Today's Rosary | Holy Rosary University

Friends of the Rosary,

Every month of August, we honor the two martyrs of the holocaust of Auschwitz, St. Maximilian Kolbe and St. Teresa Benedicta.

Today, August 9, is the memorial day of St. Teresa Benedicta of the Cross (1891-1942), also known as St. Edith Stein.

Born into a prominent Jewish family in Breslau (now Wroclaw, Poland), she became an influential philosopher, lecturing at major German universities.

A brilliant intellectual and doctorate in philosophy, she converted in 1922 and entered the Discalced Carmelites, captivated by the autobiography of Teresa of Avila, taking the name Sister Teresa Benedicta of the Cross.

After reading my life of Teresa of Avila, Edith Stein exclaimed: "This is the truth!"

She was arrested by the Nazi regime in 1942, along with all Catholics of Jewish extraction, and transported by cattle train to the death camp of Auschwitz, along with her sister Rosa, also a Catholic. She died in a gas chamber in Auschwitz on August 9, 1942.

Pope John Paul II beatified Teresa Benedicta in 1987 and canonized her in 1998.

Ave Maria!
Jesus, I Trust In You!

Come, Holy Spirit, come!
To Jesus through Mary!

Here I am, Lord; I come to do your will.
Please give us the grace to respond with joy!

+ Mikel Amigot w/ María Blanca | RosaryNetwork.com, New York

Friends of the Rosary,

Today, August 8, is the Memorial of St. Dominic of Guzman, who received the devotion of the Holy Rosary from the Blessed Virgin Mary. To St. Dominic is attributed the origin and spread of the holy rosary.

As many Popes have historically stated, St. Dominic received the Rosary as a gift from the Blessed Virgin Mary during a vision in a forest near Toulouse, France, in 1206, on the feast of Saint Mary Magdalene, to help combat the Albigensian heresy, which denied the goodness of the material world and the divinity of Christ.

The saint and his Dominican Order, which he founded in 1215, actively promoted the Rosary, encouraging its use for both personal prayer and communal practice. He used it as a tool for evangelization and spiritual growth.

Since the 15th and 16th centuries, many Dominicans have spread this devotion and remain to this day the chief promoters of the devotion around the world.

For example, it was a Dominican pope, St. Pius V, who promoted the Rosary and instituted the Feast of Our Lady of Victory in 1571 (later renamed the Feast of Our Lady of the Rosary in 1573 by Pope Gregory XIII).

The Rosary remains a staple of Roman Catholic piety and is a favorite of many Catholics around the world.

Alongside the Franciscans, the Dominicans became the most powerful Order in medieval times, giving the Church illustrious preachers, St. Vincent Ferrer, and contemplatives, Sts. Thomas of Aquinas and Pius V, and contributing immeasurably to maintaining the purity of the faith.

Through the example of apostolic poverty and the preaching of the word of God, the Dominican Order was to lead men to Christ.

Today, it's also important to remember that St. Dominic's mother, Blessed Jane (Joan or Joanna) of Aza, was beatified by Pope Leo XII in 1828, recognized for her example of motherly holiness, her charity to the poor, and miracles.

As preserved in the Breviary: "During pregnancy, Dominic's mother dreamed she was carrying in her womb a little dog that held a burning torch between its teeth; and when she had given birth, it set the whole world on fire. By this dream, it was made manifest beforehand how Dominic would inflame the nations to the practice of Christian virtue through the brightness of his holy example and the fiery ardor of his preaching." 

The second son of Blessed Jane (Joan or Joanna) of Aza, Mannes, would follow his younger brother in the Order of Preachers, and later beatified.

Ave Maria!
Jesus, I Trust In You!

Come, Holy Spirit, come!
To Jesus through Mary!

Here I am, Lord; I come to do your will.
Please give us the grace to respond with joy!

+ Mikel Amigot w/ María Blanca | RosaryNetwork.com, New York

Friends of the Rosary,

In today's Gospel (Matthew 16:13-23), Jesus, in the region of Caesarea Philippi, asked his disciples a turning-point question:

"Who do you say that I am?"

The disciples were afraid to respond until finally Peter spoke:

"You are the Christ, the Son of the living God."

Jesus said to him in reply, "Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah.
For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my heavenly Father.
And so I say to you, you are Peter,
and upon this rock I will build my Church,
and the gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against it.
I will give you the keys to the Kingdom of heaven.
Whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven;
and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven."

Peter received a revelation from the Eternal Father and rightly answered that Jesus was the "Messiah", the Anointed One, the long-awaited Savior of the human race.

Our lives cannot be the same. The Church of Christ, built upon the Petrine faith, comes from the inconceivable power of the Almighty.

And as today's Responsorial Psalm (Psalm 95:1-2, 6-7, 8-9) states,  If today you hear his voice, harden not your hearts.

Ave Maria!
Jesus, I Trust In You!

Come, Holy Spirit, come!
To Jesus through Mary!

Here I am, Lord; I come to do your will.
Please give us the grace to respond with joy!

+ Mikel Amigot w/ María Blanca | RosaryNetwork.com, New York

Friends of the Rosary,

Today, August 6, is the Feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord, a commemoration which started in the 11th century and anticipates the glory of heaven, where we shall see God face to face.

The Gospel of Luke (Luke 9:28b–36) recounts this event of the glorified Jesus representing the fulfillment of Old Testament revelation, symbolized by Moses as the Law and Elijah as the prophets.

The Transfiguration of Christ reveals the fullness of life for every single human being. It’s the will of God in His glory and luminous beauty for all of us.

The transfigured Christ is an invitation for a personal relationship with the Savior.

We achieve this especially through the sacraments of confession and the Eucharist, as we fall in adoration, content to be with Jesus alone.

The Transfiguration took place about a year before the Passion. Jesus took with him St. Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, Sts. James and John, and led them to a retired mountain. Tradition assures us that this was Mount Thabor, which was anciently covered with green trees and was very fruitful. This was the place, in the middle of Galilee, in which the Man-God appeared in His glory.

His face was altered and shone as the sun, and his garments became white as snow-white brightness. Moses and Elias were seen by the three apostles in his company on this occasion, and were heard discoursing with him of the death which he was to suffer in Jerusalem.

The three apostles were delighted with this glorious vision, and St. Peter cried out to Christ, “Lord, it is good for us to be here. Let us make three tents: one for thee, one for Moses, and one for Elias.”

Whilst St. Peter was speaking, there came a bright shining cloud from heaven, an emblem of the presence of God’s majesty, and from out of this cloud was heard a voice which said, “This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear ye him.”

The apostles that were present, upon hearing this voice, were seized with a sudden fear, and fell upon the ground; but Jesus, going to them, touched them, and bade them to rise. They immediately did so and saw no one but Jesus standing in his ordinary state.

In the Transfiguration, Christ enjoyed for a short while that glorified state which was to be permanently His after His Resurrection on Easter Sunday. The splendor of His inward Divinity and of the Beatific Vision of His soul overflowed on His body.

The purpose of the Transfiguration was to encourage and strengthen the Apostles who were depressed by their Master’s prediction of His own Passion and Death.

The Apostles were made to understand that His redeeming work has two phases: The Cross, and Glory—that we shall be glorified with Him only if we first suffer with Him.

Ave Maria!
Jesus, I Trust In You!

Come, Holy Spirit, come!
To Jesus through Mary!

Here I am, Lord; I come to do your will.
Please give us the grace to respond with joy!

+ Mikel Amigot w/ María Blanca | RosaryNetwork.com, New York

Friends of the Rosary,

Today, August 5, the Catholic Church celebrates the Optional Memorial of the Dedication of the Basilica of St. Mary Major, Santa Maria Maggiore, one of the four most illustrious churches of Rome, along with St. John Lateran, St. Peter, and St. Paul Outside the Walls, and Christendom’s first Marian shrine for pilgrims.

This feast commemorates a miracle of the snowfall that occurred during the night on this day in the year 358 on the site where the Basilica of St. Mary Major now stands.

The Virgin Mary had appeared in a dream to two faithful Roman Christians, the patrician John and his wife, as well as to Pope Liberius (352-366), asking that a church be built in her honor on the site where snow would fall on the night between August 4th and 5th.

That’s why another name for the basilica is Our Lady of the Snow, Saint Mary of the Snow, and the feast of today is Our Lady of Snows, la Virgen Blanca, in Spanish.

Nowadays, in Rome, during the pontifical Mass and the second vespers, the traditional shower of flower petals descends from the ceiling of the basilica to commemorate the August snowfall in 358.

Pope Francis’ mortal remains are buried in St. Mary Major. He was laid to rest near the icon of Mary Salus Populi Romani.

Ave Maria!
Jesus, I Trust In You!

Come, Holy Spirit, come!
To Jesus through Mary!

Here I am, Lord; I come to do your will.
Please give us the grace to respond with joy!

+ Mikel Amigot w/ María Blanca | RosaryNetwork.com, New York

Friends of the Rosary,

Today, August 4, the Catholic Church honors St. John Vianney (1786-1859), a saint during the French Revolution, when all religious schools and churches were closed, and those who harbored priests were imprisoned.

At the Vianney farmhouse near Dardilly, France, fugitive priests were offered a refuge.

Known as the Cure D’Ars. In Ars, France, John Vianney was a parish priest for forty-two years, devoting himself to prayer, mortification, and pastoral works.

The saintly pastor endured many trials while performing many miracles.

With little sleep and less food, he catechized, preached, provided for the poor, and heard confessions. Up to sixteen hours a day were spent reconciling sinners to God.

His ardent prayer was:

“Lord, grant me the conversion of my parish; I am willing to suffer whatever you wish, for my entire life!”

Souls throughout the Christian world sought his guidance and advice.

Ave Maria!
Jesus, I Trust In You!

Come, Holy Spirit, come!
To Jesus through Mary!

Here I am, Lord; I come to do your will.
Please give us the grace to respond with joy!

+ Mikel Amigot w/ María Blanca | RosaryNetwork.com, New York

Friends of the Rosary,

Through the parable of the Rich Fool, Christ Jesus in today’s Gospel (St. Luke 12:13-21) teaches us to avoid all greed, as “one’s life does not consist of possessions.”

The passage tells of a wealthy farmer who, upon harvesting a large crop, decided to build bigger barns to store his abundance. He planned to live a life of ease and luxury, but God called him a fool.

The key is to store up treasures in heaven and “be rich in what matters to God.”

We tend to forget that at any moment we may leave this earth and all that we possess in it after a life of collecting possessions for our earthly life.

No one will be excluded from heaven because they lawfully possessed wealth. But it will exclude him if he lets this world’s wealth possess him to the exclusion of God.

Ave Maria!
Jesus, I Trust In You!

Come, Holy Spirit, come!
To Jesus through Mary!

Here I am, Lord; I come to do your will.
Please give us the grace to respond with joy!

+ Mikel Amigot w/ María Blanca | RosaryNetwork.com, New York

Friends of the Rosary,

Yesterday, on the feast day of Saint Alphonsus Liguori, Bishop and Doctor of the Church, we read in Matthew's Gospel (Matt 13, 54-58), how the Lord identified himself as a prophet in his return to Nazareth.

"A prophet is not without honor except in his native place
and in his own house."

"And he did not work many mighty deeds there
because of their lack of faith."

Christ Jesus was not just one more prophet but the embodiment of the Logos, the Almighty. 
As Pope Benedict XVI wrote, “Now the word is not simply audible; not only does it have a voice, now the word has a face, one which we can see: that of Jesus of Nazareth.”

Today, the Church is Jesus’s Mystical Body, the bearer of His Word to the world until He returns. 

Ave Maria!
Jesus, I Trust In You!

Come, Holy Spirit, come!
To Jesus through Mary!

Here I am, Lord; I come to do your will.
Please give us the grace to respond with joy!

+ Mikel Amigot w/ María Blanca | RosaryNetwork.com, New York

Friends of the Rosary,

Today, August 1, is the Memorial of St. Alphonsus de Liguori (1696-1787), bishop and doctor of the Church and founder of the Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer, the Redemptorists, a congregation of priests and brothers.

As our Lord did the Apostles, Alphonsus de Liguori sent the Redemptorists into the villages to announce the Kingdom of God and provide religious instruction.

He suffered from the deception of an ambitious cleric. The Eucharist was his strength.

He said, “If you desire to find him immediately, see—he is quite close to you. Tell him what you desire, for it is to console you and grant your prayer that he remains in the tabernacle.” 

Ave Maria!
Jesus, I Trust In You!

Come, Holy Spirit, come!
To Jesus through Mary!

Here I am, Lord; I come to do your will.
Please give us the grace to respond with joy!

+ Mikel Amigot w/ María Blanca | RosaryNetwork.com, New York

Friends of the Rosary,

Today, July 31, is the Memorial of St. Ignatius of Loyola (1491-1556).

With nine companions—Francis Xavier, among them—Ignatius formed the Jesuits, a society for the service of Jesus, that embarked on missionary activities, the establishment of colleges and universities, and counter-Reformation preaching.

The motto of the Company of Jesus: Ad Majorem Dei Gloriam—“For the greater glory of God.”

Born in the Kingdom of Navarre, in Spain, after a wayward youth, Ignatius converted in his early thirties. He sought penance and solitude in Manresa, Spain, near Barcelona, where he began to compose his Spiritual Exercises.

While he was convalescing, after a cannonball fractured his left leg at the siege of Pamplona, Ignatius read about Christ and His saints and thus turned wholly to God. He then equipped himself for Christ's service by acquiring a good classical and theological education.

The members of the Society of Jesus became the shock troops of the Church in the battle against the spread of Protestantism in Europe, as well as one of the greatest foreign mission organizations that the world has known.

Ignatius ever desired to suffer far more for the glory of his Lord.

According to several pontiffs, God raised up Ignatius and the Society founded by him to oppose Luther and the heretics of his time.

He devoted himself unweariedly to gaining souls for God. His power over the demons was wonderful. St. Philip Neri and others saw his countenance shining with heavenly light.

He was celebrated for miracles and for his great services to the Church.

Pius XI, in response to the prayers of the episcopate, declared him the heavenly patron of all Spiritual Exercises.

Ave Maria!
Jesus, I Trust In You!

Come, Holy Spirit, come!
To Jesus through Mary!

Here I am, Lord; I come to do your will.
Please give us the grace to respond with joy!

+ Mikel Amigot w/ María Blanca | RosaryNetwork.com, New York

Friends of the Rosary,

Through the parables of Jesus, we discover the priceless value of the Kingdom of Heaven.

He said to his disciples (Matthew 13:44-46):

"The Kingdom of heaven is like a treasure buried in a field,
which a person finds and hides again,
and out of joy goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.
Again, the Kingdom of heaven is like a merchant
searching for fine pearls.
When he finds a pearl of great price,
he goes and sells all that he has and buys it."

Christ Jesus is inviting us to a radical reordering of our priorities.  The Kingdom of Heaven is the treasure, and the pearl has an incomparable value.

Like the merchant, the one who finds it is willing to sacrifice everything  - worldly possessions, ambitions, and comforts - to embrace the Kingdom.

It means prioritizing spiritual riches over material wealth, eternal life over fleeting pleasures, and God's will over our desires. It is a call to a life of discipleship, where Christ is truly Lord of all.
Ave Maria!
Jesus, I Trust In You!

Come, Holy Spirit, come!
To Jesus through Mary!

Here I am, Lord; I come to do your will.
Please give us the grace to respond with joy!

+ Mikel Amigot w/ María Blanca | RosaryNetwork.com, New York

Friends of the Rosary,

Today, July 29, the Catholic Church celebrates the Memorial of Sts. Martha, Mary, and Lazarus.

Jesus experienced the friendship of these three saints in their household of Bethany.

Martha offered him hospitality, Mary listened attentively to his words, and Lazarus promptly emerged from the tomb at the command of the Holy One of God.

Luke’s Gospel recounts how Martha of Bethany serves Jesus, while Mary, her sister, sits at our Lord’s feet (10:38-42).

The Fathers of the Church saw in Martha and Mary the relation between action and contemplation, ministry and prayer.

Ave Maria!
Jesus, I Trust In You!

Come, Holy Spirit, come!
To Jesus through Mary!

Here I am, Lord; I come to do your will.
Please give us the grace to respond with joy!

+ Mikel Amigot w/ María Blanca | RosaryNetwork.com, New York

Friends of the Rosary,

In today’s main reading (Matthew 13:31–35), Jesus unveiled a mystery to the crowds:

“The Kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed
that a person took and sowed in a field.
It is the smallest of all the seeds,
yet when full-grown it is the largest of plants.
It becomes a large bush,
and the birds of the sky come and dwell in its branches.”

He spoke to them another parable.

“The Kingdom of heaven is like yeast
that a woman took and mixed with three measures of wheat flour
until the whole batch was leavened.”

Through these two parables, Jesus Christ describes the transforming power of the Kingdom.

The Church is the mustard seed or the leaven seeking to transform the world. It’s the City of God making its way within the City of Man, in Augustine’s terms.

As the mystical body of Jesus, the Church makes present Christ’s loving and forgiving mind and will.

As members of His Body, through baptism we embody the spirit of God and exercise the mission of going in search of sinners, bearing salvation.

Ave Maria!
Jesus, I Trust In You!

Come, Holy Spirit, come!
To Jesus through Mary!

Here I am, Lord; I come to do your will.
Please give us the grace to respond with joy!

+ Mikel Amigot w/ María Blanca | RosaryNetwork.com, New York

Friends of the Rosary,

The disciples of the Lord were men of prayer, but they wanted to live as friends of God. So they asked the Lord to teach them to pray with the same intimacy and confidence they observed in Jesus, as we read in the Gospel (St. Luke, 11:1-13). They rejoiced when Christ Jesus taught them the Lord’s Prayer.

Also, in another passage of the Gospels, He instructed them, "When thou shalt pray, enter into thy chamber, and having shut the door, pray to thy Father in secret..."(Mt 6:6-7).

Given that our prayer is primarily a petition, we must proceed with persistence. In the same reading of today, Jesus says,

“And I tell you, ask and you will receive; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks, receives; and the one who seeks, finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened. What father among you would hand his son a snake when he asks for a fish? Or hand him a scorpion when he asks for an egg? If you then, who are wicked, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him?”

Ave Maria!
Jesus, I Trust In You!

Come, Holy Spirit, come!
To Jesus through Mary!

Here I am, Lord; I come to do your will.
Please give us the grace to respond with joy!

+ Mikel Amigot w/ María Blanca | RosaryNetwork.com, New York

Friends of the Rosary,

Today, July 26, is the Memorial of Saints Joachim and Anne, the parents of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the grandparents of Jesus, and the patron saints of all grandparents.

They played an important part in the work of the Redemption. In their home, the Virgin Mary was educated to be the Mother of God. 

The Scripture is silent about the grandparents of Jesus. The Protoevanglium of James (c. 150) relates the story of Anne and Joachim, who were cured of their infertility with the gift of the child Mary.

Joachim was a prominent and respected man who had no children, and he and his wife, Anne, looked upon this as a punishment from God. 

In answer to their prayers, Mary was born and was dedicated to God at a very early age. 

The Veneration of Anne and Joachim in the East dates from the 7th century.

From the Middle Ages, numerous churches, chapels, and confraternities were dedicated to St. Anne. 

In the West, Anne became popular in the Middle Ages, invoked by infertile couples and women in childbirth.
Ave Maria!
Jesus, I Trust In You!

Come, Holy Spirit, come!
To Jesus through Mary!

Here I am, Lord; I come to do your will.
Please give us the grace to respond with joy!

+ Mikel Amigot w/ María Blanca | RosaryNetwork.com, New York

Friends of the Rosary,

Today, July 25th, is the Feast of St. James, the Apostle, known as the Greater, to distinguish him from the other Apostle St. James the Lesser, who was chosen later.

James was the cousin of Jesus Christ and the brother of John the Apostle. With Peter and John, James witnessed the Transfiguration on Mount Tabor. He was also in the Garden of Gethsemane during Jesus’ agony.

The son of Zebedee the fisherman from Galilee was called by Jesus Boanerges, "son of thunder.”

He was beheaded in Jerusalem in the year 42 or 43 A.D. on the orders of King Herod Agrippa, becoming the first apostle to receive the crown of martyrdom.

His relics were transported and later discovered in the ninth century in Spain. Since then, the medieval pilgrimage to St. James of Compostela, known as the Camino de Santiago ("the Way of St. James"), has attracted immense crowds across the centuries. The pilgrim paths to Compostela, in Galicia, form a network throughout Europe, dotted with hospices and chapels. St. James is the patron saint of Spain and pilgrims.

Ave Maria!
Jesus, I Trust In You!

Come, Holy Spirit, come!
To Jesus through Mary!

Here I am, Lord; I come to do your will.
Please give us the grace to respond with joy!

+ Mikel Amigot w/ María Blanca | RosaryNetwork.com, New York

Friends of the Rosary,

The saint that we are celebrating today, the nineteenth Lebanese saint, Sharbel Makhluf, who devoted himself to unreserved prayer in his last 23 years on earth, said:

“In a world largely fascinated by wealth and comfort, the paramount value of poverty, penance, and asceticism, to liberate the soul in its ascent to God.”

Meanwhile, in the main reading of today (Matt 13:10-17), Christ Jesus explains why He speaks to the crowd in parables: “They look but do not see and hear but do not listen or understand.”

“Blessed are your eyes, because they see, and your ears, because they hear. Amen, I say to you, many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you see but did not see it, and to hear what you hear but did not hear it.”

To the disciples, like to the faithful in union with Christ, “the knowledge of the mysteries of the Kingdom of heaven has been granted.”

Moreover, “To anyone who has, more will be given and he will grow rich; from anyone who has not, even what he has will be taken away.”

Ave Maria!
Jesus, I Trust In You!

Come, Holy Spirit, come!
To Jesus through Mary!

Here I am, Lord; I come to do your will.
Please give us the grace to respond with joy!

+ Mikel Amigot w/ María Blanca | RosaryNetwork.com, New York

Friends of the Rosary,

Today’s Gospel (Matthew 13:19) discusses the growth of the kingdom of God through the parable of the sower and the seed. Christ Jesus speaks in a timeless way to the whole world.

Seated as teacher and judge, He explains that the seed —the eternal word, the Logos, Christ himself—lands on the path, where the birds eat it up; falls on rocky ground, where it is scorched in the sun, or among thorns, where the life is choked off.

But some seed goes into rich soil, where it bears thirty, sixty, or a hundredfold, and never being stolen, scorched, or choked.

Jesus wants to take root in us, leading us to everlasting joy.

Ave Maria!
Jesus, I Trust In You!

Come, Holy Spirit, come!
To Jesus through Mary!

Here I am, Lord; I come to do your will.
Please give us the grace to respond with joy!

+ Mikel Amigot w/ María Blanca | RosaryNetwork.com, New York

Friends of the Rosary,

Today, the Catholic Church celebrates the Memorial of St. Mary Magdalene, whom the Lord entrusted with announcing the great joy of the Resurrection to all others.

Known as "the Apostle to the Apostles," she came from Magdala, a fishing village on the Sea of Galilee. Christ exorcised seven demons from Mary Magdalene.

Mary Magdalene was privileged to see the resurrected Lord beside the empty tomb, and then shared the good news with the disciples.

As we read today (John 20:1-2, 11-18), Jesus said to Mary Magdalene,

"Go to my brothers and tell them:/ I am going to my Father and your Father,/ to my God and your God."

She followed Jesus to His crucifixion and stood beside His mother and St. John at the foot of the cross on Good Friday.

Ave Maria!
Jesus, I Trust In You!

Come, Holy Spirit, come!
To Jesus through Mary!

Here I am, Lord; I come to do your will.
Please give us the grace to respond with joy!

+ Mikel Amigot w/ María Blanca | RosaryNetwork.com, New York

Friends of the Rosary,

We continue reciting the Rosary from Garabandal, where the Virgin Mary made herself present between 1961 and 1965, through four visionary girls and many witnesses who played a crucial role during the ecstasies.

With the simplicity of a mother, Mary Most Holy gave her children the indications that they needed for the good of their souls. If we do not walk the way of the Cross, if the Eucharist is not the center of our lives, if we are not good, if we do not convert, the Lord will have no choice but to intervene so that we understand the importance of what is at stake: our salvation.

The Bishops and the Catholic Church in Spain stated that the messages of the Virgin in Garabandal were “important” and “theologically correct.” The Catholic Church has not officially recognized the Garabandal apparitions, but church officials have acknowledged the doctrinal integrity of the messages.

Mary also said, describing the painful situation that the Catholic Church was going through as it approached the conclusion of the Second Vatican Council:

"Many cardinals, many bishops, and many priests are following the way to perdition and are taking many souls with them. Ever less importance is being given to the Holy Eucharist. You must turn the wrath of God away from you by your efforts. If you ask His forgiveness with a sincere heart, He will pardon you. I, your Mother, through St. Michael the Archangel, wish to tell you to amend your lives. You are now in the last warnings! I love you very much, and I do not want your condemnation. Ask Us sincerely, and We will grant your plea. You must make more sacrifices. Reflect on the Passion of Jesus.

Ave Maria!
Jesus, I Trust In You!

Come, Holy Spirit, come!
To Jesus through Mary!

Here I am, Lord; I come to do your will.
Please give us the grace to respond with joy!

+ Mikel Amigot w/ María Blanca | RosaryNetwork.com, New York

Friends of the Rosary,

Between 1961 and 1965, in the small village of Garabandal, in northern Spain, the Virgin Mary appeared to four girls, who transmitted Marian messages of repentance, prayer, and sacrifice.

Conchita, Mari Cruz, Mari Loli, and Jacinta saw the Virgin Mary over 2,000 times during this period. The Holy Virgin interacted with the girls like an authentic mother, winning them over with her tenderness and affectionate gestures.

The Immaculata emphasized the importance of the Eucharist and the need for personal conversion and a "divine reset."

At the Pines at dusk, the girls read the text of a message:

"We must make many sacrifices, do much penance, and visit the Blessed Sacrament. But first, we must be very good. Otherwise, a chastisement will befall us. The cup is already filling up, and if we do not change, a very great chastisement will come upon us."

Mary also interacted with the people who came to witness the apparitions, giving each person who went to see the apparitions a sign or proof of her presence.

We pray today's Rosary from Garabandal.

Ave Maria!
Jesus, I Trust In You!

Come, Holy Spirit, come!
To Jesus through Mary!

Here I am, Lord; I come to do your will.
Please give us the grace to respond with joy!

+ Mikel Amigot w/ María Blanca | RosaryNetwork.com, New York

Friends of the Rosary,

If we truly want to become disciples of the Lord Jesus, we must fully reorder our views, feelings, ideas, aspirations, and goals — everything. Almost everything that our modern culture proclaims seems to be worthless. The Kingdom of God requires a total commitment. Only the saints, canonized or anonymous, are that smart.

Jesus said, as we read this week (Matthew 10:34—11:1):

"Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me,
and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me;
and whoever does not take up his cross
and follow after me is not worthy of me.
Whoever finds his life will lose it,
and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it."

There are many good things in our lives, including our country, communities, hobbies, and families. But if we make them the ultimate or final good, our spiritual life — and our own Christian identity — will collapse.

This is a fact; anyone can notice it, without a preacher around. And it’s neither an apocalyptic threat nor is it.

The human being is wired for God and God alone. Losing our lives for Christ means finding life. Being stuck to earthly attachments means failure.

Only through the Grace can we defeat human logic with its fears attached.

Ave Maria!
Jesus, I Trust In You!

Come, Holy Spirit, come!
To Jesus through Mary!

Here I am, Lord; I come to do your will.
Please give us the grace to respond with joy!

+ Mikel Amigot w/ María Blanca | RosaryNetwork.com, New York

Friends of the Rosary,

Yesterday, we learned that Christ is a new ordo, a new way of ordering things under His kingship. He invites us to relieve our burdens, concerns, fears, and sins. He is tied with each one of us.

Today in the reading (Matthew 12:1–8), the Lord tells us, "I desire mercy, not sacrifice."

We don’t deserve His mercy, but He offers it graciously, without reservation, without being earned. It's the Divine mercy poured out upon us so we are transformed with Him and within Him.

That's why we are worthy. He loves us unconditionally, regardless of our past and our sins. Like every saint, each of us has a past, and so we also have a future after conversion.

The divine mercy is like that: poured out upon us, poured out —and not because it’s earned, because it can’t be earned.

Ave Maria!
Jesus, I Trust In You!

Come, Holy Spirit, come!
To Jesus through Mary!

Here I am, Lord; I come to do your will.
Please give us the grace to respond with joy!

+ Mikel Amigot w/ María Blanca | RosaryNetwork.com, New York

Friends of the Rosary,

Today, Jesus says (Matthew 11:28–30):

"Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened,
and I will give you rest.
Take my yoke upon you and learn from me,
for I am meek and humble of heart;
and you will find rest for yourselves.
For my yoke is easy, and my burden light."

The Lord offers to relieve us of our burdens. He knows we feel oppressed by sin, concerns, sickness, loss of relatives, and fears.

His relief comes when we submit to his kingship, which is a new way of ordering things.

Under our yoke, Christ Jesus is tied with each and every one of us,

Are we totally given over to him, under his lordship?

Ave Maria!
Jesus, I Trust In You!

Come, Holy Spirit, come!
To Jesus through Mary!

Here I am, Lord; I come to do your will.
Please give us the grace to respond with joy!

+ Mikel Amigot w/ María Blanca | RosaryNetwork.com, New York

Friends of the Rosary,

Today is the Memorial of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, the feast day of the Carmelite Order and the Feast of the Scapular.

We celebrate worldwide the devotion to Our Lady of Mount Carmel and her Brown Scapular.

This feast was instituted in 1332 and extended to the whole Church by Benedict XIII in 1726.

In the twelfth century, a group of hermits living on Mount Carmel was organized into the Carmelite order devoted to the contemplative life under the patronage of Mary, the holy Mother of God.

The Carmelites were still under constant harassment, and the sixth General of the Order, St. Simon Stock, pleaded with the Blessed Virgin for some special sign of her protection. On July 16, 1251, she designated the scapular as the special mark of her maternal love.

Today, the scapular is a distinctive feature of the Carmelites, and lay persons also wear this sacramental object, enjoy the graces associated with it, and do so as a sign of their devotion to Our Lady.

The Brown Scapular object is an expression of our belief that we will meet God in eternal life, aided by the intercession and prayer of Mary.

Today, in New York City's East Harlem, is one of the oldest festivals in America dedicated to Our Lady of Mount Carmel. Additionally, Williamsburg in Brooklyn, NY, hosts the annual Festival of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel and St. Paulinus of Nola (Festa Del Giglio).

Ave Maria!
Jesus, I Trust In You!

Come, Holy Spirit, come!
To Jesus through Mary!

Here I am, Lord; I come to do your will.
Please give us the grace to respond with joy!

+ Mikel Amigot w/ María Blanca | RosaryNetwork.com, New York

Friends of the Rosary,

Today is the Memorial of St. Bonaventure (1221-1274), bishop and doctor of the Church, the General of the Franciscan Order at that time, and known because of his wisdom, eloquence, and sanctity as the Seraphic Teacher.

His contemporaries believed that no one was "more handsome, more holy, or more learned" than he.

Dante had already included him among the inhabitants of his "Paradise."

Bonaventure was a subtle scholastic and a profound mystic. He had a heart full of love and rich in virtue.

In philosophy, he was the principal leader of the Platonic-Augustinian school of Franciscan thought. As such, he stood opposed to the Aristotelianism that was gaining influence in the schools of the time, represented by Thomas Aquinas.

Bonaventure's Life of St. Francis was a favorite book of the Middle Ages.

When St. Thomas was told about Bonaventure's work, he said: "Let us allow one saint to labor for another."

Ave Maria!
Jesus, I Trust In You!

Come, Holy Spirit, come!
To Jesus through Mary!

Here I am, Lord; I come to do your will.
Please give us the grace to respond with joy!

+ Mikel Amigot w/ María Blanca | RosaryNetwork.com, New York

Friends of the Rosary,

Today, July 14, in the United States, we celebrate the Feast Day of St. Kateri Tekakwitha (1656-1680), the first native American to be declared a Saint.

Born in 1656 near Auriesville, New York, she was the daughter of a pagan Mohawk chief and a Christian Algonquin woman.

When she was a child, a smallpox epidemic attacked her tribe, and both her parents and brother died. She was left with permanent scars on her face and impaired eyesight. Her uncle, who had now become chief of the tribe, adopted her, and her aunts began planning her marriage while she was still very young.

A Jesuit missionary baptized Kateri (taking the name Katery after Catherine of Siena) Tekakwitha at the age of twenty. Like her namesake, she was drawn into intimate communion with God and suffered persecution for his sake, incurring the hostility of her tribe.

She devoted her life to prayer, penitential practices, and caring for the sick and aged in Caughnawaga, a Jesuit mission near Montreal, where she escaped. There, she spent the last three years of her life giving herself to prayer, mortification, and works of charity.

Moved by God’s love for humanity, she saw the dignity in each of her people. She was devoted to the Eucharist and to Jesus Christ crucified. Known as the “Lily of the Mohawks,” Kateri spent her short life dedicating herself entirely to God through long hours of prayer and practicing severe fasting as penance for the conversion of her nation.

She died at the age of 24. Witnesses reported that within minutes of her death, the scars from smallpox completely vanished, and her face shone with radiant beauty.

Devotion to Kateri began immediately after her death, and her body, enshrined in Caughnawaga, near Montreal, in Quebec — where she grew in holiness and devotion to the Blessed Sacrament — is visited by many each year.

Friends of the Rosary,

Today, Sunday, the 13th, when we remember the third apparition of Fatima, the Gospel of Luke (St. Luke 10:25-37) tells the parable of the Good Samaritan, a powerful lesson about mercy toward those in need.

St. Augustine identifies the good Samaritan with our Lord, and the wounded man with Adam, the symbol of all fallen mankind.

Christ Jesus, seeing man’s wounds and moved by compassion and piety, comes down to earth to cure man's wounds, making them his own (Is 53:4; Mt 8:17; 1 Pet 2:24; 1 Jn 3:5).

St. John explained that God sent His only Son into the world so that we might live through Him, love one another, and see our sins expiated.

This parable leaves no doubt about who our neighbor is (anyone who needs our help) and how we should love them, not by having the right feelings, but by taking pity, being compassionate, and serving their spiritual or corporal needs.

Christians should never distance themselves from others' needs. One way to express love for one's neighbor is to perform the "works of mercy.”

There are fourteen such works, seven spiritual and seven corporal.

• To convert the sinner;
• To instruct the ignorant;
• To counsel the doubtful;
• To comfort the sorrowful;
• To bear wrongs patiently;
• To forgive injuries;
• To pray for the living and the dead.

The Corporal Works of Mercy are:

• To feed the hungry;
• To give drink to the thirsty;
• To clothe the naked;
• To shelter the homeless;
• To visit the sick;
• To visit the imprisoned;
• To bury the dead.

Ave Maria!
Jesus, I Trust In You!

Come, Holy Spirit, come!
To Jesus through Mary!

Here I am, Lord; I come to do your will.
Please give us the grace to respond with joy!

+ Mikel Amigot w/ María Blanca | RosaryNetwork.com, New York

Friends of the Rosary,

In today’s Gospel (Matthew 10:24-33), Jesus tells his Apostles:

"Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul;
rather, be afraid of the one who can destroy
both soul and body in Gehenna."

Through the power of Christ, we are connected to the source of life, receiving all the unconditional love of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. In this spiritual place, we are safe from the snares and attempts of the Evil One, who wants to devour our souls. The Prince of Darkness might kill our body, but not our eternal soul.

Through our prayer, we ask for the grace to be protected from the assaults of Satan and our secular society, which is pushing us to the cliff of destruction.

St. Peter, in his first letter (1 Peter 4:14), which we also read today, tells us:

"If you are insulted for the name of Christ, blessed are you,
for the Spirit of God rests upon you."

Ave Maria!
Jesus, I Trust In You!

Come, Holy Spirit, come!
To Jesus through Mary!

Here I am, Lord; I come to do your will.
Please give us the grace to respond with joy!

+ Mikel Amigot w/ María Blanca | RosaryNetwork.com, New York

Friends of the Rosary,

Today, July 11, is the feast of St. Benedict (480-547).

Born in Nursia, Italy, amid the ashes of the Roman Empire, and educated in Rome, he lived as a hermit and later organized a form of monastic life in twelve small monasteries. Under his guidance, as abbot, the monks vowed to seek God and devoted themselves to work and prayer. A few years later, St. Benedict left Subiaco to found the abbey of Monte Cassino on the heights of Campania, Italy.

As his reputation for holiness, wisdom, and miracles spread, disciples flocked. He organized the monks into a single monastic community and wrote his famous Rule, prescribing common sense, moderate asceticism, prayer, study, work, and community life under one superior. It stressed obedience, stability, and zeal. This rule would affect spiritual and monastic life in the West for centuries to come.

Seeking first of all the kingdom of God, Benedict summarized in his Rule (IV, 21) his program of life: Nihil amori Christi praeponere. Prefer nothing to the love of Christ.

Pope Benedict XVI called St. Benedict a powerful reminder of the indispensable Christian roots of its culture and civilization.”

St. Benedict and his sister, St. Scholastica, are buried in Monte Cassino Abbey.

We pray today’s Rosary holding the Benedict Cross as a Medal.

Ave Maria!
Jesus, I Trust In You!

Come, Holy Spirit, come!
To Jesus through Mary!

Here I am, Lord; I come to do your will.
Please give us the grace to respond with joy!

+ Mikel Amigot w/ María Blanca | RosaryNetwork.com, New York

Friends of the Rosary,

Christ Jesus sent the Twelve apostles to evangelize the countryside, as we read today in the Gospel (Matthew 10:7–15).
"As you go, make this proclamation:
'The Kingdom of heaven is at hand.'
Cure the sick, raise the dead,
cleanse the lepers, drive out demons.
Without cost you have received; without cost you are to give."

Evangelizing today means proclaiming Jesus, crucified for our sins and risen from the dead, into the glory of heaven.

Non-stop evangelization is at the heart of Christianity.

It’s the divinity of Christ that we proclaim for the salvation of the world, avoiding the echo of the surrounding culture.
Ave Maria!
Jesus, I Trust In You!

Come, Holy Spirit, come!
To Jesus through Mary!

Here I am, Lord; I come to do your will.
Please give us the grace to respond with joy!

+ Mikel Amigot w/ María Blanca | RosaryNetwork.com, New York

Friends of the Rosary,

Priests, bishops, cardinals, and popes throughout the centuries are the descendants of the twelve apostles of the Lord, who Christ Jesus summoned at that time to proclaim the kingdom of heaven, as we read today in the Gospel of Matthew (Matthew 10:1-7).

These first disciples and apprentices were sent on a mission with the authority to drive out demons and unclean spirits and cure every disease and illness.

They were instructed to rescue "the lost sheep of the house of Israel."

"The names of the Twelve Apostles are these:
first, Simon called Peter, and his brother Andrew;
James, the son of Zebedee, and his brother John;
Philip and Bartholomew,
Thomas and Matthew the tax collector;
James, the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddeus;
Simon the Cananean, and Judas Iscariot
who betrayed Jesus."

Ave Maria!
Jesus, I Trust In You!

Come, Holy Spirit, come!
To Jesus through Mary!

Here I am, Lord; I come to do your will.
Please give us the grace to respond with joy!

+ Mikel Amigot w/ María Blanca | RosaryNetwork.com, New York

Friends of the Rosary,

There are two imperatives in the Christian life: conversion and apostolic mission.

The Lord invites us to a change of life and to become missionaries with what we have experienced. It’s the desire to share with others what we have seen.

This way, as faithful disciples, we will seize the beauty of the revelation and its eternal truth.

There is nothing more fulfilling on this earth than the sense of belonging to the Kingdom of Heaven and the King of Kings.

Our soul perceives that we are on the right track, pursuing a fruitful race to Eternity.

In today’s reading (Matthew 9:32–38), the Lord directs his disciples to ask the Father to send laborers for the work of evangelization.

“The harvest is abundant but the laborers are few;
so ask the master of the harvest
to send out laborers for his harvest.”

Ave Maria!
Jesus, I Trust In You!

Come, Holy Spirit, come!
To Jesus through Mary!

Here I am, Lord; I come to do your will.
Please give us the grace to respond with joy!

+ Mikel Amigot w/ María Blanca | RosaryNetwork.com, New York

Friends of the Rosary,

In today's Gospel (Matthew 9:18-26), Christ Jesus shows his glorious power by curing a woman suffering hemorrhages for twelve years and raising from death the daughter of an official.

Neither physical suffering nor death is an obstacle to his miraculous healing. We need to have faith. Or, as the psalm of today says, "In you, my God, I place my trust."

"Courage, daughter!  Your faith has saved you," is what the Son of God says to the woman who touched the tassel of his cloak, convinced that she would be cured.

In the Lord Jesus, we have a personal friend, someone who deeply cares for us. He is not an abstract, distant deity or a moral, nice philosopher. We are discussing the person of Jesus Christ and his human and divine heart, which radiates peace, joy, and hope.

Ave Maria!
Jesus, I Trust In You!

Come, Holy Spirit, come!
To Jesus through Mary!

Here I am, Lord; I come to do your will.
Please give us the grace to respond with joy!

+ Mikel Amigot w/ María Blanca | RosaryNetwork.com, New York

Friends of the Rosary,

At that time, the Lord Jesus appointed seventy-two disciples and sent them in pairs to cure the sick, drive out demons, and proclaim that the Kingdom is at hand, as we read today in the Gospel (Luke 10:1-12, 17-20).

“Behold, I am sending you like lambs among wolves. Carry no money bag, no sack, no sandals, and greet no one along the way.”

The seventy-two trusted in divine providence and survived among wolves like lambs. They returned from their apostolic mission, rejoicing at their newfound power and saying,

"Lord, even the demons are subject to us because of your name."

Jesus replied,

"I have observed Satan fall like lightning from the sky.
Behold, I have given you the power to 'tread upon serpents' and scorpions
and upon the full force of the enemy and nothing will harm you.  Nevertheless, do not rejoice because the spirits are subject to you,
but rejoice because your names are written in heaven."

We, too, can marvel that the grace of Christ has made us a new creation.

Like the apostles and disciples, we are all on a mission given to us by God. Anointed with the Holy Spirit, we must even go against the powers of darkness on this earth, knowing that the gates of the netherworld won't prevail.

Ave Maria!
Jesus, I Trust In You!

Come, Holy Spirit, come!
To Jesus through Mary!

Here I am, Lord; I come to do your will.
Please give us the grace to respond with joy!

+ Mikel Amigot w/ María Blanca | RosaryNetwork.com, New York

Friends of the Rosary,

How dangerous is the rise of AI for Christianity?

At the Rosary Network, we consider that AI is just another technology that believers can use to do good.

At our small organization, we find it helpful in creating faithful instructional content that would otherwise not be produced.

Friends of the Rosary,

Today is Independence Day, the anniversary of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776, issued by the Second Continental Congress, which met in Philadelphia.

On that day, the U.S achieved its place among the family of nations. Thirteen colonies set out to form a new form of unity and devised a new plan for government—the Constitution, and the United States began to grow rapidly.

The Catholic Church in the U.S. incorporates a special Mass into the liturgy, asking for peace, justice, and truth.

We also pray that God will bless America and make the nation a place of liberty and justice for all, born and unborn.

Ave Maria!
Jesus, I Trust In You!

Come, Holy Spirit, come!
To Jesus through Mary!

Here I am, Lord; I come to do your will.
Please give us the grace to respond with joy!

+ Mikel Amigot w/ María Blanca | RosaryNetwork.com, New York

Friends of the Rosary,

Today, July 3, is the Feast of St. Thomas, the Apostle.

Thomas, who at first did not believe, became one of the first witnesses to the faith by expressing the fervor of his regained confidence in God, seeing the Man Christ and acknowledging His divinity: "My Lord and my God."

"Because you have seen Me, Thomas, you have believed?" said the Lord.
Doubting Thomas' weakness of faith reveals how God permits our faults for the sake of our soul's progress, for no mortal man can see divinity.

The Lord permitted the apostle to doubt after the resurrection, but He did not abandon him in doubt.

It is known that St. Thomas preached the Gospel in Asia beyond the frontiers of the Roman Empire, probably in Persia and possibly as far as India.

Ave Maria!
Jesus, I Trust In You!

Come, Holy Spirit, come!
To Jesus through Mary!

Here I am, Lord; I come to do your will.
Please give us the grace to respond with joy!

+ Mikel Amigot w/ María Blanca | RosaryNetwork.com, New York

Friends of the Rosary,

July is a month that falls within the season of Ordinary Time, represented by the liturgical color green, which symbolizes hope.

It's also the month associated with the Precious Blood of Our Lord, shed for us on Calvary and reassumed at His risen, glorified, and living body at the right hand of God the Father in heaven.

The early Fathers say that the Church was born from the pierced side of Christ, and that the sacraments were brought forth through His Blood.

It's the Precious Blood made present in Mass by the words of Consecration. It washes our souls and sheds sanctifying grace, inaugurating the beginning of our eternal life.

These are the principal feasts for July this year:

1. Junípero Serra (USA), Opt. Mem.
3. Thomas, Apostle, Feast
4. Independence Day (USA), Opt. Mem.
5. Anthony Mary Zaccaria; Elizabeth of Portugal, Queen (USA), Opt. Mem.
6. FOURTEENTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME, Sunday
9. Augustine Zhao Rong & companions, Opt. Mem.
11. Benedict, Memorial
13. FIFTEENTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME, Sunday
14. Kateri Tekakwitha (USA), Memorial
15. Bonaventure, Memorial
16. Our Lady of Mount Carmel, Opt. Mem.
18. Camillus de Lellis (USA), Opt. Mem.
20. SIXTEENTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME, Sunday
21. Lawrence of Brindisi, Opt. Mem.
22. Mary Magdalene, Feast
23. Bridget, Opt. Mem.
24. Sharbel (Charbel) Makhloof, Opt. Mem.
25. James, Apostle, Feast
26. Joachim and Anne, Memorial
27. SEVENTEENTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME, Sunday
29. Martha, Mary, and Lazarus, Memorial
30. Peter Chrysologus; Solanus Casey, Opt. Mem.
31. Ignatius of Loyola, Memorial

Ave Maria!
Jesus, I Trust In You!

Come, Holy Spirit, come!
To Jesus through Mary!

Here I am, Lord; I come to do your will.
Please give us the grace to respond with joy!

+ Mikel Amigot w/ María Blanca | RosaryNetwork.com, New York

Friends of the Rosary,

Today, the faithful celebrate the Memorial of St. Junípero Serra (1713-1784), the first Hispanic saint of the U.S.

A native of Majorca, Spanish Franciscan friar Junípero Serra spread the Church and the Gospel along the Pacific Coast of the United States, founding 21 missions and converting thousands of Native Americans in the eighteenth century.

The first mission founded was San Diego (1769). Other missions followed: Monterey/Carmel (1770); San Antonio and San Gabriel (1771); San Luis Obispo (1772); San Francisco and San Juan Capistrano (1776); Santa Clara (1777); San Buenaventura (1782). Twelve more were founded after his death.

Junípero vigorously protected the Native Americans against Spain’s colonial and military interests.

He brought them not only the gift of faith but also a decent standard of living, winning their love.

And because the Native Americans were living a nonhuman life, the friars were made their legal guardians.

Fray Junípero Serra baptized over 6,000 people and confirmed 5,000.

The “Apostle to California” died in Monterey at his favorite mission in 1784 and was canonized by Pope Francis on September 23, 2015.

July is traditionally associated with the Precious Blood of Our Lord.

Today, it is customary in some places to celebrate the votive Mass of the Precious Blood.

Ave Maria!
Jesus, I Trust In You!

Come, Holy Spirit, come!
To Jesus through Mary!

Here I am, Lord; I come to do your will.
Please give us the grace to respond with joy!

+ Mikel Amigot w/ María Blanca | RosaryNetwork.com, New York

Friends of the Rosary,

Today, we honor the First Martyrs of the Holy Roman Church, the nameless great multitude of followers of Christ, brutally killed by the mad Emperor Nero in July and August in 64 A.D. in Rome.

These Christians in Rome were put to death, making them into living torches to light the road for the chariot of Nero, who hated the human race. This demon would commit suicide in A.D. 68 at the age of thirty-one.

Today's feast reflects that the blood of martyrs has always been the seed of Christians. God always crowns the martyrs.

Throughout history, we realize that no human force can stop the power of the Spirit unleashed upon the world.

Ave Maria!
Jesus, I Trust In You!

Come, Holy Spirit, come!
To Jesus through Mary!

Here I am, Lord; I come to do your will.
Please give us the grace to respond with joy!

+ Mikel Amigot w/ María Blanca | RosaryNetwork.com, New York

Friends of the Rosary,

Today, June 29, the faithful venerate the two Apostles Peter and Paul, Apostles (d. 64-67), on whom the Church was built.

Peter, the head of the apostles, and Paul, the apostle to the Gentiles, have been remembered together on this date since ancient times.

Under God's guidance, they were led to make Rome, the capital of the Empire, sanctified by their martyrdom, the center of the Christian world, from where the preaching of the Gospel would radiate down the centuries.

St. Peter suffered martyrdom under Nero, in A.D. 66 or 67. He was buried on the hill of the Vatican; his tomb is on the very site of the Basilica of St. Peter's. St. Paul was beheaded in the Via Ostia on the spot where now stands the basilica bearing his name, today a pilgrimage place.

In today's main reading (Matthew 16:13-19), we see Christ changing the name of Peter to Cephas (Greek: Petros, meaning "rock"), and asking,
“Who do you say that I am?”
Simon Peter said in reply,
“You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”

Jesus said to him in reply, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah.
For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my heavenly Father.
And so I say to you, you are Peter,
and upon this rock I will build my Church,
and the gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against it.

I will give you the keys to the Kingdom of heaven.
Whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven;
and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.”

Ave Maria!
Jesus, I Trust In You!

Come, Holy Spirit, come!
To Jesus through Mary!

Here I am, Lord; I come to do your will.
Please give us the grace to respond with joy!

+ Mikel Amigot w/ María Blanca | RosaryNetwork.com, New York

Friends of the Rosary,

Today, on the Saturday following the Solemnity of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, we celebrate the Memorial of the Immaculate Heart of Mary.

From the beginning of Christianity, the love and virtues of the Heart of Mary have early attracted the attention of the faithful.

Simeon's prophecy paved the way for devotion when he said that the heart would be pierced with a sword.

In 1944, during the midst of World War II, Pope Pius XII consecrated the world to the Immaculate Heart of Mary, placing it under the special protection of the Mother of Our Savior.

Pius IX instituted the feast of the Immaculate Heart of Mary for the whole Church, to obtain by her intercession "peace among nations, freedom for the Church, the conversion of sinners, the love of purity and the practice of virtue" (Decree of May 4, 1944).

The day after refoijing in the burning love of the Sacred Heart, we honor the Immaculate Heart of the woman who gave Jesus his humanity.

Ave Maria!
Jesus, I Trust In You!

Come, Holy Spirit, come!
To Jesus through Mary!

Here I am, Lord; I come to do your will.
Please give us the grace to respond with joy!

+ Mikel Amigot w/ María Blanca | RosaryNetwork.com, New York

Friends of the Rosary,

Today, on the Friday after the Second Sunday after Pentecost (Corpus Christi Sunday), is the Solemnity of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, signifying that Christ loves every one of us, without exception, with a human heart.

"The Son of God... loved me and gave himself for me" (Gal 2:20).

The Catechism of the Catholic Church (478) explains, "Jesus knew and loved us each and all during his life, his agony and his Passion, and gave himself up for each one of us."

The Sacred Heart of Jesus, pierced by our sins and for our salvation (Cf. Jn 19:34), reflects the infinite love of the divine Redeemer.

The institution of the feast was a result of the appearances of our Lord to St. Margaret Mary Alacoque in 1675. The celebration of the feast was extended to the General Roman Calendar of the Church by Pius IX in 1856.

Today is also the World Day of Prayer for the Sanctification of Priests.

Ave Maria!
Jesus, I Trust In You!

Come, Holy Spirit, come!
To Jesus through Mary!

Here I am, Lord; I come to do your will.
Please give us the grace to respond with joy!

+ Mikel Amigot w/ María Blanca | RosaryNetwork.com, New York

Friends of the Rosary,

The Catholic Church honors today St. Josemaría Escrivá (1902-1975), a contemporary Spanish saint who founded Opus Dei and opened a new path of holiness by helping the faithful to sanctify themselves through performing ordinary work and daily duties with a Christian spirit.

Pope John Paul II canonized the founder of Opus Dei in 2002. The Holy Father said, "St. Josemaría was chosen by the Lord to proclaim the universal call to holiness and to indicate that everyday life, its customary activities, are a path towards holiness. It could be said that he was the saint of the ordinary."

Today, we are also invited to listen to and act on the words of Christ Jesus in order to enter the Kingdom of Heaven. This way we will be like a wise man whose house is built on rock, avoiding that our entire life collapses.

Ave Maria!
Jesus, I Trust In You!

Come, Holy Spirit, come!
To Jesus through Mary!

Here I am, Lord; I come to do your will.
Please give us the grace to respond with joy!

+ Mikel Amigot w/ María Blanca | RosaryNetwork.com, New York

Friends of the Rosary,

We are invited to become good trees and bear good fruit.

The Lord Jesus is telling us, as we read in the Gospel today (Matthew 7:15-20).

"A good tree cannot bear bad fruit,
nor can a rotten tree bear good fruit."

"Every tree that does not bear good fruit will be cut down
and thrown into the fire.
So by their fruits you will know them."

The grace of Christ enables us to accomplish our mission by serving Him properly.

Ave Maria!
Jesus, I Trust In You!

Come, Holy Spirit, come!
To Jesus through Mary!

Here I am, Lord; I come to do your will.
Please give us the grace to respond with joy!

+ Mikel Amigot w/ María Blanca | RosaryNetwork.com, New York

Friends of the Rosary,

Today, June 24, is the Solemnity of the Nativity of John the Baptist, the precursor and forerunner of the Lord.

Along with Jesus and Mary, John the Baptist’s nativity is one of the three birthdays on the Church’s calendar.

John had a special place in God’s salvific plan. His conception was a miracle; he was sanctified and cleansed of original sin in the womb of his mother, Elizabeth, at the Visitation.

Elizabeth was Mary’s cousin and Zachary was a priest of the Temple in Jerusalem. As a baby in the womb, John recognized Jesus’ presence in Mary’s womb when Mary visited Elizabeth soon after the Annunciation. Both women were pregnant at the same time.

The Angel Gabriel had visited Zachary and told him that his wife would bear a child, even though she was already past the childbearing age.

John was probably born in Ain-Karim, located southwest of Jerusalem. As a young adult, he lived as a hermit in the Judean desert until approximately A.D. 27.

At the age of 30, he began preaching on the banks of the Jordan, calling for repentance and baptizing people in the river’s waters.

When Jesus came to John to be baptized, John recognized Jesus as the Messiah and baptized Him, saying, “It is I who needs baptism from you.”

John the Baptist spent his adult life preparing the way for Jesus, proclaiming that “the Kingdom of Heaven is close at hand.”

He preached the baptism of repentance that was necessary to prepare for Christ, the Lamb of God, as he identified Him. He preceded and heralded the Redeemer.

John continued to preach after Jesus was baptized, but was imprisoned by Herod Antipas after he denounced the king’s adulterous marriage with Herodias, wife of his half-brother Philip.

John was beheaded at the request of Salome, daughter of Herodias, dying as a martyr and anticipating Christ Jesus’ saving death on the cross.

Many came to know Jesus through John, namely the Apostles Andrew and John.

Ave Maria!
Jesus, I Trust In You!

Come, Holy Spirit, come!
To Jesus through Mary!

Here I am, Lord; I come to do your will.
Please give us the grace to respond with joy!

+ Mikel Amigot w/ María Blanca | RosaryNetwork.com, New York

Friends of the Rosary,

After the Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ yesterday, we continue today to reflect on the significance of Corpus Christi and the symbolism surrounding the institution of the Eucharist.

The symbol for the Holy Eucharist is a chalice with a host rising out of it.

The consecrated bread (the host) and wine (in the chalice) represent the body and blood of Christ.

The elevation of the host and chalice during Mass is a symbolic act that shows the congregation the consecrated elements.

The chalice is depicted with a hexagonal base, symbolizing the Six Attributes of God: power, wisdom, majesty, mercy, justice, and love. The host is depicted as a typical circular wafer, upon which the letters I may be imprinted. N. R. I. or I.H.S., from which proceed rays of light, symbolical of the Real Presence, the substantial presence of Christ under the species of bread and wine.

An altar, upon which is set a cross, two or more candles in their tall candlesticks, a chalice, and a ciborium, is another symbol often seen.

Let’s attend Mass frequently and receive Communion while contemplating the rich symbolism around the mystery of the Eucharist.

Ave Maria!
Jesus, I Trust In You!

Come, Holy Spirit, come!
To Jesus through Mary!

Here I am, Lord; I come to do your will.
Please give us the grace to respond with joy!

+ Mikel Amigot w/ María Blanca | RosaryNetwork.com, New York

Friends of the Rosary,

Today is the Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ, also known as Corpus Christi, when we commemorate the institution of the Eucharistic sacrament and celebrate our faith in the Eucharist.

Saint John Paul II reminded us, “the Church solemnly bears in procession the Eucharist, publicly proclaiming that the sacrifice of Christ is for the salvation of the whole world.”

The Eucharist gives us confidence that Christ abides with us through all the sorrows of our life, sanctifying us and leading us to his presence in heaven.

J.R.R. Tolkien wrote, “Out of the darkness of my life, I put before you the one great thing to love on earth: the Blessed Sacrament. There you will find romance, glory, honor, fidelity, and the true way of all your loves on earth.”

Today’s Solemnity of the Body and Blood of Christ reflects the devotional movement on the Sacrament of the Altar. It’s also a doctrinal response to heretical teaching on the mystery of the real presence of Christ in the Eucharist. It was extended to the entire Latin Church by Urban IV in 1264.

In the main reading of the Gospel (Luke 9:11b–17), Christ Jesus miraculously feeds a crowd of five thousand with loaves and dried fish. He makes a meal that satisfies and gives sustenance for the day to this enormous group of tired and hungry people.

Thomas Aquinas explained that the great metaphor for the Eucharist is sustenance, daily food for the journey.

As the body needs physical nourishment to get us through the day-to-day,  the spirit needs spiritual nourishment.

In our spiritual life, we must eat and drink, or we will not have strength.

Ave Maria!
Jesus, I Trust In You!

Come, Holy Spirit, come!
To Jesus through Mary!

Here I am, Lord; I come to do your will.
Please give us the grace to respond with joy!

+ Mikel Amigot w/ María Blanca | RosaryNetwork.com, New York

Friends of the Rosary,

In today’s first reading (2 Corinthians 12:1-10), we see how Paul begged the Lord to remove "a thorn in the flesh", which was torturing him. We don't know what kind of suffering it was (a blindness, a disease, a remorse of the past...). 
God responded: “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is made perfect in weakness.”

Then St. Paul understood that Christ in his suffering was dwelling in him:
"I will rather boast most gladly of my weaknesses,
in order that the power of Christ may dwell with me.
Therefore, I am content with weaknesses, insults,
hardships, persecutions, and constraints,
for the sake of Christ;
for when I am weak, then I am strong."

Ave Maria!
Jesus, I Trust In You!

Come, Holy Spirit, come!
To Jesus through Mary!

Here I am, Lord; I come to do your will.
Please give us the grace to respond with joy!

+ Mikel Amigot w/ María Blanca | RosaryNetwork.com, New York