Volume V, Issue 15, May 17, 2008

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- Rosary "Helps to Put Christ at the Center, as the Virgin Did" by Pope Benedict XVI
- "Heaven Relies Most Heavily on Those who are Consistent" by "Anne," a Lay Apostle
- Mary Mediatrix of All Graces, Part II by Fr. Alessandro M. Apollonio, F.I.
- "The Lord and Master had already Predestined the Lady for Sacrifice" by the Lady of All Nations
- The Power of the Rosary by St. Louis Marie de Montfort
- The Zeal of God Mirrored in the Admirable Heart of Mary by St. John Eudes
- The Immaculata, Always and for Eternity by St. Maximilian Kolbe
- Technoculture Turns Man into its Tool by Michael D. O'Brien

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- Rosary "Helps to Put Christ at the Center, as the Virgin Did" by Pope Benedict XVI

Pope Benedict XVI gave the following catechesis on the Rosary at the Basilica of St. Mary Major in Rome on May 3, 2008.

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

At the conclusion of this moment of Marian prayer, I would like to address my cordial greeting to all of you and thank you for your participation. In particular I greet Cardinal Bernard Francis Law, Archpriest of this stupendous Basilica of St. Mary Major. In Rome this is the Marian temple par excellence, in which the people of the City venerate the icon of Mary Salus Populi Romani with great affection. I gladly welcomed the invitation addressed to me to lead the Holy Rosary on the First Saturday of the month of May, according to the beautiful tradition that I have had since my childhood. In fact, in my generation's experience, the evenings of May evoke sweet memories linked to the vespertine gatherings to honor the Blessed Mother. Indeed, how is it possible to forget praying the Rosary in the parish or rather in the courtyards of the houses and in the country lanes?

Today, together we confirm that the Holy Rosary is not a pious practice banished to the past, like prayers of other times thought of with nostalgia. Instead, the Rosary is experiencing a new Springtime. Without a doubt, this is one of the most eloquent signs of love that the young generation nourish for Jesus and his Mother, Mary. In the current world, so dispersive, this prayer helps to put Christ at the center, as the Virgin did, who meditated within all that was said about her Son, and also what he did and said. When reciting the Rosary, the important and meaningful moments of salvation history are relived. The various steps of Christ's mission are traced. With Mary the heart is oriented toward the mystery of Jesus. Christ is put at the center of our life, of our time, of our city, through the contemplation and meditation of his holy mysteries of joy, light, sorrow and glory. May Mary help us to welcome within ourselves the grace emanating from these mysteries, so that through us we can "water" society, beginning with our daily relationships, and purifying them from so many negative forces, thus opening them to the newness of God. The Rosary, when it is prayed in an authentic way, not mechanical and superficial but profoundly, it brings, in fact, peace and reconciliation. It contains within itself the healing power of the Most Holy Name of Jesus, invoked with faith and love at the center of each "Hail Mary."

Dear brothers and sisters, let us thank God who has allowed us to live such a beautiful hour this evening, and in the following evenings of this Marian month, even if we will be far away, each in their own family and community, may we, just the same, feel close and united in prayer. Especially in these days that prepare us for the Solemnity of Pentecost, let us remain united with Mary, invoking for the Church a renewed effusion of the Holy Spirit. As at the origins, Mary Most Holy helps the faithful of every Christian community to form one heart and soul. I entrust to you the most urgent intentions of my ministry, the needs of the Church, the grave problems of humanity: peace in the world, unity among Christians, dialogue between all cultures. And thinking of Rome and Italy, I invite you to pray for the pastoral goals of the Diocese, and for the united development of this beloved Country. To the new Mayor of Rome, Honorable Gianni Alemanno, who I see present here, I address the wish of a fruitful service for the good of the city's entire community. To all of you gathered here and to those who are linked to us by radio and television, in particular the sick and the infirm, I gladly impart the Apostolic Blessing.

This translation may be found on the official Vatican Web site and was published by Libreria Editrice Vaticana.

http://www.motherofallpeoples.com/index.php?option=content&task=view&id=1353

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- "Heaven Relies Most Heavily on Those who are Consistent" by "Anne," a Lay Apostle

The following presents the messages from Jesus to Anne regarding the value of suffering in His instructions to His Lay Apostles (Volume X: Jesus Speaks to His Apostles). The messages are both sublime and powerful, and we share them with you. Anne, a visionary from Ireland, has received permission from her local ordinary, Bishop Leo O’Reilly, for the distribution of messages which she receives from Jesus, God the Father, Our Blessed Mother, the angels and saints (see article, "Discernment of Lay Apostolate of Jesus Christ the Returning King," Marian Private Revelation section).
– Ed.

September 25, 2004

Jesus

My little serving souls feel the weakness of their bodies. Your bodies often tell you that you should rest, and yet, you see that I have additional work for you. Brothers and sisters in the vineyards of the world, you will reap the harvest with a steady pace. If you are feeling hurried, you must remember, something is amiss. You will occasionally feel the pressure to complete a given task, of course, but generally speaking you should exert a steady and constant effort in My service. Do not be like worldly souls who exhibit a burst of service, and then fall away from Me. This is not helpful. Heaven relies most heavily on those who are consistent. So while I do not want you to pamper your body or treat it like a god, you should be respectful of its needs because it houses your soul and through it I am achieving the most miraculous things. When you find yourself listening to a stranger and providing solace or heavenly witness, you must consider that I am at work. Without your cooperation, without your body, I could not be there in the way that the soul needed to see Me. Through you I become physically present. Care for you body. Do not idolize it.

http://www.motherofallpeoples.com/index.php?option=content&task=view&id=1352

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- Mary Mediatrix of All Graces, Part II by Fr. Alessandro M. Apollonio, F.I.

The following article is the final part of an excerpt from a chapter in the recently published Marian anthology, Mariology: A Guide for Priests, Deacons, Seminarians, and Consecrated Persons, Seat of Wisdom Books, A Division of Queenship, 2008. Fifteen international Mariology experts contributed to the text. The book features a foreword by Archbishop Raymond L. Burke and has 17 chapters divided into four parts: 1. Mary in Scripture and the Early Church; 2. Marian Dogma; 3. Marian Doctrine; and 4. Marian Liturgy and Devotion. The book is now available from Queenship Publications. To obtain a copy, visit www.queenship.org.
--Asst. Ed.

Mary Mediatrix of all Graces in the Pontifical Magisterium: From Benedict XIV to Benedict XVI

Mary’s universal mediation has been the object of the unchanging ordinary Papal Magisterium for at least the past three centuries and therefore must be considered Catholic doctrine, definitive tenenda, not dogmatically defined, but certainly definable (57). Despite this fact, a certain debate exists among some Mariologists today concerning the legitimacy and significance of the title Mediatrix of all graces. Those who deny its legitimacy generally also deny Mary’s coredemption, thus witnessing the logical nexus linking these two truths (58).

http://www.motherofallpeoples.com/index.php?option=content&task=view&id=1351 

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- "The Lord and Master had already Predestined the Lady for Sacrifice" by the Lady of All Nations

During her May 31, 1951, apparition, Our Lady of All Nations gives an explanation of the image to visionary Ida Peerdeman, which will "precede" the much-disputed dogma. In the image, the flock of sheep represent all the nations, which "will not find rest until they lie down and in tranquility look up at the Cross, the center of this world."
– Asst. Ed.

May 31, 1951 – Feast of Mary, Mediatrix of All Graces (1)

The Lady is again there, and she says,

I stand here and come to tell you that I wish to be Mary, the Lady of All Nations. Look carefully. I am standing before the Cross of the Redeemer. My head, hands and feet as of a human being, as of the Son of Man; the body as of the Spirit. I have firmly placed my feet upon the globe, for in this time the Father and the Son wants to bring me into this world as Co-redemptrix, Mediatrix and Advocate. This will be the new and final Marian dogma. This image will precede. This dogma will be much disputed, yet it will be carried through. I have repeated these things so that you may once more clarify this to your spiritual director and theologians and refute their objections.

http://www.motherofallpeoples.com/index.php?option=content&task=view&id=1350 

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- The Power of the Rosary by St. Louis Marie de Montfort

A Diabolical Possession

When St. Dominic was preaching the Rosary near Carcassone (1) an Albigensian was brought to him who was possessed by the devil. St. Dominic exorcised him in the presence of a great crowd of people; it appears that more than 12,000 had come to hear him preach. The devils who were in possession of this wretched man were forced to answer St. Dominic's questions in spite of themselves.

http://www.motherofallpeoples.com/index.php?option=content&task=view&id=1349 

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- The Zeal of God Mirrored in the Admirable Heart of Mary by St. John Eudes

Everything in nature, grace and glory, all the effects of power, wisdom, goodness, mercy and justice of God, all the mysteries, actions and sufferings of the God-Man, all the sacrifices, sacraments and functions of God's Church, in a word, all things in heaven, on earth and even in hell, are like so many voices proclaiming God's ardent zeal for His own glory and for the salvation of souls.

http://www.motherofallpeoples.com/index.php?option=content&task=view&id=1348 

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- The Immaculata, Always and for Eternity by St. Maximilian Kolbe

The Immaculata has left this earth, but her life has only grown the richer; and it develops and flourishes more and more in the lives of Christians. If all the souls that have lived on this earth, and all those that still struggle here could make known the all-powerful influence the Immaculata has exercised on them, and her maternal solicitude for these souls redeemed by the precious Blood of her divine Son, what an incalculable number of volumes would be required! All these people would recount only what they had been able to discover as special graces received through Mary. But in fact every grace that comes to a soul comes from her hands, for she is the Mediatrix of all graces; and at every moment new graces penetrate into the souls of men. There are graces which enlighten the intellect, which strengthen the will, which draw us towards what is good. There are ordinary and extraordinary graces; some directly concern our natural life, while others have to do with the sanctification of our souls. Only at the Last Judgment, only in Heaven will we discover with what loving attention our heavenly mother watched over each one of us without ceasing, over every soul individually, because all are her children. She strives to shape them after the model of Jesus, her First-born, the archetype of all sanctity, the Man-God.

http://www.motherofallpeoples.com/index.php?option=content&task=view&id=1347 

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- Technoculture Turns Man into its Tool by Michael D. O'Brien

The following excerpt comes from the May edition of Michael O’Brien’s monthly newsletter.

This month, I would like to share a few thoughts on gratitude. In a time of struggle—which is the situation for all those who seek to follow Jesus wholeheartedly—it is easy to get endlessly distracted and anxious about "survival." For Christians this can translate into survival for the sake of doing good in the world. The motive is good, but the anxiety is not. Indeed it is a symptom of a flaw in the root of one’s relationship with God as Father. In any event, that is the case with me. The past month, I have been hearing in prayer a gentle but persistent word: "All good things are given from above." And: "Patience."

Yes, we must work on, often with little promise of success in worldly terms. If we do so, many interior qualities are strengthened, such as patience, perseverance, longsuffering—and even wisdom.

One can know this in the mind. But it is not so easy to integrate this knowledge with the deeper movements of the heart and soul. But how does the integration come? I am convinced that it comes only through persistent prayer combined with carrying the crosses that life presents to us—the normal daily ones and the extraordinary ones that are laid on our shoulders from time to time.

http://www.motherofallpeoples.com/index.php?option=content&task=view&id=1346

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