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Our Lady of the Rosary

October 7th, 2010

"You are a gracious and merciful God slow to anger, full of love and ready to forgive"
Jonah 4 : 2

One might have expected the prophet Jonah to have been happy that his preaching had borne fruit. The Ninevites had repented and their city was saved. But no ! Jonah was indignant. He sulked and took himself off to nurse his wounds. As night drew on God provided him with a vine to give him shelter so Jonah was content. However, when the vine withered away leaving him exposed to the scorching sun Jonah once again fell into a rage. This was the chance God was waiting for. He confronted Jonah in his anger saying “You’re upset about a plant which cost you no labour and am I not to feel sorry for Nineveh with it’s thousands of people, to say nothing of all the animals.”

This short book of Jonah is intended to amuse and instruct. The central message is surely God”’’s compassion and love for people of every race but God”’’s dealing with his disobedient prophet shows us God”’’s patience and his sense of humour!

Prayer


Prayer : You are my God, have mercy on me Lord, for I cry to you all the day long. Give joy to your servant, O Lord, for to you I lift up my soul. O Lord, you are good and forgiving, full of love to all who call. All the nations shall come to adore you and glorify your name, O Lord. Amen. Psalm 85

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The prayer for each day has been prepared by various members of the Holy Family Association. All who visit our website are remembered in prayer. If you would like us to pray for a particular need, simply complete and submit the form on the right hand side of this page. You may wish to leave a comment in the space below.

Just a Thought

How the Holy Family prayer: A Reflection by Pope Benedict XVI

“I would like to invite you to reflect on the place of prayer in the life of the Holy Family of Nazareth. The home of Nazareth, in fact, is a school of prayer where we learn to listen, to ponder and to penetrate the profound meaning of the manifestation of the Son of God, drawing our example from Mary, Joseph and Jesus.

Pope Paul VI during his visit to Nazareth said “we come to understand the need for a spiritual discipline, if we wish to follow the teaching of the Gospel and become disciples of Christ.” And he added: “First, it teaches us silence. Oh! That there would be reborn in us the esteem for silence, that wonderful and indispensable atmosphere of the spirit: while we are deafened by so many noises, sounds and clamorous voices in the frantic and tumultuous times of modern life. Oh! Silence of Nazareth, teach us to be resolute in good thoughts, intent upon the interior life, ready to listen well to the secret inspirations of God and the exhortations of the true masters.”

We can glean several insights on the Holy Family’s prayer and relationship with God from the Gospel accounts of Jesus’ childhood. We may begin with the Presentation of Jesus in the temple. St. Luke tells us that Mary and Joseph, “when the time came for their purification according to the Law of Moses, brought the child up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord”(2:22). Like every observant Jewish family, Jesus’ parents go up to the temple to consecrate the firstborn son to God and to offer sacrifice. Moved by fidelity to the law’s prescriptions, they set off from Bethlehem and go up to Jerusalem with Jesus, who is now forty days old. Instead of a one-year-old lamb, they present the offering of simple families; that is two young pigeons. The Holy Family’s pilgrimage is one of faith, of the offering of gifts, a symbol of prayer, and of encounter with the Lord, whom Mary and Joseph already see in the son Jesus.”

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