Posted on 04/11/2010 6:09:57 PM PDT by stfassisi
The first “Hail Mary” was brought from Heaven by Gabriel the Archangel, the messenger of Holy Trinity
The following text of Father Gabriel Amorth, chief exorcist of the Vatican, is taken from the March-April, 2003 issue of “Echo of Mary, Queen of Peace”:
The recent Apostolic Letter of John Paul II, "Rosarium Virginis Mariae" (released last October 16) encourages all Christians to turn back to the prayer strongly recommended both by the latest Pontiffs and recent Marian apparitions. Paul VI called the Rosary a compendium of the Gospel. To make it more complete, John Paul II added the 'mysteries of light' to cover Jesus' public life. Padre Pio called the Rosary beads a weapon of extraordinary power against Satan.
One day a colleague of mine heard the devil say during an exorcism: "Every Hail Mary is like a blow on my head. If Christians knew how powerful the Rosary was, it would be my end." The secret that makes this prayer so effective is that the Rosary is both prayer and meditation. It is addressed to the Father, to the Blessed Virgin, and to the Holy Trinity, and is a meditation centred on Christ.
Today more than ever, the world is in need of prayer and meditation. It is in need of prayer because people have forgotten God, and without God the world has put itself on the edge of a precipice. This is why in Her messages, Our Lady insists so much on prayer. Without God's help, Satan wins. The world is also in need of meditation because if the great Christian truths are forgotten, souls become void. This void is grabbed up by the enemy, and he fills it with his lies. And today we see the results with widespread belief in superstition and occultism.
The most obvious danger for our society today is the downfall of the family. The rhythm of today's world has broken the family unity. Little time is spent together, and even when the family is together, its members don't speak because the television speaks. Where are the families which recite the Rosary together in the evenings? Pope Pius XII insisted in his own time: “If you pray the Rosary together, you will experience peace in your families; you will get on together.” “The family that prays together, stays together,” would say Father Peyton, the untiring apostle of the family Rosary. “Satan wants war,” Mary said one day in Medjugorje. Well, the Rosary is the weapon which is able to guarantee peace for the world, because it is a prayer and a form of meditation able to transform hearts and defeat the enemy.
Protected by the Rosary
The following inspiring episode from World War II, written by Sr. Mary Sheila O'Neil and reported in the October-December, 1979 issue of Garabandal Magazine (P.O. Box 606 Lindenhurst, New York 11757 USA) also illustrates the power of the Rosary:
It was a busy day in March. As a teacher-principal in the 1950's, I had to make sure that each day provided the time for the two separate roles. On that March fourth, an incident between a teacher and a parent had kept me out of my class for almost an hour that morning, so for the rest of the day, I was desperately trying to make up class time. Hence, the knock on my door at 2:00 p.m. was not welcome.
With relief, I found it was only a salesman who needed my signature and even produced his pen. As he did so, his Rosary had caught onto the pen's clip and came out as well. I signed as I said indifferently, "So, you are a Catholic." "Oh no," he said, "but a lot of us owe our lives to Our Lady, and I promised Her I would always keep my Rosary with me and say it every day."
Twenty minutes later, I was still at the door listening, fascinated, to the account of one of the wonderful experiences a group of airmen had had with Our Lady. My visitor hesitated to start, for he had noticed my "non welcome" opening of the door. But eager now to hear his story, I assured him that the class was doing an exercise, and I begged him to proceed. He continued:
It was May, 1940, and we had joined the Air Force in late September. At Halifax, we were given an intensive training course, because they needed us overseas, and to us young lads, the whole program was exciting.
We were grouped into squadrons, each of which consisted of six to ten planes, and each was trained to maneuver as a unit. Therefore about thirty to fifty men made up a squadron, along with the squadron leader who gave all the orders and kept the group functioning in unity.
In May, our squadron was told we were going overseas and would be in action at once. We would work on nightly missions over enemy territory until the war was over. We were waiting for our new squadron leader, due to arrive in two days on a 9:00 p.m. air-force flight. Being an officer, he would, we thought, go at once to the officers' quarters.
We watched the plane, glimpsed him from the distance, and resigned ourselves to waiting until the next day to "size him up." A couple of hours later, this squadron leader, Stan Fulton, in full uniform, entered our bunk house.
“Well men, we're going to spend some dangerous hours together, but let's hope we all meet back here when it's over. Ah, there's a free bunk and I am tired! I'll meet each of you tomorrow.”
With that, he threw his bag on an upper bunk. Our squadron leader, an officer, sleeping here with us! We liked him at once and our liking and our admiration grew each day.
That first night he knelt on the floor and prayed his Rosary in silence. Astounded, we were struck dumb. When he finished, he looked at us with his friendly smile and said, “I hope you guys don't mind a fellow saying some prayers because where we're going, we're going to need them.”
The next day our maneuver practice, under his command, assured us that Fulton was not just our military leader, but our friend. He was one of us; he never tried to intimidate us with his rank.
That night, he repeated his prayer session. Although our group had trained together for six months at least, I had never seen anyone kneel in prayer, and had no idea that any of our group was Catholic; but the third night three of our companions joined Fulton in saying the Rosary. The rest of us did not understand but we kept a respectful silence.
A few nights later — we were quick learners — we all answered the Hail Marys and Our Fathers. Fulton looked pleased, and thus we ended each day in prayer.
On June 1, 1940, we were to leave Halifax to begin a series of night raids from England over Germany. The evening before, Fulton gave each of us a Rosary.
“We shall be in some tight situations, but then, if you agree, we'll say the Rosary. If you will promise to keep the Rosary with you always throughout your life and to say it, I can promise you that Our Lady will bring you all back safe to Canada.”
We answered, “Sure thing.” Little did we dream we would be in action for four years, many times in dreadful danger with fire all around us. At such times, Fulton's voice would ring through each plane, “Hail Mary...” How reverently and sincerely did we respond! How many hundreds of Rosaries we must have said.
After two years, it was noted that ours was the only squadron that had not lost a plane nor a single life. We said nothing, but we knew.
Finally, the terrible war was over. During those years, we lost all sense of excitement and adventure. All that concerned us was survival! We did survive, too. All returned to Canada in 1945, fully convinced that Our Lady had taken care of us.
So I never forget to keep my Rosary with me and say it every day although I am not a Catholic. When I change my trousers, the first thing I transfer, even before my wallet, is my rosary.
How was that "passive"? At any time, at any point during the crudifixion, He had the power as God's only begotten Son to halt the proceedings. Prior to His death, He made an ACT of submission to the will of His Father: "Nevertheless, not my will but Thine be done." Have you NEVER read the GOSPELS? Tinpot theology thinks Christ was passive. Never, at any time, was He passive. He CHOSE to endure to the end, for our sake, and He chose it throughout His ordeal.
His "flock" was the world. Have you never read the GOSPELS? John 3-16-17: For God so loved the WORLD, that He gave His only begotten Son, that WHOSOEVER believeth on Him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not His Son into the WORLD to condemn the WORLD, but that the WORLD through Him might be saved.
The word, "world" is capitalized as a teaching tool, so that anybody who thinks Christ's "flock" was a few Jews could see by His own words that it was THE WORLD.
The infant Jesus did not save us by His merciful sacrifice on the cross. The man, Jesus Christ, the only "shepherd and bishop of our souls," gave up His life for His sheep.
The RCC infantisizes Jesus Christ in order to elevate His mother to an unseemly, idolatrous position above even God, as if Mary rules the world. Repent.
No, He didn't say that. He said, "Whoever does the will of My Father which is in Heaven is My Mother, My brother, and my sisters." You cannot use that Gospel scripture to make YOURSELF the equal of Mary. Because no other human woman is.
DOES THE WILL OF MY FATHER. Haven't you read the GOSPELS recently? Or have you been re-writing them?
However, if Christ saved every person in the world, then every person in the world will be in heaven. And I think we both doubt that one.
And all mine are thine, and thine are mine; and I am glorified in them... Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word" -- John 17:9-10;20"I pray for them: I pray not for the world, but for them which thou hast given me; for they are thine.
The word, for those too ignorant to know better, is “INFANTILIZE.” Means to reduce to an infantile state or condition.
Sheesh!
Wow. Read the Bible, J.A. All those who are His "do the will of my Father," by the free gift of the indwelling Holy Spirit.
Every believer in Jesus Christ is "the equal of Mary." That includes you, whether you know that fact or not.
Why thank you, J.A. You ARE good for something.
For all I know, Christ can do ANYTHING, being God. Even save Hitler, Pol Pot, Mao, Stalin, and the presbyterians.
No, I am not the equal of Mary. If Christ had meant what you said, Christ would have said what you said. He did not. He did not say “the equal” either. That’s a fantasy wish, that will never come true for those of us who did not bear the Savior in our wombs. That does not bother me. I am His. He is my Savior.
It's not that difficult to understand. His mother and His brothers are not flesh and blood; they are believers. Period. Rejoice in that fact rather than looking to another creature to elevate above Christ.
Mary saves no one. Mary was saved, just like you and me, in exactly the same way.
On that point, we agree. God works in mysterious ways. And only God knows the heart.
Where do you get that His Mother was not flesh and blood?
Rejoice in that fact rather than looking to another creature to elevate above Christ.
That is flat out offensive. Please point me to ANY post of mine that elevates ANYONE above Christ. Please point to ANY Catholic post that elevates ANYONE above Christ.
I won't hold my breath, because it's impossible. To imply that it is, or that I or any Catholic has done that, is a sin, because it bears false witness. Is this an example of typical presbyterian teaching?
Idolatry.
Oh, really? You know His mind? Amazing. Or did the HS tell you that, personally? Please. I certainly don't take any presbyterian's word for what is in Christ's mind when He speaks.
Nope, not idolatry. Reverence. Honesty. Humility. Love. I know who Christ’s Mother is. It isn’t any presbyterian.
Please point out where I or any other Catholic FReeper has said otherwise.
Read your Bible, J.A.
"For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ." -- 1 Corinthians 2:16
Idolatry.
Anti-Scriptural, illogical and just plain nutty.
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