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MyCatholicSource.com Newsletter - October, 2012
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IN THIS ISSUE:
* Greetings
* MCS News & Notes
* The Month of October: Dedicated to the Holy Rosary
* Hymn To The Angel Who Guards You
* "An antidote to irreflection, a remedy against irreligion"
* Liturgical Feasts in October
* 'Catholic Trivia' [Themed: Religious orders / religious life]
* Defending the Faith: "Apologetics Brief" - Do You Think Religious Truths Can Change Over Time?
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Dear Friend,
"Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, Who has redeemed the souls of His servants with His very own most holy Blood and will not abandon all who hope in Him." (St. Francis of Assisi)
Greetings to you this busy month of October which is dedicated to the Holy Rosary and includes such feasts as the Guardian Angels (10/2), St. Francis of Assisi (10/4), St. Teresa of Avila (10/15), St. Luke the Evangelist (10/18), and concludes with the traditional feast of Christ the King (10/28) and All Hallows Eve/Vigil of All Saints (10/31).
We'll also be busy this month with Rosary Week falling from 10/22 through 10/28, as well as a special day of prayer for the U.S.A. scheduled for 10/28 (see below for details). October 28th also marks the 4 year anniversary of our 'official unveiling' (which took place back on 10/28/08). Thank you for your support over these last four years. It's been an honor for us to try to provide 'safe Catholic content' to our brothers & sisters online.
Lastly, if you have not already signed up for Rosary Week, we implore you to do so now. Participation is easy, free, and takes only a little time - yet the rewards you receive may be great! Since we plan to have a Traditional Latin Mass said for all Rosary Week participants, you'll also get to share in the benefits of the Holy Mass in addition to the rewards already to be had for praying the holy rosary. Please join us! Please sign up today at www.MyCatholicSource.com/RosaryWeek
Thanks very much for your support & participation.
May God bless & keep you,
Your Friends at MyCatholicSource.com
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"I beheld, therefore, in the vision of the night, and lo, one like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven, and he came even to the ancient of days: and they presented him before him. And he gave him power, and glory, and a kingdom: and all peoples, tribes, and tongues shall serve him: his power is an everlasting power that shall not be taken away: and his kingdom that shall not be destroyed." (Dan. 7:13-14)
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MCS News & Notes
* Last chance to sign up for our Fourth Annual Rosary Week (10/22/12 - 10/28/12): Don't miss out! Please sign up today for this FREE event at www.MyCatholicSource.com/RosaryWeek . Don't pray the rosary? Why not start now? Already pray the rosary? Why not join us for a few extra rosaries? We're confident that you'll be glad you participated in this powerful, yet easy & 'hassle-free' Catholic event. Why not also invite your friends to join? [Note: If you'd like help praying the rosary, please visit http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/pc/rosary/how_to_pray_the_rosary.htm ]
* New! Just in time for the month dedicated to the Holy Rosary, we've added a total of 18 new coloring pages to the Catholic Fun & Activities Section - one coloring page for each mystery of the (traditional) rosary, plus one page with all five joyful mysteries, one page containing all sorrowful mysteries, and one page that includes all glorious mysteries. Links to the pages can be found here - http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/pc/catholic_activities/catholic_fun_coloring_activities.htm . We hope you will enjoy them!
* Special prayers for the U.S.A. on 10/28/12: Please join us in prayer for America on 10/28/12, the traditional feast of Christ the King & a few days before the U.S. election. Even if you don't live in the United States, we encourage you to pray for America as the ramifications of our elections may reverberate throughout the world. There is no need to sign up. Simply say any appropriate prayer(s) of your choice+ on this day and unite them with all others who are praying for the U.S.A. If possible, consider staying for an extra moment after Mass to offer silent prayers in front of the Tabernacle. We hope you will join us. Please mark your calendar for Sunday 10/28/12.
+ Note: Appropriate prayers include the Lord's Prayer, the Hail Mary, the holy rosary, etc. For prayers specifically for the U.S., consider the links at the top of this page: http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/tp/topic_page-prayers_for_the_United_States.htm . We have also found the following couple of prayers to be popular online...
Prayer to the Blessed Virgin Mary: "O Most Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of Mercy, at this most critical time, we entrust the United States of America to your loving care. Most Holy Mother, we beg you to reclaim this land for the glory of your Son. Overwhelmed with the burden of the sins of our nation, we cry to you from the depths of our hearts and seek refuge in your motherly protection. Look down with mercy upon us and touch the hearts of our people. Open our minds to the great worth of human life and to the responsibilities that accompany human freedom. Free us from the falsehoods that lead to the evil of abortion and threaten the sanctity of family life. Grant our country the wisdom to proclaim that God's law is the foundation on which this nation was founded, and that He alone is the True Source of our cherished rights to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. O Merciful Mother, give us the courage to reject the culture of death and the strength to build a new Culture of Life. Amen."
Election Prayer of Fr. John A. Hardon, S.J.: "Lord Jesus Christ, You told us to give to Caesar what belongs to Caesar, and to God what belongs to God. Enlighten the minds of (the American people). May we choose a President of the United States, and other government officials, according to Your Divine Will. Give our citizens the courage to choose leaders of our nation who respect the sanctity of unborn human life, the sanctity of marriage, the sanctity of marital relations, the sanctity of the family, and the sanctity of the aging. Grant us the wisdom to give You, what belongs to You, our God. If we do this, as a nation, we are confident You will give us an abundance of Your blessings through our elected leaders. Amen."
* Our Fourth Anniversary: This issue marks the fourth anniversary of the 'official unveiling' of MyCatholicSource.com in late October 2008 (the site was in development since 2001). During these eventful past years, we've enjoyed well over a million visits - including visits from all 50 states as well as from most all of the countries in the world, visits from the Holy See, visits from a pontifical institute, an office of the Roman curia & and the Vatican Library, as well as visits from a variety of dioceses & archdioceses, Catholic universities, Catholic churches, religious orders, Catholic hospitals, congregations, pontifical colleges, ivy league colleges, libraries, agencies, organizations, seminaries, bishops' conferences, and various government offices. We've started a blog, made numerous improvements and additions to the site, changed servers three times (gulp), held three (soon to be four) Rosary Week events, and have developed our own line of Catholic apps. Our site has been advertised millions & millions of times on search engines or their search partners, we've been linked to by a number of blogs, parish sites, Catholic schools, and also by at least one diocesan site. We've assisted Catholic school teachers & have answered hundreds of questions via chat. Material on MyCatholicSource.com has also been used by schools for research and school assignments. It has also been the subject of various forum & blog posts. We've been rated favorably by KillerStartups.com and have also been mentioned in newspapers. On the other hand, we've been targeted for insults and false accusations (an entire blog was even created to complain about our site!), and have had to secure our servers against frequent attacks. Thankfully, we've likewise received touching expressions of gratitude & praise from visitors (for which we are very grateful). Looking back to when we first started developing MyCatholicSource.com - back in 2001 - we could not have predicted how things would unfold. For example, were totally unaware that we would need to dedicate over seven full years to complete the site. We were also unable to predict that the site's official unveiling would unfortunately coincide with the downhill of the American economy. Nor did we foresee that the economic upheaval would last for years - the entire time we have officially been live (four years so far) - and that this situation would leave us with almost no means of supporting a site which costs us thousands of dollars per year and takes many, many hours to oversee. Yet somehow we have managed to hang on (albeit with some changes). When we started developing the site, we couldn't have predicted the unfortunate sequence of events concerning the American economy. Nevertheless, we have tried to adapt by making some tough choices and developing & selling apps. Unfortunately, though, we are still losing money every month (our server alone costs about $200/month and we've had very few donations). It's been tough economically, but we are hopeful things will pick up soon. In the meantime, our app sales have helped stem our losses, but proceeds from app sales have yet to even cover the annual cost of our server, not to mention our security costs & costs for third party services (e.g. mailing list). We will try to hang on as long as it is feasible, however, unlike some other sites, we do not plan to commercialize MyCatholicSource.com with third party ads in order to stay online (we are committed to our goal of permitting third party ads only in the relatively few commercial areas of our site). We trust our visitors appreciate being spared the (often offensive) third party ads that appear on other sites. Nevertheless, this makes our 'business model' a difficult one, especially in this very unfortunate economy. [BTW, if this site helps you, won't you please consider supporting it with prayers, links, app purchases, donations, sponsorships, etc.? We know things are tough, but a prayer or link doesn't cost anything and can still help a lot. And if you can afford to donate, even amounts as little as $1 can help. Any support at all of our site is greatly appreciated. For free and low cost ways to support MyCatholicSource.com, please visit http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/help_us_keep_our_non-commercial_appearance.htm .] We pray our labors have been of assistance to our visitors and have in some small way contributed to honoring Our Blessed Lord & His Blessed Mother. We send our sincere thanks to our benefactors, supporters, subscribers, and to all our visitors, for whom we pray each day. May God bless you always.
* Feast of St. Francis (10/4): Why not celebrate the feast of St. Francis of Assisi by reviewing biographical information on this great saint, reading some of his inspiring writings, or praying some of his beautiful prayers? You can find this and more at the St. Francis Section at http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/saint_francis_page.htm . And while you're there, why not add your pet's name to the list of special pets? This is a must-see section for animal lovers.
* Reminder: There will be an interruption in many of our services in early October due to vacations. Services affected may include: lending library, live chat, post / ad / order processing, subscription processing, correspondence, site/blog updates, etc. Although you may notice delays in the above services, access to the MyCatholicSource.com website itself should NOT be affected. For details, please visit http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/cg/notices.htm
* Reminder: October 28 is the traditional feast of Christ the King. As you may know, the motto of our site, "Christ the King", took root from the encyclical of Pope Pius XI entitled "Quas Primas". This encyclical makes great reading for the month of October. To view Quas Primas, please visit http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/pd/quas_primas.htm
* Your suggestions wanted! Your suggestions for our site & newsletter are always welcomed & appreciated. Please contact us with your ideas at http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/fdb/subscriber_feedback.htm
* Have friends or family that might benefit from our newsletter? Please invite them to subscribe at http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/fdb/mail_list.htm
* We love to hear from you! Please submit comments at http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/fdb/newsletter_feedback.htm
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MyCatholicSource.com App News...
* We are happy to report that the Android version our 'most beautiful app', iStations, placed #15 in Amazon.com's paid apps 'Best Sellers Rank' for category Lifestyle last month. If you don't already have this app, why not get it today? Others have called versions of the app "penetrating and profound", "excellent", "great", "simply beautiful", "wonderful", and "beautifully sublime". It features beautiful images, two traditional methods of praying the Stations of the Cross, a handy audio option with optional auto-advance, selected prayers in English & Latin, easy navigation, and in-app help. It's great for Fridays, Lent, penitential times, family devotions, and daily meditation - any time you can't make it to your parish. For more information, screen shots & download links, please visit http://www.MyCatholicSource.com/Apps
* On Sale! Our handy Saints4U app is presently on sale for just $1.99. You can use this app to quickly search for patron saints (by name, patronage or category), male or female saint names, feasts falling on particular days, liturgical feasts, and more. It features over 6,400 listings, including 1,000+ patronages. It's a great aid for finding baptismal names & confirmation names, and it's also handy for locating feast days & patron saints. Get it today at http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/saints4u/id453922297?ls=1&mt=8 . For more information & screen shots, please visit http://www.MyCatholicSource.com/Apps
* Reviews: If you've purchased any of our apps, we encourage you to please leave a review at your place of purchase. They really help us out! To view selected reviews, please visit http://www.bfsnet.com/bfsapps/selected_reviews.htm
* For more information concerning currently available apps, please visit http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/cg/comrc/apps.htm (shortcut: www.MyCatholicSource.com/Apps )
Note: All prices herein are in U.S. dollars, excluding any applicable tax.
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* Please see our Notices page at http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/cg/notices.htm for dates of anticipated service delays through January 2013
* Help keep us online! You can donate from $1 using PayPal at http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/cg/donate.htm [note that we do NOT sell donor information to third parties and we do NOT contact you about your donation unless it is necessary (e.g. processing problems)]. Thank you for your much needed support!
* To shop at Amazon.com in support of MyCatholicSource.com, please use this link: http://www.amazon.com/?&tag=mycathcom-20 . You can shop here for books, household & office products, Catholic items, electronics, and much more. Already shop at Amazon.com? It doesn't cost any extra to shop at Amazon using this link, yet we can benefit from your purchases. Thank you for your support!
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* Please visit our Notices page for timely news and other important information regarding MyCatholicSource.com - http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/cg/notices.htm
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The Month of October: Dedicated to the Holy Rosary
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"I have no better way of knowing if a man is for God than if he likes to say the Hail Mary and the Rosary." (St. Louis de Montfort)
"We desire very earnestly, Venerable Brethren, that the Holy Rosary should be recited in a special manner in the month of October and with increased devotion both in the churches and in homes." (Pope Pius XI, "Ingravescentibus Malis", 1937 A.D.)
"Next to the holy sacrifice of the Mass, there is, indeed, nothing more terrifying to [the devil], nor does he bear a more implacable hatred to anything than to the devotion of the Rosary." (Muller)
"[E]xperience shows that no sooner do the people commence to practice this devotion that they open their hearts to the largest channel of grace, so as to be flooded with heavenly gifts." (Muller)
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Related Resources...
* The Holy Rosary (Topic Page) - http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/tp/topic_page-holy_rosary.htm
* Promises of the Rosary - http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/pc/rosary/promises_of_the_rosary.htm
* What is the Rosary and Why Pray it? - http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/pc/rosary/what_the_rosary_is_and_why_pray_it.htm
* Facts About the Rosary - http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/pc/rosary/rosary_facts.htm
* History of the Rosary - http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/pc/rosary/history_of_the_rosary.htm
* How to Pray the Rosary / Mysteries of the Rosary - http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/pc/rosary/how_to_pray_the_rosary.htm
* Tips for Praying the Rosary - http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/dusub/rosary_tips.htm
* The Holy Rosary (Reflections) - http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/qt/holy_rosary_reflections.htm
* The Holy Rosary (Papal Writings) - http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/pd/classic_encyclicals_by_category.htm
* The Daily Rosary - http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/pc/rosary/daily_rosary.htm
* The Rosary in Latin - http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/pc/rosary/the_rosary_in_latin.htm
* Rosary Prayers (Topic Page) - http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/tp/topic_page-rosary_prayers.htm
* How to Pray the Rosary (Topic Page) - http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/tp/topic_page-how_to_pray_the_rosary.htm
* Holy Rosary (Section) - http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/holy_rosary.htm
* Sacramentals (Topic Page) - http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/tp/topic_page-sacramentals.htm
* Popular Marian Devotions - http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/pc/the_Blessed_Virgin/popular_marian_devotions.htm
* Rosary / Apologetics - http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/nc/non_catholics__Marian.htm
* Devotions, Sacramentals & Pious Practices - http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/pc/prayers_and_devotions/devotions.htm
* Rosary (Coloring Pages) - http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/pc/catholic_activities/catholic_fun_coloring_activities.htm
* Rosary (Crossword Puzzle) - http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/pca/crossword_puzzle_rosary.html
* Rosary (Word Search) - http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/pca/word_search_rosary.htm
* Blessed Virgin Mary (Topic Page) - http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/tp/topic_page-Blessed_Virgin_Mary.htm
Looking For Something Else? Try Our Various Indexes For 15,000+ Entries - http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/help.htm
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"Never will anyone who says his Rosary every day be led astray. This is a statement that I would gladly sign with my blood." (St. Louis de Montfort)
"For us nothing can be more effective in winning the Virgin's favor and in meriting the most salutary graces than to surround with the greatest possible honor the mysteries of our redemption in which she not only shared but also took part." (Pope Leo XIII)
"Were a good friend to present us several times with a thousand dollars, we would not object to such a sum, but rather wish the amount to be increased. The good Christian, in like manner, never finds the repetition of the prayers of the Rosary tedious, but rather truly delightful. He knows that one single prayer of the Rosary, which is recited with devotion is of more value than all the money, than all the riches, in the universe. What will money, what will all the riches of this world, avail us after death? But the prayers of the Rosary will then be of more help to us than all the honors and wealth in the world." (Muller)
"We decreed by an Encyclical Letter that, to win the help of Heaven for the Church in her trials, the great Mother of God should be honored by the means of the most holy Rosary during the whole of the month of October. In this We followed both Our own impulse and the example of Our predecessors, who in times of difficulty were wont to have recourse with increased fervor to the Blessed Virgin, and to seek her aid with special prayers." (Pope Leo XIII, "Superiore Anno", 1884 A.D.)
"How great is the power and mercy of the Blessed Virgin for those who are faithful in the practice of the Rosary! If you wish then, to save your soul, practice the devotion of the Rosary with fervor and perseverance. If you wish to save the souls of those who are near and dear to you, try to introduce this devotion without delay into your family." (Muller)
"For as the disastrous condition of the Church and of Society proved to Us the extreme necessity for signal aid from God, it was manifest to Us that aid should be sought through the intercession of His Mother, and by the express means of the Rosary, which Christians have ever found to be of marvelous avail. This indeed has been well proved since the very institution of the devotion, both in the vindication of Holy Faith against the furious attacks of heresy, and in restoring to honor the virtues, which by reason of the Age's corruption, required to be rekindled and sustained. And this same proof was continued in all succeeding ages, by a never failing series of private and public benefits, whereof the illustrious remembrance is everywhere perpetuated and immortalized by monuments and existing institutions. Likewise in Our age, afflicted with that tempest of various evils, it is a joy to Our soul to relate the beneficent influence of the Rosary." (Pope Leo XIII, "Iucunda Semper Expectatione", 1894 A.D.)
"[M]ay the beads of the Rosary be in the hands of all" (Pope Pius XII, "Ad Caeli Reginam", 1954 A.D.)
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Reminder: The My Catholic Source.com Fourth Annual Rosary Week will be held this year from 10/22 - 10/28. Please join us! Sign up today at http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/fdb/rosary_week_sign_up.htm
It's easy & free to participate!
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Hymn To The Angel Who Guards You
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The following is taken from a 19th century Catholic hymn book by Fr. Frederick W. Faber. An imprimatur was not located on the publication. [Note: We have made some changes to the text below (e.g. changed punctuation, capitalization, line breaks & title, removed grouping/numbering)]
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HYMN TO MY GUARDIAN ANGEL
Dear Angel! ever at my side, how loving must thou be to leave thy home in Heaven to guard a guilty wretch like me.
Thy beautiful and shining face I see not, though so near; The sweetness of thy soft low voice I am too deaf to hear.
I cannot feel thee touch my hand with pressure light and mild, to check me, as my mother did when I was but a child.
But I have felt thee in my thoughts fighting with sin for me; And when my heart loves God, I know the sweetness is from thee.
And when, dear Spirit! I kneel down morning and night to prayer, something there is within my heart which tells me thou art there.
Yes! when I pray thou prayest too -- Thy prayer is all for me; But when I sleep, thou sleepest not, but watchest patiently.
But most of all I feel thee near, when, from the good priest's feet, I go absolved, in fearless love, fresh toils and cares to meet.
And thou in life's last hour wilt bring a fresh supply of grace, and afterwards wilt let me kiss thy beautiful bright face.
Ah me! how lovely they must be whom God has glorified; Yet one of them, O sweetest thought! is ever at my side.
Then for thy sake, dear Angel! now more humble will I be: But I am weak, and when I fall, O weary not of me:
O weary not, but love me still, for Mary's sake, thy Queen; She never tired of me, though I her worst of sons have been.
She will reward thee with a smile; Thou know'st what it is worth! For Mary's smiles each day convert the hardest hearts on earth.
Then love me, love me, Angel dear! And I will love thee more; And help me when my soul is cast upon the eternal shore.
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"...for not only has our Lord set Bishops to guard the Flock, he has set the very Angels." (St. Ambrose, Doctor of the Church)
"So valuable to heaven is the dignity of the human soul that every member of the human race has a guardian angel from the moment the person begins to be." (St. Jerome, Doctor of the Church)
"In every place show respect to thy angel. Let gratitude for his benefits incite thee to honor his greatness. Love this thy future coheir, the guardian appointed for thee by the Father during they childhood. For though we are souls of God, we are as yet but children, and long and dangerous is our journey. But God hath given His angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways. In their hands they shall bear thee up, lest thou dash thy foot against a stone...Yes; where the road is smooth enough for a child they will content themselves with guiding thee, and sustaining thy footsteps, as one does for children. But if trials threaten to surpass they strength, they will bear thee up in their hands. Oh those hands of angels! Thanks to them, what fearful straits we have passed through, as it were without thinking, and with no other impression left upon us, than that of a nightmare suddenly dispelled!" (St. Bernard of Clairvaux, Doctor of the Church)
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For more on guardian angels, please visit http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/tp/topic_page-angels.htm
For prayers to one's guardian angel, please visit http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/pr/prayers_and_hymns_angels.htm
For more reflections, please visit http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/qt/reflections_categorized.htm
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"An antidote to irreflection, a remedy against irreligion"
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Note: The following excerpt is taken from a 20th century publication entitled "The Rosary Guide for Priests and People". The publication bears an imprimatur. [Note: We have made some changes to the text below (e.g. punctuation & spelling changes, shortening, combining paragraphs, removed italics)]
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Here was the meaning of the institution of the Rosary. "Thou shalt preach this Devotion," Our Lady said to her chosen Apostle, "and thou wilt obtain an abundant harvest of souls." The Rosary had to lead men to think, to lift up their eyes to the hills, to Him "who dwells in the heavens." The beads, like the fringes of Israel's garments holding ribbons of blue, were intended for a reminder to men of the ways of God. The Albigensian heresy was based upon errors which were not only un-Christian but anti-Christian, and which aimed at the very existence of Christianity and the subversion of the Christian law; and the Albigensian heresy was infecting some of the fairest provinces in Christendom. Christianity had to be re-preached. The Christian virtues had to be re-taught. Christ Himself had to be re-born in the minds and hearts, in the lives and ways of so-called Christians. "There hath stood one in the midst of you whom you know not," St. John the Baptist might have cried out in Languedoc, in Toulouse, in the north of Italy, and the south of France, in the twelfth and thirteenth centuries, as he cried out in the country about the Jordan, in the days of Our Lord Himself. The mission of the Rosary was to make men know Him, to make them think about Him, to make them meditate upon His life, His ways, His virtues. From knowing Christ, the Rosary had to teach them to love Him. "In my meditation a fire breaks out" (Ps. xxxviii. 4). Then from loving Him, they had to be brought, in the expressive word of St. Paul, "to put on Christ," to lead Christ-like lives. This, in a word, was the Apostolate of the Rosary.
In what better and more simple manner can learned and ignorant alike be brought to "look upon Jesus the Author and Finisher of faith, who having joy set before Him, endured the Cross, despising the shame; and now sitteth at the right hand of the throne of God" (Heb. xii. 2), than in the mysteries of the Rosary? The Joyful Mysteries as a faithful mirror reflect "Jesus the Author and Finisher of faith"; the Sorrowful Mysteries in their five life-like pictures, portray Him to us "enduring the Cross and despising the shame"; the five Glorious Decades reveal Him to us "sitting at the right hand of the throne of God."
"He that cometh to God must believe that He is, and is a rewarder of them that seek Him " (Heb. xi. 6). In our meditations on the Rosary mysteries, these are the lessons we learn, these are the truths that are brought home vividly to our minds, these the acts of faith, and consequently of confidence and love, which are evoked from the Christian soul...Thus is the Rosary a mental prayer, is and must be. It is consequently an antidote to irreflection, a remedy against irreligion; an antidote and a remedy very near to every man's hand. Any one, every one, can say the Rosary; any one, every one, can think of the mysteries of faith. And as in the thirteenth century it caused the dark clouds of the Albigensian heresy to be lifted and the light of truth to be revealed, and as it dispelled the heavy mists of sin which overhung the earth as though with a death pall, so will it now in this...age, when heresy is still rampant and sin is still in revolt against God. It will, if men will only listen to its teaching, meditate upon its preaching, and carry out its lessons in their life.
Let no one say, "I cannot meditate." As well might he say, "I cannot think and I cannot love"; for meditation is simply thinking and loving. First comes the thought, and from the thought the fire. Meditation enlightens the mind, and the spark from the enlightened mind sets the heart on fire. It was so in St. Dominic's days; as St. Pius V, a son of S. Dominic, expresses it: "Christian people inflamed by these meditations and prayers became changed into other men, the darkness of heresy disappeared, and the light of the Catholic faith was revealed" (Consueverunt, Sept. 17th, 1569). So may it be in our day and in our land, if only we meditate and pray. We can all meditate; we all do meditate every day and almost all the day. Only we do not concentrate our thoughts; we let them "go astray after divers things"; and when we do concentrate our thoughts, our eyes are not lifted up to God... Imagine the scene or the subject of the mystery. Think about it till the heart is stirred to affection. Then let the heart speak to God in love, in sorrow, in compassion, in promise of greater earnestness and zeal. You have then meditated upon the mystery. And "blessed is the man that shall continue in wisdom, and shall meditate on His justice, and in his mind shall think of the all-seeing Eye of God" (Eccl. xiv. 22). "He shall be like a tree which is planted near the running waters, which shall bring forth its fruits in due season. His leaf shall not fall off; and all whatsoever he shall do shall prosper" (Ps. i. 2, 3). The condition of meditation upon the mysteries is an imperative one...
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"The power of the rosary is beyond description." (Archbishop Fulton Sheen)
"...for you ought to know that the salvation of my soul depends on saying the Rosary." (St. Alphonsus, Doctor of the Church)
"If you want peace in your heart, in your home, in your country, assemble together every night and say the Rosary." (Pope St. Pius X)
"For [hundreds of] years, the Rosary has been in Christendom - and, thank God, it is still to-day, even in our unbelieving age, even in these days of calm, calculating unbelief - as 'a beam in darkness,' as a ray from the sun, as a messenger of mercy from Heaven, as an Apostle sent from God, as an angel of love coming from the Divine Throne. The Rosary has...under the zealous influence of Pope Pius IX and Pope Leo XIII, risen to a renewed life of vigor and strength. The Rosary, which is the Gospel meditated, as well as the sweetest hymn of praise to Jesus and to Mary, has become the daily companion of the learned and of the simple. The Rosary has become the instructor of the child in the mysteries of Christianity; the consoler of the afflicted; the treasure of the poor; the monitor of the rich; the companion of the missioner; the prayer of the religious; the crown of the martyr. The Rosary has become the emblem of truth, and the type of charity. The Rosary is placed on the child in its cradle, and on the aged in his agony." ('The Rosary Guide for Priests and People')
"Number those, if you can, who, through the devotion of the Rosary, have recovered from sickness; how many captives have been set at liberty; how many have been delivered by Mary who were in danger of perishing by fire, in danger of shipwreck, in danger of war and pestilence. Go to the sanctuaries of Our Blessed Lady, and see there the many votive offerings, ornaments of gold and silver and precious stones, in commemoration of miraculous cures or other extraordinary favors obtained though the devotion of the Rosary; for in these sanctuaries of the Blessed Virgin the blind are restored to sight, the lame walk, the demons are expelled from the bodies of men. These are authentic facts, attested not only by persons of note who have heard them from others, but by thousands of eyewitnesses whose sincerity we cannot doubt; facts so numerous that, if they were all written, it would take years to read them. What favor and blessing is there that cannot be obtained by the devotion of the Rosary?" (Muller)
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Also See...
* The Holy Rosary (Topic Page) - http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/tp/topic_page-holy_rosary.htm
* Promises of the Rosary - http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/pc/rosary/promises_of_the_rosary.htm
* How to Pray the Rosary / Mysteries of the Rosary - http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/pc/rosary/how_to_pray_the_rosary.htm
* The Daily Rosary - http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/pc/rosary/daily_rosary.htm
* The Holy Rosary (Reflections) - http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/qt/holy_rosary_reflections.htm
* The Holy Rosary (Papal Writings) - http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/pd/classic_encyclicals_by_category.htm
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Liturgical Feasts in October
The following is a listing of all liturgical feast dates for October as they appear at http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/pc/saints/feasts.htm
Note: (T) = Traditional, (N) = New (Novus Ordo)
Reminder: Feasts may be superseded / transferred / etc.
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October 1 - St. Remigius (T)
October 1 - St. Theresa of the Child Jesus (N)
October 2 - The Holy Guardian Angels (T)
October 2 - The Guardian Angels (N)
October 3 - St. Teresa of the Child Jesus (T)
October 4 - St. Francis of Assisi (T)
October 4 - St. Francis of Assisi (N)
October 5 - St. Placid & companions (T)
October 6 - St. Bruno (T)
October 6 - St. Bruno (N)
October 7 - Holy Rosary of the Blessed Virgin Mary (T)
October 7 - St. Mark, pope (T)
October 7 - Sts. Marcellus & Apuleius (T)
October 7 - Sts. Sergius & Bacchus (T)
October 7 - Our Lady of the Rosary (N)
October 8 - St. Bridget of Sweden (T)
October 9 - St. John Leonardi (T)
October 9 - Sts. Denis, Rusticus & Eleutherius (T)
October 9 - St. Denis & companions (N)
October 9 - St. John Leonardi (N)
October 10 - St. Francis Borgia (T)
October 11 - The Maternity of the Blessed Virgin Mary (T)
October 13 - St. Edward, king of England (T)
October 14 - St. Callistus I, pope (T)
October 14 - St. Callistus I, pope (N)
October 15 - St. Teresa of Avila (T)
October 15 - St. Teresa of Avila (N)
October 16 - St. Hedwig (T)
October 16 - St. Hedwig (N)
October 16 - St. Margaret Mary Alacoque (N)
October 17 - St. Margaret Mary Alacoque (T)
October 17 - St. Ignatius of Antioch (N)
October 18 - St. Luke the Evangelist (T)
October 18 - St. Luke the Evangelist (N)
October 19 - St. Peter of Alcantara (T)
October 19 - St. Paul of the Cross (N)
October 19 - Sts. Isaac Jogues, John de Brebeuf & companions (N)
October 20 - St. John Cantius (T)
October 21 - St. Hilarion (T)
October 21 - St. Ursula & companions (T)
October 23 - St. John of Capistrano (N)
October 24 - St. Raphael the Archangel (T)
October 24 - St. Anthony Claret (N)
October 25 - Sts. Chrysanthus & Daria (T)
October 26 - St. Evaristus, pope (T)
October 28 - Sts. Simon & Jude, apostles (T)
October 28 - Sts. Simon & Jude, apostles (N)
October 31 - Vigil of All Saints (T)
Please Note: Above may exclude moveable feasts. For moveable feasts, see below and try here: http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/pc/latin_mass_and_tradition/traditional_liturgical_calendar.htm . For other feasts, try the MCS Daily Digest each day at http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/cg/mcs_daily_digest.asp
Also...
10/28/12 - Feast of the Kingship of Our Lord Jesus Christ (T) [Refresher re: traditional timing of this feast: "It is not necessary, Venerable Brethren, that We should explain to you at any length why We have decreed that this feast of the Kingship of Christ should be observed in addition to those other feasts in which his kingly dignity is already signified and celebrated. It will suffice to remark that although in all the feasts of our Lord the material object of worship is Christ, nevertheless their formal object is something quite distinct from his royal title and dignity. We have commanded its observance on a Sunday in order that not only the clergy may perform their duty by saying Mass and reciting the Office, but that the laity too, free from their daily tasks, may in a spirit of holy joy give ample testimony of their obedience and subjection to Christ. The last Sunday of October seemed the most convenient of all for this purpose, because it is at the end of the liturgical year, and thus the feast of the Kingship of Christ sets the crowning glory upon the mysteries of the life of Christ already commemorated during the year, and, before celebrating the triumph of all the Saints, we proclaim and extol the glory of him who triumphs in all the Saints and in all the Elect." (Pope Pius XI, "Quas Primas", 1925 A.D.)]
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'Catholic Trivia'
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Note: This month there are 20 trivia questions & all items are themed. [Theme: Religious orders / religious life]
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1. What is a friar? Is 'friar' synonymous with 'monk'?
2. Who founded the Benedictines?
3. Where did the Alexian Brothers get their name from?
4. What is "the oldest continuing monastic order in Christendom"?
5. Who do the religious order initials O.S.M. refer to?
6. Who is the founder of the Carthusian Order?
7. What is the most common religious order of the popes?
8. Who do the religious order initials O.P. refer to?
9. Who founded the Redemptorists?
10. What is 'the essence of monasticism'?
11. How might one define a Canon?
12. Who do the religious order initials O.S.A. refer to?
13. The Capuchins are related to what religious order?
14. Who is commonly credited with the founding of the Carmelite Order?
15. Who is a novice?
16. Who is a postulant?
17. Who founded the Order of Servants of Mary?
18. Who founded the Order of Friars Minor?
19. Nuns & sisters devote themselves in religious orders to what? Also, a sister takes ___ vows & a nun takes ___ vows (fill in the blanks)
20. What does 'religious profession' refer to?
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Answers:
1. A friar is "A member of one of the so-called mendicant orders [e.g. Dominicans, Franciscans, Carmelites, Augustinians]. 'Friar' is not synonymous with 'monk'... the life of a monk is normally passed within the walls of his monastery; a friar has his headquarters in a friary but his work is of the active ministry and may take him to all parts of the earth; a friar is a member of a highly organized, widespread body with a central authority to which he is professed; a monk's allegiance is to the abbot of an autonomous individual monastery." (Catholic Dictionary)
2. The Benedictines were founded by St. Benedict around 529 A.D.
3. The Alexian Brothers, founded in the fifteenth century, got their name from St. Alexius of Edessa
4. The Augustinian order, traced to St. Augustine, is "the oldest continuing monastic order in Christendom" (Ref. Crocker)
5. The religious order initials O.S.M. refer to the Servites
6. St. Bruno (d. 1101) is founder of the Carthusian Order
7. Of the popes known to belong to religious orders, most have been Benedictines (approximately 25 popes) [Ref. Catholic Dictionary]
8. The religious order initials O.P. refer to the Order of Preachers (Dominicans)
9. The Redemptorists were founded by St. Alphonsus Liguori
10. "The essence of monasticism, strictly so called, is the formation of a 'community of monks, bound to live together until death, under rule, in common life, in the monastery of their profession, as a religious family, leading a life not of marked austerity but devoted to the service of God.' It must be distinguished from the community life of canons regular and the mendicant life of friars, both of which are monastic only to a certain extent and incidentally, and still more from the organized activity of later orders and congregations." (Catholic Dictionary)
11. Canon: "An ecclesiastical person (Lat. Canonicus), a member of a chapter or body of clerics living according to rule and presided over by one of their number." (Catholic Encyclopedia)
12. The religious order initials O.S.A. refer to the Augustinians
13. The Capuchins are related to the Franciscans and were established to restore a literal observance of the rule of St. Francis of Assisi
14. St. Berthold is commonly credited with the founding of the Carmelite order
15. Novice: "One undergoing a period of probation...with the object of testing fitness for profession in a religious order or congregation of men or women." (Catholic Dictionary)
16. Postulant: "One preparing to be clothed as a novice in a religious house by means of a preliminary experience of the life." (Catholic Dictionary)
17. The Seven Holy Founders founded the Order of Servants of Mary (Servites). They are: St. Buonfiglio Monaldo (Bonfilius), St. Alexis Falconieri, St. Bartholomew Amidei, St. Benedict dell' Antella, St. Gerardino Sostegni, St. John Buonagiunta, and St. Ricovero Uguccione (Hugh)
18. The Order of Friars Minor (Franciscans) was founded by St. Francis of Assisi
19. "[N]uns and sisters...devote themselves in various religious orders to the practice of a life of perfection" (Catholic Encyclopedia). Note that, strictly speaking, a female belonging to a religious institute having solemn vows is a 'nun', whereas one who takes only simple vows is a 'sister'.
20. Religious profession refers to "A contract whereby a novice freely gives himself, by the taking of vows, to the religious life in a community approved by the Church. It may be solemn or simple, and this latter temporary or perpetual." (Catholic Dictionary)
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For more information concerning the topics above, try http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/tp/topic_page-vocations.htm and also try our General A-Z Index at http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/help.htm
Like trivia? You might enjoy our crossword puzzles located at http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/pc/catholic_activities/catholic_fun_crossword_puzzles.htm
You might also be interested in the Q & A and historical information which may be found each day on the MCS Daily Digest at http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/cg/mcs_daily_digest.asp
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Defending the Faith: "Apologetics Brief" - Do You Think Religious Truths Can Change Over Time?
It is good for Catholics to be able to defend their faith against attacks (or even simple questions) from those outside the Church. We therefore hope you may find the following "apologetics brief" helpful.
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Note: Text below is taken from http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/nc/non_catholics__unchanging_doctrine.htm
The following may be used as discussion points when discoursing with those outside the Church (or even among Catholics).
Topic: Do You Think Religious Truths Can Change Over Time? [Note: Topic is directed at certain Protestants]
Consider:
* Since God is perfect, and therefore unchangeable, how can you imagine that His truths can change?
"God is not man that he should speak falsely, nor human, that he should change his mind. Is he one to speak and not act, to decree and not fulfill?" (Num. 23:19)
"Of old you laid the earth's foundations; the heavens are the work of your hands. They perish, but you remain; they all wear out like a garment; Like clothing you change them and they are changed, but you are the same, your years have no end." (Ps. 102:26-28)
"He plumbs the depths and penetrates the heart; their innermost being he understands. The Most High possesses all knowledge, and sees from of old the things that are to come: He makes known the past and the future, and reveals the deepest secrets. No understanding does he lack; no single thing escapes him. Perennial is his almighty wisdom; he is from all eternity one and the same, with nothing added, nothing taken away; no need of a counselor for him!" (Sirach 42:18-22)
"Even to your old age I am the same, even when your hair is gray I will bear you; It is I who have done this, I who will continue, and I who will carry you to safety." (Isa. 46:4)
"Surely I, the LORD, do not change, nor do you cease to be sons of Jacob." (Mal. 3:6)
"Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever." (Heb. 13:8)
"Do not be deceived, my beloved brothers: all good giving and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no alteration or shadow caused by change." (Jms. 1:16-17)
* The dogmas of faith are God's revealed truths. How do you suspect mere persons on earth could ever have the power or authority to change them?
* Why does Scripture specifically tell us to guard what has been received if religious truths are subject to change?
"Let what you heard from the beginning remain in you. If what you heard from the beginning remains in you, then you will remain in the Son and in the Father. And this is the promise that he made us: eternal life. I write you these things about those who would deceive you." (1 Jn. 2:24-26)
"If anyone comes to you and does not bring this doctrine, do not receive him in your house or even greet him; for whoever greets him shares in his evil works." (2 Jn. 1:10-11)
"Anyone who is so 'progressive' as not to remain in the teaching of the Christ does not have God; whoever remains in the teaching has the Father and the Son." (2 Jn. 1:9)
"Remember your leaders who spoke the word of God to you. Consider the outcome of their way of life and imitate their faith. Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. Do not be carried away by all kinds of strange teaching." (Heb. 13:7-9)
"Whoever teaches something different and does not agree with the sound words of our Lord Jesus Christ and the religious teaching is conceited, understanding nothing, and has a morbid disposition for arguments and verbal disputes. From these come envy, rivalry, insults, evil suspicions, and mutual friction among people with corrupted minds, who are deprived of the truth, supposing religion to be a means of gain." (1 Tm. 6:3-5)
"O Timothy, guard what has been entrusted to you. Avoid profane babbling and the absurdities of so-called knowledge. By professing it, some people have deviated from the faith. Grace be with all of you." (1 Tm. 6:20-21)
"I am amazed that you are so quickly forsaking the one who called you by (the) grace (of Christ) for a different gospel (not that there is another). But there are some who are disturbing you and wish to pervert the gospel of Christ. But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach (to you) a gospel other than the one that we preached to you, let that one be accursed! As we have said before, and now I say again, if anyone preaches to you a gospel other than the one that you received, let that one be accursed! Am I now currying favor with human beings or God? Or am I seeking to please people? If I were still trying to please people, I would not be a slave of Christ. Now I want you to know, brothers, that the gospel preached by me is not of human origin. For I did not receive it from a human being, nor was I taught it, but it came through a revelation of Jesus Christ. For you heard of my former way of life in Judaism, how I persecuted the church of God beyond measure and tried to destroy it, and progressed in Judaism beyond many of my contemporaries among my race, since I was even more a zealot for my ancestral traditions." (Gal. 1:6-14)
* Where did you get the idea that religious truths can change over time?
* Considering that "continuity with the apostolic witness is the safeguard of right belief", why are you not troubled by changes in doctrine (e.g. by those outside the Church)?
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"Truth...cannot change from day to day." (Pope Pius XII)
"Those who wage war against the truth are powerless to win; rather, they wound themselves, like those who kick against spikes." (St. John Chrysostom, Doctor of the Church)
"There is only one way of standing in the truth; many and various of not standing in it." [Origen ("the greatest scholar of Christian antiquity" - although he would eventually be excommunicated and be regarded as a heretic), 3rd century A.D.]
"Eternity itself is the substance of God, which has nothing that is changeable. There is nothing there that is past, as if it were no longer; nothing there is future, as if it not yet were. There is nothing there except 'is'." (St. Augustine, Doctor of the Church, c. 5th century A.D.)
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For more apologetics resources, please visit http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/non-catholics.htm
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In Closing...
"It is impossible to meditate with devotion upon the mysteries of the Rosary and live in a state of sin." (St. John Vianney)
"The fathers and mothers of families particularly must give an example to their children, especially when, at sunset, they gather together after the day's work, within the domestic walls, and recite the Holy Rosary on bended knees before the image of the Virgin, together fusing voice, faith and sentiment. This is a beautiful and salutary custom, from which certainly there cannot but be derived tranquility and abundance of heavenly gifts for the household." (Pope Pius XI, "Ingravescentibus Malis", 1937 A.D.)
"There is a certain curious instrument which marks with great accuracy the different degrees of temperature. It contains a fluid which rises when the weather is warm, and falls again as the weather grows cold. You have seen, no doubt, the instrument of which I speak: it is called a thermometer. Now, there is another kind of thermometer, not indeed of the natural, but of the supernatural life - a thermometer which indicates very correctly the warmth of faith in a Catholic, in a family, in a community; and this instrument is the Rosary. It is a well-known fact that wherever the Devotion of the Rosary is practiced, there faith is warm and active." (Muller)
"Now, to appease the might of an outraged God and to bring that health of soul so needed by those who are sorely afflicted, there is nothing better than devout and persevering prayer, provided it be joined with a love for and practice of Christian life. And both of these, the spirit of prayer and the practice of Christian life, are best attained through the devotion of the Rosary of Mary." (Pope Leo XIII, "Magnae Dei Matris", 1892 A.D.)
"And he hath on his garment and on his thigh written: KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS. " (Apoc. 19:16)
"If, therefore, the rulers of nations wish to preserve their authority, to promote and increase the prosperity of their countries, they will not neglect the public duty of reverence and obedience to the rule of Christ." (Pope Pius XI)
"He shall be great and shall be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of David his father: and he shall reign in the house of Jacob for ever." (Lk. 1:32)
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