“It is impossible for a believer to be saved, or to receive remission of sins and be admitted to the kingdom of heaven, unless in fear, faith and love he receives communion of the pure Mysteries of the Body and blood of Christ.” - St. Nilus of Sinai
As Vatican II affirms, the Eucharist is the source and summit of our faith.
Photo: Wiccan prayer beads.
More on the Cosmic rosary thing…again?
Michael Brown of Spirit Daily has another post on the Cosmic Rosary - gosh - he just won’t let this go will he? Why do people think this is such a big deal? Catholics don’t have a copyright on prayer beads.
Religions predating Christianity have used stones or beads to count their prayers, as have later non-Christian religions, such as Islam. In Persia, a string of prayer beads is called a Tasbih. Prayer beads are far more ancient than Christianity; Hindus, Buddhists, and other pagan religions have all used prayer beads, some with amulets attached. (In China the beads are called, Shu Zhu; in Japan, Juzu; in India, Japa Malas.) The Marian rosary, as we know it, began as Pater Noster beads, 150 count, for people who did not know the psalter by heart. (The Eastern Orthodox retain the use of so-called Jesus beads, developed by early hesychasts.)
Catholics believe Our Lady instructed St. Dominic to promote the rosary amongst the faithful to defeat heresy and evangelize the people. The rosary given by Our Lady at that time, was pretty much the same format as we pray it today. Although in medieval art, the rosary is often depicted without a crucifix or even a centerpiece. In fact, the Dominican method of praying the rosary does not include the first five beads of prayer between the crucifix and centerpiece. (1 Pater bead, 3 Ave beads, 1 Gloria bead, etc.)
Today, non-Catholics, such as Lutherans and Anglicans, sometimes pray the traditional Roman Catholic rosary. In fact, Anglicans have developed a variant on the rosary, but I am unfamiliar with it. Today neo-pagans and New Agers have come up with they’re own style of prayer beads. The “new” beads are obviously not the rosary of Our Lady.
But so what?
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Interestingly enough, the Lutheran rosary uses what they call the pre-Trent Hail Mary on the Ave beads, or an invocation of Martin Luther’s in honor of the Madonna:
Pre-Trent Hail Mary
Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou among women and blessed is the fruit of they womb, Jesus Christ. Amen.
Evangelical praise of the Mother of God (Attributed to Martin Luther)
O Blessed Virgin, Mother of God, what great comfort God has shown us in you, by so graciously regarding your unworthiness and low estate. This encourages us to believe that henceforth He will not despise us poor and lowly ones, but graciously regard us also, according to your example.
Rome.
I noticed a story at Lifesite News that homosexuals marched in Rome in support of same sex marriage, and the Italian government sponsored the event. The Gay Pride parade seems to have been a counter show of support for their cause in reaction to the thousands of Italians who recently demonstrated in support of family life.
I immediately thought of St. Maximilian Kolbe, who, while studying in Rome, witnessed Masons protesting against the Church. He subsequently started the Militia of Mary Immaculate to counter the revolutionary forces under way in society at the time. Today such forces seem to be in power.
They lack the virtue of charity.
The greatest sin of militant homosexuals, and others revolting against Church teaching, the Commandments, indeed God himself, is their lack of charity. How is that you may ask?
Simple, the first principle of practicing the love of God is the effort to avoid sin, especially mortal sin and all that causes it.
The second would naturally incline the person who loves God to bring himself into conformity with his will, by obeying God’s Commandments and those of the Church.
The third would flow from this love of God - or rather cannot be separated from it. That is, love of neighbor - loving God for his own sake and loving our neighbor for God’s sake. Loving our neighbor means to seek his good, and the ultimate good is uncreated good, meaning God himself - who alone can satisfy man’s longing for happiness and fulfillment. Drawing our neighbor into sin and rebellion against God is not charity.
“Charity does not rejoice in evil” - 1 Corinthians 13:6
Thus, anti-Catholic, militant homosexuals, just as any other group in revolt against God, lack charity. They do not believe or obey the Divine or Natural Law, and by teaching others to do so indicates the contempt they have for God, themselves, as well as their fellow man. Deluded as they might be, they believe they are acting out of love, mistaking lust for love - just as others mistake euthanasia for mercy, and so on.
As today’s Gospel teaches us, we must counter this hatred with love. We must love our enemies, imitating God who loves them - making his sun to shine on the bad and the good. It should be our principle response to their hatred of the Church and ourselves. Which was the plan St. Maximilian devised in creating the Militia of the Immaculata.
O Mary conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee, and for those who do not have recourse to thee, expecially the enemies of the Church, and those recommended to thee. - St. Maximilian Kolbe
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