Universal Living Rosary Association of Saint Philomena (ULRA)

The role of Mary in Christ’s work of Redemption is unique; She takes part
in it as the new Eve and Co-Redemptrix; She applies the fruits of Redemption
to all Her children as Mediatrix of all Graces. She is the great sign in the
heavens which leads the Christian army in battle against Satan. Mary is
victorious in all of God’s battles. Particularly, during the latter times,
She is present to us as the last means of salvation, the final refuge that
God gives the world. “My Immaculate Heart will be your refuge and the
way that will lead you to God.” (Fatima) The little army that
endures the supreme test and at last is victorious over the superior force
that is arrayed against it, is the Battalion of the Children of Mary!

When the storm winds of temptation arise and we are headed for the cliffs
of anxiety, look up to the Star and call upon Mary! When we are being swept
along by the waves of arrogance or ambition, slander or jealousy, look up to
the Star, call upon Mary! When anger, greed or pleasures of the flesh
threaten to capsize the wee ship of our soul, look up to Mary! When we are
in danger of sinking into the pit of sadness or falling into the abyss of
despair, think of Mary! In dangers, doubt and need, think of Mary! Call upon
Mary! Upheld by Her, we will not fall; shielded by Her, we have nothing to
fear; guided by Her, we will not grow weary; favored by Her, we will reach
our goal!

We can see the whole work of God’s creation as a great movement of love,
which pours forth from God and flows back to Him again. This perpetual
stream of love is the meaning and purpose of all creation; it is the essence
of Heaven. After man’s fall from grace, the Father sent the Son to redeem
Mankind. The first dwelling place, the first abode that the Triune God finds
to dwell in when He condescends to be with His creatures, is the Immaculata!
The Holy Ghost dwells in Her, living in Her from the first moment of Her
existence and He will do so always throughout Eternity. God comes to us
through Mary and, the beginning of our return to Him, will be through Mary.
Mary is the summit of creation and the bridge over which all from Heaven and
to Heaven must travel. Enkindled by the Spirit of Love, Mary’s Heart burns
for Her children whom She bore on Mount Calvary amidst a thousand pains, and
whom She desires to snatch, at all costs, from eternal destruction. Mary’s
radiant Heart touches our world. From Her, flows the entire love-filled
outpouring of the Trinity into souls. In this great hour of tribulation,
Mary comes to the aid of Christianity, drawing men to Her Immaculate Heart
(Consecration), leading them back to God (Conversion) and
calling them to participate in the building up of Christ’s kingly reign
(Reparation).

Mary is not a passive, indifferent instrument of God; rather She is free
and deliberate in Her decision, which God Himself waits for. The answer
given by Mary in its momentous greatness is profoundly related to the
creative Word of God Himself: In the beginning, God said, “Let there be
…” and creation came to be. And now the creature Mary says, “Fiat
… let it be done unto me” and God was made Man! Mary’s Fiat is so
great, so total, so thoroughly in keeping with the truth and so humble. Her
love is so immeasurably strong, pure and unhesitating that God is, so to
speak, attracted by Her and comes to Her so intimately that He Himself
becomes Man in Her, takes on flesh from Her flesh, blood from Her blood, His
very Heart from Her Heart! Mary is no longer just the purest of all
creatures and God’s masterpiece of creation, not only God’s child, but what
is more, Mary is God’s Mother! Not only His adoptive Mother, but
really and truly the Mother of God! This is a dogma of the Faith. Her title
of motherhood will never change. In Eternity, God will say, ‘My Mother.’
Mary is drawn into the interior life of the Most Blessed Trinity. Because
She possesses with the Heavenly Father the same Son, Mary becomes through
Her motherhood a “blood relative of the Trinity.” It is the Will of
God that we have everything through Mary. No one can become like Christ
unless he follows His example and honors the Immaculata and devotes himself
unreservedly to Her.

Beneath the Cross, Mary appears as the new Eve who, together with the new
Adam, brings forth the redeemed race. Here, She is appointed the Mother of
Mankind; here, She suffers with Christ more than all other human beings
together could ever suffer; here, Her Heart is pierced; here is accomplished
Mary’s mission as Co-Redemptrix! On Calvary, Mary suffers in Her Heart
everything Christ suffered in His Body and Soul. Two lives, two beings, two
Hearts are united on Calvary in a single sacrificial offering, because
Mary’s will had merged entirely with the Will of Christ. There is no
redemptive work of Christ without Mary’s compassion. In Her sacrifice,
“reason” (self) is cast into the darkest night and, as such, is offered
up in charity and it is this sacrificial offering which is precisely what is
lacking in Christ’s suffering today, this total gift of self. Christ’s
mission in the mystery of Redemption consists in reparation, reconciliation
and renewal: the complete annihilation of sin. The mission of the Holy Ghost
which is that of Mary, His Spouse, is the outpouring of that Divine Love
into the hearts of Mankind. Every conversion begins with the Mediatrix of
All Graces.

In order that the soul might not lose hope out of fear of God’s justice,
which sin has offended, God sends to man the ‘personification’ of His Love,
the Spouse of the Spirit of maternal love, the Immaculata. He entrusts to
Mary the administration of His Mercy. Mary is all beautiful, all spotless, a
daughter of man and a sister of human beings. Mary is all kindliness,
sweetness, gentleness and mercy. Mary is the Mercy of God itself among men.
God works in the Church through Mary and builds up His kingship through Her
queenship. Her apostolic mission is unique and universal.

“Rejoice, O Virgin Mary, for thou alone
hast vanquished

all heresies throughout the world!”

Mary’s Assumption into Heaven is an effective means of counteracting
materialism and the corruption of morals, besides being a triumph of faith
in the supernatural world. To Her belongs the great victory and honor of
saving the faith today from the shipwreck which threatens it. In 1954, there
were 36,000 chapters of the “Children of Mary” throughout the world.
The fruits of this movement have been acknowledged by several Popes:
The transformation of souls and the grace of purity in so many of our Youth.

Through Our Lady of Guadalupe, Lourdes, La Salette and Fatima, hundreds
of thousands of souls were led back to the Faith. When humanity evades the
influence of the Immaculata, this sets up an obstacle to God’s work in the
world. Keeping one’s distance from Mary in the name of ecumenism is one of
the worst possible affronts to God! In times such as ours, Mary Mediatrix of
All Graces will be for us a guardian of the Faith.

A TRUE CHILD OF MARY IS NEVER LOST!

At the end of the world, God’s work will reach in Mary its culmination
and perfection. He will give Himself to His children for all Eternity in the
divine indwelling place that He has prepared in His tabernacle among men, in
His Heaven: the Heart of the Immaculata!

With Mary, EVERYTHING!

Without Mary, NOTHING!

(Excerpts from Who Are You, O Immaculata? by Fr. Karl Stehlin)

PRAYER FOR THE TWELVE GIFTS OF THE HOLY
GHOST

O
Holy Ghost, Eternal Love of the Father and the Son! Deign to grant me the
Fruit of CHARITY that it may unite me to Thee by means of love; the Fruit of
JOY that it may fill me with a holy happiness even in the midst of
affliction; the Fruit of PEACE that it may give me tranquility in my
conscience; the Fruit of PATIENCE that it may make me love the Cross and
help me to bear it; the Fruit of BENIGNITY that it may incline me to relieve
the necessities of my neighbor; the Fruit of GOODNESS that it may make me
kind to all; the Fruit of LONGANIMITY that it may maintain me in patience in
the midst of opposition; the Fruit of MILDNESS that it may make me endure
tranquilly whatever there may be in my neighbor to cause me annoyance; the
Fruit of FAITH that it may permeate me with respect and love for the Word of
God; the Fruit of MODESTY that it may regulate all my external acts; the
Fruit of CONTINENCY that it may preserve my body in holiness; and the Fruit
of CHASTITY, that my heart remaining ever pure in this world, I may deserve
to see Thee in the Mansions of Thy glory. Amen.

Penetrate My Heart

(Prayer of St. Augustine)

O Divine Love! O Bond that unitest the Father and the Son, Spirit
of Power, faithful Consoler of the afflicted, penetrate to the profoundest
depths of my heart! Let the splendor of Thy light shine in it. Let Thy sweet
dew fall upon it that its great dryness may cease. Send forth the heavenly
rays of Thy love to the sanctuary of my soul, so that penetrating there,
they may enkindle burning flames that will consume all my weakness, my
negligence and my languor.

Come, then, come Thou sweet Consoler of desolate souls, Thou
Refuge in danger and Protector in distress. Come, Thou that cleansest souls
of their stains and healest their wounds. Come, Strength of the weak,
Support of those about to fall. Come, Teacher of the humble, Vanquisher of
the proud. Come, Father of the orphan, Hope of the poor, Treasure of those
in need. Come, Star of the mariner, safe Harbor for those in danger of
shipwreck. Come, Strength of the living, Salvation of those about to die.
Come, O Holy Ghost, come and have mercy upon me.

Make my soul simple, docile and upright, and show pity towards my
weakness with such clemency that my nothingness may find grace before Thy
infinite greatness, my impotence before Thy omnipotence, and my offenses
before the multitude of Thy mercies. Through Our Lord Jesus Christ my
Savior. Amen.

During this momentous Season of Pentecost, the Church is born of the Virgin Mary. We look up to the glorious Martyrs, Confessors and Virgins who, on the battlefield of this world, held in their heart this prayer, “Lord, what wilt Thou have me do?” The Holy Spirit mercifully brings to our soul His Gift of Fortitude. With His help, we will be able to triumph over all timidity, indecision and cowardice. Every Christian life is to be the credible career of a Soldier of Christ Jesus, not by warring on external enemies but by a campaign against perverse self-love. How hard it is for us to be obedient, to serve and to be unnoticed! Everything in the world assures us that we “deserve” the best: a life of ease, the luxury of rich surroundings, gourmet foods and stylish attire, and that our opinion is important and should hold sway with those around us. Humiliation and contradiction wound us to the very core. The Pentecostal tongues of fire came to rest upon the cowardly disciples and apostles, and made them fearless soldiers in the Army of Christ that they might conquer the world for their Master.

Of its very nature, fire tends to change everything it touches into itself; it never says “Enough!” On Pentecost Sunday, the Holy Ghost came personally as a bright burning Flame of the Infinite Love between the Father and the Son, and He kindled in them an ardor which made them relish every truth revealed and every law promulgated by their Master. Mary was there as chosen Spouse of the Holy Ghost. She was there in the upper room not merely as a mark of honor but in Her rightful place in virtue of Her unique office in the Church, as Spouse and Mother, Co-operatrix for the regeneration and rebirth of souls into the life of grace and divine son-ship.

Let us long for union with Our Lady, Spouse of the Holy Ghost, begging from Her the fullness of the Gifts of the Holy Ghost, the sweetness of His Fruits and the Fire of His Love. We need to ask Her for the special gift of love and service of our neighbor, no matter how troublesome he may be. We pray fervently for all of you at the Sacred Altar and stand deeply in your debt, as during the past two months through your prayers and kindness, we have enrolled over 3,000 new members in the Living Rosary here in Ukraine!

I will remember you and your family at the Holy Altar daily. I pray that you will have the courage, conviction and desire to allow Christ and His Holy Mother to have the place of honor and authority in the shrine of your family dwelling.

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

Thank you for your most generous help for the work of the Living Rosary in the world today. By our faithfulness to our DAILY DECADE, something bigger than a mountain or even the Universe is formed. By the perseverance and humility of all those who pray their DECADE each day, poor sinners are drawn to the sanctuary of the Mysteries of Jesus Christ, their conversion is obtained and the light of Faith penetrates all Nations and every soul.

Spiritual reading is the daily bread of our soul: A little good reading, much prayer and meditation, and God will do the rest! We live in a world devoid, in great part, of a Christian spirit, in an atmosphere and culture estranged from God. In former Ages, spiritual reading was not essential for one’s prayer life. People lived in a Christian world and culture which was reflected in its laws, customs, amusements and its very outlook on life. As the de-Christianization of our world continues, the necessity for spiritual reading must be on the increase. We stand in great need of something to bridge the gap between our pagan surroundings and our conversation with Christ – spiritual reading fills this need. Spiritual reading reinforces the habit of spiritual conversation. It strengthens the family as the Domestic Church and it allows the discussion and demonstration of the practical application of the Faith for all age levels.

How will we be able to explain the Faith, defend it, live it and know it without spiritual reading? The primary purpose of the Living Rosary, when established by Ven. Pauline Jaricot, was to educate the faithful in order to give them protection against the lies of those who would seek to destroy the Holy Catholic Faith and to give them a battering ram against the heresies which assail Her in every Age:

Pray the Rosary!
Consecrate yourself to the Immaculate Heart of Mary!

HAVE COURAGE!
PATTI MELVIN, Director ULRA

Please pray for me

How many Catholics, in the normal course of their day, will never set aside time to pray! God’s power is set loose in prayer as it is in no other way. It is absolutely impossible to have any kind of intimate personal relationship with God unless you have a very strong life of personal prayer. It is impossible for any of us to achieve our spiritual potential as Christian men and women unless we make time to pray.

Our coming into this world was not by accident, not by chance, not by mistake, but by the Will of God. Because of His Infinite Goodness, Love and Generosity, God created us out of nothing! God wanted us to have life. It is His ardent desire that we come to share eternal happiness with Him in His Heavenly Kingdom. If you think that any child’s coming into this world, was a surprise or a mistake, it would have been the first mistake that God ever made. It was not by accident but by the creative will of God that each one of us came into this world, in a specific way, in a specific place, in a certain family and at a particular time, all according to God’s plan. We know that God did not bring us into this world to abandon us. God became man; God took on human flesh and blood in the virginal womb of Our Blessed Mother. God sent His only begotten Son Jesus Christ to die for us on the Cross, to save us and redeem us from sin. He came to give us all the means necessary for our salvation. When we talk about the means of salvation, we are talking especially about the Seven Sacraments. These powerful channels of Grace Our Lord bought and paid for in His own Blood on Calvary.

“I know well the plans I have in mind for you,” says the Lord, “plans for your welfare not for your woe, plans to give you a future full of hope. When you call Me in prayer, I will listen to you. When you look for Me you will find Me. When you seek Me with all your heart, you will find Me with you…” (Jeremiah Ch. 29:11-14)

God has a plan for your life that is going to end in Eternal Glory if only you will cooperate with the graces that He wants to give to you. God is always ready to work wonders in the lives of the people who love Him. The apostle St. Paul said, “God makes all things work together for the good of those who love Him.” And, who are the ones who love God? At the Last Supper, Jesus said, “The one who loves Me is the one who keeps My Commandments.” Not everyone who says to me, “Lord, Lord, will enter the Kingdom of God, but only the one who does the Will of my Father in Heaven. Many are called but few are chosen. The gate that leads to Heaven is a narrow gate and few there are who enter therein. Broad and wide is the road that leads to ruin and many there are who take that road.”

There are three very basic truths of the spiritual life:

1. No one can be saved unless that person conforms his or her life to God’s Will. We have got to do God’s Will even when it is very difficult and involves much personal sacrifice. There is only one way to reach Heaven and that is by loving God and the only way we can definitively prove that we love God is by doing God’s Holy Will. We have got to conform our lives to God’s Wisdom and Will even when God’s Will does not conform to our opinions.
2. It is impossible for anyone to do God’s Will without the help of God’s Grace. Human nature is weak and wounded by Original Sin. All of us experience the effects of Original Sin as a result of the disobedience of Adam and Eve in their rebellion against God. Our intellects are darkened and our wills are weakened. We all feel the attractive power of sin in our lives. We have got to have the help of God’s Grace constantly. We know that we cannot make it alone.
3. God’s Grace comes to us first of all through the Seven Sacraments and most often for us all, through prayer. From this, it follows that no one can be saved without prayer.

PRAYER is the KEY to SALVATION!

The whole mystery of human salvation, your whole future and your whole relationship with God depend entirely on how much and how well you are willing to pray. The saints became saints because they understood the power of prayer. They believed and knew that prayer has the power to change lives, yours and those of others, and they proved it more than two centuries ago. St. Alphonsus Liguori, founder of the Redemptorist Order said, “Those who pray much, have great chance to be saved; those who pray little, have little chance to be saved and those who do not pray at all, have NO chance to be saved.” He said, God does not speak to those who do not speak to Him.

St. Theresa of Avila, Doctor of the Church, said, “There is only one road that leads to God and that road is prayer. If anyone shows you another road, they are deceiving you!” God’s power is unleashed in prayer as it is in no other form or fashion. Prayer can transform your human power, your natural abilities, talents and gifts into the supernatural power of God.

In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus told the apostles, to pray, saying, “Ask and you shall receive, seek and you shall find, knock and it shall be opened unto you. Whoever asks receives, whoever seeks, finds, whoever knocks is let in.” That means God is a generous Father who very much wants to give good things to His adopted children. We are His adopted sons and daughters. That spirit of adoption entitles all of us to a heavenly inheritance. We are God’s heirs and joint heirs with Christ. God is a loving Father Who very much wants to share His Grace with us and the people who we love. If prayer has this kind of power and if God uses prayer to change and guide and direct the course of events in our lives, if prayer is so absolutely essential to our wellbeing, both now and for all eternity, then the burning question is this: WHY DO WE PRAY SO LITTLE?

Why do we always seem to have time for everything but prayer? How is it that so many of us can sit for hours at a time in front of the TV or computer and think nothing of it? We sit for three hours at a time and watch a ball game and think nothing of it. But, even five or ten minutes of prayer a day, seems like too much of a burden. We hear a great deal about scandals in the Church today and, yes, they are significant and worrisome. What seems a great scandal in the Church today is when a Christian sits for hours in front of the TV or computer and then claims not to have time to pray, his mind becomes boggled by the world, distracted by the noise and nonsense, sex and violence, plots and intrigues of the TV, and he fails to make the time to pray.

Many people could sum up their whole spiritual life very quickly: Mass on Sundays, a short prayer in the morning, grace before meals, prayer on the run, and a quick prayer at night. This is not good enough in the sight of Almighty God. God is a God of love, a God who is searching and thirsting and always craving for more of our love in return. His desire for love will not be satisfied and He will not be able to satisfy our spiritual needs unless we make the time to be alone with Him in prayer. God gives us so much, why do we give Him so little in return? Why is it that prayer is such a low priority in our lives? We might give several different reasons for this. Very often, it can be because we just don’t have enough Faith. We don’t really believe that God is going to hear and answer our prayers. We don’t really believe that God is infinitely wise and infinitely in love with each one of us and that He hears and answers our prayers in the way that is best for us. What more must God do to convince us that He desires our happiness more than we do ourselves and that He knows how best to get it for us. God saves the best for those who leave the choice to Him. Often we neglect prayer because we don’t love God enough. We do not want to make the time to be alone with Him. Perhaps we are not really convinced of God’s goodness or that He takes a personal interest in each and every one of us. Some people never pray, because they are not willing to wait for God to give an answer. We are living in a society where people value instant gratification. We want what we want, when we want it. We know what we want, and we got to have it now. We do not want to persevere in prayer. Some people never pray because they are just too proud to admit that they need God’s help or anyone’s help for that matter. They think they can make it alone and they are kidding themselves.

It has been said that the American spirit is characterized by rugged individualism, fierce independence, and self-sufficiency. This can often be a positive thing, but when it is transferred into the spiritual life, it is a negative thing. Jesus said, “I am the vine, you are the branches, apart from Me, you can do nothing.” Most of the time, we tend to neglect prayer because we are just too preoccupied with other things. We claim to be too busy to make time for prayer. We find ourselves caught up in the cares of the world, wrapped up in the hectic pace of our daily lives and we fail to make the time or take the effort needed to pray the way we know we should. We can find a million excuses not to pray. St. Augustine said, God is more willing to give the graces that we need, than we are to ask for them. Let us try to think of our relationship with God from His perspective. Archbishop Fulton Sheen said that most people look upon prayer in the same way that an aviator would look upon a Parachute, he always keeps one with him close by, he knows that it is there, he hopes he will never has to use it, but should an emergency arise, he will use it. All too often that is the way people look upon prayer. Many people will only turn to God when they want something for themselves or when some crisis comes up in their lives. Once they get what they want or the crisis passes, they stop praying altogether. God won’t hear from them until next time! Sadly, there are many who never bother with God, never bother to pray and never darken a church door until some crisis comes upon them. When suffering comes into their lives, all of a sudden they are down on their knees crying out, “O, help me, Lord!” Then, they demand God to make miracles and to answer their prayer exactly as they have made it. God is under no obligation to hear and answer the prayers of those who have made themselves strangers to Him and strangers to prayer. If we pray only in this manner, we will never grow spiritually. If our prayers are selfish and we serve God only for what He might give us, we are not motivated by true love of God and neighbor.

We have a serious obligation to pray for other people and for the graces of which they stand in need, especially for the sick, the suffering, sinners, those living without God, those walking in darkness, the innocent victims of war, violence, persecution, injustice and starvation, those who will die today. We are living in a world of suffering souls desperately in need of God’s Grace: the graces that can only come to many of them through our prayers. How many lives, how many souls are hanging in the balance at every moment? How many could be saved if only we would be generous and make more time to pray for them.

Our Blessed Mother at Fatima, in 1917, said that so many souls are lost because they have no one to pray for them. This is why, when Our Lord told us to pray the Our Father, He did not tell us to say, ‘Give me this day my daily bread, or forgive me my trespasses’ but rather, “Give us this day our daily bread, forgive us our trespasses, lead us not into temptation.” This is precisely because a mature faith, a true Catholic spirituality, true Christian charity, does not pray selfishly or just for its own interests. It prays for other people and it gives God thanks and adoration and makes reparation for sin. God loves a generous heart that forgets itself in order to pray for others. God will never be outdone in generosity.

God will always repay the least efforts that we make to help others a hundred-fold. While we are still in this life, all of us will have something to suffer. We can never be, nor should we wish to be, free of the Cross. There are many Christians today who are looking for a kind of Christianity that does not exist. They are looking for Christianity without the Cross, without pain, without sorrow, without suffering, and without sacrifice. Such a thing has never existed, nor will it ever exist. The Cross will always be with us. Know that God will never send a cross into our lives that is too heavy for us to bear. With every Cross God sends into our lives, He will always send us sufficient grace and strength to be able to bear it. Jesus said, “If anyone would be my disciple, let Him take up his cross daily and follow in my footsteps.” We know that when we offer our daily crosses and sufferings to God in union with the suffering of Our Blessed Lord on the Cross, our sufferings take on a tremendous redemptive value. They become a powerful prayer in our hands. Our first prayer, every morning, should be our MORNING OFFERING, the daily offering of ourselves: everything we have, we are and we do, offered totally to God in a spirit of love, charity, humility and simplicity. If we do this, we sanctify everything that we do and it becomes a prayer tremendously powerful and pleasing to Almighty God. We know that God does hear and answer every prayer in His own time and in His own way, and we know that when we pray, we will always get one of the three responses from God:

God will say, “YES or NO, or WAIT.”

Why does God say, NO? Why doesn’t God give us everything we ask for in prayer? It is simply because God is a loving Father who sees into the future. God exists outside the limitations of space and time. The past, present and future all belong to God. God lives in an eternal present. God sees every possibility, every contingency. God knows what is going to happen if we get the things we ask for. God knows that we don’t always ask for things that are good for us and our spiritual welfare. Suppose you are a parent and your little child asks you for a sharp knife to play with. Would you give it to him? Of course not! What if he asked for a pack of matches, a cigarette lighter or a gun? Would you give it to him? Of course you wouldn’t, because you are a loving parent and you can foresee that any one of those things could be dangerous to him. When we pray, God will give us nothing that He foresees will separate our hearts from Him and lead us away from Heaven. God will not always give us everything we want, but He will always give us the things that we really need. True worship is accepting God’s Holy Will however it presents itself in our lives.

True Worship is Trust and nothing glorifies God more! It is confidence in God’s providence. We know that God can arrange things for our happiness far, far better than we can even imagine. We must pray perseveringly and humbly. The Gospel shows us that Jesus Christ left us the example of a life devoted to prayer. Think of the Life of Our Lord on earth: Thirty three short years the Gospel tells us. He spent the first thirty of those years in prayer and preparation for His public ministry. During those three years, He left us an example of a life devoted to prayer. He began and He ended His days in prayer. Before every important event, action or decision of His public Life, Our Lord drew apart from everything and everyone, to make the time to be alone in prayer with His Father. This is exactly what we are called to do. Our Lord did that to leave us an example to follow. His example shows us the best and the most simple and the most effective way to pray. Speak to God from your heart, not just out of habit. We know that our prayers have a very special power, a special efficacy, when we come before Our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament. This was the secret of the saints. The saints knew that there was practically no favor they might ask that would be refused if they ask it in His Sacred Presence in the Blessed Sacrament. Every day, we come together to offer the most powerful prayer ever known to humanity, the greatest act of worship the world has ever known or will ever know and it is the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass.

The Mass is an infinite treasure of graces. At every Mass, Jesus Christ places Himself into the hands of the priest as a victim, a victim of infinite value to obtain for us all the graces and blessings that we stand in need of. What is it that prevents us from having the fullness of those graces and blessings? It is because so much of the time we attend Mass without devotion, attention, and reverence. So much of the time we come forward to receive Holy Communion and we receive Our Lord coldly and indifferently. Prayer is conversation with God, lifting the mind and the heart to God. You speak to God and God speaks to you. Your daily spiritual reading and meditation will do so much to foster daily prayer and the devout reception of the Sacraments. If you want an especially powerful prayer for our time, pray the Holy Rosary. It is the prayer that comes to us directly from Heaven through the hands of Our Blessed Mother. Never think of the Rosary as vain repetition. The Rosary is the prayer of the Gospel. It is scriptural and is the prayer that helps us to meditate on the 15 central Mysteries on the Life of Our Blessed Lord and of the Holy Family. Prayer is the life of the soul. Without prayer we cut ourselves off from the treasures of God’s Grace. Without prayer, in time, we drift away from God and fall into temptation, mortal sin and fall away from the Faith. In prayer, we draw close to God, and learn to know Him, love Him and serve Him. In prayer, God reveals Himself to us, speaks to our hearts and guides our lives by the Light of the Holy Spirit. With prayer, God makes all things work together for the good of those who love Him.

MY GOD, I LOVE THEE!

One day, a holy card of Pauline-Marie Jaricot was sent to Dickinson by a member. This card contained the name and address of the Secretariat of Pauline’s work and cause in Lyon, France. We wrote at once to share with this office the revival of the Living Rosary in Texas.

Father Georges Naidenoff, S.J., offered us strong encouragement. Through the years, we kept Father abreast of the work, its growth, the joys as well as the trials. In 1988, Father sent to us a First Class Relic of Ven. Pauline Marie Jaricot, which contained this inscription:

“You will find with this letter a precious Relic of Ven. Pauline-Marie Jaricot. Until now, NO ONE has ever received a Relic of Pauline; you are the first and only ones. Guard it as a great treasure!”

The words Father wrote to us, through our years of sharing, encouraged us that we were, indeed, doing the work of Pauline:
“Pauline will help you from above. May God and Our Immaculate Mother give you the strength to struggle against the difficulties and crosses with the same energy and uprightness of our saintly friend, Pauline Marie! I encourage you in your beautiful work. The Living Rosary, of which you are the animator, is blessed by God. My Mass on the Feast of Pentecost is special for me, as it is my assigned Mystery in the Association. May you be given the health to continue with magnificent courage, your spiritual combat!”

In 1994, Père Naidenoff suffered a stroke and was partially paralyzed. Thus ended the beautiful labor in which Father had been engaged of compiling and editing the complete life and works of Pauline on the basis of 25,000 pages of written material. With profound patience and love, he embraced his life of suffering and total dependence. During that time, through the help of his dear secretary and friend, Simone Boudoin, he wrote to us:
“We are constantly astonished by the growth of the Living Rosary; you walk in the footsteps of Pauline who must be very pleased with you; we are so happy that many people pray to Pauline Jaricot through the Living Rosary because she is entirely forgotten by her beloved France; we express again our deep affection for you and our union with you in prayer; your two important letters were received by Father with much joy and which made us realize the difficulties you encounter for the development of the Living Rosary in your country and in the world.”

Father was a man of few words, but his direction and support to us came straight from the heart of Pauline! Thanks be to God, I had taken time to share with Father news and photos of Pauline’s Press and the scope of her work just shortly before his last letter arrived.
“Today, I write to you after the departure of Père Naidenoff for Heaven: Three years and four months of paralysis and 11 days of Calvary at the hospital, Hotel-Dieu, where Pauline used to visit the sick. Toward 7 a.m. on August 19, the Feast of St. John Eudes, he departed this world and was laid to rest on August 22, Feast of the Immaculate Heart of Mary! These are several lines dictated by the Père a few days before his death. This was Father’s last letter.”

“Dear Patti, I was able to read your last letter, so confiding, so simple, so near to God. Your letter is to me a very precious celestial souvenir.”

It seems to me that this was Father’s last will and testament to me and, through me, to all of you members, in which he imparted his blessing to us, which is and always was for us, the very blessing of the heart of Pauline! From his place close to God, he is surely praying for each and every one of us: the Family of Pauline. Let us with fervor and perseverance, remember our dear Father Georges Naidenoff. May he rest in peace!

I have fought the good fight,
I have finished the race…
I have kept the Faith.
(2 Timothy 4:7)

PATTI MELVIN, Director ULRA

Please pray for me

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

Cast Your Cares On God!

Dear Apostles of the Immaculate Heart of Mary,

It is with great sorrow that we watch all that is taking place in the government and Church, today. Much suffering lies ahead for all of us. We are profoundly grateful for your prayers and all your gifts! What great confidence we must have in Our Blessed Mother and what love! How greatly we hasten the Triumph of Her Immaculate Heart by our DAILY DECADE! Life is but a stepping stone to Eternity. Now is the Hour! We must have courage!!!

When we meditate on Christ in the Garden of Olives, we realize that He was truly man. In His agony, He underwent the very human fear of suffering and death. In His humanity, He experienced the burden of discouragement and needed an angel to comfort Him. St. Paul was tempted by depression and, often times, discouragement weighed heavily upon him. We, who carry on the work of Christ and St. Paul, cannot hope to escape an occasional sense of failure. These bleak periods in our life are moments of truth. We realize our utter helplessness against the powerful empire of Satan. After a life-time of service, we may see very little fruit has come of our efforts in God’s service. We feel like Peter, James and John who labored all night and caught nothing.

Discouragement is at once an insight, a crisis and a challenge. We hear a voice which opens to us an unseen path and calls out, “Launch out into the deep!” A special grace reveals to us our own insignificance and utter helplessness. We can give up the fight and admit that we have been working for ourselves and relying on our own strength; or, we can turn to Christ and listen to His voice, “Do not be afraid, I am with you.” Without God, we can do nothing; with His help, all things are possible. Pride and self-sufficiency are the only things that can hinder His action in us and through us. When we submit entirely to Him, keenly aware of our nothingness, then His Divine Power will transform us.

Here I am Lord, speak!

PATTI MELVIN, Director ULRA

Please pray for me

Come, Holy Ghost, kindle in us the Fire of Divine Love!

The Gold of Consecration

“My Immaculate Heart will be your refuge and the way that will lead you to God.” From the Heart of Mary flows the entire love-filled outpouring of the Trinity into souls. Mary draws mankind to Her Immaculate Heart (Consecration), leads them to God (Conversion) and calls them to participate in the building up of Christ’s kingly reign (Reparation). If I remain loyal to Mary, my faith will be safeguarded. By my consecration to Mary, I give Her full possession of my body and soul, and permission to do with them as She knows will be best for my salvation and the glory of God. Mary’s God-given mission is to make me a saint. “At this moment, on this day, I freely choose to give you my full permission to do your work in me.”

As soon as Mary hears these words, She flies to us and begins working a masterpiece of grace within our souls. She continues this work for as long as we do not deliberately change our choice and take back our permission. Mary is a gentle Mother. She makes the lessons of the Cross into something sweet and She pours Her motherly solace into our every wound. Giving to Mary permission to do Her work is the surest, easiest, shortest and most perfect means of becoming a saint. What joy to be consecrated to Jesus through Mary! From this day forward, dear Jesus, whenever I embrace You, may it be with the arms of Mary. Whenever I kiss You, may it be with the lips of Mary. Whenever I sing to You, praise You and thank You, may it be with the voice of Mary. True Christians can be recognized by the love they have for the Mother of God. Mary will make of us God-Bearers. Like Mary, let us carry the divine presence of Jesus Christ into the whole world.

PRAYERS TO THE HOLY GHOST

FOR LIGHT AND LOVE

Come, O Holy Ghost, fill the hearts of Thy faithful, and kindle in them the fire of Thy Love. Send forth Thy Spirit, and they shall be created. And Thou shalt renew the face of the earth.

Let us pray: O God, Who hast taught the hearts of the faithful by the light of the Holy Spirit, grant that by the Gift of the same Spirit we may be always truly wise, and ever rejoice in His consolations, through Christ Our Lord. Amen.

Short Act of Consecration

O Holy Spirit of God, take me as Thy disciple: Guide me, illuminate me, sanctify me. Bind my hands that they may do no evil; cover my eyes that they may see it no more; sanctify my heart that evil may not dwell within me. Be Thou my God; be Thou my guide. Withersoever Thou leadest me, I will go; whatsoever Thou forbiddest me, I will renounce; and whatsoever Thou commandest me in Thy strength, I will do. Lead me, then, unto the fullness of Thy truth. Amen.

Warm my Heart, Spirit of Love and of Light, Third Person of the most happy Trinity, One God with the Father and the Son in all eternity, behold Your Jesus within my heart, and possess me utterly for the sake of this divine and most dear Guest. Warm my cold heart with the flames of pure love, cleanse me of every stain, make my soul beautiful with every virtue that I may be less unworthy to be the tabernacle of this august Sacrament.

What can You refuse me, my God, Who hast given me the most precious of all gifts? I ask with the greatest confidence, for every grace and blessing for myself, for all who are mine, for Thy holy Church, for all the faithful and for all mankind. I grieve with deep confusion for all the sins and infidelities of which I have been guilty toward Thy Divine Majesty and for the sins of the whole universe.

In atonement, I offer to Thee this spotless Victim whom I possess through Thy kind love. I desire to partake in all the merits of the Saints, in the praise of all the Angels, in the good works of all the holy souls on earth, and to offer them all to Thee in thanksgiving and supplication, in union with the Sacred Heart of Jesus. Thus, may I deserve most Holy Spirit, to live forever with Thee in the peace and happiness of that heavenly Home where Thee, with the Father and the Son, are the delight of all the Blessed, One God, world without end. Amen.

FOR WISDOM AND TRUTH

Holy Spirit of Truth, Lord of Light, have mercy, we beg of Thee, upon all the blind of heart. Their souls, dear Spirit of Love, are overcast and clouded with self-sufficiency and pride or blinded by the allurements of this world. They have forgotten Thy judgments, have wandered far from the way of Thy Commandments, have despised and rejected Thy graces; and now their conscience, grown dull and hard, no longer gives them warning of the danger to their soul.

Have pity, dear Lord, and forget the many times they have abused Thy graces, refused Thy consolations and Thy Divine Majesty by their sins. Stir them once more, by Thy almighty power, out of the sleep of indifference and sin. Bid the scales fall from the eyes of their souls, as of old they fell from the eyes of Saul, the persecutor of Thy people, when he became Paul, the Apostle of the Gentiles, full of Thy Spirit of Wisdom and of Truth.

Through the intercession of that mighty Apostle, who has known what it means to be blind of heart and has experienced in his own person the power of the Holy Spirit, help all the blind of heart. And, as we ourselves share, alas, to some degree, in this blindness of soul, open our eyes also, to see and to realize what we now know and believe, so that we may put off all sin and affection to sin and may serve God faithfully with a loving heart. Amen.

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

DOUBLING FOR THE MOTHER OF GOD

God, in His goodness, gives us the particular grace that is suited to the hour. We need to know that God is near us and that we are of infinite worth. WHY? Because modern writers and thinkers have made us little more than animals whose destiny is the grave. From the professor’s chair and the ever reeling press, we are told that life is hardly worth living. But, then, out it comes, from 19 hundred years in the past, the voice of St. Paul, the voice of John the Baptist and the voice of Jesus Christ that man has a divine destiny and we learn to lift up our hearts, our heads and our eyes. They tell us we are the branches of the Vine, members of the Mystical Body of Christ. This truth changes the whole universe for us. Life and living take on a fuller more sacred meaning. This is a dogma that not only dignifies but actually divinizes us. I am quite convinced that when this doctrine has become known and loved and lived, the world will be saved! Mary, who is a member of the Mystical Body of Christ, is also It’s Mother. The proofs for this doctrine are in Scripture, Tradition and Reason.

How wonderful if you and I could reproduce perfectly in ourselves the motherhood of Mary! St. Paul says that he “fills up in his flesh the things that are wanting of the sufferings of Christ.” Although the great drama of Redemption is ended, the great drama of redeeming goes on. Christ made satisfaction for our sins and He did it superabundantly. But that satisfaction must be applied to souls! The great drama of redeeming is now going on in the soul of every baptized person who has his or her particular role to play. Many motherly things you do now for the Mystical Body of Christ, Mary did for the Physical Jesus. There are many modern ‘Bethlehems’ today of closed doors and crowded inns, a world of human cruelty, with heart-wrenching anguish. In crowded hospitals and nursing homes, we find a double for Mary, bending over the beds of pain, soothing bodies and comforting souls.

How like Mary are the Contemplative Orders, those silent souls behind cloister walls and heavy grills. The Mother of God watched and wept and lovingly adored the broken Host of Calvary at the first Mass. The Poor Clares, Carmelites, Trappists and Orders of Perpetual Adoration do what Mary did 19 Centuries ago: they watch, weep and lovingly adore the outraged God in the Tabernacle of His Love. Our great work in life is that Christ be formed in us. This is the summation of the whole Spiritual Life. In Mary, this work began with her “FIAT!” We must make our fiat to everyone and everything in our lives. This is the whole secret of sanctity and the deepest foundation of a spiritual life. If you fail to see Jesus in the bright eyes of the children you know, the wife or husband you have been given, colleges of eager students, your workplace or shop, you have missed a vital part of your formation. It is not humanity that you serve. NEVER! It is divinity in humanity! And that combination is found only in Jesus Christ and the members of His Mystical Body. What you are doing for the young, the sick, the old and discarded, Mary did for the Physical Jesus. In doing these things you do, you are doubling for the Mother of God! This concept makes every life very worth living and it brings Heaven right to your door. You are taking care of Jesus, for there is only one Christ – the Whole Christ!

This concept of doubling for the Mother of God is not a passing fancy, it needs to become for you a pulsating, palpitating part of your life. You will see that your attitude towards everybody and everything will change. Can you not see how easy this will make the spiritual life for you? No matter what his or her character may be, every single person may be looked at as a member of the Mystical Body of Christ, either actual or potential, and thus he or she can be seen as Christ.

At an early age Mary spoke five words, “Be it done unto me” according to Thy word. She meant every one of those words. They brought God into her womb. Some years later, she spoke another five words, “Do whatever He tells you.” Other than these words and the glorious hymn of the MAGNIFICAT, Mary was silent. It hurts to be misunderstood; it hurts not to be trusted; unkindness and rebuke are hard to take. But remember that it was God’s way of fashioning the soul of His Mother. He has only one pattern and one ‘plan, it is the Cross! He traced it on the soul of Mary Immaculate from the moment of her conception until the day of His Crucifixion. He will do the same on yours.

Sorrow is Sanctity’s Sculptor!

Sorrows will come but, when they do, remember that God is putting on the finishing touches to the saintly soul of His Mother’s double. When they come, seek Jesus. You will find Him in the temple and He will wipe away your tears. There are times when our whole world goes black, our hearts are sore and our minds are sick, we stagger and grope and sway along the way in the dark. We have to go on! For 33 years, Mary went on pondering what Simeon has said. in the temple. Not until Calvary did she clearly understand. You will understand it one day too, if not on Calvary, then in Heaven! The great drama of the Redemption was planned to be a Divine Romance, but if you fail in your role of doubling for the Mother of God, it could end an Eternal Tragedy.

Walk like, talk like, think like, act like, live like, be like Mary!
Be Generous! Be Sacrificial!

Heaven or Hell can depend upon how you double for the Mother of God. Study closely the Maid of Nazareth. You must know Her Heart, Her will and all Her ways. You must know Mary more intimately than yourself. To insure perfection in your portrayal of Mary, live her character, submerge yourself in her, concentrate with a fierce intensity on being like Mary the woman you represent. Then, never step out of character! In all things you will respond to God with Mary’s tremendous words, those which embodied the contract between the Holy Spirit and the Mother of God: ‘Be it done unto me’ according to Thy Will. Learn Mary’s words perfectly; then live them with all your heart!

There is but One Sorrow and that is
The Loss of God!

MEDITATION ON THE HOLY GHOST

In his Encyclical on the Holy Ghost, Pope Leo XIII strongly urged the faithful to have a special devotion to this Divine Spirit and exhorted all Bishops and priests to preach this sanctifying devotion with a new and burning zeal. His Holiness pointed out that the Holy Ghost is constantly at work in the Church, which undertakes nothing of importance without invoking His aid in the solemn hymn, Veni Creator.

The words of the Holy Father were most timely, for many of the faithful seem to have forgotten the important role which the Holy Spirit plays in the life of the Church and of the individual. He is the guide and the sanctifier of both. Indeed, He is the very soul of the Church.

Shortly before His Ascension into Heaven, Jesus commended this devotion to the Apostles and promised to them the coming of the Holy Ghost. “But the Paraclete, the Holy Ghost,” He said, “whom the Father will send in My Name, He will teach you all things, and bring all things to your mind, whatsoever I shall have said to you.” (Jn.14:26)

In order to understand the powerful influence exercised upon the Apostles, consider how timid they were when they assembled in the cenacle after the crucifixion of their Divine Master and Leader, Jesus Christ. They undertook no missionary work: they remained in prayer, awaiting the coming of the Holy Spirit who would transform them into intrepid Apostles, proclaiming the Gospel of Christ in all lands.

“And when the days of the Pentecost were accomplished,” relates the Acts, “they were all together in one place and, suddenly, there came a sound from Heaven, as of a mighty wind coming and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. And, there appeared to them parted tongues, as it were of fire, and it sat upon every one of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and they began to speak with diverse tongues, according as the Holy Ghost gave them to speak.” (2:1-4)

Not only did the Apostles receive the gift of tongues but they received the courage, strength and fortitude to use that gift and, thus, to proclaim the Gospel of Christ to friend and foe. They became valiant and fearless men: instead of fleeing danger, they esteemed it a privilege to face perils of all kinds and even to die for the Faith of Christ.

Before ascending into Heaven, Christ instituted a Sacrament through which the Holy Ghost comes to us in a special way and enables us to profess our Faith as strong and perfect Christians and soldiers of Jesus Christ. That is the Sacrament of Confirmation: it is so called because it confirms and strengthens us in the Faith. The Acts relates two incidents of the Apostles administering this Sacrament.

“When the apostles in Jerusalem,” Acts says, “heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent to them Peter and John. On their arrival, they prayed for them, that they might receive the Holy Ghost for, as yet, He had not come upon any of them, but they had only been baptized in the Name of the Lord Jesus.” (8:14-16)

Equally explicit is the second case related in Acts: “On hearing this, they were baptized in the Name of the Lord Jesus; and when Paul laid his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came upon them, and they began to speak in tongues and to prophesy.” (19:5-6)

What a pity it is for a person seeking to advance in holiness not to go to the Holy Spirit, the source of holiness, light, strength and consolation! Pray to the Holy Ghost and He will multiply His holy inspirations in your soul; He will pour His gifts into it and He will take up His dwelling within you.

RESOLUTION:

I shall cultivate a special devotion to the Holy Ghost and come to Him for light to know my duty and strength to fulfill it. Every day, I shall say some prayers in His honor.

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

Dear Apostles of the Blessed Virgin Mary,

From Genesis to the Apocalypse, Mary’s life runs through Scripture as a theme in a symphony. The Holy Spirit speaks of Her through the Prophets, proclaims Her through the Patriarchs and prefigures Her through Queens and Apostles. Mary is the promised Woman who will crush the serpent’s head, encompass man and a gate that is to remain closed through which only the Lord shall pass. She is the Tree of Life, the Ark of Noah, the Rainbow of Peace and the Olive Branch. Mary is the Ladder of Jacob, the Flowering Rod of Jesse and the Tower of David. Jesus and Mary cannot be separated for a moment. During their quiet life at Nazareth, Christ was almost lost in Mary’s shadow for a full thirty years: Was He not subject to Her? Mary Herself is the summary of all the Scriptures. She contained not the written word or the spoken word, but the uncreated Eternal Word of God and She gave Him to the world for all to read with their own eyes. At the end of His life, Mary is where we would expect Her to be – by the Cross of Jesus. Later, She stays on to nurse the Infant Church: the Mystical Body of Christ. To that Church and all Its children, She is the Mother. We need Mary; Our Lady’s place in the early Church was to educate souls in the knowledge of Christ.

Those early followers of Christ were doubting, quarrelsome, ambitious, jealous and cowardly. They greatly needed the refining influence of a good woman in their lives. Mary occupied that place, refining, pacifying, influencing those disciples of Christ as Mother of the Church. Our success in the battle at hand against those powers which would destroy our lives and the faith of our children, is assured if we are closely allied to Mary! She is more terrible than an army in battle array. Thank God for giving us such a conqueror as Mary! O Mary, Help of Christians, pray for us, defend us and rescue all those under the power of Satan!

Let us strive to live in absolute dependence on Mary! O Mary, you are my strength, my hope, my peace and my salvation! Yet, Mary depends upon us to help save Her children: the children of Her tears and Her sorrow. It is the duty of Her sons to compassionate their mother in her trials and her sorrows. Immense is the charity of Mary. Forsake Her not and She shall keep thee; love Her and She shall preserve thee. Seat of Wisdom, save us from sin and self! Prepare a Marian altar in your home during the month of Mary and show her your reverence, love and gratitude.

I will remember you and your family at the Sacred Altar throughout this beautiful month dedicated to the Mother of God. May you be blessed with unity, peace and strong health of body and soul!

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

Thank you for your wonderfully generous donation in support of our missionary efforts in the world. Your gift will help us reach souls with the Sacramentals of Our Blessed Mother and beautiful Catholic literature which teaches Her devotion. The gift of Hope will be planted in despairing souls through your sacrifice! May God reward you!

Solitude hovers over the disabled soul like a big black bird that silently waits to swoop down on its victim the moment he is left alone. Loneliness breeds boredom, anxiety and restlessness. When illness strikes, we must give up the terrific pace which filled every hour of our day. With little or no warning, our life abruptly changes. The world stands still. A small panic starts within. A chilling, stark, silent aloneness is felt and our hearts shrink into a corner as fear moves in. Pain, at first, is often severe and totally occupies our concentration, making ruthless demands. The only thing that seems important is to drive out this bold intruder. When the pain finally stops, we realize that our life has changed and we must admit to certain alterations in our activity. Most importantly, we must realize two important facts: this physical illness, whatever it may be, is no mere accident and that it is part of God’s plan for us from all eternity. God does not make mistakes. This cross with which we have been blessed is our Key to Heaven! None other will open the gate for us!

With the help of Our Blessed Mother, we will find the courage to enter this strange and beautiful world of solitude prayerfully and with peace of soul. We must set a time for prayer and meditation every day and keep to it religiously. These moments of our aloneness will be time spent with Christ. We must place ourselves in God’s presence, blot out the sounds and objects around us and invite the Holy Ghost to be present to us that we might have the ability to love, contemplate, trust, praise and thank God as we have never done before. We must beg Our Lady for the Grace to neither waste nor reject our cross, but instead to will and cooperate to the fullest with this privilege which is our Key to Heaven! By offering this cross in reparation to the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary, we can turn our existence into a life completely devoted to Love!

PATTI MELVIN, Director ULRA

Please pray for me.

We do not know, O God, what awaits us today; we only know that nothing will happen to us except what Thou, from all eternity, hast foreseen, arranged and ordained. It is enough, O God, for us to know this. We adore Thy eternal and inscrutable dispositions and submit ourselves entirely to them. May Thy most Holy Will, worthy of eternal adoration and exaltation, be done in all things! Amen.

THE GREATEST PRIVILEGE IS REAL AND IT IS OURS!

Heaven and Hell are locked in mortal combat and the earth shakes from the shock of the encounter; but no one feels it, no one sees it, no one hears it… no one cares! The salvation of my soul is the most imperative and most urgent objective of my life on earth. It is the greatest and grandest occupation that I can engage in. In fact, I am here for no other purpose.

The Scapular was given to Saint Simon Stock, Prior of the Carmelite Order in England, in the year 1251. On 16th July, Our Lady held out the Brown Scapular to St. Simon Stock and promised, “Whoever dies piously wearing this Scapular will not suffer eternal flames.” Through a Papal Bull on 3rd March 1322, the Sabbatine Privilege was given to the Church and this great privilege has been confirmed by nine subsequent Popes. The Brown Scapular is the Sacramental of the Church; it is a gift from Heaven and a symbol of salvation ~ for a true child of Mary is never lost! Those clothed in her Garment of Grace will be protected and sanctified. It is a safe-guard in danger, whether physical or moral; it invites its wearer to penance and purity while shielding him from Satan and sin!

The Brown Scapular marks the militia of the Immaculate One. Before God’s holy angels, it designates those who wear it as servants and slaves of Creation’s Queen, as specially beloved sons and daughters of the sun-robbed Virgin who has crushed the serpent’s head. To serve the Mother of God is the highest privilege and, truly, our pledge of eternal peace. The Brown Scapular is the garment of Mary Immaculate and, as such, it is a constant call to modesty in dress and conduct; a silent protest against present-¬day permissiveness and a hidden appeal to reparation for the insolent nakedness of proud neo-paganism! The Brown Scapular is much like a miniature hairshirt and a mild reminder of the need for constant mortification.

The Brown Scapular is like swaddling clothes in which Our Heavenly Mother wraps her spiritual infants to protect them from the coldness of sin, to adorn them with the beauty of virtue and to warm them with God’s Love. No matter how advanced we may be in years or learning or social standing, we are all but infants in virtue, helpless as babes in the woods of this bleak world. We stand in dire need of our Mother’s constant care.

The Brown Scapular is a vital part of the Fatima message. Sr. Lucia told us we cannot separate the Rosary and the Scapular; both are essential to our life of grace in bringing about the Triumph of the Immaculate Heart of Mary and subsequent Reign of Christ the King.

LETTER OF POPE PIUS XII

“Truly, the Holy Scapular, being the habit of Mary, is a sign and pledge of the protection of God’s Mother, but those who wear it, must bear in mind the words of the Apostle: In fear and trembling, work out your salvation. To all Carmelites, belonging as they do by a special bond of love to the family of the Blessed Virgin Mary, let this reminder (the HOLY SCAPULAR) be a mirror of humility, and chastity; let its unpretentious form be for them an epitome of modesty and simplicity; above all, let this garment which they wear day and night, be for them an eloquent symbol of the unceasing prayer by which they ask for God’s help and, finally, let it be for them a consecration to the Immaculate Heart of Mary! Our good Mother shall most certainly see to it that, by her intercession with God, all her children who go to Purgatory to expiate their sins shall reach Heaven as quickly as possible, according to that tradition called the Sabbatine Privilege…” Given at St. Peters, 1950

Our conflict today is not for land or national rights, it is for the souls of men; a conflict between the absolute who is God-man, and the absolute who is man-god: God who became man vs. man who has made himself God! The religion of the man-god is a new religion without a Cross, a liturgy without a world to come, a religion to destroy all religion. The forces of evil are united; the forces of good are divided. We cannot unite at the cost of TRUTH, but what is needed is a unity of prayer. We may not be able to meet in the same pew ~ would to God that we could ~ but we can meet on our knees! To a faithless deadlocked world, Our Blessed Mother comes offering us a choice: Death in Life OR Life after Death!

RECEIVE THIS GARMENT

We have all been invited to the Wedding Feast of the King. Will we beg to be excused due to lack of interest, the demands of our manifold duties, a new bride? And, if we do appear at the Feast, will we be clothed in the wedding garment? God forbid that, through ignorance, pride and disobedience, we will appear before the King naked, only to be cast into the darkness outside where there will be the weeping and gnashing of teeth. Through our beloved Spiritual Director, Fr. John Luke of the Holy Ghost, Our Lady is reaching out to each one of us to become members of the Scapular Confraternity of Mount Carmel and obtain the blessings and protection of the Sabbatine Privilege.

Write to us today, giving your Christian name, address, and country. Include a small donation to help cover the cost of Scapular materials, your Confraternity card and the monthly Masses for members. More than ever before, we must redouble our missionary efforts, if not to convert the world, then at least to salvage as many souls from materialism and the aggression of socialism as possible. Every conversion is a matter of efficacious grace and apostolic activity. The suffering, which awaits us, is almost without limit. Let us fortify ourselves wisely for the trials ahead by putting on the armament of the Immaculate One!

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

Dear Apostles of the Immaculate Heart of Mary,

Your generous donation and spirit of sacrifice reaches out to the missions, radiating the depth of the Love of Christ! Their suffering hearts rejoice and they are filled with gratitude and hope! May your family be blessed and your soul be filled with celestial peace!

In order for a husband and wife to obtain firmness of character, strength to fulfill their arduous duties and endurance during a life time of self-sacrifice, they will need a true religious spirit and genuine piety. Saint Joseph and Mary Immaculate are their models. Look to Nazareth! Devout and God-fearing spouses preach without words and with a gentle force that draws all those who are around them to God. True piety gives them strength to face all opposition, the power of endurance which shrinks from no difficulties, a sweetness which makes bitter things pleasant and causes their hearts to become fountains of gladness. Marriage is a most difficult vocation. The spouses must have an abundance of virtues: Docility to their spouse, allowing them to supply for the other’s deficiencies and helping them without assumption or dictatorial authority. Patience is a precious virtue in the married state. They will avoid quarreling, seek peace and harmony, and take care not to do things which irritate their spouse. With patient wisdom and wise patience, all things will work unto good. If the spouse is lazy, selfish and irresponsible, they will never weary praying for their conversion.

Where God sets up an altar in the hearts of a man and wife, the whole house becomes a temple dedicated to His service. It naturally falls to the parents to train their children. He has adorned their hearts with Parental Love. The love of parents must be like the sun, to warm the hearts of their children causing them to open their minds and drink in all that is good, true and beautiful. A child’s education is nearly complete in the first five years spent at the parents’ knees. Prayer, cleanliness and order should prevail in the home and God will have His rightful place as King, and Mary as Queen and Mother.

PATTI MELVIN, Director ULRA

Please pray for me.

THE INCOMPREHENSIBLE POWER OF THE MOTHER OF GOD

“God trusted Her with His Own Son,
Who clung to Her till Life was done.
Through sorrow none can comprehend,
She mothered Jesus to the end.
And, if you think Her love may fail,
you thrust within Her Heart a Nail!”

The Most Holy Virgin Mary is an ocean which we have no imagination to measure and no possible words to describe; She is a universe where the sun and galaxies roll and shine in the depths of space, far out of reach to mortal powers of sight or search. If love and worship of God is the end and perfect work for which our hearts are divinely fashioned, then affectionate nearness to Mary is the most precious of graces that can be given to us. Mary is a spiritual universe: a great world of dominion, of gifts and of perfections, which sends up to the Heart of Jesus an endless song of praise and adoration. She is a world of transforming power, influencing mind and will, imagination and desire. Mary has the gift to draw men from the fog of error to the serenity of Faith. She can lift men up above this world that they may live for God alone! Mary can pierce with a celestial spear the very life of self-love setting man’s spirit free to belong to God and to Him alone. Her pure hands shower on weak men and women the mystical graces gathered at the foot of the Cross, which turn pain into heroic love; and it is Mary’s example, Her divinely made stainless Heart from which we learn the loving worship of the Most Blessed Trinity. If, hitherto, your prayers to Mary have been few and cold, let them during this month of May be made frequently and with great fervor.

The glorious title of Immaculate Conception brings singular joy to the Children of Mary. In the midst of universal ruin, one creature stands alone and this privileged creature is the Blessed Virgin, who rises as a lily without spot in the midst of thorns. Hers is an unchangeable glory. All in Her is holy and perfect; She was resplendent in sanctity at Her birth, during Her life, at Her death and She will ever be without sin or fault. Incomprehensible Glory! Mary conceived without sin! Through this invocation, souls have triumphed over temptation: afflicted souls have been consoled, troubled hearts have found peace, weak hearts ready to give up have found strength, the inhabitants of towns under siege have been preserved, houses on fire and persons near death have been saved. The Miraculous Medal has filled the world with wonders! Do we need more proof that the Mystery of the Immaculate Conception is a Treasure of Grace in which we should have total trust! Children of Mary invoke confidently and often Mary Immaculate. In times of weakness and depression, and in affliction and danger, raise your eyes to this Sweet Queen and say to Her, with faith and love, “O Mary, conceived without sin, pray for us!” Joy, peace, strength and hope will at once be revived in your hearts!

The name of Mary is powerful indeed! Each time the serpent tries to spread over the whole world the poison of error, the Church has invoked the all-powerful name of Mary Immaculate, and all Heresies have been destroyed. The name of Mary will be our shield in battle against temptations, our protection in perils, our light in doubts, our support in life and our hope at the hour of our death! MARY! MARY! Mary is the name of the Mother of Jesus Christ and of our own Mother. Remember, dear Children of Mary, your names are written in the folds of Mary’s Immaculate Heart.

To all the praises bestowed upon Mary, She had but one response: “Behold the Handmaid of the Lord, be it done unto me according to Thy word.” May the example of Our Mother convince us that humility is the source of all graces and the best disposition for receiving the Holy Eucharist! God withdraws from the proud, but He gives Himself to the humble. Glory be to God, love to Mary and peace to earth! The moment the Virgin gave Her decisive consent at the Incarnation, She already carried us in Her heart. We must think often of the immense love Mary has for us and determine to avoid all that could displease Her. Love is repaid only by love. It was on Calvary, the boundless love of Mary received into Her heart the whole human race. “Woman, behold thy son.” Mary has both the power to help us and the will to do so. Let us have great confidence in Mary, Our Mother! She is the universal advocate who rejects no one and She receives all who come to Her. The more desperate and hopeless our cause, the more interest and care She will give to it and we will be saved.

The Heart of Mary is not only the most perfect heart, but it is also the most tender, compassionate and merciful of hearts that ever came from the Hands of the Creator. Mary had the faith of the Patriarchs, the zeal of the Apostles, the constancy of the Martyrs and the purity of the Virgins; the most ardent charity, profound humility, courageous patience and perfect resignation. The most pleasing homage we can offer the Blessed Virgin is to imitate Her virtues. We do not go beyond the practice of common virtues while we should be aiming at perfection. We weary of placing one foot on the bottom of Jacob’s ladder and we do not seek to ascend. To apply ourselves unceasingly to the attainment of perfection is our duty. Mary saw Jesus born in a stable, poor, suffering and abandoned; nevertheless, She believed He was the Creator of the world. She saw Him exiled into Egypt, fleeing from the wrath of Herod and She believed Him to be the King of kings. She saw Him labor as a poor artisan in the carpenter’s shop and still She believed Him to be the Master of the Universe. She saw Him die on the ignominious cross between two thieves and, even when the Apostles abandoned Him, Mary believed Him to be Immortal God and that He would rise again. O MARY! How great is thy faith! Children of Mary, remember that faith is the foundation of all religion and the groundwork of all virtues. Mary was resigned to all perils, calm in weariness and strong in sorrow because She had firm Hope in God. “Although He should kill me, I will trust Him.” (Job xiii 15) After the Ascension of Christ, Mary animated the faith of the disciples, fortified the courage of the martyrs, and supported the Infant Church in Its struggles and combats. And, for this reason, She is called, Our Life, Our Sweetness and Our Hope! “We are saved by hope,” says St. Paul, “without it our hearts could not live.” Be comforted, the Heart of Mary is always open to you. She is the Harbor of the Shipwrecked, the Refuge of Sinners, the Salvation of the Agonizing and the Shelter of the Repentant. Do you not know that hope never dies in the heart of a mother! Banish, then, all discouragement and despair. Whatsoever may be the state of your soul, confidently throw yourselves into the arms of Mary!

The entire life of Mary was an act of love of God. She shared His labors, His sufferings and His humiliations. Children of Mary, does your love for God resemble Mary’s? Is it tender, ardent and supreme? If we wish to prove our right to the title of Children of Mary and to merit Her love, we must animate ourselves with Her feelings of love for our neighbor. Let us love all in Jesus Christ. Let us above all love the weak, the little ones, the afflicted, the infirm, the sick, the poor and those who love us not!

By Her virginity, Mary pleased God, by Her humility She conceived Him! The sufferings of Mary were continual and excessive. The sword pierced Her heart without reprieve and the bleeding tragedy of Calvary was continually before Her eyes and present in Her mind. Mary is the Queen of Martyrs. When we have crosses to bear, let us unite them with Hers and tread courageously in Her footsteps. Mary was never known to murmur or yield to discouragement, for She esteemed herself happy to drink with Jesus the chalice of betrayal and suffering. Oh, how little we resemble this perfect model! A single interior trial, affliction or the slightest suffering is sufficient to dishearten us and cause us to murmur and complain. If we thought often on the sufferings of Christ, we would be stronger to bear our own trials. Having known suffering, we will have compassion for the distressed. How often, we confide our sufferings to creatures who cannot help us, when we might have entrusted them to the compassionate Heart of Our Mother! Go, then, all who are afflicted and be comforted by Mary, your Mother. Oh, what love and tenderness is found in the Heart of our beloved Mother! By the intercession of Our Queen, the lame walk, the blind see, the deaf hear, the paralyzed recover the use of their limbs and the dying return to life. The walls of Her sanctuaries are covered with votive offerings, silent witnesses to the gratitude of those She has miraculously cured. Children of Mary, behold yet another motive for confidence in Our Mother. Through Her intercession, weak and lukewarm souls have been changed into courageous and fervent Christians. Let us not be indifferent to God and His Holy Mother. Mary, melt our frozen hearts and renew our souls in the fervor of thy service. We will live henceforth in the spirit of sacrifice and generosity which will be the proof of our love for thee.

How terrible is the moment of death! If we have Mary for our Mother in life, She will stand at the foot of our sick bed, as She stood at the foot of the Cross to soften the agony of Jesus and receive His last sigh. A mother will pass through fire and water to save her child. Mary is truly Our Mother and the sure refuge of sinners. How many unrepentant souls have, at the approach of death, called upon Mary and found mercy! Mary is the Mother of Mercy, the hope of those who have no hope, the help of the abandoned. Behold, the heart of the dying man is softened and changed, and he dies calmly pronouncing the sweet name of Mary. How many thousands of souls lie in the state of mortal sin! Pray for them: they are your brethren in Jesus Christ, perhaps even relatives and friends or benefactors. Pray for them and pray especially for all sinners who are now in their last agony.

“Immaculate Heart of Mary, visit today, we beseech thee, those souls who are in the cold sweat of death and at enmity with God. Bathe them in the Most Precious Blood of Jesus, breathe into them the very life of God. Obtain for them the Grace to make perfect Acts of Faith, Hope and Divine Charity that they may be snatched from the very abyss of Hell to glorify God for all Eternity and add to the luster of thy Triumph!”

SWEET HEART OF MARY, BE MY SALVATION.

(300 days Indulgence)

Where is the mother who would not rush to the rescue of her child if she saw it falling into a fiery furnace and had the power to help him? Will Mary, the most tender of mothers, be indifferent to the torments of Her children plunged into the expiatory flames of Divine Justice? OH, NO! Mary is full of compassion for these souls and is ceaselessly engaged in procuring their relief. Mary herself visits the Holy Souls in Purgatory and She hastens the termination of their sufferings by inspiring the living to help them by their prayers, good works and Holy Masses.

And a Great Sign appeared in the Heavens; a Woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under Her feet and a crown of twelve stars on Her head; and God Himself, Her God and Creator, subjected Himself to Her!

At the Annunciation, Mary’s FIAT gave Her power over God Himself. With Her words, “Behold the handmaid of the Lord, be it done unto me according to Thy Will,” God became Man. At twelve years of age, when Christ was lost to Joseph and Mary for three days, they searched for Him in suffering and sorrow. They found Him in the temple preaching to the scholars and teachers. Mary lovingly shared the grief He had caused them, “Son why hast Thou done so to us; Thy father and I have sought Thee sorrowing.” Christ spoke plainly of the plan of the Eternal Father, “Did you not know that I must be about My Father’s business?” Yet, in response to Her words of pain and love, He went down to Nazareth and was subject to them for the next 21 years. By choosing Her for His Mother, He rendered Her almighty in and through prayer. This humble submission of the Divine Child to Mary was an indication of how much Jesus intended ever after to be subject to the bidding of Mary which would be expressed by Her supplication on behalf of Her children. God cannot refuse His pleading Mother a single request as Her will is always in perfect union with His!

WHAT MARY ASKS, SHE ALWAYS RECEIVES!

Our Savior wanted to honor Mary by working His first public miracle at Her request. All the circumstances of this miracle were to set the stage for Her impact in the Heart of the Church. Mary was invited to the wedding feast at Cana, Christ attended as a guest. Mary noticed that the bride and groom had run out of wine. Christ must have noticed this too, but He wanted to be solicited by Mary to work the miracle in order to expose Her resistless power over Him on behalf of Her children. Christ stated that He was not ready to work His first public miracle. The mission given Him by His Father did not call for it until a later hour. Christ throws the divine spotlight on Mary so all of mankind is forced to notice and admire, and be ravished by Her. “Woman, what is it to Me and to thee? My hour has not yet come.“ We cannot but marvel at the unexpected magnitude of Mary’s power. A mere hint from Her is sufficient to prevail upon Jesus and, through Him, His Heavenly Father to anticipate His Hour and to advance the schedule of the manifestation of His divinity to the world. What a Mother She is! Mary instructs the waiters, “Whatsoever He shall tell you, do ye.” (Jn. 2-5) It was God’s Will to set the stage for this exhibition of Mary’s power over Jesus.

This leads us to the LAST HOUR. Elevated on the pulpit of the Cross, Christ gave His most profound sermon. After having given us Himself, He could give us nothing more precious and profitable than the possession and patronage of His own dear Mother. He had taught us by His own example how we should reverence, love and honor His Mother. Now, He gives Mary to us, as our very own Mother! Mary’s intercession is real, actual, effective and infallible in its beneficent application. To confer this title on Mary in its marvelous force and blessed extent, Jesus shed the last drop of His Blood.

“Woman, behold thy son!”

“SON, BEHOLD THY MOTHER!”

… Take Her to your home, press Her to your heart; do whatever She tells you! She is My dying gift to you. She will be your Life, your Sweetness and your Hope!

SALUTATION TO THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY

Hail Mary! Daughter of God the Father.

Hail Mary! Mother of God the Son.

Hail Mary! Spouse of the Holy Ghost.

Hail Mary! Temple of the Divinity.

Hail Mary! Immaculate Lily of the resplendent and ever-peaceful Trinity.

Hail Mary! Radiant Rose of heavenly fragrance.

Hail Mary! Virgin of virgins; Virgin most faithful, of whom the King of Heaven did will to be born.

Hail Mary! Queen of Martyrs, whose Soul was pierced with a sword of sorrow.

Hail Mary! Queen of the Universe, to whom all power has been given in Heaven and on earth.

Hail Mary! Queen of my heart, my Mother, my life, my consolation, and my dearest hope.

Hail Mary! Mother most amiable.
Hail Mary! Mother most admirable.
Hail Mary! Mother of Mercy.
Hail Mary! Full of grace, the Lord is with thee.
Blessed art thou among women.
And blessed is the Fruit of thy womb, Jesus.
And blessed be thy spouse, St. Joseph.
And blessed be thy father, St. Joachim.
And blessed be thy mother, St. Anne.
And blessed be thy adopted son, St. John.
And blessed be thy angel, St. Gabriel.
And blessed be the Eternal Father Who chose thee.
And blessed be the Divine Son Who loved thee.
And blessed be the Holy Ghost Who espoused thee.
And blessed be forever all those who bless and who love thee. Amen.

(St. John Eudes recommended this prayer for the conversion of sinners and advised his children to say it at the bedside of the sick. The Blessed Virgin promised him that “all who say it with devotion or at least good will, if they are in the state of grace, receive an increase of divine love in their hearts at each of the twelve salutations or benedictions contained in it; if they are in mortal sin, She will knock at the door of their hearts with Her own sweet virginal hand to urge them to open it to grace.” And, She added that, when persons are found steeped in sin and difficult to convert, it would be well to encourage them to say this salutation or, at least, to consent to having it said for them.)

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

It is, with deepest sorrow, we pen these lines to you today. One of Our Blessed Mother’s indefectible apostles has been called Home. Lawrence Esiangu was not a man who spoke about himself. His goal was to preach the precious Catholic Faith in all Her purity, glory and compassion. He did this by his example, by his words and through his incredible zeal. We met Lawrence when he was teaching in the school system and he offered to help spread the Living Rosary in all of Uganda. He wished to translate the materials into the local language and this he did tirelessly for over 15 years. He would translate the Scapular leaflet and send it to us. We would then work it up … then he would send us yet another translation, and another and another. We were baffled until he told us that, in Uganda, there are five dialects being used! He was doing them all!

Lawrence realized how important this good Catholic literature and devotion was to the faithful, their families and to the priests. He was so eager to build up a lending library with precious Catholic books which contained the pure doctrine and teachings of Holy Mother the Church. This he did. I remember a time when he wrote to share he had been issued an ultimatum by the school at which he taught. They took offense at his spreading the Living Rosary and challenged him that, if he continued, he would have to step down from his post. Lawrence did not hesitate; the work for Our Lady would go on!

I know very little of this dear man, as he never spoke of himself. We grieved with him last year when he lost his young son. Both son and papa had a winsome smile and happy heart. In spite of the great work load and lack of supplies, everything we sent was utilized for souls. Even during the months that our communications would be slow and supplies lacking, Lawrence was at work, reaching out and reaping a harvest of souls. His passing is a sudden and unexpected blow for us and for his family. There is no question that, from his place close to God, he will continue working tirelessly to bring to Uganda, the Church and all our members, the many special blessings and graces of which we are urgently in need. Perhaps, most importantly, Lawrence had a deep and clear vision of the pure doctrine and devotion which makes Holy Mother the Church, the guiding light for us all in these days of incredible darkness.

Let us take heart and learn from this man filled with zeal and on fire with love for family and for God. We pray someone will step forward to take over his work with the great zeal, sacrifice and love with which he gave to it for nearly 20 years. Do not let his legacy die. We embrace his family with deepest love and ardent compassion. Through the love which burned in the heart of Lawrence, we will be united with you unto Eternity.

MY GOD, I PLACE MY TRUST IN THEE

Patti Melvin, ULRA Director

Please pray for me as I will pray for you all the days of my life!

Dearest Patti,

We have an extraordinary heavy winter. Many villages are “buried” in snow. That means, the people are closed inside their houses without a possibility to go out, to breathe fresh air and to fetch water. They are closed indoors in a grave of snow and they do not know if it is day or night, with no electricity, no heating, no bread, no medicine and no doctor. The dead people cannot be buried, and those who want to help, cannot make their way as the roads are totally blocked. In our country, we have the toilette outside the house on the land in a wood cabin. The snow has covered the whole area and we cannot get to it. We are trapped within our homes, Mary help us!

What devastation for us, Romanians! 413 trains cancelled, 8000 schools were closed, 259 localities are blocked and isolated, 400,000 people alerted (victims of calamity), 80 dead persons dead because of the frost, but who knows how many are stranded in the blocked localities.

Can you imagine when the snow melts? Terrible flooding would occur and the whole country can be flooded like a sea

< MONICA – ROMANIA >

Snow causes havoc in Romania, Moldova, Albania By Alison Mutler – Associated Press / Feb. 14, 2012
BUCHAREST, Romania – Snow as deep as 15 feet (4.5 meters) isolated areas of Romania, Moldova and Albania on Tuesday, and helicopters and army trucks were used to deliver food and medicine, and to transport sick people to hospitals… Officials said 5 Romanians died in the past 24 hours due to frigid temperatures, bringing the total to 79 weather-related deaths since the nation’s cold spell began. Neighboring Moldova also has been hard hit by snow, and both countries have seen schools, borders, highways and train services shut down in some areas as temperatures plunged to -9 Fahrenheit (-23 Celsius) overnight.

CHILDREN BLESSED BY PARENTS ARE BLESSED BY GOD!

The parental blessing is as old as humanity. Priests have the authority to bless all the faithful; thus, too, parents have the right to bless their children. Dear Parents, every time, you raise your hands in benediction over your children, you draw down upon them the blessing of God for the good of their bodies and souls. The early Christians, daily, blessed their children with the Sign of the Cross. Your happiness and joy does not consist in wealth, but in having good children. The Sign of the Cross which you make upon your children’s forehead will never be effaced. The blessing will never be lost. No passion will be able to obliterate it completely. The parental blessing effects another great good; it is a sacred bond which unites the father and mother in everlasting fidelity, in perfect love and harmony. The Sign of the Cross, daily, reminds them of the solemn obligation taken before the Altar to remain faithful even unto death.

THE BLESSING: Have your children kneel before you; place your right hand on the head of each as you repeat: GOD BLESS YOU, MY CHILD! Then, you may take holy water, and with the thumb of the right hand, make the Sign of the Cross upon the forehead and lips and breast of the child, saying: “IN THE NAME OF THE FATHER, AND OF THE SON AND OF THE HOLY GHOST.” The child may answer: “GOD REWARD YOU!”

You may send your blessing to those away from home. The parental blessing may extend over hill and vale, and will rest on the children wherever they may be. Post your blessings in a letter: “Your father and mother bless you.” The blessing maybe given in the evening after night prayers. It may be given oftener; when the child leaves the house for school or on a journey. It should be given solemnly on the day of First Holy Communion, on the wedding day, on a child’s entrance into religion or to a son about to ascend the Altar for the first time. Finally, dear parents, bless your children when lying on your deathbed. You may not be able to bequeath any great possessions to your children, but one thing you can give them: the heritage of your blessing. It is better to be blessed than to be rich!

Fathers! Mothers! Bless you children daily, most especially in these present times when the dangers surrounding the youth threaten their innocence and their Eternal Salvation! I BLESS YOU, IN THE NAME OF THE FATHER, AND OF THE SON AND OF THE HOLY GHOST, THAT GOD MAY BLESS YOU!

The world desperately needs the Holy Ghost today. We need His Sanctifying Grace that we may live. Do we have family that has wandered from the Church or is in danger of doing so; someone who has not received the Sacraments for many years, or who lives in an invalid marriage, someone whose children need to be baptized? Do we know souls who are infected with the false ideas of modern materialism? Are these not excellent reasons for us to turn to the Holy Spirit for help? The spiritual fruits of a Novena to the Holy Ghost are an increase of Grace, the very life of the soul.

“Seek ye, therefore, first the Kingdom of God and His justice,
And all things shall be added unto you.”

We have prepared a beautiful, full color, 16-page Novena booklet to the Holy Ghost which is truly a spiritual treasure in our day and should be found in every Catholic home. For every offering of $25 made to the ULRA for our missionary work, we will send you, free of charge, this powerful prayer booklet. We pray, it will be the foundation of daily prayer in your home to the Spirit of Truth!

GRACE IS THE FOUNDATION OF PEACE!

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