JIMMY BROUSSEAU

Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary

2012-12-28T20:25:00.000-08:00

The Two Greatest Commandments

Mark 12:29-31
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29 Jesus replied, "The first is this: 'Hear, O Israel! The Lord our God is Lord alone! 30 You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.'

31 The second is this: 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' There is no other commandment greater than these."

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Learn and Recite These Prayers

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+THE APOSTLE'S CREED

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, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried, He descended into hell; the third day He arose again from the dead; He ascended into Heaven, sitteth at the right hand of God, the Father Almighty, from thence He shall come to judge the living and the dead. 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.

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The Our Father

Our Father, Who art in Heaven, hallowed be Thy name; Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done 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. Amen.

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=Glory be

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

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O’ my Jesus

O’ my Jesus, have mercy on us. Forgive us our sins. Save us from the fires of hell. Take all souls into heaven, especially, those most in need of thy mercy. Amen.

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The Hail Mary

Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee, blessed art thou amongst 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.

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The Hail Holy Queen

Hail Holy Queen, Mother of Mercy, our life our sweetness and our hope. To thee do we cry, poor banished children of Eve; To thee do we send up our sighs, mourning and weeping in this valley of tears. Turn then, most gracious advocate, thine eyes of mercy toward us and after this our exile show unto us the blessed fruit of thy womb, Jesus. O clement, O loving, O sweet Virgin Mary!

Jaw Tumor

2011-11-12T00:32:00.000-08:00

Brain Tumor

2011-10-30T03:48:00.000-07:00

2011-01-29T14:05:00.000-08:00

Saint Mike

2011-01-29T11:53:00.000-08:00

2009 U.S.M.A. WEST POINT BRIGADE BOXING OPEN CHAMPION AT 156LBS - JIMMY BROUSSEAU (IN GOLD)

2011-01-01T01:01:00.000-08:00

2009 U.S.M.A. WEST POINT BRIGADE BOXING OPEN CHAMPION AT 156LBS

JIMMY BROUSSEAU (IN GOLD)

Michael - 2008 Football MVP + Baseball Pic's.

2010-04-02T22:45:00.000-07:00

Michael Brousseau - 2008 VHS JV Football MVP

2009 HS Baseball

MICHAEL BROUSSEAU

2010-02-28T23:11:00.000-08:00

MICHAEL BROUSSEAU - 2008 VHS JV FOOTBALL MVP

VHS BASEBALL 2009

U.S.M.C. DEVIL PUP'S 2007

Why is it wrong to love Mary?

2010-02-27T13:07:00.000-08:00

Why is it wrong to love Mary?

My letter (prayer) to Mary

Dear Mary,

You are the Mother of God and my mother too. You were the perfect Mother and the perfect disciple. Mary, you were the one chosen (handpicked) by God from all time and all woman to be the Mother of God. You are the precious vessel and the way my Lord entered the world.

You have always done the "will of our heavenly Father" and are by Jesus' definition, His "brother, and sister, and mother" (His loyal servant, follower and disciple). Please pray for me that I may always be a loyal follower of your Son, as you are. You have shown me how to Love your Son. You are the Mother of God and Jesus' disciple.

You are the only person who ever lived that was with Jesus from the beginning, until the end at the foot of His cross. You held the baby Jesus in your arms, loving Him and protecting Him, never letting Him go, until he was taken from you at the Cross. You never denied him or left Him. You remained quite because you knew that you would have to suffer so that the rest of mankind might be saved. You were there in the upper room during Pentecost!

As for your name in scripture, there exists not a single word against you. There is no finer example of a person who has completely surrendered himself to the will of God, as you Mary. You were truly, madly in love with your Son Jesus and who from the beginning; you knew He was "God with us". Your perfect expression of surrender, "May it be done to me according to your word" is the source of my strength.

Mary, you kept many things in your heart and reflected on them, you truly knew the Lord before any of the apostles and He knew you. When you brought the baby Jesus to Simeon, His destiny was revealed to you; before any other disciples knew, you knew! "A sword pierced your own heart, so that the thoughts of many hearts would be known".

I can only imagine how you must have suffered and the strength you must have needed to continue on to the very end, to the foot of His cross. I love you Mary, thank you. You encouraged Him at the wedding at Cana, the point in which your Son, Jesus and our Lord began His ministry, you said, "do as He says", may these words always be a reminder to me to, "do as He says "You loved Jesus with all of your heart, all of your soul, all of your mind and all of your strength. Has there been anyone as devoted to my Lord, as you?

Blessed Mary, the Lord is with you, you are blessed among all women and all generations will consider you blessed. You have been reunited with your Lord, how sweet that must be. Mary, my mother, please pray for me that the Lord have mercy on me a sinner and that one day I can come home to the Lord.

Thank you Mary and pray for me that I may always think of your great example of love, sacrifice and surrender. One cannot think about you, Mary without thinking about your son Jesus. I am madly in love with you and I am madly in love with your son, my lord Jesus Christ. May my focus allows be on Christ, as you were always focused on Him.

Your son and Christ’s loyal follower,
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Jimmy Brousseau

What it means to be Christian-Catholic

2010-02-25T17:05:00.000-08:00

What it means to be Christian-Catholic

Here is a general observation from a Roman Catholic, on what it means to "accept" Jesus Christ, or to “believe in Jesus Christ”. I love the structure, the fullness and the richness of faith, found in the Roman Catholic Church. To “believe” means to “believe” in all of it. Christianity cannot and should not be minimized or summed-up by using a “handful of bible verses”, a few quotes or “handful of words”. Among many other things, this means to accept, believe and obey the following (Additionally, I have provided some helpful links):

· Accept and be Baptized, and enter the fullness of Christ’s Church the Sacraments of the Roman Catholic and Apostolic Church

· Accept Justification through Jesus Christ

· Accept God’s Sanctifying Grace

· Accept the “hope” in your knowledge of Salvation

· Accept and ask for and have trust in God’s Divine Mercy, cause your let heart to be “attuned” to God's mercy and show mercy to others

· Accept and ask for God’s forgiveness, directly to God and in Confession (CCC 1440-1446 and CCC 2838-2845) also (1John 1:9). Ask God to, “Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us” (Mathew 5:43-44 and )

· Accept and obey God, in not judging others (Matthew 7:1-21)

· Accept Humility and approach your faith and God with humility “be childlike” (Matthew 18:4)

· Accept and obey what Jesus said in His sermon in Mathew 5:1-48 and in the Eight Beatitudes themselves

· Accept and obey God’s will

· Accept and obey God’s Ten Commandments and teach others to do so.

· Accept and obey Christ’s Two Commandments and teach others to do so (Matthew 22: 36-39 and Matthew 5:19)

· Accept and obey God’s instruction to us, to “pray always” (1Kings 8:22, 3:;5-14, Psalms 5:8, , 86:3, Mathew 6:5-15, 9-13, 5:44 Luke 18:1, 1Timothy 2:2, 2:8) / (Catholic Prayers)

· Accept the understanding of, and avoid the Occasions of Sins

· Accept the understanding and act out the Seven Heavenly or Cardinal Virtues (the Seven Virtues - art)

· Accept understand and try to perform the Seven Corporal Works of Mercy

· Accept, understand and try to perform the Seven Spiritual Works of Mercy

· Accept, understand and avoid the Four Sins Crying to Heaven for Vengeance

· Accept, understand and avoid the Six Sins Against the Holy Spirit

· Accept and understand the Nine Ways of being and Accessory to Another’s Sin
· Accept Salvation through Grace, by Faith and by our Good Works

· Accept and participate in the Seven Sacraments of the Catholic Church (those which apply to your formation in life)

· Accept believe in and recite the Creed

· Accept and defend Christ and the Catholic faith (CCC 1285,1303) And do not deny Christ

· Accept, recite and follow the words contained within the Lord’s Prayer (Mathew 6:5-15)

· Accept and assist in order of the Catholic Mass on Sundays and Holy Days

· Accept fasting and fasting on Fridays during Lent

· Accept and participate in Almsgiving

· Accept the entire Bible as interpreted by the Roman Catholic Church , in context

· Accept Catholic Traditions and Holy Scripture, oral or otherwise (not Sola Scriptura).

· Accept the teaching found in the Magisterium and the Catechism the Catholic Church,
· Including the Magisterium of Vatican II

· Accept Papal Infallible (explained here)

· Accept the Pope as Successor of Peter, the Vicar of Christ here on earth and of the Hierarchy of the Catholic Church, (explained here)

· Accept the many Works of the Fathers of the Church , the Doctors of the Church and of the Christian/Catholic Saints (a limited Catholic Library here for some written works) - (a non-Catholic source for Early Christian works here)

And so on…A Catholic is not required to know all this. A Catholic will be gently guide by Christ and His Church, within these guidelines, based on solid Christian and Biblical principles.

“I love the structure, the fullness and the richness of faith, found in the Roman Catholic Church.”
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Catholic Biblical Apologetics

The Catechism of the Catholic Church

The on-line Bible (NAB)

The Catholic Encyclopedia - on-line

The Imitation of Christ

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Yours in Christ,

Jimmy Brousseau

2010-02-22T20:10:00.000-08:00

STATIONS OF THE CROSS

Start by praying an Act of Contrition
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"O' my God, my Redeemer, behold me here at Thy feet. From the bottom of my heart I am sorry for all my sins, because by them I have offended Thee, Who art infinitely good. I will die rather than offend thee again."

The First Station

Jesus is Condemned to Die.

The Second Station:

Jesus Carries His Cross

The Third Station:

Jesus Falls the First Time

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The Fourth Station:
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Jesus Meets His Mother
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The Fifth Station:

Simon Helps Jesus Carry His Cross

The Sixth Station:

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Veronica Wipes Jesus' Face
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The Seventh Station:

Jesus Falls the Second Time
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The Eighth Station:

Jesus Meets the Women of Jerusalem.

The Ninth Station:
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Jesus Falls the Third Time.

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The Tenth Station:
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Jesus is Stripped.
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The Eleventh Station:
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Jesus is Nailed to the Cross.
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The Twelfth Station:
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Jesus Dies on the Cross.
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The Thirteenth Station:
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Jesus is Taken Down from the Cross.

The Fourteenth Station:

Jesus is Laid in the Tomb..

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THE TRADITIONAL FOURTEEN STATIONS

(with Corresponding Bible Verses)

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1) Jesus is Condemned to Death
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(Mt 27:26, Mk 15:15, Lk 23:24, Jn 19:16);
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2) Jesus Takes up the Cross

(Jn 19:17);

3) Jesus Falls the First Time

4) Jesus Meets his Mother

(John 19:25-27)

5) Jesus is Helped by Simon of Cyrene

(Mt 27:32; Mk 15:21; Lk 23:26)

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6) Jesus has His faced Wiped by Veronica
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7) Jesus Falls the Second Time

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8) Jesus Meets the Women of Jerusalem

(Lk 23:27-31)

9) Jesus Falls the Third Time

10) Jesus is Stripped of his Garments

(Mt 27:35, Mk 15:24, Lk 23:34, Jn 19:23)

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11) Jesus is Nailed to the Cross
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(Mt 27:35, Mk 15:24, Lk 23:33, Jn 19:18)
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12) Jesus dies on the cross

(Mt 27:50, Mk 15:37, Lk 23:46, Jn 19:30);

13) Jesus is Taken Down from the Cross

(Mt 27:59, Mk 15:46, Lk 23:53, Jn 19:38);

14) Jesus is Placed in Tomb

(Mt 27:60, Mk 15:46, Lk 23:53, Jn 19:42)

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History of the Stations of the Cross or "Way of the Cross"

Every Roman Catholic Church has the Stations of the Cross inside. The Stations may be of stone, wood, or metal, sculptured or carved, or they may be merely paintings or engravings. Some Stations are valuable works of art, as those, for instance, in Antwerp cathedral, which have been much copied elsewhere. They are usually ranged at intervals around the inside walls of a church, and although one can walk and pray each station anytime they would like between Mass', there is a traditional Stations of the Cross ceremony on "Good Friday" every year.

Information from the New Advent web site;

"Inasmuch as the Way of the Cross, made in this way, constitutes a miniature pilgrimage to the holy places at Jerusalem, the origin of the devotion may be traced to the Holy Land. The Via Dolorosa at Jerusalem"

"...was reverently marked out from the earliest times and has been the goal of pious pilgrims ever since the days of Constantine. Tradition asserts that the Blessed Virgin used to visit daily the scenes of Christ's Passion and St. Jerome speaks of the crowds of pilgrims from all countries who used to visit the holy places in his day."

Knights of Columbus

2009-10-22T04:17:00.000-07:00

Vintage - Plano 8700 7-Tier Tackle Box

2009-05-11T20:27:00.000-07:00

Vintage – Kennedy Tool Box

2009-05-11T19:33:00.001-07:00

Vintage - J.C. Higgins, All-Aluminum Tackle Box

2009-05-11T19:15:00.000-07:00

Rocketman

2009-04-25T02:35:00.000-07:00

Billy & Bob

2009-04-24T19:59:00.000-07:00

JIMMY BROUSSEAU: 2009 U.S.M.A. WEST POINT BRIGADE BOXING OPEN CHAMPION AT 156LBS - JIMMY BROUSSEAU (IN GOLD)#links

2009-04-03T01:45:00.000-07:00

JIMMY BROUSSEAU: 2009 U.S.M.A. WEST POINT BRIGADE BOXING OPEN CHAMPION AT 156LBS - JIMMY BROUSSEAU (IN GOLD)#links

The Chaplet of Divine Mercy

2009-02-25T03:52:00.000-08:00

THE CHAPLET OF DIVINE MERCY

Using a Rosary;

1. Make the Sign of the Cross and pray the Sign of the Cross;

"In the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, Amen."

2. Pray the Our Father, "Lords Prayer"+

"Our father, who art in heaven; hallowed be Thy name; Thy kingdom come; Thy will be done 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. Amen"

3. Pray the "Hail Mary";

"Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee; blessed art 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. "

4. Pray the Apostle's Creed;

"I believe in God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth. I believe in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord. He was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary. He suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried. He descended to the dead. On the third day He rose again. He ascended into heaven and sits at the right hand of God, the Father Almighty. From thence He shall come to judge the living and the dead. I believe in the Holy Spirit, the Holy Catholic Church, the communion of saints, The forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen."
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FIRST DECADE:

Pray One "Our Father" - bead:
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“Our father, Who art in heaven; Hallowed be Thy name; Thy kingdom come; Thy will be done 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. Amen”

Begin- Pray (one time - 1st decade) "Our Father" bead (song version): +

“Eternal Father, I offer you the Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity of Your Dearly Beloved Son, Our Lord, Jesus Christ, in atonement for our sins and those of the whole world.”

Pray Ten "Hail Mary’s"- (opitional) beads :
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“Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee; blessed art 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.”
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Pray (ten times - 1st decade) decade beads:
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“For the sake of His sorrowful Passion, have mercy on us and on the whole world.”
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SECOND DECADE:

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Pray One "Our Father" - bead:
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“Our father, who art in heaven; hallowed be Thy name; Thy kingdom come; Thy will be done 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. Amen”
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Pray (one time - 2nd decade) "Our Father" bead;
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“Eternal Father, I offer you the Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity of Your Dearly Beloved Son, Our Lord, Jesus Christ, in atonement for our sins and those of the whole world.” +

Pray Ten "Hail Mary’s"- (opitional) decade beads:
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“Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee; blessed art 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.”
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Pray (ten times - 2nd decade) decade beads:
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“For the sake of His sorrowful Passion, have mercy on us and on the whole world.”

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NOTE: Repeat with Third, Fourth and Fifth Decades in the same manner

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Conclude with (Pray Three Times);
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“Holy God, Holy Mighty One, Holy Immortal One, have mercy on us and on the whole world.”
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And then (pray one time)
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“God, in whom mercy is endless and the treasury of compassion --- inexhaustible, look kindly upon us and increase Your mercy in us, that in difficult moments we might not despair nor become despondent, but with great confidence submit ourselves to Your holy will, which is Love and Mercy itself. Amen” +

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Note:

The Chaplet of Divine Mercy is a Catholic devotion. The intercessionary prayers for mercy are in three directions: for obtaining mercy, for help in trusting in Christ's mercy, and for showing mercy to others. It is a set of prayers, most commonly prayed with the aid of rosary beads. The chaplet may be said without beads, usually by counting prayers on the fingertips. The devotion as known today can be traced to Polish nun and canonized saint, Sister Faustyna Kowalska (Faustina), known as the "Apostle of Mercy", 1905-1938. According to St. Faustyna, Jesus Christ promised that all who recite this chaplet at the hour of death or in the presence of the dying will receive great mercy. He will stand between them and His Father not as Judge, but as Savior. Jesus also promised that anything can be obtained with this prayer if it is compatible with His will. It is prayed daily at the USA National Shrine of The Divine Mercy in Stockbridge, MA.

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In her vision, she saw an angel sent to a city to destroy it. Sister Faustyna began to pray for God’s mercy on the city and felt the strong presence of the Trinity. After she prayed the internally-instructed prayers, the angel was powerless to harm the city. In subsequent revelation, Sister Faustyna learned the prayers she spoke were to be taught to all the people of the world.

The chaplet may be said at any time, but it is said especially on Divine Mercy Sunday and Fridays at 3:00 PM. In 2000, John Paul II instituted the Sunday after Easter as Divine Mercy Sunday, where Catholics remember the institution of the Sacrament of Penance. Friday at 3:00 PM is called the Hour of Mercy, the hour Jesus died by crucifixion. In novena, it is usually said each of the nine days from Good Friday to Divine Mercy Sunday.

It is associated with a Polish image painted by Hyla. Hyla painted according to the visions Sister Faustyna described. In the image, Jesus stands with a hand outstretched in blessing. The other hand clutches the side wounded by the spear, from which proceed beams of falling light. The words “Jesus I Trust in You” usually accompany the image (“Jezu Ufam Tobie” in Polish).

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Matthew 5:7
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7 Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.
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Matthew 25:40
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40 And the king will say to them in reply, 'Amen, I say to you, whatever you did for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me.'
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Matthew 25: 35-16
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35 For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, a stranger and you welcomed me,
36 naked and you clothed me, ill and you cared for me, in prison and you visited me.'
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Matthew 25:42
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42 For I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink,
43 a stranger and you gave me no welcome, naked and you gave me no clothing, ill and in prison, and you did not care for me.'

(Roman Catholic, NAB New American Bible, Saint Joseph's Edition)

Jesus did not have biological brothers

2009-02-25T03:50:00.000-08:00

Biblical Evidence (in context) that Proves that Jesus did not have Biological Brothers.

The alleged “Brothers of Jesus”, identified as; James, Joseph, Simon, and Judas found in Matthew 13:55-57 and Mark 6:2-4, Can be clearly identified in the New Testament and they are not the biological brothers of Jesus!
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There has been much written regarding, whether or not Jesus had any of biological brothers or sisters, sharing the same biological mother and father, Mary (the Mother of Jesus Christ) and Joseph "the carpenter" and the husband of the Holy Mother.
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First, let me make something clear; Joseph is not the Biological father of Jesus. Jesus' Father is God, not Joseph! Jesus is the "Son of God".
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Roman Catholics believe in the Perpetual Virginity of Mary (explained here). Some non-Catholic, "Protestant" Christian's and "Born Again" Christian's deny the Perpetual Virginity of Mary. This is a Hugh difference in belief, and it is non-biblical.
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We were all warned about this difference, in Luke 2:34-35
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34" and Simeon blessed them and said to Mary his mother, "Behold, this child is destined for the fall and rise of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be contradicted35 (and you (Mary) yourself a sword will pierce) 11 so that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed."
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The thoughts and hearts of those “against Mary” were and are "revealed" and one might question; Is it possible to truly love Jesus and not love His mother Mary? Are these people, who do not love and respect the mother of God, truly "Christian"? Go back and read Luke 2:34-35 again. Many so-called "Christians" today, show an utter contempt and disrespect for Mary the "Mother of God" (Theotokos) and get downright up-tight at the mere mention of her name. By their actions we know, based on early "Christian" heretics and on the words spoken in Luke 2:34,35 ,that they are also apposed to Jesus Himself.

Note: Theotokos, Greek: "Theo" means "God" and the word "tokos" means "carrier or bearer in the womb", in English "Mother of God". Mary was the mother of the Second Person of the Holy Trinity

"If one does not acknowledge Mary as Theotokos, he is estranged from God." - Saint Gregory (Epist. 101).

Saint Gregory spoke these words nearly a thousand years before any “Protestant” religion. To deny or reject the "Divine Nature of Christ" and that Mary bore Jesus, “who was both fully divine and fully human” was heretical in ancient times (early Christian Church), as it is heretical today.

Luke 1:43 Elisabeth speaking to Mary - “And how does this happen to me, that the mother of my Lord 14 should come to me?”

There exist no doubt, that the "hearts of Catholics are known". Jesus knows that we (Catholics) love and respect his mother, Mary.

Those who wrongly assert that Jesus had (biological) brothers are in fact denying Mary as "Theotokos", denying the Perpetual Virginity of Mary, and denying Christ Himself.

Let us not kid ourselves, the "Jesus had brothers" comments by "Protestants" is a new twist on an old heresy and a new way to slander Mary and the Roman Catholic Church.

In addition, the false belief that “Jesus had (biological) brothers”, is based entirely on three bible verses that have been deliberately misinterpreted and taken out of context. The comment that “Jesus had (biological) brothers” is a lie; create by those would-be enemies of Christ’s Early Christian (Catholic) Church (1st-4th Centuries) and Christ’s Church today.

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If you notice in Matthew 13:55-56,
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55 Is he not the carpenter's son? Is not his mother named Mary and his brothers James, Joseph, Simon, and Judas?56 Are not his sisters all with us? Where did this man get all this?"
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"is he not the carpenter's (Joseph's) son".
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And in Mark 6:2-4

2 When the sabbath came he began to teach in the synagogue, and many who heard him were astonished. They said, "Where did this man get all this? What kind of wisdom has been given him? What mighty deeds are wrought by his hands!3 Is he not the carpenter, the son of Mary, and the brother of James and Joseph and Judas and Simon? And are not his sisters here with us?" And they took offense at him.4 Jesus said to them, "A prophet is not without honor except in his native place and among his own kin and in his own house."
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As previously stated, as Christians, we know that Joseph is not the biological father of Jesus; God is the Father of Jesus.
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Apparently, the ones making the comments in Mathew 13:55, the "non-believers", did not know Jesus or His family very well, much like the "non-believers" today, who believe that "Jesus had (biological) brothers", do not know His family very well.

If one were to except Matthew 13:55, literally, using the same flawed logic and by taking this verse out of context, one would have to reject the Virgin Birth and the fact that Mary conceived Jesus by the Power of the Holy Spirit. One would then be rejecting Christianity itself.
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If one were to believe that Joseph is the biological father of Jesus, and not God, then he would be in error and is not, by definition a Christian. However, one could, in error, use Matthew 13:53 , if taken literally and out of context (the same way that many "Protestants" use this verse today to assert that, "Jesus had brothers") to assert that Joseph is the biological father of Jesus. This too would be in error, because we know that Joesph is not the biological father of Jesus.
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Furthermore, if Mary had other biological children, where were they when Jesus was crucified?
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It would be strange for Jesus to ask John to take care of Mary, at the foot of the Cross, especially when, James the "brother of the Lord" was alive in 49 AD (Galatians 1:19), he should have taken care of her.
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Remember; if Mary was a virgin (which she was) when she conceived Jesus, then all of Jesus' siblings would have been younger than Him, and presume to still be alive when Jesus was crucified, yet not one of his so-call "brothers or sisters" were there at the foot of the cross! If that was the case, surely it would have been commented on in the Bible, as Peter's denial was (John 18:12-27).

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Additionally, "Protestants" incorrectly cite, Matthew 1:24-25, focusing on the word "until" to assert their belief that Jesus "must of had brothers".
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Matthew 1:24-25:
24 When Joseph awoke, he did as the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took his wife into his home.25 He had no relations with her until she bore a son, 12 and he named him Jesus.
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'Till" (or Until) Mary brought forth her firstborn son... From these words, Helvidius and other early heretics against Christianity, wrongly inferred that the Blessed Virgin Mary had other biological children besides, Jesus Christ. (Explained in more detail here )
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Saint Jerome (340/42 - 420 AD) However, shows, examples, that this assertion by the Evangelist (heretics) were in error, noting that the manner of speaking, usual among the Hebrews, was to denote, by the word until, only what is done, without any regard to the future. In Genesis 8:6 and 8:7. =
Moreover, we see in 1 Maccabees 5:54: also in Isaiah 46:4, God says, I Am "till" (or until) you grow old (also "even in your old age").

This does not mean that God will cease to be, when they "grow old".
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In addition, "they went up to mount Sion with joy and gladness, and offered holocausts, because not one of them was slain till they had returned in peace.
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That does not mean that they were slain after they had "returned in peace".
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Additionally, "God saith to his divine Son: "Sit on my right hand till (or until) I make thy enemies thy footstool."
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This does not mean that He remained seated from that point on. Moreover, shall He sit no longer, after his enemies are subdued?
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Saint Jerome proves using Scripture, examples, that God's only begotten son, Jesus was also called the firstborn, or the “first begotten”, or the “first born King”.
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Additionally, according to Jewish "law", the firstborn males were to be consecrated to God; "Sanctify unto me, saith the Lord, every firstborn that “openeth the womb” among the children of Israel," etc... Exodus 13:2.
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This brings us back to Matthew 1:25, where it says, "Joseph knew her (Mary) "not until “she bore a son.
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Many "Protestants" wrongly assert, based on a flawed interpretation of Matthew 1:25, that Joseph did not have relations with Mary until after she bore a son, assuming that he (Joseph) did then have relations with Mary, after the birth of Jesus. There exists no credible evidence anywhere that support's this theory. This belief is in error, and not supported anywhere in the Bible.
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"Till" or "until", or "not until" does not mean "did not...until after."
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"Heos" ("until" in ancient Greek) refers to the past, never, the future. Instead, "not until" she bore a son means, "not up to that point" did she bore a son.
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Therefore, Mary was a virgin when she bore Jesus; this is a central Christian belief, in the "Virgin Birth", and Mary remained a virgin after Jesus was born.
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Jesus did not have biological brothers or sisters.
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Below are Bible verses that prove "not until" means "not up to the point that":
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Matthew 28:20
20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. 13 And behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age."
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This does not mean Jesus is not with us after the end the "age", it means that Jesus will be with us always and forever.
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Luke 1:80 John was in the desert "up to the point of his manifestation to Israel."
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This does not mean that John "was in the desert until after" his manifestation. Obviously, he did not stay in the desert.
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Luke 2:37 - Anna was a widow "up to the point that" (or until) she was eighty-four years old.
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This does not mean the Anna will cease to be a "widow"; the title of "widow" will forever apply to Anna.
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Luke 20:43 - Jesus says, "take your seat at my hand until I have made your enemies your footstool." Jesus is not going to require the apostles to sit at His left hand after their enemies are their footstool.
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This does not mean that they literally remain in their seat, until He "made their enemies their footstools."
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1 Timothy 4:13 "up to the point (or until) that I come," attend to teaching and preaching.
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This does not mean; they did teach or preach "until after" Jesus returned to them.
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Genesis 8:7 the raven flew back and forth "up to the point that" (or until) the waters dried from the earth.
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This does not mean that the raven continued flying 'back and forth" after the "waters dried".
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Genesis 28:15 Know that I am with you; I will protect you wherever you go, and bring you back to this land. I will never leave you until I have done what I promised you."
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The Lord will not leave Jacob "up to the point that" (or until) he does His promise. Moreover, this does not mean that the Lord will leave Jacob afterwards.
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Deuteronomy 34:6 - but "up to the point (or until) of today" no one knows Moses' burial place.
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This does not mean that, they will know where Moses was/is buried “after” or at a later date.
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2 Samuel 6:23 Saul's daughter Micah was childless "up to the point" (until) her death. =

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Obviously, Micah was not with child after her death.
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1 Maccabees 5:54 not one was slain "up to the point that" they returned in peace.
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This does not mean that they were to be “slain” after they returned "in peace".
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Continuing with evidence that proves that Jesus did not have biological brothers:

We know that John was not the biological brother of Jesus and that the Virgin Mary was not John's biological Mother, yet Jesus said to John, "Behold your Mother" and to his mother "behold your son" (John 19:27).
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From this point on, Mary became the "mother" of us all, as described in Revelations 12:1-17. Not a biological mother to us all, a spiritual "mother".
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Matthew 12:49,50
"And (Jesus) stretching out his hand toward his disciples, he said, "Here are my mother and my brothers. For whoever does the will of my heavenly Father is my brother, and sister, and mother."
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It is clear in Mathew 12:48, that the "followers of Christ" or "Christians" or "brothers and sisters in Christ"; or those who "do the will of God", are Jesus'; "brother, sister and mother". This is meant in the spiritual sense, or in the context of a "Christian family", it is not biologically.
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Note in Revelations 12:6-17;
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"Then the dragon became angry with the woman (Mary) and went off to wage war against the rest of her offspring (children), those who keep God's commandments and bear witness to Jesus."
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The "offspring" (or children) of Mary, are those who "bear witness to Jesus"; this means "Christians". This does not mean that Mary is actually the biological mother of all Christians.
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Mary here is described as, the mother of all Christians, just as she was, at the foot of the Cross; we know this is meant in the context of a “spiritual family”; as Christians, not that Mary is literally our biological mother.
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Moreover, to except Christianity, is to except the "Virgin Birth". If Mary were a "virgin" at the time of Jesus' birth, this would mean that Jesus did not have any older brothers or sisters. He (Jesus) was the "First Born King".
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Furthermore, we know Jesus did not have any older brothers, because none were mentioned when Jesus was twelve and 'Found in the Temple" (John 2:1-25 ). Additionally, after this verse, Joseph is not mentioned again.
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Surely, the stepfather of Jesus, Joseph, would have been at the Cross of Jesus, along side his spouse Mary, had he been alive. After all, Joseph loved Mary and Jesus and he is the one who took Mary and Jesus and fled to Egypt to protect Jesus (Matthew 2:13-23).
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In addition Joseph was described as a good and "holy man" (Matthew 1:19) and Joseph and Mary, prior to the birth of Jesus, had already 'consecrated themselves to the Lord". At the time, this meant; a life of Chastity, much like the vow of celibacy, priests take today. Do you remember the stories in the bible, regarding the virgins and eunuch's (Matthew 19:11-12)?
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Mary was the sacred "vessel" or "tabernacle" or "ark" which carried our Blessed Lord into this world. She was the new Eve, (the original mother of man). It was through Mary that God entered the world.
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Who would dare violate or desecrated such a pure, precious vessel, chosen from all time and all peoples.
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Joseph knew who Jesus was and he also knew who Mary was, he knew how important she was. Joseph knew that the "Lord was with Mary", that she was "FULL of Grace", that she was "Blessed among ALL women" and that "All generations would consider her (Mary) blessed".
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In short, Joseph knew who Mary was at the time and what she would become, "the mother of all of us"; the mother whose descendants were those who would "bear witness to Jesus".
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Joseph was also fully aware that Jesus was the Son of God.
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Would you expect anyone to use the "Ark of the Covenant" described in the Old Testament, for any other use, other than its original intended purpose? Of course not, that would be sacrilegious, and so is denying the Perpetual Virginity of Mary.
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Mary was the "Ark" which carried our Lord. This heretical and disrespectful denial of the Perpetual Virginity of Mary, which has no historical or biblical bases, is in error, preached in many "Protestant" Church's; along with the false doctrine, that Jesus had Biological brothers, even though these false and heretical beliefs are in direct conflict with the Gospels!
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Much of what has been written on this topic and much of this discussion, addresses the Hebrew, Greek and Aramaic translation of “brother” into English, used through-out the Bible; meaning - cousin or another close relative, or kinsman or in the New Testament; "follower of Christ" and not persons sharing the same biological parents with Jesus.
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Jesus referred to all of his close friends, kinsmen or followers of Christ as “brother(s)”, much like we today, consider ourselves brothers and sisters in Christ, sharing the same Father, God.
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Yet, somehow today, "Christians", who have no difficulty with today's English word "brother" and the concept of the word "brother" having many different meanings, somehow have a problem with its use in the Bible.
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One final comment regarding Mary, the mother of Jesus, (before I get into the Bible verses); Try to think about the Blessed Virgin and not think about Jesus, it cannot be done. One cannot separate the two and neither can one think about the Gospels and not think about Mary, Matthew, Mark, Luke and John.
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Starting in Genesis, to the nativity stories (in Matthew, Mark and Luke) and ending in the Book of Revelations, Mary is mentioned and referred to, repeatedly.
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One cannot think about Mary, without thinking about Jesus, yet there exist many who still have no respect for Mary.
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Note: Using a concordance and a bible one can find biblical evidence the supports the Roman Catholic position, that Mary and Joseph did not have any other biological children and any confusion made regarding the persons referred to as a “brother of Jesus” are the biological sons of other fathers and mothers, and not Joseph or Mary. The Bible actually, clearly identifies the so-called "Brothers of Jesus”.
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Here is where the confusion begins; Matthew 13:55" Isn't this the carpenter's son? Isn't his mother's name Mary, and aren't his brothers James, Joseph, Simon and Judas? Are not his sisters all with us? 56 Where did this man get all this?"
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The next verse Jesus rebukes the one making this comment as a non-believer. Matthew 13:5557 And they took offense at him. But Jesus said to them, "A prophet is not without honor except in his native place and in his own house." 58 And he did not work many mighty deeds there because of their lack of faith." I don't know about you, but I do not want to be viewed in the same light as the "non-believers" in Matthew13:53.
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The purpose of this verse is not to “prove” that Jesus had brothers and sisters, the purpose of this verse is to show that there were some, who did not know Jesus and did not “believe”, because of their “lack of faith”. It is the "believers" in Christ, who are the "brothers and sisters of Jesus Christ".
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Moreover, the verse, "A prophet is not without honor except in his native place and in his own house", fulfills an Old Testament prophesy.
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If you read on, you will see that the persons, James, Joseph, Simon and Judas can be clearly identified in the New Testament. They were "brothers" in the sense that they were "followers of Jesus" and the same could be said for the unidentified “sisters”, they were also "followers of Jesus".
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Let’s start by taking a look at the persons named "James" or the so-called "brothers of Jesus". There exist only two people with the name “James” in the entire New Testament:*

1. James the son of Zebedee (Matthew 4:21)
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AND
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2. The Apostle James, the son of Alphaeus (Matthew 10:3).
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Moreover, James the son of Alphaeus had a mother named Mary, however it was not the Virgin Mary and it was one of the three other Mary’s described in the New Testament.
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Note: There were three additional Mary’s described, “looking on from a distance” when Jesus was crucified, Mary the mother of Jesus was not “Looking on from a distance”, she was right there at the foot of His Cross.
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More specifically, we can find a Mary who is described as the mother of James and Joseph, another Mary, Mary Justus, who is the wife of Titius Justus. There also exist a Mary, described as the “mother of Zebedee's sons” or Zebedee's wife and finally Mary Magdalene. None of whom are the Mother of Jesus.
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There exit only two “James” in the entire New Testament and it is clear that their father is not Joseph “the carpenter”. Clearly, neither “James” is the biological brother of Jesus. The argument should stop here, but it doesn't.
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Here are some of the biblical references for “James”.

Galatians 1:1919 But I did not see any other of the apostles, only James the brother of the Lord.James is described here as an Apostle, clearly a “brother” in the sense that he was a follower of Christ.

Matthew 4:21 Going on from there, he saw two other brothers, James son of Zebedee and his brother John. They were in a boat with their father Zebedee, preparing their nets. Jesus called them,

Matthew 10:2 These are the names of the twelve apostles: first, Simon (who is called Peter) and his brother Andrew; James son of Zebedee, and his brother John;

Matthew 10:3 Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; James son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus; Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; James son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus;

Matthew 17:1 After six days Jesus took with him Peter, James and John the brother of James, and led them up a high mountain by themselves.

Matthew 27:55-56 There were many women there, looking on from a distance, who had followed Jesus from Galilee, ministering to him. 56 Among them were Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of James and Joseph, and the mother of the sons of Zebedee.

Mark 1:19 When he had gone a little farther, he saw James son of Zebedee and his brother John in a boat, preparing their nets.

Mark 3:17 James son of Zebedee and his brother John

Mark 3:18 Andrew, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James son of Alphaeus, Thaddaeus, Simon the Zealot
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Now we will take a biblical look at the persons named “Joseph” or the other so-called brother of Jesus. There only exist two Joseph's in the entire New Testament:
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1. "Joseph", the carpenter and stepfather of Jesus
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2. "Joseph" Justus, whose parents are Mary and Titius Justus.
Clearly, neither one of these persons name Joseph are the biological brothers of Jesus.
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"Joseph" Justus has as his biological parents, Mary Justus and Titius Justus. All three of these persons are clearly identified in the bible verses below. This "Joseph", was also known as Barsabbas, is described as the son of Titius Justus. This "Joseph’s" father is also known simply as Justus, by his last name or “surname” Justice.
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I know at this point, with one person having so many different names, this gets a little confusing. However none of the parents described are the Virgin Mary and Joseph the carpenter. "Joseph" Justice has different parents and he is not the biological brother of Jesus.
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Here are the biblical references for “Joseph”.
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Acts 1:23 So they proposed two men: Joseph called Barsabbas (also known as Justus)..
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Note: His last name or surname is Justus Acts 18:7. "Then Paul left the synagogue and went next door to the house of Titius Justus, a worshiper of God." (Note; Justus is this "Joseph’s" surname or last name and his father is Titius Justus). Acts 15:22 "Then the apostles and elders, with the whole church, decided to choose some of their own men and send them to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas. They chose Judas (called Barsabbas) and Silas, two men who were leaders among the brothers."
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Here is a look at the name Simon another so-called brother of Jesus. There exists only (3) “Simons” in the entire New Testament;
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1. Simon (who is called Peter) the son of Jonah Simon and whose brother is Andrew.
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2. Simon the Leper, who becomes Simon the Zealot;
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And finally

3. Simon of Cyrene, who helps Jesus carry His Cross.
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Obviously, none of the persons named "Simon" is the biological brothers of Jesus.
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Here are the bible references for “Simon”.
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Matthew 10:2-32 These are the names of the twelve apostles: first, Simon (who is called Peter) and his brother Andrew; James son of Zebedee, and his brother John; 3 Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; James son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus;
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Matthew 4:18 As Jesus was walking beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon called Peter and his brother Andrew. They were casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen.
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Matthew 10:2 These are the names of the twelve apostles: first, Simon (who is called Peter) and his brother Andrew; James son of Zebedee, and his brother John;
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Matthew 10:4 Simon the Zealot and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him.
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Matthew 16:17 Jesus replied, "Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by man, but by my Father in heaven.
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Matthew 26:6 While Jesus was in Bethany in the home of a man known as Simon the Leper,
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Matthew 27:32 As they were going out, they met a man from Cyrene, named Simon, and they forced him to carry the cross.
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Mark 1:16 As Jesus walked beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and his brother Andrew casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen.
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Finally here is a look at the name "Judas" or the forth and last so-called brother of Jesus (as described in Matthew 16:53). There exist only two persons named Judas in the entire New Testament.
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1. "Judas" Iscariot, the betrayer, who killed himself, the son of Simon Iscariot
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2. "Judas", called Barsabbas.*
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Neither “Judas” is the biological brother of Jesus.
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Here are the biblical references for “Judas”.
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John 6:71 "He meant Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot, who, though one of the Twelve, was later to betray him."
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Matthew 10:4 "Simon the Zealot and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him."
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Matthew 26:14 "Then one of the Twelve—the one called Judas Iscariot—went to the chief priests"
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Matthew 26:25 "Then Judas, the one who would betray him, said, "Surely not I, Rabbi?" Jesus answered, "Yes, it is you."
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Matthew 26:47 "While he was still speaking, Judas, one of the Twelve, arrived. With him was a large crowd armed with swords and clubs, sent from the chief priests and the elders of the people." =
Acts 15:22 "Then the apostles and elders, with the whole church, decided to choose some of their own men and send them to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas. They chose Judas (called Barsabbas) and Silas, two men who were leaders among the brothers. "*

Acts 12:1717 He motioned to them with his hand to be quiet and explained (to them) how the Lord had led him out of the prison, and said, "Report this to James and the brothers." Then he left and went to another place.

Note: If all of these persons described, were truly the biological children of the Virgin Mary, she would have bore a total of seven children, four brothers, at least two sisters and Jesus, that is a total of seven all-to-gather.
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Keep in mind most experts believe that, Jesus’ stepfather, Joseph, was an old man and he is not mention anywhere in the bible after the story, when Jesus was twelve, and found in the Temple. It is assumed that Mary was very young when she had Jesus, 12-14 and much younger than Joseph.
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If Mary were 14 years old when she gave birth to Jesus, then she would be 26 years old the last time that her husband Joseph is mentioned. It is assumed by many experts that Joseph died around this time.
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That would give Mary 12 years to have a total of seven children, before the age of 25,

At this time in history, it is estimated that one in four pregnancies ended in the death of the mother. Moreover, there existed a high rate of miscarriages. It would be an even a higher rate for the poor, lower class, which she was.

If Mary had seven children, she would really be beating the odds. There exist, absolutely no evidence anywhere, that Mary gave birth to seven children, in 12 years, after the birth of Jesus.
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When I did my research, I literally looked up every “James, Joseph, Simon and Judas” in the entire New Testament. Then I looked up their contacts; all of the events surrounding their lives (in chronological order); where they traveled to; their brothers, mothers and fathers and other facts surrounding the nine persons who shared these four names.
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There exists absolutely no credible evidence, anywhere, that Jesus had biological brothers. However, to the contrary, a thorough review of this matter proves that Jesus had no biological brothers, at least, in the context of history, mathematical and birth statistics, and the bible.
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Remember, there are only 2 “James’”, 2 “Joseph’s”, 3 “Simons” and 2 “Judas’, 9 total, mentioned in the entire New Testament, 9 characters altogether, that’s it.
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All of the characters are part of an unfolding story, a written story that includes their introduction to us as readers; who their family and friends are, who their brother(s) and parents were; what they did; what they were like; where they travel to and who they meet and so on and so on.
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When I did my research, I did so in the full context, in which these four names were used. I did this by using the New American Bible (NAB), Saint Joseph Edition, the Practical Bible Dictionary and Concordance (printed in 1952), A Catholic Guide to the Bible (printed in 1998), The Every thing Bible (printed in 2004), The Hidden Mystery of the Bible (printed in 1969), The Catholic Study Bible, New American Bible (printed in 1990), The New World Concordance to the NAB and The NIV Complete Concordance, along with information from other sources including the internet and reliable Catholic Apologetic web-sites.
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The process in which I form my opinion here, took me several months. I also listened to the entire New Testament on CD, the NAB New Testament narrated by Eric Martin. I read and listened to one book at a time, un- interrupted, for hours at a time, several times, so that I could sense or grasp the rhythm, flow and timing of the author and understand the chronological order of events involving these nine individuals.
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I wanted to hear their entire story, in context, from the beginning to end and I wanted to understand the message of each book and get to know all of the characters of, James, Joseph, Simon and Judas.
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That is why I am not a real big fan of “bible verse Christianity”. Even though, I did list a many verses in this article, I did not list every verse that had the name “James, Joseph, Simon and Judas” just a few to make my point. My point being that, Jesus did not have biological brothers.
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I recommend to all Christians’ and Catholics to purchase The New Testament on compact disc, narrated by Eric Martin http://www.marianland.com/autodevotional/41819a.html
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By listening to the Bible, one book at a time, one gains a better sense of what the author of the New Testament, were/are trying to say and a feel for the writer and his writing style. When you are interested in a verse, read the entire chapter or the entire book and you might view a verse differently. All of the books are written differently, Matthew is different from Mark and Mark is written differently than Luke.
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All the writers of the New Testament (Inspired by God), have a unique style of writing and all of the books were well written. Each New Testament book has it's own a "timing" and rhythm.
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All the books in the bible are all well written books. When the writers (Inspired by God) tell a story, they develop the characters, so that the reader can get to know each character. The "writers" of the bible, did develop their characters. By reading and listening to the New Testament, I came to know all of the characters mentioned here, “James, Joseph, Simon and Judas”.
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It is because of this, I am confident that the four names described in Matthew 13:55, were the same four characters, described elsewhere in the bible.
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In Galatians 1:19 Paul says he "saw none of the other apostles except James the Lord's brother." This means that this apostle James is the same person mentioned in Mark 6 and Matthew 13. Either that, or there were two separate men named James who were called brothers of Jesus - which is certainly possible as long as one accepts that "brother" really means "relative".
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If Galatians 1:19 tells us, that James is an Apostle and Jesus' brother, and there are only two Apostles named James, one being son of Zebedee and the other son of Alphaeus, then obviously "brother" does not mean "biological brother".
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I know this is a lot of information here, but it all points the fact that Jesus did not have any biological siblings!
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- Jimmy Brousseau

Baptism

2009-02-25T03:41:00.000-08:00

Our Father’s Beautiful Gifts to Us – Baptism

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We as Roman Catholics are very fortunate in having the Sacraments. The Sacraments of the Most Holy Roman Catholic Church are beautiful, awesome gifts of Love, given to us by our Father, God.
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The Sacrements allow us to experience God's love and to unite with Him. There are seven important gifts or Sacraments and they are Baptism, the Eucharist, Confirmation, Reconciliation and Penance also called "confession", Anointing of the Sick (formerly known as Extreme Unction), Marriage (Holy Matrimony) and finally, Holy Orders.
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The Sacrament of Baptism, specifically Infant Baptism, has replaced the Jewish tradition of infant circumcision (Colossians 2:11-12).
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Matthew 3:13-17 (Jesus' Baptism) “Then Jesus came from Galilee to John at the Jordan to be baptized by him. John tried to prevent him, saying, "I need to be baptized by you, and yet you are coming to me?" Jesus said to him in reply, "Allow it now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness." Then He allowed him. After Jesus was baptized, he came up from the water and behold, the heavens were opened (for him), and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove (and) coming upon him. And a voice came from the heavens, saying, "This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased."
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Here, Jesus is giving us another opportunity to learn from His perfect example.
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Mark 10:14 “When Jesus saw this he became indignant and said to them, "Let the children come to me; do not prevent them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these.
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Here we see that children are not excluded from the "body of Christ" or the Christian Family.
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Luke18:15-16 “People were bringing even infants to him that he might touch them, and when the disciples saw this, they rebuked them. Jesus, however, called the children to himself and said, "Let the children come to me and do not prevent them; for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these.”
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Children are not denied "the Kingdom of God"..
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Acts 16:15 “After she and her household had been baptized, she offered us an invitation, "If you consider me a believer in the Lord, come and stay at my home," and she prevailed on us."
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If this was a typical Jewish family of the time, one would expect that "her household", would include her children. Additionally, if she were simply referring to her husband here, one would expect her to ask Jesus to join "her and her husband" and not "her household". Obviously this is an example where Jesus and the Apostles Baptized children.
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”Acts 16:33 “He took them in at that hour of the night and bathed their wounds; then he and all his family were baptized at once.
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Once again, much like Acts 16:15, we can expect; "his family", to include children.
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Catechism of the Catholic Church
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THE SACRAMENT OF BAPTISM
1213 Holy Baptism is the basis of the whole Christian life, the gateway to life in the Spirit (vitae spiritualis ianua), 4 and the door which gives access to the other sacraments. Through Baptism, we are freed from sin and reborn as sons of God; we become members of Christ, are incorporated into the Church and made sharers in her mission: "Baptism is the sacrament of regeneration through water in the word."51215 This sacrament is also called "the washing of regeneration and renewal by the Holy Spirit," for it signifies and actually brings about the birth of water and the Spirit without which no one "can enter the kingdom of God."71216 "This bath is called enlightenment, because those who receive this [catechetical] instruction are enlightened in their understanding . . . ."8 Having received in Baptism the Word, "the true light that enlightens every man," the person baptized has been "enlightened," he becomes a "son of light," indeed, he becomes "light" himself: 9Baptism is God's most beautiful and magnificent gift. . . .We call it gift, grace, anointing, enlightenment, garment of immortality, bath of rebirth, seal, and most precious gift. It is called gift because it is conferred on those who bring nothing of their own; grace since it is given even to the guilty; Baptism because sin is buried in the water; anointing for it is priestly and royal as are those who are anointed; enlightenment because it radiates light; clothing since it veils our shame; bath because it washes; and seal as it is our guard and the sign of God's Lordship.
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There has been much more written in the Catechism of the Catholic Church regarding the importance of Baptism. I have included a very small portion here. I recommend that you read this entire section on "Baptism".
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“The gateway to life in the Spirit”… “through Baptism we are freed from sin”…
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We become members of Christ and we are incorporated into the Christ's Church through Baptism. Baptism is person’s first contact with God. It is the first opportunity we have in our life to truly experience God’s love and do that which is pleasing to God, and for many, perform our first act of performing "good works" as a Christian. Obviously, when infants are Baptized, it is their parents who performing a Catholic-Christian act of "good Works".
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"Good Works" is doing those things which are pleasing to God. We know from Matthew 3:13-17, that Baptism is 'pleasing to God".
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When we are Baptized. "Baptism" is when we become a Christian. It is at this point in our lives when, ”we become members of Christ, are incorporated into the Church”. Baptism is “the gateway to life in the Spirit”. Baptism open the "gate", so that we may experience the other Sacraments or other "gifts of love" from God.
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As with all the other Sacraments, the Sacrament of Baptism is a gift of Love. God loves all of us and He has an unending, complete desire to dwell within us. God is always with his children, present in everyone’s Soul.
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Baptism is a gift of love from God. Baptism is also a gift of love from God’s Church; the Priest performing the Baptism; the Baptized infant’s Parents and God-Parents and all those present, witnessing this awesome event and special moment in our early life.
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At the moment of our Baptism, there is a fantastic moment of immense love, focused on you by people who love you. Additionally, this is a moment of Grace for your parent's, who by their actions, demonstrate their love not only for you but also for Christ and His Church.
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Through the Sacrament of (infant) Baptism, your parents promise to raise you, to know, love and obey God.
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Just imagine how much love was directed towards you on the day of your Baptism.
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When we as parents Baptize our children, we invited God into our child’s life and into our lives. God loves us and wants us to invite him our lives and into our homes. We accomplish this through the Sacrament of Baptism.
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Knowing all this, why would anyone not want to be inviting to God? Why would anyone want to deny or delay a precious baby’s Baptism? Why would anyone want to keep their child from their first contact with God? Why would anyone want to keep their child from becoming a Christian?
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When were you Baptized? I was Baptized when I was ten days old and I have thanked my mother on several occasions for having me baptized as a infant (newborn) baby. I thank her because I know she had me Baptized, because she loved me.
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Have you ever thanked your mother or father for having you Baptized? You should, Infant Baptism is the greatest gift you have ever received from your parent's. You could not have been Baptized as an infant if your parents did not love you and make the necessary arrangements to have you Baptized.
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For non-Catholic Christians who don’t understand the absolute need of Infant Baptism or believe one should be at the “age of reasoning” prior to being Baptized, the Sacrament of Confirmation should take care of this concern.
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Once a person has already received the Sacrament of Baptism, They then, as a child who is around ten or eleven years old, attend “First Communion” classes (2-3 years), culminating in their first Confession (Penance and Reconciliation) and their First Holy Communion (Eucharist).
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They will then later attend Conformation Classes (2-3 years) and this usually occurs when a child is 14-15 years of age, or the “age of reasoning”.
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Additionally, there is Adult Conformation courses and RCIA classes for adults wishing to become Catholics. After completing RCIA, a person can receive all four of these Sacraments, starting usually in August or September and finishing when they complete their first Confession on Good Friday and culminating with their Baptism (*if not already Baptized) “First Communion” and Conformation on Easter Sunday.
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The Catholic Church consider many Non-Catholic Christian Baptism's to be valid.
The Sacrament of Confirmation is a time when a young person or an adult, for those completing adult conformation, are reminded of, and fully understands and appreciates their Infant Baptism.
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The Sacrament of Confirmation is the re-affirmation of our Infant Baptism.
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Finally, Remember “Sacraments” are so named because they are “Sacred”. God’s Church and his humble servants are the protectors of the Holy Sacraments and that which is sacred.
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May God Bless You!
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Yours in Christ,
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Jimmy Brousseau

The secret to avoiding sin; Confession!

2009-02-25T03:03:00.000-08:00

If you want to avoid sin, here is the secret!

1. Attend Mass regularly and receive the Eucharist regularly. Among many other things, the Eucharist strengthens us.

2. Pray often; for example, pray the Holy Rosary, it is a powerful prayer. It transforms souls. When we pray the Rosary we reflect on the Mysteries of Christ's life and His Passion.

The prayer of the Rosary is the prayer of the Gospel's. One cannot pray the Rosary without growing in knowledge of the Gospels and growing in knowledge of the important aspects of Jesus Christ's life when he was here, in the flesh; "God amongst us".

3. Confess often, weekly! In order to grow spiritually we must grow in humility and be "child like". Confession requires humility. Humility is the spark the lites the fire which is guilt. Guilt leads us to remorse. Remorse causes us to reconcile with our Father who loves us and whom we should love above all things.
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Confession found in the Bible

Acts 5:15
Thus they even carried the sick out into the streets and laid them on cots and mats so that when Peter came by, at least his shadow might fall on one or another of them.

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James 5:16
Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed (of their sins). The fervent prayer of a righteous person is very powerful.

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1 Peter 2:24
He himself bore our sins in his body upon the cross, so that, free from sin, we might live for righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed.

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John 20:21-23
Jesus said to them again, "Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you."And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, "Receive the holy Spirit. Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them, and whose sins you retain are retained."

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Luke 15:18
I shall get up and go to my fatherand I shall say to him, "Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you.

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Job 42:6-10 (God's authority, given to man for the forgiveness of another's sins -Confession Similarity found in the O.T.)

"... the LORD had spoken these words to Job, that the LORD said to Eliphaz the Temanite, "I am angry with you and with your two friends; for you have not spoken rightly concerning me, as has my servant Job. Now, therefore, take seven bullocks... and go to my servant Job, and offer up a holocaust for yourselves; and let my servant Job pray for you; for his prayer I will accept, not to punish you severely. "

Leviticus 5:5-6

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5 then whoever is guilty in any of these cases shall confess the sin he has incurred, 6 and as his sin offering for the sin he has committed he shall bring to the LORD a female animal from the flock, a ewe lamb or a she-goat. The priest shall then make atonement for his sin.
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Luke 15:21
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21 His son said to him, 'Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you; I no longer deserve to be called your son.'
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Romans 3:23-25
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23 all have sinned and are deprived of the glory of God. 24 They are justified freely by his grace through the redemption in Christ Jesus, 25 whom God set forth as an expiation, 8 through faith, by his blood, to prove his righteousness because of the forgiveness of sins previously committed,
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John 14:6
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Jesus said to him, "I am the way and the truth 5 and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.
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Colossians 1:14
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in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.
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John 20:12, 22-23 (repeated)
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12 and saw two angels in white sitting there, one at the head and one at the feet where the body of Jesus had been.

22 15 And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, "Receive the holy Spirit. 23 16 Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them, and whose sins you retain are retained."

Matthew 9:2-8

2 And there people brought to him a paralytic lying on a stretcher. When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, "Courage, child, your sins are forgiven."
3 At that, some of the scribes 2 said to themselves, "This man is blaspheming." 4
Jesus knew what they were thinking, and said, "Why do you harbor evil thoughts? 5 Which is easier, to say, 'Your sins are forgiven,' or to say, 'Rise and walk'? 6 3 But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins" --he then said to the paralytic, "Rise, pick up your stretcher, and go home." 7 He rose and went home. 8 4 When the crowds saw this they were struck with awe and glorified God who had given such authority to human beings.

Matthew 18:18

18 15 Amen, I say to you, whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.

Mark 2:7

"Why does this man speak that way? 5 He is blaspheming. Who but God alone can forgive sins?"

Mark 16:19-20

19 So then the Lord Jesus, after he spoke to them, was taken up into heaven and took his seat at the right hand of God. 20 But they went forth and preached everywhere, while the Lord worked with them and confirmed the word through accompanying signs.) 3

2 Corinthians 2:10

Whomever you forgive anything, so do I. For indeed what I have forgiven, if I have forgiven anything, has been for you in the presence of Christ,

Acts 19:18

Many of those who had become believers came forward and openly acknowledged their former practices.

1 John 1:9-10

9 If we acknowledge our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive our sins and cleanse us from every wrongdoing. 10 If we say, "We have not sinned," we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.

The Sacrament of Confession (Penance and Reconciliation) was practice by the ancient Christian's (Catholics) dating back to the First Century. Additionally the Sacrament of Confession was commented on, in a Homily dated 245 A.D., some 150 years before the Canon of the New Testament and nearly 300 years before the formation of the Bible as we know it today; The Sacramant of Confession was part of Christianity, some 1500 years before any "Protestant" non-Catholic, Christian realigion.

"There is something wonderful hidden in this, whereby confession of sins is commanded...all must be made public, all must be brought forward by him who is both the accuser of sin and the instigator thereof..."

Here is a very small part of what the Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC) says about Confession;

CHAPTER TWO - THE SACRAMENTS OF HEALING
1420 Through the sacraments of Christian initiation, man receives the new life of Christ. Now we carry this life "in earthen vessels," and it remains "hidden with Christ in God."[1] We are still in our "earthly tent," subject to suffering, illness, and death.[2] This new life as a child of God can be weakened and even lost by sin.
1421 The Lord Jesus Christ, physician of our souls and bodies, who forgave the sins of the paralytic and restored him to bodily health,[3] has willed that his Church continue, in the power of the Holy Spirit, his work of healing and salvation, even among her own members. This is the purpose of the two sacraments of healing: the sacrament of Penance and the sacrament of Anointing of the Sick.

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ARTICLE 4 - THE SACRAMENT OF PENANCE AND RECONCILIATION
1422 "Those who approach the sacrament of Penance obtain pardon from God's mercy for the offense committed against him, and are, at the same time, reconciled with the Church which they have wounded by their sins and which by charity, by example, and by prayer labors for their conversion."[4]
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I. WHAT IS THIS SACRAMENT CALLED?
1423 It is called the sacrament of conversion because it makes sacramentally present Jesus' call to conversion, the first step in returning to the Father[5] from whom one has strayed by sin. It is called the sacrament of Penance, since it consecrates the Christian sinner's personal and ecclesial steps of conversion, penance, and satisfaction.
1424 It is called the sacrament of confession, since the disclosure or confession of sins to a priest is an essential element of this sacrament. In a profound sense it is also a "confession" - acknowledgment and praise - of the holiness of God and of his mercy toward sinful man. It is called the sacrament of forgiveness, since by the priest's sacramental absolution God grants the penitent "pardon and peace."[6] It is called the sacrament of Reconciliation, because it imparts to the sinner the live of God who reconciles: "Be reconciled to God."[7] He who lives by God's merciful love is ready to respond to the Lord's call: "Go; first be reconciled to your brother."[8]
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1429 St. Peter's conversion after he had denied his master three times bears witness to this. Jesus' look of infinite mercy drew tears of repentance from Peter and, after the Lord's resurrection, a threefold affirmation of love for him.[20] The second conversion also has a communitarian dimension, as is clear in the Lord's call to a whole Church: "Repent!"[21] St. Ambrose says of the two conversions that, in the Church, "there are water and tears: the water of Baptism and the tears of repentance."[22]
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1492 Repentance (also called contrition) must be inspired by motives that arise from faith. If repentance arises from love of charity for God, it is called "perfect" contrition; if it is founded on other motives, it is called "imperfect."
1493 One who desires to obtain reconciliation with God and with the Church, must confess to a priest all the unconfessed grave sins he remembers after having carefully examined his conscience. The confession of venial faults, without being necessary in itself, is nevertheless strongly recommended by the Church.
1494 The confessor proposes the performance of certain acts of "satisfaction" or "penance" to be performed by the penitent in order to repair the harm caused by sin and to re-establish habits befitting a disciple of Christ.
1495 Only priests who have received the faculty of absolving from the authority of the Church can forgive sins in the name of Christ.
1496 The spiritual effects of the sacrament of Penance are: - reconciliation with God by which the penitent recovers grace; - reconciliation with the Church; - remission of the eternal punishment incurred by mortal sins; - remission, at least in part, of temporal punishments resulting from sin; - peace and serenity of conscience, and spiritual consolation; - an increase of spiritual strength for the Christian battle.
1497 Individual and integral confession of grave sins followed by absolution remains the only ordinary means of reconciliation with God and with the Church. =
1498 Through indulgences the faithful can obtain the remission of temporal punishment resulting from sin for themselves and also for the souls in Purgatory.
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______________________________

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I have written about the first two powerful tools against sin, many times; Attending Mass often and regularly; and praying often.
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Now today, I will discuss what I consider to be the “Gateway” to the first two.

Baptism is the "Gateway" to our spiritual life or our beginning, because it is once we are Baptized that we become "Christian".

Confession is our "Gateway" back to our spiritual life, once we have fallen away because of our sins.
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Sacraments are so named, because they are “Sacred”.

All Seven Sacraments (or gifts), which God, in his divine mercy, has passed down to us, are Sacred!

The keepers and protectors of those Sacraments; or those things, which are Sacred, is our Church and Her humble servants.
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The Sacrament of Penance and Reconciliation, otherwise known as “Confession” is, I believe, the “Gateway” to all others, and provides an additional safeguard or protects the other Sacraments.
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Confession serves to protect all of the other Sacraments and in doing so, also strengthens us, heals us and helps to protect us and our souls.

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For instance; Marriage is not complete without honesty (strengthen by confession);

Baptism is not complete without a real promise to raise the infant to know and love God (strengthen by confession);

And the Eucharist is diminished and dishonored if received in an un-healed state, (again, strengthen by confession).
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Did you noticed when I mentioned the Holy Eucharist, I did not use the term "un-holy state" (which it is also), I wrote “un-healed state”? I did that because; through the Sacrament of Confession, we are healed.
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Additionally, prayer is not as sincere if we do not truly believe and abide by the words we are saying, in our behavior.

"Prayer becomes much more sincere in the man who confesses often."

(Quote-Jimmy Brousseau 2006)

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Here is an analogy;
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If an athlete has an illness, he cannot perform as well as he would, if he were healthy.

Confession heals us, our souls and makes us healthy, so that we can love better, forgive better, and pray better and so on.

Confession enables us and prepares us, so that the other Sacraments might fully work in us and in our lives.

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I have on many occasions written, that if you truly believe in the Sacraments and prayer, they become real, “…you can move mountains” is what Jesus told us.
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Well, here is the secret, it all starts with Confession. Do it now and do it often, it is one of the greatest and most powerful Sacraments (gifts) we enjoy as Roman Catholics.

The Saints remind us not to dread confession, but rather; dread the sin, which causes the need for us to confess.
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Saints and Doctors of the Early Church have reminded us many times over, by their actions, their lives and their words how important Confession is to a holy or holier life.
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If you truly want to be a better person and avoid sin, follow among many other devotions the first three that I have listed and most importantly go to Confession often.

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If you think regular Confession is not beneficial, then try and go, just one week without sinning in thought or deed, without the Sacrament of Penance and Reconciliation and you will soon discover that you need the Sacrament of Confession.

Many Saints did, why would you think that you would be any different? Is it your pride? Pride is the sinful flaw in the human being, which hinders the growth of its soul.

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I challenge you to go to Confession, every week for a month or so and prove me wrong, you won’t!
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“Guilt is the spark that lights the fire, which is Humility. Humility leads us to remorse, which causes us to ask for pardon from our Father. By His pardon, then and only then, are we healed.”

(Quote-Jimmy Brousseau 2006)

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Yours in Christ,
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Jimmy Brousseau

LAPD SWAT Officer Randy Simmons

2009-02-24T01:48:00.000-08:00

"It's a sad day in the city of Los Angeles to have lost an officer," said Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa

Last night, approximately 200 hundred Los Angeles Police Officers including men from the elite Metropolitan Division, SWAT Team, responded to a location in Los Angeles, where a suspect had telephoned the Los Angeles Police Department, to report that he had shot and killed (murdered) three members of his own family and was holding three others against their will.

The responding officers were unable to immediately confirm, that persons had been murdered at the location. The suspect, who was armed, barricaded himself inside the location. The Officers who responded to the location, formulated a tactical and a rescue plan, which included a dynamic tactical entry. The SWAT team officers executed that plan.

The SWAT officers believing that the suspect posed an immediate threat, in an effort to naturalize that threat and rescue any victims inside the location, without regard for their own personal safety, entered the location and engage the armed suspect.A gun battle followed and four Los Angles Police officers were wounded, one fatally, one critically and two with less serious injuries. The murder suspect was also fatally wounded.

51 year old, SWAT officer Randy Simmons, a 27 year veteran with the Los Angeles Police Department (more than 20 years as a SWAT team member) was murdered. His team member, 51 year old Jimmy Veenstra, also a 26 year veteran with the Los Angeles Police Department and married to a Los Angeles Police Captain, suffered a near fatal gunshot wound to the face, he is expected to survive.

Prior to this tragic event, these officers were not just “Cop’s” they were both, “Super Cops”, and exceptional human beings, the very best of the best and legend's on the Department. Officer Simmons had recently received an award for efforts, helping sick children at the Los Angeles Orthopedic Hospital; he also started “Glory Kids” a foundation to help disadvantaged inner city children. Additionally, Officer Simmons was the recent recipiant of the Crystal Angel Award. Officer Veenstra is a Medal of Valor recipient.

Please pray for all those affected by this tragic event, especially for Officer Simmons, Officer Veenstra and their family, friends and fellow officers. Officer Randy Simmons was a good man and he will truly be missed, “May God Bless and Keep Him!”
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Here is the video news story at Channel 4 KNBC - Los Angeles
Randy Simmons, the Christian Youth Minister-KCAL Los Angeles, Channel 9 “Slain Officer's Passion Was Children's Ministry”Trust Fund set up for the family of Officer Randal Simmons
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Official Web Site of the Los Angeles Police Department

Official Web-Site of the Los Angeles Police Protective League

Official Web Site of the Los Angeles Police Memorial Foundation

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"Goodbye Randy,
We love you and we’ll miss you."
KJC625
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Friday's funeral for Los Angeles Police SWAT Officer Randal Simmons.

Video tribute from funeral of Randy Simmons.

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Yours in Christ,

Jimmy Brousseau

"Fidei defensor"

LAPD MOTORS -Before and After

2009-02-22T02:40:00.000-08:00

JIMMY BROUSSEAU: family pic's

2009-01-21T02:07:00.000-08:00

JIMMY BROUSSEAU: family pic's

family pic's

2009-01-21T01:18:00.000-08:00

Central Park, New York, summer 08

08 Christmas Party

07 Christmas Party

09

80's

late 80's

late 90's

Iraqi Freedom

My youngest standing-up two guys on the line

my oldest in H.S.-RB

oldest son in H.S.

oldest son, U.S.M.A. at West Point

my daughter and son-in law

drivewaay

lower half of property

behind house

water tank

post

2009-01-11T23:23:00.000-08:00

Little Jimmy liked to jump!

2009-01-01T01:38:00.000-08:00

Little Jimmy Liked To Jump - Vancouver Film School (VFS)

Little Jimmy liked to jump!

2009-01-01T01:18:00.000-08:00

Jimmy's back-flip

2008-12-28T02:28:00.000-08:00

West Point Plebe

2008-12-28T01:46:00.001-08:00

LAPD MOTORS

2008-10-28T12:17:00.000-07:00

Catholic Answers Forums - Reply to Topic

2008-06-14T03:37:00.000-07:00

Catholic Answers Forums - Reply to Topic

This is one of the this Rosary's I've made...

2008-05-05T11:25:00.000-07:00

2008-04-14T13:04:00.001-07:00

badge

2008-04-13T12:51:00.000-07:00

Catholic scribe

2008-03-18T16:10:00.000-07:00

Mary the Mother of God - in the Bible

2008-02-27T12:25:00.000-08:00

Mary the Mother of God - in the Bible

A look at the Mary of the Bible with *references to Mary highlighted in Red
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Genesis 3:15
15 I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; He will strike at your head, while you strike at his heel.”

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Revelation 12
1 A great sign appeared in the sky, a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars. 2 She was with child.. ..(4) Then the dragon stood before the woman about to give birth, to devour her child when she gave birth.5 She gave birth to a son, a male child, destined to rule all the nations with an iron rod. Her child was caught up to God and his throne. 6 The woman herself fled into the desert where she had a place prepared by God, that there she might be taken care of for twelve hundred and sixty days.
10 Anyone destined for captivity goes into captivity. Anyone destined to be slain by the sword shall be slain by the sword. Such is the faithful endurance of the holy ones.
17 Then the dragon became angry with the woman and went off to wage war against the rest of her offspring, those who keep God’s commandments and bear witness to Jesus. (Revelation
(NAB) 12)

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Isaiah 7:14
14 Therefore the Lord himself will give you this sign: the virgin shall be with child, and bear a son, and shall name him Immanuel. (Isaiah (NAB) 7)
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Luke 1
27 to a virgin betrothed to a man named Joseph, of the house of David, and the virgin’s name was Mary.28 And coming to her, he said, “Hail, favored one! The Lord is with you.”29 But she was greatly troubled at what was said and pondered what sort of greeting this might be.30 Then the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God.31 Behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name him Jesus.32 He will be great and will be called Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give him the throne of David his father, 33 and he will rule over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.”34 But Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I have no relations with a man?” 35 And the angel said to her in reply, “The holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power you have found favor with God. Therefore the child to be born will be called holy, the Son of God.36 And behold, Elizabeth, your relative, has also conceived a son in her old age, and this is the sixth month for her who was called barren; 37 for nothing will be impossible for God.”38 Mary said, “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word.” Then the angel departed from her. (Luke 1:27 (NAB) 1)

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Matthew 1
18 Now this is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about. When his mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph, but before they lived together, she was found with child through the holy Spirit. 19 Joseph her husband, since he was a righteous man, yet unwilling to expose her to shame, decided to divorce her quietly. 20 Such was his intention when, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary your wife into your home. For it is through the holy Spirit that this child has been conceived in her. 21 She will bear a son and you are to name him Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.” 22 All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet:
23 “Behold, the virgin shall be with child and bear a son, and they shall name him Emmanuel,” which means “God is with us.” 24 When Joseph awoke, he did as the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took his wife into his home.25 He had no relations with her until she bore a son, and he named him Jesus. (Matthew 1:18-25 (NAB) 1)

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Luke 1
39 During those days Mary set out and traveled to the hill country in haste to a town of Judah,40 where she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth.41 When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the infant leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth, filled with the holy Spirit,42 cried out in a loud voice and said, “Most blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb.43 And how does this happen to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? 44 For at the moment the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the infant in my womb leaped for joy.45 Blessed are you who believed that what was spoken to you by the Lord would be fulfilled.” (Luke 1:30-45 (NAB) 1)

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Luke 1 (song of Mary)
46 And Mary said: “My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord;
47 my spirit rejoices in God my savior.
48 For he has looked upon his handmaid’s lowliness; behold, from now on will all ages call me blessed.
49 The Mighty One has done great things for me, and holy is his name.
50 His mercy is from age to age to those who fear him.
51 He has shown might with his arm, dispersed the arrogant of mind and heart.
52 He has thrown down the rulers from their thrones but lifted up the lowly.
53 The hungry he has filled with good things; the rich he has sent away empty.
54 He has helped Israel his servant, remembering his mercy,
55 according to his promise to our fathers, to Abraham and to his descendants forever.”
56 Mary remained with her about three months and then returned to her home. (Luke 1:46-56 (NAB) 1)

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Luke 2
5 to be enrolled with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child.6 While they were there, the time came for her to have her child,7 and she gave birth to her firstborn son. She wrapped him in swaddling clothes and laid him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.
(Luke 2:5-7 (NAB) 2)

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Luke 2
16 So they went in haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the infant lying in the manger.17 When they saw this, they made known the message that had been told them about this child.18 All who heard it were amazed by what had been told them by the shepherds.19 And Mary kept all these things, reflecting on them in her heart.20 Then the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, just as it had been told to them. (Luke 2:16-20 (NAB) 2)
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Luke 2
34 and Simeon blessed them and said to Mary his mother, “Behold, this child is destined for the fall and rise of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be contradicted35 (and you yourself a sword will pierce) so that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed.” (Luke 2:34,35(NAB) 2)
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Luke 2
48 When his parents saw him, they were astonished, and his mother said to him, “Son, why have you done this to us? Your father and I have been looking for you with great anxiety.”49 And he said to them, “Why were you looking for me? Did you not know that I must be in my Father’s house?” 50 But they did not understand what he said to them.
51 He went down with them and came to Nazareth, and was obedient to them; and his mother kept all these things in her heart.
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John 2
1 On the third day there was a wedding in Cana in Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there. 2 Jesus and his disciples were also invited to the wedding.3 When the wine ran short, the mother of Jesus said to him, “They have no wine.”4 (And) Jesus said to her, “Woman, how does your concern affect me? My hour has not yet come.” 5 His mother said to the servers, “Do whatever he tells you.”
11 Jesus did this as the beginning of his signs in Cana in Galilee and so revealed his glory, and his disciples began to believe in him. 12 After this, he and his mother, (his) brothers, and his disciples went down to Capernaum and stayed there only a few days.

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Mark 6
3 Is he not the carpenter, the son of Mary, and the brother of James and Joses and Judas and Simon? And are not his sisters here with us?” And they took offense at him. 4 Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor except in his native place and among his own kin and in his own house.” 5 So he was not able to perform any mighty deed there, apart from curing a few sick people by laying his hands on them. (Mark 6:3-5 (NAB) 6)
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Matthew 13
55 Is he not the carpenter’s son? Is not his mother named Mary and his brothers James, Joseph, Simon, and Judas?56 Are not his sisters all with us? Where did this man get all this?”57 And they took offense at him. But Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor except in his native place and in his own house.”58 And he did not work many mighty deeds there because of their lack of faith. (Matthew 13:55-58 (NAB) 13)

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Matthew 1
16 Jacob the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary. Of her was born Jesus who is called the Messiah.
17 Thus the total number of generations from Abraham to David is fourteen generations; from David to the Babylonian exile, fourteen generations; from the Babylonian exile to the Messiah, fourteen generations. (Matthew (NAB) 1)

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Matthew 2
11 and on entering the house they saw the child with Mary his mother. They prostrated themselves and did him homage. Then they opened their treasures and offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. 12 And having been warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they departed for their country by another way. (Matthew 2:11,12 (NAB) 2)

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John 19
25 Standing by the cross of Jesus were his mother and his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary of Magdala. 26 When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple there whom he loved, he said to his mother, “Woman, behold, your son.” 27 Then he said to the disciple, “Behold, your mother.” And from that hour the disciple took her into his home.

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Acts 1
12 Then they returned to Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which is near Jerusalem, a sabbath day’s journey away; 13 and when they had entered, they went up to the upper room, where they were staying, Peter and John and James and Andrew, Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew, James the son of Alphaeus and Simon the Zealot and Judas the son of James. 14 All these with one accord devoted themselves to prayer, together with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brothers.
13 When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place. 2 And suddenly a sound came from heaven like the rush of a mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. 3 And there appeared to them tongues as of fire, distributed and resting on each one of them. 4 And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.

How to pray the rosary

2008-01-15T18:59:00.000-08:00

This article is not finished yet....

+JMJ+

How and Why Pray the Rosary

"The rosary is the most powerful weapon

to touch the Heart of Jesus,

Our Redeemer, who loves His Mother."

(St. Louis Marie)

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__________________________
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The Holy Rosary explained;
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There are twenty mysteries reflected upon in the Rosary, and these are divided into four categories or Rosary devotions; The five JOYFUL MYSTERIES, the five LUMINOUS MYSTERIES, the five SORROWFUL MYSTERIES, and finally the five GLORIOUS MYSTERIES.
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Starting at the Crucifix,

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1. Pray and make the Sign of the Cross -

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"In the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, Amen."
__________________________

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2 Pray the Apostles' Creed

(CCC - Catechism of the Catholic Church, Sections One and Two)

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"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, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried, He descended into hell; the third day He arose again from the dead; He ascended into Heaven, sitteth at the right hand of God, the Father Almighty, from thence He shall come to judge the living and the dead. 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."
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At the first "Our Father" bead;
3. Pray the "Our Father" prayer;
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"Our Father, Who art in Heaven, hallowed be Thy name; Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done 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. Amen."
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Then on the next three beads;
4. Pray three "Hail Mary's" prayers (a prayer to the Blessed Virgin for faith, hope and charity) ;
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"Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee; blessed art 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. "
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Then pray a "Glory be" ;
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"Glory be to the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning is now and ever shall be, world without end. Amen. "
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Pray the Fatima or "O' My Jesus" prayer;

"O' My Jesus, forgive our sins, save us from the fires of hell, and lead all souls to Heaven especially those that most need your divine mercy."
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____________________________
Announce (reflect on and prepare to meditate on) the First Mystery;

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Then pray the "Our Father" prayer and announce the 1st Mystery;
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"Our Father,Who art in Heaven, hallowed be Thy name;Thy Kingdom come,Thy will be done 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. Amen."
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___________________________
Then using the next ten, uninterrupted beads;
Pray ten "Hail Mary's" while meditating on the Mystery.
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“Hail Mary, full of grace, The Lord is with thee; blessed art 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.”
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Pray the "Glory be";
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"Glory be to the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning is now and ever shall be, world without end. Amen."

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___________________________

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After each Mystery pray another "O' my Jesus".
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___________________________

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Announce (reflect on) the Second Mystery; then pray the "Our Father".

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___________________________

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NOTE: Repeat with Third, Fourth and Fifth Mysteries in the same manner
___________________________

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Conclude by praying the Hail Holy Queen:
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"Mother of Mercy, our life, our sweetness and our hope! To thee do we cry, poor banished children of Eve; to thee do we send up our sighs, mourning and weeping in this valley of tears. Turn then, most gracious advocate, thine eyes of mercy toward us, and after this our exile, show unto us the blessed fruit of thy womb, Jesus. O clement, O loving, O sweet Virgin Mary!"
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V. "Pray for us, O Holy Mother of God."

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R. "That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ."
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Amen.
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And / Or

Let us pray;
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"O' GOD, whose only begotten Son, by His life, death, and resurrection, has purchased for us the rewards of eternal life, grant, we beseech Thee, that meditating upon these mysteries of 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. "
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__________________________

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NOTE: As suggested by the Holy Father (Pope John Paul II) the Joyful mysteries are said on Monday and Saturday, the Luminous on Thursday, the Sorrowful on Tuesday and Friday, and the Glorious on Wednesday and Sunday (with this exception: Sundays of Christmas season - The Joyful; Sundays of Lent - Sorrowful)
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____________________________________

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Sunday: The Glorious Mysteries
Monday: The Joyful Mysteries
Tuesday: The Sorrowful Mysteries
Wednesday: The Glorious Mysteries
Thursday: The Luminous Mysteries
Friday: The Sorrowful Mysteries
Saturday: The Joyful Mysteries

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THE LUMINOUS MYSTERIES (Mysteries of Light) -
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VIDEO 1
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1st Luminous Mystery - The Baptism of Jesus - Matthew 3:17
2nd Luminous Mystery - The Wedding at Cana - John 2:1-11 John 2:12
3rd Luminous Mystery - The Proclamation (of the Kingdom) - Mark 1:5 Mark 1:14-15
4th Luminous Mystery - The Transfiguration - Matthew 17:2-8
5th Luminous Mystery - The Institution of the Eucharist - Matthew 14:22 / Luke 22:17-20 / Matthew 26:26 / 1 Corinthians 2:14, 3:3, 5:7, 10:16, 11:23-29 / John 1:29, 6:35-71, 6:63

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THE GLORIOUS MYSTERIES
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VIDEO 2
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1st Glorious Mystery - The Resurrection - John 20:01 / Luke 24:1-6
2nd Glorious Mystery - The Ascension - Luke 24:36 / Luke 24:50-53
3rd Glorious Mystery - The Decent of the Holy Spirit - (Pentecost) Acts 2:1-4
4th Glorious Mystery - The Assumption - Songs of Songs 2:8-24 / 2 kings 2:11 / Matthew 27:52 / 1 Thessalonians 4:17 / Revelation 11:19, 12:1
5th Glorious Mystery - The Coronation - Revelation 12:1-6

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THE SORROWFUL MYSTERIES
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VIDEO 3+
1st Sorrowful Mystery - The Agony in the Garden - Matthew 26:36 / Mark 14:32-36
2nd Sorrowful Mystery - The Scourging at the Pillar - Matthew 27:26 / John 18:28-38, 19:1
3rd Sorrowful Mystery - The Crowning of Thornes - Matthew 27:27 / Mark 15:16-20
4th Sorrowful Mystery - The Carrying of the Cross - Matthew 27:32 / John 19:12-16
5th Sorrowful Mystery - The Crucifixion - Matthew 27:33 / Luke 23:33-34, 39-46

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THE JOYFUL MYSTERIES
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VIDEO 4
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1st Joyful Mystery - The Annunciation - Luke 1:26-38
2nd Joyful Mystery - The Visitation - Luke 1:39-47
3rd Joyful Mystery - The Nativity - Luke 2:1-7
4th Joyful Mystery - The Presentation - Luke 2:22-32
5th Joyful Mystery - The finding of Jesus - Luke 2:41-52
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____________________________

The

The Purpose of the Rosary

The Prayer of the Rosary is a very powerful prayer because it’s the prayer of the Gospels. We are reminded to "Pray without ceasing" (1Thessalonians 5:17) and that Jesus himself, "prayed a third time, saying the same thing again" (Matthew 26:44).
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The purpose of the Rosary, is to help keep in memory, certain, important principal events or mysteries in the history of our Lord and Savour, Jesus Christ and of our salvation, and to thank and praise God for them.

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The Rosary is a devotion of prayers that allow us to contemplate on the life of Christ and Mary and join in a more mystical union with God through prayer. Through the Rosary meditations, we grow closer to Jesus in the Rosary.

The Prayers of the Rosary Explained

THE APOSTLES CREED

We start with the Apostles Creed prayer which is summed up best in the CCC (Catechism of the Catholic Church), the first two Sections (Six Chapters).

The "Creed"

CCC
949")'>185
Whoever says "I believe" says "I pledge myself to what we believe." Communion in faith needs a common LANGUAGE of faith, normative for all and uniting all in the same confession of faith.
186
From the beginning, the apostolic Church expressed and handed on her faith in brief formulae for all.1 But already early on, the Church also wanted to gather the essential elements of its faith into organic and articulated summaries, intended especially for candidates for Baptism:
This synthesis of faith was not made to accord with human opinions, but rather what was of the greatest importance was gathered from all the Scriptures, to present the one teaching of the faith in its entirety. And just as the mustard seed contains a great number of branches in a tiny grain, so too this summary of faith encompassed in a few words the whole knowledge of the true religion contained in the Old and New Testaments.2
187
Such syntheses are called "professions of faith" since they summarize the faith that Christians profess. They are called "creeds" on account of what is usually their first word in Latin: credo ("I believe"). They are also called "symbols of faith."

1. "I believe in God the Father Almighty, Creater of Heaven and Earth";

CCC

228
"Hear, O Israel, the LORD our God is one LORD . . ." (Deut 6:4; Mk 12:29). "The supreme being must be unique, without equal. . . . If God is not one, he is not God" (Tertullian, Adv. Marc., 1, 3, 5: PL 2, 274).
229
Faith in God leads us to turn to him alone as our first origin and our ultimate goal, and neither to prefer anything to him nor to substitute anything for him.
230
Even when he reveals himself, God remains a mystery beyond words: "If you understood him, it would not be God" (St. Augustine, Sermo 52, 6, 16: PL 38:360 and Sermo 117, 3, 5: PL 38, 663).
231
The God of our faith has revealed himself as He who is; and he has made himself known as "abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness" (Ex 34:6). God's very being is Truth and Love.
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2. "and in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord";

CCC

452
The name Jesus means "God saves." The child born of the Virgin Mary is called Jesus, "for he will save his people from their sins" (Mt 1:21): "there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved" (Acts 4:12).
453
The title "Christ" means "Anointed One" (Messiah). Jesus is the Christ, for "God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power" (Acts 10:38). He was the one "who is to come" (Lk 7:19), the object of "the hope of Israel" (Acts 28:20).
454
The title "Son of God" signifies the unique and eternal relationship of Jesus Christ to God his Father: he is the only Son of the Father (cf. Jn 1:14,18; 3:16,18); he is God himself (cf. Jn 1:1). To be a Christian, one must believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God (cf. Acts 8:37; 1 Jn 2:23).
455
The title "Lord" indicates divine sovereignty. To confess or invoke Jesus as Lord is to believe in his divinity. "No one can say ‘Jesus is Lord' except by the Holy Spirit" (1 Cor 12:3).

3. "Who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary",

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CCC

456
With the Nicene Creed, we answer by confessing: "For us men and for our salvation he came down from heaven; by the power of the Holy Spirit, he became incarnate of the Virgin Mary, and was made man."
385")'>457
The Word became flesh for us in order to save us by reconciling us with God, who "loved us and sent his Son to be the expiation for our sins": "the Father has sent his Son as the Savior of the world," and "he was revealed to take away sins":70
Sick, our nature demanded to be healed; fallen, to be raised up; dead, to rise again. We had lost the possession of the good; it was necessary for it to be given back to us. Closed in the darkness, it was necessary to bring us the light; captives, we awaited a Savior; prisoners, help; slaves, a liberator. Are these things minor or insignificant? Did they not move God to descend to human nature and visit it, since humanity was in so miserable and unhappy a state?71
458
The Word became flesh so that thus we might know God's love: "In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him."72 "For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life."73
823 2012 1717 1965")'>459
The Word became flesh to be our model of holiness: "Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me." "I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father, but by me."74 On the mountain of the Transfiguration, the Father commands: "Listen to him!"75 Jesus is the model for the Beatitudes and the norm of the new law: "Love one another as I have loved you."76 This love implies an effective offering of oneself, after his example.77
1391 1988")'>460
The Word became flesh to make us "partakers of the divine nature":78 "For this is why the Word became man, and the Son of God became the Son of man: so that man, by entering into communion with the Word and thus receiving divine sonship, might become a son of God."79 "For the Son of God became man so that we might become God."80 "The only-begotten Son of God, wanting to make us sharers in his divinity, assumed our nature, so that he, made man, might make men gods."81

The Annunciation - Luke 1:26-38,

The Visitation - Luke 1:39-47,

The Nativity - Luke 2:1-7,

4. suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried, He descended into hell; the third day He arose again from the dead; He ascended into Heaven, sitteth at the right hand of God, the Father Almighty, from thence He shall come to judge the living and the dead.

Agony in the Garden - Matthew 26:36 / Mark 14:32-36

The Scourging at the Pillar - Matthew 27:26 / John 18:28-38, 19:1

The Crowning of Thornes - Matthew 27:27 / Mark 15:16-20

The Carrying of the Cross - Matthew 27:32 / John 19:12-16

The Crucifixion - Matthew 27:33 / Luke 23:33-34, 39-46

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5. "I believe in the Holy Spirit,"

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CCC

2670 152 249")'>683
"No one can say ‘Jesus is Lord' except by the Holy Spirit."1 "God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, 'Abba! Father!'"2 This knowledge of faith is possible only in the Holy Spirit: to be in touch with Christ, we must first have been touched by the Holy Spirit. He comes to meet us and kindles faith in us. By virtue of our Baptism, the first sacrament of the faith, the Holy Spirit in the Church communicates to us, intimately and personally, the life that originates in the Father and is offered to us in the Son.
Baptism gives us the grace of new birth in God the Father, through his Son, in the Holy Spirit. For those who bear God's Spirit are led to the Word, that is, to the Son, and the Son presents them to the Father, and the Father confers incorruptibility on them. And it is impossible to see God's Son without the Spirit, and no one can approach the Father without the Son, for the knowledge of the Father is the Son, and the knowledge of God's Son is obtained through the Holy Spirit.3
684
Through his grace, the Holy Spirit is the first to awaken faith in us and to communicate to us the new life, which is to "know the Father and the one whom he has sent, Jesus Christ."4 But the Spirit is the last of the persons of the Holy Trinity to be revealed. St. Gregory of Nazianzus, the Theologian, explains this progression in terms of the pedagogy of divine "condescension":
The Old Testament proclaimed the Father clearly, but the Son more obscurely. The New Testament revealed the Son and gave us a glimpse of the divinity of the Spirit. Now the Spirit dwells among us and grants us a clearer vision of himself. It was not prudent, when the divinity of the Father had not yet been confessed, to proclaim the Son openly and, when the divinity of the Son was not yet admitted, to add the Holy Spirit as an extra burden, to speak somewhat daringly. . . . By advancing and progressing "from glory to glory," the light of the Trinity will shine in ever more brilliant rays.5
685
To believe in the Holy Spirit is to profess that the Holy Spirit is one of the persons of the Holy Trinity, consubstantial with the Father and the Son: "with the Father and the Son he is worshipped and glorified."6 For this reason, the divine mystery of the Holy Spirit was already treated in the context of Trinitarian "theology." Here, however, we have to do with the Holy Spirit only in the divine "economy."
686
The Holy Spirit is at work with the Father and the Son from the beginning to the completion of the plan for our salvation. But in these "end times," ushered in by the Son's redeeming Incarnation, the Spirit is revealed and given, recognized and welcomed as a person. Now can this divine plan, accomplished in Christ, the firstborn and head of the new creation, be embodied in mankind by the outpouring of the Spirit: as the Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting.

6. "the Holy Catholic Church",

(Article of CAF - 'How do you know which church is truly the church of Jesus Christ?")

Ephesians 4:4-6
"one body and one Spirit, as you were also called to the one hope of your call; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all."
Matthew 15:13-14
" He said in reply, "Every plant that my heavenly Father has not planted will be uprooted. Let them alone; they are blind guides (of the blind). If a blind person leads a blind person, both will fall into a pit."
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Matthew 16:18-19
...And so I say to you, you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church, and the gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against it. I will give you the keys to the kingdom of heaven. Whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven."
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CCC

169")'>750
To believe that the Church is "holy" and "catholic," and that she is "one" and "apostolic" (as the Nicene Creed adds), is inseparable from belief in God, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. In the Apostles' Creed we profess "one Holy Church" (Credo . . . Ecclesiam), and not to believe in the Church, so as not to confuse God with his works and to attribute clearly to God's goodness all the gifts he has bestowed on his Church.138
209")'>760
Christians of the first centuries said, "The world was created for the sake of the Church."153 God created the world for the sake of communion with his divine life, a communion brought about by the "convocation" of men in Christ, and this "convocation" is the Church. The Church is the goal of all things,154 and God permitted such painful upheavals as the angels' fall and man's sin only as occasions and means for displaying all the power of his arm and the whole measure of the love he wanted to give the world:
777
The word "Church" means "convocation." It designates the assembly of those whom God's Word "convokes," i.e., gathers together to form the People of God, and who themselves, nourished with the Body of Christ, become the Body of Christ.
778
The Church is both the means and the goal of God's plan: prefigured in creation, prepared for in the Old Covenant, founded by the words and actions of Jesus Christ, fulfilled by his redeeming cross and his Resurrection, the Church has been manifested as the mystery of salvation by the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. She will be perfected in the glory of heaven as the assembly of all the redeemed of the earth (cf. Rev 14:4).
779
The Church is both visible and spiritual, a hierarchical society and the Mystical Body of Christ. She is one, yet formed of two components, human and divine. That is her mystery, which only faith can accept.
780
The Church in this world is the sacrament of salvation, the sign and the instrument of the communion of God and men.

7. "the communion of saints",

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CCC

960
The Church is a "communion of saints": this expression refers first to the "holy things" (sancta), above all the Eucharist, by which "the unity of believers, who form one body in Christ, is both represented and brought about" (LG 3).
961
The term "communion of saints" refers also to the communion of "holy persons" (sancti) in Christ who "died for all," so that what each one does or suffers in and for Christ bears fruit for all.
962
"We believe in the communion of all the faithful of Christ, those who are pilgrims on earth, the dead who are being purified, and the blessed in heaven, all together forming one Church; and we believe that in this communion, the merciful love of God and his saints is always [attentive] to our prayers" (Paul VI, CPG § 30).
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8. "the forgiveness of sins",

CCC

984
The Creed links "the forgiveness of sins" with its profession of faith in the Holy Spirit, for the risen Christ entrusted to the apostles the power to forgive sins when he gave them the Holy Spirit.
985
Baptism is the first and chief sacrament of the forgiveness of sins: it unites us to Christ, who died and rose, and gives us the Holy Spirit.
986
By Christ's will, the Church possesses the power to forgive the sins of the baptized and exercises it through bishops and priests normally in the sacrament of Penance.
987
"In the forgiveness of sins, both priests and sacraments are instruments which our Lord Jesus Christ, the only author and liberal giver of salvation, wills to use in order to efface our sins and give us the grace of justification" (Roman Catechism, I, 11, 6).
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9. "the resurrection of the body,

CCC

1015
"The flesh is the hinge of salvation" (Tertullian, De res. 8, 2: PL 2, 852). We believe in God who is creator of the flesh; we believe in the Word made flesh in order to redeem the flesh; we believe in the resurrection of the flesh, the fulfillment of both the creation and the redemption of the flesh.
1016
By death the soul is separated from the body, but in the resurrection God will give incorruptible life to our body, transformed by reunion with our soul. Just as Christ is risen and lives for ever, so all of us will rise at the last day.
1017
"We believe in the true resurrection of this flesh that we now possess" (Council of Lyons II: DS 854). We sow a corruptible body in the tomb, but he raises up an incorruptible body, a "spiritual body" (cf. 1 Cor 15:42-44).
1018
As a consequence of original sin, man must suffer "bodily death, from which man would have been immune had he not sinned" (GS § 18).
1019
Jesus, the Son of God, freely suffered death for us in complete and free submission to the will of God, his Father. By his death he has conquered death, and so opened the possibility of salvation to all men.

10. "and life everlasting. Amen."

CCC
1051
Every man receives his eternal recompense in his immortal soul from the moment of his death in a particular judgment by Christ, the judge of the living and the dead.
1052
"We believe that the souls of all who die in Christ's grace . . . are the People of God beyond death. On the day of resurrection, death will be definitively conquered, when these souls will be reunited with their bodies" (Paul VI, CPG § 28).
1053
"We believe that the multitude of those gathered around Jesus and Mary in Paradise forms the Church of heaven, where in eternal blessedness they see God as he is and where they are also, to various degrees, associated with the holy angels in the divine governance exercised by Christ in glory, by interceding for us and helping our weakness by their fraternal concern" (Paul VI, CPG § 29).
1054
Those who die in God's grace and friendship imperfectly purified, although they are assured of their eternal salvation, undergo a purification after death, so as to achieve the holiness necessary to enter the joy of God.
1055
By virtue of the "communion of saints," the Church commends the dead to God's mercy and offers her prayers, especially the holy sacrifice of the Eucharist, on their behalf.
1056
Following the example of Christ, the Church warns the faithful of the "sad and lamentable reality of eternal death" (GCD 69), also called "hell."
1057
Hell's principal punishment consists of eternal separation from God in whom alone man can have the life and happiness for which he was created and for which he longs.
1058
The Church prays that no one should be lost: "Lord, let me never be parted from you." If it is true that no one can save himself, it is also true that God "desires all men to be saved" (1 Tim 2:4), and that for him "all things are possible" (Mt 19:26).
1059
"The holy Roman Church firmly believes and confesses that on the Day of Judgment all men will appear in their own bodies before Christ's tribunal to render an account of their own deeds" (Council of Lyons II [1274]: DS 859; cf. DS 1549).
1060
At the end of time, the Kingdom of God will come in its fullness. Then the just will reign with Christ for ever, glorified in body and soul, and the material universe itself will be transformed. God will then be "all in all" (1 Cor 15:28), in eternal life."Amen"
1061
The Creed, like the last book of the Bible,646 ends with the Hebrew word amen. This word frequently concludes prayers in the New Testament. The Church likewise ends her prayers with "Amen."
1062
In Hebrew, amen comes from the same root as the word "believe." This root expresses solidity, trustworthiness, faithfulness. And so we can understand why "Amen" may express both God's faithfulness towards us and our trust in him.
156")'>1063
In the book of the prophet Isaiah, we find the expression "God of truth" (literally "God of the Amen"), that is, the God who is faithful to his promises: "He who blesses himself in the land shall bless himself by the God of truth [amen]."647 Our Lord often used the word "Amen," sometimes repeated,648 to emphasize the trustworthiness of his teaching, his authority founded on God's truth.
2101")'>1064
Thus the Creed's final "Amen" repeats and confirms its first words: "I believe." To believe is to say "Amen" to God's words, promises and commandments; to entrust oneself completely to him who is the "Amen" of infinite love and perfect faithfulness. The Christian's everyday life will then be the "Amen" to the "I believe" of our baptismal profession of faith:
May your Creed be for you as a mirror. Look at yourself in it, to see if you believe everything you say you believe. And rejoice in your faith each day.649
1065
Jesus Christ himself is the "Amen."650 He is the definitive "Amen" of the Father's love for us. He takes up and completes our "Amen" to the Father: "For all the promises of God find their Yes in him. That is why we utter the Amen through him, to the glory of God":651
Through him, with him, in him,in the unity of the Holy Spirit,all glory and honor is yours,almighty Father,God, for ever and ever.AMEN.

THE OUR FATHER OR LORDS PRAYER

Next the "Our Father" Prayer, The Rosary is everything “Christian”; We praise God when praying the “Our Father”, and agree to the terms of the “Our Father”.

CCC

2773
In response to his disciples' request "Lord, teach us to pray" (Lk 11:1), Jesus entrusts them with the fundamental Christian prayer, the Our Father.
2774
"The Lord's Prayer is truly the summary of the whole gospel,"24 the "most perfect of prayers."25 It is at the center of the Scriptures.
2775
It is called "the Lord's Prayer" because it comes to us from the Lord Jesus, the master and model of our prayer.
2776
The Lord's Prayer is the quintessential prayer of the Church. It is an integral part of the major hours of the Divine Office and of the sacraments of Christian initiation: Baptism, Confirmation, and Eucharist. Integrated into the Eucharist it reveals the eschatological character of its petitions, hoping for the Lord, "until he comes" (1 Cor 11:26).

Every time we recite the "Our Father" prayer; for instance, when we pray, “forgive us our trespasses’ (sin) as we forgive those who trespass (sin) against us”, we agree to be granted mercy and forgiveness, as we grant others mercy and forgiveness; to be forgiven only, if we too can forgive.

The “Our Father” is a prayer, which re-affirms a “contract” between us and God. (Matthew 6:8-15, Luke 11:1-14,)

THE GLORY BE

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The “Glory be” glorifies God and re-affirms our belief in the Trinity or Trine; “The union of three divine persons, the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, three persons, one God”, which by definition also re-affirms our own Christianity.

THE HAIL MARY

We not only meditate on the life of Jesus and Mary, "the Mother of God", in the Rosary, we also ask for her intersession (in Communion with the saints ) .
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Mary is our mother too;
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"Standing by the cross of Jesus, were his mother and his mother's sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary of Magdala. When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple (John) there, whom he loved, he said to his mother, "Woman, behold, your son." Then he said to the disciple, behold, your mother." And from that hour the disciple took her into his home”. (John 19:25-27)
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At that moment, Jesus announced to the world that Mary was everyone’s mother. Moreover, this statement fulfills Old Testament prophesy; whereas; Mary is the “New Eve”. Eve was the first mother of man. Mary is this second and true mother of man. This was prophesized!

The first prophecy referring to Mary is found in the very opening chapters of the Book of Genesis (3:15-16):

"I will put enmities between thee and the woman, and thy seed and her seed; she shall crush thy head, and thou shalt lie in wait for her heel."

This rendering appears in two respects from the original Hebrew text.

A second prophecy referring to Mary is found in Isaias 7:1-17.

The third prophecy referring to Our Blessed Lady is contained in Micah 5:2-3:

A fourth prophecy referring to Mary is found in Jeremias 31:22;

"The Lord has created a new thing upon the earth: A woman shall compass a man".

and

"a woman shall protect a man"

A Fifth prophesy can be found in the New Testament, in John's Book of Revelations 12:1-17;

"A great sign appeared in the sky, a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars." (The Blessed Virgin Mary, the Queen in Heaven)

"Then the dragon stood before the woman (Mary) about to give birth, to devour her child (Jesus) when she gave birth. She gave birth to a son, a male child, destined to rule all the nations with an iron rod. Her child was caught up to God and his throne (Jesus). The woman herself fled into the desert where she had a place prepared by God, that there she might be taken care of for twelve hundred and sixty days..."

"The huge dragon, the ancient serpent, who is called the Devil and Satan..",

"...for the Devil has come down to you in great fury, for he knows he has but a short time."... "it pursued the woman (Mary) who had given birth to the male child (Jesus). But the woman (Mary) was given the two wings of the great eagle, so that she could fly to her place in the desert, here, far from the serpent (Satan)"

"Then the dragon (Satan) became angry with the woman (Mary) and went off to wage war against the rest of her offspring, those who keep God's commandments and bear witness to Jesus (Christians)."

Moreover, the prophecy of Jeremias, uttered about 589 B.C. and understood in the sense just explained, agrees with the contemporary Messianic expectations based on: Isaias 7:14 ; 9:6; Micah 5:3. According to Jeremias , the mother of Christ is to differ from other mothers in this, that her child, even while within her womb, shall possess all those properties which constitute real manhood [11]. The Old Testament refers indirectly to Mary in those prophecies which predict the Incarnation of the Word of God.

There can be no doubt that the Jews regarded the foregoing prediction as referring to the Messiah. According to Saint Matthew and that the Messiah would be born of a virgin, chosen by God, Mary.

The very words of the prophecy admit the importants of Mary in the Old Testament prophesy.

"his going forth is from the beginning, from the days of eternity".

Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC)
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956 The intercession of the saints. "Being more closely united to Christ, those who dwell in heaven fix the whole Church more firmly in holiness. . . . They do not cease to intercede with the Father for us, as they proffer the merits which they acquired on earth through the one mediator between God and men, Christ Jesus. . . . So by their fraternal concern is our weakness greatly helped."

"Do not weep, for I shall be more useful to you after my death and I shall help you then more effectively than during my life. I want to spend my heaven in doing good on earth."

Catholics know that Mary is not God! And Roman Catholics do not worship Mary. Worship belongs to God in the Trinity (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit) alone! Above all, the Holy Trinity is the Lord alone; He is the One and Only God.
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We do not worship Mary, we ask her to pray for us as one would ask a friend for his prayers.We honor saints as holy people, or “Holy Ones” but we never adore them as Christ alone is to be adored.
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Devotion to Mary and the saints is very important. Mary's role and title as “Mother of God” (Greek – Theotokos) and “Mother of Man” (Greek- Anthropotokosis) is in no way obscured or diminished.
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Mary is an important advocate. She was saved by God from falling into original sin before her birth (CCC 411). Her and the Holy Family, Jesus, Mary and Joseph, were protected by God; an example is their being warned to flee to Egypt. Mary cared for and protected Jesus when he was a helpless baby. Mary alone, is the Mother of God.

CCC 411 The Christian tradition sees in this passage an announcement of the "New Adam" who, because he "became obedient unto death, even death on a cross", makes amends superabundantly for the disobedience, of Adam. Furthermore many Fathers and Doctors of the Church have seen the woman announced in the Protoevangelium as Mary, the mother of Christ, the "new Eve". Mary benefited first of all and uniquely from Christ's victory over sin: she was preserved from all stain of original sin and by a special grace of God committed no sin of any kind during her whole earthly life
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We believe Mary was without sin, and was chosen among all woman of all time. God knew, from all time, that a Nazerian virgin (Mary) was going to be the sacred vessel of our Lord (Immaculate Conception).

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II. DEVOTION TO THE BLESSED VIRGIN

CCC

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971 "All generations will call me blessed": "The Church's devotion to the Blessed Virgin is intrinsic to Christian worship."515 The Church rightly honors "the Blessed Virgin with special devotion. From the most ancient times the Blessed Virgin has been honored with the title of 'Mother of God,' to whose protection the faithful fly in all their dangers and needs. . . . This very special devotion . . . differs essentially from the adoration which is given to the incarnate Word and equally to the Father and the Holy Spirit, and greatly fosters this adoration."516 The liturgical feasts dedicated to the Mother of God and Marian prayer, such as the rosary, an "epitome of the whole Gospel," express this devotion to the Virgin Mary.517
III. MARY - ESCHATOLOGICAL ICON OF THE CHURCH

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972 After speaking of the Church, her origin, mission, and destiny, we can find no better way to conclude than by looking to Mary. In her we contemplate what the Church already is in her mystery on her own "pilgrimage of faith," and what she will be in the homeland at the end of her journey. There, "in the glory of the Most Holy and Undivided Trinity," "in the communion of all the saints,"518 the Church is awaited by the one she venerates as Mother of her Lord and as her own mother. In the meantime the Mother of Jesus, in the glory which she possesses in body and soul in heaven, is the image and beginning of the Church as it is to be perfected in the world to come. Likewise she shines forth on earth until the day of the Lord shall come, a sign of certain hope and comfort to the pilgrim People of God.519

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IN BRIEF
973 By pronouncing her "fiat" at the Annunciation and giving her consent to the Incarnation, Mary was already collaborating with the whole work her Son was to accomplish. She is mother wherever he is Savior and head of the Mystical Body.

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974 The Most Blessed Virgin Mary, when the course of her earthly life was completed, was taken up body and soul into the glory of heaven, where she already shares in the glory of her Son's Resurrection, anticipating the resurrection of all members of his Body.

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975 "We believe that the Holy Mother of God, the new Eve, Mother of the Church, continues in heaven to exercise her maternal role on behalf of the members of Christ" (Paul VI, CPG § 15).

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Note: Quoting from “A Catholic Life”
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"The Holy Rosary of the Blessed Virgin Mary is a prayer given to St. Dominic in 1214 by Mary,..."
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"Also, Mary has promised 15 specific promises for those devoted to the Rosary that she told St. Dominic when she gave us the Rosary to lead us closer to God."
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1. Whoever shall faithfully serve me by the recitation of the Rosary, shall receive signal graces.
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2. I promise my special protection and the greatest graces to all those who shall recite the Rosary.
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3. The Rosary shall be a powerful armor against hell, it will destroy vice, decrease sin, and defeat heresies.
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4. It will cause virtue and good works to flourish; it will obtain for souls the abundant mercy of God; it will withdraw the hearts of people from the love of the world and its vanities, and will lift them to the desire of eternal things. Oh, that souls would sanctify themselves by this means.
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5. The soul which recommends itself to me by the recitation of the Rosary, shall not perish.
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6. Whoever shall recite the Rosary devoutly, applying himself to the consideration of its Sacred Mysteries shall never be conquered by misfortune. God will not chastise him in His justice, he shall not perish by an unprovided death; if he be just, he shall remain in the grace of God, and become worthy of eternal life.
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7. Whoever shall have a true devotion for the Rosary shall not die without the Sacraments of the Church.
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8. Those who are faithful to recite the Rosary shall have during their life and at their death the light of God and the plentitude of His graces; at the moment of death they shall participate in the merits of the Saints in Paradise.
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9. I shall deliver from purgatory those who have been devoted to the Rosary.
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10. The faithful children of the Rosary shall merit a high degree of glory in Heaven.
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11. You shall obtain all you ask of me by the recitation of the Rosary.
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12. All those who propagate the Holy Rosary shall be aided by me in their necessities.
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13. I have obtained from my Divine Son that all the advocates of the Rosary shall have for intercessors the entire celestial court during their life and at the hour of death.
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14. All who recite the Rosary are my children, and brothers and sisters of my only Son, Jesus Christ.
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15. Devotion of my Rosary is a great sign of predestination
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People who pray and recite the Rosary often, pray and recite the New Testament and Gospel's often.
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The Rosary is the Gospels and are supported biblically. The Rosary is a prayer given to us by Jesus through Mary. The "Mysteries" of the Rosary are all found in the Gospels and are taken directly from Scripture passages.
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The Rosary is used to reflect on the Gospels and specifically the life of Jesus Christ in the Gospels.
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The Rosary is used as a form of religious meditation. Catholics meditate on important moments of Jesus Christ’s life. Reciting the Rosary, typically takes one hour, so Catholics who recite the Rosary daily are totally focused on the Gospels and Jesus for at least an hour, every day.

That is one of the reasons the Rosary is such a powerful prayer. If one chooses to dedicate an hour everyday to meditate on Christ’s life, how could it be possible, not becoming a better Catholic (Christian)? It is not, people who recite the Rosary daily are changed. They are changed or transformed into better people, better mothers and fathers, better sons and daughters, sisters and brothers, better people and better Catholics (Christians).+The Rosary is a devotion that would be beneficial to all Christians, even non-Catholic Christians. You don’t have to be a Catholic to meditate on the Gospels.
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The prayers of the Rosary, are also biblically supported and come directly from the Gospels.
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The "Our Father" or the "Lord's Prayer", can be found in Matthew 6:8-15, and in Luke 11:1-14, when Jesus told us, "This is how you are to pray".
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"Our Father, Who art in Heaven, hallowed be Thy name; Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done 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. Amen. "
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The "Glory be" prayer too, came directly from the Bible, in John 17:5, "Now glorify me, Father, with you"; and 1Peter 1:1-3.."of God the Father, through sanctification by the Spirit, for obedience and sprinkling with the blood of Jesus".*We can also find the "Glory be" in Matthew 28:19 , "Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the holy Spirit".

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Additional verses supporting the "Glory be" are found in Ephesians 3:21 ..."to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen."; and in Isaia 45:17, "Israel, you are saved by the LORD, saved forever!

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Additionally in John 3:16-17 it is written, "For God so loved the world that he gave 7 his only Son...God did not send his Son into the world to condemn 8 the world, but that the world might be saved... and Genesis 8:21-22, God tells us,"Never again will I doom the earth because of man, since the desires of man's heart are evil from the start; nor will I ever again strike down all living beings, as I have done...Summer and winter, and day and night shall not cease."
The "Glory be" prayer;
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"Glory be to the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning is now and ever shall be, world without end. Amen."
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The "Hail Mary" prayer comes to us directly from the bible (explained in the CCC 2673-2679). Here are the verses in which the "Hail Mary" prayer originated from; starting with Luke 1:28 , "Hail, favored one! The Lord is with you." and Luke 1:42 "Most blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb (Jesus).
Although Mary was the Mother of God and this titled is explained very well in the Catechism of the Catholic Church,( CCC 963-975) she was also a humble servant and this is shown us in, Luke 1:38, when she said "Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word".
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Mary completely surrendered herself to God, so that her son Jesus, our Lord, could come into the world, so that we might have Salvation (John 3:16).
She (the Blessed Virgin Mary) had "free will" and could have said "no" but she didn't. She completely surrendered to God's will.
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Where would we be today if Mary said "no"?
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Mary is the Mother of God and is my, our mother too (John 19:27) "Woman, behold, your son."Then he said to the disciple, "Behold, your mother." and I know that she will pray for me too.

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Moreover, Mary in Luke 1:48, tells us, "from now on will all ages call me blessed". It is written in Luke 2:19 "And Mary kept all these things, reflecting on them in her heart". This statement, "And Mary kept all these things, reflecting on them in her heart". is mentioned several times in the New Testament.

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In Luke 2:35 . "and you yourself a sword will pierce 11 so that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed". We are reminded of Mary's role as the Mother of God in Luke 1:43 "And how does this happen to me, that the mother of my Lord 14 should come to me?"
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(Mary had many titles).
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The "Hail Mary" prayer;

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"Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee, blessed art thou amongst 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."
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In Romans 15:30, we are reminded of the Saints, "I urge you, (brothers,) by our Lord Jesus Christ and by the love of the Spirit, to join me in the struggle by your prayers to God on my behalf". In Colossians 4:3, we are reminded to ask for the prayers of the Saints. "at the same time, pray for us, too, that God may open a door to us..." In 1 Thessalonians 5:23-25, we again are reminded of the "Holy Ones" or "Saints" and the power and need of their prayers, "May the God of peace himself make you perfectly holy and may you entirely, spirit, soul, and body, be preserved blameless for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. The one who calls you is faithful, and he will also accomplish it. Brothers, pray for us (too). . "

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In 2 Thessalonians 1:11, we are told that the Holy Ones, like the Blessed Virgin Mary, will always pray for us, "...we always pray for you, that our God may make you worthy of his calling and powerfully bring to fulfillment every good purpose and every effort of faith", describing the power of prayer.
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In Ephesians 6:18-19 "With all prayer and supplication, pray at every opportunity in the Spirit. To that end, be watchful with all perseverance and supplication for all the holy ones and also for me, that speech may be given me to open my mouth, to make known with boldness the mystery of the gospel" and Revelation 5:8, "When he took it, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb. Each of the elders held a harp and gold bowls filled with incense, which are the prayers of the holy ones."
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Intercessory Prayer requests to the Saints is explained very well in the Catechism of the Catholic Church, CCC 2632 and 2647.
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Finally if you read Job 42:1-17 , especially Job 42:8 ; where it is written ...; "and let my servant Job pray for you; for his prayer I will accept, not to punish you severely." and Job 42 :9 ,"And the LORD accepted the intercession of Job".

It is clear that God's servants, Old Testament and New Testament, have been given the power by God to intercede for us and an understanding of the Gospels, in full context, leads one to the truth that there exist a power in prayer and that the "Holy Ones" or Saints are truly united with us and are too our brothers and sisters in Christ.
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We need to be and we are fortunate to be in communion with Saints, "holy ones" and we are very fortunate to have Sacramentals like the Rosary.
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The Rosary is a sacramental, which leads us to the Sacraments, to the Gospels and to Jesus. Pray the Rosary, it transforms souls and makes the Gosples a daily pert of your life.+=

Submitted by Jimmy Brousseau

2007 pic

2008-01-13T01:36:00.000-08:00