Every last Tuesday of every month St Charbel’s youth holds a Eucharistic Adoration in St Charbel’s Church. It begins at 8-10pm in the first hour quiet reflection, meditations, the rosary and confession. In the second hour mass is conducted.
Eucharistic adoration is a spiritual exercise that was and still is very common with the Saints.
St Charbel would spend several hours before and after Mass before the Blessed Sacrament in adoration and thanksgiving. Catholics all over the world should not only believe that Christ is truly present under the appearances of bread and wine, but should also adore Him in this sacrament, because it is truly God. We should be moved with devotion, and sorrow for our sins. We should contemplate the great mystery before us, and spend time talking to Him, one-on-one.
Rosary
St Charbel’s youth pray’s the Rosary everyday at 8pm from Monday to Saturday except on Wednesday’s were it is said at 7pm and straight after 7pm mass on Sundays. And you’re more than welcome to come.
"One day through the Rosary and the Scapular I will save the world" These were the words spoken to Saint Dominic by the Blessed Virgin Mary in the year 1208 when she appeared to him.
History: St. Dominic, seeing that the gravity of people's sins was hindering the conversion of the Albigensians, withdrew into a forest near Toulouse where he prayed unceasingly for three days and three nights. During this time he did nothing but weep and do harsh penance's in order to appease the anger of Almighty God. Tradition tells that our Lady appeared to him while he prayed. The story is told that she spoke to him gently that day in the forest. "My son," the Queen of Heaven said, "prayer and penance are the only way to win souls. Pray my prayer and teach it to your people. That prayer, will never fail."He frequently prayed and many people joined him. Those who could not read Holy Scripture and those who could not understand it often said a Hail Mary for each of the Psalms. Their simple prayer took the place of the one hundred and fifty Psalms of David. During the fifteenth century, the Rosary structure formed. Fifty Hail Mary's were recited and were linked with verses of psalms. The prayer was called rosarim meaning rose garden. Later, the name became the Rosary.. There were many wars, and people turned to the Rosary for comfort. On October 7, 1572, Pope St. Pius V established the Feast of the Holy Rosary.
How to pray the Rosary:
Begin with the sign of the Cross followed by the Apostle’s Creed.
[see prayers page]. Then pray one Our Father, followed by 3 Hail Mary’s in honour of the theological virtues.
Then pray one Our Father, one Glory Be, followed by 10 Hail Mary’s then on Our Father, Glory Be, Fatima prayer. And continue. After the 5th decade prayer one Hail Holy Queen, and one prayer to St Michael.
Followed by prayer to the intentions of the Pope.
The Mysteries of the Rosary.
The rosary is a prayer of mediation there are 20 mysteries which we meditate upon which account the major events in Christ’s and the Blessed Virgin’s life. They are split into Joyful, Luminous, Sorrowful and Glorious.
The Joyful Mysteries [Mon & Sat]
- The Annunciation
- The Visitation
- The Nativity of Christ [Christmas]
- The presentation of Christ
- The finding n the temple
The Lumionous Mysteries [Thur]
- The Baptism in the Jordan
- The Miracle at Cana
- Proclamation of the Word
- The Transfiguration
- The Institution of the Eucharist
The Sorrowful Mysteries [Fri & Tue]
- The Agony in the Garden
- The Scourging at the Pillar
- The Crowning of Thorns
- The carrying of the Cross
- The Crucifixion
The Glorious Mysteries [Sun & Wed]
- The Resurrection
- The Ascension
- The decent of the Holy Spirit
- The Assumption
- The Coronation
The First Joyful Mystery: the Annunciation
Spiritual fruit: Humility
There is no better way to begin the mysteries of the rosary. The annunciation is a mystery that contains the great mysteries of the incarnation and the virginal conception of our lady. It gives testimony also to the mystery of the immaculate conception of our lady in the womb of her mother St Anne. This mystery shows God’s great love for man and His great works in salvation History. Salvation History began in the Old Testament after Adam’s fall. God was among His people and worked wonders through the prophets and the righteous. God never left His people. But now, in the incarnation, he takes on the very nature of His people to become both God and man. This is the major work of Christ in the redemption of His people. He has taken the form of man in order to repay man’s debt to God for sin, and to be a living example of sanctity, humility, charity, and all virtues. His fundamental work of redemption is at the incarnation. The Word of God, the Second Person of the Blessed Trinity, the Son, took on flesh. He has come to pay the debt of sin by establishing a Church and giving grace. Adam’s sin (Original Sin) of eating from the fruit of the tree of knowledge is a direct sin against the infinitely Good God, since the command came directly from God. It must also be realised that the gravity of any sin is dependant on the goodness or dignity of the one offended. God, being infinitely good, was offended directly. Therefore the gravity of the sin was infinite. Man must pay the debt for his sin in order to establish peace and justice with God. The problem, however, was that man was unable to repay the debt, because the gravity was infinite, and only God was able to repay it, eventhough He was not the offender. This is where Jesus Christ steps in through the incarnation. God took on flesh, thus becoming both God and man. As God, He has the capacity and power to pay sin’s price. As man, he can act on humanities behalf to make amends for original sin.
It all began at the incarnation. God’s humility is thus, that in taking flesh, he descends to live and dwell with man. He is open to suffering. He is among the sinners. He takes on a humanity that is able to die. By the incarnation, salvation is just about assured. Christ in His Divinity has no chance of sinning. In His humanity, he can sin, since he does have all the passions and senses, but strictly speaking, he cannot. In His humanity, he beholds the beatific vision (the perfect image of God as He really is in heaven). Thus, beholding this image necessitates His strict inability to sin. From his very conception in the virginal womb, he beheld this vision, and became God and Man. This is the beauty of God.
Let us not forget the actual occurrence of the Annunciation to Mary. The Angel Gabriel was sent to bring tidings of great joy to Mary. Gabriel greets Mary saying “Hail Mary, Full of Grace, the Lord is with you.” The words “Full of Grace” tell us that Mary was truly full of grace. She was in God’s justice. But how can this be, since the redemption has not taken place yet? The answer is simple: Mary was preserved the inherited stain of original Sin. As a result of Adam’s sin, all humanity has inherited his sin, and thus could not enter directly into heaven; since grace is required (This is why infant baptism is necessary).
But God chose Mary and preserved her from Original Sin in order that she may be His mother. God deserves the best, since He is the best. If He is to take on flesh from a woman, this woman must be worthy. And worthy she is. She is also a virgin. “How can this be, since I know not a man?” She is the new Ark of the Covenant, which in the Old Testament was made from pure gold and unable to be touched. It held the Ten Commandments and Abraham’s staff. In like manner, Mary is pure and stainless, and untouched. She held the New Lawgiver, the New High Priest and the new Abraham.
Mary’s is shown in this mystery as a humble servant, speaking only when spoken to. She is perplexed at the Angel’s greeting, but does not indulge or take pride in the fact that an Angel has visited her, a 15 year old village girl. Rather, she looks beyond pride, turns to humility, is attentive and realizes that the message is of great importance.
This is not the Angel Gabriel’s first visit to bring a message from the Divine. His visit to Zachariah was one that included doubt. After the news of his son John to be born of his wife Elizabeth, Zachariah responds with doubt “how shall this be?” but Mary’s response to the Angel’s news is sincere. Where Zachariah doubts, Mary ponders and seeks the fullness of God’s will. The Angels then tells Mary that “the Holy Spirit will come upon her.” Christ is therefore conceived by the Holy Spirit. Therefore Our lady is truly the spouse of the Holy Spirit. Mary truly has such an intimate relationship with the Blessed Trinity: She is the Daughter of God, the Mother of God and the Spouse of God.
Mary’s final words, “Behold the handmaid of the Lord, be it done unto me according to thy word” show her willingness to take upon the lord’s will in her life, regardless of others and their thoughts, and regardless even of possible persecution. She is a true model servant of the Lord. And then “The Word was made flesh and dwelt among us.” From that moment, God became man. Most people look to the heavens or to the sky and say ‘God is up there!’, but Mary is the only one in all eternity who could look down to find and worship her God. She could’ve adored and venerated the fruit of her own womb and there would be no problem whatsoever.
So let us remember God’s humility in becoming man. Let us remember Our Lady, the Blessed Virgin Mary’s role in redemption. And let us remember that the road of salvation and happiness is “To Jesus, Through Mary
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