Poverty’s Wisdom

BEADS OF JOY 03-16-17

“Poverty’s Wisdom”

©2017 James Dacey, Jr. OFS

My Friends,

Today’s Gospel: Luke 16:19-31 (The Rich Man and Lazarus)

“There was a rich man, who was clothed in purple and fine linen and who feasted sumptuously every day. And at his gate lay a poor man named Lazarus, full of sores, who desired to be fed with what fell from the rich man's table; more over the dogs came and licked his sores. The poor man died and was carried by the angels to Abraham's bosom. The rich man also died and was buried; and in Hades, being in torment, he lifted up his eyes, and saw Abraham far off and Lazarus in his bosom. And he called out, `Father Abraham, have mercy upon me, and send Lazarus to dip the end of his finger in water and cool my tongue; for I am in anguish in this flame.' But Abraham said, `Son, remember that you in your lifetime received your good things, and Lazarus in like manner evil things; but now he is comforted here, and you are in anguish. And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been fixed, in order that those who would pass from here to you may not be able, and none may cross from there to us.' And he said, `Then I beg you, father, to send him to my father's house, for I have five brothers, so that he may warn them, lest they also come into this place of torment.' But Abraham said, `They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them.' And he said, `No, father Abraham; but if someone goes to them from the dead, they will repent.' He said to him, `If they do not hear Moses and the prophets, neither will they be convinced if someone should rise from the dead.'"

Reflection:
Let us look at today’s parable. How sad and utterly wasted was the life of the rich man; even after death he requested that Lazarus, “dip the end of his finger in water and cool my tongue” he was still expecting to be served and waited upon, what a fool. Lazarus paid his dues, suffered throughout his life while living in poverty; never giving up hope or trust in Almighty God. Yet the rich man was so absorbed in his wealth and possessions and power; he never knew the suffering of someone like Lazarus, where the dogs licked his sores and he died on the street. The rich man never begged while he was alive, but he sure was begging for that cool water on his tongue after his death.

This story has us think of many things, but I think of this: Where are we in this story? Are we Lazarus or are we the rich man (person)? What consumes our thoughts, our time, our attention, our every desire that we have? Is it Jesus? Is it power? Is it Prayer? Is it more possessions? Is it going to Adoration to be with Jesus? Is it having more money? Is it what people think about us? Well, what is it? It must be at least one of these or at least hopefully a combination of a couple of these? In the end, you don’t have to answer to me; but we all will have to answer to Almighty God. He alone knows our hearts, our desires and our ulterior motives. Living a life fully in trust to Him is the only way to live. No matter if we are homeless or just working hard. Every day you open your eyes is a good one and when you open them say, “Thank you Jesus” and be grateful and happy.

Poverty is a tough word and an even tougher life when you have no food or money to do anything that you need to do. I’m going to say something some of you may not like, but y’all know me, I’m going to say it anyway. I think everyone should at some point experience poverty! Yes, I said it. Not forced or made to suffer under some crazy conspiracy. I mean suffer in ways where food and your general needs become almost impossible to have met. Even have a day where you don’t eat at all. I (our family) has been there several times. We were close to being homeless and that was beyond stressful. We struggled nearly 12-15 months straight and I had to beg month to month for our survival. The state helped us, but never enough. We had bills pile up, electric shut off notices, empty cabinets, empty refrigerator. So many times. When you suffer you appreciate everything in a whole new way and you want to help others in a whole new way. That is why I said what I said.

There is a certain empathy that can only come from within when you have been there and lived it. All of a sudden you value others more than diamonds and gold. All of a sudden you value friendship and love more than power and status. All of a sudden you value your faith and devotion to Jesus over and above anything worldly thing world has to offer. I care a great deal about all of you, that is why I say what I say each day. See you tomorrow.

This was originally written: September 26, 2016 http://beads-of-joy-blog.blogspot.com/2016/09/rich-man-and-lazarus.html

Pondering these thoughts today: I reposted this because of the overwhelming views (visits) the original post got. I hope my insight and my sharing helps you see what I see in the wisdom of poverty. We all can learn from poverty, but we learn better and more when we are the ones suffering and going without a meal. When it is my stomach growling, I am listening and learning. Hard to explain to the depths I have learned. I hope this has been helpful. God Bless you.

LOVE YOU GUYS !!!!

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

Today is Thursday: We pray the Luminous Mysteries:

The Luminous Mysteries

1. The Baptism of Jesus (Matt 3:13-17)
2. Wedding Feast of Cana (John 2:1-12)
3. Proclamation of the Kingdom of God (Mark 1:15)
4. The Transfiguration (Mark 9:2-13)
5. Institution of the Holy Eucharist (Matt 26:17-30)

Glory and Honor and Praise -Lord Jesus Christ!!

Rosary Man Jim's Luminous Reflections: http://beads-of-joy-blog.blogspot.com/2013/05/the-luminous-mysteries.html

MY FIRST BOOK. More to come…

https://www.amazon.com/Marys-Way-Cross-Rosary-Man-ebook/dp/B079TJZFQJ/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1519240799&sr=8-1&keywords=rosary+man+jim

Seriously, Dude!

BEADS OF JOY 03-15-17

“Seriously, Dude!”

©2017 James Dacey, Jr. OFS

My Friends,

Today’s Gospel: 

Matthew 20:17-28 (Request of James and John)

“And as Jesus was going up to Jerusalem, he took the twelve disciples aside, and on the way, he said to them, "Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem; and the Son of man will be delivered to the chief priests and scribes, and they will condemn him to death, and deliver him to the Gentiles to be mocked and scourged and crucified, and he will be raised on the third day." Then the mother of the sons of Zebedee came up to him, with her sons, and kneeling before him she asked him for something. And he said to her, "What do you want?" She said to him, "Command that these two sons of mine may sit, one at your right hand and one at your left, in your kingdom." But Jesus answered, "You do not know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I am to drink?" They said to him, "We are able." He said to them, "You will drink my cup, but to sit at my right hand and at my left is not mine to grant, but it is for those for whom it has been prepared by my Father." And when the ten heard it, they were indignant at the two brothers. But Jesus called them to him and said, "You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great men exercise authority over them. It shall not be so among you; but whoever would be great among you must be your servant, and whoever would be first among you must be your slave; even as the Son of man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many."

Reflection:
Are you kidding me? Seriously, dude! James and John how can you be so full of yourselves, to want to place yourselves above your fellow disciples, and then think you are worthy of being equal with Jesus in the sacrifice He will endure. You guys did not think this through! Wow, how many of us have made choices without first thinking about the cost of what we were actually asking for first? Today’s gospel teaching us that big time.

As a disciple, we must be ready to lay down our lives for Christ. But did James and John have this in mind; when they said, they can drink the cup that Jesus would drink? What kind of cup are you drinking from in your life my friend? Is your cup; a cup of physical suffering? Are you making sacrifices because of your faith? Many of us do have to drink from a cup of daily sacrifices, all sorts of struggles and so many us deal with everyday temptations on all levels.

"I understood that to become a saint one had to suffer much, seek out always the most perfect thing to do, and forget self. I understood, too, that there are many degrees of perfection and each soul was free to respond to the advances of the Our Lord, to do little or much for Him, in a word, to choose among the sacrifices He was asking. Then, as in the days of my childhood, I cried out: 'My God I choose all!' I do not want to be a saint by halves. I'm not afraid to suffer for You. I fear only one thing: to keep my own will; so take it, for I choose all that You will!" ~ St. Therese of Lisieux

"Never does our suffering make Him happy, but it is necessary for us, and so He sends it to us, while, as it were, turning away His face.... I assure you that it costs Him dearly to fill us with bitterness. The good God, who so loves us, has pain enough in being obliged to leave us on earth to fulfill our time of trial, without our constantly telling Him of our discomfort; we must appear not to notice it...Far from complaining to Our Lord of the cross which He sends us, I cannot fathom the infinite love which has led Him to treat us this way...What a favor from Jesus, and how He must love us to send us so great a sorrow! Eternity will not be long enough to bless Him for it." ~ St. Therese of Lisieux

Pondering these thoughts today: I’m not saying we shouldn’t and won’t suffer; on the contrary, as a true believer we will indeed have times on our journey where suffering will be a huge part of our experience. My reflection today is about the way James and John seemed to demand equality in the kingdom with Jesus. Yes, we are to follow Jesus, but no, we are not equal to Him; meaning that we do not sit to the right and left of Jesus in His kingdom. 

LOVE YOU GUYS !!!!

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

Today is Wednesday: We pray the Glorious Mysteries:

The Glorious Mysteries

1. The Resurrection (Faith) –Mark 16:1-8
2. The Ascension (Hope) –Luke 24:50-53
3. The Descent of the Holy Spirit (Love) –Acts 2:1-4
4. Assumption of Our Lady (A Happy Death) –Rev 12:1-6
5. Coronation of Mary (Mary’s intercession) –Judith 15:9-10

Glory and Honor and Praise to You Lord Jesus Christ!

Rosary Man Jim's Glorious Reflections: http://beads-of-joy-blog.blogspot.com/2013/05/the-glorious-mysteries.html

Let Us Be Humble

BEADS OF JOY 03-14-17

“Let Us Be Humble”

©2017 James Dacey, Jr. OFS

My Friends,

Today’s Gospel: 

Matthew 23:1-12 (Denunciation -The Scribes & Pharisees)

“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:
We must be honest in the way we look at ourselves. God knows who we really are, we must not let the throws of this life distort who we are in His eyes. A humble person does not get swayed by fame, wealth or a public reputation or the failures they have come upon. A humble person is very stable in their Christ-like humility and simplicity and they are very genuine in their love for our Lord.

It is through our humility by God’s grace that we become teachable by the Holy Spirit that leads us to Christ. In that teachable moment, we gain the knowledge and the wisdom that only the Holy Spirit can show a humble heart. Our hearts must be pure and open to the teachings set before us; and it is through our humble hearts that we will learn and we will be open to them most. God loves us so much, He has provided us with the Holy Spirit to guide us; we must trust in the Spirit and everything else will fall into place.

God does not require us to be perfect; in order for us to be blessed and loved by Him. He sees us exactly like we are and it is through His mercy and love that He blesses us. We must learn to be humble and thankful and grateful that even though we are sinners, Jesus died to save us. He paid the price, so that you and I didn’t have to. That alone gives us reason to be humble and eternally grateful.

Pondering these thoughts today: How simple is it to be humble? Interesting question, yes... My reflection is this: Put Jesus first in your life and then flood your life with our Lord, our Lady, the Rosary, the scriptures and all things Jesus. This simple act of putting Jesus First, is the greatest way to keep your mind focused on Him, not yourself. I say try this for one day, ok 2 days straight and then be honest with yourself about how you feel and who it is you are truly thinking about.

LOVE YOU GUYS !!!!

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

Today is Tuesday: We pray the Sorrowful Mysteries:

The Sorrowful Mysteries

1^. Agony on the Garden (Sorrow for sin) –Matt 26:36-46
2^. Scourging at the Pillar (Purity) –Mark 15:1-16
3^. Crowning with Thorns (Moral Courage) –Matt 27:27-31
4^. Carrying of the Cross (Patience) –Mark 15:20-22
5^. The Crucifixion (Perseverance) –Luke 23:33-46

Thank you Lord for loving us so much…

Rosary Man Jim’s Sorrowful Reflection: http://beads-of-joy-blog.blogspot.com/2014/02/the-sorrowful-mysteries_11.html

Stop Judging Others!

BEADS OF JOY 03-13-17

“Stop Judging Others!”

©2017 James Dacey, Jr. OFS

 My Friends,

Today’s Gospel: Luke 6:36-38 (Judging Others)

“Be merciful, even as your Father is merciful. "Judge not, and you will not be judged; condemn not, and you will not be condemned; forgive, and you will be forgiven; give, and it will be given to you; good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap. For the measure you give will be the measure you get back."

Reflection:
Jesus’ love and mercy must rule our hearts. We must never be a judge or ruler against anyone. Who do we think we are anyway? None of us dare qualify for such a role. Neither you or I decide who is good or bad or whatever; our objective as a true disciple is to love. Our faith is very distinct and that’s what makes it so different from others. Jesus teaches us to love one another no matter what; giving everyone the same equal love, kindness and mercy. We must be humble, yes.

Love is the key to our spiritual journey. We must lead our words, our actions, our choices and even our goals with love. Jesus is love. He taught us, that even in His death; He loved those who wrongly accused Him. He loved those who killed Him. He loved those who spit at Him. He loved those who hated Him. Jesus under all circumstances loved those who were against Him and despised Him and only desired to destroy Him. Love is the key to our spiritual journey.

On the Cross, Jesus Christ died so that we might live! Not so that we might judge others, but instead so that we can love others as Jesus loves us so much. Think about how much Jesus loves us. It is far too great and His mercy is sometimes incomprehensible. How can anyone love someone so much? Even more so: How can anyone love someone who even hates you, so much to kill you? Yet Jesus still loved them and forgave them and had compassion for them. That kind of love is incredible love, we must embrace it and learn to live it.

Pondering these thoughts today: Consider today’s gospel a challenge. Yes, a challenge! How many people do you know that maybe annoy you or aggravate you or that you have judged in whatever it is that they do? Today, just for today begin this way and pray, “Dear Jesus, I love ____ with a merciful heart, asking you Lord to guide me as I no longer judge ____ anymore. Instead I will pray for him/her with a loving heart asking you Lord to guide me closer to you. Please forgive me Lord for my cruel judgment against ____, I will instead focus on love from now on, with your help Lord. I ask this in your name. Amen.”

LOVE YOU GUYS !!!!

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

Today is Monday: We pray the Joyful Mysteries:

The Joyful Mysteries

1. The Annunciation (Humility) – Luke 1:26-28
2. The Visitation (Love of Neighbor) – Luke 1:39-45
3. The Birth of Jesus (Poverty of Spirit) – Luke 2:1-20
4. The Presentation (Purity of Mind and Spirit) – Luke 2:22-38
5. Finding in The Temple (Obedience) –Luke 2:41-50

I simply love mornings, because every morning begins with the Rosary.

Rosary Man Jim’s Joyful Reflection: http://beads-of-joy-blog.blogspot.com/2014/02/the-joyful-mysteries_10.html

Be Spiritually Alive!

BEADS OF JOY 03-12-17

“Be Spiritually Alive!”

©2017 James Dacey, Jr. OFS

My Friends,

Today’s Gospel: Matthew 17:1-9 (The Transfiguration)

“And after six days Jesus took with him Peter and James and John his brother, and led them up a high mountain apart. And he was transfigured before them, and his face shone like the sun, and his garments became white as light. And behold, there appeared to them Moses and Elijah, talking with him. And Peter said to Jesus, "Lord, it is well that we are here; if you wish, I will make three booths here, one for you and one for Moses and one for Elijah." He was still speaking, when lo, a bright cloud overshadowed them, and a voice from the cloud said, "This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to him." When the disciples heard this, they fell on their faces, and were filled with awe. But Jesus came and touched them, saying, "Rise, and have no fear." And when they lifted up their eyes, they saw no one but Jesus only. And as they were coming down the mountain, Jesus commanded them, "Tell no one the vision, until the Son of man is raised from the dead."

Reflection:
Be Spiritually Alive! Peter, James and John were indeed among the privileged to witness Jesus Christ in all His glory. Do you seek our Lord’s glory? You do realize that you, me, everyone has the ability to embrace Jesus Christ’s glory every single day in our lives. How? You ask? The key is in how we live your lives. Our spirits must be fully alive all the time. Everything we do! Everything we say! Every place we go! Everyone we speak to! We need to allow Jesus to shine through us. How are you spiritually alive?

Be Spiritually Alive! Jesus wants to be part of our lives. Welcome Him into your daily life, at home, at work and even when you are relaxing. Your daily focus should be, to always be… connected with Jesus, every single day.

Be Spiritually Alive! How do you keep a fire burning? We must keep adding to the fire to keep it burning; just like our spiritual life, we must add activities and prayer and devotion daily to keep the fire burning inside of us. There are so many ways we can be with Jesus every single day. Go to Mass, spend time in Eucharistic Adoration, pray every single day, Have Special devotions like the Rosary to pray every single day, Bible study and simply reading your bible every day. Any combination of these simple, refreshing activities keeps you Spiritually Alive!

Pondering these thoughts today: This life may have many joyful, fun, exciting things to do and to own in it; but if you leave Jesus out of your life, then you have sacrificed your life and jeopardize forfeiting eternity in Heaven. Long sentence, YES! But it is a critical thought to consider. I don’t waste my life sharing Jesus because I gain anything in this life or even the next one. I share Jesus so I can help as many of you as possible make it to Heaven. I want no reward. I have Jesus; therefore I have everything I need to be happy and joyful and content in this life and for all eternity.

LOVE YOU GUYS !!!!

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

Sunday’s during Lent: We pray the Sorrowful Mysteries:

The Sorrowful Mysteries

1^. Agony on the Garden (Sorrow for sin) –Matt 26:36-46
2^. Scourging at the Pillar (Purity) –Mark 15:1-16
3^. Crowning with Thorns (Moral Courage) –Matt 27:27-31
4^. Carrying of the Cross (Patience) –Mark 15:20-22
5^. The Crucifixion (Perseverance) –Luke 23:33-46

Thank you Lord for loving us so much…

Rosary Man Jim’s Sorrowful Reflection: http://beads-of-joy-blog.blogspot.com/2014/02/the-sorrowful-mysteries_11.html

Life Is Too Short!

BEADS OF JOY 03-11-17

“Life Is Too Short!”

©2017 James Dacey, Jr. OFS

My Friends,

Today’s Gospel: Matthew 5:43-48 (Love For Enemies)

"You have heard that it was said, `You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven; for he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. For if you love those who love you, what reward have you? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? And if you salute only your brethren, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? You, therefore, must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.”

Reflection:
If there is ever going to be peace, we can’t see people or nations as enemies. I know the way I am saying this may not make sense; but just be patient with me for a moment. Yes, there are people that hate us and want to kill us. They must consider us their enemies no doubt, but for us to start the process of peace and friendship and finding a way to be able to love one another, we can’t be calling each other enemies. The process of peace must begin with love. This is a hard reflection to share. I hope my words express what my heart and soul feel.

How is it possible to love someone who hates you? Through God my sisters and brothers all things are possible. We must pray for those who hate us and for those who do not like us. God knows our hearts and yes, He knows their hearts to. Let us do our best as God’s children to love and be like Jesus the best way we can. Yes, there will be difficult times and many will hate us even more; if they do, we will love them even more. Life is too short to be destroyed by hatred and anger.

Consider this: Life is Too Short! Why is there is so much time wasted on anger, hatred, pride, selfishness and so little time spent on love, sharing, caring and taking care of one another, so it seems at times. God knows the clock is ticking and our time here only gets less each day we are here. If we can only spend more time making friends, rather than making enemies think of what a wonderful world, nation, community and family we would all be part of. That needs to be our focus as God’s children. “Let it begin with me...”

Pondering these thoughts today: Ok, I’ll say it again: Life is Too Short! I listened to Matthew Kelly’s Lenten reflection (Best Lent Ever – you should sign up) and it really got me thinking about what he said. What he said does relate to today’s gospel, actually it relates to every day’s gospel, every day’s events, everything.

“If you knew you had three years to live, what would you change on your schedule this year? … If you knew you had three years to live, what would you change on your schedule this week?” ~Matthew Kelly

In the Comments, I posted this: 

My precious wife (Christine) of 30 years passed away November 26, 2016. She had suffered from lung cancer for 5 years 6 months, we knew from all our research that anyone with this disease who made it past the 2 years more than most likely wouldn't make it past the 6th year. She and I talked about it frequently and she and I and our 5 kids lived and loved each day as if it were her last. We said I LOVE YOU MORE! We were more attentive and passionate and forgiving MORE! We always hugged her every single day MORE! We knew any day could be her last with us. We valued that and so did she. The morning she died most of our kids were there, she looked me in the eyes and said, "Jim, I'm dying!" and laid back on our bed, we did all we can to revive her. But it was time for Chrissy to go HOME. She was at peace. And in some ways so were we, she was no longer suffering. We miss her horribly still and always will. Thank you Matthew Kelly for this wonderful Lenten devotion, our family needs this.

LOVE YOU GUYS !!!!

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

Today is Saturday: We pray the Joyful Mysteries:

The Joyful Mysteries

1. The Annunciation (Humility) – Luke 1:26-28
2. The Visitation (Love of Neighbor) – Luke 1:39-45
3. The Birth of Jesus (Poverty of Spirit) – Luke 2:1-20
4. The Presentation (Purity of Mind and Spirit) – Luke 2:22-38
5. Finding in The Temple (Obedience) –Luke 2:41-50

I simply love Saturday mornings, because Saturday like every other day of the week -begins with the Rosary.

Rosary Man Jim’s Joyful Reflection: http://beads-of-joy-blog.blogspot.com/2014/02/the-joyful-mysteries_10.html

Why Are You So Angry?

BEADS OF JOY 03-10-17

“Why Are You So Angry?”

©2017 James Dacey, Jr. OFS

 My Friends,

Today’s Gospel: Matthew 5:20-26 (Concerning Anger)

“For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. "You have heard that it was said to the men of old, `You shall not kill; and whoever kills shall be liable to judgment.' But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother shall be liable to judgment; whoever insults his brother shall be liable to the council, and whoever says, `You fool!' shall be liable to the hell of fire. So, if you are offering your gift at the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar and go; first be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift. Make friends quickly with your accuser, while you are going with him to court, lest your accuser hand you over to the judge, and the judge to the guard, and you be put in prison; truly, I say to you, you will never get out till you have paid the last penny.”

Reflection:
Why are you so angry? I don’t ask you that directly or personally, I rather ask you that generally, why? I’ve noticed today in the world we live in, that there is so much more anger in it. It’s really sad, how if you are in front of someone in a store, someone behind you is bound to be angry grumbling something; and on most roads if you dare drive the speed limit someone behind you will be freaking out swaying in and out of traffic peaking to see who is holding everyone up. Maybe I am being Captain Obvious here, but I hope I’m not the only one noticing this. We must learn to control and eliminate our anger; it will be our undoing.

Why are you so angry? Consider replacing your anger with a simple prayer or music or a distraction that is of interest to you. Try to make it your goal to avoid anger every time you think you may get angry. Anger doesn’t solve anything. If your heart if full of anger how can you love anyone. Ask Jesus to fill your heart with His love and His grace so that your words and actions will be filled with His love.

Why are you so angry? While you may think, I keep asking you this question, I’m really not. All of us get angry from time to time, some handle it well, while others don’t. I ask this over and over again, so that we keep thinking about this; so, that we do all we can to avoid the depths of our anger and we instead focus on love. Yeah that maybe tough for some, but I hope in the long run we can all get along and find a way to make it through this life together in a peaceful loving way.

Pondering these thoughts today: Some of y’all know me, some of y’all don’t. Well regardless I will say this. The best way to manage anger is to shower your life with our Lord’s love. I know that sounds so simple to some and even unexplainable to others. I believe in living a full spiritual life that is alive 24/7/365. My life is entrenched in sharing, praying and encouraging others to Pray The Rosary; that keeps me very focused on Jesus and our Lady and scripture all the time. I battle life just like you do, I just manage it differently.

LOVE YOU GUYS !!!!

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

Today is Friday: We pray the Sorrowful Mysteries:

The Sorrowful Mysteries

1^. Agony on the Garden (Sorrow for sin) –Matt 26:36-46
2^. Scourging at the Pillar (Purity) –Mark 15:1-16
3^. Crowning with Thorns (Moral Courage) –Matt 27:27-31
4^. Carrying of the Cross (Patience) –Mark 15:20-22
5^. The Crucifixion (Perseverance) –Luke 23:33-46

Thank you Lord for loving us so much…

Rosary Man Jim’s Sorrowful Reflection: http://beads-of-joy-blog.blogspot.com/2014/02/the-sorrowful-mysteries_11.html

FRIDAY’S
I share this meditation I wrote back in 2010. Here I share my own personal insight and experience, as I journey with our Lady from station to station.

Many Franciscan groups around the world use this for their own group gathering while they meditate the Stations with our Lady. http://beads-of-joy-blog.blogspot.com/2010/03/marys-way-of-cross.html It is unique and emotionally very moving as you move from station to station… From my heart to yours.

The Boldness of Prayer

BEADS OF JOY 03-09-17

“The Boldness of Prayer”

©2017 James Dacey, Jr. OFS

My Friends,

Today’s Gospel: Matthew 7:7-12 (Ask, Seek, Knock)

“Ask, and it will be given you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For every one who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened. Or what man of you, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a serpent? If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him! So, whatever you wish that men would do to you, do so to them; for this is the law and the prophets.”

Reflection:
The power of prayer is beyond this world’s understanding and that’s ok. We need not understand God; the way we try to understand and analyze each other. Let us live a life that trusts fully in God while loving Him with everything we got. Almighty God must be the center of our lives, the center of our thinking, the center of reasoning, the center of our asking, the center of our seeking, the center of our knocking. Jesus Christ must be the absolute center of all the activities that revolve around us. To me I say, “What is the point, if He is not the reason I do something?”

The power of prayer is the most incredible part of living this life. Be bold, never back down in your prayers. Do you pray before your meals? Do you? How about when you are in public? A restaurant? A mall food court? Hmm a friend’s house? Ah, did I strike a nerve. We must be bold in our faith, always, never backing down, rushing in with love and hope and doing all we can to share our Lord with the entire world. Jesus died so that we might live; let us live a life giving everyone that life He gave to us -to them. “Ask, and it will be given you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.”

The power of prayer makes our return trip home to our Lord spectacular. Prayer allows us to speak with Jesus; anytime, anyplace, as often, as we so wish. That is better and more powerful than any internet or texting system. And to think this has been going on for well over 2,000 years. We can pray for an hour a day or we can pray 5 hours a day, it’s completely up to us. Jesus knows our hearts. I personally recommend that you Pray The Rosary; but then I am the Rosary Man, so you would expect me to say that. Either way, find “your” way, that you would like to tell Jesus that you love Him and then pray as often as you possibly can.

Pondering these thoughts today: God’s plan isn’t always ours, most of us know that. Yes, we could ask, seek and knock; but if our Lord says tomorrow is a better day, then tomorrow it is. And He feels never is better, so be it. God knows our needs better than we do. The key is that we must fully trust in His Will, for whatever He wants for us in our lives. Thy Will Be Done…

LOVE YOU GUYS !!!!

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

Today is Thursday: We pray the Luminous Mysteries:

The Luminous Mysteries

1. The Baptism of Jesus (Matt 3:13-17)
2. Wedding Feast of Cana (John 2:1-12)
3. Proclamation of the Kingdom of God (Mark 1:15)
4. The Transfiguration (Mark 9:2-13)
5. Institution of the Holy Eucharist (Matt 26:17-30)

Glory and Honor and Praise -Lord Jesus Christ!! 

Rosary Man Jim's Luminous Reflections: http://beads-of-joy-blog.blogspot.com/2013/05/the-luminous-mysteries.html

Arise & Seek Jesus

BEADS OF JOY 03-08-17

“Arise & Seek Jesus”

©2017 James Dacey, Jr. OFS

My Friends,

Today’s Gospel: Luke 11:29-32 (The Sign of Jonah)

“When the crowds were increasing, he began to say, "This generation is an evil generation; it seeks a sign, but no sign shall be given to it except the sign of Jonah. For as Jonah became a sign to the men of Nineveh, so will the Son of man be to this generation. The queen of the South will arise at the judgment with the men of this generation and condemn them; for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon, and behold, something greater than Solomon is here. The men of Nineveh will arise at the judgment with this generation and condemn it; for they repented at the preaching of Jonah, and behold, something greater than Jonah is here.”

Reflection:
It is through the power of the Holy Spirit that we are awoken and arise in our hearts; the love Jesus has for us and that we should have for Him. It is not God’s desire to condemn us, rather He shows us and warns us and leads us the way we must go to seek Him out. We will be transformed through true repentance with humility and honesty as we face our sins; our true real sins for what we know they really are. Whether we admit our sinfulness or not God knows our hearts. We must confront that sin and repent; so, that we can move forward with a renewed clean heart before our Lord.

Scripture warns us many times about many things. There will come a point and time when it will be too late. This makes me think of the story of a man caught in a storm. The floods raised so high he ended up on his roof. A boat came by and they called out to him, “Come on it’s only going to get worse, we are here to save you!” The man said, “I’ll be ok God will save me.” Another boat came by and the people yelled, “Jump in we are here to save you.” The man once again said, “I’ll be ok God will save me.” Finally, the storm became too much and man died. At the pearly gates the man was in shock that he died, he said to God, “Why didn’t you save me, I had such faith that you would.” God said, “I tried to, I sent 2 boats to save you, but you refused both of them.” Are we like this man, unable to see when God is helping guide us in the right direction in our lives? Why was this man so blinded by the obvious hand of God in his life?

Sometimes it’s pride, yes, even spiritual pride that stumbles our growth. We must not only be humble, but we must use common sense in our everyday life. Adding daily prayer makes this journey of life so much more fun, tranquil and peaceful. I find that for me personally prayer is the one investment I have invested in heavily all my life. I may not have millions in the bank; but God knows my heart intimately and to me that is worth more than all the treasures on earth.

Pondering these thoughts today: There is so much to consider and so much to think about when it comes to our faith. But I got to tell you in my head it is so simple: Stay 100% fully focused on Jesus, Mary and The Rosary 24/7/365 and by God’s Grace He will lead you Home. I am not perfect I am a sinner, like all of us are. I too must listen and pay attention to warning signs and outward messages from God like everyone else. I just think if you live a life that is fully engulfed into our faith and love for our Lord, it’s just so much easier to stay focused.

LOVE YOU GUYS !!!!

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

Today is Wednesday: We pray the Glorious Mysteries:

The Glorious Mysteries

1. The Resurrection (Faith) –Mark 16:1-8
2. The Ascension (Hope) –Luke 24:50-53
3. The Descent of the Holy Spirit (Love) –Acts 2:1-4
4. The Assumption of Our Lady (A Happy Death) –Rev 12:1-6
5. The Coronation of Mary (Mary’s intercession) –Judith 15:9-10

Glory and Honor and Praise to You Lord Jesus Christ!

Rosary Man Jim's Glorious Reflections: http://beads-of-joy-blog.blogspot.com/2013/05/the-glorious-mysteries.html

The Lord’s Prayer

BEADS OF JOY 03-07-17

“The Lord’s Prayer”

©2017 James Dacey, Jr. OFS

My Friends,

Today’s Gospel: Matthew 6:7-15 (The Lord’s Prayer)

"And in praying do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do; for they think that they will be heard for their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him. Pray then like this: Our Father who art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread; And forgive us our debts, As we also have forgiven our debtors; And lead us not into temptation, But deliver us from evil. For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father also will forgive you; but if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.”

Reflection:
Jesus taught the disciples (us) a most blessed, loving prayer. It is here that Jesus teaches us that we must see God, as Father; hence we are His children. Today let us reflect on the meaning in all its splendor to this most magnificent prayer. For starters, I will use the Catechism to help direct us through today’s reflection.

Catechism of the Catholic Church References
#2761: The Lord's Prayer "is truly the summary of the whole gospel. “Since the Lord. . . after handing over the practice of prayer, said elsewhere, 'Ask and you will receive,' and since everyone has petitions which are peculiar to his circumstances, the regular and appropriate prayer [the Lord's Prayer] is said first, as the foundation of further desires."

#2763 All the Scriptures - the Law, the Prophets, and the Psalms - are fulfilled in Christ. The Gospel is this "Good News." Its first proclamation is summarized by St. Matthew in the Sermon on the Mount; the prayer to our Father is at the center of this proclamation. It is in this context that each petition bequeathed to us by the Lord is illuminated:

“The Lord's Prayer is the most perfect of prayers. . . . In it we ask, not only for all the things we can rightly desire, but also in the sequence that they should be desired. This prayer not only teaches us to ask for things, but also in what order we should desire them.” ~St Thomas Aquinas

The Lord's Prayer
Our Father, who art in heaven,
hallowed be thy name.
Thy Kingdom come,
thy will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive those who trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
Amen.

As we look further into this let us look at how The Lord’s Prayer has 7 Petitions with in it. This is why the #7 is always signified with Jesus.

#2803 After we have placed ourselves in the presence of God our Father to adore and to love and to bless him, the Spirit of adoption stirs up in our hearts seven petitions, seven blessings. The first three, more theological, draw us toward the glory of the Father; the last four, as ways toward him, commend our wretchedness to his grace. "Deep calls to deep."

Here are the 7 Petitions with there (Latin) translation. And a simple brief statement from the Catechism of the Catholic Church (#).

1st Petition:  Hallowed be Thy Name  (Sanctificétur Nomen Tuum)  #2858: By asking "hallowed be thy name" we enter into God's plan, the sanctification of his name - revealed first to Moses and then in Jesus - by us and in us, in every nation and in each man.

2nd Petition: Thy Kingdom come (Advéniat Regnum Tuum) #2859: By the second petition, the Church looks first to Christ's return and the final coming of the Reign of God. It also prays for the growth of the Kingdom of God in the "today" of our own lives.

3rd Petition: They will be done on earth as it is in Heaven (Fiat voluntas tua, sicut in coelo, et in terra) #2860: In the third petition, we ask our Father to unite our will to that of his Son, so as to fulfill his plan of salvation in the life of the world.

4th Petition: Give us this day our daily bread  (Panem nostrum cotidianum da nobis hodie) #2861: In the fourth petition, by saying "give us," we express in communion with our brethren our filial trust in our heavenly Father. "Our daily bread" refers to the earthly nourishment necessary to everyone for subsistence, and also to the Bread of Life: the Word of God and the Body of Christ. It is received in God's "today," as the indispensable, (super-) essential nourishment of the feast of the coming Kingdom anticipated in the Eucharist.

5th Petition: And forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. (Et dimitte nobis débita nostra, sicut et nos dimittimus debitoribus nostris) #2862: The fifth petition begs God's mercy for our offences, mercy which can penetrate our hearts only if we have learned to forgive our enemies, with the example and help of Christ.

6th Petition: And lead us not into temptation (et ne nos inducas in tentationem) #2863: When we say "lead us not into temptation" we are asking God not to allow us to take the path that leads to sin. This petition implores the Spirit of discernment and strength; it requests the grace of vigilance and final perseverance.

7th Petition: But deliver us from evil (Sed libera nos a malo) #2864: In the last petition, "but deliver us from evil," Christians pray to God with the Church to show forth the victory, already won by Christ, over the "ruler of this world," Satan, the angel personally opposed to God and to his plan of salvation.

Here is a link that sings the Latin version with English subtitles. Well done: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ATrrmGGShdY

Pondering these thoughts today: In your quest to “find” Jesus in your life; do you feel that you can approach Him at any time? Today Jesus tells us, even if we are requested bread in the middle of the night by a neighbor to whom we will eventually give bread to; will not God also provide for us regardless of its inconvenience or time in which we request it. Every day let us pray the Lord’s Prayer in confidence as we honor, worship, love and adore our Lord.

I chose to repost this, because when I did my original research it seemed such a wonderful find that I had to keep sharing it. The Original link this original post came from that I wrote is: http://beads-of-joy-blog.blogspot.com/2013/07/the-lords-prayer.html


LOVE YOU GUYS !!!!

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

Today is Tuesday: We pray the Sorrowful Mysteries:

The Sorrowful Mysteries

1^. Agony on the Garden (Sorrow for sin) –Matt 26:36-46
2^. Scourging at the Pillar (Purity) –Mark 15:1-16
3^. Crowning with Thorns (Moral Courage) –Matt 27:27-31
4^. Carrying of the Cross (Patience) –Mark 15:20-22
5^. The Crucifixion (Perseverance) –Luke 23:33-46

Thank you Lord for loving us so much…

Rosary Man Jim’s Sorrowful Reflection: http://beads-of-joy-blog.blogspot.com/2014/02/the-sorrowful-mysteries_11.html