24 hours of fasting and prayer
Our Lady of Walsingham Rosary Group
Saturday 5pm October 2nd - Sunday 5pm October 3rd 2021
Why Fast?
Fasting separates us from the distractions of this world and brings us into a closer union with God. It allows us to hear God better and fully rely upon Him. Jesus tells us to.
When you fast, do not look gloomy like the hypocrites, for they disfigure their faces that their fasting may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, that your fasting may not be seen by others but by your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you. Mt. 6.16-18
Our world is in need of prayer! Think of Climate Change, refugees, those who live in fear, isolation or poverty, lock- down, quarantine ....
Ways of Fasting
Fast from food and drink for 24 hours, Or fast from social media,
Or fast from negative thoughts,
Or fast from TV,Or fast for just one meal, or two .... Or ...
How to spend the 24 hours
Join with us on zoom to start with praying the Rosary at 5pm October 2nd and finishing at 5pm October 3rd:
https://rmit.zoom.us/j/91989236310
We will be joining in prayer and fasting with others around the world, and especially in London at this time.
During this 24 hours you can
Attend the 10.30 am Eucharist at St Peter’s on Sunday October 3rd. See our Youtube channel
Find a quiet place in your house or garden where you can spend short periods of time during the 24 hours to sit and meditate
Partner with a companion by text messages of encour- agement and the sharing of thoughts / prayers / quotes
Pray the Rosary alone - if you have not done it before see how to pray the Rosary below.
A History of the Rosary
The rosary is one of the most treasured prayers of the Catholic and Anglo-Catholic tradition.
The use of "prayer beads" and the repeated recitation of prayers to aid in meditation stem from the earliest days of the Church and has roots in pre-Christian times. Evidence exists from the Middle Ages that monks and nuns kept 50 small stones in their pockets each day and when they go about their daily chores they would cast a stone on the sand remember- ing a segment of the life of our saviour Jesus through the eyes of his Mother Mary and when all the fifty stones were cast away, it signifies the end of the day and they would retreat to have supper and retire to bed. This happen every day in the lives of the monks and nuns, it symbolises devotion to their faith.
Tradition tells us that St. Dominic (1221) devised the rosary as we know it today. Moved by a vision of our Blessed Mother, he preached the use of the rosary in his missionary work among the Albigensians, who had denied the mystery of Christ. Soon strings of beads were used to count Our Fathers and Hail Marys. Actually, these strings of beads became known as "Pa- ternosters," the Latin for "Our Father."
The assembly of the rosary gradually progressed between the 12th and 15th centuries. Eventually 50 Hail Marys were recit- ed and linked with verses of psalms or other phrases evoking the lives of Jesus and Mary. During this time, this prayer form became known as the rosarium ("rose garden")
Journeying through the Joyful, Sorrowful, Glorious, luminous mysteries of the rosary, the individual brings to mind our Lord's incarnation, His passion and death and His resurrection from the dead. The rosary assists us in growing in a deeper appreciation of these mysteries, in uniting our life more closely to our Lord and in imploring His graced assistance to live the faith. We also ask for the prayers of our Blessed Mother, who leads all believers to her Son.
The rosary gained greater popularity in the 1500s, when Moslem Turks were ravaging Eastern Europe. In the year 1453, Constantinople had fallen to the Moslems, leaving the Balkans and Hungary open to conquest. With Moslems raid- ing even the coast of Italy, the control of the Mediterranean was now at stake.
In 1571, Pope Pius V organized a fleet under the command of Don Juan of Austria the half-brother of King Philip II of Spain. While preparations were underway, the Holy Father asked all of the faithful to say the rosary and implore our Blessed Moth- er's prayers, under the title Our Lady of Victory, that our Lord would grant victory to the Christians. Although the Moslem fleet outnumbered that of the Christians in both vessels and sailors, the forces were ready to meet in battle. The Christian flagship flew a blue banner depicting Christ crucified. On Oc- tober 7, 1571, the Moslems were defeated at the Battle of Lepanto. The following year, Pope St. Pius V established the Feast of the Holy Rosary on October 7, where the faithful would not only remember this victory, but also give thanks to the Lord for all of His benefits and remember the powerful in- tercession of our Blessed Mother.
The fact that our Church continues to include the Feast of the Holy Rosary on the liturgical calendar testifies to the impor- tance and goodness of this form of prayer. The rosary is a versatile and powerful form of prayer, its repetition calms the mind the body and spirit. It is a prayer for people of all ages, it is suitable for primary age children, young adults, working parents and the elderly.
How to pray the Rosary
It is not difficult to pray the Rosary.
The word ‘rosary’ comes from the Latin word: Rosarium, meaning ‘rose garden.’ So imagine you are spending time on a walk around a rose garden.
Beads can be purchased from St Peter’s Bookroom online. https://www.bookroom.stpeters.org.au/rosary-beads
Or you can simply keep count of your prayers by use of your fingers!
There are 59 beads on a Rosary - but you’ll be pleased to know not as many different prayers! Many of them you will al- ready know. Here is a link to a helpful explanation:http://www.kofc.org/en/resources/cis/devotionals/4772.pdf
Why this weekend?
October is the month of Mary.
The 7th is the Feast of Our Lady of the Rosary. But this is also a special weekend for another reason too!
This fast with Mary and for our Mother Earth is bookended by two great Christian figures:
Gandhi - October 2nd
October 2nd is the birthday of Gandhi and the International Day of Nonviolence. Gandhi used prayer beads as an aid to his meditation and prayer life. He said:
You must be the change you wish to see in the world
and
The greatness of a person lies in his heart, not in his head.
St Francis - October 4th
October 4th is his Feast Day. The saint above all others known for his love of creation and his desire for reconciliation rather than crusades. Franciscan spirituality has always in- volved both action and contemplation. St. Francis lived in soli- darity with the poor. He also spent months in the mountainous forests above Assisi, praying in deep contemplation, often in caves and abandoned places. He said:
Start by doing what is necessary, then what is possible, and suddenly you are doing the impossible.
and
Remember that when you leave this earth, you can take with you nothing that have received–only what you have given.
Some Mary prayers
The Magnificat (Canticle of Mary)
My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord, my spirit finds joy in God my saviour; for he has looked upon His servant in her lowliness; all ages to come shall call me blessed. God who is mighty has done great things for me, holy is His name; His mercy is from age to age on those who fear Him. He has shown might with His arm; He has confused the proud in their inmost thoughts. He has deposed the mighty from their thrones and raised the lowly to high places. The hungry He has given every good thing, while the rich He has sent empty away. He has upheld Israel his servant, ever mindful of His mercy; Even as He promised our fathers, promised Abraham and His descendants forever. (Luke 1: 46-55)
The Salve Regina
Hail, holy Queen,
Mother of Mercy, Our life,
our sweetness and our hope.
To thee do we cry, poor banished children of Eve,
To thee do we send up our sighs,
Mourning and weeping in this valley of tears.
Turn then, most gracious Advocate,
thine eyes of mercy toward us, And after this our exile,
show unto us the blessed fruit of thy womb, Jesus.
O clement, O loving, O sweet Virgin Mary!
Pray for us, O Holy Mother of God,
That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.
Some More Prayers and Images
International Peace Prayer
Lead us from death to life,
from falsehood to truth.
Lead us from despair to hope,
from fear to trust.
Lead us from hate to love,
from war to peace,
Let peace fill our hearts,
our world, our universe.
Let us dream together, pray together, work together
to build one world of peace and justice for all.
Amen.
Prayer of Abandonment
Charles de Foucauld
Father,
I abandon myself into your hands;
do with me what you will.
Whatever you may do, I thank you:
I am ready for all, I accept all.
Let only your will be done in me,
and in all your creatures –
I wish no more than this, O Lord.
Into your hands I commend my soul:
I offer it to you with all the love of my heart,
for I love you, Lord, and so need to give my- self,
to surrender myself into your hands without reserve,
and with boundless confidence,
for you are my Father.
Praying with Art and Images
