Universal Living Rosary Association of Saint Philomena (ULRA)

Thank you for your prayers and concern for the members of the Living Rosary in Ukraine. The political situation in Western Ukraine, where the Center of the Living Rosary is situated, is peaceful and quiet. The area of turmoil is on the Russian border in Crimea. We are seeing refugees arrive here from Donetsk and Luhansk regions. It has been a very busy Holy Week and Easter. I have been hearing many confessions and visiting sick people who are calling for a priest. Huge crowds of people waited hours to confess their sins and receive Holy Communion. This revolution in Ukraine has made a big impact on our people. Many are turning to the Virgin Mary and have started praying the Rosary. Our people understand that the Virgin Mary and Almighty God alone can protect us from Russian occupancy and persecution. During the Easter Vigil, we had a big scare as there was a rumor that Russia would attack again on that night. Enemies of the Divine Name have scorned the Eternal God and spread snares for the Catholic Faith. They continue to make war against divine and human rights. The Holy Rosary will overcome God’s enemies and spur us on to practice evangelic virtues. From it, the young will draw fresh energy to control their passions, the old will find repose, relief and peace from their anxious cares. To the dying, the Holy Rosary will bring comfort and increase their hope of eternal happiness. The Center is very busy distributing materials and enrolling new members. Due to the revolution, people are very receptive. Now is the time to act. Your love, prayers and support make this possible for us.

The Mystery of the Incarnation is real; it is the foundation of all our hope. How wonderful is the plan of salvation! The Condescension of the Father, the Incarnation of the Son and the Indwelling of the Holy Ghost are the Mysteries of Grace by which the fallen race of Adam is brought back to God. Christ in His humanity came to bear our burdens, to heal our disorders and, by His Blood, to expiate and wash away our sins. Love is the fulfilling of the Law and the bond of perfection. The indwelling of the Holy Ghost steadily guides us onward to the end. With divine patience and all-healing tenderness, He will lead us to our heavenly Home. Keenly aware of our weakness, we must strive to give God that which we owe Him: our love, worship and obedience!

The May Bouquet of 31 Masses is just beginning and, each day, we remember all those who have requested these Masses and all the Sacred Liturgies which have been arranged through the Living Rosary. May your hearts and homes be sanctified, protected and preserved in the days of uncertainly which lie ahead!

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

What joy and hope face each one of us as we begin the glorious Month of Mary with great solemnity and spirit! May Our Immaculate Mother be praised, loved, revered and honored during these special days dedicated to Her devotion and glory. Surely, there can be nothing more pleasing to Her than to see us reach out to others and share Her love, Her protection and Her solicitude, that they may know their Mother in Heaven.

Thank you for your generous donation which makes this outreach possible for us. May God reward you eternally! We pray you will make an effort this May to reach out and introduce souls to the Living Rosary, Her Family of predilection!

THE GOLDEN KEY TO PARADISE IS A PEARL OF GREAT PRICE!

Contrition is a pain of the soul and a hatred for sins committed. It must come from the depths of our heart and be universal, that is to say, a sorrow for all the sins we have committed. Contrition must come from God and His Grace. Perfect contrition is based on the motive of pure love of God. Imperfect contrition is based on the fear of God and thinking about the evils sin brings to us. In perfect contrition, we are thinking of God, His Greatness, His Beauty, His Love and His Goodness. He has submerged us in the ocean of His Goodness and Divine Love and He wishes to crown all these graces by placing us near Him and making us eternally happy.

Have we responded to the Love of a God so loveable? How often do we fail in gratitude to Him by sinning? Do we burn with a desire to make amends for our ingratitude? Yes, without doubt, we do long to make amends for it by limitless love. At this moment of perfect contrition, which is based on the Love of God, our soul is transformed. There is no one who, with God’s Grace, cannot obtain perfect contrition provided he desires it sincerely. Contrition is in the will, and not in the sentiment. A firm resolution to confess sacramentally must be made when it becomes possible to do so. Every time an act of perfect contrition is made, the pains of Hell are immediately remitted, all past merits are recovered, and we turn from an enemy of God to being His son by adoption and a co-heir of Heaven. Perfect contrition is important during our life and especially at the moment of death. We do not know the hour of our death but, by the frequent practice of Perfect Contrition, we will be ready to give up our soul into the Hands of God. Nothing is more important! Should we come upon a dying person, let us repeat from the depths of our soul, an act of perfect contrition, the Key to Heaven! We will hear from the echo of the Cross, “This Day, thou shalt be with me in Paradise!!!”

O Mary conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee!

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

PATTI MELVIN, Director ULRA

Let us pray for one another!

FATHER MATEO ON THE HOLY SACRIFICE OF THE MASS (continued)

WHO OFFERS HOLY MASS?

There are three who offer the Sacrifice, but each in a vastly different way.

First there is the adorable Pontiff, Christ Jesus, the "High Priest according to the order of Melchisedec” (Heb. 5:10). He is at the same time the Celebrant and the Sacramental Victim, thrice sacred.

Next, through Him, with Him and in Him, the priest, that Alter Christus, is the official minister who has been ordained for the express purpose of offering the Sacrifice of the Mass! In the performance of this supreme act, the minister is invested with the Priesthood and Power of Christ, in virtue of the words of Our Lord at the Last Supper, "Do this in commemoration of me.” (Luke 22:19).

Thirdly, by a kind of spiritual concomitance, the faithful offer the Sacrifice with the priest, but with limits. Their part is only in the Offertory and Communion. This participation is pointed out by the insistence of the Church that there be present at Mass a representative of the people, in the person of the Mass-server or altar boy; for the Mass is essentially an act of public social worship. In his capacity as official deputy of the people, the server offers the wine and water to the priest and answers the people's part in the dialogue of the Mass, the liturgical form established in the early centuries of the Church.

There are many good Catholics to be found wanting in a knowledge of their catechism. We are still far from the ideal sought by the Church. They come to Mass with hardly any other thought in mind but the reception of Holy Communion. The last thought they would ever have would be to take an active part in the Sacrifice and thus give glory to the Blessed Trinity. There are many pious souls for whom the Holy Eucharist is merely consecrated bread distributed at the altar rail.

For such as these, the Mass is a beautiful liturgical ceremony during which it is customary to receive Holy Communion. They fail to see the Mass as the great act of Sacrifice, the true centre of the Church. It has become the golden key which unlocks the Tabernacle for them, when out of private devotion they wish to receive Holy Communion. That is why they read novena prayers or say their rosaries during Mass, never giving a moment's advertence to the divine drama being enacted on the Altar. These souls separate Sacrifice from Sacrament.

A great theologian has justly made this observation: "He who does not appreciate the Mass will never be really a Eucharistic soul; He will never appreciate Holy Communion, even if he receives daily…" In fact, ignorance, coupled with routine may bring harmful results. The Blessed Sacrament then becomes an insipid, unsubstantial devotion – like skimmed milk, with the body gone.

I received a box this morning from the post office. Thank you so much. May the Good Lord bless you for your good work!

I visited Father Michael at the Holy Cross Parish this morning. He was very happy to receive the Sacramentals. He promised to write and thank you.

On Saturday, 3rd May, we had a meeting with all the elderly members of the St. Philomena Prayer Group in my parish. The purpose of the meeting is how to spread the devotion and make the Saint be known in this country, as she is not well known everywhere, except among the members of the prayer group and some people who are in contact with the members. The members of the prayer group suggested that we should have a learning center wherein we can teach the people, especially the youth, about the Saint, and ask them to read more about her and spread the devotion. The other suggestion was to broadcast the Program twice a week. Attached are the pictures of the meeting. After the meeting, we prayed the Rosary and the Litany of St. Philomena. Ave Maria!

Juliana – SIERRA LEONE

I hope you saw my email in which I apologized in advance for late sending of enclosed lists. The lists are enclosed: (a) 11th February (Our Lady of Lourdes) = 12 lists, and (b) 25th March (Annunciation of Our Lady) = 55 lists.

Also enclosed are pictures from St. John's Complex – run by the Sisters of St. Therese of the Child Jesus Convent. The school has a Pre-Nursery, Nursery, Primary, Secondary and High School sections. I am yet to finish with the Secondary / High School due to lack of materials. There are many Catholic Schools in Kumba Town, who are anxiously waiting for me. The authorities of the schools think this devotion by the students (youths) will go a long way to control their lives positively. To this my dear Patti, I am anxiously waiting for thousands of Rosaries, Miraculous Medals, Scapulars and other Sacramentals, pictures of Ven. Pauline Jaricot and Saint Philomena, and other booklets.

While waiting anxiously for the above mentioned items, I extend my greetings to you and your staff, and thank you very much for your support. I hope your mother is doing fine. Happy Easter!

Cletus Oben – St. Anthony of Padua Parish CAMEROON, W. Africa

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