St. Simeon Skete, Taylorsville Kentucky USA

With St. Simeon, the God receiver, as our patron, the skete seeks to practice the ideals found in our Rule, The Thousand Day Nazareth. In simplicity and poverty, the skete embraces the struggle of inner life through the practice of the Prayer Rope.

See our website at www.nazarethhouseap.org

Donations should be addressed to: Nazareth House Apostolate, 185 Captains Cove Drive, Taylorsville, Kentucky 40071.

Important Notice: All writings, posts, graphics & photographs in this blog are the copyrighted property of (unless otherwise indicated) Nazareth House Media, a division of Nazareth House Apostolate and cannot be copied, printed or used without written permission from NHA Media, Taylorsville, KY.
Showing posts with label St. Augustine Leopold Indiana. Show all posts
Showing posts with label St. Augustine Leopold Indiana. Show all posts

Thursday, May 15, 2014

The NHA Remnant Rosary and the Pilgrimage

The third strand of the Nazareth Prayer Rope, The Remnant Rosary©2005 NHA is a vital instrument in the life of St. Simeon Skete, Nazareth House Apostolate.


“If you want to get back to the source of the Rosary, to its origins we would need to open the Scriptures. That is why I like to bring together the Bible and the Beads, the two together.” -Fr. Gabriel Harty, O.P

“If you want to understand the Rosary its praying the Life of Jesus. If you want to understand Mary its saying yes to that Life. Therefore the Rosary is praying the Life of Jesus in union with Mary who said yes to that Life.” - Seraphim

“The Rosary (as vocation) is four prayers orchestrated by four sets of Mysteries celebrated in four Rosaries combating the four evils of our day* in the Hour that our Lord asks for.” (Could you not watch with me one hour?”) (Mat. 26:40) - Seraphim

The Mysteries of the Rosary...                  
...combating the four evils of the day*         
Joyful
An aversion to the simple, mundane ordinariness of life
Luminous
Fear and hatred of being exposed
Sorrowful
Unwillingness to deal with pain and hardship
Glorious
Apathetic lack of concern for the future


The schedule at the skete opens the day with vigils followed by the rosary and morning prayer office.  A full rosary is said in the morning (All 4 Mysteries) prior to the Mass.  The Chaplet of the Day is said at 5 PM with the Evening Office.  Mixed in with the 11 Offices said daily here, Seraphim says 3 more complete Rosaries.  He had committed himself to saying 2 full rosaries a day for many years but has added two more rosaries to that practice since coming to the skete.  With minimal distractions, that's four hours a day saying the rosary plus the Chaplet of the day.  As you can see, the rosary is extremely significant to the skete and has a profound effect on our lives. 

Therefore, the celebration of the Rosary, the praying the Life of Christ, is a joyous occasion to us.  The NHA Rosary Convocation is very special and dear to our hearts.  

On Saturday, May 10th we made the annual pilgrimage from St. Simeon Skete to the Ohio River, crossing to Indiana and saying the first set of Mysteries at St. Augustine Parish in Leopold, Indiana.  



It is here that the candle is lit and we begin the Mysteries.



The Joyful Mysteries - about the Mysteries of being human 


In the first joy of the Rosary we offer ourselves to the Mystery of The Coming (Incarnation).  Lk. 1:26-38


In the second joy of the Rosary we offer ourselves to the Visitation: Lk. 1:39-56; The third joy - the Birth: Lk.2:1-20; Mt. 2:1-18, 2Cor 5:17; Acts 17:28.  The fourth joy of the rosary: The Presentation - Lk. 2:21-22; 24-39; Mt. 2-13-15 and the fifth Joy of the rosary we pray the mystery of the Finding: Lk. 2:41-52

Just prior to our arrival at St. Augustine, the storm had damaged the church's cemetery. 



Tree limbs were strewn everywhere


Gutters torn down


Huge tree broke in two



and gravestones knocked down




Our next stop was to the Shrine of St. Joseph.  It was there that Deacon Tom Overmeer led us in the Mysteries of Light.  


THE LUMINOUS MYSTERIES -about the Mystery of the Kingdom
1) The Baptism: Mt.3:1-4,11, 13– 4:1a; Jn.1:29-34; 3:30; Ps. 46:4 


2nd Mystery of Light - (A) The Changing: Jn. 2:1-11 (wedding, water and wine) 
(B) The Revealing: Jn. 4:4-30; 1Cor. 10:4    


In the Third Light of the Rosary we offer ourselves to the Mystery of the Kingdom
 Mk.1:14-15; Mt. 5:3-12    


Next Mystery: (4) The Transfiguration: Mt. 17:1-9; Mk. 9:2-8; Lk. 9:28-36
  
Deacon Tom Overmeer leading us in the Mysteries of Light 




The fifth Mystery of Light: The Supper: Lk. 22:7-20; Jn. 13:21-27, 30; 1Cor. 11:23-30; 





Tomorrow's Blog will be the Sorrowful and Glorious Mysteries. 

Wednesday, March 14, 2012

And the Journeys continue.

Yesterday at St. Simeon Skete, we decided to take a few of the pilgrims on The Rosary Pilgrimage following the journey we take during our Annual Nazareth House Rosary Convocation started in 1996, (this year will be our 16th Annual Convocation). The Rosary Convocation pilgrimage takes place every October on the Saturday nearest to October 7th, the Feast Day of the Rosary.   
It was an unseasonably warm day, almost more like Summer than Spring while technically we are still in the Winter Season.    The Pilgrimage takes us on a journey, praying the Life of Christ along the way.

"The succession of holy words, the telling of beads, the moments of silence, all these form the background upon which the mysteries unfold within our mind, heart and life."-S+    

We began the Rosary by saying the Introit Prayers at the first stop of the Pilgrimage, overlooking the Ohio River. 


Next we journeyed through country roads and beautiful scenery, arriving at St. Augustine Catholic Church in Leopold, Indiana.  

"The mysteries are ever expanding to cover the wide range of human experience and emotion. These universal mysteries become intensely localized in the Rosary." -S+

Here we prayed the first set of Mysteries of the Rosary, The Joyful Mysteries.


"The first five (mysteries) concern a woman who gives birth for the salvation of the world..."



Linda & Anna from St. Augustine of Chico, California at St. Augustine, Leopold, Indiana

 From St. Augustine's Parish we journey on to St. Meinrad, Indiana to St. Joseph's Shrine


"...the second five (mysteries) concern a man, the son she borne, as the revealing light to a separated world; ..." -S+

At St. Joseph's Shrine, we prayed the second set, the Luminous Mysteries.
 and the journey continued...
 Reaching the Shrine of Our Lady of Monte Cassino, we began the third set, The Sorrowful Mysteries.
"..the third group (of mysteries) concern the man who dies for the salvation of the world;..." -S+ 

This chapel is one of our favorite places to pray.  


After a time of prayer, we took in the beauty and quaintness of the chapel.


and the facilities around us 

It was a simply gorgeous Lenten day...

 The Crucifixion and Resurrection were reflected in the Spring bulbs blooming

 amidst the starkness of the leafless Winter trees.
 After a light picnic lunch, we ...

washed up and traveled the final leg of the pilgrimage to St. Meinrad's Archabbey and Theological Seminary.
 Here we said the Glorious Mysteries.  "...the fourth group (of mysteries) concerns the reunion of the separated in the accomplishment of that salvation." -S+

 There is a statue at the Archabbey that always makes me smile.
The whimsically posed 'turned in' toes as he "walks",  the swinging arm...
 were made all the more charming today by the addition of the mockingbird on the head.
 
As you drive up to St. Meinrad you instantly feel as though you are in Europe. 

While we were in Indiana, James was in Sierra Leone making his own journey.
 The One Hut Village recovering from losing their huts last year are now preparing
 the bush, clearing it to plant a rice crop and other vegetables.
 NHA will provide the seeds for them
 which will help them provide food and sustenance for the village.
 A hard days work
 with little rest in hot African sun...
 There is a lot more to do, lots of brush to remove.  But the village teams up together, young and old and make it happen.
James, with the villagers at One Hut Village send their love and greetings, wishing you all a good week.