The Catholic Defender: Pray The Rosary, Heaven's Peace Plan For The World
On May 13, 2017, Pope Francis Canonized the two younger children of Fatima, Francisco Marto and his sister Jacinta declaring them saints.
The young boy pictured with Pope Francis, 10 year old Lucas Batista Maeda de Mourao of Brazil, received a miraculous healing through the intercession of now St Francisco and Jacinta. According to Gerard O'Connell, writing for "America, The Jesuit Review", he writes, "Four years ago, he fell from the window of his grandfather’s home and suffered such serious brain damage. As his distraught father picked him up off the sidewalk to take him to the hospital, he invoked the intercession of Our Lady, Francisco, and Jacinta. That same night he and a local community of Carmelite nuns prayed to the two young seers to intercede with God to cure the boy. Some days later, to the amazement of the doctors, the young boy got up and walked home completely cured. Last February, the Vatican’s Congregation for the Causes of Saints concluded unanimously that his cure could not be scientifically explained. Francis recognized his cure as the miracle that opened the door to their canonization. The pope embraced and kissed Lucas tenderly when he brought up the offertory gifts."
Hebrews 12:1 states, "Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus the pioneer and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God."
Think about that for a moment? What do you think the Saints in Heaven are doing? Revelation 8:3-4 states, "And another angel came and stood at the altar with a golden censer; and he was given much incense to mingle with the prayers of all the saints upon the golden altar before the throne; and the smoke of the incense rose with the prayers of the saints from the hand of the angel before God."
When the priest is using incense up and around the sanctuary, he is uniting our Altar with that in the third Heaven (2 Corinthians 12:3) combining the prayers of those in Heaven (Revelation 5:8) with the incense.
With the Popes trip to Fatima, I am reminded of what Our Lady said about the Rosary:
† Pray the Rosary every day, in order to obtain peace for the world, and the end of the war. …May 13, 1917 † I wish you to come here on the 13th of next month, to pray the Rosary each day. …June 13, 1917 † I want you to come here on the 13th of next month, and to continue praying the Rosary every day in honor of Our Lady of the Rosary, in order to obtain peace for the world and the end of the war, because only She can help you. …July 13, 1917 † I want you to continue praying the Rosary every day. …August 19, 1917 † Continue to say the Rosary to obtain the end of the war. …September 13, 1917 † I am Our Lady of the Rosary. Continue to say the Rosary every day. …October 13, 1917
It is so easy to allow ourselves to ease off and let someone else to do it. We all have slacked off needing to be motivated to pray. Consider the following Novena:
The Miraculous 54-Day Rosary Novena
On March 3, 1884, Our Lady of Pompeii appeared before the gravely ill daughter of an Italian military officer and, through her, gave the world a new devotion of tremendous power. For over a year, Fortuna Agrelli had been in great distress and even near-death. Indeed, her case had been given up as hopeless by the most celebrated physicians. In desperation, on February 16, the afflicted girl and her family began a novena of Rosaries.
Two weeks later, the Queen of the Holy Rosary appeared before Fortuna one evening. Sitting upon a high throne, surrounded by luminous figures, Our Lady was holding the Divine Child on Her lap and a Rosary in Her hand. Both were arrayed in golden garments and were accompanied by Sts. Dominic and Catherine of Siena.
“Child, your faith has pleased Me.” Our Lady said to Fortuna, “Whoever desires to obtain favors from Me should make three novenas in petition of the prayers of the Rosary, and three novenas in thanksgiving.” Obedient to Our Lady’s command, Fortuna and her family completed the six novenas whereupon the young girl was restored to perfect health and her family showered with many blessings.
How many of us have family members and friends who have left the Church? What greater cause for our dedication?
Prayer Before the Rosary
Queen of the Holy Rosary, Thou didst deign to come to Fatima to reveal to the three shepherd children the treasures of grace hidden in the Rosary. Inspire my heart with a sincere love of this devotion, in order that by meditating on the Mysteries of our Redemption which are recalled in it, I may be enriched by its fruits and obtain peace for the world, the conversion of sinners and of Russia, and the graces which I ask of Thee in this Rosary. (Here mention your request.) I ask this for the greater glory of God, for Thine own honor, and for the good of souls, especially for my own. Amen. I offer this Rosary for the purpose of knowing the Truth and obtaining contrition and pardon for my sins. Amen. Prayer to be said at the end of each mystery.
*May the grace of this mystery come down into my soul.
PARDON PRAYER My God, I believe, I adore, I trust, and I love thee! I beg pardon for those who do not believe, do not adore, do not trust, and do not love thee.
THE ANGEL’S PRAYER With the Blessed Sacrament suspended in the air, the angel at Fatima prostrated himself, and recited the prayer: O most Holy Trinity—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—I adore thee profoundly. I offer thee the most Precious Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity of Jesus Christ— present in all the tabernacles of the world—in reparation for the outrages, sacrileges, and indifference by which He is offended. By the infinite merits of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Immaculate Heart of Mary, I beg the conversion of poor sinners.
EUCHARISTIC PRAYER This prayer stresses that most beautiful truth—that the all-powerful, all-loving God is upon the altar at every Catholic Mass. Most Holy Trinity, I adore You! My God, my God, I love You in the Most Blessed Sacrament.
SACRIFICE PRAYER Our Lady taught the children a prayer to be said when they would have something to offer up to God . . . such as some suffering, or an act contrary to what they wanted to do but which was necessary in order to please God. O my Jesus, it is for love of You, in reparation for the offenses committed against the Immaculate Heart of Mary, and for the conversion of poor sinners.
DECADE PRAYER Our Lady asked that the following prayer be inserted after each decade of the Rosary: O my Jesus, forgive us our sins; save us from the fires of hell; lead all souls into Heaven, especially those who are in most need of thy mercy.
The Fifteen Promised of Our Lady
2. I promise my special protection and the greatest graces to all those who shall recite the Rosary.
3. The Rosary shall be a powerful armor against hell, it will destroy vice, decrease sin, and defeat heresies.
4. The Rosary will cause virtue and good works to flourish; it will obtain for souls the abundant mercy of God; it will withdraw the hearts of men from the love of the world and its vanities, and will lift them to the desire for eternal things. Oh, that souls would sanctify themselves by this means.
5. The soul which recommends itself to me by the recitation of the Rosary, shall not perish.
6. Whoever shall recite the Rosary devoutly, applying himself to the consideration of its sacred mysteries shall never be conquered by misfortune. God will not chastise him in His justice, he shall not perish by an unprovided death; if he be just he shall remain in the grace of God, and become worthy of eternal life.
7. Whoever shall have a true devotion for the Rosary shall not die without the sacraments of the Church.
8. Those who are faithful to recite the Rosary shall have during their life and at their death the light of God and the plenitude of His graces; at the moment of death they shall participate in the merits of the saints in paradise.
9. I shall deliver from Purgatory those who have been devoted to the Rosary.
10. The faithful children of the Rosary shall merit a high degree of glory in Heaven.
11. You shall obtain all you ask of me by the recitation of the Rosary.
12. All those who propagate the Holy Rosary shall be aided by me in their necessities.
13. I have obtained from my Divine Son that all the advocates of the Rosary shall have for intercessors the entire celestial court during their life and at the hour of death.
14. All who recite the Rosary are my sons and daughters, and brothers and sisters of my only Son Jesus Christ.
15. Devotion of my Rosary is a great sign of predestination.
