The month of October is just around the corner .....

The Feast of Our Lady of the Rosary on 7 October celebrates the protection of Christians through the intercession of the Mother of God. The entire month of October is dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of God under the title of Our Lady of the Rosary (Queen of the Most Holy Rosary) and the Holy Rosary. The Holy Rosary of the Blessed Virgin Mary is one of great devotion of all Catholic devotions. October also marks the final apparition of Our Lady of Fatima, on October 13, 1917, in Cova de Iria outside of Fatima, Portugal, the last of six monthly Marian apparitions to three shepherd children is said to have taken place.

We are called to pray the Rosary not only in the month of May and October or Saturdays but every day with a greater knowledge and appreciation of this prayer, and its power to transform our modern world like the transformation in the falling of communism in Russia into a religious freedom country. Our lady herself in her messages in apparitions in Lourdes and Fatima emphasizes the need to pray the rosary. Pope Benedict XVI quoted, �the rosary in fact provide a like for us with this primitive knowledge that repetition is a part of prayer, of meditation, that repetition is a way of settling oneself into the rhythm of tranquillity. It�s a matter of allowing myself to be carried away by the calm of repetition and of steady rhythm�. We are encourage to pray without ceasing, The church has encouraged the rosary prayer through many papal teachings. In praying the rosary, we remember the life of Jesus through the Rosary, and the role of his mother, Mary as first disciple in this plan of God, from Jesus� conception via the Holy Spirit in her womb, to the agony and yet triumph of the cross, to the glory of Christ�s resurrection and ascension, and to the birth of the Church at Pentecost.

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Our Lady�s 15 Promises to Those Who Pray Her Rosary

source: www.catholiccompany.com

1. Whosoever shall faithfully serve me by the recitation of the Rosary shall receive signal graces.

[A signal grace may be a simple sign in daily life that answers a question made in prayer or points towards God�s will. For example, seeing a rose after finishing a novena to St. Therese of Lisieux could be considered a signal grace. Signal graces are often subtle or seemingly coincidental.]

2. I promise my special protection and the greatest graces to all those who shall recite the Rosary.

3. The Rosary shall be a powerful armor against hell, it will destroy vice, decrease sin and defeat heresies.

4. It will cause good works to flourish; it will obtain for souls the abundant mercy of God; it will withdraw the hearts of men from the love of the world and its vanities, and will lift them to the desire for Eternal things. Oh, that souls would sanctify themselves by this means!

5. The soul which recommends itself to me by the recitation of the Rosary shall not perish.

[In other words, anyone who faithfully prays the Rosary and asks for Mary�s intercession will be saved from hell.]

6. Whosoever shall recite the Rosary devoutly, applying himself to the consideration of its Sacred Mysteries, shall never be conquered by misfortune. God will not chastise him in His justice, he shall not perish by an unprovided death; if he be just he shall remain in the grace of God, and become worthy of Eternal Life.

[An unprovided death means dying while not in a state of grace. The Blessed Mother promises that anyone who regularly prays the Rosary, and earnestly tries to live according to God�s will, will be spiritually prepared when their time of death comes.]

7. Whoever shall have a true devotion for the Rosary shall not die without the Sacraments of the Church.

8. Those who are faithful to recite the Rosary shall have during their life and at their death the Light of God and the plenitude of His Graces; at the moment of death they shall participate in the Merits of the Saints in Paradise.

9. I shall deliver from purgatory those who have been devoted to the Rosary.

10. The faithful children of the Rosary shall merit a high degree of Glory in Heaven.

11. You shall obtain all you ask of me by recitation of the Rosary.

12. All those who propagate the Holy Rosary shall be aided by me in their necessities.

13. I have obtained from my Divine Son that all the advocates of the Rosary shall have for intercessors the entire Celestial Court during their life and at the hour of death.

14. All who recite the Rosary are my Sons, and brothers of my Only Son Jesus Christ.

15. Devotion to my Rosary is a great sign of predestination.

[By this the Blessed Mother means that a devotion to the Rosary is a good indication that the devotee is on the path to Heaven.]

Solemnity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Mother of God ~ 01 January 2016

On New Year's Day, the octave day of Christmas, the Church celebrates the Solemnity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Mother of God. It is a Holy Day of Obligation as it commemorates the divine motherhood of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of our Lord and God Jesus Christ. As the Father from all eternity generates the Son in the love of the Holy Spirit, so Mary, in the flesh, generated the same eternal Word by the power of the Holy Spirit. Christ's Birth was made possible by Mary's fiat: "Be it done unto me according to Thy word.". Calling Mary �Mother of God� is the highest honour we can give to her.

On this day, we too remember our own mothers, living and deceased, and to implore the Blessed Virgin�s intercession for them. May the peace of the Lord remain within us, our families and communities and bring us the joy and happiness in the year to come.

Have a Blessed and Happy New Year.

 

O God, who through the fruitful virginity of Blessed Mary bestowed on the human race the grace of eternal salvation, grant, we pray, that we may experience the intercession of her, through whom we were found worthy to receive the author of life, our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son. Who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Reading 1

Numbers 6:22-27
The LORD said to Moses:
�Speak to Aaron and his sons and tell them:
This is how you shall bless the Israelites.
Say to them:
The LORD bless you and keep you!
The LORD let his face shine upon
you, and be gracious to you!
The LORD look upon you kindly and
give you peace!
So shall they invoke my name upon the Israelites,
and I will bless them.�


Responsorial Psalm

Psalm 67:2-3, 5, 6, 8
R. May God bless us in his mercy.
May God have pity on us and bless us;
may he let his face shine upon us.
So may your way be known upon earth;
among all nations, your salvation.
R. May God bless us in his mercy.
May the nations be glad and exult
because you rule the peoples in equity;
the nations on the earth you guide.
R. May God bless us in his mercy.
May the peoples praise you, O God;
may all the peoples praise you!
May God bless us,
and may all the ends of the earth fear him!
R. May God bless us in his mercy.


Reading 2

Galatians 4:4-7
Brothers and sisters:
When the fullness of time had come, God sent his Son,
born of a woman, born under the law,
to ransom those under the law,
so that we might receive adoption as sons.
As proof that you are sons,
God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts,
crying out, �Abba, Father!�
So you are no longer a slave but a son,
and if a son then also an heir, through God.

Alleluia

Hebrews 1:1-2

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
In the past God spoke to our ancestors through the prophets;
In these last days, he has spoken to us through the Son.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Gospel

Luke 2:16-21

The shepherds went in haste to Bethlehem and found Mary and Joseph,
and the infant lying in the manger.
When they saw this,
they made known the message
that had been told them about this child.
All who heard it were amazed
by what had been told them by the shepherds.
And Mary kept all these things,
reflecting on them in her heart.
Then the shepherds returned,
glorifying and praising God
for all they had heard and seen,
just as it had been told to them.

When eight days were completed for his circumcision,
he was named Jesus, the name given him by the angel
before he was conceived in the womb.

The Blessed Virgin Mary, Queen of May

Hail Virgin, dearest Mary! 

Our lovely Queen of May! 

O spotless, blessed Lady, 

Our lovely Queen of May. 

Your children, humbly bending, 

Surround your shrine ...

The month of May dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Mother of God. Mary is the one who brings us Jesus, the second person of the Trinity. Precious and powerful is the rosary devotion to our Mother Mary to Catholics and yet, it is neglected by many. In order for we Catholics to give proper devotion to Mary, that devotion must be into practice in our day to day life. She as our model in Christian life. During this month we, our families, church community (BEC) recite the rosary of the the Blessed Virgin Mary as we consecrate our hearts and our homes to the Blessed Virgin Mary. 

May is the month of Mary and that October is the month of the Rosary.

Recitation of the Holy Rosary, resounds with the frequent repetition of praises in honour of the High Queen of Heaven!

Hail Mary, full of grace, 

the Lord is with thee; 

blessed are thou amongst 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.

May we be assisted, we beseech Thee, O Lord, 

by the worshipful intercession of 

Thy glorious Mother, the ever-Virgin Mary; 

that we, who have been enriched by her perpetual blessings, 

may be delivered from all dangers, 

and through her loving kindness 

made to be one heart and mind: 

who livest and reignest world without end. 

Amen.

"The Rosary is a powerful weapon to put the demons to flight and to keep oneself from sin�If you desire peace in your hearts, in your homes, and in your country, assemble each evening to recite the Rosary. Let not even one day pass without saying it, no matter how burdened you may be with many cares and labours." ~ Pope Pius XI

"Some people are so foolish that they think they can go through life without the help of the Blessed 

Mother. Love the Madonna and pray the rosary, for her Rosary is the weapon against the evils of the 

world today. All graces given by God pass through the Blessed Mother." ~ St. Padre Pio

"Among all the devotions approved by the Church none has been so favoured by so many miracles as the devotion of the Most Holy Rosary" ~ Pope Pius IX

Whatever we do, let us do �everything through Mary, with Mary, in Mary, and for Mary, in order to do it more perfectly through Jesus, with Jesus, in Jesus, and for Jesus.� (True Devotion, n. 257)

Blessed Virgin Mother of God, Pray for me and all who invoke thy Aid

Blessed Virgin You were so highly favoured by God

to conceive His only Son,

our Saviour, JESUS CHRIST 

by the power of the Holy Spirit.

.

I truly trust, full of faith and hope in Your intercession to Your Son,

that all my request will be answered 

by the WILL of the GOD the Father

through Your Son Jesus Christ

Who lives and reigns with the Father 

in union with the Holy Spirit,

One God Forever.

Amen.

MOST holy Mary, I know the graces which thou hast obtained for me, and I know the ingratitude which I have shown thee. The ungrateful man is unworthy of favors, and yet for all this I will not distrust in thy mercy. O my great Advocate, have pity on me.

Thou, Mary, art the stewardess of every grace which God vouchsafes to give us sinners, and therefore did He make thee so mightily rich and kind, that thou mightest succor us. I will that I may be saved: in thy hands I place my eternal salvation, to thee I consign my soul. I will to be associated with those who are thy special servants; reject me not. Thou art always seeking the wretched to console them. Cast not away, then a wretched sinner who has recourse to thee. Speak for me, Mary; thy Son will grant what thou shalt ask Him. Take me under thy protection, and it is enough for me; for with thee to guard me I fear no ill � no, not even my sins, because thou wilt obtain God�s pardon for them; neither evil spirits, because thou art far mightier than hell; nor my Judge Jesus Christ, for at thy prayer He will lay aside His wrath.

Protect me, then, my Mother; obtain for me pardon of my sins, love of Jesus, holy perseverance, a good death, and heaven. It is true, I merit not these graces; yet do thou only ask them of our God and I shall obtain them. Pray, then, to Jesus for me. Mary, my Queen, in thee I trust; in this I trust, I rest, I live; and with this hope I wish to die. Amen

(3 Hail Marys in reparation 

for blasphemies against the Blessed Virgin Mary.)

Mary, you became the Mother of God and remained a virgin

Mary, My Mother, through this birth, 

the Divine Majesty lost nothing of Its splendor, 

and you became the Mother of God 

and yet remained a virgin. 

This mystery and your dignity 

amaze heaven and earth.

AMEN.

Mother of God "Salus Populi Romani"

Queen of Heaven rejoice, alleluia; 

the Son Whom you merited to bear, alleluia; 

has risen as He said, alleluia; 

pray for us to God, alleluia; 

rejoice and be glad, 

Oh, Virgin Mary, 

for the Lord is truly risen, alleluia.

Salus Populi Romani, meaning Protectress (literally salvation or health of the Roman People) is the title given in the 19th century to the Byzantine icon of the Madonna and Child, reputed to date to Early Christian times, in the Borghese or Pauline Chapel of the 5th-century Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore in Rome.

The Basilica, the oldest in the West dedicated to the Mother of God, and this icon, are the Church�s popular expression of the Council�s theological response to that heresy, Jesus is God from all ages, who became a man in the womb of Mary.

On either side of the Virgin�s head are two Greek abbreviations, identifying, on the left the Greek letters for M-R and on the right, Th-U being abbreviations for Mother of God: She is stately in her bearing, yet not aloof from us. She is dressed simply yet elegantly in a dark blue mantle over a russet and gold tunic. In her hand, she grasps an embroidered handkerchief, similar to those first carried by women of the Roman senatorial class and, in the late Empire, only by the Roman empress. The later suggests the early Church�s belief that she is the Second Eve and the Queen of Heaven. 

The golden star on her shoulder tells us that she is the Immaculate Conception, the woman preserved by God from Adam�s Original Sin, so she could be the sinless Virgin in whose womb the Eternal Son of the Father joined Himself to our human nature in a human body and soul. The golden cross on her forehead tells us that she is the Mother of the Eternal Son who became man in order to die for humanity�s sins, Mary is the virgin mother of the Incarnate and Crucified Lord. She gently holds and protects Her Son, encircling Him with both hands. 

The Infant sits comfortably and securely on His Mother�s lap, holding the Book of the Gospels, with His right hand raised to bless us. But He first looks up to His Mother, as if seeking her permission to bless those looking at the icon. She looks out to us, inviting us to enter into the Divine Love of God made visible in Her Son, as a sign that it would be the polite thing to do if He would bless us who have come to visit Mother and Son.

The Infant Jesus with his fingers forming the Greek word Fish�Ixthus. In the ancient Church, both in the east and the west, the fish was both a symbol of Jesus and a creedal expression of faith. For each letter of Ixthus stands for the first letter of each word in the Greek sentence: Jesus Christ, Son of God, Savior. In this icon, Our Lord raises His right hand to bless us with His power as the Incarnate Son of God, the Savior, and not merely as a child or even as a prince.

Pray for Our Holy Father, that the Mother of God and Her Divine Son, might strengthen him as he continues the work of Saint Peter for His people worldwide.