Effective, Powerful Praying With Blessed Virgin Mary

Let us not fool ourselves. The praying of the holy Rosary of the Blessed Virgin Mary is really the hardest prayer to pray for not only the words of it were one and the same, it is also far more different to other prayers who have "variety of words and expressions which keeps us alert, prevents our imagination from wandering, and so makes it easier for us to say them well." - The Secret of the Rosary, St. Louis-Marie Grignion de Montfort.

Now, let me share you a subjective, biased discovery and experience of mine while praying the holy Rosary (yes, subjective and biased for it's my personal experience and I do not want to impose this method to anyone. But you can do it also, if it is effective and fitting for you. But if not, pray that God, with the help of Mama Mary, show the most effective way of praying it).

Listening! Listening is the key in order to fight distractions and to still our lurking imagination when praying the holy Rosary!

What do I mean by this?

An inspiration (insight while praying) came into my mind that it is listening. And a thought also added in me : "How can you become a good spiritual director if you are not good in listening?"

Whoa! That's it! It is listening! In order for me to enjoy more fully and attentively the holy Rosary I must listen!

This is what I discovered also.

When I started to pray, I started with the sign of the cross, then next is the Rosary Confraternity prayer (which our "opening" prayer as members of the Confraternity of the Most Holy Rosary), then next is what I want or desire to pray for (what we call "petitions"), and then I will begin the holy Rosary proper : kissing the crucifix then making the sign of the cross, then the Creed (Apostle's, sometimes Nicene), then as usual, passing the beads in my thumb and index finger with respect to the bead's corresponding prayer.

Then I listen to the words I pray - by the way, it starts on the beginning of your praying of course. I reiterate! It is listening! Listen to the words you say for those words are the Word of God and it's Jesus Christ Himself! The Word who became flesh!

The Our Father or the Lord's prayer came from Jesus Christ's own mouth. The Hail Mary or the Angelic Salutation came also from God and the messenger is just St. Gabriel. Savor every words of the holy Rosary. Savor it by listening! Just listen! And savor the words!

Now, listening and imagination must go hand in hand here. It is important to meditate (think over) about the sacred mysteries of the holy Rosary. As you listen to the Hail Mary's, imagine the sacred mysteries by, of course, your mind. My imagination has a very important role when praying. Here, I exercise the command of our Lord. "Love God...with all your mind."

The listening and imagining must get along with each other, making a harmonious exaltation of both mind and heart. The words are for listening, while the sacred mysteries are the word's soul and meaning.

While saying the Hail Mary, listen to the words. Then at the background, let the sacred events pass or play in your mind. Pay attention to everything - savor everything. Make an exercise now!

The holy Rosary is the second highest prayer next to the Holy Mass and devotion to the Most Blessed Sacrament of our Lord. Please remember that.

So the elements present in praying the holy Rosary are the following :
1.) Listening
2.) Saying
3.) Imagining

May you love the holy Rosary everyday just like me.

Go and set the world on fire!

ADMG

Mary H. Distributist

Priests Who Celebrate Latin Mass Are Grumpy? Def'nitely Not!

I am very amazed until now and very happy to see these funny pictures of a priest celebrating his kiddie party on his 45th birthday where my mom also laughed once I showed these pictures of him who, by the way, celebrates the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass in Latin everyday in his parish, and the official exorcist of the Diocese of Cubao.

But before you go to see the pictures, are you aware and awake that there are priests who celebrate the Holy Mass in Latin?

I pray your answer is yes. And if yes, I pray also that you knew because maybe you had read the Summorum Pontificum of Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI or the Ecclesia Dei of Blessed Pope John Paul II before, or maybe you found out that those who celebrate latin masses were "traditionalists" (actually, they are) like those of the Society of St. Piux X - who I pray not the cause of the "demonization" of others to the latin mass.

But, I just want to say that Latin Masses are not boring nor it is just for people who were not joyful or grumpy or for those people who were intellectuals and intelligent when it comes to the Catholic Faith. The funny and sad thing is when we had this Novus Ordo (New Order of the Mass), or particularly the Holy Mass where the priests are facing the people, I witnessed the grumpy and not joyful people, despite the fact that choirs are super-free to sing "extravagant" and "spirit-uplifting" songs from the beginning till the mission-sending of the mass. Where the laity has an active physical participation in the Holy Mass where we have lectors and commentators, we have Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion (Wow! Big words!) and also from other organizations like Mother Butler's Guild and many more. I also met people who were in the heights of their parish service together with their hypocrisy and unholiness - but I love them. What I hate is what they did before (I hope they changed now.).

Despite the changes and innovation made by the Second Vatican Council, I still hope that people, many people are craving for an ancient spirituality of the Holy Mass. And although I do not understand Latin language as a whole, Holy Mass celebrated in latin is really different from the New Mass. Here, I interiorly enjoyed the real extravagance of this mass. It is solemn and respected. It has a sense of the sacred and has a truly pure worship and adoration, the highest prayer of all prayers addressed to God, the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass can offer to the Most High. I am very much delighted to share this joy of this priest in these photos. May his charism and sense of the sacred lead many people to the Holy God who is holy and perfect. So, come on! Experience the Holy Mass attended by the Saints and holy people before! (By the way, you can bring here your gadgets like tablets or phones for viewing the Mass in Latin with the respective translation in english.
Kindly visit http://divinumofficium.com/ .)

Come and worship the Lord! (Father's face here is kinda creepy. But I assure you, he laughs!)

A priest devoted to St. Philomena 

And here are the birthday photos of Rev. Fr. Michell Joe "Jojo" B. Zerrudo. Thank you Sir Dennis Raymond P. Maturan for the pictures.

The theme is Kiddie Birthday Party so all ages are welcome!

Fr. Zerrudo watching the children perform in his birthday. 

Father with his friends at the dining table.

Fr. Jojo in his funny hat with Mr. Gerald Cenir on his left. (Do you think grumpy priests can wear that kind of hat?)

Fr. Jojo Zerrudo with his brother priests (Warming up for their show. This is my first time seeing a priest having a lollipop. Remember, he's an exorcist! So, I'll delete the myth that exorcist should be deadly serious.)

They're dancing Psy's, "Gentleman". (If this priest, especially in his ministry of exorcism and celebration of Tridentine Latin Mass, is deadly serious, most probably his seriously dead!)

Cute. Reverend. Gentleman!

Do you know a priest who is more cool, humorous, laughable, and joyful than he? 

Fr. Jojo Zerrudo's friends from left : Sir Dennis Raymond P. Maturan, Fr. Michell Joe himself, Mr. Gerald Cenir, and Mr. Alain Nacor. (The Birthday Boys.)

In conclusion, those who have their spirituality in the Latin Mass are joyful!

Experience the Latin Mass attended by our early Saints! (And, how poor they are for not experiencing the Novus Ordo. Joke.)

For the greater glory of God!