Sunday, September 8, 2013

Happy Birthday Mama Mary

BEADS OF JOY 09-08-13
“Happy Birthday Mama Mary”
©2013 James Dacey, Jr. OFS


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.

My Friends,

Today is a most splendid day to celebrate. Today we celebrate Mary, Mother of God, born to her parents Saint Anne and Saint Joachim. Here are some findings I’d like to share with you in regards to Mama Mary’s Birth and some wonderful saintly quotes about our dear precious beloved Blessed Mother.



BIRTH OF MARY - Feast - September 8
This feast is connected with the basilica constructed in the fifth century on the site of the pool at Bethesda. This is the supposed home of Ann and Joachim and where the basilica of St. Ann stands today. The feast was introduced by Pope Sergius I around 701. There are apocryphal accounts of Mary's birth, such as the gospel of pseudo-Matthew and another by St. Jerome. This feast opens the liturgical year in the East and was celebrated with an octave by Pope Innocent IV and with a vigil under Pope Gregory XI.


St. Augustine connects Mary's birth with Jesus' saving work. St. Augustine tells the earth to rejoice and shine forth in the light of her birth. “She is the flower of the field from whom bloomed the precious lily of the valley. Through her birth the nature inherited from our first parents is changed.

REDEMPTORIS MATER – Pope John Paul II
3. The circumstance which now moves me to take up this subject once more is the prospect of the year 2000, now drawing near, in which the Bimillennial Jubilee of the birth of Jesus Christ at the same time directs our gaze towards his Mother. In recent years, various opinions have been voiced suggesting that it would be fitting to precede that anniversary by a similar Jubilee in celebration of the birth of Mary.

In fact, even though it is not possible to establish an exact chronological point for identifying the date of Mary's birth, the Church has constantly been aware that Mary appeared on the horizon of salvation history before Christ. It is a fact that when "the fullness of time" was definitively drawing near-the saving advent of Emmanuel- she who was from eternity destined to be his Mother already existed on earth. The fact that she "preceded" the coming of Christ is reflected every year in the liturgy of Advent. Therefore, if to that ancient historical expectation of the Savior we compare these years which are bringing us closer to the end of the second Millennium after Christ and to the beginning of the third, it becomes fully comprehensible that in this present period we wish to turn in a special way to her, the one who in the "night" of the Advent expectation began to shine like a true "Morning Star" (Stella Matutina). For just as this star, together with the "dawn," precedes the rising of the sun, so Mary from the time of her Immaculate Conception preceded the coming of the Savior, the rising of the "Sun of Justice" in the history of the human race.


Quotes about Mama Mary…

“Never be afraid of loving the Blessed Virgin too much. You can never love her more than Jesus did.” ~St. Maximilian Kolbe

“We never give more honor to Jesus than when we honor his Mother, and we honor her simply and solely to honor him all the more perfectly. We go to her only as a way leading to the goal we seek – Jesus, her Son.” ~St. Louis Marie de Montfort, True Devotion to the Blessed Virgin

“Mary, my dearest Mother, give me your heart so beautiful, so pure, so immaculate so full of love and humility that I may receive Jesus as you did – and go in haste to give him to others.” ~Blessed Mother Teresa


“To serve the Queen of Heaven is already to reign there, and to live under her commands is more than to govern.” ~St. John Marie Vianney

“Thus Christ by being born of a virgin, who, before she knew Who was to be born of her, had determined to continue a virgin, chose rather to approve, than to command, holy virginity. And thus, even in the female herself, in whom He took the form of a servant, He will that virginity should be free.” ~St. Augustine, On Holy Virginity

“As mariners are guided into port by the shining of a star, so Christians are guided to heaven by Mary” ~St. Thomas Aquinas

“And by a new nativity [Christ] was begotten, conceived by a Virgin, born of a Virgin, without paternal desire, without injury to the mother’s chastity…The origin is different by the nature like: not by intercourse with man but by the power of God was it brought about: for a Virgin conceived, a Virgin bare, and a Virgin she remained.” ~St. Leo the Great, Sermons

“A gentleman of the Protestant faith, the son-in-law of Malcolm Muggeridge, told me: “I love you, your work, everything I see, but there is one thing I do not understand: Our Lady. You are full of Mary.” I replied to him: “No Mary, no Jesus –no mother, no.” A few months later he send me a card with these words printed in big letters: “I believe, no Mary, no Jesus! This has changed my life.”” ~Blessed Teresa of Calcutta

“If through faith Mary became the bearer of the Son given to her by the Father through the power of the Holy Spirit, while preserving her virginity intact, in that same faith she discovered and accepted the other dimension of motherhood revealed by Jesus during his messianic mission. One can say that this dimension of motherhood belonged to Mary from the beginning that is to say from the moment of the conception and birth of her Son. From that time she was “the one who believed.”” ~Blessed John Paul II, Mother of the Redeemer 21

“If there is an apostle on whom our eyes would be fixed, was likely to teach us about the Blessed Virgin, it is St. John, to whom she was committed by our Lord on the cross – with whom, as tradition goes, she lived at Ephesus till she was taken away. This anticipation is confirmed; for, as I have said above, one of the earliest and fullest of our informants concerning her dignity, as being the Second Eve, is Irenaeus, who came to Lyons from Asia Mino and had been taught by the immediate disciples of St. John.” ~Blessed Cardinal John Henry Newman


“Now I seem to be penetrating what was the martyrdom of our most beloved Mother…Oh, if all people would but penetrate this martyrdom! Who could succeed in suffering with this, yes, our dear Coredemptrix? Who would refuse her the good title of Queen of Martyrs?” ~St. Padre Pio of Pietrelcina

“In that first ‘fusion’ with Jesus (holy communion), it was my Heavenly Mother again who accompanied me to the altar for it was she herself who placed her Jesus into my soul.” ~St. Therese of Lisieux



Your brother in Christ Jesus
And His Most Blessed Mother,
Jim (The Rosary Man) Dacey Jr OFS

Monday, September 2, 2013

The Annunciation - Reflection

BEADS OF JOY 09-02-13
“The Annunciation - Reflection”
©2013 James Dacey, Jr. OFS


Gospel: (Luke 1:26-38 / The Annunciation)


In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin's name was Mary. And he came to her and said, "Hail, O favored one, the Lord is with you!" But she was greatly troubled at the saying, and considered in her mind what sort of greeting this might be. And the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus. He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Most High; and the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever; and of his kingdom there will be no end." And Mary said to the angel, "How shall this be, since I have no husband?" And the angel said to her, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy, the Son of God. And behold, your kinswoman Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son; and this is the sixth month with her who was called barren. For with God nothing will be impossible. “And Mary said, "Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word." And the angel departed from her.”

My Friends,

Today I am taking a glance back to January of 1996. It was then that I took much time writing out reflections to each mystery in the Rosary. My passion and love for the Rosary goes beyond words for the most part. It’s been in my life, on my mind and in my heart –and most especially in my writings for over 30 years. Check this out, hope it’s helpful in your own personal Journey.

-How is the humanity of Mary brought forth in the illustration of the Annunciation?

-How has the humanity of Mary inspired me to be more open to God’s Word fully trusting Him?

-Have there been times when I was troubled by having to put God’s Word into practice –and yet fully understand that I must trust in Him?

-What have I found to be a major obstacle to living God’s Word? And how has Mary’s Annunciation been a source of strength for me so that I can be more like her?

-How does Mary’s humble background help her to be open to the God’s Request? And in what ways have I struggled with humility?

-What daily concerns and temptations keep me from doing God’s Will? How have I confronted these challenges so that I am open to God’s Request at all times?

-What recent incident has challenged my faith like no other in my life? Was I able to respond with courage, trust and an even deeper faith?

-Has Mary’s lack of knowledge and understanding played a role in my own journey of faith –allowing myself to be like her and walk in faith and trust even when I don’t fully understand?

GOD BLESS YOU !!!


Your brother in Christ Jesus
And His Most Blessed Mother,
Jim (The Rosary Man) Dacey Jr OFS

I also invite you to follow me on Twitter:
https://twitter.com/Rosarymanjim

Sunday, September 1, 2013

Marian Feast Days of September

BEADS OF JOY 09-01-13
“Marian Feast Days of September”
©2013 James Dacey, Jr. OFS

Marian Feast Days of September
1. Collection of all the Feast of Our Lady, celebrated at Louvain

2. Our Lady of Helbron, Germany (1442)

3. Our Lady of the Divine Shepherd, France

4. Our Lady of Haut restores life to young woman in Belgium (1419)

5. Our Lady of the Woods, Galloro (1621)

6. Our Lady of the Fountain, Valenciennes, France

7. Vigil of the Nativity of Our Lady, instituted by Pope Gregory II (722)

8. Feast of the Birth of the Blessed Virgin Mary (15BC)

9. Our Lady of Puy, France (221)

10. Our Lady of Trut, Shrine near Cologne, Germany, built by St. Heribert (10th Century)

11. Our Lady of Hildesheim, Germany (11th Century)

12. The Most Holy Name of Mary

13. Our Lady of Zell (Mariazell), Austria/Our Lady of Guadalupe, Spain

14. Our Lady of Einsiedeln, Switzerland

15. The Seven Sorrows of the Blessed Virgin Mary

16. Our Lady of Good News, Sicily

17. Our Lady of the Candles (15th Century)

18. Our Lady of Smelcem, Flanders

19. Our Lady of La Salette, France (1846)

20. Our Lady of the Silver Foot, at Toul in Lorraine, France (1284)

21. Our Lady of Pucha, Valencia (1223)

22. The Giving of the Name of Mary to Our Lady by St. Ann, her mother

23. Our Lady of Valvenere, Spain

24. Our Lady of Ransom, Spain (1218)/ Our Lady of Rocamadour, France

25. Madonna, Divine Shepherdess, Spain (1703)

26. Our Lady of Victory at Tourney (1340)

27. Our Lady of Happy Assembly, Le Laus, France (1664)

28. Our Lady of Cambron, France (1322)

29. Our Lady of Tongres, France (1081)

30. Our Lady of Beaumont, Lorraine, France (12th Century) 


LOVE YOU GUYS!!!!
Come PRAY THE ROSARY with us every evening Monday through Friday 9pm EST with our
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Invitations posted daily… and throughout the evening…
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Your brother in Christ Jesus
And His Most Blessed Mother,
Jim (The Rosary Man) Dacey Jr OFS

I also invite you to follow me on Twitter:
https://twitter.com/Rosarymanjim