Mary's Request

Mary’s Request For The Rosary

Tuesday, October 7 is the Memorial to Our Lady of the Rosary.  The Rosary is one of the most popular prayer forms in the Catholic world.  

The Rosary evolved over centuries, with roots in ancient practices.  Early practitioners used beads or knots to count prayers and this method existed long before the modern Rosary was developed.  The prayers being said and counted were 150 Psalms.  Often called a ‘poor man’s psalter’: the laity who could not read the 150 psalms, adopted this counting method to pray 150 “Our Fathers” instead.  This practice became widespread across Europe.

The rise of the Hail Mary from the 11th century onward replaced the recitation of the “Our Father” with reciting 150 Hail Marys instead.  The prayer grew in stages, incorporating scriptural passages from the Annunciation and Visitation (mysteries) before its final form was approved at the Council of Trent in the 16th century.

The Rosary is one of the most popular prayer forms of those visiting the Adoration Chapel and it’s a wonderful place to start if you are new to Adoration.  To help appreciate the importance of the rosary it’s noted that in five of the sixteen Marian Apparitions approved by the church as ‘worthy of belief’, our Lady specifically asks for daily recitation of the Rosary.  Won’t you do your best to fulfill her request?

www.adorationpro.org/ihmmi
click on “Weekly Commitment”

"I do believe ... but"

 “Help My Unbelief”

Three weeks ago we quoted Fr John Hardon SJ saying “the simplest way to express what Christ asks us to believe about the Real Presence is that the Eucharist is really HE.  The Real Presence is the real Jesus”.  Two weeks ago we reminded everyone that the Council of Trent in 1551 declared that Jesus Christ is really and truly present in the Eucharist, and the Council declared this a Dogma of Faith.

‘Dogma’ is defined as that part of doctrine which has been divinely revealed and which the Church has formally defined and declared to be believed as revealed.  So this is not what the Church is telling us to believe; this is what God Himself is telling us to believe.  Recently a Pew Survey reported that 69% of declared Catholics do not believe in the Real Presence.  Imagine … 2 out of 3 Catholics don’t believe what God Himself tells us is true.

If you’re one of the non or half hearted believers it may be time to commit to praying during this Advent period asking the Holy Spirit for the grace to increase your belief in the Real Presence.  You’re encouraged to visit the chapel; kneel before the Holy Eucharist and pray the prayer the father of the son harboring the demon prayed before Jesus as told in Mark 9:21-24; “I do believe; help my unbelief”.

Jesus told that father “All things are possible to him who believes”.  Your belief in the Real Presence won’t go from cold to hot over night … you won’t hear thunder or feel the earth shake … but know every prayer is answered.  If you want to succeed you have to show God you’re sincere, and don’t quit asking until you get what you want.

www.adorationpro.org/ihmmi