(89) A Eulogy for a Coal Miner and Farmer.......John "Mike" Hager

        As a Eucharistic Minister, I bring Holy Communion to the sick and the shut-ins. After a while, I get attached to them and get to know them. Over time they minister to me.......teaching and even inspiring me. Thus I would like to not only honor Mike Hager, but also share some of the things he can teach us.......especially his courage, his faith, resignation to God's will, and trust in His kind providence. Every life, from the rich and the famous to the common man, has a fascinating story to tell. Mike Hager is no exception and I tried to include a little bit of that.

A EULOGY FOR MIKE HAGER

Given at St. Louis Church August 16, 2012

        As an Extraordinary Eucharistic Minister, I had the opportunity to know Mike Hager in the last three years of his life. It was an awesome privilege to bring Christ Himself and His love to him in the Eucharist, i.e. Holy Communion; to pray with him and Rita; and to help him in a little way for his encounter with our Lord in eternity. At first, I actually came for Rita while Mike would also participate in the Communion Service. He liked to talk about sports and I like talking about sports. So I would stay there for a good while and Rita would patiently listen. At that time he seemed to be in robust health, running the family farm, rounding up the cows, driving the tractor, and taking care of Rita. But last year Mike took sick and Rita ended up taking care of Mike in a heroic way. They were so faithful to each other, for better and for worse.......an example for all of us. In addition their extended family pulled together to help them.

        I was supposed to minister to Mike, but Mike also ministered to me. He knew that his time on earth was growing short, but he faced it with courage and faith, patient resignation to God's will and trust in His kind providence. He had discovered the Catholic Faith through Rita and lived it. Mike loved his family dearly and so enjoyed talking about them. One of his biggest regrets was that he would not be able to see his grandsons play football this Fall, the game that he loved, having himself played for North Gallia High School and the Gallia County Disciples. I would like to think that he'll be watching his grandsons play and that they'll put in that extra effort for Grandpa.

        Mike was hurting and weak, deteriorating rapidly. I shared with him the fact that suffering can be very valuable, meaningful, and fruitful. If accepted in faith with trust in God, suffering can be a wonderful preparation for eternity. Taken in the right way, the inevitable crosses of life can make each one of us a saint. One priest observed: “Those who die of Cancer die like saints” since they have time to prepare. Every canonized saint suffered and even prayed to have more crosses. Many times I would say, “You can reap great fruits with your prayers and by offering your crosses to the Lord as a dynamic prayer for your loved ones, for the Church, and for our Country. God knows how much our country needs prayers. In that way you can be most valuable.” Indeed he was!

        Thank you Mike for serving our Country in the Army combat engineers in Viet Nam. Thank you for all of your hard work in the mines that supplied the coal to the power plants that kept our houses lit.

       Mike was ready and will be praying for us. Thank-you, Mike, for your example and for what you taught us. I'm sure you're having a joyful reunion with your lovely daughter Cathy. Good-by until we're all together again in eternity.

         In conclusion, please permit me to read a beautiful hand written poem that Mike kept from the Bidwell Elementary School, dated 1959 when he was 12 years old.

GOD'S PROMISE

God didn't promise:

Days without rain;

Laughter without sorrow;

Or sun without rain.

But God did promise:

Strength for the day;

Comfort for the tears

And a light for the way;

Rest from the labor;

Grace for the trials;

Help from above;

Unfailing sympathy;

Undying love.

        In the case of Mike and his beautiful ever faithful wife, God indeed kept that promise. May he rest in everlasting peace. Thank you.

(84) Meditations For the Rosary IV: The Glorious Mysteries

  AMDG

A painting by Raphael (1483-1520)

The 20 mysteries of the rosary and their corresponding meditations cover the highlights of the life of Christ and His mother, Mary. Four times through this liturgical year, we have published meditations on a set of five mysteries 1)Joyful, 2)Luminous, 3)Sorrowful, and 4)Glorious that coincide with the Gospels of the liturgical year.  Since the rosary is very biblical, bible references follow each meditation.  As to the repetitive background prayer, the Our Father’s is the prayer the Lord Himself gave to us and the Hail Mary prayer comes from Luke 1:28, 42. At the end of each decade, we give glory and praise to the Holy Trinity……the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.  We don’t adore Mary, but rather we honor her as a model and ask her to pray for us.

        

     Conceptually, the rosary is a litany of repetitive prayers, which act like background music, while the focus is to meditate upon five of 20 different mysteries of the life of Christ and His mother, grouped according to the joyful, luminous, sorrowful, and glorious events portrayed or alluded to in the Bible. See  www.americaneedsfatima.org. 

    The rosary is said with the aid of beads and a connected crucifix, marking the beginning with the Apostles Creed. This is followed by an Our Father for the intentions of the Holy Father, three Hail Mary prayers for the increase of Faith, Hope and Charity plus a Glory Be. Then each decade or mystery includes one Our Father, ten Hail Marys, and a Glory Be (Praise), really a profession of faith.  Please permit me to share insights I obtained from many sources and use while meditating on the holy rosary. You might like to incorporate some of these meditations among yours or add to them.   

        For those who say the rosary every day: The Joyful Mysteries are usually said on Monday & Saturday; the Luminous Mysteries are said on Thursday; the Sorrowful on Tuesday and Friday; and the Glorious on Wednesday and Sunday. The Sunday rosary may use instead the mysteries that correspond to the season of the liturgical year.......Advent, Christmas, Lent, and Easter. The Sorrowful Mysteries are usually said during the entire Holy Week and the Glorious Mysteries are usually said for the entire Easter Week. Of course one may meditate on any set of mysteries. There's no rigid rule.

 “The family that prays together, stays together.” This was the theme promoted by Fr. Patrick Peyton on his Family Theater program on radio and television during the 1940s, 50s, and 60s. He recruited the top movie stars of the day (Jimmy Stewart, Gregory Peck, Bing Crosby, Bob Hope, Loretta Young, etc. and even a young actor by the name of Ronald Reagan) as volunteers to sing or act in inspiring dramatizations on his Family Theater program on radio and television.  Available on DVD is a movie on the Life of Christ which he produced.  Fr. Peyton, the Rosary Priest, promoted the rosary all over the world in talks and rallies. 

    His cause for canonization is advancing.  Go to https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LXFlEJIpkqQ for one of Fr. Peyton's messages and links to other clips of his productions.  Learn more about this future saint by clicking on http://www.fatherpeyton.org/ and http://www.hcfm.org/FatherPeyton.aspx.  The latter has a link to the online store of the Holy Cross Family Ministries for a wealth of DVDs, books, and other resources regarding his work and the work of his order.

  

In gratitude for his lifetime work Pope John Paul II embraces Fr. Patrick Peyton, the Rosary Priest.

        Prayer has healed millions, ended wars, overthrown dictators, decisively stopped the advance of militant Islam into Europe at least three times at Belgrade in 1456, Le Panto in 1571, and again in breaking the siege of Vienna by the Turks in 1683, each a chapter in a one thousand year old war between Western Civilization and Radical Islam that includes today's War on Terror.  Otherwise, Europe would be a lot different today.

IV. THE GLORIOUS MYSTERIES OF THE ROSARY

            During the Glorious Mysteries, imagine that you have gone through a time capsule and you are there at the tomb during the Resurrection of Christ on the first Easter Sunday, you are with the apostles during His appearances to them; saying good-by to Jesus as He ascends into Heaven; and being filled with the Holy Spirit on the first Pentecost, on fire helping with the many conversions on that day.  

    

        Then we are with the apostles saying good-by to Mary during her dormition, her beautiful death or falling asleep as she is taken or assumed into heaven (body and soul) to be physically reunited with her son before being crowned Queen of Heaven and Earth.  The facts of the Glorious Mysteries of the Rosary are based on the Bible and tradition handed down by the apostles as seen in the writings of the early Church fathers.

  

        Below are meditations for each decade or mystery. One may use the entire meditation or read and reflect only upon the Bible passages as he or she can imagine being there as an observer. In bold is a recommended shorter version when time is limited. Anything in italics is a quote taken directly from the Bible.

Pictures are taken from http://www.catholic-kids.com/picturemysteries.html.

The First Glorious Mystery: The Resurrection

  

       Over the weekend of Good Friday, there was despair among the disciples who put their hopes and trust in their Master, but to their surprise.......HE IS RISEN as He truly said he would. Alleluia! That gave credibility, validation, and vindication to Christ's to His teachings and His saying that He is the Son of God. Without the Resurrection, Christ would go down in history as just another good man or just another prophet who was killed for what He believed.  

      By His resurrection, Christ conquered death, evil, and sin.  God made good come out of evil.  Since Our Lord rose again victorious, we also have the hope of rising again victorious and achieving everlasting happiness with Him in heaven.  No matter how difficult are the crosses we must bear on earth, we can accept and unite them with His cross, TRUSTING that our crosses will make us saints and OUR VICTORIOUS RESURRECTION WILL COME.  All that remained in the tomb was the shroud wrapping the body of Christ.  At the instant that Christ's soul gloriously reentered His body, there was a burst of radiation that scorched the shroud just enough to leave on it an image of the crucified Savior that He left for us to strengthen our weak faith.

       Other options include reading and reflecting during the recitation of this decade on Psalm 16:5-11; Jeremiah 20:10-11; Matthew 16:21-22; 17:22-23; 20:17-19; 27:57-28:15; Mark 15:42-16:13; Luke 23:50-24:48; John 2:19-22; 19:38-21:25; Acts 1:1-3, 21-22; 2:30-32; 4:33; 10:39-43; Romans 1:1-3; 6:3-14; 1Corinthians 15:3-8, 12-22; 1Peter1:18-21. 

The Second Glorious Mystery: The Ascension

                                            

The eleven apostles went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had ordered them to go.  When they saw him, they worshiped, but they doubted.   Then Jesus approached and said to them, "All power in heaven and on earth has been given to me.  Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you.  And behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age"  (Matthew 28:16-20).  Christ meant that not only for His apostles, but also for us to evangelize in little or big ways by prayer, by example and witness, by word, and by deed in our daily lives.......be it in the home, in parish functions or apostolates, in the community, in conversation, and even on the job.  

        He promised to always be with us, particularly in the Eucharist.  At the same time our Savior “is seated at the right hand of God, the Father almighty; from there he will come to judge the living and the dead.”  The apostles were sad to see their Master depart and now had to wait to be filled with the Holy Spirit (confirmed) to begin their great mission of evangelization.  Other options include reading and reflecting during the recitation of this decade on Mark 16:14-20; Luke 24:47-53; and Acts 1:6-12.   

The Third Glorious Mystery

 The Descent of the Holy Spirit

       Present were Mary and the apostles....... “When the time for Pentecost was fulfilled, they were all in one place together.  And suddenly there came from the sky a noise like a strong driving wind, and it filled the entire house in which they were.  Then there appeared to them tongues as of fire, which parted and came to rest on each one of them.  And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in different tongues, as the Spirit enabled them to proclaim” (Acts 2:1-4). 

    May the Holy Spirit renew in us the graces and His gifts of the sacrament of Confirmation as well as His fruits.  As soldiers of Christ, may we be always faithful to the Lord and His Church.  As were the first apostles, may we also be fearlessly on fire for the faith......to defend it, to spread it, and to share it with others no matter the cost.    Dear Holy Spirit, always tell us what to do, what to say, and what to write.  Other options include reading and reflecting during the recitation of this decade on Psalm 2:1-7; 104:30; 118:1-9,19-29; Ezekiel 37:14; Joel 3:1-5; Mark 16:14-20; John 3:5-8; 7:37-39; 14:15-28; 15:26-27; 20:19-23; Acts 1:4-5; 2:1-41; 3:12-26; 4:5-14; 23-31; Romans 8:22-27; 1 Corinthians 12:3-13; Galatians 5:13-26; 1 Peter 1:10-12.

The Fourth Glorious Mystery: 

The Assumption of Mary into Heaven

                                                    

        According to tradition, the apostles joyfully found only the most beautiful flowers where Mary previously laid in state.  Christ followed the 4th Commandment in honoring His mother by having her body and soul taken directly into His arms in Heaven.  Our Lord would not allow her body, a living tabernacle for nine months, the new Ark of the Covenant, to deteriorate in the earth. 

        Mary’s womb, the new Ark, did not contain manna, but the Bread of Life which is the Eucharist, Christ Himself.....not the staff of Aaron, but the Good Shepherd and High Priest who will offer Himself for us…..not the Ten Commandments, but the Son of God, who will speak for the Father.

        All of Heaven received Mary with immense joy.  Mother Mary, pray for us so that we may have a happy death as you had.  Other options include reading and reflecting during the recitation of this decade on Judith 13:18; Luke 1:39-56; 11:27-28; 1 Corinthians 15:20-27, 54-58; 1 Thessalonians 4:14-17; Revelation 11:19; 12:1.

The Fifth Glorious Mystery: 

The Coronation of Mary as Queen of Heaven & Earth

                                                    

Imagine that you are there with all Heaven rejoicing in jubilation as Mary is gloriously crowned Queen of Heaven and Earth by her Son and the Father with the Holy Spirit looking on.   In the tradition of the Old Testament, the Queen Mother of Christ the King of the universe took her place of special honor and influence in the heavenly court.  From there our mother continues to intercede and pray for us and the world. 

Other options include reading and reflecting during the recitation of this decade on Judith 15:9-10; Revelation 12:1-6.  For meditations on the Joyful, Luminous, Sorrowful, and Glorious Mysteries of the rosary go to Blogs # 50, 73, 78, and 84 at paulrsebastianphd.blogspot.com.

(82) National Day of Prayer: Prayer for the Military and Veterans Still Hurting

       The National Day of Prayer has been an annual observance since 1952 when Congress officially established it.  Every year the President of the United States and most state governors issue proclamations on or prior to the first Thursday of May.  People all over the United States are asked to assemble at noon on the first Thursday of May at their county court houses to pray for our Country.  If that is not possible or inconvenient, then people are asked to at least pause for a minute or two at noon to pray.  God knows how much our Country needs prayer.

        It has been observed at the University of Rio Grande in southeastern Ohio since 1998.  Faculty, staff, students, and guests meet at the gazebo between the Bookstore and the cafeteria to pray for our country.  

 PRAYER FOR THE MILITARY AND VETERANS STILL HURTING

Given in Observance of the National Day of Prayer at the University of Rio Grande 26 April 2012, 23 April 2015, 25 April 2016.

Published in the Gallipolis Daily Tribune on Tuesday, November 11, 2012 for Veteran's Day.

O Lord, we beseech thee first and foremost to grant us Peace in Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria, and the world. Because war is hell, all good soldiers must yearn for Peace, the ultimate goal in which lie their own personal aspirations and the aspirations of the entire Country.

Purify the motives of every soldier to be aware that the ultimate mission of the military in defending our Country is to achieve peace through victory while preserving human dignity to the greatest extent possible....... combatants and non-combatants, friend and foe.......all as children of God.

Protect our troops who are in harm's way.........from enemy and even friendly fire, IEV's, ambushes, and accident.

Guide our NCOs and commissioned officers to lead effectively and to accomplish the mission with prudence and wisdom while caring for their men and women without risking their lives unnecessarily. Remind them to seek your counsel in the life and death decisions they must make.

Remind our men to look out for each other as they all strive to survive in the heat of battle.

Maintain the morale of the troops. Preserve the patriotic and spiritual ideals of our young men and women, their sense of moral right and wrong so that they do not become cynical as they live through the horrors of war while fighting for our Country.

Help our soldiers to treat prisoners of war with dignity as human beings and even with a certain compassion despite the fact that the enemy may have committed monstrous atrocities upon their buddies. Don't let us ever lower ourselves to seek revenge with atrocities of our own.

Inspire our troops to also work for the common good of all........to be effective ambassadors of good will, and win the hearts and minds of the people while accomplishing the mission.

Make our officers ever aware of the consequences of their decisions upon people in regard to the safety of their troops and collateral damage to the populace.......to be prudent in not using more force and causing more destruction and casualties than is necessary to accomplish the mission.

Give our troops the grace to maintain high moral principles on and off base, while on a mission or during a break in the action. Bring them ever closer to you so that they will leave the service as true men and women of God.

Help the families that the soldiers have left behind to cope by themselves with the difficulties of daily living and problems that come up.

Lord, please assist the thousands of veterans in our midst, who are still suffering for us and for our Country with permanent physical injury, loss of a limb, PTSD, flashbacks, and mental anguish.

And Lord, help us to appreciate the sacrifices that the troops are making now and the veterans did in the past and are continuing to make. Help them to adjust to civilian life and to provide for themselves and their families with dignity. Make us sensitive to their needs and don't let our Society tolerate the presence of homeless veterans who cannot function because of the sacrifices they made for us while soldiers.

We ask all of this in your name Oh Lord. We praise you and thank you for loving us so much. Amen.

Supplemental Bible Verses

2 Chronicles 7:14 (New International Version)

“If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.”

1 Timothy 2: 1-4

¹First of all, then, I ask that supplications, prayers, petitions, and thanksgivings be offered for everyone, ²for kings and for all in authority, that we may lead a quiet and tranquil life in all devotion and dignity.  ³This is good and pleasing to God our savior, ⁴who wills everyone to be saved and to come to knowledge of the truth.

Verse I Chose for the Prayer I Gave at Rio

2016 - 2 Cor 10:4  "For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds."

2015 - Psalm 91:2-7  I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.” Surely he will save you from the fowler’s snare and from the deadly pestilence. He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart. You will not fear the terror of night, nor the arrow that flies by day, nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness, nor the plague that destroys at midday. A thousand may fall at your side, ten thousand at your right hand, but it will not come near you.

Theme and Verse of the Year

2016 - Wake up, America!  Isaiah 58:1a  “Shout it aloud, do not hold back. Raise your voice like a               trumpet.”
2015 - I Kings 8:28  “Hear the cry and the prayer that your servant is praying in your presence this                 day.”

2014  - Romans 15:6 "One Voice, United in Prayer".

2013 - Matthew 12:21 - “In His name the nations will put their hope.”

2012 - A mighty fortress is our God!  Psalm 33:12 - “Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord,       the people he chose for his inheritance.”

2011 - Psalm 91:2 “I will say to the Lord, “My refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.”

2010 - Nahum 1:7 “The Lord is good, a refuge in times of trouble.  He cares for those who trust in Him.” 

(78) Meditations For the Rosary III: The Sorrowful Mysteries

AMDG

        The 20 mysteries of the rosary and their corresponding meditations cover the highlights of the life of Christ and His mother, Mary. Four times through this coming liturgical year, we shall post a blog on a set of five mysteries that coincide with the Gospels of the liturgical year. Please permit me to share insights I obtained while meditating on the holy rosary. You might like to incorporate some of these meditations among yours or add to them.

        Conceptually, the rosary is a litany of repetitive prayers, which act like background music, while the focus is to meditate upon five of 20 different mysteries of the life of Christ and His mother, grouped according to the joyful, luminous, sorrowful, and glorious events portrayed or alluded to in the Bible. See www.americaneedsfatima.org. The rosary is said with the aid of beads and a connected crucifix, marking the beginning with the Apostles Creed. This is followed by an Our Father for the intentions of the Holy Father, three Hail Mary prayers for the increase of Faith, Hope and Charity plus a Glory Be. Then each decade or mystery includes one Our Father, ten Hail Marys, and a Glory Be (Praise).

        For those who say the rosary every day: The Joyful Mysteries are usually said on Monday & Saturday; the Luminous Mysteries are said on Thursday; the Sorrowful on Tuesday and Friday; and the Glorious on Wednesday and Sunday.  The Sunday rosary may also use the mysteries that correspond to the season of the liturgical year.......Advent, Christmas, Lent, and Easter. Furthermore, the Sorrowful Mysteries may be said during the entire Holy Week and the Glorious Mysteries are usually said for the entire Easter Week. Of course one may meditate on any set of mysteries. There's no rigid rule.

      “The family that prays together, stays together.” Prayer has healed millions, ended wars, overthrown dictators, stopped the advance of militant Islam into Europe in 1571 and again in 1683, both chapters in a one thousand year old war that includes today's War on Terror. This certainly gives credence to two quotes by Alfred Lord Tennyson: “A world at prayer is a world at peace” and “More things are wrought by prayer than this world dreams of.”. These were the themes promoted by Father Patrick Peyton in his Family Rosary Crusade and other programs. God used his magnetic personality to attract most of the top movie stars of the day to act on his Family Theater program on radio and television. His cause for canonization is advancing.

THE SORROWFUL MYSTERIES OF THE ROSARY

     Imagine being with Our Lord praying in the Garden of Gethsemane on the evening of Holy Thursday after the Last Supper; watching the condemnation and the torture of Jesus; being part of the crowd on Good Friday saying “Crucify Him”; then following Our Lord on His journey to Calvary; and being beneath the cross with Mary, her heart pierced by a sword as she suffers with her son.  We can also relive it all every Holy Week, watching Mel Gibson’s epic movie on DVD, “The Passion of the Cross”.
 

        Below are meditations for each decade or mystery. One may use the entire meditation or read and reflect only upon the Bible passages as he or she can imagine being there as an observer. In bold is a recommended shorter version when time is limited as for the recitation of the rosary before Mass. Anything in italics is a quote taken directly from the Bible.

         The facts of the Sorrowful Mysteries of the Rosary, the Stations of the Cross, and meditations below are based on the Bible, tradition, and from the Shroud of Turin. Googling “The Shroud of Turin” gives a wealth of sources for the reader with a deeper interest.

        These meditations are also very appropriate for use with the Chaplet of Divine Mercy, which is a litany asking God that “For the sake of His sorrowful passion, have mercy on us and on the whole world”. While reciting the litany, one meditates on different aspects of the passion of Christ. May the Rosary and the Chaplet be important parts of our spiritual renewal during Lent.

        Notice that the Psalms and the Book of Isaiah of the Old Testament cited below beautifully foretell details of the Passion of Christ up to 1000 years before His birth. The Psalms are a collection of songs of praise and thanksgiving by several authors written between 1410 and 500 B.C. Most of the Psalms were written by David from 1010-970 B.C. Isaiah wrote most of the book of the Bible attributed to him between 722 and 687 B.C. 

The First Sorrowful Mystery: The Agony in the Garden  

      After the Last Supper, Christ took the apostles to the Garden of Gethsemane to pray because He knew what was coming the next day.  He was afraid.  He felt the weight of all of the sins of the world.....past, present, and future.  His agony was so great that He sweat blood.  Under extreme anxiety, the capillaries on the surface of the skin break.  Our Lord prayed:  "Abba, Father, all things are possible to you. Take this cup away from me, but not what I will but what you will" (Mark 14:36).  May we likewise accept the will of God and trust in Him, no matter what happens.  We know that He will be with us and take us through any cross. 

        “When Christ returned he found the apostles asleep.  He said to Peter, ‘Simon, are you asleep?  Could you not keep watch for one hour?   Watch and pray that you may not undergo the test. The spirit is willing but the flesh is weak" (Mark 14:37-38).  May we have a good prayer life so that we will be ready for the test.  Sooner or later, it will come.  Other options include reading and reflecting during the recitation of this decade on Psalm 27:1-3,7-14; 140:5-6; 141:2-5; Matthew 26:36-27:25; Mark 14:32-15:14; Luke 22:39-23:15; John 18:1-40

The Second Sorrowful Mystery: The Scourging at the Pillar 

   “Then Pilate took Jesus and had him scourged” (John 19:1).   It was brutal.  The Roman whip had three or four strands of leather with pieces of bone and/or lead pellets attached to the end.  Thus each blow tore globs of skin from our Lord's back, causing blood to splatter and profuse bleeding.  According to the evidence on the shroud, Christ received not the normal 100 lashes, but 120.......60 by one soldier on his back and another 60 by a shorter soldier who whipped below.  When Jim Caviezel was twice accidentally lashed with the whip during filming of the “Passion of the Christ”, the pain was so intense that he could neither breathe nor talk for a moment or two.  Other options are to read and reflect on Isaiah 53:4-6; Matthew 27:25-26; Mark 15:1-15; and Luke 23:16.

The Third Sorrowful Mystery: The Crowning of Thorns. 

.

         “And the soldiers wove a crown out of thorns and placed it on his head, and clothed him in a purple cloak (to signify royalty), and they came to him and said, ‘Hail, King of the Jews!’ And they struck him repeatedly (putting a reed in His right hand as a scepter and even spitting on Him).  Once more Pilate went out and said to them: ‘Look, I am bringing him out to you, so that you may know that I find no guilt in him.’  So Jesus came out, wearing the crown of thorns and the purple cloak. And he said to them, ‘Behold, the man!’  When the chief priests and the guards saw him they cried out, ‘Crucify him, crucify him!’ Pilate said to them, ‘Take him yourselves and crucify him. I find no guilt in him” (John 19:2-6). 

        The soldiers probably pounded the crown into our Lord's skull.  Christ the King, the King of the Universe is mocked and suffered such humiliation for our sins.  Indeed, the shroud shows numerous puncture marks on our Lord's skull.  Other options include reading and reflecting on Psalm 69:8-22,31-35; Isaiah 52:13-15; 53:1-3; Matthew 27:27-31; Mark 15:16-20; John 15:18-20.

        The soldiers probably pounded the crown into our Lord's skull.  Christ the King, the King of the Universe is mocked and suffered such humiliation for our sins.  Indeed, the shroud shows numerous puncture marks on our Lord's skull.  Other options include reading and reflecting on Psalm 69:8-22,31-35; Isaiah 52:13-15; 53:1-3; Matthew 27:27-31; Mark 15:16-20; John 15:18-20.

The Fourth Sorrowful Mystery: The Carrying of the Cross 

                Let us briefly reflect on the Way of the Cross and the lessons we can learn at each station.

 

1) When we are criticized and even condemned publicly, may we act with a calm dignity, grace, love, and faith in God as Christ did before Pilate while trusting in His Father.  Wisdom 2:12-22; Matthew 26:57-68; 27:11-26; Mark 14:53-65; 15:1-15; Luke 22:66-23:25; John 18:19-24; 28-40; 19:1-16.

 

2) As Christ accepted His cross, may we accept our daily crosses and offer them up to the Lord (John 19:17).

 

3) (3^rd, 7^th, & 9^th Stations)  Each time that we fall, may we have the perseverance to pick ourselves up and keep going on while learning from each fall.  The shroud shows evidence of extensive bruises that would be caused by falls.  Any time that we fall into sin, may we get up quickly, say a prayer of sincere sorrow, and go to confession as soon as possible if serious. Most spiritual directors recommend monthly confession to facilitate growth in virtue.  St. John Paul II went to confession every week.

 

4) Mary accompanied her son on the entire way of the cross, suffering together with Him the whole time with intense love, tenderness, dignity, strength, and grace, trusting in the will of the Father in His plan for our salvation and knowing that the glory of the resurrection will come. May these qualities motivate us to embrace Mary as our mother.  (Genesis 3:15; Lamentations 2:13)

 

5) May we be willing to help others carry their crosses as Simon of Cyrene helped our Lord to carry His cross (Matthew 27:32; Mark 15:20-22; Luke 23:26).

 

6) (6^th & 8^th Stations)  May we have the compassion of Veronica and the women of Jerusalem (Luke 23:27-31).  When we help the least of these, we do it for Christ as Veronica did. (Matthew 25:37-40).

 

Other options include Isaiah 50:4-7; Matthew 27:32-33; Mark 15:20-22); Luke 23:26-33; John 19:16-17.      

 The Fifth Sorrowful Mystery: The Crucifixion.

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 Every breath was excruciating because Christ had to lift himself up against the nails to breathe or utter a word.  Even from the cross, our Lord tried to teach us.  Let us examine these lessons from the seven times He briefly spoke as underlined. 

 

1) "Father, forgive them; they know not what they do" (Luke 23:34).  May we forgive as Christ did on the cross.

 

2) The good thief said: "Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom." He replied to him, "Amen, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise" (Luke 23:39-43).  Christ showed his mercy to the good thief in his last moments.  May we also show mercy to others.

 

3) “Standing by the cross of Jesus were his mother and his mother's sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary of Magdala.  When Jesus saw his mother the disciple there whom he loved, he said to his mother, ‘Woman, behold, your son.’  Then he said to the disciple, ‘Behold, your mother.’ And from that hour the disciple took her into his home” (John 19:25-27).  Thus Christ gave us himself in the Eucharist on Holy Thursday; salvation on Good Friday; and even His mother from the cross.    Later when the centurion pierced the dead redeemer's side and heart with his lance, some speculate that was the very moment when Mary's heart was pierced by a sword as prophesized by Simeon some 33 years earlier (Luke 2:35).

 

4) After this, aware that everything was now finished, in order that the scripture might be fulfilled, Jesus said, "I thirst.” (John 19:28).  Our Savior ardently thirsts for sinners to come back to Him.

 

5) "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" (Matthew 27:46; Mark 15:34-35).  To not feel the presence of His father was Christ's greatest suffering.  May we always crave to feel the presence of God even though He is always there.

 

6) “It is finished." And bowing his head, he handed over the spirit (John 19:30).  These last words were of triumph.  Christ accomplished His mission from the Father and opened the gates of Heaven for us.  May our deaths also be moments of triumph.

 

7) "Father, into your hands I commend my spirit"; and when he had said this he breathed his last (Luke 23:46).  May we also resign ourselves to the will of God.  With faith and trust in God, all things work out for the best in the long run.

       When the soldier pierced the side of Christ, blood and water flowed out (John 19:34).  They symbolize the blood of the Eucharist and the purifying water of Baptism.

 

       Doctors have written articles on the medical aspects of the Christ's passion and can only conclude that He had tremendous endurance and superhuman strength to bear it all and stay alive for as long as He did.  See www.evangelicaloutreach.org/crucifix.htm, www.ldolphin.org/kwells9.html,

www.frugalsites.net/jesus/crucifixion.htm, www.ethoughts.org/crucifixion_description.htm.   These meditations can also be found on Blog #78 at paulrsebastianphd.blogspot.com for a direct click.  For meditations on the Joyful, Luminous, and Glorious Mysteries, go to Blogs # 50, 73, and 84 at paulrsebastianphd.blogspot.com.

 

       God allowed this scandalous travesty to happen for a higher good......to make reparation for our sins and thus make possible our salvation and eternal happiness in heaven.  He loved us so much with such great mercy that He sent his only begotten son to save us from our sins and spiritual death and open the gates of heaven for us.  May we remember that suffering will make saints out of us if accepted as Christ did and united with His cross as we offer it all up to God for the Church, the missions, a better world, and for our loved ones.

 

        Other options are to read and reflect on Psalm 16:9-10; 22:2-3, 7-20; 30:2-6; 31:2-6, 10-16; Isaiah 52:13-53:12; Matthew 27:34-66; Mark 15:23-47; Luke 23:33-56; John 3:13-21; 19:18-42; Romans 5:19; Philippians 2:6-11; Hebrews 4:14-16, 5:7-9; 1Peter1:17-19; 2:19-25.  

(73) Meditations For the Rosary II: The Luminous Mysteries

AMDG

The Baptism of Christ by St. John the Baptist in the presence of the Father and the Holy Spirit

        The 20 mysteries of the rosary and their corresponding meditations cover the highlights of the life of Christ and His mother, Mary. Four times through this coming liturgical year, we shall post a blog on a set of five mysteries that coincide with the Gospels of the liturgical year. Please permit me to share insights I obtained while meditating on the holy rosary. You might like to incorporate some of these meditations among yours or add to them.

        Conceptually, the rosary is a litany of repetitive prayers, which act like background music, while the focus is to meditate upon five of 20 different mysteries of the life of Christ and His mother, grouped according to the joyful, luminous, sorrowful, and glorious events portrayed or alluded to in the Bible. See www.americaneedsfatima.org. The rosary is said with the aid of beads and a connected crucifix, marking the beginning with the Apostles Creed. This is followed by an Our Father for the intentions of the Holy Father, three Hail Mary prayers for the increase of Faith, Hope and Charity plus a Glory Be. Then each decade or mystery includes one Our Father, ten Hail Marys, and a Glory Be (Praise).

        For those who say the rosary every day: The Joyful Mysteries are usually said on Monday & Saturday; the Luminous Mysteries are said on Thursday; the Sorrowful on Tuesday and Friday; and the Glorious on Wednesday and Sunday.  However, the Sunday rosary may also use the mysteries that correspond to the season of the liturgical year.......Advent, Christmas, Lent, and Easter.  Furthermore, the Sorrowful Mysteries may be said during the entire Holy Week and the Glorious Mysteries are usually said for the entire Easter Week.  Of course one may meditate on any set of mysteries. There's no rigid rule.

     “The family that prays together, stays together.” Prayer has healed millions, ended wars, overthrown dictators, stopped the advance of militant Islam into Europe in 1571 and again in 1683, both chapters in a one thousand year old war that includes today's War on Terror. This certainly gives credence to two quotes by Alfred Lord Tennyson: “A world at prayer is a world at peace” and “More things are wrought by prayer than this world dreams of”.  These were the themes promoted by Father Patrick Peyton in his Family Rosary Crusade and other programs. God used his magnetic personality to attract most of the top movie stars of the day to act on his Family Theater program on radio and television. His cause for canonization is advancing.

THE LUMINOUS MYSTERIES OF THE ROSARY

         The Luminous mysteries correspond to the public life of Christ before the Passion and Resurrection. It would be Ordinary Time in the liturgical calendar. That is the few weeks between the Christmas Season and Lent as well as between Corpus Christi and Advent.  Pope John Paul II added them to make the rosary more complete in covering the highlights of the lives of Christ and His mother.  Imagine that you are there following Our Lord during His public life. 

        Below are meditations for each decade or mystery. One may use the entire meditation or read and reflect only upon the Bible passages as he or she can imagine being there as an observer. In bold is a recommended shorter version when time is limited as for the recitation of the rosary before Mass. Anything in italics is a quote taken directly from the Bible. The facts of the Luminous Mysteries of the Rosary are all biblical.

The First Luminous Mystery: 

The Baptism of Christ by St. John the Baptist 

    Many came to be baptized and acknowledged their sins.  John was there to prepare the way of Christ.  His message was: "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!"   It was of him that the prophet Isaiah had spoken when he said: "A voice of one crying out in the desert, 'Prepare the way of the Lord, make straight his paths'" (Matthew 3:2-3)....... “I am baptizing you with water, for repentance, but the one who is coming after me is mightier than I. I am not worthy to carry his sandals.  He will baptize you with the holy Spirit and fire” (Matthew 3:11).  St. John’s baptisms were symbolic of repentance; in the Church that Christ founded it is sacramental in washing away sins, initiating us into the Church, putting divine life into our souls through sanctifying grace, and giving us as sons of God the inheritance of Heaven if we remain faithful.  By allowing Himself to be baptized among sinners, Jesus symbolically *shows solidarity with the human race and takes on all the sins of the world for which He will make reparation on the cross.

          Christ showed the importance of Baptism by permitting St. John to baptize Him.  Then the Holy Spirit appeared in the form of a dove and came upon Him, anointing our Lord as priest (in offering Himself to the Father at Calvary), prophet (in speaking for the Father), and king in the line of David.  God the Father spoke:  "”This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased"  (Matthew 3:16-17).  This is the first public manifestation of the Holy Trinity and another epiphany of His glorious divinity.  Other options include reading and reflecting during the recitation of this decade on Psalm 2:7; Isaiah 11:2, 42:1, 53:12; 2:1-11; Matthew 3:1-17; Mark 1:1-11; Luke 3:2-22; John 1:22-34; 1 Corinthians 1:30, 5:21; 2 Corinthians 4:14, 5:15, 21; 2 Peter 1:17.

The Second Luminous Mystery: The Wedding at Cana  

  

 The Lord's presence shows the value that He places upon the institution of marriage. When the wine ran short, Mary in her love saw a need and said to her son, "They have no wine" (John 2:3). This is Mary's first known act of intercession. Jesus said to her, "My hour has not yet come." His mother said to the servers, "Do whatever he tells you" (John 2:4-5). May we do likewise in doing what Christ tells us to do and follow His teaching through the Church. Mary the sure faith that her son would not disappoint even though He did not yet want to be under the scrutiny of public life. This was Christ’s first public miracle and another epiphany of His glorious divinity.

  Thus we have the change of the substance of water into wine. Later we shall see the transubstantiation of wine into the blood of Christ.  This miracle shows that Christ cares for our earthly needs as well.  Other options are to read and reflect on Deuteronomy 29:2; Luke 19:37; John 2:1-11; 3:2, 4:48, 6:14, 10:25, 32, 38; 14:12; Acts 2:22; Hebrews 2:4.

Third Luminous Mystery: The Proclamation of the Kingdom 

  Jesus came to Galilee proclaiming the gospel of God:  “This is the time of fulfillment.  The kingdom of God is at hand.  Repent, and believe in the gospel” (Mark 1:14-15).  He asked His apostles to go “to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.  As you go, make this proclamation: 'The kingdom of heaven is at hand'” (Matthew 10:6-7)   May each one of us do our part in furthering the Kingdom in our everyday lives in every activity......in the home, in the parish, in our daily lives…….be it as parents, in parish functions or ministries, in the community, in conversation, and even on the job.......through prayer and example, by word and deed.  Other options include reading and reflecting on Isaiah 59:20; Mt 5:3, 8:11, 16:18-19; Mk 2:17; Luke 4:14-21, 12:32, 15:7, 24:46-47; John 20:22-23; 21:15-19; Acts 3:19; Rev 3:19.

The Fourth Luminous Mystery: The Transfiguration  

 

         The Fourth Luminous Mystery: The Transfiguration.  By taking Peter, John, and James our Lord wanted to prepare the apostles for the scandal and shame of Calvary by being transfigured in showing His glory before being disfigured on the cross.  Peter, John, and James also witnessed the beginning of Christ's agony in the Garden of Gethsemane.  Let us imagine that we are there, seeing Moses and Elijah together with Christ in His Glory, thus showing the continuum and union between the Old Testament and the New Testament.......one being the promise and the other being fulfillment.  One cannot really understand the New Testament without understanding the Old Testament.  May we also be transfigured one day in heaven as St. Paul said in Philippians 3:21 that Christ “will change our lowly body to be like his glorious body”.  Other options include reading and reflecting on Exodus 24:12, 16-17; Deuteronomy 18:15; 1 Kings 19:8,11; Matthew 17:1-13, 14:32-34; 28:3; Mark 9:2-13; Luke 9:28-36; 2 Corinthians 3:18; 2 Peter 1:16-19.

 

The Fifth Luminous Mystery: The Institution of the Eucharist

   The Eucharist is the source, the center, and the summit of the Church.  Here we see the transubstantiation of the bread and wine into the body and blood of Christ at the Last Supper that is made present along with the sacrifice at Calvary at every Mass in a manner that transcends time.  In the Old Testament the Jews offered an unblemished lamb to God and then consumed it.  Today at Mass Christ through the priest (persona Christi) offers Himself (His body and blood) to the Father in an unbloody way and then we consume the Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity of Christ, the Lamb of God.  The Eucharist is God's greatest gift to us on earth, i.e., Himself.  May we frequently take advantage of this wonderful gift and all of the graces it brings.  Other options are to read and reflect on Matthew 26:26-30; Mark 14:22-26; Luke 22:14-20; John 6:25-69; Acts 20:7; 1 Corinthians 10:16-18; 11:23-29; Hebrews 6:4-6.  For meditations on the Joyful, Sorrowful, and Glorious Mysteries, go to Blogs #50, #78, & #84.