Today, Oct. 6 - First Saturday of October

[MariaChristi]

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

Hope many of you are heeding our Lady’s request to pray the Rosary daily, and also are mindful of Jesus’ request for devotion to her Immaculate Heart. In the apparition of Mary and Jesus to Sister Lucia of Fatima, we read:

Lucia was a postulant in the Convent of St. Dorothy in Pontevedra, Spain when she had the apparition of our Blessed Mother. She was standing over a cloud of light with the Child Jesus at her side. The Blessed Virgin put one hand on Lucia’s shoulder, while her other hand sustained her Immaculate Heart that was surrounded with thorns. The Child Jesus said: "Have compassion on the Heart of your Blessed Mother. It is surrounded with thorns that ungrateful men pierce each moment, and there is no one that is willing to offer an act of reparation to take the thorns away."

Our Lady immediately said to Lucia: "Look, my daughter. My Heart is surrounded with thorns that ungrateful men pierce unceasingly with their blasphemies and ingratitude. You, at least, try to console me and announce that for all those, who for five consecutive first Saturdays, confess, receive Holy Communion, pray the Holy Rosary and accompany me for15 minutes by meditating the mysteries of the Holy Rosary with the intention to do reparation, I promise to assist them at the hour of death with the graces needed for salvation."

If anyone is unable to participate at Mass, to receive Jesus sacramentally in the Eucharist, we can still receive Jesus in a “Spiritual Communion” asking Him to come in a special way to our hearts. We can pray the Rosary with our utmost attention and devotion, meditating on the Mysteries and prayers of the Rosary, in reparation for our sins and the sins of the world.

Today is the Feast of St. Bruno, who lived in solitude. Let us seek a “quiet place” within our hearts to spend 15 minutes with Mary our Mother to comfort her.

 

[MariaChristi]

Dear Seagull, Greenfields and Tis_ Bearself,

Thanks for “stopping by” and liking this post.

First Fridays and First Saturdays – indeed every Friday and Saturday have become “days of special reparation for me.” Each time I think of any mystery of the Rosary I marvel at God’s Infinite Love for us in sending Jesus through Mary. Of course, praying the Sorrowful Mysteries, makes me ponder ever more deeply the sufferings of both Jesus and Mary during His Passion.

Even the Joyful Mysteries have “seeds of sorrow” in them and so today in pondering the Joyful Mysteries, I tried to comfort Mary as she asked Lucia:

…Our Lady immediately said to Lucia: "Look, my daughter. My Heart is surrounded with thorns that ungrateful men pierce unceasingly with their blasphemies and ingratitude. You, at least, try to console me

Not too long ago, I read in one of St. Teresa of Avila’s books that Jesus told St. Teresa, He appeared to His Mother first after His Resurrection, since she needed to be consoled. Not sure if I had thought Mary’s faith was so strong that it protected her in some way from the terrible pain and sorrow of Jesus’ Passion, or minimized it in some way, but I realized that was not true for she was told a sword would pierce her heart, and so she truly suffered as God revealed she would!

Mary’s faith certainly was stronger that we can even imagine but that did not mean she was protected from the pain she suffered in her compassion. What a mystery – that we can console her even now!