Totally yours...Totus Tuus

Humility

2011-07-23T18:49:00.000-04:00

"If you could always continue to be humble and little in your own eyes, and keep your spirit in due order and subjection, you would not fall so easily into danger and offense. It is good counsel that, when you have conceived the spirit of fervor, you should meditate how it will be when that light shall be withdrawn." These words from "The Imitation of Christ" are arguably the best advice one can give or receive. Cadel Evans of Australia clinched victory in the Tour De France today and the tears he shed in this awesome accomplishment showed just how humble a man he is. Cadel raced steady during the three weeks never in the lead until the end and although a favorite to win he showed up every day and raced with humility. So it is with total Consecration to Jesus through Mary. You show up every day and be humbled by God's grace, never feeling worthy of His love yet continuing on the journey as Mary did so many years ago. It is a walk of faith in which Thomas Merton would say, "I don't know if I do God's will but wanting to do His will is enough." God takes our humble efforts and perfects them beyond what we can understand. Ask the Blessed Mother in all humility to bring you to the throne of grace with all humility.

Queen of All Hearts

2011-07-20T19:10:00.002-04:00

We are already consecrated to the Lord through our baptism. At the moment of baptism we are born again and made new. For many this act that happened as an infant seems lost in our everyday lives. For St. Louis DeMontfort salvation is a daily struggle, the struggle to grow closer to Jesus. The Incarnation is God touching man but it is a two way interaction as man touched God for the first time in history. What better way to draw closer to Christ than through the very person who brought him into the world, his Blessed Mother!!! If you begin the preparation for consecration today (visit MyConsecration.org), the consecration will take place on the feast of the Queenship of Mary. The first consequence of this spiritual exercise is Mary's Queenship as St. Louis DeMontfort writes, "Mary is Queen of Heaven and earth by grace, as Jesus is the King of them by nature and by conquest. Now, as the kingdom of Jesus Christ consist principally in the heart or the interior of man - according to the words, "The kingdom of God is within you"(Lk 17:21) - in a like manner the kingdom of the Blessed Lady is principally in the interior of man; that is to say, his soul. And it is principally in souls that she is more glorified with her Son than in all visible creatures, and so we can call her, as the saints do, the Queen of All Hearts."

It Has Been A Long Time

2011-07-16T21:57:00.001-04:00

I do enjoy making and giving away rosaries. It is in a way an emptying of myself for others and I don't know why I do it and can't explain the full meaning it has to me. Some would say that it is the Holy Spirit working within me, again I don't know. What I can say is the fruits of the labor are evident. The last rosary give away has put me in contact with MyConsecration.org, whose mission is: "The My Consecration Apostolate was formed by an alliance of Catholic apostolates with a very strong devotion to our Blessed Mother and the Rosary. They share a common concern for the saving of souls and strengthening of the Catholic Church through the Total Consecration to Jesus Through Mary."please visit their web site as it contains (without cost) how to make your Consecration. It seems so fitting that I blog this today on my 49th birthday which is the feast of Our Lady of Mount Carmel my original Consecration. Since I have not renewed my consecration in many years it seams right that I go through the Consecration again starting July 20 and making my renewal Consecration on August 22 on the feast of The Queenship of Mary. I will share some of my thoughts along the 34 days and don't forget, IF YOU NEED A ROSARY PLEASE EMAIL ME AND I'LL SEND IT TO YOU FOR FREE!!!! Christ came to earth to touch man and opened the way for man to touch God. In our search it is comforting to remember that He seeks us first and it is our response that determines if we find Him, "If, then, we establish solid devotion to our Blessed Lady, it is only to establish more perfectly devotion to Jesus Christ, and to provide an easy secure means for finding Jesus Christ." St. Louis De Montfort

Be Amazed Today

2010-08-29T17:54:00.000-04:00

The Father will always love you!!!!!!!

A Bronx Shout Out!!

2010-05-18T07:10:00.003-04:00

Their has been a recent discussion on whether an openly homosexual couple's child should be allowed to attend a Catholic school outside of Boston. You can read Jimmy Akin's article here. I would like to share my thoughts by recognizing the tremendous job a group of evangelist do at the school where I teach math, Cardinal Spellman High School in the Bronx.

These dedicated people on any given day follow the gospel that was taught by Jesus and literally teach it to all the corners of the earth in this very diverse setting. More than half of their students are non-Catholic with many, (including Catholics) having no religious formation at all in their lives. Many come from broken homes or what can be called non-traditional family settings. They do not see why abortion, homosexual marriage, pre-marital sex, divorce, etc. are wrong either from a natural law or a gospel point of view. In general they swim in the deep end of relativism. In addition these dedicated professionals pass on Christ's message of salvation among peers who think religion class is not a true academic discipline, and that students who go on spiritual retreats are missing their class therefore these retreats are a waste of time. In general one could say these are close but different to the times that the Incarnation came to earth to teach of the Father's love for us.

The religion department is very close to my heart as they share in many of my personal beliefs. As Jesus instructed they bring all the children to Him. They teach the truth, which is difficult, as described in John chapter 6. They don't judge their students, and remain hopeful that they have planted a seed that God will nourish and bring all to the Kingdom. They realize that it is not their will but God's will in them. They are humble with a faith that can move mountains. They are strengthened by the Eucharist. The most remarkable thing, in an almost impossible situation, is their most enduring virtue; charity. Probably without knowing it I enjoy talking to one of the members of their department daily because despite all the negative things in a day the love of Christ shines through.

At the end of this academic year I offer this prayer to a group of evangelist that I admire:

May God the Father renew and strengthen your resolve.
May the light of God the Son continue to bring you and your students to friendship with the Father.
May God the Holy Spirit move you and strengthen your love so that you know that your efforts are not in vain but show a love for the Father.
Amen

A Trinitarian Time

2010-05-13T12:12:00.001-04:00

I can only imagine the ups and downs of Jesus' disciples during the first Easter season. They were up during Jesus' public ministry and down when he was crucified. They were elated at His Resurrection and those precious times when He spoke, ate, and traveled with them. This led to the events we remember today His ascension. I can't help but think that as they watched Jesus disappear into the clouds a "here we go again" thought must have passed their minds, but this time is different, they were strengthened because Jesus had delivered on His Resurrection promise. They needed to believe, as they gathered in prayer, that the Holy Spirit would come to them and they could begin to bring the gospel message to all the nations.

As we wait with the disciples for Pentecost Sunday and reflect on these Easter events we can truly see a trinitarian connection. Jesus' resurrection is God's triumph over sin and death. His ascension to be the Father is where Jesus remains now until He comes again in His glory. He intercedes to the Father on our behalf. The third part of this trinitarian time is going to happen at Pentecost when the Father and Son will pour out their Spirit, a Spirit of love, a Spirit of strength that allows us in our most imperfect way to follow the Son in doing the Father's will.

This mystery of the Trinity is reflected in the mission of the Church as the Dogmatic Constitution of the Church states:

4. When the work which the Father gave the Son to do on earth was accomplished, the Holy Spirit was sent on the day of Pentecost in order that He might continually sanctify the Church, and thus, all those who believe would have access through Christ in one Spirit to the Father. He is the Spirit of Life, a fountain of water springing up to life eternal. To men, dead in sin, the Father gives life through Him, until, in Christ, He brings to life their mortal bodies. The Spirit dwells in the Church and in the hearts of the faithful, as in a temple. In them He prays on their behalf and bears witness to the fact that they are adopted sons. The Church, which the Spirit guides in way of all truth and which He unified in communion and in works of ministry, He both equips and directs with hierarchical and charismatic gifts and adorns with His fruits. By the power of the Gospel He makes the Church keep the freshness of youth. Uninterruptedly He renews it and leads it to perfect union with its Spouse. The Spirit and the Bride both say to Jesus, the Lord, "Come!"
Thus, the Church has been seen as "a people made one with the unity of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit." Lumen Gentium

We must remember some of the names of the faithful that make us part of the mystery of the Trinity. We are a people of God, The Body of Christ, and Temples of the Holy Spirit; as Richard P. McBrien points out in "The Church, The Evolution of Catholicism"

"Terri's Day" In Our Hearts and Prayers

2010-03-31T13:09:00.002-04:00

Fr. Frank Pavone:

Terri responded to me and others around her. She smiled and laughed when her father kissed her and his mustache tickled her face. When her mother asked her a question, I heard her trying to say something. She was not able to speak words, but she returned her mom’s kiss.

When I told her I wanted to pray with her and give her a blessing, she closed her eyes and, at the end of the prayer, opened them again. She was not a “vegetable.” She was a living person who was being starved to death. This was murder. March 31 Is Terri's Day By: Father Frank Pavone

"Easter is NOT a Pagan Holiday" Thanks Mark Shea

2010-03-30T11:33:00.001-04:00

Mark Shea:
"So the feast does not *derive* from paganism. And the proof of that is that the feast is not known as “Easter” in huge swaths of the world. It’s called “Pascha” (as in “Paschal Mystery”). Because the real origins of the feast are a) the Jewish Passover and b) the crucifixion, death, and resurrection which occurred on a Passover weekend roughly 2000 years ago."
Taking a Brief Break from Sacraments for Holy Week: by Mark Shea

Pope Benedict XVI Talks about Sacrifice

2010-03-28T14:30:00.000-04:00

The Chair of Peter

2010-02-22T17:27:00.002-05:00

Pope Benedict XVI
"Cathedra" literally means the established seat of the bishop, located in the mother church of a diocese, which for this reason is called "cathedral," and it is the symbol of the authority of the bishop and, in particular, of his "magisterium," that is, of the evangelical teaching that he, insofar as a successor of the apostles, is called to guard and transmit to the Christian community.

When the bishop takes possession of the local Church that is entrusted to him, he, bearing the miter and the shepherd's crosier, sits on the cathedra. From that seat he will guide, as teacher and shepherd, the journey of the faithful in faith, hope and charity.

Which was, then, the "cathedra" of St. Peter? He, chosen by Christ as "rock" on which to build the Church (cf. Matthew 16:18), began his ministry in Jerusalem, after the ascension of the Lord and Pentecost. The first "seat" of the Church was the Cenacle, and in all probability in that room, where Mary, the Mother of Jesus, also prayed with the disciples, a special place was reserved for Simon Peter.

Pope Benedict on the Feast of the Chair of St. Peter 2-23-06

"Mary's Song" By Critical Mass

2010-02-20T18:40:00.001-05:00

Lenten Walk Towards Perfection

2010-02-18T20:27:00.000-05:00

Vatican Council II
The Lord Jesus, the divine Teacher and Model of all perfection, preached holiness of life to each and everyone of His disciples of every condition. He Himself stands as the author and consumator of this holiness of life: "Be you therefore perfect, even as your heavenly Father is perfect".(216)(2*) Indeed He sent the Holy Spirit upon all men that He might move them inwardly to love God with their whole heart and their whole soul, with all their mind and all their strength(217) and that they might love each other as Christ loves them.(218) The followers of Christ are called by God, not because of their works, but according to His own purpose and grace. They are justified in the Lord Jesus, because in the baptism of faith they truly become sons of God and sharers in the divine nature. In this way they are really made holy. Then too, by God's gift, they must hold on to and complete in their lives this holiness they have received. They are warned by the Apostle to live "as becomes saints",(219) and to put on "as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved a heart of mercy, kindness, humility, meekness, patience",(220) and to possess the fruit of the Spirit in holiness.(221) Since truly we all offend in many things (222) we all need God's mercies continually and we all must daily pray: "Forgive us our debts"(223)(3*)
Lumen Gentium No. 40

Charity

2010-02-16T17:54:00.000-05:00

Pope Benedict XVI
Charity is love received and given. It is “grace” (cháris). Its source is the wellspring of the Father's love for the Son, in the Holy Spirit. Love comes down to us from the Son. It is creative love, through which we have our being; it is redemptive love, through which we are recreated. Love is revealed and made present by Christ (cf. Jn 13:1) and “poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit” (Rom 5:5). As the objects of God's love, men and women become subjects of charity, they are called to make themselves instruments of grace, so as to pour forth God's charity and to weave networks of charity.

(CARITAS IN VERITATE No. 5)

Catholics Come Home

2010-02-14T16:41:00.000-05:00

Catholics Come Home: "Coming home has never been easier. We are family. Welcome home."

Share in Suffering, Share in Joy

2010-02-14T11:09:00.000-05:00

Saint James:
Is anyone among you suffering? He should pray. Is anyone in good spirits? He should sing praise. Is anyone among you sick? He should summon the presbyters of the church, and they should pray over him and anoint (him) with oil in the name of the Lord, and the prayer of faith will save the sick person, and the Lord will raise him up. If he has committed any sins, he will be forgiven.
(Jam 5:13-15)

Pope Benedict XVI
"The maternity of the Church is a reflection of the solicitous love of God," he said. "[...] Like Mary, the Church bears within herself the tragedies of man, and the consolation of God, she keeps them together, in the course of her pilgrimage in history.

"Across the centuries, the Church shows the signs of the love of God, who continues to do great things in humble and simple people. Suffering that is accepted and offered, a sharing that is sincere and free, are these not, perhaps, miracles of love?"

The Holy Father reflected how "we live a joy that does not forget suffering, on the contrary, it includes it."

"In this way," he said, "the sick and all the suffering are in the Church not only recipients of attention and care, but first and above all, protagonists of the pilgrimage of faith and hope, witnesses of the prodigies of love, of the paschal joy that flowers from the cross and the resurrection of Christ."
Pope Says Suffering Need Not Exclude Joy

We Follow Mary's Example of Holiness

2010-02-13T16:29:00.000-05:00

St. Paul:
to you who have been sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be holy, with all those everywhere who call upon the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, their Lord and ours.(1Cor 1:2)

Catechism
It is in the Church, in communion with all the baptized, that the Christian fulfills his vocation. From the Church he receives the Word of God containing the teachings of "the law of Christ." From the Church he receives the grace of the sacraments that sustains him on the "way." From the Church he learns the example of holiness and recognizes its model and source in the all-holy Virgin Mary; he discerns it in the authentic witness of those who live it; he discovers it in the spiritual tradition and long history of the saints who have gone before him and whom the liturgy celebrates in the rhythms of the sanctoral cycle.(CCC 2030)

Life and Death; Choose Life

2010-02-11T12:49:00.001-05:00

Moses
"Here, then, I have today set before you life and prosperity, death and doom...I call heaven and earth today to witness against you: I have set before you life and death, the blessing and the curse. Choose life, then, that you and your descendants may live.(Dt 30:15)

Pope John Paul II
The unconditional choice for life reaches its full religious and moral meaning when it flows from, is formed by and nourished by faith in Christ. Nothing helps us so much to face positively the conflict between death and life in which we are engaged as faith in the Son of God who became man and dwelt among men so "that they may have life, and have it abundantly" (Jn 10:10). It is a matter of faith in the Risen Lord, who has conquered death; faith in the blood of Christ "that speaks more graciously than the blood of Abel" (Heb 12:24).
(Evangelium vitae No. 28)

Litany of Our Lady of Lourdes

2010-02-10T21:39:00.000-05:00

Lord have mercy; Lord have mercy.
Christ have mercy; Christ have mercy.
Lord have mercy; Lord have mercy.
Christ hear us; Christ graciously hear us.
God the Father of Heaven; Have mercy on us.
God the Son, Redeemer of the world; Have mercy on us.
God the Holy Spirit; Have mercy on us.
Holy Trinity, one God; Have mercy on us.
Holy Mary; Pray for us.
Holy Mother of God; Pray for us.
Mother of Christ; Pray for us.
Mother of our Savior; Pray for us.
Our Lady of Lourdes, help of Christians; Pray for us.
Our Lady of Lourdes, source of love; Pray for us.
Our Lady of Lourdes, mother of the poor; Pray for us.
Our Lady of Lourdes, mother of the handicapped; Pray for us.
Our Lady of Lourdes, mother of orphans; Pray for us.
Our Lady of Lourdes, mother of all children; Pray for us.
Our Lady of Lourdes, mother of all nations; Pray for us.
Our Lady of Lourdes, mother of the Church; Pray for us.
Our Lady of Lourdes, friend of the lonely; Pray for us.
Our Lady of Lourdes, comforter of those who mourn; Pray for us.
Our Lady of Lourdes, shelter of the homeless; Pray for us.
Our Lady of Lourdes, guide of travelers; Pray for us.Our Lady of Lourdes, strength of the weak; Pray for us.
Our Lady of Lourdes, refuge of sinners; Pray for us.
Our Lady of Lourdes, comforter of the suffering; Pray for us.
Our Lady of Lourdes, help of the dying; Pray for us.
Queen of heaven; Pray for us.
Queen of peace; Pray for us.
Lamb of God, you take away the sins of the world; Spare us O Lord.
Lamb of God, you take away the sins of the world; Graciously hear us, O Lord.
Lamb of God, you take away the sins of the world; Have mercy on us.
Christ hear us; Christ graciously hear us.

Let us pray:

Grant us, your servants, we pray you, Lord God, to enjoy perpetual health of mind and body. By the glorious intercession of Blessed Mary ever Virgin, may we be delivered from present sorrows, and enjoy everlasting happiness. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.
Our Lady of Lourdes

The Rosary "A Christ Centered Prayer"

2010-02-06T12:13:00.001-05:00

St. Luke:
...and blessed is the fruit of your womb. (LK 1:42)

Pope John Paul II:
Here the first thing to note is the way the beads converge upon the Crucifix, which both opens and closes the unfolding sequence of prayer. The life and prayer of believers is centred upon Christ. Everything begins from him, everything leads towards him, everything, through him, in the Holy Spirit, attains to the Father.
(Rosarium Virginis Mariae)

Pope Leo XIII:
Our need of divine help is as great today as when the great Dominic introduced the use of the Rosary of Mary as a balm for the wounds of his contemporaries.
That great saint indeed, divinely enlightened, perceived that no remedy would be more adapted to the evils of his time than that men should return to Christ, who "is the way, the truth, and the life," by frequent meditation on the salvation obtained for Us by Him, and should seek the intercession with God of that Virgin, to whom it is given to destroy all heresies.
(Supremi Apostolatus Officio)

Luminous Mystery (The Baptism in the Jordan)

2010-02-04T20:57:00.001-05:00

St. Matthew:
After Jesus was baptized, he came up from the water and behold, the heavens were opened (for him), and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove (and) coming upon him. And a voice came from the heavens, saying, "This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased."(Mt 3:16-17)

Pope John Paul II
The Baptism in the Jordan is first of all a mystery of light. Here, as Christ descends into the waters, the innocent one who became “sin” for our sake (cf. 2Cor 5:21), the heavens open wide and the voice of the Father declares him the beloved Son (cf. Mt 3:17 and parallels), while the Spirit descends on him to invest him with the mission which he is to carry out. (Rosarium Virginis Mariae)

Faith and Hope

2010-02-02T06:20:00.000-05:00

St. Luke:
and Simeon blessed them and said to Mary his mother, "Behold, this child is set for the fall and rising of many in Israel, and for a sign that is spoken against (and a sword will pierce through your own soul also), that thoughts out of many hearts may be revealed." (Lk 2:34-35)

Pope Paul VI
The feast of February 2, which has been given back its ancient name, the Presentation of the Lord, should also be considered as a joint commemoration of the Son and of the Mother, if we are fully to appreciate its rich content. It is the celebration of a mystery of salvation accomplished by Christ, a mystery with which the Blessed virgin was intimately associated as the Mother of the Suffering Servant of Yahweh, as the one who performs a mission belonging to ancient Israel, and as the model for the new People of God, which is ever being tested in its faith and hope by suffering and persecution (cf. Lk. 2:21-35). (Marialis Cultis)

True Love

2010-01-31T14:29:00.001-05:00

CNA
Benedict XVI called the verses of Sunday’s reading "one of the most beautiful pages in the New Testament."

According to Paul, he continued, the way "does not consist of possessing exceptional qualities: speaking other languages, knowing all of the mysteries, having a prodigious faith or doing heroic acts. It consists, rather, of love - agape ... true love, that which God has revealed to us in Jesus Christ.
"Love is the ‘greatest gift,’ Pope Benedict declares at Angelus"

God’s Presence in Our Lives

2010-01-29T07:46:00.002-05:00

David:
Cast me not away from thy presence, and take not thy holy Spirit from me. (Ps 51:13)

St. John:
I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you. In a little while the world will no longer see me, but you will see me, because I live and you will live. On that day you will realize that I am in my Father and you are in me and I in you. (Jn 14:18-20)

St. Paul
and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out into our hearts through the holy Spirit that has been given to us. (Rom 5:5)

Francois-Xavier Durrwell:
The Spirit is the intimacy between God and his creature, the divine touch which brings about union, the love at the root of Christian love (cf. Rom 5:5). He divinizes the believer and introduces him into the Trinitarian movement. "Holy Spirit of God An Essay in Biblical Theology"pg. 100

Christian Unity

2010-01-24T10:37:00.002-05:00

St. Paul:

For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body -- Jews or Greeks, slaves or free -- and all were made to drink of one Spirit. (1Cor 12:13)

Montfort Fathers:

The Marian Dimension of Ecumenism:

An analysis of Montfort's writings indicates that he stresses the need for a clarification of Mary's role in salvation history as an integral part of ecumenical dialogue. Far from being a stumbling block to union, Montfort sees in Mary a unifying element bringing together all the baptized, provided that she is presented in her true Christocentric context. Moreover, Mary, a daughter of the Jewish people and the woman so revered by Islam, becomes an important point of contact for the monotheistic religions of the world. JESUS LIVING IN MARY: HANDBOOK OF THE SPIRITUALITY OF ST. LOUIS DE MONTFORT ECUMENISM;
Montfort Publications, 1994

My first Pro – Life March

2010-01-21T18:02:00.003-05:00

St. John:

For this is the message you have heard from the beginning: we should love one another, unlike Cain who belonged to the evil one and slaughtered his brother. Why did he slaughter him? Because his own works were evil, and those of his brother righteous. Do not be amazed, (then,) brothers, if the world hates you. We know that we have passed from death to life because we love our brothers. Whoever does not love remains in death. Everyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life remaining in him. The way we came to know love was that he laid down his life for us; so we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers. If someone who has worldly means sees a brother in need and refuses him compassion, how can the love of God remain in him? Children, let us love not in word or speech but in deed and truth.
(1Jn 3:11-18)

Pope John Paul II

"Walk as children of light ... and try to learn what is pleasing to the Lord. Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness" (Eph 5:8, 10-11). In our present social context, marked by a dramatic struggle between the "culture of life" and the "culture of death", there is need to develop a deep critical sense, capable of discerning true values and authentic needs.

"We are writing you this that our joy may be complete" (1 Jn 1:4). The revelation of the Gospel of life is given to us as a good to be shared with all people: so that all men and women may have fellowship with us and with the Trinity (cf. 1 Jn 1:3). Our own joy would not be complete if we failed to share this Gospel with others but kept it only for ourselves.
The one who accepted "Life" in the name of all and for the sake of all was Mary, the Virgin Mother; she is thus most closely and personally associated with the Gospel of life. Mary's consent at the Annunciation and her motherhood stand at the very beginning of the mystery of life which Christ came to bestow on humanity (cf. Jn 10:10). Through her acceptance and loving care for the life of the Incarnate Word, human life has been rescued from condemnation to final and eternal death.

For this reason, Mary, "like the Church of which she is the type, is a mother of all who are reborn to life. She is in fact the mother of the Life by which everyone lives, and when she brought it forth from herself she in some way brought to rebirth all those who were to live by that Life".¹³⁸

As the Church contemplates Mary's motherhood, she discovers the meaning of her own motherhood and the way in which she is called to express it. At the same time, the Church's experience of motherhood leads to a most profound understanding of Mary's experience as the incomparable model of how life should be welcomed and cared for. (Evangelium vitae 95, 101, 102)

“The Wedding Feast at Cana”

2010-01-17T13:21:00.005-05:00

St. John:

His mother said to the servers, "Do whatever he tells you."
(Jn 2:5)

Pope John Paul II:
Thus in a sense Mary as Mother became the first "disciple" of her Son, the first to whom he seemed to say: "Follow me," even before he addressed this call to the Apostles or to anyone else (cf. Jn. 1:43)…

Thus there is a mediation: Mary places herself between her Son and mankind in the reality of their wants, needs and sufferings. She puts herself "in the middle," that is to say she acts as a mediatrix not as an outsider, but in her position as mother. She knows that as such she can point out to her Son the needs of mankind, and in fact, she "has the right" to do so. Her mediation is thus in the nature of intercession: Mary "intercedes" for mankind. And that is not all. As a mother she also wishes the messianic power of her Son to be manifested, that salvific power of his which is meant to help man in his misfortunes, to free him from the evil which in various forms and degrees weighs heavily upon his life. Precisely as the Prophet Isaiah had foretold about the Messiah in the famous passage which Jesus quoted before his fellow townsfolk in Nazareth: "To preach good news to the poor...to proclaim release to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind..." (cf. Lk. 4:18). Redemptoris Mater No. 20 – 21

Msgr. Charles Pope:
Here then is Mary's role: to point to her Son's glory and draw us to greater faith in him. Like a mother she nurtures our faith and points to His glory.
The Wedding at Cana: To Jesus through Mary

Pro - Life

2010-01-16T20:46:00.003-05:00

Psalmist:
You formed my inmost being; you knit me in my mother's womb. (Ps 139:13)

Pope John Paul II
"The condition for the survival of America is to respect every human person, especially the weakest and most defenseless ones, those as yet unborn." Pope
John Paul II, September 19, 1987

"Dear brothers and sisters, the time has come to banish once and for all from the continent every attack against life… Holy Virgin of Guadalupe, Queen of Peace! Save the nations and peoples of this continent. Teach everyone, political leaders and citizens, to live in true freedom and to act according to the requirements of justice and respect for human rights, so that peace may thus be established once and for all."
HOMILY OF JOHN PAUL II
Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe, Mexico City Saturday, 23 January 1999

Novena to Our Lady of Guadalupe, Queen and Mother of America

The Baptism of the Lord

2010-01-10T13:01:00.002-05:00

St. Mark:
On coming up out of the water he saw the heavens being torn open and the Spirit, like a dove, descending upon him. And a voice came from the heavens, "You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased."
(MK 1:10-11)

Pope Benedict XXVI:

Basically, the whole mystery of Christ in the world can he summed up in this term: "baptism", which in Greek means "immersion".
The Son of God, who from eternity shares the fullness of life with the Father and the Holy Spirit, was "immersed" in our reality as sinners to make us share in his own life: he was incarnate, he was born like us, he grew up like us and, on reaching adulthood, manifested his mission which began precisely with the "baptism of conversion" administered by John the Baptist.
Homily, Feast of the Baptism of the Lord 13January 2008

Our Lady of Egypt

2010-01-07T13:55:00.002-05:00

Saint Matthew:

When they had departed, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, "Rise, take the child and his mother, flee to Egypt, and stay there until I tell you. Herod is going to search for the child to destroy him." Joseph rose and took the child and his mother by night and departed for Egypt. He stayed there until the death of Herod, that what the Lord had said through the prophet might be fulfilled, "Out of Egypt I called my son." (Mt 2:13-15)

Pope John Paul II:
1. With the blessing of Saint Paul, which leads us directly to the heart of the mystery of Trinitarian communion, I greet all of you with deep affection and in the bonds of love which unite us in the Lord.

It is for me a great joy to be a pilgrim in the country which gave hospitality and protection to our Lord Jesus Christ and the Holy Family; as it is written in the Gospel of Saint Matthew: "Joseph rose and took the child and his mother by night, and departed to Egypt, and remained there until the death of Herod. This was to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet, 'Out of Egypt have I called my son'" (Mt 2:14-15).

Egypt has been home to the Church from the beginning. Founded upon the apostolic preaching and authority of Saint Mark, the Church of Alexandria soon became one of the leading communities in the early Christian world. Venerable bishops like Saint Athanasius and Saint Cyril bore witness to faith in the Triune God and in Jesus Christ, true God and true man, as defined by the first Ecumenical Councils. It was in the desert of Egypt that monastic life originated, in both its solitary and communal forms, under the spiritual fatherhood of Saint Anthony and Saint Pachomius. Thanks to them and to the great impact of their spiritual writings, monastic life became part of our common heritage. During recent decades that same monastic charism has flourished anew, and it irradiates a vital spiritual message far beyond the borders of Egypt.

Ecumenical Meeting at the new Cathedral of Our Lady of Egypt
SPEECH OF THE HOLY FATHER JOHN PAUL II
Cairo, 25 February 2000

Blessed Virgin Mary; the second Eve

2010-01-05T10:13:00.003-05:00

Second Vatican II:
The Father of mercies willed that the incarnation should be preceded by the acceptance of her who was predestined to be the mother of His Son, so that just as a woman contributed to death, so also a woman should contribute to life. That is true in outstanding fashion of the mother of Jesus, who gave to the world Him who is Life itself and who renews all things, and who was enriched by God with the gifts which befit such a role..."death through Eve, life through Mary" (Lumen Gentium 56)

Epiphany of the Lord

2010-01-03T12:14:00.002-05:00

Liturgy of the Hours (Morning Prayer):
How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him who brings glad tidings, Announcing peace, bearing good news, announcing salvation, and saying to Zion, "Your God is King!" (Isa 52:7)

St. Matthew:
They were overjoyed at seeing the star, and on entering the house they saw the child with Mary his mother. They prostrated themselves and did him homage. Then they opened their treasures and offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. (Mt 2:10-11)

Pope Paul VI:
On the Epiphany, when she celebrates the universal call to salvation, the Church contemplates the Blessed Virgin, the true Seat of Wisdom and true Mother of the King, who presents to the Wise Men, for their adoration, the Redeemer of all peoples (cf. Mt. 2:11). (Marialis Cultis 5)

Catechism of the Catholic Church:
"In Mary, the Holy Spirit manifests the Son of the Father, now become the Son of the Virgin. She is the burning bush of the definitive theophany. Filled with the Holy Spirit she makes the Word visible in the humility of his flesh. It is to the poor and the first representatives of the gentiles that she makes him known." (CCC 724)

First Saturday of the Month

2010-01-02T11:01:00.002-05:00

The Angel Gabriel:
And coming to her, he said, "Hail, favored one! The Lord is with you."
(Lk 1:28)

The Blessed Virgin Mary:
"I (Blessed Virgin) promise to assist at the hour of death, with the graces necessary for salvation, all those who, on the first Saturday of five consecutive months, shall confess, receive Holy Communion, recite five decades of the Rosary, and keep me company for fifteen minutes while meditating on the fifteen mysteries of the Rosary, with the intention of making reparation to me." December 10, 1925 to Sister Lucia, Fatima

Pope John Paul II:
"...we saw how the doctrine of Mary's motherhood passed from its formula, "Mother of Jesus", to the more complete and explicit, "Mother of God", even to the affirmation of her maternal involvement in the redemption of humanity." "Mary Was United To Jesus On The Cross" 25October, 1995

January 1, 2010 Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God

2010-01-01T11:00:00.001-05:00

Elizabeth the Mother of John the Baptist:
"And how does this happen to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?"
(Lk 1:43)

St. Paul:
"But when the fullness of time had come, God sent his Son, born of a women..."
(Gal 4:4)

Archbishop Sheen:
"When finally she did give birth, it was as if a great ciborium had opened, and she was holding in her fingers the Guest Who was also the Host of the world, as if to say, "Look, this is the Lamb of God; look this is He Who takes away the sins of the world." Life of Christ

Dogmatic Constitution on the Church, Vatican Council II:
"This divine mystery of salvation is revealed to us and continued in the Church, which the Lord established as His body. Joined to Christ the Head and in the unity of fellowship with all His saints, the faithful must in the first place reverence the memory "of the glorious ever Virgin Mary, Mother of our God and Lord Jesus Christ"" Lumen Gentium 52

Catechism of the Catholic Church:
Called in the Gospels "the mother of Jesus", Mary is acclaimed by Elizabeth, at the prompting of the Spirit and even before the birth of her son, as "the mother of my Lord". In fact, the One whom she conceived as man by the Holy Spirit, who truly became her Son according to the flesh, was none other than the Father's eternal Son, the second person of the Holy Trinity. Hence the Church confesses that Mary is truly "Mother of God" (Theotokos)." (CCC 495)

Pope John Paul II:
"In the disciple's eyes, as they gathered after the ascension, the title "Mother of Jesus" acquires its full meaning. For them, Mary is a person unique in her kind: she received the singular grace of giving birth to the Savior of humanity; she lived for a long while at his side; and on Calvary she was called by the Crucified One to exercise a "new motherhood" in relation to the beloved disciple and, through him, to the whole Church. Mary Is The Virgin Mother of God 13September, 1995