""Marian...not opposed to Christological.." St. JPII

[MariaChristi]

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

On this First Saturday, may we “keep our Mother company” praying the Rosary in reparation to her Immaculate Heart. Let us lister to JPII’s letter “On the Most Holy Rosary”:

The ten “Hail Marys”

1. This is the most substantial element in the Rosary and also the one which makes it a Marian prayer par excellence. … when the Hail Mary is properly understood, we come to see clearly that its Marian character is not opposed to its Christological character, but it… actually emphasizes and increases it. The first part of the Hail Mary, drawn from the words spoken to Mary by the Angel Gabriel and by Saint Elizabeth, is a contemplation in adoration of the mystery accomplished in the Virgin of Nazareth. These words … could be said to give us a glimpse of God’s own wonderment as he contemplates his “masterpiece” – the Incarnation of the Son in the womb of the Virgin Mary. … The repetition of the Hail Mary in the Rosary gives us a share in God’s own wonder and pleasure: in jubilant amazement we acknowledge the greatest miracle of history. Mary’s prophecy here finds its fulfilment: “Henceforth all generations will call me blessed” (Lk 1:48).

The centre of gravity in the Hail Mary, the hinge as it were which joins its two parts, is the name of Jesus. Sometimes, in hurried recitation, this centre… can be overlooked, and with it the connection to the mystery of Christ being contemplated. Yet it is precisely the emphasis given to the name of Jesus and to his mystery that is the sign of a meaningful and fruitful recitation of the Rosary. Pope Paul VI drew attention, in his Apostolic Exhortation Marialis Cultus, to the custom in certain regions of highlighting the name of Christ by the addition of a clause referring to the mystery being contemplated. This is a praiseworthy custom, especially during public recitation. It gives forceful expression to our faith in Christ, directed to the different moments of the Redeemer’s life. It is at once a profession of faith and an aid in concentrating our meditation, since it facilitates the process of assimilation to the mystery of Christ inherent in the repetition of the Hail Mary. When we repeat the name of Jesus – the only name given to us by which we may hope for salvation (cf. Acts 4:12) – in close association with the name of his Blessed Mother, almost as if it were done at her suggestion, we set out on a path of assimilation meant to help us enter more deeply into the life of Christ.

From Mary’s uniquely privileged relationship with Christ, which makes her the Mother of God, Theotókos, derives the forcefulness of the appeal we make to her … as we entrust to her maternal intercession our lives and the hour of our death.

Come Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of Your faithful; kindle in us the fire of Your Love. Enable us to pray well.
Jesus we trust in You!
Immaculate Heart of Mary, pray for us.

 

[Greenfields]

Thank you Maria Christi for posting, I look forward to your threads God bless.

 

[MariaChristi]

Dear Green fields,

Thanks for your reply. I am about to post another excerpt which I somehow forgot to post, it belongs ahead of today’s excerpt since our decades of the Rosary begin with the “Our Father”. So glad you are being blessed by the words of this Saint – I certainly am blessed by reading St. John Paul II’s Letter too!

 

[Tis_Bearself]

MariaChristi, I thought you would like to see the large crowd at the big Flame of Love event in honor of Our Lady (the devotion started by Elizabeth Kindelmann). It was a Mass at the Philadelphia seminary church, and so full. Right after I took this, even more people came and filled the empty spots in front of me. And this was on Friday evening, not even on Sunday. This devotion is very popular in Philadelphia area.

(Please Note: This uploaded content is no longer available.)

 

[Limoncello4021]

I’ve never seen pews arranged like that, so most people have to crane their necks sideways to see the altar. Why did they build it like that?

 

[Tis_Bearself]

I’ve never seen pews arranged like that, so most people have to crane their necks sideways to see the altar. Why did they build it like that?

This is the seminary chapel, built I believe in the 1800s. I’ve seen similar designs at other 19th century chapels for religious orders. It’s my understanding that the purpose of this design was originally to have the members of the religious order, or in this case, probably the clergy who taught at the seminary and their pupils, sitting in the seats facing each other and closer to the altar so they could be singing parts of the Mass and keeping up with the cues from the other different groups singing different parts. The seats in the back, facing the altar and further from the altar, were for the general public who are just attending and are not going to be singing the Mass.

 

[MariaChristi]

Thanks Tis_Bearself,

I’ve read some of the materials relating to the “Flame of Love Devotion” and heard Mr. Mullen speak via the internet. I’m glad to see this many peple interested in learning more about devotion to Our Lady. I always go slowly on private revelations, however. I am more inclined toward those fully approved by the Church and usually connected in some way with a canonized saint.

Thanks for sharing the picture – may God continue to bless all who seek to honor Him and our Mother Mary.

 

[Tis_Bearself]

I understand what you are saying about canonization, and I am sometimes a little frustrated with people who go rushing to receive the new while perhaps ignoring the older devotions like Our Mother of Perpetual Help. Although I was very pleased to find not one but two novenas to Our Mother of Perpetual Help going on after Mass at two churches I recently attended.

With respect to Kindelmann not being canonized, that’s up to the will of God, but Archbishop Chaput of Philadelphia is quite conservative. I am sure if there was anything wrong with the activities of the Flame of Love, which essentially involve praying rosaries, praying for unity among all peoples, and doing penance for souls in purgatory, he would not be permitting so many Flame of Love prayer cenacles all over his diocese (there are about 10 of them which is how I found out about this, they leave copies of the diary in the churches), much less allowing the Philadelphia seminary to be used for such a large Mass associated with the devotion. Kindelmann is deceased and her diary, on which the devotion is based, has the nihil obstat and imprimatur, so it’s fine to read for devotional purposes, whether or not one believes in the private revelation. I always make sure of these things also since I am quite familiar with all the followers of Lueken and Van Hoof etc.

If this Flame of Love devotion continues to spread, I have a feeling that someone will be opening a cause for Elizabeth Kindelmann one of these days. However, the devotion at this particular event simply consisted of everyone saying the Rosary together and then two people spoke on Guadalupe and vocations and then we had a big Mass.

I note that Our Lady of Guadalupe, which is an approved revelation, was also discussed and venerated with a large image at the same Mass, and from the number of people leaving petitions or praying before that image, they are just devoted to Our Lady generally.

 

[MariaChristi]

Dear Tis_Bearself,

Yes, the Church moves slowly and one of the best Retreat Masters I ever had used to say: “Slow is Beautiful”. It is wise to go slowly on any private revelation and often they are proved true or false only with time, and according to God’s Holy Will.

The “nihil obstat” simply means there is nothing in the writing that is against the faith. It is good to know that before we pick up a spiritual book – however the priests who are in charge of reading the books that come out these days are often overwhelmed by the volume and so some excellent books can come out without having the nihil obstat.

Personally I find that prayerfully reading the Scriptures and the Catechism of the Catholic Church are good ways to discern Truth from error in what we read. Prayer to the Holy Spirit before any spiritual reading and often in our personal prayer is important. Jesus promised His disciples, the night before He died, that He and the Father would send the Holy Spirit to bring His followers into all Truth.

There are probably hundreds of saints in heaven who were never canonized. Canonization does not make the saint. It is rather because saints lived Christ; God wants the Church to recognizes their holiness, so that we may follow Him and Live His Life also.

A prayer by Father Olier expresses this:

O Jesus, living in Mary, come and live in your servants, in the spirit of holiness, in the fullness of your power, in the perfection of your ways, in the truth of your virtues, in the communion of your mysteries. Rule over every adverse power, in your Spirit, for the glory of the Father. Amen.
---- Jean Jacques Olier, S.S. (1608-1657)

Thanks again for your reply.