Why pray the Rosary every day for a year?


Each time the Blessed Virgin has appeared-- whether it be to Saint Bernadette Soubirous at Lourdes; to Lucia, Jacinta, and Francisco at Fatima; or to Mariette Beco at Banneux-- she has asserted the importance, saving grace, and power of praying the Holy Rosary on a daily basis. Based upon her words, the Rosary is penance and conversion for sinners, a pathway to peace, an end to war, and a powerful act of faith in Jesus Christ. Pope Paul VI presented the Rosary as a powerful means to reach Christ "not merely with Mary but indeed, insofar as this is possible to us, in the same way as Mary, who is certainly the one who thought about Him more than anyone else has ever done."

To show us how this is done, perhaps no one has been more eloquent than the great Cardinal Newman, who wrote: "The great power of the Rosary consists in the fact that it translates the Creed into Prayer. Of course, the Creed is already in a certain sense a prayer and a great act of homage towards God, but the Rosary brings us to meditate again on the great truth of His life and death, and brings this truth close to our hearts. Even Christians, although they know God, usually fear rather than love Him. The strength of the Rosary lies in the particular manner in which it considers these mysteries, since all our thinking about Christ is intertwined with the thought of His Mother, in the relations between Mother and Son; the Holy Family is presented to us, the home in which God lived His infinite love."

As Mary said at Fatima, "Jesus wants to use you to make Me known and loved. He wishes to establish the devotion to My Immaculate Heart throughout the world. I promise salvation to whoever embraces it; these souls will be dear to God, like flowers put by Me to adorn his throne."



Pre-Mission Prayer Requests & Guatemalan Rosary Construction

Posted by Jacob

I leave this evening for my week-long trip to the Guatemalan highlands to serve those in need, build our international Catholic community of faith, and distribute some of the reader-donated Rosaries that I have been able to repair:




... as well as some of the mission-style Rosaries built by our Rosary Construction Mission (and funded by your donations!):



I humbly ask that you pray for myself and my travelling companions during our week of prayer, service, and community!


Prayer Requests:  July

While I am travelling, please join me in lifting the following intentions  submitted through this blog, to Our Lord and Savior, through the intercession of Our Blessed Mother:

For love; Professional advancement (O, United Kingdom); Healing of a grandmother, academic success (O, Nigeria); Protection, sale or property, true conversion (E, Oman); Healing and recovery (A, Philippines); For a sister to find employment (P, South Africa); Reunification of a son and family (T, USA); Blessings upon children, successful employment (C, Philippines); Successful conception, financial security, true conversion, love (P, USA-PA); For a son suffering with mental illness (B, USA); For an end to depression (B, United Kingdom); Health, protection, Successful employment, A relationship blessed by God (K, Spain); Successful resolution of a difficult situation for son (M, USA-OH); Safety and protection during travels (A, USA-MN); Repose of a departed wife’s soul, financial security, strength and courage (J, USA-CA); Healing of an ill father (M, USA-TX).

comments (0) | Labels: , , ,

July 16: Guatemalan Mission

Posted by Jacob

At the end of the week, I will be heading to Guatemala for a week of outreach to families, sponsored by the Christian Foundation for Children and Aging (CFCA).  During the week-long visit, we will meet with numerous communities in the Guatemalan highlands, spreading the Gospel.  I also hope to distribute some of the Holy Rosaries we have been constructing as part of our "365 Rosaries Construction Mission."





CFCA, which is a non-profit organization founded by lay Catholics in 1981, allows sponsorship of families from around the world who live in poverty.  Through their work, the organization is able to assist families in accessing better education, housing, water, and safety.  This sponsored trip allows us to visit with these families, share in their religious communities, and spread the Gospel throughout the world.

CFCA’s mission is to walk with the poor and marginalized of the world (from their website):

We provide personal attention and direct benefits to children, youth, aging and their families so they may live with dignity, achieve their desired potential and participate fully in society.

We invite people of good will to live in daily solidarity with the world’s poor through one-to-one sponsorship.


We build community by fostering relationships of mutual respect, understanding and support that are culturally diverse, empowering and without religious or other prejudice.


Please join me in prayer for a successful, enriching, and safe trip.  May the Lord and Our Blessed Mother watch over all those involved!


comments (0) | Labels: , , ,

Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)