By praying the Rosary each day what is unknown will become known and we will grow ever closer to the Son of God

Today the Universal Church honors Mary….Its the first day of the year and what better way to kick the year off then to look to Our Lady the Mother of God to show us her son….Some in the Christian world have an issue with this approach….They say, “We go directly to Jesus”….Sadly, the collective “we” (myself in front of that line) are sinners and can not “go directly to Jesus” in the manner we would like too…This is why Our Holy Mother intercedes for us…..We go to Mary and she brings us to her son…This is the most direct path…Why? Because Mary is pure and we are not…Also, the Mother knows the Son better than anyone can or will…So as we usher in this new year, let us take the hand of Mary…..She is our Holy Mother…Mary will lead us to her son.....….”When the fullness of time had come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to ransom those under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons”…….The world today embarks on the New Year with anticipation…..No one knows what the year will bring…If we proceed forward with our hand in the hand of Mary…Connected to her through the Rosary…What is unknown will become known and we will grow ever closer to the Son of God

“In the past God spoke to our ancestors through the prophets; in these last days, he has spoken to us through the Son”

If you read about the lives of the saints, there are some common themes that can be found across all their lives…..One of those themes is, all the saints had a devotion to Our Lady…..And the closer we grow to God, the more God can use us in our day to day lives…..This is why praying the Rosary is such an important part of Catholic life…It does not take a long time and when the Rosary is prayed in a family setting, the fruits of this practice can not be overstated…..Everyone likes to hear stories about miracles…Well, if you like miracle stories there are many attributed to the Rosary…Here is just one of them, which I think you may find interesting:

“At 3: 00 am on January 15, 1978 Ted Bundy entered the Chi Omega sorority house at Florida State University and murdered two girls before heading off to search for more victims. When he entered a third girl’s room with a bat for a weapon, he saw a rosary clutched in her hand, dropped the bat and fled. Later the girl told authorities that before she left for college she had promised her grandmother that she would pray the rosary every night for protection, even if she fell asleep in the process. This is what she had done that night, and she was still holding the rosary when the murderer entered her room. Bundy later confessed to over thirty murders. Father Joseph M. Esper says in his book With Mary to Jesus, "Ironically, when Ted Bundy was on death row, awaiting execution for his crimes, he asked Monsignor Kerr to serve as a spiritual counselor, and the priest took the opportunity to ask about that terrible night. Bundy explained that when he entered the girl's room, he had fully intended on murdering her; some mysterious power was preventing him." Father Esper adds, "And not only does it (the rosary) aid our own spiritual growth ‐‐ it also undermines the kingdom of Satan. The famous Vatican exorcist Father Gabriele Amorth testified, 'One day a colleague of mine heard the devil say during an exorcism, "Every Hail Mary is like a blow on my head. If Christians knew how powerful the Rosary was, it would be my end."

“As proof that you are sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts”

The world famous Padre Pio used to say, “The Rosary is the Weapon”…..If we pray the Rosary everyday not only will we gain deep insights into the life of Christ but a special bond will be formed between ourself and the Mother of God….When you think about it, if we do some very simple things…Go to a Sacramental Confession each month, Receive the Blessed Sacrament in the state of grace on Sunday and Pray the Rosary daily…Our lives will RADICALLY change….Each year at this time, people make all kinds of New Year’s resolutions…..The three things I just noted are not only free but very achievable…..However, maybe at this time you are “not up” to going to Confession with a Catholic Priest or going to Mass…Then I would suggest, start praying the Rosary…Start with one decade each day…If you do not know how to do it, look on the internet - Its easy……..That will take only five minutes of your time each day…This practice will build upon itself as Our Lady will slowly take you by the hand and bring you to her Son….One Hail Mary at a time…..If you accomplish just that this year - Trust me, you will have accomplished something extraordinary, which in turn will lead to great things!

“So may your way be known upon earth; among all nations, your salvation”

Today brings us to a new year as we all know….What will make this year something special?…..As we too know - Life will throw all kinds of circumstances upon us this year, both good and bad - That is for certain, however if we are “armed” with “the weapon” of God - The Holy Rosary…We will be prepared to deal with whatever comes our way…..Our Lady is honored today by the Universal Church and like a good mother Mary never stops teaching us the ways to grow ever closer to her son…..If we take her hand, beginning today, starting with one Hail Mary at a time…..This year will truly be a good one……..No one knows what 2025 will bring…But I know one thing for sure…..By praying the Rosary each day what is unknown will become known and we will grow ever closer to the Son of God