BIG C CATHOLICS

May 5, 2017 In 1917, Our Lady appeared to three shepherd children in Fatima, Portugal. They were Lucia Santos, Blessed Jacinta Marto and Blessed Francisco Marto . She then instructed the children to pray the Rosary daily to end the war and bring peace to the world. She also asked that the following prayer be recited at the end of each decade of the Rosary: “O my Jesus, forgive us our sins, save us from the fires of Hell, lead all souls to Heaven, especially those most in need of Thy mercy. Amen.” Our Lady entrusted the children with three secrets. The first was a vision of Hell . The second was a prophecy about the end of World War I and the beginning of World War II, and the need for Russia to convert to Christianity. The third secret concerned the Holy Father suffering greatly and the persecution of the Church. On her seventh and final appearance, Our Lady's promised miracle occurred. The sun appeared to dance in the sky; an event witnessed by thousands of people. Th

May 4, 2017 In 1917, Our Lady appeared to three shepherd children in Fatima, Portugal. They were Lucia Santos, Blessed Jacinta Marto and Blessed Francisco Marto . She then instructed the children to pray the Rosary daily to end the war and bring peace to the world. She also asked that the following prayer be recited at the end of each decade of the Rosary: “O my Jesus, forgive us our sins, save us from the fires of Hell, lead all souls to Heaven, especially those most in need of Thy mercy. Amen.” Our Lady entrusted the children with three secrets. The first was a vision of Hell . The second was a prophecy about the end of World War I and the beginning of World War II, and the need for Russia to convert to Christianity. The third secret concerned the Holy Father suffering greatly and the persecution of the Church. On her seventh and final appearance, Our Lady's promised miracle occurred. The sun appeared to dance in the sky; an event witnessed by thousands of people. Th

April 28th, is the optional memorial of Saint Louis-Marie Grignion De Montfort (1673 – 1716). De Montfort's life is inseparable from his prodigious efforts to promote genuine devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Mother of Jesus and the Mother of the Church. " Totus tuus" (completely yours) was De Montfort's personal motto; Karol Wojtyla chose it as his episcopal motto. Born in the Breton village of Montfort, close to Rennes (France), as an adult Louis identified himself by the place of his baptism instead of his family name, Grignion. Educated by both the Jesuits and the Sulpicians, he was ordained a diocesan priest in 1700. Soon he began preaching parish missions throughout western France. His years of ministering to the poor prompted him to travel and live simply, sometimes getting him into trouble with church authorities. In his preaching, which attracted thousands of people back to the faith, Father Louis recommended frequent, even daily, Holy Communion

From its earliest days, the Church has urged the baptized and catechumens to observe the threefold discipline of fasting, almsgiving, and prayer as a preparation for the celebration of Easter. Failure to observe individual days of penance is not considered serious, but failure to observe penitential days (Ash Wednesday, Good Friday, and all Fridays of Lent) must be considered serious. The penitential season of Lent begins this year on Ash Wednesday, March 1st. The sixth Sunday of Lent, April 9th, marks the beginning of Holy Week and is known as Passion (or Palm) Sunday. Lenten Regulations are summarized as follows: Abstinence: Abstinence from meat is to be observed on Ash Wednesday, Good Friday, and all the Fridays of Lent by all Catholics 14 years of age and older. It should be noted also that “the Fridays of the year outside of Lent remain days of penance, but each individual may substitute for the traditional abstinence from meat some other practice of voluntary self-denial

The Rosary is a necessary prayer for all Christians. It helps us to grow in holiness and in our prayer life. Moreover, it is necessary to love our Lady; that is, to be Marian. According to Pope Paul VI, "If we want to be Christians we must be Marian." Being a Christian means imitating Christ in all things. Our Lord loved his mother and honored her. We also must love and esteem our Blessed Mother. The Marian prayer par excellence is the Holy Rosary because it is a compendium of the Gospel and the mysteries of our salvation. If you have the Rosary in your hand it is like holding our Lady by the hand. The month of October is dedicated to the Rosary of the Virgin Mary. These statements by men and women of faith testify to the Rosary's power, and why it should be prayed frequently, even daily. Among all the devotions approved by the Church none has been so favored by so many miracles as the devotion of the Most Holy Rosary. — Pope Pius IX Say the Rosary every day to

The Rosary, though clearly Marian in character, is at heart a Christ-centered prayer. It has all the depth of the gospel message in its entirety.  It is an echo of the prayer of Mary, her perennial Magnificat for the work of the redemptive Incarnation which began in her virginal womb. With the Rosary, the Christian people sits at the school of Mary and is led to contemplate the beauty on the face of Christ and to experience the depths of his love. Through the Rosary the faithful receive abundant grace, as though from the very hands of the Mother of the Redeemer.  — St. John Paul II, from the apostolic letter Rosarium Virginis Mariae

O God, Whose only-begotten Son by His life, death and resurrection hath purchased for us the rewards of eternal salvation, grant we beseech Thee, that meditating on these mysteries of the most holy Rosary of the Blessed Virgin Mary, we may both imitate what they contain and obtain what they promise through Christ our Lord. On October 7, the Church celebrates the memorial of our Lady of the Rosary. Originally known as "Our Lady of Victory," the feast recalls the Battle of Lepanto, a 16th century naval action in which Christian forces (the Holy League) repelled a massive Turkish invasion. Pope Saint Pius V attributed the victory to the divine intervention of the Blessed Virgin Mary after urging Europe's Christians to pray the Rosary for our Lady's intercession. Some accounts contend St. Pius V was granted a miraculous vision of the Holy League's victory. In 1573, St. Pius V established the feast. Clement XI extended it to the universal Church in 1716. History

August 8th, is the Memorial of Saint Dominic (1170-1221). He was born in Caleruega, Spain to a prestigious, noble family. His father was the royal warden of Caleruega. His mother, Bessed Joan of Aza, from whom Dominic received his devotion to God, was deeply religious. Dominic was educated in Palencia, where he excelled in the study of theology. Throughout his life, his concern for the poor compelled him to sacrifice, even to the point of selling his personal belongings, to buy them necessities. When criticized for selling his academic manuscripts to feed the indigent, he told his astonished classmates, "Would you have me study off these dead skins, when men are dying of hunger?" Near the end of the 12th century, the Church in France was threatened by the Albigensian heresy. It held that there were two gods: the god of light/spirit (represented by Jesus in the New Testament) and the god of darkness/matter, (typically associated with Satan) the "God of the Old Testame

The Blessed Virgin Mary is venerated under this title following apparitions to three shepherd children, Lúcia, Jacinta and Francisco, in Portugal in 1917. The message of Fatima includes a call to conversion of heart, repentance from sin and a dedication to the Blessed Virgin Mary, especially through her immaculate heart. This optional memorial is new to the United States' liturgical calendar and occurs on May 13. The appearance of our Lady to the children at Fatima is an event of great consequence. Our Lady's warnings are those of a mother spoken out of love for her children. In these visitations, Mary urges humanity to reject sin and to pray unceasingly. Our Lady extolled the power of the daily Rosary for conversion and repentance. She told Lúcia, Jacinta and Francisco that many people go to Hell because they have no one to pray or make sacrifices on their behalf. She then showed the children a glimpse of Hell which Sr. Lúcia describes in her book, Memoirs : [Mary] open

Saint Louis-Marie Grignion de Montfort was born January 31, 1673 in Montfort-sur-Meu, France. At 12, he entered the Jesuit College of St Thomas Becket where he began his study of philosophy and theology. In 1693, thanks to a generous benefactor, Louis went to Paris to complete his priestly formation at the renowned Seminary of Saint-Sulpice. Upon arrival, he discovered his benefactor had not paid the tuition in full. As a result, Luis lodged in boarding houses, living among the poor, while attending lectures in theology at Sorbonne University. His seminary studies were interrupted by a two-year bout with illness, during which he nearly died. These experiences profoundly shaped Louis' spirituality and priesthood. Luis was ordained a priest in 1700. He is one of the earliest writers in the field of Mariology. His works include, The Love of Eternal Wisdom , The Secret of the Rosary , The Secret of Mary , and True Devotion to the Blessed Virgin . Luis spread devotion to the rosary

The two most consequential apparitions in the twentieth century were the appearance of our Lady to the children at Fatima and that of our Lord to Saint Faustina. In these visitations, the Blessed Virgin Mary and Jesus Christ urge humanity to reject sin and to pray unceasingly. Our Lady extolled the power of the daily Rosary for conversion and repentance. Our Lord taught Sister Faustina the Divine Mercy Chaplet to call upon God's mercy – especially for sinners and those near death. God's message to us is unmistakable: Life is tenuous. The time for mercy and forgiveness is now. When Christ comes again, at the end of history, it will be as a just judge who separates the good from the wicked. The righteous will experience the Beatific Vision in Heaven. The lost will burn forever in the unquenchable fire that is Hell. Since many today deny Hell's existence, it is worth remembering that during these apparitions, both Sister Lucy and St. Faustina witnessed Hell first hand

The Blessed Virgin Mary presenting the Rosary to St. Dominic: T he Vision of Saint Dominic, Bernardo Cavallino, 1640  According to pious tradition, the Rosary was given to Saint Dominic in an apparition of the Virgin Mary in the year 1214. In the 15th century, it was promoted by Alanus de Rupe (St. Alan of the Rock), a Dominican priest and theologian, who established the " fifteen rosary promises " and started many rosary confraternities . 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." "Never will anyone who says his Rosary every day become a formal heretic or be led astray by the devil." Pray the Rosary daily to grow in holiness. The following quotations illustrate the Rosary's power and abundant blessings: When the Holy Rosary is said well, it gives Jesus and Mary more glory and is more meritorious than

A tradition held by the Order of Preachers (also known as Dominicans) holds that through Saint Dominic and Alan de Rupe, the Blessed Virgin Mary made fifteen specific promises to Christians who faithfully pray the rosary. They range from protection from misfortune to meriting a high degree of glory in heaven. The fifteen promises fall under the category of "private revelation", and as such are a pious tradition, which a person is free, but not obligated, to practice. The fifteen promises: 1. Whoever faithfully serve me by the recitation of the rosary, will receive signal graces. 2. I promise my special protection and the greatest graces to all who recite the rosary. 3. The rosary is a powerful armor against hell that destroys vice, decreases sin, and defeats heresies. 4. 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

The Blessed Virgin Mary presenting the Rosary to St. Dominic: T he Vision of Saint Dominic, Bernardo Cavallino, 1640  According to pious tradition, the Rosary was given to Saint Dominic in an apparition of the Virgin Mary in the year 1214. In the 15th century, it was promoted by Alanus de Rupe (St. Alan of the Rock), a Dominican priest and theologian, who established the " fifteen rosary promises " and started many rosary confraternities . 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." "Never will anyone who says his Rosary every day become a formal heretic or be led astray by the devil." Pray the Rosary daily to grow in holiness. The following quotations illustrate the Rosary's power and abundant blessings: When the Holy Rosary is said well, it gives Jesus and Mary more glory and is more meritorious than

The Weapon of the Rosary "Hail Mary Full of Grace, the Lord is with thee! No creature has ever said anything that was more pleasing." Our Lady to Saint Mechtilde. "Never will anyone who says his Rosary every day become a formal heretic or be led astray by the devil." Saint Louis de Montfort. "Recite your rosary with faith, with humility, with confidence and with perseverance." Saint Louis de Montfort. "One day, through the Rosary and the Scapular, Our Lady will save the world." Saint Dominic. "The greatest method of praying is to pray the Rosary." Saint Francis de Sales. "Give me an army saying the Rosary and I will conquer the world." Blessed Pius IX. "The Rosary is a powerful weapon to put the demons to flight and to keep oneself from sin." Pope Pius XI "The Rosary is the most excellent form of prayer and the most efficacious means of attaining eternal life." Pope Leo XIII. "When