Be Hops

The bishops had cease to be shepherds!

Just imagine Bishop Galantino (P Francis' appointee Sec Gen of Italian Bishops Conference) saying, "expressionless persons praying rosaries outside abortion clinics".

Mary's Pondering Heart

The Annunciation...
"Behold the handmaid of the Lord, be it done to me according to Thy Word."
My God and my Savior, You are within me. You will be inside me.
What mystery is this... You will be Flesh of my flesh, Blood of my blood. Yet, I am just a creature and You are God.
Yes, my Son is my Savior and my God. For You, I cast all plans aside that my womb may be Your Tabernacle.

The Visitation...
It was a long and rough ride, my Child, my God. There she is, Elizabeth, the child in her womb is leaping with joy.
Why am I telling You all these, my Son and my God when I know You know it all.
Still, my Child, bear with a mother's whim, though I am but a child of God.
You are within me, yet You are greater than me. Oh, my Son - my Savior and God, my heart is filled with joy. It overflows.
'My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord,
my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,
for he has looked with favor on his lowly servant.

The Nativity...
A little Babe, I cradle You. You who had known me before I was formed in the womb.
Still, I wonder why You have chosen me, when a manger and a swaddling cloth is all I have.
You know everything, my Child. You know I love You.

The Presentation
Here You are my Child, complying with our rituals. I lift You up and yet You are above all these things. Simon and the Jews await You and so does the whole of humanity -a New Israel, a Light to the Gentiles. Again, I say "Yes" to You even if a sword shall pierce my heart. I have so long borne You in my heart. In my heart forever You will be. I have loved God so early on, but now I love You even more. My heart overflows, let it be pierced for You so that it may flood the world with Thy Love.

The Finding in the Temple
Oh my Son, my Savior, and my God. Be patient with me, Your mother who worries and frets. I trust in You and Your Grace and Wisdom; but a mother's heart still I have. And I say "Yes" to You, my Son and my God. I will seek You and know I will find You if I keep focused on God's Will.

My Life into a Prayer

Dear God,
I admit to You, O Lord, that living with my mother's Alzheimer is difficult. So often, I feel inadequate and lacking in virtues to cope with it. Grant, O Lord, Thy grace upon us and most esp upon my mother.
In her memory loss when we go thru the same questions and go thru the same motion again and again; Not knowing if and when it will make a difference on her. Transform these repetitions unto Rosary beads; A singular prayer meditating upon Thy life and love for us.
And as she goes to being childlike, to a teen-ager amidst the war, to a worried mother caring for young ones; Let me be reminded of the Mysteries of the Holy Rosary, from the Annunciation unto the mystery of You crowning Mary with Your Glory. Let me be comforted that in Thy Mercy, she, too, will find her crown of love in You.
O God, when she enters into episode of dementia - a world entirely hers that we cannot appease. Let me remember the prayer that Your Angel at Fatima had asked the children to pray after each mystery. "O my Jesus, forgive us our sins and save us from the fires of hell most esp those who are in need of Thy Mercy." Grant, O Lord, that this episode of dementia be hers and our purgatory, That in Thy Mercy we may be cleansed.
When moments come when even our love may be strained by the demands the sickness entail; Help us remember the unbroken Rosary Chain that perseveres in prayer clinging to Your Love and our Blessed Mother's intercession.
And in the uncertainty of our tomorrows, let us know the greater meaning of "Hail Mary, full of grace. The Lord is with you. Blessed are you 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 death. Amen."
And no matter what happens, let it be "Glory be to the Father, to the Son and to the Holy Spirit!"

Rejection of the Rosary

It's sad my nephew refused to give the Holy Rosary to his classmate because he no longer believes in it.  I should be happy, though, that at a young age of 16 years old, he is already convicted of not promoting or propagating something he doesn't believe in.  I hope he will be as convicted in other things he choose to promote and patronize like movies, sexual values and others.

In a way, it is to be expected.  His mother had chosen to become Protestant and had brought along the children with her.  And Protestants are well versed in all the things they can wage against the Catholic Faith.  That was why, they were called Protestants. (First used during the Diet of Speyer in 1529).  Martin Luther, though, had a devotion to Mother Mary and believes in her special role in God's plan.  The Rosary is biblical and I'm sure bible readers would be aware of that but then, it is the one verse of the bible "vain repetitions" that is their case against the Rosary.

In Fatima, Mother Mary asked the children to pray the Rosary daily.  Is it conceit on her part?  Oh no! The humble handmaid of God knows that it is something that everyone can do.  It is going through the Bible through the different events in the life of Jesus Christ.    When Father Benedict Groeschel was bedridden years ago, almost dead and paralyzed from the auto accident, it was his fingers that could move to pray the Rosary.  In the devastating earthquake in Baguio in 1989, one survivor prayed the Holy Rosary amidst the rubbles and almost imminent death.  St. Bernadette Soubirous (visionary of Lourdes), though, uneducated can pray the Rosary as a child.  Dominican missionaries in China was able to bring the Gospel to the Chinese through the Holy Rosary.  Catholics in the Nazi death camp pray the Rosary by marking the wall.  A mother prayed the Rosary using the fingers of her infant child as she lulls the child.  Anyone can pray the Rosary.

Admittedly though, it is a difficult prayer to make in our world where we could go through many informations in an instant.  Commercial messages are repeatedly sent to us through television in seconds.  We want to keep busy in our body and mind.  And here is the Rosary, 15 to 20 minutes for one mystery or one hour for the four mysteries.  A few minutes that would require a stillness in one's body, mind and heart.  Still, the distractions in the mind would come.  So many thoughts would sneak in.  Or when we finally can make way to a stillness of mind, it is the body that falls into slumber.  Yes, for a few minutes to have our body, heart and mind solely focused in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ is not easy.  Yet, this REPETITIOUS ATTEMPT is not in vain.  In a way, the Holy Rosary is a pilgrimage into the Holy Land and beyond where ever you are.  The steps may fumble now and then, but it gets us in the way.  We will always remember the joyous, sorrowful, luminous and glorious life in the salvific plan of God.  Difficult it may be, we have Mother Mary to pray with us.  God, truly is so generous and compassionate with us.

180 and A Million

The 180movie is so powerful. It begins with a question of who Adolf Hitler is. Hitler's time was not a distant history but many surprisingly had a vague idea of who he was. The documentary also shows how shallow thinkers we had become and with a few questions, the interviewer was able to dig deeper into the hearts and minds of the people, enabling them to rethink their positions. It is a powerful video.

On the other side of the world, the Family Rosary Crusade launched a rosary crusade for world peace. Entitled, a million roses for the world, everyone is enjoined to pray one Rosary a day for a particular country. In one year, all the world would have been prayed for. A beautiful campaign that features a country per day and its particular need. Online pledge is on www.millionrosesfortheworld.org

Hopefully 180movie will have a million hits and a million roses for the world will bring a 180 shift for the better.