This month of October is the month of the rosary. If you do not have a regular devotion to praying
the rosary -- now is the perfect time to start. The prayers of the rosary and the mysteries
are filled with scripture
and as such, are a perfect bible study for busy mothers with little
time to sit and study Sacred Scripture. There are many forms of
scriptural rosary (I have posted before about them
here,
here, and
here), but even without the scripture passages, the rosary teaches us about Christ Jesus, and
the prayers, through God and Our Blessed Mother, lead us to Our Lord.
It often seems impossible for busy mothers to have enough quiet time to
pray five decades of the rosary each day. Though it is a wonderful gift
to make the time for all five decades at once, and scripture if you have
extra time, it is often more doable to pray one decade at a time. By
keeping a tenner rosary -- a string of beads -- ten Aves and one Pater
-- in ones pocket or handbag, the time for a rosary a day can usually be
found -- sitting in the car waiting for children, rocking a baby to
sleep, or even waiting for a load of laundry to finish spinning in the
dryer.
Today I am hosting a giveaway of one tenner rosary. I made this rosary
with 20 gauge non-tarnishing silver wire -- it's very durable. The Aves
are 6mm brown Czech glass beads and the Pater is a beautiful, iridescent
brown, opaque, glass bead. The medal is a silver St. Michael the
Archangel medal -- St. Michael, protect us -- and the crucifix is a
Pardon crucifix. See the information below about St. Michael and the
Pardon crucifix.
For a chance to win the rosary, leave your name and a way to contact you
(please be sure to do this so I can find you later -- the internet is a
huge place!) in the comment box by Tuesday at midnight and I'll
announce a winner on Wednesday. Alternately, you can email me -- my
address is in the sidebar.
~~~~~
St. Michael:
On Sunday April 24th 1994, Pope John Paul II recommended this prayer be used
by all Catholics as a prayer for the Church when he said:
'"May prayer strengthen us for the spiritual battle we are told
about in the Letter to the Ephesians: 'Draw strength from the Lord and from
His mighty power' (Ephesians 6:10). The Book of Revelation refers to this same
battle, recalling before our eyes the image of St. Michael the Archangel
(Revelation 12:7). Pope Leo XIII certainly had a very vivid recollection of
this scene when, at the end of the last century, he introduced a special
prayer to St. Michael throughout the Church. Although this prayer is no longer
recited at the end of Mass, I ask everyone not to forget it and to recite
it to obtain help in the battle against forces of darkness and against the
spirit of this world."'
Saint Michael the Archangel,
defend us in battle.
Be our protection against the wickedness and snares of
the devil.
May God rebuke him, we humbly pray;
and do Thou, O Prince of the Heavenly Host -
by the Divine Power of God -
cast into hell, satan and all the evil spirits,
who roam throughout the world seeking the ruin of souls.
Amen.
~~~~~
Pardon Crucifix:
The Front of the Crucifix:
Above the cruciform figure, the familiar I.N.R.I. has been inscribed with the words
"Jesus Nazarenus Rex Judaeorum. "" Latin uses I instead of the English J,
and V instead of U (Iesvs Nazarenvs Rex Ivdaeorvm). The English
translation is "Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews." .
The Reverse of the Crucifix:
On the transverse arms are the words, "Father, forgive them.". On the
vertical beam of the Cross are the words, "Behold this heart which has
so loved men.". An image of The Sacred Heart of Jesus is shown in the center.
These indulgences have been declared upon the Pardon
Crucifix by Pope St. Pius X in 1905, and have been approved in the pardon
of the living and the souls in Purgatory in 1907. The lengths of the
indulgences were repealed in the new Enchiridion, and the indulgences
were granted to remit the guilt of the sin committed:
1. Whoever carries on his person the Pardon Crucifix, may thereby gain
an indulgence.
2. For devoutly kissing the Crucifix, an indulgence is gained.
3. Whoever says one of the following invocations before this crucifix
may gain each time an indulgence: "Our Father who art in heaven, forgive
us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us." "I beg
the Blessed Virgin Mary to pray to the Lord our God for me."
4. Whoever, habitually devout to this Crucifix, will fulfill the
necessary conditions of Confession and Holy Communion, may gain a
Plenary Indulgence on the following feasts: On the feasts of the Five
Wounds of our Lord, the Invention of the Holy Cross, the Exaltation of
the Holy Cross, the Immaculate Conception, and the Seven Sorrows (Dolors)
of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
5. Whoever, at the moment of death, fortified with the Sacraments of the
Church, or contrite of heart, in the supposition of being unable to
receive them, will kiss this Crucifix and ask pardon of God for his
sins, and pardon his neighbor, will gain a Plenary Indulgence.
