Welcome to our Rosary meditation. We have been reflecting on the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit as they

correspond to each of the 8 Beatitudes this week in preparation for the Feast of Pentecost, which is Sunday.

The Seven Gifts of the Spirit and the 8 beatitudes.

That means we have one more beatitude.

Let's begin the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.

Amen. Let's call to mind all those we've promised to pray for and I would ask you all to pray for my

journey to the Holy Land, for as you're listening to this I am in route. So thank you. I thank you ahead of time for your prayers in the Rosary for my travel and for

our pilgrimage in the land of Jesus.

Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Happy, rather, are they who suffer well for righteousness sake.

Righteousness means to be in union with the will of God.

This beatitude means happy are those who see that the real meaning and purpose of their suffering is to bring them and their loved ones into union with God.

The gift of wisdom that comes from the Holy Spirit

enables us to see that God our Father is the first cause of everything

and the last end. This means that nothing can happen

that God unless God wills it directly or allows it, whatever that is. It doesn't come from random chaos or luck or

whatever. The first cause of all things is God your father.

Secondly, God wills or permits things for only one purpose to bring you into union with

him and to glorify you. That is to make you reach your highest potential with God.

Our great temptation, however, when we suffer is that either God is punishing us or he went AWOL and is not helping

us because surely an all-good God would not want us to suffer.

When you face this temptation, immediately pray to the Holy Spirit for the gift of wisdom

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