Category: The Rosary

The Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb.
~ evensong
Today, we commemorate Our Lady’s Visitation to Elizabeth, her kinswoman who was in the sixth month of her pregnancy with her son John.  At this time, Our Lord performed His first miracle through the Blessed Virgin Mary, to free John the Baptist from original sin. The Visitation is also the second Joyful Mystery of Our Lady’s Rosary.

This beautiful feast invites us to enter into the intimate life of our Savior, healing and sanctifying souls almost immediately after the Incarnation. It also is the testimony of the Holy Ghost to the sanctity of life from the moment of conception. So much to savor in this delightful scene from Holy Scripture!

The Magnificat of the Blessed Virgin Mary

“And Mary said: My soul doth magnify the Lord.
And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Savior.
Because He hath regarded the humility of His handmaid;
For behold from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed.
For He that is mighty, hath done great things to me; and holy is His name.
And His mercy is from generation unto generations to them that fear Him.
He hath shewed might in His arm:
He hath scattered the proud in the conceit of their heart.
He hath put down the mighty from their seat,
And hath exalted the humble.
He hath filled the hungry with good things; and the rich He hath sent empty away.
He hath helped Israel His servant, being mindful of His mercy:
As He spoke to our fathers, to Abraham and to his seed for ever.” [Luke 1, 46-55]

Our Lady’s Hymn of Praise

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Fatima – the Chastisement of Impurity, 2022

~ evensong ~ 3 Comments
“Father, the devil is in the mood for engaging in a decisive battle
against the Blessed Virgin.”
(Sister Lucia of Fatima, 1957)

In her last interview with Father Agustin Fuentes, December 26, 1957, Sister Lucia of Fatima, perhaps aware that she was about to be silenced by the Vatican, warned us all,

“Father, the devil is in the mood for engaging in a decisive battle against the Blessed Virgin. And the devil knows what it is that most offends God and which in a short space of time will gain for him the greatest number of souls. Thus, the devil does everything to overcome souls consecrated to God, because in this way, the devil will succeed in leaving souls of the faithful abandoned by their leaders, thereby the more easily will he seize them.

“That which afflicts the Immaculate Heart of Mary and the Heart of Jesus is the fall of religious and priestly souls. The devil knows that religious and priests who fall away from their beautiful vocation drag innumerable souls to Hell … The devil wishes to take possession of consecrated souls. He tries to corrupt them in order to lull to sleep the souls of laypeople and thereby lead them to final impenitence.” (Sister Lucia of Fatima to Father Agustin Fuentes, December, 1957)

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Chalice of Love, 2022

~ evensong

previously published in 2019

I found this delightful essay, which is posted anonymously on the Society’s website, and wanted to share it with you.  Of all the  facets of Mary, one of the most delightful, it seems to me, is that of her as the Chalice of Love. This consideration of her has never ceased to fill me with tenderest thoughts of God’s love for His most beloved, pure and  precious Creature and for us. God our Father gives us His Love in this Chalice of Love, Mary, our Mother!

† . † . †

THE CHALICE, SYMBOL OF MARY

December 14, 2019

What are the qualities of the chalice
and what is their meaning for our lives?

First, the precious metal in its dazzling beauty: a challenge to cleanse ourselves more and more from every stain of sin, and also from what is worldly and worthless. Then the insight into how precious our life is, our body and especially our soul, created in God’s image and likeness, predestined to share in the beauty of the Immaculata. This chalice, by itself, is quite empty, quite poor. Within it nothing of the world is found, not a speck of dust, nothing worldly, however beautiful it may be.

This attitude of complete self-emptying, of complete detachment from self, of total spiritual poverty, is an essential feature of the Immaculata: she has nothing for herself, she does not think about herself, she is completely poor and emptied of self; one might say that her ego does not exist. This is the only possible attitude of the creature toward its Creator, when the latter bends down in infinite mercy to our nothingness in order to fill it.

Then the chalice is quite open to what is above. The sides of the chalice are like the outspread hands of the Orante, full of longing and devotion. This is the virginal Heart of Mary, which lives in expectation of God and for God, as totally as a Bride for her Bridegroom. All her thoughts, words and deeds are directed toward Him, completely for Him. Mary gives us this longing for God and makes our hearts become pure of all disordered desires that pull us down.
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Grace in the Reign of Francis, 2022

~ evensong ~ Leave a comment
The current crisis in the Church is part of God’s plan for us, and the Immaculata leads us safely through it.

Previously published in October, 2021

The Sorrowful Mysteries of the Rosary become even richer in meaning as we spend more time with them, and in this papacy all the more so! In the First Sorrowful Mystery, the Agony in the Garden we see Jesus confronting His persecutors who had been led to Him by Judas, the Patron for the current betrayers of Christ  who now occupy the visible Church. As Jesus restored the ear of Malchus, He spoke to those who had come to destroy Him, “Are ye come out, as it were against a thief, with swords and clubs? When I was daily with you in the temple, you did not stretch forth your hands against Me: but this is your hour, and the power of darkness.” (Luke 22, 52-53)

We are now deep within this hour of darkness in the Passion of the Church, and so we shall find much to profit us in these Sorrowful Mysteries of Our Lady’s Rosary.

At the beginning of that first Passion, there was a terrible betrayal, and the Apostles fled, scandalized, into the darkness. Today, as the Pope and the whole corrupt edifice of the hierarchy  betray our Lord Jesus Christ and His Blessed Mother, Catholics are scattered. Some are indifferent to the scandal, some fall into sedevacantism, some simply fall away. Some few, however, watch and pray in the darkness, trusting in His promise.
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Father Couture on the Holy Rosary

~ evensong

For today,  we have an article from Father Daniel Couture, F.S.S.P.X. on the Holy Rosary. Source. He reminds us of the importance of praying for our Pope, which is a non-negotiable part of Our Lady of the Rosary’s message at Fatima.

Fr Couture – On the Power and Importance of the Holy Rosary

Sermon for October 13, 2013 Tokyo Mass Center

My Dear Brethren,

We are in the middle of the important month of the Holy Rosary, month of the great victories of Our Blessed Lady, through the Holy Rosary. Sr. Lucy said that Our Blessed Lady has given more power to the Holy Rosary in view of the hard time that we were going to live, which are now, which is this terrible crisis in the Church.

It is a great grace to be able to attend the Traditional Latin Mass once a week, or once or twice a month. But on the other days, are you faithful to your daily rosary? It’s not enough to come to the Traditional Mass in order to go to heaven. You must do your personal part too to ask for God’s grace seven days a week, and that part is essentially prayer, specially the prayer of the Holy Rosary. 

“He who prays will be saved, he who doesn’t pray will be condemned”,  St Alphonsus says.

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Reparation, Obedience and the Triumph of the Immaculate Heart of Mary

~ evensong

Today, I only offer a brief recap for those of you who have likely been somewhat disappointed that yesterday’s post was not updated. I’m sorry but have not been able to be very active, as I’m now receiving home therapy and it is both time-consuming and exhausting.. Today’s post was originally about the errors of a specific “trad” who posted the usual errors against Our Lady of the Rosary and her requests at Fatima, but since that time, a few years back, the poor man has lost his faith utterly and so now, it is prayers that are called for,

But the message remains useful, I trust.

Sufferings and reparation

On her first visit,  May 13, 1917, Our Lady asked the children,

“Do you want to offer yourselves to God to endure all the sufferings that He may choose to send you, as an act of reparation for the sins by which He is offended and as a supplication for the conversion of sinners?” Lucia promptly answered, “Yes! We want to!” “Then you are going to suffer a great deal, but the grace of God will be your comfort.”

A month later, on her second visit, she explained,

“Jesus wishes to make use of you to make Me known and loved. He wants to establish in the world devotion to My Immaculate Heart. To whoever embraces this devotion I promise salvation; these souls shall be dear to God, as flowers placed by Me to adorn His throne.”

It was on the Third Visit, on July 13, 1917, that Our Lady explained her Message most fully.
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October 13, 1917, the Message and the Promise

~ evensong

Today, we offer Part II of today’s post on Our Lady of the Rosary’s Sixth Appearance at Fatima in 1917.

In October, 1917,  Heaven came to earth.
Here is the Message and the Promise for us today.

Today  we mark the 104th  anniversary of the Miracle of the Sun during Our Lady’s Sixth Visit to Fatima.  In this brief review we’ll recap the historical event considering three aspects, the words of Our Lady, the Visions seen by the children and then the Miracle of the Sun witnessed by the spectators.

THE MESSAGE

On this sixth and last visit, Our Lady’s words to Jacinta, Francisco and Lúcia were, “I want a chapel to be built here in my honor. I am Our Lady of the Rosary. Continue to say the Rosary every day. …. People must amend their lives and ask pardon for their sins.” Then, growing sadder, “They must not offend Our Lord any more for He is already too much offended.”

“I want a chapel to be built in my honor”

This refers back to the visit of June 13 when Our Lady told Lúcia, “Jesus wishes to make use of you to make me known and loved. He wants to establish in the world devotion to my Immaculate Heart. I promise salvation to those who embrace it …” In this, she states clearly that it is Jesus Christ Our Lord who wants to establish devotion to her Immaculate Heart. Note the word, “establish”:  For it is only by the authority of the Vicar of Christ that devotions are “established”.  Thus, Our Lady and Our Lord ask for the obedience of the Pope. She is asking the Holy Father to lead his flock to devotion to her Immaculate Heart as a sure remedy in the coming trials.

We might ask, “Why was this not done?”
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Sixth Visit of Our Lady of the Rosary, October 13, 1917

~ evensong

Today is the 105th anniversary of the Miracle of the Sun that marked Our Lady’s Sixth Visit to Fatima. it is also the 49th anniversary of Our Lady’s visit to Akita (13 October, 1973). Akita’s message seems primarily to emphasize the warnings of Fatima, but it too, failed or rather the Church failed to heed it.

On October 13, 1917, a miracle occurred, witnessed by between 70,000 and 100,000 people. The miracle defied the laws of physics and was verified by witnesses who were Masons, atheists and anti-Christians as well as by the faithful. The day, month and hour had been predicted before hand.

When Our Lady appeared to the children, Jacinta, Francisco and Lucia at this Sixth Apparition, her final words to them were,

“…I am Our Lady of the Rosary. Continue to say the Rosary every day. …. People must amend their lives and ask pardon for their sins.“ Then, growing sadder, “They must not offend Our Lord any more for He is already too much offended.”

As Our Lady took leave of the children and rose, she spread her hands, which emitted brilliant rays of light. As she pointed towards the sun, the light from her hands brightened the very sun itself. At this precise moment, the crowds gathered there were astonished to see the dark clouds dispersed and the sky clear. And then the sun, which appeared as a brightly polished mother of pearl disc, began to spin, zig-zag and throw off brilliant flashes of light, blue and violet and golden yellow. Then it suddenly began hurtling towards the earth, while the crowds screamed and fell to their knees in  terror. Just as suddenly as it started, it was over and the sun resumed its place. As people sighed with relief and thanked God, all were amazed that the muddy field was dry and their own shoes and clothes were dry and clean. This is a vivid and clear visual lesson in the power which God grants to His beloved Mary. She gave brightness to the sun, she commanded the sun and it obeyed her. The additional miracle of the entire Cova and all the multitudes instantly becoming dried and clean in a mere 15 minutes is just as unexplainable a miracle. There is a message here which we will return to in next post.

Now, let’s consider the message of our Lady’s words to the children. The first point we notice is the emphasis on the Rosary; as she had promised, she told them her name: Our Lady of the Rosary, Then she urged them to pray the Rosary daily. There is a very important message here, to which we will return shortly. Next, “People must amend their lives and ask pardon for their sins.”  Compare this message of amending our lives, begging God for pardon for our sins and stop offending Him, compare this to the constant message of our Merciful® Pontiff, welcoming all sinners, “meeting them where they are” and  accompanying them, dialoging endlessly. Recently one of the Synod leaders proclaimed that they are eliminating the distinction between sin and the sinner. This is modernese for abolishing the concept of sin, ergo, no need to repent, no need to amend our lives.

So what do you think? After 104 years, how do we stand on obeying this Woman clothed with the Sun, who commands the sun and the forces of nature and they obey her? And what are the consequences?

AKITA, A STERN WARNING

On October 13, 1973, 56 years after that 1917 visit and 13 years after Our Lady’s 1960 deadline had passed without obedience, Our Lady appeared again. It was a subtler, but sterner message, no spectacular solar events, just blood, sweat and tears, symbols of suffering, and a dire warning:

“if men do not repent and better themselves, the Father will inflict a terrible punishment on all humanity. It will be a punishment greater than the deluge, such as one will never have seen before. Fire will fall from the sky and will wipe out a great part of humanity, the good as well as the bad, sparing neither priests nor faithful. The survivors will find themselves so desolate that they will envy the dead. 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 the priests.”

“The work of the devil will infiltrate even into the Church in such a way that one will see cardinals opposing cardinals, bishops against other bishops. The priests who venerate me will be scorned and opposed by their confreres (other priests). Churches and altars will be sacked. The Church will be full of those who accept compromises and the demon will press many priests and consecrated souls to leave the service of the Lord.”

“The demon will be especially implacable against the souls consecrated to God. The thought of the loss of so many souls is the cause of my sadness. If sins increase in number and gravity, there will be no longer pardon for them.”

“. . . Pray very much the prayers of the Rosary. I alone am able still to save you from the calamities which approach. Those who place their confidence in me will be saved.“

Well, that was in 1973 and much has changed in these 47 years hasn’t it? It is all too clear that the faithful have not repented and the only changes have been for the worse. How many prelates have gone through the world, rallying Catholics to the message of Fatima?

Did John Paul II warn those gathered in Assisi or the crowds who thronged to greet him everywhere he went, “Repent, stop offending God, do penance, make reparation, or you will all go down to hell!”? No, he did not even pray the Fatima decade prayer.

He could have issued a Moto Proprio instituting the First Saturdays as specially indulgenced days when offered as Our Lady requested. Nope, he didn’t do that either. Did Pope Benedict, who said that Akita was essentially the same as Fatima, command Catholics to perform the Reparation ordered by either of those two appearances? 

Why not? Why has no pope done even a modicum of what Our Lady asked for?

Part II will address those questions and explore the meanings of the symbols. We’ll look at the messages within the context of the Synod and the ongoing revolution in the Church today. It’s clear that the time allotted to us to repent and amend our lives is nearly up. Let us make good use of the present time, for the darkness comes.

Remember – Our Lady needs us to obey:  First Saturdays of Reparation, daily rosary, at least 5 mysteries, wear her brown scapular and live your Total Consecration to her Immaculate Heart, offering daily duties in reparation and for the conversion of poor sinners.

†  Immaculate Heart of Mary, Queen of our hearts, Mother of the Church, do thou offer to the Eternal Father the Precious Blood of Our Lord Jesus Christ, for the conversion of poor sinners, especially our Pontiff.
†  Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, Thy kingdom come! Viva Cristo Rey!
†  St. Joseph, protect us, protect our families, protect our priests.
†  St. Michael the Archangel, defend us in battle.

~ by evensong for love of the Immaculate Heart of Mary and the Sacred Heart of Jesus Christ, King.
Vouchsafe that I may praise thee, O Sacred Virgin! Give me strength against thine enemies!

~ by evensong, for love of the Sorrowful and Immaculate Heart of Mary

Vouchsafe that I may praise thee, O Sacred Virgin, give me strength against thine enemies.

Chalice of Love, 2022

~ evensong

previously published in 2019.

I found this delightful essay, which is posted anonymously on the Society’s website, and wanted to share it with you.  Of all the  facets of Mary, one of the most delightful, it seems to me, is that of her as the Chalice of Love. This consideration of her has never ceased to fill me with tenderest thoughts of God’s love for His most beloved, pure and  precious Creature and for us. God our Father gives us His Love in this Chalice of Love, Mary, our Mother!

† . † . †

THE CHALICE, SYMBOL OF MARY

December 14, 2019

What are the qualities of the chalice
and what is their meaning for our lives?

First, the precious metal in its dazzling beauty: a challenge to cleanse ourselves more and more from every stain of sin, and also from what is worldly and worthless. Then the insight into how precious our life is, our body and especially our soul, created in God’s image and likeness, predestined to share in the beauty of the Immaculata. This chalice, by itself, is quite empty, quite poor. Within it nothing of the world is found, not a speck of dust, nothing worldly, however beautiful it may be.

This attitude of complete self-emptying, of complete detachment from self, of total spiritual poverty, is an essential feature of the Immaculata: she has nothing for herself, she does not think about herself, she is completely poor and emptied of self; one might say that her ego does not exist. This is the only possible attitude of the creature toward its Creator, when the latter bends down in infinite mercy to our nothingness in order to fill it.

Then the chalice is quite open to what is above. The sides of the chalice are like the outspread hands of the Orante, full of longing and devotion. This is the virginal Heart of Mary, which lives in expectation of God and for God, as totally as a Bride for her Bridegroom. All her thoughts, words and deeds are directed toward Him, completely for Him. Mary gives us this longing for God and makes our hearts become pure of all disordered desires that pull us down.

This longing is fulfilled through consecration and communion. The open heart receives the divine light and the warm, flowing blood of life. This is the purpose for which the chalice exists, and for this alone: that the transformation might take place in it, i.e. that Christ might renew His life, His suffering and death in it. As Elizabeth of the Trinity puts it so profoundly: “May I be for Him an additional humanity, in which He can renew His mystery in its entirety.” But this involves the union of one’s will with God’s will, as completely as Mary was united with Christ in utmost obedience.

The liturgy emphasizes that not only the contents of the chalice are offered, but the chalice itself (“We offer to Thee the chalice of salvation…”), so as to suggest discretely that the one Sacrifice of Christ is nevertheless the sacrifice of Mary as well, that the submission of the New Adam is inseparably united with the submission of the New Eve: that of the Redeemer with that of the Co-Redemptrix.

We all must place ourselves in this chalice like the little drop of water during the Offertory. As we are assimilated to the qualities of the chalice, we become a worthy vessel of God’s presence, filled and imbued with the Blood of Christ. A perpetual gaze upon the chalice is an immersion into her Immaculate Heart. Thus, we receive into ourselves Christ’s loving deed, in all its fullness.

Thus, Mary is the spiritual space, the holy atmosphere, the sanctuary, in which we are transformed, so as to understand and penetrate ever more deeply into the great divine drama and to receive interiorly all the fruits of this tree of life. “The Heart of Mary is the living altar upon which the sacrifice is offered. This pierced Heart is also the server at the altar, whose heartbeat is the liturgical responses. It is the censer, in which the faith, hope, love and adoration of the whole world ascends like incense before the Lamb who was slain. It is the choir of this formidable Mass, surpassing all the angels. Was not the silence of Mary’s wondrous sufferings like the singing of secret, ineffable songs to the enraptured ear of the bloody Victim?” (Fr. Faber) (From: FSSPX.news)

† . † . †

Indeed, she is the altar upon which His sacrifice is offered, and she is also the Chalice of His love. And just think on it! She is our Mother! Why do so many ignore this wonderful blessing? Here is such beauty, sweetness and hope! It is so good to think on this with the Rosary – The Angel Gabriel was the messenger; he only told Mary what God Himself was saying to this beautiful, perfectly pure young Virgin, “Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women.” And when we say these words, we become a part of this loving scene – Yes! We are there in the very midst of the Most Holy Trinity and the object of this infinite, Divine Love, Mary Immaculate.

The Hail Mary is God’s love song to the Mother He chose for His beloved Son and also for us; and because God is three Persons in one, it is the love song of this Divine Son for His Mother; and the love song of the Holy Spirit for His chosen Spouse, beloved from all time.

With this exquisitely  simple prayer, He teaches us to love her, to love Him and to love our fellow sinners and pray for them. God made us in love and redeemed us in love. And in the most Holy Sacrifice of the Mass and the most Blessed Sacrament, He sustains us with His love.

We abide in His love with the prayers of our Rosaries. Let us never tire of these Hail Marys; they are our hearts beating with Her Immaculate Heart.

Please pray for our priests. Those who are loyal to the Immaculata suffer greatly with her under this reign of apostates. Please do not waste a single little cross. Offer everything up – We have much work to do!

Remember – Our Lady needs us to obey:  First Saturdays of Reparation, daily rosary, at least 5 mysteries, wear her brown scapular and live your Total Consecration to her Immaculate Heart, offering daily duties in reparation and for the conversion of poor sinners.

Open your hearts to the Lord and serve Him only: and He will free you from the hands of your enemies. With all your heart return to Him, and take away from your midst any strange gods” (I Kings 7:3)

 ✝︎  Immaculate Heart of Mary, Queen of our hearts, Mother of the Church, do thou offer to the Eternal Father the Precious Blood of Our Lord Jesus Christ, for the conversion of poor sinners, especially our Pontiff.
 ✝︎  Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, Thy kingdom come! Viva Cristo Rey!
 ✝︎  St. Joseph, protect us, protect our families, protect our priests.
 ✝︎ St. Michael the Archangel, defend us in battle.

~ by evensong for love of the Immaculate Heart of Mary and the Sacred Heart of Jesus Christ, King.
Vouchsafe that I may praise thee, O Sacred Virgin! Give me strength against thine enemies!

Pray the Rosary – save sinners!

Our Lady of the Rosary, Victorious in Battle, 2022

~ evensong

Most of us have been offering the Litany and Novena to Our Lady of Victory, which was completed yesterday.

Today we honor Our Lady of the Rosary, who is Our Lady of Victory. This title is her preferred title, as she revealed on October 13, 1917, at her last public appearance at Fatima.

Our Lady of Victory! This great Victory can never be in doubt, for it is proclaimed by heaven. And yet the battle continues and many of us feel the great fatigue of these years. Today, our faith is sorely tried as we observe the events in Rome. That is one of the great paradoxes of the faith – precisely when our spirits are flagging, right then, the tide will turn. Let us continue then, with renewed fervor! For by her Rosary, she vanquishes heresies; to her has it been given to cleanse the Church and end this reign of apostasy and destruction. We recall today the Novena of Rosaries Prayer for those who have not already been doing it or have fallen away. Please, all who read this, take up your Rosaries again, and let’s renew our determination to beseech our Blessed Mother, Queen of the Church, to come to our aid!

OUR LADY OF THE ROSARY OF FATIMA

When the Blessed Virgin Mary appeared to the shepherd children of Fatima, she identified herself as Our Lady of the Rosary. As we know, everything she says is significant. In this case, by claiming the title of Our Lady of the Rosary,  the title of Our Lady of Victory was implied. For history is replete with her victories through her most Holy Rosary. 

The fact that she termed herself, “Our” Lady is also significant, for that tells us clearly that she wants to be ours! Our Mother, Our Lady. For some reason, we seem to be unable to grasp the enormity of the offense we give this sweet and humble Mother of our Savior by spurning her offer to be our Mother.
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