AMDG

Dear OSJ Family,

In last week’s bulletin, I wrote about our focused devotion and prayer with Our Blessed Mother Mary during the month of May, designated in the Northern Hemisphere as “Mary’s Month.” One way to do this is to pray the Rosary at some point in May to honor Our Blessed Mother, and to pray in solidarity with our Catholic sisters and brothers who regularly employ this time-honored method of prayer.

Several people have asked for a “quick guide,” so to speak, on how to pray the Rosary. With that, I offer a helpful link below to facilitate this prayer. It is crucial to remember that the Rosary is a Scripture-based prayer. It begins with the Apostles’ Creed, which summarizes the great mysteries and teachings of our Catholic faith. The Lord’s Prayer (or the “Our Father”) which introduces each mystery, is found in the Gospels of both Mark and Luke, and is the prayer that Jesus taught to His disciples. The first part of the Hail Mary is also scriptural. The words are Archangel Gabriel’s to Mary announcing Christ’s birth (Luke 1:30) and some of Saint Elizabeth’s words to Mary at her Visitation (Luke 1:43-45). St. Pius V later added the second part of the Hail Mary. Notably, the Mysteries of the Rosary center on the major events of Christ’s life depicted in all four Gospels. There are four sets of Mysteries: Joyful, Sorrowful, Glorious, and Luminous which were later added by Saint John Paul II in 2002.

The Church teaches that the gentle repetition of the words helps us to enter into the silence of our hearts, where the Lord’s Spirit dwells. The Rosary can be said privately or with others.

Accordingly, here is the link to the Rosary guide offered on the American Catholic Bishop’s Website: https://goo.gl/9Eawm4.

A friend recently donated a box of Rosaries to me. They are hand-made by a local prayer group. Through their kindness, I will leave them at the back of the church for any who wants one. Please feel free to take a Rosary and please, in whatever style or method of

prayer you choose, let us recall the words of Saint Paul to the Thessalonians: Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you (5:16-18).

May the Lord, through the intercession of His Blessed Mother, Mary, fill you with every grace and spiritual blessing!

In the Lord,

Fr. Phil Florio, SJ

Pastor

321 Willings Alley
Philadelphia, PA 19106
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office@oldstjoseph.org

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