Rosary Reparation Retreat

Yesterday, July 8th; we met for the Rosary Reparation Retreat at St. Pachomius House; one of the Nazareth House Apostolate, St Simeon Skete Field Houses located in Louisville, Kentucky.   

Seraphim has been prayerfully developing the Reparation Rosary since the 1970’s and on July 8, 2015 it was officially inaugurated as the 3rd and Final Strand of the Prayer Rope of St. Simeon Skete. 

“Now I rejoice in what I am suffering for you, 
and I fill up in my flesh 

what is still lacking in regard to Christ’s afflictions, 

for the sake of his body, which is the Church.” -Col. 1:24

We were presented with The Face,  The Name & The Heart of Jesus as well as rosaries & booklets

Definition of Reparation: fix, repair and restore.  -Hence, making reparation for the blasphemies, outrages and crimes committed against our Lord God within and through the Church and the world.  There is much work to be done. 

This Heart was adapted from the Heart in the NHA Trademark

The Program of Reparation: 

“If my people, which are called by my Name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from Heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land” -2Chron. 7:14 

We launched the Reparation Rosary by first praying it and then discussing what it means and how it is to be used. 

Seraphim talked about when he first went to Sierra Leone, it was to make repairs for the violence.  Repairing violence with prayer and love.  From the war stemmed hunger, repair hunger by giving someone some food.  Seraphim carefully reminded us that this rosary is not a revengeful tool to get back at those that have done wrong but that the driving motivation is to repair what has been done wrong in the eyes of God, i.e. If God’s Name is misused, make repairs by praising His Name and using it properly.  

This Reparation Rosary is not about reprisal but hopes to stop the offense before there is a need for reparation.  Our drive and motivation is that there are no offenses.  

Our Patrons of Reparation: 

1. Bartimaeus was blind and wanted to see. He called out the Most Holy Name of Jesus and was by Him, who he called, able to see. (Mk. 10:46-52). 
2. Veronica - The Prayer of Reparation is the Veil of Veronica. Note: Tradition states that Veronica and the woman healed by touching the hem of Jesus’ garment are the same woman (Mk. 5:24 –34). 

“The Prayer of Reparation seeks to make whole what is fragmented by putting love where there is none, by gazing with reverence upon Him who men disdain, i.e. “The one from whom men hide their faces” -Isa. 53:3. Abortion is an outrageous blasphemy against the Holy Face of Jesus because it prevents a child’s face from seeing another human face (Ex.20:13; 1Cor. 8:12; Mk. 9:42; Mt. 25:40). It also is an offense against the Most Sacred Name of Jesus because abortion prevents putting a face to a name. Putting a face to a name has great effect. When the soldiers came to the olive grove in search of Jesus, he met them asking: “Who are you looking for?” and they replied “Jesus of Nazareth” and Jesus responded “Iam he”.  When Jesus said, “Iam he,” they drew back and fell to the ground. (John 18:3-6). satan and his co-operatives want to keep separated the Most Holy Name of Jesus from His Holy Face. But when Jesus was named satan was disarmed! Note well, the Face of Jesus is intended to change the face of the earth (Lk.1:31: 2:21; Phil.2:9-11). " 

Crucifix housed at St. Simeon Skete, Taylorsville,  Kentucky

"To be one who makes repairs is to give our Lord what others deny him. Just recently I was told of a television show that featured various people urinating on the Crucifix of our Lord. Upon hearing this I immediately went to the prayer chapel and placed eleven crucifixes on the altar, lit a candle that I intend to keep burning for 40 days and then offered incense in a deep spirit of reparation. Our Lord said “I thirst” (Jn.19:28). This thirst continues unquenched because it is a thirst for souls, faith, hope, love, thanksgiving, petition and adoration. Our Lord’s thirst will continue until the end of time but so will the call to reparation continue among and in his people." 

“Let the priest, the ministers of the Lord, weep between the porch and the altar” - Joel 2:17; Ezek. 22:30 

"The Face of Jesus, the Name of Jesus and now the Heart of Jesus seen in his Name and of his Face: It wasn’t until the seventeenth century that the organ of the Heart with its crown of thorns and flame of love began to appear. The more ancient images of the Sacred Heart was that of the wound itself in the side of our Lord’s body. 

The open Wound was in itself an invitation to press beyond it, to cross its threshold, to make one’s dwelling in the inner sanctuary of the Sacred Heart but the Heart remained hidden. We must be careful in taking the Heart of Jesus and enthroning it by itself, in doing so we run the risk of taking the Heart without the Wound. One must be wounded to embrace His woundedness to get to His Heart. 

The Prophet Joel says “wound your hearts” - Joel 2:13. As you make reparations before image of the Sacred Heart keep in mind the wound in His side (John 19:34; 20:20; 1John 5:6,8). Hence the putting of “a” Face to “a” Name leads to the Wound which leads to the Heart. "

“My heart says to you, ‘Seek His Face!’  Your face, Lord, I will seek! -Ps. 27:8 

"Finally, reparation is the unceasing effort to bear witness before endless crosses on which our Lord continues to be crucified.  Experiential Reparation makes present in the history of humanity the force of redemption.” -Seraphim 

“Lord I do not desire the death of sinners, but that they be converted and live.  Father forgive them.” (Ezek. 18:32; 33:11; Micah 7:18; I Tim. 2:1-8)

This is us, this is you.

We get a lot of questions, what is the skete, what is it about.  I always struggle for words.  My daily prayer is "Lord, let my words be yours, not mine".   God answered the question of the skete for me, perfectly.  I cannot think of a better Scripture or a better Translation than what is said via The Message:  It explains the Skete, it explains the struggle, it explains what we all endure in this troubled world.

2 Corinthians 4:1-18   --The Message (MSG)

Trial and Torture
4 1-2 Since God has so generously let us in on what he is doing, we’re not about to throw up our hands and walk off the job just because we run into occasional hard times. We refuse to wear masks and play games. We don’t maneuver and manipulate behind the scenes. And we don’t twist God’s Word to suit ourselves. Rather, we keep everything we do and say out in the open, the whole truth on display, so that those who want to can see and judge for themselves in the presence of God.

3-4 If our Message is obscure to anyone, it’s not because we’re holding back in any way. No, it’s because these other people are looking or going the wrong way and refuse to give it serious attention. All they have eyes for is the fashionable god of darkness. They think he can give them what they want, and that they won’t have to bother believing a Truth they can’t see. They’re stone-blind to the dayspring brightness of the Message that shines with Christ, who gives us the best picture of God we’ll ever get.

5-6 Remember, our Message is not about ourselves; we’re proclaiming Jesus Christ, the Master. All we are is messengers, errand runners from Jesus for you. It started when God said, “Light up the darkness!” and our lives filled up with light as we saw and understood God in the face of Christ, all bright and beautiful.

7-12 If you only look at us, you might well miss the brightness. We carry this precious Message around in the unadorned clay pots of our ordinary lives. That’s to prevent anyone from confusing God’s incomparable power with us. As it is, there’s not much chance of that. You know for yourselves that we’re not much to look at. We’ve been surrounded and battered by troubles, but we’re not demoralized; we’re not sure what to do, but we know that God knows what to do; we’ve been spiritually terrorized, but God hasn’t left our side; we’ve been thrown down, but we haven’t broken. What they did to Jesus, they do to us—trial and torture, mockery and murder; what Jesus did among them, he does in us—he lives! Our lives are at constant risk for Jesus’ sake, which makes Jesus’ life all the more evident in us. While we’re going through the worst, you’re getting in on the best!

13-15 We’re not keeping this quiet, not on your life. Just like the psalmist who wrote, “I believed it, so I said it,” we say what we believe. And what we believe is that the One who raised up the Master Jesus will just as certainly raise us up with you, alive. Every detail works to your advantage and to God’s glory: more and more grace, more and more people, more and more praise!

16-18 So we’re not giving up. How could we! Even though on the outside it often looks like things are falling apart on us, on the inside, where God is making new life, not a day goes by without his unfolding grace. These hard times are small potatoes compared to the coming good times, the lavish celebration prepared for us. There’s far more here than meets the eye. The things we see now are here today, gone tomorrow. But the things we can’t see now will last forever.

The Savior's Last Appeal "Behold your mother"

"Now there stood by the Cross of Jesus, his mother"  John 19:25

This is a vital part of the ongoing spirituality of St. Simeon Skete, not just for Lent.  

We are in process of making new booklets but until they are ready, we thought it appropriate to share this devotion with you for use during Holy Week. 

The original 19th Century retablos in this post are housed at Anna House, 

St. Simeon Skete, Taylorsville, Kentucky 

NHA Rosary Pilgrimage (Part 3)

The NHA Rosary Convocation took place last week.  The Rosary Pilgrimage was held on Saturday, May 10th.   The first two sets of Mysteries were said at St. Augustine's Parish in Leopold, Indiana and St. Joseph's Shrine near St. Meinrad, Indiana.  

The Sorrowful Mysteries took place at the Shrine of Our Lady of Monte Cassino.  A quaint little stone chapel dedicated to the rosary.  

Seraphim pointing out Mary's Peace Plan: "Do whatever He tells us" 

Entering the chapel 

admiring the frescos

lighting a few candles...

Father Tim Butler led us as we prayed the Sorrowful Mysteries.

THE SORROWFUL MYSTERIES -about the Mystery of suffering.

 In the first sorrow of the Rosary 

we offer ourselves to the mystery of The Garden: Mt. 26:36-46; Lk.22:39-46; Jn.13:30 

The Second Sorrowful Mystery: 

 The Scourging: Mt. 26: 47-50, 69-75, 56; Mt. 27:2, 12-17, 21b, 22,25,26; 

Heb. 4:15; 5:2; 4:16; Isa. 28:15; 53:4-6 

Seraphim (as always) holding the Bible and the Beads.  He never is without
his tiny pocket sized copy of the Gospels and his beads 

3rd Sorrowful Mystery: The Thorns: Mt. 27:27-31

In the fourth sorrow of the rosary, we offer ourselves to the mystery of the Cross:  Jn.19:16, 17; 1Cor.1:18-24

The last Sorrowful Mystery: The Crucifixion: Lk. 23:33-46; Jn.19:25- 27

In between the Sorrowful and Glorious Mysteries, its time for a picnic lunch.

A special thank you to Cecil and Sarah Appleman who were unable to make the pilgrimage but provided our lunch!

The Steeple and roof of the chapel received new copper. 

A little clean up and we are on our way to the Archabbey for the Glorious Mysteries.

 

At the Archabbey of St. Meinrad.  There are eleven archabbeys in the world and we are fortunate that we have one of the two in America so near us.

1. Montecassino, Italy
2. Monte Oliveto Maggiore, Italy
3. Arpino (nuns), Italy
4. Beuron, Germany
5. Sankt Ottilien, Germany
6. Brevnov, Czech Republic
7. St. Peter's in Salzburg, Austria
8. Pannonhalma, Hungary
9. Saint Vincent, Latrobe, Pennsylvania, USA
10. Saint Meinrad, Saint Meinrad, Indiana, USA
11. St. Sebastion, Salvador (Bahia), Brazil

THE GLORIOUS MYSTERIES

-about the Mystery of faith.

The Resurrection: Mt. 28:1-8; Jn. 20, the first Glorious Mystery

In the second glory of the Rosary we offer ourselves to the mystery of The Ascension: Mt. 26:32; 28:1-7b; Jn. 20:19, 21, 26; Acts1:2-14 

The Third Glorious Mystery:  The Spirit: Acts 2:1-6,11; 1Cor. 2:5,10; 12:13;

2 Cor. 3:17; Gal.5: 22-23; Eph. 5:18; 1Jn. 4:8, 16 

The Fourth Glorious Mystery:  The Assumption: Gen.5:24; 2Kings 2:11-12; Ps.46:4; Ps.132; S.of S. 8:5; Heb.11:5; Jn.14:3; Eph.1:17-20; Rev. 12:1,2 

The last Glorious Mystery:  The Coming: Mt. 25:31-34; 26:64; Mk. 13; Lk. 18:7-8; Jn. 1:51; 14:1- 3; Job 19:25; 2Tim. 4:8; Rev.8:1; 2:2-5; Dt. 8:18; Zeph.3:12 

The Gardens of the Archabbey are beautiful.

The Rosary gives us a place to: 

Register

Reveal

Review and

Revise our Relationship with God.

(therefore)

Pray and live the Rosary, “And aspire to live quietly, and to mind your own affairs and to work with your hands (telling your beads), as we instructed you, so that you may walk properly before outsiders and be dependent on no one.” - 1Thess. 4:11-12 (ESV).

Relative to taking up the Prayer Rope as vocation one must ask: “Are you the one, or do we look for another?” (Mt. 11:3; Lk. 7:19). Holy Simeon found Him to be the one, to be enough. - (Lk. 2:27-32).

“The Three-stranded Prayer Rope Constitutes the very essence of religion and is the environment in which that essence is best expressed.” -Seraphim

Its been another wonderful Rosary Convocation.  We look forward to next year.