Having Blessed Them

BEADS OF JOY 02-10-18

“Having Blessed Them”

©2018 James Dacey, Jr. OFS

My Friends,

Today’s Gospel: Mark 8:1-10 (Feeding of The 4 Thousand)
“In those days, when again a great crowd had gathered, and they had nothing to eat, he called his disciples to him, and said to them, "I have compassion on the crowd, because they have been with me now three days, and have nothing to eat; and if I send them away hungry to their homes, they will faint on the way; and some of them have come a long way." And his disciples answered him, "How can one feed these men with bread here in the desert?" And he asked them, "How many loaves have you?" They said, "Seven." And he commanded the crowd to sit down on the ground; and he took the seven loaves and having given thanks he broke them and gave them to his disciples to set before the people; and they set them before the crowd. And they had a few small fish; and having blessed them, he commanded that these also should be set before them. And they ate and were satisfied; and they took up the broken pieces left over, seven baskets full. And there were about four thousand people. And he sent them away; and immediately he got into the boat with his disciples and went to the district of Dalmanutha.”

Reflection:
Do you hunger for Jesus? …or do you hunger for one of my delicious trays of lasagna? Opps, sorry I didn’t mean for that to slip out. But, you did smile, so it was all worth it. Seriously, we should hunger more for Jesus than we do for any earthly food. That will be just more lasagna for me, opps, I digress. I’m sorry. I’m feeling very goofy and happy this morning, sorry if I am getting my happiness all over the page. Well, actually my happiness has a foundation of my love for my Lord and that’s why I am so happy and bubbly this morning. Oh boy, bubbly is not a manly word, ok, ok, ok, I’ll stop. Today we should focus on Jesus Christ the true bread of life, the bread which we should hunger.  

This wonderful blessed miracle has me thinking of a family tradition of ours that for many many years, when all 7 of us, (even now, once in a while) would sit around the table for dinner we would do this. Chrissy loved to bake rolls with our meals, especially our Italian meals. So as a habit (tradition), we hold hands, pray grace together out-loud, I’d grab a roll out of the basket, break off a piece, hand it to Chrissy and she would do the same and so would all the kids. What was left of that roll would come back to me and we’d all eat our piece and we’d all begin our meal. Just last night speaking of tradition, Johnny, Travis’ friend cooked us Chicken Carbonara. Holy Cannoli was that really good. They cooked for us, they served us, we held hands prayed out-loud, we all ate, and they cleaned the entire kitchen, it was so nice.

How can we connect with Jesus when it comes to uniting ourselves with Him? Jesus Himself gave us the Eucharist. Let us embrace this wonderful blessed part of Him as often as we possibly can. I know for most that anything beyond Sunday is impossible, Jesus knows that; but to hunger after Him and desire Him is just as important and He knows that too. Jesus alone should satisfy our hunger pangs.

Pondering these thoughts today: Today I am so excited because 2018 is becoming a year beyond our wildest dreams. I can see how our Lord has been preparing the way for us as a family and for me as a writer. And just this week my son Travis found an affordable, really nice newly remolded apartment only 6 miles away with all new appliances, I am so happy for him. Sometimes through the roughest of waters after we all get knocked around and we are exhausted, the water calms and the sun is shining and there stands Jesus serving loaves and fishes to us to fulfill our deepest hunger after the long exhausting stormy trip. We must never surrender our faith or lose hope, no matter how dark it gets or how hard it gets or even if it gets really sad. There is a time and place for all of those things on this journey; the key to survival is keeping our eyes focused on Jesus Christ.

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 Begged Him

BEADS OF JOY 02-09-18

“They Begged Him”

©2018 James Dacey, Jr. OFS

My Friends,

Today’s Gospel: Mark 7:31-37 (Healing of a Deaf Man)
“Then he returned from the region of Tyre, and went through Sidon to the Sea of Galilee, through the region of the Decapolis. And they brought to him a man who was deaf and had an impediment in his speech; and they begged him to lay his hand upon him. And taking him aside from the multitude privately, he put his fingers into his ears, and he spat and touched his tongue; and looking up to heaven, he sighed, and said to him, "Ephphatha," that is, "Be opened." And his ears were opened, his tongue was released, and he spoke plainly. And he charged them to tell no one; but the more he charged them, the more zealously they proclaimed it. And they were astonished beyond measure, saying, "He has done all things well; he even makes the deaf hear and the mute speak."

Reflection:
Have you ever been in a position in your life where you were begging our Lord, Almighty God, the Angels and the Saints, the Holy Spirit to help you, to heal you (or heal a loved one) or help see you through a most difficult time in your life? I’m talking down on your knees begging, seriously begging, tears rolling, sobbing in your sleep begging. Ok, then you were seriously at the end of your rope. I can fully relate to that, I understand the agony. But, how do we maneuver through that and still function and live and work and eat and cook and clean and do the things we need to with a family and a job and kids and cars and a house to clean. (ok breathe) oh yea and breath through it all!

Well, just know it was not easy for us (my family) and there is no magical formula, but there is a way to lesson the pain of it all. To begin with it is so important to have a vibrant daily prayer life. Ok, wait, let’s understand something before I go any further. I’m not going to type out a list of 1. 2. 3 and poof you will handle everything perfectly well from now on. No! Here’s what I suggest you do, start with prayer and let the Holy Spirit lead you and guide you. Everyone one of us different and everyone of us enjoys and is drawn to a different devotion or a different way of worship, and there are so many choices, which is what is so fantastic about our faith.

Stop talking to God and start listening for Him. He doesn’t speak to us by way of phone or text, no, He speaks to us within the silence of our hearts. But, we can only hear Him when we are silent before Him. Adoration, if even only one hour a month at your church is a spectacular humbling experience. But like I have shared before, even at home with a cross of the crucified Christ in hand, sit in your room alone in silence staring at the crucified Jesus, for like 10 or 15 or however many minutes you can grab, as often as you can grab it, and you will find peace and answers to many questions, and answers to ones you didn’t even know you had. You know what I mean. I hope that was helpful.

Pondering these thoughts today: The take away here is simple. Jesus needs to be very alive and very real in our lives every single day. So that when the cancer comes, or the tragedy happens or the love one passes away. You have Him to cling to. He will never ever refuse us, even if we have never turned to Him before; but to always know Him and always love Him, when we do turn to Him in our most venerable times, He is there for us. I just love you guys so much, I hope you enjoy my reflections each day.

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.

You May Go Your Way

BEADS OF JOY 02-08-18

“You May Go Your Way”

©2018 James Dacey, Jr. OFS

My Friends,

Today’s Gospel: 

Mark 7:24-30 (The Syrophoenician Woman’s Faith)

“And from there he arose and went away to the region of Tyre and Sidon. And he entered a house and would not have any one knows it; yet he could not be hid. But immediately a woman, whose little daughter was possessed by an unclean spirit, heard of him, and came and fell down at his feet. Now the woman was a Greek, a Syrophoenician by birth. And she begged him to cast the demon out of her daughter. And he said to her, "Let the children first be fed, for it is not right to take the children's bread and throw it to the dogs." But she answered him, "Yes, Lord; yet even the dogs under the table eat the children's crumbs." And he said to her, "For this saying you may go your way; the demon has left your daughter." And she went home, and found the child lying in bed, and the demon gone.”

Reflection:
Do you have persistent faith like the woman in today’s gospel? And are you willing to suffer so that others may heal. The woman in today’s gospel, reminds me of how Chrissy handled her day to day suffering. She never let anything pull her down when it came to the pain she endured, I witnessed it first-hand. Yes, she cried and yes, her tears were very real, but they were tears of sorrow; her tears were the tears of what she knew she was going to miss out on in our family’s future. She had told me that many times. “Jim, I’ll never see Charlie graduate high school, I’ll see our children’s family’s, we’re not going to grow old together, I’m so sorry.” That pain is so hard to explain. But know this, she never cried about her suffering. She always always always said, “I suffer so others don’t have to, God knows I can handle it.” Remember Chrissy wrote and said, “As Jesus Is, I am” referring to His suffering for others.

It is a true gift of love from God to be able to embrace suffering. Jesus himself endured tremendous suffering; suffering beyond our understanding. Yes, it was all because of His love for us, that He was able to endure it. Do we, or can we, understand it? I honestly don’t think we need to analyze it and have a definitive answer, this is God’s Will and that’s all we need to know. Jesus clearly tells us in Luke 14:27, “Whoever does not carry his own cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple.” For each one of us, that cross is different, but for some of us, it is a very heavy, enormous cross that sometimes takes our lives. Again, we don’t fully understand it, but God’s Will has God’s reason and purpose imbedded in it and we are not to question it.

I am a Scripture Guy, I love scripture. I enjoy researching and I got some scriptures that relate to suffering I think you may like to know.

Romans 8:16-18 “The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, heirs also, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him so that we may also be glorified with Him. For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us.”


2 Corinthians 1:5-7 “For just as the sufferings of Christ are ours in abundance, so also our comfort is abundant through Christ. But if we are afflicted, it is for your comfort and salvation; or if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which is effective in the patient enduring of the same sufferings which we also suffer; and our hope for you is firmly grounded, knowing that as you are sharers of our sufferings, so also you are sharers of our comfort.”

2 Timothy 2:3 “Suffer hardship with me, as a good soldier of Christ Jesus.”


Pondering these thoughts today: Well well, what can I say. Today I will say this, though some may think I am off my meds. LOL. But whatever the future holds for me, whatever illnesses are in my path, or whatever, whatever, whatever, whatever God’s Will is for my life… SO BE IT. I embrace the suffering and pain for His sake and for His love for me, no matter what happens to me. I publicly make this statement with no fear and no regrets. Jesus Christ my Lord I love you with all my heart, you will always be my Lord till my last breath.

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

Do You Not See

BEADS OF JOY 02-07-18

“Do You Not See”

©2018 James Dacey, Jr. OFS

My Friends,

Today’s Gospel: Mark 7:14-23 (Tradition of The Elders)

“And he called the people to him again, and said to them, "Hear me, all of you, and understand: there is nothing outside a man which by going into him can defile him; but the things which come out of a man are what defile him." And when he had entered the house, and left the people, his disciples asked him about the parable. And he said to them, "Then are you also without understanding? Do you not see that whatever goes into a man from outside cannot defile him, since it enters, not his heart but his stomach, and so passes on?" (Thus, he declared all foods clean.) And he said, "What comes out of a man is what defiles a man. For from within, out of the heart of man, come evil thoughts, fornication, theft, murder, adultery, coveting, wickedness, deceit, licentiousness, envy, slander, pride, foolishness. All these evil things come from within, and they defile a man."

Reflection:
You see where it says “Thus, he declared all foods clean.” I apologize, but all that makes me think about is food. Here I am praying so hard to focus on what to write about and food is what enters my mind; well I guess it’s better than entering my stomach. But, if food is the topic, let’s look at it from a family perspective. How many of you love to cook? I know I do. Some say I can’t cook, but I guess you would have to live with me to know I can, or simply ask my kids, or look at me. LOL. I do not go hungry, I cook, and I eat very well. LOL.

As an Italian (83% that is...lol) we cook, and we eat all the time. We eat when someone is born, we eat when someone dies, we eat for a baptism, communion, confirmation; ok to save time, we eat for every single occasion. So, growing up, no matter what Grandparents, Aunt and Uncles, or Cousins house we went to, there was enough food to feed thousands. So, we ate and ate and ate. In the end I got to eat so many kinds of Italian foods and I found a favorite. I enjoyed lasagna the most. Grandma Dacey and Grandpa DePete and my Mom all had their versions of lasagna and yes, they were all very good. But, I wanted my own.

Food brings everyone together. Food is exciting and fun as a family sits around the kitchen table or stands around the stove or the counter. Our family always enjoyed making so many different wonderful dishes together. Chrissy was a baker (I can’t bake), oh, but I can eat baked foods, I just never had the knack for baking, I wish I did. Anyway, Chrissy and the kids use to make cookies and cakes and pies together all the time. Food was the center of so many fun family memories. I hope you have memories like that.

This is me showing you a real single serving piece of Lasagna.

This is all 7 of us as eating together, just before our prayers.
That's Lasagna and Baked Ziti.

Pondering these thoughts today: What’s the take away here today. Sorry, there is no take out here today. So, what did we learn? We learned Italians cook and eat a lot. No!? Hopefully we all have fantastic memories of the past and the present, and we will all be making future memories with everyone that involve cooking and eating. I can seriously remember people in my life that seem to involve food in some way, either helping them cook, or sharing a recipe or taste testing or something where we were smiling and laughing, with food in front of us. I hope you to have such wonderful memories.

LOVE YOU GUYS !!!!

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

Today is Wednesday: We pray the Glorious Mysteries:

The Glorious Mysteries

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

Glory and Honor and Praise to You Lord Jesus Christ!

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

Observing The Tradition

BEADS OF JOY 02-06-18

“Observing The Tradition”

©2018 James Dacey, Jr. OFS

My Friends,

Today’s Gospel: Mark 7:1-13 (Tradition of The Elders)

“Now when the Pharisees gathered together to him, with some of the scribes, who had come from Jerusalem, they saw that some of his disciples ate with hands defiled, that is, unwashed. (For the Pharisees, and all the Jews, do not eat unless they wash their hands, observing the tradition of the elders; and when they come from the market place, they do not eat unless they purify themselves; and there are many other traditions which they observe, the washing of cups and pots and vessels of bronze.) And the Pharisees and the scribes asked him, "Why do your disciples not live according to the tradition of the elders, but eat with hands defiled?" And he said to them, "Well did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written, `This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me; in vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines the precepts of men.' You leave the commandment of God and hold fast the tradition of men." And he said to them, "You have a fine way of rejecting the commandment of God, in order to keep your tradition! For Moses said, `Honor your father and your mother'; and, `He who speaks evil of father or mother, let him surely die'; but you say, `If a man tells his father or his mother, What you would have gained from me is Corban' (that is, given to God) - then you no longer permit him to do anything for his father or mother, thus making void the word of God through your tradition which you hand on. And many such things you do."

Reflection:
Today, we see how the Pharisees and the scribes were more worried about their traditions; rather than live by the true commandments of God. I love that word “Tradition”, outside of our faith, or should I say to compliment our faith. How many of you have family traditions? Not the one Hank Williams Jr sings about lol, no, rather ones that are shared around the kitchen table or in the living room or when you go out on a day trip. I can remember being in our first tiny little apartment, having diner with our black cat (Jack), this is before we had kids, talking about what kind of family traditions we wanted to start together “now”; so that our kids would be part of what we already do together.

Wow, I haven’t thought about those days in decades. But we use to really try to plan out what would help develop our kids into adults; who they themselves would want the same traditions for their families. So, our main focuses were family time and prayer. Our absolute goal was dinner together every single night. Chrissy would make and prepare dinner and when I walked in, I washed my hands, changed my shirt and we all sat down. The kids knew when dad got home, we’d be eating dinner shortly. No one was at a friend’s house and no one was NOT at the table. And you dare not eat before prayer. We would all make the sign of the cross, hold hands and pray grace out loud together, I or Chrissy would pray for family who needed additional prayers. Once we all said Amen and did the sign of the cross together, it was an eating feast. And we all shared our day. I did the cleaning and washed all the dishes. We have done that for 29 years. We still do that, we just did that a few days ago, just before I sold the kitchen table, now we have a smaller one. It will continue. It’s funny, we sit at the table and the kids immediately put out their hands to hold hands. Thank you, Jesus.

Another wonderful family tradition we had was pumpkin picking and pumpkin carving, we did that so decades, it was so much fun. We used to drive up to Ulster County, NY where my cousins live and go to those Pumpkin Farms and when we were there we’d also get apples and eat at the little café they had there. During the years we lived in Niagara Falls we did the same at the Pumpkin Farm in Niagara County. In fact, in Niagara County we had so much fun picking blueberries and apples and strawberries. That was so much fun, just to get out for the day and pick fresh fruits together as a family, a fun tradition indeed. We loved doing that together as a family. We’d pack a huge cooler of drinks and snacks and go out for the day. No, we did not stop at McDonald's on the way home, that is too funny. No, but we did stop at the Fatima Shrine on the way home, that was always a tradition while living in Niagara Falls. When we went out picking, we always stopped at the shrine on the way home. We know everyone at the shrine and I use to spend so much time there.  

Pondering these thoughts today: Family traditions and even your own traditions as an individual are so wonderful. Keep doing them even if it’s just you at times. Pray before every meal, go to the shrine don’t just pass it, go to Mass more than once a week. Traditions are like corner stones that help identify our hearts desires of more love and more faith and our true identity in our daily lives. At least that is how I see it. I know I took a word out of content out of today’s gospel, hope you still enjoyed todays blog.

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

People Recognized Him

BEADS OF JOY 02-05-18

“People Recognized Him”

©2018 James Dacey, Jr. OFS

My Friends,

Today’s Gospel: Mark 6:53-56 (Healings at Gennesaret)

“And when they had crossed over, they came to land at Gennesaret, and moored to the shore. And when they got out of the boat, immediately the people recognized him, and ran about the whole neighborhood and began to bring sick people on their pallets to any place where they heard he was. And wherever he came, in villages, cities, or country, they laid the sick in the market places, and besought him that they might touch even the fringe of his garment; and as many as touched it were made well.”

Reflection:
We have been given the tools and the ability to recognize God. Do you recognize Jesus’ presence when sometimes it is so obvious? God has given us the Holy Scriptures, if all we do is read them every single day, little by little those words of wisdom will seep into our brain and our hearts. The Lord has also given us the Holy Spirit, if all we do is pray every single day, little by little His love will seep into our hearts. God is all around us, we just need to open our eyes and we will see Him. I’m going to help you crack the Biblical Code and show you how you will know for certain that He is around us always. Look at this scripture:

“…for I was hungry, and you gave Me nothing to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave Me nothing to drink; I was a stranger, and you did not invite Me in; naked, and you did not clothe Me; sick, and in prison, and you did not visit Me.’ Then they themselves also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry, or thirsty, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not take care of You?’ Then He will answer them, ‘Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me.’.” ~Matthew 25:41-45

There is a certain compassionate way that we must look upon others. It’s sort of the way that Saint Mother Teresa of Calcutta lived her ministry. She had a compassionate heart that knew when others needed her. She would help them without question of self, no, rather she would do all she could to help them. I used to see this in Chrissy and her mom (Betty) all the time; it was the most amazing gift of giving and compassion, I ever witnessed in my entire life. We are all given an opportunity to help others, the question is: Do we? Sometimes opportunities arise and within minutes that person is gone, sometimes they just walked away, other times we just don’t know. But maybe we could have saved their lives or stopped their hunger or quenched their thirst or stopped those thoughts of suicide. Who knows why God wanted them to cross our particular path?

Pondering these thoughts today: We need to open our eyes to recognize Him in others. Remember the word J.O.Y. (Jesus 1^st – Others 2^nd – You 3^rd) Jesus is always first in our lives immediately followed by others next. Jesus wants us to reach out to Others, of cause, we need to use common sense and our brain when we do these things. Two good words of advice in helping others: #1. Don’t Do It Alone. Be with someone when you give someone a sandwich or a coat or anything. Be with your spouse or a group or someone. I used to go with Mike the Sandwich Man in Manhattan back in the 1980’s with 4 of us and him. We used to go around in his cruiser to feed the homeless in downtown Manhattan. Mike was a Detective. There never was an issue, everyone knew him and they all were looking forward to his arrival. Just don’t go alone. That was a very humbling experience for about 5 years of my life. #2 Always Be In Public. It can be very rewarding in your heart and it does feel wonderful helping others, but it can also be scary too. Mike use to tell us (we were all young adults excited about serving our Lord), “Don’t be out of my sight, and if there is a problem, YELL my name as loud as you can.” It was really because of our safety and you can get lost, there were so many people out roaming the streets at 3am in downtown Manhattan. But, if you can help others, do it! Pray asking our Lord to have these people cross your path, they will, keep your eyes open.

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

Let Us Go On

BEADS OF JOY 02-04-18

“Let Us Go On”

©2018 James Dacey, Jr. OFS

My Friends,

Today’s Gospel: 

Mark 1:29-39 (A Healing & Jesus Leaves Capernaum)

“And immediately he left the synagogue, and entered the house of Simon and Andrew, with James and John. Now Simon's mother-in-law lay sick with a fever, and immediately they told him of her. And he came and took her by the hand and lifted her up, and the fever left her; and she served them. That evening, at sundown, they brought to him all who were sick or possessed with demons. And the whole city was gathered together about the door. And he healed many who were sick with various diseases and cast out many demons; and he would not permit the demons to speak, because they knew him. And in the morning, a great while before day, he rose and went out to a lonely place, and there he prayed. And Simon and those who were with him pursued him, and they found him and said to him, "Everyone is searching for you." And he said to them, "Let us go on to the next towns, that I may preach there also; for that is why I came out." And he went throughout all Galilee, preaching in their synagogues and casting out demons.”

Reflection:

Do we really allow our Lord to be the healer of our life in all ways? Obviously, healing isn’t always physical, sometimes it’s emotional. God knows our needs and how they must be met, but the real question is; do we allow Him enough in our lives to do just that? Sometimes we talk too much, demand too much, ask too much, want too much and never listen enough. But, we are blessed with a merciful loving God who understands us, much better than I can ever explain it; and a Holy Spirit who helps guide us when we don’t fully understand. That my friends, is the part, that is simply amazing, on this journey we call faith.

As my children and I continue to move forward, further and further away from the rawest part of our sorrow and pain; we feel our Lord’s loving embrace more and more. The clouds of our tears have begun to lift and now we begin to see more clearly. There always will be a time for great sorrow, especially when you lose someone you love. All the memories and all the cherished moments, do not just disappear when that person passes away. It’s been so hard for me to put into words much of this horrible experience. I know that’s odd, Jimmy not being able to express himself.?? LOL! Strange?? But as time moves forward, it’s getting easier to speak more about these things. And now the kids seem to want to talk more about this. They have been coming to me more. So, with that being said, it seems we are all wanting and needing healing together.

This experience is all new to me and I never knew what to expect after the funeral. I remember what I was told, by a dear friend (around my age) who lost his wife and has kids, “Jim, everyone will heal at a different pace and everyone will have different needs along the way, some will want to talk, some won’t, some will stay secluded, while others will celebrate with photos. Just have patience, even with yourself, it’s been many many years for me and I still have my moments. It isn’t easy brother.” I never forgot those words he said to me at the funeral. He is a fellow Knight.

Pondering these thoughts today: Healing begins with Jesus. In order for Jesus to heal us, He must be in our lives. Open your heart and let Him in, if you are in a situation like mine, pray and entrench yourself in His Word and find a devotion that you really love, mine is the Rosary. Once you have those 3 components in your life, go to Mass faithfully and often as possible and try your best to go to confession monthly. Stay focused on Jesus every single day. Give Him the bulk of your time, especially if you don’t have the time. Yeah, some who know my life’s schedule say, “Jim, you can say that, you are home every day, you have all the time to do all these things.” Well, really. Right now, I am trying to find some sort of work, very difficult, I have been out since my strokes for 3 years now (and I’m not fully healed), not such an easy re-entry. I have no car, no savings, no nothing. So, with all that flutter of truth spewed out, I still consider my faith journey my most worthy basket of Gold in this life. Will everything work out for me? Yes! In God’s plan for me it will, I know it will, because it’s His plan, not mine.

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

Return To Jesus

BEADS OF JOY 02-03-18

“Return To Jesus”

©2018 James Dacey, Jr. OFS

My Friends,

Today’s Gospel: Mark 6:30-34 (Return of The Twelve)
“The apostles returned to Jesus and told him all that they had done and taught. And he said to them, "Come away by yourselves to a lonely place, and rest a while." For many were coming and going, and they had no leisure even to eat. And they went away in the boat to a lonely place by themselves. Now many saw them going, and knew them, and they ran there on foot from all the towns and got there ahead of them. As he went ashore he saw a great throng, and he had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd; and he began to teach them many things.”

Reflection:
For what is this life without Jesus? Nothing! This life’s meaning, purpose, reason and everything means nothing with Jesus. I know we are all in different places in our lives but let us all agree on one thing; we must have Jesus in the center of our life, our choices, our decisions and in everything we do. We must spend our whole entire life trying to love Jesus as much as He loves us; some will achieve this, but most won’t. What I mean by that is that some will literally surrender and lose everything of this world for Jesus, including their very lives; most will come close, but not that close. I like to think and hope that if I am ever confronted with that in my life, there is no doubt that I would open my arms, look up to Heaven and shout for joy to my Lord, “I’m Coming Home!”.

I know for some that’s a little bit too much drama. Well, buckle up (lol) I am not here to bake you a tray of lasagna and give you back rubs. Hmmm, Ok I will bake you some lasagna. See, even in the drama I love making my lasagna. You know if the end times do come in my lifetime and you do smell lasagna being baked, I guarantee you will find me being the one cooking it. Well, it is my favorite meal. In my life, it’s the best, breakfast, brunch, lunch, snack and dinner I have ever tasted, and I mean it with all my heart. Oh wow, did I side track, see what good food does to me. I think I need to make a tray a lasagna real soon.  But this side track shows us all something very important about how easily distracted we can get.

Jesus Must absolutely be the first thought in our minds as we kick start our days (Good Morning Lord). He must be the first words we speak (Prayer). As everything happens throughout our day good and bad and confusing (Thank you Lord). Yes, that wasn’t a misprint. We don’t always understand the bad things or things we perceive as bad; but in God’s plan and will for our life He does. Thanking Him in all things is very important in our journey. But we must be on the journey to be in the loop, so when Jesus says, follow me, we must and so much of this will become more of a natural part of our lives.

Hosea - Come Back to me

Pondering these thoughts today: I hope I am not too harsh and hardcore with my spiritually. To me loving Jesus is everything! My faith comes first always! Period! And living life that way is incredibly awesome. If you are ever nearby, we can sit down over a huge dish of lasagna and talk about these things. I’m Italiano, soa whena wea sita witha anyonea, wea gotta toa eata! LOL

“A tutti coloro che amano il cibo italiano, siediti e mangia con noi italiani, amiamo il cibo, amiamo cucinare e amiamo Gesù.” (To everybody who loves Italian food, sit down and eat with us Italians, we love food, we love cooking and we love Jesus.)

PS. I did get my DNA done at Ancestry.

83% Southern Italian

8% Caucasian
7% Middle Eastern
2% North African

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

According To Your Word

BEADS OF JOY 02-02-18

“According To Your Word”

©2018 James Dacey, Jr. OFS

My Friends,

Today’s Gospel: Luke 2:22-40 (Presentation In The Temple)
“And when the time came for their purification according to the law of Moses, they brought him up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord (as it is written in the law of the Lord, "Every male that opens the womb shall be called holy to the Lord") and to offer a sacrifice according to what is said in the law of the Lord, "a pair of turtledoves, or two young pigeons." Now there was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was Simeon, and this man was righteous and devout, looking for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. And it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he should not see death before he had seen the Lord's Christ. And inspired by the Spirit he came into the temple; and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him according to the custom of the law, he took him up in his arms and blessed God and said, "Lord, now let your servant depart in peace, according to your word; for my eyes have seen your salvation which you have prepared in the presence of all peoples, a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and for glory to your people Israel." And his father and his mother marveled at what was said about him; and Simeon blessed them and said to Mary his mother, "Behold, this child is set for the fall and rising of many in Israel, and for a sign that is spoken against (and a sword will pierce through your own soul also), that thoughts out of many hearts may be revealed."

And there was a prophetess, Anna, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher; she was of a great age, having lived with her husband  seven years from her virginity, and as a widow till she was eighty-four. She did not depart from the temple, worshiping with fasting and prayer night and day. And coming up at that very hour she gave thanks to God and spoke of him to all who were looking for the redemption of Jerusalem. And when they had performed everything according to the law of the Lord, they returned into Galilee, to their own city, Nazareth. And the child grew and became strong, filled with wisdom; and the favor of God was upon him.”

Reflection:
How do you know when God’s presence is in your life? or How do you really know this is what God wanted you to do? Sometimes we need to really follow that gut feeling inside us, leading us, showing us, telling us what to do; because sometimes it is the Holy Spirit leading us. I say sometimes because through discernment and prayer we need to be certain. You know since Travis has been helping me downsize our home, with all our giving we have been receiving. It is so amazing how much, I really feel the Lord’s presence throughout all of this. He is truly the guiding force showing me the way to a freer more focused life, that will allow me to be more focused on Him.

Let’s start from the beginning of Chrissy’s things or anything she is connected to; these items are thee single most difficult to give away and part with or sell. You read the story I told you about giving Chrissy’s medical equipment to the St Gabriel’s Monastery; that was amazing, I wrote that in a previous blog, a couple of days ago. Well, next I sold our formal dining room table. This table was huge, it had 2-18” leaf’s, and I sold it for half of what I really wanted, because Travis said it sounded like the people were really nice and they really wanted it. So, I threw in all the table pads, table clothes, place settings, etc. Chrissy had bought so much for this table. And yes, they were an amazingly nice couple and when they came in, they asked if we were moving, we’re not; then they asked if my wife wanted me to sell the table, and that started a short version of the Chrissy Story. They literally stared and listened. They told us how big their family was and how much they wanted a huge table. They just moved to Pennsylvania from Maine. The husband was born and raised in Brooklyn, me in Staten Island, we laughed, we were both Boro-Boys. That’s an old term for guys born in the 5-Boros of NYC. Then we packed their truck and we were saying Thank you and Goodbye, the wife held my arm and said, “What is your wife’s name?” I said, “Christine” she then said, “I promise you at our first meal, we will remember Christine at this beautiful table.” Holy Cow, I teared up, she didn’t have to say that, but she did, it felt so good, it so blessed, such a healing.

No folks, I am not done, keep the tissues nearby. Yesterday, …see this is why my faith is literally on fire and I live everyday for my Lord with such excitement. Yesterday, as we continued cleaning, I remembered that my dear long-time friend Jackie Damian asked that if I am giving away anything animal related to give it to her; she sells them at her yard sales and all the proceeds go to the Pike County Humane Society for the animal shelter. So, I continued cleaning as usual and I came across some Hello Kitty serving plates. Hmmm, I wonder. So, I text Jackie a question with a picture of it. She immediately said YES and asked how much Hello Kitty stuff we had, I thought, well Chrissy used to collect it. So, Travis and I searched through Chrissy’s stuff in the den and we found almost two boxes of Hello Kitty stuff, so I sent Jackie pictures. She was thrilled and touched base with the Humane Society. She told me they are having a huge Tricky Tray at the end of August (Wow- Chrissy’s birthday is August 21^st), Jackie said, they can make at least 3 baskets with all this stuff. So, Jackie said, let me ask Mary first. I didn’t know who Mary was, there are a lot Mary’s in Milford. And I know almost every single person in Milford. Well, when I learned it was Mary Cervati and she learned this was all Chrissy’s stuff, the whole day became an amazing blessing. We’ve known Mary for many many many years. Mary is going to personally make the baskets “In Memory of Christine Dacey” who donated her collection to help the Humane Society. Plus, Chrissy has a huge Beanie Baby Collection that they will do the same for. Yesterday was a truly amazing, blessed day. I can’t say it enough.

Pondering these thoughts today: Let us look back to those questions for just a moment: How do you know when God’s presence is in your life? or How do you really know this is what God wanted you to do? Well, I think it has a lot to do with fully trusting in the Lord; but I seriously believe you need a well balanced spiritual life to know that you know. What I mean by that is everyday we need to pray, spent time in God’s Word and share or speak to someone (in person or online) about our faith and love for Jesus, which is basically sharing our story. I believe if you do that every single day to the best of your ability, you will see more clearly the hand of God in your life. It’s not that you can’t see His hand otherwise, I just believe there is more clarity. That’s me speaking from my own experience. We still have more cleaning and downsizing to go, I am sure there will be more amazing experiences with our Lord’s hand at work in our lives to share.

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.

For Their Journey

BEADS OF JOY 02-01-18

“For Their Journey”

©2018 James Dacey, Jr. OFS

My Friends,

Today’s Gospel: Mark 6:7-13 (Mission of The Twelve)

“And he called to him the twelve, and began to send them out two by two, and gave them authority over the unclean spirits. He charged them to take nothing for their journey except a staff; no bread, no bag, no money in their belts; but to wear sandals and not put on two tunics. And he said to them, "Where you enter a house, stay there until you leave the place. And if any place will not receive you and they refuse to hear you, when you leave, shake off the dust that is on your feet for a testimony against them." So, they went out and preached that men should repent. And they cast out many demons and anointed with oil many that were sick and healed them.”

Reflection:
We are all on a journey, I absolutely love the one I am on, I pray that you feel the same on yours. The greatest part about a Spiritual Journey, is that we can all be on it together; even though we may all be in different places on this journey. Here is a question to consider: How can we draw others to Jesus? I’ve been thinking about that the entire trip. The answer is very simple. Just think about the people or person in your life that you easily think of and why. Yes, of cause everyone’s answer will be different and yes, I know everyone’s reasons will be different. But, I am speaking about that person who always seems happy, positive, out-going, maybe even bubbly, yet very humble, not pushy, friendly, kind and always keeping you in mind, when there are things they see that might interest you. Now you know who I am talking about. It isn’t always a family member.

Ok, let’s think of that person for a moment. Why are you draw to them? Why are you smiling now, when you are thinking of them? What makes you so happy thinking about them? See, there are so many positive questions to ask when that person is even being talked about. That is a great starting point for us. I believe (now this is me talking) … I believe that if we have a very positive persona and personality about us, that alone, will draw other people to us; stay with me, now if we are able to create that following, why not use that, to share Jesus and our Lady, not in a preachy, pushy fashion, no, rather in a relaxed, as a matter a fact, my life is so incredible, because I love Jesus fashion. Do this in such a way that people are drawn in, and want to be around you, just to be around you. I hope what I just typed directly from my brain, LOL, made sense. Wow. I know that was a lot.

Hopefully, you digested all of that. I learned very quickly early on when I got onto the internet, how the law of attraction works. I am only talking about when people have a direct interest in what you are talking about. It’s a business term. This is where like minded positive people are drawn to you. Well, the internet opened a flood gate of people from around the world to my ministry, starting from way back in the mid 1980’s. I use to joke around back then, I’d say, “It’s just me, Mark Zuckerburg and maybe three others out here.” Honestly, there was hardly anyone out there and there weren’t many businesses or churches or anything online yet, it took many years for all of that to evolve; but it was a fantastic journey. We had our business online and we did all our insurance activities online direct with Allstate; that’s why I had online access so quickly, so early back then. We didn’t even have Windows back then. Anyhow. Who we are plays such an important role in how we will draw others to Jesus. Whether it be one on one or to an audience of 5 million. Always be the same positive God-fearing person you are.

Pondering these thoughts today: The internet is so exciting. Yes, I miss the old days of sitting around the kitchen table talking and laughing; but now I can face-time my son and grandson in Arizona while we are all sitting around that same table. It’s a whole new world out here and whenever I think of sharing Jesus, our Lady and the Rosary; I think of it in a way that includes the entire world. If your faith is solid and you really really really love Jesus, our Blessed Mother and some devotion; reach out and share it with others. Yes, you may get some strange replies, but with that said; you will also get some wonderful, incredible replies and you will be able to grow spiritually with others around the world. If I can help you in anyway, just let me know. God Bless You.

LOVE YOU GUYS !!!!

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

Today is Thursday: We pray the Luminous Mysteries:

The Luminous Mysteries

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

Glory and Honor and Praise -Lord Jesus Christ!!

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