Lesson 4-Prepper Rosary Program

“And there came one of the scribes that had heard them reasoning together, and seeing that he had answered them well, asked him which was the first commandment of all. And Jesus answered him: The first commandment of all is, Hear, O Israel: the Lord thy God is one God. And thou shalt love the Lord thy God, with thy whole heart, and with thy whole soul, and with thy whole mind, and with thy whole strength. This is the first commandment.”

Mark 12:28

“Be not solicitous therefore, saying, What shall we eat: or what shall we drink, or wherewith shall we be clothed? For after all these things do the heathens seek. For your Father knoweth that you have need of all these things. Seek ye therefore first the kingdom of God, and his justice, and all these things shall be added unto you. Be not therefore solicitous for tomorrow; for the morrow will be solicitous for itself. Sufficient for the day is the evil thereof.”

Matthew 6:31

Improve Your Spiritual Life ~ The Presentation of Our Lord

It was the Mosaic Law that every firstborn son must be specially consecrated to God. Mary and Joseph brought Our Lord to the Temple to accomplish this, in what we call “The Presentation.” This was a most extraordinary Presentation, since it was the very Son of God, being presented to the Father. This took place in the very city in which He would secure our Redemption on the Cross and was a foreshadowing of this ultimate Presentation. Just as Our Lady and Saint Joseph gave their greatest Gift to the Father, we must also give our very best to Him.

Our Lord states above, “thou shalt love the Lord thy God, with thy whole heart, and with thy whole soul, and with thy whole mind, and with thy whole strength.” This is a profound statement-we are told to completely relinquish ourselves to Him. The key is to recognize when these moments occur and push through them, with the help of His grace. When we do this, we change in a substantial way. We grow. We ascend one step higher to the Kingdom of Heaven. We also become that much further from the world. What prepares us for these moments is a proper moral formation, a good examination of conscience and a good confession. Only then, can we have the ability to know when the spiritual challenge is taking place, pray for guidance and strength, and win our triumph over temptation. We must love Christ above all other loves.

Our Lord also intructs us to, “Seek ye therefore first the kingdom of God.” We see the just consequence of sin coming upon the world. We can mitigate this and secure mercy for the world, only by making ourselves worthy. We will be given what we need on earth, only after seeking Heaven. The lower order always follows the higher. As Catholic preppers, we are not obsessed with the needs of this life, we simply accept that the natural business of life is survival, which our present culture has forgotten. We try within reason, and place our trust in God for what we cannot control. And of course we recognize that spiritual preparedness is always our priority.

Mary and Joseph went to the House of God with their precious Son and showed fidelity to His law. This is an example for the Catholic life: to attend Holy Mass and observe Catholic moral law, presenting to the Holy Trinity, our best selves, out of love. There are many other great riches of the Catholic Faith which we can draw upon to improve our spiritual lives. Pray and gravitate towards what resonates with you. To strive for spiritual perfection is the most exciting life and is the true purpose of life. To become a saint is not unreachable, it is what we were created for!

Please read EWTN’s The Presentation of Our Lord. This is beautifully written and very insightful.

“Lesson 4-Part 2” will deal further with Matthew 6:31…

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Pray 1 decade of the Rosary, meditating on the Mystery of The Presentation, for the intention of enlightenment on the issues discussed today…

Our Father + 10 Hail Marys + Glory Be

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Please fill out #4

“15 Points Preparedness Worksheet”

Thank you for participating ~ spread the word!

Image courtesy fggam.org/2014/07/kellys-word-day-72

Lesson 3-Prepper Rosary Program

Acquire a Sustainable Skill ~ The Nativity

Another basic prepper tenet, is to be able to function without power. If your entire livelihood depends on power, you will want to think about learning a new skill. Woodworking, sewing, food gardening, weaving, pottery, herbal medicine and fishing, are often thought of as old-fashioned and fewer people are knowledgeable in them. There are also skills many people do still have, which can be considered sustainable, such as landscaping, animal care, massage therapy, alternative medicine, counseling, construction, cooking, child care, teaching, martial arts, hair styling and music. Just as the world entered a new era with the Birth of Christ, humanity at this time, must look toward a new era of life closer to the earth.

Aside from giving us a new potential livelihood, these kinds of skills give us a greater connectedness to our ancestors and to each other. Many of them also make us physically stronger, which is another basic prepper tenet. Acquiring such new abilities draws us closer to nature and what may be called the “authentic life,” living the way God intended. How do you go about it, though? There are so many ways to learn these days. If you can think of it, there is probably a video on it. Check out your community festivals and fairs too, for workshops and networking. Getting the whole family involved can make it even more fun and motivating.

We are living in a profoundly nature-detached society.  This was not the case before the 20th century.  In the past, people lived more self-sufficiently and therefore, were more prepared in general.  This is why the whole concept of preparedness has emerged in recent decades. The New Tech World Order has not only made us less self-reliant, it has polluted the earth and our bodies with unhealthy food, drugs and vaccines. It has absorbed us all into electronics and caused a dangerous dependence on fragile technology and power grids. What most people don’t realize is that this whole mistake was always destined to fall and we are now seeing the beginning of that. As Our Blessed Lord came into the world through the blood of the Holy Innocents, this change will not come easily either. But we are God’s children and we will get through it.

A great birthing is now under way. What an incredibly exciting time to be alive. There is no time for despondency or clinging to the old world. Let us begin to work toward a new world, closer to our Creator, closer to nature and closer to each other. A world of love. A world of joy. We will need to focus on this continually in the coming days. We will decisively need to choose a side. Humanity is now in its Advent, its time of waiting and preparing. We know this new world is coming…as Our Lady of Fatima declared, “In the end, my Immaculate Heart will triumph!”

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Pray 1 decade of the Rosary, meditating on the Mystery of The Nativity, for the intention of enlightenment on the issues discussed today…

Our Father + 10 Hail Marys + Glory Be

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Please fill out #3

“15 Points Preparedness Worksheet”

Thank you for participating ~ spread the word!

Image courtesy awakeningtimes.com

Lesson 2-Prepper Rosary Program

“And behold thy cousin Elizabeth, she also hath conceived a son in her old age; and this is the sixth month with her that is called barren…And Mary rising up…went into the hill country with haste into a city of Juda. And she entered into the house of Zachary, and saluted Elizabeth…And Mary abode with her about three months…Now Elizabeth's full time of being delivered was come, and she brought forth a son.”

Luke 1:36

Extend Yourself to Others ~ The Visitation

The above scripture shows us the loving Immaculate Heart of Our Lady. Immediately following the Annunciation, she flees to the side of her cousin Elizabeth. We can infer the reason she does this, is because she knows Elizabeth is older and needs help in her final days of pregnancy. We are told Mary stays with her for 3 months, right up until she gives birth. What profound humility, for one carrying the Son of God in her own womb, to place herself at the service of another woman with child. Taking Mary’s example, who are you being called to help?

Holy Church gives us the Corporal Works of Mercy, based on the teachings of Christ. This is a good place to start, if seeking to know where you are being called. Gravitate to what resonates with you. Some of us will not have to seek at all, it will be obvious that there is someone close who needs us. But sometimes, these are the ones we are most blind to. How does this relate to preparedness? When we strengthen others, we strengthen ourselves and we are only as strong as the weakest link. Humanity is a fabric of connectedness (which is presently being torn apart) and as they say, “What goes around, comes around.”

It is also important to cultivate relationships with your neighbors. You lend them your leaf-blower this fall, they lend you their snow-blower this winter. That’s not to say we should give with the thought of getting back, but from a prepper point of view, it is pragmatic (and what helps you, helps those in your care). This is the way a healthy community functions. In a crisis, it is much better to work together than to have an “every man for himself” attitude. Resilient, sustainable communities of love are the way of the future.

When we think of others, it always come back to us with great blessings. It makes us happier, healthier and holier. It is also a fundamental part of the Christian life. “With haste,” Mary met the need of Saint Elizabeth. How much more should we sinners, seek to meet the needs of those around us?

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Pray 1 decade of the Rosary, meditating on the Mystery of The Visitation, for the intention of enlightenment on the issues discussed today…

Our Father + 10 Hail Marys + Glory Be

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Please fill out #2

“15 Points Preparedness Worksheet”

Thank you for participating ~ spread the word!

Image courtesy bluearmy.com

Lesson 1-Prepper Rosary Program

Expect Wonderful Things ~ The Annunciation

Let’s begin with a basic “prepper” tenet: “Expect the best, prepare for the worst.” When the Angel Gabriel told Mary she would give birth to the Son of God, she did not understand, but she still trusted. She knew she was not socially in a proper situation to be pregnant, but she understood that something glorious was happening and kept her focus on that. Even though the world is now falling apart around us, we must remain as positive as possible, while still focusing on the tasks at hand. The popular notion of the “Doomsday Prepper” leads many to think it is all about doom and gloom…and guns. Unfortunately, for some preppers, this is true. But for the Children of God, gloom is not in our vocabulary, neither is violence. There is a peaceful, gentle, “close to the earth” preparedness, which is what we promote here.

Many of us fall into negative thinking patterns at times, often without being aware of it. If we do not practice “mindfulness,” an awareness of our thoughts and emotions throughout the day, this negativity may become corrosive to ourselves and those around us. It is true, the events in the world right now are causing a tremendous amount of grief and stress. We must allow ourselves to process those emotions, pray, and get through to the other side. We cannot get stuck there or give in to fear. Prepping is not about worry-quite the opposite! Being prepared frees you from worry and gives you the peace of mind that you are doing the best for yourself and your family. That doesn’t mean perfection. It doesn’t mean bad things can’t still happen. That’s where trust in God comes in. We also cannot get completely caught up in the cares of this world, because we know, it really is all about our journey to the Kingdom of Heaven. So it is a balance between the temporal and the spiritual.

We all need a positive vision to give us hope and motivation. Yes, Heaven is the ultimate positive vision, but we still have to get up every day and live in this world. We need to visualize a goal for the future, to give us enthusiasm and purpose. Instead of getting myopically bogged down in the present moment, let us create our own vision of a beautiful future. The next step is to make a concrete plan to incorporate changes into your life that will get you there.

We must stay hopeful and place our complete trust in God. Be grateful for all your blessings and have joy in your heart no matter what. We are one with Christ and it is an insult to Him to ever be anything but joyful. Just as Mary could not have imagined the incredible glory of the plan she was a part of, we too, are being called to build a wonderful new world!

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Pray 1 decade of the Rosary, meditating on the Mystery of The Annunciation, for the intention of enlightenment on the issues discussed today…

Our Father + 10 Hail Marys + Glory Be

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Please fill out #1

“15 Points Preparedness Worksheet”

We do not ask for donations at this time, but we do ask for prayers ~ thank you for participating ~ spread the word!

Image courtesy jesuscaritasest.blogspot.com

Prepper Rosary Program-Introduction

Preparedness Journey with the Mysteries of the Rosary

Please join us for our “Prepper Rosary Program,” starting this month of the Holy Rosary. It is very simple and you can do it at your own leisure, any time. You can jump in whenever and wherever.

We will be using our “15 Points” list already posted, tied to the Mysteries. After reading each post, you will pray one decade of the Rosary. Then you will fill out our PDF worksheet with your own thoughts. So it is simple: 1) Read post. 2) Pray one decade. 3) Fill out worksheet. The worksheet is also kept very simple and may be used as a family activity. The questions are simply suggestions to get you thinking in the right direction. The prayer is also an important part of this process. It is there, that God will speak to your heart and prepare you to embark on a new lifestyle in a changed world. That is what this time is asking of us…for ourselves and our loved ones.

If you participate, we would love to hear from you (see “Contact” button above). Please share your comments and we may decide to post them. Please also share this with others-we are only as strong as our weakest link!

Important Note: Please use prayer and discretion when applying these ideas to your own life. Some may not apply to you. Some may not be good for you. This is really just an intro to preparedness concepts, so you can take these ideas and construct your own program that works for you and your family. 

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The story of how this started: I realized several weeks ago that it was time to do a major re-think of my life, in light of the current world situation. I had to come up with a plan addressing all the important issues and “up” the preparedness ante. As I was writing this list, I realized that my own issues are not unique to me and that this had to become a larger project. I originally had 12 points and kept adding more until I got to 15, and finally felt satisfied. It struck me that traditionally, we had 15 Mysteries of the Rosary. Being deeply influenced by the great Fr. George Rutler when I was young, particularly his “Seven Last Words” meditations (here’s one), which he would tie into various “things of seven,” the idea came to me. I had to find a way to link the Mysteries to my list. It was kinda crazy and when I ran it by my hubby, he was amused. Undaunted, I began jotting down notes and most of it came effortlessly. I took this as a sign that it was meant to be. So here it is…

PS These are not pre-written. I am writing literally as I go. Each lesson is a new adventure!