Those who want to offer God a worthy gift can only do so by offering themselves. For since God made us in His own image He is delighted to be offered His own image, and commands us to present it to Him clean and shining.
That explains our Savior's answer to some of those who were trying to trap Him: Give to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's. This means that just as we give to Caesar his image imprinted on a coin, so we must give to God his image imprinted on ourselves. And when we give our Creator His own image it must be righteous, not evil; humble, not proud; not debased by greed, deformed by rapacity, diminished by vicious anger, worn away by earthly passions, filthy with envy, defiled by debauchery; but kept unharmed by prudent care, clean by true faith, and shining by good ways and works. But the most holy prophet tells us how to give God His own image in ourselves, when He says: I shall show you what is good and what the Lord asks of you. It is to act justly and righteously, to love mercy and walk carefully with your God.
"...Jesus our only teacher...thank you for bringing me this far...."
The Rosary may seem like an insignificant thing in the light of the magnitude of the evils of today’s world, but it is the weapon given to us by Our Lady. She merely asks our cooperation, and she will do the rest. It is like the slingshot of David that killed the mighty enemy because the power of God was behind it. Thus, as the saying goes, he who prays the Rosary has the power of God in his hand.
Are you in the miserable state of sin?
Then call on Mary and say to her, "Ave," which means "I greet thee with the most profound respect, thou who art without sin," and she will deliver you from the evil of your sins.
Are you groping in the darkness of ignorance and error?
Go to Mary and say to her, "Hail Mary," which means "Hail, thou who art bathed in the light of the Sun of Justice," and she will give you a share in her light.
Have you strayed from the path leading to heaven?
Then call on Mary, for her name means "Star of the Sea, the Polar Star which guides the ships of our souls during the voyage of this life," and she will guide you to the harbour of eternal salvation.
Are you in sorrow?
Turn to Mary, for her name means also "Sea of Bitterness which has been filled with bitterness in this world but which is now turned into a sea of purest joy in heaven," and she will turn your sorrow into joy and your affliction into consolation.
Have you lost the state of grace?
Praise and honour the numberless graces with which God has filled the Blessed Virgin and say to her, "Thou art full of grace and filled with all the gifts of the Holy Spirit", and she will give you some of these graces.
Are you alone, having lost God's protection?
Pray to Mary and say, "The Lord is with thee, in a nobler and more intimate way than He is with the saints and the just, because thou art one with Him. He is thy Son and His flesh is thy flesh; thou art united to the Lord because of thy perfect likeness to Him and by your mutual love, for thou art His Mother". And then say to her, "The three persons of the Godhead are with thee because thou art the Temple of the Blessed Trinity," and she will place you once more under the protection and care of God.
Have you become an outcast and been accursed by God?
Then say to our Lady, "Blessed art thou above all women and above all nations by thy purity and fertility; thou hast turned God's maledictions into blessings for us." She will bless you.
Do you hunger for the bread of grace and the bread of life? Draw near to her who bore the living Bread which came down from heaven, and say to her, "Blessed be the fruit of thy womb, whom thou hast conceived without the slightest loss to thy virginity, whom thou didst carry without discomfort and brought forth without pain. Blessed be Jesus who redeemed our suffering world when we were in the bondage of sin, who has healed the world of its sickness, who has raised the dead to life, brought home the banished, restored sinners to grace, and saved men from damnation. Without doubt, your soul will be filled with the bread of grace in this life and of eternal glory in the next. Amen."
Conclude your prayer with the Church and say, "Holy Mary," holy because of thy incomparable and eternal devotion to the service of God, holy in thy great rank as Mother of God, who has endowed thee with eminent holiness, in keeping with this great dignity. "Mother of God, and our Mother, our Advocate and Mediatrix, Treasurer and dispenser of God's graces, obtain for us the prompt forgiveness of our sins and grant that we may be reconciled with the divine majesty.
"Pray for us sinners, thou who art always filled with compassion for those in need, who never despise sinners or turn them away, for without them you would never have been Mother of the Redeemer.
"Pray for us now, during this short life, so fraught with sorrow and uncertainty; now, because we can be sure of nothing except the present moment; now that we are surrounded and attacked night and day by powerful and ruthless enemies.
"And at the hour of our death, so terrible and full of danger, when our strength is waning and our spirits are sinking, and our souls and bodies are worn out with fear and pain; at the hour of our death when the devil is working with might and main to ensnare us and cast us into perdition; at that hour when our lot will be decided forever and ever, heaven or hell.
"Come to the help of your poor children, gentle Mother of pity, Advocate and Refuge of sinners, at the hour of our death drive far from us our bitter enemies, the devils, our accusers, whose frightful presence fills us with dread. Light our path through the valley of the shadow of death. Lead us to thy Son's judgment-seat and remain at our side. Intercede for us and ask thy Son to pardon us and receive us into the ranks of thy elect in the realms of everlasting glory. Amen."
No one could help admiring the excellence of the holy Rosary, made up as it is of these two divine parts: the Lord's Prayer and the Angelic Salutation. How could there be any prayers more pleasing to God and to the Blessed Virgin, or any that are easier, more precious, or more helpful than these two prayers? We should always have them in our hearts and on our lips to honour the most Blessed Trinity, Jesus Christ our Saviour and his most holy Mother. In addition, at the end of each decade it is good to add the Gloria Patri, that is: Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.
Holy Communion is the shortest way to Heaven. There are others, innocence for instance, but that is for little children; penance, but we are afraid of it; a generous endurance of the trials of life, but they approach us we weep and pray to be delivered.Pope Saint Pius X
Once for all, beloved children, the surest, easiest, shortest way is by the Holy Eucharist.
