Why We Celebrate Christmas?

Why We Celebrate Christmas?

"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”
 Christmas is not about tinsel, nor fancy Christmas wreaths, nor is it about all the decorations that hanging on our Christmas treesnor is it about the gifts that are left By Santa Claus. Christmas is more than all of this,

 He will always be the reason we celebrate this day. So invite the Lord to join with you and remain with you instead of leaving Him out.

Mathavinte Vimala Hurdayathodulla prathishtta

 

"I promise my special protection ................."

"I promise my special protection and the greatest graces to all those who shall recite the rosary."

October is the month of Holy Rosary

 

“By tradition, the Catholic Church dedicates each month of the year to certain devotion. The month of October is dedicated to the holy rosary, one of the best known of all Catholic devotions.”

THE POWER OF THE ROSARY

St. Louis de Montfort states in his classic book, The Secret of the Rosary:

 If you say the Rosary faithfully until death, I do assure you that, in spite of the gravity of your sins, you shall receive a never fading crown of glory. For even if you are now on the brink of damnation, even if you have one foot in hell, even if you have sold your soul to the devil…sooner or later you will be converted and will amend your life and save your soul. If you say the Rosary devoutly every day of your life.

 

For interactive Rosary go to my Blog dated March 2, 2012. And Rosary in English or Malayalam in text form please go to my Blog dated February 2, 2012

 

A Prayer to Our Lady

Nativity of Our Lady – September 8

Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee.
Blessed art thou amongst women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus.

Holy Mary, mother of God, pray for us sinners now

And at the hour of our death Amen.

"Your birth, O Virgin Mother of God, proclaims joy to the whole world, for from you arose the glorious Sun of Justice, Christ our God; He freed us from the age-old curse and filled us with holiness; he destroyed death and gave us eternal life."

Kudumbaraniyodulla Japam

Prayer to the Queen of Family

Dear Lady of Perpetual Help, spotless Mother of God,
we choose thee as the Mistress
and Lady of this house. Guard it, dearest Mother,
from pestilence, lightning, fire and tempest,
from schisms and heresies, from air-raids, earthquakes
and the malice of enemies.
Protect those who dwell herein, most loving Mother,
watch over our going out and coming in,
and preserve us from sudden death.
Keep us away from all sin and harm
and pray for us, that we may serve God faithfully here,
and afterwards enjoy with thee for evermore
the blissful vision of His face.
Amen.

The Meaning of the Icon of Our Mother of Perpetual Help

Scared of the two archangels who show Him the instruments of His passion, Jesus has run to His Mother, almost loosing one of his sandals on his run. Mary holds Him on her arms in a protective and loving way. Yet, Mary's sight is not on her son, Jesus, but on ourselves.

The tiny hands of Jesus are holding Mary's hands to remind us that just as He used to hold the hands of Her Mother seeking her protection and help, He entrusts into her hands our own protection and help.

This is the general message of this icon, but it is full of symbols that we should understand. It is important to consider that the shape and size of hands and eyes are always important to understand the meaning of an icon.

 1. Greek initials for "Mother of God".

2. The crown. It was added to the original icon by prescription of the Holy See in 1867. This is a tribute to Mary for the many favors she has granted to her children when invoked as "Mother of Perpetual Help".

3. The star on the veil. Mary is known as the Stella Matutina, the morning star that brought the light in the midst of darkness. As the morning star guides sailors to their port, Mary guides us to the port of salvation.

4. Initial in Greek for Michael the Archangel, who holds the spear and the sponge used in the Passion.

5. Initial in Greek for Gabriel the Archangel, who holds the cross and nails.

6. Mary's mouth is very small on its size, to symbolize her silent recollection.

7. Mary's eyes on the contrary are big, to see our problems and preoccupations. Mary's eyes are looking at us on this icon.

8. Red tunic, a garment proper of the virgins in the times of Christ.

9. Greek initials for Jesus Christ.

10. Jesus' hands, with their palms facing down and inside Jesus' Mother's hand, symbolize that the graces of redemption are kept in custody in the hands of Mary.

11. The yellow background is the symbol of Heaven, where Jesus and Mary have been crowned. This yellow is also reflected on the garments of Jesus and Mary, symbolizing the celestial joy they bring to our hearts.

12. The dark blue tunic of Mary was the garment used by mothers in Palestine. Mary was at the same time a mother and a virgin.

13. Mary's left hand supporting Christ possessively. She is her mother. It is a comforting hand for everyone who calls on her
14. The dangling sandal. Did Jesus loose it on His run seeking for the protection and help of Her mother after seeing the vision of His passion from the archangels?

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Ouseph pithavenodulla Japam

Prayer to St. Joseph

To you, O blessed Joseph, do we come in our tribulation, and having implored the help of your most holy spouse, we confidently invoke your patronage also.

Through that charity which bound you to the Immaculate Virgin Mother of God and through the paternal love with which you embraced the Child Jesus, we humbly beg you graciously to regard the inheritance which Jesus Christ has purchased by his Blood, and with your power and strength to aid us in our necessities.

O most watchful Guardian of the Holy Family, defend the chosen children of Jesus Christ;
O most loving father, ward off from us every contagion of error and corrupting influence;
O our most mighty protector, be propitious to us and from heaven assist us in our struggle with the power of darkness; and, as once you rescued the Child Jesus from deadly peril, so now protect God’s Holy Church from the snares of the enemy and from all adversity; shield, too, each one of us by your constant protection, so that, supported by your example and your aid, we may be able to live piously, to die holily, and to obtain eternal happiness in heaven

THE HISTORY OF THE ROSARY

St. Dominic received the Rosary from mother Mary in the Church of Prouille, France in the year 1208

There are differing views on the history of the rosary. According to tradition, the rosary was given to Saint Dominic in an apparition by the Blessed Virgin Mary in the year 1208 in the church of Prouille, France. This Marian apparition received the title of Our Lady of the Rosary. In the 15th century it was promoted by Blessed Alanus de Rupe (aka Alain de la Roche or Saint Alan of the Rock), a learned Dominican priest and theologian, who established the "15 rosary promises" and started many rosary confraternities. However, most scholarly research suggests a more gradual and organic development of the rosary.

The practice of meditation during the praying of the Hail Marys is attributed to Dominic of Prussia (1382–1460), a Carthusian monk, who called it "Life of Jesus Rosary". The German monk from Trier added a sentence to each of the 50 Hail Marys, using quotes from scriptures. In 1569, the papal bull Consueverunt Romani Pontifices by the Dominican Pope Pius V officially established the devotion to the rosary in the Catholic Church.

From the 16th to the early 20th century, the structure of the rosary remained essentially unchanged. There were 15 mysteries, one for each of the 15 decades. In the 20th century the addition of the Fatima Prayer to the end of each decade became more common. There were no other changes until 2002 when John Paul II instituted five optional new Luminous Mysteries.

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 THE POWER OF THE ROSARY

St. Louis de Montfort states in his classic book, The Secret of the Rosary:

If you say the Rosary faithfully until death, I do assure you that, in spite of the gravity of your sins, you shall receive a never fading crown of glory. For even if you are now on the brink of damnation, even if you have one foot in hell, even if you have sold your soul to the devil…sooner or later you will be converted and will amend your life and save your soul. If–you say the Rosary devoutly every day of your life.

St. Alphonsus Liguori says that at each Hail Mary the angels are attracted to us, while the devils are repelled

THE POPES ON THE POWER OF THE ROSARY

Pope Pius IX once said, "If I had an army to say the Rosary, "I could conquer the world." And he said this because the Rosary, next to the Mass, is the most powerful weapon in the Church’s arsenal.

Pope Leo XIII said, "The Rosary, if devoutly used is bound to benefit not only the individual, but society at large." In addition to this, he went so far as to state that "the Rosary is our best hope, since it can more than anything else implore from God the help that we need." And interestingly, he added, "the Rosary is the best prayer to help the cause of Christian unity."

Pope Pius XII believed its recitation is the key to peace and happiness in our age. For he wrote, "We put great confidence in the Rosary for the healing of the evils that affect our times." In fact, he said, "there is no surer means of calling down God’s blessings upon the family and especially of preserving peace and happiness in the home than the daily recitation of the Rosary."

Pope John XXIII spoke about the Rosary as "a prayer of love breathed from the heart." And in another he gave us new insights about how to use the Rosary as a form of meditation. He wrote:

The true substance of the well-meditated Rosary consists in a three-fold element that gives unity and cohesion…to the episodes in the life of Jesus and Mary… For in each decade of Hail Marys there is a picture, and for each picture a three-fold emphasis which is simultaneously: mystical contemplation, intimate reflection and pious intention.

Pope Paul VI explained how the Rosary can improve social life on earth and also help the poor souls in purgatory. "Through your Rosary you can succeed in giving comfort to the sick, in saving the dying, in converting sinners, in helping the missionaries, and in freeing souls from purgatory."

Besides this, he also strongly recommended praying the family Rosary. "There is no doubt," he wrote, "that the Rosary should be considered as one of the best and most powerful prayers in common that the Christian family could recite."

Pope John Paul II used to lead the Rosary every First Saturday in St. Peter’s Basilica, and he has been widely quoted as saying that "the Rosary is my favorite prayer."

He said the "Rosary is a privileged means of averting the danger of war and of obtaining the gift of peace from God," but also that the Rosary "dispels the seeds of family disintegration."

Pope Benedict XVI on the Rosary. “This Prayer Helps to Put Christ at the Center."In the current world, so dispersive, the Rosary helps to put Christ at the centre, as the Virgin did, who meditated within all that was said about her Son, and also what he did and said. When reciting the Rosary, the important and meaningful moments of salvation history are relived. The various steps of Christ's mission are traced. With Mary the heart is oriented toward the mystery of Jesus. Christ is put at the centre of our life, of our time, of our city, through the contemplation and meditation of his holy mysteries of joy, light, sorrow and glory.

Benefits & Blessings of saying the Rosary

Blessing of the Rosary

1. Sinners are forgiven.
2. Souls that thirst are refreshed.
3. Those who are fettered have their bonds broken.
4. Those who weep find happiness
5. Those who are tempted find peace.
6. The poor find help.
7. Religious are reformed.
8. Those who are ignorant are instructed.
9. The living learns to overcome pride.
10. The dead (the Holy Souls) have their pains eased by suffrages.

Benefits of the Rosary

1. It gradually gives us a perfect knowledge of Jesus Christ.
2. It purifies our souls, washing away sin.
3. It gives us victory over all our enemies.
4. It makes it easy for us to practice virtue.
5. It sets us on fire with love of Our Lord.
6. It enriches us with graces and merits.
7. It supplies us with what is needed to pay all our debts to God and to our fellow men; and finally, it obtains all kinds of graces for us from Almighty God.

ROSARY  OF THE SACRED FACE
[Uses Regular Rosary Beads]

Most Sacred Face, we call on you until you hear our prayers.
You are able to help us wonderfully, Holy God, Mighty God,
Holy Immortal God! Have mercy on us and on the whole world!
Turn Your Face towards us and we shall be saved!

At the large beads we pray:

Heavenly Father, humbly and fervently we offer You the infinite merits
and sufferings of the Sacred Face, His Precious Blood, all the wounds
and tears of Jesus, to Your greater Glory, for help in our great need!

At the small beads, instead of the Hail Mary, we pray:

FIRST DECADE

O Sacred Face, covered with wounds,
have mercy on us, who call on You!

SECOND DECADE

O Sacred Face, covered with blood,
have mercy on us who call on You!

THIRD DECADE

O Sacred Face, shedding tears with infinite Love,
have mercy on us who call on You!

FOURTH DECADE

O Sacred Face, despised and insulted,
have mercy on us who call on You!

FIFTH DECADE

O Sacred Face, silently bearing the most bitter pain,
have mercy on us who call on You!

Conclude:

Let us adore the Sacred Face of Our Lord Jesus Christ, Our Savior,
Whose merits are infinite and whose mercy is fathomless. May
He grant us the remission of our sins and true conversion. Let us
console His Sacred Face by the purity of our lives, by fearless
witness to our Faith and by the depth of our love!
Amen.

Thirumuhathinte Japamala

MARIAN PRAYER OF ST.ANTHONY

MARIAN PRAYER OF
ST. ANTHONY

Mary, our Queen,

Holy Mother of God,

We beg you to hear our prayer.

Make our hearts overflow with Divine grace

and resplendent with heavenly wisdom.

Render them strong with your might

and rich in virtue.

Pour down upon us the gift of mercy

so that we may obtain the pardon of our sins.

Help us to live in such a way

as to merit the glory and bliss of heaven.

May this be granted us by your Son Jesus

Who has exalted you above the angels,

has crowned you as Queen,

and has seated you with Him

forever on his refulgent throne.

Amen.

Litany of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Lord, have mercy.
R/ Lord, have mercy.

 Christ, have mercy.
R/ Christ, have mercy.

 Lord, have mercy.
R/ Lord, have mercy.

 Jesus, hear us.
R/ Jesus, graciously hear us.

 God, the Father of Heaven,
R/ have mercy on us.

 God, the Son, Redeemer of the world,
R/ have mercy on us.

 God, the Holy Spirit,
R/ have mercy on us.

 Holy Trinity, One God,
R/ have mercy on us.

R/ for ff: pray for us.

Holy Mary,
Holy Mother of God,
Holy Virgin of virgins,
Mother of Christ,
Mother of divine grace,
Mother most pure,
Mother most chaste,
Mother inviolate,
Mother undefiled,
Mother most amiable,
Mother most admirable,
Mother of good counsel,
Mother of our Creator,
Mother of our Savior,
Virgin most prudent,
Virgin most venerable,
Virgin most renowned,
Virgin most powerful,
Virgin most powerful,
Virgin most merciful,
Virgin most faithful,
Mirror of justice,
Seat of wisdom,
Cause of our joy,
Spiritual vessel,
Vessel of honor,
Singular vessel of devotion,
Mystical rose,
Tower of David,
Tower of ivory,
House of gold,
Ark of the covenant,
Gate of heaven,
Morning star,
Heath of the Sick,
Refuge of sinners,
Comforter of the afflicted,
Help of Christians,
Queen of Angels,
Queen of Patriarchs,
Queen of Prophets,
Queen of Apostles,
Queen of Martyrs,
Queen Confessors,
Queen of Virgins,
Queen of all Saints,
Queen conceived without original sin,
Queen assumed into heaven,
Queen of the most holy Rosary,
Queen of Peace,

Lamb of God, who take away the sins of the world,
R/ spare us, O Lord,

Lamb of God, who take away the sins of the world,
R/ graciously hear us, O Lord.

Lamb of God, who take away the sins of the world.
R/ have mercy on us.

Pray for us, O holy Mother of God.
R/ That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.

Let us pray.
O God, whose only begotten Son by His life, death and resurrection, has purchased for us the rewards of eternal salvation, grant, we pray, that meditating upon these mysteries in the Most Holy Rosary of the Blessed Virgin Mary, we may imitate what they contain and obtain what they promise through Christ Our lord. Amen.

Marian Month of May

Marian Month of May

The Catholic Church dedicates each month of the year to certain devotion. In May, it is the Blessed Virgin Mary. So, May is a very good month to begin praying the rosary daily.

 Why pray the Rosary? We pray Rosary to grow in holiness and in one's prayer life. The following are a few others reasons why the rosary should be prayed daily:

• "Among all the devotions approved by the Church none has been so favoured by so many miracles as the devotion of the Most Holy Rosary" (Pope Pius IX).
• "Say the Rosary every day to obtain peace for the world" (Our Lady of Fatima).
• "There is no surer means of calling down God's blessings upon the family . . . than the daily recitation of the Rosary" (Pope Pius XII).
• "We do not hesitate to affirm again publicly that we put great confidence in the Holy Rosary for the healing of evils of our times" (Pope Pius XII).
• "No one can live continually in sin and continue to say the Rosary: either they will give up sin or they will give up the Rosary" (Bishop Hugh Doyle).
• "The Rosary is a magnificent and universal prayer for the needs of the Church, the nations and the entire world" (Pope John XXIII).
• "The Rosary is the compendium of the entire Gospel" (Pope Paul VI quoting Pope Pius XII).
• "Meditation on the mysteries of the Rosary . . . can be an excellent preparation for the celebration of those same mysteries in the liturgical actions [i.e. the Mass] and can also become a continuing echo thereof" (Pope Paul VI).
• "My impression is that the Rosary is of the greatest value not only according to the words of Our Lady at Fatima, but according to the effects of the Rosary one sees throughout history. My impression is that Our Lady wanted to give ordinary people, who might not know how to pray, this simple method of getting closer to God" (Sister Lucia, one of the seers of Fatima).
• "How beautiful is the family that recites the Rosary every evening" (Pope John Paul II).
• Pope John Paul II has called the Rosary his "favourite prayer," after the Mass and the Liturgy of the Hours.
• St. Louis de Montfort warns us against both the ignorant and scholars who regard the Rosary as something of little importance..."the Rosary is a priceless treasure inspired by God."

15 promises of Mother Mary in Malayalam

15 Promises of Mary to Christians Who Pray The Rosary

Whoever shall faithfully serve me by the recitation of the Rosary, shall receive signal graces.

I promise my special protection and the greatest graces to all those who shall recite the Rosary.

The Rosary shall be a powerful armor against hell; it will destroy vice, decrease sin, and defeat heresies.

It will cause virtue and good works to flourish; it will obtain for souls the abundant mercy of God; it will withdraw the heart of men from the love of the world and its vanities, and will lift them to the desire of eternal things. Oh, the soul that would sanctify themselves by this means.

The soul which recommends itself to me by the recitation of the Rosary shall not perish.

Whoever shall recite the Rosary devoutly, applying himself to the consideration of its sacred mysteries shall never be conquered by misfortune. God will not chastise him in His justice, he shall remain in the grace of God, and become worthy of eternal life.

Whoever shall have a true devotion for the Rosary shall not die without the sacraments of the Church.

Those who are faithful to recite the Rosary shall have during their life and at their death the light of God and the plentitude of His graces; at the moment of death they shall participate in the merits of the Saints in Paradise.

I shall deliver from purgatory those who have been devoted to the Rosary.

The faithful children of the Rosary shall merit a high degree of glory in heaven.

You shall obtain all you ask of me by the recitation of the Rosary.

All those who propagate the holy Rosary shall be aided by me in their necessities.

I have obtained from my Divine Son that all the advocates of the Rosary shall have for intercessors the entire celestial court during their life and at the hour of death.

All who recite the Rosary are my children, and brothers and sisters of my only Son, Jesus Christ.

Devotion of my Rosary is a great sign of predestination.