most lively gratitude towards my Savior Who, by means of you, makes Himself visible to my gaze. I feel that the sacrifice of my country, of all that I possess, of my life, of all that I hold most dear, would cost me nothing if you demanded it. Do not question my deep respect, my perfect submission, my limitless obedience to all of you! Priests of my Mother, the most Holy Catholic Church, since I have dared to pour out my heart in your presence, I am the lost sheep of your flock. I do not fear ever to be confounded. You will not find one sheep more devoted than I am to all legitimate pastors.

SHELTERING THE DIVINE OUTCAST (concluded)

What volumes of spirituality are summed up in these words! What visions of generosity and heroism! What stretches of self-abnegation and of detachment! What boundless love for the Hidden God! What unlimited trust in His Word!

But, how are we to accomplish this? It is no easy task. How can we live a hidden life, united with God, in the midst of all our activities and cares? “Who shall separate me from the Love of Christ? Shall tribulation, distress, danger or persecution? Neither life, nor death, nor angels, nor things present, nor things to come, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate me from the Love of God which is in Christ the Lord.” (Romans. VIII: 35)

With this goal in mind, we will examine these makers and destroyers of sanctity:

SHALL TRIBULATION?

Shall the petty annoyances that daily blow across my path make me irritable, make me impatient? Do I say a quick word? Do I sulk? Do I allow my work to suffer? Do I murmur? Or do I steady myself so that there shall be no wavering from the determination to make use of everything to strengthen and beautify my soul?

SHALL DISTRESS?

Shall anxiety or uncertainty unsteady me, or make me preoccupied: forgetful of sweet thoughtfulness for others, unmindful of the cheerful smile to passers-by, neglectful of the kind word to some hungry little heart? Or, shall I lay my care in the lap of my dearest Lord, and let not distress break in upon my life of charity?

SHALL DANGER?

Shall fear of criticism make me yield to compromise, to double-dealing, to disloyalty, to courting favor, to neglect of those to whom I owe gratitude and love? Shall the danger of selfish aims frighten me into paying homage to anything unworthy of my calling?

SHALL PERSECUTION?

Shall persecution make me cry out for mercy? Shall I then, when misunderstood, misjudged, humiliated, scorned, reviled, persecuted by those who are nearest to me ¬ impaled by the sword of unkindness – persecute others in turn, thrust the sword of unkindness into the hearts of those who are unkind to me? Will I succumb to the human desire to do such as this to those who thwart, or even hurt me?

SHALL ANGELS … NOR ANY OTHER CREATURE?

In a word, when all the wealth of intellect is mine, when the applause and fame that follow in its wake are mine, shall I then carry within me the heart of a child, and be ready at any given moment to lay these God-given gifts upon the Altar of Sacrifice, to be consumed to the honor and glory of Jesus, my Beloved Spouse?

Every created thing – esteem, applause, appreciation, position and the like – taken away from us, can never deprive us of Christ. On the contrary, the absence of them very often helps to purify us, so that Christ Himself stands out more clearly. There is nothing, therefore, that can cheat us of intimate friendship with God, unless we will and allow it, which, of course, we do not will, and shall not allow.

The art of living with God entails more effort, and more concentration of purpose in the midst of activity and external work than it does in the surroundings of prayer and silence. So, we can see how necessary it is to merely lend ourselves to external occupations, and give ourselves to God. But this is a gradual and difficult thing to do. It is the step-by-step approach to God. It is the continuous determination to let nothing usurp His claim upon us.

Our Goal is Sanctity! Let us never Forget!

Live with your eyes fixed on Him! Be ever on the lookout for His least desires, and carry them out with love and joy. Be like a little child whose mother adorns her with many beautiful things. But this child, instead of noticing the gifts, notices only the Giver of the gifts. Such a soul has reached close union with God. She is the resting place of the Holy Trinity.

O my Loving God, O Most Blessed Trinity, Divine Guest of my soul, my Tremendous Lover, my All! You know my heart. You know my longing to sacrifice all for You. Do take the whole of my heart’s love, the full surrender of myself.

Live Your Own Life within me, dear Jesus, Think, speak, act, pray, suffer, and love in me. Use my heart, so that in me and through me, in a life of close and intimate union, You may love – or, rather, WE may love the Father tenderly. Use my lips that together, WE may sing His praises! Use my mind, my eyes, my hands, my whole being!

Merge my will so completely into Yours, my Loving God, that there will no longer be any trace of me, no longer two, but one, so that I may truly say, “I live now, not I, but Christ liveth in me.” (Galatians, II, 20) Passion of Christ, strengthen me!

O Mary, my dearest Mother, Remember I am your child! Help me in this desert land, and uphold me in all my weakness. O most loving Mother, when my hands grow tired, when my work is spoiled and blurry, strengthen my weak love and help me to cling to Jesus!

You know my desire to sacrifice all for Him, so take possession of my heart, and make for Jesus a lovely Home within me – a Home from which no one will ever dislodge Him. Adorn it with your own adornments – love, humility, simplicity, hiddenness, detachment, selfless consideration, and kindness for others – so that Jesus will delight to dwell with me! Never let me leave Him alone, but help me to live with Him always, and love Him with a personal and childlike love. Give me your blessing, so that I may be strengthened during life. Defend me at the hour of my death, and lead me straight to eternal happiness. Amen.

Pray for me, O Holy Mother of God, that I may be worthy of this promise of Christ.

“If anyone loves Me, My Father will love him, and We (the Blessed Trinity) will come to him, and make Our abode with him." (St. John. XIV, 23)

O God, faithful and true, abandon me not, but give me Thy Divine Wisdom that it may be with me, and may teach me what is pleasing in Thine Eyes. I fully realize I am unworthy of the place I occupy, having of myself no strength and no virtue, but I rely upon Thy assistance. Inspire me, enlighten me, guide me! Be it Thou alone Who thinks, speaks and acts ever through me!

O JESUS, MEEK AND HUMBLE OF HEART, MAKE MY HEART LIKE UNTO THINE!

“May Grace and Peace be yours in full measure” (1 Peter 1:2)

With great joy, I am delighted today to share with you, dear members, what your prayers and your help means to our work here at the Sisters formation. This is the second time I have received literature, books, prayer cards, Rosaries and the DVD and I thank you very much for the holy oil of St. Philomena. Together with the Community of the Religious Congregation of the Sisters who are under the Patron of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus Christ, we appreciate very much the generous help during this year for evangelizing this sacred work we been entrusted.

The mission of this Congregation of Sisters is mainly to spread the Gospel to all people aiming at the growth of faith, family apostolate, accountability and self-reliance, that all may embrace human dignity and promote integral development of an individual and the diocese as the whole.

Presently, the Congregation has 76 nuns and the young novices are 46 in number. This year in November, they will have their general chapter; it will be a time for them to elect their mother superior. Let us pray for this historical general meeting. May the Holy Spirit be their Guardian and Protector!

We have great work to evangelize the youth in our diocese. The Sisters, Catechists and Priests work together especially with this large group of Christians giving them catechetical instructions on their Faith and various devotions. The Living Rosary will have the main task of helping the Christians to live their faith in Mary as a shortest way to reach Her Son, Jesus Christ.

Dear Director, I promise to send you the forms with names once it is completed. I will send them through Post Office by registered mail. I have observed our young Christians especially in Secondary Schools do not have Rosaries, so I beg for more Rosaries, booklets and prayer cards. These will be of great help to the beginners.

I eagerly look forward to hear from you soon. Here are some photos taken at our place.

Sincerely yours in Jesus, Mary and Joseph,

Rev. Fr. Scharion Rugambwa
Chaplain – RCAULS
Kayanga Catholic Diocese
Bushangaro Parish
Karagwe-Kagera, TANZANIA

In an unprecedented initiative, implemented in response to the request made to the Shrine of Fátima by the president of the Bishops’ Conference, Albanian Archbishop Angelo Massafra, OFM, a Statue of Our Lady of Fátima made a trip to Albania.

The pilgrimage began on January 18, 2013 and Archbishop Angelo tells us the main purpose of the trip:

“We want to put under the protection of Mary throughout the world and in particular to Albania, a land and a people who have already suffered so much and that continues to suffer, and not just with Communism, but by ‘Revenge of blood’, forcing many families to remain trapped in their homes.”

“We want to entrust to Mary all people more weakened, in particular the children, the old and the sick, the poor and immigrants all over the world and, especially, (we) the sanctification and the reconciliation of families,” announced also by the metropolitan Archbishop of Scutari-Pult.

For Archbishop Angelo Massafra, this pilgrimage that will culminate in April is important because “it is necessary to offer powerful experiences to the people of God, encouraging those (experiences) that help them to live better the pilgrimage of faith.”

Of several events that connect the country to the devotion to Our Lady of Fátima, Archbishop Angelo Massafra highlights the existence at the present time, a pastoral center dedicated to Francisco and Jacinta Marto and a Church dedicated to Our Lady of Fátima, both in Oblike.

Share Your Gift of Faith

For 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.

Please Click here to Share Your Gift of Faith