Sins Will Be Forgiven

BEADS OF JOY 01-22-18

“Sins Will Be Forgiven”

©2018 James Dacey, Jr. OFS

My Friends,

Today’s Gospel: Mark 3:22-30 (Jesus and Beelzebul)

“And the scribes who came down from Jerusalem said, "He is possessed by Beelzebul, and by the prince of demons he casts out the demons." And he called them to him, and said to them in parables, "How can Satan cast out Satan? If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. And if a house is divided against itself, that house will not be able to stand. And if Satan has risen up against himself and is divided, he cannot stand, but is coming to an end. But no one can enter a strong man's house and plunder his goods, unless he first binds the strong man; then indeed he may plunder his house. "Truly, I say to you, all sins will be forgiven the sons of men, and whatever blasphemies they utter; but whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit never has forgiveness, but is guilty of an eternal sin" -- for they had said, "He has an unclean spirit."

Reflection:

Today we look at the division of our heart, our homes, our lives, our everything. Jesus makes it very clear in today’s gospel, there are no neutral parties. Think about this, our bodies are the temple of the Holy Spirit. “Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own? For you have been bought with a price: therefore, glorify God in your body.” 1 Corinthians 6:19-20. Ok, now that we understand that our bodies are the very place the Holy Spirit resides, how do we live our lives?

True freedom and peace can only be found in Jesus Christ. So, with that in mind, we remember that whatever controls and leads our appetite and our desires in our lives, must be ruled by Jesus. Satan will do all he can to mislead us, misinform us, and lead us into hell, and make it look all pretty and wonderful. We must open our hearts to Jesus and allow Him to rule in our lives. Like I always say Jesus 24/7/365! We must never put our guard down. We must shield and protect our relationship with our Lord, even if it costs us our lives. Yes, I said that, I know I would, I hope many others have the same passion and love for Jesus.

Maybe another way to look at this, is the way you love your spouse. I do know some of you are married, some of you are single or divorced or widows or widowers. I can only share my own experience as a widower after 30 years of true love and bliss. Yes, we had challenges like any other marriage, but our marriage had a foundation of love that was extremely solid and committed without question. So, no matter what, period, no matter what the circumstances, period, we would get through it and remain in love and dedicated to one another. Our love was real, and we did face many challenges that shook us hard. But, we’d hug each other through it all and say, no matter what we will get through this together. If you really love Jesus, do you yell at Him or curse at Him or belittle Him or keep complaining to Him, if He didn’t do what you told Him to? Of cause not, that sounds absurd. I said that, like that, on purpose. Our love for one another must be tender and real and respectful and sincere always, no matter what; with complete understanding and compassion and right to pass with instant forgiveness (a bazillion times over) in any and all situations. Now does that make sense?

Pondering these thoughts today: Is your house divided? Or rather, is your heart divided? The way we love Jesus must and should be, the way we love our spouse and our children and those around us. Can you image what a peaceful, loving world this would be, if we would stop being so selfish and thoughtless in our words and in our actions. Let us not live divided, but rather united in love. Relationships will mend, and hearts will heal. God wants us to love others, as He has loved us. Sometimes it isn’t always easy, but through prayer and fellowship and love and forgiveness, we shall find a way.

LOVE YOU GUYS !!!!

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

Today is Monday: We pray the Joyful Mysteries:

The Joyful Mysteries

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

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

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

Preaching The Gospel

BEADS OF JOY 01-21-18

“Preaching The Gospel”

©2018 James Dacey, Jr. OFS

My Friends,

Today’s Gospel: Mark 1:14-20 (Call of The First Disciple)

“Now after John was arrested, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, "The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent, and believe in the gospel." And passing along by the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and Andrew the brother of Simon casting a net in the sea; for they were fishermen. And Jesus said to them, "Follow me and I will make you become fishers of men." And immediately they left their nets and followed him. And going on a little farther, he saw James the son of Zebedee and John his brother, who were in their boat mending the nets. And immediately he called them; and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired servants, and followed him.”

Reflection:

I apologize for today’s delay. I woke up with a furious crazy headache today. I virtually never get headaches. I am on this new medication, I only started it Friday; it’s supposed to help me with my damaged nerves from the strokes. Well, Friday it didn’t agree with me at all and yesterday I was fine. I take it in the morning and at night. Last night’s sleep was restless, and I woke feeling horribly dizzy (like a light vertigo feeling) with a pounding headache. I kind of feel a little better now. Gonna talk to my neurologist tomorrow.

_______________________________

I love seeing Jesus’ words in the Gospel. I realize, what we see is a translation and He didn’t speak English; no matter, I still love opening my Bible and seeing the Gospel pages filled with red letters of His words. Do you have a Bible with red letter words of Jesus in the Gospels? One of my Bibles does, and I just get chills when I see it. There is something so wonderfully spectacular and incredible knowing that I/we can read the very words that our Lord and Savior said. How does it make you feel? Back in 1986 I got Chrissy her first Bible, the only Bible she kept for 30 years. I say that because I have many Bibles.

She, like me, loved seeing the red letters of Jesus speaking in her Bible. I cherish her Bible even more now, she used to read it a lot. I can remember many days coming in from work and there she would be, at the kitchen table holding one of the kids, reading her Bible. A truly impressionable blessed memory. I wish I got a picture of her doing that. In my fuzzy memory, I can still see one or more of the kids at the table with her doing their homework, there were drinks and snacks out and Chrissy was all smiles. Christine was always smiling. Sometimes she’d have questions about a scripture (I didn’t always have the answer, but we’d talk about it.), other times she wanted to share what it meant to her. We both loved scripture.

I encourage you to fall in love with God’s Word. Keep your Bible with you wherever you go. That is why I have more than one Bible. And that is why I love Bible Study so much, either just me alone in front of my laptop or in a small group in a living room. I just love Bible Study. Currently I am in a very long-term Bible Study with Jeff Cavins. Here’s the intro video, it’s so exciting, even the intro.

The Great Adventure

Catholic Bible Study Promo

Pondering these thoughts today: I love the gospel so much that a couple of decades back I developed this habit of focusing on the gospels; aside from the day’s gospel reading. I wrote a blog all about it, the link is directly below this paragraph. If there are 5 books that I wanted to choose from the Bible, that I wanted to emerge into and really be familiar with, they would be:

-The Gospel of Matthew

-The Gospel of Mark

-The Gospel of Luke

-The Gospel of John

-Acts of The Apostles

Rosary Man’s Gospel Study

http://beads-of-joy-blog.blogspot.com/2013/11/rosary-mans-gospel-study.html

LOVE YOU GUYS !!!!

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

Today is Sunday: We pray the Glorious Mysteries:

The Glorious Mysteries

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

Glory and Honor and Praise to You Lord Jesus Christ!

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

His Family Heard It

BEADS OF JOY 01-20-18

“His Family Heard It”

©2018 James Dacey, Jr. OFS

My Friends,

Today’s Gospel: Mark 3:20-21 (Blasphemy of the Scribes)
“Then he went home; and the crowd came together again, so that they could not even eat. And when his family heard it, they went out to seize him, for people were saying, "He is beside himself."

Reflection:
Do not be afraid to follow Jesus all the way to the cross. Do you have people in your life who oppose you from loving and following Jesus? Does anyone think you are a little too much into your faith? Remarkable, my mother who invited me to my first prayer meeting and maybe unintentionally got me involved; after I got involved full steam thought maybe I am overly involved. When you read “My Story”, you will see how I surrender my life and jumped into my faith fully. I got involved almost immediately into 3 weekly prayer groups, plus I was going to the Fatima Shrine in Washington, NJ a lot, for Confession and Mass and to Pray The Rosary!! And I was sharing the rosary non-stop with everyone. I was out of control and I loved it.

Plus, since I was living at home still (this is in 1983), I started a Bible Study at my parent’s house. We met weekly and talked about the upcoming Sunday’s gospel. None of us were scholars, and none of us were trained to teach, we were just all excited about talking about scripture and Jesus and our Lady and praying together. Our group at times was almost 10-12 people. It’s incredible I can remember those days, like they were yesterday. I asked everyone to bring their Bibles, I bought a whole bunch of 1 subject notebooks, I typed out our meetings plans, prayers and references I found in advance to our meeting. I still get so excited when I do Bible Study, kind of like what I do every single morning when I take the time to write my blog. This blog is sort of an evolved version of that Bible Study. It’s just now, technology changed the style and it has expanded the group tremendously.

When I think about “Why I feel so strongly about my faith?” I come to this conclusion. This life is short, and this life is cruel. Fully trusting in Jesus Christ has allowed my heart to be loved unconditionally, Jesus never judges me, He doesn’t snicker at me or tell me things that hurt me. Jesus accepts me and embraces me and loves me so much, like no one else ever has or ever could. This love I felt back in 1983 is the love that keeps my heart so drawn to Him. I found this same love when Mary, our Mother came into my life on that first day at that first prayer meeting. Now do you see why it seems like, sometimes I am on drugs when it comes to my faith. Because I am! I am so addicted to Jesus Christ my Lord.

Pondering these thoughts today: I admit, I am an addict when it comes to my faith and my spiritual life. And honestly, I don’t really care who don’t like that. I am a calm person, loving everyone and embracing everyone; but if you are trying to keep me from believing in Jesus and Praying My Rosary, when then, SORRY, too bad for you. Jesus First!!! No one stops me. Even if my life depended upon it, Jesus will always be first in my life! Me, I will always be last!

LOVE YOU GUYS !!!!

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

Today is Saturday: We pray the Joyful Mysteries:

The Joyful Mysteries

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

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

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

They Came To Him

BEADS OF JOY 01-19-18

“They Came To Him”

©2018 James Dacey, Jr. OFS

My Friends,

Today’s Gospel: Mark 3:13-19 (Mission of The Twelve)
“And he went up on the mountain, and called to him those whom he desired; and they came to him. And he appointed twelve, to be with him, and to be sent out to preach and have authority to cast out demons: Simon whom he surnamed Peter; James the son of Zebedee and John the brother of James, whom he surnamed Boanerges, that is, sons of thunder; Andrew, and Philip, and Bartholomew, and Matthew, and Thomas, and James the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus, and Simon the Cananaean, and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him. Then he went home.”

Reflection:
Isn’t it so wonderful for the Apostles? Jesus Himself, appointed and chose them personally. Even though they may not have known the road ahead, they knew who they would follow and soon they knew God’s calling in their lives. So many of us wish it would be that easy. How do you know, that you know, that you know, that you are doing what God has appointed you to do, in this life? I can’t provide a generic answer or a simple code that makes it easy to figure out. All I can do is share how I feel I knew that I knew and how Chrissy shared with me how she knew that she knew. Were we right? Are we right? Hopefully! But after many decades of serving our Lord, we were pretty sure we were right... ok, at least closest to what we should be doing.

If you ever read “My Story” you can see how the Lord made His presence known to me during the Our Father. I did not understand it at first, but I did recognize His Voice. I know that don’t make any sense to some, but God’s voice was very distinct in my heart and even though at that point of my life, I was not living a life celebrating Him or sharing Him, I just knew it was Him. That experience led me to pursue and begin, what is now a 35-year journey serving Jesus and sharing the Rosary. And I still feel like I have only just begun. One thing I will say, this journey with our Lord and our Lady and the Rosary; is not a wearisome, exhausting journey. No! It is a robust, exciting, fun journey that has brought my life to many places (not all physical) that has only deepened my love for my Lord, our Lady and the Rosary.

Upon going to my first prayer meeting, a statue of Our Lady was up on a top shelf and that drew my attention, wanting her to be with us as we prayed. Well, after I pursed that with people I only just met, I thought I would never be welcome back. Praise Jesus, the second time I went, our Lady was at the greeting table for all to see and for her to be with us. I can’t explain it in words, but I knew this special bond with our Lady that was burning in my heart, and so I began to share the Rosary, on typed out sheets I wrote the mysteries, scripture and all the prayers (we didn’t have fancy computers back then..lol). So, my mother got me my first rosary beads. Yes, I still have those beads. My mom’s mom (Susan DePete) was devoted to the rosary. It was then, that I was beginning to connect the dots as to what I was supposed to be doing my entire life. So, back then I made a promise before the altar, to Our Lord and to Our Lady, to always pray and share the Rosary with everyone all the days of my life.  

Pondering these thoughts today: I didn’t forget Christine. She and I talked a lot about our Lord and our Lady, the Rosary and the Mass and our family and what God wanted of us as a couple. She said to me, “Jim, I honestly don’t know what God wants of me, I didn’t experience what you did; but I do know this, He wants me to love Him, share Him with our children, and do all I can to live a life that would make Him smile.” Remember I shared how early on through Chrissy’s suffering, she wrote “As Jesus Is, I am” and put it on her jewelry box, on her dresser. Christine said that meant, "As Jesus suffered for us, I suffer for others, so they don't have to." She knew her purpose and calling in this life. And we knew as a couple, that no matter what we would remain together, we wanted that, and we knew our Lord wanted that too. We saw many friends and family members divorce. We used to pray for them so much, hoping they’d work it out. We promised each other, that no matter what, we’d never ever, ever, ever, ever leave each other. I strongly believe that with Jesus at the center of our relationship, He made sure our hearts were always connected. We took our vows very seriously, not because of the words, but because of our true love for one another. “…to have and to hold from this day forward, for better (yes), for worse (yes), for richer (yes), for poorer (yes), in sickness (yes) and health (yes), until death do us part.”

LOVE YOU GUYS !!!!

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

Today is Friday: We pray the Sorrowful Mysteries:

The Sorrowful Mysteries

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

Thank you Lord for loving us so much…

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

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

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

A Great Multitude

BEADS OF JOY 01-18-18

“A Great Multitude”

©2018 James Dacey, Jr. OFS

My Friends,

Today’s Gospel: Mark 3:7-12 (The Mercy of Jesus)

“Jesus withdrew with his disciples to the sea, and a great multitude from Galilee followed; also from Judea and Jerusalem and Idumea and from beyond the Jordan and from about Tyre and Sidon a great multitude, hearing all that he did, came to him. And he told his disciples to have a boat ready for him because of the crowd, lest they should crush him; for he had healed many, so that all who had diseases pressed upon him to touch him. And whenever the unclean spirits beheld him, they fell down before him and cried out, "You are the Son of God." And he strictly ordered them not to make him known.”

Reflection:
Jesus drew many large crowds wherever He went. Honestly even today that is very true, or is it? If you do your own research the information you find along with some basic facts so many of us know; it will leave you without a definitive answer. The Vatican said, in a March 9, 2016 report, “over the course of nine years, the number of Catholics worldwide has increased by 17.8 percent, compared to the global population, which increased by 17.3 percent.” Yet overall in many local US cities and towns, church and communities are merging together because of two reasons; lack of attendance and a steady decrease of men entering into the Priesthood. Today’s blog is not about boring you with numbers, rather it is about what we can do. Including prayer, what can we do as Catholics to help unify our communities to help them flourish?

Yes, we’d love to see our numbers increase stronger, and most especially we do not want to see local churches closing or emerging. But, let us think for just a moment about our faith. Our faith is about our own individual experience and relationship with our Savior, Jesus Christ. Yes, of cause, we have the Catholic Church to guide us and our communities to encourage us, so what can we do? I am a simple man, living a very simple life, so if you don’t think my answer is the pulse of it all, that don’t offend me. I am a cradle Catholic, but for the past 35 years, I have been a very activity ministry leader in our faith. So, this is what I see.

In our faith, I see 2 parts, public and private. The private part is prayer, “But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.” Matthew 6:6. The public part is evangelizing, “Whoever acknowledges me before others, I will also acknowledge before my Father in heaven. But whoever disowns me before others, I will disown before my Father in heaven.” Matthew 10:32-33. I hope my observation makes a little more sense now. I don’t see either of these flourishing right now. Yes, I don’t know all things and yes, I haven’t a clue about someone’s personal private prayer life. All I can go by is how the ministry of people I try to minister too has changed. That is a general statement, but, to me, now it seems more acceptable to be on the side lines, in all things. Meaning, praying in public before meals! Speaking freely and openly about your faith! Defending Jesus’ name in conversation! And just standing up for what we say we believe! Again, this is my own observation.

Here are some short videos that may inspire you.

Francis Chan - Balance Beam (insightful, inspiring) 3:53

Dr. Charles Stanley (In Touch Ministries)
Go into all the world (The Reason for Our Boldness) 0:22

Pondering these thoughts today: I hope I didn’t bore you this morning. But, sometimes we all need to know what’s going on and how we as individuals can help the very faith we believe so strongly in, grow. Let us be honest and open here, it all begins from the hearts and souls of who we are. We must live a life that is pleasing before the Lord. We must treat those around us the way Jesus has taught us, and we must do all we can, to pray every single day and in all things. And even further then that, we must not be afraid of openly sharing our faith with others. Be bold for Jesus!

LOVE YOU GUYS !!!!

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

Today is Thursday: We pray the Luminous Mysteries:

The Luminous Mysteries

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

Glory and Honor and Praise -Lord Jesus Christ!!

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

He Would Heal Him

BEADS OF JOY 01-17-18

“He Would Heal Him”

©2018 James Dacey, Jr. OFS

My Friends,

Today’s Gospel: Mark 3:1-6 (Man with a Withered Hand)

“Again, he entered the synagogue, and a man was there who had a withered hand. And they watched him, to see whether he would heal him on the Sabbath, so that they might accuse him. And he said to the man who had the withered hand, "Come here." And he said to them, "Is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good or to do harm, to save life or to kill?" But they were silent. And he looked around at them with anger, grieved at their hardness of heart, and said to the man, "Stretch out your hand." He stretched it out, and his hand was restored. The Pharisees went out, and immediately held counsel with the Herodians against him, how to destroy him.”

Reflection:
I got to say, even though Christine had a very long illness and in the end, she did not win the last fight. She did win every single battle along the way. I was trying not to write specifically about all of Chrissy’s suffering and healing today, but after I begged our Lord to show me what else to write, everything led back to Christine. I got to say, I admire her tenacity and fighting a fight she insisted on winning. I just know it was her faith and the joy our kids brought to her life that gave her so much strength. I can remember many times and many evasive tests and procedures that I told Chrissy, “I don’t think I could have the strength to fight like you have.” She always to me, “Jim, this is God’s Will and I am ok with it, I have to fight, for you, our kids, our family; Jesus loves me, I’m ok Jim.”

It always amazed me how strong she was and how intellectually smart she was. Back in 2010 on the first day of her 22 days stay in the hospital, all our family was there, meaning me and the kids. Chrissy looked like she was a deaths door. She couldn’t walk, her eyes were sunken in and she was hunched over. Her doctor pulled me aside and said, “Things don’t look good for her right now.” After they settled her in her room, she and I talked a lot. She told me, “I am coming home Jim, I don’t know when, but I am coming home.” We cried, and we laughed, and I didn’t talk stupid medical sense to her, I just agreed. We celebrated Thanksgiving by her bedside that year. Sarah and I went home and made all our Thanksgiving feast, we packed it up with some decorations, and we spent the entire day by her bedside. We have so many wonderful pictures of all of us laughing and smiling that day. It was the most memorable Thanksgiving I can remember.

Let us not forget it was during that 22 days stay in the hospital that her doctor called me on my cell phone two times to tell me, he doesn’t Chrissy will make morning. Not!! Christine shut down that thought. LOL and in the end, she came home just before Christmas Day. On Christmas Day she just smiled at me and say, “Told you!!” I smiled back and nodded, “I’m so happy you are home.” Somehow, someway, she truly knew what was going on. I don’t think she was getting any secret text from Jesus?? But, she knew what and when and how this whole illness was affecting her and when to be concerned and when not. I came to that conclusion the morning she passed away, as we held others arms as blood was pouring out of her mouth. (sorry about that). Her last words looking me in the eyes were, “Jim, I’m dying!” as she released her hold and fell back on our bed.

Pondering these thoughts today: Sorry if today’s reflection was bit dramatic, I honestly did not plan to write what I did today. I wanted to focus on how our Lord heals us in so many ways; but I guess looking at this and re-reading it, I can see how sharing Chrissy’s story of faith and strength is very healing for me. I hope and pray that you the reader, can see how Chrissy, even in the worst of all situations in her life, maintained her faith and her trust in Jesus no matter what. She stayed positive and virtually never complained about anything. Christine was able to find a certain peace in her suffering, a peace I am only starting to understand. Her example is a wonderful legacy for our kids to embrace and take through their lives. Thank you for reading today’s blog.

LOVE YOU GUYS !!!!

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

Today is Wednesday: We pray the Glorious Mysteries:

The Glorious Mysteries

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

Glory and Honor and Praise to You Lord Jesus Christ!

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

The Son of Man is Lord

BEADS OF JOY 01-16-18

“The Son of Man is Lord”

©2018 James Dacey, Jr. OFS

My Friends,

Today’s Gospel: Mark 2:23-28 (Disciples and the Sabbath)

“One Sabbath he was going through the grain fields; and as they made their way his disciples began to pluck heads of grain. And the Pharisees said to him, "Look, why are they doing what is not lawful on the Sabbath?" And he said to them, "Have you never read what David did, when he was in need and was hungry, he and those who were with him: how he entered the house of God, when Abiathar was high priest, and ate the bread of the Presence, which it is not lawful for any but the priests to eat, and also gave it to those who were with him?" And he said to them, "The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath; so, the Son of man is lord even of the Sabbath."

Reflection:
When do you celebrate Jesus in your life? Every single day! Right! We are so blessed, and we are so loved by God’s goodness, that He has also given us the Sabbath every single week; to remember and to celebrate God’s love for us. This is the one day set apart, from work and worldly activities; to praise and thank and love Almighty God. How much do you love the Holy Mass? Decades ago I got my hands on a hymnal that had the Order of The Mass in it. And yes, of cause, I asked my priest if I can take it home, with the intent to bring it back the following Sunday, which I did. I brought it home, so I can get my own subscription. I so wanted to know the Mass fully.

This action of great desire to know the Mass, developed a great love that I have for the Mass to this day. Back then at home in my prayer time, on my work breaks and many other opportunities of prayer; I would read and read and read and re-read pray, so that the very Mass prayers I loved so much, were imbedded in my heart. I was never happy with just going to Mass, I wanted to have it memorized in my heart. Not, just for the purpose of memorizing, more for the love and praise to my Lord. At times the Holy Mass still replays in my mind and in my heart. I love that so much.

For so many years and sometimes still, under my breath and in my head; I will be praying the prayers the Priest is praying during the Mass. Fr. Mullally used to say to me, “Why do you pray all my prayers? I see you moving your lips saying the words I am praying on the altar.” I said, “Father, I love the Mass, all of it, every word in it; my heart is jumping for joy hearing it, saying it, knowing it.” He said to me, “You know Jim, you really don’t need to.” I know I didn’t need to, I wanted to. It is funny though, occasionally when Fr Mullally would trip over a word or miss a word or anything of that nature, he would get eye contact with me and give me quick raised eyebrow. Chrissy used to say, “I knew Father was going to look at you, because if anyone caught that, he knows you did.” I never criticized him, I just love the Mass with all my heart.

Pondering these thoughts today: How does one get to know the Mass so well? I guess the easiest and even best way, is to go to Mass as often as you possibly can and follow along with an open heart to absorb it. Yes? No? Of cause, but there are many other ways to learn and understand the Mass today. I wish I had the technology that is available today, when I was growing in my faith. Today the online resources are endless. A little personal side note: Some of you know this, back in 1983 I had a great desire to become a Priest, me and my mother use to pray about that so much. That deep desire to serve like that, has always resonated in my heart, even to this day. So maybe, just maybe, my desire to know the Mass is deeper than all I have shared. God knows my heart. Here are a few helpful guides to assist you:

THE ORDER OF MASS

http://catholic-resources.org/ChurchDocs/Mass-RM3.htm

Bishop R. Barron on the Mass (What is the Mass?) 11:23

The Mass Explained (Catechetics 101) 10:37

LOVE YOU GUYS !!!!

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

Today is Tuesday: We pray the Sorrowful Mysteries:

The Sorrowful Mysteries

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

Thank you Lord for loving us so much…

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

The Days Will Come

BEADS OF JOY 01-15-18

“The Days Will Come”

©2018 James Dacey, Jr. OFS

My Friends,

Today’s Gospel: Mark 2:18-22 (Question About Fasting)

“Now John's disciples and the Pharisees were fasting; and people came and said to him, "Why do John's disciples and the disciples of the Pharisees fast, but your disciples do not fast?" And Jesus said to them, "Can the wedding guests fast while the bridegroom is with them? As long as they have the bridegroom with them, they cannot fast. The days will come, when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast in that day. No one sews a piece of unshrunk cloth on an old garment; if he does, the patch tears away from it, the new from the old, and a worse tear is made. And no one puts new wine into old wine skins; if he does, the wine will burst the skins, and the wine is lost, and so are the skins; but new wine is for fresh skins."

Reflection:

To start with I’d to say, that today we celebrate the birthday of Martin Luther King Jr. A true man who devoted his life to stand up for freedom and man who believed deeply in our Lord. It was at the Birmingham, Alabama civil rights campaign, that Martin Luther King Jr. required everyone who participated to sign a pledge. The first on this list of ten things was: “meditate daily on the teachings and life of Jesus.” Some of the others were: “walk and talk in the manner of love, for God is love;” and “pray daily to be used by God in order that all men might be free.” Amazing and inspiring.

“The Days Will Come” Yes indeed they will, not only for fasting, but for truly believing. Let us think about this: How much do you desire to learn and understand God’s Word? And, how much do you desire to know God’s Will in your life? There is a plan and purpose for everyone of us in this life. Sometimes it is obvious, and we are led by circumstances and maybe even situations that turn our lives upside-down. Other’s pray, and God reveals Himself and the Will He has set forth for that person; yet others haven’t a clue and they really don’t know what they are to be doing. How should we deal with the unknown?

My thoughts are simple: “Be Prepared” Living a life that is pleasing to God, is the first step for all of us. This has me thinking about a scene in the movie, “Facing The Giants”, a most inspirational scene that refers to scripture. Here is the clip, it is very powerful. Might I recommend watching this movie. I am not a football fan, but I am very serious about my faith and learning all I can. This movie’s spiritual inspirational message is outstanding.

Pondering these thoughts today: Here’s a thought: Living a life striving for sainthood is a good thing. We are all called to be saints, it’s just a matter of being aware of that and knowing how to pursue that. First and foremost, we must love God with such a devout love and commitment, that He comes first in all things in our lives. Then we must love others sincerely and always place them before ourselves. Saints are humble, willing and loving in doing all they can; to live a life that serves God with all they have and with all they will ever be. Saints are people of prayer. Let us keep in mind, saints are not perfect, but keep in mind, there are many saints among us.

LOVE YOU GUYS !!!!

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

Today is Monday: We pray the Joyful Mysteries:

The Joyful Mysteries

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

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

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

Disciples Heard Him

BEADS OF JOY 01-14-18

“Disciples Heard Him”

©2018 James Dacey, Jr. OFS

My Friends,

Today’s Gospel: John 1:35-42 (The First Disciples)

“The next day again John was standing with two of his disciples; and he looked at Jesus as he walked, and said, "Behold, the Lamb of God!" The two disciples heard him say this, and they followed Jesus. Jesus turned, and saw them following, and said to them, "What do you seek?" And they said to him, "Rabbi" (which means Teacher), "where are you staying?" He said to them, "Come and see." They came and saw where he was staying; and they stayed with him that day, for it was about the tenth hour. One of the two who heard John speak, and followed him, was Andrew, Simon Peter's brother. He first found his brother Simon, and said to him, "We have found the Messiah" (which means Christ). He brought him to Jesus. Jesus looked at him, and said, "So you are Simon the son of John? You shall be called Cephas" (which means Peter).

Reflection:

Do you hear Jesus in the silence of your heart? Do you make time to listen to Him? Are there times in your life, that you have wondered if our Lord was by your side? It’s so simple for us to hear Jesus, maybe not always literally or immediately; but if we simply keep quiet and truly have quiet prayer time, we will hear His voice inside our hearts. Sometimes we simply feel His love, or we feel more loved and more content in being with me. No matter what it is, our first step must be, to be more silent in His presence. I found that for me at home, quiet time is often spent looking at the cross and I think about how much Jesus really loves me. And that is the simplicity of my focus. Praying the Rosary and Bible Study are both other times I spend with Jesus, but they are my prayer times.

Early on in our marriage when we used to live on Staten Island, Chrissy and I use to go to Eucharistic Adoration. Our church back then, (St Rita’s) had adoration through the night once every week. And that schedule worked for us. We would only go for maybe an hour or two, but always for at least one hour. This was besides the prayer groups we participated in weekly. In our journey we use to talk a lot about quiet time with Jesus. Chrissy used to tell me about her quiet times with Jesus at home, when I was at work. She always got so exited telling me how wonderful and amazing it felt to just sit there holding the cross and feel His love in the silence. She was right. So, we made sure Eucharistic Adoration was a weekly part of our lives.

We have a Cross in our home with Jesus Crucified on it, it is 12 inches tall and right now it is on our wall; you see it as you walk in through our back door. (photo included) But, there is a rich history in our spiritual journey with that Cross. We have had it for decades and oddly enough I don’t recall where we bought it. Through the years especially the early years, we use to be at the Fatima Shrine in Washington, NJ as much as two times a month. Plus, most weeks on my own I would visit the Daughters of St. Paul store in St. George on Staten Island and we always shopped at Alba House on Victory Blvd on Staten Island. So, where we got it, will always be a great mystery. But I do know we have had it for decades. In the past it was never a wall Cross, it used to sit on my dresser or Chrissy’s dresser. Its intention was to hold it. Just like Fr. Pablo Straub use to hold the Cross on EWTN. (photo included) We really enjoyed watching him back then.

This is the Cross I have been talking about in today's blog. 

Pondering these thoughts today: With all my rambling on, let us not forget today’s focus “Disciples Heard Him”. I talk a lot, and believe you-me that is an understatement. Adoration shuts me up, so I can be quiet enough to hear Jesus in my heart. Sometimes, all I felt was at peace; other times I would be thinking about the Mass or a certain prayer. There was one time during Mass in St. Rita’s that during the Eucharistic prayers before Communion, I felt myself being lifted in my seat, like I had no gravity. I obviously remained in my seat, but this vision or whatever it was, it gave me a view with height looking at the altar. We always sat in the front row, right side next to the brick post. It was one of the most sensational experiences I had back then during Mass. I never shared this publicly before, this is the first time. So, after Mass, Chrissy said, that I got awful silent and you were looking all around, she asked what happened. I told her, and we said, we shall always sit in those seats. It never happened again, but I’ll tell you, I love the Mass, it is truly the most incredible part of my life’s journey.

LOVE YOU GUYS !!!!

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

Today is Sunday: We pray the Glorious Mysteries:

The Glorious Mysteries

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

Glory and Honor and Praise to You Lord Jesus Christ!

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

In His House

BEADS OF JOY 01-13-18

“In His House”

©2018 James Dacey, Jr. OFS

My Friends,

Today’s Gospel: Mark 2:13-17 (The Call of Levi)
“He went out again beside the sea; and all the crowd gathered about him, and he taught them. And as he passed on, he saw Levi the son of Alphaeus 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 his house, many tax collectors and sinners were sitting with Jesus and his disciples; for there were many who followed him. And the scribes of the Pharisees, when they saw that he was eating with sinners and tax collectors, said to his disciples, "Why does he eat with tax collectors and sinners?" And when Jesus heard it, he said to them, "Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick; I came not to call the righteous, but sinners."

Reflection:
Today I’d like to start with the Prayer of Augustine.

"Lord Jesus, our Savior, let us now come to you: Our hearts are cold; Lord, warm them with your selfless love. Our hearts are sinful; cleanse them with your precious blood. Our hearts are weak; strengthen them with your joyous Spirit. Our hearts are empty; fill them with your divine presence. Lord Jesus, our hearts are yours; possess them always and only for yourself." Now you see why I am starting with this prayer, it keeps all things in perspective. We are all sinners, no one is better than anyone else. As scripture says, “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,” Romans 3:23.

Like Fr. Larry Richards says, “Try to stop sinning, it is impossible.” If you listen to his talk called Confessions, you will learn how if we go through the commandments honestly, most of us have sinned more than we ever thought. So, how do we change that, or at least lessen that? The best way is through knowledge of them and awareness of other ways to keep our minds and our hearts and our time occupied. Daily prayer is the key and keeping Jesus ever present in our lives is a great start. I’m no preacher and I’m no saint. My life has been the testing ground, for me, to make the adjustments necessary to do my best to try to live a holier life. I will say this, it does consume me, in that I must be aware of my every thought and my every choice, every day. God knows my heart, but even with all this said, I still sin.

The key to living a life pleasing to God, is going to Confession frequently, look at scripture, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” 1 John 1:9. Today’s gospel just has me pondering and puttering around the thought of how scripture often talks about Jesus being with sinners. And then I think of the life of a Medical Doctor. He or she is always around sick people, helping to heal them. Jesus is a Healer of our soul, and He is here to help us get well and to help prepare us for Heaven.

Pondering these thoughts today: Might I say this? I suggest picking out a prayer or a devotion or staying focused on scripture, this wonderful thought of incorporating this into your life will consume you. The old saying, “Garbage in – Garbage out” it’s true, so instead focus on, “Jesus in – Jesus out” your thoughts will be consumed by prayer and/or scripture or both. It is a great way to cleanse your mind and your soul; and it will, in time, purge out so much of what needs to be purged out. My focus is on the Rosary, personally and in an evangelizing way of sharing the Rosary. The life of St Dominic, is one that I try to emulate. He spent his entire life sharing the Rosary and teaching others how to pray it. Since 1983, I felt our Lady tug at my heart and our Lord nudge me in this direction. Find your ministry. Where is your heart aching to be?

LOVE YOU GUYS !!!!

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

Today is Saturday: We pray the Joyful Mysteries:

The Joyful Mysteries

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

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

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