the Rosary

The fifteen Promises of the Holy Rosary

It was in the year 1475 that the Dominican friar Alain de la Roche set down the miraculous events of which he had been protagonist some years before: in particular that which the Madonna had promised «to all those who will devoutly recite my Rosary»

by Pina Baglioni

«One who prayed the Psalter of the Virgin Mary was attacked for seven whole years, at times through the senses and others materially, by appalling temptations by demons. And in almost all these years he did not have any consolation, not even minimal. Through the pity of God finally the Queen of Mercy appeared, who, accompanied by some saints, visited him every now and then, the temptation having been vanquished by her in person, she freed him from the danger [...] and entrusted to him the task of preaching this Rosary». It was the beginning of the year 1475 when the Dominican friar Alain de la Roche decided to write down the miraculous events of which he had been protagonist some years before. At that time he was in Lille, where he participated, as master of theology, at the chapter of the Reformed Congregation of Holland.
He started writing his memorial just in time: on 8 September of that same year, in fact, the Dominican friar died in the odor of sanctity in the convent of Zwolle, in Holland, aged 47, delivering to the Christian people a treasure of inestimable value received directly from the Virgin Mary during one of her apparitions: fifteen promises «for all those who will devoutly recite my Rosary».
But who was Alain de la Roche to earn such great affection and predilection? A name probably known only to the historians of the Dominican Order. Born in Brittany in 1428, he was received among the followers of Saint Dominic at the monastery of Dinan, in the diocese of Saint-Malo. There, when very young, he made his religious profession and some time later moved to the monastery of Lille. After philosophy and theology studies at the Saint Jacque College of Paris in 1459 he was given the duty of teaching for the scholastic year 1460-61 by the General Chapter of the Order. In the meantime there had also been a visit to Lille, in 1460, where he was nominated member of the Reformed Congregation of Holland in the purpose of leading the monasteries back to observance of the Rule.

«When Holy Mary saved him»
In those extremely busy years the reputation of great theologian spread throughout the Order. But even more knowledge of his extraordinary devotion to Our Lady. «The said Father... for a long time used to offer the Rosary of Mary, in an assiduous daily devotion to God, through the advocacy of Mary, Mother of God» writes Alain, speaking of himself in the third person, spending therefore «a life safe with God in the Institute of his vocation». That state of grace, unfortunately, did not last very long. Alain tells us that from 1457 on, «he was greatly afflicted by the most troublesome harassment of other temptations and by many very cruel battles, and had to struggle». «In fact, God permitting so (as He alone could release him from the temptation: something that the Church knows from experience, and also suffers today), he was tempted for seven whole years very cruelly by the devil, was struck with scourges, and received harsh blows with whips».
The monk’s life was thus transformed into a veritable Calvary. As well as that, on an unspecified day in the year 1464, while he was staying as a reader in the monastery of the small French city of Douai, he decided to go as far as taking his own life. «Once he was in a lucid desperation of spirit, in the church of his Sacred Order» Alain writes. «Already, in fact, alas, the taut hand of the tempted one, having drawn his knife, bent his arm and with the sharpened blade, aimed a blow at his own throat so decisive and fell that it certainly would have caused, without delay or doubt, the slitting of his throat». But at the moment when all seemed inevitable something unexpected happened. «Mary the savior, most merciful, approached, and with a decisive movement in his aid seized his arm, prevented him from doing it, gave the desperate man a slap, and said: “What are you doing, you wretch? If you had asked my help, as you have other times, you would not have run into such peril”. Saying that she vanished, and the wretch remained alone».

The fifteen Promises
After that first apparition things did not change at all. Instead, they got worse: the temptations pressed on him again so importunately as to make him decide on abandoning the religious life. And if that were not enough, he also became sick to the point where his fellow brothers gave him Extreme Unction. But one night, while «he lay poorly in most all-consuming groans» he began to invoke the Virgin Mary. And for the second time she visited him. A blinding light «between the tenth and the eleventh hour» lit up his cell and «the Most Blessed Virgin Mary appeared majestically, and greeted him most sweetly». Like a true mother, Our Lady stooped to cure the poor man’s sickness. She hung about his neck a necklace plaited of her hair from which hung a hundred and fifty precious stones, interspaced with another fifteen «according to the number of her Rosary», notes the friar. Mary established a bond not only with him, but extended «in spiritual and invisible manner to those who recite her Rosary devoutly».
And at that point Our Lady said to him: «Rejoice then and be glad, O spouse, since you have made me rejoice many times, as many times as you greeted me in my Rosary. Nevertheless, while I was happy, you were very often anguished [...], but why? I had decided to give sweet things to you, therefore for many years, I brought you bitter things [...] Come, rejoice now».
And so it was: thus after seven years of hell, another life began for Alain: «In reciting the Rosary of Mary he was particularly luminous, of a maevellous happiness joined to an inexplicable joy». And one day, just while he was praying, behold the Virgin again «deigned to make him many brief revelations», he notes. «They are those that follow, and the words are those of the Mother of God:

1. To all those who will recite my Rosary devoutly, I promise my special protection and the greatest graces.
2. Those who persevere in the recitation of my Rosary will receive some outstanding grace.
3. The Rosary will be a most powerful defense against hell; it will destroy vices, it will free from sin, it will sweep away heresies.
4. The Rosary will make virtues and good works bloom and will obtain for souls the most abundant divine mercies; it will replace in hearts the love of the world with the love of God, elevating them to desire of heavenly and eternal bounty. How many souls will be sanctified by this means!
5. Those who entrust themselves to me with the Rosary, will not perish.
6. Those who recite my Rosary devoutly, meditating on its mysteries, will not be oppressed by misfortune. The sinner, will be converted; the just, will grow in grace and become worthy of eternal life.
7. The true devotee of my Rosary will not die without the Sacraments of the Church.
8. Those who recite my Rosary will find during their life and at death the light of God, the fullness of His graces and will share in the deserts of the blessed.
9. I will free quickly from Purgatory the souls devoted to my Rosary.
10. The true children of my Rosary will enjoy great glory in Heaven.
11. What you ask with my Rosary, you will obtain.
12. Those who spread my Rosary will be helped by me in all their needs.
13. I have obtained from my Son that all the members of the Confraternity of the Rosary will have the saints of Heaven for brethren during their life and at the hour of death.
14. Those who recite my Rosary faithfully are all my most beloved children, brothers and sisters of Jesus Christ.
15. The devotion to my Rosary is a great sign of predestination.

After the “delivery” of the fifteen promises, the Virgin took her leave asking from Alain a gesture of obedience: «Preach the things that you have seen and heard. Have no fear: I am with you: I will help you and all my praise singers. I will chastise those who oppose you».
And Alain readily obeyed: from the years 1464-1465, the period of the apparitions, up to his death, the Dominican did nothing but spread the beloved Marian devotion through his preaching, and instituted the corresponding Confraternities. So much so as to persuade the Chapter of the Dominicans in Holland to recommend, in 1474 for the first time, the recitation of the Rosary as a prayer to be recited for the living and the dead. And also in that same year, in Frankfurt, in the church of the Dominicans, the first altar for a Confraternity of the Rosary was built.
Meanwhile in 1475, his last year, Alain set himself to write the Apologia of the Rosary of Mary, destined for a certain Ferrico, Bishop of Tournai, in order to relate everything that had happened to him eleven years before. Before returning to Rostock where he was to begin the scholastic year, he halted in Zwolle, and on 15 August, the feast of the Assumption of the Most Holy Mary, he became seriously ill.
Surrounded by his fellow brothers, who for a long time had considered him blessed, he died on the eve on the feast of the Birth of the Blessed Virgin Mary on 8 September.

[copied from: http://www.30giorni.it/us/articolo.asp?id=15592]

Our Lady

"Mary's sole object in this world was to keep her eyes constantly focused on God so as to discover His will. Then when she had found out what God wanted, she did it." ~St. Bernadine of Siena

Prayer to Our Lady

Immaculate Mother of Jesus,

We honor You as God's chosen one, beautiful, beloved, and free from all sin. Keep watch over us, pray that we may rise above our sins and failings and come to share the fullness of grace. Be a Mother to us in the order of grace by assisting us to live your obedience, your faith, your hope and your love. Amen.

[copied from CFP handbook.]

St. Teresa of Avila, pray for us

[an excerpt from "The Way of Perfection"
http://www.ccel.org/ccel/teresa/way.html]

CHAPTER 1
Of the reason which moved me to found this convent in such strict observance.

When this convent was originally founded, for the reasons set down in the book which, as I say, I have already written, and also because of certain wonderful revelations by which the Lord showed me how well He would be served in this house, it was not my intention that there should be so much austerity in external matters, nor that it should have no regular income: on the contrary, I should have liked there to be no possibility of want. I acted, in short, like the weak and wretched woman that I am, although I did so with good intentions and not out of consideration for my own comfort.

At about this time there came to my notice the harm and havoc that were being wrought in France by these Lutherans and the way in which their unhappy sect was increasing. This troubled me very much, and, as though I could do anything, or be of any help in the matter, I wept before the Lord and entreated Him to remedy this great evil. I felt that I would have laid down a thousand lives to save a single one of all the souls that were being lost there. And, seeing that I was a woman, and a sinner, and incapable of doing all I should like in the Lord's service, and as my whole yearning was, and still is, that, as He has so many enemies and so few friends, these last should be trusty ones, I determined to do the little that was in me -- namely, to follow the evangelical counsels (poverty, chastity, obedience) as perfectly as I could, and to see that these few nuns who are here should do the same, confiding in the great goodness of God, Who never fails to help those who resolve to forsake everything for His sake.

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Prayer of Penitents

(St. Francis's prayer before the San Damiano crucifix.)

Most High, Glorious God,
enlighten the darkness of my mind,
give me right faith,
a firm hope
and perfect charity,
so that I may always
and in all things
act according to Your Holy Will.
Amen.

[this prayer recommended by the
Confraternity of Penitents]

Consecration of the United States to the Immaculate Conception and Immaculate Heart of Mary

November 11, 2006

PRAYER FOR RENEWAL OF CONSECRATION

TO OUR PATRONESS OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

THE IMMACULATE CONCEPTION

Most Holy Trinity: Our Father in Heaven, who chose Mary as the fairest of your daughters; Holy Spirit, who chose Mary as Your spouse; God the Son, who chose Mary as Your Mother; in union with Mary, we adore your majesty and acknowledge Your supreme, eternal dominion and authority.

Most Holy Trinity, we put the United States of America into the hands of Mary Immaculate in order that she may present the country to you. Through her we wish to thank you for the great resources of this land and for the freedom, which has been its heritage. Through the intercession of Mary, have mercy on the Catholic Church in America. Grant us peace. Have mercy on our president and on all the officers of our government. Grant us a fruitful economy born of justice and charity. Have mercy on capital and industry and labor. Protect the family life of the nation. Guard the precious gift of many religious vocations. Through the intercession of our Mother, have mercy on the sick, the poor, the tempted, sinners—on all who are in need.

Mary, Immaculate Virgin, Our Mother, Patroness of our land, we praise you and honor you and give our country and ourselves to your Sorrowful and Immaculate Heart. O’ Sorrowful and Immaculate Heart of Mary pierced by the sword of sorrow prophesized by Simeon save us from degeneration, disaster and war. Protect us from all harm. O’ Sorrowful and Immaculate Heart of Mary, you who bore the sufferings of your Son in the depths of your heart be our Advocate. Pray for us, that acting always according to your will and the Will of your Divine Son, we may live and die pleasing to God. Amen.
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The Mass for the renewal of the consecration took place at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception, in Washington, D.C., on November 11, 2006 at 12:00 Noon, and aired on EWTN.

[text of the original press release follows:]

The World Apostolate of Fatima is pleased to announce that the U.S. Papal Nuncio, His Excellency Archbishop Pietro Sambi will be officiating the Mass for the renewal of our country’s Consecration to Our Patroness, the Immaculate Conception. All are invited to come to our nation’s Basilica-The Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception, in Washington, D.C., Saturday, November 11, 2006, at twelve noon.

All bishops have been invited to participate at the Mass. However, due to scheduling conflicts, the bishops may sign the Consecration prayer for their dioceses, which will then be offered at the Mass. This has been provided to them by the World Apostolate of Fatima. The prayer for the Consecration was composed by our bishops in 1959, at the dedication ceremony of the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception; whereby, our country was Consecrated to Our Patroness, the Immaculate Conception. However, by this consecration on November 11, 2006, our country will be Consecrated to the Heart of Our Patroness; this is our apostolate’s primary mission for world peace.

During World War I, His Eminence Francis Cardinal Bourne, who was the Primate of England, Consecrated England to the Sorrowful and Immaculate Heart of Mary. He claims, and many others as well, that it stopped World War I. The Armistice for World War I was signed after the Consecration on November 11th; this, incidentally, is the same day which the Papal Nuncio chose to officiate the Mass for the United States.

During the 1720’s, the Bubonic plague was rampant in Marseille, France. Out of the town’s population of ninety thousand, fifty thousand people died in a matter of months. The Archbishop Consecrated Marseille, France to the Sacred Heart to end the plague in the town, and this did happen without any medical means or vaccinations.

Portugal was Consecrated to the Immaculate Heart of Mary before World War II, and this country was protected from the war. With knowledge that our nation will be Consecrated to the Immaculate Conception and the Sorrowful and Immaculate Heart of our Blessed Mother let us continue to work with joy and excitement for the spiritual renewal of the United States, the salvation of souls and peace on earth.


(copied from: http://www.wafusa.org)
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