Seek & Lead Others Home

BEADS OF JOY 08-13-13
“Matthew 18:1-5, 10, 12-14”
©2013 James Dacey, Jr. OFS

Today's Gospel:
(Matthew 18:1-5, 10, 12-14 / Who is the Greatest?...)

“At that time the disciples came to Jesus, saying, "Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?" And calling to him a child, he put him in the midst of them, and said, "Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Whoever humbles himself like this child, he is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. "Whoever receives one such child in my name receives me; "See that you do not despise one of these little ones; for I tell you that in heaven their angels always behold the face of my Father who is in heaven. What do you think? If a man has a hundred sheep, and one of them has gone astray, does he not leave the ninety-nine on the mountains and go in search of the one that went astray? And if he finds it, truly, I say to you, he rejoices over it more than over the ninety-nine that never went astray. So it is not the will of my Father who is in heaven that one of these little ones should perish.”

Reflection: My Friends,

I can’t always explain the Joy, but I always try. Today in the end of the gospel there is a parable, only four verses but it is awesome and it is there! I really love them; I enjoy reading them, reflecting upon them and sharing them. I think many of you already know that. Today’s gospel actually covers three topics: Who is the greatest? Temptation to sin; and The Parable of the Lost Sheep. The first part of the gospel was a bit surprising when I first heard this many years ago. Jesus taught love, unselfishness, giving of oneself to another; however did this question of “who is greatest?” come up? Interesting thought, I guess inside many of us, we want to be the center of attention; the first, the best, the most, just to be recognized for it. God only knows what that’s all about. But today let us look upon the second half of today’s gospel, verses 10-14; that is all about the Parable that almost sums up our mission as followers of Jesus.

Jesus clearly tells us that God absolutely does not want any of us to be lost and led astray; look at verse 14, “So it is not the will of my Father who is in heaven that one of these little ones should perish.” It is our mission as believers, the faithful; to seek out the lost and bring them home. This is not going to be easy, and it may take some time and some pain to see some of them through, but with God’s love and our faith and trust in Him, we will be given the strength necessary to do this. Scripture confirms that even in Heaven many rejoice, “I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent.” Luke 15:7. Many of us know those who need Jesus in their lives, we know the lost and those who wonder. Let us try to direct them with love and compassion to return to the flock; for at their return there is only love and compassion and forgiveness. No one will be turned away; our only desire is that they return to the arms of Jesus.

Pondering these thoughts today: How can we really draw others to Jesus? How can we lead back, the misled and misinformed? In our prayers we can ask God through the Holy Spirit to guide us, and to give us strength. For starters I believe the best approach on someone who refuses to hear anything about Jesus or our Blessed Mother, is to continue to pray for them. And keep praying for them, every single day, pray for them. Prayer is a gift you can give away, over and over again. And the greatest part about praying for someone else is that they can’t stop you, and in fact most of the time they don’t even need to know. Just try to be “Jesus” in their lives. Meaning, give them love, compassion, forgiveness, and have concern for their challenges; and always have open arms and always be understanding with them, show them, without saying a word, how Jesus has changed who you were -to who you are. Let us, in our travels, become seekers of the lost, seeking and leading others home. Planting seeds of Joy, Hope, and Love are a great way to start. The more of us that do this for the lost, will result in the less that will be lost and more will be returning home. Pray about this, ask God for His will to help you to seek out others to draw them back to Him. You will see opportunities open up, and people will be led to you. His will is the only way. God Bless all of you and all your efforts in seeking out the lost.

Your brother in Christ Jesus
And His Most Blessed Mother,
Jim (The Rosary Man) Dacey Jr OFS
Revised: (Originally written August 9, 2011)

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Delivered: They Will Kill Him

BEADS OF JOY 08-12-13
“Matthew 17:22-27”
©2013 James Dacey, Jr. OFS

Today's Gospel:
(Matthew 17:22-27 / Speaking of His Death and Taxes)

“As they were gathering in Galilee, Jesus said to them, "The Son of man is to be delivered into the hands of men, and they will kill him, and he will be raised on the third day." And they were greatly distressed. When they came to Capernaum, the collectors of the half-shekel tax went up to Peter and said, "Does not your teacher pay the tax?" He said, "Yes." And when he came home, Jesus spoke to him first, saying, "What do you think, Simon? From whom do kings of the earth take toll or tribute? From their sons or from others?" And when he said, "From others," Jesus said to him, "Then the sons are free. However, not to give offense to them, go to the sea and cast a hook, and take the first fish that comes up, and when you open its mouth you will find a shekel; take that and give it to them for me and for yourself.”

Jesus speaking to His Disciples..

Reflection: My Friends,

This title really tells the entire truth behind how Jesus did indeed suffer, on multiple levels. Our betrayal with our sins continues to nail Jesus upon His cross; and it was Judas’ selfish greed that led him to the ultimate betrayal to his dear friend, our Lord. In today’s gospel we see ultimately that it will be through His death and resurrection that Jesus would defeat death. The only way to be resurrected, is that He must die first. The gospels predicted three times that Jesus would suffer and die. And honestly when the Apostles heard this, it must have scared them to some degree, like Jesus said to them, “You will be hated by everyone because of me,” Matthew 10:22. That same hatred will make them targets after Jesus was betrayed and murdered. What is betrayal? Sad topic to talk about for me; I know and understand betrayal to well. I am not a saint, and I am far from perfect, but betrayal from someone you love and trust cuts deep inside of you. It absolutely tears you apart. Greed and selfishness -especially against those you love cuts deep.

Betrayal: defined. After researching such a horrible word, that only reveals a horrible action from another, it only further hurts seeing how Judas’ betrayal to Jesus was thoughtless and selfish. How can someone who loves you, says they love you, shows they love you and even acts like they love you; stab you in the back with lies and false accusations? Unfortunately it happens in our everyday world, every single day, at work for advancement and raises and bonuses of sorts; and sadly even at home between spouses and to and from children. Betrayal defined is like this: 1. To lead astray. 2. To deliver to an enemy by treachery. 3. To reveal unintentionally. 4. To prove false. It takes many lies, followed by more lies and continued with even more lies to really betray someone. So in the end, the one betraying, isn’t only a betrayer; but they are also a lying, back stabbing, untrusted person. How sad it is, when this person is someone you do trust in. There’s a saying, “Keep your friends close, and your enemies closer.” I look and wonder what that really means in today’s reflection. Actually the closest ones to you, have the power to hurt you the most, why? I believe it’s because of the trust and love you share with that person. They know you well enough, to destroy you, even with all their lies. Sad how ruthless another will be to someone they love, out of selfishness and greed.

Ponder These Thoughts: How do you deal with betrayal? How did Jesus deal with betrayal? He didn’t defend himself against all the lies; He didn’t even argue or show hatred to those who hated Him; He only showed compassion and love to the very people who were out to kill Him, He even forgave them. How can we learn from all this, to be more like Him? It is a hard teaching, not an easy task by no means, for anyone. I honestly know what it’s like to be deceived, betrayed and then stabbed in the back by someone you love and adore so much; someone I would die for to protect. I understand how a persons lies, fueled by their selfishness and greed to do what they want to do, can destroy others horribly. We all need to take a step back, kneel down in prayer and ask Jesus to help us, to guide us. Don’t make the terrible mistake of letting your selfishness, pride and greed; lead you down a road of betrayal. We need to ask Jesus to help us to be more like Him. God knows our hearts, He knows our intentions, and He also knows when we don’t know what to do. Simply trust in Him and ask Him to help guide you. Peace and love always to you my sisters and brothers.


Your brother in Christ Jesus
And His Most Blessed Mother,
Jim (The Rosary Man) Dacey Jr OFS
Revised: (Originally written Aug. 8, 2011)

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Top Priority ~ WORLD PEACE !!!

BEADS OF JOY 08-11-13
“Top Priority ~ WORLD PEACE!!!”
©2013 James Dacey, Jr. OFS

My Friends,

Some of you might agree and some of you might disagree with the way I look at things, but I must say a lot of my influence comes from our Holy Father. There are approximately 41,000 Christian denominations, most can be verified, but many can’t. When it comes to religion in general there are about 4,200 different kinds of “faith” around the world. I’m not a theologian and its okay I’m not seeking an education in the exact differences between all the religions of the world.

In today’s blog I wish to emphasize this: We must have as our Top Priority ~ WORLD PEACE!!! Let us seek World Peace with our mutual love and respect for one another -and with that said, let us respect what others believe also. This is my choice, my journey. I am a die-hart Roman Catholic. I know my faith and I know what I believe and what I don’t believe. I can’t be swayed away from my faith. Saying that I say this, “Everyone one of us, good, bad, evil, all of us have been made in the image of God; Judas was made in the image of God. We are all His children, and we have no place in our lives to judge anyone. Of cause we know the difference between right and wrong and yes we know what sin is; but we must not judge others, that’s God’s job. Our lives must be spent focusing on our Lord, loving Him, praising Him, thanking Him and most importantly sharing Him with others.”

WORLD PEACE
Let us look to Pope Francis I for guidance and direction in this matter of Peace. Pope Francis said, “Peace to the whole world,” later in this message from St. Peter’s Basilica on Easter he said, “Let the risen Jesus enter your life,” the pope told worshippers before the service via his Twitter account. “He will receive you with open arms.”

Pope Francis I further said on June 2, 2013, “This morning I celebrated Holy Mass with several soldiers and with the parents of some of those who died in the missions for peace, who seek to further reconciliation and peace in countries in which so much fraternal blood is spilled in wars that are always madness. ‘Everything is lost in war. Everything is gained with peace’. I ask for a prayer for the fallen, for the injured and for their relatives.”

I highly recommend and suggest you spend some time reading and mediating on the words of the Holy Father. One day I can see He become a Saint. His words are filled with so much wisdom. Her are a few examples of Pope Francis I leading us.

CLOSE TO JESUS IN TIMES OF TROUBLE
“Remain steadfast in the journey of faith, with firm hope in the Lord. This is the secret of our journey! He gives us the courage to swim against the tide. Pay attention, my young friends: to go against the current; this is good for the heart, but we need courage to swim against the tide. Jesus gives us this courage! There are no difficulties, trials or misunderstandings to fear, provided we remain united to God as branches to the vine, provided we do not lose our friendship with him, provided we make ever more room for him in our lives. This is especially so whenever we feel poor, weak and sinful, because God grants strength to our weakness, riches to our poverty, conversion and forgiveness to our sinfulness. The Lord is so rich in mercy: every time, if we go to him, he forgives us. Let us trust in God’s work! With him we can do great things; he will give us the joy of being his disciples, his witnesses. Commit yourselves to great ideals, to the most important things. We Christians were not chosen by the Lord for little things; push onwards toward the highest principles. Stake your lives on noble ideals, my dear young people!” ~From his homily on April 28, 2013

QUEST FOR HOLINESS
“Draw always from Christ, the inexhaustible wellspring; strengthen your faith by attending to your spiritual formation, to personal and communitarian prayer, and to the liturgy……Advance with determination along the path of holiness; do not rest content with a mediocre Christian life, but let your affiliation serve as a stimulus, above all for you yourselves, to an ever greater love of Jesus Christ.” ~From his homily on May 5, 2013

 MORE INSIGHTFUL QUOTES FROM POPE FRANCIS I
“We are enclosed in a narcissistic and consumerist prison…The real power is love, that which empowers others, that which arouses action, that which no chain is able to hold back, for even on the Cross or on the death bed one is able to love. One does not need youthful beauty, nor recognition or approval, nor money or prestige. Let love simply bloom… and it is unstoppable.” May 2012

“When we journey without the Cross, when we build without the Cross, when we profess Christ without the Cross, we are not disciples of the Lord, we are worldly: we may be bishops, priests, cardinals, popes, but not disciples of the Lord.” March 14, 2013

Pope Francis I -first encyclical “The Light of Faith” he wrote this in paragraph 16 when describing the greatest sign of love: “If laying down one’s life for one’s friends is the greatest proof of love (cf. Jn 15:13), Jesus offered his own life for all, even for his enemies, to transform their hearts. This explains why the evangelists could see the hour of Christ’s crucifixion as the culmination of the gaze of faith; in that hour the depth and breadth of God’s love shone forth.” Brilliant... I love the way he focuses so much on being so much like Jesus.

REACHING OUT
Pope Francis said: “The Lord has redeemed all of us, all of us, with the Blood of Christ: all of us, not just Catholics. Everyone! 'Father, the atheists?' Even the atheists. Everyone! And this Blood makes us children of God of the first class. We are created children in the likeness of God and the Blood of Christ has redeemed us all. And we all have a duty to do good. And this commandment for everyone to do good, I think, is a beautiful path towards peace. If we, each doing our own part, if we do good to others, if we meet there, doing good, and we go slowly, gently, little by little, we will make that culture of encounter: We need that so much. We must meet one another doing good. 'But I don't believe, Father, I am an atheist!' But do good: We will meet one another there.”

And in answering a question about reports of homosexuals in the clergy, the pope answered, "If someone is gay and he searches for the Lord and has good will, who am I to judge?" Compassion Jesus has taught us… Praise Jesus for bringing Pope Francis to us...

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

MY FIRST BOOK. More to come…

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Marian Feast Days of August

BEADS OF JOY 08-01-13
“Marian Feast Days of August”
©2013 James Dacey, Jr. OFS

Marian Feast Days of August

1. Our Lady asks for Establishment of an Order for Redeeming Captives (1218)

2. Our Lady of Angels, Assisi, Italy (13th Century)

3. Our Lady of Bows, London (1071)

4. Our Lady of Dordrecht, Holland, Shrine built by St. Santera

5. St. Mary Major (Our Lady of the Snows), Rome, Italy (352), where Our Savior’s crib is kept

6. Our Lady of Copacabana, Boliva

7. Our Lady of Schiedam, Holland (15th Century)

8. Our Lady of Kuehn, near Brussels, Belgium

9. Our Lady of Oegnies, Brabant, Netherlands

10. Institution of the Order of Our Lady of Mercy, Barcelona, Spain (1218)

11. Our Lady of the Way, St. Charles, Missouri/Charlemagne receives two of Our Lady’s robes from Emperor Nicephorus & Irene (810)

12. Our Lady of Rouen, France

13. Dormition of Our Lady (58)

14. Vigil of the Assumption of Our Lady

15. Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary into Heaven (Feast instituted by Pope Leo IV in 847)

16. Our Lady of Trapani, Sicily

17. Victory of the King of France (Philip the Fair)(1257), imploring the help of Our Lady of Chartres (1304)

18. Coronation of Our Lady

19. Our Lady of the Don, Russia (1380)

20. Our Lady of St. Bernand’s “Ave,” Brabant, Netherlands

21. Our Lady of Knock, Ireland (1879)

22. Feast of the Immaculate Heart of Mary

23. Our Lady of Victory of Valois, France (1328)

24. Our Lady, Health of the Sick/Our Lady of Benoite-Vaux, France

25. Our Lady of Rossano, Calabria, Italy

26. Our Lady de la Treille, Douay, France(1543)

27. Our Lady of Moustier, France/Seven Joys of the Blessed Virgin Mary

28. Our Lady of Kiev, Russia (1240)

29. Our Lady of Clermont, Poland (1380)

30. Our Lady of Carquere, Portugal

31. Our Lady of the Founders, Constantinople

 

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

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Jesus Explains The Parable

BEADS OF JOY 07-30-13
“Matthew 13:36-43”
©2013 James Dacey, Jr. OFS

Gospel: (Matt 13:36-43 / Jesus Explains the Parable)

“Then he left the crowds and went into the house. And his disciples came to him, saying, "Explain to us the parable of the weeds of the field." He answered, "He who sows the good seed is the Son of man; the field is the world, and the good seed means the sons of the kingdom; the weeds are the sons of the evil one, and the enemy who sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the close of the age, and the reapers are angels. Just as the weeds are gathered and burned with fire, so will it be at the close of the age. The Son of man will send his angels, and they will gather out of his kingdom all causes of sin and all evildoers, and throw them into the furnace of fire; there men will weep and gnash their teeth. Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears, let him hear.”


Reflection: My Friends,

I absolute love it when Jesus takes the time to explain a parable to us. His words of wisdom are entrenched in the parable. But when He takes the time to explain exactly what He meant, the way He intended us to understand it, now that is magnificent. Today we continue reading in Matthew's gospel. Our scripture is Matthew 13:36-43 (Jesus Explains the Parable of the Weeds). This parable gives us the foresight we need to have so much more patience with the evil around us. Many often wonder, "Why are Catholics such wimps when they are attacked and criticized?" The funny part is, they say that with obviously no scriptural knowledge of God's wrath. See we are not wimps, we are like the kid in the playground who are being beat up and threatened. As we take the hits and hear the slander, our father (GOD) and all of His buddies (The Angels), and the police (God's Word) are coming shortly, to pronounce judgment on the guilty. We know if we act like our father asked to, with kindness and love and forgiveness, that we would receive our eternal reward with Him in Heaven. We must be like Jesus in the Passion. The guilty, sinful, evil doers will be thrown into prison for all eternity, or like Jesus says, "into the furnace of fire; there men will weep and gnash their teeth." Guess those evil-doers didn't get the memo. God's wrath is sufficient when we wish the enemy to be defeated. Of cause and by all means it would be so much better if the evil, no good, thugs would repent and ask God for forgiveness and mercy. We shall pray for that outcome. We must love our enemies above all things when we are being assaulted. Even if a gun or a knife is at our throat, we must be like Jesus and love and forgive them.

Honestly now, let’s really look at this and understand what Jesus is warning us and the enemy of. The enemy has planted seeds of hatred, angry, violence, lust, pride, selfishness, everything sinful you can possibly imagine. All those seeds have been hurled into our world and they desire to use that evil harvest to entwine us; into their messed up world of sin against life and love, and against God. And in the end the evil doers of the world want us to be just be like them, so we to separate ourselves from God, by hating them. Not only are the evil doers, the soldiers of satan; but they are deceitful, lying backstabbing people who despise the peace and love that we have with God. Our contentment gives them even more rage. I have seen it with my own eyes and heard with my ears in many a conversations. The funniest part of hearing someone’s anger towards God or Christians is by not fighting back... Oh no don't fight or argue. Just let them know that you already know how all this is going to end and you already know who wins. And then further that, if they give the chance to continue speaking and tell them that you forgive them. I will be honest with you, you must have the kahunas to do this. LOL. I mean it, if there is one thing angry mean evil doer hates, is our sincere heartfelt smiles and forgiveness and not even a flinch of offense from them. We act like we don't even hear them or care. We do care, but we can't allow ourselves to respond mean or hatefully. We must not. I know we want to, but we must trust in Jesus as we are abused and slandered. Pray, "Jesus, I trust in You"

You see the battle that has been in place for the last two thousand plus years is Jesus planting His seeds of hope, love and charity all over the world; while satan is doing the exact opposite. There's a saying that most everyone knows, "What goes around comes around." My parents use to say that a lot when I was kid. They'd say to me whenever I'd get angry, "Don't get angry Jim, let's pray that that person finds kindness in their hearts. And if they don't, what goes around comes around." That never needed to be explained to me as kid. It just meant that the evil someone gives you, will one day be the very same evil that they will receive. It's sort of biblical in many ways. We are all sinful in this world, maybe we are not evil doers killing the innocent or deceiving the masses. But regardless we are still guilty of sin. So we must consider the words Jesus has told us, “Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.” ~Matthew 7:1-2. Jesus was very serious about this. You see our enemies judge us by our faith and devotion and how we respond, or don't respond to them. We must not be like them, God's wrath is waiting for those who do.

We must only allow the love we have for Jesus to dominate our lives and our hearts. Do not allow anger or hatred to enter your heart or the way you react to evil. We must ingrain in our thoughts and understanding that the last will indeed be first and those who rudely believe they are first and that the world revolves around them, they shall be last. Scripture is clear on this, “And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or fields for my sake will receive a hundred times as much and will inherit eternal life. But many who are first will be last, and many who are last will be first.” ~Matthew 19:29-30. We must always put Jesus first in our lives over every single person we know, and every single thing we possess. When in doubt, pray out loud, "Jesus, I trust in You!!!"
(Today’s blog is a revitalized excerpt from an earlier date I wrote it in 2010.)


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:
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Memorial of St. Martha

BEADS OF JOY 07-29-13
“Memorial of St. Martha”
©2013 James Dacey, Jr. OFS


My Friends,

Today we celebrate the Memorial of St Martha. Martha was born of noble and wealthy parents, but she is still more illustrious for the hospitality she gave to Christ our Lord. After His Ascension into heaven, she was seized by the Jews, together with her brother and sister, Marcella her handmaid, and Maximin, one of the seventy two disciples of our Lord, who had baptized the whole family, and many other Christians. They were put on board a ship without sails or oars, and left helpless on the open sea, exposed to certain shipwreck. But God guided the ship, and they all arrived safely at Marseilles.

This miracle, together with their preaching, brought the people of Marseilles, of Aix, and of the neighborhood to believe in Christ. Lazarus was made Bishop of Marseilles and Maximin of Aix. Magdalen, who was accustomed to devote herself to prayer and to sit at our Lord's feet, in order to enjoy the better part which she had chosen, that is, contemplation of the joys of heaven, retired into a deserted cave on a very high mountain. There she lived for thirty years, separated from all human intercourse; and every day she was carried to heaven by the angels to hear their songs of praise.

But Martha, after having won the love and admiration of the people of Marseilles by the sanctity of her life and her wonderful charity, withdrew in the company of several virtuous women to a spot remote from men, where she lived for a long time, greatly renowned for her piety and prudence. She foretold her death long before it occurred; and at length, famous for miracles, she passed to our Lord on the fourth of the Kalends of August. Her body which lies at Tarascon is held in great veneration.
Excerpted from The Liturgical Year, Abbot Gueranger O.S.B.

Prayer: Saint Martha, pray for us that we might serve Jesus better. Help us to overcome our distractions and worries to listen to his words and be present to him this day. Amen

Who was Martha? (From Wikipedia)
Martha of Bethany (Aramaic מַרְתָּא Martâ) is a biblical figure described in the Gospels of Luke and John. Together with her siblings Lazarus and Mary, she is described as living in the village of Bethany near Jerusalem. She is the middle child of her family with Lazarus being the eldest and her sister Mary the youngest. She was witness to Jesus' resurrection of her brother, Lazarus.

Scripture with Martha:

(Luke 10:38-42) At the Home of Martha and Mary

“As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him. She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet listening to what he said. But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, “Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me! “Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “You are worried and upset about many things, but few things are needed—or indeed only one. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.”

(John 11:1-7) The Death of Lazarus

“Now a man named Lazarus was sick. He was from Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha. (This Mary, whose brother Lazarus now lay sick, was the same one who poured perfume on the Lord and wiped his feet with her hair.) So the sisters sent word to Jesus, “Lord, the one you love is sick.” When he heard this, Jesus said, “This sickness will not end in death. No, it is for God’s glory so that God’s Son may be glorified through it.” Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. So when he heard that Lazarus was sick, he stayed where he was two more days, and then he said to his disciples, “Let us go back to Judea.”

(John 11:17-24) Jesus Comforts the Sisters of Lazarus

“On his arrival, Jesus found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb for four days. Now Bethany was less than two miles from Jerusalem, and many Jews had come to Martha and Mary to comfort them in the loss of their brother. When Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went out to meet him, but Mary stayed at home. “Lord,” Martha said to Jesus, “if you had been here, my brother would not have died. But I know that even now God will give you whatever you ask.” Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.” Martha answered, “I know he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day.”

(John 11:38-44) Jesus Raises Lazarus From the Dead

“Jesus, once more deeply moved, came to the tomb. It was a cave with a stone laid across the entrance. “Take away the stone,” he said. “But, Lord,” said Martha, the sister of the dead man, “by this time there is a bad odor, for he has been there four days.” Then Jesus said, “Did I not tell you that if you believe, you will see the glory of God?” So they took away the stone. Then Jesus looked up and said, “Father, I thank you that you have heard me. I knew that you always hear me, but I said this for the benefit of the people standing here, that they may believe that you sent me.” When he had said this, Jesus called in a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out!” The dead man came out, his hands and feet wrapped with strips of linen, and a cloth around his face. Jesus said to them, “Take off the grave clothes and let him go.”


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

 

 

The Lord's Prayer

BEADS OF JOY 07-28-13
“Gospel Decades-Luke 11:1-13”
©2013 James Dacey, Jr. OFS

Gospel: (Luke 11:1-13 / The Lord’s Prayer)
 

“He was praying in a certain place, and when he ceased, one of his disciples said to him, "Lord, teach us to pray, as John taught his disciples." And he said to them, "When you pray, say: "Father, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Give us each day our daily bread; and forgive us our sins, for we ourselves forgive everyone who is indebted to us; and lead us not into temptation. “And he said to them, "Which of you who has a friend will go to him at midnight and say to him, `Friend, lend me three loaves; for a friend of mine has arrived on a journey, and I have nothing to set before him'; and he will answer from within, `Do not bother me; the door is now shut, and my children are with me in bed; I cannot get up and give you anything'? I tell you, though he will not get up and give him anything because he is his friend, yet because of his importunity he will rise and give him whatever he needs. And I tell you, 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. What father among you, if his son asks for a fish, will instead of a fish give him a serpent; or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!".”

Pray -1 Our Father -10 Hail Mary’s -Glory be… - Oh My Jesus…

Reflection: My Friends,

Today’s gospel one of the disciples asked Jesus, “Lord, teach us to pray…” and Jesus indeed did that. 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.


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

Be A Sower of The Seed

BEADS OF JOY 07-24-13
“Matthew 13:1-9”
©2013 James Dacey, Jr. OFS


Gospel: (Matthew 13:1-9 / The Parable of the Sower)

“That same day Jesus went out of the house and sat beside the sea. And great crowds gathered about him, so that he got into a boat and sat there; and the whole crowd stood on the beach. And he told them many things in parables, saying: "A sower went out to sow, and as he sowed, some seeds fell along the path, and the birds came and devoured them. Other seeds fell on rocky ground, where they had not much soil, and immediately they sprang up, since they had no depth of soil, but when the sun rose they were scorched; and since they had no root they withered away. Other seeds fell upon thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked them. Other seeds fell on good soil and brought forth grain, some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. He who has ears, let him hear.”


Reflection: My Friends,

Parables are so exciting, and today’s is especially exciting. Is Jesus the Sower, or is the Holy Spirit the Sower; or actually is every single Christian the Sower? How can we be true followers of Jesus if we are not Sowers? I was just thinking about this the other day. You know how many complain about how “many” are lost and how many do not want to hear about Jesus or faith or anything that is moral anymore? I know, isn’t that so sad how our society has changed so much. Unfortunately all we are able to do sometimes is pray for them and live by our example. Consider this my sisters and brothers, after we plant the seeds –the growing is in God’s hands. Yes we can help them grow with unconditional love, understanding and by the example of how we live our lives and how it has changed our lives for the better with Jesus. But in the end God alone is the only one who shall help those seed grow.

Is your mind closed (1)? Is your life guided by emotion (2)? Or maybe your mind just wanders around often and is so easily distracted (3)? But then maybe, hopefully you are a well-grounded good hearer who is rooted deep in God’s word (4)? There is so much wisdom here to be thought about. Maybe you have never considered any of these thoughts, or maybe you never understood why you never felt well-grounded. Hopefully these thoughts might help lead you closer to Jesus and deeper into His word.

(1) “…some seeds fell along the path, and the birds came and devoured them.” This soil wasn’t even soil at all; being of closed mind is the only way to understand this “soil”. Who would ever expect a seed to be able to grow, lying on a path? Any animal can easily devour it, a heavy wind can blow it away, there is really nothing even allowing the seed to gain any sort of root. How sad to even think one would even say they are a Christian in this state of faith. There is no way that God’s word can gain any root here.

(2) “Other seeds fell on rocky ground, where they had not much soil, and immediately they sprang up, since they had no depth of soil, but when the sun rose they were scorched; and since they had no root they withered away..” How many people immediately receive God’s word, and sing on top of the roof tops and then all of a sudden, you never see or hear from them again. Without spiritual depth, full surrender of spirit and a true character of faith there is no way that someone can possibly stay excited and focused on Jesus. Emotion is the guiding force here, which is unstable and inconsistent. Those that fall into this category, really also have no root, and their understanding of what it really means to be born-again is not understood and people like this easily backslide.

(3) “Other seeds fell upon thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked them.” Does your mind wander? Do the worries and pleasures of this world distract you and keep you away from really knowing and loving Jesus? I don’t mean just a Sunday Catholic, Jesus died for us for all days, not just Sunday. You know the distractions of this world are subtle in their approach; you know who wouldn’t like a nice home, couple new cars, vacations unlimited; yes all that stuff would keep your heart away from Jesus, it doesn’t have to, but it could. These distractions are only more nails in our coffin, for the coffin that never makes it to Heaven. Consider the humble life of poverty. You know the word poverty doesn’t mean “broke”. If you are wealthy, you can still live the life of humility and you can still live in a state of spiritual poverty. Simply stop being so selfish and prideful about yourself, care for others with what God has blessed you with. Stop meeting all your whims. Go on a “not buying for me” fast. And instead do things for others. Think about it. Help the people and the families you know need someone to step in and help them.

(4) “Other seeds fell on good soil and brought forth grain, some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.” This is where you want to be, in good soil; a soil that brings forth grain and multiples. For some of us this is just a matter of mindset or better of heart-set, focusing on and really loving Jesus as Lord. Once you become sold out to Him and you really truly love Him, you will have deep roots in his word, and you will want to tell everyone about His love, His word, His mercy, oh so much to share, you won’t be able to shut up and sit down. LOL. Like I always say, you are either in, or you are out. If you are in, then you need to be fully in… Jesus didn’t die “partially”, He died fully for us. We to, must die fully for Him. Consider taking this step, a step that only leads you closer to Jesus... do it today.

Pondering these thoughts today: How hungry are you for God’s word? How hungry are you and how much desire do you have to stay focused and attentive to His word? I think the main focus throughout this parable is actually the “soil”. Yes the Sower is importantly noted and obviously the seed is the key (God’s word) to the entire process. So let’s look at the soil, Jesus shares with us four kinds of soil that probably is examples of where we are spiritually in our life. Which one of these probably best describes us? And which one would we like to be, or even better, prefers to be? Jesus first – others second – we must remain last; by our example and our commitment to our Lord, we to can help encourage others to devote their lives to Jesus.


Your brother in Christ Jesus
And His Most Blessed Mother,
Jim (The Rosary Man) Dacey Jr OFS
_{(Revised from an earlier blog of mine in 2011.)}

I also invite you to follow me on Twitter:
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Our Time is Essential

BEADS OF JOY 07-22-13
“Our Time is Essential”
©2013 James Dacey, Jr. OFS

My Friends,

This is a “hard reflection” some will probably disagree and many won’t ever consider this. But I begin by saying: Consider pondering these thoughts for just a moment. What is your passion rooted in? What does it take to spark your interest? Do you prefer physical activities like sports, gardening, building things; or do you prefer to focus on intellectual activities with say -writing, reading, research? Maybe your interests are in music, or you are drawn to a specific hobby (making clothes, arts and crafts, drawing)? Whatever sparks your enthusiasm -know that as long as Jesus isn’t part of the equation; these things take you away from being best prepared for what really matters in this life, and what is that? Eternity! See we must prepare for and be ready for and be prepared for that first day at the very beginning of our eternity. Our first day there –will be our last day here. This is why our time is essential and quite honestly best not wasted. When will that be? See that’s the problem, we don’t actually know, and so our preparing is for the unknown; staying on “the ready” at all times. Let us look at scripture, which is indeed the best way to see if God Himself is asking for us to deny our own selfishness that isn’t Him, so that we only follow after Him:

Luke 9:22-26 (NIV)
“And he said, “The Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests and the teachers of the law, and he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life.” Then he said to them all: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will save it. What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, and yet lose or forfeit their very self? Whoever is ashamed of me and my words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of them when he comes in his glory and in the glory of the Father and of the holy angels.”

Here is another scripture of conversation, a rather surprising conversation. But here we can see the importance of our focus on Jesus; nothing and no one can come between us and our Lord. Jesus Himself tells us this:

Luke 9:58-62 (NIV)
“Jesus replied, “Foxes have dens and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.” He said to another man, “Follow me.” But he replied, “Lord, first let me go and bury my father.”  Jesus said to him, “Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and proclaim the kingdom of God.” Still another said, “I will follow you, Lord; but first let me go back and say goodbye to my family.”  Jesus replied, “No one who puts a hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God.”

This next scripture does not mean that Jesus wants us to “hate”. We all know Jesus only speaks of love and harmony. The content of this scripture is directly after Jesus was at the house of the Pharisee, followed by the Great Banquet. There is no doubt that Jesus had His challenges with people attacking His Word. My understanding here is; if your family members reject you because you are following after Jesus, we must carry the cross of that pain and still follow after Jesus. See our faith isn’t a “group thing”. Yes it’s wonderful to be able to be in fellowship with others on this journey; and it’s even more wonderful when our family is with us. With that said we must know that if all turn against us, we must still on our own, follow after Him.

Luke 14:25-27 (NIV)
The Cost of Being a Disciple
“Large crowds were traveling with Jesus, and turning to them he said: “If anyone comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters—yes, even their own life—such a person cannot be my disciple.  And whoever does not carry their cross and follow me cannot be my disciple.”

I hope this has been helpful. We can’t down play our faith, we shouldn’t down play its cost. Jesus was crucified to save you and me -that cost Him everything. Why shouldn’t we have to pay a similar price if we are rejected? And so I will end with this scripture..

Matthew 7:13-14 (NIV)
The Narrow and Wide Gates
“Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.”

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