Workout Wednesday with Fr. Marino

WORKOUT WEDNESDAY A Midweek Spiritual Workout with Fr. Marino H. Msigala, OFM Capuchin LET’S RETURN TO A VENERABLE TRADITION When we were school children, we learned about a venerable tradition called the First Friday Devotion. Maybe as adults, we have forgotten it or haven’t thought about it for a long time. June is the month of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, and it is the perfect time to revisit the promise that Jesus made in an apparition to St. Margaret Mary Alacoque in France in 1674. “I promise you in the unfathomable mercy of My Sacred Heart that My omnipotent love will procure the grace of final penitence for all those who attend Holy Mass and receive Holy Communion on nine consecutive First Fridays of each month. My Divine Heart will be their sure refuge in the last moments of their life.” On this  SPIRITUAL WORKOUT WEDNESDAY , resolve to renew the First Friday Devotion in your prayer life beginning in July. If you keep your resolution, Jesus will surely keep His pro...

WORKOUT WEDNESDAY A Midweek Spiritual Workout  with  Fr. Marino H. Msigala, OFM Capuchin WHAT’S IN YOUR GARDEN? ‘Your soul is a garden And your thoughts are the seeds. You can grow flowers Or you can grow weeds.”                                         ~ Rumi, 13 th Century Poet On this  SPIRITUAL WORKOUT WEDNESDAY , ask yourself, what is growing in my garden? Is it time to till the soil and start anew?  

WORKOUT WEDNESDAY A Midweek Spiritual Workout with Fr. Marino H. Msigala, O.F.M. Capuchin DON'T JUST COUNT THE MINUTES; MAKE EVERY MINUTE COUNT Every minute, someone leaves this world behind. We are all in “the line” without knowing it. We never know how many people are before us. We cannot move to the back of the line. We cannot step out of the line. We cannot avoid the line. So, while you wait in line – Don’t just count the minutes. Make the minutes count. Make memories. Make time. Make your gifts known. Make a nobody feel like a somebody. Make your voice heard. Make the change. Make peace. Make sure to tell your people they are loved. Make sure to have no regrets. Make priorities. Make small things big. Make someone smile. Make up.  Make a difference. Make sure you are ready. On this  SPIRITUAL WORKOUT WEDNESDAY , make every minute count.  

WORKOUT WEDNESDAY A Midweek Spiritual Workout with Fr. Marino H. Msigala, OFM Capuchin WEAR THE FRANCISCAN CROWN The Seven Joys of Mary Rosary, also known as the Franciscan Crown, is a devotion that recalls seven joyful events in the life of the Blessed Virgin Mary. It consists of seven decades of the  Hail Mary , each preceded by an  Our Father , and meditated upon in conjunction with one of the seven joys.  The Seven Joys of Mary are: The Annunciation :  Mary's joyful acceptance of the angel Gabriel's message that she would be the Mother of God.    The Visitation :  Mary's joyful visit to her cousin Elizabeth.    The Nativity of Jesus :  Mary's joy in the birth of her Son, Jesus.    The Adoration of the Magi :  Mary's joy in seeing the wise men present gifts to her baby Jesus.    The Finding of Jesus in the Temple :  Mary's joy in fin...

WORKOUT WEDNESDAY A Midweek Spiritual Workout with Fr. Marino H. Msigala, OFM Capuchin PRAY THE ANGELUS TIMES THREE The Angelus, the angelic greeting that commemorates the conversation between the Archangel Gabriel and Mary at the Incarnation of Jesus, dates back to medieval times. St. Anthony of Padua, a beloved Franciscan saint, strongly recommended that it be recited at 6:00 A.M., 12:00 Noon, and 6:00 P.M. to sanctify each part of the day. The ringing of church bells usually accompanies it as a tangible reminder that it is time to stop and pray. The Angel of the Lord declared to Mary: And she conceived of the Holy Spirit. Hail Mary… Behold the handmaid of the Lord: Be it done unto me according to Thy word. Hail Mary... And the Word was made Flesh: And dwelt among us. Hail Mary... Pray for us, O Holy Mother of God, that we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.  Let us pray: Pour forth, we beseech Thee, O Lord, Thy grace into our hearts; that ...

WORKOUT WEDNESDAY A Midweek Spiritual Workout with Fr. Marino H. Msigala, OFM Capuchin MEMORARE…REMEMBER Everyone wants to be remembered. Remember the Blessed Virgin Mary by asking for her help and protection, knowing that anyone who seeks her intercession has never been disappointed. Remember Mary, and she will remember you! Calling on Mary to remember is an act of boldness, but it is boldness justified by tradition. Mary needs no reminder of her role in the realm of salvation. However, those who call upon her do require such reminders of their place as supplicants before the Virgin Mary. Asking Mary to intercede as our Advocate before God does not guarantee that a supplicant's specific request will be granted, only that divine aid and assistance in the supplicant's best interest will be given through Mary's help The Memorare/Remember Prayer Remember, O most gracious Virgin Mary, that never was it known that anyone who fled to your protection, impl...

WORKOUT WEDNESDAY A Midweek Spiritual Workout with Fr. Marino H. Msigala, OFM Capuchin MAKE MAY MARY’S MONTH Relationships are created, strengthened, and maintained through simple, consistent actions such as conversation, remembrance, service, and fidelity. Cultivate your relationship with the Blessed Virgin Mary during this month, which is dedicated to her. WAKE UP WITH MARY: Start your day with a simple Hail Mary . TALK TO MARY: Ask her to help you. Ask for favors. Be grateful. LOVE MARY: As a mother, she never tires of hearing that she is loved. WALK WITH MARY: Let her be your companion throughout the day. IMITATE MARY: Have faith. Be obedient. Practice kindness. Be patient.. TRUST MARY: Share your sorrows, your failures, your concerns, your fears, your temptations.. PRAY TO MARY: Say the rosary, meditate on Christ and Mary through the mysteries of the rosary. On this  SPI RITUAL WORKOUT WEDNESDAY , nurture your relationship with Mary. Because she is His ...

WORKOUT WEDNESDAY A Midweek Spiritual Workout with  Fr. Marino H.  Msigala,  OFM Capuchin   UNSTOPPABLE The sea couldn’t stop Moses. The wall couldn’t stop Joshua. The giant couldn’t stop David. The whale couldn’t stop Jonah. Danger couldn’t stop Esther. Abandonment couldn’t stop Joseph. Persecution couldn’t stop Jeremiah. Misfortune couldn’t stop Job. Imprisonment couldn’t stop Paul. Grief couldn’t stop Naomi. Death couldn’t stop Jesus. With God, nothing can stop you. “For with God, nothing shall be impossible.” Luke 1:37 On this  SPIRITUAL WORKOUT WEDNESDAY , know that you are unstoppable. Embrace it. Believe it. Live it.     “If God is for us, who can be against us?” Romans 8:31  

WORKOUT WEDNESDAY A Midweek Spiritual Workout with Fr. Marino H. Msigala, OFM Capuchi n AVOID THE REAR VIEW MIRROR Life does not allow us to go back and fix what we have done wrong in the past, But it does allow us to live each day better than our last. On this SPIRITUAL WORKOUT WEDNESDAY , look ahead, look forward, live in the present knowing that you can make tomorrow better than yesterday. 

WORKOUT WEDNESDAY A Midweek Spiritual Workout with Fr. Marino H. Msigala, OFM Capuchin   IF HE IS NOT HERE, WHERE IS HE? The story of the empty tomb is a challenge even today for followers of Jesus. If He is not to be found among the dead, then where?  Where indeed is the Risen Christ to be found?  He is the unrecognized stranger who walks the road, opens minds and hearts, and breaks bread with those who have lost hope.  He is the least among us, looking to us for food, drink, clothing, shelter, and compassion.  He is the shepherd who cares for the helpless and the needy.  He is the relative grieving the loss of a child, the single mother losing medical benefits, the children fearing deportation of a parent.  He is the all too familiar spouse, child, or family member who looks to us for kindness and love.  The Risen One is present when two or three gather in His name. He is among us when we open the Scriptures and tell the stories of God. And if o...