Pray for Us O Mother of God

When praying the Rosary, be it Glorious, Luminous, Sorrowful or Joyful Mysteries, after each set of 10 Hail Marys (decades) we recite two prayers before moving on to the next Mystery. One is the Glory Be, the other is the Fatima Prayer.

O my Jesus, forgive us our sins
And save us from the fires of hell.
Lead all souls to heaven,
Especially those in most need of thy mercy.

Throughout the course of the Rosary, the Fatima Prayer is recited five times. There are many differences between Catholic and Protestant. The way in which we pray is just one such difference.

People today ask Why are you a Christian? It comes from those without faith or who are searching for answers in troubling times. For Catholics this question goes one step further. I doubt that in the Protestant Domain a Baptist is asked why Baptist and not Methodist?

I could be wrong, since I’ve never been a Baptist, Pentecostal, Presbyterian, Lutheran, Methodist, Evangelical and so on. I have been, continue to be, and shall remain Catholic. It’s strange that even among other Christians, Catholics are questioned about the validity of their faith and looked upon with suspicion and mistrust. Some Catholics are annoyed by this. Others are amused and still others don’t care one way or another. Saint John Paul II once said that within every religion there is truth. When looked at as a collective whole, all the various Protestant groups counted as one, Protestant is the largest collective group of Christians in America, with Baptists as the larges percentage of Protestants. However; when you break those numbers down into singular denominations, Catholics are the largest worldwide. Globally there are over 1.4 billion Catholics and only just under 900 million Protestants. So how is it that so much of the Catholic Faith is misunderstood?

The Jewish people set themselves apart from the rest of the world. As did Muslims and Catholics. It was this idea that interactions with those of different beliefs might cause the faithful to stray. To a degree, this is true. When towns centered around a singular Church, and grew into neighborhoods within larger cities, you had your various Faith-based sections. Neighbors shared the same faith, attended the same church services, married and raised families within the same religion. But then things began to change, especially after World War II. The suburbs were born and the melting pot of faiths began. Catholics did begin to question their practices. Their Protestant counterparts believed in Jesus Christ, yet they got to come home on a Friday Night and fire up the backyard grill for a well-earned steak supper. They went to Church Services and sat. There weren’t the calisthenics of Stand, Sit, Kneel. They didn’t pray with beads and women didn’t cover their heads with a veil, although some of the Church Hats were works of art. Some of the changes that came about during Vatican II, espeically the relaxed rules, were an answer to the American Bishops who felt they were loosing souls to the easier ways of the Protestant Churchs. The irony of this is that today more Catholics are returning to the Latin Rite and more young people seeking the Catholic Faith for the first time are drawn to the more ridged teachings of old. As an Old School Catholic with a deep love for not only the Church that Christ built upon the Rock of Saint Peter, but a devotion to Mary I am glad.

Catholics have a deep connection to Mary. She wasn’t just the women chosen to bring Christ into the world, but to nurture Him. Theirs is a close and personal relationship, one that Catholics are invited to participate in as well. Mary is not a lesser god. She has no divine nature. What she does have is a love for Jesus unlike any other. She guides Catholics as we come to her Son. Because her relationship with Christ is unlike any other human being, she has been granted though Him certain favors. One of which is to act as a messenger. Our Lady of Lourdes is a beautiful story with a powerful message. It is a part of who I am as a Catholic.

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Melt-in-Your-Mouth Chicken
2 large boneless Chicken Breasts
1 cup Mayonnaise
1 teaspoon Garlic Powder
1 teaspoon Onion Powder
1 teaspoon Paprika
Salt to taste
Black Pepper to taste
1 tablespoon Grated Parmesan Cheese

Heat oven to 375-degrees. Lightly oil a rimmed baking sheet, set aside. Cut each breast in half to create four plump breasts. Pat dry and set aside.

In a bowl combine mayonnaise, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, salt, pepper and Parmesan as desired. Whisk to blend. Place chicken breasts on a clean, flat work surface such as a cutting board. Generously spread the mayonnaise mixture over each breast piece. Arrange chicken on the prepared baking sheet.

Bake uncovered in the heated oven for 25 to 30 minutes, or until chicken is cooked golden and cooked through, rotating the baking sheet mid-way through for even cooking. Let rest for 5 minutes before serving.

Homemade Chicken Rice-A-Roni
1/2 cup Vermicelli Pasta
2 tablespoons Butter
1 cup White Rice
1 cup Chicken Stock
3/4 cup Water
3 teaspoons Granulated Chicken Bouillon
1/2 teaspoon Italian Seasoning
1 teaspoon Dried Parsley Flakes
Dash Garlic Powder

Break the pasta into smaller pieces, about 1/2 to 3/4 inch long. Set aside.

In a large skillet melt butter. Once the butter is melted and beginning to foam, add the broken pasta and rice to the skillet. Cook, stirring constantly, until lightly brown.

Add the chicken stock, water, bouillon and all the seasonings. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low; cover and simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the liquid is absorbed and the rice is tender.

Remove from heat, fluff with a fork just before serving. Transfer to a serving bowl.

Serve the Chicken and Rice with a simple salad and enjoy.

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The mouth of the just man tells of wisdom
and his tongue utters what is right.
The law of his God is in his heart,
and his steps do not falter.