Tag Archives: peace

Fixing the Root Cause of Violent Crime: Healthy and Holy Marriages and Families

10 Saturday Aug 2019

Posted by in Family, Marriage

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , , , , ,

St Josemaria on Marriage

The future of the world and of the Church passes through the family.[1]

These prophetic words were penned by St. John Paul II in 1982 in his Apostolic Exhortation Familiaris Consortio (The Christian Family in the Modern World). Society and the Church are built on the foundation of strong marriage and family life.

The well-being of the individual person and of human and Christian society is intimately linked with the healthy condition of that community produced by marriage and family.[2]

These equally prophetic words were written in 1965 by Pope Paul VI in the Vatican II document, Pastoral Constitution on the Church in the Modern World (Gaudium et Spes). It was a time when traditional values were being questioned and often jettisoned as being “old fashioned.” Divorce was rapidly rising, the number of children born out of wedlock was increasing and traditional family life and moral values were under attack.

Our society today is suffering the ills of the breakup of marriages and families. Continue reading →

Lord, Heal Our Land

06 Saturday Jul 2019

Posted by in Family, Marriage

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , , , ,

United we stand

If my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land. 2 Chronicles 7:14

As we just celebrated the 243rd birthday of our nation, our country is fraught with division and strife. We are in a cultural battle between good and evil. Our only hope is to turn to God to heal our land.

On January 22, 1999, when St. John Paul II named Our Lady of Guadalupe patron of the Americas, he asked her to intercede for peace, justice and respect:

Holy Virgin of Guadalupe, Queen of Peace! Save the nations and peoples of this continent. Teach everyone, political leaders and citizens, to live in true freedom and to act according to the requirements of justice and respect for human rights, so that peace may thus be established once and for all.[1]

Continue reading →

The Rosary: A Prayer for Peace in the Family and the World

18 Saturday May 2019

Posted by in Family, Marriage

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , ,

Rosary and Bible_01

In the Catholic Church, May is a month devoted to honoring the Blessed Virgin Mary. There are many Marian devotions, the most popular and well-known is the recitation of the Most Holy Rosary, a prayer that St. John Paul II called “a compendium of the Gospel.”

At the beginning of the third millennium, “which witnesses every day in numerous parts of the world fresh scenes of bloodshed and violence,” St. John Paul II issued Rosarium Virginis Mariae, an Apostolic Letter on the Rosary.

In this letter, he urged the faithful to pray the Rosary for peace. He said the Rosary is a “means to immerse oneself in contemplation of the mystery of Christ who ‘is our peace’, since he made ‘the two of us one, and broke down the dividing wall of hostility’ (Eph 2:14).” The Pope stressed that “one cannot recite the Rosary without feeling caught up in a clear commitment to advancing peace.”[1]

Continue reading →

Love, Mercy, and Forgiveness

28 Sunday Apr 2019

Posted by in Family, Marriage

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , , , ,

Divine Mercy Mary JPII (2)

Today, on this the last day of the Octave of Easter, the readings for the Mass focus on the mercy of God. Pope John Paul II at the canonization of St. Faustina in 2000, declared that the “Second Sunday of Easter, which from now on throughout the Church will be called ‘Divine Mercy Sunday.’”[1] The feast is based on the private revelations of St. Faustina Kowalska, a Polish nun, who recommended a particular devotion to the Divine Mercy.

In his homily on the first celebration of Divine Mercy Sunday, St. John Paul II stressed that love is the foundation of mercy, both in God’s mercy to us, His creatures and in our relationships with others:

Continue reading →

The Mystery of Christmas

24 Monday Dec 2018

Posted by in Family, Marriage

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , , , ,

rembrandt-adoration-of-the-shepherds-1646

Adoration of the Shepherds by Rembrandt van Rijn, c. 1646

For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government will be upon his shoulder, and his name will be called “Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Isaiah 9:6

The following is an excerpt from St. John Paul II’s Urbi Et Orbi Message, Christmas 2002.[1]

Continue reading →

The Rosary: A Powerful Weapon to Protect Families

14 Sunday Oct 2018

Posted by in Family, Marriage

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , ,

Fatima Rosary.png

Two of the Three Fatima Children, Jacinta Marto and Lúcia dos Santos

The Church dedicates the entire month of October to Our Lady of the Rosary. It was during October, 1917 that the last of six apparitions of Our Blessed Mother to three shepherd children occurred at Fátima, Portugal. In her appearances to the children – Lúcia, Francisco, and Jacinta – the Virgin Mary requested conversion, prayer, particularly the recitation of the Rosary, and sacrifices on behalf of sinners.

Ralph Martin, president of Renewal Ministries discussed the urgent message of Fatima during a recent episode of the EWTN TV series The Choices We Face. The TV series began in 1985 and is currently the longest running Catholic television program in the world. We highly recommend that you watch this important message:

Continue reading →

Solemnity of the Sacred Heart of Jesus – Family Consecration

08 Friday Jun 2018

Posted by in Family, Marriage

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , ,

Sacred Heart_02A new heart I will give you, and a new spirit I will put within you; and I will take out of your flesh the heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. Ezekiel 36:26

Today the Church celebrates the Solemnity of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. St. Margaret Mary Alacoque (1647–1690), was a French Visitation nun and mystic, who promoted devotion to the Sacred Heart. As a young girl, she had apparitions of Jesus Christ, which she thought were a normal part of human experience. After receiving her first Holy Communion at age nine, she suffered four years with rheumatic fever, which confined her to bed. After making a vow to the Blessed Virgin to consecrate herself to religious life, she was instantly restored to perfect health.

Continue reading →

I Thirst for You

14 Sunday Jan 2018

Posted by in Family, Marriage

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, ,

Mother Teresa_Thirst

Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me. Revelation 3:20

The following is a meditation by St. Teresa of Calcutta on the above passage from the book of Revelation. May you encounter the living God, come down from heaven, Jesus Christ, in her words. He is the lover of your soul.

Continue reading →

The Nativity of the Lord

25 Monday Dec 2017

Posted by in Family, Marriage

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , , ,

Adoration of the Shepherds

Adoration of the Shepherds – Gerard van Honthorst (1590 – 1656)

Our family has a great affinity for Nativity scenes. We collect them, display them and enjoy looking at Nativity scenes from countries around the world. The variety of styles are fascinating and intriguing, yet their message is the same, “a savior has been born…who is Messiah and Lord” (Lk 2:11). It has been our custom that the manger remains empty until the dark hours of Christmas Eve. Our family gathers around the manger as Jesus is placed lovingly in the manger with reverence and awe. Traditionally, Luke’s account of the birth of Jesus is then read (Lk 2:1-20) or the birth of Emmanuel (Is 7:10-14), followed by a prayer of blessing such as this:

Continue reading →

The Lord Is Coming!

24 Sunday Dec 2017

Posted by in Family, Marriage

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , , , ,

advent-wreath-04

The wilderness and the dry land shall be glad, the desert shall rejoice and blossom; like the crocus it shall blossom abundantly, and rejoice with joy and singing. The glory of Lebanon shall be given to it, the majesty of Carmel and Sharon. They shall see the glory of the Lord, the majesty of our God. Isaiah 35:1-2

On this the fourth Sunday of Advent and the Eve of the Nativity of the Lord, our prayer is that you realize the awesome gift God has given you through the birth of His Son. God loved you so much that He did not want sin to separate you from Him. He sent His beloved Son to die in your place so that you could spend eternity with Him. Spend time today contemplating all the Lord has done for you through this gift. May your heart be filled with joy at the coming of the Christ Child!

Continue reading →