Today is a gift from God

Today is a gift from God, that's why we call it the "present". Jesus wants us to live in the present, not to dwell in the past or worry about the future.

Lenten Meditation- The 12th Station

"How must I regard the world and it's vanities, when I behold Thee hanging on the cross, covered with wounds?"

Meditating on this quote helps us to put things in perspective and helps us discover our real priorities. The quote is from the booklet "The Way of The Cross, According to the Method of St. Francis of Assisi", published by TAN books Rockford,Illinois 1987. The Twelfth Station "Jesus is raised upon the Cross and Dies" page 27.

Rosary broadcast on EWTN television

EWTN (Eternal Word Television Network)broadcasts the Rosary on television several times a day. At 7:30 am you can watch and pray along with, The Holy Land Rosary, which was filmed on location at each of the religious locations in the Holy Land, that correspond with each of the Mysteries of the Rosary. At 9:30 pm you can pray along with Mother Angelica, who founded EWTN.

The Rosary is also broad cast at least one other time each day. Check this site for the program schedule: http://www.ewtn.com

EWTN also broadcasts the Mass each day, as well as many other religious programs.

Bible quotes for each mystery of the Rosary

Here are the bible quotes that correspond with each Mystery of the Rosary. Also included are the suggested days of the week, for praying a single Mystery of the Rosary.

Joyful Mysteries(Monday, Saturday)
1. The Annunciation (Luke 1:26-38)
2. The Visitation (Luke 1:39-56)
3. The Nativity (Luke 2:1-20)
4. The Presentation (Luke 2:22-39)
5. The Finding in the Temple (Luke 2:42-52)

Luminous Mysteries (Thursday)
1. His Baptism in the Jordan (Matthew 3:13-17)
2. His Self Manifestation at the wedding at Cana (John 2:1-12)
3. His Proclamation of the Kingdom of God, with His call to Conversion (Mark 1:14-1, Mark 2:3-13, Luke 7:47-48, John 20:21-23)
4. His Transfiguration (Luke 9:35)
5. His Institution of the Eucharist (Matthew 26:26-28, Mark 14:22-24, Luke 22:19-20,John 13:1)

Sorrowful Mysteries (Tuesday, Friday)
1. The Agony in the Garden (Luke 22:39-44)
2. The Scourging (Matthew 27:26)
3. The Crowning with Thorns (Matthew 27:28-31)
4. The Carrying of the Cross (Luke 23:26-32, Matthew 27:31)
5. The Crucifixion (Matthew 27:33-50, Luke 23:33-46)

Glorious Mysteries (Wednesday, Sunday)
1. The Resurrection (Matthew 28:1-7, Mark 16:4-6)
2. The Ascension (luke 24:50-51, Mark 16:19)
3. The Descent of the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:2-4)
4. The Assumption (Jdt. 15:9)
5. The Coronation (Rev. 12:1)

The Rosary- The prayer of the Bible

The Rosary was given to us directly from the Bible. All of the mysteries, which we meditate upon have corresponding biblical quotes. We will list the quotes from the Bible in our next blog entry.

The prayer the "Our Father" was given to us by Jesus in Matthew 6:9-15. Two thirds of the Hail Mary are found in Luke 1:28, "Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with you!" and Luke 1:42, "Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb!"

In the remaining one third of the Hail Mary we ask Mary, the Mother of God, to pray for us, just as we ask other people on earth to pray for us and we also can pray for them. So much more so should we ask the Mother of God, who is close to God in heaven, to pray for us.

(The above is a portion of our original pamphlet, first printed in the year 2000.)

Ash Wednesday

Today is Ash Wednesday, the beginning of Lent. During Lent we can renember the 40 days that Jesus was in the desert.

"Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. And He fasted forty days and forty nights, and afterward He was hungry. And the tempter came and said to Him, 'If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become loaves of bread.' But He answered, 'It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.'

Then the devil took Him to the holy city, and set Him on the pinnacle of the temple, and said to Him, 'If you are the Son of god, throw yourself down; for it is written, He will give angels charge of you and on their hands they will bear you up, lest you strike your foot against a stone.' Jesus said to him, 'Again it is written, you shall not tempt the Lord your God.'

Again, the devil took him to avery high mountain, and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and the glory of them; and he said to him,'All these I will give you, if you fall down and worship me.' Then Jesus said to him, 'Begone, Satan! for it is written, You shall worship the Lord your God and only Him shall you serve.'

Then the devil left Him, and behold, angels came and ministered to Him."
Matthew 4: 1-11

We can unite ourselves with Jesus, remembering the 40 days He spent in the desert, during these 40 days of Lent. Prayer, sacrifice, meditation on the mysteries of the Rosary, reading the Bible, works of charity, and fasting are some of the ways we can grow in our faith during Lent.

Psalm 40: 1-4

I waited patiently for the Lord;
He inclined to me and heard my cry.
He drew me up from the desolate pit,
out of the miry bog,
and set my feet upon a rock,
making my steps secure.
He put a new song in my mouth,
a song of praise to our God.
Many will see and fear,
and put their trust in the lord.

Blessed is the man who makes the Lord his trust,
who does not turn to the proud,
to those who fall astray after false gods!

Star of the Sea

One of the titles of Our Blessed Mother is The Star of the Sea(Stella Maris). In the twelfth-century St. Bernard of Clairvaux wrote this prayer to the Blessed Mother, The Star of the Sea:


If the winds of temptation arise;
If you are driven upon the rocks of tribulation look to the star, call on Mary;
If you are tossed upon the waves of pride, of ambition, of envy, of rivalry, look to the star, call on Mary


In today's world, we can still look to The Star of the Sea for help and guidance. A few years ago, I heard a song with a verse that is very meaningful. I will paraphrase the verse as follows: "Like a crippled ship that somehow managed to make it through the storm; I found a peaceful port, when The Star of the Sea, I called upon.

The value of suffering

Let all of us who suffer; who are sick, injured, afflicted, lonely, outcast, rejected, homeless,unemployed, betrayed, riddiculed and mocked; those who are experiencing weakness, anxiety and darkness; those of us who are tried and tested in various ways, know that they are called to be saints.

Let us understand that our sufferings are joined to the sufferings of Christ on the Cross for the salvation of souls. Let us offer our sufferings to God with all our hearts and understand that we are helping Jesus to carry His Cross, just as Simon of Cyrene did. We are willing to learn from our troubles, what God is asking of us, in our life.

God will strengthen us as we travel the rocky uphill road, if we trust in Him. With prayer and trust in God nothing can worry or frighten us. We are filled with the peace of Christ, with love and strength. As we grow deeper in our belief and continue to pray, we understand that God has given us our life for a purpose, a mission. We realize how much we need God and develop a stronger faith.

(Inspired by the readings, sermon and prayers during a Mass today on EWTN celebrated by Father Joseph Mary)