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.
So there are some icons that are like pictograms? I'm not up on my history of icons. Didn't know to destroy one was made a heresy. If they helped teach the Bible, great.
The Greeks have some magnificent resources in the records of iconography. This is the web page of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America which lists their collection of icons by topic. When you look at them, notice that they tend to have Greek letters on them, which tell the greater story beyond the figures. They are not usually words, to my understanding, but they do tell a greater story (for instance icons of Christ will usually have the Greek letters alpha and omega or the chi and rho). This is why they are considered to be ‘written’.
http://www.goarch.org/resources/clipart
Yes, icons taught Christianity to generations of illiterate Christians and are a part of our history. The iconoclasts of the 700s and 800s destroyed thousands of them. Early Christianity is not what many Evangelical romantics believe. The Greeks are the closest and have a greater understanding. The Latins moved further away both from a logistical and distance point of view, but also a legal and philosophical point of view. The Orthodox balance the Latins and together they keep the Church on an even keel. Or as even a keel as it is ever on. :)
I will ask my friend Kosta if he has anything that he would like to add to this; I am a neophyte in iconology.
Mark, You’re going to love this site,I use it often
Icons Explained is a Guide to Byzantine Icons
http://www.iconsexplained.com/
Hey Guy thats not a doctrine thats a so called account of someones story. Please it has nothing to do with doctrine. It is someones account it does not have to be true just like any other account. Doctrine is something they vote on. they would never touch that.
Good points.
Thx.
Some churches do not even have crosses or pictures of lambs, adhering to a spiritual rather than a visual adoration. I go along with them.
I am not totally critical of the others, but I wouldn’t put creating icons or looking at them in church at the same level as contemplating His truth. Nowhere near it.
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INDEED!
While I am not anti-Catholic, believing rather that denominational labels serve to detract from this kind of discussion, I think you are resorting to crying “Ad hominem!” or “Victim!” rather than dealing with the issue. How could anyone in his right mind hate Jesus’ mother?
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CONGRATULATIONS ON YOUR EXCELLENT
—DISCERNMENT,
—PERCEPTIVENESS,
—REALITY TESTING!
The rosary is not just a mnemonic device, it is a mnemonic device for mindlessly repeating something—in effect, washing the brain of all other thoughts. I admit that it has its tranquilizing effect. But we should not equate it with reading God’s Word, which allows for pause and meditation and prayer for deeper understanding, before we go on to the next, completely different sentence.
“How beautifully difficult, and therefore true.” Advice one might keep in mind when reading Matthew, particularly. It’s difficult sometimes; it’s work. You need to contribute something of yourself to it. Just repeating verses from Matthew will not make you a holier person either.
You are aware, I’m guessing, that criticism of anything Catholic can be summarily dismissed if you say someone is just criticizing because it’s Catholic. That defense is similar to crying “Ad hominem!” when there is none, when one has made a point that needs accepting or refuting.
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EXCELLENT BIBLICAL TRUTHS in your assertions. Thx.
I don’t think pictures of human beings are that wrong, although I understand the prohibition against graven images. But Luke with a paintbrush? Or equating the Word of God with icons? Can’t buy it.
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Nor can I, by a several galactic clusters distance worth.
Thx for your astute observation.
INDEED:
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“Possibly, but my concern is that there not be more things in my philosophy than are in heaven and Earth.”
—W.V.O. Quine, answering someone who quoted the famous line of Hamlet.
One needs to keep this brilliant quotation in mind when dealing with too much embroidery of a very simple idea, as in the Catholic Church, Islam, and Kaballah (did I leave anyone out?).
I would not persume to know more than God The Father....He entrusted Jesus ...divine and human nature....to us, His children through this woman...(Mary is her name) to the world. I’ll take her. She can pray for me all she wants. I need all the help I can get.
When someone prays the rosary they know each scripture the decade is refering to. That way meditating on scripture and praying at the same time. The Holy Spirit imparts into the mind and spirit of the one praying an infusion of Himself helping the one praying to grow in holiness and a greater increase of grace and faith. The prayers of the rosary, since it is scriptural, leads to a deeper knowledge of Jesus. The one who prays has a greater desire to know God, to love God and to serve God. Mary leads us to Jesus through the rosary. She doesn’t call attention to herself...she always leads to her son Jesus.
OUCH TO THE MAX! and deeply.
God have mercy.
I hope you have a relationship with God in spite of all that.
INDEED.
Mary—the authentic Mary vs the Roman Catholic et al caricature—
Mary herself, if she knows of such, must be horrified at what’s created and done in her name.
Well put.
What you were taught for your First Communion isn't complete. Perhaps your lack of knowledge explains your leaving the Church.
Adult Catholics have an obligation to continue their catechism. Medieval piety in the West developed the prayer of the rosary as a popular substitute for the Liturgy of the Hours. In the East, the litany called the Akathistos and the Paraclesis remained closer to the choral office in the Byzantine churches, while the Armenian, Coptic, and Syriac traditions preferred popular hymns and songs to the Mother of God. But in the Ave Maria, the theotokia, the hymns of St. Ephrem or St. Gregory of Narek, the tradition of prayer is basically the same.
Please also note that the rosary guides meditative prayer. This type or prayer engages thought, imagination, emotion, and desire. This mobilization of faculties is necessary in order to deepen our convictions of faith, prompt the conversion of our heart, and strengthen our will to follow Christ. Christian prayer tries above all to meditate on the mysteries of Christ, as in lectio divina or the rosary. This form of prayerful reflection is of great value, but Christian prayer should go further: to the knowledge of the love of the Lord Jesus, to union with him.
The praying of the Rosary is traditionally dedicated to one of three sets of "Mysteries" to be said in sequence, one per day: the Joyful (sometimes Joyous) Mysteries; the Sorrowful Mysteries; and the Glorious Mysteries. Each of these three sets of Mysteries has within it five different themes to be meditated on, one for each decade of ten Hail Marys. In addition to meditating upon the events of the mysteries, many people associate certain virtues, or fruits, with each mystery. These correspond to moments in the life, passion, and death of Jesus and Mary's participation in them chronologically.
I understand and mostly agree . . . however, the implication in sharing the story is that it backs up the doctrines related to Mary.
While I believe it does NOT back the Marian heresies up at all.
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