When a Rosary turns gold, it's time to take the prayer more SERIOUSLY!

See the "finger Rosary" pictured above?  It used to be a silver-gray color for the 3+ years I've had it.  I'm sure many of you understand what I'm describing because these types of small metal rosaries are common.  The fact is - at about 2:30AM this morning it was silver-ish with green patina due to long-time exposure to Hawaii's salty air.  Then, after using it again to pray at about 7:30AM, I was surprised to find it mysteriously changed to a golden color between my fingers, in the brief span of about 15 minutes!  That was more than 10 hours ago ...  and I'm still in awe.

An image from the internet showing

what my finger Rosary originally looked

like when I first got it (compare the

color with the above photo).

I decided to post about it because I know there's an important, underlying message behind this occurrence - not just for me, but for everyone else out there.   And the message is simple - this was Our Lady's way of reaffirming the IMMENSE VALUE OF THE ROSARY DEVOTION - PRECIOUS, AS SYMBOLIZED BY GOLD.  It needs to be taken more seriously and prayed with regular frequency - NOW - in these present times.  And this isn't something new from her.

If one researches approved modern Marian apparitions, the Rosary has figured prominently in most of Our Lady's appearances and/or her messages - for example:

+ Lourdes, France (1858)

Our Lady appeared as the "Immaculate Conception", dressed in a dazzling white gown with a blue sash; a Rosary hanging from her wrist.  She often signaled to St. Bernadette to begin the prayer by taking the little crucifix and making the Sign of the Cross, which Bernadette then repeated.

+ Fatima, Portugal (1917)

The Holy Virgin appeared as the "Lady of the Rosary", while also carrying a Rosary from her wrist.  Among other things, she once said to the three shepherd children of Fatima:

 "Pray the Rosary every day to

obtain peace for the world and the

end of the war (WWI)."

+ Banneux, Belgium (1933)

Mary appeared to young Mariette Beco dressed almost identical to her apparitions in Lourdes, including carrying her trademark Rosary with her.

+ Heede, Germany (1937 - 1940)

Our Lady appeared as the "Queen of the Universe" and the "Queen of the Poor Souls" to four young seers.  She once said at the site of Heede:

"Be good and resigned to the will of God.

Pray often, especially the Rosary."

+ Akita, Japan (1973 - 1981)

The Blessed Mother spoke grave words of warning to the seer - Sr. Agnes Sasagawa - a humble Stigmatic nun and, among other things, she said:

"The only arms which will remain for

you will be the Rosary and the sign left by

My Son. Each day recite the prayers of the

Rosary.  With the Rosary, pray for the

Pope, the bishops, and priests."

+ Cuapa, Nicaragua (1980)

Our Lady appeared on 6 occasions to a middle-aged sacristan - Bernardo Martinez - and once said the following words to him about the Rosary, among other things:

"Pray, pray, my son, the Rosary

for all the world.  Tell believers and non-

believers that the world is threatened by

grave dangers.  I ask the Lord to appease

His justice, but, if you don't change, you

will hasten the arrival of the Third

World War."

+ Medjugorje, Bosnia Herzegovina  (1981 to Present)

In the ongoing apparitions of Medjugorje, the Blessed Virgin has repeatedly reiterated the call to pray the Rosary.  The number of messages in which she mentioned the prayer is numerous, but this one dated from June 25, 1985, is sufficient to convey the power of the Rosary:

"I invite you to call on everyone

to pray the Rosary.  With the Rosary you

shall overcome all the adversities, which

Satan is trying to inflict on the Catholic

Church.  All you priests, pray the Rosary!

Dedicate your time to the Rosary!"

+  San Nicolas, Argentina (1983 to 1990)

Our Heavenly Mother again appeared on earth as Our Lady of the Rosary to a local housewife and mother named Gladys Quiroga de Motta.  She spoke many, many messages and, among them, she once said in a straight-forward manner:

"The weapon that has the greatest

influence on evil is to say the Rosary."

+  Litmanova, Slovakia (1990 to 1995)

And finally, in this series of obscure manifestations on Mt. Zvir, Litmanova, the Holy Virgin came to two girls as the "Immaculate Purity".  She often carried the Rosary and delivered messages similar to those already quoted.  On October 3, 1993, said this:

"My beloved, I desire that at this moment,

we be specially united in prayer.  Let the

Holy Spirit guide your prayers!  You cannot

imagine how many special graces for your

soul will come through contemplating the

holy mysteries of the Rosary.  Please let

us pray together this prayer for the

conversion of sinners."

Taking these 150+ years of apparitions as a whole, it's obvious the Blessed Virgin has been emphasizing the Rosary during her visits to earth.  It's also clear Our Lady is warning us about the troubled times we're now living in ... and the worse that's still to come (e.g. World War III, per Cuapa?).  The devil is certainly on the prowl, spreading his darkness and seeking to destroy whoever he can, but the Rosary is a sure weapon that defeats his plans.

At some of these holy sites, countless others have also had their Rosaries changed to a gold color, resulting in conversions and deeper faith!  I personally know a few people who experienced this signal grace, too.

Our Lady of the Rosary of

San Nicolas, pray for us.

So I tell people all the time the Rosary is an important devotion to practice; I have come to understand that it's really a Christ-centered prayer that binds us closer to Jesus.  Through the 20 Rosary Mysteries, Jesus shares the story of His life with us in order to help us deepen our personal relationship with Him and with His beloved Mother, too.  In this way, our spiritual/mental/emotional union with Christ is cultivated and grows; thus, His Light brightens in our souls, repelling the devil's dark influence that's pervading today's society, even seeping into parishes, worldwide.  Staying as close as possible to Jesus is key to not getting swallowed up by evil, which is precisely why the Virgin Mary has repeatedly emphasized the Rosary Prayer.

Therefore, let's take up our Rosaries and pray them frequently, if not daily, as Our Lady requested; for the various intentions she spoke of ... and for the sake of deeper union with Jesus.  If we only recognize the full value of the Rosary we'd be beyond amazed and more grateful to Our Lady for this precious devotion.  As I can personally testify today - the Rosary Prayer is GOLDEN!

The Rosary Confraternity

If one is already a Rosary Devotee, consider joining the Rosary Confraternity.  The spiritual benefits of becoming a member are listed below.  Click here to enroll - it's free and easy!

+ To learn about Our Lady's 15 Promises to those devoted to the Rosary, click here. +

Monthly Messages from the Queen of Peace of Medjugorje: October 2019

Dear Children...

Our Lady's Monthly Message to the World on October 25th:

   “Dear children! Today I call you to prayer. May prayer be a balm to your soul, because the fruit of prayer is joy, giving and witnessing God to others - through your life. Little children, in complete surrender to God, He will take care of everything and will bless you; and your sacrifices will have meaning. I am with you and bless all of you with my motherly blessing.  Thank you for having responded to my call.”

Our Lady's Special Message to Mirjana Dragicevic-Soldo on October 2nd:
   “Dear children, the will and the love of the Heavenly Father make it so that I am among you, to—with a motherly love—help you have faith grow in your heart, for you to be able to truly comprehend the purpose of earthly life and the greatness of the heavenly one. My children, the earthly life is the way to eternity, to truth, and to life—to my Son. I desire to lead you on that way. You, my children—you who always thirst for more love, truth, and faith—need to know that there is only one spring from which you can drink. It is trust in the Heavenly Father; it is trust in His love. Abandon yourselves completely to His will and do not be afraid. Everything that is best for you, everything that leads you to eternal life, will be given to you. You will comprehend that the purpose of life is not always to want and take, but to love and give. You will have true peace and true love. You will be apostles of love. By your example, you will make it so that those children who do not know my Son and His love will come to desire to know Him. My children, apostles of my love, adore my Son with me and love Him above all. Always strive to live in His truth.  Thank you.”

Saints & Relics Speaking Presentation, 10/13/2019: St. Stephen Church, Honolulu

October = BUSY for this ministry.  Rosary Rallies.  Saints & Relics Presentations (in anticipation of All Saints Day).  Monthly Prayer Groups.  I've gotten used to it throughout the years; it's just how it is for this particular month.  Besides... anything for Jesus, Our Lady, and the Saints, that's another one of this ministry's motto that I strive to fulfill.

Breakfast & fellowship first...

then the presentation.

So today I was re-invited to St. Stephen Church on the Pali Highway in Honolulu to conduct not just one, but two, Saints & Relics Presentations - one tailored for the CCD kids and another for the general parishioners.

The many Sacred Relics on display

for this day's presentation.

For the children, I featured interactive games involving St. Damien of Molokai and several holy youngsters such as St. Dominic Savio, Ven. Anne de Guigne, St. Germaine Cousin, and the little shepherds of Fatima, Sts. Francisco and Jacinta Marto.  And to expose the children to relics, I displayed for them my ministry's Fatima Relics and invited the kids and their parents to come forward to view and venerate them.

CCD families venerating the

Fatima Relics.

For the presentation geared towards the adults, I featured the lives and relics of 12 holy personages: St. Bernadette of Lourdes; St. Damien of Molokai; Sts. Francisco & Jacinta Marto of Fatima; Sts. Louis & Zelie Martin; St. Marguerite d'Youville; Bl. Marie-Celine of the Presentation; Bl. Rolando Rivi; Bl. Solanus Casey; St. Therese the Little Flower... and, of course, the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Queen of All Saints.

Parishioners approaching the relic display

pay their respect to the Saints & Blesseds.

At the end of it all, both presentations were well-received by their respective audiences... and when a 90-year-old lady comes up to me afterwards and warmly says, "Thank you very much for coming - I learned so much that I didn't know before." it satisfies me that all the preparation and work that goes into each presentation is worthwhile.  How can it not be if at least one person went home being more knowledgable about our Catholic Faith?

Again... Anything for Jesus, Our Lady, and the Saints.

+ + +  T E S T I M O N I E S  + + +

Aloha Peter,

Mahalo for your Saints and Holy Relics Presentation you did here at St. Stephen on this past Sunday. Both our CCD children and adults alike were captivated by your presentation. It is refreshing to hear that REAL HEROES do exist!!

Sincerely,

Tina W.
St. Stephen Catholic Church

+ + + + +

For inquiries concerning this ministry's presentations,  click here or email guadalupe_house@yahoo.com.

America Needs Fatima Rosary Rally, 10/12/2019

It's that time of the year again - Auntie Patty's annual America Needs Fatima Rosary Rally!  Since last year, her family has hosted their rally in the Day Chapel at St. Anthony of Padua Church, rather than at their Kailua home. The customary luncheon now follows in the Makai Room and, all of us who participate, look forward to this event - all of it - each year.

For those not familiar with the Fatima apparitions and/or this nationwide prayer movement, the America Needs Fatima organization recruits "Rally Captains" to organize public Rosary Rallies throughout the country.  The rallies are intended to collectively pray for the good of America and are scheduled for Saturdays on, or before, October 13th, which is the anniversary of Our Lady’s 6th apparition in Fatima.  There, in that quaint Portuguese village, Mary appeared in 1917 carrying a Rosary on her wrist; uttered the words, "Recite the rosary every day to obtain the peace for the world and the end of the war (World War I)."; identified herself as the "Lady of the Rosary".  It’s very clear - the Blessed Virgin was stressing the importance and the power of the Rosary in these apparitions.

The wooden statue of Our Lady in our

Day Chapel, displayed front and center

throughout October.

So why the Rosary?  During a brief presentation I shared with the people present, I explained my simple take on it – the Rosary leads us closer to Jesus because it's CHRIST-CENTERED.  Just think about it - of the 20 Mysteries we reflect on, Mary only figures prominently, alone, in four of them: the Annunciation, the Visitation, the Assumption, and the Coronation.  So, really, this prayer is a long meditation on the life of Jesus, her son.

Through the Rosary, Jesus shares his life with us – all the ups and downs of it; the best and the absolute worst times... and if we pray it regularly enough, it starts to seem like we're watching a Biblical "TV series" in our heads… and this is what Jesus wants – for us to get to know him better by knowing the major details (the Mysteries) of his life.  The deeper we dive into each Mystery the more we discover about Christ so we can cultivate a deeper, personal relationship with HIM… and his Mother, too (because Mary leads us to him)!

The fellowship luncheon that followed

our prayer rally.

Lastly, just turn on your TVs and watch the news – evil is spreading like wildfire!  More shootings; more blatant, public displays of violence and aggression; legislation of infanticide; more people turning to esoteric, occult, and even satanic beliefs; increased vandalism of churches, etc.  It’s a sign of more terrible things to come - a diabolic darkness that seems to be encroaching closer and closer into our own personal worlds, which is why maintaining a strong bond with Jesus is so important today.  HE is the LIGHT, as Scriptures say... and, if we have a deep abiding faith-relationship with him, he dwells in us; as such, the darkness can never engulf us.

This is why Our Lady emphasized the Rosary at Fatima; a message that remains relevant in our present time despite the passing of 102 years.  So as we pray the Rosary and keep the Lord’s Light burning bright within us, may our light lead others who are lost in the dark back to God.

Our Lady of Fatima,

the Lady of the Rosary,

pray for us!

Saint of the Month - October 2019: Saint Marguerite D'Youville

St. Marguerite D'Youville

A Light in the New World

Feast: October 16th

October's Saint of the Month hails from our neighbor up north - Canada. Her name is Marguerite d'Youville and she was the foundress of the Sisters of Charity of Montreal. Born on October 15, 1701, in the town of Varennes, Marguerite was the oldest of six children. Tragedy struck early on in her life when, at the age of seven, she lost her father whose untimely death left the once-prosperous family impoverished. The event had the effect of maturing the little girl, who had to assist her mother in running their busy household and raising her younger siblings, all while attending a school run by the Ursulines Sisters of Québec. Thanks to the influence of these nuns, piety was instilled in young Marguerite's heart.

"I have never lost confidence in

our Heavenly Father."

~ Words of St. Marguerite

After her mother remarried, the family packed up and relocated to Montreal where the lovely Marguerite met the wealthy Francois d'Youville. He was charming, at first, and she consented to marry him in 1722... but it wasn't long after that his true colors showed - Francois became involved in the seedy business of trafficking in alcohol with the native Indians in exchange for furs. This enterprise often caused his long absences from home but, despite his excursions into the Canadian wilderness, the couple managed to have six children of which only two survived past infancy.

In the face of these multiple tragedies, the indifferent Francois proved to be of little comfort to his grieving wife so in her loneliness and sadness Marguerite turned to her faith for consolation. Perhaps this was all part of God's grand design for this Saint because, rather than becoming an embittered soul in the face of all her personal trials, she developed a deep spirit of compassion and charity for those around her who were also suffering.

As for Francois, upon returning home from one of his illicit dealings, he came down with a sudden and serious illness, himself. Marguerite lovingly cared for him until his death in 1730, which left Marguerite a widow by age 30... and in debt again.

"All the wealth in the world cannot be

compared with the happiness of living

together happily united."

~ Words of St. Marguerite

Now free of any marital obligations, the young widow focused her energy not just into raising her two surviving boys (they both became priests) but she also opened a small store to support her family, pay her husband's debts, and to fund several charitable endeavors. Furthermore, Marguerite began welcoming the least fortunate into her home, beginning with a poor blind woman. The ministry grew, despite strong opposition and ridicule from members of her own family and a few skeptical neighbors. Like-minded women joined the budding foundress and by 1737 the group was a pious association with its members consecrating themselves to the exercise of charity - it was the birth of the Sisters of Charity of Montreal, which became an official congregation in 1745. The Sisters eventually adopted a beige-grey habit, earning them the enduring nickname of the "Grey Nuns" from the locals.

In 1747, the Grey Nuns were given charge of the Montreal General Hospital, which had fallen into disarray and facing bankcruptcy. Through the capable administration of Marguerite and her sisters, the hospital was rescued from its debt, restored, and expanded.

For the rest of her life, Marguerite worked and served alongside her sisters - instilling in them by her personal example - the importance of their charitable work, combined with a deep prayer life and unwavering trust in Divine Providence. The foundress - the "Mother of the Poor", as she came to be called - died in the general hospital on December 23, 1771, after seeing her work expanded to other towns in Canada.  A luminous cross appeared in the sky above the hospital upon her passing, confirming her sanctity to the masses.

Pope John Paul II declared Marguerite D'Youville a Saint in December 1990.

Prayer to St. Marguerite d'Youville

(from the Sanctuaire Youville, Canada)