For there will be days when each of you will feel like giving up.

For there will be days when each of you will feel like giving up. 2/13/2009

Notes from Feb 10th 1999 Wednesday 8:05am msg. #1685

http://littlemary.excerptsofinri.com/messages/transcript/1999/0215-1999-mon.html

My daughter, you have been chosen for these times, so be glad each time your mother from heaven will come to you. … Be glad or worldly doubt will set in. When you are tired, come to me so I can give you encouragement. …

The reason why so many of our messengers give up is because they forget to take time to be consoled. … Many wait for Jesus and I to come to them, instead of turning to Jesus and I for help. My daughter, you too must take time for yourself. Take quiet time with God. You cannot carry these messages alone, for many are heavy and will pierce your heart. You need more time to talk with us, for this is how you will be comforted on this earth.

Today, I must remind all our children to pray and take refuge in our heart. For there will be days when each of you will feel like giving up. If you try to carry your burdens alone, you will become discouraged. … So please remember children, to take time to share your thoughts and feelings with us. God will then refresh you. God and I will help each child who comes with an open heart.

We will help each who spend prayer time with our Lord. So be not foolish and turn to God instead of man, for all your needs. Be not foolish… I ask today that each of you spend less time talking with those around you for this takes precious prayer time away from you. … I ask that you turn to God when you feel like talking and speak with Him. I ask you to pray and deepen your relationship with God. If you leave God last, then you will not be given the you will need on this earth.

If you do not take time to pray throughout the day, then the enemy will attack you whenever you are weak. The enemy, my children has planted many traps on this earth. And many will fall if you are leaving God last. … Each of you must ask yourselves today, are you spending enough time with God?

If you do not feel peaceful or joyful, then you are not leaving enough time for God. If you feel lonely or depressed, then you are not spending enough time with God. If you feel on edge or Confused, then please children, increase your time with our Lord. … Come to Mass more, so your soul can be nourished. Come more often… Take time to kneel before the Blessed Sacrament…

Don’t wait so long between visits, come more often. Don’t wait to cleanse your soul, come when the spirit moves you. ..Don’t wait for.. spend time each day with Christ. Don’t wait or it will cause you to fall further away from God.

My children, please listen and respond today, for I need each of you strong for times to come. … I need healthy children who are full of life and joyful. I need children who will remain peaceful through each new storm. This will not be if you are not nourishing soul. You will not remain strong if you are not coming to know the Blessed Trinity. If you are spending all your time watching TV or on the phone then you too will panic, for you will not know how to confide in God. You will not be at peace if you are wasting this time to truly come to know God.

I am here today to remind you to turn away from what ever it is that is pulling you away from God. If it is luxury, remove it from your home. If it is your money, then give it to those who are in need. … If it is pride, then humble yourself today… If it is because of busyness, then you will need to slow down. Each of you will have to be honest with yourself, or in the end you will suffer.

In the end, each of you know what is best for your soul. Each of you cannot say, “I did not know”, for I have reminded you many times. It is up to you, because I cannot force you to nourish and cleanse your soul. It is up to you to turn to God for strength. It is up to you to rely on God instead of our messengers for direction. Each of you need to come to know Jesus in a special way. Each of you need to examine your conscience… Without taking a look at how you are living, you will not change. You will not have true peace if you are separating yourselves from God. You will not be happy or joyful unless you are willing to work.

Without a willingness on your part, God cannot help you. Now I ask each of you to take time to reflect on this message so you spend more time with God. For this is the only way to really come to know God. This time my children, cannot be wasted, for this time cannot be given back to you… So be wise, take our hand, God and I are here for each one of you. God knows just how to help you, so please turn to God each new day. Amen.

Catechism of the Catholic Church

http://www.scborromeo.org/ccc.htm 2710

The choice of the time and duration of the prayer arises from a determined will, revealing the secrets of the heart. One does not undertake contemplative prayer only when one has the time: one makes time for the Lord, with the firm determination not to give up, no matter what trials and dryness one may encounter. One cannot always meditate, but one can always enter into inner prayer, independently of the conditions of health, work, or emotional state. The heart is the place of this quest and encounter, in poverty ant in faith.

Excerpt of a Homily by Fr. Robert Altier Sunday February 3, 2002 http://www.desertvoice.excerptsofinri.com/text/2002/Alti020302.htm

Most of us probably do not seek our refuge in the Lord, but rather, we seek our refuge in anything and everything other than the Lord, most often. You can ask yourself: When you feel stressed, do you turn to pray? When you are feeling attacked, do you turn to Our Lord? When you are feeling lowly or lonely or despised, do you turn to the Lord?

Many of us, in answer to those things, would probably say that we call someone else on the phone, we turn on the TV or we eat. We turn to material things; we look to all kinds of other things other than God. We do not necessarily seek our refuge in the Lord. What we need to strive for is true humility. There is not one single individual in Heaven who is not humble, not one. There is not one single person in Heaven who sought refuge in himself or herself.

There is no one in Heaven who did not seek the Lord. We need to be very clear about that. We have a choice to make. And the choices that we make in this world are also eternal choices. I have asked many times from this pulpit: Do you want to serve the Lord? Or do you want to serve some other god? Most of us are not going to bow down before idols; that is, little gods made of wood, silver, or gold.

But there are lots of idols in this society that many, many, many people bow down before, that many people put before God. We need to choose whom we are going to serve. Jesus tells us in the Gospel what the life of the Christian person is to look like. We are to be poor in spirit. We are to be mourning over sin. We are to be meek. We are to be lowly. We are going to be persecuted. We are going to be slandered. He makes all those points in the Beatitudes and calls those people blessed.

Now that is not what anybody who lives a worldly life would call blessed. But the Lord does. And so, we need to ask ourselves: Are we seeking our reward in Heaven? Or are we seeking our reward here on earth? Remember, if we go out of our way to seek the attention of others

Our Lord tells us: “You have already received your reward.” I think the same, then, can be said when we look at the Beatitudes. If we are seeking the things of this world – the comforts and the riches and all of the things that this world affords – if we are trying to be wise in the ways of the world, if we are trying to fit in, we have already received our reward, which means that we are not going to receive it in the end.

We will stand before God on the Day of Judgment and He will say, “I do not know you.” The goal of our Christian life is to be conformed to Jesus Christ, indeed, even more: to be transformed into Jesus Christ. Jesus was poor and meek and lowly. Jesus sought to serve others.

He gave of Himself, poured everything out for our sake. He was persecuted. He was slandered. And that is what is going to happen to us if we want to follow Him. That is the choice we have to make. Do we want to be like Jesus? Or do we just want to keep Jesus at a far distance and give Him lip service while our lives and our hearts are far from Him? The choice is entirely ours. The day of God’s wrath is drawing near. There will be a remnant that will be saved through it. And it will be a remnant only of those who seek refuge in the Name of the Lord. Do not think that when that day comes you are suddenly going to seek refuge if it is not what you are accustomed to already.

It is something that we have to do every day because then when that day comes we will be accustomed to calling upon the Name of the Lord. When that day comes, whether it is the day of our own individual judgment or a day of the Lord that will befall this world, it is not going to frighten us; it is not going to be a problem for us if we are accustomed to being humble and righteous and seeking our refuge in the Lord.

But if instead we seek pride, power, selfishness, if we are seeking our refuge in wealth, materialism, position, or anything else, then when the day of the Lord comes upon us we will not be seeking the Lord, but we will be seeking all the other things. It is absolutely essential that we strive for humility, that we strive for righteousness, and that we call upon the Name of the Lord. It is not something that is just a good idea. It is not something that [we can say], “Well, of course, we would hear it in church. But that is what we hear in church; we don’t really have to live it or pay attention to it.”

It is not something that we can compartmentalize and say, “Well, that’s on Sunday morning, but the rest of my life I don’t have to pay attention to that,” because one day each one of us will stand before the Lord and the choice we make now is the choice we will make then. Seek righteousness, seek humility, and seek refuge in the Name of the Lord.

Surrender to the loving will of the Father

Surrender to the loving will of the Father

MESSAGE #1240 from the Blessed Mother October 25, 1997
 
My daughter, Heaven awaits those who believe and do the Father’s Will.

It is not always easy to do the Father’s Will, for one does not always understand the work that they must do for Our Lord and that is why one must trust and believe that whatever God asks you to do, it is for good reason. For God’s plans are mighty and when carried out, souls will be saved. If one is not patient, then God’s plans cannot be carried out. It is through obedience that one grows and learns to trust, for without obedience one will step ahead of God.

The answers will not always be given to those who do the Father’s Will, for then one would not learn to trust. The answers are given in God’s most perfect timing because God knows how much each child can comprehend. God prepares His children first so they stay strong in their faith through all trials and tribulation. Through God’s grace, one is strengthened and prepared along the way.

The problem today is that many want instant answers. They want to do what they want to do, thus refusing how God wants to direct them. Many then become frustrated and give up because they refuse the guidance needed to stay whole. Many question God due to lack of faith or because of fear. Many do not see themselves the way God sees them, so they refuse to believe that they can do what God is asking of them. This is why so many never do what God is asking of them.

My people, there is no longer time to ignore God. You must be more willing to pick up your cross so more can be accomplished in these times. You must believe that God knows what you can do. You must quit doubting every time God speaks to you, for then God’s work cannot be carried through. You must start confiding in God so your relationship can grow, for without coming to know God, you will only become weaker, which will cause you to deny God.

You need to tell God how you feel so that God can help you sort out your feelings, for your thoughts and emotions are what pull you away. It is your desires that lead you astray, for your desires can be very selfish because of your insecurities and weaknesses. One must ask themselves today, are they truly doing what Our Lord is asking of them or are you only pleasing yourselves? Are you walking the road of Calvary or are you taking the easier way out? Do you truly love God or are you denying God?

I say to each of you, surrender and do the Father’s Will no matter how hard it seems, for God will always be your strength. God will guide you and teach you the more perfect way. God will mold you and purify you on this earth if you allow God to. God will discipline you in the areas where you are weak so you become stronger in your faith. God will never leave you, so please remove that fear of thinking you will have to walk alone. God will always protect you and provide you with the answers that you need to know.

So trust, my people, and become more confident in Our Lord so you do not hinder the grace and gifts that God wants to bestow on you. Be more trusting that God will always see you through. Be not angry or do not blame God when things don’t go your way, for in time, all will be perfect if you stay true to Our Lord.

Now, go forth as true believers so that God can work through you, for then your lives will be less stressful because much peace and joy will be given to you. Be more committed to serve Christ so you stay loyal to Our Lord and keep your eyes focused towards Heaven, for then no job will ever be too difficult for you. For Heaven is eternal and awaits all those who believe and do the Father’s Will. Amen.

 

Catechism of the Catholic Church

2712  Contemplative prayer is the prayer of the child of God, of the forgiven sinner who agrees to welcome the love by which he is loved and who wants to respond to it by loving even more. But he knows that the love he is returning is poured out by the Spirit in his heart, for everything is grace from God. Contemplative prayer is the poor and humble surrender to the loving will of the Father in ever deeper union with his beloved Son.
Gospel (St. John 3:1-8)  Jesus Teaches Nicodemus

Now there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a member of the Jewish ruling council. He came to Jesus at night and said, “Rabbi, we know you are a teacher who has come from God. For no one could perform the miraculous signs you are doing if God were not with him.”
 
In reply Jesus declared, “I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again.”

“How can a man be born when he is old?” Nicodemus asked. “Surely he cannot enter a second time into his mother’s womb to be born!”

Jesus answered, “I tell you the truth, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit. Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit. You should not be surprised at my saying, ‘You must be born again.’ The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.”

Monday April 28, 2003 Homily by Fr. Robert Altier

Our Lord, speaking with Nicodemus in the Gospel reading today, tells us that we must be born again of water and the Holy Spirit. And then, speaking of the Spirit (which is the same word as “wind” in Greek), He tells us that you do not know where it is going to blow – it blows where it wills – and so He says it is with the Holy Spirit. If we are going to be faithful to the movement of the Holy Spirit in our lives, we need to allow Him to lead us. He is going to blow where He wills. It will not necessarily be the way that we think it is going to be because God does not always do things according to our plan, as we all know very well. And so He is going to lead us.

The difficulty for us is precisely the idea that we already think we know what God wants us to do, so we do not check with Him first. There are some things, of course, that we do know that He wants us to do. The duties of our state in life, for instance, are required of us; that is obviously God’s Will for us. Yet at the same time, we still have to make sure we are praying.

If we are praying and allowing the Lord to lead us, all kinds of interesting things will happen that we would never have planned and we could not have planned. We just simply need to trust and allow the Holy Spirit to blow where He will, which means to lead us wherever He wants and to bring the people to us or to bring us to the people that He wants. We have no idea who it is or where it is or when it is; that is completely up to the Lord. And so if we are going to claim what the truth really is – that is, that we have been born again of water and the Holy Spirit – then we need to live that. We need to let go, we need to trust God, and we need to allow the Holy Spirit to lead us wherever He wills.

Pray your Rosary every day, for this is your weapon to combat evil

Pray your Rosary every day, for this is your weapon to combat evil
MESSAGE #2650 from the Blessed Mother July 8, 2004
 
 My daughter, In times to come you will need each other, so continue to gather in those groups that I have formed. Continue to pray and be loving to all your brothers and sisters. Be true friends to one another and support each other through all trials and storms. Practice all that I am teaching you so you do not lose hope or give in to the enemy.

There are many today who want to destroy those groups that I have formed. There are many today who seek control and who do not pray. Their time will come and they will have to answer to God. No one can stop prayer, so I say to my faithful remnant, join hands and pray. Remain united in prayer, faith and obedience. Stay true to the Church and respond to what your Most Holy Pope is telling you. Do not compromise with the world, for I say to you, you will each have to answer to God. Pray your Rosary every day, for this is your weapon to combat evil. Pray in your homes and never, never cease praying. Satan has many followers, so I say to my children, be on guard. Use the protection God has given you and stay close, close to Our Heart.

Live the Gospel each new day and rebuke all evil. Follow the ways of unceasing prayer, penance and sacrifice. Obey each Commandment and be not afraid of persecution. Speak and live the truth and imitate Christ. Live simply and do not seek the pleasures and comforts of this world. Do not allow your material possessions to take over your  life. Live like the Saints and keep your focus on Christ. Keep your hearts open so you can hear the Holy Spirit. Allow God to mold you so you are formed in the proper way. Live, live your consecration. Live it with joy in your hearts.

Now, please pray, pray the Rosary, for it is truly the greatest weapon in these times of unrest. I am truly with you, so be at peace. Be at peace and know that I, your Heavenly Mother, am with you. Amen.

Pope John Paul II  APOSTOLIC LETTER
ROSARIUM VIRGINIS MARIAE

The Rosary of the Virgin Mary, which gradually took form in the second millennium under the guidance of the Spirit of God, is a prayer loved by countless Saints and encouraged by the Magisterium….The Rosary has accompanied me in moments of joy and in moments of difficulty. To it I have entrusted any number of concerns; in it I have always found comfort….How many graces have I received in these years from the Blessed Virgin through the Rosary…..Simple yet profound, it still remains, at the dawn of this third millennium, a prayer of great significance, destined to bring forth a harvest of holiness.

Gospel (St. Luke 21:25-34)

“There will be signs in the sun, moon and stars. On the earth, nations will be in anguish and perplexity at the roaring and tossing of the sea. Men will faint from terror, apprehensive of what is coming on the world, for the heavenly bodies will be shaken. At that time they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. When these things begin to take place, stand up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.”

He told them this parable: “Look at the fig tree and all the trees. When they sprout leaves, you can see for yourselves and know that summer is near. Even so, when you see these things happening, you know that the kingdom of God is near.

“I tell you the truth, this generation[b] will certainly not pass away until all these things have happened. Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away. “Be careful, or your hearts will be weighed down with dissipation, drunkenness and the anxieties of life, and that day will close on you unexpectedly like a trap. For it will come upon all those who live on the face of the whole earth. Be always on the watch, and pray that you may be able to escape all that is about to happen, and that you may be able to stand before the Son of Man.”
Homily by Fr. Robert Altier  Friday November 29, 2002  – Reading (Revelation 20:1-4, 11-21:2)

We have heard Our Lord explaining to His disciples what things are going to happen when the end of the world comes. Yet, at the same time, He adds in today’s Gospel that all these things will happen before “this generation” passes away. And so we ask ourselves, “How can we understand this?” It is very simple: All of these things did happen before that generation passed away. It was not the end of the world as yet but it was the end of Jerusalem as it was known. The soldiers of the Roman army in the year 70 A.D. destroyed Jerusalem, and all the things Our Lord had spoken about – an army encircling the city, the signs in the sky, the various things that were happening with the wars and famines and earthquakes and so on – all these things happened in and around Jerusalem. It is an interesting statistic that not one single Christian person died in the year 70 back in Jerusalem, even though several million Jewish people died. The reason is the people saw what was happening and they did exactly what Our Lord told them to do. That is, they fled for the hills, they got out of Jerusalem and they went to where it would be safe. That was a precursor of what is going to happen at the end. And so the things that happened to Jerusalem, the way it was destroyed in fire, is what is going to happen to this whole earth. It too will be destroyed in fire. All of the various things that occurred, the signs in the sky, the military things, and all of the things that occurred will happen again but on a much larger scale.
 
At the same time, rather than despairing, we need to look forward to things with great hope. For instance, in the first reading from the Book of Revelation, we heard about the angel coming down from Heaven holding in his hand the key to the great abyss and a heavy chain. He tied up the devil with that chain and threw him into the great abyss and locked the door over the top of him. That chain is the Rosary and our Holy Father, in giving us the mysteries to the Rosary and adding new power and authority to the Rosary, has told us exactly what needs to be done without saying it in so many words. We need to pray the Rosary. That is the chain that is going to tie up the devil. That is where the authority of Our Lady is going to be found. Remember, this is the time that Our Lord has given to His mother. This is her time, and if we are not deeply into the prayer of the Rosary and deeply into the life of the Church and the Sacraments and the life of prayer, we will have no part of it. We have heard about all of those who will be dead; and those whose names were not written in the Book of Life are going to be thrown into the pool of fire with the devil.
 
And it is not just a matter of sitting back saying, “Well, gee, I believe in Jesus,” because we heard very clearly what it is about. There are millions of Christian people who are thoroughly duped by Satan and they believe firmly that as long as they believe in Jesus as their personal Lord and Savior they are going straight to Heaven. Nowhere – NOWHERE – in the Bible does it say that, nowhere. But they have believed it. It says right here in the Book of Revelation that the dead were judged according to their deeds. So they had to believe in Jesus, but they had to act on that belief. So it is putting the faith into practice.
 
Are we living that faith? Are we going to be part of that remnant? Are we going to be part of that group that will reign with Our Lord? Or are we going to be part of those whose names will be found among the dead because we claim belief in Jesus Christ but refuse to live it? We spoke it on our lips but our deeds spoke otherwise because we were embarrassed to be known as Catholics in the world.

We did not want people to know that we were really going to live our faith, and so we waffled. When we showed up at Mass we looked very pious, but as long as we were away from the church then we fit in with everybody else. Our judgment will not be a happy one if that is who we are. If, on the other hand, we are deeply rooted in prayer, we are living our faith, and we are standing up for what it means to be Catholic, then we will be in good shape. But we need to put it into practice. It is according to our deeds that we are going to be judged. We profess our faith in Jesus, now we have to live it. That is what is incumbent upon all of us.
 
Our task is to make sure that our souls are in the state of grace and that we are deeply rooted in prayer, that we have taken up the weapons that Our Lady has given to us – particularly the Mass, Confession, the Rosary, and a life of daily prayer – so that we are growing in holiness, that we are performing the works of holiness, and that we are living the faith that we profess so that we will be one with Jesus, that we will be able to reign with Him in this world and in the next.

Our Lady is calling us to take up the Rosary – to draw into our souls

Our Lady is calling us to take up the Rosary – to draw into our souls
the Graces of the Mysteries of the Life, Passion and Glory of Jesus
Christ.

MESSAGE #2580 from the Blessed Mother January 23, 2004

My daughter, Darker days will come if my children continue to choose
darkness. Much more evil will enter this world if man refuses to
repent and live a life that is pleasing to God. This world is truly
in trouble because so many hearts have become cold. Cold hearts is
what will bring destruction to this world. Violence and many more
wars will arise if man does not repent and turn to God.

It is time now to get down on your knees and pray, pray more. It is
pertinent that you join hands and pray the Rosary properly. If you
meditate on the mysteries of the Rosary, your prayers will truly come
from your heart. I say to each of you, do not rush through your
prayers. Meditate on each mystery of the Rosary so that your focus is
on God. Do not just mumble words, think about what you are saying.

The Rosary will have a powerful effect on those who recite it
faithfully. The Rosary has helped save many souls and it has had
victory over many wars. There are many promises through praying the
Rosary if you recite it properly. The Rosary is the weapon against
Satan, so please do not ignore my heavenly pleas. Gather your family
and pray it daily and you shall have peace. Gather in your Church and
pray the Rosary from your hearts.

Make better use of this time and pray, pray more. Pray each new day.
Pray for peace. Pray for your Priests, for Satan is truly attacking
many. Pray for family unity, for there is much turmoil in many homes.
Pray for this world so more wake up before it’s too late. Pray for
those who are choosing darkness, for without a repentive heart, many
will see the fire of hell. Many will truly suffer when God shakes
this earth.

Now, please listen to my motherly requests and respond, respond now.
Respond now, for time is short and many today need your prayers.
Today is a day to fast and to pray, so please do your part so more
repent and turn to God. Amen.

Gospel (St. Luke 1:26-38)

And in the sixth month, the angel Gabriel was sent from God into a
city of Galilee, called Nazareth, To a virgin espoused to a man
whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin’s name
was Mary. And the angel being come in, said unto her: Hail, full of
grace, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women. Who
having heard, was troubled at his saying, and thought with herself
what manner of salutation this should be. And the angel said to her:
Fear not, Mary, for thou hast found grace with God.

Behold thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and shalt bring forth a son;
and thou shalt call his name Jesus. He shall be great, and shall be
called the Son of the most High; and the Lord God shall give unto him
the throne of David his father; and he shall reign in the house of
Jacob for ever. And of his kingdom there shall be no end. And Mary
said to the angel: How shall this be done, because I know not man?
And the angel answering, said to her: The Holy Ghost shall come upon
thee, and the power of the most High shall overshadow thee. And
therefore also the Holy which shall be born of thee shall be called
the Son of God.

Excerpts from – APOSTOLIC LETTER ROSARIUM VIRGINIS MARIAE OF THE
SUPREME PONTIFF – Pope John Paul II

In the recitation of the Rosary, the Christian community enters into
contact with the memories and the contemplative gaze of Mary.
By its nature the recitation of the Rosary calls for a quiet rhythm
and a lingering pace, helping the individual to meditate on the
mysteries of the Lord’s life as seen through the eyes of her who was
closest to the Lord. In this way the unfathomable riches of these
mysteries are disclosed

Contemplating the scenes of the Rosary in union with Mary is a means
of learning from her to “read” Christ, to discover his secrets and to
understand his message.

By meditating on the mysteries of the Rosary and by living the same
life in Holy Communion, we can become, to the extent of our
lowliness, similar to them and can learn from these supreme models a
life of humility, poverty, hiddenness, patience and perfection” In
this process of being conformed to Christ in the Rosary, we entrust
ourselves in a special way to the maternal care of the Blessed
Virgin. She who is both the Mother of Christ

Excerpts from a Homily by Fr. Robert Altier – Tuesday October 7, 2003

Our Lady is calling us to take up the Rosary, a simple prayer, but an
exceedingly powerful prayer because it is using the very words of God
Himself, it is using the words of the angel Gabriel, it is glorifying
the Most Holy Trinity, it is praying for the conversion of sinners,
it is acknowledging our Faith. Everything is there in this one
beautiful prayer. And not only everything with the power in its
words, but with its power in the mysteries of the life and the death
and the resurrection and the glorification of our blessed Lord, so
that we consider and meditate upon these mysteries of who we are and
our dignity and the love of God for us as He brings us out of our
sinfulness, making us His own children and calling us to eternity
with Himself. The Rosary becomes in this way the ladder to heaven, as
Jesus told Nathaniel that he would see “greater things than this,
even the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of Man.”
That is a mystery that takes place as we pray the Rosary.

But more than that, it is the Rosary, I believe, which is spoken of
in the Book of Revelation as the chain which will bind Satan and cast
him into the abyss. If you want Satan to leave you and your family
alone, take up the weapon, the weapon of peace, but the weapon which
will crush the head of Satan – that is, our blessed Lady’s Rosary.
She has made the promises. We have seen them over and over again, but
for whatever reason we tend to not want to do what we are asked to
do. In the meantime, the devil is destroying our families and he is
infiltrating the Church and destroying the faith of many because they
are not taking up this simple but exceedingly powerful prayer.

It is an interesting thing to note that every single saint, for the
last however many generations and centuries, that has started a
religious order has required that the nuns and the monks and the
priests all pray the Rosary. It is not an option. I do not know any
religious orders in their foundation that did not pray the Rosary.
There are many religious these days who do not because, again, they
are following the same pattern as everyone else. But all of the
founders of religious orders require it. All of the saints require it
and they talk about it. Now these are people with profound lives of
prayer, and they recognize that the foundation and the mainstay of
their prayer life is in many ways going to be found in our blessed
Lady’s Rosary.

If the Mother of God is asking this of us, if God Himself is asking
it of us, if the Church is asking it of us – there are more
encyclical letters written by the Popes over the centuries on the
Rosary than on any other topic – then we need to realize that the
wisdom of the saints and the wisdom of the Church is directed at us
that we need to recognize, like little children, the simplicity of
this prayer and the love which we can pour into it and the power
which flows from it. If your children have wandered from the Church,
pray the Rosary. If your family is being torn apart, pray the Rosary.
If you are struggling in your life, pray the Rosary. It is precisely
the prayer that the angels pray. It is precisely the prayer that the
saints have prayed. It is the prayer that Our Lady has asked us to
pray, and Our Lady will be faithful to all the promises she has made
in regard to the Rosary. We simply need to have that childlike trust
and to take up our weapon, the weapon of peace, the weapon with the
greatest power. If we can come before Our Lord – in the Blessed
Sacrament, especially – with Rosary in hand, all things will be ours.