Suffering and Love

"Pain is part of being human.  Anyone who really wanted to get rid of suffering would have to get rid of love before anything else.  Because there could be no love without suffering.  Because it always demands an element of self-sacrifice.   Because given temperamental differences and the drama of situations, it will always bring with it renunciation and pain.  When we know that the way of love is exodus that's going out of oneself is the true way by which man because human, then we also understand that suffering is the process through which we mature.  Anyone who has inwardly accepted suffering becomes more mature and more understanding of others, becomes more human.  Anyone who has consistently avoided suffering does not understand other people.  He becomes hard and selfish.  If we say that suffering is the inner side of love, we then also understand why it is so important to learn how to suffer, and why, conversely, the avoidance of suffering renders someone unfit to cope with life.  He would be left with an existential emptiness which could then only be combined with bitterness, with rejection, and no longer with any inner acceptance or progress toward maturity."

Pope Benedict XVI

Biblical Roots - Looking for Love in All the Wrong Places?

Valentine’s Day may be over, but it’s still the Month of Love. Are you looking for some inspiration? Try turning to the Bible and check out these top ten love stories that have withstood the test of time. (Editor’s note: The New American Bible, Revised Edition will be available on March 9, 2011.)

Tobiah and Sarah:  A classic story of love at first sight, this couple overcame personal tragedy to establish a long-lasting relationship founded on prayer. (Tobit 7-8)

The Woman of Worth and Her (Unnamed) Husband:  A lovely poem praising a woman who can do it all!  She and her husband have a wonderful partnership, using their gifts to the benefit of their family and community. (Proverbs 31:10-31)

Hosea and Gomer:  Though their marriage was fraught with infidelity and difficulties, their love story speaks to the healing power of forgiveness and its necessity in any loving relationship. (Hosea 1-3)

Abraham and Sarah:  No one can say that Abraham and Sarah had it easy.  They faced a long move away from family, jealousy, and the challenge of infertility, yet their love was the foundation of a new people, living in covenant with the one true God. (Genesis 12-23)

Moses and Zipporah:  While in exile from Egypt, Moses married Zipporah, the daughter of the Midianite priest, Jethro.  Though Moses was criticized for taking a foreign wife, Zipporah showed great respect for her husband’s faith and his mission. (Exodus 2, 4 and 18, and Numbers 12)

Zechariah and Elizabeth:  These parents of John the Baptist provide a model of lifelong fidelity and righteousness, living their marital love in the heart of their close-knit faith community. (Luke 1-2)

Jacob and Rachel:  Tricked into marrying her older sister, Jacob worked for Rachel’s father an additional seven years to earn her hand in marriage.  Jacob and Rachel remind us that true love always requires effort and sacrifice. (Genesis 29-30)

The Bride and Groom in the Song of Songs:  This young couple reminds us that passion is not a modern invention!  After all, who could resist hearing their beloved say “you ravished my heart with a single glance from your eyes”? Their effusive love for each other speaks to the beauty of loving desire at the heart of a marriage. (Song of Songs 1-8)

Joseph and Mary:  Though this marriage definitely faced difficulties, even before it started, their faith in each other and, even more, in God, allowed them to face each hardship and create a loving family to nurture God’s own Son. (Matthew 1-2, Luke 1-2)

God and His people:  At its heart, the entire Bible is the story of the love God has for the people he created in his own image and likeness.  From the Old Testament images of Israel as the Bride of the Lord to the New Testament images of the Church as the Bride of Christ, God’s love remains constant and unfailing. Though we often reject his love, God never withdraws, never walks away, even sending his only-begotten Son to offer the gift of salvation and everlasting life!  And that gift is still offered to us today!

Take some time to think about the love story YOU could be writing today as you live these examples in your own married life.

By Mary Elizabeth Sperry, Associate Director for Permissions and NAB Utilization for the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops and the Confraternity of Christian Doctrine.
http://foryourmarriage.org

The Chaplet of Divine Mercy

The Chaplet of  Divine Mercy is recited using ordinary Rosary beads of five decades.

You expired, Jesus, but the source of life gushed forth for souls, and the ocean of mercy opened up for the whole world.  O Fount of Life, unfathomabe Divine Mercy, envelop the whole world and empty Yourself out upon us.  O Blood and Water, which gushed forth from the Heart of Jesus as a Fountain of Mercy for us, I trust in You!

1. Begin with the Sign of the Cross, 1 Our Father, 1 Hail Mary and The Apostles Creed.
2. Then on the Our Father Beads say the following:
   Eternal Father, I offer You the Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity of Your dearly beloved Son, Our Lord Jesus Christ, in atonement for our sins and those of the whole world.
3. On the 10 Hail Mary Beads say the following:
   For the sake of His sorrowful Passion, have mercy on us and on the whole world.
   (Repeat step 2 and 3 for all five decades).
4. Conclude with (three times):
   Holy God, Holy Mighty One, Holy Immortal One, have mercy on us and on the whole world.

Eternal God, in Whom mercy is endless, and the treasury of compassion - inexhaustible, look kindly upon us and increase Your mercy in us, that in difficult moments we might not despair or become despondent, but with great confidence submit ourselves to Your holy Will, which is Love an Mercy itself.

The Rosary and Sacred Scripture

The Rosary and Sacred Scripture

(From EWTN website)

Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with you.

Luke 1:28 "And coming to her, he said, "Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with you." 

The Greek kecharitomene means favored by grace, graced. Its tense suggests a permanent state of being "highly favored," thus full of grace. Charity, the divine love within us, comes from the same root. God is infinite Goodness, infinite Love. Mary is perfect created goodness, filled to the limit of her finite being with grace or charity.

Blessed art thou among women

Luke 1:41-42a "When Elizabeth heard Mary's greeting, the infant leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth, filled with the holy Spirit, cried out in a loud voice and said, "Most blessed are you among women..."

Luke 1:48 "For he has looked upon his handmaid's lowliness; behold, from now on will all ages call me blessed."

Among all women is a way to say the highest/greatest etc. of a group in Semitic languages (these words would likely have been spoken in Aramaic). Mary is being called the greatest of all women, greater than Ruth, greater than Sarah, greater than EVE!  Since Eve was created immaculate (without original sin), Mary must have been conceived immaculate. And, although Eve fell into sin by her own free will, Mary must have corresponded to God's grace and remained sinless. She could not otherwise be greater than Eve. Thus, as the Fathers of the Church unanimously assert, Mary is the New Eve who restores womanhood to God's original intention and cooperates with the New Adam, her Son, for the Redemption of the world.

Blessed is the fruit of your womb, Jesus

Luke 1:42b "and blessed is the fruit of your womb."

Jesus is Mary's fruit. Good fruit does not come from anything but a good tree (Mt. 7:17-18)! The all-holy Son of God could not be the fruit of any other tree than the Immaculate Virgin.

Holy Mary, Mother of God

Luke 1:43 "And how does this happen to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?

Kyrios  is the Greek word used by the Jews in the Septuagint Bible (Greek translation) for Yhwh, the Divine Name of God. In her greeting of Mary, Elizabeth is saying: "How is it that the mother of my God should come to me." Against the heresies of the 4th and 5th centuries which tried to split the Person of Jesus into two, divine and human, denying one or the other, the Council of Ephesus in 431 AD proclaimed Mary Theotokos (God-bearer, i.e. mother of God). Jesus is a single Person, a Divine Person, the 2nd Person of the Most Holy Trinity. To be mother of the Person Jesus is to be mother of a Person who is God. Mary's title protects this truth against errors which emphasize or deny, either the divinity or humanity of the Lord.

Pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death. Amen.

Luke 2:35 "...and you yourself a sword will pierce so that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed."

John 2:5 "His mother said to the servers, "Do whatever he tells you."

Mary sees a need and appeals to Her Son to satisfy it. He does. We turn to Mary to ask her to intercede with her Son in our daily spiritual and material needs, but especially at the hour of our death. At that moment our salvation hangs in the balance as the devil makes his final foray to deter us from the path to God (Rev. 2:10). It is not surprising, therefore, that both the Hail Mary and the Our Father conclude with an appeal to be delivered from the evil one.

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The Power of Intercessory Prayer:

Intercessory prayer proceeds from faith in God that holy men and women who have died are as alive today as they were on earth (Luke 20:38). If the prayer of the just man avails much, how much more the prayer of the one made perfect (Rev. 21:27) and living with God in heaven (the patriarchs, apostles and other holy men and women).

James 5:16b "the fervent prayer of a righteous man is very powerful."

Rev. 5:8 "When he took it, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb. Each of the elders held a harp and gold bowls filled with incense, which are the prayers of the holy ones.

The angels, too, mediate our prayers. This is taught explicitly in the Jewish book of Tobit (Tob. 12:12), accepted by Christians as inspired until Luther on his own authority rejected it. It remains part of the Catholic Bible.

Tobit 12:12 I can now tell you that when you, Tobit, and Sarah prayed, it was I who presented and read the record of your prayer before the Glory of the Lord; and I did the same thing when you used to bury the dead.

Rev. 8:3 "Another angel came and stood at the altar, holding a gold censer. He was given a great quantity of incense to offer, along with the prayers of all the holy ones, on the gold altar that was before the throne."

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Is the rosary mindless babbling?

The purpose of the different beads on the rosary is to count the various prayers as they are said. Unlike the Moslem prayer beads and the mantras of Buddhism, the prayers of the rosary are meant to occupy our whole being, body and soul, while meditating on the truths of the Faith. Any prayer is vain, however, if said mechanically without devotion. Simply to repeat prayers is not the vain repetition condemned by Christ (Mt 6:7), since He Himself repeats His prayer in the Garden three times (Mt 26:39, 42, 44) and the Psalms (inspired by the Holy Spirit) are often very repetitive (Ps 119 has 176 verses and Ps. 136 repeats the same phrase 26 times).

Matthew 6:7 In praying, do not babble like the pagans, who think that they will be heard because of their many words.

Psalm 136:1-26
Praise the LORD, who is so good;
God's love endures forever;
Praise the God of gods;
God's love endures forever;
. . . Praise the God of heaven,
God's love endures forever.

Matthew 26:39 He advanced a little and fell prostrate in prayer, saying, "My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from me; yet, not as I will, but as you will."

Matthew 26:42 Withdrawing a second time, he prayed again, "My Father, if it is not possible that this cup pass without my drinking it, your will be done!"

Matthew 26:44 He left them and withdrew again and prayed a third time, saying the same thing again.

The Church believes that it is necessary for a Christian to meditate (prayerfully think about) the will of God, the life and teachings of Jesus, the price He paid for our salvation, and so on. Unless we do this we will begin to take these great gifts for granted and ultimately fall away from the Lord. Every Christian must meditate in some way in order to preserve the gift of salvation (James 1:22-25). Many Catholic and non-Catholic Christians prayerfully read and apply Scripture to their lives, that is, meditate on them. With the rosary this can be done virtually anywhere and anytime.

Religion and Science

George V. Coyne, S.J. is a Jesuit priest, astronomer, and former director of the Vatican Observatory and head of the observatory’s research group which is based at the University of Arizona in Tucson, Arizona. He has been active in promoting the dialogue between science and religion and pioneered the series of conferences on "Scientific Perspectives on Divine Action" which the Vatican Observatory organized in collaboration with The Center for Theology and the Natural Sciences, Berkeley, California. He has also been active in the continuing debate about the religious implications of scientific evolution. He currently serves as President of the Vatican Observatory Foundation and travels extensively as an invited speaker to educational, religious, academic and cultural groups.

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Father Robert Barron is an acclaimed author, speaker, and theologian.  He is America‘s first podcasting priest and one of the world‘s great and most innovative teachers of Catholicism. His global, non-profit media ministry called Word on Fire (www.WordOnFire.org) reaches millions of people by utilizing advanced and emerging technologies to draw people into or back to the Faith. He lectures extensively in the United States and abroad, including the Pontifical North American College at the Vatican and the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas in Rome. Cardinal George calls Father Barron “one of the Church’s best messengers.”

The Holy Rosary

Prayer Before The Rosary

Queen of the Holy Rosary, you have designed to come to Fatima, to reveal to the three shepherd children, the treasures of grace hidden in the Rosary. Inspire my heart with a sincere love of this devotion, in order that by meditating on the Mysteries of our Redemption which are recalled in it, I may obtain peace for the world, the conversion of sinners, and the favor which I ask of you in this Rosary (Mention your request). I ask it for the greater glory of God, for your own honor, and for the good of souls, especially for my own. Amen.

1. Sign of the Cross, Apostles' Creed
2. Our Father
3. 3 Hail Marys
4. Glory Be, Fatima Prayer, 1st Mystery, Our Father
   
5. 10 Hail Marys
6. Glory Be, Fatima Prayer, 2nd Mystery, Our Father
   
7. 10 Hail Marys
8. Glory Be, Fatima Prayer, 3rd Mystery, Our Father
   
9. 10 Hail Marys
10. Glory Be, Fatima Prayer, 4th Mystery, Our Father
    
11. 10 Hail Marys
12. Glory Be, Fatima Prayer, 5th Mystery, Our Father
    
13. 10 Hail Marys
14. Glory Be, Fatima Prayer, Hail Holy Queen

Prayer After The Rosary
O God, whose only-begotten Son, by His life, death and resurrection, has purchased for us the rewards of eternal life; grant, we beseech Thee, that, meditating upon these mysteries of the Most Holy Rosary of the Blessed Virgin Mary, we may imitate what they contain and obtain what they promise, through the same Christ our Lord. Amen.

The Prayers of the Rosary

The Sign of the Cross
In the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

The Our Father
Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name; Thy kingdom come; Thy will be done on earth as it is in Heaven. Give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. Amen

The Hail Mary
Hail Mary, full of grace! the Lord is with thee; blessed are thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners now and at the hour of our death. Amen.

Glory be to the Father
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

The Fatima Prayer
O My Jesus, forgive us our sins, save us from the fires of hell, take all souls to Heaven, and help especially those most in need of Your mercy.

The Apostles' Creed
I believe in God, the Father Almighty, Creator of Heaven and earth; and in Jesus Christ His only Son, Our Lord; who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died and was buried. He descended into Hell; the third day He arose again from the dead; He ascended into Heaven, and is seated at the right hand of God, the Father Almighty; from thence He shall come to judge the living and the dead. I believe in the Holy Spirit, the Holy Catholic Church, the communion of Saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and life everlasting. Amen.

Hail Holy Queen
Hail! Holy Queen, Mother of Mercy, our life, our sweetness and our hope. To you do we cry, poor banished children of Eve. To you do we send up our sighs, mourning and weeping in this valley of tears. Turn then, O most gracious advocate, your eyes of mercy towards us; and after this our exile, show unto us the blessed fruit of your womb, Jesus. O clement! O loving! O sweet Virgin Mary! Pray for us, O Holy Mother of God, that we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.

The Joyful Mysteries

(Said on Mondays, Saturdays, Sundays of Advent, and Sundays from Epiphany until Lent)

First Joyful Mystery - The Annunciation of Gabriel to Mary
I Desire the Love Of Humility
Think of...
The humility of the Blessed Virgin when the Angel Gabriel greeted her with these words: "Hail full of grace".
Luke 1:26

Second Joyful Mystery - The Visitation of Mary to Elizabeth
I Desire Charity Toward My Neighbor
Think of...
Mary's charity in visiting her cousin Elizabeth and remaining with her for three months before the birth of John the Baptist.
Luke 1:39

Third Joyful Mystery - The Birth of Jesus
I Desire the Love of God
Think of...
The poverty, so lovingly accepted by Mary when she placed the Infant Jesus, our God and Redeemer, in a manger in the stable of Bethlehem.
Luke 2:1

Fourth Joyful Mystery - The Presentation of Jesus in the Temple
I Desire a Spirit of Sacrifice
Think of...
Mary's obedience to the law of God in presenting the Child Jesus in the Temple.
Luke 2:22

Fifth Joyful Mystery - Finding Jesus in the Temple
I desire Zeal For The Glory Of God
Think of...
The deep sorrow with which Mary sought the Child Jesus for three days, and the joy with which she found Him in the midst of the Teachers of the Temple.
Luke 2:41

The Sorrowful Mysteries

(Said on Tuesdays, Fridays, and daily from Ash Wednesday until Easter Sunday)

First Sorrowful Mystery - Agony of Jesus in the Garden
I Desire True Repentance for My Sins
Think of...
Our Lord Jesus in the garden of Gethsemani, suffering a bitter agony for our sins.
Matthew 26:36

Second Sorrowful Mystery - Jesus is Scourged at the Pillar
I Desire a Spirit of Mortification
Think of...
The cruel scourging at the pillar that our Lord suffered; the heavy blows that tore His flesh.
Matthew 27:26

Third Sorrowful Mystery - Jesus is Crowned With Thorns
I Desire Moral Courage.
Think of...
The crown of sharp thorns that was forced upon our Lord's Head and the patience with which He endured the pain for our sins.
Matthew 27:27

Fourth Sorrowful Mystery - Jesus Carries His Cross
I Desire the Virtue of Patience
Think of...
The heavy Cross, so willingly carried by our Lord, and ask Him to help you to carry your crosses without complaint.
Matthew 27:32

Fifth Sorrowful Mystery - The Crucifixion of Jesus
I Desire the Grace of Final Perseverance
Think of...
The love which filled Christ's Sacred Heart during His three hours' agony on the Cross, and ask Him to be with you at the hour of death.
Matthew 27:33

The Glorious Mysteries

(Said on Wednesdays, and Sundays throughout the year)

First Glorious Mystery - The Resurrection of Jesus
I Desire a Strong Faith
Think of...
Christ's glorious triumph when, on the third day after His death, He arose from the tomb and for forty days appeared to His Blessed Mother and to His disciples.
John 20:1

Second Glorious Mystery - The Ascension of Jesus
I Desire the Virtue of Hope
Think of...
The Ascension of Jesus Christ, forty days after His glorious Resurrection, in the presence of Mary and His disciples.
Luke 24:36

Third Glorious Mystery - The Descent of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost
I Desire Zeal for the Glory of God
Think of...
The descent of the Holy Spirit upon Mary and the Apostles, under the form of tongues of fire, in fulfillment of Christ's promise.
Acts 2:1

Fourth Glorious Mystery - The Assumption of Mary into Heaven
I Desire the Grace of a Holy Death
Think of...
The glorious Assumption of Mary into Heaven, when she was united with her Divine Son.


Fifth Glorious Mystery - The Coronation of Mary as Queen of Heaven and Earth
I Desire a Greater Love for the Blessed Virgin Mary
Think of...
The glorious crowning of Mary as Queen of Heaven by her Divine Son, to the great joy of all the Saints.

The Luminous Mysteries

(Said on Thursdays throughout the year)

First Luminous Mystery - The Baptism of Jesus in the River Jordan
And a voice came from the heavens, saying, "This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased."
Matthew 3:17



The Second Luminous Mystery - The Wedding at Cana, Christ Manifested
Jesus did this as the beginning of his signs in Cana in Galilee and so revealed his glory, and his disciples began to believe in him.
John 2:11


The Third Luminous Mystery - the Proclamation of the Kingdom of God
Jesus came to Galilee proclaiming the gospel of God: "This is the time of fulfillment. The kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel."
Mark 1:15

The Fourth Luminous Mystery - The Transfiguration of Jesus
And he was transfigured before them; his face shone like the sun and his clothes became white as light.
Matthew 17:2



The Fifth Luminous Mystery - The Last Supper, the Holy Eucharist
While they were eating, Jesus took bread, said the blessing, broke it, and giving it to his disciples said, "Take and eat; this is my body." Then he took a cup, gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, "Drink from it, all of you, for this is my blood of the covenant, which will be shed on behalf of many for the forgiveness of sins.
Matthew 26:26

Prayer of Saint Francis of Assisi

Lord, make me an instrument of your peace.
Where there is hatred, let me sow love;
Where there is injury,pardon;
Where there is doubt, faith;
Where there is despair, hope;
Where there is darkness, light;
And where there is sadness, joy.

O Divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek
To be consoled as to console;
To be understood as to understand;
To be loved as to love.
For it is in giving that we receive;
It is in pardoning that we are pardoned;
And it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.

Amen