Priests for Life

Recently we had the pleasure of speaking with Fr. Pavone, National Director of Priests for Life, about the Children's Rosary.  He spent a great deal of time speaking with Asher, one of the members of the Children's Rosary.  Fr. Pavone was very excited to hear of the many Children's Rosary prayer groups that now exist across the globe and wanted to share this message.

"Children praying the Rosary give great encouragement to the Pro-life Movement!  They are closer in age to the children we are are all trying to protect, and they remind us of their preciousness. Therefore I encourage all to participate in the Children's Rosary Prayer Group Movement!" -Fr. Frank Pavone

One of the prayer intentions that each Children's Rosary group lifts up during their prayers is for the protection of the unborn.  It is very important for our children to pray for these little ones and by their presence celebrate life.

Early in the day we had several opportunities to speak with Fr. Pavone and he truly showed such kindness and humor with little Asher who very much enjoyed speaking to Fr. Pavone on various topics.

Candid moments with Fr. Pavone

Wonderful Discussion

Fr. Pavone was so kind as to offer to pray over Asher and I before parting. As some of you many have read Asher's health took a down turn later in the day with a terrible stomach flu.  These blessings we received certainly helped us on our return bus trip. 

For more information about forming a Children's Rosary group in your parish click here.

Day of Prayer for the Legal Protection of Unborn Children

Tuesday January 22nd is the 40th anniversary of Roe v. Wade. The Catholic Church has named this a Day of Prayer for the Legal Protection of Unborn Children.  The Children's Rosary has offered the 8AM Mass at St. Thomas the Apostle Church in West Hartford, CT USA for the Protection of the Unborn.  We also invite you to say a Rosary tomorrow for the Unborn.  May Our Lady bless you abundantly for your prayers and efforts to protect the most vulnerable of her children. Amen.

God Bless!

"Oh God, whose providence never fails in its designs"

The Lord has been especially generous this past week.  There have been moments of disappointment which have initially made my heart sink.  They have felt like a spiritual blow.  However,  through the outpouring of graces I have been able to catch my breath for a moment and accept the blow and tell Our Lord I love Him.  Through this process He has been showing me things.

I once heard a story told that there was a man with a horse.  The horse ran away and the villagers said to the man, Oh we are sorry now you have to do all the work yourself.  The man replied, could be good or could be bad.  The horse returned with other horses and the other villagers were able to each have one.  The man replied could be good or could be bad.  His son was thrown from the horse and broke his leg.  Again the man replied this could be good or it could be bad.  A group of soldiers went through the village recruiting men but passed over his home and left his son because of his broken leg.

I heard this story a few years ago and have thought of it often.  There is much wisdom in this story.  What initially seems like a disappointment may actually be the Lord protecting us or realigning our path to Him.  Our Church has sustained significant flood damage over the past two weeks.  Our chapel where we have daily Mass and the children's rosary was flooded.  Our pastor was extremely distraught over the flood and many other problems that happened in quick succession: our elevator breaking as well as our air conditioning.  However something beautiful unfolded through this event.  A group of women meet each Wednesday at 3PM to pray the Chaplet of Divine Mercy and the Rosary for the unborn.  Several of the women who meet are members of our children's rosary group.  This past Wednesday they met but could not pray in the chapel.  Therefore they moved outside to pray in a little spot that someone had created with a statue of Mary and two benches.  Just after starting the Chaplet a car pulled up and a women and a girl got out.  They asked to join the groups prayers.  The mother asked what they were praying for and found out it was for the Unborn.  The mother and her daughter became emotional and shared that her daughter was pregnant.  They were considering an abortion but were also considering keeping the child.  The mom shared that she had a feeling that they needed to go to the Church that afternoon.  When they approached the Church they discovered the group praying outside.  If the group had been praying in the Chapel the mother may never have found them as she probably would have gone to the main upper Church to say a few prayers. The afternoon was an emotional one for all present and together they all prayed the Chaplet and the Holy Rosary.  Many connections were made that afternoon and the mother and daughter were surrounded by love and support.  How wonderful is Our Lord that we must trust Him in all occasions.  If we consecrate each day to Him then we have only to trust in His providence which never fails in its design.

Pope John Paul II

Pope John Paul’s birthday was May 18th and I began to reflect on some of his writings.  I began to think back to World Youth Day 1993.  I was 17 years old and had traveled from Boston to Denver to join young people from around the world.

As many years have passed since this trip I wanted to again hear the words of Pope John Paul II to us on the Feast of the Assumption of Mary.  I re-read the homily he gave that day and a phrase took hold of me “Woe to you if you do not succeed in defending life”. John Paul goes on to say, “The Church needs your energies, your enthusiasm, your youthful ideals, in order to make the Gospel of life penetrate the fabric of society, transforming people's hearts and the structures of society in order to create a civilization of true justice and love. Now more than ever, in a world that is often without light and without the courage of noble ideals, people need the fresh, vital spirituality of the Gospel”.

JPII rosaries in hand landing at World Youth Day 1993

“Do not be afraid to go out on the streets and into public places, like the first Apostles who preached Christ and the Good News of salvation in the squares of cities, towns and villages. This is no time to be ashamed of the Gospel, (cf. Rom 1: 16). It is the time to preach it from the rooftops (cf. Mt 10:27). Do not be afraid to break out of comfortable and routine modes of living, in order to take up the challenge of making Christ known in the modem "metropolis". It is you who must "go out into the byroads" (Mt 22:9) and invite everyone you meet to the banquet which God has prepared for his people. The Gospel must not be kept hidden because of fear or indifference. It was never meant to be hidden away in private. It has to be put on a stand so that people may see its fight and give praise to our heavenly Father” (cf. Mt 5:15-16).

In many ways I have felt the intercession of Bl. John Paul II in the work of the children’s rosary.  I have called upon his help reminding him I was one of the young people he commissioned.  As a legacy of his papacy I want to draw attention to his call to young people.  Pope John Paul repeats the words of the great Apostle Paul, "Woe to me if I do not evangelize" (1 Cor 9:16).  It is my prayer that the Holy Spirit will take hold of each one of us and in a special way all the members of the Children’s Rosary and give us the courage and strength to evangelize.  Let it be the Spirit of Truth which speaks through us.   By bringing back prayer to our families may we  truly hear to the core of our being the Words, "I came that they might have life, and have it abundantly" (Jn 10:10) As the Vicar of Christ on earth Pope John Paul speaks strong words “Woe to you if you do not succeed in defending life”.  Through the children’s rosary Our Lady comes to us as a mother who cares for all of her children and she does not want to see any of us lost.  With her gentle hand on our shoulder may we heed the words of Bl John Paul and assume our role as protector of life and evangelist of the Gospel. Amen.

Prayer of Pope John Paul II

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