OUR LADY OF THE ROSARY, PRAY FOR US!

ST.FRANCIS OF ASSISI: ‘A MASTER OF PRAYER’

‘Our Father’ was the only prayer that Jesus expressly taught His disciples. “When you pray, say: ‘Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name’ ”. It is a prayer that Jesus bequeathed to His Church, as a model, as a standard for Christian prayer, as an example of how to speak with God. On the basis of this regulatory significance people felt the need to analyse it, to comment on it, from the earliest times. The Our Father was the most common and the most well known prayer, but to prevent it from becoming just a routine formula, it was meditated on in depth and explained in sermons and scriptural commentaries. That is how the Our Father was worked over by Tertullian (+after 220), Origen (+253), Cyprian (+259) and Augustine(+430). One should therefore not be surprised to discover that Francis’(St. Francis of Assisi) commentary links up with the work of many of his forerunners. But we must acknowledge that Francis, although the commentaries on the Prayer of the Lord were of common usage at the time, did not copy any one’s inventions but follows an astonishingly creative approach, all his own. He creatively deals with what is handed down and himself produces something new and different. It is after all rooted in the theology of the early Middle ages, and even from Augustine a thousand years before that but must be counted among the genuine writings of St. Francis, known as ‘the Master of Prayer’: it reflects his spirit, some expressions reflect a high class of theological thought or rather a personal knowledge and mystical experience of God, so characteristic of Francis, and in many an addition it betrays his style of writing, was in its totality used by him and handed down to his companions.
THE PRAYER INSPIRED BY THE OUR FATHER
SPIRITUAL LAYOUT
The OUR FATHER, according to the known text of Mt. 6:9-13 consists of an invocation or address, enlarged by an adjective sentence, and seven petitions. While praying, Francis enlarges petition, as also the invocation and its addition, and the comparison in the fifth petition. In this way Francis’ meditation divides the Our Father into ten sections. In many ways, this Prayer inspired by the Our Father is an expression of the inner life of St. Francis (actual biblical words in CAPITALS):

1. OUR most holy FATHER, Our Creator, Redeemer, Consoler, and Saviour
2. WHO ARE IN HEAVEN: In the angels and in the saints, Enlightening them to love, because You, Lord, are light, Inflaming them to love, because You, Lord, are love Dwelling [in them] and filling them with happiness, because You, Lord, are the Supreme Good, the Eternal Good from Whom comes all good without Whom there is no good.
3. HALLOWED BE YOUR NAME: May our knowledge of You become ever clearer that we may know the breadth of Your blessings, the length of Your promises, the height of Your majesty, the depth of Your judgements.
4. YOU KINGDOM COME: so that You may rule in us through Your grace and enable us to com to Your Kingdom where there is an unclouded vision of You, a perfect love of You, a blessed companionship with You, an eternal enjoyment of You.
5. YOUR WILL BE DONE ON EARTH AS IT IS IN HEAVEN: that we may love You with our whole heart by always thinking of You, with our whole soul by always desiring You, with our whole mind by directing all our intentions to You and by seeking Your glory in everything, and with our whole strength by spending all our energies and affections of soul and body in the service of Your love and of nothing else and may we love our neighbours as ourselves by drawing them all with our whole strength to Your love, by rejoicing in the good fortunes of others as well as our own, and by sympathizing with the misfortunes of others and by giving offense to no one
6. GIVE US THIS DAY: in memory and understanding and reverence of the love which [our Lord Jesus Christ] had for us, and of those things which He said and did and suffered for us OUR DAILY BREAD: Your own Beloved Son, our Lord Jesus Christ
7. AND FORGIVE US OUR TRESPASSES: through Your ineffable mercy, through the power of the Passion pf Your Beloved Son, together with the merits and intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary and all Your chosen ones
8. AS WE FORGIVE THOSE WHO TRESPASS AGAINST US: and whatever we do not forgive perfectly, do you, Lord, enable us to forgive to the full so that we may truly love [our] enemies and fervently intercede for them before You returning no evil for evil and striving to help everyone in You
9. AND LEAD US NOT INTO TEMPTATION: hidden or obvious, sudden or persistent
10. BUT DELIVER US FROM EVIL: past, present and to come. Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen.
THE OUR FATHER - MIRROR OF LIFE
When one reflects on the meditation of Francis on the Our Father, one may come to understand how much he made his own the meaning of the Lord’s prayer. It did not remain for him a prayer routinely mumbled. This certainly must have been due to the fact that the prayer of the Our Father must have made a great impression on him and consequently influenced his style of life. We remember how Francis made common cause with the lepers, how he put his hand to repair little churches, and how he behaved in his last confrontation with his father where Francis boldly declared in front of the Bishop and the people: “Hear everyone and take note! Till now I have called Pietro Bernardone my father; but I have decided to serve God and therefore I return to him the money he is bothered about, and also all the clothes I received from him, In future I will say: ‘Our Father Who art in Heaven.’ ” In this manner the merchant’s son freed himself from a sonship that involved patrimony and wealth.

PERSONALITY PROFILE!
-PHILIP THE EVANGELIST

Jesus’ last words to his followers were a command to take the gospel everywhere, but they seemed reluctant to leave Jerusalem. It took intense persecution to scatter the believers from Jerusalem and into Judaea and Samaria, where Jesus had instructed them to go. Philip, one of the deacons in charge of food distribution, left Jerusalem and, like most of them, he did not limit his audience to other Jews. He went directly to Samaria, the last place many Jews would go, due to age-old prejudice.
The Samaritans responded in large numbers. When word went back to Jerusalem, Peter and John were sent to evaluate Philip’s ministry. They quickly became involved themselves, seeing firsthand God’s acceptance of those who previously were considered unacceptable. In the middle of all this success and excitement, God directed Philip out to the desert for an appointment with an Ethiopian eunuch, another foreigner, who had been in Jerusalem. Philip went immediately. His effectiveness in sharing the gospel with this man placed a Christian in a significant position in a distant country and may well have had an effect on an entire nation.
Philip ended up ion Caesarea, where events allowed him to be Paul’s host many years later. The conversion of the Gentiles begun by Philip was continued across the entire Roman Empire by Paul. Whether or not you are a follower of Christ, Philip’s life presents a challenge. To those still outside the gospel, he is a reminder that the gospel is for you also. To those who have accepted Christ, he is a reminder that we are not free to disqualify anyone from hearing about Jesus. How much like Philip would your neighbours say you are?
Strengths and Accomplishments:
One of the seven leaders chosen to supervise food distribution to the needy in the early church.
Became an evangelist, one of the travelling missionaries.
One of the first to obey Jesus’ command to take the gospel to all people.
A careful student of the Bible who could explain its meaning clearly.
Lessons from his life:
God finds great and various uses for those willing to obey wholeheartedly.
The gospel is universal Good News.
The whole Bible, not just the New Testament, helps us understand more about Jesus.
Both mass response (the Samaritans) and individual response (the person from Ethiopia) to the gospel are valuable.
Vital Statistics:
Occupation: Deacon, evangelist
Relatives: Four daughters
Contemporaries: Paul, Stephen, and the apostles
Key verse: –
“Then Philip began to speak, and starting with this scripture, he proclaimed to him the good news about Jesus.” (Acts 8:35)
Mentioned in:
Philip’s story is told in Acts 6:1-7; 8:5-40; 21:8-10.

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BIBLE READING PLAN FOR THE MONTH OF OCTOBER:

Praise be to Jesus! Thanks be to Jesus!
My daughter Kaleshwari aged 3years was a eunuch by birth. We took her to few child specialists and other doctors but met with disappointment everywhere. We got the reply that she could not be operated upon until she reaches the age of 10. My mother had been to Jeevan Dham several times. Actually, she had come here for her broken arm which could not be lifted high. Even after getting it plastered, it was found to be disjoint on removing the plaster. Her neighbour told her about Jeevan Dham and she started coming here regularly. Within a few days, she not only got rid of the pain in her arm, but also could lift it up with ease. With her faith strengthened by this miracle, she kept on attending the prayer service on Sundays. Once during the service she heard the testimony of a woman stating that her daughter who was born a eunuch, had turned into a girl through God’s grace. This testimony assured her that even her granddaughter Kaleshwari would definitely be healed through His power and mercy. She advised me to take Kaleshwari to Jeevan Dham.
Today, when Mrs. Mani announced, that the Almighty God is blessing a child in a very special manner. As soon as I heard these words, I removed her clothes and surprisingly found the change in her body, thus making her a girl now. Indeed, the Word made flesh, Jesus Christ heard our prayers and tested our faith and blessed my daughter so generously through the power of His Divine Word which turned a distant impossibility into a possible reality. Alleluia! A million thanks to Him, our Saviour and Redeemer!
Radhika(mother), Kaleshwari
Faridabad

B) THE TRUTH WILL SET YOU FREE...! GOT FREEDOM FROM ADDICTION TO ALCOHOL & GAMBLING!

Praise be to Jesus! Thanks be to Jesus!

Today I have come here to give my wonderful testimony for my Lord has showered His blessings on me and my family restoring peace and joy to my wretched life.
4 months back, when my painting work was not running well and I was financially and morally in a pitiable condition, a lady suggested me to come here at Jeevan Dham and attend the Sunday prayer service with faith to get rid of all my problems of my life. I came here and heard the Word of God attentively. I was filled with the joy and peace of the Lord because as the Word of God went into my heart I felt it as sweet as honey and as holy and peaceful as a dove. It challenged my disoriented lifestyle, my weaknesses, my mistakes, and my addictions to worldly pleasures.
Then I acknowledged my sin to you, and I did not hide my iniquity; I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the Lord,” and you forgave the guilt of my sin. (Psalms 32:5)
My life was miraculously transformed the first day itself, which was more important to me than getting work to earn for my family. I got a good contract within a week through God’s grace but the more significant and incredible blessing on me was getting free from gambling addiction, one of my major weaknesses, which had never left me for the past 15 years. I had indulged in gambling to gain an income, and later I became addicted to it. Even after repeated losses, I persisted in gambling and during these 15 years, out of my sheer foolishness, I wasted over 7 to 8 lakh rupees. But after listening to the Divine Word of God, the Eternal truth, I got rid of this gaming addiction, besides addiction to alcohol and other bad habits. I was a drunkard and a gambler all these years, living in darkness away from God but now God has set me free with His Word and adopted me as His loving child through His love, mercy and grace.
I had a great desire to see God in a vision. One day during the prayer service, God favoured me and revealed himself to me in a vision. Another wonderful miracle that the Almighty God worked in my life was a beautiful gift to our family – my wife concieved a baby boy for whom I had prayed a lot for several months. What else do I need now from God? All these invaluable blessings on me and my family have deepened our faith in Him. We surrender everything to Him who is our Lord and Saviour and give Him thanks, glory, honour and praise. Alleluia!
Mohan Painter,
Faridabad
Jesus says, “So I say to you, Ask, and it will be given you; search, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened for you. ” (Luke 11:9)

THROUGH THE POWER OF HIS WORD, GOD GIFTED ALL THESE CHILDLESS FAMILIES WITH A CHILD AFTER MANY YEARS OF MARRIAGE!