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Everyday Rosary Newsletter -- Real Secrets To A Strong Catholic Faith June 18, 2012 |
Everyday Rosary Newsletter, Volume 4 Issue #02 -- The Real Secret To A Strong Catholic FaithSpring 2012 June 18, 2012
The monthly Everyday Rosary Newsletter is brought to you from the How-to-pray-the-rosary-everyday.com website. In each issue you will find Rosary inspirations, new meditations, feature articles and ideas that support your prayer life, a calendar of upcoming Rosary Feast Days, and how to incorporate your faith in other holidays. Plus stories on how the Rosary has affected the lives of others and what people are doing to promote the Rosary. It will also keep you up-to-date on information added to the site. It is your monthly dose of Rosary inspiration! Table of Contents
A Note From The Editor:There is a crisis of Faith. Many youth are leaving the Church. Parishes are closing. There are fewer priests as pews are emptying. The purpose of this newsletter is not to show statistics or dwell on this sad fact but rather to offer a remedy. The real secret to a deep Catholic Faith lies in orthodoxy, catechism, and a deep devotional and interior life. An online dictionary defines orthodox as: adhering to the accepted or traditional and established faith, especially in religion. By prescribing orthodoxy as a solution to our current problem, it is meant that Catholics, and especially those in teaching authority must adhere to the accepted, traditional and established tenets of the Catholic Faith as held and taught by our Holy Father Pope Benedict XVI and the bishops in union with him. The only way you can be sure you are orthodox in belief is by having a thorough knowledge of the catechism which establishes a sound education in the faith. During an address to the bishops of the United States on May 5, 2012, Pope Benedict XVI said, “It is no exaggeration to say that providing young people with a sound education in the faith represents the most urgent internal challenge facing the Catholic community in your country.”
There is an official Catechism of the Catholic Church
The catechisms that are the easiest to comprehend and internalize are the Baltimore Catechisms The importance of a good understanding of the catechism cannot be stressed enough. A Catholic who doesn’t know their catechism is like a surgeon who never memorized the anatomy of the human body. But no amount of knowledge can replace the value of a deep prayer life. The chief devotion that we teach and encourage is the Most Holy Rosary. There are countless other devotions that you can incorporate into your prayer life that will draw you closer to Our Lord and root you firmly in the Catholic Faith. Every Catholic who wants to grow in their faith must eventually develop an interior life. Read on to learn more ways to build a truly rich Catholic Faith by implementing the tools of orthodoxy, catechism and a strong devotional life. TopArticlesStrengthening The Faith Through Sound Education The importance of adhering to the truths expressed in the Catholic faith as taught by the Magisterium is imperative to a strong Faith. If you don’t believe all that Holy Mother Church teaches, you cannot remain a truly faithful Catholic for long. The tenets of the faith that seem most difficult for people to follow, and are under attack the most by the secular culture, seem to be those concerning marriage. The sixth precept of the Church is to obey the marriage laws of the Church. This is where a solid understanding of the catechism comes in. You must know the laws of the Church if you are to follow them. Living together before marriage is against Church law. Husbands and wives must accept and educate the children God gives them. The use of artificial contraception is against both natural law and Church law. A Catholic must be married in the presence of a priest or bishop and before two witnesses. Both husband and wife must be baptized or a dispensation must be procured from the bishop. They must also be free to marry. Examples of impediments to marriage are religious vows and a previous marriage that is seen as valid by the Catholic Church. Those of the same sex cannot marry, as this is a crime against both natural law and the law of the Church. Matrimony is a sacrament and Catholics must be in the state of grace before the marriage. The sacrament of Penance should be received soon before the marriage takes place. The purpose here is not to go into detail about the many laws of the Church or even on marriage in particular, but rather to show the importance of first learning the Church’s laws and teachings, then following them. A thorough knowledge of the catechism is indispensable.
If you have children, you must teach them the catechism from the earliest of years. In fact it has been my observation that if all Catholics knew the basic St. Joseph First Communion Catechism Catechisms usually work their way from the truths about Creation, through the first sins and the fall of man, to an explanation of the Trinity and Who Jesus is and why He became Man. They move onto an explanation of sin and grace as well as the necessity of the seven sacraments. All the while drilling these truths in a question and answer format.
If you are an adult and have no children, you need to work your way through the Baltimore Catechism No. 4 Another thing you must be actively doing to incite a deep personal faith is growing spiritually by developing an interior life. According to a web definition, an interior life is a life which seeks God in everything, a life of prayer and the practice of living in the presence of God. It connotes intimate, friendly conversation with Him, and a determined focus on internal prayer versus external actions, while these latter are transformed into means of prayer. This should be a goal for every Catholic. The saints demonstrate this lifestyle again and again. You must live a life of prayer if you are to seek God in everything. You need to frequent the sacraments and visit Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament if you want to live in the presence of God. A prayerful life enriched by the sacraments will enable you to truly enter into intimate and friendly conversation with God. This life of deep interior spirituality will enable your external actions to automatically reflect your interior thoughts and desires. This is a way to truly become more Christlike.
Read the Lives of the Saints The combination of following Church teaching, studying and instructing the catechism and developing an interior life have incomparable value in overcoming a superficial Catholic life that is so prevalent in our times. Make it a point to start developing these habits and teaching them to others. Start today!
Top PicksThe Seven Spiritual Works Of Mercy Besides simply believing in Jesus, you must keep His Commandments for He Himself says this in St. John’s Gospel... ...“If you love me, keep my commandments.” -John 14:15 These commandments include the Ten Commandments as well as a Our Lord’s new command. Jesus summarized all the commandments as follows... One, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with thy whole heart, and with thy whole soul, and with thy whole mind, and with thy whole strength. And Second, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. In order to follow these two commandments, you need to practice the corporal works and spiritual works of mercy. This newsletter’s Top Picks are the Seven Spiritual Works of Mercy...
Easier said than done, but daily we must be doing these things if we LOVE Our Lord. Top
Calendar Of Upcoming Feast DaysJune - Month of the Sacred Heart Most Holy Trinity - June 3rd Corpus Christi (traditional) - June 7th - The Body of Christ, the fifth Luminous Mystery, the Institution of the Holy Eucharist The Most Precious Body and Blood of Christ (Corpus Christi Sunday) - June 10th The Most Sacred Heart of Jesus - June 15th - The Sorrowful Mysteries of the Rosary Our Lord’s words to St. Margaret Mary Alacoque I am asking you to have the Friday after the Octave of Corpus Christi set apart as a special feast in honor of My Heart, a day on which to receive Me in Holy Communion and make a solemn act of reparation for the indignities I have received in the Blessed Sacrament while exposed on the altars of the world. I promise you too that I shall open My Heart to all who honor Me in this way, and who have others do the same; they will feel in all its fullness the power of My love. The Immaculate Heart of Mary - June 16th - The Glorious Mysteries of the Rosary Nativity of St. John the Baptist - June 24th July - Month of the Precious Blood First Friday - July 6th - Sacred Heart Devotion First Saturday - July 7th - Immaculate Heart Devotion
Our Lady of Mount Carmel - July 16th - Mary told St. Dominic, "One day through the Rosary August - Month of the Immaculate Heart First Friday - August 3rd Sacred Heart Devotion First Saturday - August 4th Immaculate Heart Devotion
St. Alphonsus Liguori - August 1st - Greatly devoted to the Blessed Virgin Mary. His book, The Glories of Mary, St. John Vianney - August 4th - The patron saint of priests. Say a Rosary for your priest today. The Transfiguration - August 6th - The fourth Luminous Mystery St. Dominic - August 8th - Mary revealed the rosary Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary - August 15th - Holy day of Obligation in the USA. Fourth Glorious Mystery Queenship of Mary - August 22nd - Glorious Mysteries
ResourcesRosary Gift ResourcesBooks And Spiritual Reading Catechisms
Miscellaneous Important Links
TestimonialsWe love to hear from our visitors. Here is what a recent visitor had to say about How-to-pray-the-rosary-everyday.com"I am glad to have come across this site it restores hope and furthers our faith, thank you." -N. Cooke
Meet This Month's Rosary Promoter!Who: Jerald Franklin Archer is a violinist, composer and music teacher. Mr. Archer began his professional career in performing with various bluegrass and country bands in Indianapolis as well as private concerts of Baroque and Early Classical Music for weddings, private and corporate affairs and Holy Mass. He has won various awards for his violin playing. He has enjoyed his musical career for over 20 years. Read the entire interview here... =========================================================== If you would like to be highlighted as the Rosary Promoter of the Month, use the Rosary Promoter Submission page on How-to-pray-the-rosary-everyday.com and write us asking for a Rosary Promoter application. If you know someone that promotes the Rosary and should be featured as a Rosary promoter, by all means pass this along to them or send us their information and we'll contact them. Top Q&AThis Question Was Recently Asked Using Our Contact Us Page...This question in one form or another is frequently asked so we thought we would answer it here in an effort to explain the proper and improper use of rosaries worn as necklaces... Can rosary beads be worn as jewelry and is there any good or bad luck associated with rosaries worn around the neck? Yes, rosary beads can be worn as jewelry such as around ones neck. Rosary beads worn this way can be considered pious or sacrilegious depending on your intentions. The most important question to ask yourself is, "Why do I want to wear this?" One contributor to our site has a pious reason for wearing the rosary. He said...
Another contributor had a good recommendation. He advised... "As (the rosary) is an object of devotion and a sacramental, one must respect it and preserve it from becoming a vanity item. I see this sometimes happen in younger people, which is normal, and some gang members use it as a status symbol to other gang members. However it is worn, it is important to remember they are not magic charms and can only help you if you make an effort to get closer to Jesus through His mother Mary. Furthermore, there is no need to wear a rosary at all and still be completely faithful to this devotion. If you think of a rosary as a good luck charm, wear it for vanity’s sake or for some status symbol, you are wearing it for the wrong reason. This is a misuse of a rosary and is a sin and a sacrilege because a rosary is a sacred object. No, there is no good luck or bad luck associated with wearing rosaries. Rosary beads are sacramentals when they are blessed by a Catholic priest. "Sacramentals are holy things or actions of which the Church makes use to obtain for us from God, through her intercession, spiritual and temporal favors." (Baltimore Catechism Lesson 36) Spiritual and temporal favors are not the same thing as good luck. This simply means that when you devoutly pray the Rosary and treat a set of rosary beads reverently, God will send you graces for your spiritual well being and even your physical well being if that is what is best for you. No good luck or bad luck involved. But remember to use rosaries and other sacramentals with great faith and devotion. Never make them objects of superstition. If you do, you are wearing them in a sacrilegious way which is seriously displeasing to God. Please visit the Ask A Rosary Question Section on the website and ask your questions. You are encouraged to answer questions that have been posted there as well. What's NewA Glimpse Into The Next Newsletter Next Newsletter - The Value Of Suffering New On The Site - Quick Links Page We listened to our visitors suggestions and came up with a Quick Links page for people who are already familiar with the Rosary and want a quick and simple Rosary guide complete with illustrations and Scripture verses. It is a convenient way to view the mysteries and their fruits while you pray. Check it out by clicking here... Coming soon to How-to-pray-the-rosary-everyday.com - Page on the serious dangers of the occult and false religion. Thank You!Thank you for reading! Keep visiting www.how-to-pray-the-rosary-everyday.com and remember we love hearing from you. Please use the "contact us" page to leave any and all suggestions or comments. Immaculate Heart of Mary, Pray for us now and at the hour of our death! To Jesus through Mary, Kathleen Bowen and The Rosary Team P.S. If you like this newsletter and are looking for an easy way to promote the Rosary, please "email it forward" to someone you know who might appreciate it. If a friend did forward this to you and you like what you read, please subscribe now! As our site and community grows, I hope that you drop me a line and tell me how the Rosary is working in your life! Did a personal transformation take place in your life that was inspired by something on our site? Share it with the rest of us! Often, having a support community really keeps you going. Feel free to send in tips or questions too! We love mail! Everyday Rosary Newsletter is our personal Rosary newsletter and it may accept advertising and other forms of compensation. Such compensation does not influence the information in this newsletter. We always give our honest opinions, findings, beliefs, or experiences etc... for more on how our site is compensated please visit our advertising and disclosures page.
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