A Journey to Bring the Baby Jesus to the Children

On the evening of the Feast of the Holy Family, Tran set out on bicycle to bring the baby Jesus to the children in Suoi Sao orphanage. The distance was far but he wanted to bring the Baby Jesus to them. He knew they would be gathering soon for their Children's Rosary at 7PM local time as they do each evening. 

It was already dark and much of the road was rough and bumpy.  The children did not know Tran was coming. But they had many lights set up to decorate their orphanage for Christmas.  To their surprise Tran arrived with the baby Jesus. 

The Baby had made the trip safely placed in hay in a basket.  Quickly candles were set up to lead to the place where they laid Him. 

The children took turns coming to tuck their intentions on slips of paper under the Baby Jesus. 

They knelt in prayer of the Rosary as they do each night in their Children's Rosary prayer group. Though tonight was special. They were all gathered around Our Lord. There was a special icon of the Holy Family near them.  In the dark they prayed. The children brought roses to place before the Baby Jesus. 

Then each received several prayer cards as gifts. These had been sent in the box carrying the Baby Jesus. None knew that Our Lord had arrived with considerable damage.  All had been healed and put back together. Tran's grandmother was very kind to take a piece of cloth and sew a little outfit for the Baby Jesus that concealed all the cracks from when he lay in pieces.  Indeed to the children He was perfect. They took turns kissing him as he lay on his bed of hay. 

Some of the girls scooped him up and held Him...smiling as you see this little one doing. 

What joy must be in the heart of Our Lord to see such innocent little children tenderly caring for him. Treasuring the special time on the beautiful Feast of the Holy Family.  These children have no parents they are orphans.  Tran shares that for these children Our Blessed Mother is the mother they do not have now. So for them She is so very important to them. Their love is growing always stronger as they continue to pray.  Tran wishes the children could have parents here but through prayer they find love.

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A Gift to Our Lord Jesus

Today at Mass the Gospel was read in which it is described how one of Jesus' friends, Judas Iscariot, was paid thirty pieces of silver to betray Jesus. We know that this was an extremely painful betrayal as Jesus' says to Judas: "What you are going to do, do quickly."  (John 13:27)  Just before Jesus utters these words we are told satan entered Judas. As we move forward toward Holy Thursday I would like to humbly ask that we consider standing in the face of this evil.  May we consider saying a rosary in expiation for one of the silver pieces that was used to betray Our Lord.  May each rosary float to Heaven and act as a healing suave on the wounds inflicted on Our Lord's heart as a result of such a personal betrayal by a friend?  May this concrete act, be a way of showing our deep love and friendship toward Our Lord who will in two days lay down His life for us.  

It is so beautiful that we have a Children’s Rosary group meeting tonight at 7PM EST at St. John the Evangelist Church in Hopkinton, MA.  It is so fitting that the Church they will be meeting in is named after the Apostle so loved by Our Lord and such a consolation to Him.  May we all be that dear friend to Our Lord who does not leave His side?  

It is my hope that we may have at least 30 rosaries said today as a gift to Our Lord who suffered such betrayal for the sum of thirty silver pieces.

Thank you all!

So far we have 38 rosaries which have already been said today as a gift to Our Lord.

A New Meaning to Suffering

"By His passion and death on the cross Christ has given a new meaning to suffering: it can henceforth configure us to Him and unite us with His redemptive Passion."(Catechism of the Catholic Church 1505)

The Catholic Church teaches us in our Catechism that:

The cross is the unique sacrifice of Christ, the "one mediator between God and men". But because in His incarnate Divine Person He has in some way united Himself to every man, "the possibility of being made partners, in a way known to God, in the paschal mystery" is offered to all men. He calls his disciples to "take up [their] cross and follow [him]", for "Christ also suffered for [us], leaving [us] an example so that [we] should follow in his steps." In fact Jesus desires to associate with His redeeming sacrifice those who were to be its first beneficiaries. This is achieved supremely in the case of his mother, who was associated more intimately than any other person in the mystery of his redemptive suffering. (Catechism 618)

May we never forget the depths of Our Lord Jesus' love that brought Him to the cross for our salvation.  In contemplation of that sacrifice may we unify even our smallest suffering to that of Our Lord's suffering on the Cross for the benefit of souls. Amen 

What Am I Doing for Jesus?

This was the question that the priest celebrating the Saturday vigil Mass yesterday kept asking during his homily.  As yesterday was the 12th day of Christmas and Epiphany is celebrated today our thoughts are on the 3 Magi. After a long journey they found themselves before the crib of the baby Jesus.  They knelt before Him and presented Him with their greatest treasures.

As Christians, we are all on a journey to find Jesus.  The Magi had a star to guide them but we have something greater.  Jesus gave us his Mother to guide us to Him.  She points us on the surest and straightest path to her Son and when we reach Him she has us ready with arms full of gifts.  What gifts has she prepared us to give on the 12th day of Christmas, the day of the 3 Magi?  She has us bringing our most precious treasures to the Lord: our children.  What gifts do our children hold before the crib of Jesus? They hold arms full of prayers..prayers of the Holy Rosary.  Through the prayers of the joyful mysteries of the rosary we are brought to contemplate the wonder and majesty of the birth of Our Lord in Bethlehem.  A contemplation which brings with it a fruit of desiring things from above and not things of this world often referred to as poverty of spirit. The Children's Rosary had three groups meeting yesterday with many members joining them in prayer from their homes across the globe.  These three groups knelt just as the three Magi did over two thousand years ago.  

Hands full of prayers
 at the Children's Rosary yesterday

Holy Communion is My Bread and the Rosary is My Dessert

"Holy Communion is My Bread and the Rosary is My Dessert"- Bl. Dina Belanger

Today, Sept 4th, is the Feast of Bl. Dina Belanger.  She was a nun, virgin and mystic who lived from 1897-1929.  She was born in Quebec, Canada and later moved to New York.  She died at the age of 33 from tuberculosis.  During her short life she was blessed with many graces including an invisible stigmata and frequent communication with Our Lord Jesus.  Like Saint Faustina, Bl Dina Belanger was a privaledged soul who received messages of Mercy from Our Lord.

Bl. Dina wrote of God’s great mercy: “Infinite Mercy is exercised on our behalf in the measure that it finds us miserable and unworthy.”

She heard Our Lord Say, in the sufferings of His Agonizing Heart:

'Very few souls wish to sympathize with Me in My Agony.'

'Very few souls, even consecrated souls, know how to sympathize with the Agony of My Heart'.

'I confide precious secrets to souls who are willing to console Me in My Agony.'

'If religious souls only knew! But alas, they do not know! Some do not know because they are afraid to know. They are afraid of being obliged to give up some of their attachments....I do not call all consecrated souls to compassionate My Agony sensibly and in a special manner. I grant this favor to certain souls that I Myself choose. But I call all consecrated souls to console My Heart by obedience, regularity, perfect observance of the Rule, and care to perform every action perfectly through pure love of Me.'

The devil tempted Dina to not make her perpetual vows, as she began to focus on her flaws.  She began to think she would not make a good religious.  She even began to lose confidence in God's Mercy.  However, Our Lord said to her, 'Do not look at yourself. Have confidence in My Mercy. It is precisely because you are weak and wretched that I have chosen you.'

Tonight these last word's of Jesus to Bl. Dina Belanger are just the encouragement I need.  I feel that the Lord must be very dissappointed with me.  I wonder how the Lord could ever use me as His instrument.  I pray for the Lord's patience with me and then lose patience with my family.  Yet hearing Jesus' instruction "have confidence in My Mercy"  and Bl. Dina's word's “Infinite Mercy is exercised on our behalf in the measure that it finds us miserable and unworthy.”  Who then am I to doubt the depth of Jesus' Mercy.  If I trust in His Mercy completely no matter how wretched and sinful I am then the Lord can still use me. 

As I have repeated in the Praises of Divine Mercy: 

Divine Mercy, only hope of despairing souls

Divine Mercy, lifting us out of every misery

Divine Mercy, embracing all the works of His hands.

On this Feast of Bl. Dina Belanger, let us all be reminded of Jesus' Divine Mercy.  Even when we fall frequently and feel small and dissappointing to Him this is when we can take an opportunity to show Him our trust,  complete trust in His greatest Attribute: Divine Mercy.

Dina Belanger was beatified on March 20th 1993 by Pope John Paul II.

“Fear is Useless, What is Needed is Faith”

“Fear is useless, what is needed is faith”(Mark 5:26)

The priest said these words today before the sign of peace.  They seemed to so perfectly summarize the gospel from today.  The gospel is one of my favorites:

Jesus left that place and went off to the territory near the cities of Tyre and Sidon. A Canaanite woman who lived in that region came to him. Son of David! she cried out. Have mercy on me, sir! My daughter has a demon and is in a terrible condition. But Jesus did not say a word to her. His disciples came to him and begged him,
Send her away! She is following us and making all this noise! Then Jesus replied, I have been sent only to the lost sheep of the people of Israel. At this the woman came and fell at his feet. Help me, sir! she said. Jesus answered, It isn’t right to take the children’s food and throw it to the dogs. That’s true, sir, she answered, but even the dogs eat the leftovers that fall from their masters’ table. So Jesus answered her, You are a woman of great faith! What you want will be done for you. And at that very moment her daughter was healed. (Matthew 15:21-28)

This beautiful testament of the importance of Faith made me think of the first Glorious Mystery of the Rosary: The Resurrection.  The fruit of this mystery is Faith.  It is the greatest fruit one can receive from the Rosary.  I had read that the second most important fruit is grace of a happy death which is associated with the fourth Glorious Mystery: the Assumption of Mary.  It seemed perfect timing to be reflecting on the Holy Rosary as today is the Feast of St. Dominic.  Our Lady is said to have appeared to Dominic around 1206 and revealed to him the devotion of the Holy Rosary.  Our Blessed Mother told him: "Preach the Rosary, which is a shield against the shafts of the enemy, the rampart of the Church of God, and the Book of Life. Exhort everyone to be devout to the Rosary, and thou shalt produce wonderful fruit in souls." 

The Harvest is Abundant

The Compassion of Jesus

As they were going out, a demoniac who could not speak was brought to him,and when the demon was driven out the mute person spoke. The crowds were amazed and said, "Nothing like this has ever been seen in Israel." But the Pharisees said, "He drives out demons by the prince of demons." Jesus went around to all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom, and curing every disease and illness. At the sight of the crowds, his heart was moved with pity for them because they were troubled and abandoned, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, "The harvest is abundant but the laborers are few; so ask the master of the harvest to send out laborers for his harvest."(Matthew 9:32-38)

The last few days I have been marveling at the multitude of ways that the Lord makes Himself known. Through prayer it is as if shades were drawn from my eyes and now I see so much more hope and beauty. I hear those glum and down trodden speaking about politics and life in general but these words seem to roll off. Instead I see the Lord bringing people together within the Children’s Rosary.  Members offering to pray or to help purchase Bibles that will be given to families they may never meet.  Through our many novenas, that now have reached over 300, we have asked Jesus to be His extended hands and those of His Mother.  More and more people have begun praying.  As the laborers increase the Lord shows us more of the harvest He has waiting for us.  It is so beautiful to see what the Lord has in store for us, we have only to ask through prayer.  If you are reading this on the other side of the world you may wonder why should I join together with people on the other side of the world.  How will my prayers change what is happening in my family or town.  It is amazing to see the Lord use our prayers and reach to areas of the world I have never heard of before.  Caitlin who moved to the San Juan Islands off the Coast of Washington has been continually saying our novena to new saints each 9 days.  She continues praying the 15 decades of the Rosary every day.    She does not know where the Lord is taking her but she is secure that the Lord is directing her.  Just last week she began efforts to start a Children’s Rosary on San Juan Island among people she only just met this summer. 

The Priest said in Mass today “do not waste time on the things that do not matter”. On a small piece of paper which I keep in my prayer book I had written from another Mass a few months ago “you are not wasting your time when you do something for God”.   Can we start today? Can we all begin with prayer and if prayer is already part of your life then add something more for Jesus and listen for His direction.  If you ask the Lord in your heart to join our Children’s Rosary then all the prayers said by hundreds of others will include you.  With so many laborers we can begin to harvest the vast fruits Our Loving Lord has stored for us.  

join in the prayers of the children's rosary

God Will Not Be Outdone In Generosity

Jesus The Good Shepherd

Today after Mass and the Rosary I had a lovely conversation with two friends.  Sean shared a story with us.  Recently he was at a Mass where a missionary priest was asking for donations.  Sean recalled that he had two single dollar bills and a 10 dollar bill.  He thought that the singles were too little and opted to give the ten.

Earlier he was speaking with his daughter and asked her to check the prices of wheel barrels as he was in need of one.  On Sean's walk home he decided to take a slightly different path home and went down a street he rarely ever walks on.  He came upon a pile of discarded items by the side of the road.  He is legally blind but can still make out some shapes sometimes.  He walked right into the pile and two sticks were outstretched that went exactly into his hands.  It was the arms of a wheel barrel.  He brought it home to find it was barely used and in perfect condition.  Sean said he remembered the words he had heard many years earlier "God will not be outdone in generosity" and chuckled to see the Lord reminding him of this beautiful truth.

Take, O take me as I am.

"Take, O take me as I am".

Hearing this song sung going up to communion was such a consolation.  Each day brings with it a new chance to decide for God.  However, due to the weakness of my spirit I frequently find myself being less than I could or should be.  I become tired and become impatient with my children.  I  have a tendency to control too many things with my mother.  When I take off the cloak of Jesus and let my flesh act for itself I become disappointed with myself.   As communion approached I came before Jesus asking for His Divine medicine for my weakness and lack of love.  Hearing the song take me as I am seemed so fitting.  The next line of the song follows with “Summon out what I shall be.  Set your seal upon my heart and live in me”.  

As St. Catherine of Siena said, “knowledge of ourselves gives birth to profound humilty”. Apart from Jesus’ strength we would all be lost.  But for His sacrifice we have life.  As I see all the inadequacies I possess as a mother, wife and daughter I call upon Jesus to make up for those deficiencies.  Despite how small and unworthy I feel the one thing I will not do is turn away from the Lord.  He may be disappointed with me but if I convert my heart anew then with His grace I may achieve “what I shall be”.
The Gospel at Mass today also speaks of renouncing oneself and choosing to be the person God would have us be:

Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit.He who loves his life loses it, and he who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life.If any one serves me, he must follow me; and where I am, there shall my servant be also; if any one serves me, the Father will honor him. (John 12: 24-26)

St. Catherine of Sienna said it wonderfully, and Pope John Paul repeated those words in his homily at World Youth Day 2000, "if you are what you should be you will set the whole world on fire". 

This was the only link I could find of the song "Take, O take me as I am".  For those of you not familiar with it. Enjoy!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A6cHJolh5wY