LOL look at that title......hehehe

Well, while I was praying the Rosary last night, an idea came to me, so I thought I'd chuck it out to see what you thought....

I thought we could share anything spiritual together. I mean, we talk about nuns etc.......but we don't seem to have a specific thread for "just" the religiousy side of it all (and the most important part!!!!)

Like, whenever anyone wanted to, they could share reflections, articles, meditations, prayers, novenas etc....and we could keep them all in the same thread....(easy to keep track on them all.) Am I out on a limb here?

No! not at all! I think it is a good idea!

Actually I'll start, what are your favourite Mysteries of the Rosary? I was also thinking about this, as this Friday is the feast of Our Lady of the Rosary...

Personally, I love them all, of course!!! But my absolute favourites are the Joyful ones......I love each one equally...I love how they can be all so relevant in our every day life. Like, I found the Annunciation of our Lord best to meditate on early on in discernment. And I adore the Presentation of our Lord...I don't why, but I have a strong connection to the Mystery, and always have. The Joyful Mysteries were also the first ones I could "properly" meditate on for the WHOLE Rosary....!

I also love the Glorious Mysteries, esp as they were my first Mysteries of the Rosary ever.....goodness, what a long time ago!!!!! I like the Descent of the Holy Spirit best out of them. I used to find the Sorrowful Mysteries almost painful...I would get so caught up in His bravery in suffering soooooooo much, for us! (I found it really hard after seeing "the Passion of Christ" by Mel Gibson)

I love the Rosary so much!!! I love it how each Mystery can mean so much at certain points in your life. (I found the Resurrection an awesome one for helping to "keep on track" when things get messy.)

I really should be getting to bed so I can get up tomorrow for Mass! It's the feast day of St. Francis!
But I'm hoping that my guardian angel and my alarm clock can help me out

I found quite an attachment to the Passion, and I have for quite some time, so I found the Sorrowful mysteries the most fruitful to meditate on... But then I realized I must not be continually in sorrow, but also in joy! I have found great joy in both the Joyful and GLorious mysteries... In fact while pilgrimaging at WYD to the vigil site, I prayed the Joyful Mysteries and I was full of joy! At the end I got a little message...

I'm not sure if that is what you are looking for, but that's my bit

My favorite are the glorious

includes the resurrection!!!!

Nah, thats awesome!!!!!!!!! Have a good sleep Yay, yes, St Francis' feast day is almost over for me! Its late afternoon!

also, i find my prayers to be most fruitful when it is late at night and I am very tired and I have to fight to stay awake... anyone else? Or am I just weird

Me too!!!!! Especially the Rosary....it "works" best at night, when I'm by myself, and can collect my thoughts together......Also, I love praying bang in the middle of the night....

An exception is the Divine Mercy chaplet, it "works" best in the afternoon, generally when I'm walking home from school....

The Rosary is usually my prayer of choice late at night... It takes me about an hour plus to get through one set of mysteries... and I usually am crying throughout it... most of the time joyful tears, sometimes sorrowful tears...

ST. FRANCIS OF ASSISI

Yay! He is going to be my Holy Father (of the Franciscan order, not in a heterodoxial way...) when I become a Franciscan

Really?? thats awesome. It usually takes a little shorter for me...unless I fall asleep! I love falling asleep while praying though.....

Happy feast day for all you future Franciscans! St. Francis is awesome!

As for the mysteries, I really like the Luminous mysteries (thank you JP2)! Each of the mysteries can be said to be joyous, sorrowful, glorious, and luminous in their own ways, I think. The luminous mysteries are just so rich in doctrine and imagery.

Also, I like the writings of St. Teresa of Jesus and St. Juan of the Cross. Does anyone else find it easier to read Dark Night than to read Interior Castle? I love St. Teresa very much but, stylistically, her writings are hard to follow. It's not a straight and systematic argument like St. Juan's arguments. However, I love both their writings. Carmelite spirituality is very beautiful (even for this future Dominican!) and I feel that it very aptly informs the Dominican spirituality of growing in virture and loving Christ by truly knowing Him through study and prayer.

My favorite are the Sorrowful

I love the Luminous Mysteries. And the Sorrowful Mysteries. And the the Glorious Mysteries. And I can't forget the Joyful Mysteries. lol. The Holy Madonna is so wonderful. I'm so awful at praying the Rosary, but she's made me better, in spite of it all. The Luminous Mysteries, though... as we meditate upon the sacraments. I love them, I suppose, because although I grew up Catholic... no one really told me anything about them. I missed out on so much. And they remind me about how fortunate that despite my shortcomings, my cynicism, God pulled me to Him anyway. And that gives me hope that, maybe, just maybe, despite my unworthiness, God will allow me to be one of His brides!

Dear All!!!!
I think that this month of the Holy Rosary is already showing signs of being quite amazing and blessed! Last week, on Thurday after Mass, I spoke with my parish priest about my vocation. (I have only spoken to my school chaplain, and a random priest at a youth day about it before.) You know what? I said that I wanted to be a nun....and he said he just KNEW it!!! He had been thinking about it for weeks and weeks and weeks and weeks...!!! He wasn't at all surprised, but very happy, and supportive! He does however, like the idea of the student exchange, so he will try to see if the parish can in any way help out. I did say though, that I only want to go if it happens to be our Lords Will. He also recommended not too talk to my parents YET.

But talking to Father has so immensely strengthened my calling to religious life! I have been sooooo happy and giggly the last few days! Seriously, I just walk along the road laughing and smiling because our God is SO good! I keep thinking that no matter how much I love Him, its only a shadow compared His Love for me! and everyone else!!! I am just flying sooo high! Isn't He so AMAZING?!? I was thinking about the idea of Final Vows the other day...and it must be so liberating, entirely His for ALL your life!!!!! and all eternity as well!

Because of my meeting a whole new group of young Catholics after Adoration for our Lady of the Rosary, I was invited to womens only retreat for Saturday night. The speaker was a consecrated woman of Regnum Christi, and she talked about the specific vocation of love that every woman is called to. It was based off an encyclical or a letter to women, about the beauty and dignity of the vocation as a woman, or something...

I was talking to an old friend of mine, (a first year primary school teacher) and during our conversation, she mentions that she is discerning with the Carmelites here in Auckland!!!!!!!!!!! Wahooooo!!! Another NZ discerner!! I told her that I too am discerning, and when she asked me who with, I was about to say contemplative Dominicans, Poor Clares and active Dominican sisters, but somehow, I only talked about a community that I thought I had "laid to rest" my interest...

I love the Rosary....

Wow, good for you! Does not God work in the most wonderous ways?

I would have to agree that this month is grace-filled. For my psycology class I had/have to attend meetings with a student counsilor to get a good grade. I made the appointment and everything and out of the 50 student counsilors guess who I got? A Catholic Priest! (He is earning a degree in Psycology) Guess what else, his vocation story is very similar to mine. God is so kind to help me in this way! I needed someone wise to help me transition to the seminary, and here he is!

Has anybody ever heard of the Immaculate Mysteries?

I was reading an article in Our Sunday Visitor Last Year. And it talked in detail over the Luminous Mysteries, and that there was a priest like 50 years before who came up with mysteries almost identical. It also made reference to various bishops in the last 150 years who proposed various mysteries similar to the Luminous Mysteries. Some of these also included the temptation by the devil in Jerusalem. Various Miracles performed by Jesus, as well as the procession into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday.

What did interest me, was a bishop proposed the Immaculate Mysteries to go with select feastdays of the Blessed Virgin Mary. They go like this:
1. The Immaculate Conception
2. The Nativity of Mary
3. The Presentation of Mary
4. The Perpetual Virginity of Mary
5. The Betrothal of Mary to Joseph

I hardly pray these, but when i do it is special.

I like to pray the rosary at a select time, i try not to do it too late, because then i keep pushing it later, and end up never doing it. I think that becomes a problem for me, since i have made the commitment to do it daily. As sweet as it is while praying it, it is always a hassle getting started.

SHALOM

I know what you mean, exactly how it works for me too.

Also, thank you for sharing those mysteries, I will have to save them.

Yeah! those Mysteries look great!

A Franciscan "Credo"

Let nothing hinder us--
nothing stand in the way
nothing keep us apart

All over--everywhere
at every hour and at any time
day after day without ceasing

Let us all believe in God
with a true and humble faith--
cherish Him in our hearts

And love, honor, adore, serve,
praise and bless Him!

-St. Francis of Assisi

Amen.
St Francis is such a cool saint.

I really need to pray the Rosary waaay more often. Our Lady has been so immensely good to me with the graces that she has gotten for me. I miss feeling so loved and I love to imagine that I am holding the hand of the Blessed Mother while praying or even when just holding my Rosary. I love the Rosary so much! I don't know why I don't pray it more often... (probably has something to do with the fact that the evil one doesn't want us to pray...)

I also need to go to confession again... it has been a few weeks and the dirt is gathering up...

I've never been quite "into" him until I've learned more about him and even visited hos tomb. He is such an awesome Saint. A wonderful little book that I read awhile ago about St. Francis and his followers (Mostly his brothers) was The Little Flowers of Saint Francis. It has several stories and legends about St. Francis and his followers and there are so many that are touching and wonderful, it's a great read for anyone though, and quick too!

Love that picture of St. Francis Sixtina!

Another Prayer from our Holy Father Francis:

Oh Most High and Glorious God,
Bring light to the darkness of my heart,
Give me right faith, certain hope, and perfect charity.

Lord, give me insight and wisdom,
so that I may always discern Your Holy and true Will.

Amen.

It seems like every letter I get from the Poor Clares, they are sure to include a prayercard or something. It is great
I just got done praying the Rosary with my on-campus Rosary group. We did the Sorrowful mysteries. It is wonderful to see three other people here at my school praying the Holy Rosary of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
I only hope that we will learn to slow down our prayers, it seems to go by too quickly and without much meditation. I feel that a Rosary in 20 minutes is rather quick. A half hour is better, but even longer is much better.

Uh-oh! I see the Holy Spirit has worked in you!!!!

My favorite set of Rosary Mysteries are the Sorrowful Mysteries!
Gets my vote!

Nature becomes so much more beautiful when we contemplate the Maker of each and everyone of those leaves and twigs, down to the water droplets that clouds are made of. You really feel extremely loved to be blessed with such stunning and heavenly gifts as these! And you can only imagine how much more love and care was put into the creation of mankind: made in His image.

I always find it amazing how God always provides for us and illuminates the way we are to go when we put everything into His hands. How blessed are we to be called to be His!

Bumpity!!

I was studying for my Bible STudy today when I was reading some commentary from a book I had, and I swear I have never been so excited about Holy Scripture before! I was literally bouncing around! I was reading commentary about the Last Supper. It mentions that when Jesus ate the Paschal lamb, he closed the old covenant, and then instituted the Eucharist as the new covenant in His blood. It was so totally amazing to reflect and then also to reflect on the prayers in the Mass as well. Blessed be God!

I've realized Bible Study and Salvation History are so very exciting.

Salvation History to me is just AMAZING! Our God is an awesome God!

I also love how the Psalms foreshadow the NT, and explain salvation history so well

Daily Mass totally is a blessing and the graces that we recieve from participating are great!

Eucharistic Adoration is fantab!