Monday, September 20, 2010

Saint Joseph Rosary Chaplet




Feast Day: March 19, May 1
Patron of the Universal Church


Everything we know about the husband of Mary and the foster father of Jesus comes from Scripture and that has seemed too little for those who made up legends about him.

We know he was a carpenter, a working man, for the skeptical Nazarenes ask about Jesus, "Is this not the carpenter's son?" (Matthew 13:55). He wasn't rich for when he took Jesus to the Temple to be circumcised and Mary to be purified he offered the sacrifice of two turtledoves or a pair of pigeons, allowed only for those who could not afford a lamb (Luke 2:24).

Despite his humble work and means, Joseph came from a royal lineage. Luke and Matthew disagree some about the details of Joseph's genealogy but they both mark his descent from David, the greatest king of Israel (Matthew 1:1-16 and Luke 3:23-38). Indeed the angel who first tells Joseph about Jesus greets him as "son of David," a royal title used also for Jesus.

We know Joseph was a compassionate, caring man. When he discovered Mary was pregnant after they had been betrothed, he knew the child was not his but was as yet unaware that she was carrying the Son of God. He planned to divorce Mary according to the law but he was concerned for her suffering and safety. He knew that women accused to adultery could be stoned to death, so he decided to divorce her quietly and not expose her to shame or cruelty (Matthew 1:19-25).

We know Joseph was man of faith, obedient to whatever God asked of him without knowing the outcome. When the angel came to Joseph in a dream and told him the truth about the child Mary was carrying, Joseph immediately and without question or concern for gossip, took Mary as his wife. When the angel came again to tell him that his family was in danger, he immediately left everything he owned, all his family and friends, and fled to a strange country with his young wife and the baby. He waited in Egypt without question until the angel told him it was safe to go back (Matthew 2:13-23).

We know Joseph loved Jesus. His one concern was for the safety of this child entrusted to him. Not only did he leave his home to protect Jesus, but upon his return settled in the obscure town of Nazareth out of fear for his life. When Jesus stayed in the Temple we are told Joseph (along with Mary) searched with great anxiety for three days for him (Luke 2:48). We also know that Joseph treated Jesus as his own son for over and over the people of Nazareth say of Jesus, "Is this not the son of Joseph?" (Luke 4:22)

We know Joseph respected God. He followed God's commands in handling the situation with Mary and going to Jerusalem to have Jesus circumcised and Mary purified after Jesus' birth. We are told that he took his family to Jerusalem every year for Passover, something that could not have been easy for a working man.

Since Joseph does not appear in Jesus' public life, at his death, or resurrection, many historians believe Joseph probably had died before Jesus entered public ministry.

Joseph is the patron of the dying because, assuming he died before Jesus' public life, he died with Jesus and Mary close to him, the way we all would like to leave this earth.

Joseph is also patron of the universal Church, fathers, carpenters, and social justice.

We celebrate two feast days for Joseph: March 19 for Joseph the Husband of Mary and May 1 for Joseph the Worker.


Saint Joseph Rosary Chaplet in Amethyst and Magnesite



The Chaplet Of Saint Joseph


The chaplet of Saint Joseph rosary is divided into fifteen groups of four beads consisting of one white and three purple beads. On the white bead, symbolizes Saint Joseph's purity, announce one of the mysteries of the Rosary, and say two Hail Marys on that bead. On the purple bead, symbolizes his saintly piety, say the prayer on each bead in that group, "Praised and blessed be Jesus, Mary and Joseph!"



1st Purple
Praised and blessed be Jesus, Mary and Joseph!

1st White
The Annunciation (say 2 Hail Marys)

group of 3 Purple
Praised and blessed be Jesus, Mary and Joseph!

2nd White
The Visitation
group of 3 Purple
Praised and blessed be Jesus, Mary and Joseph!

3rd White
The Nativity (say 2 Hail Marys)
group of 3 Purple
Praised and blessed be Jesus, Mary and Joseph!

4th White
The Presentation in the Temple (say 2 Hail Marys)
group of 3 Purple
Praised and blessed be Jesus, Mary and Joseph!

5th White
The Finding of Our Lord in the Temple (say 2 Hail Marys)
group of 3 Purple
Praised and blessed be Jesus, Mary and Joseph!

6th White
The Agony in the Garden (say 2 Hail Marys)
group of 3 Purple
Praised and blessed be Jesus, Mary and Joseph!

7th White
The Scourging (say 2 Hail Marys)
group of 3 Purple
Praised and blessed be Jesus, Mary and Joseph!

8th White
The Crowing with Thorns (say 2 Hail Marys)
group of 3 Purple
Praised and blessed be Jesus, Mary and Joseph!

9th White
The Carrying of the Cross (say 2 Hail Marys)
group of 3 Purple
Praised and blessed be Jesus, Mary and Joseph!

10th White
The Crucifixion (say 2 Hail Marys)
group of 3 Purple
Praised and blessed be Jesus, Mary and Joseph!

11th White
The Resurrection (say 2 Hail Marys)
group of 3 Purple
Praised and blessed be Jesus, Mary and Joseph!

12th White
The Ascension (say 2 Hail Marys)
group of 3 Purple
Praised and blessed be Jesus, Mary and Joseph!

13th White
The Descent of the Holy Spirit (say 2 Hail Marys)
group of 3 Purple
Praised and blessed be Jesus, Mary and Joseph!

14th White
The Assumption (say 2 Hail Marys)
group of 3 Purple
Praised and blessed be Jesus, Mary and Joseph!

15th White
The Coronation of the Blessed Virgin (say 2 Hail Marys)
group of 3 Purple
Praised and blessed be Jesus, Mary and Joseph!

End the chaplet with the following prayers:
V Pray for us, O holy St. Joseph.:
R That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.

Let Us Pray:
O God, Who has predestined St. Joseph from all eternity for the service of Thine Eternal Son and His Blessed Mother, and made him worthy to be the spouse of this Blessed Virgin and the foster father of Thy Son; we beseech Thee, through all the services he has rendered to Jesus and Mary on earth, that Thou wouldst make us worthy of his intercession and grant us to enjoy the happiness of his company in heaven. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.




Source: http://www.catholic.org

Thursday, September 9, 2010

Our Lady Of Altagracia




Our Lady of Altagracia


Also known as:

Our Lady of Grace
Our Lady of High Grace
Protector and Queen of the hearts of Dominicans
Virgen de la Altagracia
Virgin of Altagracia

Feast Day: 6 January
Memorial Day: 21 January

Patronage: The Dominican Republic


Our Lady of Altagracia is portrait of the Virgin Mary in a Nativity scene. It is 13 inches (33 centimeters) wide by 18 inches (45 centimeters) high, and is painted on cloth. It is a primitive work of the Spanish school, painted c.1500. The Spanish brothers Alfonso and Antonio Trejo, two of the first European settlers on Santo Domingo, brought the portrait to the island some time prior to 1502, and eventually donated it to the parish church at Higuey. It's first shrine was finished in 1572, and in 1971 it was moved to its present Basilica. The image was crowned on 15 August 1922 during the pontificate of Pius XI. Due to its age, centuries of handling by the faithful, and exposure to candle smoke, it was in sad shape, and was restored in 1978. On 25 January 1979 by Pope John Paul II who crowned the image with a gold and silver tiara, his gift to the Virgin. It's frame is made of gold, enamel and precious stones, and was constructed by an unknown 18th century artisan.

 
The Dominicans see the image as exemplifying Our Lady watching over the island and the growth of Christianity there. The feast day is marked by services, all-night vigils, singing, dancing, and festivals in many of the towns.

 
Legend says that the pious daughter of a rich merchant asked him to bring her a portrait of Our Lady of Altagracia from Santo Domingo, but no one had heard of that title. The merchant, staying overnight at a friend's house in Higuey, described his problem as they sat outdoors after dinner. An old man with a long beard, who just happened to be passing by, pulled a rolled up painting from his bindle, gave it to the merchant, and said, "This is what you are looking for." It was the Virgin of Altagracia. They gave the old man a place to stay for the night, but by dawn he was gone, not to be seen again. The merchant placed the image on their mantle, but it repeatedly disappeared only to be found outside. They finally returned it to the church.






Novena to the Virgin of Altagracia


Oh, Dearest Mother, Sweetest Virgin of Altagracia, our
Patroness.
Look at us here, prostrate in your presence, desiring
to offer you this novena as a testimony of our love
for you and in thanksgiving for the innumerable
favors that we have received from your hands.

You are our Advocate and to you we recommend our
needs.

You are our Teacher and like disciples we come to
learn from the example of your holy life.

You are our Mother, and like children, we come to
offer you all of the love of our hearts. Receive,
dearest Mother, our offerings and listen attentively
to our supplications. Amen

[Here ask for one of the graces you would like to
obtain from the Holy Virgin of Altagracia]

Supplications

1. Oh sweetest Mother of Altagracia,
all pure and Immaculate from your Conception! We
beseech you to bless us, your children, with the grace
to love the purity you practiced and to preserve the
innocence of our children.

Hail Mary…

2. Oh sweetest Mother of Altagracia,
admirable model of Christian mothers and wives in the
humble house of Nazareth, we beseech you to bless our
homes, making them flourish in the holiness of
matrimony.

Hail Mary…

3. Oh sweetest Mother of Altagracia,
you received into your arms the Holy Infant who died
for us on the Cross, we give you all of our
sufferings, so that at the hour of our death we may
die with the name of Jesus on our lips and in our
hearts, and fly to heaven with the help of your
maternal arms.

Hail Mary …

Final Prayer

Holy Virgin of Altagracia!

From your hands and your maternal heart we receive
each day the sustenance that you give to us from Our
Father in heaven.
You are our defense in danger,
our indispensable help in our necessities and our hope in the sacrifices required of the Christian
life.
Through your Immaculate Heart we desire to pay tribute
to God with a hymn of thanksgiving for all the
benefits you have distributed.
We promise you, Oh Mother, gratitude and fidelity.
You will always reign in our homes and in our town,
where all venerate you as Our Lady and Mother, you who
make all virtues increase and thrive.
We are honored to be called your children.

We hope to finish our lives serving God and you until
we reach the highest grace possible, the grace you
will help us to attain, the great gift of heaven
itself.

Amen



The Unbreakable Rosary


Source: http://saints.sqpn.com/