Rosary Roadmap of Salvation

Wednesday, January 22, 2025


Dara’s Corner Try an “Whole Goose for Michaelmas

·         Spirit hour: The Raven Cocktail in honor of St. Vincent

·         Bucket List Trip: Museum of Egyptian Antiquities

·         Farmhouse Breakfast Week

·         Dry January or Ginuary

·         Get your Soup On

·         


Hot Tea Month

·         Plan winter fun:

o   Soak in hot springs

o   Hit the snow slopes

o   Ride a snowmobile

o   Go for a dog sled ride

o   Ride a hot air balloon

·         How to celebrate Jan 22nd

o   Start your day by snapping a shelfie at your local library, celebrating National Library Shelfie Day. Spice things up by adding hot sauce to your meals in honor of National Hot Sauce Day. Embrace plant-based living for Weedless Wednesday, opting for meatless meals. Take a moment to ponder your feline friend’s mysteries on National Answer Your Cat’s Questions Day. Indulge your sweet tooth with some blonde brownies to mark National Blonde Brownie Day.

o   Wear polka dots to add a pop of fun for National Polka Dot Day. Reflect on life’s joys on Celebration of Life Day, perhaps by journaling or spending time outdoors. Throughout the day, dance to some polka music to keep the celebratory mood going.

o   Mix and match these activities to create a whimsical and enjoyable day. Cheers to embracing the joy in the little things and finding ways to make every day a celebration of life. So go forth and make the most of these quirky holidays!


 January 22 Wednesday-Day of Prayer for Unborn Children

VINCENT OF SARAGOSSA 

Luke, Chapter 1, Verse 50

His mercy is from age to age to those who FEAR him. 

We are to rejoice just as Mary did in her Canticle of Praise when she entered the house of Zechariah.

Jin God my savior. For he has looked upon his handmaid’s lowliness; behold, from now on will all ages call me blessed. The Mighty One has done great things for me, and holy is his name. His mercy is from age to age to those who fear him. He has shown might with his arm, dispersed the arrogant of mind and heart. He has thrown down the rulers from their thrones but lifted up the lowly. The hungry he has filled with good things; the rich he has sent away empty. He has helped Israel his servant, remembering his mercy, according to his promise to our fathers, to Abraham and to his descendants forever.”

I would like to focus on the words from “age to age”. In physics, spacetime (also space–time, space time or space–time continuum) is any mathematical model that combines space and time into a single interwoven continuum.[1] As I understand it what has been done in the past and in the future continues forever rippling through time and space from “age to age”. If this is the case let us follow Mary’s example and develop in ourselves Holy fear through her virtues of: humility, generosity, chastity, patience, self-control and of course love. Happiness is a choice; just as love is. We either decide to be happy or we do not. No amount of money or material things will bring us joy, no amount of pleasure or power either. Mary knew that true happiness comes from God’s mercy. That is a choice too. God’s mercy is given to those who fear Him and then in turn honor the gift of love. We in order to accept the gift of mercy must be open to receive. We make a choice.

St. Vincent of Saragossa[2]

I became acquainted with Saint Vincent during a time I was suffering with a half inch burst in the last disk in my back. I was almost paralyzed, and the pain was intense with a burning sensation below the knee on my left leg. I was considering treatment using a VAC-D table that was then a new treatment, yet I was hesitant. After reading the story of St. Vincent I asked for his help with my struggle-it then occurred to me to go get stretched on the rack, which VAC-D resembles as St. Vincent was. After 25 treatments my disk has now been healed and I have recovered to 90% before the rupture. I thank the intersession of St. Vincent.

Vincent of Saragossa was one of the Church's three most illustrious deacons, the other two being Stephen and Lawrence. He is also Spain's most renowned martyr. Ordained deacon by Bishop Valerius of Saragossa, he was taken in chains to Valencia during the Diocletian persecution and put to death. From legend we have the following details of his martyrdom. After brutal scourging in the presence of many witnesses, he was stretched on the rack; but neither torture nor blandishments nor threats could undermine the strength and courage of his faith. Next, he was cast on a heated grating, lacerated with iron hooks, and seared with hot metal plates. Then he was returned to prison, where the floor was heavily strewn with pieces of broken glass. A heavenly brightness flooded the entire dungeon, filling all who saw it with greatest awe.

After this he was placed on a soft bed in the hope that lenient treatment would induce apostasy, since torture had proven ineffective. But strengthened by faith in Christ Jesus and the hope of everlasting life, Vincent maintained an invincible spirit and overcame all efforts, whether by fire, sword, rack, or torture to induce defection. He persevered to the end and gained the heavenly crown of martyrdom.

Day of Prayer for the Legal Protection of Unborn Children

Roe vs. Wade[3]

January 22 is the anniversary of Roe v. Wade and the day established by the Church of penance for abortion, has been formally named as the “Day of Prayer for the Legal Protection of Unborn Children.” On this day your parish, school or religious formation program may celebrate the Mass for Giving Thanks to God for the Gift of Human Life. This Mass, found in our newly translated Missal, may now be used on occasions to celebrate the dignity of human life. In addition to this special Mass on this day, perhaps your parish, school or religious formation program could encourage traditional forms of penance, host pro-life and chastity speakers, lead informative projects that will directly build up the culture of life, show a pro-life film, raise funds for local crisis pregnancy centers or offer additional prayer services.

Attend Mass today.

Celebration of Life Day[4] is when we take a step back and truly appreciate our children and grandchildren. Granted, some may do this on an everyday basis, but it’s an opportunity to look at our young ones’ lives from a different angle, think about what it is that makes them truly special, and of course, to lavish treats upon them if we so wish, be it an ice cream or a trip to Disneyland. It can be easy to forget that our children and grandchildren are people in their own right. You’ve helped them to discover themselves over the years, but you can’t take all the credit. Their life choices are ultimately down to them; sometimes they’ll do you proud, and other times, as is the case with us all, they’ll make mistakes. So be the one who’s there to offer congratulations, or encouragement to pick themselves up when they fall. And above all else, as cheesy as it may sound, show that you love them.

Life First[5] 9 Days for Life 

9 Days for Life is a "digital pilgrimage" of prayer and action focused on cherishing the gift of every person's life. A multi-faceted novena highlighting a different intention each day provides reflections, bonus information, and suggested actions. Join to receive the novena through the 9 Days for Life app, daily emails, or daily texts. See below for information on how else you can get involved! #9DaysforLife #OurPrayersMatter 


Day Seven

Intercession: May those who long to welcome a child into their family be filled with trust in God’s loving plan. 

Prayers: Our Father, 3 Hail Mary’s, Glory Be 

Reflection: It can be very difficult and painful when the Lord doesn’t answer our prayers in the way we hope. A couple that finds themselves unable to bring a child into the world through their loving union can experience this disappointment very deeply. During such times of trial, we may wonder why we face the particular challenges that we do. Yet even though suffering is often shrouded in a sense of mystery, we believe that the Lord loves us with great tenderness and compassion that is beyond our imagination. Knowing this, we can trust that “all things work for good for those who love God, who are called according to his purpose” (Rom 8:28). 

Acts of Reparation (Choose one.)

 

·         Smile. Ask God today for the grace to be extra joyful and share Christ’s love with those who need encouragement the most today.
 

·         Offer the Prayer for Those Hoping to Conceive or Adopt a Child, and spend some time reflecting on the accompanying excerpt from Psalm 145.
 

·         Offer some other sacrifice, prayer, or act of penance that you feel called to do for today’s intention.

 

Catechism of the Catholic Church

Day 224 1638-1645

PART TWO: THE CELEBRATION OF THE CHRISTIAN MYSTERY

SECTION TWO-THE SEVEN SACRAMENTS OF THE CHURCH

CHAPTER THREE-THE SACRAMENTS AT THE SERVICE OF COMMUNION

Article 7-THE SACRAMENT OF MATRIMONY

IV. The Effects of the Sacrament of Matrimony

1638 "From a valid marriage arises a bond between the spouses which by its very nature is perpetual and exclusive; furthermore, in a Christian marriage the spouses are strengthened and, as it were, consecrated for the duties and the dignity of their state by a special sacrament."

The marriage bond

1639 The consent by which the spouses mutually give and receive one another is sealed by God himself. From their covenant arises "an institution, confirmed by the divine law, . . . even in the eyes of society." The covenant between the spouses is integrated into God's covenant with man: "Authentic married love is caught up into divine love."

1640 Thus the marriage bond has been established by God himself in such a way that a marriage concluded and consummated between baptized persons can never be dissolved. This bond, which results from the free human act of the spouses and their consummation of the marriage, is a reality, henceforth irrevocable, and gives rise to a covenant guaranteed by God's fidelity. the Church does not have the power to contravene this disposition of divine wisdom.

The grace of the sacrament of Matrimony

1641 "By reason of their state in life and of their order, [Christian spouses] have their own special gifts in the People of God." This grace proper to the sacrament of Matrimony is intended to perfect the couple's love and to strengthen their indissoluble unity. By this grace they "help one another to attain holiness in their married life and in welcoming and educating their children."

1642 Christ is the source of this grace. "Just as of old God encountered his people with a covenant of love and fidelity, so our Savior, the spouse of the Church, now encounters Christian spouses through the sacrament of Matrimony." Christ dwells with them, gives them the strength to take up their crosses and so follow him, to rise again after they have fallen, to forgive one another, to bear one another's burdens, to "be subject to one another out of reverence for Christ," and to love one another with supernatural, tender, and fruitful love. In the joys of their love and family life he gives them here on earth a foretaste of the wedding feast of the Lamb:

How can I ever express the happiness of a marriage joined by the Church, strengthened by an offering, sealed by a blessing, announced by angels, and ratified by the Father? . . . How wonderful the bond between two believers, now one in hope, one in desire, one in discipline, one in the same service! They are both children of one Father and servants of the same Master, undivided in spirit and flesh, truly two in one flesh. Where the flesh is one, one also is the spirit.

V. The Goods and Requirements of Conjugal Love

1643 "Conjugal love involves a totality, in which all the elements of the person enter - appeal of the body and instinct, power of feeling and affectivity, aspiration of the spirit and of will. It aims at a deeply personal unity, a unity that, beyond union in one flesh, leads to forming one heart and soul; it demands indissolubility and faithfulness in definitive mutual giving; and it is open to fertility. In a word it is a question of the normal characteristics of all natural conjugal love, but with a new significance which not only purifies and strengthens them, but raises them to the extent of making them the expression of specifically Christian values."

The unity and indissolubility of marriage

1644 The love of the spouses requires, of its very nature, the unity and indissolubility of the spouses' community of persons, which embraces their entire life: "so they are no longer two, but one flesh." They "are called to grow continually in their communion through day-to-day fidelity to their marriage promise of total mutual self-giving." This human communion is confirmed, purified, and completed by communion in Jesus Christ, given through the sacrament of Matrimony. It is deepened by lives of the common faith and by the Eucharist received together.

1645 "The unity of marriage, distinctly recognized by our Lord, is made clear in the equal personal dignity which must be accorded to man and wife in mutual and unreserved affection." Polygamy is contrary to conjugal love which is undivided and exclusive.

Every Wednesday is Dedicated to St. Joseph

The Italian culture has always had a close association with St. Joseph perhaps you could make Wednesdays centered around Jesus’s Papa. Plan an Italian dinner of pizza or spaghetti after attending Mass as most parishes have a Wednesday evening Mass. You could even do carry out to help restaurants. If you are adventurous, you could do the Universal Man Plan: St. Joseph style. Make the evening a family night, perhaps it could be a game night. Whatever you do, make the day special.

·         Do the St. Joseph Universal Man Plan.

·         Devotion to the 7 Joys and Sorrows of St. Joseph

 

Virtues of St. Joseph Every Man can follow[6] 

St. Joseph is the model of a man with no hesitancy of mind he is the man God chose to raise his son. 

Justice-One of the few descriptors of St. Joseph found in Scripture is that he was a "just man," also translated as a "righteous man" (Matthew 1:19). Justice includes the virtues of fairness, honesty, and respect for others. 

Obedient to God's will-Several times, angels came to St. Joseph in dreams and directed his course of action. They told him to marry Our Lady when he had thought of a quiet divorce, to flee to Egypt, and to return to Nazareth. In all these instances, he did as they said without question, giving us a model of surrender to God's will. 

A protector-When Herod threatened the infant Jesus, St. Joseph went to great lengths to guard the baby from harm. We know little of St. Joseph's daily life, but we can imagine the kind of honorable and self-sacrificing man to whom God the Father would entrust the care and upbringing of His only begotten son. 

Responsible-Caring for the two holiest people who ever lived, Jesus and Mary, must have seemed an immense task, but St. Joseph undertook it bravely. He was trustworthy enough to rise to the challenge of being responsible for their livelihood and well-being. 

Chaste-One of the things we know about St. Joseph is that he and Our Lady lived together without consummating their marriage. He is a model of purity and would be a fitting intercessor for any man striving to live this virtue. 

Faithful-St. Luke repeatedly emphasizes in his Gospel how St. Joseph acted in compliance with "the law of the Lord," that is, the ritual requirements of an observant Jewish man. He was a devoutly religious believer, and his faithfulness is an example for all men. 

Watch: St Joseph: Our Spiritual Father

Daily Devotions

·         Unite in the work of the Porters of St. Joseph by joining them in fasting: Today's Fast: Increase in the Religious and Consecrated Life.

·         Offering to the sacred heart of Jesus

·         Make reparations to the Holy Face

·         Drops of Christ’s Blood

·         Rosary



[2]https://www.catholicculture.org/culture/liturgicalyear/calendar/day.cfm?date=2017-01-23

[5]http://www.usccb.org/about/pro-life-activities/january-roe-events/nine-days-of-prayer-penance-and-pilgrimage.cfm

[6]https://aleteia.org/slideshow/slideshow-6-virtues-of-st-joseph-that-all-men-can-imitate/2/







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