Many Are Healed By Jesus

BEADS OF JOY 08-31-16

“Many Are Healed By Jesus”

©2016 James Dacey, Jr. OFS

My Friends,

 Today’s Gospel: Luke 4:38-44 (Many Are Healed By Jesus)

“And he arose and left the synagogue, and entered Simon's house. Now Simon's mother-in-law was ill with a high fever, and they asked him about her. And he stood over her and rebuked the fever, and it left her; and immediately she rose and served them. Now when the sun was setting, all those who had any that were sick with various diseases brought them to him; and he laid his hands on every one of them and healed them. And demons also came out of many, crying, "You are the Son of God!" But he rebuked them, and would not allow them to speak, because they knew that he was the Christ. And when it was day he departed and went into a lonely place. And the people sought him and came to him, and would have kept him from leaving them; but he said to them, "I must preach the good news of the kingdom of God to the other cities also; for I was sent for this purpose." And he was preaching in the synagogues of Judea.”

Reflection:
Are you too proud, too honorable, too well off that you can’t bow down to the Lord and ask Him for a healing? Well are you? Some things need to be asked bluntly. Think of this and I don’t say it lightly; the more we take care of ourselves the better we are to take care of others. Yes, we must continue to focus on others. Please try to keep your eyes off of yourself. We all are guilty of that from time to time, some more than others. But if we practice it day by day it will be become more and more a part of who we really are.

We must know where demons can lurk and do all we can to avoid them. Where you ask? They lurk in the gallows of sin and selfishness. Just as we must know and recognize Jesus’ voice and know Him; as you have read in several different recent scriptures the demons know exactly who Jesus is, “You are the Son of God!" the real question is, why don’t some of us know Jesus like that? We must spend more time in His word, spend more time in His presence in Adoration, spend more time in prayer with Him. The more we spend time with Him, the more we know Him.

Jesus never turns anyone away. We (our family) has been through a lot and we continue to suffer. Well, Chrissy suffers the most, she is my wife for those who don’t know. Almost 30 years now. Since May of 2010 she has been suffering with Stage 4 Lung Cancer, only by God’s Grace is she still alive. My Aunt Ann had the exact same lung cancer many many years ago, she didn’t even live 2 years. Chrissy does suffer tremendously, even more now 6 years into this. She is now on pain pills to deal with the unexplainable pains and her weight continues to drop (111 lbs). But we continue to Praise Jesus and Thank Him for everything. We never expected her to be here all this time. So we must recognize miracles and blessings; even when they are covered in pain and suffering. If we focus on negative, we will find the negative; but if we focus on Jesus we will find Jesus. See you guys tomorrow.

LOVE YOU GUYS !!!!

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

Healing of a Demoniac

BEADS OF JOY 08-30-16

“Healing of a Demoniac”

©2016 James Dacey, Jr. OFS

My Friends,

Today’s Gospel: Luke 4:31-37 (Healing of a Demoniac)
“And he went down to Capernaum, a city of Galilee. And he was teaching them on the Sabbath; and they were astonished at his teaching, for his word was with authority. And in the synagogue there was a man who had the spirit of an unclean demon; and he cried out with a loud voice, "Ah! What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are, the Holy One of God." But Jesus rebuked him, saying, "Be silent, and come out of him!" And when the demon had thrown him down in the midst, he came out of him, having done him no harm. And they were all amazed and said to one another, "What is this word? For with authority and power he commands the unclean spirits, and they come out." And reports of him went out into every place in the surrounding region.”

Reflection:
It is through God’s Word that we are set free. Are you ready to live a life that is fully entrusted to that Word and live that life believing in the power of that Word? Jesus’ authority is that of the Son of God, you know that? I’m not trying to be sarcastic. I apologize if I sound that way. I am just so overly excited about my love for my Lord, I want to always be perfectly clear that the message I share, the one I am reflecting on each day is crystal clear. Jesus, God’s Son died for us, so that we might live. He did that for us. We are sinners, it’s amazing! That is so exciting! We don’t deserve such unconditional love!

Now are you ready to abide in the Word of God? Study the Gospel? Share the Good News? Entrust your life fully to Jesus? Well I am! The Word was made Flesh and dwelt among us… Jesus is the Word! In today’s gospel even the demons were silenced and removed. We have nothing to worry about in this life. All the evil, all the horror of the worldly destructive people out there. They render no power against Jesus. They may think they do. It may seem like they do. But in the end they won’t. In the end Jesus will have the last Word about them. He will have the last sentence to say, they will be shut down and silenced. We may not see it. We may not hear it. We may already be dead. But we will know that Jesus had the last Word.

Be strong my sisters and brothers, know that your bible is God’s Living Word. Embrace His Word and learn it, read it, study it, know it. I beg of you to spend time in His Word each day that you open your eyes. Allow scripture to part of your every day. Somehow, someway incorporate each day’s scripture into your thoughts, into your conversation. If the people you talk to don’t like scripture, find friends who do. If you don’t have a bible, ask someone if they have an extra one. Seek out the Word every single day. It is imperative that you do. Your life will depend on it my sisters and brothers. Till tomorrow I wish you well always.

LOVE YOU GUYS !!!!

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

Death of John The Baptist

BEADS OF JOY 08-29-16

“Death of John The Baptist”

©2016 James Dacey, Jr. OFS

My Friends,

  

Today’s Gospel: Mark 6:17-29 (Death of John The Baptist)
“For Herod had sent and seized John, and bound him in prison for the sake of Herodias, his brother Philip's wife; because he had married her. For John said to Herod, "It is not lawful for you to have your brother's wife." And Herodias had a grudge against him, and wanted to kill him. But she could not, for Herod feared John, knowing that he was a righteous and holy man, and kept him safe. When he heard him, he was much perplexed; and yet he heard him gladly. But an opportunity came when Herod on his birthday gave a banquet for his courtiers and officers and the leading men of Galilee. For when Herodias' daughter came in and danced, she pleased Herod and his guests; and the king said to the girl, "Ask me for whatever you wish, and I will grant it." And he vowed to her, "Whatever you ask me, I will give you, even half of my kingdom." And she went out, and said to her mother, "What shall I ask?" And she said, "The head of John the baptizer." And she came in immediately with haste to the king, and asked, saying, "I want you to give me at once the head of John the Baptist on a platter." And the king was exceedingly sorry; but because of his oaths and his guests he did not want to break his word to her. And immediately the king sent a soldier of the guard and gave orders to bring his head. He went and beheaded him in the prison, and brought his head on a platter, and gave it to the girl; and the girl gave it to her mother. When his disciples heard of it, they came and took his body, and laid it in a tomb.”

Reflection:
Wow! Read about John the Baptist and you have to ask yourself: How bold and courageous am I to witness my faith? Would I be willing to push the envelope to the point of death and be a martyr for Jesus? If not what would my alternatives be? It is a rather tough choice to make. If you are with Jesus, eternity in Heaven awaits you; if you not well He’ll decide, but it’s not good to be against Him. There is no middle ground, no lukewarm acceptable place. It’s either yes or no. John the Baptist chose Yes!

Fear is something all those who are against the Gospel think they can use against us. Well, let them know they can’t. Not even death, can stop our faith. Not even death, can stop me from loving Jesus. Not even death, will make me deny my Lord. In this life there are many distractions, many people who seem to know everything about nothing. Don’t listen to them! Stay focused fully on Jesus. Read scripture as much as possible. Attend daily Mass as often as you can. Stay in our Lord’s presence at Adoration. Shower your life with Jesus as much as you possibly can.

I reflect on this scripture often for strength:
“Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you. Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that the family of believers throughout the world is undergoing the same kind of sufferings. And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast. To him be the power for ever and ever. Amen” ~1 Peter 5:6-11

LOVE YOU GUYS !!!!

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

He Who Humbles Himself

BEADS OF JOY 08-28-16

“He Who Humbles Himself”

©2016 James Dacey, Jr. OFS

My Friends,

Today’s Gospel: Luke 14:1, 7-11 (He Who Humbles Himself)

“One Sabbath when he went to dine at the house of a ruler who belonged to the Pharisees, they were watching him. 

Now he told a parable to those who were invited, when he marked how they chose the places of honor, saying to them, "When you are invited by anyone to a marriage feast, do not sit down in a place of honor, lest a more eminent man than you be invited by him; and he who invited you both will come and say to you, `Give place to this man,' and then you will begin with shame to take the lowest place. But when you are invited, go and sit in the lowest place, so that when your host comes he may say to you, `Friend, go up higher'; then you will be honored in the presence of all who sit at table with you. For every one who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted."

Reflection:
I know the natural desire is always be first (in line, front row parking, at the cashier) oh wait for some at Mass we prefer sitting way in the back. Hmmm. Well today we will think about the preference of always being last. You know there is nothing wrong with putting ourselves last. I have shared a very insight wisdom many times, that sums up the Greatest Commandment: Jesus first. Others second. Self-last. It’s a very simply philosophy. Honestly it’s an easy practice in your everyday life, if you do your best to do it in all things. Okay, now you’re saying, “Jim, you were making sense till you just said that. How do I make “being last” a normal practice in my everyday life?” I am so glad you asked that… LOL

True humility is a characteristic you should desire to have within the legacy of who you are. True humility is not a pity party of poverty or you desiring to be in a better position in life. On the contrary, true humility is you being consumed with your attention on the needs of Others before your own needs. A humble person is never concerned about their own needs; their first thought is to help meet the needs of Others in need first. Being humble is by no means an interpretation of you being weak. Try being “humble” for 24 hours, it takes GREAT strength and GREAT self-control to shield your own selfish desires. I dare you! Once you do this daily, then weekly, monthly, yearly. It will become natural to you.

So how do you make humility a normal practice in your daily life? Simple! When you are in a parking lot, don’t rush to the front (of cause unless you need to because you have issues walking, even then you still can), but if you don’t -park further back. When you have to get in line to pay the cashier, let someone else in front of you; want a real challenge of humility let someone with a full wagon in front of you. Start holding the door open for Others. Start helping people anyway you can think of, their needs always first as you see them throughout your day. Believe me they are there. So is that enough homework to start for now? I hope so. If you really focus on just that you will be very busy putting Others before yourself and your humble life will begin. See you all tomorrow.

LOVE YOU GUYS !!!!

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

Parable of The Talents

BEADS OF JOY 08-27-16

“Parable of The Talents”

©2016 James Dacey, Jr. OFS

My Friends,

Today’s Gospel: Matthew 25:14-30 (Parable of The Talents)

“For it will be as when a man going on a journey called his servants and entrusted to them his property; to one he gave five talents, to another two, to another one, to each according to his ability. Then he went away. He who had received the five talents went at once and traded with them; and he made five talents more. So also, he who had the two talents made two talents more. But he who had received the one talent went and dug in the ground and hid his master's money. Now after a long time the master of those servants came and settled accounts with them. And he who had received the five talents came forward, bringing five talents more, saying, `Master, you delivered to me five talents; here I have made five talents more.' His master said to him, `Well done, good and faithful servant; you have been faithful over a little, I will set you over much; enter into the joy of your master.' And he also who had the two talents came forward, saying, `Master, you delivered to me two talents; here I have made two talents more.' His master said to him, `Well done, good and faithful servant; you have been faithful over a little, I will set you over much; enter into the joy of your master.'

He also who had received the one talent came forward, saying, `Master, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you did not sow, and gathering where you did not winnow; so I was afraid, and I went and hid your talent in the ground. Here you have what is yours.' But his master answered him, `You wicked and slothful servant! You knew that I reap where I have not sowed, and gather where I have not winnowed? Then you ought to have invested my money with the bankers, and at my coming I should have received what was my own with interest. So take the talent from him, and give it to him who has the ten talents. For to everyone who has will more be given, and he will have abundance; but from him who has not, even what he has will be taken away. And cast the worthless servant into the outer darkness; there men will weep and gnash their teeth.'”

Reflection:
To the poor this parable could mean that you can share all the joy you gain; by the abundance you obtain as you use the talents God has given you. To the wealthy sadly to some this may mean you must begin to share and spread your wealth so that it may multiple. You can see by the parable that God never intended for the wealth of even money to be buried and hidden. I know Jesus said, “Then you ought to have invested my money with the bankers, and at my coming I should have received what was my own with interest.” This is a parable, a story told to us by Jesus. The money was an invest rendering interest. God knows money is best invested in people and family. Let us not forget the greatest commandment: Love the Lord your God with all your heart and all your soul and the second is like it; love your neighbor as yourself. God first. Others second. Self-last. How might you interpret this parable?

There is a most important lesson taught here no doubt. Our gifts must help us advance towards Jesus and we grow or we lose everything. No one gets to stand idle and use any excuse for doing nothing and expecting everything in return. God has given each of us something to share, something to give, something to help others with. It is our job in this life to find that talent, that gift and share it and use it and spread the joy for our entire life. If you have been blessed with “interest” share it, spread it and let that blessing be a blessing to others.

We must remember that everything is Almighty God’s first. Anything we have is on loan to us for our time here. We have no choice when we die, we HAVE to surrender it, our voice is silenced. A corpse can’t speak. A Will can only do so much, especially when there are greedy crooked family members surrounding a stingy miser, waiting for you to die. I have seen it. I have heard first hand in families who tell stories of that one family member who hoarded everything and wouldn’t care for no one. They tie everything up in a legal battle and had the lawyers drain away the money. The family was thrilled the dead family members wishes couldn’t come through, no more money. Being selfish isn’t good for anyone, even after your dead. Open your heart now to Jesus and share your talents, your gifts, your interest. Be the Scourge at the end of the movie, not the beginning… Compassion and love go a long way when you are still alive... See you guys tomorrow.

LOVE YOU GUYS !!!!

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

Parable of The Ten Virgins

BEADS OF JOY 08-26-16

“Parable of The Ten Virgins”

©2016 James Dacey, Jr. OFS

My Friends,

Today’s Gospel: Matt 25:1-13 (Parable of The Ten Virgins)
“Then the kingdom of heaven shall be compared to ten maidens who took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom. Five of them were foolish, and five were wise. For when the foolish took their lamps, they took no oil with them; but the wise took flasks of oil with their lamps. As the bridegroom was delayed, they all slumbered and slept. But at midnight there was a cry, `Behold, the bridegroom! Come out to meet him.' Then all those maidens rose and trimmed their lamps. And the foolish said to the wise, `Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.' But the wise replied, `Perhaps there will not be enough for us and for you; go rather to the dealers and buy for yourselves.' And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the marriage feast; and the door was shut. Afterward the other maidens came also, saying, `Lord, lord, open to us.' But he replied, `Truly, I say to you, I do not know you.' Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour."

Reflection:
Oh no!!! Don’t miss out on what matters in this life and get caught up in the frivolous wasteful things. This world will consume you if you allow it. Stay focused on Jesus and stay focused on being ready. There is no second chance, there is no second time for us to come back and ask Jesus to do it over again. We must be ready when the time comes. Be prepared always my sisters and brothers. For when the feast begins and the doors are shut they will be closed forever. We must be prepared, nothing in this life is worth losing eternity with Jesus over. Nothing!

We must learn to listen to hear Him, know His voice and follow Him. Everything we ever lived for will depend on that. Jesus invites us to be with Him for all eternity, He has given us a lifetime to prepare. How long is that lifetime? No one knows, so we must always be ready. Be sure your house in order, clean it often with confession, talk daily to Jesus in prayer, visit Him as much as you can in adoration, consume Him in Communion as often as you can. Our biggest danger will be, NOT being ready. Please be ready like I wrote about yesterday. I want to see all of you in Heaven. God has prepared a place for all of us. We must be prepared so that we can see it, and stay there for all eternity together honoring and praising Him.

Unfortunately, many will not be ready and so many will not even care to be ready. This world is full of traps to distract you and trap you and keep your eyes and heart off Jesus. That’s all satan and so many worldly people wish for; is your destruction, if only to keep your eyes closed for one more minute, one more day, one more week. Soon will forget that Jesus guy and you will stay focused on your house, your cars, your vacations, your money, your wealth, your pride, your “status” place in society, your position at the firm your own or work at. Who cares about that Jesus guy! You will think to yourself first, you can’t “see” Jesus anyway. DO NOT FALL for that! All of those ideas are traps set by satan and his soldiers to destroy you for all eternity. Be strong! Pray for strength! You are not alone! See you tomorrow.

LOVE YOU GUYS !!!!

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

Are You Ready For Jesus?

BEADS OF JOY 08-25-16

“Are You Ready For Jesus?”

©2016 James Dacey, Jr. OFS

My Friends,

Today’s Gospel: 
Matthew 24:42-51 (Are You Ready For Jesus?)
“Watch therefore, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming. But know this, that if the householder had known in what part of the night the thief was coming, he would have watched and would not have let his house be broken into. Therefore, you also must be ready; for the Son of man is coming at an hour you do not expect. "Who then is the faithful and wise servant, whom his master has set over his household, to give them their food at the proper time? Blessed is that servant whom his master when he comes will find so doing. Truly, I say to you, he will set him over all his possessions. But if that wicked servant says to himself, `My master is delayed,' and begins to beat his fellow servants, and eats and drinks with the drunken, the master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he does not know, and will punish him, and put him with the hypocrites; there men will weep and gnash their teeth.”

Reflection:
So are you ready for Jesus? I guess if we were all truly honest, many would say, “Yeah, sort of…” But in our hearts, we’d be saying, “I sure hope Jesus catches me on a good day.” I think many can relate to that. But as Jesus says in today’s parable, “if the householder had known in what part of the night the thief was coming, he would have watched and would not have let his house be broken into. Therefore, you also must be ready; for the Son of man is coming at an hour you do not expect.” So we have no idea when Jesus will come so we have to be ready all the time. Talk about stressful!!! The funny part is someone out there actually just said, “Does that mean I have to be good all the time now??” LOL! Too funny. Well the answer is yes...

I think the best way to handle this is simple. Think of the first part of this parable; Jesus actually gives us the solution, as to how we can best manage this without even thinking about it. Well the first part is about a thief in the night. That’s solved by having an alarm system, right! Simply always turn the alarm on, lock the doors and windows and you can close your eyes and the thief won’t so easily just walk in on you so randomly. And if he does there will be a battle with you and the Police. After all your alarm will go off, it will notify the Police, wake you up and the entire neighbor. So securing your home will be a natural activity in your life and all those around you will know that your home is secured by an alarm, discouraging anyone who might want to break in. Do you see where I am going with this.

Now, how do we prepare our lives to always be ready? Simply always be ready and live in such a way that you are always ready. Pray daily, read your bible daily, go to confession often, go to Mass often and do all you can to help others by placing them first before yourself. If you live a life that is simple and others see you charitably friendly; people will know by your character what kind of person you really are. Making your battle won with answering the question: How will you do this on a daily basis? This lifestyle will become part of your normal lifestyle. Hence making yourself always ready for Jesus. Will there still be challenges? Of cause! Will they be easy to manage? Yes! Think about these things. I care so much about your well-being. May God Richly Bless all of you. See you tomorrow.

LOVE YOU GUYS !!!!

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

Come And See!

BEADS OF JOY 08-24-16

“Come And See!”

©2016 James Dacey, Jr. OFS

My Friends,

Today’s Gospel: Luke 1:45-51 (Come And See!)
“Philip found Nathanael, and said to him, "We have found him of whom Moses in the law and also the prophets wrote, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph." Nathanael said to him, "Can anything good come out of Nazareth?" Philip said to him, "Come and see!" Jesus saw Nathanael coming to him, and said of him, "Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom is no guile!" Nathanael said to him, "How do you know me?" Jesus answered him, "Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you." Nathanael answered him, "Rabbi, you are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!" Jesus answered him, "Because I said to you, I saw you under the fig tree, do you believe? You shall see greater things than these." And he said to him, "Truly, truly, I say to you, you will see heaven opened, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of man."

Reflection:
Such a beautiful gospel. But honestly, how do you know for certain that through your eyes, you have seen Jesus in your life? I know not in person, but inside you “spiritually” how do you know? Nathanael knew without any doubt that this was Jesus, he said, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!" Is our faith that solid, that certain? When you see Jesus in others do you know it without a doubt? When you see Jesus in those miracles small and large in your life, do you know it without a doubt? Every single day you awake do you look for Him or are you tuned out and too focused on what you want; rather than how Jesus is part of your life each day? Stay tuned to Him, He is ever present in your life.

Yes, many are skeptical and many don’t believe, so does that mean Jesus isn’t here with us? No! If I said I believe the sky is blue and red and yellow. You might say, “You are crazy!” but then depending on when you are looking at the sky and at what hour and at what location it is those colors. I have pictures. So was I wrong in my belief? No! That is what I believe. Just because someone else has their own story and monologue to convince you not to believe in our Lord; you my dear sisters and brothers can have your own, your story, your experience, your faith and you’d be correct just the same. Do not let anyone intimidate you or tell you, you can’t believe or you shouldn’t believe, who do they think they are? Stand up for what you believe and know that you are not alone in your faith. Jesus is by your side always.

We live in a very different world today, compared to when I first gave my life to my Lord back in 1983. The world today is very violent and mean and horribly nasty towards those with any sort of faith, especially towards anyone with Catholic faith. In the past there was respect for everyone’s faith, there were more respectful people in-charge, not today. Now many are out to destroy and remove any believers. Regardless we must continue even if only in the depths of our hearts (which no one can take from us) we must love Jesus. Stay strong always my sisters and brothers and in all things love our Lord; He will always be there for you in all circumstances, no one else will know He is there, but you will. See you guys tomorrow.

LOVE YOU GUYS !!!!

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

Scribes, Pharisees, Hypocrites!

BEADS OF JOY 08-23-16

“Scribes, Pharisees, Hypocrites!”

©2016 James Dacey, Jr. OFS

My Friends,

Today’s Gospel: 

Matthew 23:23-26 (Scribes, Pharisees, Hypocrites!)

“Woe to you, Scribes and Pharisees, Hypocrites! for you tithe mint and dill and cummin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law, justice and mercy and faith; these you ought to have done, without neglecting the others. You blind guides, straining out a gnat and swallowing a camel! "Woe to you, Scribes and Pharisees, Hypocrites! for you cleanse the outside of the cup and of the plate, but inside they are full of extortion and rapacity. You blind Pharisee! first cleanse the inside of the cup and of the plate, that the outside also may be clean.”

Reflection:
So do you still think us Catholics are a bunch of wimps; with a leader and Lord who is scared and too Holy to speak boldly with the truth? This is why I am a strong solid Catholic, I have a strong Lord who stands for the truth and if you are a “Hypocrite” He calls you out, especially if you are a leader. Check out the video below. I know it’s just a reenactment, but it’s powerful. This must have been an amazing breath-taking scene in Jesus’ time to witness. These pride-filled contempt leaders were more self-consumed in their own lives, rather than that of the poor and needy.  Their fine clothing and where they sat was of great concern to them, how shallow, how sad.

God’s laws are rooted in love and if you are a teacher, a leader guiding others in God’s love, you must be humble and loving also. To truly love someone is sacrificial, look at how much God loves us; He gave is Only Begotten Son. If you wish to be a leader, a teacher of the law; you must learn to be humble in that you are not above the law, but you to, are also a respecter of the law. Your example is a great asset to what you teach, your example speaks louder than your words. In today’s gospel, Jesus seen what the Scribes and Pharisees were doing; obviously most everyone knew these things, but Jesus was the one who stepped forward to boldly publicly make it known.

Let us ask in prayer each day, that we don’t become “fake” Catholics, or “phony” religious like the Scribes and Pharisees were. We have way too many phony people already in this world today. Instead let us be real and true to ourselves and to God. He alone deserves our honest true self. We are not here on this earth to puff up ourselves with pride and selfishness, what a waste of time that is. Instead let us use this time to love our Lord with all our hearts and do all we can to spread that love with others. That my sisters and brothers is truly the best use of our time. Everything else in my opinion is frivolous and a waste of time. You want success and money and things and vacations around the world, fantastic; just don’t forget the poor and needy, God has placed them there for us to take care of them. See you tomorrow.

LOVE YOU GUYS !!!!

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

Woe To You

BEADS OF JOY 08-22-16

“Woe To You”

©2016 James Dacey, Jr. OFS

My Friends,

 Today’s Gospel: Matthew 22:13-22 (Woe To You)

“But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! because you shut the kingdom of heaven against men; for you neither enter yourselves, nor allow those who would enter to go in. Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for you traverse sea and land to make a single proselyte, and when he becomes a proselyte, you make him twice as much a child of hell as yourselves. "Woe to you, blind guides, who say, `If any one swears by the temple, it is nothing; but if any one swears by the gold of the temple, he is bound by his oath.' You blind fools! For which is greater, the gold or the temple that has made the gold sacred? And you say, `If any one swears by the altar, it is nothing; but if any one swears by the gift that is on the altar, he is bound by his oath.' You blind men! For which is greater, the gift or the altar that makes the gift sacred? So he who swears by the altar, swears by it and by everything on it; and he who swears by the temple, swears by it and by him who dwells in it; and he who swears by heaven, swears by the throne of God and by him who sits upon it.”

Reflection:
Do you allow the world to tell you what is good and how to know what is good? Or Do you listen to God’s Word to understand the difference between what is good and what is bad? Ah, now you see how easily someone can be misled. We live in a very unique time in history. We have so many people and outlets of places that proclaim they know everything about the present, the past and the future. We have people in power who think they can play with us like pawns on a chess game. And those in the media who think their made up lies are believable. It’s one big soap opera of fiction and we are the audience. Who do you believe?

Well me personally I do my best to detach myself from the bias crap of this world. Who do I believe? The Word of God! Who do I trust? The Word of God! Yeah I know there aren’t any news updates in the bible and I’m not getting any of the latest polls. Good! I’d rather avoid all that crap anyway. I don’t want my brain and my heart tainted with lies and information that doesn’t bring me closer to my Lord anyway. Yes, I am greatly concerned about all these things. But at the same time I trust in the Lord, in that no matter what the end results are, it will be God’s Will for us.

One thing we must remember and this is important. Each of us is responsible for ourselves. Yes, we need to help guide one another and help one another. But in the end, no one can make someone else believe and love Jesus. So with that said, spend more time developing and deepening your own personal relationship with Him more now than ever before. No one knows what tomorrow will be, or even if there will be a tomorrow. But if we love Jesus no matter what tomorrow will be, we will have eternity with Him. See you guys tomorrow.

LOVE YOU GUYS !!!!

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

The Narrow Gate

BEADS OF JOY 08-21-16

“The Narrow Gate”

©2016 James Dacey, Jr. OFS

My Friends,

  

Today’s Gospel: Luke 13:22-30 (The Narrow Gate)

“He went on his way through towns and villages, teaching, and journeying toward Jerusalem. And someone said to him, "Lord, will those who are saved be few?" And he said to them, "Strive to enter by the narrow door; for many, I tell you, will seek to enter and will not be able. When once the householder has risen up and shut the door, you will begin to stand outside and to knock at the door, saying, `Lord, open to us.' He will answer you, `I do not know where you come from.' Then you will begin to say, `We ate and drank in your presence, and you taught in our streets.' But he will say, `I tell you, I do not know where you come from; depart from me, all you workers of iniquity!' There you will weep and gnash your teeth, when you see Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God and you yourselves thrust out. And men will come from east and west, and from north and south, and sit at table in the kingdom of God. And behold, some are last who will be first, and some are first who will be last."

Reflection:
I have to say, I did a Google search for an image for “The Narrow Gate” and in the midst of those pictures there was The Crown of Thorns; and I thought to myself, “How out of place was that in this search?” Then the Holy Spirit tugged at me and I heard, “No it’s NOT! Look deep into its meaning, what does it represent?” Ah YES... It represents, persecution! “The Narrow Gate!” Jesus said in today’s gospel, “Strive to enter by the narrow door; for many, I tell you, will seek to enter and will not be able.” Of cause, how many will be able to handle the persecutions of this life to enter into the glory of the next with our Lord. Those thorns represent true courage of the real Christian, the real follows of Jesus who can and will take the narrow door.

There is much persecution ahead for those who believe; who will be strong enough to withstand what lies ahead? Do you trust in God’s grace and love and help in the most difficult times? Sometimes we are tested, sometimes our feet are put to the fire and the flames are real; as Christians we must be true to ourselves and true to God. Paul the Apostle often reminds us about the love that is poured into our hearts by the Holy Spirit. We must remember that we do not struggle alone. God does not disappoint us; His grace is sufficient.

On a personal note, the narrow gate (aka: our crown of thorns) has been our family’s expression of existence these past couple of years. Have we been tested? YES! Have our feet been put to a very real flame of fire? YES! Lung Cancer! 2 Strokes! No Income for over a year! Poverty! Hunger! Almost Homeless! Yeah I’d say we have been pushed close to the edge of the cliff. We never lost our faith, we struggled indeed and hung in there. It wasn’t easy by no means, but by God’s grace and mercy we made it through those most difficult times. We still have more to go. The smoke isn’t cleared yet. God knows our situation, but we fully and completely trust in Him.

LOVE YOU GUYS !!!!

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

You Have One Master

BEADS OF JOY 08-20-16

“You Have One Master”

©2016 James Dacey, Jr. OFS

My Friends,

Today’s Gospel: Matthew 23:1-12 (You Have One Master)
“Then said Jesus to the crowds and to his disciples, "The scribes and the Pharisees sit on Moses' seat; so practice and observe whatever they tell you, but not what they do; for they preach, but do not practice. They bind heavy burdens, hard to bear, and lay them on men's shoulders; but they themselves will not move them with their finger. They do all their deeds to be seen by men; for they make their phylacteries broad and their fringes long, and they love the place of honor at feasts and the best seats in the synagogues, and salutations in the market places, and being called rabbi by men. But you are not to be called rabbi, for you have one teacher, and you are all brethren. And call no man your father on earth, for you have one Father, who is in Heaven. Neither be called masters, for you have one master, the Christ. He who is greatest among you shall be your servant; whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.”

Reflection:
To truly have any sort of respect for anyone, they must practice what they preach. True? I can’t be chomping down on a cheeseburger, while I’m teaching you how vitally important it is for you to be a vegan for your health. It makes no sense and it makes me a hypocrite. Well the Scribes and Pharisees were no different, in not living up the very words they were preaching. And Jesus clearing points that out in today’s gospel. I really think it’s brilliant how Jesus calls them out before everyone; I’ll bet most everyone knew it to, but they were too afraid to say anything. Not Jesus!

If there’s one really insightful thing I have read in all this research it’s this. I will paraphrase it. The best teachers teach and serve their students with humility and sincerity and by example; rather than have pride and selfishness lead their words and ways. The students are always wise enough to see right through all that phoniness and hypocrisy. There is a lot of wisdom in that. The greatest teachers in the world truly walk the walk. They are usually the masters of their craft. They don’t necessarily need to be worldwide scholars or be known by everyone, but it’s obvious when a real professor who really knows the material inside and out is at the chalkboard. He or she has a way of leaving the classroom in awe of their way of presenting the topic. The students are drawn in and absorb the material with a hunger to learn, by the way it was so masterfully presented.

Yes, that last paragraph was more “school” focused than “Spirit-Filled” focused; but it’s true, we learn many things the same way. But I know our faith is a relationship; one that requires humility and genuine love and sacrifice. When we are humble we are so much more teachable in our ways and in our words. If we are true servants and students of the Lord; then we seek to put the good of others first. With Jesus leading by example we follow Him in humility. Let us open our hearts to Jesus and allow Him to show us, how we should live our lives humbly with His love working through us. Embrace Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior always my sisters and brothers. See you tomorrow.

LOVE YOU GUYS !!!!

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

The Greatest Commandment

BEADS OF JOY 08-19-16

“The Greatest Commandment”

©2016 James Dacey, Jr. OFS

My Friends,

Today’s Gospel: 

Matthew 22:34-40 (The Greatest Commandment)

“But when the Pharisees heard that he had silenced the Sadducees, they came together. And one of them, a lawyer, asked him a question, to test him. "Teacher, which is the great commandment in the law?" And he said to him, "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it, You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the law and the prophets."

Reflection:
Laws? Why do we even need them? Do people even follow them? Well I am absolutely not going to allow this to be tainted by any political thoughts; so they don’t wish to follow the laws so be it, but we do, especially the laws given to us by Almighty God. One day we will all have to sit in judgement not before a judges of men, but before the judgement of Almighty God. And He alone will decide our fate. He alone will decide if we did all we can to love Him with all our hearts. He alone will decide if we loved Him with every single fiber of our being. He alone will decide if we loved our neighbor (all those around us) like our own selves. Now how do you feel about today’s scripture?

We must ask Jesus to open the gates of love and flood our hearts with His love; so that we not only love Him tremendously, but that we may also have the capacity to love others completely. Our love must be real and genuine and sincere. Keep in mind we can’t fool God. He knows the depths of who we really are and who we really want to be. So let us be, who He really wants us to be. If our prayers focus on His Will in all that He wants us to be and in His time, it will indeed come together. I know that may sound odd but it will all come together my friends.

God loves us without limit, without question, without ever holding back. He loved us first, long before we were born, long before we ever said we’d love Him. Let us love Him the same way. We can’t allow the evils of this crazy world to derail us from loving Him. And even more than that, we can't allow selfishness that can poison our hearts to interfere with our love for Him. Selfishness and pride are the two greatest poisons on the planet. They have destroyed families, countries, ministries, relationships, communities and even faith. Open your hearts and be humble and loving and sincere and know that Jesus loves you always. Pray as much as you can. A person of prayer and humility cannot be selfish and prideful; a person of prayer is often giving and loving. See you all tomorrow.

LOVE YOU GUYS !!!!

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

Parable of The Wedding Feast

BEADS OF JOY 08-18-16

“Parable of The Wedding Feast”

©2016 James Dacey, Jr. OFS

My Friends,

Today’s Gospel: 

Matthew 22:1-14 (Parable of The Wedding Feast)

“And again Jesus spoke to them in parables, saying, "The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who gave a marriage feast for his son, and sent his servants to call those who were invited to the marriage feast; but they would not come. Again he sent other servants, saying, `Tell those who are invited, Behold, I have made ready my dinner, my oxen and my fat calves are killed, and everything is ready; come to the marriage feast.' But they made light of it and went off, one to his farm, another to his business, while the rest seized his servants, treated them shamefully, and killed them. The king was angry, and he sent his troops and destroyed those murderers and burned their city. Then he said to his servants, `The wedding is ready, but those invited were not worthy. Go therefore to the thoroughfares, and invite to the marriage feast as many as you find.' And those servants went out into the streets and gathered all whom they found, both bad and good; so the wedding hall was filled with guests. "But when the king came in to look at the guests, he saw there a man who had no wedding garment; and he said to him, `Friend, how did you get in here without a wedding garment?' And he was speechless. Then the king said to the attendants, `Bind him hand and foot, and cast him into the outer darkness; there men will weep and gnash their teeth.' For many are called, but few are chosen."

Reflection:
This rather simple story about a wedding feast is actually; two very complicated stories about the original guests and the ones without an invitation who ended up being invited. Making this Wedding Feast, one to remember. But we need to keep in mind that Jesus is telling us this parable, as a story and He began it like this: “The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who gave a marriage feast for his son,” A very simple interpretation for us there. Almighty God is having a Feast for His Son Jesus and we have all been invited. With all of my many years of being part of three Catholic Charismatic Prayer groups the first thing that comes to mind with today’s gospel is this song:

I hope that helps set the tone and you felt good singing that most incredible song. God invites each and every one of us to His Heavenly banquet so that we might celebrate with Him. Yes, like this story, many in this world will completely ignore His invitation and few will come. See in the first part God reached out to His chosen and biblically they refused Him over and over and over again. You can read all about that in the Old Testament. It wasn’t until the New Testament that it became part of the second part, of this invitation Wedding Feast story that got directed towards the rest of us. Do you see now how this story comes together? Through Jesus Christ we are called, we are invited.

Both the Good and the Bad have been invited, the “sinners” aka “the Gentiles”; an invitation of Grace, underserved, but most certainly kind. God invites each of us, unworthy and with sin; but through the death and blood of His Son we have been chosen to be at His Banquet to celebrate and share the love and Joy of God’s Son. This invitation is an awesome responsibility one we must take seriously. Remember how Jesus ended this story, “For many are called, but few are chosen."

LOVE YOU GUYS !!!!

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

Workers In The Vineyard

BEADS OF JOY 08-17-16

“Workers In The Vineyard”

©2016 James Dacey, Jr. OFS

My Friends,

Today’s Gospel: Matt 20:1-16 (Workers In The Vineyard)

“For the kingdom of heaven is like a householder who went out early in the morning to hire laborers for his vineyard. After agreeing with the laborers for a denarius a day, he sent them into his vineyard. And going out about the third hour he saw others standing idle in the market place; and to them he said, `You go into the vineyard too, and whatever is right I will give you.' So they went. Going out again about the sixth hour and the ninth hour, he did the same. And about the eleventh hour he went out and found others standing; and he said to them, `Why do you stand here idle all day?' They said to him, `Because no one has hired us.' He said to them, `You go into the vineyard too.' And when evening came, the owner of the vineyard said to his steward, `Call the laborers and pay them their wages, beginning with the last, up to the first.' And when those hired about the eleventh hour came, each of them received a denarius.

Now when the first came, they thought they would receive more; but each of them also received a denarius. And on receiving it they grumbled at the householder, saying, `These last worked only one hour, and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden of the day and the scorching heat.' But he replied to one of them, `Friend, I am doing you no wrong; did you not agree with me for a denarius? Take what belongs to you, and go; I choose to give to this last as I give to you. Am I not allowed to do what I choose with what belongs to me? Or do you begrudge my generosity?' So the last will be first, and the first last."

Reflection:
Today’s gospel indeed shares extraordinary generosity and absolutely equality with all who were chosen; in the eyes of the one who hired everyone to work in his vineyard. He saw no difference between those who worked through the heat of the day and those who only worked for one hour. They were all paid equally. He simply seen them equal in that they wanted to work. They all were out seeking a day’s wager so that they can return home to feed their families and not go home hungry. A day without work meant a day without food for themselves and most likely for their families. Hunger and poverty was more than real in Jesus’ time. There were no government food cards or Walmart’s in town. Families did help families, but most families were in the same predicament.

God’s generosity and love in our lives for us is endless. It is through the power of the Holy Spirit that we are guided and led to Jesus to honor Him and to serve others. Do you use your labor and talents cheerfully to serve the Lord and to serve others? And even more than that… Do you give to those in need generously like Jesus’ example today? I know most of us can’t be like the one who did the hiring in this parable taught today, but some of us can. I know I am poor, but we know in our own poverty we can still give of our love, our compassion, a hug, a card, a call, share a meal. There are so many ways even in our poverty the poor can help the poor.

Today I have learned that no matter what the circumstances are, there are no excuses to be able to help someone in need. We should all be looking out for one another, helping one another, making sure one another is in some way being taken care of. And should there be any question, then we should do all we can to try to find a way to help direct those who can help them, to them. Our goals in life really shouldn’t be so self-centered; they really should be more others-centered. We’d all live in a much better, more peaceful world if we all did. Let us pray for peaceful generosity amongst one another. A truly commendable goal.

LOVE YOU GUYS !!!!

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

The Rich Young Man

BEADS OF JOY 08-16-16

“The Rich Young Man”

©2016 James Dacey, Jr. OFS

My Friends,

Today’s Gospel: Matthew 19:23-30 (The Rich Young Man)

“And Jesus said to his disciples, "Truly, I say to you, it will be hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God." When the disciples heard this they were greatly astonished, saying, "Who then can be saved?" But Jesus looked at them and said to them, "With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible." Then Peter said in reply, "Lo, we have left everything and followed you. What then shall we have?" Jesus said to them, "Truly, I say to you, in the new world, when the Son of man shall sit on his glorious throne, you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or lands, for my name's sake, will receive a hundredfold, and inherit eternal life. But many that are first will be last, and the last first.”

Reflection:
I think the real question today, in this gospel is this: Where is your treasure? This is why I see Jesus always speaking so cautiously to everyone about wealth. In my heart I don’t see Jesus, not wanting us to be successful and wealthy. Think about this: We ask God to bless us in business and we ask God to bless us in the success of our careers. The caution I see is the pride and selfishness that often comes with wealth; and that usually means those who have it tend to forget others who need help. When we are blessed we must not forget those who God has placed in our lives who need our help.

Let us take a look at what St. Augustine of Hippo has to say about this in one of his sermons: "Even though you possess plenty, you are still poor. You abound in temporal possessions, but you need things eternal. You listen to the needs of a human beggar, yet you yourself are a beggar of God. What you do with those who beg from you is what God will do with his beggar. You are filled and you are empty. Fill your empty neighbor from your fullness, so that your emptiness may be filled with God's fullness." That is a lot to digest I know, but wow that is to the heart of all those who never answer the call of the needy. We need to be accountable for those in need around us. Especially those of us who can certainly help those in need. God has blessed many; He has answered our prayers. Now is the time to bless them and help answer their prayers.

Where is your treasure? Where is your generosity? This is why in today’s gospel Jesus say’s “it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God." Jesus was referring to the narrow gate into the city of Jerusalem. Locals called it “the eye of the needle” because in order for a camel to get through it, all the possessions it had on it, had to be removed off it, and it had to be brought through it on its knees. The true removal of pride and possession and brought down to one’s knees in humility. Very powerful words by our Lord. I love doing biblical research. See you tomorrow.

LOVE YOU GUYS !!!!

Your brother in Christ Jesus 

And His Most Blessed Mother,
Jim (The Rosary Man) Dacey Jr OFS