One of my goals for 2024 was to go through the Bible in a Year podcasts. While 2024 hasn’t concluded, I’m on track to complete the series. This is the second time I’ve gone through the Bible. The first time, I read a printed Bible from the Augustine Institute. If given a choice, I definitely recommend Father Mike Schmitz’s podcast series.
If you recall, the printed Bible in a Year disappointed me. There wasn’t much description or context given for the day’s reading and I found the commentary shallow. You basically already had to “know” the Bible to understand the day’s readings. That’s not the case with Fr. Schmitz’s podcasts. Each day is about 20 minutes long split between the scripture readings and his commentary. He provides you with context and a short homily. Whenever he entered a new era in the Bible, he produced a bonus episode setting up the historical and theological context.
After going through this podcast series, I feel like I have a better understanding of the Bible. I went to an Advent Mass the other night where the Gospel went through the genealogy of Jesus. Now this would usually cause my eyes to glaze over as the priest reads off a lot of names. But this time, I actually recognized many of the names and had some recollection of who the person was and what he did (most of them bad).
I also thoroughly enjoyed Fr. Schmitz’s commentary. He has a very plain way of speaking that connects the events of the Bible to the modern day. He makes the Bible relevant. If I were to have one overall takeaway from his podcast, it’s that God constantly uses broken people to do His will. The Bible is full of stories of people disobeying God and yet He still brings ultimate redemption through His son, Jesus Christ. It’s comforting to know that God still loves us even when we don’t love Him.
RosaryMeds Site Updates
As a side note, I finished restoring my Rosary mystery virtual slides. They are better than ever and include artwork related to each mystery. The intentions and scripture are the same as what is found in my book, The Rosary Prayer Guide for the Rest of Us. Now I’m looking forward to redesigning RosaryMeds in 2025.
Check out the new Rosary decks and supercharge your Rosary prayers!
When we think about the weeks leading up to Christmas, we think of gifts, baked goods, days off of school and work, and parties. In a more religious sense, we think of Advent wreaths, nativity scenes, and the Christmas stories. We don’t usually associate this Christmas season with penance, fasting, and alms giving like we do during Lent. But what if we did?
This year for Advent, I’m giving up some things just like I do for Lent. It will be hard to turn down that glass of wine at some Christmas party or those ever-present holiday treats. But I feel like I need to empty my soul (and my stomach) to make more room for Jesus this year. I feel like I can make this Christmas much more meaningful by reminding myself every day of what’s to come in a few short weeks.
Many of us live in a world that doesn’t require much preparation or waiting. I can complete my Christmas shopping in an evening in front of my computer. I can get any sort of cookie or candy treat all year long. Basically, I can treat Christmas like any other day of the year or any day of the year like Christmas if I so choose. But I don’t want that!
In a time when every day can just feel the same, I’m choosing to make this Advent and Christmas feel different. I can’t invent a time machine and go back to the Christmases of my childhood when I was filled with excitement upon seeing all those decorations, Christmas trees, gifts, and treats. But I can change my disposition. By delaying some of the earthly delights in my life for the next few weeks, Christmas will be that more joyful.
Oh, to be eight years old again and live in a Norman Rockwell painting…
I’m not talking about delayed gratification. It’s not like I’m giving up treats and alcohol so I can indulge in gluttony on Christmas Eve. I want this Christmas to feel meaningful. I don’t want the nativity story to be relegated to some images on Christmas cards and something recreated in a school Christmas pageant. I want to feel genuinely excited about celebrating the birth of our Lord. I want to honor Him like the shepherds hearing the news from the angels.
Many of us struggle to find gifts for one another. We often end up giving people things they don’t really need (and sometimes what they don’t really want). This Christmas, consider giving people something truly meaningful — your prayers, fasting, penance, and service. It may not be something that you can wrap up and put under a tree, but your prayers will have a greater impact than anything bought from Amazon or Walmart.
I have just completed The Butchering Art, a book detailing one man’s mission to revolutionize Victorian-era surgery, transforming it from a near-certain death sentence into a life-saving practice. In today’s modern world of medicine, we often forget that we aren’t too many generations removed from a world that didn’t know anything about germs and sanitation. There’s a lot to be said about the things out there that affect our lives that we cannot see. The same can be said about our spiritual lives as well.
The Butchering Art
First, the book. This is a great read if you’re interested in the evolution of surgery in the 19th century. You’ll learn that:
Surgery had an almost 80% mortality rate and is something people with means avoided at all costs.
Surgery was seen as a trade, like a barber or butcher. Surgeons weren’t treated as doctors or practitioners of medicine.
Surgeons made less than janitors at some hospitals.
Doctors and scientists felt that the microscope was an amusing toy but not something that enhanced our understanding of science and medicine.
Surgeons rarely washed their hands, aprons, and tools between surgeries and dissections.
If you survived the surgery, you would still have a high chance of dying from infection.
The book follows Joseph Lister, a man who introduced science-based practices to surgery. His large contribution to the field was introducing antiseptics and better hygiene practices. He emphasized the importance of post-surgical wound cleaning. And even when his ideas showed positive results (the queen of England called on him to remove an abscess), many learned doctors dismissed his ideas as quackery.
Joseph Lister fought hard to convince the medical community that these little organisms called “germs” were responsible for the high failure rate of surgeries. There was this notion that medicine, surgery in particular, was more mechanical in nature and you could understand how the human body behaves by observation and experimentation. The idea that something invisible has a dramatic effect on someone’s odds of recovery was laughable. Now, those doctors’ ignorance of germs and dismissal of practices to combat them is laughable in today’s modern world.
Moral Courage
I drew some spiritual parallels from this book. I think so many people today are dismissive of God and spirituality because He’s not something that can be directly observed or understood. We often fear what we cannot understand because it forces us to admit that there are things outside our power to comprehend. We don’t like the fact that no matter how hard we try, we won’t ever have the same level of understanding and wisdom as God. Instead of accepting that, many people rebel, dismiss, or ignore God.
Hear no God, See no God, Speak of no God
I think there’s another way to look at this question of God. I’m comforted by the idea that there is something greater outside my understanding and control. I’m like a child resting comfortably knowing that God is in control of everything and that He guides me towards eternal happiness. He tells us to trust Him, not understand Him. And that is what faith is — trusting in God.
I’m reminded of the Third Sorrowful Mystery — The Crowning of Thorns. The fruit of that mystery is Moral Courage. I think about how Joseph Lister had to stick to what he knew as good medicine even when he was rejected by the establishment. We too, often need to stick to our moral convictions even when we have a society telling us to do the opposite. Furthermore, we so often doubt ourselves and our beliefs. We may hear or see something that gets us thinking, “why does the Catholic Church teach this and why do I follow it?” Moral courage is often telling ourselves we will follow God even when we have our doubts.
Our journey of faith is deeply intertwined with the virtues of trust and moral courage. We are called to trust in God’s greater plan, even when we cannot understand it, and to stand firm in our convictions despite the pressures of society. Just as Joseph Lister persevered in his beliefs for the greater good, so must we hold onto our faith and values with unwavering courage. By doing so, we find strength and solace in knowing that our faith is not just a passive acceptance but an active choice to follow God’s guidance, leading us towards eternal happiness.
It’s been a while since I published a post unrelated to politics. I’ve been hard at work redesigning my parish’s website. While our go-live date was initially set for Advent, the powers that be decided to move it to November. I’ve been scrambling to put the finishing touches. I think I created a website that honors my parish and our Church. It may not be the Sistine Chapel, but I think it’s beautiful.
The good news is that I refined my skills in website design and learned about new WordPress plugins which I will be integrating into RosaryMeds in the coming months. You will see the site become less blog focused. I’m going to make the Rosary prayer resources more prominent. I will still write articles and, God willing, finish another book. But I want to focus on providing sufficient resources for praying the Rosary.
It’s astonishing to think that RosaryMeds will turn 16 this December. The website has served as a wonderful platform for me to delve into my faith and understand the Rosary better. I hope you have found as much education and enlightenment in reading my articles as I have in writing them.
As we are hours away from election day in the United States, I thought I would make one more appeal to vote according to a well-formed conscience and independent thought. In my previous article, I talked about the hierarchy of values that we need to promote and that I believe Donald Trump and the Republican party are more aligned with. I also pointed out how Kamala Harris is incredibly out of step with the values of our Catholic faith. She not only doesn’t align with them, she doesn’t seem to even respect them and our freedom to practice and live our faith.
The Liberal Train to Crazyville
This goes out to you all, particularly those who live in swing states. You owe it to yourself, your family, and your community to learn where the candidates stand on various issues. You cannot just take the media’s word at face value. As many have come to learn, the media is anything but impartial. Personally, I have stopped taking in news or watching political rallies because they offer me nothing of value. You have to look at past legislation and leadership. We have a good comparison — the four years Trump was in office and the current Biden/Harris’ term.
I came across this website from the Heritage Foundation about the failures of the Biden/Harris administration on various key areas.
THE BIDEN-HARRIS ADMINISTRATION HAS A HISTORY OF FAILED LIBERAL POLICY.
Some of you may dismiss these as works of conservative fiction. After all, they just seem too insane to be real. But that’s been the liberal strategy for a long time and it’s brilliant. The liberals remain silent and let Trump or some other conservative bring up a particular topic whether that be about government-funded sex changes for criminals or immigrant communities taking over small towns in the US. And while these statements may be true, they are so unbelievable that it makes the person exposing them sound crazy. As we often say, don’t shoot the messenger (in this case, the messenger has literally been shot).
The Democrats’ Insanity Defense
Republican activists say they have to water down the reality of their opponents’ agenda in focus groups. ‘They just don’t believe it’s true. It can’t be.‘
It’s time to break out those rosaries and pray. Now, God is not going to steer an election a certain way because we ask him to. After all, there have been plenty of times where God allowed people to reap the consequences of what they sowed. But there are still plenty of things to pray for around this election:
Pray for a peaceful outcome. This election could get nasty and result in violence and riots. No matter who the victim may be, we don’t want people losing their lives or their livelihood over election outcomes.
Pray for hope. No matter who wins, there will be many people upset and depressed. Pray for our mental and emotional health.
Pray for unity. Politics are tearing families, friends, and communities apart. Pray that we see each other as brothers and sisters in Christ.
Pray for catechesis. There are too many Catholics that don’t know their faith well enough and are too easily influenced by those who may have ulterior motives.
Pray for our political leaders. Our president, congress person, and local leaders need our prayers to govern according to God’s Truth.
I didn’t get a flood of unsubscribe notifications from my last article regarding politics and the U.S. election. I’m going to try my luck again with another political post. There is a lot of hyperbole being thrown around in the media about the presidential candidates, almost entirely in favor of Kamala Harris. Now I haven’t been alive as long as many others, but we seem to be living in an age that matches Communist Soviet Union in terms of media bias. I want to cut through the media’s propaganda and show you all what Harris and the Democratic party really thinks of people of faith.
Historical Reasons for Hating the Faithful
Harris is no friend of Catholics. In fact, she doesn’t seem to know how to relate to anyone of faith. And it’s not just her, but the Democratic party and their media counterparts don’t know how to relate to people who earnestly practice their faith. The Democrats’ problem is that religion teaches that truth lies with something far greater than the government. Politicians hate nothing more than people appealing to a higher power that they cannot control. This is why politicians seek to limit or destroy religious institutions in a misguided attempt to hold a monopoly on what is considered good or evil.
Twisting, denigrating, and trying to destroy religion is as old as the Bible. The Egyptians, Babylonians, Greeks, and Romans all tried fighting God’s chosen people, the Israelites, and all failed. The Jewish and Christian faiths remain. But when was the last time you saw a house of worship for Baal or Zeus?
In modern history, attempts to destroy religion is clearly seen in Communism. One of the first institutions any communist regime tries to destroy is religion. Their system doesn’t work when it has to compete with moral truths and the innate dignity of human beings. Marx, Engels, and Stalin cannot compete with the logic and wisdom of St. Thomas Acquinas or St. John Paul II. And because they can’t compete on moral, ethical, or logical grounds, their only option is to destroy religion.
The Modern Assault on Spirituality
This attempt to destroy religion is taking place right now by the Democratic party. If you listen to Kamala Harris and see what she’s been doing for the past four years, you see a person who hates spiritual people, particularly Catholics. Remember that Harris
Didn’t attend a Catholic fundraising events that all presidential candidates have attended since 1984.
Claimed that a federal district court nominee was unfit to serve because he’s a member of the Knights of Columbus, a Catholic charity organization.
Spoke out against a Supreme Court decision in favor of a Christian baker essentially saying that the government should be able to compel people to act in violation of their religious views.
Sponsored the “Equality Act” which would render religious liberty protections guaranteed by the Constitution null and void.
In a recent interview, Harris declared she will remove any religious exemption when it comes to abortion.
Has introduced legislation mandating Catholic hospitals to perform abortions.
When an undercover reporter reported evidence of Planned Parenthood trafficking aborted body parts, she prosecuted the reporter, not Planned Parenthood.
The Biden/Harris DOJ has been actively prosecuting pro-life advocates and handing out multi-year prison sentences for protesting outside abortion clinics.
Since the repeal of Roe vs. Wade, there have been 300+ attacks on churches throughout the country with no response from the Biden/Harris administration.
The Biden/Harris FBI has been circulating memos labelling Catholics as possible terrorists.
The FBI came heavily armed to raid and arrest Mark Houck because he got into an altercation with a pro-abortion activist and was trying to protect his young son.
Let’s not forget our Jewish friends who have been harassed, denied entry, and attacked by pro-Palestinian protestors who have been allowed free reign to create chaos.
Does Harris sound like someone who is a friend of Catholics and religious people? The media is throwing around the word “fascist” lately in every newscast with no context for what it actually means. Fascism advocates for a centralized, authoritarian government led by a dictator, where the state has absolute power. Fascists often suppress opposition through censorship, propaganda, and violence. Look at Harris’ behavior and ask yourself who the real fascist is. And this doesn’t end at Catholics. This behavior will extend to anyone who doesn’t follow the administration lockstep.
I think many people have the impression that today’s Democratic party is the same one of Jimmy Carter, Bill Clinton, or even Barack Obama. It is not! This is not a party that wants to honor the laws, Constitution, and foundations of America. They want to tear it down and remake the country into one that has malleable and flexible foundations that they can manipulate as they see fit. Their one rule is that there should be no rules.
Why We Need to Pray the Rosary
As I write this article and see just a fraction of what a Harris administration might do, I realize that we are at war. As much as I would love more people to achieve sainthood, I would really like to not live through times of persecution and martyrdom. Our Mother Mary is Queen of Victory. The Rosary is the weapon of victory. Take it out and pray it every day! We will need the spiritual strength to persevere through times of persecution or the strength to prevent it (probably just slow it down) by rejecting the Democrats radical agenda with our votes.
The well-known, loved, and admired 50-year stigmatic, Saint Padre Pio, was known to have demanded for something that may have shocked the listener: “Give me my weapon!” Why would such a prayerful, …
The goal for so many of us is to live a life of balance and peace. We want to do some meaningful work balanced with a little leisure. We want the occasional friend over for coffee. We look for some satisfying hobbies. And yet, so many people live out of balance. Like a leaf caught in the wind, they are thrown from crisis to crisis or one long meaningless march of toil and sloth. What’s the answer to achieve balance?
I’m sure most of you know what the answer is — the Catholic Church! In this article on Catholic Exchange, Dr. Donald Demarco provides this insight:
In the Catholic Church we find a paragon of balance. In this regard, She has no peer. Sin is expiated by forgiveness. Chastisement is tempered by mercy. Nature is elevated by grace. Sexuality is made meaningful by responsibility. Rights are counterbalanced with duties; work is crowned by prayer. Will is tethered to reason. Where there are difficulties, there is hope. Where there is doubt, there is faith. Where there is goodness, there is love. Problems are resolved; order is maintained. No other organization offers such a system of balance.
“We need not be diplomatic to present Catholicism in all its balance and wholeness and invite one to examine it for what it is. One can dispense with any concern for choosing any one of Her rivals. She shines on Her own. There really are no competitors.”
Truly, to us Rosary prayer warriors, we can see this balance play out in the 20 mysteries. The Rosary acts like guardrails to keep us along that narrow path that ultimately leads to Heaven. It balances us as we walk that tightrope of virtue over a chasm of sin. With the Rosary, walking that narrow path becomes a little easier and sure footed because we know we are on the right track.
The roots of the Church’s teachings are found in the Rosary. This is why Our Lady asks us to pray it every day. The Rosary brings out the fullness of Christ’s love for us and God’s plan for humanity. It is through the Rosary that we foster healthy desires that lead to a full and complete life when we strive to obtain them:
Joyful Mysteries
A desire for the love of humility
A desire for charity toward my neighbor
A desire for a love of God
A desire for a spirit of sacrifice
A desire for zeal for the Glory of God
Luminous Mysteries
A desire to live one’s baptismal promises
A desire to do whatever Jesus asks
A desire for God’s forgiveness
A desire for holiness
A desire for the Mass and Eucharist
Sorrowful Mysteries
A desire of repentance for one’s sins
A desire for mortification
A desire for moral courage
A desire to exercise patience
A desire for perseverance
Glorious Mysteries
A desire for strong faith
A desire for an increase in hope
A desire for knowledge and wisdom
A desire for a holy death
A desire for greater love in the Blessed Virgin Mary
These are the fruits of the Rosary. Now imagine the joy and completeness one feels when he realized all these desires. This is what our faith offers. There’s no career, political cause, hobby, or person that can offer us this. In fact, many people or organizations don’t want you to achieve a tiny fraction of what the Church offers. They grab a lot of power and money by making sure your life is unbalanced and full of turmoil so they can sell you a “solution.”
If something feels unbalanced in your life, pick up a Rosary and pray it. Concentrate on the mysteries and their holy fruits. Like a child coming to his mother for help, we come before Mary with our concerns and worries. She will point us to the Rosary as the solution for any and all things in our lives. The Rosary reveals God’s plan for us because it reveals His Church. Everything else is spiritual plate spinning — it will come crashing down eventually.
I must have too many subscribers and visitors to RosaryMeds because I’m going to write about something that may turn some of you off — politics. With the upcoming elections in the United States, I feel like I need to speak up with my thoughts on how we should proceed as Catholics. Even if you’re not a US citizen but live in a country with a free election process, I believe these thoughts also apply to you.
Flawed People
As I listen more to Father Mike Schmitz’s Bible in a Year, I learn how God uses imperfect and broken people to accomplish his plan for humanity. Look at King David, someone who God handpicked as king of Israel. And yet, he lusted over Bathsheba, wife of Uriah, and had him killed in battle so he could marry her. Look at David’s son, Solomon, who honored God by building His temple. And yet, he married foreign wives and was influenced by their pagan ways. Jump to Saint Peter, our first pope, who denied knowing Jesus at His arrest. These were all mighty people, chosen by God, and yet flawed.
Uriah the Hittite being killed in battle on King David’s orders
Our elected officials aren’t perfect and have many flaws. And yet, God can use them to bring about good. When we cast a vote for a particular candidate, we aren’t endorsing their personal behavior. Otherwise, we wouldn’t be able to elect anyone because no one is perfect. We should elect people not based on their personalities, but on their platform. Will they promote the values and ideals we want as a society? Will they promote the freedoms all people deserve? Will they apply the law fairly?
Values Matter
Let’s talk about values for a minute. As we should know, some sins are more serious than others. There are mortal sins and venial sins. Similarly, there is a hierarchy of values; the Church holds certain values higher than others. The bishops in Colorado neatly summarizes these values. As Catholics, we need to do these two things:
Learn why the Church ranks certain values higher than others. Why are life, family, and freedom ranked higher than the environment and immigration? We must be always learning Church doctrine and, like the saints, humbly accept Her teachings.
Choose leaders who promote these values. Is a leader going to perfectly execute the laws according to these values? Probably not. But we need to elect leaders that align closer with our values and certainly don’t attack our values. With certain propositions, the Catholic answer is clearer. For example, it should be obvious that we must reject laws that expand abortion since they attack our primary value of protecting life.
We have a moral obligation to vote. I know many people who want to “sit this one out” because they don’t like either candidate. But when we do that, we are not bearing witness to our Catholic values. If we truly believe in what the Church teaches, then we will want a society based on those values. We can’t say, “well, I personally think valuing life, religious freedom, and family are good but I’m not willing to promote them with my vote.” We need to be courageous in our faith and help the larger world understand why our laws need to reflect our values.
I will cut right to the point. We need to elect Donald Trump. He’s not perfect and has many failings. But when you compare him to Kamala Harris, his plans and track record aligns more closely with Christian values. In the last four years of the Harris/Biden administration, we’ve not only seen a move away from Christian values, but an attack on it. The FBI circulates memos labeling church-going people as terrorists. The Department of Justice has been throwing people in prison for opposing abortion and turns a blind eye to attacks on churches. And don’t get me started on the woke agenda which will only accelerate under a Harris presidency. I know Trump isn’t perfect, but we aren’t electing a Messiah. We are looking for the flawed people who will help align society with our values. We want people who will allow us to freely worship and live our lives and not impose their 1984 newspeak on morality.
In addition to writing about the Rosary, I read a lot about it too. After all, I need inspiration and information about this unique and powerful prayer. Every October, Rosary articles flood my email inbox and news feeds. As much as I would like to write in-depth commentary on each article, I don’t have enough time. Better to publicize these posts than hold on to them thinking I will write about them “some day.”
Fixing RosaryMeds’ Mysteries Pages
First, some good news. I’m fixing the mysteries pages on RosaryMeds. A few weeks ago, an extension I had been using for scrolling through each decade was dropped from WordPress. The good news is that I found a replacement. The bad news is that I need to re-enter all my scripture and intentions text. But I’m on my way! Take a look at the First Glorious Mystery page for a sample of how they will look.
The Mysteries of the Rosary upon which we meditate work to re-tether us to a reality that we are so often detached from in our modernist, post-Christian, hyper-worldly society.
Not specific to the Rosary, but it’s good to pray to our guardian angels for their protection. I remember to pray to my guardian angels when I meditate on the Fifth Glorious Mystery since one of Mary’s titles is Queen of Angels.
Certain video games are designed so that certain outcomes are no longer possible based on the actions you take. This is particularly true for role playing games (RPGs) where you make choices on how to customize your character and missions. I remember playing Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic and I could choose whether to make my character lean towards the dark side or light side of the Force. But I had to choose carefully because the game’s plot would change based on my decisions.
Like an RPG, I think we often feel like our life decisions close and open various possibilities. That’s true to a certain extent. Buying a house, choosing a career, and getting married certainly put us on a certain track. But what about happiness? What about fulfillment? Sometimes, we feel like obtaining true happiness and peace is forever out of our reach due to our choices and circumstances.
We too often believe that our choices can make achieving happiness impossible. Maybe we have some self-destructive vices and addictions. We think we are too far down the road of self-destruction that we are forever cut off from joy and peace. Perhaps we’ve done some terrible things and think that not even God can bring us back. We are like Darth Vader in Star Wars believing it’s too late to turn from our dark ways.
THERE’S ALWAYS A PATH TO HAPPINESS
The great thing about our Catholic faith is that, unlike an RPG, there is always a path to peace and happiness. God never completely closes the road to grace and eventually Heaven. There are so many unhappy souls out there that don’t understand they can always come back into God’s grace as if they never left. Sure, the path back may be harder and longer for some. After all, some of us have more damage to repair. But the victory will be the same for all of us once in Heaven no matter the paths we took to get there.
Saint Bartolo Longo‘s story shows us that everyone can return to God’s loving grace no matter how far they fall. Born in 1841 in southern Italy, he was raised in a devout Catholic family. However, after his mother’s death when he was ten, he began to drift away from his faith.
While studying law at the University of Naples, Longo became involved in the occult and eventually became a Satanic priest! His involvement in Satanism led him to a state of deep depression, anxiety, and paranoia. Concerned for his well-being, his family sought help from a devout Catholic professor, Vincenzo Pepe.
Pepe introduced Longo to a Dominican priest, Father Alberto Radente, who guided him back to the Catholic faith. Longo’s conversion was marked by his devotion to the Rosary, and he eventually became a third-order Dominican. He dedicated his life to promoting the Rosary and restoring the faith of the people in Pompeii. Longo’s journey from Satanism to sainthood is a powerful testament to the transformative power of faith and redemption.
THE LONG ROAD TO HAPPINESS
If Saint Bartolo Longo could travel from Satanic priest to saint, surely God has a way for any of us to find true happiness. I like to turn to the Fifth Joyful Mystery when thinking about our faith journey. Mary and Joseph searched for Jesus for three sorrowful days before finding him. We too, sometimes need to search in sorrow before finding Jesus in our lives. We may take all sorts of wrong turns, but if we have faith in God’s plan, even those wrong turns will ultimately bring us victory in God’s Heavenly Kingdom.
Since I’m listening to the Bible in a Year, I’m hearing stories from the Old Testament of how God never abandoned the Israelites no matter how far they strayed. He always left a path open for them. It wasn’t always a clear path and certainly not an easy one. They experienced trials and tribulations at the hands of the Egyptians, Babylonians, Chaldeans, Persians, Greeks, and Romans. God used these terrible pagan rulers like Nebuchadnezzar to ultimately redeem humanity through His son Jesus. Salvation certainly wasn’t an easy road starting from Adam and Eve’s disobedience and culminating with Jesus’ resurrection.
We need to remember that while the road can be a long and difficult one, God never closes it completely. The people who end up in Hell are the ones who stop or turn back. They know the road eventually leads to true happiness but don’t choose to go down it. When we pray the Rosary, two things happen. The road towards God’s Kingdom becomes a little easier with the help of Mary and the Heavenly court. And we can better see glimpses of that final victory out on the horizon. If you ever feel stuck, please pick up that Rosary and take a step in the right direction.
