The Twelve Apostles

BEADS OF JOY 07-10-13
“Matthew 10:1-7”
©2013 James Dacey, Jr. OFS


Gospel: (Matthew 10:1-7/ The Twelve Apostles)

“And he called to him his twelve disciples and gave them authority over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal every disease and every infirmity. The names of the twelve apostles are these: first, Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother; James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother; Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; James the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddeus;  Simon the Cananaean, and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him. These twelve Jesus sent out, charging them, "Go nowhere among the Gentiles, and enter no town of the Samaritans, but go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. And preach as you go, saying, `The kingdom of heaven is at hand.”

Reflection: My Friends,

The way Jesus changed the lives of these men that is pretty remarkable. Who were these men? Can you see yourself in the sandals of those simply chosen? Scripture only speaks of all these 12 men 3 other times: Mark 3:16-19, Luke 6:12-16 and Acts 1:13.

·        Andrew. He was active in bringing people to Jesus, including his brother Peter.

·        James. He was the older brother of John. He was the first of The Twelve to be martyred.

·        John. He and his brother James were fishermen.

·        Philip. From Bethsaida, as were Andrew and Peter. Eventually he was martyred, possibly at Hierapolis.

·        Bartholomew. He was one of the disciples to whom Jesus appeared at the Sea of Tiberias after His resurrection. He was a witness to the Ascension.

·        Thomas. He was also called Didymus which is the Greek version of his name. He is known by many as "Doubting Thomas" because he wanted to actually see and touch Jesus after His Resurrection. Which he did in the upper room. Certainly a good witness for us today, because he wanted indisputable proof of what he was expected to report about, and he got it.

·        Matthew. Formerly a tax-collector at Capernaum, he became one of the more prominent apostles. (The Gospel According to Matthew)

·        James. Known as James the Younger, or James the Less, he wrote the epistle which bears his name.

·        Thaddeus. Also known as "Judas the brother of James;" while John probably referring to the same person, speaks of "Judas, not Iscariot."

·        Simon the Zealot. The Zealots were a nationalistic sect with very strong political views.

·        Judas Iscariot. Became the traitor. Matthias was chosen by the remaining eleven apostles after Judas betrayed Jesus and killed himself.

How do you remember all the names of the Apostles? Well here's a song called  "Jesus Loves Me" that can it much easier.. It rhymes. Check it out.

Jesus called them one by one,
Peter, Andrew, James and John
Next came Phillip, Thomas too
Matthew and Bartholomew

Yes, Jesus called them,
Yes, Jesus called them,
Yes, Jesus called them,
He called them one by one.

James, the one they called the less,
Simon also Thaddeus
Twelfth apostle Judas made
Jesus was by him betrayed.

Consider this Prayer: My Lord Jesus I know I fall way short of any power or influence in your sight. The struggles I face indeed show me that I need a Savior. I ask You Lord that within my hearts you place this desire and burden of love for You. I ask for your forgiveness of my sins, strength in my weakness; and courage to not care what the world thinks as of me as I follow after You. Please Lord give me strength so that I might better serve you like the Apostles till end of my life. I ask this in Your Name ~Amen.

Pondering these thoughts today: As many of you can see either through your own bible study or even a little in today’s study –Jesus chose fairly ordinary people. No one was chosen because of their status in the community or their high ranking title at work. Instead they were ordinary working people who infact had no advantage or recognition in the community. These ordinary people were chosen to do extraordinary things. When Jesus calls us like the apostles, we have little to offer; but through Jesus He uses us to help direct others to the Kingdom of God. God can work magnificent miracles through us, all we must do is invite Him into our heart and lives as ask Him to lead the way. For He is the Way –Truth and Life.


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

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

Do Not Let Satan Win

BEADS OF JOY 07-09-13
“Do Not Let Satan Win”
©2013 James Dacey, Jr. OFS

My Friends,

Today our Lord knows how so many of us suffer under the weight of our sins. So many of us are easily lured into believing, “sin all you want and go to confession” that my sisters and brothers is called –Arrogant Presumption. What is this thing called Arrogant Presumption you ask? I think scripture will help you best understand that, see when we boast and plan our future; a future we are completely unaware of, it is indeed an evil arrogant scheme. For God alone knows the future -and our free will and with the help of the Holy Spirit we will get there. Read this scripture to gain a much better perspective and understanding:

James 4:13-16 (Boasting About Tomorrow)

“Now listen, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money.” Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. Instead, you ought to say, “If it is the Lord’s will, we will live and do this or that.” As it is, you boast in your arrogant schemes. All such boasting is evil.”

Once you have fully let go of everything in this life - it gets much easier to understand the Holy Spirit within you. Not that we can or will understand all things; but by clearing our life of all the debris in the way, we begin to have a much clearer more untainted understanding of so many things. Risking eternity is something the evil one wants us do. The more we risk, the closer we get to losing and then he (the evil one) will consume us. Don’t be arrogant, don’t plan so far ahead that you no longer focus on the things God has placed before you today. Here is another scripture, more real to the way so many think today:

Luke 12:15-21 (The Rich Fool)

“And he said to them, "Take heed, and beware of all covetousness; for a man's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions." And he told them a parable, saying, "The land of a rich man brought forth plentifully; and he thought to himself, `What shall I do, for I have nowhere to store my crops?' And he said, `I will do this: I will pull down my barns, and build larger ones; and there I will store all my grain and my goods. And I will say to my soul, Soul, you have ample goods laid up for many years; take your ease, eat, drink, be merry.' But God said to him, `Fool! This night your soul is required of you; and the things you have prepared, whose will they be?' So is he who lays up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God."
 

It is simply amazingly how so many people live like this …day in and day out – sin to sin as if all is fine and dandy. Greed deceives many, just like lust does. Both are despicable before God, both cast us out of God’s sight for all eternity at our death, both hurt others, both in many ways uses others (lust – for self-gratification / greed – for without sharing with others, there is more for me.), both are simply different forms of selfishness. That’s all they are –a selfish act of self-pleasure. While one satisfies the lust of the body, the other satisfies the lust of the heart and mind thinking how incredibly wonderful and smart I am. Both destroy you from within.

I am not saying another is evil with love and passion, or success, if that’s what you are understanding, then indeed you are not understanding this reflection. Just as there are two sides to everything (good and evil) there are two sides to success and two sides to love. I admit staying focused fully on Jesus 24/7/365 isn’t always a simple thing to do, especially in the world we live. But I will say this: It is completely possible and when you really want to; it’s even more possible and much easier to accomplish.
 
I challenge you: Draw a line in the sand today...

-Stop your lustful thoughts and think only thoughts of love that are pleasing before God. Consider Jesus standing with you when you are thinking these thoughts of what you might do then, or what you are thinking about doing with Him beside you.

-Stop hoarding and being such a miser, consider those around you struggling to live, family members in peril, barely existing day to day. Don’t build bigger barns, open more accounts; instead step out in faith and invest in your family or friend who is suffering, then your treasures in Heaven will far exceed a zillion fold what you have here on earth.

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

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

Inspirational Quotes: 101-140

BEADS OF JOY 07-08-13
“Inspirational Quotes: 101-140”
©2013 James Dacey, Jr. OFS


My Friends,

Posting many more of the quotes I posted last month as promised. Some of these are truly inspirational. Now by having them posted here everyone will have easy access to them for sharing, showing others and using for your own Spiritual Journey. <3 u guys !!!

101. “The greatest saints, those richest in grace and virtue will be the most assiduous in praying to the most Blessed Virgin, looking up to her as the perfect model to imitate and as a powerful helper to assist them.” ~St. Louis Marie de Montfort

102. “Woe to those who despise devotion to Mary! . . . The soul cannot live without having recourse to Mary and recommending itself to her. He falls and is lost who does not have recourse to Mary.” ~Saint Alphonsus Maria Liguori

103. “The honor of Mary is so intimately connected with the honor and glory of Jesus that to deny the one is at the same time a denial of the other.” ~Blessed William Joseph Chaminade

104. “To desire grace without recourse to the Virgin Mother is to desire to fly without wings.” ~Pope Pius XII, 1876-1958 AD

105. “The conflict with Hell cannot be maintained by men, even the most clever. The Immaculata alone has from God the promise of victory over Satan.” ~St. Maximilian Mary Kolbe, Martyr

106. “Jesus honored her before all ages, and will honor her for all ages. No one comes to Him, nor even near Him, no one is saved or sanctified, if he too will not honor her. This is the lot of Angels and of men.” ~St. Maximilian Mary Kolbe, Martyr

107. “If anyone does not wish to have Mary Immaculate for his Mother, he will not have Christ for his Brother.” ~St. Maximilian Kolbe, Martyr

108. “Always stay close to this Heavenly Mother, because she is the sea to be crossed to reach the shores of Eternal Splendor.” ~St. Padre Pio, 1887-1968 AD

109. “In trial or difficulty I have recourse to Mother Mary, whose glance alone is enough to dissipate every fear.” ~St. Therese of Lisieux

110. “What a joy to remember that she [Mary] is our Mother! Since she loves us and knows our weakness, what have we to fear?” ~St. Therese of Lisieux

111. “The clients of this most merciful Mother are very fortunate. She helps them both in this life and in the next, consoling them and sponsoring their cause in Purgatory. For the simple reason that the Souls in Purgatory need help so desperately, since they cannot help themselves, our Mother of Mercy does so much more to relieve them. She exercises over these Poor Souls, who are the spouses of Christ, particular dominion, with power to relieve them and even deliver them from their pains. See how important it is then to have devotion to this good Lady, because she never forgets her servants as long as they suffer in these flames. If she helps all the Poor Souls, she is especially indulgent and consoling to her own clients.” ~St. Alphonsus Liguori

112. “You are My Mother, the Mother of Mercy, and the consolation of the souls in Purgatory.” ~St. Bridget to our Lady

113. “Mary seeks for those who approach her devoutly and with reverence, for such she loves, nourishes, and adopts as her children.” ~St. Bonaventure, Doctor of the Church

114. “Mary has the authority over the angels and the blessed in heaven. As a reward for her great humility, God gave her the power and mission of assigning to saints the thrones made vacant by the apostate angels who fell away through pride. Such is the will of the almighty God who exalts the humble, that the powers of heaven, earth and hell, willingly or unwillingly, must obey the commands of the humble Virgin Mary. For God has made her queen of heaven and earth, leader of his armies, keeper of his treasure, dispenser of his graces, mediatrix on behalf of men, destroyer of his enemies, and faithful associate in his great works and triumphs.” ~St. Louis Marie de Montfort, True Devotion to the Blessed Virgin

115. “All true children of God have God for their father and Mary for his mother; anyone who does not have Mary for his mother, does not have God for his father.” ~St. Louis Marie de Montfort

116. “If anyone does not wish to have Mary Immaculate for his Mother, he will not have Christ for his Brother.” ~St. Maximilian Kolbe

117. “Let us not imagine that we obscure the glory of the Son by the great praise we lavish on the Mother; for the more she is honored, the greater is the glory of her Son. There can be no doubt that whatever we say in praise of the Mother gives equal praise to the Son.” ~St. Bernard of Clairvaux

118. “No matter how sinful one may have been, if he has devotion to Mary, it is impossible that he be lost.” ~St. Hilary of Poitiers

119. “If angels could be jealous of men, they would be so for one reason: Holy Communion.” ~St. Maximilian Kolbe

120. “Jesus took His flesh from the flesh of Mary,” ~St. Augustine

121. “Seek refuge in Mary because she is the city of refuge. We know that Moses set up three cities of refuge for anyone who inadvertently killed his neighbor. Now the Lord has established a refuge of mercy, Mary, even for those who deliberately commit evil. Mary provides shelter and strength for the sinner.” ~St. Anthony of Padua

122. “Do you want many graces? Go and visit the Blessed Sacrament often. Do you want few graces? Visit the Blessed Sacrament rarely. Do you want none at all? Then never pay a visit to the Blessed Sacrament,” ~St. John Bosco

123. “If anyone does not believe that Holy Mary is the Mother of God, such a one is a stranger to the Godhead.” ~St. Gregory Nazianzen

124. “The woman is at the heart of the home. Let us pray that we women realize the reason for our existence: to love and be loved and through this love become instruments of peace in the world.” ~Blessed Mother Teresa

125. “To maintain a joyful family requires much from both the parents and the children. Each member of the family has to become, in a special way, the servant of the others.” ~Pope John Paul II

126. “Ask Jesus to make you a saint. After all, only He can do that. Go to confession regularly and to Communion as often as you can,” ~St. Dominic Savio

127. “Prayer is powerful beyond limits when we turn to the Immaculata who is queen even of God's heart.” ~St. Maximilian Kolbe

128. “The Eucharist is everything, because from the Eucharist, everything is,” ~St. Peter Julian Eymard

129. “She is more Mother than Queen.” ~St. Therese of Lisieux

130. “The proof of love is in the works. Where love exists, it works great things. But when it ceases to act, it ceases to exist.” ~Pope St. Gregory the Great

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

132. “In God’s eye, murder is what it is -murder, the world can call it whatever it wishes, but one day we will all have to answer to God!! He will want to know why you (you know who you are) wanted to, or encouraged another to kill HIS (GODS) CHILDREN. The world can say whatever it wishes it don’t really matter; in the end God will speak the last word.” ~Jim Dacey Jr OFS

133. “In trial or difficulty I have recourse to Mother Mary, whose glance alone is enough to dissipate every fear.” ~St. Therese of Lisieux, Doctor of the Church

134. “The love of husband and wife is the force that welds society together. Men will take up arms and even sacrifice their lives for the sake of this love.” ~St. John Chrysoston

135. “Think of what the Saints have done for their neighbor because they loved God. But what Saint's love for God can match Mary's? She loved Him more in the first moment of her existence than all the Saints and angels ever loved Him or will love Him. Our Lady herself revealed to Sister Mary Crucified that the fire of her love was most extreme. If Heaven and earth were placed in it, they would be instantly consumed. And the ardors of the seraphim, compared with it, are like cool breezes. Just as there is not one among all the Blessed who loves God as Mary does, so there is no one, after God, who loves us as much as this most loving Mother does. Furthermore, if we heaped together all the love that mothers have for their children, all the love of husbands and wives, all the love of all the angels and Saints for their clients, it could never equal Mary's love for even a single soul.” ~St. Alphonsus Liguori, The Glories of Mary

136. “Do not marvel at the novelty of the thing, if a Virgin gives birth to God” ~St. Jerome

137. “Even while living in the world, the heart of Mary was so filled with motherly tenderness and compassion for men that no-one ever suffered so much for their own pains, as Mary suffered for the pains of her children.” ~St. Jerome

138. “The world being unworthy to receive the Son of God directly from the hands of the Father, he gave his Son to Mary for the world to receive him from her.” ~St. Augustine

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

140. “As a man must be born before he can begin to lead his physical life, so he must be born to lead a Divine Life. That birth occurs in the Sacrament of Baptism. To survive, he must be nourished by Divine Life; that is done in the Sacrament of the Holy Eucharist.” ~Bishop Fulton J. Sheen

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

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

Many Suffer In Secret

BEADS OF JOY 07-07-13
“Many Suffer in Secret”
©2013 James Dacey, Jr. OFS


My Friends,

Originally I was going to blog about today’s gospel; infact I even already starting writing about Jesus sending out the seventy; but that’s ok, I felt tugged into instead writing about this. My friend Ernie posted a comment I want to share with you: This quote packs a hard punch to truth, in my life and in the lives of so many of you:

“Sometimes the strongest amongst us are the ones who smile through silent pain, cry behind closed doors, and fight battles nobody knows about.” ~Unknown Author

I know our Lord knows many are in the same situation we are in. I realize there is a huge audience of readers from around the world who read this blog, but that’s ok, God knows the purpose here; mine is to tell it like it is and share how we (I) deal with all this. But in this quote it seems sad -that many don’t open up and share their pain and suffering, so in turn they can share their strength with others. See by doing so, we have the ability to help others deal with similar challenges in their own lives. In sharing our strengths and ability to cope, I believe our testimonies help others see that it is possible to weather this storm, your storm -of what seems like the end of the world to you, in your world.

We come a long since this wonderful day. You never know who is truly suffering in secret, till they speak up - or we ask if everything is ok. Allow God to lead your Spirit to people in need, especially families who are suffering.

For starters as so many of you know, my faith is the corner stone to my strength and ability to embrace all this suffering (our suffering), without complaint. My prayer life is actual rather simple, by fortunately extremely ingrained and is naturally embedded into my own daily life. Am I on a prayer schedule? You ask… Sort of yes, sort of no. If you didn’t know all of what I am saying to you right now, there are times even in my presence –you couldn’t see it, but I am praying. See my day revolves around prayer (personal and structured) along with a very rich personal conversational prayer with Jesus and our Lady all day, every day, throughout the day. I am dedicated to Praying The Rosary, from a single set of mysteries of the day, in addition to the full 20 decade Rosary every day. Please DO NOT pat my back I don’t want that, by no means do I tell you any of these things for compliments. I am way too unworthy for any of that. My purpose here today in this blog is this: to help show you that no matter what, no matter how bad, no matter how sad and even no matter how even hopeless it may seem on the outside -the worldly part of life –inside my heart (your heart to) is on fire for Jesus –overflowing with so much Joy you can’t contain it or stop it..nor do you want to.

Yes in full perspective to all this it would be nice to have an expensive home, new cars every 2 years, vacations whenever and wherever we so pleased and wanted. But seriously think of this, if you are living this way and your prayer life is but a mere fraction of your time, barely giving any of your time to God; what good is the purpose of your life? How could you possibly say that you are living the Christian life? If what you have here is valued to you more than what is to come to all –Eternity!!! ..and judgment for our actions here -I ask you this: What’s the point? At judgment God don’t care about the stature of your place in society is, or how much money you invested and saved; or that you are genius in worldly affairs and investing, your title (our title) is all the same before God. GODS CHILDREN – SINNER. Sorry, but there is no meaning for all those things in Heaven. What will matter to God is how we managed them to serve Him. Selfishness and hoarding of His gifts isn’t wise. Sadly it’s the poorer people in society who really help the most to those in need, they understand the pain and suffering and the tears. The wealthier seem to say they feel bad for you and that they will pray for you, and then they swift away in their BMW’s to the mall, or worse they really don't know you exist... I know that’s over the top with the drama, but sadly it’s so true. Those who can help the suffering the most, tend to be the very ones who don’t and won’t help them. That’s sad, for them. Why do they think they will “live forever” here on earth and they need all that stuff? And why do they put ALL their trust in their riches? Well that’s neither here nor there, we must pray for them, because sad will be the day that they will have to stand before God and have to answer the hard questions about “loving others” and “putting others before themselves”. Don’t misunderstand this blog, families like ours suffer a lot while many close to us who can help relieve some of the pain and suffering -just won't. Instead they watch families like us suffer like a fish out of water.

Chrissy and I have had our lives, our families, our relationship, our dreams and even at times our hopes flipped upside down and smashed onto the ground. (Keep tissues nearby – tears alert!). These past three years have been beyond difficult, beyond anything you could possibly imagine. I ask you this before you begin to say to me, “I understand what you’re going through.” Please don’t misunderstand me, many of you that I know well have been down this exact road in many ways. But I say that as a pre-requisite so that you understand, that in many ways you truly don’t understand. There’s nothing wrong with not understanding, but your awareness of that makes you understand -that it is indeed far worse than you can ever understand. My question to you as I begin is this:

 “Have you ever spent day in and day out watching the life of your spouse or child or parent or sibling (the one you love and adore with all your heart) deteriorate little by little; and little by little you see the person you use to know -slip away and in their place is an ill, frail, hurting person, who is struggling with a disease that they can’t control, but they themselves want to stop, and their emotional roller coaster of tears of not wanting to die -become a very alive, very real part of your every breathing moment?”

I say all that to help capture that feeling inside of you who know what I am talking about; and I also ask all this to help put into perspective to those who have never had to deal with all that day in and day out. The tears NEVER END!!! My secret tears are constant, the ones I hide from Chrissy and my kids. The secret tears sometimes that last for hours, sometimes for many days in a row. Consider this –our future together as a couple, one day in the future as grandparents, our time on the rocking chair on the porch, growing old together –GONE - Ripped out of our lives!!! Yes there can still be a miracle. But please understand the mindset of the ragging battle that never ever ends for us every single day, the reality of Chrissy not being able to simple walk naturally and somewhat swiftly up a simple flight of stairs. The struggles when she can’t keep her balance and she almost falls no matter where we are. Her memory little by little is getting worse and worse. She is so much more forgetful in things that have happened moments ago. MY HEARTS RIPS INSIDE ME – I AM BLEEDING INSIDE ME – A SPEAR RIPS MY HEART INTO PIECES!!! I scream and yell at the top of my lungs some nights, even losing my voice -begging God for mercy for Chrissy’s life. The woman I love is battling something that is destroying her from the inside out. I admit to you I am all teary eyed writing and sharing this with you right now. But I need so much of this to be put out there. Entrusted it to so many that pray for us and that we to pray for.

This CROSS we carry alone and as a couple and as a family is EXTREMELY HEAVY beyond simple explanation and even beyond that, it’s very complicated. We have a couple of people in our lives that mean well, but all they do is focus on their magnificent solutions, the answer we had no clue existed, the one thing they say will make all things better and easier; when in fact from our view point these ideas only makes our situation worse and way more stressful. I know they mean well, but they need to first understand that they don’t understand the whole story, and they can’t see the whole picture from their mansion or their state of life or their own world. The reality of what Chrissy and I live and battle isn’t even in the century they are living. They are so detached from what we are dealing with and how we MUST deal with it, how we MUST prioritize it and we MUST balance all these things. Most of these wonderful, well-meant ideas just get handed off to us, without even offering that person’s assistance to even really help us make it happen. I have asked, “We can’t afford to do that, are you willing to pay for that?” the answer is always, “No!” I fail to understand their purpose and reason, except for what I have already said about them really not understanding any of what we are dealing with.

How can families like ours be best helped? Some of you probably just don’t know I guess and I understand, and after all this, you may have come to that very question yourself. What do families like ours need most? Good solid, sincere friendships based on love and caring, good healthy conversation about other things; maybe drop off a tray of food every once in a while (see what the family likes, this is helpful to a family under tremendous health issues) omg that would be so helpful every once in a while; prayer of cause (private and with us); and at times a real chance to allow us to vent out all the issues we are dealing with especially the stress, we need that safe place to just let it out –to cry –to grumble –to show our weaknesses –it’s very healthy to release the stress this way; and please STOP JUDGING US – we are in a life and death battle beyond your understanding, trying to make the best decisions we can make, your harsh words only further hurt our situation. Yes all of the families suffering with a terminal illness member are in desperate need of so much. Through these three years, we have depleted every single cent to take care of Chrissy’s needs, no regrets, no complaints, just facts, literally countless thousands of dollars spent in doctors, medications, her special high protein diet, etc. A harsh reality many families suffering experience.  

 
Our Situation and Issues
(Open and honest / heart to heart)….

For starters Chrissy Health is monumental on so many levels. I admit I am consumed in prayer over this every day. Sometimes I seriously feel like Job. Job from the bible that is. Watching everything in our lives being taken away from me. I have no idea how many hours I have truly been buried in my own tears trying to figure all this all out. Yes I trust fully in Jesus, but come on guys Chrissy is my WIFE, my best friend, we have spent 26 years battling the world together!!! “Till death do us part”???; that’s not supposed to happen till we grow old together!!! Chrissy and I have talked about this countless times, understanding her death that will come as a result of this -things she wants to do for the kids before that -how we can accommodate her now. We as a couple, but more so Chrissy says, “I trust God’s Will in this, if I suffer it’s so someone don’t have to and if I die, it’s because someone don’t have to.” These conversations are heart-breaking. I only emotionally couldn’t hold it back once in front of her back when all this started in 2010. I was so mad and hurt thinking how she won’t be here to see our five kids and their eventual families experience life together and with us together with them, sharing the joys of grand-parenting. I was yelling and screaming how mad and upset with God I was and then I bursted out in tears. She grabbed me and hugged me. My tears were for her suffering, her hug was so incredible. She is so self-giving, a true gem of character she possesses.

My health suffers tremendously from all this. As many of you know I have had heart issues, abdominal pains and endless daily headaches. And the stress, is beyond anything any one person can handle. Somehow God sees me as strong enough to endure all this. My work schedule is a killer on top of all this (I work nights) and take care of Chrissy’s needs during the day. So sleep is …well the problem is that sleep isn’t something I so easily balance in my life. I always say that Sleep Deprivation is going to kill me one of these days, falling asleep at the wheel is my biggest worry. I drive an hour to work, to drive all night: 3 to 500 miles (working 10-14 hours) then I drive an hour home. Yeah Sleep Deprivation is going to kill me one of these days.

And then there are the medical bills -they are endless and countless into the thousands of dollars and basically they come in the mail every single day -ok 3 to 5 times a week. Bon Secour Hospital alone says we owe them on one page $15,000+ while on another page there is also an additional $4,600. Cigna just billed us for $7,400 of past due. There bills accumulate and roll forward through the years. Helping someone deal with these billing issues is helpful, but no priority, obviously they are not going to stop. Out of pocket we spend about a thousand plus a month towards some medical bill from somewhere.

Also (2) SSI (Social Security) Lawsuits against us (Chrissy) but they are going after me because I am the spouse and the only bread-winner of the house; even though we did what they said to do, and we gave them all the originals of our entire life they wanted to make copies of and we waited for them to see if Chrissy qualified and they said she did -and they gave her the benefits.. We now have to prove she is qualified?? NYS is suing us for $7,200.00 and PA is suing us for $5,800.00. Are they insane…? Oh well now we lose our Federal Tax Return every year, NYS absorbs it till we pay off the entire lawsuit. Oh well, not too much stress hey. Hang on -yes, there is more.

My High Cigna Insurance Deductible is $10,500.00 which zeros out every January 1^st and we must start all over again. An endless battle indeed. A cycle of debt that you can’t ever get ahead of. Chrissy’s chemo (Avastin) costs $100,000.00 a year. Yes you read that right One Hundred Thousand Dollars a year!!! And my company stopped this treatment in February, seems like February was our month of battle... Well they said pay her portion of the deductible ($4,500.00) or treatments won’t continue. I battled them two times on the phone yelling and screaming at them. See Avastin isn’t a drug that cures and heals. All Avastin does is pro-long life for a couple of months… So this treatment is critical for her very survival… So next year we will once again have this same battle with them, Lord willing she is still here. Thank you everyone who helped in our fundraiser, we greatly appreciate your love and generosity, without your help God only knows where Chrissy's health would be…

Our family vehicle keeps breaking down, constantly costing us with what little money we don’t have. Solutions we have heard are ludacris, and insane.  We need another car, a more reliable, updated automobile, a mini-van preferably. I’m sure Chrissy will be back in her wheelchair soon, and the min-van will be more helpful. It has been suggested to us to surrendering our vehicle and resort to public transportation. Are you nuts!!! That doesn’t help even with living in NYC, it only magnifies the stress and pounds us in the face with total reliance on others and the end to our own ability to manage our own challenges on our own. Can you imagine food shopping, Wal-Mart?? Doctor appointments? Me going to work? And it locks us down in the house making it impossible to even take a nice drive out to say get ice cream. We become prisoners to our home. We need another vehicle!! -NOT public transportation. This is beyond monumental. Once the car is DONE, so are we.

The home we rent is in foreclosure. Isn't that so nice. This one is beyond very stressful. In the balance of it, our landlord tells us in the same time the doctors told us Chrissy’s real situation (February), “Oh by the way, the house is in foreclosure, you have to move out.” Heartless knife jammed through the heart of me and my family. How does one balance all these things at once? How is it even humanly possible?

 
Pondering all these thoughts today: Prayers are needed for us and for you from us. Thank you. I have shared so much from heart to heart. I know it’s a lot to take in. Now image having all this in your head day in and day out. Thank God, we have God in our lives, without Him we’d go insane.. Through all this we are Broke, flat Broke!!! Living week to week, day to day, sometimes meal to meal.

How can you help a family like ours going through what we are going through? Take your pick. There are literally so many things you can do, there are endless ways to really help relieve some stress from somewhere in this mess. Whatever you do for that family, believe me they will be ever grateful for your love and kindness. God Bless all of you. Thank you for taking the time to read all this.

In our lives “TIME” is one big blur… no beginning, no end. It just stands still, "LOST" we can’t truly plan a future, we are limited in our mobility and everything stops… Hard to fully explain, let alone understand. One day seems like a million years, while 3 years seems like a huge blur of 10 years with no significant move forward. My good friend Al says, it is like a feeling a prisoner would feel when they have been away for several years: They know where they were, they know what they were doing, but in the end nothing was really accomplished and there was no advancement forward emotionally, intellectually, etc. None of their life's dreams could be focused on, just always thinking of "How do I get out of this?" That makes sense... Very Sad :( But that is truly where we are at.

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

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

Embrace Your Rosary

BEADS OF JOY 07-06-13
“Embrace Your Rosary”
©2013 James Dacey, Jr. OFS


My Friends,

The Rosary is the one single most powerful aspect of my life -that brings me Joy. I need nothing else (of cause we can’t forget The Mass, Adoration and Confession), for in the Rosary we all have: Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, Our dear precious Blessed Mother and the Holy Scriptures. What a truly precious combination of prayers, meditations and love. For hundreds of years mankind has been praying these most blessed repetition of prayers.

The more we Pray The Rosary, the more we honor and love our Lord. Some consider the repetition a waste of words, constant and endless without any meaning. Far be it from the truth, consider this; Archbishop Fulton Sheen said this in regards to the repetition:

This excerpt is from an address delivered by Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen on February 11, 1951 ~ I actually saw the original broadcast on youtube… (It's no longer available.) 

It is objected that there is much repetition in the Rosary because the Lord’s Prayer and the Hail Mary are said so often; therefore it is monotonous.

That reminds me of a woman who came to see me one evening after instructions. She said: “I would never become Catholic. You say the same words in the Rosary, over and over again, and anyone who repeats the same words is never sincere. I would never believe such a person and neither would God.” I asked her who the man was who was with her. She said it was her fiancé. I asked, “Does he love you?” “He told me.” “What did he say?” He said, “I love you.” “But never before?” “He tells me every night.” I said, “Do not believe him.” He is repeating; he is not sincere.” The beautiful truth, there is no repetition in “I love you.” Because there is a new moment of time, another point in space, the words do not mean the same as before. Love is never monotonous in the uniformity in the uniformity of its expression. The mind is infinitely variable in its language, but the heart is not. The heart of man in the face of the woman he loves is too poor to translate the infinity of his affection into different words. So the heart takes but one expression, “I love you” and in saying it over and over again, it never repeats. It is the only real news in the universe.

That is what we do when we say the Rosary. We are saying to the Holy Trinity, to the Incarnate Savior to the Blessed Mother, “I love you,” I love you, “I love you.”

I'm not a saint, but I will say that I try to be so much like St. Dominic when it comes to commitment and desire in sharing The Most Holy Rosary for my whole life. "I shall forever share the Rosary as long as I shall live, to the grave and straight to Jesus, with Rosary in hand and Mary by my side." ~Jim Dacey Jr OFS

Look at this most inspiring quote from

“The Secret of The Rosary”: The Third Rose “Inspired by the Holy Ghost, instructed by the Blessed Virgin as well by his own experience, Saint Dominic preached the Holy Rosary for the rest of his life. He preached it by his example as well as by his sermons, in cities in country places, to people of high station and low, before scholars and the uneducated, to Catholics and to heretics. The Holy Rosary which he said every day was his preparation for every sermon and his little tryst with Our Lady immediately after preaching.” I am so inspired by that. I highly recommend you read “The Secret of the Rosary” it will change your life forever. And don't read it just once, read it over and over again; once you start reading it, you can't put it down.

Let us look at these wonderful, blessed mysteries again and again. I pray that you to gain this deep Joy for the Rosary. Every mystery, every prayer, every bead – Spend your life -Embracing Your Rosary!!!

The Joyful Mysteries - Focuses on our Lord's birth and childhood.

1. The Annunciation - The angel of God appears to Mary and tells her she is to be the Mother of God - humility.

2. The Visitation - Mary, on hearing of Elizabeth's own pregnancy goes to visit with Her cousin - charity.

3. The Birth of Our Lord - Away from home and with nowhere to stay Mary and Joseph welcome Jesus into the world - poverty.

4. The Presentation - Mary and Joseph present Jesus to His Heavenly Father in the temple 40 days after His Birth - obedience.

5. The Finding in the temple - After searching for three days Mary and Joseph find the 12 year old boy sitting among the learned doctors of the temple - piety.

The Luminous Mysteries - All about our Lord's ministry...

1. The Baptism of Our Lord - As Christ descends into the waters the heavens open wide and the voice of the Father declares him the beloved Son, while the Spirit descends on him to invest him with the mission which he is to carry out.

2. The Wedding Feast at Cana - The first of the signs, given at Cana, is when Christ changes water into wine and opens the hearts of the disciples to faith, thanks to the intervention of Mary, the first among believers.

3. Jesus Proclaims the Kingdom of God - Jesus proclaims the coming of the Kingdom of God, calls to conversion and forgives the sins of all who draw near to him in humble trust, the inauguration of the ministry of mercy which He continues to exercise until the end of the world, particularly through the Sacrament of Reconciliation.

4. The Transfiguration - During the Transfiguration the glory of the Godhead shines forth from the face of Christ as the Father commands the astonished Apostles to “listen to him” and to prepare to experience with Him the agony of the Passion, so as to come with Him to the joy of the Resurrection and a life transfigured by the Holy Spirit.

5. The Last Supper - At the Last Supper we see the the institution of the Eucharist, in which Christ offers his body and blood as food under the signs of bread and wine, and testifies “to the end” his love for humanity, for whose salvation he will offer himself in sacrifice.

The Sorrowful Mysteries - Now we focus on our Lord's suffering.

1. The Agony in the Garden - The thought of our sins and His impending, horrible death make Jesus sweat tears of blood - contrition.

2. The Scourging at the Pillar - Jesus is stripped of His clothing and dignity and is lashed repeatedly leaving His body a mass of bloody wounds - purity.

3. The Crowning of Thorns - Jesus is ridiculed for claiming Kingship when they place a crown of thorns on His head - courage.

4. The Carrying of the Cross - Jesus shoulders His own cross, carrying it and dragging it to Golgotha, our sins were the weight of that cross - patience.

5. The Crucifixion of Our Divine Lord - After three hours of agony, watched by His Beloved Mother, Jesus dies - self-denial.

The Glorious Mysteries - Time to celebrate through these mysteries.

1. The Resurrection - Jesus rises from the dead three days after His Crucifixion as He had said He would - faith.

2. The Ascension - 40 days after His Resurrection Jesus ascends into Heaven to sit at the right hand of His Father, there to judge the living and the dead at the end of the world - hope.

3. The Descent of The Holy Spirit - Jesus sends the Holy Spirit on His apostles and disciples in the form of fiery tongues - love.

4. The Assumption - Our Lady's soul returns to God and her glorified body is assumed into heaven - eternal happiness.

5. The Coronation - Mary is crowned Queen of Heaven and Earth, of Angels and Saints, to rule over our lives forever and into eternity - devotion to Mary.

PRAISE JESUS !!!!

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

Jesus Calls Matthew

BEADS OF JOY 07-05-13
“Matthew 9:9-13”
©2013 James Dacey, Jr. OFS

Gospel: (Matthew 9:9-13 / Jesus Calls Matthew)

“As Jesus passed on from there, he saw a man called Matthew sitting at the tax office; and he said to him, "Follow me." And he rose and followed him. And as he sat at table in the house, behold, many tax collectors and sinners came and sat down with Jesus and his disciples. And when the Pharisees saw this, they said to his disciples, "Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?"  But when he heard it, he said, "Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. Go and learn what this means, `I desire mercy, and not sacrifice.' For I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.”

Reflection: My Friends,

What do we know about St. Matthew? We do know that St. Matthew, was a tax collector who turned apostle, and he is also the author of the first gospel which is today’s gospel. Although we really don't know much about the life of Matthew, we do know that he wrote about the account of our Lord’s ministry; and all that he wrote about in that gospel is of immeasurable value to the Church, particularly in its verification of Jesus as the Messiah. (wow, that was a long sentence. lol) Matthew's first encounter with Jesus is today’s gospel.

An excerpt from the Vatican, Catholic News Agency Staff, Sept. 19, 2010, they wrote the following, "Like 11 of the 12 apostles, St. Matthew is traditionally thought to have died as a martyr while preaching the Gospel. The Roman Martyrology describes his death as occurring in a territory near present-day Egypt." and further they wrote "Reflecting on St. Matthew's calling, from the pursuit of dishonest financial gain to the heights of holiness and divine inspiration, Pope Benedict said in 2006 that “in the figure of Matthew, the Gospels present to us a true and proper paradox: those who seem to be the farthest from holiness can even become a model of the acceptance of God's mercy and offer a glimpse of its marvelous effects in their own lives.” I thought that to be an interesting find, to share.

Now looking at the Gospel of Matthew, let us look at this brilliant outline. I am so excited and thrilled beyond words when it comes to spending time in scripture. The list here is a basic outline of the entire Gospel. Back in 1983 I actually, fully read and outlined the entire bible and it was copyrighted. “The Master Index To The Entire Bible” Not really sure how relevant it would be in today's time, considering technology and computers have changed and how easily we can look up information. And mind you, that original copy I wrote, well it was done on a regular typewriter (ole fashion, non-electric typewriter), that indeed was a huge project back then when I was in college. But I loved it, my heart then and now I give Jesus every spec of energy I got, 24/7/365. Anyhow, see I can get easily distracted. LOL. Check out this general outline in review to the splendid Gospel of St. Matthew:

Gospel of Matthew Outline
I. The Person of the King: the Early Life and Ministry of Jesus
(First Narrative - 1:1-4:11)
II. The Precepts of the King: The Sermon on the Mount
(First Discourse - 4:12-7:29)
III. The Power of the King: the Miracles and Mission of Christ
(Second Narrative and Discourse - 8-10)
IV. The Parables of the King: Rejection and Revelation
(Third Narrative and Discourse - 11-13)
V. The Progressive Rejection of the King: Miracles & Responses
(Fourth Narrative and Discourse - 14:1 - 18:35)
VI. The Presentation of the King: Entry & Controversy in Jerusalem
(Fifth Narrative and Discourse - 19:1-25:46)
VII. The Passion of the King: Crucifixion and Resurrection of Christ
(The Final Narrative - 26-28)

I am praying for all of you, that you to find the JOY that is jam packed in scripture. I trust Jesus will lead your heart. Simply pray, "Jesus, I trust in You."

Pondering these thoughts today: What did Jesus see in Matthew? What do you think Jesus might see in you? Would you be able to leave a lucrative business and follow after Jesus like Matthew did? In Jesus’ time tax collectors were corrupt and forceful in their ways; they stole a great deal from the people. And by doing so most tax collectors were despised, hated and rich. The words that changed Matthews entire view on life were, “Follow Me” and what did Matthew do? – “he rose and followed him !!!” Could you have done that? I don’t know, I guess we all know when God is calling us, and when that time does come, it don’t matter what we are doing, we stop, rise and follow. Love you guys!!!

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

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

Inspirational Quotes: 61-100

BEADS OF JOY 07-04-13
“Inspirational Quotes: 61-100”
©2013 James Dacey, Jr. OFS


My Friends,

First of all HAPPY BIRTHDAY AMERICA. I pray that you are being blessed by having these most blessed quotes more easily at hand now. I think throughout the summer from time to time, I will continue to assemble and post all the quotes I have saved in my journals and writings throughout the 30 Years of Ministry I have experienced. I have found that so many of these quotes, help inspire and even encourage so many wonderful aspects of our Spiritual Walk.

61. “Men do not fear a powerful hostile army as the powers of hell fear the name and protection of Mary.” ~St. Bonaventure

62. “To give worthy praise to the Lord's mercy, we unite ourselves with Your Immaculate Mother, for then our hymn will be more pleasing to You, because She is chosen from among men and angels. Through Her, as through a pure crystal, Your mercy was passed on to us. Through Her, man became pleasing to God; Through Her, streams of grace flowed down upon us.” (1746) ~St. Faustina

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

64. “Before, by yourself, you couldn't. Now, you've turned to our Lady, and with her, how easy!” ~St. Josemaria Escriva

65. “In dangers, in doubts, in difficulties, think of Mary, call upon Mary. Let not her name depart from your lips, never suffer it to leave your heart. And that you may obtain the assistance of her prayer, neglect not to walk in her footsteps. With her for guide, you shall never go astray; while invoking her, you shall never lose heart; so long as she is in your mind, you are safe from deception; while she holds your hand, you cannot fall; under her protection you have nothing to fear; if she walks before you, you shall not grow weary; if she shows you favor, you shall reach the goal.” ~St. Bernard of Clairvaux, Father and Doctor of the Church

66. “O sinner, be not discouraged, but have recourse to Mary in all you necessities. Call her to your assistance, for such is the divine Will that she should help in every kind of necessity.” ~St. Basil the Great

67. “Mary, give me your Heart: so beautiful, so pure, so immaculate; your Heart so full of love and humility that I may be able to receive Jesus in the Bread of Life and love Him as you love Him and serve Him in the distressing guise of the poor.” ~Blessed Mother Teresa

68. “If you invoke the Blessed Virgin when you are tempted, she will come at once to your help, and Satan will leave you.” ~St. John Vianney

69. “When we were little, we kept close to our mother in a dark alley or if dogs barked at us. Now, when we feel temptations of the flesh, we should run to the side of our Mother in Heaven, by realizing how she is to us, and by means of aspirations. She will defend us and lead us to the light.” ~St. Josemaria Escriva

70. “The Immaculate alone has from God the promise of victory over Satan. She seeks souls that will consecrate themselves entirely to her, that will become in her hands forceful instruments for the defeat of Satan and the spread of God's kingdom.” ~St. Maximilian Kolbe

71. “If you ever feel distressed during your day — call upon our Lady — just say this simple prayer: 'Mary, Mother of Jesus, please be a mother to me now.' I must admit — this prayer has never failed me.” ~Blessed Mother Teresa

72. “Love our Lady. And she will obtain abundant grace to help you conquer in your daily struggle.” ~St. Josemaria Escriva

73. “Have confidence. Return. Invoke our Lady and you'll be faithful.” ~St. Josemaria Escriva

74. “So your strength is failing you? Why don't you tell your mother about it? . . . Mother! Call her with a loud voice. She is listening to you; she sees you in danger, perhaps, and she—your holy mother Mary—offers you, along with the grace of her son, the refuge of her arms, the tenderness of her embrace . . . and you will find yourself with added strength for the new battle.” ~St. Josemaria Escriva

75. “All the sins of your life seem to be rising up against you. Don't give up hope! On the contrary, call your holy mother Mary, with the faith and abandonment of a child. She will bring peace to your soul.” ~St. Josemaria Escriva

76. “May I give you some advice for you to put into practice daily? When your heart makes you feel those low cravings, say slowly to the Immaculate Virgin: Look on me with compassion. Don't abandon me. Don't abandon me, my Mother! -- And recommend this prayer to others.” ~St. Josemaria Escriva

77. “When you see the storm coming, if you seek safety in that firm refuge which is Mary, there will be no danger of your wavering or going down.” ~St. Josemaria Escriva

78. “Only after the Last Judgment will Mary get any rest; from now until then, she is much too busy with her children.” ~St. John Vianney

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

80. “Let us run to Mary, and, as her little children, cast ourselves into her arms with a perfect confidence.” ~St. Francis de Sales

81. “After the love which we owe Jesus Christ, we must give the chief place in our heart to the love of His Mother Mary.” ~St. Alphonsus Maria de Liguori

82. “With reason did the Most Holy Virgin predict that all generations would call her blessed, for all the Elect obtain eternal salvation through the means of Mary.” ~St. Ildephonsus, Bishop

83. “No one will ever be the servant of the Son without serving the Mother.” ~St. Ildephonsus, Bishop

84. “Devotion to you, O Blessed Virgin, is a means of salvation which God gives to those whom he wishes to save.” ~St. John Damascene

85. “There is no one, O Most Holy Mary, who can know God except through thee; no one who can be saved or redeemed but through thee, O Mother of God; no one who can be delivered from dangers but through thee, O Virgin Mother; no one who obtains mercy but through thee, O Filled-With-All-Grace!” ~St. Germanus of Constantinople, Patriarch of Constantinople

86. “For if we are bidden to honor carnal fathers and mothers, how much more the spiritual? . . . If this virtue of charity has been overlooked, a man will lose any fruit of salvation in any good he may do.” ~Pope Saint Gregory VII

87. “It is impossible to save one's soul without devotion to Mary and without her protection.” ~St. Anselm, Archbishop and Doctor of the Church

88. “Not only do they offend thee, O Lady, who outrage thee, but thou art also offended by those who neglect to ask thy favors . . . He who neglects the service of the Blessed Virgin will die in his sins . . . He who does not invoke thee, O Lady, will never get to Heaven . . . Not only will those from whom Mary turns her countenance not be saved, but there will be no hope of their salvation . . . No one can be saved without the protection of Mary.” ~St. Bonaventure, Cardinal-Bishop and Doctor of the Church

89. “We may seek graces, but shall never find them without the intercession of Mary.” ~St. Cajetan, Founder of the Theatines

90. “I have great doubts about the salvation of those who do not have special devotion to Mary.” ~St. Francis Borgia

91. “It seems unbelievable that a man should perish in whose favor Christ said to His Mother: ‘Behold thy son’, provided that he has not turned a deaf ear to the words, which Christ addressed to him: ‘Behold thy Mother.” ~St. Robert Bellarmine, Cardinal-Bishop and Doctor of the Church

92. “A man is no true Christian if he has no devotion to the Mother of Jesus Christ.” ~St. John Eudes

93. “All true children of God have God for their father and Mary for his mother; anyone who does not have Mary for his mother, does not have God for his father.” ~St. Louis Marie de Montfort

94. “Let not that man presumes to look for mercy from God who offends His Holy Mother!” ~St. Louis Marie de Montfort

95. “For God, having given her power over his only-begotten and natural Son, also gave her power over his adopted children - not only in what concerns their body - which would be of little account - but also in what concerns their soul.” ~St. Louis Marie de Montfort

96. “We must conclude that, being necessary to God by a necessity which is called "hypothetical", (that is, because God so willed it), the Blessed Virgin is all the more necessary for men to attain their final end. Consequently we must not place devotion to her on the same level as devotion to the other saints as if it were merely something optional.” ~St. Louis Marie de Montfort

97. “The pious and learned Jesuit, Suarez, Justus Lipsius, a devout and erudite theologian of Louvain, and many others have proved incontestably that devotion to our Blessed Lady is necessary to attain salvation. This they show from the teaching of the Fathers, notably St. Augustine, St. Ephrem, deacon of Edessa, St. Cyril of Jerusalem, St. Germanus of Constantinople, St. John Demascene, St. Anselm, St. Bernard, St. Bernardine, St. Thomas and St. Bonaventure. Even according to Oecolampadius and other heretics, lack of esteem and love for the Virgin Mary is an infallible sign of God's disapproval. On the other hand, to be entirely and genuinely devoted to her is a sure sign of God's approval.” ~St. Louis Marie de Montfort

98. “The Son of God became man for our salvation but only in Mary and through Mary.” ~St. Louis Marie de Montfort

99. “If devotion to the Blessed Virgin is necessary for all men simply to work out their salvation, it is even more necessary for those who are called to a special perfection. I do not believe that anyone can acquire intimate union with our Lord and perfect fidelity to the Holy Spirit without a very close union with the most Blessed Virgin and an absolute dependence on her support.” ~St. Louis Marie de Montfort

100. “From day to day, from moment to moment, she increased so much this twofold plenitude that she attained an immense and inconceivable degree of grace. So much so, that the Almighty made her the sole custodian of his treasures and the sole dispenser of his graces. She can now ennoble, exalt and enrich all she chooses. She can lead them along the narrow path to heaven and guide them through the narrow gate to life. She can give a royal throne, scepter and crown to whom she wishes. Jesus is always and everywhere the fruit and Son of Mary and Mary is everywhere the genuine tree that bears that Fruit of life, the true Mother who bears that Son.” ~St. Louis Marie de Montfort

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

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