Armor of God Part 2

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UFnEkuoV-A8&feature=youtube_gdata_player

Armor of God

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jdDBiKz6TDw&feature=youtube_gdata_player

Why I Say the Rosary Daily

Many might ask, “What do you get out of saying the Rosary daily? And isn't it a form of vain repetition?”

As Catholics many of us are used to judgments from others. As a result, many have turned away from the faith, feel shamed, or become stronger in their faith.

“Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness' sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake. Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted the prophets which were before you.” Matthew 5:10-12

I am not ashamed to say that saying the Rosary daily, preferably in the morning, has brought great joy to my life. I will admit that oftentimes when I hold the Rosary in my hand I think of Pope Pius IX, saying, “Give me an army saying the Rosary and I will conquer the world.” That is such a powerful statement. Sometimes I don't believe people, even Catholics, understand just how powerful the Rosary is in spiritual battle and the conquering over the enemy. Whether your enemy is depression, mental or physical illness, strongholds and addictions or any of the vices the Rosary is one way to overcome those trials in your life.

When we say the Rosary, we begin with the affirmation of our faith — the Apostles Creed. Each day I say this creed I am verbally testifying to what I believe. I am telling the angels and other spirits around me that “I believe in God the Father almighty, Creator of heaven and earth...” And this creed is impeded within me. Each time I recite this creed I am not simply uttering or mumbling a few words in a paragraph, but rather it is said with power and strength. “I believe in God the Father almighty, Creator of heaven and earth, and in Jesus Christ, His only Son our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary...”

After the affirmation of our faith we say the Our Father. “Our Father who art in heaven hallowed be thy name; Thy kingdom come, Thy will be don on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.” As I recite this prayer, I am meditating on the fact that my Father is in heaven and his name is holy for God is holy. I thank him each day, for every time I reach, I have daily bread, but not food for the stomach only, but daily communion as well as we partake in daily Mass. The bread that we receive, representing the body of Christ and the Word of God, food for our mind, body and spirit and gives us the power and grace to forgive others and fall not into temptation from the evils of the day.

Next is the Hail Mary. “Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee; blessed are thou among women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death Amen.” Now, Mary plays and important role in the Catholic faith and many non-Catholics have a problem with having reverence for Mary. Which honestly baffles me because you don't have a problem with the Valentine's Day Cupid, the Easter bunny, Halloween ghouls and gremlins, the Thanksgiving Day turkey, or Santa Claus, but with Mary there's an issue. I believe this issue comes from a lack of knowledge in Catholicism and hearsay rather than self study.

When we make reverence to Mary, we are honoring her as the mother of Jesus. We are honoring and meditating on her role in the Mysteries as a mother. We are meditating on Luke 1:28-30, “And the angel came in unto her (Mary), and said, Hail, thou that art highly favored, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women. And when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and cast in her ind what manner of salutation this should be. And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favor with God.”

And in Luke 1:41-44, “And it came to pass, that, when Elisabeth heard the salutation of Mary, the babe leaped in her womb; and Elisabeth was filled with the Holy Ghost: And she spake out with a loud voice, and said, Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb. And whence is this to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?”

Next we say the Glory Be. “Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit; as it was in the beginning is now and ever shall be; world without end Amen.”

When the Rosary is recited all of the passages surrounding Jesus' life is remembered and meditated upon; thus, Mary having an important role in his life being highly favored of God. We know that God does not have favorites, but there are some who are highly favored based on their relationship with God; hence many, while meditating on Mary, can't help but focus on Jesus which draws them closer to the Father. Many would still have an issue but rather than judge, “Let every man be fully persuaded in his own mind...Happy is he that condemneth not himself in that thing which he alloweth.” Romans 14:5b & 22b.

The first Five Joyful Mysteries include; the Annunciation, the Visitation, the Nativity; the Presentation, the Finding of the Lord in the Temple. Take for a moment, can you imagine as a Mother, looking for your child and not knowing where he is and then when you find him he's teaching in a temple? As a mother your first thought is, “I've been looking all over for you!” And you just want to crab him and kiss and reprimand him at the same time. As I am reciting the mysteries and as a mother I can understand in some instances how Mary must have felt. Rather I can get a sense of how she felt.

As I meditate on the Five Sorrowful Mysteries which include; the Agony in the Garden; the Scourging at the Pillar; the Crowning with Thorns; the Carrying of the Cross; the Crucifixion. The Agony in the Garden itself is a mystery. Can you imagine how it would feel knowing you're about to be crucified while carrying on the weight of the sins of the world and how all of that weight felt while carrying the cross? Thank you, Jesus for allowing me to cast my cares on you and for dying for my sins. These are the questions and the mysteries that one ponders while saying the Rosary.

The Five Glorious Mysteries include; the Resurrection; the Ascension; the Descent of the Holy Spirit; the Assumption of Eternal Life, Devotion to Mary. When we recited the Apostles Creed at the beginning and said, “...I believe in the Holy Spirit, the Holy Catholic Church, the Communion of Saints; the forgiveness of sins; the resurrection of the body and life everlasting, Amen.” The Apostles Creed includes all the 15 decades of the mysteries. I can't help but be reminded of my affirmation of faith when I conclude with the Five Glorious Mysteries as we recited at the beginning, so it is at the end.

Glory be to the Father and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit; as it was in the beginning is now and ever shall be; world without end Amen.”

I do need to mention that there are also Five Luminous Mysteries or Mysteries of Light that were introduced by Pope John Paul II in his October 2002 Apostolic Letter and they are: The Baptism of the Lord; the Wedding at Cana; the Proclamation of the Kingdom; the Transfiguration; the Institution of the Eucharist. When I meditate on these mysteries I do them separately on Thursday. And I ponder the power of the kingdom at hand on each mystery.

Following the 15 or 20 Mysteries some will say the Fatima Prayer. “O my Jesus, forgive us our sins, save us from the fires of hell and lead all souls to heaven, especially those most in need of Thy mercy.” We're asking Jesus to deliver us and save us from the Lake of Fire. As I say this prayer I recognize and understand that there are many who deeply dwell in the wickedness and lusts of this world. Those individuals are not to be envied, but rather pitied and we are asking Jesus to have mercy on those souls who are on a fast path toward destruction. For we fear the God who can kill both soul and body in hell. Matthew 10:28

We conclude with the Hail Holy Queen. “Hail Holy Queen, Mother of mercy! Hail, our life, our sweetness and our hope! To you do we cry poor banished children of Eve; to you do we send up our sighs, mourning and weeping in this valley of tears. Turn then, most gracious advocate, your eyes of mercy toward us; and after this our exile, show unto us the blessed fruit of your womb Jesus. O clement, O loving, O sweet Virgin Mary. Pray for us O Holy Mother of God; that we may be worthy of the promises of Christ. Amen.”

Let us pray. “O God whose only begotten Son, by His life, death and resurrection, has purchased for us the rewards of eternal salvation; grant we beseech Thee, that meditating upon these mysteries in the most Holy Rosary of the Blessed Virgin Mary; we may imitate what they contain and obtain what they promise through the same Christ our Lord Amen.”

NO. The Rosary isn't simply a repetition of vain sayings. It is a repetition and a meditation on the life, power and promises of our Lord and Savior Jesus the Christ.

The Rosary is a meditation on the life of Christ from being in Mary's womb to the giving of the Holy Spirit, even his coming to judge the earth. Whether I am saying the Rosary in the privacy of my own home, in the backyard, at the beach or in the park...Christ is there, Jehovah Shammah is present. And yes, Christ should be present in everything we do and everywhere we go, but as I meditate on his life, it draws me and allows me to go deeper into, not only his life, but the great Virgin Mary's, the Apostles, and all the events surrounding that time in history, Biblically speaking.

When I say the Rosary, I am meditating on what happened and why it happened and the events surrounding how it happened. Thus, my mornings begin with the life of Christ in my mind, heart and soul. The recitation of the Rosary has given me important revelations regarding life and making decisions. It has added more peace to my life and a calmness dwells about me when things around me are challenging. However, with that peace has also come power and authority to recognize when the adversary is attempting to enter my life or shake things up a bit.

Saying the Rosary really boils down to a personal belief and your walk with God. There are Catholics who are just as different as Protestants. There are Protestants who believe in the rapture and some do not. There are Catholics who say the Rosary and some do not. There are Protestants who attend church regularly, some go once or twice a year or in name only. There are Protestants and Catholics who read the Bible daily or regularly and some do not.

Your relationship with God is just that — yours. And you either have a relationship or you don't. There are wise virgins and there are foolish virgins and there will be many whom Jesus will say, “I never knew you...” Matthew 7:23