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."



The Third Lumious Mystery: The Proclamation fo the Kingdom of God

Posted by Jacob


Today in Church, we read Luke’s account of the Sermon on the Mount, the continuation of Jesus’ Proclamation of the Kingdom of Heaven, which began shortly after John the Baptist’s arrest and imprisonment. During the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus builds upon his teachings, providing the new commandments for Christian living. The Proclamation of the Kingdom of Heaven is the third Luminous Mystery—the Mysteries of Light—of the Holy Rosary.

14After John was put in prison, Jesus went into Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God. 15"The time has come," he said. "The kingdom of God is near. Repent and believe the good news!" (Mark 1: 14-15)

Jesus proclaims his good news, as well as his role in the fulfillment of the Holly Scriptures. Through his coming, we are offered the keys to the Kingdom, rebirth in the grace of God, and reconciliation of our sins.

18"The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed, 19to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor."

20Then he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant and sat down. The eyes of everyone in the synagogue were fastened on him, 21and he began by saying to them, "Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing." (Luke 4:18-21)

Jesus is clear, preaching that the Kingdom of God is here now, that through the love and grace of God we are reconciled and freed, and that rather than having to search it out, the Kingdom of God resides within each of us. Heaven is not a place to ascend to of a final destination, but rather a transformative way of living, here on earth, as it is in heaven.

20Once, having been asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, Jesus replied, "The kingdom of God does not come with your careful observation, 21nor will people say, 'Here it is,' or 'There it is,' because the kingdom of God is within you." (Luke 17:21)

Jesus further states quite plainly that earthly treasures, while attractive and glittery, only serve to distract us from our call inward to the Kingdom. God’s love for us resides within us, within our hearts, where our treasures also lie.

19"Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. 20But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. (Matthew 6:19-21)

In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus presents the Beatitudes, the new commandments for our lives. We are called to draw upon our internal gifts and graces, and embrace our true selves in the reflection of God within. We are called to cast off the shackles of appearance and impression management, and let the love of the Lord—the Kingdom within us—break free to shine like the sun. We are called to be the children of God now, at this moment, and forever.

1Now when he saw the crowds, he went up on a mountainside and sat down. His disciples came to him, 2and he began to teach them saying:
3"Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
4Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.
5Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.
6Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.
7Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.
8Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.
9Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God.
10Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
11"Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. 12Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

19Anyone who breaks one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever practices and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. 20For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven. (Matthew 5: 1-12, 19-20)


As Lent approaches, we contemplate the Kingdom of God. The Beatitudes tell us that our external sufferings on this earth are rewarded internally through the love and grace of Christ and the Holy Spirit. Our pain is fleeting compared to the everlasting joy yet to come in the Resurrection.




Day 45 of 365
Prayer Intentions: To find the treasures of the Kingdom within ourselves
Requested Intentions: For a niece suffering with autism, and for all those affected by autism (V); For a daughter’s employment (J); For a son’s employment and growth in faith (M); Those planning for surgery (L); Those who are unemployed or in danger of losing jobs (A); Those fighting depression (L); For a growing love of the Eucharist and peace within a family (A).
Special Intentions (Day 4 of 45-day Novena to Our Blessed Lady of Lourdes): The intentions of all those who read this blog, whether submitted or retained in the quiet of their hearts; Penance, Penance, Penance for sinners; For all those who are suffering.

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