Seeking For a Sign - Taking A Deeper Look at Scripture and the Rosary

The Gospel is radical. It confounds us. The demands that Jesus makes: “Go, sell all your possessions and give to the poor, then take up your cross and follow Me.” (Matt. 16:24) “Be perfect as your Father in heaven is perfect.” (5:48) Regular church attendance can relieve our conscience for a short time. After a while the signs that should inspire us cease to spark that sense of wonder.

Why are we always seeking for a physical sign that God is with us? The Israelites in the wilderness were constantly looking for signs of God’s presence. As if the Pillar of Cloud by day and the Pillar of Fire by night were not enough. As if the parting of the Sea and the vanquishing of their former captors did not provide enough evidence, they still cried for water and food and longed for their former chains. The Pharisees and Sadducees saw Jesus healing the sick, giving sight to the blind, raising the dead and forgiving sins. They, as well as the disciples, themselves still sought signs. They looked for material evidence. They wanted Jesus to proclaim himself king and lead an army against Rome. Satan tried the same tactics in the wilderness; make bread from stones. . . throw yourself down and the angels will catch you. . . and the opportunity to totally evade the cross altogether, worship him.

Bishop Fulton J. Sheen stated that the Crucifix is a reminder to us of how serious sin is (Sheen, Calvary and the Mass, p. 25).  The world hates two extremes; the very evil and the very Holy. This is true because the very Innocent and the very guilty were crucified on Calvary. The drama increases from there. Like the shepherd separating the sheep from the goats, the two thieves crucified with Jesus bring this to light. The thief on the right new he deserved this punishment and also saw that Jesus was innocent and did not deserve this punishment. The thief on the left cried out that if he was the Son of God to save himself and them also. This was a call for a physical sign just like the Pharisees who taunted Jesus with the same question. “Come down from the cross and we will believe. . .”

The thief on the right, “. . . emitted a plea, not for a place in the seat of the mighty, but only not to be forgotten: ‘Remember me, when thou shalt come into thy kingdom’” (Sheen, p. 32). He did not seek to be relieved but partook of the sacrifice of Christ. He said, like Paul, “I am crucified with Christ, . .” The mother of our Lord witnessed this at the foot of the cross. Her flesh and blood hung on that cross and the anguish of a mother watching her son die a terrible death felt the sword go through her heart as well. She knew it was coming and was now here (Luke 2:35).

This Advent, let us abide in Christ in such a way we recapture the wonder of our Savior. Peter and the Apostles carried this radical Gospel to the world. They share with us in the pages of Sacred Scripture what it means to abide in Christ. Let us live a humble life. If we need faith as a grain of mustard seed, let us think “inside the mustard seed,” so that the greatest of trials may be endured and overcome. The Rosary takes us through the Life, Death and Resurrection of our Lord. These truths should be rehearsed in our everyday life. The only way we get bored with Truth is when we are not living in the Truth. So keep up the fight!

Holy Mary, Mother of God, Pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death. Amen.

Ave Maria!
Praised be Jesus Christ
Jesus and Mary, protect and save the unborn.

The View from the Cross - According to Saint Matthew

The following is a dialogue between the Apostle Matthew, the Loved One and Jesus, the Beloved. I wrote this poem and reflection based on Matthew's gospel account of the Sermon on the Mount.
 
Matthew:

I enter the garden where it all began, my heart aches for my Beloved.

Beloved:

Where are you Matthew? O scribe most true. You speak to My People, My Beloved Jew.

Matthew:

Your birth, Your baptism I recall.
Then three temptations all.
You sent the enemy reeling.

We learned your precepts from the Mount,
Your commandments we recall.
O Poor, O Mournful, O Meek,
such a peculiar Savior to all.

To hunger and thirst we await on the way,
you wash our hearts pure to the end of our day.
I await the view from the cross, my Beloved.

O Merciful Savior let me show mercy too,
for my life is so empty until I rest in You.
Let me show myself a man at peace,
that my persecutors may rage and Your glory never cease.

O my Beloved I do not deserve You.

Salt and light You call us to be,
so Your Church must shine in our view from the Tree.

You did not come to abolish but to fulfill,
and to show us your kingdom in good times and ill.

O my beloved I have been angry with Thee,
I insulted, and counted my brother worthless to be.
O my beloved I leave my gift at your alter.
I will reconcile quickly while I can still see.
O my beloved, forgive me for I have betrayed Thee.

My own eye betrays Thee, for you know all my thoughts.
Though my actions be faultless, I still suffer loss.
I would remove my eye that I may not sin in what I see.
My hand, O my hand I would sever, that I would not betray Thee.
Though the fires of hell reserve a place for me,
Let it go vacant for all eternity.

A vocation, a beloved sacrament You bind.
No dissolution can sever, our salvation in kind.
You joined them for life, the two became one,
so it shall always be in the Father, the Holy Spirit and the Son.

The two become one, they attain the others destiny,
so my beloved, may it end in heaven with Thee.

Put a watch on my mouth, my beloved,
that my words may be true.
For by Your throne, Your footstool,
Your dwelling place, I trust in You.

Every detail about me You know,
so my yes will be ‘yes’ and my no will be ‘no’.

Beloved:

Resist the one who strikes your right,
the left cheek present for humility and spite.

As the soldier requests that you carry his load,
go the extra mile down the long road.

If one require you to give them your coat,
in lowliness of spirit, give them your cloak.

With hand open to all, refuse no one who asks,
for your Father in heaven grants grace for the tasks.

Though the enemy revile you, please your Father in heaven,
Forgive what they do be it seventy times seven.

He gives good things to all, the vile and the just,
Pray for those who hurt you, do this you must.

Matthew:

So indeed in my worldly profession I disdain,
for indeed I did good for those who loved me the same.

Grant me to love as You love,
and live without blame.

Beloved:

Be perfect, Be perfect, my loved one, and see,
For your heavenly Father is perfect and wants you to be.

Into Your hands, O Father, My spirit I give Thee,
That Cross I once carried, now carries me,
As I pour out my life for all humanity!

If you truly desire to see what I see,
take up your cross and follow Me.

The Rosary – It Is Like Carrying the Gospel in Your Hands!

Religious Life and the Rosary – The Carthusian Way

Mary is considered principal Patron of the Carthusian Order.

Over the past several months I have been doing some in-depth study into religious life and the life of the Church. Many of the devotions and customs in the Catholic faith come from religious communities of monks and nuns who devote their entire life to prayer in service of the Lord. The standard rosary was handed down from Saint Dominic and the Dominican order. The Franciscan, Servite and Brigittine orders developed other versions of the rosary. There are shorter “chaplets” that concentrate specifically on the Passion of our Lord contributed by the Camaldolese (a Benedictine order). A chaplet that has expanded beyond the beads is the Way of the Cross. This devotion is illustrated in all Catholic Churches and some Protestant denominations as the Stations of Cross and incorporates prayers, readings and meditations for each scene of the Crucifixion.

One version of the rosary fascinated me and has expanded my personal devotion to Christ and His blessed Mother. This devotion is called, ‘The Life of Christ Rosary,’ also known as the Carthusian Rosary. The Carthusian religious order is one of the strictest observing religious orders in the world. The order has remained almost the same in their religious observance for the past 900 years. The rosary that is associated with this order is attributed to Saint Dominic of Prussia (not to be confused with Saint Dominic of the Dominicans). “The primary difference between the Life of Christ Rosary and the Dominican . . . are the structure of the mysteries. The Dominican has 20 mysteries, divided into four sets of five.” The Life of Christ Rosary consists of 50 mysteries prayed along with 50 Hail Mary prayers. It is prayed on the same 5-decade rosary. Each mystery is inserted into the Hail Mary prayer. For example, the first prayer would go as follows;

“Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou among women, and blessed in the fruit of thy womb, Jesus, conceived in you by the Holy Spirit during the annunciation of the angel. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death. Amen.”

Each bead has its own mystery. Every decade is a meditation on the events of the life, passion and resurrection of our Lord.

First Decade (His birth)

Second Decade (His youth and public ministry)

Third Decade (His passion)

Fourth Decade (His crucifixion)

Fifth Decade (His resurrection)

This rosary takes longer than one might think. There are, of course, the prayers that proceed and follow the decades. This version of the rosary is like carrying the gospel in your hands.

I will go into greater detail in a future post. In the meantime, if you have any questions or comments, please feel free. I hope you all have had a happy Thanksgiving. Have a blessed Advent as we prepare to celebrate the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Ave Maria!

Praised be Jesus Christ!

Jesus and Mary, protect and save the unborn!

Reference: Frattarelli, Daniel, 2012, The Life of Christ Rosary (also known as the Carthusian Rosary). 

Addendum: The following is a link to a webpage with a list of meditations for the Life of Christ Rosary.

More Reflections on the "Our Father" Prayer: Part Two

The Lord’s Prayer “is truly the summary of the whole gospel” (CCC 2761). This quote from an early Church Father gives us a grand perspective to one of our most beloved prayers. If you were to read through and pray the psalms on a regular basis, you would notice the themes of the Old Testament coming up time and again. In the midst of those psalms is the proclamation of the gospel in the New Testament as well.

Give us this day our daily bread . . .

English is a funny language. It is no wonder so many seminarians prepare for their ministry by studying Hebrew and Greek. This simple phrase seems to repeat itself. The best way to explain this is to let the Church give the answer:

“Daily” (epiousios) occurs nowhere else in the New Testament.

Taken in a temporal sense, this word is a pedagogical repetition of “this day,” to confirm us in trust “without reservation.”

Taken in the qualitative sense, it signifies what is necessary for life, and more broadly every good thing sufficient for subsistence.

Taken literally (epi-ousios: “super-essential”), it refers directly to the Bread of Life, The Body of Christ, the “medicine of immortality,” without which we have no life within us.

Finally in this connection, its heavenly meaning is evident: “this day” is the Day of the Lord, the day of the feast of the kingdom, anticipated in the Eucharist that is already the foretaste of the kingdom to come. (CCC 2837 emphasis mine)

John’s gospel account of the multiplication of the loaves and the fish prepares us for one of the most dynamic sections in the whole New Testament. Jesus does NOT command rocks to become bread. He commands bread to multiply (John 6:1-14). Jesus asks the people, “Did you seek me because you saw the signs I did or because you ate your fill of the loaves”? (v. 26) He mentions physical food that parishes and food that endures to eternal life. There is a difference and that difference is Jesus.

Now comes the most simple, yet misunderstood passage of the New Testament. “This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he (the Father) has sent” (6:29). It sounds simple, but once again, those that asked Jesus about a sign where looking at physical manifestations. For example, they bring up their fathers in the wilderness when God gave them bread from heaven. Jesus proclaims, “For the bread of God is that which comes down from heaven, and gives life to the world” (v. 33).

Lord, give us this bread always!

This is the reply of the people who sought Jesus. Does this sound familiar? This is why the sacrament of the Eucharist is so very special. Bread is commanded to become the Body of Christ and it is by this that we truly abide in Christ.

“I am the bread of life” (v.48).

“I am the living bread which came down from heaven; if any one eats of this bread, he will live forever; and the bread which I shall give for the life of the world is my flesh.” (v. 51).

“He who eats my flesh and drinks my blood abides in me, and I in him” (v. 56ff).

As you can see, there is more to the Lord’s Prayer than meets the eye. Read the Prayer again in light of this information and you will see how indeed it is a summary of the gospel.

Ave Maria!

Praised be Jesus Christ!

Jesus and Mary, protect and save the unborn!

Coming into the Presence of God: Reflections on the Our Father Prayer - Part One

It has been a few months since I posted anything on The Rosary Board. This summer has been one of much change and hope for me personally. I have investigated a few more versions of the Rosary. Stay tuned for that. It is amazing the heritage of our Faith.

I hope your times at prayer have been fruitful. They certainly have been for me, even at times when God says nothing. There is a story of an old farmer that came to the church where St. John Vianney was. Fr. Vianney observed the farmer sitting quietly before the Tabernacle. He asked him, “What do you see?” The farmer replied, “I look at Him, and He looks at me.” 

Coming into God’s presence isn’t always easy. The more distractions life throws at us, the more we can get weighed down with the cares of this life.

Our Father Who Art in Heaven . . .

The reaction of that humble farmer is one of a lover for their beloved. Humility, which is the opposite of pride, will attract God’s full attention. It is in this state that God’s grace can have it’s full affect. We cannot be demanding our own way. The other day I was reflecting on the life of prayer and why we need to always be filled with God’s love. It is easy to get all wrapped up in “doing good," feeding the poor and doing many different things on behalf of the church and community. These are important. Yet the apostle Paul states that, “If I give away all I have, and if  I deliver my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing” (1 Cor. 13:3 RSV througout). That is why diligence is required. A relationship with Jesus Christ is more than just “accepting Him as your personal Savior.” It is abiding in Him (John 15:4). Abiding in the love of Jesus glorifies the Father (v. 8-9). Think about this the next time you say, Our Father who art in heaven . . .

Hallowed be Thy Name

Another reaction that occurs when one comes into God’s presence is unworthiness. On the lake of Gennesaret, Jesus preached from Simon Peter’s boat (Luke 5:1-3). Right after that Jesus told him to set out onto the lake and cast their nets. Simon Peter, reluctantly agreed to obey Jesus, even after explaining their previous efforts at fishing for the day (v. 4-5). They cast their nets and caught such a great amount of fish that the nets began to break. After the struggle to bring in the nets, Simon Peter’s response tells us a lot about our own condition. “Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, Lord (v. 8). Truly coming face to face with Christ causes a deep examination of conscience. Jesus knows all and sees all. He knows the heart. The apostle John had a face to face encounter with the glorified Jesus according to Revelation 1:17. The prophet Isaiah was practically reduced to a puddle on the floor when he came into God’s presence (Isa. 6:4-5). Imagine one of the seraphim at God’s throne saying, “Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of hosts” (Isa. 6:3). The reactions of Peter, John and Isaiah give a glimpse into the statement, “Hallowed (holy) be Thy Name.”

Many years later one of those angels Isaiah encountered came to a young virgin. He said to her, "Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with you (Luke 1:28). He had appeared earlier to Zechariah. The angel said that his name was Gabriel and who stands in the presence of God (v. 19). Gabriel was sent on a mission regarding the salvation of world. The grace that was in Mary is reflected in her response; "Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word" (v. 38).

Approaching Jesus in prayer may seem easy enough. But, if we have views that are contrary to the Truth, we have a problem with Christ or we do not see His holiness. When we abide in Christ and bear much fruit, we can ask God for what we really need (John 15). Pray for an increase of faith, hope and love. It is by this we ascend to God. So what remains? (Hint: 1 Cor. 13:13).

I am looking forward to sharing with you some of the new things I have learned about the Rosary this summer. I am even considering a podcast presenting these rosaries. If you have any suggestions regarding these reflections or have ideas for a podcast presentation, I would appreciate your thoughts.

Thank you

Ave Maria!

Praised Be Jesus Christ!

Jesus and Mary, Protect and Save the Unborn!