Universal Living Rosary Association of Saint Philomena (ULRA)

A SHORT TIME LONGER, AND THEN ETERNITY!

When we have lost a loved one, a great emptiness is felt in our lives because they are no longer at our side. Ah, but if we listen with the eyes of our soul, we might hear his voice, who in death as in life, is ever watching over us and praying for us:

“Even though I am on the other side of Eternity, please do not think for a moment that I am loving you any less than I have loved you on earth. On this side of the Gate, there are no more tears, no more sorrows, no more separations, but only pure infinite joy, peace and … love which is so unfathomable that, on earth, not even a glimpse of it can be imagined. I have seen the Face of God, the Faces of Jesus and Mary, and beheld the Beatific Vision … Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, nor can it enter into the mind of man what God has in store for those who love Him and are willing for the brief moment of life on earth to prove their love for Him by resignation, abandonment and trust in all the sufferings, separations, disappointment, trials and frustrations that befall them. God allows those He loves to undergo these trials that they may be purified in preparation for their entrance into Eternity, into the presence of Almighty God Himself, His Angels and Saints, and the Beatific Vision which surpasses all human comprehension.

I want to let you know how proud I am of your perseverance over the years that I sadly had to leave you alone by God’s ordained Plan. You have suffered much from loneliness and have been afflicted by many crosses and frustrations; yet, you turned to Jesus and Mary asking them for the Grace needed to carry on. As you struggle up that last bend in the road towards Calvary, you will be offered the opportunity to become one with the suffering Christ, nailed to His Cross of bitter pain, abandonment and humiliation. Over all these years, I have been lovingly watching over you, praying for you, and asking Our Lady to send special Angels down to protect you. I miss having you by my side, but only for a short time longer. There is so much evil and sin in the world today. God has confidence in your love for Him and is keeping you in the world a little longer. He has need of your sufferings united with His in reparation to the Father for the conversion of sinners and the sanctification of the just.

Your heart would literally die of joy if only you knew how very much you are loved by God and how much my love for you has grown, now that it is united with the pure Love of God and His Holy Mother. He must keep all this veiled and hidden for now, so that your merit won’t be lost and His glory will be won.

Know that you are never alone. When I seem farthest from you, that is when I am the closest and loving you the most. Your sufferings and prayers are needed so that our dream may be realized, that our family may all be together in Heaven without the loss of anyone. United with the sufferings of Christ, you must be strong enough to affect this dream. I will close for now. I send you my love and await the joyful day of your arrival when we shall be together once again, never to be separated, but united always in His Love, FOREVER!”

THE FOUR ENDS OF THE MASS
Sam Guzman (The Catholic Gentleman)

WHAT IS THE MASS?

Let’s begin with what the Mass is not. The Mass is not a community meal designed to strengthen our unity and “gather us in.” Feelings of unity and community can be strengthened at any number of events, including potlucks or Church picnics. At most, feeling unified with our brothers and sisters in Christ is a nice byproduct of the Mass, but it is certainly not its chief end.

Second, the Mass is not about you. It is not about having a wonderful “weekend experience,” as one new parish based program claims. Nor is its purpose to make you feel good about yourself, to encourage you, to inspire you, or to make you feel included and welcomed. You simply aren’t the audience – God is, and the Mass is all about Him.

So what is the Mass essentially? It is first and foremost a Sacrifice. In fact, it is the once for all Sacrifice of Christ on Calvary, that transcends time and space, made present for us again in an unbloody manner. It is the perfect Sacrifice that all the Old Testament sacrifices prefigured (See Malachi 1:11). In it, Jesus Christ lovingly offers Himself in an Act of Oblation to God the Father on our behalf. He adores God the Father, He atones for our sins, He offers thanks and praise, and He intercedes for our needs.

As Catholics, we have the privilege of attending this Sacrifice, and uniting ourselves to Christ’s self-offering. Put another way, we can imitate Christ by offering ourselves, souls and bodies, to God the Father as “living sacrifices,” as St. Paul says. This is what participation in the Mass really means. In the prayer ORATE FRATES, the priest acknowledges this participation of the faithful when he prays, “Pray brethren, that my sacrifice and yours may be acceptable to God, the Almighty Father.”

Now that we’ve discussed what the Mass is, let’s briefly look at its four ends or purposes:

1. ADORATION: The Holy Mass is first and foremost an act of loving adoration. It is worship of God our Father. Why? Because He deserves it! Almighty God is the most perfect of all Beings, the self-existing one, and all that exists owes its existence to Him. He is the Supreme Good, the Good from which all other goods receive their meaning. He is the Supreme Beauty, the sole standard by which we can recognize and understand that which is beautiful. And He is Love itself, giving of Himself from all eternity. He alone is worthy of our awe-struck adoration.

“Worthy art Thou, Our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for Thou didst create all things, and by Thy Will they existed and were created,” the Saints and Angels cry in the Book of Revelation, and the Mass is participation in this heavenly worship.

2. THANKSGIVING: All that we are and have comes from God’s generous Hand. Every good, every blessing finds its source in God alone, and our very existence is dependent on His Will. In response to God’s endless generosity, which we often don’t even notice, thanksgiving is the only acceptable response. And guess what? True gratitude is one of the most joyful feelings we can have. “I would maintain that thanks are the highest form of thought,” said G.K. Chesterton, “and that gratitude is happiness doubled by wonder.”

That is exactly what Holy Mass should be – an experience of happiness doubled by wonder.

3. ATONEMENT: We are all sinners and, while we do our best to rationalize and minimize it, all sin is a grave offense against God, incurring His just wrath. But, while we all deserve hell, we are not without hope. On the Cross, Jesus Christ atoned for our sins totally and completely, and we have the assurance that, if we turn to Him in repentance and faith, we can find forgiveness and healing.

The Sacrifice of Christ on the holy Cross is our certain hope, and the Holy Mass is the re-presentation of this Sacrifice. Therefore, the third end of the Mass is atonement for our sins. The Book of Revelation describes Christ appearing as a “Lamb as if it had been slain.” In Heaven, Jesus stands before God’s throne, offering God the Father His once for all Sacrifice in continual atonement for our sins and the sins of the whole world. This reality is made present at every Mass.

4. PETITION: The Mass is a powerful form of prayer. In fact, it is the most powerful prayer the Church possesses. St. Jerome once said, “Without doubt, the Lord grants all the favors which are asked of Him in Mass, provided they be fitting for us.” Many of the Saints tell us that bringing our requests before Our Lord after the Consecration is one of the most effective ways to obtain all that we need spiritually and physically. I would encourage you to pray in this way, knowing that Jesus is on the Altar interceding for you as well.

GO TO MASS!

In every Mass, Jesus Christ descends upon the Altar in the fullness of His Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity. He is truly present, giving Himself to us completely in the Holy Eucharist. It is truly the Sacrifice of Calvary made present once again. What a beautiful and profound reality! As St. Padre Pio once said, “If we only knew how God regards this Sacrifice, we would risk our lives to be present at a single Mass.” Why would we miss Mass for anything?

Prayer to the Guardian Angel when unable to assist at Daily Mass:

And when the priest Communion takes, oh, bring my Lord to me,
That His sweet heart may rest on mine, and I his Temple be.
Pray that this Sacrifice Divine, may mankind’s sins efface;
Then bring me Jesus’ blessing home, the pledge of every Grace.

TRUE DEVOTION TO MARY (continued)
Exterior Practices of This Devotion

Besides the interior practices of this devotion which we have just described, there are also certain exterior practices which we should neither omit nor neglect.

The first practice, which we have mentioned previously, is that, on some special festival of the year (the most beautiful day for it is the feast of the Annunciation), we offer and consecrate ourselves to Jesus Christ through the hands of Mary, to whom we give ourselves entirely. On that same day, we should receive Holy Communion for this intention and devote the day to prayer. This Act of Consecration should be renewed at least once a year.

The second practice is to pay to the Blessed Virgin, on that same day, some little tribute as a token of our servitude and total dependence. This tribute may be either a mortification, alms or some prayers. But, the little we do give to Mary, we should offer Her with a humble and grateful heart.

The third practice is to celebrate every year, with special devotion, the feast of the Annunciation, which is the patronal feast of this devotion. On this day, we honor and imitate that astounding dependence in which the Eternal Word placed Himself for love of us.

The fourth practice is to recite often with special devotion the MAGNIFICAT, which is the only hymn of praise we have from Mary, in order to thank God for the benefits He bestowed upon us and upon the Blessed Virgin, and to obtain from Him new favors. We should not fail to say the MAGNIFICAT after Holy Communion, as the Blessed Virgin, according to the testimony of the learned Gerson, often recited it herself, particularly after Holy Communion.

The fifth practice is to say devoutly the Hail Mary and the Rosary. The faithful servants of Jesus and Mary should love to recite this prayer often; neither its value and merit, nor its excellence and necessity are sufficiently known. The Hail Mary is a heavenly dew which waters the soul and renders it fruitful in all virtues. A soul that is not refreshed and watered by this heavenly dew brings forth only briars and thorns.

Elect souls, slaves of Jesus and Mary, know that, after the Our Father, the Hail Mary is the most beautiful of all prayers. It is the most perfect tribute you can pay to Mary, because it is the greeting which the Most High sent Her by an Archangel to win Her Heart and which so affected Her with its mysterious charms that Mary, despite Her deep humility, gave Her consent to the incarnation of the Divine Word. By this greeting and homage, you will infallibly win Her Heart, if you pray the Hail Mary in the proper manner.

I, therefore, beg you most earnestly, says St. Louis Grignion de Montfort, to pray the Rosary daily. At the hour of death, you will bless the day and the hour you followed my advice. Besides, try to say the Hail Mary often, with angelical devotion to honor Mary’s purity.

With heartfelt gratitude, I thank you very much for the small box of Sacramentals, St. Philomena holy oil and cord, and other spiritual materials. The children are very happy and thankful. Their parents and Catechists are also very thankful. Here are the pictures of the children on the day of their First Communion. God bless you!

< Sister Amleset Hagg, Orsoline Sisters, Asmara – Eritrea, Africa >

IN MEMORY OF YOUR DEPARTED LOVED ONES

When we love, we remember, and this memory – the effect of love – is not a barren thought. It resolves itself into DEEDS for the loved one. They are at peace for they have escaped Hell forever. But, they are sentenced for a time to expiating fire. Behold their plight and helplessness. Listen to their lamentations. In sympathy and charity, hasten to their assistance.

Enroll your Departed Loved Ones in thirty days of Requiem Masses in Ukraine. Fr. Ivan Kolodiy has arranged for these Masses to be offered from 1st to 30th November. The names you send will be placed upon the Altar during this time. A Mass card will be sent out to you for each one you enroll.

SUGGESTED STIPEND DONATION: $5.00 each for Enrollment in the NOVEMBER Bouquet of thirty days of Requiem Masses for your departed Loved Ones: PRINT VERY CLEARLY EACH NAME!

Click here to download a flyer – English

Click here to download a flyer – Spanish

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