Universal Living Rosary Association of Saint Philomena (ULRA)

Through your great help, the Living Rosary in Ukraine is flourishing in a special way during the wake of the Revolution which continues to this day. Many souls have been awakened from a life of ease centered in self and materials goods, to realize that all of these things can vanish in an instant. People flock to the churches to make their peace with God. We have personally been asked to “BEHOLD, THY MOTHER!” by Our Savior as He hung on the Cross. We do this best by studying St. Louis Marie de Montfort and living his way of Total Consecration to the Mother of God.

Essential to evangelization is the Mystery of the Cross. St. Louis de Montfort’s spirituality gives great emphasis to the Cross. Like a golden thread, it was woven through his life, preachings and writings. One of his most powerful works was entitled: “Letter to the Friends of the Cross.” Eternal Wisdom (Jesus Christ) has fixed His abode in the Cross, so firmly we will not find Him anywhere else in the world. Wisdom is the Cross and the Cross is Wisdom! Many people living in this world do not understand the mysterious language of the Cross. Being fond of pleasures and comforts, they drag their crosses along with reluctance, impatience and protesting. An event of cosmic proportions began to unfold when Pilot handed Jesus over to be crucified. Infinite Holiness embraced the Cross and took on the damnation of us all: Not reluctantly, but with Infinite LOVE! The Cross is the instrument of the Death of Our Savior and, thereby, the instrument of the victorious Redemption of all mankind. Jesus is beaten, crowned with thorns, and falls under the weight of the cross of our rebellion.

The consolation of His Mother’s bravery along the Via Dolorosa is great indeed; greater still, is the suffering that overwhelmed her at the terrible sight of the Child she bore. The sword of dying with Christ, as Simeon prophesied, pierced ever more deeply into her Immaculate Heart. Jesus stumbled and fell three times under the weight of the Cross.

Three times, He began again the journey to Calvary, no matter the pain! Upon reaching Golgotha, the place of the skull, Jesus was stripped of His garments. As the soldiers tore away His clothes, every wound was reopened. Crowned with thorns, blood pouring forth from His wounds, the eternal and incarnate Wisdom was displayed before a mocking world. He was stripped of everything! Only those who surrender all can share in the cross.

Poverty is a keyword in the Gospel. Anyone or anything that separates us from our union with Christ is to be considered diabolical. Yet, how tenaciously we grasp our idols, how fearful we are to let go of our treasures. Nations and individuals will even destroy each other in order to retain the golden calves of pride, prestige and wealth. The wealth of doing their own thing, demanding their own way, of using others and trying to possess others, of seeking pleasures no matter how repulsive they are to the Law of God: all these must be stripped away. Otherwise, we cannot be crucified with Christ. And, if we are not crucified with Christ, we cannot reign with Him. The Cross is essential to Christianity. “If any man would follow Me, he must take up the Cross daily and follow Me.” The Cross is precious because, when it is carried, it is the source, the food and the proof of love. The Cross enkindles the fire of Divine Love in the heart by detaching us from creatures. As wood is the food of flames, so the Cross is the food of love.

St. Louis de Montfort was expelled from one diocese after the other because of His fidelity to the Church and his unconditional living of the Gospel. He saw these DEFEATS as privileged crosses bringing him the conquest of souls for Christ. Although he suffered unjustly, he never complained. “WHAT A CROSS, TO BE WITHOUT A CROSS!” became his repeated motto. Far be it from us to glory, except in the Cross of Our Lord Jesus Christ.

Easter does not come after Good Friday; the Resurrection does not take place after Christ’s Death on the Cross. Rather, it is THROUGH the Cross that Jesus enters into His Glory. It is THROUGH the Cross that we share in the Glory of Christ’s Resurrection!

The Cross is our Emblem! The Cross is our Flag! The Cross is our Standard! It precedes us in every liturgical procession for It leads us on life’s pilgrimage to our Eternal Home!

We remember all of you as your carry the heavy crosses that God has chosen for you, and we pray that you will have the courage to bravely and lovingly unite yourselves with the Cross of Christ, in order that you might reign with Him for all Eternity.

I impart to all of you, my priestly blessing:

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

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

THE MISSION OF THE HOLY SPIRIT

Often, as I preached, and again in this little book, I have mentioned that the reason for our ignorance of so many simple and sublime truths in the mystery of the Altar, is that the Holy Spirit is not loved. With the exception of the most fervent Catholic circles He is scarcely invoked. How few are they who habitually have recourse to the Paraclete, substantial light and uncreated love! Nearly everywhere the sun of Pentecost is shrouded in a deep fog of cold indifference. The Paraclete is an unknown God. Yet. at the same time, the Paraclete alone has been given the mission in the Church to enlighten souls, to enkindle and sanctity them. He alone is the “sanctifier.”

It is not at all surprising, then, that the Mass is so little appreciated after twenty centuries of Christianity. The greater part of the faithful, while they might be in “good” faith, have not the “full” faith, the true faith.

The seven Gifts of the Holy Ghost are so many candles for us to keep burning before the Altar, that the celebrant and the faithful may enter the Holy of Holies filled with the sweet majesty of the Lord. Since the veil of the Temple was rent from top to bottom on that first Good Friday, all of us have the right to enter therein: the Son of God calls us and waits for us there! Now, with the protecting influence of the Holy Spirit, let us discover how we can enkindle in ourselves and others the flame that should consume us with the most holy Victim of the Mass.

In the first place, resolve to make a thorough study of the Holy Sacrifice. This is a thesis of the greatest theological and spiritual value. There are so many works on the subject that a choice is difficult. However, a “must” in our study is the Canon of the Mass itself. The prayers contained in the Canon form a mosaic of the most ancient prayers of the Church. We are told that it contains the gold dust of the Mass of the catacombs, and that some parts go back to St. Irenaeus. (Mgr. Lepin – Lyon).

Secondly, do not be satisfied with mere bodily presence at Mass. Take an active part in the Mass, offering it with the priest by following the liturgical prayers and ceremonies with a Missal. Your own private prayers would be satisfactory as long as they are in the spirit of the Holy Sacrifice.

There are private devotions which do not blend with the doctrine contained in the official liturgy. These can cut you off from the concert of the Church. We should adore, praise and implore the Most High, through Jesus Christ our Lord, in perfect union with Holy Church.

Offer the Holy Sacrifice through Him, with Him, and in Him! In His arms and on His adorable Heart mount to the Father. At the time of Holy Mass, the Father finds all His pleasure in the Son who pontificates at the Altar.

Finally, promise sincerely never to miss a single Mass through your own fault. Make a resolution to go to daily Mass and Communion, in so far as your duties will allow. Christ the Mediator is the ladder of Jacob by which we go to the Father, for no one goes there except through the Son.

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